PeerJ
type: channel
link: https://peerj.com/articles/
description: Articles published in PeerJ
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
publication name: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359
items: Up-regulated IL-17 and Tnf signaling in bone marrow cells of young male osteogenesis imperfecta mice
items: Soil microbial community and physicochemical properties together drive soil organic carbon in Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations of different stand ages
items: C1orf74 positively regulates the EGFR/AKT/mTORC1 signaling in lung adenocarcinoma cells
items: A survey of researchers’ code sharing and code reuse practices, and assessment of interactive notebook prototypes
items: Recapitulating human ovarian aging using random walks
items: Gas chromatography (GC) fingerprinting and immunomodulatory activity of polysaccharide from the rhizome of Menispermum dauricum DC
items: Daylight savings time transition and the incidence of femur fractures in the older population: a nationwide registry-based study
items: Somatization symptoms—prevalence and risk, stress and resilience factors among medical and dental students at a mid-sized German university
items: Users’ needs for a digital smoking cessation application and how to address them: A mixed-methods study
items: CCL25/CCR9 interaction promotes the malignant behavior of salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Up-regulated IL-17 and Tnf signaling in bone marrow cells of young male osteogenesis imperfecta mice
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a congenital bone dysplasia mainly caused by either defective production or assembly of type I collagen. The skeletal phenotypes especially fractures are often seen in OI adolescents. Studies have found that an increased number of osteoclasts and excessive bone resorption existed in collagen-related OI, which has not been well understood. Emerging evidence has suggested that inflammation may be associated with OI. We speculated that the bone marrow (BM) niche had similar inflammatory changes and performed RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) in BM cells derived from young male mice to analyze the related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and pathways. Data showed that there were 117 shared DEGs (Q ≤ 0.05, |log2FC| ≥ 1) in BM cells isolated from two types of OI murine models that respectively simulate different OI types. Gene Ontology (GO) (Q ≤ 0.05) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) (Q ≤ 0.05) analysis and real-time PCR validation indicated the dysregulated biology process of cellular response to interferon (Ifn) together with upregulated IL-17 signaling, tumor necrosis factor (Tnf) signaling and osteoclast differentiation in OI BM niche. Either defective collagen production or abnormal collagen assembly shared similar alterations in gene profiles and pathways involving inflammation and osteoclast activation. Data presented here not only contributed to understanding of the mechanism of the enhanced bone absorption in the bones of OI, but also provided more evidence to develop potential anti-inflammation therapies.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Chenyi Shao
creator: Yi Liu
creator: Jiaci Li
creator: Ziyun Liu
creator: Yuxia Zhao
creator: Yaqing Jing
creator: Zhe Lv
creator: Ting Fu
creator: Zihan Wang
creator: Guang Li
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Bioinformatics
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Molecular Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13963
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Shao et al.
abstract: Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a congenital bone dysplasia mainly caused by either defective production or assembly of type I collagen. The skeletal phenotypes especially fractures are often seen in OI adolescents. Studies have found that an increased number of osteoclasts and excessive bone resorption existed in collagen-related OI, which has not been well understood. Emerging evidence has suggested that inflammation may be associated with OI. We speculated that the bone marrow (BM) niche had similar inflammatory changes and performed RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) in BM cells derived from young male mice to analyze the related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and pathways. Data showed that there were 117 shared DEGs (Q ≤ 0.05, |log2FC| ≥ 1) in BM cells isolated from two types of OI murine models that respectively simulate different OI types. Gene Ontology (GO) (Q ≤ 0.05) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) (Q ≤ 0.05) analysis and real-time PCR validation indicated the dysregulated biology process of cellular response to interferon (Ifn) together with upregulated IL-17 signaling, tumor necrosis factor (Tnf) signaling and osteoclast differentiation in OI BM niche. Either defective collagen production or abnormal collagen assembly shared similar alterations in gene profiles and pathways involving inflammation and osteoclast activation. Data presented here not only contributed to understanding of the mechanism of the enhanced bone absorption in the bones of OI, but also provided more evidence to develop potential anti-inflammation therapies.
bibliographic citation: Shao et al. (2022) Up-regulated IL-17 and Tnf signaling in bone marrow cells of young male osteogenesis imperfecta mice. PeerJ 10:e13963 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13963
date submitted: 2022-05-24
date accepted: 2022-08-08
issued: 2022-08-23
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Shao
  given name: Chenyi
author list: Agent
  family name: Liu
  given name: Yi
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Jiaci
author list: Agent
  family name: Liu
  given name: Ziyun
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhao
  given name: Yuxia
author list: Agent
  family name: Jing
  given name: Yaqing
author list: Agent
  family name: Lv
  given name: Zhe
author list: Agent
  family name: Fu
  given name: Ting
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Zihan
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Guang
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13963
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-23
copyright: © 2022 Shao et al.
attribution name: Shao et al.

