PeerJ
type: channel
link: https://peerj.com/articles/
description: Articles published in PeerJ
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
publication name: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359
items: Determination of natural populations to be included in breeding program in St. John’s wort species (Hypericum perforatum L.)
items: Age trends of genetic parameters and genotype-by-environment interactions for growth traits of Eucalyptus urophylla clones in South-China
items: The effects of subjective family status and subjective school status on depression and suicidal ideation among adolescents: the role of anxiety and psychological resilience
items: Risk factors associated with air embolism following computed tomography-guided percutaneous lung biopsy: a retrospective case-control study
items: Heme oxygenase-1: potential therapeutic targets for periodontitis
items: Interaction of CTCF and CTCFL in genome regulation through chromatin architecture during the spermatogenesis and carcinogenesis
items: Expression of neutrophil extracellular trap-related proteins and its correlation with IL-17 and TNF-α in patients with oral lichen planus
items: Nervous system guides behavioral immunity in Caenorhabditis elegans
items: New insights into the Devonian sea spiders of the Hunsrück Slate (Arthropoda: Pycnogonida)
items: Predicting maintenance lithium response for bipolar disorder from electronic health records—a retrospective study

Determination of natural populations to be included in breeding program in St. John’s wort species (Hypericum perforatum L.)
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) is a medicinal and aromatic plant of rapidly increasing importance. The cultural production of this species, which is of economic importance due to its medicinal properties, is limited. One of the main ways to increase production is to develop cultivars. Thus, the homogeneous raw material required for a standard product will be provided. This study aimed to determine the characteristics of natural populations to obtain productive cultivars with high hypericin and hyperforin that can meet market demands. In addition to yield and quality values, other characteristic features of the plant such as flower diameter, petal length and petal width, which directly affect productivity, were revealed in the study. The study was conducted under field conditions for two years with three replications. Fresh flower weight among the populations varied between 30.15 and 240.28 g/plant, while the hypericin ratio varied between 51.32 and 105.31 (mg/100 g). The study determined a wide variation among the populations, and the populations with superior characteristics were included in the breeding program.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Fatma Uysal Bayar
subject: Agricultural Science
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Biodiversity
subject: Plant Science
subject: Natural Resource Management
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.18336
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Uysal Bayar
abstract: St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) is a medicinal and aromatic plant of rapidly increasing importance. The cultural production of this species, which is of economic importance due to its medicinal properties, is limited. One of the main ways to increase production is to develop cultivars. Thus, the homogeneous raw material required for a standard product will be provided. This study aimed to determine the characteristics of natural populations to obtain productive cultivars with high hypericin and hyperforin that can meet market demands. In addition to yield and quality values, other characteristic features of the plant such as flower diameter, petal length and petal width, which directly affect productivity, were revealed in the study. The study was conducted under field conditions for two years with three replications. Fresh flower weight among the populations varied between 30.15 and 240.28 g/plant, while the hypericin ratio varied between 51.32 and 105.31 (mg/100 g). The study determined a wide variation among the populations, and the populations with superior characteristics were included in the breeding program.
bibliographic citation: Uysal Bayar (2024) Determination of natural populations to be included in breeding program in St. John’s wort species (Hypericum perforatum L.). PeerJ 12:e18336 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18336
date submitted: 2024-05-31
date accepted: 2024-09-25
issued: 2024-10-16
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Uysal Bayar
  given name: Fatma
doi: 10.7717/peerj.18336
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-10-16
copyright: © 2024 Uysal Bayar
attribution name: Uysal Bayar

Age trends of genetic parameters and genotype-by-environment interactions for growth traits of Eucalyptus urophylla clones in South-China
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Eucalyptus urophylla S.T. Blake, an important economic tree species, is widely cultivated as a raw material source for pulpwood, veneer plywood, and sawlog timber in southern China. As a tree in multiple environments, tree-breeding programs can assess genotype by environment (G × E) interactions and identify the suitable genotype for a specific environment. G × E interactions related to growth traits and soil factors have not been adequately studied for clones of Eucalyptus urophylla and its hybrids. To examine this important question, trials containing 20 clones of E. urophylla and its hybrids were established at three sites in southern China: Shankou (SK), Tiantang (TT), and Xiniujiao (XNJ). These sites each have different soil conditions but similar geographical and climatic conditions. With the data across nearly eight years, average phenotypic trends and broad sense repeatability (H2) were modeled, G×E interactions between clones and diverse soil environments were estimated, genetic gains of clones were calculated, and the adaptabilities of E. urophylla clones in different soil environments were compared. Average survival trends for clones tended to show a moderate decrease while growth traits tended to show sharp increases with age. At the same age, sites were ordered for average survival and growth traits as TT>SK>XNJ while H2 values for growth traits by site followed the basic order TT>SK>XNJ. The H2 values for growth traits at SK tended to increase at first, platform, and then smooth with age. The H2 values for growth traits at TT were high and stable across ages, and those at XNJ tended to undulate largely at a relatively low level across ages. Genetic correlations for growth traits between any pair of sites tended to increase at first and then decrease. A genetic correlation was strong between SK and TT, intermediate between SK and XNJ, and weak between TT and XNJ. It was concluded that: (1) clones tended to be adapted better to an environment with acidic…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Guangyou Li
creator: Zhaohua Lu
creator: Deming Yang
creator: Yang Hu
creator: Jianmin Xu
subject: Genetics
subject: Plant Science
subject: Forestry
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.18218
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Li et al.
