PeerJ
type: channel
link: https://peerj.com/articles/
description: Articles published in PeerJ
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
publication name: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359
items: Phosphate solubilizing microorganisms isolated from medicinal plants improve growth of mint
items: Acute effects of variable resistance training on force, velocity, and power measures: a systematic review and meta-analysis
items: Complex interactions between p.His558Arg and linked variants in the sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 5 (NaV1.5)
items: Aluminum phosphate sludge as a phosphorus source for maize production under low soil phosphorus availability
items: The blunted vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) response to high-altitude hypoxia and genetic variants in the promoter region of the VEGFA gene in Sherpa highlanders
items: A novel multi-layer perceptron model for assessing the diagnostic value of non-invasive imaging instruments for rosacea
items: The greening reaction of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) metmyoglobin promoted by free cysteine during thermal treatment
items: Effects of high Ca and Mg stress on plants water use efficiency in a Karst ecosystem
items: Have female twisted-wing parasites (Insecta: Strepsiptera) evolved tolerance traits as response to traumatic penetration?
items: Testing the effectiveness of rbcLa DNA-barcoding for species discrimination in tropical montane cloud forest vascular plants (Oaxaca, Mexico) using BLAST, genetic distance, and tree-based methods

Phosphate solubilizing microorganisms isolated from medicinal plants improve growth of mint
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: The current research project involves isolation and characterization of PSM (phosphate solubilizing microorganisms) from the rhizospheric soil of certain medicinal plants and to determine their effect on plant growth. Medicinal plants, Aloe vera, Bauhinia variegata, Cannabis sativa, Lantana camara and Mentha viridis were selected for the isolation of PSMs. Soil status of the selected medicinal plants was also checked. Phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) were observed under stereomicroscope for their morphological characteristics and Gram’s staining. Phosphate solubilizing fungi (PSF) were also identified microscopically. Colony diameter, halo zone diameter and solubilization index were determined on PVK agar plates. TLC results indicated that citric acid was the most common acid produced by PSM strains. All strains were found to be non-pathogenic in pathogenicity test. A positive plant growth response to PSM inoculation was observed in all studies. In study 1, individual inoculation of PSM showed a significant increased effect on plant growth parameter i.e., fresh and dry weight, plant height and root and shoot length as compared to control. In study2, composite inoculation of PSM along with different P sources revealed that rock phosphate (RP) with PSM increased growth of plants significantly. The present study suggests that PSM inoculation along with RP amendment can be used as biofertilizer.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Muhammad Rizwan Tariq
creator: Fouzia Shaheen
creator: Sharmeen Mustafa
creator: Sajid ALI
creator: Ammara Fatima
creator: Muhammad Shafiq
creator: Waseem Safdar
creator: Muhammad Naveed Sheas
creator: Amna Hameed
creator: Muhammad Adnan Nasir
subject: Agricultural Science
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Microbiology
subject: Plant Science
subject: Soil Science
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13782
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Tariq et al.
abstract: The current research project involves isolation and characterization of PSM (phosphate solubilizing microorganisms) from the rhizospheric soil of certain medicinal plants and to determine their effect on plant growth. Medicinal plants, Aloe vera, Bauhinia variegata, Cannabis sativa, Lantana camara and Mentha viridis were selected for the isolation of PSMs. Soil status of the selected medicinal plants was also checked. Phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) were observed under stereomicroscope for their morphological characteristics and Gram’s staining. Phosphate solubilizing fungi (PSF) were also identified microscopically. Colony diameter, halo zone diameter and solubilization index were determined on PVK agar plates. TLC results indicated that citric acid was the most common acid produced by PSM strains. All strains were found to be non-pathogenic in pathogenicity test. A positive plant growth response to PSM inoculation was observed in all studies. In study 1, individual inoculation of PSM showed a significant increased effect on plant growth parameter i.e., fresh and dry weight, plant height and root and shoot length as compared to control. In study2, composite inoculation of PSM along with different P sources revealed that rock phosphate (RP) with PSM increased growth of plants significantly. The present study suggests that PSM inoculation along with RP amendment can be used as biofertilizer.
bibliographic citation: Tariq et al. (2022) Phosphate solubilizing microorganisms isolated from medicinal plants improve growth of mint. PeerJ 10:e13782 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13782
date submitted: 2022-04-01
date accepted: 2022-07-05
issued: 2022-08-17
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Tariq
  given name: Muhammad Rizwan
author list: Agent
  family name: Shaheen
  given name: Fouzia
author list: Agent
  family name: Mustafa
  given name: Sharmeen
author list: Agent
  family name: ALI
  given name: Sajid
author list: Agent
  family name: Fatima
  given name: Ammara
author list: Agent
  family name: Shafiq
  given name: Muhammad
author list: Agent
  family name: Safdar
  given name: Waseem
author list: Agent
  family name: Sheas
  given name: Muhammad Naveed
author list: Agent
  family name: Hameed
  given name: Amna
author list: Agent
  family name: Nasir
  given name: Muhammad Adnan
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13782
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-17
copyright: ©2022 Tariq et al.
attribution name: Tariq et al.

