title: PeerJ description: Articles published in PeerJ link: https://peerj.com/articles/index.rss3?journal=peerj&page=113 creator: info@peerj.com PeerJ errorsTo: info@peerj.com PeerJ language: en title: Use and application of iNaturalist on land snails from Argentina link: https://peerj.com/articles/19152 last-modified: 2025-03-17 description: Gastropods are a large and diverse taxonomic group, and South America has an impressive diversity of land snails. However, there are no accurate and complete lists or estimates of native species’ richness in South America. The aim of this work is to evaluate the use of iNaturalist in Argentina for terrestrial gastropods and its potential to contribute to the knowledge of malacofauna. A search was performed for Argentina on 15 June 2024, filtering observations for terrestrial gastropods, yielding 3,758 records, of which about 10% were of interest for this work. Exotic species represented between 60–63% of the observations in iNaturalist, and native species represented between 37–40%, with post-validation and pre-validation respectively. The geographical distribution of exotic species was mostly concentrated in the urban areas of the capital cities, and the observations of native species were concentrated in a few provinces. It was possible to detect and expand the distribution area of exotic species such as Rumina decollata, Limacus flavus, Bradybaena similaris, Deroceras laeve, Deroceras reticulatum, Deroceras invadens, Arion intermedius, Milax gagates, Limax maximus, Vallonia pulchella, possibly Laevicaulis alte; native species such as Phyllocaulis soleiformis, Drymaeus poecilus, Drymaeus papyraceus. Potential species not recorded in Argentina were identified as Helix pomatia, Mesembrinus gereti. We also recorded species within the known range, potential new species not described by science, a possible case of accidental transfer of Mesembrinus interpunctus, and the prediction of the distribution of Megalobulimus lorentzianus was verified. Through the development of this study, we were able to demonstrate the relevance of citizen science in providing interesting contributions to the knowledge of terrestrial mollusks biodiversity in Argentina. creator: Ana Carolina Díaz creator: Stella M. Martin uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.19152 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2025 Díaz and Martin title: Quantitative evaluation of muscle mass based on chest high-resolution CT and its prognostic value for tuberculosis: a retrospective study link: https://peerj.com/articles/19147 last-modified: 2025-03-17 description: ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the prognostic value of quantitatively evaluating muscle mass using chest high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in patients with active tuberculosis (TB).MethodsThis retrospective cohort study collected data from 309 patients with active TB diagnosed at Ningbo No.2 Hospital from 2020 to 2023. Based on the skeletal muscle index (SMI) at the T12 vertebra (with thresholds of <28.8 cm2/m2 for men and <20.8 cm2/m2 for women), patients were divided into a low muscle mass group and a normal muscle mass group. The study compared baseline characteristics, muscle mass-related indicators, body mass index (BMI), and imaging features between the two groups. The correlation between muscle mass-related indicators, BMI, and TB imaging features and prognosis was analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used to assess the prognostic value of muscle mass-related indicators and BMI in patients undergoing anti-TB treatment.ResultsA total of 309 patients were included in the study, divided into a normal muscle mass group (n = 229) and a low muscle mass group (n = 80). There was a significant difference in prognosis between the two groups (χ2 test, p < 0.05). Patients in the low muscle mass group were older, had a higher proportion of males, and had a lower BMI (p < 0.05). Additionally, these patients had a higher likelihood of developing pulmonary cavities (p < 0.05). In terms of imaging features, the two groups showed significant differences in the pre-treatment proportion of pulmonary fibrotic bands, ground-glass opacities, consolidation, lesion percentage, and lesion absorption ratio (all p < 0.05). Univariate analysis indicated that both the T12 skeletal muscle index (T12 SMI) and BMI were correlated with TB imaging characteristics (p < 0.05), with T12 SMI showing a stronger correlation than BMI. Multivariable linear regression analysis revealed that after adjusting for age, gender, and T12 skeletal muscle radiation attenuation (T12 SMRA), T12 SMI remained significantly correlated with the whole-lung lesion proportion (β: − 4.56, 95% CI [−5.45 to −3.67]) and lesion absorption ratio (β:0.036, 95% CI [0.031–0.041]). Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that after accounting for age, gender, T12 SMRA, T12 SMI was significantly associated with the prognosis of TB patients (OR: 20.10, 95% CI [8.81–51.56], p < 0.05), indicating that low T12 SMI is an independent risk factor associated with poor prognosis. ROC curve analysis indicated that T12 SMI may offer advantages over BMI, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of T12 SMI (0.761, 95% CI [0.690–0.832]) higher than the AUC of BMI (0.700, 95% CI [0.619–0.781].ConclusionQuantitative evaluation of muscle mass using chest HRCT, particularly the T12 SMI, may provide valuable prognostic information for tuberculosis patients, potentially offering advantages over BMI in assessing patient outcomes. creator: Ankang Huang creator: Yuyao Zhang creator: Qi Dai creator: Jingfeng Zhang creator: Jianjun Zheng uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.19147 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2025 Huang et al. title: Diversity of lanternfish (Myctophidae) larvae along the Ninety East Ridge, Indian Ocean link: https://peerj.com/articles/19144 last-modified: 2025-03-17 description: Since the 19th century, the impact of seamounts on the distribution of plankton has been a topic of considerable interest. The influence of seamounts on the biogeographic patterns of marine organisms is complex, with some aspects still under debate. It is generally accepted that seamounts can drive the upwelling of nutrient-rich deep waters. Tidal amplification, flow acceleration, and internal waves can further enhance vertical mixing, leading to increased primary productivity near seamounts. Seamounts may also act as barriers to the migration of marine organisms, affecting gene flow. Research on Pacific seamounts suggests these features might serve as “stepping stones” for the dispersal of marine species across the ocean. However, investigations of seamounts in the eastern Indian Ocean remain limited. Focusing on the Ninety East Ridge region in the eastern Indian Ocean, this study collected zooplankton samples using horizontal (surface) and vertical (0–200 m) plankton nets and measured temperature and salinity profiles with a conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) sensor. A total of 544 fish larvae were identified, including 260 lanternfish larvae, representing 38 species across 12 genera, determined through COI DNA barcoding. Phylogenetic trees and haplotype networks were constructed to analyze genetic distances and population structures of lanternfish species. Among the samples, intra-specific genetic distances ranged from 0% to 2.99%, while inter-specific distances ranged from 1.88% to 25.71%. Except for Notolychnus valdiviae (Brauer, 1904), the maximum intra-specific distances were lower than the minimum inter-specific distances for all species. Haplotype analysis of nine species revealed significant variations in haplotype number, structure, and spatial distribution. Specifically, Ceratoscopelus warmingii (Lütken, 1892) and N. valdiviae exhibited a notable north-south divergence pattern, consistent with the temperature and salinity distribution of the region’s water masses. This conclusion was supported by analysis of molecular variance analysis, suggesting that larval stages of certain lanternfish species may struggle to cross boundaries between water masses. However, the remaining species showed no significant north-south distribution differences, possibly due to their adaptive capabilities, vertical migration patterns, or the duration of their planktonic larval stages. These findings suggest that seamounts and water mass distribution have varying implications for lanternfish species, potentially influencing gene flow and horizontal distribution patterns, which could contribute to speciation. Global climate change-induced alterations in ocean currents may profoundly impact the genetic diversity of fish species. This study provides new insights into the diversity of lanternfish in the Ninety East Ridge region and offers valuable data for understanding the biogeography of seamounts. creator: Qiong Wu creator: Peng Xiang creator: Chunguang Wang creator: Chunsheng Jing creator: Xinyu Lin creator: Yanguo Wang creator: Guangcheng Chen creator: Mao Lin creator: BingPeng Xing uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.19144 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2025 Wu et al. title: Effect of thermal cycling on the mechanical properties of conventional, milled, and 3D-printed base resin materials: a comparative in vitro study link: https://peerj.com/articles/19141 last-modified: 2025-03-17 description: PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of thermal cycling on the mechanical properties of conventional, milled, and 3D-printed denture base materials.MethodsUnigraphics NX software was used to design the sample data, after which denture base resin samples were fabricated using conventional polymerization (conventional), milling, and 3D-printing techniques. Flexural strength, Vickers hardness, and impact strength of each group of samples were evaluated both before and after 10,000 thermal cycles in distilled water at 5 °C and 55 °C (n = 8/group). Statistical analysis of the data was conducted using the Kruskal-Wallis H test, Weibull analysis and Spearman correlation analysis.ResultsThe flexural strength and impact strength of the 3D-printed group significantly decreased after thermal cycling (P = 0.001), whereas no significant differences were observed before and after thermal cycling in the conventional or milled groups (P > 0.05). No significant correlation was found between flexural strength and impact strength for any of the groups. The Weibull modulus of 3D printed groups for both flexural and impact strength decreased after thermal cycling. The Vickers hardness of the conventional group increased significantly after thermal cycling, while Vickers hardness significantly decreased in the milled or 3D-printed groups (P < 0.05).ConclusionCompared with the conventional or milled