PeerJ
type: channel
link: https://peerj.com/articles/
description: Articles published in PeerJ
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
publication name: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359
items: Perception of color emotions for single colors in red-green defective observers
items: Identification of canine papillomavirus by PCR in Greyhound dogs
items: The effects of the gender-culture interaction on self-reports of depressive symptoms: cross-cultural study among Egyptians and Canadians
items: Meta-analysis reveals that seed-applied neonicotinoids and pyrethroids have similar negative effects on abundance of arthropod natural enemies
items: Multiple-file vs. single-file endodontics in dental practice: a study in routine care
items: Attenuation of antigen-specific T helper 1 immunity by Neolitsea hiiranensis and its derived terpenoids
items: MicroRNA biogenesis pathway genes polymorphisms and cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis
items: Pests, diseases and crop protection practices in the smallholder sweetpotato production system of the highlands of Papua New Guinea
items: Selective enhancement of attentional networks in college table tennis athletes: a preliminary investigation
items: Aging and cardiovascular complexity: effect of the length of RR tachograms

Perception of color emotions for single colors in red-green defective observers
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: It is estimated that inherited red-green color deficiency, which involves both the protan and deutan deficiency types, is common in men. For red-green defective observers, some reddish colors appear desaturated and brownish, unlike those seen by normal observers. Despite its prevalence, few studies have investigated the effects that red-green color deficiency has on the psychological properties of colors (color emotions). The current study investigated the influence of red-green color deficiency on the following six color emotions: cleanliness, freshness, hardness, preference, warmth, and weight. Specifically, this study aimed to: (1) reveal differences between normal and red-green defective observers in rating patterns of six color emotions; (2) examine differences in color emotions related to the three cardinal channels in human color vision; and (3) explore relationships between color emotions and color naming behavior. Thirteen men and 10 women with normal vision and 13 men who were red-green defective performed both a color naming task and an emotion rating task with 32 colors from the Berkeley Color Project (BCP). Results revealed noticeable differences in the cleanliness and hardness ratings between the normal vision observers, particularly in women, and red-green defective observers, which appeared mainly for colors in the orange to cyan range, and in the preference and warmth ratings for colors with cyan and purple hues. Similarly, naming errors also mainly occurred in the cyan colors. A regression analysis that included the three cone-contrasts (i.e., red-green, blue-yellow, and luminance) as predictors significantly accounted for variability in color emotion ratings for the red-green defective observers as much as the normal individuals. Expressly, for warmth ratings, the weight of the red-green opponent channel was significantly lower in color defective observers than in normal participants. In addition, the analyses for individual warmth ratings in the …
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Keiko Sato
creator: Takaaki Inoue
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
subject: Statistics
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.2751
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2016 Sato and Inoue
abstract: It is estimated that inherited red-green color deficiency, which involves both the protan and deutan deficiency types, is common in men. For red-green defective observers, some reddish colors appear desaturated and brownish, unlike those seen by normal observers. Despite its prevalence, few studies have investigated the effects that red-green color deficiency has on the psychological properties of colors (color emotions). The current study investigated the influence of red-green color deficiency on the following six color emotions: cleanliness, freshness, hardness, preference, warmth, and weight. Specifically, this study aimed to: (1) reveal differences between normal and red-green defective observers in rating patterns of six color emotions; (2) examine differences in color emotions related to the three cardinal channels in human color vision; and (3) explore relationships between color emotions and color naming behavior. Thirteen men and 10 women with normal vision and 13 men who were red-green defective performed both a color naming task and an emotion rating task with 32 colors from the Berkeley Color Project (BCP). Results revealed noticeable differences in the cleanliness and hardness ratings between the normal vision observers, particularly in women, and red-green defective observers, which appeared mainly for colors in the orange to cyan range, and in the preference and warmth ratings for colors with cyan and purple hues. Similarly, naming errors also mainly occurred in the cyan colors. A regression analysis that included the three cone-contrasts (i.e., red-green, blue-yellow, and luminance) as predictors significantly accounted for variability in color emotion ratings for the red-green defective observers as much as the normal individuals. Expressly, for warmth ratings, the weight of the red-green opponent channel was significantly lower in color defective observers than in normal participants. In addition, the analyses for individual warmth ratings in the …
bibliographic citation: Sato et al. (2016) Perception of color emotions for single colors in red-green defective observers. PeerJ 4:e2751 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2751
date submitted: 2016-06-14
date accepted: 2016-11-03
issued: 2016-12-08
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Sato
  given name: Keiko
author list: Agent
  family name: Inoue
  given name: Takaaki
doi: 10.7717/peerj.2751
volume: 4
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2016-12-08
copyright: ©2016 Sato and Inoue
attribution name: Sato and Inoue

Identification of canine papillomavirus by PCR in Greyhound dogs