abstract: Eucalyptus urophylla S.T. Blake, an important economic tree species, is widely cultivated as a raw material source for pulpwood, veneer plywood, and sawlog timber in southern China. As a tree in multiple environments, tree-breeding programs can assess genotype by environment (G × E) interactions and identify the suitable genotype for a specific environment. G × E interactions related to growth traits and soil factors have not been adequately studied for clones of Eucalyptus urophylla and its hybrids. To examine this important question, trials containing 20 clones of E. urophylla and its hybrids were established at three sites in southern China: Shankou (SK), Tiantang (TT), and Xiniujiao (XNJ). These sites each have different soil conditions but similar geographical and climatic conditions. With the data across nearly eight years, average phenotypic trends and broad sense repeatability (H2) were modeled, G×E interactions between clones and diverse soil environments were estimated, genetic gains of clones were calculated, and the adaptabilities of E. urophylla clones in different soil environments were compared. Average survival trends for clones tended to show a moderate decrease while growth traits tended to show sharp increases with age. At the same age, sites were ordered for average survival and growth traits as TT>SK>XNJ while H2 values for growth traits by site followed the basic order TT>SK>XNJ. The H2 values for growth traits at SK tended to increase at first, platform, and then smooth with age. The H2 values for growth traits at TT were high and stable across ages, and those at XNJ tended to undulate largely at a relatively low level across ages. Genetic correlations for growth traits between any pair of sites tended to increase at first and then decrease. A genetic correlation was strong between SK and TT, intermediate between SK and XNJ, and weak between TT and XNJ. It was concluded that: (1) clones tended to be adapted better to an environment with acidic…
bibliographic citation: Li et al. (2024) Age trends of genetic parameters and genotype-by-environment interactions for growth traits of Eucalyptus urophylla clones in South-China. PeerJ 12:e18218 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18218
date submitted: 2024-06-24
date accepted: 2024-09-11
issued: 2024-10-15
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Guangyou
author list: Agent
  family name: Lu
  given name: Zhaohua
author list: Agent
  family name: Yang
  given name: Deming
author list: Agent
  family name: Hu
  given name: Yang
author list: Agent
  family name: Xu
  given name: Jianmin
doi: 10.7717/peerj.18218
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-10-15
copyright: ©2024 Li et al.
attribution name: Li et al.

The effects of subjective family status and subjective school status on depression and suicidal ideation among adolescents: the role of anxiety and psychological resilience
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Depression and suicidal tendencies are notably prevalent among adolescents, yet few studies have revealed the impact of social status on them. This study aimed to explore the mediating and moderating effects of anxiety and psychological resilience on family status, school status, depression, and suicidal ideation. Methods A total of 1,190 secondary school students aged 13 to 17 years (mean age: 13.57 ± 2.02 years) were evaluated depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation using the PHQ-8 and GAD-7 questionnaires. Subjective family and school status were also assessed. Data analysis was conducted using Mplus, SPSS’s Process, and the RSA 3.0 plugin. Results Subjective family/school status, anxiety, psychological resilience, depression, and suicidal ideation were significantly correlated. Anxiety played a partial mediating role in the influence of subjective family status and subjective school on depression and suicidal ideation, and psychological resilience moderated the impact of anxiety on adolescent depression and suicidal ideation (βdepression = −0.05, p < 0.01; βsuicidal ideation = −0.06, p < 0.05). Conclusions Subjective family status and school status played important roles in depression and suicidal ideation in adolescents, and anxiety and psychological resilience played mediating and moderating roles.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Zhan Shu
creator: Shurui Chen
creator: Hui Chen
creator: Xianliang Chen
creator: Huajia Tang
creator: Jiawei Zhou
creator: Yusheng Tian
creator: Xiaoping Wang
creator: Jiansong Zhou
subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
subject: Mental Health
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.18225
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Shu et al.
