title: PeerJ description: Articles published in PeerJ link: https://peerj.com/articles/index.rss3?journal=peerj&page=301 creator: info@peerj.com PeerJ errorsTo: info@peerj.com PeerJ language: en title: Pyrolyzed and unpyrolyzed residues enhance maize yield under varying rates of application and fertilization regimes link: https://peerj.com/articles/17513 last-modified: 2024-06-14 description: Biochar is increasingly gaining popularity due to its extensive recommendation as a potential solution for addressing the concerns of food security and climate change in agroecosystems, with biochar application for increased carbon sequestration, enhanced soil fertility, improved soil health, and increased crop yield and quality. There have been multiple studies on crop yield utilizing various biochar types and application amounts; however, none have focused on the influence of diverse biochar types at various pyrolysis temperatures with different application amounts and the integration of fertilizer regimes in maize crops. Therefore, a two-year factorial field experiment was designed in a temperate Himalayan region of India (THRI) to evaluate the residual effect of different biochar on maize yield under different pyrolysis temperatures, various application rates and fertilizer regimes. The study included three factors viz., amendment type (factor 1), rate of application (factor 2) and fertilizer regime (factor 3). Amendment type included 7 treatments: No biochar- control (A1), apple biochar @ 400 °C pyrolysis temperature (A2), apple biochar @ 600 °C pyrolysis temperature (A3), apple residue biomass (A4), dal weed biochar @ 400 °C pyrolysis temperature (A5), dal weed biochar @ 600 °C pyrolysis temperatures (A6), and dal weed residue biomass (A7). The rate of application included 3 levels: Low (L- 1 t ha−1), medium (M- 2 t ha−1), and high (H- 3 t ha−1). At the same time, the fertilizer regimes included 2 treatments: No fertilizer (N) and recommended dose of fertilizer (F). The results revealed that among the various amendment type, rate of application and fertilizer regimes, the A3 amendment, H rate of application and F fertilizer regime gave the best maize growth and productivity outcome. Results revealed that among the different pyrolyzed residues used, the A3 amendment had the highest plant height (293.87 cm), most kernels cob−1 (535.75), highest soil plant analysis development (SPAD) value (58.10), greatest cob length (27.36 cm), maximum cob girth (18.18 cm), highest grain cob yield (1.40 Mg ha−1), highest grain yield (4.78 Mg ha−1), higher test weight (305.42 gm), and highest stover yield (2.50 Mg ha−1). The maximum dry weight in maize and the number of cobs plant−1 were recorded with amendments A4 (14.11 Mg ha−1) and A6 (1.77), respectively. The comparatively 2nd year of biochar application than the 1st year, the H level of the rate of application than the L rate and the application and integration of the recommended dose of fertilizer in maize results in significantly higher values of growth and productivity in maize. Overall, these findings suggest that the apple biochar @ 600 °C pyrolysis temperature (A3) at a high application rate with the addition of the recommended dose of fertilizer is the optimal biochar for enhancing the growth and productivity of maize in the THRI. creator: Owais Ali Wani creator: Farida Akhter creator: Shamal Shasang Kumar creator: Raihana Habib Kanth creator: Zahoor Ahmed Dar creator: Subhash Babu creator: Nazir Hussain creator: Syed Sheraz Mahdi creator: Abed Alataway creator: Ahmed Z. Dewidar creator: Mohamed A. Mattar uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17513 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2024 Wani et al. title: Modulation of the gut microbiota by processed food and natural food: evidence from the Siniperca chuatsi microbiome link: https://peerj.com/articles/17520 last-modified: 2024-06-14 description: Habitual dietary changes have the potential to induce alterations in the host’s gut microbiota. Mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi), an aquatic vertebrate species with distinct feeding habits, were fed with natural feeds (NF) and artificial feeds (AF) to simulate the effects of natural and processed food consumption on host gut microbiota assemblages. The results showed that the alpha diversity index was reduced in the AF diet treatment, as lower abundance and diversity of the gut microbiota were observed, which could be attributed to the colonized microorganisms of the diet itself and the incorporation of plant-derived proteins or carbohydrates. The β-diversity analysis indicated that the two dietary treatments were associated with distinct bacterial communities. The AF diet had a significantly higher abundance of Bacteroidota and a lower abundance of Actinomycetota, Acidobacteriota, and