Soil microbial community and physicochemical properties together drive soil organic carbon in Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations of different stand ages
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Carbon sequestration in forest soil is critical for reducing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and slowing down global warming. However, little is known about the difference in soil organic carbon (SOC) among different stand ages and the relative importance of biotic and abiotic variations such as soil microbial community and soil physicochemical properties in the regulation of SOC in forests. In the present study, we measured the SOC of the topsoil (0-10 cm) in Chinese subtropical Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations of three different stand ages (young plantation of 6 years, middle-aged plantation of 12 years, and mature plantation of 25 years). We further measured microbial community composition by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis and soil organic carbon physical fractions by wet sieving and density floating as well as other physicochemical properties. The effects of the main impact factors on SOC were investigated. The results showed that: the middle-aged plantation had significantly higher SOC (10.63 g kg−1) than the young plantation (5.33 g kg−1), and that of the mature plantation (7.83 g kg−1) was in between. Besides, the soil total PLFAs and all the functional groups (i.e., bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, Gram-positive bacteria, and Gram-negative bacteria) of PLFAs were significantly higher in the middle-aged plantation than in the young plantation and the mature plantation. Soil physicochemical properties, including physical fractions, differed among plantations of the three stand ages. Notably, the proportion of organic carbon protected within microaggregates was significantly higher in the middle-aged plantation (40.4%) than those in the young plantation (29.2%) and the mature plantation (27.8%), indicating that the middle-aged Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation had stronger soil organic carbon stability. Both soil microbial community and physicochemical properties exerted dominant effects on SOC and jointly explained 82.7% of the variance o…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Ye Yuan
creator: Juan Li
creator: Liang Yao
subject: Agricultural Science
subject: Microbiology
subject: Plant Science
subject: Soil Science
subject: Biogeochemistry
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13873
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Yuan et al.
abstract: Carbon sequestration in forest soil is critical for reducing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and slowing down global warming. However, little is known about the difference in soil organic carbon (SOC) among different stand ages and the relative importance of biotic and abiotic variations such as soil microbial community and soil physicochemical properties in the regulation of SOC in forests. In the present study, we measured the SOC of the topsoil (0-10 cm) in Chinese subtropical Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations of three different stand ages (young plantation of 6 years, middle-aged plantation of 12 years, and mature plantation of 25 years). We further measured microbial community composition by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis and soil organic carbon physical fractions by wet sieving and density floating as well as other physicochemical properties. The effects of the main impact factors on SOC were investigated. The results showed that: the middle-aged plantation had significantly higher SOC (10.63 g kg−1) than the young plantation (5.33 g kg−1), and that of the mature plantation (7.83 g kg−1) was in between. Besides, the soil total PLFAs and all the functional groups (i.e., bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, Gram-positive bacteria, and Gram-negative bacteria) of PLFAs were significantly higher in the middle-aged plantation than in the young plantation and the mature plantation. Soil physicochemical properties, including physical fractions, differed among plantations of the three stand ages. Notably, the proportion of organic carbon protected within microaggregates was significantly higher in the middle-aged plantation (40.4%) than those in the young plantation (29.2%) and the mature plantation (27.8%), indicating that the middle-aged Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation had stronger soil organic carbon stability. Both soil microbial community and physicochemical properties exerted dominant effects on SOC and jointly explained 82.7% of the variance o…
bibliographic citation: Yuan et al. (2022) Soil microbial community and physicochemical properties together drive soil organic carbon in Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations of different stand ages. PeerJ 10:e13873 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13873
date submitted: 2022-06-13
date accepted: 2022-07-19
issued: 2022-08-22
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Yuan
  given name: Ye
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Juan
author list: Agent
  family name: Yao
  given name: Liang
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13873
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-22
copyright: ©2022 Yuan et al.
attribution name: Yuan et al.

C1orf74 positively regulates the EGFR/AKT/mTORC1 signaling in lung adenocarcinoma cells
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a major type of lung cancer with poor prognosis and low 5-year survival rate, which urgently needs further investigation in order to elucidate its mechanisms completely and discover novel therapeutic targets. C1orf74 is a novel protein with unknown function either in normal cells or cancer cells. The aim of this study is to investigate the expression and function of C1orf74 in LUAD cells. Methods The expression of C1orf74 in LUAD was analyzed using the LUAD datasets from public databases. The prognostic value of C1orf74 in LUAD was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier Plotter. C1orf74 expression in LUAD cell line A549, H1993 and HCC827 was silenced using small interfering RNA, and then the effects of C1orf74 knockdown on proliferation, migration and invasion of LUAD cells were detected by colony formation assay and Transwell assay, the role of C1orf74 in EGFR/AKT/mTORC1 signaling pathway was examined by Western blot, and the function of C1orf74 in cell cycle was detected by flow cytometry. Results The results of LUAD clinical data showed that C1orf74 was upregulated in LUAD tissues, and its high expression was associated with poor prognosis. The results from cultured LUAD cells demonstrated that C1orf74 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, but induced cell cycle arrest and autophagy. Moreover, C1orf74 knockdown suppressed EGFR/AKT/mTORC1 signaling in LUAD cells. In conclusion, the present study revealed that C1orf74 is upregulated in LUAD tissues and plays an oncogenic role in LUAD, and that C1orf74 positively regulates cell proliferation and mobility through the EGFR/AKT/mTORC1 signaling pathway in LUAD cells.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Jinyong Guo
creator: Aili Li
creator: Ruolin Guo
creator: Qiufeng He
creator: Youru Wu
creator: Yi Gou
creator: Junfei Jin
creator: Guojin Huang
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Molecular Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13908
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Guo et al.