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Corns are hard protuberances that occur on the digital footpads of Greyhound dogs. The cause of these lesions is unknown and there is little information about them in the veterinary literature. We received anecdotal examples of dog to dog spread of corns suggesting an infectious cause. The aim of this study was to determine if papillomavirus (PV) is associated with Greyhound corns. Methods We examined four corns from two unrelated adult Greyhound dogs that resided in Florida and Washington, respectively, for PV by PCR. The samples were obtained by owner coring of two lesions from one dog and laser removal of two lesions from the other dog. Total nucleic acid was extracted and DNA was amplified using two PCR primer sets that have been shown to amplify a broad range of PVs from humans and animals: FAP59/ FAP64 and MY11/ MY09. The DNA sequences were compared with all sequences in GenBank. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue from the footpads of four dogs with other inflammatory dermatoses were also examined. Results PV DNA was amplified from all four corn lesions, while no PV DNA was amplified from other tissues. Comparison of the 444-bp sequences amplified by the MY11/ MY09 primers identified two different PVs. One showed 96% nucleotide sequence similarity with the L1 gene of canine PV type 12. The other showed 78% similarity to canine PV type 16 and, therefore, represents a novel PV. In one of the corns, infection by two of the identified PVs was found. Discussion These results suggest PV infection could be involved in the pathogenesis of corns in Greyhound dogs.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Eman A. Anis
creator: Linda A. Frank
creator: Raquel Francisco
creator: Stephen A. Kania
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Veterinary Medicine
subject: Virology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.2744
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2016 Anis et al.
abstract: Background Corns are hard protuberances that occur on the digital footpads of Greyhound dogs. The cause of these lesions is unknown and there is little information about them in the veterinary literature. We received anecdotal examples of dog to dog spread of corns suggesting an infectious cause. The aim of this study was to determine if papillomavirus (PV) is associated with Greyhound corns. Methods We examined four corns from two unrelated adult Greyhound dogs that resided in Florida and Washington, respectively, for PV by PCR. The samples were obtained by owner coring of two lesions from one dog and laser removal of two lesions from the other dog. Total nucleic acid was extracted and DNA was amplified using two PCR primer sets that have been shown to amplify a broad range of PVs from humans and animals: FAP59/ FAP64 and MY11/ MY09. The DNA sequences were compared with all sequences in GenBank. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue from the footpads of four dogs with other inflammatory dermatoses were also examined. Results PV DNA was amplified from all four corn lesions, while no PV DNA was amplified from other tissues. Comparison of the 444-bp sequences amplified by the MY11/ MY09 primers identified two different PVs. One showed 96% nucleotide sequence similarity with the L1 gene of canine PV type 12. The other showed 78% similarity to canine PV type 16 and, therefore, represents a novel PV. In one of the corns, infection by two of the identified PVs was found. Discussion These results suggest PV infection could be involved in the pathogenesis of corns in Greyhound dogs.
bibliographic citation: Anis et al. (2016) Identification of canine papillomavirus by PCR in Greyhound dogs. PeerJ 4:e2744 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2744
date submitted: 2016-07-13
date accepted: 2016-11-01
issued: 2016-12-08
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Anis
  given name: Eman A.
author list: Agent
  family name: Frank
  given name: Linda A.
author list: Agent
  family name: Francisco
  given name: Raquel
author list: Agent
  family name: Kania
  given name: Stephen A.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.2744
volume: 4
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2016-12-08
copyright: ©2016 Anis et al.
attribution name: Anis et al.

The effects of the gender-culture interaction on self-reports of depressive symptoms: cross-cultural study among Egyptians and Canadians
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Purpose Research in depression has revealed differences in the way depressed individuals across cultures report their symptoms. This literature also points to possible differences in symptom reporting patterns between men and women. Using data from a larger dataset (Beshai et al. 2016), the current study examined whether non-depressed and depressed Egyptian and Canadian men and women differed in their self-report of the various domains of the Beck Depression Inventory –II (BDI-II). Method We recruited a total of 131 depressed and non-depressed participants from both Egypt (n = 29 depressed; n = 29 non-depressed) and Canada (n = 35 depressed; n = 38 non-depressed). Depression status was ascertained using a structured interview. All participants were asked to complete the BDI-II along with other self-report measures of depression. BDI-II items were divided into two subscales in accordance with Dozois, Dobson & Ahnberg (1998) factor analysis: cognitive-affective and somatic-vegetative subscales. Results We found a significant three-way interaction effect on the cognitive-affective (F(1,121) = 9.51, p = .003) and main effect of depression status on somatic-vegetative subscales (F(1,121) = 42.80, p < .001). Post hoc analyses revealed that depressed Egyptian men reported lower scores on the cognitive-affective subscale of the BDI-II compared to their depressed Canadian male counterparts. Conclusions These results suggest that males across cultures may differentially report cognitive symptoms of depression. These results also suggest that clinicians and clinical scientists need to further examine the interaction effect of culture and gender when investigating self-reported symptoms of depression.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Vivian Huang
creator: Shadi Beshai
creator: Mabel Yu
subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.2783
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2016 Huang et al.
