Characterizing the blood microbiota of omnivorous and frugivorous bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in Casanare, eastern Colombia
Bats are known reservoirs of seemingly-innocuous pathogenic microorganisms (including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa), which are associated with triggering disease in other zoonotic groups. The taxonomic diversity of the bats’ microbiome is likely associated with species-specific phenotypic, metabolic, and immunogenic capacities. To date, few studies have described the diversity of bat blood microbial communities. Then, this study used amplicon-based next generation sequencing of the V4 hypervariable region of the 16S-rRNA gene in blood samples from omnivorous (n = 16) and frugivorous (n = 9) bats from the department of Casanare in eastern Colombia. We found the blood microbiota in bats to be composed of, among others, Bartonella and Mycoplasma bacterial genera which are associated with various disease phenotypes in other mammals. Furthermore, our results suggest that the bats’ dietary habits might determine the composition and the persistence of some pathogens over others in their bloodstream. This study is among the first to describe the blood microbiota in bats, to reflect on co-infection rates of multiple pathogens in the same individual, and to consider the influence of diet as a factor affecting the animal’s endogenous microbial community.
Luna et al. (2023) Characterizing the blood microbiota of omnivorous and frugivorous bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in Casanare, eastern Colombia. PeerJ 11:e15169 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15169
Non-coding RNA are a class of RNA that lack the potential to encode proteins. CircRNAs, generated by a post-splicing mechanism, are a newly discovered type of non-coding RNA with multi-functional covalent loop structures. CircRNAs may play an important role in the occurrence and progression of tumors. Research has shown that circRNAs are aberrantly expressed in various types of human cancers, including leukemia. In this review, we summarize the expression and function of circRNAs and their impact on different types of leukemia. We also illustrate the function of circRNAs on immune modulation and chemoresistance in leukemia and their impact on its diagnosis and prognosis. Herein, we provide an understanding of recent advances in research that highlight the importance of circRNAs in proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and autophagy in different types of leukemia. Furthermore, circRNAs make an indispensable difference in the modulation of the immunity and chemoresistance of leukemia. Increasing evidence suggests that circRNAs may play a vital role in the diagnostic and prognostic markers of leukemia because of their prominent properties. More detailed preclinical studies on circRNAs are needed to explore effective ways in which they can serve as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of leukemia in vivo.
Li et al. (2023) CircRNA: a rising star in leukemia. PeerJ 11:e15577 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15577
Some structural features of the peptide profile of myelin basic protein-hydrolyzing antibodies in schizophrenic patients
The antibodies of schizophrenic patients that hydrolyze myelin basic protein (MBP) have been actively studied recently, but the mechanism of the catalytic properties of immunoglobulin molecules remains unknown. Determination of specific immunoglobulin sequences associated with the high activity of MBP proteolysis will help to understand the mechanisms of abzyme catalysis. In the course of comparative mass spectrometric analysis of IgG peptides from the blood serum of patients with acute schizophrenia and healthy people, 12 sequences were identified, which were found only in antibodies that hydrolyze MBP. These sequences belong to IgG heavy chains and κ- and λ-type light chains, with eight of them belonging to variable domains. The content of peptides from the variable regions of the light chains does not correlate with the proteolytic activity of IgG to MBP in patients with schizophrenia, whereas for two sequences from the variable regions of the heavy chains (FQ(+0.98)GWVTMTR and *LYLQMN(+0.98)SLR), an increase in activity with increasing their concentration. The results suggest that these sequences may be involved in one way or another in MBP hydrolysis.
Zavialova et al. (2023) Some structural features of the peptide profile of myelin basic protein-hydrolyzing antibodies in schizophrenic patients. PeerJ 11:e15584 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15584
Village dogs match pet dogs in reading human facial expressions
Most studies on dogs’ cognitive skills in understanding human communication have been conducted on pet dogs, making them a role model for the species. However, pet dogs are just a minor and particular sample of the total dog world population, which would instead be better represented by free-ranging dogs. Since free-ranging dogs are still facing the selective forces of the domestication process, they indeed represent an important study subject to investigate the effect that such a process has had on dogs’ behavior and cognition. Despite only a few studies on free-ranging dogs (specifically village dogs) having been conducted so far, the results are intriguing. In fact, village dogs seem to place a high value on social contact with humans and understand some aspects of humans’ communication. In this study we aimed to investigate village dogs’ ability in understanding a subtle human communicative cue: human facial expressions, and compared them with pet dogs, who have already provided evidence of this social skill. We tested whether subjects were able to distinguish between neutral, happy, and angry human facial expressions in a test mimicking a potential real-life situation, where the experimenter repeatedly performed one facial expression while eating some food, and ultimately dropped it on the ground. We found evidence that village dogs, as well as pet dogs, could distinguish between subtle human communicative cues, since they performed a higher frequency of aversive gazes (looking away) in the angry condition than in the happy condition. However, we did not find other behavioral effects of the different conditions, likely due to the low intensity of the emotional expression performed. We suggest that village dogs’ ability in distinguishing between human facial expressions could provide them with an advantage in surviving in a human-dominated environment.
