PeerJ最新文献

{"title":"Bacterial microbiome profiles of the inflamed terminal ileum mucosa in active Crohn's disease patients.","authors":"Juan Yin, Tong Hu, Liping Zhang, Lijuan Xu, Jianyun Zhu, Yulan Ye, Zhi Pang","doi":"10.7717/peerj.19959","DOIUrl":"10.7717/peerj.19959","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiome relates to the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (CD). Previous studies have focused on microbiota diversity and composition in CD patients in comparison with healthy individuals. Nonetheless, intestinal flora varies greatly among individuals. This study aimed to characterize the bacterial microbiome profiles of inflamed mucosa in comparison with those of noninflamed mucosa from Crohn's disease patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Sequencing of 16S rDNA V4 was used to identify the bacterial microbiome profiles of twelve pairs of inflamed and noninflamed mucosa from active CD patients.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 753 OTUs were specific to inflamed tissues. Alpha diversity demonstrated that the biodiversity of the bacterial microbiota in the inflamed mucosa was increased, but it was not significantly different from that in the noninflamed mucosa. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) Clustergram showed <i>Micrococcaceae</i>, <i>Bifidobacteriaceae</i>, <i>Bifidobacteriales</i>, <i>Flavobacteriaceae</i>, and <i>Methylobacteriaceae</i> as microbes that were significantly different in the inflamed mucosa of active CD patients. Wilcox test results of genus differences indicated <i>Methylobacterium, Rothia, Shinella, Capnocytophaga, Actinomyces, Gardnerella, Leucobacter</i>, and <i>Bifidobacterium</i> as significantly upregulated genera in the inflamed mucosa of active CD patients compared with their noninflamed mucosa. These findings provide new evidence that the dysbiosis of mucosa-associated microbiota contributes to CD development, from a self-comparison perspective.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"13 ","pages":"e19959"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12466505/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145186541","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effectiveness of gamma-oryzanol in glycaemic control and managing oxidative stress, inflammation, and dyslipidaemia in diabetes: a systematic review of preclinical studies.","authors":"Mustapha Ismail Radda, Norsuhana Omar, Siti Fairuz Mohd Yusof, Rozaziana Ahmad, Abdul Jalil Rohana, Wan Rosli Wan Ishak, Anani Aila Mat Zin, Aminah Che Romli","doi":"10.7717/peerj.20062","DOIUrl":"10.7717/peerj.20062","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Diabetes mellitus (DM) and associated complications remain a global public health challenge despite many confrontational aspects of the disease, and its prevalence is projected to rise in the coming decades. Thus, there is an urgent need to intensify the current efforts to address both the prevalence and adverse effects of diabetes, including the use of natural products. Increasing evidence from the scientific literature has revealed the beneficial effects of gamma oryzanol for treating diabetes and its related complications.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aim: &lt;/strong&gt;To investigate the effectiveness of gamma oryzanol (γ-oryzanol) in managing hyperglycaemia, oxidative stress, inflammation, and dyslipidaemia in a rodent model of diabetes mellitus.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methodology: &lt;/strong&gt;The review was conducted by searching PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science for articles published from inception to July 12, 2025, with the terms (Gamma-oryzanol OR γ-oryzanol OR Oryzanol OR Cycloartenyl ferulate OR Gammariza) AND (Diabetes mellitus OR Type 2 diabetes mellitus OR hyperglycemia OR oxidative stress OR inflammation OR dyslipidaemia). The review included only articles that used rat and mouse models of diabetes mellitus and γ-oryzanol as treatments; articles that did not meet these criteria were excluded. A total of nine articles were identified, encompassing a total population of 394 rodents. SyCLE's risk of bias tool was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Out of 1,989 records initially identified through the systematic search, nine studies met the eligibility criteria. All included studies were assessed to have an unclear to low risk of bias. The synthesised findings indicate that γ-oryzanol (γ-ORZ) exerts beneficial effects on glycaemic control by enhancing insulin secretion and sensitivity, as well as by reducing fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels. Additionally, γ-ORZ demonstrates antioxidant activity by elevating endogenous antioxidant enzyme levels and decreasing oxidative stress markers. Its lipid-modulatory effects include the elevation of beneficial lipid fractions and the reduction of atherogenic lipids, thereby alleviating diabetic dyslipidaemia. Moreover, γ-ORZ exhibits anti-inflammatory properties through the downregulation of proinflammatory biomarkers. Despite these promising results in preclinical models, further high-quality investigations, particularly well-designed clinical trials, are essential to validate these findings and support the potential integration of γ-ORZ into diabetes management strategies.