abstract: Purpose Research in depression has revealed differences in the way depressed individuals across cultures report their symptoms. This literature also points to possible differences in symptom reporting patterns between men and women. Using data from a larger dataset (Beshai et al. 2016), the current study examined whether non-depressed and depressed Egyptian and Canadian men and women differed in their self-report of the various domains of the Beck Depression Inventory –II (BDI-II). Method We recruited a total of 131 depressed and non-depressed participants from both Egypt (n = 29 depressed; n = 29 non-depressed) and Canada (n = 35 depressed; n = 38 non-depressed). Depression status was ascertained using a structured interview. All participants were asked to complete the BDI-II along with other self-report measures of depression. BDI-II items were divided into two subscales in accordance with Dozois, Dobson & Ahnberg (1998) factor analysis: cognitive-affective and somatic-vegetative subscales. Results We found a significant three-way interaction effect on the cognitive-affective (F(1,121) = 9.51, p = .003) and main effect of depression status on somatic-vegetative subscales (F(1,121) = 42.80, p < .001). Post hoc analyses revealed that depressed Egyptian men reported lower scores on the cognitive-affective subscale of the BDI-II compared to their depressed Canadian male counterparts. Conclusions These results suggest that males across cultures may differentially report cognitive symptoms of depression. These results also suggest that clinicians and clinical scientists need to further examine the interaction effect of culture and gender when investigating self-reported symptoms of depression.
bibliographic citation: Huang et al. (2016) The effects of the gender-culture interaction on self-reports of depressive symptoms: cross-cultural study among Egyptians and Canadians. PeerJ 4:e2783 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2783
date submitted: 2016-06-28
date accepted: 2016-11-10
issued: 2016-12-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Huang
  given name: Vivian
author list: Agent
  family name: Beshai
  given name: Shadi
author list: Agent
  family name: Yu
  given name: Mabel
doi: 10.7717/peerj.2783
volume: 4
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2016-12-07
copyright: ©2016 Huang et al.
attribution name: Huang et al.

Meta-analysis reveals that seed-applied neonicotinoids and pyrethroids have similar negative effects on abundance of arthropod natural enemies
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Seed-applied neonicotinoids are widely used in agriculture, yet their effects on non-target species remain incompletely understood. One important group of non-target species is arthropod natural enemies (predators and parasitoids), which contribute considerably to suppression of crop pests. We hypothesized that seed-applied neonicotinoids reduce natural-enemy abundance, but not as strongly as alternative insecticide options such as soil- and foliar-applied pyrethroids. Furthermore we hypothesized that seed-applied neonicotinoids affect natural enemies through a combination of toxin exposure and prey scarcity. Methods To test our hypotheses, we compiled datasets comprising observations from randomized field studies in North America and Europe that compared natural-enemy abundance in plots that were planted with seed-applied neonicotinoids to control plots that were either (1) managed without insecticides (20 studies, 56 site-years, 607 observations) or (2) managed with pyrethroid insecticides (eight studies, 15 site-years, 384 observations). Using the effect size Hedge’s d as the response variable, we used meta-regression to estimate the overall effect of seed-applied neonicotinoids on natural-enemy abundance and to test the influence of potential moderating factors. Results Seed-applied neonicotinoids reduced the abundance of arthropod natural enemies compared to untreated controls (d = −0.30 ± 0.10 [95% confidence interval]), and as predicted under toxin exposure this effect was stronger for insect than for non-insect taxa (QM = 8.70, df = 1, P = 0.003). Moreover, seed-applied neonicotinoids affected the abundance of arthropod natural enemies similarly to soil- or foliar-applied pyrethroids (d = 0.16 ± 0.42 or −0.02 ± 0.12; with or without one outlying study). Effect sizes were surprisingly consistent across both datasets (I2 = 2.7% for no-insecticide controls; I2 = 0% for pyrethroid controls), suggesting little moderating influence of crop species, neon…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Margaret R. Douglas
creator: John F. Tooker
subject: Agricultural Science
subject: Ecology
subject: Entomology
subject: Environmental Sciences
subject: Toxicology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.2776
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2016 Douglas and Tooker