Lazzaroni et al. (2023) Village dogs match pet dogs in reading human facial expressions. PeerJ 11:e15601 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15601
Development of a circHIPK3-based ceRNA network and identification of mRNA signature in breast cancer patients harboring BRCA mutation
Background Exploring the regulatory network of competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) as hallmarks for breast cancer development has great significance and could provide therapeutic targets. An mRNA signature predictive of prognosis and therapy response in BRCA carriers was developed according to circular RNA homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 3 (circHIPK3)-based ceRNA network. Method We constructed a circHIPK3-based ceRNA network based on GSE173766 dataset and identified potential mRNAs that were associated with BRCA mutation patients within this ceRNA network. A total of 11 prognostic mRNAs and a risk model were identified and developed by univariate Cox regression analysis and the LASSO regression analysis as well as stepAIC method. Genomic landscape was treated by mutect2 and fisher. Immune characteristics was analyzed by ESTIMATE, MCP-counter. TIDE analysis was conducted to predict immunotherapy. The clinical treatment outcomes of BRCA mutation patients were assessed using a nomogram. The proliferation, migration and invasion in breast cancer cell lines were examined using CCK8 assay and transwell assay. Result We found 241 mRNAs within the circHIPK3-based ceRNA network. An 11 mRNA-based signature was identified for prognostic model construction. High risk patients exhibited dismal prognosis, low response to immunotherapy, less immune cell infiltration and tumor mutation burden (TMB). High-risk patients were sensitive to six anti-tumor drugs, while low-risk patient were sensitive to 47 drugs. The risk score was the most effective on evaluating patients’ survival. The robustness and good prediction performance were validated in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset and immunotherapy datasets, respectively. In addition, circHIPK3 mRNA level was upregulated, and promoted cell viability, migration and invasion in breast cancer cell lines. Conclusion The current study could improve the understanding of mRNAs in relation to BRCA mutation and pave the way to develop mRNA-based therapeutic targets for breast cancer patients with BRCA mutation.
Lian et al. (2023) Development of a circHIPK3-based ceRNA network and identification of mRNA signature in breast cancer patients harboring BRCA mutation. PeerJ 11:e15572 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15572
Chemical weathering rates and controlling mechanisms of glacial catchments within different climate regimes in the Tibetan Plateau
Background Continental weathering plays an important role in regulating atmospheric CO2 levels. Chemical weathering in glacial areas has become an intensely focused topic in the background of global change compared with other terrestrial weathering systems. However, research on the weathering of the glacial areas in the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin (YTRB) is still limited. Methods In this article, the major ions of the Chaiqu and Niangqu catchments in the YTRB have been investigated to illustrate the chemical weathering rates and mechanisms of the glacier areas in the YTRB. Results Ca2+ and HCO ${}_{3}^{-}$ 3 − dominate the major ions of the Chaiqu and Niangqu rivers, accounting for about 71.3% and 69.2% of the TZ+ of the Chaiqu (the total cations, TZ+ = Na+ + K+ + Ca2 + + Mg2+, in µeq/L), and about 64.2% and 62.6% of the TZ+ of the Niangqu. A Monte Carlo model with six end-members is applied to quantitatively partition the dissolved load sources of the catchments. The results show that the dissolved loads of the Chaiqu and Niangqu rivers are mainly derived from carbonate weathering (accounting for about 62.9% and 79.7% of the TZ+, respectively), followed by silicate weathering (about 25.8% and 7.9% of the TZ+, respectively). The contributions of precipitation and evaporite to the Chaiqu rivers are about 5.0% and 6.2%, and those to the Niangqu rivers are about 6.3% and 6.2%. The model also calculated the proportion of sulfuric acid weathering in the Chaiqu and Niangqu catchments, which account for about 21.1% and 32.3% of the TZ+, respectively. Based on the results calculated by the model, the carbonate and silicate weathering rates in the Chaiqu catchment are about 7.9 and 1.8 ton km−2 a−1, and in the Niangqu catchment, the rates are about 13.7 and 1.5 ton km−2 a−1. The associated CO2 consumption in the Chaiqu catchment is about 4.3 and 4.4 × 104 mol km−2 a−1, and about 4.3 and 1.3 × 104 mol km−2 a−1 in the Niangqu catchment. The chemical weathering rates of the glacier areas in the YTRB show an increasing trend from upstream to downstream. Studying the weathering rates of glacier catchments