Acute effects of variable resistance training on force, velocity, and power measures: a systematic review and meta-analysis
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Objective Acute effects of variable resistance training (VRT) and constant resistance training (CRT) on neuromuscular performance are still equivocal. We aimed to determine the differences between VRT and CRT in terms of force, velocity, and power outcomes. Methods We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus electronic databases for articles until June 2021. Crossover design studies comparing force, velocity, and power outcomes while performing VRT and CRT were included. Two reviewers independently applied the modified version of the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool to assess the risk of bias. A three-level random effects meta-analyses and meta-regressions were used to compute standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals. Results We included 16 studies with 207 participants in the quantitative synthesis. Based on the pooled results, VRT generated greater mean velocity (SMD = 0.675; moderate Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) quality evidence) and mean power (SMD = 1.022; low) than CRT. Subgroup analyses revealed that VRT considerably increased the mean velocity (SMD = 0.903; moderate) and mean power (SMD = 1.456; moderate) in the equated loading scheme and the mean velocity (SMD = 0.712; low) in the CRT higher loading scheme. However, VRT marginally significantly reduced peak velocity (SMD = −0.481; low) in the VRT higher loading scheme. Based on the meta-regression analysis, it was found that mean power (p = 0.014–0.043) was positively moderated by the contribution of variable resistance and peak velocity (p = 0.018) and peak power (p = 0.001–0.004) and RFD (p = 0.003) were positively moderated by variable resistance equipment, favoring elastic bands. Conclusions VRT provides practitioners with the means of emphasizing specific force, velocity, and power outcomes. Different strategies should be considered in context of an individual’s needs. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42021259205.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Lin Shi
creator: Zhidong Cai
creator: Sitong Chen
creator: Dong Han
subject: Kinesiology
subject: Biomechanics
subject: Sports Medicine
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13870
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Shi et al.
abstract: Objective Acute effects of variable resistance training (VRT) and constant resistance training (CRT) on neuromuscular performance are still equivocal. We aimed to determine the differences between VRT and CRT in terms of force, velocity, and power outcomes. Methods We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus electronic databases for articles until June 2021. Crossover design studies comparing force, velocity, and power outcomes while performing VRT and CRT were included. Two reviewers independently applied the modified version of the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool to assess the risk of bias. A three-level random effects meta-analyses and meta-regressions were used to compute standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals. Results We included 16 studies with 207 participants in the quantitative synthesis. Based on the pooled results, VRT generated greater mean velocity (SMD = 0.675; moderate Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) quality evidence) and mean power (SMD = 1.022; low) than CRT. Subgroup analyses revealed that VRT considerably increased the mean velocity (SMD = 0.903; moderate) and mean power (SMD = 1.456; moderate) in the equated loading scheme and the mean velocity (SMD = 0.712; low) in the CRT higher loading scheme. However, VRT marginally significantly reduced peak velocity (SMD = −0.481; low) in the VRT higher loading scheme. Based on the meta-regression analysis, it was found that mean power (p = 0.014–0.043) was positively moderated by the contribution of variable resistance and peak velocity (p = 0.018) and peak power (p = 0.001–0.004) and RFD (p = 0.003) were positively moderated by variable resistance equipment, favoring elastic bands. Conclusions VRT provides practitioners with the means of emphasizing specific force, velocity, and power outcomes. Different strategies should be considered in context of an individual’s needs. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42021259205.
bibliographic citation: Shi et al. (2022) Acute effects of variable resistance training on force, velocity, and power measures: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PeerJ 10:e13870 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13870
date submitted: 2022-04-14
date accepted: 2022-07-19
issued: 2022-08-17
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Shi
  given name: Lin
author list: Agent
  family name: Cai
  given name: Zhidong
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Sitong
author list: Agent
  family name: Han
  given name: Dong
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13870
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-17
copyright: ©2022 Shi et al.
attribution name: Shi et al.

Complex interactions between p.His558Arg and linked variants in the sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 5 (NaV1.5)
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Common genetic polymorphisms may modify the phenotypic outcome when co-occurring with a disease-causing variant, and therefore understanding their modulating role in health and disease is of great importance. The polymorphic p.His558Arg variant of the sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 5 (NaV1.5) encoded by the SCN5A gene is a case in point, as several studies have shown it can modify the clinical phenotype in a number of cardiac diseases. To evaluate the genetic backgrounds associated with this modulating effect, we reanalysed previous electrophysiological findings regarding the p.His558Arg variant and further assessed its patterns of genetic diversity in human populations. The NaV1.5 p.His558Arg variant was found to be in linkage disequilibrium with six other polymorphic variants that previously were also associated with cardiac traits in GWAS analyses. On account of this, incongruent reports that Arg558 allele can compensate, aggravate or have no effect on NaV1.5, likely might have arose due to a role of p.His558Arg depending on the additional linked variants. Altogether, these results indicate a major influence of the epistatic interactions between SCN5A variants, revealing also that phenotypic severity may depend on the polymorphic background associated to each individual genome.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Monica Lopes-Marques
creator: Raquel Silva
creator: Catarina Serrano
creator: Verónica Gomes
creator: Ana Cardoso
creator: Maria João Prata
creator: Antonio Amorim
creator: Luisa Azevedo
subject: Genomics
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Cardiology
subject: Medical Genetics
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13913
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Lopes-Marques et al.
abstract: Common genetic polymorphisms may modify the phenotypic outcome when co-occurring with a disease-causing variant, and therefore understanding their modulating role in health and disease is of great importance. The polymorphic p.His558Arg variant of the sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 5 (NaV1.5) encoded by the SCN5A gene is a case in point, as several studies have shown it can modify the clinical phenotype in a number of cardiac diseases. To evaluate the genetic backgrounds associated with this modulating effect, we reanalysed previous electrophysiological findings regarding the p.His558Arg variant and further assessed its patterns of genetic diversity in human populations. The NaV1.5 p.His558Arg variant was found to be in linkage disequilibrium with six other polymorphic variants that previously were also associated with cardiac traits in GWAS analyses. On account of this, incongruent reports that Arg558 allele can compensate, aggravate or have no effect on NaV1.5, likely might have arose due to a role of p.His558Arg depending on the additional linked variants. Altogether, these results indicate a major influence of the epistatic interactions between SCN5A variants, revealing also that phenotypic severity may depend on the polymorphic background associated to each individual genome.