abstract: Background Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a major type of lung cancer with poor prognosis and low 5-year survival rate, which urgently needs further investigation in order to elucidate its mechanisms completely and discover novel therapeutic targets. C1orf74 is a novel protein with unknown function either in normal cells or cancer cells. The aim of this study is to investigate the expression and function of C1orf74 in LUAD cells. Methods The expression of C1orf74 in LUAD was analyzed using the LUAD datasets from public databases. The prognostic value of C1orf74 in LUAD was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier Plotter. C1orf74 expression in LUAD cell line A549, H1993 and HCC827 was silenced using small interfering RNA, and then the effects of C1orf74 knockdown on proliferation, migration and invasion of LUAD cells were detected by colony formation assay and Transwell assay, the role of C1orf74 in EGFR/AKT/mTORC1 signaling pathway was examined by Western blot, and the function of C1orf74 in cell cycle was detected by flow cytometry. Results The results of LUAD clinical data showed that C1orf74 was upregulated in LUAD tissues, and its high expression was associated with poor prognosis. The results from cultured LUAD cells demonstrated that C1orf74 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, but induced cell cycle arrest and autophagy. Moreover, C1orf74 knockdown suppressed EGFR/AKT/mTORC1 signaling in LUAD cells. In conclusion, the present study revealed that C1orf74 is upregulated in LUAD tissues and plays an oncogenic role in LUAD, and that C1orf74 positively regulates cell proliferation and mobility through the EGFR/AKT/mTORC1 signaling pathway in LUAD cells.
bibliographic citation: Guo et al. (2022) C1orf74 positively regulates the EGFR/AKT/mTORC1 signaling in lung adenocarcinoma cells. PeerJ 10:e13908 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13908
date submitted: 2022-04-20
date accepted: 2022-07-27
issued: 2022-08-22
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Guo
  given name: Jinyong
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Aili
author list: Agent
  family name: Guo
  given name: Ruolin
author list: Agent
  family name: He
  given name: Qiufeng
author list: Agent
  family name: Wu
  given name: Youru
author list: Agent
  family name: Gou
  given name: Yi
author list: Agent
  family name: Jin
  given name: Junfei
author list: Agent
  family name: Huang
  given name: Guojin
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13908
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-22
copyright: © 2022 Guo et al.
attribution name: Guo et al.

A survey of researchers’ code sharing and code reuse practices, and assessment of interactive notebook prototypes
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: This research aimed to understand the needs and habits of researchers in relation to code sharing and reuse; gather feedback on prototype code notebooks created by NeuroLibre; and help determine strategies that publishers could use to increase code sharing. We surveyed 188 researchers in computational biology. Respondents were asked about how often and why they look at code, which methods of accessing code they find useful and why, what aspects of code sharing are important to them, and how satisfied they are with their ability to complete these tasks. Respondents were asked to look at a prototype code notebook and give feedback on its features. Respondents were also asked how much time they spent preparing code and if they would be willing to increase this to use a code sharing tool, such as a notebook. As a reader of research articles the most common reason (70%) for looking at code was to gain a better understanding of the article. The most commonly encountered method for code sharing–linking articles to a code repository–was also the most useful method of accessing code from the reader’s perspective. As authors, the respondents were largely satisfied with their ability to carry out tasks related to code sharing. The most important of these tasks were ensuring that the code was running in the correct environment, and sharing code with good documentation. The average researcher, according to our results, is unwilling to incur additional costs (in time, effort or expenditure) that are currently needed to use code sharing tools alongside a publication. We infer this means we need different models for funding and producing interactive or executable research outputs if they are to reach a large number of researchers. For the purpose of increasing the amount of code shared by authors, PLOS Computational Biology is, as a result, focusing on policy rather than tools.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Lauren Cadwallader
creator: Iain Hrynaszkiewicz
subject: Bioinformatics
subject: Computational Biology
subject: Science Policy
subject: Computational Science
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13933
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Cadwallader and Hrynaszkiewicz
abstract: This research aimed to understand the needs and habits of researchers in relation to code sharing and reuse; gather feedback on prototype code notebooks created by NeuroLibre; and help determine strategies that publishers could use to increase code sharing. We surveyed 188 researchers in computational biology. Respondents were asked about how often and why they look at code, which methods of accessing code they find useful and why, what aspects of code sharing are important to them, and how satisfied they are with their ability to complete these tasks. Respondents were asked to look at a prototype code notebook and give feedback on its features. Respondents were also asked how much time they spent preparing code and if they would be willing to increase this to use a code sharing tool, such as a notebook. As a reader of research articles the most common reason (70%) for looking at code was to gain a better understanding of the article. The most commonly encountered method for code sharing–linking articles to a code repository–was also the most useful method of accessing code from the reader’s perspective. As authors, the respondents were largely satisfied with their ability to carry out tasks related to code sharing. The most important of these tasks were ensuring that the code was running in the correct environment, and sharing code with good documentation. The average researcher, according to our results, is unwilling to incur additional costs (in time, effort or expenditure) that are currently needed to use code sharing tools alongside a publication. We infer this means we need different models for funding and producing interactive or executable research outputs if they are to reach a large number of researchers. For the purpose of increasing the amount of code shared by authors, PLOS Computational Biology is, as a result, focusing on policy rather than tools.