in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) reveals that the chemical weathering rates of the temperate glacier catchments are higher than those of the cold glacier catchments and that lithology and runoff are important factors in controlling the chemical weathering of glacier catchments in the TP. The chemical weathering mechanisms of glacier areas in the YTRB were explored through statistical methods, and we found that elevation-dependent climate is the primary control. Lithology and glacial landforms rank second and third, respectively. Our results suggest that, above a certain altitude, climate change caused by tectonic uplift may inhibit chemical weathering. There is a more complex interaction between tectonic uplift, climate, and chemical weathering.
Guo et al. (2023) Chemical weathering rates and controlling mechanisms of glacial catchments within different climate regimes in the Tibetan Plateau. PeerJ 11:e15594 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15594
Identification of sterile a-motif domain-containing 9-like as a potential biomarker in patients with cutaneous melanoma
Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is one of the most aggressive malignancies, accounting for approximately 75% of skin cancer-related fatalities annually. Sterile a-motif domain-containing 9-like (SAMD9L) has been found to regulate cell proliferation and suppress the neoplastic phenotype, but its specific role in SKCM remains unknown. To investigate the cancer-associated immunology of SKCM and the role of SAMD9L in tumor progression, we conducted an integrative bioinformatics analysis that revealed elevated expression levels of SAMD9L in SKCM. ROC curves and survival analyses confirmed the considerable diagnostic and prognostic abilities of SAMD9L. Moreover, a real-world cohort of 35 SKCM patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University showed that higher expression levels of SAMD9L were associated with better prognosis. We performed validation experiments, including cell culture, generation of lentiviral-transfected SKCM cell lines, cell proliferation assay, and transwell assay, which demonstrated that down-regulation of SAMD9L significantly promoted proliferation and migration capacities of SKCM cells. Additionally, SAMD9L expression was found to be strongly linked to immune infiltration. Our results revealed a positive correlation between SAMD9L and XAF1 expression, suggesting that SAMD9L may serve as a prospective prognostic indicator of SKCM with co-expressed XAF1 gene. In summary, our findings indicate that SAMD9L may serve as a promising prognostic and therapeutic biomarker and play a critical role in tumor-immune interactions in SKCM.
Ye et al. (2023) Identification of sterile a-motif domain-containing 9-like as a potential biomarker in patients with cutaneous melanoma. PeerJ 11:e15634 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15634
The mediating role of attention deficit in relationship between insomnia and social cognition tasks among nurses in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study
Purpose Insomnia-related affective functional disorder may negatively affect social cognition such as empathy, altruism, and attitude toward providing care. No previous studies have ever investigated the mediating role of attention deficit in the relationship between insomnia and social cognition. Methods A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 664 nurses (Mage = 33.03 years; SD ± 6.93 years) from December 2020 to September 2021. They completed the Scale of Attitude towards the Patient (SAtP), the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), a single-item numeric rating scale assessing the increasing severity of attention complaints, and questions relating to socio-demographic information. The analysis was carried out by examining the mediating role of attention deficit in the relationship between insomnia and social cognition. Results The prevalence of insomnia symptoms was high (52% insomnia using the AIS). Insomnia was significantly correlated with attention problems (b = 0.18, standard error (SE) = 0.02, p < 0.001). Attention problems were significantly negatively correlated with nurses’ attitudes towards patients (b = −0.56, SE = 0.08, p < 0.001), respect for autonomy (b = −0.18, SE = 0.03, p < 0.001), holism (b = −0.14, SE = 0.03, p < 0.001), empathy (b = −0.15, SE = 0.03, p < 0.001), and altruism (b = −0.10, SE = 0.02, p < 0.001). Attention problems indirectly mediated the effect of insomnia on attitudes toward patients (99% CI = −0.10 [−0.16 to −0.05]), respect for autonomy (99% CI = −0.03 [−0.05 to −0.02]), holism (99% CI = −0.02 [−0.04 to −0.01]) empathy (99% CI = −0.03 [−0.04 to −0.01]), and altruism (99% CI = −0.02 [−0.03 to −0.01]). Conclusion Nurses with insomnia-related attention problems are likely to have poor explicit social cognition such as attitude toward patients, altruism, empathy, respect for autonomy, and holism.