groups, thermal cycling had a more pronounced effect on the flexural strength, Vickers hardness, and impact strength of the 3D-printed group. These findings indicate that further improvements (e.g., material composition, printing parameters and post-processing) in the mechanical properties of 3D-printed materials is necessary before clinical application. creator: Shuang Xiao creator: Ruo-Jin Zhang creator: Fa-Bing Tan uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.19141 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2025 Xiao et al. title: Gastroduodenal artery aneurysm/ pseudoaneurysm: a systematic review of reported cases link: https://peerj.com/articles/19115 last-modified: 2025-03-17 description: BackgroundThis systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the clinical characteristics of patients with gastroduodenal artery aneurysm (GDA), identified risk factors associated with poor clinical outcomes, and elucidated potential differences between various GDA etiologies.MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted from January 2000 to October 2023 in the PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases. The analysis focused on extracting data regarding clinical presentations, diagnostic modalities, and patient outcomes.ResultsThis meta-analysis included data from 224 patients derived from 207 case reports spanning 47 countries over a 23-year period. The majority of patients presented with comorbidity (85.3%) and had a predisposing factor for GDA (71.9%). The diagnostic accuracy of the three most common diagnostic investigations—namely angiography, abdominal computed tomography, and ultrasound—was 100.0%, 86.2%, and 59.6%, respectively. Transarterial embolization (75.0%) and surgery (24.1%) were the two most common therapeutic approaches. Emergent treatment for GDA was necessary in 31.7% of patients. Notably, hemostasis was achieved after the initial treatment attempt in 82.6% of patients. The in-hospital mortality rate was 6.7%, with complications occurring in 16.1% of cases. A higher percentage of patients with a complicated hospital course were subjected to observation management and presented with shock during hospitalization.ConclusionsPatients with GDA often have comorbidities and predisposing factors. Clinical presentations of GDA were found to include abdominal pain, hemorrhage, and obstruction of peripheral structures in the vicinity of the gastroduodenal artery. Splanchnic artery angiography and abdominal computed tomography are recognized as the most accurate tools for diagnosing GDA. Endovascular management is the mainstay treatment approach for most patients and have a high rate of hemostasis success during the initial intervention. Surgical intervention is also a practical treatment. Conservative management with observation management may lead to a complicated hospital course, highlighting the potential benefit of aggressive treatment strategies for GDA. Patients with pancreatitis exhibited more comorbidities, predisposing factors, and a broader spectrum of clinical manifestations compared to those without pancreatitis. However, the in-hospital mortality rate was lower in the pancreatitis group, likely due to the younger age of the patients and the more prominent clinical presentations, which prompted earlier and more extensive diagnostic imaging studies. creator: Yi-Tzu Lee creator: Chien-Chin Hsu creator: Kuo-Tai Chen uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.19115 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 rights: ©2025 Lee et al. title: Impact of phenytoin and valproic acid on cytotoxicity and inflammatory mediators in human mononuclear cells: with and without lipopolysaccharide stimulation link: https://peerj.com/articles/19102 last-modified: 2025-03-17 description: BackgroundValproic acid (VPA) is known for its broad-spectrum antiepileptic effects and is recommended for generalized epilepsy, in contrast to phenytoin, which has a more limited spectrum. This study investigated the cytotoxic and inflammatory responses to phenytoin and VPA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), with and without bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation.MethodsPBMCs from healthy donors were divided into 12 groups: control (Ctrl), phenytoin (Phy), and four concentrations of VPA (Val-50, Val-75, Val-100, Val-200), with and without LPS. Assessments were conducted on days 1 and 3, including total, live, and dead cell counts, cell viability, and lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) cytotoxicity assays. Inflammatory mediators (IL-6, IL-1β) and immune markers (IL-18, IgA) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on day 3. Statistical analysis involved two-way ANOVA, Tukey’s HSD tests, and paired t-tests.ResultsAll treatment groups showed significant declines in cell counts and viability from day 1 to day 3, which were exacerbated by LPS. Val-50 + LPS maintained higher cell counts compared to Ctrl + LPS and Phy + LPS. Elevated LDH levels were primarily observed in the Val-100 and Val-200 groups, with and without LPS. In the absence of LPS, the Val-75 and Val-100 groups showed notable reductions in IL-18 and IgA levels, while all VPA treatments reduced IL-6 levels compared to controls. This effect was enhanced under LPS exposure, although IL-1β reductions in the Val-75, Val-100, and Val-200 groups were reversed in the presence of LPS. Val-75 demonstrated lower