Correlation between obesity and clinicopathological characteristics in patients with papillary thyroid cancer: a study of 1579 cases: a retrospective study
Objective To explore the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and clinicopathological characteristics in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Methods The clinical data of 1,579 patients with PTC, admitted to our hospital from May 2016 to March 2017, were retrospectively analyzed. According to the different BMI of patients, it can be divided into underweight recombination (BMI < 18.5 kg/m), normal body recombination (18.5 ≤ BMI < 24.0 kg/m2), overweight recombination (24.0 ≤ BMI < 28.0 kg/m2) and obesity group (BMI ≥ 28.0 kg/m2). The clinicopathological characteristics of PTC in patients with different BMIs group were compared. Results In our study, the risk for extrathyroidal extension (ETE), advanced T stage (T III/IV), and advanced tumor-node-metastasis stage (TNM III/IV) in the overweight group were higher, with OR (odds ratio) = 1.99(1.41–2.81), OR = 2.01(1.43–2.84), OR = 2.94(1.42–6.07), respectively, relative to the normal weight group. The risk for ETE and T III/IV stage in the obese group were higher, with OR = 1.82(1.23–2.71) and OR = 1.82(1.23–2.70), respectively, relative to the normal weight group. Conclusion BMI is associated with the invasiveness of PTC. There is a higher risk for ETE and TNM III/IV stage among patients with PTC in the overweight group and for ETE among patients with PTC in the obese group.
Wang et al. (2020) Correlation between obesity and clinicopathological characteristics in patients with papillary thyroid cancer: a study of 1579 cases: a retrospective study. PeerJ 8:e9675 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9675
Advances and complications of regenerative medicine in diabetes therapy
The rapid development of technologies in regenerative medicine indicates clearly that their common application is not a matter of if, but of when. However, the regeneration of beta-cells for diabetes patients remains a complex challenge due to the plurality of related problems. Indeed, the generation of beta-cells masses expressing marker genes is only a first step, with maintaining permanent insulin secretion, their protection from the immune system and avoiding pathological modifications in the genome being the necessary next developments. The prospects of regenerative medicine in diabetes therapy were promoted by the emergence of promising results with embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Their pluripotency and proliferation in an undifferentiated state during culture have ensured the success of ESCs in regenerative medicine. The discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from the patients’ own mesenchymal cells has provided further hope for diabetes treatment. Nonetheless, the use of stem cells has significant limitations related to the pluripotent stage, such as the risk of development of teratomas. Thus, the direct conversion of mature cells into beta-cells could address this issue. Recent studies have shown the possibility of such transdifferentiation and have set trends for regeneration medicine, directed at minimizing genome modifications and invasive procedures. In this review, we will discuss the published results of beta-cell regeneration and the advantages and disadvantages illustrated by these experiments.
Brovkina et al. (2020) Advances and complications of regenerative medicine in diabetes therapy. PeerJ 8:e9746 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9746
Cannonball jellyfish digestion: an insight into the lipolytic enzymes of the digestive system
The digestive system and metabolism of the cannonball jellyfish Stomolophus sp. 2 are not well-known. The digestion study was critical to explain its ecology and bloom success. Different enzymes are involved in food digestion, which hydrolyze carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids. This study detected lipolytic activity in enzymatic extracts from gastric pouches of Stomolophus sp. 2 collected in the summer of 2013 at Bahía de Kino, Sonora, México (28°47′47″N 111°57′25″W). Lipase/esterase activity showed optimal pH at 11.0 and 50–60 °C with a half-life (t1/2) of 33 min at 55 °C, whereas halotolerance of this activity was recorded from 0-4 M NaCl. Metal ions Ca2+ and Mn2+ did not affect the activity, but Mg2+ decreased it 14.2% ± 3.15, while chelating agents as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid reduced the activity 8.55% ± 2.13. Inhibition of lipase/esterase activity with tetrahydrolipstatin and paraoxon-ethyl decreased the activity 18.2% ± 2.3, and 62.80% ± 0.74, respectively, whereas phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (a protease inhibitor) did not affect it. The enzyme displayed a higher specificity for short-chain triglycerides, but triolein, coconut oil, olive oil, and fish oil were hydrolyzed. For the first time, phospholipase activity from the gastric pouch of Stomolophus sp. 2 was detected using L-α-phosphatidylethanolamine from chicken egg yolk as a substrate. These results suggest that Stomolophus sp. 2 hydrolyze several kinds of lipids, and lipolytic enzymes are active at alkaline pH under different saline conditions, which may be essential to digest different preys.
