PeerJ
type: channel
link: https://peerj.com/articles/
description: Articles published in PeerJ
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
publication name: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359
items: Identification of the original plants of cultivated Bupleuri Radix based on DNA barcoding and chloroplast genome analysis
items: Effect of extracts from eggs of Helix aspersa maxima and Helix aspersa aspersa snails on Caco-2 colon cancer cells
items: New insights into the cranial osteology of the Early Cretaceous paracryptodiran turtle Lakotemys australodakotensis
items: Physical activity questionnaire for older children (PAQ-C): Arabic translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and psychometric validation in school-aged children in Saudi Arabia
items: Phylogeny, distribution and potential metabolism of candidate bacterial phylum KSB1
items: Factors related to overweight and obese populations maintaining metabolic health
items: Icaritin attenuates 6-OHDA-induced MN9D cell damage by inhibiting oxidative stress
items: Expression and promoter analysis of MEP pathway enzyme-encoding genes in Pinus massoniana Lamb
items: Ecomorphospace occupation of large herbivorous dinosaurs from Late Jurassic through to Late Cretaceous time in North America
items: Effects of exergaming on executive function of older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Identification of the original plants of cultivated Bupleuri Radix based on DNA barcoding and chloroplast genome analysis
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Bupleuri Radix is the dry root of certain species of the genus Bupleurum and is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. The increasing global demand for Bupleuri Radix cannot be fulfilled with wild populations only. Therefore, cultivated Bupleurum is now the main commercial source of this medicinal product. Different species of Bupleurum show different medicinal properties and clinical effects, making reliable authentication and assignment of correct botanical origin for medicinal species critical. However, accurate identification of the cultivated Bupleurum species is difficult due to dramatic morphological variations resulting from cultivation. In this study, we sampled 56 cultivated Bupleurum populations of six different morphotypes (Types A-F) from the main production areas of China, and 10 wild populations of four species were used as reference materials. Conventional DNA barcoding was conducted to identify cultivated Bupleurum species. Additionally, verification based on complete chloroplast genomes was performed and new chloroplast markers were developed and evaluated. The combination of these methods resulted in the successful identification of all cultivated Bupleurum individuals. Three chloroplast regions are recommended as additional barcodes for the genus: ycf4_cemA, psaJ_rpl33, and ndhE_ndhG. This is a reliable and promising strategy that can be applied to the authentication of natural products and the identification of other medicinal plant species with similar taxonomic problems.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Gaixia Zhang
creator: Hui Wang
creator: Linchun Shi
creator: Yang Liu
creator: Ruyu Yao
creator: Chun Sui
creator: Chengmin Yang
creator: Hongliang Ji
creator: Qiuling Wang
creator: Jianhe Wei
subject: Agricultural Science
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Plant Science
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13208
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Zhang et al.
abstract: Bupleuri Radix is the dry root of certain species of the genus Bupleurum and is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. The increasing global demand for Bupleuri Radix cannot be fulfilled with wild populations only. Therefore, cultivated Bupleurum is now the main commercial source of this medicinal product. Different species of Bupleurum show different medicinal properties and clinical effects, making reliable authentication and assignment of correct botanical origin for medicinal species critical. However, accurate identification of the cultivated Bupleurum species is difficult due to dramatic morphological variations resulting from cultivation. In this study, we sampled 56 cultivated Bupleurum populations of six different morphotypes (Types A-F) from the main production areas of China, and 10 wild populations of four species were used as reference materials. Conventional DNA barcoding was conducted to identify cultivated Bupleurum species. Additionally, verification based on complete chloroplast genomes was performed and new chloroplast markers were developed and evaluated. The combination of these methods resulted in the successful identification of all cultivated Bupleurum individuals. Three chloroplast regions are recommended as additional barcodes for the genus: ycf4_cemA, psaJ_rpl33, and ndhE_ndhG. This is a reliable and promising strategy that can be applied to the authentication of natural products and the identification of other medicinal plant species with similar taxonomic problems.
bibliographic citation: Zhang et al. (2022) Identification of the original plants of cultivated Bupleuri Radix based on DNA barcoding and chloroplast genome analysis. PeerJ 10:e13208 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13208
date submitted: 2020-11-13
date accepted: 2022-03-10
issued: 2022-04-12
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Gaixia
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Hui
author list: Agent
  family name: Shi
  given name: Linchun
author list: Agent
  family name: Liu
  given name: Yang
author list: Agent
  family name: Yao
  given name: Ruyu
author list: Agent
  family name: Sui
  given name: Chun
author list: Agent
  family name: Yang
  given name: Chengmin
author list: Agent
  family name: Ji
  given name: Hongliang
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Qiuling
author list: Agent
  family name: Wei
  given name: Jianhe
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13208
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-04-12
copyright: ©2022 Zhang et al.
attribution name: Zhang et al.

