title: PeerJ
description:  Articles published in PeerJ
link: https://peerj.com/articles/index.rss3?journal=peerj&page=491
creator: info@peerj.com PeerJ
errorsTo: info@peerj.com PeerJ
language: en

title: Electrochemical biosensors in healthcare services: bibliometric analysis and recent developments
link: https://peerj.com/articles/15566
last-modified: 2023-06-27
description: Biosensors are nowadays being used in various fields including disease diagnosis and clinical analysis. The ability to detect biomolecules associated with disease is vital not only for accurate diagnosis of disease but also for drug discovery and development. Among the different types of biosensors, electrochemical biosensor is most widely used in clinical and health care services especially in multiplex assays due to its high susceptibility, low cost and small in size. This article includes comprehensive review of biosensors in medical field with special emphasis on electrochemical biosensors for multiplex assays and in healthcare services. Also, the publications on electrochemical biosensors are increasing rapidly; therefore, it is crucial to be aware of any latest developments or trends in this field of research. We used bibliometric analyses to summarize the progress of this research area. The study includes global publication counts on electrochemical biosensors for healthcare along with various bibliometric data analyses by VOSviewer software. The study also recognizes the top authors and journals in the related area, and determines proposal for monitoring research.
creator: Ghazala Yunus
creator: Rachana Singh
creator: Sindhu Raveendran
creator: Mohammed Kuddus
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15566
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: © 2023 Yunus et al.

title: Assessment of health promotion behavior and associated factors among the northern Saudi adolescent population: a cross-sectional study
link: https://peerj.com/articles/15567
last-modified: 2023-06-27
description: Background and AimHealth promotions among the adolescent population have a significant role in achieving the 2030 sustainable development goals of the World Health Organization. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to several devastating impacts on the health, economic, social, and healthcare systems, and adolescents’ health promotions are no exception. We assessed health promotion behaviors and associated factors among the adolescent population of northern Saudi Arabia (KSA).MethodsWe used the Arabic version of the adolescent health promotion scale (AHPS-40) among the 400-adolescent population. The AHPS-40 assessed six domains of adolescent health behavior: nutrition, social support, health responsibility, life appreciation, exercise, and stress management. We applied the Chi-square test to identify the associated factors of adolescent health promotion activities and the logistic regression test to find the predictors for overall health promotion categories.ResultsOf the studied participants, the mean ± SD of the total AHPS-40 was 103.31 ± 18.78. The nutrition domain of the AHPS-40 was significantly associated with the age group (p = 0.002), and the social support domain was significantly related to fathers’ (p = 0.022) and mothers’ education (p = 0.006). The exercise domain of AHPS-40 was significantly associated with age group (p = 0.018) and school level (p = 0.026). Gender was significantly associated with most of the six domains. Furthermore, more than half (52.7%) of them had a low health promotion behavior, which was significantly associated with gender (adjusted odds ratio = 1.59, 95% CI of AOR = 1.04 –2.45, p = 0.032).ConclusionOur study results suggest improving health promotion behaviors by instituting awareness-raising and health promotion intervention programs for adolescent groups. Furthermore, we recommend a focused, exploratory, mixed-method survey among the adolescents of other regions of KSA to identify the region-specific adolescent’s health promotion behaviors.
creator: Thamer Alshami M. Alruwaili
creator: Saad Abdullah K. Alshehri
creator: Ashokkumar Thirunavukkarasu
creator: Mohamed Shawky Elfarargy
creator: Khalid Tariq Alanazi
creator: Khalid Muharib R. Alruwaili
creator: Yousef Salman Abdullah Alanezi
creator: Abdulelah Abdulhadi Alruwaili
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15567
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: ©2023 Alruwaili et al.

title: The use of wireless sensors in the neonatal intensive care unit: a study protocol
link: https://peerj.com/articles/15578
last-modified: 2023-06-27
description: BackgroundContinuous monitoring of vital signs and other biological signals in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) requires sensors connected to the bedside monitors by wires and cables. This monitoring system presents challenges such as risks for skin damage or infection, possibility of tangling around the patient body, or damage of the wires, which may complicate routine care. Furthermore, the presence of cables and wires can act as a barrier for parent-infant interactions and skin to skin contact. This study will investigate the use of a new wireless sensor for routine vital monitoring in the NICU.MethodsForty-eight neonates will be recruited from the Montreal Children’s Hospital NICU. The primary outcome is to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and accuracy of a wireless monitoring technology called ANNE® One (Sibel Health, Niles, MI, USA). The study will be conducted in 2 phases where physiological signals will be acquired from the standard monitoring system and the new wireless monitoring system simultaneously. In phase 1, participants will be monitored for 8 h, on four consecutive days, and the following signals will be obtained: heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation and skin temperature. In phase 2, the same signals will be recorded, but for a period of 96 consecutive hours. Safety and feasibility of the wireless devices will be assessed. Analyses of device accuracy and performance will be accomplished offline by the biomedical engineering team.ConclusionThis study will evaluate feasibility, safety, and accuracy of a new wireless monitoring technology in neonates treated in the NICU.
creator: Eva Senechal
creator: Daniel Radeschi
creator: Lydia Tao
creator: Shasha Lv
creator: Emily Jeanne
creator: Robert Kearney
creator: Wissam Shalish
creator: Guilherme Sant Anna
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15578
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: © 2023 Senechal et al.

