PeerJ
type: channel
link: https://peerj.com/articles/
description: Articles published in PeerJ
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
publication name: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359
items: Protecting endangered megafauna through AI analysis of drone images in a low-connectivity setting: a case study from Namibia
items: Differential proteomic analysis of mouse cerebrums with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hyperlipidemia
items: Assisted migration and the rare endemic plant species: the case of two endangered Mexican spruces
items: Criteria for assessing the adaptive changes in mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes of strike fighting style in different training load regimes
items: Investigation of discriminatory attitude toward people living with HIV in the family context using socio-economic factors and information sources: A nationwide study in Indonesia
items: Phytotoxic effects of Acacia saligna dry leachates on germination, seedling growth, photosynthetic performance, and gene expression of economically important crops
items: Effectiveness of physical activity on immunity markers and quality of life in cancer patient: a systematic review
items: Prevalence of sarcopenia was higher in women than in men: a cross-sectional study from a rural area in eastern China
items: Differential gene expression analysis after DAPK1 knockout in hepatocellular carcinoma cells
items: Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii) from the Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian) of the Atacama Desert, Northern Chile

Protecting endangered megafauna through AI analysis of drone images in a low-connectivity setting: a case study from Namibia
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Assessing the numbers and distribution of at-risk megafauna such as the black rhino (Diceros bicornis) is key to effective conservation, yet such data are difficult to obtain. Many current monitoring technologies are invasive to the target animals and expensive. Satellite monitoring is emerging as a potential tool for very large animals (e.g., elephant) but detecting smaller species requires higher resolution imaging. Drones can deliver the required resolution and speed of monitoring, but challenges remain in delivering automated monitoring systems where internet connectivity is unreliable or absent. This study describes a model built to run on a drone to identify in situ images of megafauna. Compared with previously reported studies, this automated detection framework has a lower hardware cost and can function with a reduced internet bandwidth requirement for local network communication. It proposes the use of a Jetson Xavier NX, onboard a Parrot Anafi drone, connected to the internet throughout the flight to deliver a lightweight web-based notification system upon detection of the target species. The GPS location with the detected target species images is sent using MQ Telemetry Transport (MQTT), a lightweight messaging protocol using a publisher/subscriber architecture for IoT devices. It provides reliable message delivery when internet connection is sporadic. We used a YOLOv5l6 object detection architecture trained to identify a bounding box for one of five objects of interest in a frame of video. At an intersection over union (IoU) threshold of 0.5, our model achieved an average precision (AP) of 0.81 for black rhino (our primary target) and 0.83 for giraffe (Giraffa giraffa). The model was less successful at identifying the other smaller objects which were not our primary targets: 0.34, 0.25, and 0.42 for ostrich (Struthio camelus australis), springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) and human respectively. We used several techniques to optimize performance and overc…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Alice Hua
creator: Kevin Martin
creator: Yuzeng Shen
creator: Nicole Chen
creator: Catherine Mou
creator: Maximilian Sterk
creator: Berend Reinhard
creator: Friedrich F. Reinhard
creator: Stephen Lee
creator: Sky Alibhai
creator: Zoe C. Jewell
subject: Conservation Biology
subject: Zoology
subject: Computational Science
subject: Data Mining and Machine Learning
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13779
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Hua et al.
abstract: Assessing the numbers and distribution of at-risk megafauna such as the black rhino (Diceros bicornis) is key to effective conservation, yet such data are difficult to obtain. Many current monitoring technologies are invasive to the target animals and expensive. Satellite monitoring is emerging as a potential tool for very large animals (e.g., elephant) but detecting smaller species requires higher resolution imaging. Drones can deliver the required resolution and speed of monitoring, but challenges remain in delivering automated monitoring systems where internet connectivity is unreliable or absent. This study describes a model built to run on a drone to identify in situ images of megafauna. Compared with previously reported studies, this automated detection framework has a lower hardware cost and can function with a reduced internet bandwidth requirement for local network communication. It proposes the use of a Jetson Xavier NX, onboard a Parrot Anafi drone, connected to the internet throughout the flight to deliver a lightweight web-based notification system upon detection of the target species. The GPS location with the detected target species images is sent using MQ Telemetry Transport (MQTT), a lightweight messaging protocol using a publisher/subscriber architecture for IoT devices. It provides reliable message delivery when internet connection is sporadic. We used a YOLOv5l6 object detection architecture trained to identify a bounding box for one of five objects of interest in a frame of video. At an intersection over union (IoU) threshold of 0.5, our model achieved an average precision (AP) of 0.81 for black rhino (our primary target) and 0.83 for giraffe (Giraffa giraffa). The model was less successful at identifying the other smaller objects which were not our primary targets: 0.34, 0.25, and 0.42 for ostrich (Struthio camelus australis), springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) and human respectively. We used several techniques to optimize performance and overc…
bibliographic citation: Hua et al. (2022) Protecting endangered megafauna through AI analysis of drone images in a low-connectivity setting: a case study from Namibia. PeerJ 10:e13779 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13779
date submitted: 2021-11-22
date accepted: 2022-07-03
issued: 2022-08-03
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Hua
  given name: Alice
author list: Agent
  family name: Martin
  given name: Kevin
author list: Agent
  family name: Shen
  given name: Yuzeng
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Nicole
author list: Agent
  family name: Mou
  given name: Catherine
author list: Agent
  family name: Sterk
  given name: Maximilian
author list: Agent
  family name: Reinhard
  given name: Berend
author list: Agent
  family name: Reinhard
  given name: Friedrich F.
author list: Agent
  family name: Lee
  given name: Stephen
author list: Agent
  family name: Alibhai
  given name: Sky
author list: Agent
  family name: Jewell
  given name: Zoe C.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13779
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-03
copyright: © 2022 Hua et al.
attribution name: Hua et al.

