PeerJ最新文献

{"title":"Assay of cardiopulmonary bypass system for porcine alveolar macrophages removing GFP-<i>E. coli</i> from erythrocyte surfaces.","authors":"Yongqiang Liu, Nan Wang, Qing Ru, Kuohai Fan, Na Sun, Panpan Sun, Hongquan Li, Wei Yin","doi":"10.7717/peerj.18934","DOIUrl":"10.7717/peerj.18934","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>While it is established that complement receptor molecules on the surface of erythrocytes are crucial for the clearance of immune complexes in the body, the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between macrophages and erythrocytes in pigs remain inadequately understood. Consequently, we built a detection system with a closed-circulation flow chamber and a constant flow pump. Additionally, we optimized parameters including system flow velocity and fluid shear force. In the circulatory system, our study measured the fluorescence intensity of erythrocyte and pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAMs) surfaces before and after the blockade of complement receptor 1 (CR1)-like receptors and Fc receptors. The results indicated that porcine erythrocytes and PAMs exhibited a diminished rate of change in fluorescence intensity under the blocked condition. Through transmission electron microscopy, it was observed that PAMs effectively removed sensitized GFP-<i>E. coli</i> adhering immunologically to porcine erythrocytes. The findings indicate that PAMs effectively removed sensitized GFP-<i>E. coli</i> from the surface immunoadhesion of porcine erythrocytes, facilitated by the mediation of surface CR1-like receptors and Fc receptors.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"13 ","pages":"e18934"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11887565/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143586552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome-wide association studies reveal potential candidate genes associated with amino acid in tea plants.","authors":"Qidi Wu, Li Song, Dingchen Bai, Yihan Wang, Yuting OuYang, Kaixin Rao, Qinfei Song, Juanying Wang, Suzhen Niu, Yujie Ai","doi":"10.7717/peerj.18969","DOIUrl":"10.7717/peerj.18969","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Amino acids, as the main flavor substances of umami in tea, are also the primary components determining the taste of tea, which is positively correlated with the quality and grade of tea. The Guizhou Plateau is located in the core area of the origin of the tea plant and has abundant tea germplasm. However, there are relatively few studies using genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to mine genes related to amino acid content in tea plants in the Guizhou Plateau.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In this study, 78,819 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) markers were identified from 212 tea accessions composed by our group in the previous study by genotyping sequencing technology (GBS), and the population structure, genetic diversity, and GWAS of 212 tea accessions resources of tea were analysed. Phylogenetic tree and population structure analysis divided all germplasm into four inferred groups (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4). By analysing the eight SNPs associated with amino acids obtained by GWAS, four candidate genes that may be related to amino acids were identified. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to verify the expression levels of four candidate genes, suggesting that there may be a potential gene that is important for the accumulation of amino acid content.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study provides new information for the in-depth analysis of the genetic mechanism of amino acid content in tea plants and provides important genetic resources for accelerating the cultivation of new tea varieties with suitable amino acid content.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"13 ","pages":"e18969"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11887564/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143586597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The efficacy comparison on femoral vein hemodynamics and morphology between two types of graduated elastic compression stockings among patients undergoing knee replacement: a single center, double-blind, randomized trial.","authors":"Yaping Xu, Ruping Liu, Feiya Xu, Yibo Feng, Shuang Li, Dingyi Wang, Guohui Fan","doi":"10.7717/peerj.19070","DOIUrl":"10.7717/peerj.19070","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Venous thromboembolism is a significant complication after knee replacement. The short-term efficacy disparities between different types of graduated elastic compression stockings (GCS) among patients undergoing total/unicompartmental knee replacement remain unclear.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The aim of the trial was to compare the efficacies on hemodynamics and morphology of femoral vein between two types of GCS, providing more evidence on GCS prophylaxis among patients undergoing total/unicompartmental knee replacement.