title: PeerJ description: Articles published in PeerJ link: https://peerj.com/articles/index.rss3?journal=peerj&page=29 creator: info@peerj.com PeerJ errorsTo: info@peerj.com PeerJ language: en title: The influence of basketball players’ tracking speed ability on sports decision performance link: https://peerj.com/articles/20266 last-modified: 2025-10-22 description: BackgroundThe running speed of basketball players plays a critical role in shaping the complexity and dynamics of game situations. This study aims to examine the relationship between players’ tracking speed capabilities and the quality of their decision-making during gameplay.MethodsEmploying an expert-novice paradigm, Experiment 1 assessed tracking accuracy in a multiple object tracking (MOT) task at three angular velocities: 5°/s, 10°/s, and 15°/s. Experiment 2 evaluated decision-making accuracy under three distinct running speed conditions: low speed (0.67–3.98 m/s), medium speed (3.99–7.97 m/s), and high speed (7.98–12.62 m/s).ResultsIn Experiment 1, expert players demonstrated significantly higher tracking accuracy (60.42 ± 13.98%) than novice players (41.25 ± 13.93%) at 10°/s (P < 0.001). No significant group differences were found at 5°/s or 15°/s (Ps > 0.05). In Experiment 2, the expert group exhibited significantly higher decision accuracy than the novice group across all three speed conditions (Ps < 0.001). Moreover, at high speeds (7.98–12.62 m/s), shooting decisions were significantly less accurate than passing and breakthrough decisions (Ps < 0.001), while no significant differences were observed between passing and breakthrough decisions (Ps > 0.05).ConclusionThis study shows that expert basketball players display superior visual attention and decision-making in moderate-to-high complexity settings, extending dynamic sport cognition theory. The absence of differences at 5°/s and 15°/s suggests task boundary effects. Future work should examine player position and gender to refine perceptual-cognitive training and theoretical models. creator: Qifeng Gou creator: Sunnan Li uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.20266 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2025 Gou and Li title: Interaction between crizotinib and tropifexor through in vitro and in vivo studies link: https://peerj.com/articles/20256 last-modified: 2025-10-22 description: In the context of cancer treatment, the employment of multiple drug therapies frequently results in a high prevalence of drug-drug interaction (DDI) in clinical practice. Crizotinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) used to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Tropifexor is a Farnesoid X Receptor (FXR) agonist used to treat non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and other metabolic disorders. This study developed an ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for the quantitative determination of crizotinib and 2-Keto crizotinib concentrations and investigated the effect of tropifexor on crizotinib metabolism. Results showed good linearity for crizotinib and 2-Keto crizotinib in plasma, with the method meeting all quantitative analysis requirements, including selectivity, accuracy, precision, stability, matrix effects, and recovery. In rat liver microsomes (RLM), tropifexor inhibited the metabolism of crizotinib via non-competitive and uncompetitive mechanisms, whereas in human liver microsomes (HLM), the inhibition occured through competitive and non-competitive mechanisms. In vivo studies in rats demonstrated that tropifexor significantly increased the AUC0−t, AUC0−∞, and Cmax of crizotinib by 35.7%, 36.9%, and 37.5%, respectively, and decreased the CLz/F of crizotinib by 25.2%. For the metabolite 2-Keto crizotinib, tropifexor reduced its CLz/F by 27.9%. Our study developed this UPLC-MS/MS method for the accurate and sensitive quantitative determination of crizotinib and 2-Keto crizotinib concentrations, and elucidated the inhibitory effect of tropifexor on crizotinib metabolism and its inhibitory mechanism. The results of this study will support the necessity of monitoring crizotinib plasma concentrations when used in combination therapy. creator: An Shen creator: Hailun Xia creator: Jun Wu creator: Liang Tao creator: Jie Chen creator: HangJuan Lin uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.20256 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2025 Shen et al. title: Nectar robbing by the invasive bumblebee Bombus terrestris (Apidae) changes the behavior of native flower visitors of Fuchsia magellanica Lam. (Onagraceae) but not seed set link: https://peerj.com/articles/20253 last-modified: 2025-10-22 description: Mutualisms between plants and pollinators may be threatened by nectar robbers, as these animals typically consume nectar without providing the essential pollination service. In the temperate forests of Chile, the shrub Fuchsia magellanica is primarily pollinated by the hummingbird Sephanoides sephaniodes and the native bumblebee Bombus dahlbomii. However, some populations are also affected by nectar robbing from the invasive bumblebee Bombus terrestris. In a study evaluating 24 populations of F. magellanica, we assessed the effects of nectar robbing on nectar production, the foraging behavior of key pollinators, and the reproductive success of the plant. We measured the nectar production rate and standing crop in flowers that were either protected from visitors or exposed to them. We also observed flower visitation, the foraging behavior of pollinators, and seed sets in experimentally manipulated flowers. Results indicated that nectar robbing reduced nectar production rates by a factor of 4, and the standing crop of nectar by 2.9 times. With an increased percentage of flowers