Differential proteomic analysis of mouse cerebrums with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hyperlipidemia
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Hyperlipidemia is a chronic disease characterized by elevated blood cholesterol and triglycerides and there is accumulated evidence that the disease might affect brain functions. Here we report on a proteomic analysis of the brain proteins in hyperlipidemic mice. Hyperlipidemia was successfully induced in mice by a 20 week high-fat diet (HFD) feeding (model group). A control group with a normal diet and a treatment group with HFD-fed mice treated with a lipid-lowering drug simvastatin (SIM) were established accordingly. The proteins were extracted from the left and right cerebrum hemispheres of the mice in the three groups and subjected to shotgun proteomic analysis. A total of 4,422 proteins were detected in at least half of the samples, among which 324 proteins showed significant difference (fold change >1.5 or <0.67, p < 0.05) in at least one of the four types of comparisons (left cerebrum hemispheres of the model group versus the control group, right cerebrums of model versus control, left cerebrums of SIM versus model, right cerebrums of SIM versus model). Biological process analysis revealed many of these proteins were enriched in the processes correlated with lipid metabolism, neurological disorders, synaptic events and nervous system development. For the first time, it has been reported that some of the proteins have been altered in the brain under the conditions of HFD feeding, obesity or hyperlipidemia. Further, 22 brain processes-related proteins showed different expression in the two cerebrum hemispheres, suggesting changes of the brain proteins caused by hyperlipidemia might also be asymmetric. We hope this work will provide useful information to understand the effects of HFD and hyperlipidemia on brain proteins.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Changming Chen
creator: Meiling Wen
creator: Caixia Wang
creator: Zhongwen Yuan
creator: Ya Jin
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Gastroenterology and Hepatology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13806
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Chen et al.
abstract: Hyperlipidemia is a chronic disease characterized by elevated blood cholesterol and triglycerides and there is accumulated evidence that the disease might affect brain functions. Here we report on a proteomic analysis of the brain proteins in hyperlipidemic mice. Hyperlipidemia was successfully induced in mice by a 20 week high-fat diet (HFD) feeding (model group). A control group with a normal diet and a treatment group with HFD-fed mice treated with a lipid-lowering drug simvastatin (SIM) were established accordingly. The proteins were extracted from the left and right cerebrum hemispheres of the mice in the three groups and subjected to shotgun proteomic analysis. A total of 4,422 proteins were detected in at least half of the samples, among which 324 proteins showed significant difference (fold change >1.5 or <0.67, p < 0.05) in at least one of the four types of comparisons (left cerebrum hemispheres of the model group versus the control group, right cerebrums of model versus control, left cerebrums of SIM versus model, right cerebrums of SIM versus model). Biological process analysis revealed many of these proteins were enriched in the processes correlated with lipid metabolism, neurological disorders, synaptic events and nervous system development. For the first time, it has been reported that some of the proteins have been altered in the brain under the conditions of HFD feeding, obesity or hyperlipidemia. Further, 22 brain processes-related proteins showed different expression in the two cerebrum hemispheres, suggesting changes of the brain proteins caused by hyperlipidemia might also be asymmetric. We hope this work will provide useful information to understand the effects of HFD and hyperlipidemia on brain proteins.
bibliographic citation: Chen et al. (2022) Differential proteomic analysis of mouse cerebrums with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hyperlipidemia. PeerJ 10:e13806 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13806
date submitted: 2022-04-15
date accepted: 2022-07-07
issued: 2022-08-03
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Changming
author list: Agent
  family name: Wen
  given name: Meiling
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Caixia
author list: Agent
  family name: Yuan
  given name: Zhongwen
author list: Agent
  family name: Jin
  given name: Ya
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13806
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-03
copyright: ©2022 Chen et al.
attribution name: Chen et al.