Effect of extracts from eggs of Helix aspersa maxima and Helix aspersa aspersa snails on Caco-2 colon cancer cells
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer. Natural compounds, administered together with conventional chemotherapeutic agent(s) and/or radiotherapy, may be a novel element in the combination therapy of this cancer. Considering the anticancer properties of compounds derived from different tissues of various snail species confirmed earlier, the purpose of the present research was to evaluate the effect of extracts from eggs of Helix aspera maxima and Helix aspersa aspersa snails, and fractions of extracts containing particles of different molecular weights on Caco-2 human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma cells. Methods The extracts and fractions were analyzed for antioxidant activity, phenols and total carbohydrates using colorimetric methods. Lipid peroxidation products and glutathione in eggs were also examined using these methods. Crude protein and fat in eggs were determined. Molecular weights of egg proteins and glycoproteins were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Astaxanthin, selected vitamins and amino acids in eggs were measured using liquid chromatography methods, and minerals by emission spectroscopy, mass spectrometry or X-ray fluorescence. The action of extracts on the cell viability was determined by the MTT (methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide) test, based on the mitochondrial oxidative activity, after 24 and 72 h of treatment. The influence of fractions on the cell viability was assayed after 24 h. The effect of extracts on the percentage of live and dead cells was evaluated by the trypan blue assay, in which live cells exclude trypan blue, while dead cells take up this dye, after 12, 24, 48 and 72 h of treatment. Their influence on the integrity of cell membranes was determined based on the activity of LDH (lactate dehydrogenase), released from damaged cells, after 24 and 72 h of treatment. Then, the effect of extracts on the content of lipid peroxidation products in cells …
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Magdalena Matusiewicz
creator: Karolina Marczak
creator: Barbara Kwiecińska
creator: Julia Kupis
creator: Klara Zglińska
creator: Tomasz Niemiec
creator: Iwona Kosieradzka
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Molecular Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13217
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Matusiewicz et al.
abstract: Background Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer. Natural compounds, administered together with conventional chemotherapeutic agent(s) and/or radiotherapy, may be a novel element in the combination therapy of this cancer. Considering the anticancer properties of compounds derived from different tissues of various snail species confirmed earlier, the purpose of the present research was to evaluate the effect of extracts from eggs of Helix aspera maxima and Helix aspersa aspersa snails, and fractions of extracts containing particles of different molecular weights on Caco-2 human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma cells. Methods The extracts and fractions were analyzed for antioxidant activity, phenols and total carbohydrates using colorimetric methods. Lipid peroxidation products and glutathione in eggs were also examined using these methods. Crude protein and fat in eggs were determined. Molecular weights of egg proteins and glycoproteins were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Astaxanthin, selected vitamins and amino acids in eggs were measured using liquid chromatography methods, and minerals by emission spectroscopy, mass spectrometry or X-ray fluorescence. The action of extracts on the cell viability was determined by the MTT (methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide) test, based on the mitochondrial oxidative activity, after 24 and 72 h of treatment. The influence of fractions on the cell viability was assayed after 24 h. The effect of extracts on the percentage of live and dead cells was evaluated by the trypan blue assay, in which live cells exclude trypan blue, while dead cells take up this dye, after 12, 24, 48 and 72 h of treatment. Their influence on the integrity of cell membranes was determined based on the activity of LDH (lactate dehydrogenase), released from damaged cells, after 24 and 72 h of treatment. Then, the effect of extracts on the content of lipid peroxidation products in cells …
bibliographic citation: Matusiewicz et al. (2022) Effect of extracts from eggs of Helix aspersa maxima and Helix aspersa aspersa snails on Caco-2 colon cancer cells. PeerJ 10:e13217 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13217
date submitted: 2021-11-08
date accepted: 2022-03-14
issued: 2022-04-12
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Matusiewicz
  given name: Magdalena
author list: Agent
  family name: Marczak
  given name: Karolina
author list: Agent
  family name: Kwiecińska
  given name: Barbara
author list: Agent
  family name: Kupis
  given name: Julia
author list: Agent
  family name: Zglińska
  given name: Klara
author list: Agent
  family name: Niemiec
  given name: Tomasz
author list: Agent
  family name: Kosieradzka
  given name: Iwona
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13217
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-04-12
copyright: © 2022 Matusiewicz et al.
attribution name: Matusiewicz et al.