abstract: Background Seed-applied neonicotinoids are widely used in agriculture, yet their effects on non-target species remain incompletely understood. One important group of non-target species is arthropod natural enemies (predators and parasitoids), which contribute considerably to suppression of crop pests. We hypothesized that seed-applied neonicotinoids reduce natural-enemy abundance, but not as strongly as alternative insecticide options such as soil- and foliar-applied pyrethroids. Furthermore we hypothesized that seed-applied neonicotinoids affect natural enemies through a combination of toxin exposure and prey scarcity. Methods To test our hypotheses, we compiled datasets comprising observations from randomized field studies in North America and Europe that compared natural-enemy abundance in plots that were planted with seed-applied neonicotinoids to control plots that were either (1) managed without insecticides (20 studies, 56 site-years, 607 observations) or (2) managed with pyrethroid insecticides (eight studies, 15 site-years, 384 observations). Using the effect size Hedge’s d as the response variable, we used meta-regression to estimate the overall effect of seed-applied neonicotinoids on natural-enemy abundance and to test the influence of potential moderating factors. Results Seed-applied neonicotinoids reduced the abundance of arthropod natural enemies compared to untreated controls (d = −0.30 ± 0.10 [95% confidence interval]), and as predicted under toxin exposure this effect was stronger for insect than for non-insect taxa (QM = 8.70, df = 1, P = 0.003). Moreover, seed-applied neonicotinoids affected the abundance of arthropod natural enemies similarly to soil- or foliar-applied pyrethroids (d = 0.16 ± 0.42 or −0.02 ± 0.12; with or without one outlying study). Effect sizes were surprisingly consistent across both datasets (I2 = 2.7% for no-insecticide controls; I2 = 0% for pyrethroid controls), suggesting little moderating influence of crop species, neon…
bibliographic citation: Douglas et al. (2016) Meta-analysis reveals that seed-applied neonicotinoids and pyrethroids have similar negative effects on abundance of arthropod natural enemies. PeerJ 4:e2776 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2776
date submitted: 2016-08-08
date accepted: 2016-11-08
issued: 2016-12-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Douglas
  given name: Margaret R.
author list: Agent
  family name: Tooker
  given name: John F.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.2776
volume: 4
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2016-12-07
copyright: ©2016 Douglas and Tooker
attribution name: Douglas and Tooker

Multiple-file vs. single-file endodontics in dental practice: a study in routine care
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Little is known about the differences of rotary multiple file endodontic therapy and single-file reciprocating endodontic treatment under routine care conditions in dental practice. This multicenter study was performed to compare the outcome of multiple-file (MF) and single-file (SF) systems for primary root canal treatment under conditions of general dental practice regarding reduction of pain with a visual analogue scale (VAS 100), improvement of oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) with the german short version of the oral health impact profile (OHIP-G-14) and the speed of root canal preparation. Materials and Methods Ten general dental practitioners (GDPs) participated in the study as practitioner-investigators (PI). In the first five-month period of the study, the GDPs treated patients with MF systems. After that, the GDPs treated the patients in the second five-month period with a SF system (WaveOne). The GDPs documented the clinical findings at the beginning and on completion of treatment. The patients documented their pain and OHRQoL before the beginning and before completion of treatment. Results A total of 599 patients were included in the evaluation. 280 patients were in the MF group, 319 were in the SF WaveOne group. In terms of pain reduction and improvement in OHIP-G-14, the improvement in both study groups (MF and SF) was very similar based on univariate analysis methods. Pain reduction was 34.4 (SD 33.7) VAS (MF) vs. 35.0 (SD 35.4) VAS (SF) (p = 0.840) and the improvement in OHIP-G-14 score was 9.4 (SD 10.3) (MF) vs. 8.5 (SD 10.2) (SF) (p = 0.365). The treatment time per root canal was 238.9 s (SD 206.2 s) (MF) vs. 146.8 sec. (SD 452.8 sec) (SF) (p = 0.003). Discussion Regarding improvement of endodontic pain and OHRQoL measure with OHIP-G-14, there were no statistical significant differences between the SF und the MF systems. WaveOne-prepared root canals significantly faster than MF systems.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Andreas Bartols
creator: Gunter Laux
creator: Winfried Walther
subject: Dentistry
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.2765
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2016 Bartols et al.