Assisted migration and the rare endemic plant species: the case of two endangered Mexican spruces
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background In the projected climate change scenarios, assisted migration might play an important role in the ex situ conservation of the threatened plant species, by translocate them to similar suitable habitats outside their native distributions. However, it is unclear if such habitats will be available for the Rare Endemic Plant Species (REPS), because of their very restricted habitats. The aims of this study were to perform a population size assessment for the REPS Picea martinezii Patterson and Picea mexicana Martínez, and to evaluate the potential species distributions and their possibilities for assisted migration inside México and worldwide. Methods We performed demographic censuses, field surveys in search for new stands, and developed distribution models for Last Glacial Maximum (22,000 years ago), Middle Holocene (6,000 years ago), current (1961–1990) and future (2050 and 2070) periods, for the whole Mexican territory (considering climatic, soil, geologic and topographic variables) and for all global land areas (based only on climate). Results Our censuses showed populations of 89,266 and 39,059 individuals for P. martinezii and P. mexicana, respectively, including known populations and new stands. Projections for México indicated somewhat larger suitable areas in the past, now restricted to the known populations and new stands, where they will disappear by 2050 in a pessimistic climatic scenario, and scarce marginal areas (p = 0.5–0.79) remaining only for P. martinezii by 2070. Worldwide projections (based only on climate variables) revealed few marginal areas in 2050 only in México for P. martinezii, and several large areas (p ≥ 0.5) for P. mexicana around the world (all outside México), especially on the Himalayas in India and the Chungyang mountains in Taiwan with highly suitable (p ≥ 0.8) climate habitats in current and future (2050) conditions. However, those suitable areas are currently inhabited by other endemic spruces: Picea smithiana (Wall.) Boi…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Eduardo Mendoza-Maya
creator: Erika Gómez-Pineda
creator: Cuauhtémoc Sáenz-Romero
creator: José Ciro Hernández-Díaz
creator: Carlos A. López-Sánchez
creator: J. Jesús Vargas-Hernández
creator: José Ángel Prieto-Ruíz
creator: Christian Wehenkel
subject: Biogeography
subject: Conservation Biology
subject: Climate Change Biology
subject: Forestry
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13812
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Mendoza-Maya et al.
abstract: Background In the projected climate change scenarios, assisted migration might play an important role in the ex situ conservation of the threatened plant species, by translocate them to similar suitable habitats outside their native distributions. However, it is unclear if such habitats will be available for the Rare Endemic Plant Species (REPS), because of their very restricted habitats. The aims of this study were to perform a population size assessment for the REPS Picea martinezii Patterson and Picea mexicana Martínez, and to evaluate the potential species distributions and their possibilities for assisted migration inside México and worldwide. Methods We performed demographic censuses, field surveys in search for new stands, and developed distribution models for Last Glacial Maximum (22,000 years ago), Middle Holocene (6,000 years ago), current (1961–1990) and future (2050 and 2070) periods, for the whole Mexican territory (considering climatic, soil, geologic and topographic variables) and for all global land areas (based only on climate). Results Our censuses showed populations of 89,266 and 39,059 individuals for P. martinezii and P. mexicana, respectively, including known populations and new stands. Projections for México indicated somewhat larger suitable areas in the past, now restricted to the known populations and new stands, where they will disappear by 2050 in a pessimistic climatic scenario, and scarce marginal areas (p = 0.5–0.79) remaining only for P. martinezii by 2070. Worldwide projections (based only on climate variables) revealed few marginal areas in 2050 only in México for P. martinezii, and several large areas (p ≥ 0.5) for P. mexicana around the world (all outside México), especially on the Himalayas in India and the Chungyang mountains in Taiwan with highly suitable (p ≥ 0.8) climate habitats in current and future (2050) conditions. However, those suitable areas are currently inhabited by other endemic spruces: Picea smithiana (Wall.) Boi…
bibliographic citation: Mendoza-Maya et al. (2022) Assisted migration and the rare endemic plant species: the case of two endangered Mexican spruces. PeerJ 10:e13812 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13812
date submitted: 2022-03-09
date accepted: 2022-07-07
issued: 2022-08-03
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Mendoza-Maya
  given name: Eduardo
author list: Agent
  family name: Gómez-Pineda
  given name: Erika
author list: Agent
  family name: Sáenz-Romero
  given name: Cuauhtémoc
author list: Agent
  family name: Hernández-Díaz
  given name: José Ciro
author list: Agent
  family name: López-Sánchez
  given name: Carlos A.
author list: Agent
  family name: Vargas-Hernández
  given name: J. Jesús
author list: Agent
  family name: Prieto-Ruíz
  given name: José Ángel
author list: Agent
  family name: Wehenkel
  given name: Christian
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13812
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-03
copyright: © 2022 Mendoza-Maya et al.
attribution name: Mendoza-Maya et al.

Criteria for assessing the adaptive changes in mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes of strike fighting style in different training load regimes
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background To study the peculiarities of changes in functional indicators and body composition parameters of mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes of strike fighting style and a number of biochemical blood indicators during two months of using different intensity training load regimes, and to determine the most informative criteria for assessing adaptive body changes in these training conditions. Methods We examined 40 MMA athletes (men) aged 20–22, who used mainly strike fighting style in their competitive activity, and divided them into 2 research groups (A and B), 20 athletes in each group. Group A athletes used medium intensity (Ra = 0.64), and group B—high intensity (Ra = 0.72) training load regime. To assess the adaptive body changes we applied methods of control testing of maximum muscle strength growth (1 RM), special training (the number of accurate kicks on the mannequin for 30 s), and bioimpedansometry. By monitoring biochemical parameters (testosterone, cortisol, creatinine, phosphorus, calcium, cholesterol, LDH) in the blood serum of athletes, we determined the peculiarities of adaptive-compensatory body reactions in response to training loads. Results The obtained results of special training increased during the study period by an average of 10.5% in group B athletes, but group A participants’ results had no significant changes compared to basal data. The largest increase in the development of maximum muscle strength growth by an average of 44.4% was recorded after 2 months of research in group B. Group B athletes also had positive changes in body fat and fat-free mass indicators during the study which were two times higher than the results of group A. The laboratory studies and correlation analysis showed informative biochemical markers (cortisol, testosterone and creatinine) for assessing the condition of athletes in both groups before using high and medium training load regimes. The biochemical markers for assessing the adaptive-compensatory reactions o…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Andrii Chernozub
creator: Veaceslav Manolachi
creator: Georgiy Korobeynikov
creator: Vladimir Potop
creator: Liudmyla Sherstiuk
creator: Victor Manolachi
creator: Ion Mihaila
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Anatomy and Physiology
subject: Hematology
subject: Kinesiology
subject: Sports Medicine
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13827
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Chernozub et al.
