title: PeerJ description: Articles published in PeerJ link: https://peerj.com/articles/index.rss3?journal=peerj&page=508 creator: info@peerj.com PeerJ errorsTo: info@peerj.com PeerJ language: en title: The introduction of an invasive weed was not followed by the introduction of ethnobotanical knowledge: a review on the ethnobotany of Centaurea solstitialis L. (Asteraceae) link: https://peerj.com/articles/15489 last-modified: 2023-06-07 description: Invasive plants are known for their impacts to ecosystems and societies, but their potential cultural use tend to be unexplored. One important mechanism of plant invasion is the use of “allelochemicals” or “novel weapons”: chemical defenses which are new to their invaded habitats and that confer them competitive advantages. However, these chemicals are precisely what confers them ethnobotanical and medicinal properties. We reviewed the literature assessing the biogeography of the cultural uses of the model invasive plant yellow-starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis L.; Asteraceae), and assessed the extent to which the introduction of a weed native to Eurasia into several non-native world regions was paralleled by the spread of cultural uses from its native range. We found that the species was rich in pharmaceutically active compounds and that the species had been traditionally used for medicinal purposes, as raw material, and as food. However, ethnobotanical uses were reported almost exclusively in its native range, with no uses described for the non-native range, apart from honey production in California, Argentina, and Australia. Our study exemplifies how, when plant introductions are not paralleled synchronously by significant human migrations, cultural adoption can be extremely slow, even within the native range of the species. Invasive species can provide real-time insights into the cultural processes by which humans learn to use plants. This case study highlights how biological invasions and cultural expansions can be subjected to different constraints. creator: Soraia Branco creator: Ramona E. Irimia creator: Daniel Montesinos uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15489 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2023 Branco et al. title: Raptor couples mTORC1 and ERK1/2 inhibition by cardamonin with oxidative stress induction in ovarian cancer cells link: https://peerj.com/articles/15498 last-modified: 2023-06-07 description: BackgroundA balance on nutrient supply and redox homeostasis is required for cell survival, and increased antioxidant capacity of cancer cells may lead to chemotherapy failure.ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of anti-proliferation of cardamonin by inducing oxidative stress in ovarian cancer cells.MethodsAfter 24 h of drug treatment, CCK8 kit and wound healing test were used to detect cell viability and migration ability, respectively, and the ROS levels were detected by flow cytometry. The differential protein expression after cardamonin administration was analyzed by proteomics, and the protein level was detected by Western blotting.ResultsCardamonin inhibited the cell growth, which was related to ROS accumulation. Proteomic analysis suggested that MAPK pathway might be involved in cardamonin-induced oxidative stress. Western blotting showed that cardamonin decreased Raptor expression and the activity of mTORC1 and ERK1/2. Same results were observed in Raptor KO cells. Notably, in Raptor KO cells, the effect of cardamonin was weakened.ConclusionRaptor mediated the function of cardamonin on cellular redox homeostasis and cell proliferation through mTORC1 and ERK1/2 pathways. creator: Yanting Zhu creator: Shifeng Wang creator: Peiguang Niu creator: Huajiao Chen creator: Jintuo Zhou creator: Li Jiang creator: Danyun Li creator: Daohua Shi uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15498 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2023 Zhu et al. title: Diagnostic value and characteristic analysis of serum nucleocapsid antigen in COVID-19 patients link: https://peerj.com/articles/15515 last-modified: 2023-06-07 description: BackgroundTo date, several types of laboratory tests for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) diagnosis have been developed. However, the clinical importance of serum severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleocapsid antigen (N-Ag) remains to be fully elucidated. In this study, we sought to investigate the value of serum SARS-CoV-2 N-Ag for COVID-19 diagnosis and to analyze N-Ag characteristics in COVID-19 individuals.MethodsSerum samples collected from 215 COVID-19 patients and 65 non-COVID-19 individuals were used to quantitatively detect N-Ag via chemiluminescent immunoassay according to the manufacturer’s instructions.ResultsThe sensitivity and specificity of the N-Ag assay were 64.75% (95% confidence interval (95% CI) [55.94–72.66%]) and 100% (95% CI [93.05–100.00%]), respectively, according to the cut-off value recommended by the manufacturer. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed a sensitivity of 100.00% (95% CI [94.42–100.00%]) and a specificity of 71.31% (95% CI [62.73–78.59%]). The positive rates and levels of serum SARS-CoV-2 N-Ag were not related to sex, comorbidity status or disease severity of COVID-19 (all P < 0.001). Compared with RT‒PCR, there was a lower positive rate of serum N-Ag for acute COVID-19 patients (P < 0.001). The positive rate and levels of serum SARS-CoV-2 N-Ag in acute patients were significantly higher than those in convalescent patients (all P < 0.001). In addition, the positive rate of serum SARS-CoV-2 N-Ag in acute COVID-19 patients was higher than that of serum antibodies (IgM, IgG, IgA and neutralizing antibodies (Nab)) against SARS-CoV-2 (all P < 0.001). However, the positive rate of serum SARS-CoV-2 N-Ag in convalescent COVID-19 patients was significantly lower than that of antibodies (all P < 0.001).ConclusionSerum N-Ag can be used as a biomarker for early COVID-19 diagnosis based on appropriate cut-off values. In addition, our study also demonstrated the relationship between serum N-Ag and clinical characteristics. creator: Xihong Zhang creator: Chungen Qian creator: Li Yang creator: Huixia Gao creator: Ping Jiang creator: Muwei Dai creator: Yuling Wang creator: Haiyan Kang creator: Yi Xu creator: Qian Hu creator: Fumin Feng creator: Bangning Cheng creator: Erhei Dai uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15515 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2023 Zhang et al. title: Soil organic carbon pools and carbon management index under different land use systems in North western Himalayas link: https://peerj.com/articles/15266 last-modified: 2023-06-06 description: Current study was conducted to evaluate the effect of important land uses and soil depth on soil organic carbon pools viz. total organic carbon, Walkley and black carbon, labile organic carbon, particulate organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon and carbon management index (CMI) in the north Western Himalayas, India. Soil samples from five different land uses viz. forest, pasture, apple, saffron and paddy-oilseed were collected up to a depth of 1 m (0–30, 30–60, 60–90 cm). The results revealed that regardless of soil depth, all the carbon pools differed significantly (p < 0.05) among studied land use systems with maximum values observed under forest soils and lowest under paddy-oilseed soils. Further, upon evaluating the impact of soil depth, a significant (p < 0.05) decline and variation in all the carbon pools was observed with maximum values recorded in surface (0–30 cm) soils and least in sub-surface (60–90 cm) layers. CMI was higher in forest soils and lowest in paddy-oilseed. From regression analysis, a positive significant association (high R-squared values) between CMI and soil organic carbon pools was also observed at all three depths. Therefore, land use changes and soil depth had a significant impact on soil organic carbon pools and eventually on CMI, which is used as deterioration indicator or soil carbon rehabilitation that influences the universal goal of sustainability in the long run. creator: Yasir Hanif Mir creator: Mumtaz Ahmad Ganie creator: Tajamul Islam Shah creator: Aziz Mujtaba Aezum creator: Shabir Ahmed Bangroo creator: Shakeel Ahmad Mir creator: Shahnawaz Rasool Dar creator: Syed Sheeraz Mahdi creator: Zahoor Ahmad Baba creator: Aanisa Manzoor Shah creator: Uzma Majeed creator: Tatiana Minkina creator: Vishnu D. Rajput creator: Aijaz Ahmad Dar uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15266 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2023 Mir et al. title: Bombardiers and assassins: mimetic interactions between unequally defended insects link: https://peerj.com/articles/15380 last-modified: 2023-06-06 description: In defensive mimicry, resemblance between unequally defended species can be parasitic; this phenomenon has been termed quasi-Batesian mimicry. Few studies have used real co-mimics and their predators to test whether the mimetic interactions were parasitic. Here, we investigated the mimetic interaction between two well-defended insect species, the bombardier beetle Pheropsophus occipitalis jessoensis (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and the assassin bug Sirthenea flavipes (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), using their potential predator, the pond frog Pelophylax nigromaculatus (Anura: Ranidae), which coexists with these insect species in the same habitat in Japan. We observed behavioural responses of this frog species (adults and juveniles) to adult Ph. occipitalis jessoensis and adult S. flavipes under laboratory conditions. Among the frogs, 100% and 75% rejected Ph. occipitalis jessoensis and S. flavipes, respectively, suggesting that, compared with the assassin bug S. flavipes, the bombardier beetle Ph. occipitalis jessoensis is more well-defended against frogs. An assassin bug or a bombardier beetle was provided to a frog that had encountered the other insect species. Frogs with a history of assassin bug encounter demonstrated a lower rate of attack toward bombardier beetles. Similarly, frogs with a history of bombardier beetle encounter demonstrated a lower rate of attack toward assassin bugs. Therefore, both the bombardier beetle Ph. occipitalis jessoensis and the assassin bug S. flavipes benefit from the mimetic interaction. creator: Shinji Sugiura creator: Masakazu Hayashi uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15380 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2023 Sugiura and Hayashi title: A new species of Pristimantis (Anura: Strabomantidae) from white-sand forests of central Amazonia, Brazil link: https://peerj.com/articles/15399 last-modified: 2023-06-06 description: The white-sand ecosystems in the Solimões-Negro Interfluve are