title: PeerJ
description:  Articles published in PeerJ
link: https://peerj.com/articles/index.rss3?journal=peerj&page=422
creator: info@peerj.com PeerJ
errorsTo: info@peerj.com PeerJ
language: en

title: Tibial cortex transverse transport potentiates diabetic wound healing via activation of SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling
link: https://peerj.com/articles/15894
last-modified: 2023-09-15
description: BackgroundThe current treatments for diabetic foot ulcers have disadvantages of slow action and numerous complications. Tibial cortex transverse transport (TTT) surgery is an extension of the Ilizarov technique used to treat diabetic foot ulcers, and can shorten the repair time of diabetic foot ulcers. This study assessed the TTT technique for its effectiveness in healing diabetic foot ulcer skin lesions and its related molecular mechanisms.MethodsDiabetic rat models were established by injecting healthy Sprague-Dawley rats with streptozotocin (STZ). The effects of TTT surgery on the model rats were assessed by recording changes in body weight, analyzing skin wound pictures, and performing H&E staining to assess the recovery of wounded skin. The numbers of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in peripheral blood were analyzed by flow cytometry, and levels of CXCR4 and SDF-1 expression were qualitatively analyzed by immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR, and western blotting.ResultsBoth the histological results and foot wound pictures indicated that TTT promoted diabetic wound healing. Flow cytometry results showed that TTT increased the numbers of EPCs in peripheral blood as determined by CD34 and CD133 expression. In addition, activation of the SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling pathway and an accumulation of EPCs were observed in skin ulcers sites after TTT surgery. Finally, the levels of SDF-1 and CXCR4 mRNA and protein expression in the TTT group were higher than those in a blank or fixator group.ConclusionTTT promoted skin wound healing in diabetic foot ulcers possibly by activating the SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling pathway.
creator: Shuanji Ou
creator: Xiaodong Wu
creator: Yang Yang
creator: Changliang Xia
creator: Wei Zhang
creator: Yudun Qu
creator: Jiaxuan Li
creator: Bo Chen
creator: Lilin Zhu
creator: Changpeng Xu
creator: Yong Qi
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15894
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: ©2023 Ou et al.

title: AP003352.1/miR-141-3p axis enhances the proliferation of osteosarcoma by LPAR3
link: https://peerj.com/articles/15937
last-modified: 2023-09-15
description: Osteosarcoma (OS) is a highly malignant tumor with a poor prognosis and a growing incidence. LncRNAs and microRNAs control the occurrence and development process of osteosarcoma through ceRNA patterns. The LPAR3 gene is important in cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis and disease development. However, the regulatory mechanism of the ceRNA network through which LPAR3 participates in osteosarcoma has not been clarified. Herein, our study demonstrated that the AP003352.1/miR-141-3p axis drives LPAR3 expression to induce the malignant progression of osteosarcoma. First, the expression of LPAR3 is regulated by the changes in AP003352.1 and miR-141-3p. Similar to the ceRNA of miR-141-3p, AP003352.1 regulates the expression of LPAR3 through this mechanism. In addition, the regulation of AP003352.1 in malignant osteosarcoma progression depends to a certain degree on miR-141-3p. Importantly, the AP003352.1/miR-141-3p/LPAR3 axis can better serve as a multi-gene diagnostic marker for osteosarcoma. In conclusion, our research reveals a new ceRNA regulatory network, which provides a novel potential target for the diagnosis and treatment of osteosarcoma.
creator: Hongde Yu
creator: Bolun Zhang
creator: Lin Qi
creator: Jian Han
creator: Mingyang Guan
creator: Jiaze Li
creator: Qingtao Meng
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15937
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: © 2023 Yu et al.

