abstract：:The natural beauty of coral reefs attracts millions of tourists worldwide resulting in substantial revenues for the adjoining economies. Although their visual appearance is a pivotal factor attracting humans to coral reefs current monitoring protocols exclusively target biogeochemical parameters, neglecting changes in...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Haas AF,Guibert M,Foerschner A,Co T,Calhoun S,George E,Hatay M,Dinsdale E,Sandin SA,Smith JE,Vermeij MJ,Felts B,Dustan P,Salamon P,Rohwer F

更新日期：2015-11-10 00:00:00

abstract：:Molecular stress responses associated with coral diseases represent an under-studied area of cnidarian transcriptome investigations. Caribbean Yellow Band Disease (CYBD) is considered a disease of Symbiodinium within the tissues of the coral host Orbicella faveolata. There is a paucity of diagnostic tools to assist in...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Morgan M,Goodner K,Ross J,Poole AZ,Stepp E,Stuart CH,Wilbanks C,Weil E

更新日期：2015-11-03 00:00:00

abstract：:Mesacanthus is a common and speciose genus of acanthodian fish from Lower Old Red Sandstone and Middle Old Red Sandstone assemblages (representing the Lower Devonian and Middle Devonian respectively) and is well represented in many palaeoichthyology collections in the UK. Based upon descriptions given during the 19th ...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Baron MG

更新日期：2015-10-29 00:00:00

abstract：:Background. Quotations and references are an indispensable element of scientific communication. They should support what authors claim or provide important background information for readers. Studies indicate, however, that quotations not serving their purpose-quotation errors-may be prevalent. Methods. We carried out...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Jergas H,Baethge C

更新日期：2015-10-27 00:00:00

abstract：:Following dramatic range and population declines, the cheetah is Africa's most endangered large felid. In Namibia, private land managers still trap cheetahs but increasingly consider moving animals instead of killing them. Across Africa, managers have translocated perceived conflict carnivores for decades, but rarely ...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Weise FJ,Lemeris JR Jr,Munro SJ,Bowden A,Venter C,van Vuuren M,van Vuuren RJ

更新日期：2015-10-22 00:00:00

abstract：:Web-spinning spiders that inhabit stream channels are considered specialists of aquatic ecosystems and are major consumers of emerging aquatic insects, while other spider taxa are more commonly found in riparian forests and as a result may consume more terrestrial insects. To determine if there was a difference in spi...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Kelly SP,Cuevas E,Ramírez A

更新日期：2015-10-15 00:00:00

abstract：:The vibrating reed frequency meter, originally employed by Békésy and later by Wilson as a cochlear model, uses a set of tuned reeds to represent the cochlea's graded bank of resonant elements and an elastic band threaded between them to provide nearest-neighbour coupling. Here the system, constructed of 21 reeds prog...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Bell A,Wit HP

更新日期：2015-10-13 00:00:00

abstract：:In a number of recent studies we used computer modeling to investigate the evolution of muscle leverage (moment arms) and function in extant and extinct archosaur lineages (crocodilians, dinosaurs including birds and pterosaurs). These studies sought to quantify the level of disparity and convergence in muscle moment ...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Bates K,Maidment SC,Schachner ER,Barrett PM

更新日期：2015-10-08 00:00:00

abstract：:Human hands, when compared to that of apes, have a series of adaptations to facilitate manipulation. Numerous studies have shown that Australopithecus afarensis and Au. africanus display some of these adaptations, such as a longer thumb relative to the other fingers, asymmetric heads on the second and fifth metacarpal...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Drapeau MS

更新日期：2015-10-06 00:00:00

abstract：:Background. There is growing awareness of the public health importance of mental well-being both in the general population and in specific groups. The well-being of health professionals is likely to influence the quality of the care they deliver. This study was carried out to examine the well-being of Pakistani health...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Waqas A,Ahmad W,Haddad M,Taggart FM,Muhammad Z,Bukhari MH,Sami SA,Batool SM,Najeeb F,Hanif A,Rizvi ZA,Ejaz S