bibliographic citation: Cadwallader et al. (2022) A survey of researchers’ code sharing and code reuse practices, and assessment of interactive notebook prototypes. PeerJ 10:e13933 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13933
date submitted: 2022-06-07
date accepted: 2022-08-01
issued: 2022-08-22
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Cadwallader
  given name: Lauren
author list: Agent
  family name: Hrynaszkiewicz
  given name: Iain
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13933
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-22
copyright: ©2022 Cadwallader and Hrynaszkiewicz
attribution name: Cadwallader and Hrynaszkiewicz

Recapitulating human ovarian aging using random walks
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Mechanism(s) that control whether individual human primordial ovarian follicles (PFs) remain dormant, or begin to grow, are all but unknown. One of our groups has recently shown that activation of the Integrated Stress Response (ISR) pathway can slow follicular granulosa cell proliferation by activating cell cycle checkpoints. Those data suggest that the ISR is active and fluctuates according to local conditions in dormant PFs. Because cell cycle entry of (pre)granulosa cells is required for PF growth activation (PFGA), we propose that rare ISR checkpoint resolution allows individual PFs to begin to grow. Fluctuating ISR activity within individual PFs can be described by a random process. In this article, we model ISR activity of individual PFs by one-dimensional random walks (RWs) and monitor the rate at which simulated checkpoint resolution and thus PFGA threshold crossing occurs. We show that the simultaneous recapitulation of (i) the loss of PFs over time within simulated subjects, and (ii) the timing of PF depletion in populations of simulated subjects equivalent to the distribution of the human age of natural menopause can be produced using this approach. In the RW model, the probability that individual PFs grow is influenced by regionally fluctuating conditions, that over time manifests in the known pattern of PFGA. Considered at the level of the ovary, randomness appears to be a key, purposeful feature of human ovarian aging.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Joshua Johnson
creator: John W. Emerson
creator: Sean D. Lawley
subject: Mathematical Biology
subject: Gynecology and Obstetrics
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13941
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Johnson et al.
abstract: Mechanism(s) that control whether individual human primordial ovarian follicles (PFs) remain dormant, or begin to grow, are all but unknown. One of our groups has recently shown that activation of the Integrated Stress Response (ISR) pathway can slow follicular granulosa cell proliferation by activating cell cycle checkpoints. Those data suggest that the ISR is active and fluctuates according to local conditions in dormant PFs. Because cell cycle entry of (pre)granulosa cells is required for PF growth activation (PFGA), we propose that rare ISR checkpoint resolution allows individual PFs to begin to grow. Fluctuating ISR activity within individual PFs can be described by a random process. In this article, we model ISR activity of individual PFs by one-dimensional random walks (RWs) and monitor the rate at which simulated checkpoint resolution and thus PFGA threshold crossing occurs. We show that the simultaneous recapitulation of (i) the loss of PFs over time within simulated subjects, and (ii) the timing of PF depletion in populations of simulated subjects equivalent to the distribution of the human age of natural menopause can be produced using this approach. In the RW model, the probability that individual PFs grow is influenced by regionally fluctuating conditions, that over time manifests in the known pattern of PFGA. Considered at the level of the ovary, randomness appears to be a key, purposeful feature of human ovarian aging.
bibliographic citation: Johnson et al. (2022) Recapitulating human ovarian aging using random walks. PeerJ 10:e13941 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13941
date submitted: 2022-06-09
date accepted: 2022-08-02
issued: 2022-08-22
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Johnson
  given name: Joshua
author list: Agent
  family name: Emerson
  given name: John W.
author list: Agent
  family name: Lawley
  given name: Sean D.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13941
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-22
copyright: © 2022 Johnson et al.
attribution name: Johnson et al.