title: Predictive value of liver and spleen stiffness measurement based on two-dimensional shear wave elastography for the portal vein pressure in patients with compensatory viral cirrhosis
link: https://peerj.com/articles/15956
last-modified: 2023-09-15
description: ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the predictive value of liver and spleen stiffness measurement based on two-dimensional shear wave elastography for the portal vein pressure in patients with compensatory viral cirrhosis.MethodsFrom January 2017 to August 2019, 107 patients with compensatory viral cirrhosis and 76 patients with viral hepatitis were enrolled as cirrhosis group and hepatitis group, respectively. Patient data were obtained during admission, and this study was a review and analysis of patient data. Liver stiffness measurement (LSM), spleen stiffness measurement (SSM), portal vein diameter and spleen thickness were compared between the two groups, and their diagnostic value for compensatory viral cirrhosis was analyzed. According to the hepatic vein pressure, the cirrhosis group patients were divided into non-hypertensive group (no portal hypertension, hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) < 5 mmHg), mild group (mild portal hypertension, 5 mmHg ≤ HVPG ≤ 10 mmHg) and severe group (clinically significant portal hypertension group, HVPG > 10 mmHg). LSM, SSM, portal vein diameter and spleen thickness of the three groups were compared, and the correlation between SSM and hepatic vein pressure was analyzed.ResultsLSM, SSM, portal vein diameter and spleen thickness in the cirrhosis group were higher than those in hepatitis group (all P < 0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of combined detection was larger than that of LSM, SSM and spleen thickness detection alone in liver cirrhosis diagnosis (all P < 0.05). LSM, SSM, portal vein diameter and spleen thickness increased with the increase of hepatic vein pressure in patients with liver cirrhosis (all P < 0.05). LSM, SSM, portal vein diameter and spleen thickness were all positively correlated with hepatic vein pressure (P < 0.05). ROC curve showed that AUC of combined detection was greater than that of LSM, SSM, portal vein diameter and spleen thickness alone detection in the diagnosis of clinically significant portal hypertension (all P < 0.05). The increase of LSM, SSM, portal vein diameter and spleen thickness were the influencing factors for hepatic vein pressure rising (all P < 0.05).ConclusionThere was an increase of LSM and SSM in patients with compensatory viral cirrhosis, which were positively correlated with hepatic venous pressure, and combined index detection has diagnostic and predictive value for the change of portal venous pressure.
creator: Peng Wang
creator: Xinhong Hu
creator: Feng Xie
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15956
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: ©2023 Wang et al.

title: Progress in the mechanism of autophagy and traditional Chinese medicine herb involved in alcohol-related liver disease
link: https://peerj.com/articles/15977
last-modified: 2023-09-15
description: Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is chronic liver damage caused by long-term heavy drinking with, extremely complicated pathogenesis. The current studies speculated that excessive alcohol and its metabolites are the major causes of liver cell toxicity. Autophagy is evolutionarily conserved in eukaryotes and aggravates alcoholic liver damage, through various mechanisms, such as cellular oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial damage and lipid metabolism disorders. Therefore, autophagy plays an critical role in the occurrence and development of ALD. Some studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine extracts improve the histological characteristics of ALD, as reflected in the improvement of oxidative stress and lipid droplet clearance, which might be achieved by inducing autophagy. This article reviews the mechanisms of quercetin, baicalin, glycycoumarin, salvianolic acid A, resveratrol, ginsenoside rg1, and dihydromyricetin inducing autophagy and their participation in the inhibition of ALD. The regulation of autophagy in ALD by these traditional Chinese medicine extracts provides novel ideas for the treatment of the disease; however, its molecular mechanism needs to be elucidated further.
creator: Wenwen Han
creator: Haiyu Li
creator: Hanqi Jiang
creator: Hang Xu
creator: Yifeng Lin
creator: Jiahuan Chen
creator: Chenchen Bi
creator: Zheng Liu
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15977
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: ©2023 Han et al.

title: The morphoanatomy of Serjania erecta Radlk (Sapindaceae) provides evidence of biotrophic interactions by endophytic fungi within leaves
link: https://peerj.com/articles/15980
last-modified: 2023-09-15
description: BackgroundThe leaves of Serjania erecta Radlk (Sapindaceae) are renowned in ethnobotany for their medicinal properties and are significant as a medicinal resource for traditional Brazilian communities. As necrotic spots are common on these leaves, indicating interaction with phytopathogenic fungi, it was hypothesized that biotrophic fungal species colonize the leaf tissues of S. erecta.MethodsTo test this hypothesis, we employed standard techniques in plant anatomy, which enabled us to investigate the interaction of fungal structures with plant tissues and describe the morphoanatomical and histochemical characteristics of the epidermis and limbus of S. erecta.ResultsThe anatomical analysis showed the existence of leaf teeth on the leaf tips. Additionally, hyphae, conidiospores, and spores of Bipolaris/Curvularia species were detected on the adaxial epidermis. Moreover, melanized microsclerotia were found in glandular areas of the leaf teeth and the phloem, providing evidence of biotrophic behavior. The hypothesis that biotrophic phytopathogenic fungi interact with S. erecta leaf tissues was confirmed, despite the presence of many bioactive compounds (such as flavonoids, alkaloids, and essential oils), as evidenced by histochemical analyses. The presence of tector, glandular, and scabiform trichomes on the leaf teeth and epidermis was also revealed. This study presents, for the first time, the synthesis of essential oils and alkaloids in the leaves of S. erecta. Additionally, it investigates previously unexplained aspects of the anatomy and histochemistry of the species, as well as its interaction with resident microorganisms. Therefore, it is recommended that future research focus on extracting and characterizing the oils and alkaloids of S. erecta, as well as exploring other aspects related to its microbiome and its relationship.
creator: Samylla Tássia Ferreira de Freitas
creator: Giselle Faria
creator: Fabiano Guimarães Silva
creator: Marco Aurélio Batista
creator: Damiana Souza Santos Augusto
creator: Fábio Henrique Dyszy
creator: Luciana Cristina Vitorino
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15980
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: ©2023 Freitas et al.