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this single center, double-blind, parallel design, randomized trial, 141 adult patients who underwent selective, unilateral total/unicompartmental knee replacement operation for the first time were enrolled, with 71 were assigned to type A GCS and 70 to type B GCS, respectively. Compressed ultrasound of the lower extremity was conducted before the operation (without GCS, as preoperative baseline) and within 24 hours post operation (postoperative baseline , with GCS, and with GCS + ankle pump). The relative changes in TV and PV, as well as the diameter of the femoral vein in the healthy leg, were assessed both before and after GCS application following the knee replacement surgery.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The median ages were 67.0 years in type A group and 68.0 years in type B group. All parameters of femoral vein were comparable between type A and type B GCSs. Compared with postoperative baseline, GCS + ankle pump significantly reduced femoral vein diameter and improved the TV in both GCS types; GCS and GCS + ankle pump also significantly increased the TV (median 1.2%, IQR -21.4% to 58.6%, <i>P</i> = 0.0384; median 14.0%, IQR -24.3% to 93.0%, <i>P</i> = 0.0019, respectively) in left leg, while not significant in right leg.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The efficacies of two GCSs were comparable, and both were effective in improving velocity and morphology of femoral veins of the healthy legs among patients undergoing knee replacement, especially in improving TVs of femoral veins for left leg.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"13 ","pages":"e19070"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11884326/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143573596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diagnostic accuracy of fat pad sign, X-ray, and computed tomography in elbow trauma: implications for treatment choices-a retrospective study.","authors":"Mustafa Ahmet Afacan, Koray Kaya Kilic, Aytun Temiz, İsmail Tayfur, Fatih Doganay","doi":"10.7717/peerj.18922","DOIUrl":"10.7717/peerj.18922","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Identifying skeletal injuries significantly impacts patient outcomes in trauma cases. This study aims to compare the diagnostic accuracy of X-ray (XR) and computed tomography (CT) in detecting elbow fractures among patients presenting at the emergency department (ED). Additionally, the study assesses the potential contribution of the fat pad sign to enhancing the diagnostic accuracy of XR images in identifying elbow fractures. The secondary aim focused on evaluating the precision of XR imaging in determining the necessity for surgical intervention among patients presenting with elbow trauma.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Conducted retrospectively at an ED within a secondary hospital, this study included patients with elbow trauma between January 1, 2017, and January 1, 2020, who underwent both XR and CT imaging of the elbow joint. Following the application of exclusion criteria, the analysis comprised 183 patients based on remaining image data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>When comparing XR to CT for fracture detection, XR exhibited a sensitivity of 46.9%, specificity of 85.9%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 79.3%, negative predictive value (NPV) of 58.4%, area under the curve (AUC) of 0.664. Considering the fat pad sign in XR as a fracture indicator, the sensitivity is 60.2%, specificity is 81.2%, PPV is 78.7%, NPV is 63.9% and AUC is 0.707. A significant difference was found when comparing the AUCs obtained with and without considering the fat pad sign (<i>p</i> = 0.039). Regarding surgical treatment decision-making, XR showed a sensitivity of 50%, specificity of 100%, PPV of 95%, NPV of 100%, and an AUC of 0.750 when compared to CT.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The findings indicate that XR alone is insufficient for detecting elbow fractures and determining the need for surgical treatment. Incorporating the fat pad sign improves the diagnostic accuracy of XR. In cases where suspicion of fracture is high, considering CT imaging is crucial to avoid missed diagnoses, prevent complications, and guide treatment decisions effectively.