title: PeerJ description: Articles published in PeerJ link: https://peerj.com/articles/index.rss3?journal=peerj&page=268 creator: info@peerj.com PeerJ errorsTo: info@peerj.com PeerJ language: en title: Comparison of the recovery quality between remimazolam and propofol after general anesthesia: systematic review and a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials link: https://peerj.com/articles/17930 last-modified: 2024-08-26 description: IntroductionTo evaluate the recovery quality between remimazolam and propofol after general anesthesia surgery.MethodsWe included eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Central, Scopus, and Web of Science up to June 26, 2024 for comparison the recovery quality of remimazolam and propofol after general anaesthesia. The primary outcomes were the total Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) and five dimensions of QoR-15 on postoperative day 1 (POD1). Secondary outcomes were adverse events, the Quality of Recovery-40 (QoR-40) on POD1, and the intraoperative and postoperative time characteristics.ResultsThirteen RCTs with a total of 1,305 patients were included in this meta-analysis. Our statistical analysis showed that remimazolam group had higher QoR-15 score on POD1, with no significant difference (Mean Difference (MD) = 1.24; 95% confidence interval (CI), [−1.67–4.15]; I2 = 75%; P = 0.41). In the five dimensions of QoR-15, remimazolam group was superior to propofol group in terms of physical independence (MD = 0.79; 95% CI [0.31–1.27]; I2 = 0%; P = 0.001). Remimazolam group was lower than propofol group in incidence of hypotension (Risk Ratio (RR) = 0.48; 95% CI [0.40–0.59]; I2 = 14%; P < 0.00001), bradycardia (RR = 0.18; 95% CI [0.08–0.38]; I2 = 0%; P < 0.0001) and injection pain (RR = 0.03; 95% CI [0.01–0.12]; I2 = 48%; P < 0.00001), respectively. The intraoperative and postoperative time characteristics and the QoR-40 were similar in the two groups.ConclusionsOur analysis showed that the recovery quality of the remimazolam group after general anaesthesia was similar to propofol group, while the incidence of adverse events was low in remimazolam group. As a potential anesthetic, remimazolam can be used in place of propofol for surgical general anesthesia. creator: Caiyun Zhu creator: Ran Xie creator: Fang Qin creator: Naiguo Wang creator: Hui Tang uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17930 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2024 Zhu et al. title: Advances in understanding the role of lncRNA in ferroptosis link: https://peerj.com/articles/17933 last-modified: 2024-08-26 description: LncRNA is a type of transcript with a length exceeding 200 nucleotides, which was once considered junk transcript with no biological function during the transcription process. In recent years, lncRNA has been shown to act as an important regulatory factor at multiple levels of gene expression, affecting various programmed cell death modes including ferroptosis. Ferroptosis, as a new form of programmed cell death, is characterized by a deficiency of cysteine or inactivation of glutathione peroxidase, leading to depletion of glutathione, aggregation of iron ions, and lipid peroxidation. These processes are influenced by many physiological processes, such as the Nrf2 pathway, autophagy, p53 pathway and so on. An increasing number of studies have shown that lncRNA can block the expression of specific molecules through decoy effect, guide specific proteins to function, or promote interactions between molecules as scaffolds. These modes of action regulate the expression of key factors in iron metabolism, lipid metabolism, and antioxidant metabolism through epigenetic or genetic regulation, thereby regulating the process of ferroptosis. In this review, we snapshotted the regulatory mechanism of ferroptosis as an example, emphasizing the regulation of lncRNA on these pathways, thereby helping to fully understand the evolution of ferroptosis in cell fate. creator: Yating Wen creator: Wenbo Lei creator: Jie Zhang creator: Qiong Liu creator: Zhongyu Li uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17933 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Wen et al. title: Favour the best in case of emergency cricothyroidotomy–a randomized cross-over trial on manikin focused training and simulation of common devices link: https://peerj.com/articles/17788 last-modified: 2024-08-23 description: BackgroundPerforming an emergency cricothyroidotomy (EC) is extremely challenging, the devices used should be easy to handle and the selected technique reliable. However, there is still an ongoing debate concerning the most superior technique.MethodsThree different techniques were compared using a standardized, simulated scenario regarding handling, performing, training