New insights into the cranial osteology of the Early Cretaceous paracryptodiran turtle Lakotemys australodakotensis
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Lakotemys australodakotensis is an Early Cretaceous paracryptodire known from two shells and a skull from the Lakota Formation of South Dakota, USA. Along with the Early Cretaceous Arundelemys dardeni and the poorly known Trinitichelys hiatti, Lakotemys australodakotensis is generally retrieved as an early branching baenid, but more insights into the cranial anatomy of these taxa is needed to obtain a better understanding of paracryptodiran diversity and evolution. Here, we describe the skull of Lakotemys australodakotensis using micro-computed tomography to provide the anatomical basis for future phylogenetic analyses that will be needed to investigate more precisely the intrarelationships of Paracryptodira. Preliminary comparisons reveal that the cranial anatomy of Lakotemys australodakotensis is very similar to that of the Aptian-Albian basal baenid Arundelemys dardeni, that both taxa exhibit a remarkable combination of derived characters found in baenodds and characters found in non-baenid paracryptodires, particularly Pleurosternidae, and that Lakotemys australodakotensis is the only known baenid to date to possess a canal for the palatine artery.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Yann Rollot
creator: Serjoscha W. Evers
creator: Richard L. Cifelli
creator: Walter G. Joyce
subject: Evolutionary Studies
subject: Paleontology
subject: Taxonomy
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13230
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Rollot et al.
abstract: Lakotemys australodakotensis is an Early Cretaceous paracryptodire known from two shells and a skull from the Lakota Formation of South Dakota, USA. Along with the Early Cretaceous Arundelemys dardeni and the poorly known Trinitichelys hiatti, Lakotemys australodakotensis is generally retrieved as an early branching baenid, but more insights into the cranial anatomy of these taxa is needed to obtain a better understanding of paracryptodiran diversity and evolution. Here, we describe the skull of Lakotemys australodakotensis using micro-computed tomography to provide the anatomical basis for future phylogenetic analyses that will be needed to investigate more precisely the intrarelationships of Paracryptodira. Preliminary comparisons reveal that the cranial anatomy of Lakotemys australodakotensis is very similar to that of the Aptian-Albian basal baenid Arundelemys dardeni, that both taxa exhibit a remarkable combination of derived characters found in baenodds and characters found in non-baenid paracryptodires, particularly Pleurosternidae, and that Lakotemys australodakotensis is the only known baenid to date to possess a canal for the palatine artery.
bibliographic citation: Rollot et al. (2022) New insights into the cranial osteology of the Early Cretaceous paracryptodiran turtle Lakotemys australodakotensis. PeerJ 10:e13230 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13230
date submitted: 2021-11-19
date accepted: 2022-03-16
issued: 2022-04-12
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Rollot
  given name: Yann
author list: Agent
  family name: Evers
  given name: Serjoscha W.
author list: Agent
  family name: Cifelli
  given name: Richard L.
author list: Agent
  family name: Joyce
  given name: Walter G.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13230
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-04-12
copyright: ©2022 Rollot et al.
attribution name: Rollot et al.

Physical activity questionnaire for older children (PAQ-C): Arabic translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and psychometric validation in school-aged children in Saudi Arabia
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: The validity of the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C) has been mostly studied in North America and Europe. We investigated the psychometric validation of the Arabic version of the PAQ-C in students in Saudi Arabia. The students (n = 327, age = 8–14 years) of six primary schools in the Majmaah region participated in the study. Participants completed the PAQ-C, and their demographics were recorded. The PAQ-C scores satisfied the following factor analysis assumptions: diagonal elements of the anti-image correlation matrix (>0.5), Bartlett’s test of sphericity (p < 0.001), determinant (>0.00001), Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin test of sampling adequacy (>0.8), and communality (all values > 0.2). Exploratory factor analysis results were inconclusive, with two measures favoring a 2-factor solution (Kaiser’s criteria (Eigenvalue ≥ 1), and cumulative variance rule (>40%)); whereas, the scree test and the Monte Carlo parallel analysis favored a 1-factor structure. The confirmatory factor analysis favored a 1-factor solution: highest CFI, lowest RMSEA, non-significant χ2 statistics, and lowest χ2/df. The values of item-total correlation, corrected item-total correlation, and Cronbach’s alpha if an item was deleted, ranged from 0.20–0.57, 0.42–0.64, and 0.70–0.75, respectively. The PAQ-C showed a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.74. A 1-factor structure of the Arabic version of the PAQ-C had adequate psychometric validity in schoolchildren in Saudi Arabia.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Mohamed Sherif Sirajudeen
creator: Mohamed Waly
creator: Md. Dilshad Manzar
creator: Mazen Alqahtani
creator: Msaad Alzhrani
creator: Ahmad Alanazi
creator: Radhakrishnan Unnikrishnan
creator: Hariraja Muthusamy
creator: Rashmi Saibannavar
creator: Wafa Alrubaia
subject: Kinesiology
subject: Pediatrics
subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
subject: Public Health
subject: Obesity
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13237
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Sirajudeen et al.