among the less studied in Amazonia. Recent herpetological surveys conducted west of Manaus, Brazil (central Amazonia) indicate that white-sand forests host a unique anuran fauna comprising habitat specialized and endemic species. In the present study we describe a new species of rain frog belonging to the Pristimantis unistrigatus species group from the white-sand forest locally called “campinarana” (thin-trunked forests with canopy height below 20 m). The new species is phylogenetically close to rain frogs from western Amazonian lowlands (P. delius, P. librarius, P. matidiktyo and P. ockendeni). It differs from its closest relatives mainly by its size (male SVL of 17.3–20.1 mm, n = 16; female SVL of 23.2–26.5 mm, n = 6), presence of tympanum, tarsal tubercles and dentigerous processes of vomers, its translucent groin without bright colored blotches or marks, and by its advertisement call (composed of 5–10 notes, call duration of 550–1,061 ms, dominant frequency of 3,295–3,919 Hz). Like other anuran species recently discovered in the white-sand forests west of Manaus, the new species seems to be restricted to this peculiar ecosystem. creator: Alexander Tamanini Mônico creator: Miquéias Ferrão creator: Jiří Moravec creator: Antoine Fouquet creator: Albertina P. Lima uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15399 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2023 Mônico et al. title: Reliability of sonographic measurements of the ulnar collateral ligament: a multi-rater prospective study link: https://peerj.com/articles/15418 last-modified: 2023-06-06 description: BackgroundThe use of sonography is a cost-effective and reliable method to evaluate upper extremity superficial tissue structural integrity and pathology. Establishing the measurement reliability of widely used diagnostic ultrasound evaluation for musculoskeletal assessment is paramount enhance accurate clinical evaluations. The objective of this study was to establish the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of select ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) thickness measures at two distinct anatomical locations in intercollegiate baseball athletes using ultrasound imaging (USI).MethodsThis was a prospective cohort study conducted in a university research laboratory and included a total of 17 NCAA Division I baseball athletes (age 20.4 ± 1.43, height = 183.63 cm ± 6.27 cm, mass = 89.28 kg ± 8.24 kg). Two trained clinicians measured UCL mid-substance and apex thickness in the throwing extremity, prospectively, on 5 occasions at 1-month intervals during rest. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) (model 3,3), associated standard error of measurement, and 95% minimal detectable change in thickness were derived.ResultsIntrarater reliability estimates for operator 1 were 0.90–0.98 (mid-substance) and 0.91–0.99 (apex). Operator 2’s values were 0.92–0.97 and 0.93–0.99, respectively. The standard error of measurement (SEM) ranged from 0.045–0.071 cm (mid-substance) and 0.023–0.067 cm (apex). The minimal detectable difference (MDD95) was 0.12–0.20 cm (mid-substance) and 0.07–0.19 cm (apex). Interrater reliability was 0.86–0.96 (mid-substance) and 0.79–0.98 (apex); most ICCs were >0.90. Measurement of UCL thickness at two locations demonstrated very good to excellent reliability with high precision. Using this protocol, two evaluators can obtain consistent UCL measurement at two positions. This finding has significant implications for the clinical evaluation of superficial tissue pathology of the same individual by two experienced practitioners. creator: Shawn D. Felton creator: Arie J. Van Duijn creator: Mitchell L. Cordova uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15418 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2023 Felton et al. title: Assessment of aquatic food web and trophic niche as a measurement of recovery function in restored mangroves in the Southern Gulf of Mexico link: https://peerj.com/articles/15422 last-modified: 2023-06-06 description: Mangroves are coastal wetlands with high biodiversity and productivity, with great interaction with coastal environments. In the face of worldwide mangrove loss, restoration projects attempt to recover ecosystem composition and functioning over time. Our objective was to examine and compare the food webs in mangrove areas with different restoration times and in a reference mangrove in Términos Lagoon, Mexico. We estimated the trophic structure, identified the carbon resources that maintain aquatic consumers through the analysis of stable isotopes, and compared the trophic niche of the restored mangroves with the reference mangrove. We analyzed environmental variables, trophic structure, and contributions of resources during three seasons: rainy, dry, and “nortes”. Environmental changes and food structure changed in response to regional seasons. Bayesian mixing models indicated that food webs varied seasonally as a response to the primary productivity developed at Términos Lagoon. As expected, the assimilation of C3 plants in the reference mangrove was highest, as a primary (“nortes” season) and secondary resource (dry and rainy seasons). The restored mangroves depended mainly on allochthonous resources (seagrass, epiphytes, and phytoplankton). The assimilation of these resources highlighted the importance of connectivity and the input of sources of carbon from nearby coastal