abstract: Background Depression and suicidal tendencies are notably prevalent among adolescents, yet few studies have revealed the impact of social status on them. This study aimed to explore the mediating and moderating effects of anxiety and psychological resilience on family status, school status, depression, and suicidal ideation. Methods A total of 1,190 secondary school students aged 13 to 17 years (mean age: 13.57 ± 2.02 years) were evaluated depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation using the PHQ-8 and GAD-7 questionnaires. Subjective family and school status were also assessed. Data analysis was conducted using Mplus, SPSS’s Process, and the RSA 3.0 plugin. Results Subjective family/school status, anxiety, psychological resilience, depression, and suicidal ideation were significantly correlated. Anxiety played a partial mediating role in the influence of subjective family status and subjective school on depression and suicidal ideation, and psychological resilience moderated the impact of anxiety on adolescent depression and suicidal ideation (βdepression = −0.05, p < 0.01; βsuicidal ideation = −0.06, p < 0.05). Conclusions Subjective family status and school status played important roles in depression and suicidal ideation in adolescents, and anxiety and psychological resilience played mediating and moderating roles.
bibliographic citation: Shu et al. (2024) The effects of subjective family status and subjective school status on depression and suicidal ideation among adolescents: the role of anxiety and psychological resilience. PeerJ 12:e18225 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18225
date submitted: 2024-07-01
date accepted: 2024-09-12
issued: 2024-10-15
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Shu
  given name: Zhan
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Shurui
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Hui
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Xianliang
author list: Agent
  family name: Tang
  given name: Huajia
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhou
  given name: Jiawei
author list: Agent
  family name: Tian
  given name: Yusheng
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Xiaoping
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhou
  given name: Jiansong
doi: 10.7717/peerj.18225
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-10-15
copyright: © 2024 Shu et al.
attribution name: Shu et al.

Risk factors associated with air embolism following computed tomography-guided percutaneous lung biopsy: a retrospective case-control study
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Retrospective analysis to identify the risk factors for air embolism following computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (TNB). Methods A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent CT-TNB at The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Xuzhou Cancer Hospital from January 2017 to December 2021 was performed. A total of 21 factors relevant to air embolisms were collected. Risk factors associated with air embolisms were determined by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). The receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) was used to assess the ability of these factors to identify air embolisms. Results Of these 32,748 patients, 28 experienced air embolisms (19 at The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (incidence, 1.46%) and nine at Xuzhou Cancer Hospital (incidence, 0.69%); total incidence, 2.16%). Only seven patients exhibited symptoms (symptom rate, 25.00%). A total of 21 patients were asymptomatic at the time of swept-source CT. No deaths occurred. We found through univariate and multivariate analysis that eight out of these 21 factors are associated with the occurrence of air embolism. The area under the ROC curve was 0.721, indicating good predictive power (P < 0.05). Conclusion Cough during the procedure, hemoptysis during the procedure, the distance between the mass and the pulmonary vein, the presence of a cavity in the lesion, lesion location, number of samples, abnormalities in the patient’s coagulation mechanism, and the puncture position may be the risk factors for air embolism in CT-TNB.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Tingting Wu
creator: Shuai Li
creator: Mengyu Gao
creator: Bin Yang
creator: Yufeng Wang
creator: Tao Xie
subject: Oncology
subject: Radiology and Medical Imaging
subject: Respiratory Medicine
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.18232
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Wu et al.
abstract: Background Retrospective analysis to identify the risk factors for air embolism following computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (TNB). Methods A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent CT-TNB at The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Xuzhou Cancer Hospital from January 2017 to December 2021 was performed. A total of 21 factors relevant to air embolisms were collected. Risk factors associated with air embolisms were determined by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). The receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) was used to assess the ability of these factors to identify air embolisms. Results Of these 32,748 patients, 28 experienced air embolisms (19 at The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (incidence, 1.46%) and nine at Xuzhou Cancer Hospital (incidence, 0.69%); total incidence, 2.16%). Only seven patients exhibited symptoms (symptom rate, 25.00%). A total of 21 patients were asymptomatic at the time of swept-source CT. No deaths occurred. We found through univariate and multivariate analysis that eight out of these 21 factors are associated with the occurrence of air embolism. The area under the ROC curve was 0.721, indicating good predictive power (P < 0.05). Conclusion Cough during the procedure, hemoptysis during the procedure, the distance between the mass and the pulmonary vein, the presence of a cavity in the lesion, lesion location, number of samples, abnormalities in the patient’s coagulation mechanism, and the puncture position may be the risk factors for air embolism in CT-TNB.