更新日期：2015-10-01 00:00:00

abstract：:Background. Just as for most other tortoise species, the once common Chaco tortoise, Chelonoidis chilensis (Testudinidae), is under constant threat across it distribution in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. Despite initial qualitative description of the species distribution and further individual reports of new locati...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Ruete A,Leynaud GC

更新日期：2015-10-01 00:00:00

abstract：:Rearing coral fragments in nurseries and subsequent transplantation onto a degraded reef is a common approach for coral reef restoration. However, if barnacles and other biofouling organisms are not removed prior to transplantation, fish will dislodge newly cemented corals when feeding on biofouling organisms. This be...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Frias-Torres S,van de Geer C

更新日期：2015-09-29 00:00:00

abstract：:A range of diseases is associated with amyloid fibril formation. Despite different proteins being responsible for each disease, all of them share similar features including beta-sheet-rich secondary structure and fibril-like protein aggregates. A number of proteins can form amyloid-like fibrils in vitro, resembling st...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Šneideris T,Baranauskienė L,Cannon JG,Rutkienė R,Meškys R,Smirnovas V

更新日期：2015-09-24 00:00:00

abstract：:The active place avoidance task is a dry-arena task used to assess spatial navigation and memory in rodents. In this task, a subject is put on a rotating circular arena and avoids an invisible sector that is stable in relation to the room. Rotation of the arena means that the subject's avoidance must be active, otherw...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Bahník Š,Stuchlík A

更新日期：2015-09-22 00:00:00

abstract：:Background. "Health is wealth" is a time tested adage. Health becomes more relevant when it comes to professionals whose job is to provide people with services that maintain an optimum state of mental, physical and social well-being. Healthcare professionals (HCP) differ from general population in regards to the natur...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Ahmad W,Taggart F,Shafique MS,Muzafar Y,Abidi S,Ghani N,Malik Z,Zahid T,Waqas A,Ghaffar N

更新日期：2015-09-17 00:00:00

abstract：:We investigate the survivorship, growth and diet preferences of hatchery-raised juvenile urchins, Tripneustes gratilla, to evaluate the efficacy of their use as biocontrol agents in the efforts to reduce alien invasive algae. In flow-through tanks, we measured urchin growth rates, feeding rates and feeding preferences...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Westbrook CE,Ringang RR,Cantero SM,HDAR & TNC Urchin Team.,Toonen RJ

更新日期：2015-09-15 00:00:00

abstract：:Species identification-of importance for most biological disciplines-is not always straightforward as cryptic species hamper traditional identification. Fibre-optic near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a rapid and inexpensive method of use in various applications, including the identification of species. Despite its e...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Kinzner MC,Wagner HC,Peskoller A,Moder K,Dowell FE,Arthofer W,Schlick-Steiner BC,Steiner FM

更新日期：2015-09-15 00:00:00

abstract：:The Eocene history of cetacean evolution is now represented by the expansive fossil record of archaeocetes elucidating major morphofunctional shifts relating to the land to sea transition, but the change from archaeocetes to modern cetaceans is poorly established. New fossil material of the recently recognized family ...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Boessenecker RW,Fordyce RE

更新日期：2015-09-10 00:00:00

abstract：:The marine gastropod, Coralliophila abbreviata, is an obligate corallivore that causes substantial mortality in Caribbean Acropora spp. Considering the imperiled status of Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata, a better understanding of ecological interactions resulting in tissue loss may enable more effective conservat...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Bright AJ,Cameron CM,Miller MW

更新日期：2015-09-10 00:00:00

abstract：:Cedecea neteri is a very rare human pathogen. We have isolated a strain of C. neteri SSMD04 from pickled mackerel sashimi identified using molecular and phenotypics approaches. Using the biosensor Chromobacterium violaceum CV026, we have demonstrated the presence of short chain N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) type quo...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Tan KH,Tan JY,Yin WF,Chan KG

