title: PeerJ description: Articles published in PeerJ link: https://peerj.com/articles/index.rss3?journal=peerj&page=161 creator: info@peerj.com PeerJ errorsTo: info@peerj.com PeerJ language: en title: A comparative study on leaf anatomy and photosynthetic characteristics of different growth stages of Horsfieldia hainanensis link: https://peerj.com/articles/18640 last-modified: 2024-12-13 description: The rare and endangered wild plant, Horsfieldia hainanensis, has been listed as a second-level key protected plant in China. Currently, its habitat is severely damaged, and the population has dramatically declined, necessitating urgent intervention for protection. In this study, the aim was to explore the correlations and differences from the perspectives of photosynthetic characteristics and leaf structure, providing scientific references for in-situ conservation and ex-situ cultivation. The results revealed the following: (1) The maximum net photosynthetic rate (Pmax) and light saturation point (LSP) of mature trees were significantly higher than those of seedlings, while the light compensation point (LCP), CO2 compensation point (CCP), and CO2 saturation point (CSP) were significantly lower in seedlings. (2) The average daily net photosynthetic rate of mature trees was significantly higher than that of seedlings. When both mature trees and seedlings exhibited a “midday depression” phenomenon, accompanied by an increase in intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), it indicated that the “midday depression” was caused by non-stomatal limiting factors. (4) Both mature trees and seedlings showed peak values of water use efficiency (WUE) under low light conditions. Mature trees had smaller upper and lower epidermis thickness but larger leaf thickness, and their leaf structure, characterized by well-developed palisade and spongy tissues, conformed to the cellular structure adaptations for low light. Therefore, both were more adapted to low light conditions. (5) The stomatal density (SD) and individual stomatal area (SA) of seedlings were significantly higher than those of mature trees. (6) The total chlorophyll content of mature trees was significantly higher than that of seedlings, while the chlorophyll a/chlorophyll b ratio was significantly lower in mature trees and remained below three in both cases. In summary, the photosynthetic capacity and light adaptability of mature trees are stronger than those of seedlings, but both mature trees and seedlings exhibit shade-tolerant characteristics. For in-situ conservation, it is possible to promote the growth and development of seedlings by appropriately employing artificial “windowing” or shading methods based on the actual growth environment of the seedlings. In the case of ex-situ cultivation, seedlings should be provided with appropriate shading initially, while ensuring sufficient moisture and CO2 concentration. As the plants grow, the shading intensity can be gradually reduced. Once the plants reach maturity, they have a broader range of light adaptability and can be transplanted to environments with less shading. creator: Jianwang Xu creator: Jianmin Tang creator: Haolong Jiang creator: Rong Zou creator: Xiao Wei uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18640 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 rights: © 2024 Xu et al. title: N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification in inflammation: a bibliometric analysis and literature review link: https://peerj.com/articles/18645 last-modified: 2024-12-13 description: N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant internal messenger RNA modification in eukaryotes, influencing various physiological and pathological processes by regulating RNA metabolism. Numerous studies have investigated the role of m6A in inflammatory responses and inflammatory diseases. In this study, VOSviewer and Citespace were used to perform bibliometric analysis to systematically evaluating the current landscape of research on the association between m6A and inflammation. The literature was sourced from the Web of Science Core Collection, with characteristics including year, country/region, institution, author, journal, citation, and keywords. According to the bibliometric analysis results of keywords, we present a narrative summary of the potential mechanisms by which m6A regulates inflammation. The results showed that the key mechanisms by which m6A modulates inflammation include apoptosis, autophagy, oxidative stress, immune cell dysfunction, and dysregulation of signaling pathways. creator: Zewen Li creator: Yongfeng Lao creator: Rui Yan creator: Xin Guan creator: Yanan Bai creator: Fuhan Li creator: Zhilong Dong uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18645 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Li et al. title: Isolation and identification of serotonin compound from banana hump: a reproductive stimulant for tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon broodstock enhancement link: https://peerj.com/articles/18670 last-modified: 2024-12-13 description: BackgroundThe banana plant is claimed to contain a serotonin compound that has the potential to stimulate and improve the reproductive performance of crustacean species. This study aimed to isolate and characterize the serotonin compound from the banana hump and its application to enhance the reproductive performance of tiger shrimp broodstock.MethodsBanana hump as a part of the plant was extracted by using the maceration technique. The chemical structure of the serotonin compound was identified and characterized based on spectroscopic data, including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, and infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and a comparison was made with the standard compound and the literature. The extract herb in a dose of 50 µg/g body weight was injected into the tiger shrimp broodstock in four-time administrations. During 2 months of broodstock gonadal maturation, the parameters of molting, reproduction, and gene expression related to reproduction were observed.ResultsBased on the chemical structure analysis, the stimulant component of the banana hump was identified as a serotonin compound (5-hydroxytryptamine) at a concentration of 0.7% of dry weight. The number of spawned broodstock was higher in the serotonin extract treatment (60%) than in the control treatment (40%), and the broodstock injected serotonin spawned up to the second re-maturation. In contrast, no re-maturation was obtained in the control treatment. The egg number was significantly higher using the serotonin extract (286,550 ± 46,402 eggs) than the control shrimp (148,585 ± 23,647 eggs), in which the serotonin extract treatment showed a comparatively larger egg diameter number. The higher expression of the genes related to female and male reproduction was observed in the tiger shrimp injected with serotonin extract than in the control treatment. creator: Andi Parenrengi creator: Emma Suryati creator: Rachman Syah creator: Andi Tenriulo creator: Samuel Lante creator: Elmi Nurhaidah Zainuddin creator: Ratu Siti Aliah creator: Nuril Farizah creator: Agus Nawang creator: Sulaeman Sulaeman creator: Makmur Makmur creator: Rosmiati Rosmiati creator: Gunarto Gunarto creator: Herlinah Herlinah uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18670 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Parenrengi et al. title: Development of machine learning models for the prediction of the skin sensitization potential of cosmetic compounds link: https://peerj.com/articles/18672 last-modified: 2024-12-13 description: BackgroundTo enhance the accuracy of allergen detection in cosmetic compounds, we developed a co-culture system that combines HaCaT keratinocytes (transfected with a luciferase plasmid driven by the AKR1C2 promoter) and THP-1 cells for machine learning applications.MethodsFollowing chemical exposure, cell cytotoxicity was assessed using CCK-8 to determine appropriate stimulation concentrations. RNA-Seq was subsequently employed to analyze THP-1 cells, followed by differential expression gene (DEG) analysis and weighted gene co-expression net-work analysis (WGCNA). Using two data preprocessing methods and three feature extraction techniques, we constructed and validated models with eight machine learning algorithms.ResultsOur results demonstrated the effectiveness of this integrated approach. The best performing models were random forest (RF) and voom-based diagonal quadratic discriminant analysis (voomDQDA), both achieving 100% accuracy. Support vector machine (SVM) and voom based nearest shrunken centroids (voomNSC) showed excellent performance with 96.7% test accuracy, followed by voom-based diagonal linear discriminant analysis (voomDLDA) at 95.2%. Nearest shrunken centroids (NSC), Poisson linear discriminant analysis (PLDA) and negative binomial linear discriminant analysis (NBLDA) achieved 90.5% and 90.2% accuracy, respectively. K-nearest neighbors (KNN) showed the lowest accuracy at 85.7%.ConclusionThis study highlights the potential of integrating co-culture systems, RNA-Seq, and machine learning to develop more accurate and comprehensive in vitro methods for skin sensitization testing. Our findings contribute to the advancement of cosmetic safety assessments, potentially reducing the reliance on animal testing. creator: Wu Qiao creator: Tong Xie creator: Jing Lu creator: Tinghan Jia uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18672 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Qiao et al. title: Effects of prophylactic nebulized antibiotics on the prevention of ICU-acquired pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis link: https://peerj.com/articles/18686 last-modified: 2024-12-13 description: ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of prophylactic nebulized