Chloroflexota compared to the NF group. In addition, Bacteroidota was the biomarker in the gut of mandarin fish from the AF treatment, while Acidobacteriota was distinguished in the NF treatments. Additionally, the increased abundance of Bacteroidota in the AF diet group contributed to the improved fermentation and nutrient assimilation, as supported by the metabolic functional prediction and transcriptome verification. Overall, the present work used the mandarin fish as a vertebrate model to uncover the effects of habitual dietary changes on the evolution of the host microbiota, which may provide potential insights for the substitution of natural foods by processed foods in mammals. creator: Hongyan Li creator: Shuhui Niu creator: Houjun Pan creator: Guangjun Wang creator: Jun Xie creator: Jingjing Tian creator: Kai Zhang creator: Yun Xia creator: Zhifei Li creator: Ermeng Yu creator: Wenping Xie creator: Wangbao Gong uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17520 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Li et al. title: Effects of combined aerobic and resistance training on glycemic control, blood pressure, inflammation, cardiorespiratory fitness and quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes and overweight/obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis link: https://peerj.com/articles/17525 last-modified: 2024-06-14 description: BackgroundStructured aerobic or resistance training alone seems to be a beneficial tool for improving glucose homeostasis, chronic systemic inflammation, resting cardiovascular function, and mental health in people with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The aim of the present study was to synthesize the available data on the effectiveness of combined aerobic and resistance training (CART) on glycemic control, blood pressure, inflammation, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and quality of life (QoL) in overweight and obese individuals with T2DM.MethodsA database search was carried out in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar from inception up to May 2023. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess eligible studies, and the GRADE method to evaluate the reliability of evidence. A random-effects model was used, and data were analyzed using standardized mean differences and 95% confidence intervals. The study protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (ID: CRD42022355612).ResultsA total of 21,612 studies were retrieved; 20 studies were included, and data were extracted from 1,192 participants (mean age: 57 ± 7 years) who met the eligibility criteria. CART demonstrated significant improvements in body mass index, glycated hemoglobin, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, CRF, and QoL compared to ST. These findings highlight the significance of exercise interventions such as CART as essential elements within comprehensive diabetes management strategies, ultimately enhancing overall health outcomes in individuals with T2DM and overweight/obesity.No differences were found in resting heart rate between CART and ST. An uncertain risk of bias and poor quality of evidence were found among the eligible studies.ConclusionThese outcomes show clear evidence considering the positive role of CART in inducing beneficial changes in various cardiometabolic and mental health-related indicators in patients with T2DM and concurrent overweight/obesity. More studies with robust methodological design are warranted to examine the dose-response relationship, training parameters configuration, and mechanisms behind these positive adaptations. creator: Sameer Badri AL-Mhanna creator: Alexios Batrakoulis creator: Wan Syaheedah Wan Ghazali creator: Mahaneem Mohamed creator: Abdulaziz Aldayel creator: Maha H. Alhussain creator: Hafeez Abiola Afolabi creator: Yusuf Wada creator: Mehmet Gülü creator: Safaa Elkholi creator: Bishir Daku Abubakar creator: Daniel Rojas-Valverde uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17525 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 AL-Mhanna et al. title: Screening and verification of proteins that interact with the anthocyanin-related transcription factor PbrMYB114 in ‘Yuluxiang’ pear link: https://peerj.com/articles/17540 last-modified: 2024-06-14 description: Despite extensive research highlighting the pivotal role of MYB transcription factors in regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis, the interactive regulatory network involving these MYB factors in pear fruits remains inadequately characterized. In this study, the anthocyanin-regulatory gene PbrMYB114 was successfully cloned from ‘Yuluxiang’ pear (Pyrus bretschneideri) fruits, and its influence on anthocyanin accumulation was confirmed through transient expression assays. Specifically, the co-transformation of