bibliographic citation: Wu et al. (2024) Risk factors associated with air embolism following computed tomography-guided percutaneous lung biopsy: a retrospective case-control study. PeerJ 12:e18232 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18232
date submitted: 2024-02-16
date accepted: 2024-09-13
issued: 2024-10-15
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
author list: Agent
  family name: Wu
  given name: Tingting
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Shuai
author list: Agent
  family name: Gao
  given name: Mengyu
author list: Agent
  family name: Yang
  given name: Bin
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Yufeng
author list: Agent
  family name: Xie
  given name: Tao
doi: 10.7717/peerj.18232
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-10-15
copyright: ©2024 Wu et al.
attribution name: Wu et al.

Heme oxygenase-1: potential therapeutic targets for periodontitis
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Periodontitis is one of the most prevalent inflammatory disease worldwide, which affects 11% of the global population and is a major cause of tooth loss. Recently, oxidative stress (OS) has been found to be the pivital pathophysiological mechanism of periodontitis, and overactivated OS will lead to inflammation, apoptosis, pyroptosis and alveolar bone resorption. Interestingly, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a rate-limiting enzyme in heme degradation, can exert antioxidant activites through its products—carbon monoxide (CO), Fe2+, biliverdin and bilirubin in the inflammatory microenvironment, thus exhibiting anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, anti-pyroptosis and bone homeostasis-regulating properties. In this review, particular focus is given to the role of HO-1 in periodontitis, including the spatial-temporal expression in periodental tissues and pathophysiological mechanisms of HO-1 in periodontitis, as well as the current therapeutic applications of HO-1 targeted drugs for periodontitis. This review aims to elucidate the potential applications of various HO-1 targeted drug therapy in the management of periodontitis, investigate the influence of diverse functional groups on HO-1 and periodontitis, and pave the way for the development of a new generation of therapeutics that will benefit patients suffering from periodontitis.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Weiwei Lv
creator: Shichen Hu
creator: Fei Yang
creator: Dong Lin
creator: Haodong Zou
creator: Wanyan Zhang
creator: Qin Yang
creator: Lihua Li
creator: Xiaowen Chen
creator: Yan Wu
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Dentistry
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.18237
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Lv et al.
abstract: Periodontitis is one of the most prevalent inflammatory disease worldwide, which affects 11% of the global population and is a major cause of tooth loss. Recently, oxidative stress (OS) has been found to be the pivital pathophysiological mechanism of periodontitis, and overactivated OS will lead to inflammation, apoptosis, pyroptosis and alveolar bone resorption. Interestingly, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a rate-limiting enzyme in heme degradation, can exert antioxidant activites through its products—carbon monoxide (CO), Fe2+, biliverdin and bilirubin in the inflammatory microenvironment, thus exhibiting anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, anti-pyroptosis and bone homeostasis-regulating properties. In this review, particular focus is given to the role of HO-1 in periodontitis, including the spatial-temporal expression in periodental tissues and pathophysiological mechanisms of HO-1 in periodontitis, as well as the current therapeutic applications of HO-1 targeted drugs for periodontitis. This review aims to elucidate the potential applications of various HO-1 targeted drug therapy in the management of periodontitis, investigate the influence of diverse functional groups on HO-1 and periodontitis, and pave the way for the development of a new generation of therapeutics that will benefit patients suffering from periodontitis.
bibliographic citation: Lv et al. (2024) Heme oxygenase-1: potential therapeutic targets for periodontitis. PeerJ 12:e18237 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18237
date submitted: 2024-06-17
date accepted: 2024-09-15
issued: 2024-10-15
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Lv
  given name: Weiwei
author list: Agent
  family name: Hu
  given name: Shichen
author list: Agent
  family name: Yang
  given name: Fei
author list: Agent
  family name: Lin
  given name: Dong
author list: Agent
  family name: Zou
  given name: Haodong
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Wanyan
author list: Agent
  family name: Yang
  given name: Qin
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Lihua
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Xiaowen
author list: Agent
  family name: Wu
  given name: Yan
doi: 10.7717/peerj.18237
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-10-15
copyright: © 2024 Lv et al.
attribution name: Lv et al.