and decision making: The scalpel-bougie technique (SBT), the surgical anatomical preparation technique (SAPT) and the Seldinger technique (ST). First, anaesthesia residents and trainees, paramedics and medical students (each group n = 50) performed a cricothyroidotomy randomly assigned with each of the three devices on a simulator manikin. The time needed for successful cricothyroidotomy was the primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints included first-attempt success rate, number of attempts and user-satisfaction. The second part of the study investigated the impact of prior hands-on training on both material selection for EC and on time to decision-making in a simulated “cannot intubate cannot ventilate” situation.ResultsThe simulated scenario revealed that SBT and SAPT were significantly faster than percutaneous EC with ST (p < 0.0001). Success rate was 100% for the first attempt with SBT and SAPT. Significant differences were found with regard to user-satisfaction between individual techniques (p < 0.0001). In terms of user-friendliness, SBT was predominantly assessed as easy (87%). Prior training had a large impact regarding choice of devises (p < 0.05), and time to decision making (p = 0.05; 180 s vs. 233 s).ConclusionThis study supports the use of a surgical technique for EC and also a regular training to create familiarity with the materials and the process itself.The trial was registered before study start on 11.11.2018 at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT: 2018-13819) with Nicole Didion as the principal investigator. creator: Nicole Didion creator: Fabian Pohlmann creator: Nina Pirlich creator: Eva Wittenmeier creator: Christoph Jänig creator: Daniel Wollschläger creator: Eva-Verena Griemert uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17788 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Didion et al. title: Prevalence of physical, psychological and sexual intimate partner violence among women of reproductive age during COVID-19 in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis link: https://peerj.com/articles/17812 last-modified: 2024-08-23 description: IntroductionCOVID-19 preventive measures such as stay at home and isolation leads to violence against women. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the common violence during this pandemic. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of physical, psychological and sexual intimate partner violence among reproductive age women during COVID-19 in Ethiopia.Materials and MethodsElectronic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar and African journals online and studies available from the occurrence of the pandemic to April 2023 were searched. Two researchers collected the data and independently performed the methodological quality assessment. To pool the collected data for each outcome with 95% confidence interval (CI), DerSimonian-Laird random effects meta-analysis was used. Publication bias was measured by Doi plot LFK index and Egger’s test. Stata version 14.0 (StataCorp, College Station, Texas, USA) software was used for statistical analysis.ResultsA total of seven studies reported the prevalence of intimate partner violence among women in reproductive age during COVID-19, and the pooled prevalence of physical intimate partner violence was 22% (95% CI [0.12–0.32], I2 = 98.9%, tau2 = 0.0184, p < 0.001). The pooled prevalence of psychological intimate partner violence was 28% (95% CI [0.18–0.37], I2 = 98.1%, tau2 = 0.0142, p < 0.001). The pooled prevalence of sexual intimate partner violence was 23% (95% CI [0.13–0.34], I2 = 99.1%, tau2 = 0.0208, p < 0.001).ConclusionsDuring COVID-19 reproductive age women in Ethiopia were affected by intimate partner violence. Physical, psychological and sexual intimate partner violence were reported, and their prevalence was high due to the pandemic. Future studies on impact of COVID-19 on IPV among reproductive age women should be conducted in nationwide to make more comprehensive conclusion.PROSPERO registration number:CRD42023417628. creator: Aragaw Asfaw Hasen creator: Abubeker Alebachew Seid creator: Ahmed Adem Mohammed creator: Kassaye Getaneh Arge uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17812 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2024 Hasen et al. title: Study of LY9 as a potential biomarker for prognosis and prediction of immunotherapy efficacy in lung adenocarcinoma link: https://peerj.com/articles/17816 last-modified: 2024-08-23 description: BackgroundLymphocyte antigen 9 (LY9) participates in the development of several tumors and diseases but has not been reported yet in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).MethodsFirst, we analyzed the expression and prognostic value of LY9 in pan-cancer, including