abstract: The validity of the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C) has been mostly studied in North America and Europe. We investigated the psychometric validation of the Arabic version of the PAQ-C in students in Saudi Arabia. The students (n = 327, age = 8–14 years) of six primary schools in the Majmaah region participated in the study. Participants completed the PAQ-C, and their demographics were recorded. The PAQ-C scores satisfied the following factor analysis assumptions: diagonal elements of the anti-image correlation matrix (>0.5), Bartlett’s test of sphericity (p < 0.001), determinant (>0.00001), Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin test of sampling adequacy (>0.8), and communality (all values > 0.2). Exploratory factor analysis results were inconclusive, with two measures favoring a 2-factor solution (Kaiser’s criteria (Eigenvalue ≥ 1), and cumulative variance rule (>40%)); whereas, the scree test and the Monte Carlo parallel analysis favored a 1-factor structure. The confirmatory factor analysis favored a 1-factor solution: highest CFI, lowest RMSEA, non-significant χ2 statistics, and lowest χ2/df. The values of item-total correlation, corrected item-total correlation, and Cronbach’s alpha if an item was deleted, ranged from 0.20–0.57, 0.42–0.64, and 0.70–0.75, respectively. The PAQ-C showed a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.74. A 1-factor structure of the Arabic version of the PAQ-C had adequate psychometric validity in schoolchildren in Saudi Arabia.
bibliographic citation: Sirajudeen et al. (2022) Physical activity questionnaire for older children (PAQ-C): Arabic translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and psychometric validation in school-aged children in Saudi Arabia. PeerJ 10:e13237 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13237
date submitted: 2021-07-15
date accepted: 2022-03-18
issued: 2022-04-12
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Sirajudeen
  given name: Mohamed Sherif
author list: Agent
  family name: Waly
  given name: Mohamed
author list: Agent
  family name: Manzar
  given name: Md. Dilshad
author list: Agent
  family name: Alqahtani
  given name: Mazen
author list: Agent
  family name: Alzhrani
  given name: Msaad
author list: Agent
  family name: Alanazi
  given name: Ahmad
author list: Agent
  family name: Unnikrishnan
  given name: Radhakrishnan
author list: Agent
  family name: Muthusamy
  given name: Hariraja
author list: Agent
  family name: Saibannavar
  given name: Rashmi
author list: Agent
  family name: Alrubaia
  given name: Wafa
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13237
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-04-12
copyright: © 2022 Sirajudeen et al.
attribution name: Sirajudeen et al.

Phylogeny, distribution and potential metabolism of candidate bacterial phylum KSB1
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Candidate phylum KSB1 is composed of uncultured bacteria and has been reported across various environments. However, the phylogeny and metabolic potential of KSB1 have not been studied comprehensively. In this study, phylogenomic analysis of KSB1 genomes from public databases and eleven metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from marine and hydrothermal sediments revealed that those genomes were clustered into four clades. Isolation source and relative abundance of KSB1 genomes showed that clade I was particularly abundant in bioreactor sludge. Genes related to dissimilatory reduction of nitrate to ammonia (DNRA), the last step of denitrification converting nitrous oxide to nitrogen and assimilatory sulfur reduction were observed in the expanded genomes of clade I, which may due to horizontal gene transfer that frequently occurred in bioreactor. Annotation and metabolic reconstruction of clades II and IV showed flagellum assembly and chemotaxis genes in the genomes, which may indicate that exploration and sensing for nutrients and chemical gradients are critical for the two clades in deep-sea and hydrothermal sediment. Metabolic potentials of fatty acids and short-chain hydrocarbons utilization were predicted in clades I and IV of KSB1. Collectively, phylogenomic and metabolic analyses of KSB1 clades provide insight into their anaerobic heterotrophic lifestyle and differentiation in potential ecological roles.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Qingmei Li
creator: Yingli Zhou
creator: Rui Lu
creator: Pengfei Zheng
creator: Yong Wang
subject: Bioinformatics
subject: Genomics
subject: Marine Biology
subject: Microbiology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13241
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Li et al.
abstract: Candidate phylum KSB1 is composed of uncultured bacteria and has been reported across various environments. However, the phylogeny and metabolic potential of KSB1 have not been studied comprehensively. In this study, phylogenomic analysis of KSB1 genomes from public databases and eleven metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from marine and hydrothermal sediments revealed that those genomes were clustered into four clades. Isolation source and relative abundance of KSB1 genomes showed that clade I was particularly abundant in bioreactor sludge. Genes related to dissimilatory reduction of nitrate to ammonia (DNRA), the last step of denitrification converting nitrous oxide to nitrogen and assimilatory sulfur reduction were observed in the expanded genomes of clade I, which may due to horizontal gene transfer that frequently occurred in bioreactor. Annotation and metabolic reconstruction of clades II and IV showed flagellum assembly and chemotaxis genes in the genomes, which may indicate that exploration and sensing for nutrients and chemical gradients are critical for the two clades in deep-sea and hydrothermal sediment. Metabolic potentials of fatty acids and short-chain hydrocarbons utilization were predicted in clades I and IV of KSB1. Collectively, phylogenomic and metabolic analyses of KSB1 clades provide insight into their anaerobic heterotrophic lifestyle and differentiation in potential ecological roles.