bibliographic citation: Lopes-Marques et al. (2022) Complex interactions between p.His558Arg and linked variants in the sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 5 (NaV1.5). PeerJ 10:e13913 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13913
date submitted: 2022-02-24
date accepted: 2022-07-27
issued: 2022-08-17
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Lopes-Marques
  given name: Monica
author list: Agent
  family name: Silva
  given name: Raquel
author list: Agent
  family name: Serrano
  given name: Catarina
author list: Agent
  family name: Gomes
  given name: Verónica
author list: Agent
  family name: Cardoso
  given name: Ana
author list: Agent
  family name: Prata
  given name: Maria João
author list: Agent
  family name: Amorim
  given name: Antonio
author list: Agent
  family name: Azevedo
  given name: Luisa
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13913
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-17
copyright: © 2022 Lopes-Marques et al.
attribution name: Lopes-Marques et al.

Aluminum phosphate sludge as a phosphorus source for maize production under low soil phosphorus availability
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background With increasing food demand as a consequence of the growing world population, there is a corresponding demand for additional sources of phosphorus (P). Alum-phosphate (Al-P) sludge is a by-product of wastewater treatment and can be a good source of P. In this study, the response of maize (Zea mays L.) to Al-P sludge was tested. Maize was chosen as the test crop due to its prevalent use as human and animal food and as a source of biofuel. The objective of the study was to investigate Al-P sludge as a source of P compared to a commercial fertilizer (monoammonium phosphate, MAP). Methods A growth chamber assay was conducted over four cropping cycles (45 d each). The application rate was 9.7, 19.4, 29.1 and 38.8 mg P kg−1 dry soil. Amendments were applied once at the start of the first cropping cycle. Plants were harvested after each cycle and pots were re-seeded. Dry matter yield (DMY), total P uptake, Al-P uptake, soil total P and Olsen-P concentrations, pH, and EC were measured. Results DMY was significantly greater in pots amended with Al-P sludge than in pots treated with MAP. There was a significant rate × cropping cycle interaction effect on DMY with the differences among rates in cycle 1 different from those in cycle 4. Phosphorus uptake depended on cropping cycle, P source and P application rate. With sludge uptake higher than MAP in all cycles, the highest P uptake was observed at the highest application rate except for cycle 2 where this was observed at the rate of 29.1 mg kg−1. For MAP, phosphorus recovery efficiency (PRE) at the highest rate was significantly greater than that at the lowest rate whereas PRE in cycle 1 was significantly higher than that in cycle 4. In the first two cycles, aluminum uptake was negligible in both MAP and Al-P sludge treatments; however, in cycles 3 and 4, there was significantly more Al in maize from sludge amended pots. Our results show that Al-P sludge was as effective as MAP in supplying enough P for biomass yiel…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Ayaobu Tolofari
creator: Theresa Adesanya
creator: Francis Zvomuya
creator: Qiuyan Yuan
subject: Agricultural Science
subject: Plant Science
subject: Soil Science
subject: Environmental Contamination and Remediation
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13885
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Tolofari et al.
abstract: Background With increasing food demand as a consequence of the growing world population, there is a corresponding demand for additional sources of phosphorus (P). Alum-phosphate (Al-P) sludge is a by-product of wastewater treatment and can be a good source of P. In this study, the response of maize (Zea mays L.) to Al-P sludge was tested. Maize was chosen as the test crop due to its prevalent use as human and animal food and as a source of biofuel. The objective of the study was to investigate Al-P sludge as a source of P compared to a commercial fertilizer (monoammonium phosphate, MAP). Methods A growth chamber assay was conducted over four cropping cycles (45 d each). The application rate was 9.7, 19.4, 29.1 and 38.8 mg P kg−1 dry soil. Amendments were applied once at the start of the first cropping cycle. Plants were harvested after each cycle and pots were re-seeded. Dry matter yield (DMY), total P uptake, Al-P uptake, soil total P and Olsen-P concentrations, pH, and EC were measured. Results DMY was significantly greater in pots amended with Al-P sludge than in pots treated with MAP. There was a significant rate × cropping cycle interaction effect on DMY with the differences among rates in cycle 1 different from those in cycle 4. Phosphorus uptake depended on cropping cycle, P source and P application rate. With sludge uptake higher than MAP in all cycles, the highest P uptake was observed at the highest application rate except for cycle 2 where this was observed at the rate of 29.1 mg kg−1. For MAP, phosphorus recovery efficiency (PRE) at the highest rate was significantly greater than that at the lowest rate whereas PRE in cycle 1 was significantly higher than that in cycle 4. In the first two cycles, aluminum uptake was negligible in both MAP and Al-P sludge treatments; however, in cycles 3 and 4, there was significantly more Al in maize from sludge amended pots. Our results show that Al-P sludge was as effective as MAP in supplying enough P for biomass yiel…
bibliographic citation: Tolofari et al. (2022) Aluminum phosphate sludge as a phosphorus source for maize production under low soil phosphorus availability. PeerJ 10:e13885 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13885
date submitted: 2022-02-22
date accepted: 2022-07-21
issued: 2022-08-17
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Tolofari
  given name: Ayaobu
author list: Agent
  family name: Adesanya
  given name: Theresa
author list: Agent
  family name: Zvomuya
  given name: Francis
author list: Agent
  family name: Yuan
  given name: Qiuyan
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13885
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-17
copyright: © 2022 Tolofari et al.
attribution name: Tolofari et al.