Gas chromatography (GC) fingerprinting and immunomodulatory activity of polysaccharide from the rhizome of Menispermum dauricum DC
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: This research aimed to establish the gas chromatography (GC) fingerprints and examine the immunomodulatory activity of the rhizome of Menispermum dauricum polysaccharides. In this study, the preparation conditions were optimized by the response surface method (RSM). GC is an effective and sensitive technique employed to measure the composition of monosaccharides; the GC fingerprints of total polysaccharides from 10 batches of the rhizome of M. dauricum (tMDP) were established, and chemometrics methods were adopted to examine the differences and similarities of tMDP from distinct regions. The similarity evaluation illustrated that the polysaccharides derived from the rhizome of M. dauricum from different origins were highly similar. The results of principal components analysis (PCA) illustrated that all the tMDPs may be integrated into one group within the 95% confidence interval, but the rhizome of M. dauricum from different origins could also be distinguished in the plot of PCA scores. Then, the major bioactive fraction MDP was purified and obtained by column chromatography. Our previous study showed that MDP exhibited significant immunomodulatory activity, but the mechanism of the in vitro immunomodulatory activity of MDP is unclear. The macrophage activation induced by MDP was abolished when Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling was knocked down by the TLR4 inhibitor. Furthermore, western blot analysis illustrated that MDP activated RAW264.7 cells through MAPKs and NFκB pathways induced by TLR4. This research offers a theoretical foundation for quality control and additional study as a potential immunomodulator of MDP.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Pei Yang
creator: Yang Zhai
creator: Yan Ma
creator: Beibei Mao
creator: Fengshan Wang
creator: Li Li
creator: Lijuan Luan
creator: Yuhong Liu
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Immunology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13946
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Yang et al.
abstract: This research aimed to establish the gas chromatography (GC) fingerprints and examine the immunomodulatory activity of the rhizome of Menispermum dauricum polysaccharides. In this study, the preparation conditions were optimized by the response surface method (RSM). GC is an effective and sensitive technique employed to measure the composition of monosaccharides; the GC fingerprints of total polysaccharides from 10 batches of the rhizome of M. dauricum (tMDP) were established, and chemometrics methods were adopted to examine the differences and similarities of tMDP from distinct regions. The similarity evaluation illustrated that the polysaccharides derived from the rhizome of M. dauricum from different origins were highly similar. The results of principal components analysis (PCA) illustrated that all the tMDPs may be integrated into one group within the 95% confidence interval, but the rhizome of M. dauricum from different origins could also be distinguished in the plot of PCA scores. Then, the major bioactive fraction MDP was purified and obtained by column chromatography. Our previous study showed that MDP exhibited significant immunomodulatory activity, but the mechanism of the in vitro immunomodulatory activity of MDP is unclear. The macrophage activation induced by MDP was abolished when Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling was knocked down by the TLR4 inhibitor. Furthermore, western blot analysis illustrated that MDP activated RAW264.7 cells through MAPKs and NFκB pathways induced by TLR4. This research offers a theoretical foundation for quality control and additional study as a potential immunomodulator of MDP.
bibliographic citation: Yang et al. (2022) Gas chromatography (GC) fingerprinting and immunomodulatory activity of polysaccharide from the rhizome of Menispermum dauricum DC. PeerJ 10:e13946 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13946
date submitted: 2022-07-04
date accepted: 2022-08-03
issued: 2022-08-22
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Yang
  given name: Pei
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhai
  given name: Yang
author list: Agent
  family name: Ma
  given name: Yan
author list: Agent
  family name: Mao
  given name: Beibei
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Fengshan
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Li
author list: Agent
  family name: Luan
  given name: Lijuan
author list: Agent
  family name: Liu
  given name: Yuhong
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13946
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-22
copyright: © 2022 Yang et al.
attribution name: Yang et al.

Daylight savings time transition and the incidence of femur fractures in the older population: a nationwide registry-based study
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Daylight Savings Time (DST) transition is known to cause sleep disruption, and thus may increase the incidence of injuries and accidents during the week following the transition. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of femur fractures after DST transition. Methods We conducted retrospective population-based register study. All Finnish patients 70 years or older who were admitted to hospital due to femur fracture between 1997 and 2020 were gathered from the Finnish National Hospital Discharge Register. Negative binomial regression with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was used to evaluate the incidence of femur fractures after DST transition. Results The data included a total of 112,658 femur fractures during the study period between 1997 and 2020, with an annual mean (SD) of 4,694 (206) fractures. The incidence of femur fractures decreased at the beginning of the study period from 968 to 688 per 100,000 person-years between 1997 and 2007. The weekly mean of femur fractures remained lower during the summer (from 130 to 150 per 100,000 person-weeks) than in winter (from 160 to 180 per 100,000 person-weeks). Incidence rate ratio for the Monday following DST transition was 1.10 (CI [0.98–1.24]) in spring and 1.10 (CI [0.97–1.24]) in fall, and for the whole week 1.07 (CI [1.01–1.14]) in spring and 0.97 (CI [0.83–1.13]) in fall. Conclusion We found weak evidence that the incidence of femur fractures increases after DST transition in the spring.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Ville Ponkilainen
creator: Topias Koukkula
creator: Mikko Uimonen
creator: Ville M. Mattila
creator: Ilari Kuitunen
creator: Aleksi Reito
subject: Epidemiology
subject: Geriatrics
subject: Orthopedics
subject: Public Health
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13672
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Ponkilainen et al.