antibiotics in preventing intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired pneumonia through a meta-analysis.MethodsRandomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the potential reduction in the incidence of ICU-acquired pneumonia through prophylactic nebulized antibiotics were collected by searching the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases from their inception to January 23, 2024. The primary endpoint was the incidence of ICU-acquired pneumonia, while the secondary endpoints included mortality, length of ICU stay, mechanical ventilation days, and nebulization-related side effects. Statistical analyses were performed using RevMan 5.3 and STATA 14.0 software.ResultsA total of six RCTs were included in the analysis, involving 1,287 patients (636 patients in the study group received prophylactic antibiotic therapy, including Polymyxin B, Tobramycin, Ceftazidime, Colistimethate sodium, and amikacin; 651 patients in the control group primarily received saline). The results indicated that prophylactic nebulized antibiotic therapy significantly reduced the incidence of ICU-acquired pneumonia compared to that in the control group (odds ratio (OR) = 0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.43–0.74], P < 0.0001). No significant difference was observed in the mortality rate between the treatment and control groups (OR = 0.86, 95% CI [0.68–1.10], P = 0.24). Prophylactic nebulized antibiotic therapy also did not significantly reduce the length of ICU stay (MD = 0.2 days; 95% CI [−0.81 to 1.20], P = 0.70) or the number of mechanical ventilation days (MD = 0.43 days; 95% CI [−0.47 to 1.33], P = 0.35). Additionally, there was no evidence that prophylactic nebulized antibiotic therapy contributed to the development of multiple drug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pneumonia or increased the incidence of associated side effects, such as airway spasms.ConclusionsThis meta-analysis suggests that ICU-acquired pneumonia can be prevented by prophylactic nebulized antibiotic therapy in critically ill patients without increasing the risk of MDR bacterial infections or airway spasms. However, the reduction in the incidence of ICU-acquired pneumonia did not result in significant improvements in mortality or length of ICU stay. creator: Ming Gao creator: Xiaoxu Yu creator: Xiaoxuan Liu creator: Yuan Xu creator: Hua Zhou creator: Yan Zhu uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18686 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Gao et al. title: Identification of immunogenic cell death gene-related subtypes and risk model predicts prognosis and response to immunotherapy in ovarian cancer link: https://peerj.com/articles/18690 last-modified: 2024-12-13 description: BackgroundImmunogenic cell death (ICD) has been associated with enhanced anti-tumor immunotherapy by stimulating adaptive immune responses and remodeling the immune microenvironment in tumors. Nevertheless, the role of ICD-related genes in ovarian cancer (OC) and tumor microenvironment remains unexplored.MethodsIn this study, high-throughput transcriptomic data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases as training and validation sets separately were obtained and proceeded to explore ICD-related clusters, and an ICD-related risk signature was conducted based on the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression model by iteration. Multiple tools including CIBERSORT, ESTIMATE, GSEA, TIDE, and immunohistochemistry were further applied to illustrate the biological roles of ICD-related genes as well as the prognostic capacity of ICD risk signature in OC.ResultsTwo ICD-related subtypes were identified, with the ICD-high subtype showing more intense immune cell infiltration and higher activities of immune response signaling, along with a favorable prognosis. Additionally, four candidate ICD genes (IFNG, NLRP3, FOXP3, and IL1B) were determined to potentially impact OC prognosis, with an upregulated expression of NLRP3 in OC and metastatic omental tissues. A prognostic model based on these genes was established, which could predict overall survival (OS) and response to immunotherapy for OC patients, with lower-risk patients benefiting more from immunotherapy.ConclusionOur research conducted a prognostic and prediction of immunotherapy response model based on ICD genes, which could be instrumental in assessing prognosis and assigning immunotherapeutic strategies for OC patients. NLRP3 is a promising target for prognosis in OC. creator: Wenjing Pan creator: Zhaoyang Jia creator: Xibo Zhao creator: Kexin Chang creator: Wei Liu creator: Wenhua Tan uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18690 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Pan et al. title: Efficacy of different dietary therapy strategies in active pediatric Crohn’s disease: a systematic review and network meta-analysis link: https://peerj.com/articles/18692 