title: PeerJ description: Articles published in PeerJ link: https://peerj.com/articles/index.rss3?journal=peerj&page=1473 creator: info@peerj.com PeerJ errorsTo: info@peerj.com PeerJ language: en title: Thumbs up: movements made by the thumb are smoother and larger than fingers in finger-thumb opposition tasks link: https://peerj.com/articles/5763 last-modified: 2018-10-18 description: BackgroundIn humans, the thumb plays a crucial role in producing finger opposition movements. These movements form the basis of several activities of the hand. Hence these movements have been used to study phenomena like prehension, motor control, motor learning, etc. Although such tasks have been studied extensively, the relative contribution of the thumb vis-à-vis the fingers in finger opposition tasks is not well understood. In this study, we investigated the kinematics of thumb and fingers in a simple finger opposition task. Further, we quantified the relative contribution and the movement smoothness aspects and compared these between fingers and thumb.MethodsEight, young healthy participants (four males and four females) were asked to perform a full finger to thumb opposition movement, where they were required to reach for different phalanges of the fingers. Position (X, Y and Z) of individual segments of the four fingers and the thumb were measured with reference to the wrist by a 16-sensor kinematics measurement system. Displacements and velocities were computed. An index, displacement ratio, that quantifies the relative contribution of thumb and fingers was computed from displacement data. Velocity data was used to quantify the smoothness of movement of thumb and fingers.ResultsThe Displacement Ratio showed that contribution of the thumb is higher than contribution of any other target finger or target phalanges, except for the distal phalanx of the index and middle fingers. Smoothness of movement of the thumb was higher than all the finger phalanges in all cases.ConclusionWe conclude that in the task considered (thumb opposition movements to different targets within the hand & fingers), the thumb made a greater relative contribution in terms of displacement ratio and also produced smoother movements. However, smoothness of thumb did not vary depending on the target. This suggests that the traditional notion of the thumb being a special digit when compared to other fingers is true at least for the opposition movements considered in this study. creator: Dhanush Rachaveti creator: Niranjan Chakrabhavi creator: Vaisakh Shankar creator: Varadhan SKM uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5763 license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2018 Rachaveti et al. title: Metabolic, inflammatory, and oxidative stress markers in women exposed to secondhand smoke link: https://peerj.com/articles/5758 last-modified: 2018-10-18 description: BackgroundSecondhand smoke (SHS) exposure has adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. This study aimed to determine the effects of SHS on the cardiovascular disease biomarkers, namely the metabolic, inflammatory, and oxidative stress markers in healthy adult women.MethodsThis comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among healthy women. The cases included those women exposed to SHS, and the controls included those women not exposed to SHS. SHS exposure was defined as being exposed to SHS for at least 15 min for 2 days per week. Venous blood was taken to measure the metabolic markers (high molecular weight adiponectin, insulin level, insulin resistance, and nonesterified fatty acids), oxidative stress markers (oxidized low density lipoprotein cholesterol and 8-isoprostane), and inflammatory markers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and interleukin-6). A hair nicotine analysis was also performed. An analysis of covariance and a simple linear regression analysis were conducted.ResultsThere were 101 women in the SHS exposure group and 91 women in the non-SHS exposure group. The mean (with standard deviation) of the hair nicotine levels was significantly higher in the SHS exposure group when compared to the non-SHS exposure group [0.22 (0.62) vs. 0.04 (0.11) ng/mg; P = 0.009]. No significant differences were observed in the high molecular weight adiponectin, insulin and insulin resistance, nonesterified fatty acids, 8-isoprostane, oxidized low density lipoprotein cholesterol, interleukin-6, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein between the two groups. The serum high molecular weight adiponectin was negatively associated with the insulin level and insulin resistance in the women exposed to SHS. However, no significant relationships were seen between the high molecular weight adiponectin and nonesterified fatty acids, 8-isoprostane, oxidized low density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in the SHS group.DiscussionThere were no significant differences in the metabolic, oxidative stress, and inflammatory markers between the SHS exposure and non-SHS exposure healthy women. A low serum level of high molecular weight adiponectin was associated with an increased insulin level and resistance in the women exposed to