abstract: Background To study the peculiarities of changes in functional indicators and body composition parameters of mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes of strike fighting style and a number of biochemical blood indicators during two months of using different intensity training load regimes, and to determine the most informative criteria for assessing adaptive body changes in these training conditions. Methods We examined 40 MMA athletes (men) aged 20–22, who used mainly strike fighting style in their competitive activity, and divided them into 2 research groups (A and B), 20 athletes in each group. Group A athletes used medium intensity (Ra = 0.64), and group B—high intensity (Ra = 0.72) training load regime. To assess the adaptive body changes we applied methods of control testing of maximum muscle strength growth (1 RM), special training (the number of accurate kicks on the mannequin for 30 s), and bioimpedansometry. By monitoring biochemical parameters (testosterone, cortisol, creatinine, phosphorus, calcium, cholesterol, LDH) in the blood serum of athletes, we determined the peculiarities of adaptive-compensatory body reactions in response to training loads. Results The obtained results of special training increased during the study period by an average of 10.5% in group B athletes, but group A participants’ results had no significant changes compared to basal data. The largest increase in the development of maximum muscle strength growth by an average of 44.4% was recorded after 2 months of research in group B. Group B athletes also had positive changes in body fat and fat-free mass indicators during the study which were two times higher than the results of group A. The laboratory studies and correlation analysis showed informative biochemical markers (cortisol, testosterone and creatinine) for assessing the condition of athletes in both groups before using high and medium training load regimes. The biochemical markers for assessing the adaptive-compensatory reactions o…
bibliographic citation: Chernozub et al. (2022) Criteria for assessing the adaptive changes in mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes of strike fighting style in different training load regimes. PeerJ 10:e13827 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13827
date submitted: 2022-05-01
date accepted: 2022-07-11
issued: 2022-08-03
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Chernozub
  given name: Andrii
author list: Agent
  family name: Manolachi
  given name: Veaceslav
author list: Agent
  family name: Korobeynikov
  given name: Georgiy
author list: Agent
  family name: Potop
  given name: Vladimir
author list: Agent
  family name: Sherstiuk
  given name: Liudmyla
author list: Agent
  family name: Manolachi
  given name: Victor
author list: Agent
  family name: Mihaila
  given name: Ion
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13827
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-03
copyright: ©2022 Chernozub et al.
attribution name: Chernozub et al.

Investigation of discriminatory attitude toward people living with HIV in the family context using socio-economic factors and information sources: A nationwide study in Indonesia
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background The well-being of people living with HIV (PLHIV) remains a concern. In addition to facing discrimination in their communities, many PLHIV have family members who have a discriminatory attitude. This study analyzes the discriminatory attitude toward PLHIV in the family context using socio-economic factors and information sources in Indonesia. Methods A cross-sectional study design was adopted using secondary data from the 2017 Indonesian Demographic Health Survey (IDHS). A total sample of 28,879 respondents was selected using two-stage stratified cluster sampling. The study variables are information sources, sex, age, education, residence, earnings, and familial discriminatory attitude. We used the STATA 16.1 software to analyze Chi-square and binary logistics with a 95% confident interval (CI) with a significance of 5% (p-value < 0.05). Results In Indonesia, familial discriminatory attitude has a prevalence of 72.10%. In the survey, the respondents with access to some information about HIV (AOR: 0.794; 95% CI [0.722–0.873]), women (AOR: 0.768; 95% CI [0.718–0.820]), and those living in rural areas (AOR: 0.880; 95% CI [0.834–0.929]) were the least likely to have a familial discriminatory attitude. Meanwhile, the respondents aged 15–24 years (AOR: 1.329; 95% CI [1.118–1.581]) and those with a secondary level of education (AOR: 1.070; 95% CI [1.004–1.142]) were the most likely to have a familial discriminatory attitude. Conclusion. In the study, we found that, the younger the age and the lower the educational level of the respondent, the more likely they were to have a familial discriminatory attitude. The government may consider these factors when designing policies to tackle familial discrimination faced by PLHIV; in particular, education on HIV and AIDS should be promoted.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Nursalam Nursalam
creator: Tintin Sukartini
creator: Heri Kuswanto
creator: Setyowati Setyowati
creator: Devi Mediarti
creator: Rosnani Rosnani
creator: Rifky Octavia Pradipta
creator: Masunatul Ubudiyah
creator: Dluha Mafula
creator: Sirikanok Klankhajhon
creator: Hidayat Arifin
subject: HIV
subject: Public Health
subject: Mental Health
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13841
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Nursalam et al.