LUAD. Additionally, we conducted a correlation analysis of LY9 expression in LUAD with immune cell infiltration using the TIMER database and the CIBERSORT algorithm, and with immune checkpoints using the GEPIA database. Also, we constructed a potential ceRNA network for LY9. Furthermore, we explored LY9-related pathways by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Finally, validation of differential expression at the mRNA level was obtained from the GEO database. We collected LUAD tissues for Quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) to verify the expression of LY9, CD8, and CD4 and calculated the correlation between them. We also conducted immunohistochemistry (IHC) to verify the protein expression of LY9.ResultsResults showed that LY9 was highly expressed in various tumors, including LUAD. Besides, patients with high LY9 expression presented longer overall survival (OS) and more multiple lymphocyte infiltrations. The expression of LY9 in LUAD strongly and positively correlates with multiple immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoints. The functional enrichment analysis indicated that LY9 was involved in multiple immune-related pathways and non-small cell lung cancer. Moreover, a ceRNA regulatory network of LINC00943-hsa-miR-141-3p-LY9 might be involved. Finally, GSE68465 dataset confirmed differential expression of LY9 mRNA levels in LUAD and the qRT-PCR results verified LY9 had a strong and positive correlation with CD4 and CD8 T cells. Unfortunately, IHC did not detect the expression of LY9 protein level in tumor tissues and WB experiments validated the protein expression of LY9 in the OCI-AML-2 cell line.ConclusionsTherefore, we hypothesized that LY9 could serve as a potential, novel prognostic biomarker for LUAD and could predict immunotherapy efficacy at the mRNA level. creator: Kun Deng creator: Liqiang Yuan creator: Zhanyu Xu creator: Fanglu Qin creator: Zhiwen Zheng creator: Liuliu Huang creator: Wei Jiang creator: Junqi Qin creator: Yu Sun creator: Tiaozhan Zheng creator: Xinhuai Ou creator: Liping Zheng creator: Shikang Li uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17816 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 rights: ©2024 Deng et al. title: The contribution of energy systems during 15-second sprint exercise in athletes of different sports specializations link: https://peerj.com/articles/17863 last-modified: 2024-08-23 description: BackgroundLong-term adaptations and ongoing training seem to modify the energy system contribution in highly trained individuals. We aimed to compare the energy metabolism profile during sprint exercise in athletes of different specialties.MethodsEndurance (n = 17, 20.3 ± 6.0 yrs), speed-power (n = 14, 20.3 ± 2.5 yrs), and mixed (n = 19, 23.4 ± 4.8 yrs) athletes performed adapted 15-second all-out test before and after a general preparation training period. The contribution of phosphagen, glycolytic, and aerobic systems was calculated using the three-component PCr-LA-O2 method.ResultsBetween-group differences were observed in the contribution of energy systems in the first and second examinations. The proportions were 47:41:12 in endurance, 35:57:8 in team sports, and 45:48:7 in speed-power athletes. Endurance athletes differed in the phosphagen (p < 0.001) and glycolytic systems (p = 0.006) from team sports and in the aerobic system from speed-power athletes (p = 0.003). No substantial shifts were observed after the general preparatory phase, except a decrease in aerobic energy contribution in team sports athletes (p = 0.048).ConclusionSports specialization and metabolic profile influence energy system contribution during sprint exercise. Highly trained athletes show a stable energy profile during the general preparation phase, indicative of long-term adaptation, rather than immediate training effects. creator: Damian Archacki creator: Jacek Zieliński creator: Barbara Pospieszna creator: Michał Włodarczyk creator: Krzysztof Kusy uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17863 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2024 Archacki et al. title: Long-term passage impacts human dental pulp stem cell activities and cell response to drug addition in vitro link: https://peerj.com/articles/17913 last-modified: 2024-08-23 description: BackgroundDental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) possess mesenchymal stem cell characteristics and have potential for cell-based therapy. Cell expansion is essential to achieve sufficient cell numbers. However, continuous cell replication causes cell aging in vitro, which usually accompanies and potentially affect DPSC characteristics and activities. Continuous passaging could alter susceptibility to external factors such as drug treatment. Therefore, this