Interaction of CTCF and CTCFL in genome regulation through chromatin architecture during the spermatogenesis and carcinogenesis
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: The zinc finger protein CTCF is ubiquitously expressed and is integral to the regulation of chromatin architecture through its interaction with cohesin. Conversely, CTCFL expression is predominantly restricted to the adult male testis but is aberrantly expressed in certain cancers. Despite their distinct expression patterns, the cooperative and competitive mechanisms by which CTCF and CTCFL regulate target gene expression in spermatocytes and cancer cells remain inadequately understood. In this review, we comprehensively examine the literature on the divergent amino acid sequences, target sites, expression profiles and functions of CTCF and CTCFL in normal tissues and cancers. We further elucidate the mechanisms by which CTCFL competitively or cooperatively binds to CTCF target sites during spermatogenesis and carcinogenesis to modulate chromatin architecture. We mainly focus on the role of CTCFL in testicular and cancer development, highlighting its interaction with CTCF at CTCF binding sites to regulate target genes. In the testis, CTCF and CTCFL cooperate to regulate the expression of testis-specific genes, essential for proper germ cell progression. In cancers, CTCFL overexpression competes with CTCF for DNA binding, leading to aberrant gene expression, a more relaxed chromatin state, and altered chromatin loops. By uncovering the roles of CTCF and CTCFL in spermatogenesis and carcinogenesis, we can better understand the implications of aberrant CTCFL expression in altering chromatin loops and its contribution to disease pathogenesis.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Xin Tong
creator: Yang Gao
creator: Zhongjing Su
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Genomics
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Oncology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.18240
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Tong et al.
abstract: The zinc finger protein CTCF is ubiquitously expressed and is integral to the regulation of chromatin architecture through its interaction with cohesin. Conversely, CTCFL expression is predominantly restricted to the adult male testis but is aberrantly expressed in certain cancers. Despite their distinct expression patterns, the cooperative and competitive mechanisms by which CTCF and CTCFL regulate target gene expression in spermatocytes and cancer cells remain inadequately understood. In this review, we comprehensively examine the literature on the divergent amino acid sequences, target sites, expression profiles and functions of CTCF and CTCFL in normal tissues and cancers. We further elucidate the mechanisms by which CTCFL competitively or cooperatively binds to CTCF target sites during spermatogenesis and carcinogenesis to modulate chromatin architecture. We mainly focus on the role of CTCFL in testicular and cancer development, highlighting its interaction with CTCF at CTCF binding sites to regulate target genes. In the testis, CTCF and CTCFL cooperate to regulate the expression of testis-specific genes, essential for proper germ cell progression. In cancers, CTCFL overexpression competes with CTCF for DNA binding, leading to aberrant gene expression, a more relaxed chromatin state, and altered chromatin loops. By uncovering the roles of CTCF and CTCFL in spermatogenesis and carcinogenesis, we can better understand the implications of aberrant CTCFL expression in altering chromatin loops and its contribution to disease pathogenesis.
bibliographic citation: Tong et al. (2024) Interaction of CTCF and CTCFL in genome regulation through chromatin architecture during the spermatogenesis and carcinogenesis. PeerJ 12:e18240 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18240
date submitted: 2024-07-17
date accepted: 2024-09-15
issued: 2024-10-15
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Tong
  given name: Xin
author list: Agent
  family name: Gao
  given name: Yang
author list: Agent
  family name: Su
  given name: Zhongjing
doi: 10.7717/peerj.18240
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-10-15
copyright: ©2024 Tong et al.
attribution name: Tong et al.

Expression of neutrophil extracellular trap-related proteins and its correlation with IL-17 and TNF-α in patients with oral lichen planus
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are produced by polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) stimulated by interleukin-17 (IL-17) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). However, the level and role of NETs in oral lichen planus (OLP) remain poorly understood. Objective This study aimed to investigate the expression of NETs in OLP and explore the correlation between NETs and the levels of IL-17 and TNF-α. Methods The expression and distribution of NET-related proteins in tissue samples from each group were assessed using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and immunofluorescence (IF). Additionally, the expression of NET-related proteins in peripheral blood samples from each group was evaluated using cell IF technique and fluorescence spectrophotometry. The relative formation level of NETs in each group was determined by fluorescence spectrophotometry via plasma co-culture. Furthermore, the levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-17 and TNF-α in plasma and culture supernatant were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results NET-related proteins were located in the subepithelial and lamina propria layers of OLP lesions. OLP had significantly higher expression of NET-related proteins in lesion tissues and peripheral blood compared to the healthy control (HC) group (p < 0.05). The rate of NETs formation in the erosive-stage OLP (EOLP) group was significantly higher than that in the HC group (p < 0.05), in contrast, no significant increase was observed in the non-erosive OLP (NEOLP) group (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the levels of IL-17 and TNF-α in the EOLP group were significantly elevated compared to those in the NEOLP group and HC group (p < 0.05), while the levels in the NEOLP group did not significantly differ from those in the HC group (p > 0.05). The rate of NETs formation showed a positive correlation with the levels of IL-17 and TNF-α in plasma. Conclusion The expression of NET-related proteins was upregulated in OLP lesion tissues and peripheral…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Juehua Cheng
creator: Chenyu Zhou
creator: Jia Liu
creator: Yanlin Geng
creator: Lin Liu
creator: Yuan Fan
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Dentistry
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.18260
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Cheng et al.