abstract: Background Daylight Savings Time (DST) transition is known to cause sleep disruption, and thus may increase the incidence of injuries and accidents during the week following the transition. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of femur fractures after DST transition. Methods We conducted retrospective population-based register study. All Finnish patients 70 years or older who were admitted to hospital due to femur fracture between 1997 and 2020 were gathered from the Finnish National Hospital Discharge Register. Negative binomial regression with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was used to evaluate the incidence of femur fractures after DST transition. Results The data included a total of 112,658 femur fractures during the study period between 1997 and 2020, with an annual mean (SD) of 4,694 (206) fractures. The incidence of femur fractures decreased at the beginning of the study period from 968 to 688 per 100,000 person-years between 1997 and 2007. The weekly mean of femur fractures remained lower during the summer (from 130 to 150 per 100,000 person-weeks) than in winter (from 160 to 180 per 100,000 person-weeks). Incidence rate ratio for the Monday following DST transition was 1.10 (CI [0.98–1.24]) in spring and 1.10 (CI [0.97–1.24]) in fall, and for the whole week 1.07 (CI [1.01–1.14]) in spring and 0.97 (CI [0.83–1.13]) in fall. Conclusion We found weak evidence that the incidence of femur fractures increases after DST transition in the spring.
bibliographic citation: Ponkilainen et al. (2022) Daylight savings time transition and the incidence of femur fractures in the older population: a nationwide registry-based study. PeerJ 10:e13672 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13672
date submitted: 2022-02-09
date accepted: 2022-06-12
issued: 2022-08-19
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Ponkilainen
  given name: Ville
author list: Agent
  family name: Koukkula
  given name: Topias
author list: Agent
  family name: Uimonen
  given name: Mikko
author list: Agent
  family name: Mattila
  given name: Ville M.
author list: Agent
  family name: Kuitunen
  given name: Ilari
author list: Agent
  family name: Reito
  given name: Aleksi
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13672
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-19
copyright: ©2022 Ponkilainen et al.
attribution name: Ponkilainen et al.

Somatization symptoms—prevalence and risk, stress and resilience factors among medical and dental students at a mid-sized German university
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Objective Previous studies have shown that an increased prevalence of mental illness can be found among medical and dental students. Among these, somatization symptoms are severely understudied. The present study examined the prevalence of somatization symptoms in a subpopulation of medical and dental students and aimed at finding associated risk and resilience factors. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-reporting questionnaire, including the SOMS-2, the Becks-Depression-Inventory-II (BDI-II), the NEO-Five-Factor-Inventory, and a questionnaire on socio-demographics for possible risk and resilience factors. A total of 271 medical and dental students of a mid-sized German university completed the questionnaire. Results The Somatization index yielded a mean of 9.12 symptoms for the total sample, which is 1.2 SD higher than the reported norm. A total of 50.7% of the medical students and 63.6% of the dental students transcend a critical somatization score. Significant positive associations for eight general risk factors, four university related stress factors, and a significant negative association for seven resilience factors were found. Conclusion Medical and even more dental students at the studied university showed a high burden of somatoform complaints. Also, factors were found that could be of etiological relevance and others that could be used to enhance resilience. Both could present an opportunity for the prevention of somatization disorders but prospective and multicenter studies with an aged-matched comparison group are needed to obtain a more accurate overview.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Oskar Feussner
creator: Carolin Rehnisch
creator: Nadja Rabkow
creator: Stefan Watzke
subject: Dentistry
subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
subject: Science and Medical Education
subject: Statistics
subject: Mental Health
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13803
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Feussner et al.