last-modified: 2024-12-13 description: BackgroundDietary therapy strategies play an important role in the treatment of pediatric patients with Crohn’s disease (CD), but the relative efficacy of different dietary therapy strategies for Crohn’s remission is unknown. This study aims to compare the effectiveness and tolerance of these dietary therapy strategies for active pediatric CD.MethodsWe searched the medical literature up to August 30, 2024 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of dietary therapy strategies for pediatric CD. The primary outcomes were clinical remission rate and tolerance, secondary outcomes included differences between pre- and post-treatment levels of albumin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and fecal calprotectin levels. A network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed by using the frequentist model. For binary outcome variables and continuous outcome variables, odds ratios (OR) and mean differences (MD) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were utilized, respectively. The ranking of dietary therapy strategies was determined based on the surface under the cumulative ranking area (SUCRA) for each comparison analyzed.ResultsOverall, 14 studies involving 564 participants were included. In terms of clinical remission rate, the partial enteral nutrition (PEN) plus Crohn’s disease exclusion diet (PEN+CDED) (OR = 7.86, 95% CI [1.85–33.40]) and exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) (OR = 3.74, 95% CI [1.30–10.76]) exhibited significant superiority over PEN alone. The tolerance of PEN+CDED was significantly higher than that of EEN (OR = 0.07, 95% CI [0.01–0.61]). According to the surface under the cumulative ranking area (SUCRA) values, the PEN+CDED intervention (90.5%) achieved the highest ranking in clinical remission rate. In terms of tolerance, PEN+CDED ranked first (88.0%), while EEN ranked last (16.3%).ConclusionsIn conclusion, PEN+CDED was associated with the highest clinical remission rate and tolerance among the various dietary therapy strategies evaluated. Despite limitations in the studies, this systematic review provides evidence that PEN+CDED can be used as an alternative treatment to exclusive enteral nutrition and is more suitable for long-term management in children. creator: Jiaze Ma creator: Jinchen Chong creator: Zhengxi Qiu creator: Yuji Wang creator: Tuo Chen creator: Yugen Chen uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18692 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Ma et al. title: Adiposity and body fat distribution based on skinfold thicknesses and body circumferences in Czech preschool children, secular changes link: https://peerj.com/articles/18695 last-modified: 2024-12-13 description: BackgroundThe long-standing widespread prevalence of obesity includes issues of its evaluation. Nutritional status may be assessed using various tools and methods; among others simple anthropometric measurements are well established. Widely used body mass index (BMI), presents an obstacle of needing to calculate a standard deviation score (SD) for correct use in the child population. As BMI overlooks body composition, it is necessary to evaluate fat and muscle mass with different methods. Established skinfolds and circumferences are used in many variations and equations to accomplish that goal; however, the parameters used in these methods also undergo secular changes. Furthermore, secular changes have been documented in fat mass distribution. The aim of the study is to assess secular changes of skinfolds thickness and body circumferences and evaluate their validity for use in clinical practice and population research.Methods and sampleOur database consisted of a recent (2016–2022) sample with 594 participants (298 males) and a reference sample (from 1990) with 2,910 participants (1,207 males). Both cohorts comprised Czech preschool children, aged 4.00 to 6.99 years. With standard methodology, anthropometric parameters were obtained for 13 skinfolds and eight circumferences, by trained staff. The equations of Slaughter, Durnin and Deurenberg were correspondingly calculated. Statistical evaluation was conducted in the R programming language, using Welch’s test, Cohen’s d and the Bland–Altman method.ResultsOur study found significant increases in skinfold thickness on the abdomen, chest I. and forearm, with high clinical relevance (p ≥ 0.01; d = range from 0.20 to 0.70). Contrastingly, apart from the abdominal area, a decrease of circumferences was observed. The body fat percentage estimation equations were tested for bias in the recent sample in the context of bioimpedance analysis with the Bland–Altman method. All equations are suitable for application in clinical use.DiscussionDocumented secular changes in fat mass distribution are only part of a contemporary accelerating trend of obesity prevalence. Our findings support the trend of a decline of circumferences