PbrMYB114 with its partner PbrbHLH3 in pears served to validate the functional role of PbrMYB114. Subsequently, PbrMYB114 was employed as bait in a yeast two-hybrid screening assay, using a ‘Yuluxiang’ pear protein library, which led to the identification of 25 interacting proteins. Further validation of the interactions between PbrMYB114 and PbrMT2/PbrMT3 was conducted. Investigations into the role of PbrMT2 and PbrMT3 in ‘Duli’ seedlings (Pyrus betulaefolia) revealed their potential to enhance anthocyanin accumulation. The outcomes of these studies provide novel insights into the protein network that regulates pear anthocyanin biosynthesis, particularly the functional interactions among PbrMYB114 and associated proteins. creator: Qingwei Liu creator: Ge Gao creator: Chen Shang creator: Tong Li creator: Yadong Wang creator: Liulin Li creator: Xinxin Feng uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17540 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Liu et al. title: Maize residue retention shapes soil microbial communities and co-occurrence networks upon freeze-thawing cycles link: https://peerj.com/articles/17543 last-modified: 2024-06-14 description: Maize residue retention is an effective agricultural practice for improving soil fertility in black soil region, where suffered from long freezing-thawing periods and intense freeze-thawing (FT) cycles. However, very few studies have examined the influence of maize residue retention on soil microbial communities under FT cycles. We investigated the response of soil microbial communities and co-occurrence networks to maize residue retention at different FT intensities over 12 cycles using a microcosm experiment conditioned in a temperature incubator. Our results indicated that maize residue retention induced dramatic shifts in soil archaeal, bacterial and fungal communities towards copiotroph-dominated communities. Maize residue retention consistently reduced soil fungal richness across all cycles, but this effect was weaker for archaea and bacteria. Normalized stochastic ratio analysis revealed that maize residue retention significantly enhanced the deterministic process of archaeal, bacterial and fungal communities. Although FT intensity significantly impacted soil respiration, it did not induce profound changes in soil microbial diversity and community composition. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that maize residue retention simplified prokaryotic network, while did not impact fungal network complexity. The network robustness index suggested that maize residue retention enhanced the fungal network stability, but reduced prokaryotic network stability. Moreover, the fungal network in severe FT treatment harbored the most abundant keystone taxa, mainly being cold-adapted fungi. By identifying modules in networks, we observed that prokaryotic Module #1 and fungal Module #3 were enhanced by maize residue retention and contributed greatly to soil quality. Together, our results showed that maize residue retention exerted stronger influence on soil microbial communities and co-occurrence network patterns than FT intensity and highlighted the potential of microbial interactions in improving soil functionality. creator: Yang Yu creator: Quankuan Guo creator: Shuhan Zhang creator: Yupeng Guan creator: Nana Jiang creator: Yang Zhang creator: Rong Mao creator: Keyu Bai creator: Salimjan Buriyev creator: Nuriddin Samatov creator: Ximei Zhang creator: Wei Yang uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17543 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2024 Yu et al. title: Ferrostatin-1 inhibits fibroblast fibrosis in keloid by inhibiting ferroptosis link: https://peerj.com/articles/17551 last-modified: 2024-06-14 description: BackgroundKeloid is a chronic proliferative fibrotic disease caused by abnormal fibroblasts proliferation and excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) production. Numerous fibrotic disorders are significantly influenced by ferroptosis, and targeting ferroptosis can effectively mitigate fibrosis development. This study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of ferroptosis in keloid development.MethodsKeloid tissues from keloid patients and normal skin tissues from healthy controls were collected. Iron content, lipid peroxidation (LPO) level, and the mRNA and protein expression of ferroptosis-related genes including solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), transferrin receptor (TFRC), and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) were determined. Mitochondrial morphology was observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Keloid fibroblasts (KFs) were isolated from keloid tissues, and treated with ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1 (fer-1) or ferroptosis activator erastin. Iron