pierced by B. terrestris, the hummingbird S. sephaniodes appeared to reduce its pollinating visits, while B. terrestris increased its robbing visits. Despite these changes in pollinator behavior, there was no significant effect on the seed set. Ultimately, our findings suggest that for F. magellanica, B. terrestris does not pose a significant threat to reproduction, despite its disruptive impact on pollinator behavior. creator: Carlos E. Valdivia creator: José I. Orellana creator: Maureen Murúa uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.20253 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2025 Valdivia et al. title: Functions of wheat ncRNAs in pathogen defense and stress adaptation link: https://peerj.com/articles/20142 last-modified: 2025-10-22 description: In organisms, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are key regulatory elements that modulate, the expression of genes involved in diverse biological traits. Among them, micro RNAs (miRNAs), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have become major research focuses. Wheat, the world’s most widely grown crop, occupies 17% of global cultivated land and supplies ∼55% of the world’s carbohydrates. Understanding the roles, identification, and mechanisms of wheat ncRNAs is essential for both basic research and crop improvement. Through systematic searches of PubMed, Web of Science, and EndNote databases, this study identified 182 publications related to wheat ncRNAs. Based on predefined criteria—research relevance and publication timeframe (2015–2025)—70 high-quality studies were selected for in-depth analysis. This review comprehensively summarizes recent advances in ncRNA research (focusing on lncRNAs and small RNAs) in relation to wheat diseases, pests, and responses to biotic and abiotic stress. By integrating traditional classification with functional characterization, we developed a comprehensive analytical framework encompassing “molecular characteristics-biotic stress–abiotic stress”. Furthermore, this review consolidates multi-omics high-throughput data and online ncRNA databases. The integration of multi-omics technologies aims to provide both a theoretical foundation and novel strategies for wheat genetic improvement. creator: Yongji Yang creator: Yi Hu creator: Tao Li creator: Qi You uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.20142 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2025 Yang et al. title: Effects of four different times of day on various aspects of maximal short-term physical performance in young soccer players link: https://peerj.com/articles/20065 last-modified: 2025-10-22 description: The time of day (TOD) has a significant influence on physical performance through circadian rhythms, which regulate body temperature, muscle function, and hormone levels. While extensively studied in adults, the impact of TOD on adolescent athletes remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the effects of TOD on maximal short-term physical performance in adolescent soccer players, to guide evidence-based decisions regarding the structuring of training and competition schedules. Nineteen male adolescent soccer players (mean age: 14.58 ± 0.7 years) participated in a randomized trial, performing at four TOD sessions (08:00 h, 11:00 h, 15:00 h, and 18:00 h) with recovery periods of at least 48 hours between sessions. Performance metrics included oral temperature (OT), medicine ball throw (MBT), 5-meter sprint (5m-T), 20-meter sprint (20m-T), Illinois Agility Test (IAT), and Illinois Agility Test with Ball (IAT-B). Results revealed significant TOD effects. OT increased notably from 08:00 to 18:00 (p < 0.001). Physical performance metrics (MBT, 5m-T, 20m-T, IAT, and IAT-B) improved significantly at 11:00, 15:00, and 18:00 (all p < 0.05) relative to 08:00. The 18:00 session consistently produced the highest performance levels. At the same time, no significant differences were observed between 11:00 and 15:00 (all p > 0.05). Our results suggest that time of day significantly influences short-term maximal physical performance in adolescent male soccer players, with peak performance levels consistently observed in the late afternoon (18:00 h). This appears to reflect diurnal variations in core temperature, hormonal activity, and neuromuscular readiness, which likely enhance sprint speed, agility, and explosive power at this time. These findings indicate that coaches and youth sport practitioners should consider scheduling high-intensity training sessions and performance assessments in the late afternoon to optimize physiological conditions for training and evaluation. Aligning training and competition timing with circadian rhythms may therefore support improved athletic output and more accurate performance monitoring in youth soccer settings. creator: Houda Bougrine creator: Nidhal Nasser creator: Imed Gandouzi creator: Halil ibrahim Ceylan creator: Majdi Bouazizi creator: Thierry Paillard creator: Ismail Dergaa creator: Valentina Stefanica creator: Abderraouf Ben Abderrahman uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.20065 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2025 Bougrine et al. title: Using natural landscape and instream habitat to identify stream reference groups for bioassessment link: https://peerj.com/articles/20234 last-modified: 2025-10-21 description: BackgroundGrouping streams into reference groups based on their similarities is a critical component of developing multi-metric indices to evaluate biotic integrity. The use of level III ecoregions is a common approach that has been successful for many geopolitical regions. However, the diversity in ecoregions across the state of Oklahoma results in excessive complexity in the application of reference