title: Divergence of wastewater SARS-CoV-2 and reported laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 incident case data coincident with wide-spread availability of at-home COVID-19 antigen tests
link: https://peerj.com/articles/15631
last-modified: 2023-06-27
description: Concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater settled solids from publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) historically correlated strongly with laboratory confirmed incident COVID-19 case data. With the increased availability of at-home antigen tests since late 2021 and early 2022, laboratory test availability and test seeking behavior has decreased. In the United States, the results from at-home antigen tests are not typically reportable to public health agencies and thus are not counted in case reports. As a result, the number of reported laboratory-confirmed incident COVID-19 cases has decreased dramatically, even during times of increased test positivity rates and wastewater concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Herein, we tested whether the correlative relationship between wastewater concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and reported laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 incidence rate has changed since 1 May 2022, a point in time immediately before the onset of the BA.2/BA.5 surge, the first surge to begin after at-home antigen test availability was high in the region. We used daily data from three POTWs in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area of California, USA for the analysis. We found that although there is a significant positive association between wastewater measurements and incident rate data collected after 1 May 2022, the parameters describing the relationship are different than those describing the relationship between the data collected prior to 1 May 2022. If laboratory test seeking or availability continues to change, the relationship between wastewater and reported case data will continue to change. Our results suggest, assuming SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding remains relatively stable among those infected with the virus as different variants emerge, that wastewater concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be used to estimate COVID-19 cases as they would have been during the time when laboratory testing availability and test seeking behavior were at a high (here, before 1 May 2022) using the historical relationship between SARS-CoV-2 RNA and COVID-19 case data.
creator: Alexandria B. Boehm
creator: Marlene K. Wolfe
creator: Bradley White
creator: Bridgette Hughes
creator: Dorothea Duong
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15631
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: ©2023 Boehm et al.

title: MicroRNA-154-5p suppresses cervical carcinoma growth and metastasis by silencing Cullin2 in vitro and in vivo
link: https://peerj.com/articles/15641
last-modified: 2023-06-27
description: BackgroundMicroRNA-154-5p (miR-154-5p) plays a role in tumorigenesis in diverse human malignancies. Nevertheless, little is known about the mechanism by which miR-154-5p alters the growth and metastasis of cervical cancer. This research aimed to analyze the role of miR-154-5p in the pathology of cervical cancer in vitro and in vivo.MethodsThe level of miR-154-5p in human papillomavirus 16 positive cervical cancer cells was examined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Bioinformatics predicted the downstream targets and potential functions of miR-154-5p. Furthermore, lentiviral technology was used to construct SiHa cell lines with stable up- and down-expression levels of miR-154-5p. Its differential expression effects on the progress and metastasis of cervical cancer were analyzed using cell culture and animal models.ResultsMiR-154-5p showed low expression in cervical cancer cells. Overexpression of miR-154-5p could markedly inhibit the proliferation, migration, and colony formation ability of SiHa cells, concomitantly leading to G1 arrest of the cell cycle, while silencing miR-154-5p triggered the opposite results. Meanwhile, overexpression of miR-154-5p restrained the growth and metastasis of cervical cancer by silencing CUL2 in vivo. Additionally, miR-154-5p reduced CUL2 level, and overexpression of CUL2 influenced the effect of miR-154-5p in cervical cancer. In conclusion, miR-154-5p restrained the growth and metastasis of cervical cancer by directly silencing CUL2.
creator: Yaqin Li
creator: Yimiao Wei
creator: Honglei Zhang
creator: Ying Bai
creator: Xiuting Wang
creator: Qi Li
creator: Yatao Liu
creator: Shuling Wang
creator: Jiapu Wang
creator: Songquan Wen
creator: Jiarong Li
creator: Weihong Zhao
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15641
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: © 2023 Li et al.