abstract: Background The well-being of people living with HIV (PLHIV) remains a concern. In addition to facing discrimination in their communities, many PLHIV have family members who have a discriminatory attitude. This study analyzes the discriminatory attitude toward PLHIV in the family context using socio-economic factors and information sources in Indonesia. Methods A cross-sectional study design was adopted using secondary data from the 2017 Indonesian Demographic Health Survey (IDHS). A total sample of 28,879 respondents was selected using two-stage stratified cluster sampling. The study variables are information sources, sex, age, education, residence, earnings, and familial discriminatory attitude. We used the STATA 16.1 software to analyze Chi-square and binary logistics with a 95% confident interval (CI) with a significance of 5% (p-value < 0.05). Results In Indonesia, familial discriminatory attitude has a prevalence of 72.10%. In the survey, the respondents with access to some information about HIV (AOR: 0.794; 95% CI [0.722–0.873]), women (AOR: 0.768; 95% CI [0.718–0.820]), and those living in rural areas (AOR: 0.880; 95% CI [0.834–0.929]) were the least likely to have a familial discriminatory attitude. Meanwhile, the respondents aged 15–24 years (AOR: 1.329; 95% CI [1.118–1.581]) and those with a secondary level of education (AOR: 1.070; 95% CI [1.004–1.142]) were the most likely to have a familial discriminatory attitude. Conclusion. In the study, we found that, the younger the age and the lower the educational level of the respondent, the more likely they were to have a familial discriminatory attitude. The government may consider these factors when designing policies to tackle familial discrimination faced by PLHIV; in particular, education on HIV and AIDS should be promoted.
bibliographic citation: Nursalam et al. (2022) Investigation of discriminatory attitude toward people living with HIV in the family context using socio-economic factors and information sources: A nationwide study in Indonesia. PeerJ 10:e13841 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13841
date submitted: 2022-06-20
date accepted: 2022-07-14
issued: 2022-08-03
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Nursalam
  given name: Nursalam
author list: Agent
  family name: Sukartini
  given name: Tintin
author list: Agent
  family name: Kuswanto
  given name: Heri
author list: Agent
  family name: Setyowati
  given name: Setyowati
author list: Agent
  family name: Mediarti
  given name: Devi
author list: Agent
  family name: Rosnani
  given name: Rosnani
author list: Agent
  family name: Pradipta
  given name: Rifky Octavia
author list: Agent
  family name: Ubudiyah
  given name: Masunatul
author list: Agent
  family name: Mafula
  given name: Dluha
author list: Agent
  family name: Klankhajhon
  given name: Sirikanok
author list: Agent
  family name: Arifin
  given name: Hidayat
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13841
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-03
copyright: © 2022 Nursalam et al.
attribution name: Nursalam et al.

Phytotoxic effects of Acacia saligna dry leachates on germination, seedling growth, photosynthetic performance, and gene expression of economically important crops
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: The influence of dry leachates of Acasia saligna was tested on the seedling growth, photosynthesis, biochemical attributes, and gene expression of the economically important crops, including wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), radish (Raphanus sativus L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and arugula (Eruca sativa L.). Different concentrations (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%) of stem extract (SE) and leaf extract (LE) of A. saligna were prepared, and seedlings were allowed to grow in Petri plates for 8 days. The results showed that all plant species exhibited reduced germination rate, plant height, and fresh and dry weight due to leachates extracts of A. saligna. Moreover, the activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), exhibited differential regulation due to the extract treatment. The SOD was increased with increasing the concentration of extracts, while CAT and APX activities were decreased with increasing the extract concentrations. In addition, leachate extract treatment decrease chlorophyll content, photosynthesis, PSII activity, and water use efficiency, with evident effects at their higher concentrations. Furthermore, the content of proline, sugars, protein, total phenols, and flavonoids were reduced considerably due to leachates extract treatments. Furthermore, seedlings treated with high concentrations of LE increased the expression of genes. The present results lead to the conclusion that A. saligna contains significant allelochemicals that interfere with the growth and development of the tested crop species and reduced the crops biomass and negatively affected other related parameters. However, further studies are suggested to determine the isolation and purification of the active compounds present in A. saligna extracts.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Haifa Abdulaziz Sakit ALHaithloul
creator: Muhammad Ishfaq Khan
creator: Arafa Musa
creator: Mohammed M. Ghoneim
creator: Ayshah Aysh ALrashidi
creator: Imtiaz Khan
creator: Ehab Azab
creator: Adil A. Gobouri
creator: Mahmoud R. Sofy
creator: Mohamed El-Sherbiny
creator: Mona H. Soliman
subject: Agricultural Science
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Biodiversity
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Plant Science
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13623
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 S. Alhaithloul et al.
