title: PeerJ
description:  Articles published in PeerJ
link: https://peerj.com/articles/index.rss3?journal=peerj&page=360
creator: info@peerj.com PeerJ
errorsTo: info@peerj.com PeerJ
language: en

title: The mean reticulocyte volume is a valuable index in early diagnosis of cancer-related anemia
link: https://peerj.com/articles/17063
last-modified: 2024-02-29
description: BackgroundCancer-related anemia (CRA) is a functional iron deficient anemia, and the early diagnosis will improve the prognosis of the patients. This prospective study aimed to investigate the utility of mean reticulocyte volume (MRV) in the early diagnosis of CRA.MethodsA total of 284 first-diagnosed cancer patients were enrolled, and the subjects were assigned anemia and non-anemia groups by hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations. The mature RBC and reticulocyte indices were detected with BC-7500 blood analyzer, and the MRV, reticulocyte hemoglobin (RHE) content, and reticulocyte production index (RPI) were obtained. ROC curves were constructed in identifying anemia diagnosed by the combination of RHE and RPI. An adjusted multivariate analyse and quartiles were used to assess the associations of MRV with early CRA diagnosed by combining RBC indices (MCV, MCH and MCHC), respectively.ResultsNo statistical differences were observed in MCV, RHE and MRV levels between anemia and non-anemia subjects (p > 0.05). MRV exhibited a complete or high correlation with the RHE levels (r = 1.000, p < 0.001), or MCV, MCH, and MCHC in anemia patients (R: 0.575–0.820, p < 0.001). ROC curves analyse indicated a highest area under curve of 0.829 (95% CI [0.762–0.895]) and 0.884 (95% CI [0.831–0.936]) for MRV in identifying anemia in male and female patients, respectively (p < 0.001). When the optimal cutoff values of MRV were set at 100.95 fl in males and 98.35 fl in females, the sensitivity and specificity were 1.00 and 0.68, and 1.00 and 0.73, respectively. The regression analyse showed that, when being as a categorical variable, MRV showed an odds ratio of 19.111 (95% CI [6.985–52.288]; p < 0.001) for the incidence of CRA. The incidence of overall anemia demonstrated a more significant decrease trend along with the increase of MRV quartiles (p-trend < 0.001).ConclusionThis study revealed that the MRV can be used as a convenient and sensitive index in early diagnosis of cancer-related anemia, and decreased MRV level may be the powerful predictor of overt anemia in cancer patients.
creator: Huijun Lin
creator: Bicui Zhan
creator: Xiaoyan Shi
creator: Dujin Feng
creator: Shuting Tao
creator: Mingyi Wo
creator: Xianming Fei
creator: Weizhong Wang
creator: Yan Yu
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17063
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: ©2024 Lin et al.

title: Vegetative cell wall protein OsGP1 regulates cell wall mediated soda saline-alkali stress in rice
link: https://peerj.com/articles/16790
last-modified: 2024-02-28
description: Plant growth and development are inhibited by the high levels of ions and pH due to soda saline-alkali soil, and the cell wall serves as a crucial barrier against external stresses in plant cells. Proteins in the cell wall play important roles in plant cell growth, morphogenesis, pathogen infection and environmental response. In the current study, the full-length coding sequence of the vegetative cell wall protein gene OsGP1 was characterized from Lj11 (Oryza sativa longjing11), it contained 660 bp nucleotides encoding 219 amino acids. Protein-protein interaction network analysis revealed possible interaction between CESA1, TUBB8, and OsJ_01535 proteins, which are related to plant growth and cell wall synthesis. OsGP1 was found to be localized in the cell membrane and cell wall. Furthermore, overexpression of OsGP1 leads to increase in plant height and fresh weight, showing enhanced resistance to saline-alkali stress. The ROS (reactive oxygen species) scavengers were regulated by OsGP1 protein, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities were significantly higher, while malondialdehyde was lower in the overexpression line under stress. These results suggest that OsGP1 improves saline-alkali stress tolerance of rice possibly through cell wall-mediated intracellular environmental homeostasis.
creator: Fengjin Zhu
creator: Huihui Cheng
creator: Jianan Guo
creator: Shuomeng Bai
creator: Ziang Liu
creator: Chunxi Huang
creator: Jiayi Shen
creator: Kai Wang
creator: Chengjun Yang
creator: Qingjie Guan
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16790
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: © 2024 Zhu et al.