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"13 ","pages":"e18922"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11874943/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143542740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Main complaints identified by parents of children with developmental delays during the initial consultation: a 10-year all-case study.","authors":"Yasuaki Kusumoto, Eri Takahashi, Kenji Takaki, Tadamitsu Matsuda, Osamu Nitta","doi":"10.7717/peerj.19044","DOIUrl":"10.7717/peerj.19044","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;In Japan, the child development support initiative is one of the government's daycare support programs for children with disabilities. Children, aged 0-6 years, who are not attending elementary school can participate in the initiative and receive various support. Reports on the approaches taken by private child development support centers and the guardians' perceptions are increasing. Conversely, information from public child development support centers, which serve as places for initial developmental consultation, is extremely scarce. Moreover, there are no nationwide reports on the main complaints from each region, which are of concern to the parents. This study aimed to clarify children's gender and age, presence of referral sources, and characteristics of the main complaints obtained during the initial consultation with parents of children with developmental delays, who used a public developmental support center in a medium-sized city in Tokyo.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;This study included 1,241 parents of children with developmental delays (average 40.3 months, range 2-87 months). Five questions regarding each child's characteristics (gender, age in months, and medical diagnosis), referral sources for the use of support centers, and main complaints that they would like to discuss at the initial consultation, were asked. The participants were asked to describe their main complaints (specific consultation details) as precisely as possible. From the free-form descriptions of the main complaints, 137 codes were extracted and grouped into 13 categories. Participants were divided into two groups according to the presence (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 122) or absence (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 1,119) of a medical diagnosis. The &lt;i&gt;t&lt;/i&gt;-test, chi-square test, and Fisher's exact probability test were used to examine differences between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis with forced entry was performed to examine whether the factors related to the main complaints raised by parents of children with developmental delays differed depending on the presence or absence of a medical diagnosis.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;The most common chief complaint at the time of the initial consultation was \"language development\" (43.9%), followed by \"childcare and preschool counseling\" (15.4%), \"hyperactivity/inattention\" (13.9%), and \"general developmental issues\" (13.6%). The regression analysis revealed that gender, age (months), and general developmental issues were factors associated with the presence or absence of a medical diagnosis were gender, age in months, and general developmental issues. The odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 1.573 (1.056-2.343) for gender, 0.988 (0.976-1.000) for age (months), and 0.421 (0.200-0.886) for general developmental issues.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Professionals involved in child development support are expected to have broad knowledge of various developmental issues as well as comprehensiv","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"13 ","pages":"e19044"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11874933/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143542889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Anthropogenic reverberations on the gut microbiome of dwarf chameleons (<i>Bradypodion</i>).","authors":"Matthew G Adair, Krystal A Tolley, Bettine Jansen van Vuuren, Jessica Marie da Silva","doi":"10.7717/peerj.18811","DOIUrl":"10.7717/peerj.18811","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Exploration of the microbiome has been referred to as a final frontier in biological research. This is due to its precedence for generating insights on the holistic functioning of organismal biology by exploring the interactions between hosts and their associated symbiotic organisms. The microbiomes of many vertebrate groups still require exploration to advance current knowledge and fill previous knowledge gaps. This study generated initial descriptions of the bacterial microbiomes of three species of dwarf chameleon (<i>Bradypodion</i>) from the <i>16S</i> rRNA gene region targeting the V3 and V4 hypervariable regions. This led to the successful identification of 1,073 and 4,502 independent amplicon sequence variants from buccal swab and faecal material samples, respectively. This newly acquired information is intended as a baseline for future work incorporating holobiont information. The diversity of microbial taxa suggests that the total dwarf chameleon microbiome is similar to other squamates investigated to date, as well as chelonians (Testudines). Microbial frequency differences were noted in comparison to crocodilians (Archosauria) and mammalian groups. Furthermore, this study aimed to examine the influence of habitat transformation on the composition of the microbiome in dwarf chameleons as each of the study species occupy both urban and natural habitats. Given that most urban habitats are highly transformed, the expectation was that microbial assemblages of the gastro-intestinal tracts of all three <i>Bradypodion</i> species would show significant differences between populations (<i>i.e.