SHS. creator: Mohd Hanaffi Siti Hajar creator: Sanip Zulkefli creator: Shaaban Juwita creator: Mohd Noor Norhayati creator: Mohd Yusoff Siti Suhaila creator: Aida Hanum Ghulam Rasool creator: Mohamed Yusoff Harmy uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5758 license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2018 Siti Hajar et al. title: Genome-wide identification and analysis of the CNGC gene family in maize link: https://peerj.com/articles/5816 last-modified: 2018-10-17 description: As one of the non-selective cation channel gene families, the cyclic nucleotide-gated channel (CNGC) gene family plays a vital role in plant physiological processes that are related to signal pathways, plant development, and environmental stresses. However, genome-wide identification and analysis of the CNGC gene family in maize has not yet been undertaken. In the present study, twelve ZmCNGC genes were identified in the maize genome, which were unevenly distributed on chromosomes 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. They were classified into five major groups: Groups I, II, III, IVa, and IVb. Phylogenetic analysis showed that gramineous plant CNGC genes expanded unequally during evolution. Group IV CNGC genes emerged first, whereas Groups I and II appeared later. Prediction analysis of cis-acting regulatory elements showed that 137 putative cis-elements were related to hormone-response, abiotic stress, and organ development. Furthermore, 120 protein pairs were predicted to interact with the 12 ZmCNGC proteins and other maize proteins. The expression profiles of the ZmCNGC genes were expressed in tissue-specific patterns. These results provide important information that will increase our understanding of the CNGC gene family in maize and other plants. creator: Lidong Hao creator: Xiuli Qiao uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5816 license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2018 Hao and Qiao title: C9orf72, a protein associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor link: https://peerj.com/articles/5815 last-modified: 2018-10-17 description: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), two late onset neurodegenerative diseases, have been shown to share overlapping cellular pathologies and genetic origins. Studies suggest that a hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the first intron of the C9orf72 gene is the most common cause of familial FTD and ALS pathology. The C9orf72 protein is predicted to be a differentially expressed in normal and neoplastic cells domain protein implying that C9orf72 functions as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) to regulate specific Rab GTPases. Reported studies thus far point to a putative role for C9orf72 in lysosome biogenesis, vesicular trafficking, autophagy and mechanistic target of rapamycin complex1 (mTORC1) signaling. Here we report the expression, purification and biochemical characterization of C9orf72 protein. We conclusively show that C9orf72 is a GEF. The distinctive presence of both Rab- and Rho-GTPase GEF activities suggests that C9orf72 may function as a dual exchange factor coupling physiological functions such as cytoskeleton modulation and autophagy with endocytosis. creator: Shalini Iyer creator: Vasanta Subramanian creator: K. Ravi Acharya uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5815 license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2018 Iyer et al. title: Sclerostin promotes human dental pulp cells senescence link: https://peerj.com/articles/5808 last-modified: 2018-10-17 description: BackgroundSenescence-related impairment of proliferation and differentiation limits the use of dental pulp cells for tissue regeneration. Deletion of sclerostin improves the dentinogenesis regeneration, while its role in dental pulp senescence is unclear. We investigated the role of sclerostin in subculture-induced senescence of human dental pulp cells (HDPCs) and in the senescence-related decline of proliferation and odontoblastic differentiation.MethodsImmunohistochemical staining and qRT-PCR analyses were performed to examine the expression pattern of sclerostin in young (20–30-year-old) and senescent (45–80-year-old) dental pulps. HDPCs were serially subcultured until senescence, and the expression of sclerostin was examined by qRT-PCR analysis. HDPCs with sclerostin overexpression and knockdown were constructed to investigate the role of sclerostin in HDPCs senescence and senescence-related impairment of odontoblastic differentiation potential.ResultsBy immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR, we found a significantly increased expression level of sclerostin in senescent human dental pulp compared with that of young human dental pulp. Additionally, elevated sclerostin expression was found in subculture-induced senescent HDPCs in vitro. By sclerostin overexpression and knockdown, we found that sclerostin promoted HDPCs senescence-related decline of proliferation and odontoblastic differentiation potential with increased expression of p16, p53 and p21 and downregulation of the Wnt signaling pathway.DiscussionThe increased expression of