title: Divergent recovery trajectories of intertidal and subtidal coral communities highlight habitat-specific recovery dynamics following bleaching in an extreme macrotidal reef environment
link: https://peerj.com/articles/15987
last-modified: 2023-09-15
description: Coral reefs face an uncertain future punctuated by recurring climate-induced disturbances. Understanding how reefs can recover from and reassemble after mass bleaching events is therefore important to predict their responses and persistence in a rapidly changing ocean. On naturally extreme reefs characterized by strong daily temperature variability, coral heat tolerance can vary significantly over small spatial gradients but it remains poorly understood how this impacts bleaching resilience and recovery dynamics, despite their importance as resilience hotspots and potential refugia. In the macrotidal Kimberley region in NW Australia, the 2016 global mass bleaching event had a strong habitat-specific impact on intertidal and subtidal coral communities at our study site: corals in the thermally variable intertidal bleached less severely and recovered within six months, while 68% of corals in the moderately variable subtidal died. We therefore conducted benthic surveys 3.5 years after the bleaching event to determine potential changes in benthic cover and coral community composition. In the subtidal, we documented substantial increases in algal cover and live coral cover had not fully recovered to pre-bleaching levels. Furthermore, the subtidal coral community shifted from being dominated by branching Acropora corals with a competitive life history strategy to opportunistic, weedy Pocillopora corals which likely has implications for the functioning and stress resilience of this novel coral community. In contrast, no shifts in algal and live coral cover or coral community composition occurred in the intertidal. These findings demonstrate that differences in coral heat tolerance across small spatial scales can have large consequences for bleaching resilience and that spatial patchiness in recovery trajectories and community reassembly after bleaching might be a common feature on thermally variable reefs. Our findings further confirm that reefs adapted to high daily temperature variability play a key role as resilience hotspots under current climate conditions, but their ability to do so may be limited under intensifying ocean warming.
creator: P. Elias Speelman
creator: Michael Parger
creator: Verena Schoepf
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15987
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: ©2023 Speelman et al.

title: Examination of distraction and discomfort caused by using glare monitors: a simultaneous electroencephalography and eye-tracking study
link: https://peerj.com/articles/15992
last-modified: 2023-09-15
description: BackgroundSince the COVID-19 pandemic started, remote work and education and digital display use have become more prevalent. However, compared with printed material, digital displays cause more eye fatigue and may decrease task performance. For instance, the reflections on the monitor can cause discomfort or distraction, particularly when glare monitors are used with black backgrounds.MethodsThis study simultaneously uses electroencephalography (EEG) and an eye-tracker to measure the possible negative effects of using a glare monitor on the illegibility of sentences.ResultsThe experiment results showed no difference in reading time and subjective illegibility rating between glare and non-glare monitors. However, with glare monitors, eye fixation when reading lasted longer. Further, EEG beta (15–20 Hz) power variations suggested that the participants were less engaged in the reading task when a glare monitor was used with a black background.ConclusionsThese results indicate that the negative effects of using a glare monitor are subtle but certainly present. They also show that physiological measures such as EEG and eye tracking can assess the subtle effects in an objective manner, even if behavioral measures such as subjective illegibility ratings or reading time may not show the differences.
creator: Yoritaka Akimoto
creator: Keito Miyake
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15992
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: © 2023 Akimoto and Miyake