title: Halichoeres sanchezi n. sp., a new wrasse from the Revillagigedo Archipelago of Mexico, tropical eastern Pacific Ocean (Teleostei: Labridae)
link: https://peerj.com/articles/16828
last-modified: 2024-02-28
description: A new labrid fish species, Halichoeres sanchezi n. sp., is described from eight specimens collected in the Revillagigedo Archipelago in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Mexico. The new species belongs to the Halichoeres melanotis species complex that is found throughout the region, differing by 2.4% in the mtDNA cytochrome c oxidase I sequence from its nearest relative, H. melanotis from Panama, and 2.9% from Halichoeres salmofasciatus from Cocos Island, off Costa Rica. The complex is distinguished from others in the region by having a black spot on the opercular flap and a prominent black area on the caudal fin of males. The juveniles and initial phase of the new species closely resemble those of H. salmofasciatus and Halichoeres malpelo from Malpelo Island of Colombia, differing in having an oblong black spot with a yellow dorsal margin on the mid-dorsal fin of initial-phase adults as well as on juveniles. In contrast, the terminal-phase male color pattern is distinct from other relatives, being vermilion to orangish brown with dark scale outlines, a white patch on the upper abdomen, and a prominent black band covering the posterior caudal peduncle and base of the caudal fin. The new species adds to the list of endemic fish species for the isolated archipelago and is an interesting case of island endemism in the region. The discovery was made during the joint 2022 collecting expedition to the archipelago, which featured a pioneering collaborative approach to an inventory of an island ichthyofauna, specifically including expert underwater photographers systematically documenting specimens in situ, before hand-collection, and then photographed fresh, tissue-sampled, and subsequently vouchered in museum collections.
creator: Benjamin C. Victor
creator: Benjamin W. Frable
creator: William B. Ludt
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16828
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: © 2024 Victor et al.

title: Disease prevalence and bacterial isolates associated with Acropora palmata in the Colombian Caribbean
link: https://peerj.com/articles/16886
last-modified: 2024-02-28
description: The decline in Acropora palmata populations in Colombian reefs has been mainly attributed to diseases outbreaks. The population size structure and prevalence of white pox and white band disease were evaluated in six localities of the Colombian Caribbean. Here, we aimed to isolate enteric bacteria and Vibrios from healthy and diseased coral mucus to relate its presence to the health status of Acropora palmata. The isolated bacteria were identified using molecular analyses with the 16S rRNA gene. Larger colonies had the highest percentage of the prevalence of both diseases. The strains that were identified as Vibrio sp. and Bacillus sp. were common in the healthy and diseased mucus of the holobiont. The Exiguobacterium sp. and Cobetia sp. strains isolated from diseased mucus may indicate maintenance and resilience mechanisms in the coral. Enterococcus sp. and other bacteria of the Enterobacteriaceae family were isolated from some localities, suggesting that probably contamination due to poor treatment of domestic wastewater and contributions from river discharges can affect coral health. The spatial heterogeneity of Colombian coral reefs exhibited variability in the bacteria, wherein environmental alterations can trigger signs of disease.
creator: Marco Garzon-Machado
creator: Jorge Luna-Fontalvo
creator: Rocio García-Urueña
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16886
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: ©2024 Garzon-Machado et al.

title: Treemendous: an R package for integrating taxonomic information across backbones
link: https://peerj.com/articles/16896
last-modified: 2024-02-28
description: Standardizing and translating species names from different databases is key to the successful integration of data sources in biodiversity research. There are numerous taxonomic name-resolution applications that implement increasingly powerful name-cleaning and matching approaches, allowing the user to resolve species relative to multiple backbones simultaneously. Yet there remains no principled approach for combining information across these underlying taxonomic backbones, complicating efforts to combine and merge species lists with inconsistent and conflicting taxonomic information. Here, we present Treemendous, an open-source software package for the R programming environment that integrates taxonomic relationships across four publicly available backbones to improve the name resolution of tree species. By mapping relationships across the backbones, this package can be used to resolve datasets with conflicting and inconsistent taxonomic origins, while ensuring the resulting species are accepted and consistent with a single reference backbone. The user can chain together different functionalities ranging from simple matching to a single backbone, to graph-based iterative matching using synonym-accepted relations across all backbones in the database. In addition, the package allows users to ‘translate’ one tree species list into another, streamlining the assimilation of new data into preexisting datasets or models. The package provides a flexible workflow depending on the use case, and can either be used as a stand-alone name-resolution package or in conjunction with existing packages as a final step in the name-resolution pipeline. The Treemendous package is fast and easy to use, allowing users to quickly merge different data sources by standardizing their species names according to the regularly updated database. By combining taxonomic information across multiple backbones, the package increases matching rates and minimizes data loss, allowing for more efficient translation of tree species datasets to aid research into forest biodiversity and tree ecology.
creator: Felix Specker
creator: Andrea Paz
creator: Thomas W. Crowther
creator: Daniel S. Maynard
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16896
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: ©2024 Specker et al.