abstract: The influence of dry leachates of Acasia saligna was tested on the seedling growth, photosynthesis, biochemical attributes, and gene expression of the economically important crops, including wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), radish (Raphanus sativus L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and arugula (Eruca sativa L.). Different concentrations (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%) of stem extract (SE) and leaf extract (LE) of A. saligna were prepared, and seedlings were allowed to grow in Petri plates for 8 days. The results showed that all plant species exhibited reduced germination rate, plant height, and fresh and dry weight due to leachates extracts of A. saligna. Moreover, the activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), exhibited differential regulation due to the extract treatment. The SOD was increased with increasing the concentration of extracts, while CAT and APX activities were decreased with increasing the extract concentrations. In addition, leachate extract treatment decrease chlorophyll content, photosynthesis, PSII activity, and water use efficiency, with evident effects at their higher concentrations. Furthermore, the content of proline, sugars, protein, total phenols, and flavonoids were reduced considerably due to leachates extract treatments. Furthermore, seedlings treated with high concentrations of LE increased the expression of genes. The present results lead to the conclusion that A. saligna contains significant allelochemicals that interfere with the growth and development of the tested crop species and reduced the crops biomass and negatively affected other related parameters. However, further studies are suggested to determine the isolation and purification of the active compounds present in A. saligna extracts.
bibliographic citation: Sakit ALHaithloul et al. (2022) Phytotoxic effects of Acacia saligna dry leachates on germination, seedling growth, photosynthetic performance, and gene expression of economically important crops. PeerJ 10:e13623 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13623
date submitted: 2021-11-16
date accepted: 2022-06-02
issued: 2022-08-02
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Sakit ALHaithloul
  given name: Haifa Abdulaziz
author list: Agent
  family name: Khan
  given name: Muhammad Ishfaq
author list: Agent
  family name: Musa
  given name: Arafa
author list: Agent
  family name: Ghoneim
  given name: Mohammed M.
author list: Agent
  family name: Aysh ALrashidi
  given name: Ayshah
author list: Agent
  family name: Khan
  given name: Imtiaz
author list: Agent
  family name: Azab
  given name: Ehab
author list: Agent
  family name: Gobouri
  given name: Adil A.
author list: Agent
  family name: Sofy
  given name: Mahmoud R.
author list: Agent
  family name: El-Sherbiny
  given name: Mohamed
author list: Agent
  family name: Soliman
  given name: Mona H.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13623
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-02
copyright: © 2022 ALHaithloul et al.
attribution name: S. Alhaithloul et al.

Effectiveness of physical activity on immunity markers and quality of life in cancer patient: a systematic review
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Cancer is a huge group of diseases that can affect various body parts of humans but also has a psychological, societal, and economic impact. Physical activity can improve the quality of life (QOL) and immunity, while moderate intensity exercise can reduce the probability of this lethal disease. The current study aimed to determine the effect of physical activity on immune markers and QOL in cancer patients as well as to evaluate cancer-related fatigue (CRF) and its association with physical activity. Methodology Before starting the study, the study protocol was registered in PROSPERO (registration number CRD42021273292). An electronic literature search was performed by combining MeSH terminology and keywords used with the Boolean operators “OR” and “AND” to find relevant published studies on PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and ScienceDirect databases. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical evaluation checklist was used to assess the quality of selected studies, while the GRADE approach was used to see the quality of evidence. Results A total of 13,931 studies were retrieved after the search on databases. After the scrutiny of studies by reading the title of articles and the inclusion/exclusion criteria, a total of 54 studies were selected for further screening by reading the full texts. In the final, a total of nine studies were selected for the current systematic review and proceeded for data extraction. The patients who were doing different exercises showed improvements in immunity, QOL, and reduction in CRF. A significant reduction in tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), C reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-8 (IL-8), IL-6, and an increase in natural killer (NK) cells levels was also observed. Conclusions The exercise program is safe and beneficial to improve the quality of life and immunity markers before, during, and after cancer treatment. Physical exercise may also help patients to overcome the adverse effects of the treatment and to reduce the chance o…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Sameer Badri AL-Mhanna
creator: Wan Syaheedah Wan Ghazali
creator: Mahaneem Mohamed
creator: Ali A. Rabaan
creator: Eman Y. Santali
creator: Jeehan H. Alestad
creator: Enas Y. Santali
creator: Sohaib Arshad
creator: Naveed Ahmed
creator: Hafeez Abiola Afolabi
subject: Kinesiology
subject: Healthcare Services
subject: Rehabilitation
subject: Sports Medicine
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13664
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 AL-Mhanna et al.
abstract: Background Cancer is a huge group of diseases that can affect various body parts of humans but also has a psychological, societal, and economic impact. Physical activity can improve the quality of life (QOL) and immunity, while moderate intensity exercise can reduce the probability of this lethal disease. The current study aimed to determine the effect of physical activity on immune markers and QOL in cancer patients as well as to evaluate cancer-related fatigue (CRF) and its association with physical activity. Methodology Before starting the study, the study protocol was registered in PROSPERO (registration number CRD42021273292). An electronic literature search was performed by combining MeSH terminology and keywords used with the Boolean operators “OR” and “AND” to find relevant published studies on PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and ScienceDirect databases. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical evaluation checklist was used to assess the quality of selected studies, while the GRADE approach was used to see the quality of evidence. Results A total of 13,931 studies were retrieved after the search on databases. After the scrutiny of studies by reading the title of articles and the inclusion/exclusion criteria, a total of 54 studies were selected for further screening by reading the full texts. In the final, a total of nine studies were selected for the current systematic review and proceeded for data extraction. The patients who were doing different exercises showed improvements in immunity, QOL, and reduction in CRF. A significant reduction in tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), C reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-8 (IL-8), IL-6, and an increase in natural killer (NK) cells levels was also observed. Conclusions The exercise program is safe and beneficial to improve the quality of life and immunity markers before, during, and after cancer treatment. Physical exercise may also help patients to overcome the adverse effects of the treatment and to reduce the chance o…
bibliographic citation: AL-Mhanna et al. (2022) Effectiveness of physical activity on immunity markers and quality of life in cancer patient: a systematic review. PeerJ 10:e13664 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13664
date submitted: 2021-12-28
date accepted: 2022-06-10
issued: 2022-08-02
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: AL-Mhanna
  given name: Sameer Badri
author list: Agent
  family name: Wan Ghazali
  given name: Wan Syaheedah
author list: Agent
  family name: Mohamed
  given name: Mahaneem
author list: Agent
  family name: Rabaan
  given name: Ali A.