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Most included studies reported that γ-ORZ positively affected hyperglycaemia, oxidative stress, dyslipidaemia, and inflammation under diabetic conditions. Further research, particularly rigorously designed clinical trials, is strongly recommended to confirm and translate these preclinical findings into clinical practice.","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"13 ","pages":"e20062"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12466496/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145186114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Estimating ankle joint angle from skeletal geometry: a mechanical model of the calcaneal lever in terrestrial mammals.","authors":"Fumihiro Mizuno, Shin-Ichi Fujiwara","doi":"10.7717/peerj.20056","DOIUrl":"10.7717/peerj.20056","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;The ankle joint angle, typically measured between the tibia and metatarsus, shows only a small range of movement during the stance phase and remains relatively constant within species, but varies across taxa. This variation influences traits such as stride length, posture, and locomotor function. While joint angles are readily observable in living animals, they cannot be directly measured in extinct species, for which only skeletal remains are available. Therefore, estimating ankle joint posture from skeletal geometry is important for reconstructing locomotion in both extant and extinct mammals. In this study, we propose a mechanical model of the ankle extensor apparatus to estimate ankle joint angle from bones and test whether the muscle-lever system aligns consistently with skeletal features across taxa.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;We developed a simplified mechanical model of the ankle extensor apparatus to calculate ankle extensor moment arm defined as the perpendicular distance from the ankle joint center to the muscle force line of action, which was assumed to be parallel to the tibia. To verify the Achilles tendon runs parallel to the tibia across taxa, dissections were performed on cadavers of 24 species in seven orders. We compared observed angle (&lt;i&gt;θ&lt;/i&gt; &lt;sub&gt;obs&lt;/sub&gt;) from 26 species of zoo-kept terrestrial mammals, covering various body mass and locomotor modes, with estimated angle (&lt;i&gt;θ&lt;/i&gt; &lt;sub&gt;est&lt;/sub&gt;) from skeletal specimens of the same species. &lt;i&gt;θ&lt;/i&gt; &lt;sub&gt;obs&lt;/sub&gt;was the mean tibia-metatarsus angle during the stance phase, recorded laterally with a high-speed camera. &lt;i&gt;θ&lt;/i&gt; &lt;sub&gt;est&lt;/sub&gt;was measured on reassembled skeletal specimens as the ankle joint angle that maximized the extensor moment arm in the model. Phylogenetic comparative methods, including phylogenetic ANOVA and PGLS, were applied to analyze relationships among &lt;i&gt;θ&lt;/i&gt; &lt;sub&gt;obs&lt;/sub&gt;, &lt;i&gt;θ&lt;/i&gt; &lt;sub&gt;est&lt;/sub&gt;, body mass, and locomotor mode based on a time-calibrated phylogeny.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Dissections confirmed the Achilles tendon runs nearly parallel to the tibia across species. Stance phase ankle joint rotations were small. Therefore, &lt;i&gt;θ&lt;/i&gt; &lt;sub&gt;obs&lt;/sub&gt; could be considered as representative for each species. Over 85% of the studied species maintained their ankle joint angle at which the mechanical advantage of the calcaneal lever was greater than 0.9. No significant differences in the mechanical advantage of the calcaneal lever were found among locomotor modes or taxonomic orders. A strong positive correlation was observed between &lt;i&gt;θ&lt;/i&gt; &lt;sub&gt;obs&lt;/sub&gt; and &lt;i&gt;θ&lt;/i&gt; &lt;sub&gt;est&lt;/sub&gt; (&lt;i&gt;ρ&lt;/i&gt; = 0.70, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Our mechanical model could estimate &lt;i&gt;θ&lt;/i&gt; &lt;sub&gt;est&lt;/sub&gt; from skeletal morphology that closely match &lt;i&gt;θ&lt;/i&gt; &lt;sub&gt;obs&lt;/sub&gt; during stance phase. Despite interspecific variation of &lt;i&gt;θ&lt;/i&gt; &lt;sub&gt;obs&lt;/sub&gt;, the mechanical advantage of the calca","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"13 ","pages":"e20056"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12466507/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145186244","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification of key pathways and genes underlying melatonin-enhanced drought tolerance in cotton.","authors":"Xingyue Zhong, Aixia Han, Yunhao Liusui, Xin Zhang, Wanwan Fu, Ziyu Wang, Yuanxin Li, Jing Cao, Yanjun Guo, JingBo Zhang","doi":"10.7717/peerj.20005","DOIUrl":"10.7717/peerj.20005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Drought stress is a significant environmental constraint that adversely affects the growth of upland cotton (<i>Gossypium hirsutum</i>) by inducing complex physiological disruptions. Emerging research evidence indicates that melatonin (MT), as a plant growth regulator, is extensively involved in the process of plant stress resistance regulation. This study explored the role of exogenous MT in enhancing drought tolerance in cotton, employing both physiological parameter analysis and transcriptomic profiling to unravel the underlying mechanisms of its stress mitigation effects. The results demonstrated that MT treatment significantly enhanced drought resistance in cotton plants by upregulating leaf superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) activities, elevating proline (PRO) content, and decreasing malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation, thus confirming its physiological role in alleviating drought stress. Transcriptome analysis revealed that MT specifically modulates the \"plant circadian rhythm\", \"thiamine metabolism\", and \"taurine and hypotaurine metabolism\" pathways under drought stress conditions, thereby playing a pivotal role in drought adaptation. Further analysis of the 276 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) specifically modulated by MT under drought stress, combined with co-expression network analysis, identified two MT-specific induced Basic Helix-Loop-Helix (bHLH) family transcription factors (<i>GhPIF8</i> and <i>GhMYC5</i>, gene IDs: Ghi_A11G05431 and Ghi_D03G05926) as key regulatory candidates in MT-mediated drought tolerance. This study establishes a theoretical framework for understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying MT-mediated drought tolerance in cotton, while also informing practical applications of MT in cotton agriculture.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"13 ","pages":"e20005"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12466508/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145186303","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Safety of outpatient <i>vs.</i> inpatient anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Lili Ding, Mengzhu Yin, Wenhua Yuan","doi":"10.7717/peerj.20045","DOIUrl":"10.7717/peerj.20045","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To evaluate and compare the safety of outpatient and inpatient anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) regarding complications and related outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>PubMed, Embase, and Scopus were systematically searched for retrospective cohort studies published between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2024, comparing outpatient and inpatient ACDF. Pooled relative risks (RRs) and weighted mean differences (WMDs) were calculated using a random-effects model. Study quality and certainty of evidence were assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and GRADE, respectively.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 21 studies involving 164,541 patients (36,361 outpatient and 128,180 inpatient) were included. Outpatient ACDF resulted in significantly lower incidence of overall complications (RR 0.45, 95% CI [0.35-0.57]), mortality (RR 0.35, 95% CI [0.16-0.77]), deep vein thrombosis (RR 0.56, 95% CI [0.37-0.85]), and wound complications (RR 0.59, 95% CI [0.52-0.68]). Reduced risks were also observed for unplanned reoperations (RR 0.33, 95% CI [0.24-0.46]), readmissions (RR 0.57, 95% CI [0.46-0.70]), and pulmonary complications (RR 0.43, 95% CI [0.27-0.68]). Risks of stroke, dysphagia, hematoma, and renal and cardiac complications were comparable between the groups. The certainty of evidence was rated low to very low due to high heterogeneity, retrospective study designs, and indirectness.