更新日期：2015-09-01 00:00:00

abstract：:In contrast to dominant mode of ecological transition in the evolution of marine mammals, different lineages of toothed whales (Odontoceti) have repeatedly invaded freshwater ecosystems during the Cenozoic era. The so-called 'river dolphins' are now recognized as independent lineages that converged on similar morpholo...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Pyenson ND,Vélez-Juarbe J,Gutstein CS,Little H,Vigil D,O'Dea A

更新日期：2015-09-01 00:00:00

abstract：:Grouping large genomic fragments assembled from shotgun metagenomic sequences to deconvolute complex microbial communities, or metagenome binning, enables the study of individual organisms and their interactions. Because of the complex nature of these communities, existing metagenome binning methods often miss a large...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Kang DD,Froula J,Egan R,Wang Z

更新日期：2015-08-27 00:00:00

abstract：:In this study, we sequenced the genome of Pandoraea pnomenusa RB38 using Pacific Biosciences RSII (PacBio) Single Molecule Real Time (SMRT) sequencing technology. A pair of cognate luxI/R homologs was identified where the luxI homolog, ppnI, was found adjacent to a luxR homolog, ppnR1. An additional orphan luxR homolo...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Lim YL,Ee R,How KY,Lee SK,Yong D,Tee KK,Yin WF,Chan KG

更新日期：2015-08-27 00:00:00

abstract：:Several aspects of an individual's appearance have been shown to predict personality and related behaviour. While some of these cues are grounded in biology (e.g., the human face), other aspects of a person's appearance can be actively controlled (e.g., clothing). In this paper, we consider a common fashion accessory,...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Ellis DA,Jenkins R

更新日期：2015-08-27 00:00:00

abstract：:As conspicuous modular components of benthic marine habitats, gorgonian (sea fan) octocorals have perplexed taxonomists for centuries through their shear diversity, particularly throughout the Indo-Pacific. Phenotypic incongruence within and between seemingly unitary lineages across contrasting environments can provid...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Rowley SJ,Pochon X,Watling L

更新日期：2015-08-20 00:00:00

abstract：:Consumer-grade GPS units are a staple of modern field ecology, but the relatively large error radii reported by manufacturers (up to 10 m) ostensibly precludes their utility in measuring fine-scale movement of small animals such as insects. Here we demonstrate that for data collected at fine spatio-temporal scales, th...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Breed GA,Severns PM

更新日期：2015-08-20 00:00:00

abstract：:The ichthyoplankton assemblage structure in the Yangtze Estuary was analyzed based on four springs in 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2007 in order to provide detailed characterizations of the ichthyoplankton assemblage in springs, examine the long-term dynamics of spring ichthyoplankton assemblages, and evaluate the influence o...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Zhang H,Xian W,Liu S

更新日期：2015-08-18 00:00:00

abstract：:Background. Blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) are important disease vectors in the United States, known to transmit a variety of pathogens to humans, including bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. Their importance as a disease vector necessitates reliable and comparable methods for extracting microbial DNA from ticks....

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Ammazzalorso AD,Zolnik CP,Daniels TJ,Kolokotronis SO

更新日期：2015-08-13 00:00:00

abstract：:Conservation initiatives to protect and restore valued species communities in human-dominated landscapes face challenges linked to their potential costs. Conservation easements on private land may represent a cost-effective alternative to land purchase, but long-term costs to monitor and enforce easements, or defend l...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Schuster R,Arcese P

更新日期：2015-08-13 00:00:00

abstract：:Almost all extant testudinids are highly associated with terrestrial habitats and the few tortoises with high affinity to aquatic environments are found within the genus Manouria. Manouria belongs to a clade which forms a sister taxon to all remaining tortoises and is suitable as a model for studying evolutionary tran...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Natchev N,Tzankov N,Werneburg I,Heiss E

更新日期：2015-08-11 00:00:00

abstract：:Sanderlings (Calidris alba) are long-distance migratory shorebirds with a non-breeding range that spans temperate and tropical coastal habitats. Breeding in the High Arctic combined with non-breeding seasons in the tropics necessitate long migrations, which are energetically demanding. On an annual basis, the higher e...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Grond K,Ntiamoa-Baidu Y,Piersma T,Reneerkens J

