title: PeerJ description: Articles published in PeerJ link: https://peerj.com/articles/index.rss3?journal=peerj&page=473 creator: info@peerj.com PeerJ errorsTo: info@peerj.com PeerJ language: en title: Dapagliflozin-affected endothelial dysfunction and altered gut microbiota in mice with heart failure link: https://peerj.com/articles/15589 last-modified: 2023-07-26 description: AimTo investigate the potential microbiome profile of a mouse model with heart failure (HF) during dapagliflozin treatment.MethodAn HF model was constructed in 8-week-old male mice, and cardiac tissues were analyzed using histological staining. Hemodynamic indexes were measured, and fecal samples were collected for 16S rDNA sequencing. Chao1, Shannon, and Simpson were used for α-diversity analysis. b-Diversity analysis was conducted using principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) based on the Bray–Curtis distance. Linear discriminant analysis coupled with effect size measurements (LEfSe) was used to identify signature gut microbiota, and phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt) was used to predict the function of altered gut microbiota.ResultDapagliflozin treatment reduced inflammation, infarction area, and cardiac fibrosis in HF mice. It also increased endothelial-dependent dilation and inflammation in mice with HF. Dapagliflozin decreased the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes, which was increased in HF mice. There was no significant statistical difference in α-diversity among the control, HF, and HF+dapagliflozin groups. Desulfovibrio, AF12, and Paraprevotella were enriched in HF+dapagliflozin, while Rikenella and Mucispirillum were enriched in HF based on LEfSe. KEGG analysis revealed that altered gut microbiota was associated with fermentation, amino acid biosynthesis, nucleoside and nucleotide biosynthesis/degradation, fatty acid and lipid biosynthesis, carbohydrate biosynthesis/degradation, and cofactor/prosthetic group/electron carrier/vitamin biosynthesis.ConclusionUnderstanding the microbiome profile helps elucidate the mechanism of dapagliflozin for HF. The signature genera identified in this study could be used as a convenient method to distinguish between HF patients and healthy individuals. creator: Nandi Bao creator: Xiaoli Liu creator: Xiaoling Zhong creator: Shuangshuang Jia creator: Ning Hua creator: Li Zhang creator: Guoxin Mo uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15589 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2023 Bao et al. title: Utilization of hepatitis B surface antigen-positive donors in liver transplantation for recipients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective and propensity score matching analysis link: https://peerj.com/articles/15620 last-modified: 2023-07-26 description: IntroductionThe use of extended criteria donor (ECD) grafts such as donor with infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a potential solution for organ shortage. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the safety and long-term survival of utilization of hepatitis B surface antigen-positive (HBsAg+) donor livers in HCC patients using propensity score matching (PSM) analysis.MethodsForty-eight donors with HBsAg-positive and 279 donors with HBsAg-negative were transplanted and enrolled in this study. PSM analysis were used to eliminate selection bias. Perioperative data and survival were collected and analyzed.ResultsPSM generated 44 patient pairs. When comparing intra- and post-operative data, no significant difference was found between groups (P > 0.05). Patients with a HBsAg-positive donor had significantly worse progression-free survival (1-year: 65.9% vs. 90.9%; 3-year: 18.1% vs. 70.4%, P = 0.0060) and overall survival (1-year: 84.1% and 95.4%; 3-year: 27.2% vs. 79.5%, P = 0.0039). In multivariate analysis, donor HBsAg-positivity was an independent risk factor for survival and occurrence (P = 0.005 and 0.025, respectively).ConclusionIn conclusion, with adequate antiviral prophylaxis and treatment, utilization of HBsAg positive liver grafts did not increase the incidence of early-stage complications. However, patient with an HBsAg-positive graft had poorer progression-free survival and overall survival. creator: Zhitao Chen creator: Yihao Ma creator: Yuqi Dong creator: Chuanbao Chen creator: Hanyu Wang creator: Tielong Wang creator: Jia Yu creator: Xitao Hong creator: Maogen Chen creator: Xiaoshun He creator: Weiqiang Ju uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15620 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2023 Chen et al. title: Unique antimicrobial activity in honey from the Australian honeypot ant (Camponotus inflatus) link: https://peerj.com/articles/15645 last-modified: 2023-07-26 description: Honey produced by the Australian honeypot ant (Camponotus