abstract: Background Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are produced by polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) stimulated by interleukin-17 (IL-17) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). However, the level and role of NETs in oral lichen planus (OLP) remain poorly understood. Objective This study aimed to investigate the expression of NETs in OLP and explore the correlation between NETs and the levels of IL-17 and TNF-α. Methods The expression and distribution of NET-related proteins in tissue samples from each group were assessed using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and immunofluorescence (IF). Additionally, the expression of NET-related proteins in peripheral blood samples from each group was evaluated using cell IF technique and fluorescence spectrophotometry. The relative formation level of NETs in each group was determined by fluorescence spectrophotometry via plasma co-culture. Furthermore, the levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-17 and TNF-α in plasma and culture supernatant were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results NET-related proteins were located in the subepithelial and lamina propria layers of OLP lesions. OLP had significantly higher expression of NET-related proteins in lesion tissues and peripheral blood compared to the healthy control (HC) group (p < 0.05). The rate of NETs formation in the erosive-stage OLP (EOLP) group was significantly higher than that in the HC group (p < 0.05), in contrast, no significant increase was observed in the non-erosive OLP (NEOLP) group (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the levels of IL-17 and TNF-α in the EOLP group were significantly elevated compared to those in the NEOLP group and HC group (p < 0.05), while the levels in the NEOLP group did not significantly differ from those in the HC group (p > 0.05). The rate of NETs formation showed a positive correlation with the levels of IL-17 and TNF-α in plasma. Conclusion The expression of NET-related proteins was upregulated in OLP lesion tissues and peripheral…
bibliographic citation: Cheng et al. (2024) Expression of neutrophil extracellular trap-related proteins and its correlation with IL-17 and TNF-α in patients with oral lichen planus. PeerJ 12:e18260 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18260
date submitted: 2024-06-17
date accepted: 2024-09-17
issued: 2024-10-15
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Cheng
  given name: Juehua
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhou
  given name: Chenyu
author list: Agent
  family name: Liu
  given name: Jia
author list: Agent
  family name: Geng
  given name: Yanlin
author list: Agent
  family name: Liu
  given name: Lin
author list: Agent
  family name: Fan
  given name: Yuan
doi: 10.7717/peerj.18260
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-10-15
copyright: © 2024 Cheng et al.
attribution name: Cheng et al.

Nervous system guides behavioral immunity in Caenorhabditis elegans
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Caenorhabditis elegans is a versatile model organism for exploring complex biological systems. Microbes and the external environment can affect the nervous system and drive behavioral changes in C. elegans. For better survival, C. elegans may develop behavioral immunity to avoid potential environmental pathogens. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this avoidance behavior are not fully understood. The dissection of sensorimotor circuits in behavioral immunity may promote advancements in research on the neuronal connectome in uncovering neuronal regulators of behavioral immunity. In this review, we discuss how the nervous system coordinates behavioral immunity by translating various pathogen-derived cues and physiological damage to motor output in response to pathogenic threats in C. elegans. This understanding may provide insights into the fundamental principles of immune strategies that can be applied across species and potentially contribute to the development of novel therapies for immune-related diseases.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Yu Wang
creator: Xuehong Sun
creator: Lixiang Feng
creator: Kui Zhang
creator: Wenxing Yang
subject: Animal Behavior
subject: Microbiology
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Immunology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.18289
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Wang et al.
abstract: Caenorhabditis elegans is a versatile model organism for exploring complex biological systems. Microbes and the external environment can affect the nervous system and drive behavioral changes in C. elegans. For better survival, C. elegans may develop behavioral immunity to avoid potential environmental pathogens. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this avoidance behavior are not fully understood. The dissection of sensorimotor circuits in behavioral immunity may promote advancements in research on the neuronal connectome in uncovering neuronal regulators of behavioral immunity. In this review, we discuss how the nervous system coordinates behavioral immunity by translating various pathogen-derived cues and physiological damage to motor output in response to pathogenic threats in C. elegans. This understanding may provide insights into the fundamental principles of immune strategies that can be applied across species and potentially contribute to the development of novel therapies for immune-related diseases.