environments. Trophic niche analysis showed that the area with longer restoration time was more similar to the reference mangrove, which is evidence of the importance and efficacy of the restoration process, as well as the restoration of the ecosystem function over time. creator: Miriam Soria-Barreto creator: Rosela Pérez-Ceballos creator: Arturo Zaldívar-Jiménez creator: Rolando Gelabert Fernández uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15422 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2023 Soria-Barreto et al. title: Isoscapes of remnant and restored Hawaiian montane forests reveal differences in biological nitrogen fixation and carbon inputs link: https://peerj.com/articles/15468 last-modified: 2023-06-06 description: Deforestation and subsequent land-use conversion has altered ecosystems and led to negative effects on biodiversity. To ameliorate these effects, nitrogen-fixing (N2-fixing) trees are frequently used in the reforestation of degraded landscapes, especially in the tropics; however, their influence on ecosystem properties such as nitrogen (N) availability and carbon (C) stocks are understudied. Here, we use a 30-y old reforestation site of outplanted native N2-fixing trees (Acacia koa) dominated by exotic grass understory, and a neighboring remnant forest dominated by A. koa canopy trees and native understory, to assess whether restoration is leading to similar N and C biogeochemical landscapes and soil and plant properties as a target remnant forest ecosystem. We measured nutrient contents and isotope values (δ15N, δ13C) in soils, A. koa, and non-N2-fixing understory plants (Rubus spp.) and generated δ15N and δ13C isoscapes of the two forests to test for (1) different levels of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and its contribution to non-N2-fixing understory plants, and (2) the influence of historic land conversion and more recent afforestation on plant and soil δ13C. In the plantation, A. koa densities were higher and foliar δ15N values for A. koa and Rubus spp. were lower than in the remnant forest. Foliar and soil isoscapes also showed a more homogeneous distribution of low δ15N values in the plantation and greater influence of A. koa on neighboring plants and soil, suggesting greater BNF. Foliar δ13C also indicated higher water use efficiency (WUEi) in the plantation, indicative of differences in plant-water relations or soil water status between the two forest types. Plantation soil δ13C was higher than the remnant forest, consistent with greater contributions of exotic C4-pasture grasses to soil C pools, possibly due to facilitation of non-native grasses by the dense A. koa canopy. These findings are consequential for forest restoration, as they contribute to the mounting evidence that outplanting N2-fixing trees produces different biogeochemical landscapes than those observed in reference ecosystems, thereby influencing plant-soil interactions which can influence restoration outcomes. creator: Christopher B. Wall creator: Sean O. I. Swift creator: Carla M. D’Antonio creator: Gerhard Gebauer creator: Nicole A. Hynson uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15468 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2023 Wall et al. title: Pollution and health risk assessment of rare earth elements in Citrus sinensis growing soil in mining area of southern China link: https://peerj.com/articles/15470 last-modified: 2023-06-06 description: BackgroundAnalyzing the pollution and health risk of rare earth elements (REEs) in crop-growing soils around rare earth deposits can facilitate the improvement of REE mining-influenced area. In this study, pollution status, fraction and anomaly, plant accumulation characteristics, and potential risks of REEs (including heavy and light rare earth elements, HREEs and LREEs) in C. sinensis planting soil near ion-adsorption deposits in southern Ganzhou were analyzed. The influence of the soil environment on REEs in soil and fruit of C. sinensis was also explored.MethodsThe geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and ecological risk index(RI) were used to analyze the pollution potential and ecological risks of REEs in soils, respectively. Health risk index and translocation factor (TF) were applied to analyze the accumulation and health risks of REEs in fruit of C. sinensis. The influence of soil factors on REEs in soil and fruit of C. sinensis were determined via correlation and redundancy analysis.ResultsComparison with background values and assessment of Igeo and RI indicated that the soil was polluted by REEs, albeit at varying degrees. Fractionation between LREEs and HREEs occurred, along with significant positive Ce anomaly and negative Eu anomaly. With TF values < 1, our results suggest that C. sinensis has a weak ability to accumulate REEs in its fruit. The concentrations of REEs in fruit differed between LREEs and HREEs, with content of HREE in fruit ordered as Jiading > Anxi > Wuyang and of LREE in fruit higher in Wuyang. Correlation and redundancy analysis indicated that K2O, Fe2O3 and TOC are important soil factors influencing REE accumulation by C. sinensis, with K2O positively related and Fe2O3 and TOC negatively related to the accumulation process. creator: Jinhu Lai creator: Jinfu Liu creator: Daishe Wu creator: Jinying Xu uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15470 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2023 Lai et al.