bibliographic citation: Li et al. (2022) Phylogeny, distribution and potential metabolism of candidate bacterial phylum KSB1. PeerJ 10:e13241 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13241
date submitted: 2021-11-17
date accepted: 2022-03-18
issued: 2022-04-12
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Qingmei
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhou
  given name: Yingli
author list: Agent
  family name: Lu
  given name: Rui
author list: Agent
  family name: Zheng
  given name: Pengfei
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Yong
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13241
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-04-12
copyright: © 2022 Li et al.
attribution name: Li et al.

Factors related to overweight and obese populations maintaining metabolic health
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background For people who are overweight or obese, maintaining a metabolically healthy status can decrease the risks of developing cardiovascular diseases and Type 2 diabetes. Despite this, only a limited amount of research has discussed the metabolically healthy overweight and obesity (MHOO) population in Asia and the factors associated with them maintaining their metabolic health. Methods This study enrolled 195 MHOO participants from communities in northern Taiwan during 2009–2010 (baseline). Of the 195 participants, 89 completed the follow-up assessment after a median follow-up time of nine years. Body type was determined by body mass index (BMI, kg/m2). We defined overweight as a BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2 and <27 kg/m2 and defined obese as a BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2. Metabolic health was defined as the absence of cardiometabolic diseases and the presence of ≤1 of the cardiometabolic risk factors, namely hypertension, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and low serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Metabolic health, BMI, and other covariates were evaluated at both baseline and follow-up. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) models were used to analyze the factors associated with maintenance of metabolic health during the follow-up period. Results At baseline, the mean age of the study participants was 47.4 (SD 5.3) years and 46 (51.7%) of the participants were women. There were 51 (57.3%) individuals who maintained their metabolic health status at the time of the nine-year follow-up. The detrimental factors pertaining to metabolic health included older age, longer duration until follow-up, BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2, and increase in waist circumference. No significant relationships were observed between sociodemographic factors and lifestyle factors, such as sex, level of education, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity, and sustained metabolic health among MHOO individuals. Conclusions To maintain metabolic health and prevent negative changes in health status, …
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Yi-Hsuan Lin
creator: Hsiao-Ting Chang
creator: Yen-Han Tseng
creator: Harn-Shen Chen
creator: Shu-Chiung Chiang
creator: Tzeng-Ji Chen
creator: Shinn-Jang Hwang
subject: Diabetes and Endocrinology
subject: Metabolic Sciences
subject: Obesity
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13242
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Lin et al.
abstract: Background For people who are overweight or obese, maintaining a metabolically healthy status can decrease the risks of developing cardiovascular diseases and Type 2 diabetes. Despite this, only a limited amount of research has discussed the metabolically healthy overweight and obesity (MHOO) population in Asia and the factors associated with them maintaining their metabolic health. Methods This study enrolled 195 MHOO participants from communities in northern Taiwan during 2009–2010 (baseline). Of the 195 participants, 89 completed the follow-up assessment after a median follow-up time of nine years. Body type was determined by body mass index (BMI, kg/m2). We defined overweight as a BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2 and <27 kg/m2 and defined obese as a BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2. Metabolic health was defined as the absence of cardiometabolic diseases and the presence of ≤1 of the cardiometabolic risk factors, namely hypertension, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and low serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Metabolic health, BMI, and other covariates were evaluated at both baseline and follow-up. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) models were used to analyze the factors associated with maintenance of metabolic health during the follow-up period. Results At baseline, the mean age of the study participants was 47.4 (SD 5.3) years and 46 (51.7%) of the participants were women. There were 51 (57.3%) individuals who maintained their metabolic health status at the time of the nine-year follow-up. The detrimental factors pertaining to metabolic health included older age, longer duration until follow-up, BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2, and increase in waist circumference. No significant relationships were observed between sociodemographic factors and lifestyle factors, such as sex, level of education, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity, and sustained metabolic health among MHOO individuals. Conclusions To maintain metabolic health and prevent negative changes in health status, …
bibliographic citation: Lin et al. (2022) Factors related to overweight and obese populations maintaining metabolic health. PeerJ 10:e13242 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13242
date submitted: 2021-10-27
date accepted: 2022-03-18
issued: 2022-04-12
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Lin
  given name: Yi-Hsuan
author list: Agent
  family name: Chang
  given name: Hsiao-Ting
author list: Agent
  family name: Tseng
  given name: Yen-Han
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Harn-Shen
author list: Agent
  family name: Chiang
  given name: Shu-Chiung
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Tzeng-Ji
author list: Agent
  family name: Hwang
  given name: Shinn-Jang
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13242
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-04-12
copyright: ©2022 Lin et al.
attribution name: Lin et al.