The blunted vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) response to high-altitude hypoxia and genetic variants in the promoter region of the VEGFA gene in Sherpa highlanders
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Sherpa highlanders demonstrate extraordinary tolerance to hypoxia at high altitudes, which may be achieved by mechanisms promoting microcirculatory blood flow and capillary density at high altitudes for restoring oxygen supply to tissues. Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) are important signaling proteins involved in vasculogenesis and angiogenesis which are stimulated by hypoxia. We hypothesize that the VEGF-A, the major member of the VEGF family, and the gene encoding VEGF-A (VEGFA) play a part in the adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia in Sherpa highlanders. Methods Fifty-one Sherpa highlanders in Namche Bazaar village at a high altitude of 3,440 meters (m) above sea level and 76 non-Sherpa lowlanders in Kathmandu city at 1,300 m in Nepal were recruited for the study. Venous blood was sampled to obtain plasma and extract DNA from each subject. The plasma VEGF-A concentrations were measured and five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, rs699947, rs833061, rs1570360, rs2010963, and rs3025039) in the VEGFA were genotyped. The VEGF-A levels and allelic frequencies of the SNPs were compared between the two populations. Results A significant difference in oxygen saturation (SpO2) was observed between the two ethnic groups locating at different elevations (93.7 ± 0.2% in Sherpas at 3,440 m vs. 96.7 ± 0.2% in non-Sherpas at 1,300 m, P < 0.05). The plasma VEGF-A concentration in the Sherpas at high altitude was on the same level as that in the non-Sherpas at low altitude (262.8 ± 17.9 pg/ml vs. 266.8 ± 21.8 pg/ml, P = 0.88). This result suggested that the plasma VEGF-A concentration in Sherpa highlanders was stable despite a high-altitude hypoxic stimulus and that therefore the Sherpas exhibited a phenotype of blunted response to hypoxic stress. Moreover, the allele frequencies of the SNPs rs699947, rs833061, and rs2010963 in the promoter region of the VEGFA were different between the Sherpa highlanders and non-Sherpa lowlanders (corrected P values =…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Yunden Droma
creator: Masayuki Hanaoka
creator: Takumi Kinjo
creator: Nobumitsu Kobayashi
creator: Masanori Yasuo
creator: Yoshiaki Kitaguchi
creator: Masao Ota
subject: Genetics
subject: Medical Genetics
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13893
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Droma et al.
abstract: Background Sherpa highlanders demonstrate extraordinary tolerance to hypoxia at high altitudes, which may be achieved by mechanisms promoting microcirculatory blood flow and capillary density at high altitudes for restoring oxygen supply to tissues. Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) are important signaling proteins involved in vasculogenesis and angiogenesis which are stimulated by hypoxia. We hypothesize that the VEGF-A, the major member of the VEGF family, and the gene encoding VEGF-A (VEGFA) play a part in the adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia in Sherpa highlanders. Methods Fifty-one Sherpa highlanders in Namche Bazaar village at a high altitude of 3,440 meters (m) above sea level and 76 non-Sherpa lowlanders in Kathmandu city at 1,300 m in Nepal were recruited for the study. Venous blood was sampled to obtain plasma and extract DNA from each subject. The plasma VEGF-A concentrations were measured and five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, rs699947, rs833061, rs1570360, rs2010963, and rs3025039) in the VEGFA were genotyped. The VEGF-A levels and allelic frequencies of the SNPs were compared between the two populations. Results A significant difference in oxygen saturation (SpO2) was observed between the two ethnic groups locating at different elevations (93.7 ± 0.2% in Sherpas at 3,440 m vs. 96.7 ± 0.2% in non-Sherpas at 1,300 m, P < 0.05). The plasma VEGF-A concentration in the Sherpas at high altitude was on the same level as that in the non-Sherpas at low altitude (262.8 ± 17.9 pg/ml vs. 266.8 ± 21.8 pg/ml, P = 0.88). This result suggested that the plasma VEGF-A concentration in Sherpa highlanders was stable despite a high-altitude hypoxic stimulus and that therefore the Sherpas exhibited a phenotype of blunted response to hypoxic stress. Moreover, the allele frequencies of the SNPs rs699947, rs833061, and rs2010963 in the promoter region of the VEGFA were different between the Sherpa highlanders and non-Sherpa lowlanders (corrected P values =…
bibliographic citation: Droma et al. (2022) The blunted vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) response to high-altitude hypoxia and genetic variants in the promoter region of the VEGFA gene in Sherpa highlanders. PeerJ 10:e13893 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13893
date submitted: 2021-06-14
date accepted: 2022-07-22
issued: 2022-08-17
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Droma
  given name: Yunden
author list: Agent
  family name: Hanaoka
  given name: Masayuki
author list: Agent
  family name: Kinjo
  given name: Takumi
author list: Agent
  family name: Kobayashi
  given name: Nobumitsu
author list: Agent
  family name: Yasuo
  given name: Masanori
author list: Agent
  family name: Kitaguchi
  given name: Yoshiaki
author list: Agent
  family name: Ota
  given name: Masao
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13893
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-17
copyright: ©2022 Droma et al.
attribution name: Droma et al.