title: Effect of lag screw on stability of first metatarsophalangeal joint arthrodesis with medial plate
link: https://peerj.com/articles/16901
last-modified: 2024-02-28
description: BackgroundFirst metatarsophalangeal joint (MTP-1) arthrodesis is a commonly performed procedure in the treatment of disorders of the great toe. Since the incidence of revision after MTP-1 joint arthrodesis is not insignificant, a medial approach with a medially positioned locking plate has been proposed as a new technique. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of the application of a lag screw on the stability and strength of first metatarsophalangeal joint arthrodesis with medial plate.MethodsThe bending tests in a testing machine were performed for models of the first metatarsal bone and the proximal phalanx printed on a 3D printer from polylactide material. The bones were joined using the locking titanium plate and six locking screws. The specimens were divided into three groups of seven each: medial plate and no lag screw, medial plate with a lag screw, dorsal plate with a lag screw. The tests were carried out quasi-static until the samples failure.ResultsThe addition of the lag screw to the medial plate significantly increased flexural stiffness (41.45 N/mm vs 23.84 N/mm, p = 0.002), which was lower than that of the dorsal plate with a lag screw (81.29 N/mm, p < 0.001). The similar maximum force greater than 700 N (p > 0.50) and the relative bone displacements lower than 0.5 mm for a force of 50 N were obtained for all fixation techniques.ConclusionsThe lag screw significantly increased the shear stiffness in particular and reduced relative transverse displacements to the level that should not delay the healing process for the full load of the MTP-1 joint arthrodesis with the medial plate. It is recommended to use the locking screws with a larger cross-sectional area of the head to minimize rotation of the medial plate relative to the metatarsal bone.
creator: Karol Daszkiewicz
creator: Magdalena Rucka
creator: Krzysztof Czuraj
creator: Angela Andrzejewska
creator: Piotr Łuczkiewicz
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16901
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: © 2024 Daszkiewicz et al.

title: Bilateral movement asymmetries exist in recreational athletes during a 45° sidestep cut post-anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
link: https://peerj.com/articles/16948
last-modified: 2024-02-28
description: Individuals post-ACL reconstruction (ACLR) are at elevated risk for ACL re-injury. While several studies have examined biomechanical asymmetries post-ACLR during landing, less is known about asymmetries during a sidestep cut. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare sagittal and frontal plane biomechanics at the hip and knee during a 45° sidestep cut in post-ACLR participants and healthy controls. Nineteen athletes post-ACLR and nineteen healthy controls performed a bilateral 45° sidestep cut while three-dimensional kinematics and kinetics were measured. Sagittal and frontal plane kinematics and kinetics were examined at the hip and knee during stance phase. A linear mixed model compared biomechanical differences between the limbs of ACLR and healthy control participants (α = 0.05). In the post-ACLR group, peak hip extension, peak knee flexion, sagittal hip and knee excursion, and the peak knee extensor moment were significantly lower in the ACLR surgical limb compared to the non-surgical limb (p < 0.05). The peak knee flexion angle and peak knee extensor moment were also lower in the ACLR surgical limb compared to the matched control limb (p < 0.05). In summary, post-ACLR participants exhibited altered sagittal plane movement in their surgical limb that was not demonstrated in the non-surgical limb or in control participants, which may suggest avoidance, or reduced utilization of the ACLR limb.
creator: Montana Kaiyala
creator: J.J. Hannigan
creator: Andrew Traut
creator: Christine Pollard
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16948
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: © 2024 Kaiyala et al.

title: Telomere length and dynamics in Astyanax mexicanus cave and surface morphs
link: https://peerj.com/articles/16957
last-modified: 2024-02-28
description: BackgroundTelomeres are non-coding DNA repeats at the chromosome ends and their shortening is considered one of the major causes of aging. However, they also serve as a biomarker of environmental exposures and their length and attrition is affected by various stressors. In this study, we examined the average telomere length in Astyanax mexicanus, a species that has both surface-dwelling and cave-adapted populations. The cave morph descended from surface ancestors and adapted to a markedly different environment characterized by specific biotic and abiotic stressors, many of which are known to affect telomere length. Our objective was to explore whether telomere length differs between the two morphs and whether it serves as a biological marker of aging or correlates with the diverse environments the morphs are exposed to.MethodsWe compared telomere length and shortening between laboratory-reared Pachón cavefish and Rio Choy surface fish of A. mexicanus across different tissues and ages.ResultsAstyanax mexicanus surface fish exhibited longer average telomere length compared to cavefish. In addition, we did not observe telomere attrition in either cave or surface form as a result of aging in adults up to 9 years old, suggesting that efficient mechanisms prevent telomere-mediated senescence in laboratory stocks of this species, at least within this time frame. Our results suggest that telomere length in Astyanax may be considered a biomarker of environmental exposures. Cavefish may have evolved shorter and energetically less costly telomeres due to the absence of potential stressors known to affect surface species, such as predator pressure and ultra-violet radiation. This study provides the first insights into telomere dynamics in Astyanax morphs and suggests that shorter telomeres may have evolved as an adaptation to caves.
creator: Enrico Lunghi
creator: Helena Bilandžija
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16957
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: ©2024 Lunghi and Bilandžija