Martínez-Pérez et al. (2020) Cannonball jellyfish digestion: an insight into the lipolytic enzymes of the digestive system. PeerJ 8:e9794 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9794
Resilience is inversely associated with self-harm behaviors among Chinese adolescents with childhood maltreatment
Background Abundant studies have identified the association between childhood maltreatment and self-harm (SH), but little has been discussed with regard to the role of resilience in SH behaviors of adolescents who had experienced childhood maltreatment. In this study, we investigated if resilience, as well as its five dimensions, could present negative associations with presence, repetition, and severity of SH among maltreated and neglected adolescents in China. Methods A cross-sectional survey including 2,084 maltreated teenagers aged from 10 to 17 years was conducted in southwest China Yunnan province. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), The Resilience Scale for Chinese Adolescents (RSCA), and the Modified version of Adolescents Self-Harm Scale (MASHS) were adopted to measure childhood maltreatment experiences, psychological resilience, and SH behaviors of the respondents, respectively. Binary univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were employed to discuss the associations between resilience and occurrence, repetition, severity of SH. Results Among the participants who met the criteria of CTQ, the prevalence rates of SH were 63.83%, 73.94%, 71.50%, 55.53%, and 58.21% for physical abuse (PA), emotional abuse (EA), sexual abuse (SA), physical neglect (PN), and emotional neglect (EN). Final regression model demonstrated that resilience was in general inversely associated with SH, repeated SH, and severe SH for all types of childhood maltreatment, with adjusted odds ratios (aORs) ranging from 0.29 (95% CI: 0.19-0.44) to 0.46 (95% CI: 0.26-0.81). Of the five dimensions of resilience, emotion regulation served as the strongest associated factor of SH among abused youths, regardless of maltreatment types. Besides, compared with those who had lower level of goal concentration and interpersonal assistance, subjects with higher resilience level reported significantly decreased risks of SH occurrence, SH repetition, and more severe SH, in adolescents who had experienced EA and PN. Conclusions Resilience showed inverse association with childhood maltreatment related SH in Chinese adolescents. These findings preliminarily indicated that interventions targeting on building up resilience, especially enhancing emotion regulation ability, improving goal concentration, and consolidating interpersonal assistance, could be effective in reducing SH risk, repetition, and severity in maltreated Chinese teenagers.
Tian et al. (2020) Resilience is inversely associated with self-harm behaviors among Chinese adolescents with childhood maltreatment. PeerJ 8:e9800 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9800
A synthetic biosensor to detect peroxisomal acetyl-CoA concentration for compartmentalized metabolic engineering
Background Sub-cellular compartmentalization is used by cells to create favorable microenvironments for various metabolic reactions. These compartments concentrate enzymes, separate competing metabolic reactions, and isolate toxic intermediates. Such advantages have been recently harnessed by metabolic engineers to improve the production of various high-value chemicals via compartmentalized metabolic engineering. However, measuring sub-cellular concentrations of key metabolites represents a grand challenge for compartmentalized metabolic engineering. Methods To this end, we developed a synthetic biosensor to measure a key metabolite, acetyl-CoA, in a representative compartment of yeast, the peroxisome. This synthetic biosensor uses enzyme re-localization via PTS1 signal peptides to construct a metabolic pathway in the peroxisome which converts acetyl-CoA to polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) via three enzymes. The PHB is then quantified by HPLC. Results The biosensor demonstrated the difference in relative peroxisomal acetyl-CoA availability under various culture conditions and was also applied to screening a library of single knockout yeast mutants. The screening identified several mutants with drastically reduced peroxisomal acetyl-CoA and one with potentially increased levels. We expect our synthetic biosensors can be widely used to investigate sub-cellular metabolism and facilitate the “design-build-test” cycle of compartmentalized metabolic engineering.