A novel multi-layer perceptron model for assessing the diagnostic value of non-invasive imaging instruments for rosacea
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM), VISIA, and dermoscopy have emerged as promising tools for objective diagnosis and assessment of rosacea. However, little is known about the diagnostic value of these imaging systems for rosacea. Objectives To assess the diagnostic value of RCM, VISIA, and dermoscopy for rosacea by establishing a novel multilayer perceptron (MLP) model. Methods A total of 520 patients with rosacea and other facial diseases were included in this study. A total of 474 samples of dermoscopy data, 374 samples of RCM data, 434 samples of VISIA data, and 291 samples containing three data sources were collected. An MLP model was built with the total data to explore the association between the imageological features of each instrument and the probability of rosacea. Results Our MLP model revealed that the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) values of RCM, VISIA and dermoscopy for diagnosing rosacea were 0.5233, 0.5646 and 0.7971, respectively. The integration of these three tools with clinical data could further improve the accuracy of the predictive diagnosis to 0.8385. For the imageological features of each tool, abnormalities (hyperkeratosis or parakeratosis) in the stratum corneum were effective variables for excluding rosacea (odds ratio [OR], 0.4333) under RCM. The indicators of rosacea under VISIA included overall severity of erythema, erythema involving the cheek or superciliary arch, visible red blood vessels, and papules (OR = 2.2745, 3.1592, 1.8365, 2.8647, and 1.4260, respectively). The candidate variables of dermoscopy included yellow background, white background, uniform distribution of vessels, branched vessels, and reticular blood vessels (OR = 0.4259, 0.4949, 2.2858, 3.7444, and 2.4576, respectively). Conclusions RCM, dermoscopy, and VISIA each can present several imageological features and were of certain value for assisting rosacea diagnosis. The combined analysis of these three tools using our ML…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Yingxue Huang
creator: Jieyu He
creator: Shuping Zhang
creator: Yan Tang
creator: Ben Wang
creator: Dan Jian
creator: Hongfu Xie
creator: Ji Li
creator: Feng Chen
creator: Zhixiang Zhao
subject: Dermatology
subject: Radiology and Medical Imaging
subject: Statistics
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13917
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Huang et al.
abstract: Background Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM), VISIA, and dermoscopy have emerged as promising tools for objective diagnosis and assessment of rosacea. However, little is known about the diagnostic value of these imaging systems for rosacea. Objectives To assess the diagnostic value of RCM, VISIA, and dermoscopy for rosacea by establishing a novel multilayer perceptron (MLP) model. Methods A total of 520 patients with rosacea and other facial diseases were included in this study. A total of 474 samples of dermoscopy data, 374 samples of RCM data, 434 samples of VISIA data, and 291 samples containing three data sources were collected. An MLP model was built with the total data to explore the association between the imageological features of each instrument and the probability of rosacea. Results Our MLP model revealed that the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) values of RCM, VISIA and dermoscopy for diagnosing rosacea were 0.5233, 0.5646 and 0.7971, respectively. The integration of these three tools with clinical data could further improve the accuracy of the predictive diagnosis to 0.8385. For the imageological features of each tool, abnormalities (hyperkeratosis or parakeratosis) in the stratum corneum were effective variables for excluding rosacea (odds ratio [OR], 0.4333) under RCM. The indicators of rosacea under VISIA included overall severity of erythema, erythema involving the cheek or superciliary arch, visible red blood vessels, and papules (OR = 2.2745, 3.1592, 1.8365, 2.8647, and 1.4260, respectively). The candidate variables of dermoscopy included yellow background, white background, uniform distribution of vessels, branched vessels, and reticular blood vessels (OR = 0.4259, 0.4949, 2.2858, 3.7444, and 2.4576, respectively). Conclusions RCM, dermoscopy, and VISIA each can present several imageological features and were of certain value for assisting rosacea diagnosis. The combined analysis of these three tools using our ML…
bibliographic citation: Huang et al. (2022) A novel multi-layer perceptron model for assessing the diagnostic value of non-invasive imaging instruments for rosacea. PeerJ 10:e13917 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13917
date submitted: 2022-01-17
date accepted: 2022-07-28
issued: 2022-08-17
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Huang
  given name: Yingxue
author list: Agent
  family name: He
  given name: Jieyu
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Shuping
author list: Agent
  family name: Tang
  given name: Yan
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Ben
author list: Agent
  family name: Jian
  given name: Dan
author list: Agent
  family name: Xie
  given name: Hongfu
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Ji
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Feng
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhao
  given name: Zhixiang
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13917
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-17
copyright: ©2022 Huang et al.
attribution name: Huang et al.

The greening reaction of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) metmyoglobin promoted by free cysteine during thermal treatment
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Tuna muscle greening is a problem that occurs after heating. A hypothesis has been postulated to address this problem, involving a conserved Cys residue at position 10 (Cys-10) present on tuna myoglobin (Mb) that is exposed during the thermic treatment, forming a disulfide bond with free cysteine (Cys) in the presence of trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), resulting in the greening of the tuna Mb. Methods We present a study using skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) metmyoglobin (MbFe(III)-H2O) where the effect of free Cys (1–6 mM), TMAO (1.33 mM), and catalase on the greening reaction (GR) was monitored by UV-vis spectrometry during thermal treatment at 60 °C for 30 min. Moreover, the participation of Cys-10 on the GR was evaluated after its blocking with N-ethymaleimide. Results The GR occurred in tuna MbFe(III)-H2O after heat treatment with free Cys, forming sulfmyoglobin (MbFe(II)-S) as the responsible pigment for the tuna greening. However, the rate constants of MbFe(II)-S production depended on Cys concentration (up to 4 mM) and occurred regardless of the TMAO presence. We postulate that two consecutive reactions involve an intermediate ferrylmyoglobin (promoted by H2O2) species with a subsequent MbFe(II)-S formation since the presence of catalase fosters the reduction of the rate reaction. Moreover, GR occurred even with blocked Cys-10 residues in tuna Mb and horse Mb (without Cys in its sequence). Discussion We found that GR is not exclusive to tuna Mb´s, and it can be promoted in other muscle systems. Moreover, Cys and thermal treatment are indispensable for promoting this pigmentation anomaly.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Andrés Álvarez-Armenta
creator: Ramón Pacheco-Aguilar
creator: Alonso A. López-Zavala
creator: David O. Corona-Martínez
creator: Rogerio R. Sotelo-Mundo
creator: Karina D. García-Orozco
creator: Juan C. Ramírez-Suárez
subject: Aquaculture, Fisheries and Fish Science
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Food Science and Technology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13923
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Álvarez-Armenta et al.