inflatus) is valued nutritionally and medicinally by Indigenous peoples, but its antimicrobial activity has never been formally studied. Here, we determine the activity of honeypot ant honey (HPAH) against a panel of bacterial and fungal pathogens, investigate its chemical properties, and profile the bacterial and fungal microbiome of the honeypot ant for the first time. We found HPAH to have strong total activity against Staphylococcus aureus but not against other bacteria, and strong non-peroxide activity against Cryptococcus and Aspergillus sp. When compared with therapeutic-grade jarrah and manuka honey produced by honey bees, we found HPAH to have a markedly different antimicrobial activity and chemical properties, suggesting HPAH has a unique mode of antimicrobial action. We found the bacterial microbiome of honeypot ants to be dominated by the known endosymbiont genus Candidatus Blochmannia (99.75%), and the fungal microbiome to be dominated by the plant-associated genus Neocelosporium (92.77%). This study demonstrates that HPAH has unique antimicrobial characteristics that validate its therapeutic use by Indigenous peoples and may provide a lead for the discovery of novel antimicrobial compounds. creator: Andrew Z. Dong creator: Nural Cokcetin creator: Dee A. Carter creator: Kenya E. Fernandes uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15645 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2023 Dong et al. title: Effect of finger rest positions on upper limb muscle activity during pre-clinical procedures link: https://peerj.com/articles/15663 last-modified: 2023-07-26 description: ObjectivesThis study aimed to observe the effect of different finger rest positions on the muscular activity of the hand, forearm, arm, shoulder, thorax, and neck, as well as on the angular deviation from the neutral position of the neck, trunk, upper arm, and forearm on the working side during pre-clinical procedures.MethodsAn experimental laboratory study was performed. Response variables were muscle activation of the abductor pollicis, brachioradialis, biceps brachii, deltoid, pectoralis major, and right sternocleidomastoid muscles and angular deviation from the neutral position of the neck, trunk, arm, and forearm during simulated clinical procedures. Independent variable was finger-rest position during cavity preparation (no finger rest, usual rest, and ergonomic rest). Class I cavity preparations (N = 120) were performed on artificial first molars (16, 26, 36, and 46) (N = 120). Muscular activation was assessed by surface electromyography and angular deviations using Software for Postural Assessment (SAPO) version 0.69. One-way analysis of variance and Tukey’s or Games-Howell’s post-hoc tests were performed (α = 0.05).ResultsFor the sternocleidomastoid muscle, there was no statistically significant difference between the different rest positions. For the deltoid muscle, work with no finger rest resulted in greater muscle activation (p < 0.001) during work on tooth 36. Regarding the pectoralis major and right brachioradialis muscles, we observed that for both teeth 16 and 26, working with ergonomic rest showed less muscle activation. Muscle activation of the right biceps brachii was higher for work with no rest in both the upper and lower arches, differing significantly only from the usual rest in tooth 16 (p < 0.001), usual rest and ergonomic rest in teeth 26 and 46 (p < 0.001), and only ergonomic rest in tooth 36 (p = 0.044). In the right abductor pollicis muscle, work with ergonomic rest resulted in less muscle activation for cavity preparation in teeth 16, 26, and 36, which was significantly different from work with no rest (p = 0.029, p < 0.001, and p = 0.013, respectively). Regarding angular deviation, it was observed that for tooth 16, there was a greater angular deviation of the arm when performing cavity preparations with no finger rest. For teeth 26 and 46, the ergonomic finger rest provided lower angular deviation from the neutral position of the right arm. For tooth 36, ergonomic rest provided less angular deviation from the neutral neck position.ConclusionIn general, the use of non-active finger rest during simulated cavity preparations, regardless of the type of rest, provided less muscle activation and angular deviation from the neutral position of the body’s upper extremity when performing pre-clinical procedures. creator: Júlia Margato Pazos creator: Mariana Segnini Tiberti creator: Simone Cecilio Hallak Regalo creator: Lívia Nordi Dovigo creator: Patricia Petromilli Nordi Sasso Garcia uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15663 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2023 Margato Pazos et al. title: DNAJ heat shock protein family member C1 can regulate proliferation and migration in hepatocellular carcinoma link: https://peerj.com/articles/15700 last-modified: 2023-07-26 description: BackgroundDNAJ heat shock protein family (Hsp40) member C1(DNAJC1) is a member of the DNAJ family. Some members of the DNAJ gene family had oncogenic properties in many cancers. However, the role of DNAJC1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was unclear.MethodsIn this study, expression and prognostic value of DNAJC1 in HCC were analyzed by bioinformatics. Quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to verify DNAJC1 expression in liver cancer cell lines. Furthermore, immunohistochemical (IHC) was used to detect DNAJC1 expression in liver cancer tissues. Subsequently, the effect of DNAJC1 on the proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of HCC cells was detected by knocking down DNAJC1. Finally, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to investigate the potential mechanism of DNAJC1 and was verified by Western blotting.ResultsDNAJC1 was highly expressed in HCC and was significantly associated with the prognosis of patients with HCC. Importantly, the proliferation, migration and invasion of Huh7 and MHCC97H cells were inhibited by the knockdown of DNAJC1 and the knockdown of DNAJC1 promoted Huh7 and MHCC97H cell apoptosis. Furthermore, compared to the negative control group, DNAJC1 knockdown in Huh7 and MHCC97H cells promoted the expression of p21, p53, p-p53(Ser20), Bax and E-cadherin proteins, while inhibiting the expression of PARP, MMP9, Vimentin, Snai1, Bcl-2 and N-cadherin proteins.ConclusionsDNAJC1 had a predictive value for the prognosis of HCC. Knockdown of DNAJC1 may inhibit HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion and promote the HCC cell apoptosis through p53 and EMT signaling pathways. creator: Yu-Chun Fan creator: Zhi-Yong Meng creator: Chao-Sheng Zhang creator: De-Wei Wei creator: Wan-Shuo Wei creator: Xian-Dong Xie creator: Ming-Lu Huang creator: Li-He Jiang uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15700 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2023 Fan et al. title: Environmental regulations, green development of agriculture, and residents’ health—empirical analysis of Yangtze River Economic Belt in China link: https://peerj.com/articles/15717 last-modified: 2023-07-26 description: Environmental pollution and food safety have become key public health issues to be addressed in China. Since they are closely related to the green development of agriculture, it is of great practical significance to elucidate the intrinsic relationships between green development of agriculture, environmental regulation and residents’ health. Based on the panel data of the Yangtze River Economic Belt from 2011 to 2020, this study investigates the impacts of environmental regulation and green development of agriculture on residents’ health and the influencing mechanism by applying fixed effects method, mediating effectsmethod and the spatial Dubin method. Results show that the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and agricultural films is harmful to residents’ health; environmental regulation has a negative correlation with the green development of agriculture and affect residents’ health through mediating effects; the green development of agriculture has negative spillover effects on residents’ health, indicating that purchasing finished products instead of producing locally reduces the input of production factors such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides and transfers health risks associated with agricultural production activities to neighboring areas. Intensifying command-and-control environmental regulation will induce the expansion of hidden economic activities and harm local residents’ health, while intensifying market-incentive environmental regulation will lead to the ‘Pollution Haven’ phenomenon because of the ‘race to the bottom’, in government and is harmful to the health of residents in neighboring areas. Therefore, it is necessary to formulate reasonable and feasible policies and strengthen the control and prevention of agricultural pollution to enhance green development of agriculture and improve residents’ health. creator: Fuling You creator: Shilong Li uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15717 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2023 You et al. title: Environmental factors affecting honey bees (Apis cerana) and cabbage white butterflies (Pieris rapae) at urban farmlands link: https://peerj.com/articles/15725 last-modified: 2023-07-26 description: Rapid urbanization results in a significantly increased urban population, but also the loss of agricultural lands, thus raising a concern for food security. Urban agriculture has received increasing attention as a way of improving food access in urban areas and local farmers’ livelihoods. Although vegetable-dominant