study sought to investigate potential outcome of in vitro passaging on DPSC morphology and activities in the absence or presence of external factor.MethodsHuman DPSCs were subcultured until reaching early passages (P5), extended passages (P10), and late passages (P15). Cells were evaluated and compared for cell and nuclear morphologies, cell adhesion, proliferative capacity, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and gene expressions in the absence or presence of external factor. Alendronate (ALN) drug treatment was used as an external factor.ResultsContinuous passaging of DPSCs gradually lost their normal spindle shape and increased in cell and nuclear sizes. DPSCs were vulnerable to ALN. The size and shape were altered, leading to morphological abnormality and inhomogeneity. Long-term culture and ALN interfered with cell adhesion. DPSCs were able to proliferate irrespective of cell passages but the rate of cell proliferation in late passages was slower. ALN at moderate dose inhibited cell growth. ALN caused reduction of ALP activity in early passage. In contrast, extended passage responded differently to ALN by increasing ALP activity. Late passage showed higher collagen but lower osteocalcin gene expressions compared with early passage in the presence of ALN.ConclusionAn increase in passage number played critical role in cell morphology and activities as well as responses to the addition of an external factor. The effects of cell passage should be considered when used in basic science research and clinical applications. creator: Somying Patntirapong creator: Juthaluck Khankhow creator: Sikarin Julamorn uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17913 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2024 Patntirapong et al. title: DNA methylation and gene expression profiling reveal potential association of retinol metabolism related genes with hepatocellular carcinoma development link: https://peerj.com/articles/17916 last-modified: 2024-08-23 description: BackgroundAberrant DNA methylation patterns play a critical role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the molecular mechanisms associated with these aberrantly methylated genes remain unclear. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the methylation-driven gene expression alterations in HCC using a multi-omics dataset.MethodsWhole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) techniques were used to assess the methylation and gene expression profiles of HCC tissues (HCCs) and normal adjacent tissues (NATs). The candidate genes’ potential function was further investigated using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA seq) data.ResultsWe observed widespread hypomethylation in HCCs compared to NATs. Methylation levels in distinct genomic regions exhibited significant differences between HCCs and NATs. We identified 247,632 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) and 4,926 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between HCCs and NATs. Integrated analysis of DNA methylation and RNA-seq data identified 987 methylation-driven candidate genes, with 970 showing upregulation and 17 showing downregulation. Four genes involved in the retinol metabolic pathway, namely ADH1A, CYP2A6, CYP2C8, and CYP2C19, were identified as hyper-downregulated genes. Their expression levels could stratify HCCs into three subgroups with distinct survival outcomes, immune cell infiltration, and tumor microenvironments. Validation of these findings in an independent dataset yielded similar outcomes, confirming the high concordance and potential prognostic value of these genes. ScRNA seq data revealed the low expression of these genes in immune cells, emphasizing their role in promoting malignant cell proliferation and migration. In conclusion, this study provides insights into the molecular characteristics of HCC, revealing the involvement of retinol metabolism-related genes in the development and progression of HCC. These findings have implications for HCC diagnosis, prognosis prediction, and the development of therapeutic targets. creator: Yanteng Zhao creator: Kangkang Wan creator: Jing Wang creator: Shuya Wang creator: Yanli Chang creator: Zhuanyun Du creator: Lianglu Zhang creator: Lanlan Dong creator: Dihan Zhou creator: Wei Zhang creator: Shaochi Wang creator: Qiankun Yang uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17916 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2024 Zhao et al. title: Changes of Tamarix austromongolica forests with embankment dams along the Laizhou bay link: https://peerj.com/articles/17934 last-modified: 2024-08-23 description: BackgroundEmbankment dams were built south of the Laizhou bay in China for controlling storm surge disasters, but they are not enough to replace coastal forests in protecting the land. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of embankment dams on natural forests dominated by Tamarix austromongolica and test whether the dam-shrub system is a preferable updated defense.MethodsCoastal forests on two typical flats, one before and one behind embankment dams, were investigated using quadrats and lines. Land bareness, vegetation composition and species co-occurrence were assessed; structures of T. austromongolica populations were evaluated; and spatial patterns of the populations were analyzed using Ripley’s K and K1,2 functions.ResultsIn the area before embankment dams, 84.8% of T. austromongolica were juveniles (basal diameter ≤ 3 cm), and 15.2% were adults (basal diameter > 3 cm); behind the dams, 52.9% were juveniles, and 47.1 were adults. In the area before the dams, the land bareness was 13.7%, four species occurred, and they all were ready to co-occur with T. austromongolica; behind the dams, the land bareness was 0%, and 16 species occurred whereas they somewhat resisted co-occurrence with T. austromongolica. In the area before the dams, the T. austromongolica population was aggregated in heterogeneous patches, and the juveniles tended to co-occur with the adults; behind the dams, they were over-dispersed as nearly uniform distributions, while the juveniles could recruit and were primarily independent of the adults. These results indicate that the T. austromongolica species did not suffer from the unnatural dams, but benefited somehow in population expansion and development. Overall, the T. austromongolica species can adapt to artificial embankment dams to create a synthetic defense against storm surges. creator: Hongxiao Yang creator: Fangfang Liu creator: Xinwei Liu creator: Zhenfeng Zhou creator: Yanxia Pan creator: Jianmin Chu uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17934 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 rights: ©2024 Yang et al. title: Broad-scale ecological niches of pathogens vectored by the ticks Ixodes scapularis and Amblyomma americanum in North America link: https://peerj.com/articles/17944 last-modified: 2024-08-23 description: Environmental dimensions, such as temperature, precipitation, humidity, and vegetation type, influence the activity, survival, and geographic distribution of tick species. Ticks are vectors of various pathogens that cause disease in humans, and Ixodes scapularis and Amblyomma americanum are among the tick species that transmit pathogens to humans across the central and eastern United States. Although their potential geographic distributions have been assessed broadly via ecological niche modeling, no comprehensive study has compared ecological niche signals between ticks and tick-borne pathogens. We took advantage of National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) data for these two tick species and associated bacteria pathogens across North America. We used two novel statistical tests that consider sampling and absence data explicitly to perform these explorations: a univariate analysis based on randomization and resampling, and a permutational multivariate analysis of variance. Based on univariate analyses, in Amblyomma americanum, three pathogens (Borrelia lonestari, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, and E. ewingii) were tested; pathogens showed nonrandom distribution in at least one environmental dimension. Based on the PERMANOVA test, the null hypothesis that the environmental position and variation of pathogen-positive samples are equivalent to those of A. americanum could not be rejected for any of the pathogens, except for the pathogen E. ewingii in maximum and minimum vapor pressure and minimum temperature. For Ixodes scapularis, six pathogens (A. phagocytophilum, Babesia microti, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, B. mayonii, B. miyamotoi, and Ehrlichia muris-like) were tested; only B. miyamotoi was not distinct from null expectations in all environmental dimensions, based on univariate tests. In the PERMANOVA analyses, the pathogens departed from null expectations for B. microti and B. burgdorferi sensu lato, with smaller niches in B. microti, and larger niches in B. burgdorferi sensu lato, than the vector. More generally, this study shows the value of large-scale data resources with consistent sampling methods, and known absences of key pathogens in particular samples, for answering public health questions, such as the relationship of presence and absence of pathogens in their hosts respect to environmental conditions. creator: Abdelghafar Alkishe creator: Marlon E. Cobos creator: A. Townsend Peterson uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17944 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2024 Alkishe et al.