Huttanus et al. (2020) A synthetic biosensor to detect peroxisomal acetyl-CoA concentration for compartmentalized metabolic engineering. PeerJ 8:e9805 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9805
Identification of priority shorebird conservation areas in the Caribbean
Despite being geographically central to the Atlantic Americas Flyway for migratory birds, the Caribbean is often overlooked or underappreciated when addressing the conservation of North American shorebirds. To our knowledge, this is the first Caribbean-wide assessment of shorebird use in the region. We analyzed 211,013 shorebird species observations in the insular Caribbean from 2010–2019, representing 78,794 eBird checklists and cumulative total of 2.1 million shorebirds of 45 species. We conclude that priority areas for shorebird conservation include Humedal Sur de Pinar del Río (Humedal Sur de Los Palacios) in Cuba, and Monte Cristi in the Dominican Republic as they each likely support more than 20,000 shorebirds annually, and they host large abundances of geographic populations for particular taxa. Specifically, the former site hosts >10% of Short-billed Dowitchers (Limnodromus griseus griseus/hendersoni), and >1% of Black-bellied Plovers (Pluvialis squatarola cynosurae) and Wilson’s Plovers (Charadrius wilsonia wilsonia), while the latter site supports large numbers of Black-necked Stilts (Himantopus mexicanus). We also identified at least 15 additional sites that likely cross the 1% population threshold for one or more shorebird taxa. These sites may qualify for special international designations such as Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas or as part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network; 11 of the 17 sites we identified do not hold either of these titles. Data on subspecific or geographic distributions of three species, Snowy Plover (C. nivosus), Black-necked Stilt, and Killdeer (C. vociferous), are insufficient to reveal if the sites with the highest abundances were mostly comprised of Caribbean populations or migrants, but the limited information suggests that they also likely exceed 1% thresholds on several islands. Based on our results, we recommend more extensive systematic surveys of shorebirds in the Caribbean, including research on turnover rates and movements between islands, as well as assimilation of shorebird survey data not yet included in the eBird portal.
Cañizares et al. (2020) Identification of priority shorebird conservation areas in the Caribbean. PeerJ 8:e9831 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9831
A new basal ornithopod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of China
A new basal ornithopod dinosaur, based on two nearly complete articulated skeletons, is reported from the Lujiatun Beds (Yixian Fm, Lower Cretaceous) of western Liaoning Province (China). Some of the diagnostic features of Changmiania liaoningensis nov. gen., nov. sp. are tentatively interpreted as adaptations to a fossorial behavior, including: fused premaxillae; nasal laterally expanded, overhanging the maxilla; shortened neck formed by only six cervical vertebrae; neural spines of the sacral vertebrae completely fused together, forming a craniocaudally-elongated continuous bar; fused scapulocoracoid with prominent scapular spine; and paired ilia symmetrically inclined dorsomedially, partially covering the sacrum in dorsal view. A phylogenetic analysis places Changmiania liaoningensis as the most basal ornithopod dinosaur described so far. It is tentatively hypothesized that both Changmiania liaoningensis specimens were suddenly entrapped in a collapsed underground burrow while they were resting, which would explain their perfect lifelike postures and the complete absence of weathering and scavenging traces. However, further behavioural inference remains problematic, because those specimens lack extensive sedimentological and taphonomic data, as it is also the case for most specimens collected in the Lujiatun Beds so far.
Yang et al. (2020) A new basal ornithopod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of China. PeerJ 8:e9832 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9832
Cropland heterogeneity changes on the Northeast China Plain in the last three decades (1980s–2010s)
The Northeast China Plain is one of the major grain-producing areas of China because of its fertile black soil and large fields adapted for agricultural machinery. It has experienced some land-use changes, such as urbanization, deforestation, and wetland reclamation in recent decades. A comprehensive understanding of these changes in terms of the total cropping land and its heterogeneity during this period is important for policymakers. In this study, we used a series of cropland products at the 30-m resolution for the period 1980–2015. The heterogeneity for dominant cropland decreased slowly over the three decades, especially for the large pieces of cropland, showing a general trend of increased cropland homogeneity. The spatial patterns of the averaged heterogeneity index were nearly the same, varying from 0.5 to 0.6, and the most heterogeneous areas were mainly located in some separate counties. Cropland expansion occurred across most of Northeast China, while cropland shrinking occurred only in the northern and eastern sections of Northeast China and around the capital cities, in the flat areas. Also, changes in land use away from cropland mainly occurred in areas with low elevation (50–200 m) and a gentle slope (less than 1 degree). The predominant changes in cropland were gross gain and homogeneity, occurring across most of the area except capital cities and boundary areas. Possible reasons for the total cropland heterogeneity changes were urbanization, restoration of cropland to forest, and some government land-use policies. Moreover, this study evaluates the effectiveness of cropland policies influencing in Northeast China.