</i>, natural, or urban). It was found, however, that the level of effect was contingent on species: <i>B. melanocephalum</i> populations showed noticeable microbiome differences between urban and natural populations; <i>B. thamnobates</i> showed variations in microbial community dispersions between populations; and <i>B. setaroi</i> showed no significant microbiome differences based on diversity metrics although some frequency differences, in microbiome composition, were observed between populations. We suggest that the magnitude of difference between the habitats occupied by the populations is a factor, given the apparent disparity between the natural and urban habitats for <i>B. melanocephalum</i> as compared to the other two species.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"13 ","pages":"e18811"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11874949/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143542900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dietary composition and feeding preference of Mantled guereza <i>Colobus guereza</i> (Rüppell, 1835), in Maze National Park, Ethiopia.","authors":"Abraham Tolcha, Matewos Masne, Belayneh Ayechw","doi":"10.7717/peerj.18998","DOIUrl":"10.7717/peerj.18998","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Knowledge of feeding ecology is essential for effective management of a primate and its habitat. The Mantled guereza <i>Colobus guereza</i> is a predominantly folivorous monkey that occurs in different parts of eastern Africa, including the Maze National Park in Ethiopia. Despite many studies conducted in the area, there is no up-to-date data that was carried out on feeding ecology of the <i>Colobus guereza</i>. The aim of this study is to determine the dietary composition and feeding preference of the <i>Colobus guereza</i> in the park. To better understand this, we randomly selected three study groups along the Maze River. We used instantaneous scan sampling method to collect feeding data from September 2021-August 2022. We followed guerezas from 6:30 to 10:30 in the morning and 13:30 to 17:25 in the afternoon collecting feeding activity data between 5 min intervals during 10-min scan duration. Overall, guerezas were observed to eat eight plant species and unidentified invertebrates in the park. Of these, <i>Trichilia emetica</i> contributed the highest proportion accounted 53.36% and 27.83% in the wet and dry season respectively, while unidentified invertebrates were rarely utilized over the course of this study. We also found that young leaves were consumed more (<i>n</i> = 1,794, 75.31%) in the wet while mature leaves were eaten more (<i>n</i> = 1,215, 43.61%) over the other diet components in the dry season. These results suggest that the <i>guerezas</i> in the park exhibit temporal dietary flexibility. The observed dietary flexibility may be partly due to seasonal changes in availability of food plant parts in the groups' home ranges in the park. Our results suggest that maintaining the park is critical to protect food plant species for this primate, which at present constitutes only a few.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"13 ","pages":"e18998"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11874936/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143542743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The relationship between renal function indicators and preeclampsia in the second trimester of pregnancy: a retrospective study.","authors":"Mingwei Li, Wei Liu, Xizhenzi Fan, Wenhui Song, Achou Su, Xue Zhang, Thomas Zheng, Tianxiao Yu","doi":"10.7717/peerj.19027","DOIUrl":"10.7717/peerj.19027","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>To investigate the relationship between serum renal function indicators and preeclampsia (PE) in pregnant women at second trimester of pregnancy, determine the optimal critical values of the above indicators, and further identify the independent risk factors of PE.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We assessed the renal function indicators in second trimesters of 137 pregnant women with PE and 137 normal pregnant women who delivered at Shijiazhuang Fourth Hospital between January 2020 to December 2022. Paired <i>t</i>-tests, paired Mann-Whitney U tests, and Chi-square tests were used to evaluate differences of clinical data between the two groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was employed to establish the optimal critical values of the above indicators. A 1:1 matched case-control logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the independent risk factors for PE.