bibliographic citation: Wang et al. (2024) Nervous system guides behavioral immunity in Caenorhabditis elegans. PeerJ 12:e18289 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18289
date submitted: 2024-05-02
date accepted: 2024-09-20
issued: 2024-10-15
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Yu
author list: Agent
  family name: Sun
  given name: Xuehong
author list: Agent
  family name: Feng
  given name: Lixiang
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Kui
author list: Agent
  family name: Yang
  given name: Wenxing
doi: 10.7717/peerj.18289
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-10-15
copyright: © 2024 Wang et al.
attribution name: Wang et al.

New insights into the Devonian sea spiders of the Hunsrück Slate (Arthropoda: Pycnogonida)
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background The sea spiders (Pycnogonida Latreille, 1810) of the Hunsrück Slate (Lower Devonian, ~400 million years ago) are iconic in their abundance, exquisite pyritic preservation, and in their distinctive body plan compared to extant sea spiders (Pantopoda Gerstäcker, 1863). Consequently, the Hunsrück sea spiders are important in understanding the deep evolutionary history of Pycnogonida, yet they remain poorly characterised, impacting upon attempts to establish a time-calibrated phylogeny of sea spiders. Methods Here, we investigated previously described and new material representing four of the five Hunsrück pycnogonids: Flagellopantopus blocki Poschmann & Dunlop, 2006; Palaeoisopus problematicus Broili, 1928; Palaeopantopus maucheri Broili, 1929; and Pentapantopus vogteli Kühl, Poschmann & Rust, 2013; as well as a few unidentified specimens. Using X-ray microtomography and Reflectance Transformation Imaging, we describe new fossils, provide evidence for newly revealed anatomical features, and interpret these data in comparison to extant species. We also reinterpret the previously published illustration of the (probably lost) holotype of Palaeothea devonica Bergström, Stürmer & Winter, 1980. Results We provide the first detailed description of the cephalic appendages of Palaeoisopus problematicus and revise the interpretation of the organisation of its ocular tubercle. Furthermore, we provide new insights into the structure of the legs and the proboscis of Palaeopantopus maucheri, the first description of the body of Flagellopantopus blocki and describe a new specimen of Pentapantopus vogteli, demonstrating that it had eight legs, in contrast to previous interpretations. We argue that, contrary to previous suggestions, Palaeothea devonica probably had a different body plan from extant pantopods. We discuss the ecological traits of the Hunsrück pycnogonids based on their morphological adaptations, and conclude that there is no compelling evidence of Pantopoda in…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Romain Sabroux
creator: Russell J. Garwood
creator: Davide Pisani
creator: Philip C. J. Donoghue
creator: Gregory D. Edgecombe
subject: Paleontology
subject: Taxonomy
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.17766
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Sabroux et al.
abstract: Background The sea spiders (Pycnogonida Latreille, 1810) of the Hunsrück Slate (Lower Devonian, ~400 million years ago) are iconic in their abundance, exquisite pyritic preservation, and in their distinctive body plan compared to extant sea spiders (Pantopoda Gerstäcker, 1863). Consequently, the Hunsrück sea spiders are important in understanding the deep evolutionary history of Pycnogonida, yet they remain poorly characterised, impacting upon attempts to establish a time-calibrated phylogeny of sea spiders. Methods Here, we investigated previously described and new material representing four of the five Hunsrück pycnogonids: Flagellopantopus blocki Poschmann & Dunlop, 2006; Palaeoisopus problematicus Broili, 1928; Palaeopantopus maucheri Broili, 1929; and Pentapantopus vogteli Kühl, Poschmann & Rust, 2013; as well as a few unidentified specimens. Using X-ray microtomography and Reflectance Transformation Imaging, we describe new fossils, provide evidence for newly revealed anatomical features, and interpret these data in comparison to extant species. We also reinterpret the previously published illustration of the (probably lost) holotype of Palaeothea devonica Bergström, Stürmer & Winter, 1980. Results We provide the first detailed description of the cephalic appendages of Palaeoisopus problematicus and revise the interpretation of the organisation of its ocular tubercle. Furthermore, we provide new insights into the structure of the legs and the proboscis of Palaeopantopus maucheri, the first description of the body of Flagellopantopus blocki and describe a new specimen of Pentapantopus vogteli, demonstrating that it had eight legs, in contrast to previous interpretations. We argue that, contrary to previous suggestions, Palaeothea devonica probably had a different body plan from extant pantopods. We discuss the ecological traits of the Hunsrück pycnogonids based on their morphological adaptations, and conclude that there is no compelling evidence of Pantopoda in…
bibliographic citation: Sabroux et al. (2024) New insights into the Devonian sea spiders of the Hunsrück Slate (Arthropoda: Pycnogonida). PeerJ 12:e17766 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17766
date submitted: 2024-03-03
date accepted: 2024-06-26
issued: 2024-10-14
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Sabroux
  given name: Romain
author list: Agent
  family name: Garwood
  given name: Russell J.