author list: Agent
  family name: Santali
  given name: Eman Y.
author list: Agent
  family name: H. Alestad
  given name: Jeehan
author list: Agent
  family name: Santali
  given name: Enas Y.
author list: Agent
  family name: Arshad
  given name: Sohaib
author list: Agent
  family name: Ahmed
  given name: Naveed
author list: Agent
  family name: Afolabi
  given name: Hafeez Abiola
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13664
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-02
copyright: ©2022 AL-Mhanna et al.
attribution name: AL-Mhanna et al.

Prevalence of sarcopenia was higher in women than in men: a cross-sectional study from a rural area in eastern China
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background There were limited studies specifically evaluating whether the difference of the prevalence of sarcopenia exists in men and women in older adults from rural areas in China. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of sarcopenia between men and women in a rural area in eastern China and to explore the underlying causes. Methods This study included 1,105 participants aged 60-89 years. Muscle mass was measured by bio-electrical impedance analysis. Hand grip strength was measured by Jamar Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia-2019 Consensus. Data were analyzed using log-binomial and linear regression. Results The prevalence of sarcopenia was 21.7% in women and 12.9% in men among the study cohort. After adjusting for age, education level, number of diseases, income level, smoking, drinking, and eating habits, proportion of people with sarcopenia was 1.49-fold greater in women than in men (PR = 1.49, 95% CI [1.01–2.26], P = 0.055). Conclusions The prevalence of sarcopenia in elderly women in this rural area of eastern China is higher than in men, suggesting that women in rural areas in China seem to be more vulnerable for sarcopenia, thus early screening and prevention need to be provided for them to address such gender disparity in health.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Yichen Yang
creator: Qin Zhang
creator: Caihong He
creator: Jing Chen
creator: Danfeng Deng
creator: Wenwen Lu
creator: Yuming Wang
subject: Epidemiology
subject: Geriatrics
subject: Kinesiology
subject: Orthopedics
subject: Women’s Health
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13678
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Yang et al.
abstract: Background There were limited studies specifically evaluating whether the difference of the prevalence of sarcopenia exists in men and women in older adults from rural areas in China. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of sarcopenia between men and women in a rural area in eastern China and to explore the underlying causes. Methods This study included 1,105 participants aged 60-89 years. Muscle mass was measured by bio-electrical impedance analysis. Hand grip strength was measured by Jamar Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia-2019 Consensus. Data were analyzed using log-binomial and linear regression. Results The prevalence of sarcopenia was 21.7% in women and 12.9% in men among the study cohort. After adjusting for age, education level, number of diseases, income level, smoking, drinking, and eating habits, proportion of people with sarcopenia was 1.49-fold greater in women than in men (PR = 1.49, 95% CI [1.01–2.26], P = 0.055). Conclusions The prevalence of sarcopenia in elderly women in this rural area of eastern China is higher than in men, suggesting that women in rural areas in China seem to be more vulnerable for sarcopenia, thus early screening and prevention need to be provided for them to address such gender disparity in health.
bibliographic citation: Yang et al. (2022) Prevalence of sarcopenia was higher in women than in men: a cross-sectional study from a rural area in eastern China. PeerJ 10:e13678 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13678
date submitted: 2022-03-11
date accepted: 2022-06-13
issued: 2022-08-02
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Yang
  given name: Yichen
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Qin
author list: Agent
  family name: He
  given name: Caihong
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Jing
author list: Agent
  family name: Deng
  given name: Danfeng
author list: Agent
  family name: Lu
  given name: Wenwen
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Yuming
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13678
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-02
copyright: ©2022 Yang et al.
attribution name: Yang et al.

Differential gene expression analysis after DAPK1 knockout in hepatocellular carcinoma cells
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background The mechanism through which death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1) causes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to identify key proteins that were altered after DAPK1 knockout. Methods Stable DAPK1 knockout HCC cell lines were established, then the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of HCC were screened using the NetworkAnalyst database and enriched using the Metascape software. Protein-protein interaction networks (PPIs) were analyzed and visualized using the STRING database expansion. Results In total, 732 differentially expressed genes were identified, including 415 upregulated genes and 317 downregulated genes. Through Cytoscape software scoring, 10 pivotal genes were found to be closely related to changes in DAPK1 expression; Kininogen-1 (KNG1), Complement C3 (C3), Metalloproteinase inhibitor 1 (TIMP1), and Alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein (AHSG) were the most strongly associated with DAPK1 expression changes. Moreover, western blot analysis results revealed that changes in the levels of proteins encoded by the four key genes after DAPK1 knockout were consistent with those seen in the database screening. Conclusions These results provide a direction for further studies on the DAPK1 gene and on the mechanism through which DAPK1 leads to hepatocellular carcinoma development.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Yuanqi Li
creator: Hui Huang
creator: Huajun Yu
creator: Ting Mo
creator: Ting Wei
creator: Guodan Li
creator: Yufang Jia
creator: Xiaoqin Huang
creator: Mingjin Tu
creator: Xiuwen Yan
creator: Haitao Zhang
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Bioinformatics
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Molecular Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13711
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Li et al.