Icaritin attenuates 6-OHDA-induced MN9D cell damage by inhibiting oxidative stress
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background We assessed whether ICT can alleviate 6-OHDA-induced cell damage via inhibition of oxidative stress by evaluating the protective effect of icaritin (ICT) against 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced MN9D cell damage and further determined the mechanism by which ICT reduces oxidative stress. Methods MN9D cells were treated with 6-OHDA, to study the mechanism underlying the neuroprotective effect of ICT. MN9D cell damage was assessed by the CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry was performed to measure the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells, a superoxide dismutase (SOD) kit was used to evaluate SOD activity, and Western blotting was used to measure the expression of α-synuclein (α-Syn), Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Results ICT reduced damage to MN9D cells induced by 6-OHDA. ICT increased SOD activity and TH expression and reduced ROS production and α-Syn expression. ICT promoted the translocation of Nrf2 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and further increased the protein expression of HO-1. Conclusions ICT protects against 6-OHDA-induced dopaminergic neuronal cell injury by attenuating oxidative stress, and the mechanism is related to modulate the activities of Nrf2, HO-1 protein, and SOD.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Xinyu Zhou
creator: Nanqu Huang
creator: Xiaoyi Hou
creator: Li Zhu
creator: Yiman Xie
creator: Zhisheng Ba
creator: Yong Luo
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Molecular Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13256
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Zhou et al.
abstract: Background We assessed whether ICT can alleviate 6-OHDA-induced cell damage via inhibition of oxidative stress by evaluating the protective effect of icaritin (ICT) against 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced MN9D cell damage and further determined the mechanism by which ICT reduces oxidative stress. Methods MN9D cells were treated with 6-OHDA, to study the mechanism underlying the neuroprotective effect of ICT. MN9D cell damage was assessed by the CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry was performed to measure the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells, a superoxide dismutase (SOD) kit was used to evaluate SOD activity, and Western blotting was used to measure the expression of α-synuclein (α-Syn), Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Results ICT reduced damage to MN9D cells induced by 6-OHDA. ICT increased SOD activity and TH expression and reduced ROS production and α-Syn expression. ICT promoted the translocation of Nrf2 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and further increased the protein expression of HO-1. Conclusions ICT protects against 6-OHDA-induced dopaminergic neuronal cell injury by attenuating oxidative stress, and the mechanism is related to modulate the activities of Nrf2, HO-1 protein, and SOD.
bibliographic citation: Zhou et al. (2022) Icaritin attenuates 6-OHDA-induced MN9D cell damage by inhibiting oxidative stress. PeerJ 10:e13256 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13256
date submitted: 2021-11-08
date accepted: 2022-03-22
issued: 2022-04-12
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhou
  given name: Xinyu
author list: Agent
  family name: Huang
  given name: Nanqu
author list: Agent
  family name: Hou
  given name: Xiaoyi
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhu
  given name: Li
author list: Agent
  family name: Xie
  given name: Yiman
author list: Agent
  family name: Ba
  given name: Zhisheng
author list: Agent
  family name: Luo
  given name: Yong
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13256
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-04-12
copyright: © 2022 Zhou et al.
attribution name: Zhou et al.

Expression and promoter analysis of MEP pathway enzyme-encoding genes in Pinus massoniana Lamb
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: The methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway provides the universal basic blocks for the biosynthesis of terpenoids and plays a critical role in the growth and development of higher plants. Pinus massoniana is the most valuable oleoresin producer tree with an extensive terrestrial range. It has the potential to produce more oleoresin with commercial value, while being resistant to pine wood nematode (PWN) disease. For this study, eleven MEP pathway associated enzyme-encoding genes and ten promoters were isolated from P. massoniana. Three PmDXS and two PmHDR existed as multi-copy genes, whereas the other six genes existed as single copies. All eleven of these MEP enzymes exhibited chloroplast localization with transient expression. Most of the MEP genes showed higher expression in the needles, while PmDXS2, PmDXS3, and PmHDR1 had high expression in the roots. The expressions of a few MEP genes could be induced under exogenous elicitor conditions. The functional complementation in a dxs-mutant Escherichia coli strain showed the DXS enzymatic activities of the three PmDXSs. High throughput TAIL PCR was employed to obtain the upstream sequences of the genes encoding for enzymes in the MEP pathway, whereby abundant light responsive cis-elements and transcription factor (TF) binding sites were identified within the ten promoters. This study provides a theoretical basis for research on the functionality and transcriptional regulation of MEP enzymes, as well as a potential strategy for high-resin generation and improved genetic resistance in P. massoniana.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Peihuang Zhu
creator: Yu Chen
creator: Fan Wu
creator: Miaojing Meng
creator: Kongshu Ji
subject: Bioinformatics
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Plant Science
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13266
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Zhu et al.