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Outpatient ACDF is associated with fewer complications as compared to inpatient procedures for carefully selected patients. However, the retrospective nature of the studies, the possibility of selection bias, and low-certainty evidence underscore the need for high-quality prospective research to validate these results and inform clinical practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"13 ","pages":"e20045"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12462687/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145186434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The braincase anatomy of <i>Simosaurus gaillardoti</i> (Diapsida: Sauropterygia) revealed with X-ray micro-computed tomography.","authors":"Elisa H London, Dennis F A E Voeten, Henning Blom, Torsten M Scheyer","doi":"10.7717/peerj.19932","DOIUrl":"10.7717/peerj.19932","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sauropterygia is a clade of Mesozoic marine reptiles that includes the eosauropterygian <i>Simosaurus gaillardoti</i> Von Meyer, 1842, classically considered to be a member of Nothosauroidea. The braincase of this species has thus far only been studied in acid-prepared specimens. Acid preparation is a destructive technique prone to information loss, <i>e.g.</i>, through the dissolution of thin braincase bones. Here, one well-preserved skull (SMNS 16363) that remains partially embedded in matrix has been visualised using X-ray micro-computed tomography, and the braincase region has been virtually extracted. This braincase provides valuable information on the general shape of the endocast, the existence and shape of epipterygoids, which were previously considered absent in the taxon, the course of cranial nerves and the bifurcation of the internal carotid arteries along an expanded and broad parabasisphenoid, the latter extending in a tapering cultriform process to the level of the external and internal narial openings. The arrangement of the semicircular canals of the inner ear confirms previously hypothesised adaptations for near-shore aquatic life in the species. The anatomical similarities of the braincases between <i>Simosaurus gaillardoti</i> and <i>Nothosaurus marchicus,</i> including a jugular foramen that is framed by the exoccipital medially and by the opisthotic laterally, support the current phylogenetic placement of the former as an early branching member of Nothosauroidea. The cranial flattening observed in nothosaurs relative to the less dorsoventrally flattened skull of <i>Simosaurus</i> reflects diverging feeding strategies. Most nothosaurs were fish-trap ambush predators, whereas <i>Simosaurus gaillardoti</i> had durophagous, as well as (opportunistic) piscivorous capacities. These results might indicate that specialised piscivorous predation using fish-trap dentition could be independently derived in nothosaurs and in pistosauroids (including plesiosaurs).</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"13 ","pages":"e19932"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12462691/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145186460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Practitioner training and user experience of <i>Seeking Safety</i> for people with complex post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder.","authors":"Luise V Marino, Osahon Ogbeiwi, Melanie Mott, Matthew Jordan, Tracey Smith, Wajid Khan, Martin Webber","doi":"10.7717/peerj.20010","DOIUrl":"10.7717/peerj.20010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops because of a profoundly traumatic experience such as combat situations, interpersonal violence, accidents, and natural disasters. Symptom manifestation may include recurring intrusive thoughts and memories, low mood, hypervigilance, disrupted sleep patterns, emotional dysregulation, and reduced attention span. Individuals affected by complex PTSD may withdraw from society or engage in harmful, risky and dangerous behaviours or develop substance use disorder (SUD). The purpose of this scoping review is to consider available evidence around the use of <i>Seeking Safety</i> as a treatment modality in individuals with complex PTSD and SUD. In particular it aims to identify the available evidence relating to <i>Seeking Safety</i> with regards to (i) gaps in knowledge around implementation; (ii) which healthcare professionals (HCPs) deliver <i>Seeking Safety</i>; (iii) knowledge and training required to deliver it; and (iv) the experience of individuals completing <i>Seeking Safety</i> treatment.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A scoping review methodology was used to identify qualitative, quantitative, and grey literature of <i>Seeking Safety</i> as a treatment modality in individuals with PTSD and SUD.