title: copLAB gene prevalence and diversity among Trinidadian Xanthomonas spp. black-rot lesion isolates with variable copper resistance profiles
link: https://peerj.com/articles/15657
last-modified: 2023-06-27
description: BackgroundThere has been limited exploration of copLAB genotypes and associated copper resistance phenotypes in Xanthomonas spp. in the southern Caribbean region. An earlier study highlighted a variant copLAB gene cluster found in one Trinidadian Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) strain (BrA1), with <90% similarity to previously reported Xanthomonas copLAB genes. With only one report describing this copper resistance genotype, the current study investigated the distribution of the BrA1 variant copLAB gene cluster and previously reported forms of copper resistance genes in local Xanthomonas spp.MethodsXanthomonas spp. were isolated from black-rot infected lesions on leaf tissue from crucifer crops at intensively farmed sites with high agrochemical usage in Trinidad. The identity of morphologically identified isolates were confirmed using a paired primer PCR based screen and 16s rRNA partial gene sequencing. MGY agar amended with CuSO4.5H2O up to 2.4 mM was used to establish MIC’s for confirmed isolates and group strains as sensitive, tolerant, or resistant to copper. Separate primer pairs targeting the BrA1 variant copLAB genes and those predicted to target multiple homologs found in Xanthomonas and Stenotrophomonas spp. were used to screen copper resistant isolates. Select amplicons were sanger sequenced and evolutionary relationships inferred from global reference sequences using a ML approach.ResultsOnly four copper sensitive/tolerant Xanthomonas sp. strains were isolated, with 35 others classed as copper-resistant from a total population of 45 isolates. PCR detection of copLAB genes revealed two PCR negative copper-resistant resistant strains. Variant copLAB genes were only found in Xcc from the original source location of the BrA1 strain, Aranguez. Other copper-resistant strains contained other copLAB homologs that clustered into three distinct clades. These groups were more similar to genes from X. perforans plasmids and Stenotrophomonas spp. chromosomal homologs than reference Xcc sequences. This study highlights the localisation of the BrA1 variant copLAB genes to one agricultural community and the presence of three distinct copLAB gene groupings in Xcc and related Xanthomonas spp. with defined CuSO4.5H2O MIC. Further characterisation of these gene groups and copper resistance gene exchange dynamics on and within leaf tissue between Xcc and other Xanthomonas species are needed as similar gene clusters showed variable copper sensitivity profiles. This work will serve as a baseline for copper resistance gene characterisation in Trinidad and the wider Caribbean region and can be used to boost already lacking resistant phytopathogen management in the region.
creator: Stephen DB Jr Ramnarine
creator: Jayaraj Jayaraman
creator: Adesh Ramsubhag
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15657
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: © 2023 Ramnarine et al.

title: Interspecific variation and phylogenetic relationship between mangrove and non-mangrove species of a same family (Meliaceae)—insights from comparative analysis of complete chloroplast genome
link: https://peerj.com/articles/15527
last-modified: 2023-06-26
description: The mahogany family, Meliaceae, contains 58 genera with only one mangrove genus: Xylocarpus. Two of the three species of the genus Xylocarpus are true mangroves (X. granatum and X. moluccensis), and one is a non-mangrove (X. rumphii). In order to resolve the phylogenetic relationship between the mangrove and non-mangrove species, we sequenced chloroplast genomes of these Xylocarpus species along with two non-mangrove species of the Meliaceae family (Carapa guianensis and Swietenia macrophylla) and compared the genome features and variations across the five species.The five Meliaceae species shared 130 genes (85 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA, and eight rRNA) with identical direction and order, with a few variations in genes and intergenic spacers. The repetitive sequences identified in the rpl22 gene region only occurred in Xylocarpus, while the repetitive sequences in accD were found in X. moluccensis and X. rumphii. The TrnH-GUG and rpl32 gene regions and four non-coding gene regions showed high variabilities between X. granatum and the two non-mangrove species (S. macrophylla and C. guianensis). In addition, among the Xylocarpus species, only two genes (accD and clpP) showed positive selection. Carapa guianensis and S. macrophylla owned unique RNA editing sites. The above genes played an important role in acclimation to different stress factors like heat, low temperature, high UV light, and high salinity. Phylogenetic analysis with 22 species in the order Sapindales supported previous studies, which revealed that the non-mangrove species X. rumphii is closer to X. moluccensis than X. granatum. Overall, our results provided important insights into the variation of genetic structure and adaptation mechanism at interspecific (three Xylocarpus species) and intergeneric (mangrove and non-mangrove genera) levels.
creator: Fengxiao Tan
creator: Weixi Li
creator: Hui Feng
creator: Yelin Huang
creator: Achyut Kumar Banerjee
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15527
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: ©2023 Tan et al.