abstract: Background Little is known about the differences of rotary multiple file endodontic therapy and single-file reciprocating endodontic treatment under routine care conditions in dental practice. This multicenter study was performed to compare the outcome of multiple-file (MF) and single-file (SF) systems for primary root canal treatment under conditions of general dental practice regarding reduction of pain with a visual analogue scale (VAS 100), improvement of oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) with the german short version of the oral health impact profile (OHIP-G-14) and the speed of root canal preparation. Materials and Methods Ten general dental practitioners (GDPs) participated in the study as practitioner-investigators (PI). In the first five-month period of the study, the GDPs treated patients with MF systems. After that, the GDPs treated the patients in the second five-month period with a SF system (WaveOne). The GDPs documented the clinical findings at the beginning and on completion of treatment. The patients documented their pain and OHRQoL before the beginning and before completion of treatment. Results A total of 599 patients were included in the evaluation. 280 patients were in the MF group, 319 were in the SF WaveOne group. In terms of pain reduction and improvement in OHIP-G-14, the improvement in both study groups (MF and SF) was very similar based on univariate analysis methods. Pain reduction was 34.4 (SD 33.7) VAS (MF) vs. 35.0 (SD 35.4) VAS (SF) (p = 0.840) and the improvement in OHIP-G-14 score was 9.4 (SD 10.3) (MF) vs. 8.5 (SD 10.2) (SF) (p = 0.365). The treatment time per root canal was 238.9 s (SD 206.2 s) (MF) vs. 146.8 sec. (SD 452.8 sec) (SF) (p = 0.003). Discussion Regarding improvement of endodontic pain and OHRQoL measure with OHIP-G-14, there were no statistical significant differences between the SF und the MF systems. WaveOne-prepared root canals significantly faster than MF systems.
bibliographic citation: Bartols et al. (2016) Multiple-file vs. single-file endodontics in dental practice: a study in routine care. PeerJ 4:e2765 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2765
date submitted: 2016-07-13
date accepted: 2016-11-06
issued: 2016-12-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Bartols
  given name: Andreas
author list: Agent
  family name: Laux
  given name: Gunter
author list: Agent
  family name: Walther
  given name: Winfried
doi: 10.7717/peerj.2765
volume: 4
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2016-12-07
copyright: ©2016 Bartols et al.
attribution name: Bartols et al.

Attenuation of antigen-specific T helper 1 immunity by Neolitsea hiiranensis and its derived terpenoids
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background T cells play a pivotal role in the adaptive immunity that participates in a wide range of immune responses through a complicated cytokine network. Imbalance of T-cell responses is involved in several immune disorders. Neolitsea species, one of the biggest genera in the family Lauraceae, have been employed widely as folk medicines for a long time in Asia. Previous phytochemical investigations revealed the abundance of terpenes in the leaves of N. hiiranensis, an endemic Neolitsea in Taiwan, and demonstrated anti-inflammatory activities. However, the effect of N. hiiranensis on the functionality of immune cells, especially T cells, is still unclear. In this study, we utilize in vitro and in vivo approaches to characterize the effects of leaves of N. hiiranensis and its terpenoids on adaptive immune responses. Methods Dried leaves of N. hiiranensis were extracted three times with cold methanol to prepare crude extracts and to isolate its secondary metabolites. The ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized BALB/c mice were administrated with N. hiiranensis extracts (5–20 mg/kg). The serum and splenocytes of treated mice were collected to evaluate the immunomodulatory effects of N. hiiranensis on the production of OVA-specific antibodies and cytokines. To further identify the N. hiiranensis-derived compounds with immunomodulatory potentials, OVA-primed splenocytes were treated with compounds isolated from N. hiiranensis by determining the cell viability, cytokine productions, and mRNA expression in the presence of OVA in vitro. Results Crude extracts of leaves of N. hiiranensis significantly inhibited IL-12, IFN-γ, and IL-2 cytokine productions as well as the serum levels of antigen-specific IgM and IgG2a in vivo. Two of fourteen selected terpenoids and one diterpenoid derived from the leaves of N. hiiranensis suppressed IFN-γ in vitro. In addition, β-caryophyllene oxide attenuated the expression of IFN-γ, T-bet, and IL-12Rβ2 in a dose-dependent manner. N. hiiranensis-derive…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Yin-Hua Cheng
creator: Ih-Sheng Chen
creator: Ying-Chi Lin
creator: Chun-Wei Tung
creator: Hsun-Shuo Chang
creator: Chia-Chi Wang
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Food Science and Technology
subject: Immunology
subject: Pharmacology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.2758
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2016 Cheng et al.