Spatial and Geographic Information Science
Liu et al. (2020) Cropland heterogeneity changes on the Northeast China Plain in the last three decades (1980s–2010s). PeerJ 8:e9835 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9835
Reduced organizational skills in adults with ADHD are due to deficits in persistence, not in strategies
Background Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is commonly associated with poor organizational skills, as per the definition of ADHD. However, the contribution of each of the following factors (and their interactions) to the aforementioned poor organization, while comparing individuals with and without ADHD, has not been analyzed in-depth: Work Organization; Communication Clarity; Punctuality; Goal-oriented behaviour; Assiduity; Workspace Organization; Strategies; and Attentiveness. The purpose is to examine the self-reported levels of organizational skills in adults with and without ADHD. Methods Seven hundred seventy-four (n = 303 with a diagnosis of ADHD) adults from the community were recruited online. Participants completed a measure of organizational skills and a screening measure of ADHD. Results Participants with a diagnosis of ADHD displayed lower scores than individuals without a diagnosis of ADHD on all organizational skills with the exception of using strategies to remain organized and learn new information. Higher levels of education were associated with higher levels of organizational skills. While there was no difference between males and females with ADHD, females without ADHD scored higher than males without ADHD. Conclusion This study supports that individuals with ADHD can efficiently develop strategies, but may have difficulties using those strategies in a continuous manner. Suggestions to increase organizational skills in adults with ADHD are presented.
Durand et al. (2020) Reduced organizational skills in adults with ADHD are due to deficits in persistence, not in strategies. PeerJ 8:e9844 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9844
Identification of key modules and hub genes associated with lung function in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Background Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and progressive interstitial lung disease, characterized by a decline in lung function. To date, the pathophysiologic mechanisms associated with lung dysfunction remain unclear, and no effective therapy has been identified to improve lung function. Methods In the present study, we used weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify key modules and hub genes associated with lung function in IPF. Three datasets, containing clinical information, were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus. WGCNA was performed on the GSE32537 dataset. Differentially expressed gene s (DEGs) between IPF patients and healthy controls were also identified to filter hub genes. The relationship between hub genes and lung function was then validated using the GSE47460 and GSE24206 datasets. Results The red module, containing 267 genes, was positively correlated with the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire score (r = 0.37, p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with the percent predicted forced vital capacity (FVC% predicted) (r = − 0.46, p < 0.001) and the percent predicted diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (Dlco% predicted) (r = − 0.42, p < 0.001). Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis suggested that the genes in the red module were primarily involved in inflammation and immune pathways. Based on Module Membership and Gene Significance, 32 candidate hub genes were selected in the red module to construct a protein-protein interaction network . Based on the identified DEGs and the degree of connectivity in the network, we identified three hub genes, including interleukin 6 (IL6), suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS3), and serpin family E member 1 (SERPINE1). In the GSE47460 dataset, Spearman correlation coefficients between Dlco% predicted and expression levels of IL6, SERPINE1, SOCS3 were –0.32, –0.41, and –0.46, respectively. Spearman correlation coefficients between FVC% predicted and expression levels of IL6, SERPINE1, SOCS3 were –0.29, –0.33, and –0.27, respectively. In the GSE24206 dataset, all three hub genes were upregulated in patients with advanced IPF. Conclusion We identified three hub genes that negatively correlated with the lung function of IPF patients. Our results provide insights into the pathogenesis underlying the progressive disruption of lung function, and the identified hub genes may serve as biomarkers and potential therapeutictargets for the treatment of IPF patients.
Xia et al. (2020) Identification of key modules and hub genes associated with lung function in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. PeerJ 8:e9848 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9848