title: The relation between human papillomavirus (HPV) and oropharyngeal cancer: a review
link: https://peerj.com/articles/15568
last-modified: 2023-06-26
description: Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC) represent a major public health challenge. In 2020, the international agency for research on cancer (IARC) recorded 98,421 cases of OPSCC worldwide. Over the past decade, the epidemiological profile of patients with OPSCC has shifted, mainly due to a change in etiological factors. Previously, alcohol and tobacco were considered the primary contributors, but the human papillomavirus (HPV) is now recognized as the leading cause of these tumors. This study aimed to conduct a literature review on the relationship between OPSCC and HPV for the general practitioner. The review examined the primary clinical differences between HPV+ and HPV− OPSCC, their prognosis and treatment. In addition, the various HPV diagnostic methods were analyzed. Although there is a vast amount of literature on HPV, this review is unique in its ability to present the key information in an organized and accessible way and enables healthcare professionals to gain a better understanding of the relationship between HPV and oropharyngeal cancer. This, in turn, can contribute to the prevention of various cancers caused by the HPV virus, including oropharyngeal cancer.
creator: Chrystiano Campos Ferreira
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15568
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: © 2023 Ferreira

title: Multi-Object Tracking in Heterogeneous environments (MOTHe) for animal video recordings
link: https://peerj.com/articles/15573
last-modified: 2023-06-26
description: Aerial imagery and video recordings of animals are used for many areas of research such as animal behaviour, behavioural neuroscience and field biology. Many automated methods are being developed to extract data from such high-resolution videos. Most of the available tools are developed for videos taken under idealised laboratory conditions. Therefore, the task of animal detection and tracking for videos taken in natural settings remains challenging due to heterogeneous environments. Methods that are useful for field conditions are often difficult to implement and thus remain inaccessible to empirical researchers. To address this gap, we present an open-source package called Multi-Object Tracking in Heterogeneous environments (MOTHe), a Python-based application that uses a basic convolutional neural network for object detection. MOTHe offers a graphical interface to automate the various steps related to animal tracking such as training data generation, animal detection in complex backgrounds and visually tracking animals in the videos. Users can also generate training data and train a new model which can be used for object detection tasks for a completely new dataset. MOTHe doesn’t require any sophisticated infrastructure and can be run on basic desktop computing units. We demonstrate MOTHe on six video clips in varying background conditions. These videos are from two species in their natural habitat—wasp colonies on their nests (up to 12 individuals per colony) and antelope herds in four different habitats (up to 156 individuals in a herd). Using MOTHe, we are able to detect and track individuals in all these videos. MOTHe is available as an open-source GitHub repository with a detailed user guide and demonstrations at: https://github.com/tee-lab/MOTHe-GUI.
creator: Akanksha Rathore
creator: Ananth Sharma
creator: Shaan Shah
creator: Nitika Sharma
creator: Colin Torney
creator: Vishwesha Guttal
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15573
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: ©2023 Rathore et al.

title: Effect of long-term influx of tertiary treated wastewater on native bacterial communities in a dry valley topsoil: 16S rRNA gene-based metagenomic analysis of composition and functional profile
link: https://peerj.com/articles/15583
last-modified: 2023-06-26
description: Although dumping treated wastewater into soil might provide nutrients and organic matter, it can also expose the ecosystem to biological and chemical risks. A vital indication of soil health and quality is the soil microbial community. The current work used next-generation 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to evaluate the effects of the long-term influx of tertiary treated wastewater (TWW) into Wadi Uranah, a dry valley in Makkah city, Saudi Arabia, on native topsoil bacterial community composition and predicted functions. The findings demonstrated that neither the compositions of microbial communities nor their predicted functions using PICRUSt2 differed significantly (p > 0.05) between polluted valley soil (PolVS) and unpolluted valley soil (UPVS). Alpha and beta diversity, however, showed that the PolVS samples had a considerably higher level of diversity and variability. Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the most prevalent phyla in both groups. Noticeable relative variations existed in some metabolic pathways such as cofactor, prosthetic group, electron carrier degradation, aldehyde degradation, and Entner-Doudoroff (ED) pathways. Overall, our findings suggest that because both groups have very similar core microbiomes and functions, the long-term disposal of tertiary TWW into Wadi Uranah may have little to no influence on the composition and function of soil bacterial communities. In addition, the long-term discharge of tertiary TWW after partially treated wastewater’s initial disposal may have helped the native soil microbial community recover.
creator: Abdurrahman S. Masrahi
uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15583
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights: ©2023 Masrahi