abstract: Background T cells play a pivotal role in the adaptive immunity that participates in a wide range of immune responses through a complicated cytokine network. Imbalance of T-cell responses is involved in several immune disorders. Neolitsea species, one of the biggest genera in the family Lauraceae, have been employed widely as folk medicines for a long time in Asia. Previous phytochemical investigations revealed the abundance of terpenes in the leaves of N. hiiranensis, an endemic Neolitsea in Taiwan, and demonstrated anti-inflammatory activities. However, the effect of N. hiiranensis on the functionality of immune cells, especially T cells, is still unclear. In this study, we utilize in vitro and in vivo approaches to characterize the effects of leaves of N. hiiranensis and its terpenoids on adaptive immune responses. Methods Dried leaves of N. hiiranensis were extracted three times with cold methanol to prepare crude extracts and to isolate its secondary metabolites. The ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized BALB/c mice were administrated with N. hiiranensis extracts (5–20 mg/kg). The serum and splenocytes of treated mice were collected to evaluate the immunomodulatory effects of N. hiiranensis on the production of OVA-specific antibodies and cytokines. To further identify the N. hiiranensis-derived compounds with immunomodulatory potentials, OVA-primed splenocytes were treated with compounds isolated from N. hiiranensis by determining the cell viability, cytokine productions, and mRNA expression in the presence of OVA in vitro. Results Crude extracts of leaves of N. hiiranensis significantly inhibited IL-12, IFN-γ, and IL-2 cytokine productions as well as the serum levels of antigen-specific IgM and IgG2a in vivo. Two of fourteen selected terpenoids and one diterpenoid derived from the leaves of N. hiiranensis suppressed IFN-γ in vitro. In addition, β-caryophyllene oxide attenuated the expression of IFN-γ, T-bet, and IL-12Rβ2 in a dose-dependent manner. N. hiiranensis-derive…
bibliographic citation: Cheng et al. (2016) Attenuation of antigen-specific T helper 1 immunity by Neolitsea hiiranensis and its derived terpenoids. PeerJ 4:e2758 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2758
date submitted: 2016-08-19
date accepted: 2016-11-04
issued: 2016-12-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Cheng
  given name: Yin-Hua
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Ih-Sheng
author list: Agent
  family name: Lin
  given name: Ying-Chi
author list: Agent
  family name: Tung
  given name: Chun-Wei
author list: Agent
  family name: Chang
  given name: Hsun-Shuo
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Chia-Chi
doi: 10.7717/peerj.2758
volume: 4
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2016-12-07
copyright: ©2016 Cheng et al.
attribution name: Cheng et al.

MicroRNA biogenesis pathway genes polymorphisms and cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) may promote the development and progression of human cancers. Therefore, components of the miRNA biogenesis pathway may play critical roles in human cancer. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or mutations in genes involved in the miRNA biogenesis pathway may alter levels of gene expression, affecting disease susceptibility. Results of previous studies on genetic variants in the miRNA biogenesis pathway and cancer risk were inconsistent. Therefore, a meta-analysis is needed to assess the associations of these genetic variants with human cancer risk. We searched for relevant articles from PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, and CBM through Jun 21, 2016. In total, 21 case-control articles met all of the inclusion criteria for the study. Significant associations were observed between cancer risk and the DGCR8polymorphism rs417309 G >A (OR 1.22, 95% CI [1.04–1.42]), as well as the DICER1 polymorphism rs1057035 TT (OR 1.13, 95% CI [1.05–1.22]). These SNPs exhibit high potential as novel diagnostic markers. Future studies with larger sample sizes and more refined analyses are needed to shed more light on these findings.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Jieyu He
creator: Jun Zhao
creator: Wenbo Zhu
creator: Daxun Qi
creator: Lina Wang
creator: Jinfang Sun
creator: Bei Wang
creator: Xu Ma
creator: Qiaoyun Dai
creator: Xiaojin Yu
subject: Genetics
subject: Epidemiology
subject: Evidence Based Medicine
subject: Oncology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.2706
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2016 He et al.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) may promote the development and progression of human cancers. Therefore, components of the miRNA biogenesis pathway may play critical roles in human cancer. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or mutations in genes involved in the miRNA biogenesis pathway may alter levels of gene expression, affecting disease susceptibility. Results of previous studies on genetic variants in the miRNA biogenesis pathway and cancer risk were inconsistent. Therefore, a meta-analysis is needed to assess the associations of these genetic variants with human cancer risk. We searched for relevant articles from PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, and CBM through Jun 21, 2016. In total, 21 case-control articles met all of the inclusion criteria for the study. Significant associations were observed between cancer risk and the DGCR8polymorphism rs417309 G >A (OR 1.22, 95% CI [1.04–1.42]), as well as the DICER1 polymorphism rs1057035 TT (OR 1.13, 95% CI [1.05–1.22]). These SNPs exhibit high potential as novel diagnostic markers. Future studies with larger sample sizes and more refined analyses are needed to shed more light on these findings.
bibliographic citation: He et al. (2016) MicroRNA biogenesis pathway genes polymorphisms and cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PeerJ 4:e2706 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2706
date submitted: 2016-07-15
date accepted: 2016-10-20
issued: 2016-12-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: He
  given name: Jieyu
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhao
  given name: Jun
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhu
  given name: Wenbo
author list: Agent
  family name: Qi
  given name: Daxun
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Lina
author list: Agent
  family name: Sun
  given name: Jinfang
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Bei
author list: Agent
  family name: Ma
  given name: Xu
author list: Agent
  family name: Dai
  given name: Qiaoyun
author list: Agent
  family name: Yu
  given name: Xiaojin
doi: 10.7717/peerj.2706
volume: 4
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2016-12-07
copyright: ©2016 He et al.
attribution name: He et al.