title: Predictive value of abdominal wall scar score for pelvic floor function rehabilitation, vaginal microecology and complications after cesarean section
link: https://peerj.com/articles/16012
last-modified: 2023-09-15
description: ObjectiveTo explore the predictive value of the abdominal wall scar score for pelvic floor function rehabilitation, vaginal microecology and complications after cesarean section.MethodsA total of 120 pregnant women who underwent cesarean section in our hospital from January to December 2022 were selected. The patients were divided into observation group (score ≥ 60, n = 52) and control group (score < 60, n = 68) according to the preoperative score of abdominal wall scar and whether the score exceeded 60. The pelvic floor function rehabilitation, vaginal microecology and complications were compared between the two groups, and the score of abdominal wall scar was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The predictive value of pelvic floor function rehabilitation, vaginal microecology and complications after cesarean section was evaluated.ResultsThere were significant differences between the two groups in postpartum class I and class II muscle fiber strength and pelvic floor muscle potential (P < 0.05). ROC curve showed that the AUC of abdominal scar score in predicting pelvic floor function rehabilitation was 0.806 (95% CI [0.684–0.927]), the specificity was 80.17%, and the sensitivity was 79.76%. There was significant difference in the abnormal rate of leukocte estrase (LE) and Acetylaminoglucosidase (NAG) between the two groups (P < 0.05). ROC curve showed that the AUC of abdominal scar score in predicting vaginal microecology was 0.871 (95% CI [0.776–0.966]), the specificity was 85.09%, and the sensitivity was 82.36%. There was significant difference in the incidence of postpartum complications between the two groups (P < 0.05). ROC curve showed that the AUC of abdominal scar score in predicting complications was 0.844 (95% CI [0.735–0.953]), the specificity was 82.27%, and the sensitivity was 81.15%.ConclusionThe abdominal scar score has a certain effect on predicting the recovery of pelvic floor function, vaginal microecology and complications after cesarean section. Therefore, it can help the medical staff to adjust the treatment measures in time, which can be used as a means of preoperative auxiliary examination.
creator: Yanhong Yang
creator: Hailan Yang
creator: Jingru Ji
creator: Ye Zhao
creator: Yinfang He
creator: Junyan Wu
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16012
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: © 2023 Yang et al.

title: DEVOUR: Deleterious Variants on Uncovered Regions in Whole-Exome Sequencing
link: https://peerj.com/articles/16026
last-modified: 2023-09-15
description: The discovery of low-coverage (i.e. uncovered) regions containing clinically significant variants, especially when they are related to the patient’s clinical phenotype, is critical for whole-exome sequencing (WES) based clinical diagnosis. Therefore, it is essential to develop tools to identify the existence of clinically important variants in low-coverage regions. Here, we introduce a desktop application, namely DEVOUR (DEleterious Variants On Uncovered Regions), that analyzes read alignments for WES experiments, identifies genomic regions with no or low-coverage (read depth < 5) and then annotates known variants in the low-coverage regions using clinical variant annotation databases. As a proof of concept, DEVOUR was used to analyze a total of 28 samples from a publicly available Hirschsprung disease-related WES project (NCBI Bioproject: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/?term=PRJEB19327), revealing the potential existence of 98 disease-associated variants in low-coverage regions. DEVOUR is available from https://github.com/projectDevour/DEVOUR under the MIT license.
creator: Erdem Türk
creator: Akif Ayaz
creator: Ayhan Yüksek
creator: Barış E. Süzek
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16026
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: ©2023 Türk et al.

title: Simulation of hearing loss can induce pitch shifts for complex tones
link: https://peerj.com/articles/16053
last-modified: 2023-09-15
description: BackgroundMost studies on pitch shift provoked by hearing loss have been conducted using pure tones. However, many sounds encountered in everyday life are harmonic complex tones. In the present study, psychoacoustic experiments using complex tones were performed on healthy participants, and the possible mechanisms that cause pitch shift due to hearing loss are discussed.MethodsTwo experiments were performed in this study. In experiment 1, two tones were presented, and the participants were asked to select the tone that was higher in pitch. Partials with frequencies less than 250, 500, 750, or 1,000 Hz were eliminated from the harmonic complex tones and used as test tones to simulate low-tone hearing loss. Each tone pair was constructed such that the tone with a lower fundamental frequency (F0) was higher in terms of the frequency of the lowest partial. Furthermore, partials whose frequencies were greater than 1,300 or 1,600 Hz were also eliminated from these test tones to simulate high-tone hearing loss or modified sounds that patients may hear in everyday life. When a tone with a lower F0 was perceived as higher in pitch, it was considered a pitch shift from the expected tone. In experiment 2, tonal sequences were constructed to create a passage of the song “Lightly Row.” Similar to experiment 1, partials of harmonic complex tones were eliminated from the tones. After listening to these tonal sequences, the participants were asked if the sequences sounded correct based on the melody or off-key.ResultsThe results showed that pitch shifts and the melody sound off-key when lower partials are eliminated from complex tones, especially when a greater number of high-frequency components are eliminated.ConclusionConsidering that these experiments were performed on healthy participants, the results suggest that the pitch shifts from the expected tone when patients with hearing loss hear certain complex tones, regardless of the underlying etiology of the hearing loss.
creator: Issei Ichimiya
creator: Hiroko Ichimiya
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16053
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: ©2023 Ichimiya and Ichimiya