sclerostin is responsible for the decline of proliferation and odontoblastic differentiation potential of HDPCs during cellular senescence. Anti-sclerostin treatment may be beneficial for the maintenance of the proliferation and odontoblastic differentiation potentials of HDPCs. creator: Yanjing Ou creator: Yi Zhou creator: Shanshan Liang creator: Yining Wang uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5808 license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2018 Ou et al. title: Comparative systematics and phylogeography of Quercus Section Cerris in western Eurasia: inferences from plastid and nuclear DNA variation link: https://peerj.com/articles/5793 last-modified: 2018-10-17 description: Oaks (Quercus) comprise more than 400 species worldwide and centres of diversity for most sections lie in the Americas and East/Southeast Asia. The only exception is the Eurasian sect. Cerris that comprises about 15 species, most of which are confined to western Eurasia. This section has not been comprehensively studied using molecular tools. Here, we assess species diversity and provide a first comprehensive taxonomic and phylogeographic scheme of western Eurasian members of sect. Cerris using plastid (trnH-psbA) and nuclear (5S-IGS) DNA variation with a dense intra-specific and geographic sampling. Chloroplast haplotypes primarily reflected phylogeographic patterns originating from interspecific cytoplasmic gene flow within sect. Cerris and its sister section Ilex. We identified two widespread and ancestral haplotypes, and locally restricted derived variants. Signatures shared with Mediterranean species of sect. Ilex, but not with the East Asian Cerris oaks, suggest that the western Eurasian lineage came into contact with Ilex only after the first (early Oligocene) members of sect. Cerris in Northeast Asia had begun to radiate and move westwards. Nuclear 5S-IGS diversification patterns were more useful for establishing a molecular-taxonomic framework and to reveal hybridization and reticulation. Four main evolutionary lineages were identified. The first lineage is comprised of Q. libani, Q. trojana and Q. afares and appears to be closest to the root of sect. Cerris. These taxa are morphologically most similar to the East Asian species of Cerris, and to both Oligocene and Miocene fossils of East Asia and Miocene fossils of western Eurasia. The second lineage is mainly composed of the widespread Q. cerris and the narrow endemic species Q. castaneifolia, Q. look, and Q. euboica. The third lineage comprises three Near East species (Q. brantii, Q. ithaburensis and Q. macrolepis), well adapted to continental climates with cold winters. The forth lineage appears to be the most derived and comprises Q. suber and Q. crenata. Q. cerris and Q.  trojana displayed high levels of variation; Q. macrolepis and Q. euboica, previously treated as subspecies of Q. ithaburensis and Q. trojana, likely deserve independent species status. A trend towards inter-specific crosses was detected in several taxa; however, we found no clear evidence of a hybrid origin of Q. afares and Q. crenata, as currently assumed. creator: Marco Cosimo Simeone creator: Simone Cardoni creator: Roberta Piredda creator: Francesca Imperatori creator: Michael Avishai creator: Guido W. Grimm creator: Thomas Denk uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5793 license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2018 Simeone et al. title: Intraspecific phenotypic variation in life history traits of Daphnia galeata populations in response to fish kairomones link: https://peerj.com/articles/5746 last-modified: 2018-10-17 description: Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of a genotype to produce different phenotypes depending on the environment. It has an influence on the adaptive potential to environmental change and the capability to adapt locally. Adaptation to environmental change happens at the population level, thereby contributing to genotypic and phenotypic variation within a species. Predation is an important ecological factor structuring communities and maintaining species diversity. Prey developed different strategies to reduce their vulnerability to predators by changing their behaviour, their morphology or their life history. Predator-induced life history responses in Daphnia have been investigated for decades, but intra-and inter-population variability was rarely addressed explicitly. We addressed this issue by conducting a common garden experiment with 24 clonal lines of European Daphnia galeata originating from four populations, each represented by six clonal lines. We recorded life history traits in the absence and presence of fish kairomones. Additionally, we looked at the shape of experimental individuals by conducting a geometric morphometric analysis, thus assessing predator-induced morphometric changes. Our data revealed high intraspecific phenotypic variation within and between four D. galeata populations, the potential to locally adapt to a vertebrate predator regime as well as an effect of the fish kairomones on morphology of D. galeata. creator: Verena Tams creator: Jennifer Lüneburg creator: Laura Seddar creator: Jan-Phillip Detampel creator: Mathilde Cordellier uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5746 license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2018 Tams et al. title: Machine-learning-based quantitative estimation of soil organic carbon content by VIS/NIR spectroscopy link: https://peerj.com/articles/5714 last-modified: 2018-10-17 description: Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important soil property that has profound impact on soil quality and plant growth. With 140 soil samples collected from Ebinur Lake Wetland National Nature Reserve, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, this research evaluated the feasibility of visible/near infrared (VIS/NIR) spectroscopy data (350–2,500 nm) and simulated EO-1 Hyperion data to estimate SOC in arid wetland regions. Three machine learning algorithms including Ant Colony Optimization-interval Partial Least Squares (ACO-iPLS), Recursive Feature Elimination-Support Vector Machine (RF-SVM), and Random Forest (RF) were employed to select spectral features and further estimate SOC. Results indicated that the feature wavelengths pertaining to SOC were mainly within the ranges of 745–910 nm and 1,911–2,254 nm. The combination of RF-SVM and first derivative pre-processing produced the highest estimation accuracy with the optimal values of Rt (correlation coefficient of testing set), RMSEt and RPD of 0.91, 0.27% and 2.41, respectively. The simulated EO-1 Hyperion data combined with Support Vector Machine (SVM) based recursive feature elimination algorithm produced the most accurate estimate of SOC content. For the testing set, Rt was 0.79, RMSEt was 0.19%, and RPD was 1.61. This practice provides an efficient, low-cost approach with potentially high accuracy to estimate SOC contents and hence supports better management and protection strategies for desert wetland ecosystems. creator: Jianli Ding creator: Aixia Yang creator: Jingzhe Wang creator: Vasit Sagan creator: Danlin Yu uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5714 license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2018 Ding et al. title: Morphological characterization of virus-like particles in coral reef sponges link: https://peerj.com/articles/5625 last-modified: 2018-10-17 description: Marine sponges host complex microbial consortia that vary in their abundance, diversity and stability amongst host species. While our understanding of sponge-microbe interactions has dramatically increased over the past decade, little is known about how sponges and their microbial symbionts interact with viruses, the most abundant entities in the ocean. In this study, we employed three transmission electron microscopy (TEM) preparation methods to provide the first comprehensive morphological assessment of sponge-associated viruses. The combined approaches revealed 50 different morphologies of viral-like particles (VLPs) represented across the different sponge species. VLPs were visualized within sponge cells, within the sponge extracellular mesohyl matrix, on the sponge ectoderm and within sponge-associated microbes. Non-enveloped, non-tailed icosahedral VLPs were the most commonly observed morphotypes, although tailed bacteriophage, brick-shaped, geminate and filamentous VLPs were also detected. Visualization of sponge-associated viruses using TEM has confirmed that sponges harbor not only diverse communities of microorganisms but also diverse communities of viruses. creator: Cecília Pascelli creator: Patrick W. Laffy creator: Marija Kupresanin creator: Timothy Ravasi creator: Nicole S. Webster uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5625 license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2018 Pascelli et al. title: Impacts of climate change on Capparis spinosa L. based on ecological niche modeling link: https://peerj.com/articles/5792 last-modified: 2018-10-16 description: Recent changes in climate are transforming the situation of life on Earth, including impacting the conservation status of many plant and animal species. This study aims to evaluate potential impacts of climate change on a medicinal plant that is known to be heat-tolerant, Capparis spinosa L. We used ecological niche modeling to estimate current and future potential distributions for the species, considering two emissions scenarios and five climate models for two time periods (2050 and 2070). The results in terms of areal coverage at different suitability levels in the future were closely similar to its present-day distribution; indeed, only minor differences existed in highly suitable area, with increases of only 0.2–0.3% in suitable area for 2050 and 2070 under representative concentration pathway 4.5. Given that climate-mediated range shifts in the species are expected to be minor, conservation attention to this species can focus on minimizing local effects of anthropogenic activity. creator: Uzma Ashraf creator: Muhammad N. Chaudhry creator: Sajid R. Ahmad creator: Irfan Ashraf creator: Muhammad Arslan creator: Hassaan Noor creator: Mobeen Jabbar uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5792 license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2018 Ashraf et al.