abstract: Objective Previous studies have shown that an increased prevalence of mental illness can be found among medical and dental students. Among these, somatization symptoms are severely understudied. The present study examined the prevalence of somatization symptoms in a subpopulation of medical and dental students and aimed at finding associated risk and resilience factors. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-reporting questionnaire, including the SOMS-2, the Becks-Depression-Inventory-II (BDI-II), the NEO-Five-Factor-Inventory, and a questionnaire on socio-demographics for possible risk and resilience factors. A total of 271 medical and dental students of a mid-sized German university completed the questionnaire. Results The Somatization index yielded a mean of 9.12 symptoms for the total sample, which is 1.2 SD higher than the reported norm. A total of 50.7% of the medical students and 63.6% of the dental students transcend a critical somatization score. Significant positive associations for eight general risk factors, four university related stress factors, and a significant negative association for seven resilience factors were found. Conclusion Medical and even more dental students at the studied university showed a high burden of somatoform complaints. Also, factors were found that could be of etiological relevance and others that could be used to enhance resilience. Both could present an opportunity for the prevention of somatization disorders but prospective and multicenter studies with an aged-matched comparison group are needed to obtain a more accurate overview.
bibliographic citation: Feussner et al. (2022) Somatization symptoms—prevalence and risk, stress and resilience factors among medical and dental students at a mid-sized German university. PeerJ 10:e13803 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13803
date submitted: 2022-03-03
date accepted: 2022-07-07
issued: 2022-08-19
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Feussner
  given name: Oskar
author list: Agent
  family name: Rehnisch
  given name: Carolin
author list: Agent
  family name: Rabkow
  given name: Nadja
author list: Agent
  family name: Watzke
  given name: Stefan
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13803
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-19
copyright: ©2022 Feussner et al.
attribution name: Feussner et al.

Users’ needs for a digital smoking cessation application and how to address them: A mixed-methods study
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Despite their increasing prevalence and potential, eHealth applications for behavior change suffer from a lack of adherence and from dropout. Advances in virtual coach technology provide new opportunities to improve this. However, these applications still do not always offer what people need. We, therefore, need a better understanding of people’s needs and how to address these, based on both actual experiences of users and their reflections on envisioned scenarios. Methods We conducted a longitudinal study in which 671 smokers interacted with a virtual coach in five sessions. The virtual coach assigned them a new preparatory activity for quitting smoking or increasing physical activity in each session. Participants provided feedback on the activity in the next session. After the five sessions, participants were asked to describe barriers and motivators for doing their activities. In addition, they provided their views on videos of scenarios such as receiving motivational messages. To understand users’ needs, we took a mixed-methods approach. This approach triangulated findings from qualitative data, quantitative data, and the literature. Results We identified 14 main themes that describe people’s views of their current and future behaviors concerning an eHealth application. These themes relate to the behaviors themselves, the users, other parties involved in a behavior, and the environment. The most prevalent theme was the perceived usefulness of behaviors, especially whether they were informative, helpful, motivating, or encouraging. The timing and intensity of behaviors also mattered. With regards to the users, their perceived importance of and motivation to change, autonomy, and personal characteristics were major themes. Another important role was played by other parties that may be involved in a behavior, such as general practitioners or virtual coaches. Here, the themes of companionableness, accountability, and nature of the other party (i.e., human…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Nele Albers
creator: Mark A. Neerincx
creator: Kristell M. Penfornis
creator: Willem-Paul Brinkman
subject: Health Policy
subject: Public Health
subject: Respiratory Medicine
subject: Human-Computer Interaction
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13824
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Albers et al.
abstract: Background Despite their increasing prevalence and potential, eHealth applications for behavior change suffer from a lack of adherence and from dropout. Advances in virtual coach technology provide new opportunities to improve this. However, these applications still do not always offer what people need. We, therefore, need a better understanding of people’s needs and how to address these, based on both actual experiences of users and their reflections on envisioned scenarios. Methods We conducted a longitudinal study in which 671 smokers interacted with a virtual coach in five sessions. The virtual coach assigned them a new preparatory activity for quitting smoking or increasing physical activity in each session. Participants provided feedback on the activity in the next session. After the five sessions, participants were asked to describe barriers and motivators for doing their activities. In addition, they provided their views on videos of scenarios such as receiving motivational messages. To understand users’ needs, we took a mixed-methods approach. This approach triangulated findings from qualitative data, quantitative data, and the literature. Results We identified 14 main themes that describe people’s views of their current and future behaviors concerning an eHealth application. These themes relate to the behaviors themselves, the users, other parties involved in a behavior, and the environment. The most prevalent theme was the perceived usefulness of behaviors, especially whether they were informative, helpful, motivating, or encouraging. The timing and intensity of behaviors also mattered. With regards to the users, their perceived importance of and motivation to change, autonomy, and personal characteristics were major themes. Another important role was played by other parties that may be involved in a behavior, such as general practitioners or virtual coaches. Here, the themes of companionableness, accountability, and nature of the other party (i.e., human…
bibliographic citation: Albers et al. (2022) Users’ needs for a digital smoking cessation application and how to address them: A mixed-methods study. PeerJ 10:e13824 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13824
date submitted: 2022-04-01
date accepted: 2022-07-10
issued: 2022-08-19
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Albers
  given name: Nele
author list: Agent
  family name: Neerincx
  given name: Mark A.
author list: Agent
  family name: Penfornis
  given name: Kristell M.
author list: Agent
  family name: Brinkman
  given name: Willem-Paul
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13824
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-19
copyright: © 2022 Albers et al.
attribution name: Albers et al.