更新日期：2015-08-11 00:00:00

abstract：:Background. Exercise at moderate intensity may confer neuroprotective benefits in multiple sclerosis (MS), however it has been reported that people with MS (PwMS) exercise less than national guideline recommendations. We aimed to determine predictors of moderate to vigorous exercise among a sample of older Canadians w...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Ploughman M,Harris C,Wallack EM,Drodge O,Beaulieu S,Mayo N,Health Lifestyle and Aging with MS Canadian Consortium.

更新日期：2015-08-06 00:00:00

abstract：:Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) is one of the most versatile tropical evergreen tree species known in India since the Vedic period (1500 BC-600 BC). Neem tree is a rich source of limonoids, having a wide spectrum of activity against insect pests and microbial pathogens. Complex tetranortriterpenoids such as azadirac...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Kuravadi NA,Yenagi V,Rangiah K,Mahesh HB,Rajamani A,Shirke MD,Russiachand H,Loganathan RM,Shankara Lingu C,Siddappa S,Ramamurthy A,Sathyanarayana BN,Gowda M

更新日期：2015-08-06 00:00:00

abstract：:Bacterial populations present in Hg-rich environments have evolved biological mechanisms to detoxify methylmercury and other organometallic mercury compounds. The most common resistance mechanism relies on the H(+)-assisted cleavage of the Hg-C bond of methylmercury by the organomercurial lyase MerB. Although the init...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Silva PJ,Rodrigues V

更新日期：2015-07-28 00:00:00

abstract：:There is a lack of stability in language difficulties across early childhood: most late talkers (LTs) resolve their difficulties by pre-school; and a significant number of children who were not LTs subsequently manifest language difficulties. Greater reliability in predicting individual outcomes is needed, which might...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Duff FJ,Nation K,Plunkett K,Bishop D

更新日期：2015-07-23 00:00:00

abstract：:Avoidance behavior involves learning responses that prevent upcoming aversive events; these responses typically extinguish when the aversive events stop materializing. Stimuli that signal safety from aversive events can paradoxically inhibit extinction of avoidance behavior. In animals, males and females process safet...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Radell ML,Beck KD,Pang KC,Myers CE

更新日期：2015-07-14 00:00:00

abstract：:The structural complexity of coral reefs plays a major role in the biodiversity, productivity, and overall functionality of reef ecosystems. Conventional metrics with 2-dimensional properties are inadequate for characterization of reef structural complexity. A 3-dimensional (3D) approach can better quantify topography...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Burns J,Delparte D,Gates RD,Takabayashi M

更新日期：2015-07-07 00:00:00

abstract：:Accurate identification of protein-protein interactions (PPI) is the key step in understanding proteins' biological functions, which are typically context-dependent. Many existing PPI predictors rely on aggregated features from protein sequences, however only a few methods exploit local information about specific resi...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Zubek J,Tatjewski M,Boniecki A,Mnich M,Basu S,Plewczynski D

更新日期：2015-07-02 00:00:00

abstract：:Caloric restriction (CR) can trigger gorging behavior. We examined macronutrient choice and behavior in mice that gorged during restriction compared to restricted non-gorgers and controls. Fifty MF1 male mice were restricted to 75% of ad-libitum food intake (FI), while ten controls were fed ad-lib. Body mass (BM) and ...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Hambly C,Speakman JR

更新日期：2015-07-02 00:00:00

abstract：:Synaptic exocytosis requires the assembly of syntaxin 1A and SNAP-25 on the plasma membrane and synaptobrevin 2 (VAMP2) on the vesicular membrane to bridge the two opposite membranes. It is believed that the three SNARE proteins assemble in steps along the dynamic assembly pathway. The C-terminus of SNAP-25 is known t...

journal_title：PeerJ

authors： Lu B

更新日期：2015-06-30 00:00:00