Manzar et al. (2023) The mediating role of attention deficit in relationship between insomnia and social cognition tasks among nurses in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study. PeerJ 11:e15508 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15508
Functionalized nanoparticles crossing the brain–blood barrier to target glioma cells
Glioma is the most common tumor of the central nervous system (CNS), with a 5-year survival rate of <35%. Drug therapy, such as chemotherapeutic and immunotherapeutic agents, remains one of the main treatment modalities for glioma, including temozolomide, doxorubicin, bortezomib, cabazitaxel, dihydroartemisinin, immune checkpoint inhibitors, as well as other approaches such as siRNA, ferroptosis induction, etc. However, the filter function of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) reduces the amount of drugs needed to effectively target CNS tumors, making it one of the main reasons for poor drug efficacies in glioma. Thus, finding a suitable drug delivery platform that can cross the BBB, increase drug aggregation and retainment in tumoral areas and avoid accumulation in non-targeted areas remains an unsolved challenge in glioma drug therapy. An ideal drug delivery system for glioma therapy should have the following features: (1) prolonged drug life in circulation and effective penetration through the BBB; (2) adequate accumulation within the tumor (3) controlled-drug release modulation; (4) good clearance from the body without significant toxicity and immunogenicity, etc. In this regard, due to their unique structural features, nanocarriers can effectively span the BBB and target glioma cells through surface functionalization, providing a new and effective strategy for drug delivery. In this article, we discuss the characteristics and pathways of different nanocarriers for crossing the BBB and targeting glioma by listing different materials for drug delivery platforms, including lipid materials, polymers, nanocrystals, inorganic nanomaterials, etc.
Wu et al. (2023) Functionalized nanoparticles crossing the brain–blood barrier to target glioma cells. PeerJ 11:e15571 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15571
Attitudes of medical students in Khartoum, Sudan towards the doctor-patient relationship: a cross-sectional study
Background/Objectives The doctor-patient relationship is essential to the delivery of high-quality medical care. A strong doctor-patient relationship that improves patient outcomes and satisfaction depends on effective communication. The purpose of this study was to assess medical students’ attitudes toward the doctor-patient relationship during their clinical years at the University of Khartoum. We also looked at how gender and study year affected patient-centeredness. Participants/Setting The study was conducted on medical students in their clinical years from December 2020 to March 2021. Students were selected from years 3 to 6. A total of 353 medical students constituted the study sample. Design The cross-sectional study utilized the Patient Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) for the measurement of student attitudes towards the doctor-patient relationship. PPOS scores are calculated as a mean score that ranges from 1 (indicating doctor or disease-centered inclinations) to 6 (indicating patient-centered or egalitarian inclinations). Medical students’ demographic data was collected, including their gender, age and study year. Results A total of 313 students completed the survey (response rate: 89%). The average total PPOS score and the scores for the caring and sharing subscales for the entire cohort were 4.08 ± 0.53, 4.43 ± 0.58, and 3.72 ± 0.72, respectively. Female gender was significantly associated with more patient-centered attitudes (p < 0.001). When compared to the start of their clinical curriculum, students’ attitudes were significantly more patient-centered by the conclusion of their studies (p < 0.001). Conclusion A satisfactory level of patient-centeredness was demonstrated by medical students at the University of Khartoum, and gender had an impact on this quality. Additional consideration should be given to the finding that students’ orientations were more patient-centered in the caring dimension and less so in the sharing one. Once addressed, improvements in that area could create an environment that enhances attitudes among students in the sharing domain, with great potential gains to patients.
Haiba et al. (2023) Attitudes of medical students in Khartoum, Sudan towards the doctor-patient relationship: a cross-sectional study. PeerJ 11:e15434 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15434