content, ferroptosis-related marker levels, LPO level, mitochondrial membrane potential, ATP content, and mitochondrial morphology in KFs were detected. Furthermore, the protein levels of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen I, and collagen III were measured to investigate whether ferroptosis affect fibrosis in KFs.ResultsWe found that iron content and LPO level were substantially elevated in keloid tissues and KFs. SLC7A11, GPX4, and Nrf2 were downregulated and TFRC was upregulated in keloid tissues and KFs. Mitochondria in keloid tissues and KFs exhibited ferroptosis-related pathology. Fer-1 treatment reduced iron content, restrained ferroptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction in KFs, Moreover, ferrostatin-1 restrained the protein expression of α-SMA, collagen I, and collagen III in KFs. Whereas erastin treatment showed the opposite results.ConclusionFerroptosis exists in keloid. Ferrostatin-1 restrained ECM deposition and fibrosis in keloid through inhibiting ferroptosis, and erastin induced ECM deposition and fibrosis through intensifying ferroptosis. creator: Liu Yang creator: Xiuli Li creator: Yanli Wang uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17551 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2024 Yang et al. title: Using linear measurements to diagnose the ecological habitat of Spinosaurus link: https://peerj.com/articles/17544 last-modified: 2024-06-13 description: Much of the ecological discourse surrounding the polarising theropod Spinosaurus has centred on qualitative discussions. Using a quantitative multivariate data analytical approach on size-adjusted linear measurements of the skull, we examine patterns in skull shape across a range of sauropsid clades and three ecological realms (terrestrial, semi-aquatic, and aquatic). We utilise cluster analyses to identify emergent properties of the data which associate properties of skull shape with ecological realm occupancy. Results revealed terrestrial ecologies to be significantly distinct from both semi- and fully aquatic ecologies, the latter two were not significantly different. Spinosaurids (including Spinosaurus) plotted away from theropods in morphospace and close to both marine taxa and wading birds. The position of nares and the degree of rostral elongation had the greatest effect on categorisation. Comparisons of supervised (k-means) and unsupervised clustering demonstrated categorising taxa into three groups (ecological realms) was inappropriate and suggested instead that cluster division is based on morphological adaptations to feeding on aquatic versus terrestrial food items. The relative position of the nares in longirostrine taxa is associated with which skull bones are elongated. Rostral elongation is observed by either elongating the maxilla and the premaxilla or by elongating the maxilla only. This results in the nares positioned towards the orbits or towards the anterior end of the rostrum respectively, with implications on available feeding methods. Spinosaurids, especially Spinosaurus, show elongation in the maxilla-premaxilla complex, achieving similar functional outcomes to elongation of the premaxilla seen in birds, particularly large-bodied piscivorous taxa. Such a skull construction would bolster “stand-and-wait” predation of aquatic prey to a greater extent than serving other proposed feeding methods. creator: Sean Smart creator: Manabu Sakamoto uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17544 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Smart and Sakamoto title: Integrative systematic revision of the Montseny brook newt (Calotriton arnoldi), with the description of a new subspecies link: https://peerj.com/articles/17550 last-modified: 2024-06-13 description: The Montseny brook newt (Calotriton arnoldi), a glacial relict endemic to a small, isolated massif in northeast Spain, is considered the only Critically Endangered urodele in Europe. Its restricted range is divided by a deep valley that acts as an impassable barrier to dispersal, separating two isolated metapopulations (Western and Eastern) that correspond to independent lineages with different evolutionary trajectories, based on genetic and genomic data. Here, we address the ecological differentiation between lineages and discuss its potential effect on the phenotypic distinctness of each lineage. Based on multiple lines of evidence, we formally describe the Western Montseny brook newt as a new subspecies: Calotriton arnoldi laietanusssp. nov. Finally, our study underscores the importance of considering taxonomic progress in the conservation policies of endangered species, ensuring appropriate management and protection of the newly described taxa. creator: Adrián Talavera creator: Emilio Valbuena-Ureña creator: Bernat Burriel-Carranza creator: Gabriel