author list: Agent
  family name: Pisani
  given name: Davide
author list: Agent
  family name: Donoghue
  given name: Philip C. J.
author list: Agent
  family name: Edgecombe
  given name: Gregory D.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.17766
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-10-14
copyright: © 2024 Sabroux et al.
attribution name: Sabroux et al.

Predicting maintenance lithium response for bipolar disorder from electronic health records—a retrospective study
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Optimising maintenance drug treatment selection for people with bipolar disorder is challenging. There is some evidence that clinical and demographic features may predict response to lithium. However, attempts to personalise treatment choice have been limited. Method We aimed to determine if machine learning methods applied to electronic health records could predict differential response to lithium or olanzapine. From electronic United Kingdom primary care records, we extracted a cohort of individuals prescribed either lithium (19,106 individuals) or olanzapine (12,412) monotherapy. Machine learning models were used to predict successful monotherapy maintenance treatment, using 113 clinical and demographic variables, 8,017 (41.96%) lithium responders and 3,831 (30.87%) olanzapine responders. Results We found a quantitative structural difference in that lithium maintenance responders were weakly predictable in our holdout sample, consisting of the 5% of patients with the most recent exposure. Age at first diagnosis, age at first treatment and the time between these were the most important variables in all models. Discussion Even if we failed to predict successful monotherapy olanzapine treatment, and so to definitively separate lithium vs. olanzapine responders, the characterization of the two groups may be used for classification by proxy. This can, in turn, be useful for establishing maintenance therapy. The further exploration of machine learning methods on EHR data for drug treatment selection could in the future play a role for clinical decision support. Signals in the data encourage further experiments with larger datasets to definitively separate lithium vs. olanzapine responders.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Joseph F. Hayes
creator: Fehmi Ben Abdesslem
creator: Sandra Eloranta
creator: David P. J. Osborn
creator: Magnus Boman
subject: Epidemiology
subject: Neurology
subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
subject: Mental Health
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.17841
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Hayes et al.
abstract: Background Optimising maintenance drug treatment selection for people with bipolar disorder is challenging. There is some evidence that clinical and demographic features may predict response to lithium. However, attempts to personalise treatment choice have been limited. Method We aimed to determine if machine learning methods applied to electronic health records could predict differential response to lithium or olanzapine. From electronic United Kingdom primary care records, we extracted a cohort of individuals prescribed either lithium (19,106 individuals) or olanzapine (12,412) monotherapy. Machine learning models were used to predict successful monotherapy maintenance treatment, using 113 clinical and demographic variables, 8,017 (41.96%) lithium responders and 3,831 (30.87%) olanzapine responders. Results We found a quantitative structural difference in that lithium maintenance responders were weakly predictable in our holdout sample, consisting of the 5% of patients with the most recent exposure. Age at first diagnosis, age at first treatment and the time between these were the most important variables in all models. Discussion Even if we failed to predict successful monotherapy olanzapine treatment, and so to definitively separate lithium vs. olanzapine responders, the characterization of the two groups may be used for classification by proxy. This can, in turn, be useful for establishing maintenance therapy. The further exploration of machine learning methods on EHR data for drug treatment selection could in the future play a role for clinical decision support. Signals in the data encourage further experiments with larger datasets to definitively separate lithium vs. olanzapine responders.
bibliographic citation: Hayes et al. (2024) Predicting maintenance lithium response for bipolar disorder from electronic health records—a retrospective study. PeerJ 12:e17841 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17841
date submitted: 2023-10-30
date accepted: 2024-07-10
issued: 2024-10-14
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Hayes
  given name: Joseph F.
author list: Agent
  family name: Ben Abdesslem
  given name: Fehmi
author list: Agent
  family name: Eloranta
  given name: Sandra
author list: Agent
  family name: Osborn
  given name: David P. J.
author list: Agent
  family name: Boman
  given name: Magnus
doi: 10.7717/peerj.17841
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-10-14
copyright: © 2024 Hayes et al.
attribution name: Hayes et al.

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