Pests, diseases and crop protection practices in the smallholder sweetpotato production system of the highlands of Papua New Guinea
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Sweetpotato (Ipomea batatans) is a food crop of global significance. The storage roots and foliage of crop are attacked by a wide range of pests and diseases. Whilst these are generally well controlled in developed countries using approaches such as clean planting material and monitoring with pheromone traps to guide insecticide use, research into methods suitable for developing countries has lagged. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), sweetpotato is grown extensively as a subsistence crop and commercial production as a cash crop is developing. We report results from a survey of 33 smallholder producers located in the Highlands of PNG where the crop is of particular importance. Surveys of interviewees’ crops showed high levels of pest and disease impact to foliage, stems and storage roots, especially in crops that were several years old. Weevils (Curculionidae) were reportedly the most damaging pests and scab (caused by the fungus Elisnoe batatus) the most damaging disease. Most producers reported root damage from the former and foliar damage from the latter but the general level of knowledge of pest and disease types was low. Despite the apparency of pest and disease signs and symptoms and recognition of their importance by farmers, a large majority of producers reported practiced no active pest or disease management. This was despite low numbers of farmers reporting use of traditional cultural practices including phytosanitary measures and insecticidal plants that had the scope for far wider use. Only one respondent reported use of insecticide though pesticides were available in nearby cities. This low level of pest and disease management in most cases, likely due to paucity in biological and technical knowledge among growers, hampers efforts to establish food security and constrains the development of sweetpotato as a cash crop.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Geoff M. Gurr
creator: Jian Liu
creator: Anne C. Johnson
creator: Deane N. Woruba
creator: Gunnar Kirchhof
creator: Ryosuke Fujinuma
creator: William Sirabis
creator: Yapo Jeffery
creator: Ramakrishna Akkinapally
subject: Agricultural Science
subject: Entomology
subject: Plant Science
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.2703
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2016 Gurr et al.
abstract: Sweetpotato (Ipomea batatans) is a food crop of global significance. The storage roots and foliage of crop are attacked by a wide range of pests and diseases. Whilst these are generally well controlled in developed countries using approaches such as clean planting material and monitoring with pheromone traps to guide insecticide use, research into methods suitable for developing countries has lagged. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), sweetpotato is grown extensively as a subsistence crop and commercial production as a cash crop is developing. We report results from a survey of 33 smallholder producers located in the Highlands of PNG where the crop is of particular importance. Surveys of interviewees’ crops showed high levels of pest and disease impact to foliage, stems and storage roots, especially in crops that were several years old. Weevils (Curculionidae) were reportedly the most damaging pests and scab (caused by the fungus Elisnoe batatus) the most damaging disease. Most producers reported root damage from the former and foliar damage from the latter but the general level of knowledge of pest and disease types was low. Despite the apparency of pest and disease signs and symptoms and recognition of their importance by farmers, a large majority of producers reported practiced no active pest or disease management. This was despite low numbers of farmers reporting use of traditional cultural practices including phytosanitary measures and insecticidal plants that had the scope for far wider use. Only one respondent reported use of insecticide though pesticides were available in nearby cities. This low level of pest and disease management in most cases, likely due to paucity in biological and technical knowledge among growers, hampers efforts to establish food security and constrains the development of sweetpotato as a cash crop.
bibliographic citation: Gurr et al. (2016) Pests, diseases and crop protection practices in the smallholder sweetpotato production system of the highlands of Papua New Guinea. PeerJ 4:e2703 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2703
date submitted: 2016-08-27
date accepted: 2016-10-19
issued: 2016-12-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Gurr
  given name: Geoff M.
author list: Agent
  family name: Liu
  given name: Jian
author list: Agent
  family name: Johnson
  given name: Anne C.
author list: Agent
  family name: Woruba
  given name: Deane N.
author list: Agent
  family name: Kirchhof
  given name: Gunnar
author list: Agent
  family name: Fujinuma
  given name: Ryosuke
author list: Agent
  family name: Sirabis
  given name: William
author list: Agent
  family name: Jeffery
  given name: Yapo
author list: Agent
  family name: Akkinapally
  given name: Ramakrishna
doi: 10.7717/peerj.2703
volume: 4
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2016-12-07
copyright: ©2016 Gurr et al.
attribution name: Gurr et al.