small urban farmlands are relatively common in China, little is known about environmental factors associated with insects that could affect ecosystem services at these urban farmlands, which in turn influences agricultural productivity. Using Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) and cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae) as examples, I investigated how environmental features within and surrounding urban farmlands affected insect pollinator (bee) and pest (butterfly) abundance in a megacity of China during winters. I considered environmental features at three spatial scales: fine (5 m-radius area), local (50 m-radius area), and landscape (500 m-raidus and 1 km-radius areas). While the abundance of P. rapae increased with local crop diversity, it was strongly negatively associated with landscape-scale crop and weed covers. A. cerana responded positively to flower cover at the fine scale. Their abundance also increased with local-scale weed cover but decreased with increasing landscape-scale weed cover. The abundance of A. cerana tended to decrease with increasing patch density of farmlands within a landscape, i.e., farmland fragmentation. These results suggest that cultivating too diverse crops at urban farmlands can increase crop damage; however, the damage may be alleviated at farmlands embedded in a landscape with more crop cover. Retaining a small amount of un-harvested flowering crops and weedy vegetation within a farmland, especially less fragmented farmland can benefit A. cerana when natural resources are scarce. creator: Myung-Bok Lee uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15725 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2023 Lee title: Morphological and molecular analysis of the tropical hermit crab Calcinus vachoni (Decapoda, Diogenidae) and its potential association with colonial anemone link: https://peerj.com/articles/15691 last-modified: 2023-07-25 description: Calcinus is the colorful hermit crab genus belonging to the family Diogenidae and is often found in coral reefs of the tropical Indo-West Pacific region, including southern Honshu, Japan, which is the northern limit of their occurrence. In the present study, we found C. vachoni for the first time in the intertidal zone of Jeju Island—the southernmost island of South Korea. We examined their morphology and provided a diagnosis of their morphological details with illustrations. In addition, the Korean Calcinus population was genetically characterized using mtDNA cox1 sequences and by placing them into three previously reported regional haplogroups. The phylogenetic tree from maximum likelihood analysis revealed that Korean C. vachoni is assigned to the C. vachoni haplogroups exclusively, one of the three well-supported mitochondrial haplogroups with distinct geographic ranges (i.e., C. vachoni, C. aff. vachoni Cooks, and C. aff. vachoni Mascarenes). This result provides new information on the species distribution of C.vachoni, extending their geographic range further north into the southern coast of Korea. In this study, we also first report the potential association of C. vachoni with their co-occurring colonial anemone species Palythoa aff. mutuki and dead coral head of Pocillopora species based on our on-site observation and a public coral collection database of Calcinus species. However, their ecological association with co-occurring coral species is putatively assumed for now and therefore has to be validated by compelling evidence from further field observation and experimental studies (i.e., whether the presence/absence of colonial anemones affects the behavior and survival of the hermit crabs). creator: Jibom Jung creator: Joong-Ki Park uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15691 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2023 Jung and Park title: Behavioral responses of different reproductive statuses and sexes in Hermetia illucens (L) adults to different attractants link: https://peerj.com/articles/15701 last-modified: 2023-07-25 description: BackgroundThe odor of various fermented organic materials acts as an attractant for oviposition by gravid females of the black soldier fly (BSF) to find larval food sources. Females display oviposition site selection on various organic materials, but little work has been done on the response to substrate attractants under caged conditions similar to those in a BSF farm production system.MethodsFifty of each reproductive status (mated and virgin) and sex (males and females) of BSF adults were marked and then exposed to one of five different oviposition attractants in a transparent acrylic chamber: no substrate (control) plus pineapple, mixed vegetables, okara, and fermented fish to represent fruit-, vegetable-, plant protein-, and animal protein-based substrates, respectively. The