groups. In this study, we sought to simplify Oklahoma’s reference groups by considering the natural drivers of species distribution in wadeable streams.MethodsWe used two K-means clustering algorithms to create hierarchical stream groups. In the first K-means analysis, we grouped wadeable streams using several climatic and geologic features expected to influence fish distributions across the state (Tier I). Next, we subdivided the stream groups identified in the Tier I analysis based on water chemistry and instream habitat (Tier II). We used classification trees and between class multivariate analyses to validate and understand the resulting groups and define them as ‘stream archetypes’ based on distinguishing habitat characteristics.ResultsThe two K-means analyses resulted in six groups that represented both regional differences and reach-scale geomorphological differences. We determined that there were two regions, West and East that were primarily distinguished by mean annual precipitation. Tier II clustering identified Plains and Valley stream groups in both the East and West regions. These groups represented shallow, run-dominated, sand bed streams, and relatively deep, pool dominated, silty streams, respectively. The East region possessed two additional stream groups (i.e., Hills and Highlands groups), each with rocky substrate and riffle channel units that broke up the runs and pools in the stream. Of these, the Hills group was more prone to having pools than runs and had low nutrient concentrations compared to the Highlands group. We found that the six groups explained variability in habitat and water chemistry as well as the previous 13 ecoregion-based reference groups. Further, we confirmed that the groups were not the result of common anthropogenic influences on stream ecosystems. The six groups were subsequently organized into three stream archetypes, Plains (East and West), Valley (East and West) and Rocky (Hills and Highlands). We expect these six hierarchical stream groups and three archetypes to be useful in evaluating biotic communities in Oklahoma moving forward. creator: Joseph J. Dyer creator: Daniel Dvorett creator: Joseph Flotemersch uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.20234 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2025 Dyer et al. title: Integrative bioinformatics analysis identifies C1orf198 as a novel prognostic biomarker in colorectal cancer link: https://peerj.com/articles/20227 last-modified: 2025-10-21 description: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, necessitating the identification of novel prognostic biomarkers to improve patient management. In this study, we integrated bioinformatics analyses and experimental validation to explore the role of C1orf198 in CRC. Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) revealed significantly upregulated C1orf198 mRNA in CRC tissues compared to normal counterparts, confirmed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in clinical samples. High C1orf198 expression correlated with advanced tumor stages (T, N, M) and poor survival outcomes, including shorter overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and progression-free interval (PFI). Functional enrichment analyses highlighted involvement in extracellular matrix organization, cell adhesion, and oncogenic signaling pathways such as PI3K-AKT and focal adhesion. Immune infiltration analysis showed positive correlations with stromal/immune scores and M2 macrophage infiltration, linking C1orf198 to tumor microenvironment (TME) remodeling. Notably, C1orf198 was strongly associated with cytokines CXCL12 and receptors CXCR5, which mirrored its immune cell correlations. Collectively, our findings identify C1orf198 as a potential prognostic biomarker in CRC, implicating its role in TME modulation and oncogenic progression. creator: Changjiang Yang creator: Xuhua Geng creator: Zihan Zhao uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.20227 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2025 Yang et al. title: Effect of harvest on the agronomic, mineral and antioxidant profile of three oregano species (Origanum onites L., Origanum vulgare L. ssp. hirtum, and Origanum acutidens (Hand.-Mazz.) Ietswaart) link: https://peerj.com/articles/20223 last-modified: 2025-10-21 description: This study primarily aims to examine the variations in plant characteristics, micro- and macronutrient levels, heavy metal content, and antioxidant properties (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS)), along with antioxidant compounds such as phenolics and flavonoids, across different oregano species cultivated under identical ecological conditions. Origanum vulgare demonstrated the highest fresh (292.25 g/plant) and dry herbage yield (153.34 g/plant). The antioxidant activity varied significantly depending on the oregano species and harvest time. Origanum acutidens showed the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity during the early flowering stage. Conversely, Origanum onites L. displayed the lowest antioxidant activities, as measured by DPPH assay, during the same developmental phase. O. vulgare exhibited the strongest ABTS activity (0.997 mg TE/g dry weight (DW)) in the early flowering stage. Antioxidant activity in O. onites tended to decrease from pre-flowering to full flowering across all assays. Total phenolic content followed a similar trend, with O. vulgare reaching a maximum value at early flowering. Total flavonoid content was highest in O. acutidens during later development stages. The most abundant macronutrients, based on their average values of different harvest times, were calcium (Ca), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and phosphorus (P), respectively. The