and rise of skinfold thickness in corresponding areas, especially on the limbs, that is evidenced by the trend of latent obesity. The results of the study show the need to complement established diagnostic procedures in childhood obesitology with abdominal and midthigh circumferences and optionally even the maximal circumference of the forearm. These circumferences should always be measured alongside the skinfold thickness of the region. Only in this way can the overall adiposity of an individual with regard to secular changes, including the detection of latent obesity, be objectively evaluated. creator: Anna Vážná creator: Jan M. Novák creator: Robert Daniš creator: Petr Sedlak uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18695 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Vážná et al. title: Virtual reality therapy in managing cancer pain in middle-aged and elderly: a systematic review and meta-analysis link: https://peerj.com/articles/18701 last-modified: 2024-12-13 description: BackgroundVirtual reality technology has been proposed to rehabilitate cancer patients. This study aimed to summarize the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR)--based therapies for pain management in middle-aged and elderly cancer patients.MethodsThis meta-analysis was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023400432). We searched the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase, conducted from construction until November 1, 2024. The study examined the effects of VR treatment on pain levels in middle-aged and elderly cancer patients using RCTs as primary or secondary outcome measures. Articles were evaluated for eligibility according to predetermined criteria, and each of the three researchers independently collected the data. The researchers used the heterogeneous selection effects model to calculate the mean effect sizes.ResultsThis meta-analysis included seven RCTs involving 476 patients. The meta-analysis confirmed the significant effect of VR therapy on the management of pain, anxiety, and depression in the middle-aged and elderly cancer population.ConclusionsOur research shows that VR could be a significant device for cancer pain management in the middle-aged and elderly and that VR scene therapy may be more effective. Nevertheless, it is essential to use caution when interpreting the findings since the number of research included is small. creator: Yang Chen creator: Hui Meng creator: Qian Chen creator: Wendong Wu creator: HaiBin Liu creator: Shi Lv creator: Liang Huai uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18701 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Chen et al. title: Pepper power: short-term impact of pepper consumption on the gut bacteriome composition in healthy volunteers link: https://peerj.com/articles/18707 last-modified: 2024-12-13 description: BackgroundPepper from Capsicum species is a well-established spice with a rich history of culinary use. Some observations have linked its consumption to gastrointestinal discomfort and alterations in stool patterns while it is considered beneficial in some cultures. However, there is lack of information on the direct effect of pepper consumption on human gut microbiota, we conducted dietary intervention studies to assess the impact of pepper on gut bacteriome composition in humans.MethodsTen healthy volunteers were recruited, and each person received 200 ml of 0.14 g/ml fresh Habanero Pepper (Capsicum chinense) daily over a 4-day period after which they abstained from pepper consumption for the subsequent 4 days before resumption of their normal diet. Stool samples were collected at baseline, after pepper consumption, after 4 days without pepper and after 4- and 6-days resumption of normal diet. We sequenced the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene and analyzed microbial diversity and composition using the QIIME2 pipeline and relevant R packages.ResultsConsumption of pepper over a 4-day period led to a higher abundance of Verrucomicrobia, a phylum rarely found in significant proportions at other time points. There was a gradual depletion of Shigella and Staphylococcus spp. from baseline untill the end of the study. Other taxa showed timepoint specific associations, emphasizing the potential impact of short-term dietary interventions on the relative abundance of these genera.ConclusionsOur study adds nuance to the understanding of diet-microbiota interactions, highlighting the intricate relationship between pepper consumption and gut bacteriome composition. Further exploration of these dynamics holds promise for personalized dietary recommendations and targeted interventions to support gut microbial health. creator: Oluwafayoke Owolo creator: Haruna J. Audu creator: Ayorinde O. Afolayan creator: Funmilola A. Ayeni uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18707 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Owolo et al.