Mochales-Riaño creator: Dean C. Adams creator: Fèlix Amat creator: Francesc Carbonell creator: Salvador Carranza uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17550 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Talavera et al. title: When and where? Day-night alterations in wild boar space use captured by a generalized additive mixed model link: https://peerj.com/articles/17390 last-modified: 2024-06-12 description: Wild boar (Sus scrofa), an abundant species across Europe, is often subjected to management in agro-ecosystems in order to control population size, or to scare them away from agricultural fields to safeguard crop yields. Wild boar management can benefit from a better understanding on changes in its space use across the diel cycle (i.e., diel space use) in relation to variable hunting pressures or other factors. Here, we estimate wild boar diel space use in an agro-ecosystem in central Belgium during four consecutive “growing seasons” (i.e., April–September). To achieve this, we fit generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) to camera trap data of wild boar aggregated over 1-h periods. Our results reveal that wild boar are predominantly nocturnal in all of the hunting management zones in Meerdaal, with activity peaks around sunrise and sunset. Hunting events in our study area tend to take place around sunrise and sunset, while non-lethal human activities occur during sunlight hours. Our GAMM reveals that wild boar use different areas throughout the diel cycle. During the day, wild boar utilized areas in the centre of the forest, possibly to avoid human activities during daytime. During the night, they foraged near (or in) agricultural fields. A post hoc comparison of space use maps of wild boar in Meerdaal revealed that their diurnal and nocturnal space use were uncorrelated. We did not find sufficient evidence to prove that wild boar spatiotemporally avoid hunters. Finally, our work reveals the potential of GAMMs to model variation in space across 24-h periods from camera trap data, an application that will be useful to address a range of ecological questions. However, to test the robustness of this approach we advise that it should be compared against telemetry-based methods to derive diel space use. creator: Martijn Bollen creator: Jim Casaer creator: Thomas Neyens creator: Natalie Beenaerts uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17390 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2024 Bollen et al. title: Altered vaginal cervical microbiota diversity contributes to HPV-induced cervical cancer via inflammation regulation link: https://peerj.com/articles/17415 last-modified: 2024-06-12 description: BackgroundCancer has surpassed infectious diseases and heart ailments, taking the top spot in the disease hierarchy. Cervical cancer is a significant concern for women due to high incidence and mortality rates, linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV infection leads to precancerous lesions progressing to cervical cancer. The cervix’s external os, near the vagina, hosts various microorganisms. Evidence points to the link between vaginal microbiota and HPV-induced cervical cancer. Cervical cancer onset aligns with an imbalanced Th1/Th2 immune response, but the role of vaginal microbiota in modulating this imbalance is unclear.MethodsIn this study, we collected vaginal samples from 99 HPV-infected patients across varying degrees of lesions, alongside control groups. These samples underwent bacterial DNA sequencing. Additionally, we employed Elisa kits to quantify the protein expression levels of Th1/Th2 cytokines IL2, IL12, IL5, IL13, and TNFa within the centrifuged supernatant of vaginal-cervical secretions from diverse research subjects. Subsequently, correlation analyses were conducted between inflammatory factors and vaginal microbiota.ResultsOur findings highlighted a correlation between decreased Lactobacillus and increased Gardenerella presence with HPV-induced cervical cancer. Functionally, our predictive analysis revealed the predominant enrichment of the ABC transporter within the vaginal microbiota of cervical cancer patients. Notably, these microbiota alterations exhibited correlations with the production of Th1/Th2 cytokines, which are intimately tied to tumor immunity.ConclusionsThis study suggests the potential involvement of vaginal microbiota in the progression of HPV-induced cervical cancer through Th1/Th2 cytokine regulation. This novel insight offers a fresh perspective for early cervical cancer diagnosis and future prevention strategies. creator: Yiheng Yang creator: Jufan Zhu creator: Renqian Feng creator: Mengfei Han creator: Fenghua Chen creator: Yan Hu uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17415 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Yang et al.