abstract: The methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway provides the universal basic blocks for the biosynthesis of terpenoids and plays a critical role in the growth and development of higher plants. Pinus massoniana is the most valuable oleoresin producer tree with an extensive terrestrial range. It has the potential to produce more oleoresin with commercial value, while being resistant to pine wood nematode (PWN) disease. For this study, eleven MEP pathway associated enzyme-encoding genes and ten promoters were isolated from P. massoniana. Three PmDXS and two PmHDR existed as multi-copy genes, whereas the other six genes existed as single copies. All eleven of these MEP enzymes exhibited chloroplast localization with transient expression. Most of the MEP genes showed higher expression in the needles, while PmDXS2, PmDXS3, and PmHDR1 had high expression in the roots. The expressions of a few MEP genes could be induced under exogenous elicitor conditions. The functional complementation in a dxs-mutant Escherichia coli strain showed the DXS enzymatic activities of the three PmDXSs. High throughput TAIL PCR was employed to obtain the upstream sequences of the genes encoding for enzymes in the MEP pathway, whereby abundant light responsive cis-elements and transcription factor (TF) binding sites were identified within the ten promoters. This study provides a theoretical basis for research on the functionality and transcriptional regulation of MEP enzymes, as well as a potential strategy for high-resin generation and improved genetic resistance in P. massoniana.
bibliographic citation: Zhu et al. (2022) Expression and promoter analysis of MEP pathway enzyme-encoding genes in Pinus massoniana Lamb. PeerJ 10:e13266 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13266
date submitted: 2021-12-29
date accepted: 2022-03-23
issued: 2022-04-12
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhu
  given name: Peihuang
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Yu
author list: Agent
  family name: Wu
  given name: Fan
author list: Agent
  family name: Meng
  given name: Miaojing
author list: Agent
  family name: Ji
  given name: Kongshu
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13266
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-04-12
copyright: © 2022 Zhu et al.
attribution name: Zhu et al.

Ecomorphospace occupation of large herbivorous dinosaurs from Late Jurassic through to Late Cretaceous time in North America
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Following the Late Jurassic, megaherbivore communities in North America undergo a dramatic turnover in faunal composition: sauropods decline to the point of becoming relatively minor components of ecosystems, stegosaurs become extinct, and hadrosaurids, ceratopsids and ankylosaurs rise in diversity and abundance. Although a variety of causes have been proposed to account for the dramatic decrease in sauropod diversity following the Late Jurassic and could have also been applicable to the disappearance of stegosaurs, the potential for competitive replacement of sauropods by hadrosauroids as an explanation has been previously dismissed due to morphological differences without further investigation. Using twelve ecomorphological correlates of the skull, this study provides a preliminary investigation into ecomorphospace occupation of major megaherbivore clades from the Late Jurassic through to the Late Cretaceous of North America and assess if morphological differences were enough to have potentially facilitated dietary niche partitioning between sauropods and iguanodontians and stegosaurs and ankylosaurs. Overlap in reconstructed ecomorphospace was observed between sauropods (particularly non-diplodocid sauropods) and iguanodontians, as would be expected if morphological differences were not enough to facilitate niche partitioning, contrary to original claims used to dismiss the competitive replacement hypothesis. Overlap was also observed between stegosaurs and ankylosaurs, particularly between Late Cretaceous ankylosaurs. Whether this overlap is reflective competitive replacement or opportunistic occupation of recently vacated niches will require further assessment as sampling of some clades prior to the Late Cretaceous is too poor to make a reliable assessment and several underlying assumptions necessary for competition to occur (e.g., resource limitation) still need investigation. Teasing out the cause(s) of the ‘sauropod decline’ and extinction of stegosaurs in N…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Taia Wyenberg-Henzler
subject: Ecology
subject: Evolutionary Studies
subject: Paleontology
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13174
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Wyenberg-Henzler
abstract: Following the Late Jurassic, megaherbivore communities in North America undergo a dramatic turnover in faunal composition: sauropods decline to the point of becoming relatively minor components of ecosystems, stegosaurs become extinct, and hadrosaurids, ceratopsids and ankylosaurs rise in diversity and abundance. Although a variety of causes have been proposed to account for the dramatic decrease in sauropod diversity following the Late Jurassic and could have also been applicable to the disappearance of stegosaurs, the potential for competitive replacement of sauropods by hadrosauroids as an explanation has been previously dismissed due to morphological differences without further investigation. Using twelve ecomorphological correlates of the skull, this study provides a preliminary investigation into ecomorphospace occupation of major megaherbivore clades from the Late Jurassic through to the Late Cretaceous of North America and assess if morphological differences were enough to have potentially facilitated dietary niche partitioning between sauropods and iguanodontians and stegosaurs and