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 451 studies were identified. Following deduplications, 431 records were screened for inclusion, the full-text of 24 articles were reviewed for eligibility and 18 were included in the review. Extracted data was synthesized and six overarching themes were identified: (i) <i>Seeking Safety</i> as a treatment; (ii) meeting the needs of a diverse patient population group; (iii) factors impacting success; (iv) empowerment of self and agency over life; (v) measuring treatment success; and (vi) knowledge gaps of <i>Seeking Safety</i> treatment.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This scoping review considers the gaps in knowledge around <i>Seeking Safety</i>, specifically relating to which HCPs are best suited to delivering it in clinical practice; the knowledge and training required to deliver it; and the experience of individuals undertaking <i>Seeking Safety</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"13 ","pages":"e20010"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12462685/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145186364","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distribution and evolution of the western European water frogs (genus <i>Pelophylax</i>) from Catalonia, northeastern Spain.","authors":"Bernat Burriel-Carranza, Carolina Molina-Duran, Karin Tamar, Laia Pérez-Sorribes, Jhulyana López-Caro, Mar Cirac, Daniel Fernandez-Guiberteau, Salvador Carranza","doi":"10.7717/peerj.19895","DOIUrl":"10.7717/peerj.19895","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>European water frogs from the genus <i>Pelophylax</i> are particular among amphibians as they can produce hybrids (named kleptons) reproducing by hybridogenesis. Four klepton species have been described in Europe: <i>Pelophylax</i> kl. <i>esculentus</i>, <i>P.</i> kl. <i>hispanicus</i>, <i>P</i>. kl. <i>grafi,</i> and the putative klepton PK. While most of these kleptons originated naturally in areas where the parental species occur in sympatry, human-mediated translocations of water frogs across Europe have altered this dynamic. As a result, several <i>Pelophylax</i> species and kleptons are now found outside their natural ranges, posing a threat to autochthonous water frogs. Additionally, the subtle morphological differences between <i>Pelophylax</i> species make hybrid identification and, thus, conservation difficult. In the present study, we analyzed 423 specimens from 54 populations sampled across Catalonia and implemented a two-step molecular method to identify all species of water frogs present in Catalonia. We also examined the mitochondrial genome of the hybrid <i>Pelophylax</i> kl. <i>grafi</i> to obtain new insights into their reproductive system and spatial structure. Despite the large number of samples analyzed, only the native <i>P. perezi</i> and its klepton <i>P</i>. kl. <i>grafi</i> were found, with the proportion of the latter being unexpectedly high. Results showed a high misidentification rate based on morphology compared to molecular methods, indicating that identification of <i>P.</i> kl. <i>grafi</i> through morphological characters is unreliable. Furthermore, the mitochondrial DNA of hybrid specimens entirely belonged to <i>P. perezi</i> and showed high intra-specific variability. This suggests either a single hybridization event involving a male <i>P. ridibundus</i> or <i>P.</i> kl. <i>esculentus</i> and a female <i>P. perezi,</i> or that <i>P. ridibundus</i> mitochondrial DNA has been eliminated from the <i>P</i>. kl. <i>grafi</i> germline by adaptive or non-adaptive processes. This study offers new insights into the distribution and composition of the North Iberian <i>Pelophylax</i> hybridogenetic complex, providing comprehensive sampling across one of the main entry points of the complex into the Iberian Peninsula.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"13 ","pages":"e19895"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12462689/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145186076","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stress management strategies and controlling emotion among Polish nurses and midwives who suffer COVID: cross-sectional study.","authors":"Barbara Zych, Anna Kremska, Anna Lewandowska, Małgorzata Nagórska","doi":"10.7717/peerj.19816","DOIUrl":"10.7717/peerj.19816","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Stress management strategies and the ability of nursing staff to control their emotions is an important way to reduce emotional tension in a difficult situation.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To identify the dominant stress management strategy and emotion control modality in professionally active nurses and midwives during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>A total of 137 nursing personnel from south-eastern Poland were studied. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected with a questionnaire developed by the authors, stress management was assessed with the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS), and control of emotions was examined with the Courtauld Emotional Control Scale (CECS).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The most common strategy for stress management strategy among nursing staff was the task-oriented strategy, the least frequently used was the avoidance. Only the avoidance style showed a significant difference in the group of midwives taking the form of seeking social contact (<i>p</i> = 0.016). CECS in none of the subcategories showed a significant difference for the profession. It turned out that the longer the time elapsed in nursing staff from having contracted COVID-19, the less often they chose the avoidance oriented coping (<i>p</i> = 0.022), and the presence of more post-COVID complications favoured focusing on emotions (<i>p</i> = 0.016) and avoidance (<i>p</i> = 0.005) in the form of initiating social contacts (<i>p</i> = 0.003).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The tendency to prefer a maladaptive style of coping with stress and suppression of emotions in nursing staff is associated with the risk of psychosomatic diseases and occupational burnout. The results indicate the necessity of providing interprofessional support combined with learning to \"actively cope\" with stress at work.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"13 ","pages":"e19816"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12462688/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145186489","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prognostic utility of submental B/M-Mode ultrasonography for swallowing function assessment in post-stroke pharyngeal dysphagia: a preliminary study.","authors":"Meng Huang, Tong Wu","doi":"10.7717/peerj.20046","DOIUrl":"10.7717/peerj.20046","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To evaluate the prognostic value of hyoid bone kinematic parameters measured via submental B/M-mode ultrasonography in post-stroke pharyngeal dysphagia, aiming to identify reliable predictors of swallowing recovery.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study included 46 stroke patients with pharyngeal dysphagia, diagnosed via videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS), and treated at the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (June 2020-August 2024). Swallowing function was assessed using seven pharyngeal phase parameters from the Videofluoroscopic Dysphagia Scale (VDS) at baseline and post-rehabilitation. Patients were stratified into favorable (<i>n</i> = 26) and unfavorable (<i>n</i> = 20) prognosis groups based on post-treatment VDS and Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) scores. Submental B/M-mode ultrasonography quantified hyoid bone displacement parameters pre- and post-rehabilitation, including maximum displacement, anterior displacement, superior displacement, total movement duration, and hyoid-thyroid cartilage approximation ratio (ASR).</p><p><strong>Result: </strong>No significant differences were observed between groups in baseline characteristics. Post-treatment, the favorable group showed significantly lower Rosenbek scores <i>(p = 0.000)</i>, reduced VDS scores <i>(p = 0.000)</i>, and decreased feeding tube dependency <i>(p = 0.000)</i>. Post-treatment, the favorable group exhibited greater anterior displacement <i>(p = 0.011)</i>, higher ASR <i>(p = 0.000)</i>, and shorter total movement duration (<i>p = 0.005</i>). Logistic regression identified hyoid anterior displacement (odds ratio (OR) = 9.539, <i>p = 0.011</i>) and ASR (OR = 14.238, <i>p = 0.001</i>) as independent prognostic predictors. ROC curve analysis indicated that hyoid anterior displacement (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.720) and ASR (AUC = 0.816) were significant discriminators of favorable outcomes, with optimal cutoff values of 0.865 cm (92.3% sensitivity, 50.0% specificity) and 31.5% (84.6% sensitivity, 65.0% specificity), respectively. The combined model further improved predictive accuracy (AUC = 0.854, 84.6% sensitivity, 85.0% specificity).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Impaired hyoid anterior displacement and reduced ASR are critical pathophysiological mechanisms in post-stroke dysphagia. Combined assessment of these parameters provides significant clinical utility for prognosis and treatment planning.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"13 ","pages":"e20046"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12462686/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145186451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}