abstract: Background Tuna muscle greening is a problem that occurs after heating. A hypothesis has been postulated to address this problem, involving a conserved Cys residue at position 10 (Cys-10) present on tuna myoglobin (Mb) that is exposed during the thermic treatment, forming a disulfide bond with free cysteine (Cys) in the presence of trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), resulting in the greening of the tuna Mb. Methods We present a study using skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) metmyoglobin (MbFe(III)-H2O) where the effect of free Cys (1–6 mM), TMAO (1.33 mM), and catalase on the greening reaction (GR) was monitored by UV-vis spectrometry during thermal treatment at 60 °C for 30 min. Moreover, the participation of Cys-10 on the GR was evaluated after its blocking with N-ethymaleimide. Results The GR occurred in tuna MbFe(III)-H2O after heat treatment with free Cys, forming sulfmyoglobin (MbFe(II)-S) as the responsible pigment for the tuna greening. However, the rate constants of MbFe(II)-S production depended on Cys concentration (up to 4 mM) and occurred regardless of the TMAO presence. We postulate that two consecutive reactions involve an intermediate ferrylmyoglobin (promoted by H2O2) species with a subsequent MbFe(II)-S formation since the presence of catalase fosters the reduction of the rate reaction. Moreover, GR occurred even with blocked Cys-10 residues in tuna Mb and horse Mb (without Cys in its sequence). Discussion We found that GR is not exclusive to tuna Mb´s, and it can be promoted in other muscle systems. Moreover, Cys and thermal treatment are indispensable for promoting this pigmentation anomaly.
bibliographic citation: Álvarez-Armenta et al. (2022) The greening reaction of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) metmyoglobin promoted by free cysteine during thermal treatment. PeerJ 10:e13923 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13923
date submitted: 2022-04-11
date accepted: 2022-07-29
issued: 2022-08-17
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Álvarez-Armenta
  given name: Andrés
author list: Agent
  family name: Pacheco-Aguilar
  given name: Ramón
author list: Agent
  family name: López-Zavala
  given name: Alonso A.
author list: Agent
  family name: Corona-Martínez
  given name: David O.
author list: Agent
  family name: Sotelo-Mundo
  given name: Rogerio R.
author list: Agent
  family name: García-Orozco
  given name: Karina D.
author list: Agent
  family name: Ramírez-Suárez
  given name: Juan C.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13923
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-17
copyright: © 2022 Álvarez-Armenta et al.
attribution name: Álvarez-Armenta et al.

Effects of high Ca and Mg stress on plants water use efficiency in a Karst ecosystem
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Karst ecosystems are widely distributed in the world, with one of the largest continuous Karst landforms in Southwest China. Karst regions are characterized by water shortage, high soil calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) content, and soil nutrient leaching, resulting in drought stress and growth limitation of plants. Methods This study compared nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), Ca, and Mg of herbaceous and woody plants in a small Karst ecosystem in Southwest China. The indexes of water use efficiency (WUE) were calculated to identify the drought stress of plants in this Karst ecosystem. Meanwhile, the relationship between Ca and Mg accumulation and WUE was evaluated in herbaceous and woody plants. Results Herbaceous plants showed a higher content of leaf N (13.4 to 40.1 g·kg−1), leaf P (2.2 to 4.8 g·kg−1) and leaf K (14.6 to 35.5 g·kg−1) than woody plants (N: 10.4 g to 22.4 g·kg−1; P: 0.4 to 2.3 g·kg−1; K: 5.7 to 15.5 g·kg−1). Herbaceous plants showed a significantly positive correlation between WUE and K:Ca ratio (R = 0.79), while WUE has a strongly positive correlation with K:Mg ratio in woody plants (R = 0.63). Conclusion Herbaceous plants suffered from nitrogen (N) limitation, and woody plants were constrained by P or N+P content. Herbaceous plants had higher leaf N, P, and K than woody plants, while Ca and Mg showed no significant differences, probably resulting from the Karst environment of high Ca and Mg contents. Under high Karst Ca and Mg stress, herbaceous and woody plants responded differently to Ca and Mg stress, respectively. WUE of herbaceous plants is more sensitive to Ca stress, while that of woody plants is more sensitive to Mg stress. These findings establish a link between plant nutrients and hydraulic processes in a unique Karst ecosystem, further facilitating studies of the nutrient-water cycling system in the ecosystem.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Rui Qu
creator: Guilin Han
subject: Ecology
subject: Ecosystem Science
subject: Plant Science
subject: Biogeochemistry
subject: Environmental Impacts
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13925
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Qu and Han