CCL25/CCR9 interaction promotes the malignant behavior of salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background CC chemokine receptor 9 (CCR9), an organ-specific chemokine receptor, interacts with its exclusive ligand CCL25 to promote tumor proliferation and metastasis. However, the effect of CCR9 on salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC) malignant behavior remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the specific molecular mechanism by which CCR9/CCL25 modulates malignant progression in SACC. Methods Immunohistochemistry staining and RT–qPCR analyses were performed to detect the correlation of CCR9 expression and tumor progression-associated markers in SACC. In vitro, SACC cell proliferation and apoptosis were evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8 and colon formation, and cell migration and invasion were detected by wound healing and transwell assays. Vercirnon was used as an inhibitor of CCR9, and LY294002 was used as an inhibitor of the PI3K/AKT pathway in this study. Western blot and RT–qPCR assays were carried out to measure the downstream factors of the interaction of CCL25 and CCR9. The effect of CCL25 on the development of SACC in vivo was examined by a xenograft tumor model in nude mice following CCL25, Vercirnon and LY294002 treatment. Results CCR9 was highly expressed in SACC compared with adjacent salivary gland tissues, and its level was associated with tumor proliferation and metastases. CCL25 enhanced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through its interaction with CCR9 and exerted an antiapoptotic effect on SACC cells. Targeting CCR9 via Vercirnon significantly reduced the phosphorylation level of AKT induced by CCL25. CCL25/CCR9 could activate its downstream factors through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, such as cyclin D1, BCL2 and SLUG, thus promoting SACC cell proliferation, antiapoptosis, invasion and metastasis. The in vivo data from the xenograft mouse models further proved that CCL25 administration promoted malignant tumor progression by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway. Conclusion The interaction of CCL25 and CCR9 promotes tumor …
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Songling Chai
creator: Zhihao Wen
creator: Rongxin Zhang
creator: Yuwen Bai
creator: Jing Liu
creator: Juanjuan Li
creator: Wenyao Kongling
creator: Weixian Chen
creator: Fu Wang
creator: Lu Gao
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Dentistry
subject: Oncology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13844
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Chai et al.
abstract: Background CC chemokine receptor 9 (CCR9), an organ-specific chemokine receptor, interacts with its exclusive ligand CCL25 to promote tumor proliferation and metastasis. However, the effect of CCR9 on salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC) malignant behavior remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the specific molecular mechanism by which CCR9/CCL25 modulates malignant progression in SACC. Methods Immunohistochemistry staining and RT–qPCR analyses were performed to detect the correlation of CCR9 expression and tumor progression-associated markers in SACC. In vitro, SACC cell proliferation and apoptosis were evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8 and colon formation, and cell migration and invasion were detected by wound healing and transwell assays. Vercirnon was used as an inhibitor of CCR9, and LY294002 was used as an inhibitor of the PI3K/AKT pathway in this study. Western blot and RT–qPCR assays were carried out to measure the downstream factors of the interaction of CCL25 and CCR9. The effect of CCL25 on the development of SACC in vivo was examined by a xenograft tumor model in nude mice following CCL25, Vercirnon and LY294002 treatment. Results CCR9 was highly expressed in SACC compared with adjacent salivary gland tissues, and its level was associated with tumor proliferation and metastases. CCL25 enhanced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through its interaction with CCR9 and exerted an antiapoptotic effect on SACC cells. Targeting CCR9 via Vercirnon significantly reduced the phosphorylation level of AKT induced by CCL25. CCL25/CCR9 could activate its downstream factors through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, such as cyclin D1, BCL2 and SLUG, thus promoting SACC cell proliferation, antiapoptosis, invasion and metastasis. The in vivo data from the xenograft mouse models further proved that CCL25 administration promoted malignant tumor progression by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway. Conclusion The interaction of CCL25 and CCR9 promotes tumor …
bibliographic citation: Chai et al. (2022) CCL25/CCR9 interaction promotes the malignant behavior of salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. PeerJ 10:e13844 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13844
date submitted: 2022-03-21
date accepted: 2022-07-14
issued: 2022-08-19
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Chai
  given name: Songling
author list: Agent
  family name: Wen
  given name: Zhihao
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Rongxin
author list: Agent
  family name: Bai
  given name: Yuwen
author list: Agent
  family name: Liu
  given name: Jing
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Juanjuan
author list: Agent
  family name: Kongling
  given name: Wenyao
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Weixian
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Fu
author list: Agent
  family name: Gao
  given name: Lu
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13844
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-19
copyright: © 2022 Chai et al.
attribution name: Chai et al.

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