frequency of the perching activity on the oviposition apparatus and flying behavior under the LED illumination, including the laid egg weight, were recorded.ResultsThe sexually-related activities of BSF adults were clearly observed. A majority of the females preferred to perch on the oviposition apparatus and fly around the illuminated area compared to the very low activities of the mated males. The BSF adults displayed different behavioral responses to the different tested attractants. While active flying was common when using plant protein- and animal protein-based substrates, mated females showed the greatest perching preference for plant-based substrates (fruit and vegetables) and this correlated with the laid egg weight.DiscussionEgg-laying was more likely to happen on the plant-based substrate than on the animal protein-based substrate. However, the strong smell of the animal protein-based substrate could strongly trigger lekking behavior, which is an important part of mating behavior. This knowledge can support egg trapping in nature and also improve the efficiency of egg production in mass-rearing facilities. creator: Parichart Laksanawimol creator: Sukdee Singsa creator: Anchana Thancharoen uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15701 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2023 Laksanawimol et al. title: Biology and ecology of the lionfish Pterois volitans/Pterois miles as invasive alien species: a review link: https://peerj.com/articles/15728 last-modified: 2023-07-25 description: The lionfish is an exotic invasive fish native to the Indo-Pacific, which is established in the western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Lionfish can affect native fishes and invertebrates through direct predation or competition for food. The present review aims to analyze the most relevant characteristics of the biology and ecology of lionfish as an invasive alien species, with an emphasis on Cuba. We provide a current view of the well-known lionfish as a successful invasive fish, and we put in this context the information regarding lionfish in Cuban waters, enriching the background knowledge, and giving novel and relevant information. The compilation of numerous publications on the subject has allowed for a more complete analysis of essential aspects of this invader in the Cuban archipelago. The consulted literature records that the first report of lionfish in Cuba occurred in 2007; subsequently, sightings of lionfish were reported in numerous localities. In 2010, the lionfish was considered an invasive alien species, which currently is established in various habitats, at depths up to 188 m, throughout the Cuban archipelago (e.g., coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, submerged artificial structures). In addition, it has reached very high densities (12.42 ind./100 m2), which exceed those reported in the Indo-Pacific as well as in many locations in the Western Atlantic. It has been confirmed that the lionfish in Cuba also presents numerous characteristics that guarantee its success as an invader, among them: less quantity and diversity of parasites than other Atlantic fishes found in similar environments, a high number of gametes in the gonads, reproductive activity during all year and wide diet. The most important fish families for the lionfish diet in Cuba have been Pomacentridae, Gobiidae, Scaridae, Holocentridae, Mullidae, Labridae and Acanthuridae; and the most important crustacean orders are Decapoda, Mysida, Stomatopoda and Isopoda. In Cuba, as in the entire invaded region, numerous investigations have been directed to evaluate the impact of this invader on ecosystems, and although there is enough information, their results differ. Additional studies are required to assess the impact of lionfish as a predator after several years of invasion on a larger geographic scale in Cuba and other areas of the region. This knowledge will allow the development of more effective control strategies. Periodic lionfish culling have been carried out in Cuban MPAs as a control strategy, and some positive results have been observed, such as the average size reduction; however, further efforts are still required. Due to the importance of the study of lionfish as an invader, this review is a necessity as it provides, for the first time, a comprehensive analysis of lionfish information and results from Cuba, which is adequately contrasted with previous studies of other areas, particularly, from the Greater Caribbean. creator: Laura del Río creator: Zenaida María Navarro-Martínez creator: Dorka Cobián-Rojas creator: Pedro Pablo Chevalier-Monteagudo creator: Jorge A. Angulo-Valdes creator: Leandro Rodriguez-Viera uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15728 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2023 del Río et al.