abstract: Background Karst ecosystems are widely distributed in the world, with one of the largest continuous Karst landforms in Southwest China. Karst regions are characterized by water shortage, high soil calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) content, and soil nutrient leaching, resulting in drought stress and growth limitation of plants. Methods This study compared nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), Ca, and Mg of herbaceous and woody plants in a small Karst ecosystem in Southwest China. The indexes of water use efficiency (WUE) were calculated to identify the drought stress of plants in this Karst ecosystem. Meanwhile, the relationship between Ca and Mg accumulation and WUE was evaluated in herbaceous and woody plants. Results Herbaceous plants showed a higher content of leaf N (13.4 to 40.1 g·kg−1), leaf P (2.2 to 4.8 g·kg−1) and leaf K (14.6 to 35.5 g·kg−1) than woody plants (N: 10.4 g to 22.4 g·kg−1; P: 0.4 to 2.3 g·kg−1; K: 5.7 to 15.5 g·kg−1). Herbaceous plants showed a significantly positive correlation between WUE and K:Ca ratio (R = 0.79), while WUE has a strongly positive correlation with K:Mg ratio in woody plants (R = 0.63). Conclusion Herbaceous plants suffered from nitrogen (N) limitation, and woody plants were constrained by P or N+P content. Herbaceous plants had higher leaf N, P, and K than woody plants, while Ca and Mg showed no significant differences, probably resulting from the Karst environment of high Ca and Mg contents. Under high Karst Ca and Mg stress, herbaceous and woody plants responded differently to Ca and Mg stress, respectively. WUE of herbaceous plants is more sensitive to Ca stress, while that of woody plants is more sensitive to Mg stress. These findings establish a link between plant nutrients and hydraulic processes in a unique Karst ecosystem, further facilitating studies of the nutrient-water cycling system in the ecosystem.
bibliographic citation: Qu et al. (2022) Effects of high Ca and Mg stress on plants water use efficiency in a Karst ecosystem. PeerJ 10:e13925 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13925
date submitted: 2022-02-15
date accepted: 2022-07-30
issued: 2022-08-17
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Qu
  given name: Rui
author list: Agent
  family name: Han
  given name: Guilin
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13925
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-17
copyright: © 2022 Qu and Han
attribution name: Qu and Han

Have female twisted-wing parasites (Insecta: Strepsiptera) evolved tolerance traits as response to traumatic penetration?
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Traumatic insemination describes an unusual form of mating during which a male penetrates the body wall of its female partner to inject sperm. Females unable to prevent traumatic insemination have been predicted to develop either traits of tolerance or of resistance, both reducing the fitness costs associated with the male-inflicted injury. The evolution of tolerance traits has previously been suggested for the bed bug. Here we present data suggesting that tolerance traits also evolved in females of the twisted-wing parasite species Stylops ovinae and Xenos vesparum. Using micro-indentation experiments and confocal laser scanning microscopy, we found that females of both investigated species possess a uniform resilin-rich integument that is notably thicker at penetration sites than at control sites. As the thickened cuticle does not seem to hamper penetration by males, we hypothesise that thickening of the cuticle resulted in reduced penetration damage and loss of haemolymph and in improved wound sealing. To evaluate the evolutionary relevance of the Stylops-specific paragenital organ and penis shape variation in the context of inter- and intraspecific competition, we conducted attraction and interspecific mating experiments, as well as a geometric-morphometric analysis of S. ovinae and X. vesparum penises. We found that S. ovinae females indeed attract sympatrically distributed congeneric males. However, only conspecific males were able to mate. In contrast, we did not observe any heterospecific male attraction by Xenos females. We therefore hypothesise that the paragenital organ in the genus Stylops represents a prezygotic mating barrier that prevents heterospecific matings.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Kenny Jandausch
creator: Jan Michels
creator: Alexander Kovalev
creator: Stanislav N. Gorb
creator: Thomas van de Kamp
creator: Rolf Georg Beutel
creator: Oliver Niehuis
creator: Hans Pohl
subject: Animal Behavior
subject: Entomology
subject: Evolutionary Studies
subject: Parasitology
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13655
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Jandausch et al.
abstract: Traumatic insemination describes an unusual form of mating during which a male penetrates the body wall of its female partner to inject sperm. Females unable to prevent traumatic insemination have been predicted to develop either traits of tolerance or of resistance, both reducing the fitness costs associated with the male-inflicted injury. The evolution of tolerance traits has previously been suggested for the bed bug. Here we present data suggesting that tolerance traits also evolved in females of the twisted-wing parasite species Stylops ovinae and Xenos vesparum. Using micro-indentation experiments and confocal laser scanning microscopy, we found that females of both investigated species possess a uniform resilin-rich integument that is notably thicker at penetration sites than at control sites. As the thickened cuticle does not seem to hamper penetration by males, we hypothesise that thickening of the cuticle resulted in reduced penetration damage and loss of haemolymph and in improved wound sealing. To evaluate the evolutionary relevance of the Stylops-specific paragenital organ and penis shape variation in the context of inter- and intraspecific competition, we conducted attraction and interspecific mating experiments, as well as a geometric-morphometric analysis of S. ovinae and X. vesparum penises. We found that S. ovinae females indeed attract sympatrically distributed congeneric males. However, only conspecific males were able to mate. In contrast, we did not observe any heterospecific male attraction by Xenos females. We therefore hypothesise that the paragenital organ in the genus Stylops represents a prezygotic mating barrier that prevents heterospecific matings.