micro, macronutrient, and heavy metal content varied significantly between oregano species and across harvest periods within the same species. Heavy metal levels in oregano samples generally fell below WHO safety limits, except for cobalt (Co) and Chromium (Cr). Multivariate statistical techniques, including principal component analysis (PCA) and correlation analysis, were utilized to elucidate the interrelationships among oregano species, plant characteristics, antioxidant capacity, and mineral composition, thereby providing a comprehensive assessment of the factors governing oregano’s qualitative and nutritional characteristics. These findings emphasize the critical role of oregano species and harvest timing in determining plant growth, antioxidant characteristics, and nutritional properties. creator: Tansu Uskutoğlu uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.20223 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2025 Uskutoğlu title: Stream baseline conditions shape functional responses to wastewater: evidence from insect-dominated sites link: https://peerj.com/articles/20193 last-modified: 2025-10-21 description: Wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are a crucial part of modern day infrastructure, cleaning about half of our global wastewater. However, the emergence of micropollutants and higher frequencies of extreme weather events pose unprecedented challenges for society and biodiversity. Conventionally treated wastewater and altered flow regimes create environmental boundaries in rivers, impacting aquatic communities. Previous studies revealed pronounced taxonomic changes in freshwater invertebrate communities in response to WWTP effluents. To explore whether these shifts extend to functional diversity, we studied 338 communities upstream and downstream of 169 WWTPs using commonly applied functional diversity metrics. Surprisingly, we found no clear changes in functional alpha and beta diversity metrics, or community weighted means (CWM), suggesting that trait redundancy offsets the functional impact of the previously observed species turnover. However, in streams dominated by Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT), we found more pronounced shifts in CWMs, indicating that the extent of functional changes depends on the baseline condition of the streams. EPT-dominated site-pairs showed significant shifts in traits related to reproduction, dispersal, and feeding, including increased occurrences of ovoviviparity and interstitial locomotion potentially as an avoidance mechanism of high flow and low oxygen saturation. Further, shifts in shredding and absorbing feeding types, aquatic passive dispersal, and hololimnic life cycles might be forms of adaptation to increased nutrient concentrations and reduced intermittency induced by WWTPs. These findings demonstrate that functional responses to wastewater inputs can remain undetected due to the noise inherent in large datasets and are often absent as a result of functional redundancy. In contrast, significant changes emerge in communities dominated by sensitive species, underscoring the value of trait-based approaches for detecting context-dependent ecological impacts. creator: Daniel Enns creator: Nathan Jay Baker creator: Jörg Oehlmann creator: Jonas Jourdan uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.20193 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2025 Enns et al. title: Impacts of tropical cyclones on Northwest Atlantic seabirds: insights from a Category 1 hurricane link: https://peerj.com/articles/20157 last-modified: 2025-10-21 description: Tropical cyclones are annual occurrences in the western North Atlantic Ocean, where many seabird species are vulnerable to the environmental factors associated with extreme weather events. We summarize the history of tropical cyclones in Newfoundland, Canada, which hosts globally significant populations of seabirds. We examine the interactions that historical tropical cyclones have had with breeding seabirds by plotting the temporal association of Category 1 hurricanes with the breeding phenology of colonial seabirds in Newfoundland and identifying which major colonies have fallen within the pathways of these hurricanes. As a case study, we explore how Hurricane Larry (2021) coincided with increased stranding and mortality of Northern Gannets and Leach’s Storm-Petrels. The breeding seasons of Northern Gannets and Leach’s Storm-Petrels overlapped with all Category 1 hurricanes making landfall in Newfoundland from 1851 to 2024, whereby the central pathways of at least one hurricane passed over the six large Leach’s Storm-Petrel colonies and at least one of the Northern Gannet colonies. For Northern Gannets, a notable stranding and mortality event occurred with at least 146 stranded and 130 dead from September 13 to 24, 2021. For Leach’s Storm-Petrels, 19 birds were observed stranded and 16 died from September 10 to 14, 2021, which was higher than strandings and deaths reported during this period in 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024. As global climate change drives shifts in the timing, frequency, severity, and attributes of tropical cyclones, we raise the concern that the impacts of tropical cyclones on breeding seabirds may worsen and lead to high mortality in some years. creator: Tori V. Burt creator: Robert J. Blackmore creator: Sydney M. Collins creator: Kyle J. N. d’Entremont creator: Christopher R. E. Ward creator: Joshua Cunningham creator: Cerren Richards creator: Fiona Le Taro creator: Sabina I. Wilhelm creator: Amanda E. Bates creator: Stephanie Avery-Gomm creator: William A. Montevecchi uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.20157 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2025 Burt et al.