title: Increased MCHC*RDW-SD interaction values: indicators of neurological impairment in lead-poisoned children
link: https://peerj.com/articles/17017
last-modified: 2024-02-28
description: BackgroundThe neurotoxic effects of lead in children can have long-lasting and profound impacts on the developing nervous system. This study aimed to identify a reliable and easily accessible biomarker to monitor neurological impairment in lead-poisoned children.MethodsWe analyzed hematological data from 356 lead-poisoned children, comparing them with age and gender-matched healthy controls. Multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were employed to identify and evaluate potential biomarkers for neurological damage.ResultsSignificant changes in erythrocyte parameters were observed in lead-poisoned children. Upon further analysis, increased mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and red cell distribution width-standard deviation (RDW-SD) interaction values were found to be significantly associated with neurological impairment. The MCHC*RDW-SD interaction model demonstrated an AUC of 0.76, indicating its effectiveness in reflecting neurological damage. Additionally, the MCHC*RDW-SD Interaction value showed weak or no correlation with other erythrocyte parameters, suggesting its independence as an indicator.ConclusionOur findings propose the increased MCHC*RDW-SD interaction value as a robust and independent biomarker for detecting neurological impairment in lead-poisoned children. This underscores the potential of utilizing specific erythrocyte parameters for screening the neurotoxic effects of lead exposure in pediatric populations.
creator: Qingji Ying
creator: Mengsi Ye
creator: Tingting Zhang
creator: Zhaobo Xia
creator: Huale Chen
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17017
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: ©2024 Ying et al.

title: Revisiting the type material of two African Diplozoinae (Diplozoidae: Monogenea), with remarks on morphology, systematics and diplozoid specificity
link: https://peerj.com/articles/17020
last-modified: 2024-02-28
description: The morphological characterisation of Diplozoidae spp. is highly reliant on the details of the sclerotised components of the hooks and clamps in the haptor. Only six species of Paradiplozoon (Diplozoinae) have been described from Africa, four of which have adequate morphological and even comparative ITS2 rDNA data available. However, the descriptions of Paradiplozoon ghanense (Thomas, 1957) and Paradiplozoon aegyptense (Fischthal & Kuntz, 1963) lack essential taxonomic information, specifically the details for their haptoral sclerites. As such, all available material from museum collections for these two species were studied using light microscopy to supplement the original morphometric descriptions. The holotype and paratypes of P. aegyptense were studied, but only voucher material for P. ghanense could be sourced. However, this voucher material for P. ghanense was deposited by the species authority and bore a striking resemblance to the illustrations and collection details from the original description. They were thus identified as the type series for the taxon, with a lectotype and paralectotype designated. Both P. ghanense and P. aegyptense could be readily distinguished from other taxa based on the supplementary data generated here, supporting their distinctness. The haptoral sclerites of P. aegyptense were most similar to those of Paradiplozoon krugerense Dos Santos & Avenant-Oldewage, 2016, also described from Labeo spp., while the sclerites of P. ghanense were most similar to Paradiplozoon bingolense Civáňová, Koyun & Koubková, 2013 and Paradiplozoon iraqense Al-Nasiri & Balbuena, 2016. Additionally, a voucher of P. aegyptense collected from the alestid type host of P. ghanense was reidentified as the latter species here. This greatly simplified the known host specificity for Paradiplozoon spp. in Africa, with P. aegyptense now exclusively reported from Cypriniformes (Cyprinidae and Danionidae), and P. ghanense restricted to Characiformes (Alestidae). The occurrence of all diplozoids from non-cyprinoid hosts was also investigated and several records of diplozoids occurring on non-cyprinoid hosts were collated and scrutinised. Excluding the two instances of diplozoids described and exclusively occurring on Characiformes fishes (P. ghanense and Paradiplozoon tetragonopterini (Sterba, 1957)), most other non-cyprinoid collections appear sporadic and unsubstantiated, but warrant further investigation supported by diligent taxonomic data. Even though the morphometric descriptions of both P. ghanense and P. aegyptense were fully reported on here, additional material will be needed to study their genetic profiles and phylogeny.
creator: Quinton Marco Dos Santos
creator: Annemariè Avenant-Oldewage
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17020
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: © 2024 Dos Santos and Avenant-Oldewage