Selective enhancement of attentional networks in college table tennis athletes: a preliminary investigation
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: The purpose of the study was to investigate the characteristics of the attentional network in college table tennis athletes. A total of 65 college students categorized as table tennis athlete group or non-athlete group participated in the study. All participants completed the attentional network test (ANT) which measured the alerting, orienting and executive control networks. The results showed a significant difference between the athlete and non-athlete group for executive control network (p < 0.01), while no differences were observed for alerting (p > 0.05) or orienting (p > 0.05) networks. These results combined suggest that college table tennis athletes exhibited selectively enhanced executive control of attentional networks.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Biye Wang
creator: Wei Guo
creator: Chenglin Zhou
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Kinesiology
subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.2762
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2016 Wang et al.
abstract: The purpose of the study was to investigate the characteristics of the attentional network in college table tennis athletes. A total of 65 college students categorized as table tennis athlete group or non-athlete group participated in the study. All participants completed the attentional network test (ANT) which measured the alerting, orienting and executive control networks. The results showed a significant difference between the athlete and non-athlete group for executive control network (p < 0.01), while no differences were observed for alerting (p > 0.05) or orienting (p > 0.05) networks. These results combined suggest that college table tennis athletes exhibited selectively enhanced executive control of attentional networks.
bibliographic citation: Wang et al. (2016) Selective enhancement of attentional networks in college table tennis athletes: a preliminary investigation. PeerJ 4:e2762 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2762
date submitted: 2016-07-08
date accepted: 2016-11-05
issued: 2016-12-06
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Biye
author list: Agent
  family name: Guo
  given name: Wei
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhou
  given name: Chenglin
doi: 10.7717/peerj.2762
volume: 4
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2016-12-06
copyright: ©2016 Wang et al.
attribution name: Wang et al.

Aging and cardiovascular complexity: effect of the length of RR tachograms
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: As we age, our hearts undergo changes that result in a reduction in complexity of physiological interactions between different control mechanisms. This results in a potential risk of cardiovascular diseases which are the number one cause of death globally. Since cardiac signals are nonstationary and nonlinear in nature, complexity measures are better suited to handle such data. In this study, three complexity measures are used, namely Lempel–Ziv complexity (LZ), Sample Entropy (SampEn) and Effort-To-Compress (ETC). We determined the minimum length of RR tachogram required for characterizing complexity of healthy young and healthy old hearts. All the three measures indicated significantly lower complexity values for older subjects than younger ones. However, the minimum length of heart-beat interval data needed differs for the three measures, with LZ and ETC needing as low as 10 samples, whereas SampEn requires at least 80 samples. Our study indicates that complexity measures such as LZ and ETC are good candidates for the analysis of cardiovascular dynamics since they are able to work with very short RR tachograms.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Karthi Balasubramanian
creator: Nithin Nagaraj
subject: Computational Biology
subject: Cardiology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.2755
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2016 Balasubramanian and Nagaraj
abstract: As we age, our hearts undergo changes that result in a reduction in complexity of physiological interactions between different control mechanisms. This results in a potential risk of cardiovascular diseases which are the number one cause of death globally. Since cardiac signals are nonstationary and nonlinear in nature, complexity measures are better suited to handle such data. In this study, three complexity measures are used, namely Lempel–Ziv complexity (LZ), Sample Entropy (SampEn) and Effort-To-Compress (ETC). We determined the minimum length of RR tachogram required for characterizing complexity of healthy young and healthy old hearts. All the three measures indicated significantly lower complexity values for older subjects than younger ones. However, the minimum length of heart-beat interval data needed differs for the three measures, with LZ and ETC needing as low as 10 samples, whereas SampEn requires at least 80 samples. Our study indicates that complexity measures such as LZ and ETC are good candidates for the analysis of cardiovascular dynamics since they are able to work with very short RR tachograms.
bibliographic citation: Balasubramanian et al. (2016) Aging and cardiovascular complexity: effect of the length of RR tachograms. PeerJ 4:e2755 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2755
date submitted: 2016-07-13
date accepted: 2016-11-04
issued: 2016-12-06
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Balasubramanian
  given name: Karthi
author list: Agent
  family name: Nagaraj
  given name: Nithin
doi: 10.7717/peerj.2755
volume: 4
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2016-12-06
copyright: ©2016 Balasubramanian and Nagaraj
attribution name: Balasubramanian and Nagaraj

PeerJ
type: Periodical
uri: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359