abstract: Background The mechanism through which death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1) causes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to identify key proteins that were altered after DAPK1 knockout. Methods Stable DAPK1 knockout HCC cell lines were established, then the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of HCC were screened using the NetworkAnalyst database and enriched using the Metascape software. Protein-protein interaction networks (PPIs) were analyzed and visualized using the STRING database expansion. Results In total, 732 differentially expressed genes were identified, including 415 upregulated genes and 317 downregulated genes. Through Cytoscape software scoring, 10 pivotal genes were found to be closely related to changes in DAPK1 expression; Kininogen-1 (KNG1), Complement C3 (C3), Metalloproteinase inhibitor 1 (TIMP1), and Alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein (AHSG) were the most strongly associated with DAPK1 expression changes. Moreover, western blot analysis results revealed that changes in the levels of proteins encoded by the four key genes after DAPK1 knockout were consistent with those seen in the database screening. Conclusions These results provide a direction for further studies on the DAPK1 gene and on the mechanism through which DAPK1 leads to hepatocellular carcinoma development.
bibliographic citation: Li et al. (2022) Differential gene expression analysis after DAPK1 knockout in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. PeerJ 10:e13711 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13711
date submitted: 2022-01-27
date accepted: 2022-06-20
issued: 2022-08-02
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Yuanqi
author list: Agent
  family name: Huang
  given name: Hui
author list: Agent
  family name: Yu
  given name: Huajun
author list: Agent
  family name: Mo
  given name: Ting
author list: Agent
  family name: Wei
  given name: Ting
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Guodan
author list: Agent
  family name: Jia
  given name: Yufang
author list: Agent
  family name: Huang
  given name: Xiaoqin
author list: Agent
  family name: Tu
  given name: Mingjin
author list: Agent
  family name: Yan
  given name: Xiuwen
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Haitao
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13711
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-02
copyright: ©2022 Li et al.
attribution name: Li et al.

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii) from the Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian) of the Atacama Desert, Northern Chile
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: This contribution presents novel records of ray-finned fishes from the Oxfordian of Cerritos Bayos, northern Chile. This includes a Pachycormiformes diversity represented by macropredatory forms (aff. Hypsocormus sp. and a still indeterminate form) and by suspension-feeding forms (Leedsichthys sp). The assemblage also includes the first Upper Jurassic local record of a Lepisosteidae, the latter being the oldest known to date in Gondwana. This diversity is complemented by new material of the lepidotid genus Scheenstia. The ray-finned fish assemblage from the Oxfordian of Cerritos Bayos is dominated by Lepisosteiformes and Pachycormiformes, complementing previous local coeval records from El Profeta Formation (ca. 250 km south from the localities here studied), mostly comprised by small Teleostei (e.g., Protoclupea chilensis, Varasichthys ariasi, Chongichthys dentatus, among others), indeterminate Pachycormiformes and Pycnodontiformes (Gyrodus sp.). The new records extend the known actinopterygian diversity from the Upper Jurassic of southeastern Panthalassa.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Rodrigo A. Otero
subject: Evolutionary Studies
subject: Paleontology
subject: Taxonomy
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13739
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Otero
abstract: This contribution presents novel records of ray-finned fishes from the Oxfordian of Cerritos Bayos, northern Chile. This includes a Pachycormiformes diversity represented by macropredatory forms (aff. Hypsocormus sp. and a still indeterminate form) and by suspension-feeding forms (Leedsichthys sp). The assemblage also includes the first Upper Jurassic local record of a Lepisosteidae, the latter being the oldest known to date in Gondwana. This diversity is complemented by new material of the lepidotid genus Scheenstia. The ray-finned fish assemblage from the Oxfordian of Cerritos Bayos is dominated by Lepisosteiformes and Pachycormiformes, complementing previous local coeval records from El Profeta Formation (ca. 250 km south from the localities here studied), mostly comprised by small Teleostei (e.g., Protoclupea chilensis, Varasichthys ariasi, Chongichthys dentatus, among others), indeterminate Pachycormiformes and Pycnodontiformes (Gyrodus sp.). The new records extend the known actinopterygian diversity from the Upper Jurassic of southeastern Panthalassa.
bibliographic citation: Otero (2022) Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii) from the Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian) of the Atacama Desert, Northern Chile. PeerJ 10:e13739 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13739
date submitted: 2021-11-19
date accepted: 2022-06-25
issued: 2022-08-02
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Otero
  given name: Rodrigo A.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13739
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-08-02
copyright: © 2022 Otero
attribution name: Otero

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