bibliographic citation: Jandausch et al. (2022) Have female twisted-wing parasites (Insecta: Strepsiptera) evolved tolerance traits as response to traumatic penetration?. PeerJ 10:e13655 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13655
date submitted: 2022-03-16
date accepted: 2022-06-09
issued: 2022-08-16
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Jandausch
  given name: Kenny
author list: Agent
  family name: Michels
  given name: Jan
author list: Agent
  family name: Kovalev
  given name: Alexander
author list: Agent
  family name: Gorb
  given name: Stanislav N.
author list: Agent
  family name: van de Kamp
  given name: Thomas
author list: Agent
  family name: Beutel
  given name: Rolf Georg
author list: Agent
  family name: Niehuis
  given name: Oliver
author list: Agent
  family name: Pohl
  given name: Hans
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13655
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-16
copyright: © 2022 Jandausch et al.
attribution name: Jandausch et al.

Testing the effectiveness of rbcLa DNA-barcoding for species discrimination in tropical montane cloud forest vascular plants (Oaxaca, Mexico) using BLAST, genetic distance, and tree-based methods
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: DNA-barcoding is a species identification tool that uses a short section of the genome that provides a genetic signature of the species. The main advantage of this novel technique is that it requires a small sample of tissue from the tested organism. In most animal groups, this technique is very effective. However, in plants, the recommended standard markers, such as rbcLa, may not always work, and their efficacy remains to be tested in many plant groups, particularly from the Neotropical region. We examined the discriminating power of rbcLa in 55 tropical cloud forest vascular plant species from 38 families (Oaxaca, Mexico). We followed the CBOL criteria using BLASTn, genetic distance, and monophyly tree-based analyses (neighbor-joining, NJ, maximum likelihood, ML, and Bayesian inference, BI). rbcLa universal primers amplified 69.0% of the samples and yielded 91.3% bi-directional sequences. Sixty-three new rbcLa sequences were established. BLAST discriminates 80.8% of the genus but only 15.4% of the species. There was nil minimum interspecific genetic distances in Quercus, Oreopanax, and Daphnopsis. Contrastingly, Ericaceae (5.6%), Euphorbiaceae (4.6%), and Asteraceae (3.3%) species displayed the highest within-family genetic distances. According to the most recent angiosperm classification, NJ and ML trees successfully resolved (100%) monophyletic species. ML trees showed the highest mean branch support value (87.3%). Only NJ and ML trees could successfully discriminate Quercus species belonging to different subsections: Quercus martinezii (white oaks) from Q. callophylla and Q. laurina (red oaks). The ML topology could distinguish species in the Solanaceae clade with similar BLAST matches. Also, the BI topology showed a polytomy in this clade, and the NJ tree displayed low-support values. We do not recommend genetic-distance approaches for species discrimination. Severe shortages of rbcLa sequences in public databases of neotropical species hindered effective BLA…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Sonia Trujillo-Argueta
creator: Rafael F. del Castillo
creator: Abril Velasco-Murguía
subject: Conservation Biology
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Plant Science
subject: Taxonomy
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13771
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Trujillo-Argueta et al.
abstract: DNA-barcoding is a species identification tool that uses a short section of the genome that provides a genetic signature of the species. The main advantage of this novel technique is that it requires a small sample of tissue from the tested organism. In most animal groups, this technique is very effective. However, in plants, the recommended standard markers, such as rbcLa, may not always work, and their efficacy remains to be tested in many plant groups, particularly from the Neotropical region. We examined the discriminating power of rbcLa in 55 tropical cloud forest vascular plant species from 38 families (Oaxaca, Mexico). We followed the CBOL criteria using BLASTn, genetic distance, and monophyly tree-based analyses (neighbor-joining, NJ, maximum likelihood, ML, and Bayesian inference, BI). rbcLa universal primers amplified 69.0% of the samples and yielded 91.3% bi-directional sequences. Sixty-three new rbcLa sequences were established. BLAST discriminates 80.8% of the genus but only 15.4% of the species. There was nil minimum interspecific genetic distances in Quercus, Oreopanax, and Daphnopsis. Contrastingly, Ericaceae (5.6%), Euphorbiaceae (4.6%), and Asteraceae (3.3%) species displayed the highest within-family genetic distances. According to the most recent angiosperm classification, NJ and ML trees successfully resolved (100%) monophyletic species. ML trees showed the highest mean branch support value (87.3%). Only NJ and ML trees could successfully discriminate Quercus species belonging to different subsections: Quercus martinezii (white oaks) from Q. callophylla and Q. laurina (red oaks). The ML topology could distinguish species in the Solanaceae clade with similar BLAST matches. Also, the BI topology showed a polytomy in this clade, and the NJ tree displayed low-support values. We do not recommend genetic-distance approaches for species discrimination. Severe shortages of rbcLa sequences in public databases of neotropical species hindered effective BLA…
bibliographic citation: Trujillo-Argueta et al. (2022) Testing the effectiveness of rbcLa DNA-barcoding for species discrimination in tropical montane cloud forest vascular plants (Oaxaca, Mexico) using BLAST, genetic distance, and tree-based methods. PeerJ 10:e13771 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13771
date submitted: 2022-04-07
date accepted: 2022-07-01
issued: 2022-08-16
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Trujillo-Argueta
  given name: Sonia
author list: Agent
  family name: del Castillo
  given name: Rafael F.
author list: Agent
  family name: Velasco-Murguía
  given name: Abril
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13771
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-16
copyright: © 2022 Trujillo-Argueta et al.
attribution name: Trujillo-Argueta et al.

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