ankylosaurs. Overlap in reconstructed ecomorphospace was observed between sauropods (particularly non-diplodocid sauropods) and iguanodontians, as would be expected if morphological differences were not enough to facilitate niche partitioning, contrary to original claims used to dismiss the competitive replacement hypothesis. Overlap was also observed between stegosaurs and ankylosaurs, particularly between Late Cretaceous ankylosaurs. Whether this overlap is reflective competitive replacement or opportunistic occupation of recently vacated niches will require further assessment as sampling of some clades prior to the Late Cretaceous is too poor to make a reliable assessment and several underlying assumptions necessary for competition to occur (e.g., resource limitation) still need investigation. Teasing out the cause(s) of the ‘sauropod decline’ and extinction of stegosaurs in N…
bibliographic citation: Wyenberg-Henzler (2022) Ecomorphospace occupation of large herbivorous dinosaurs from Late Jurassic through to Late Cretaceous time in North America. PeerJ 10:e13174 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13174
date submitted: 2021-11-26
date accepted: 2022-03-06
issued: 2022-04-11
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Wyenberg-Henzler
  given name: Taia
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13174
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-04-11
copyright: ©2022 Wyenberg-Henzler
attribution name: Wyenberg-Henzler

Effects of exergaming on executive function of older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Executive function (EF) involves a series of high-level processes, such as inhibition, switching, and updating. Aging-related cognitive decline has been shown to be strongly associated with EF worsening. The aims of this study were to perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of exergaming, an emerging intervention, on EF performance in older adults and to conduct a moderator analysis of exergaming effects on EF. Methods Randomized controlled trials examining exergaming influences on EF in older adults were collated by searching the Web of Science, Elsevier Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases. Statistical data were quantified in Comprehensive Meta-analysis software. Overall EF and EF domains (inhibition, switching, and updating) were analyzed separately. Results A total of 15 studies were included. The meta-analysis results indicated that exergaming had a significant influence on overall EF in the older adult (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.349, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.191–0.506], p < 0.001). The same effects were also found in EF domains of inhibition (SMD = 0.415, 95% CI [0.102–0.729], p = 0.009), switching (SMD = 0.243, 95% CI [0.071–0.415], p = 0.005), and updating (SMD = 0.366, 95% CI [0.140–0.592], p = 0.002). The effects of exergaming on overall EF were found to be moderated by the frequency of the intervention (Q(1) = 3.537, p = 0.06). Conclusion Exergaming was confirmed to improve overall EF, as well as in older adults, and the effect of exergaming on EF was shown to be moderated by intervention frequency.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Jiahui Jiang
creator: Wei Guo
creator: Biye Wang
subject: Geriatrics
subject: Kinesiology
subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
subject: Public Health
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13194
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Jiang et al.
abstract: Background Executive function (EF) involves a series of high-level processes, such as inhibition, switching, and updating. Aging-related cognitive decline has been shown to be strongly associated with EF worsening. The aims of this study were to perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of exergaming, an emerging intervention, on EF performance in older adults and to conduct a moderator analysis of exergaming effects on EF. Methods Randomized controlled trials examining exergaming influences on EF in older adults were collated by searching the Web of Science, Elsevier Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases. Statistical data were quantified in Comprehensive Meta-analysis software. Overall EF and EF domains (inhibition, switching, and updating) were analyzed separately. Results A total of 15 studies were included. The meta-analysis results indicated that exergaming had a significant influence on overall EF in the older adult (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.349, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.191–0.506], p < 0.001). The same effects were also found in EF domains of inhibition (SMD = 0.415, 95% CI [0.102–0.729], p = 0.009), switching (SMD = 0.243, 95% CI [0.071–0.415], p = 0.005), and updating (SMD = 0.366, 95% CI [0.140–0.592], p = 0.002). The effects of exergaming on overall EF were found to be moderated by the frequency of the intervention (Q(1) = 3.537, p = 0.06). Conclusion Exergaming was confirmed to improve overall EF, as well as in older adults, and the effect of exergaming on EF was shown to be moderated by intervention frequency.
bibliographic citation: Jiang et al. (2022) Effects of exergaming on executive function of older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PeerJ 10:e13194 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13194
date submitted: 2021-12-28
date accepted: 2022-03-09
issued: 2022-04-11
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Jiang
  given name: Jiahui
author list: Agent
  family name: Guo
  given name: Wei
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Biye
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13194
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-04-11
copyright: © 2022 Jiang et al.
attribution name: Jiang et al.

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