cytotoxic and inflammatory responses compared to Phy and higher VPA doses, showing moderate LDH increases and reduced IL-18, IgA, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels, particularly under LPS challenge.ConclusionPhenytoin and VPA induced significant cytotoxic and inflammatory responses, influenced by dosage and LPS exposure. Val-75 exhibited a dose-specific immunomodulatory effect, reducing both pro-inflammatory and immune markers. creator: Aminah Alesawy creator: Norah Alotaibi creator: Marwa Alalshaikh creator: Faisal E. Aljofi creator: Nada Aldossary creator: Nada Al-Zahrani creator: Omar Omar creator: Marwa Madi uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.19102 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2025 Alesawy et al. title: Predicting mortality in geriatric patients with peptic ulcer bleeding: a retrospective comparative study of four scoring systems link: https://peerj.com/articles/19090 last-modified: 2025-03-17 description: BackgroundPeptic ulcer bleeding (PUB) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in geriatric patients. Risk stratification tools such as AIMS65, Glasgow Blatchford Score (GBS), T-score, and Age, Blood tests, and Comorbidities (ABC) score are frequently used to predict outcomes in PUB patients. This study aims to compare the predictive performance of these four scoring systems in geriatric patients with PUB.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included patients aged 65 years and older who were diagnosed with PUB between January 1, 2019, and January 1, 2024, in a tertiary care hospital. Data collected included demographic information, clinical presentation, laboratory results, and comorbidities. AIMS65, GBS, T-Score, and ABC score were calculated for each patient. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality.ResultsA total of 315 patients were included in the study, with an overall in-hospital mortality rate of 7.9%. AIMS65 had the highest area under the curve (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC): 0.829), followed by the ABC score (AUROC: 0.775). The GBS (AUROC: 0.694) and T-score (AUROC: 0.526) demonstrated lower predictive performance. Pairwise comparisons showed a statistically significant difference between the AIMS65 and GBS (p = 0.0214). AIMS65 was the most accurate predictor of in-hospital mortality in geriatric PUB patients.ConclusionThe AIMS65 and ABC scoring systems are more effective in predicting in-hospital mortality in geriatric patients with PUB compared to the GBS and T-Score. Implementing these tools in clinical practice could improve risk stratification and decision-making processes in managing high-risk elderly patients. creator: Omerul Faruk Aydin creator: Ali Cankut Tatlıparmak uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.19090 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2025 Aydin and Tatlıparmak title: CD161, a promising prognostic biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma, correlates with immune infiltration link: https://peerj.com/articles/19055 last-modified: 2025-03-17 description: BackgroundCD161, encoded by the killer cell lectin-like receptor B1 (KLRB1) gene, exhibits varied roles among different tumors. This study aimed to explore both the potential value of CD161 as a prognostic biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its association with immune cell infiltration.MethodsA total of 109 HCC patients who underwent surgery were retrospectively analyzed. Immunohistochemistry, bioinformatic analyses, and statistical measurements were used to investigate the associations between CD161 expression, immune cell infiltration, and clinical outcomes in both public databases and in-house cohorts.ResultsCD161 was highly expressed at both protein and mRNA levels in adjacent normal tissues compared to tumor tissues of HCC patients. Meanwhile, CD161 was enriched in HCC cases characterized by smaller tumor sizes (≤5 cm) and the absence of portal vein tumor thrombus. Individuals with high CD161 expression showed extended overall survival (OS) and relapse free survival (RFS) compared to those with lower CD161 levels. CD161 was identified as an independent prognostic indicator for both OS and RFS. In addition, the enrichment analysis indicated a close correlation between CD161 and immune response, as well as between CD161 and the signaling pathways of cytokines and chemokines, implying its role in immune regulation during cancer development. Specifically, CD161 expression was positively associated with immunomodulators and tumor-infiltrating immune cells, especially CD8+T cells, CD4+T cells, and dendritic cells. Multiple public databases showed that patients with high CD161 expression were more likely to derive benefits from immunotherapy.ConclusionCD161 was identified as a promising prognostic biomarker for HCC, as its expression indicates a favorable prognosis. Additionally, CD161 is closely linked to high infiltration of immune cells, participates in the regulation of the tumor immune microenvironment, and holds promise as a potential biomarker for predicting the efficacy of immunotherapy. creator: Jinfeng Wang creator: Xiaoxiao Wang creator: Jianfei Shi creator: Yongjun Wang creator: Lili Mi creator: Man Zhao creator: Guangjie Han creator: Fei Yin uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.19055 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2025 Wang et al. title: Predictors of preterm births in North Dakota: a retrospective study of the North Dakota Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) link: https://peerj.com/articles/19049 last-modified: 2025-03-17 description: BackgroundPreterm births represent approximately 10% of all births in the United States (US) annually. Although North Dakota (ND) has large rural and American Indian populations that experience disparities in health outcomes relative to the general population, few studies have investigated risk factors of preterm births in this state. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate predictors of preterm births in ND among women who had a live singleton birth and no prior history of preterm births.MethodsData on live births from 2017 to 2021 were obtained from the ND Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. Potential predictors of preterm birth were identified using a conceptual model. Multivariable logistic regression was then used to investigate and identify significant predictors of preterm births.ResultsThe overall prevalence of preterm birth in North Dakota from 2017 to 2021 was 8.1%. However, among the population of interest in this study, which excluded births with multiple infants as well as women with a prior history of preterm birth, the preterm birth rate was 6.4%. Race, age, pregestational diabetes, and gestational hypertension were significantly associated with preterm birth in the final multivariable logistic model. The odds of preterm birth were higher among women who were American Indian (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.3–2.4]), were aged 35 years or older (AOR = 1.6, 95% CI [1.01–2.5]), had pregestational diabetes (AOR = 4.3, 95% CI [2.0–9.3]), and had gestational hypertension (AOR = 4.5, 95% CI [3.1–6.7]) compared to women who were White, aged 20–34 years, and did not have pregestational diabetes or gestational hypertension.ConclusionsPreventing and controlling chronic diabetes and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy is critical for reducing the risk of preterm birth, especially among women of advanced maternal age. Further research is needed to understand the underlying causes of racial disparities of preterm birth in ND. creator: Grace Njau creator: Ramona Danielson creator: Corey Day creator: Agricola Odoi uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.19049 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2025 Njau et al. title: The association between non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHHR) and risk of prostate cancer: a retrospective study link: https://peerj.com/articles/19065 last-modified: 2025-03-14 description: BackgroundProstate cancer is one of the most frequent malignancies in the world, with significant morbidity and death rates. Identifying novel biomarkers is critical to reducing morbidity and mortality from the illness today. Although lipids have been linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer, it is unclear if the non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (NHDL-C) to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (NHHR) is related to prostate cancer. Therefore, we assessed the relationship between NHHR and prostate cancer risk.MethodsThis study comprised 1,718 individuals who attended the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University between March 2020 and March 2024. A pathological examination of a prostate puncture biopsy was utilized to confirm the diagnosis of prostate cancer. The study collected information on participants’ clinical and laboratory examinations, used propensity score matching to eliminate potential confounders, and analyzed the relationship between NHHR and prostate cancer, using logistic regression models combined with restricted cubic spline (RCS) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Furthermore, sensitivity analyses were undertaken to assess the robustness of the results.Results(1) There were statistically significant differences in neutrophils, erythrocytes, triglycerides, alkaline phosphatase, and NHHR between the two groups; (2) after adjusting for all covariates, logistic regression revealed a negative association between NHHR and prostate cancer (0.91 (0.83∼0.99), P = 0.028). Participants in the second quartile had a significantly lower risk of prostate cancer after comprehensive adjustment (0.69 (0.50∼0.96), P = 0.026); (3) the restrictive cubic spline curve shows a non-linear relationship between NHHR and prostate cancer risk, with a turning point of 1.824; (4) the results of the ROC curve showed that the NHHR had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.73; the results of the decision curve suggested that the model was able to provide a high benefit value for patients, with a threshold range of approximately 0.01–0.98 and a maximum net benefit of 0.52, and the calibration curve demonstrated that the model was accurate and reliable.ConclusionsThere is a non-linear dose-response relationship between NHHR and prostate cancer risk, which may be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer. The finding can be used to detect high-risk groups and prevent prostate cancer. creator: Ke Bu creator: Jinru Wang creator: Xiaojie Zheng creator: Kaige Zhang creator: Duolao Wang creator: Hengqing An creator: Ning Tao uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.19065 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2025 Bu et al.