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The levels of serum uric acid and the ratio of serum uric acid to serum creatinine were significantly higher in the PE group compared to the control (<i>P</i> < 0.001), while the serum creatinine levels were higher in control group (<i>P</i> = 0.002). The incidence of adverse maternal (<i>P</i> < 0.001) and neonatal outcomes (<i>P</i> < 0.001) in the PE group were higher than those in the control group. A ROC analysis based on the occurrence of PE showed that the levels of serum uric acid (<i>P</i> < 0.001), serum creatinine (<i>P</i> = 0.006) and the ratio of serum uric acid to serum creatinine (<i>P</i> < 0.001) were statistically significant. After adjusting for confounding factors, elevated serum uric acid (a <i>OR</i> = 1.012, 95% CI [1.005-1.019], <i>P</i> < 0.001) and an increased serum uric acid to serum creatinine ratio (a <i>OR</i> = 1.190, 95% CI [1.053-1.346], <i>P</i> = 0.005) were identified as independent risk factors for PE. There was no significant difference in renal function between maternal and newborn group in relation to the occurrence of adverse outcomes (<i>P</i> > 0.05 <i>vs</i>. all groups).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Through the analysis of renal function indicators in patients with PE in the second trimester of pregnancy and those in a normal control group, it is found that elevated serum uric acid and serum uric acid to serum creatinine ratio in PE individual may serve as indicative markers for the onset of PE. Targeting this subset of the population for monitoring and management during the second trimester could enhance the efficacy of medical interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"13 ","pages":"e19027"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11874948/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143542748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inhibitory effects of <i>Trichoderma asperellum</i> culture filtrates on pathogenic bacteria, <i>Burkholderia pseudomallei</i>.","authors":"Naritsara Roopkhan, Thotsapol Chaianunporn, Sorujsiri Chareonsudjai, Kanokporn Chaianunporn","doi":"10.7717/peerj.19051","DOIUrl":"10.7717/peerj.19051","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong><i>Burkholderia pseudomallei</i> is a soil- and water-dwelling bacterium that causes the life-threatening infection melioidosis. Patients typically acquire this infection through environmental exposure, so reducing <i>B. pseudomallei</i> levels in the environment could mitigate the risk of infection. <i>Trichoderma asperellum</i> is a biological control agent that synthesizes a diverse range of antimicrobial substances targeting other microorganisms. This study therefore examined the antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities of <i>T. asperellum</i> culture filtrate against <i>B. pseudomallei</i>.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The antibacterial activities of <i>T. asperellum</i> culture filtrates, collected at various time intervals, were assessed against <i>B. pseudomallei</i> using the agar well diffusion method. Subsequently, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs), and anti-biofilm activities of the culture filtrate exhibiting the highest inhibitory effect were determined. Bactericidal efficacy was further evaluated via a time-kill assay. The mechanisms underlying inhibition were then investigated using scanning electron microscopy and crystal violet uptake assays.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Filtrate collected from 7-day old cultures of <i>T. asperellum</i> (TD7) exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect on <i>B. pseudomallei</i>, with an inhibition zone of 30.33 ± 0.19 mm. The MIC of TD7 against <i>B. pseudomallei</i> was 7.81 ± 0.00 mg/mL and the MBC ranged from 7.81 ± 0.00 to 11.72 ± 1.75 mg/mL. Time-kill studies with TD7 confirmed its bactericidal activity, with complete elimination of <i>B. pseudomallei</i> occurring within 30 min treatment at 62.48 mg/mL (8xMIC) and 24 h treatment at 7.81 mg/mL (1xMIC). At a concentration of  7.81 mg/mL, TD7 also significantly reduced <i>B. pseudomallei</i> biofilm formation. Scanning electron microscopy revealed surface roughening and cell shrinkage of TD7-treated <i>B. pseudomallei</i>. TD7-treated bacteria were also found to absorb more crystal violet dye than untreated cells, indicating that TD7 might inhibit and kill <i>B. pseudomallei</i> by disrupting cell membrane permeability.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings demonstrate that <i>T. asperellum</i> culture filtrates possess bactericidal activity and effectively disrupt biofilm formation by <i>B. pseudomallei</i>. This suggests that <i>T. asperellum</i> could potentially be used to reduce the presence of <i>B. pseudomallei</i> in the environment and, consequently, lower the incidence of melioidosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"13 ","pages":"e19051"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11874947/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143542856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mapping the global distribution and conservation status of oases-ecosystems of pivotal biocultural relevance.","authors":"Juan Antonio Hernández-Agüero, Mechthilde Falkenhahn, Jessica Hetzer, Karsten Wesche, Christiane Zarfl, Klement Tockner","doi":"10.7717/peerj.18884","DOIUrl":"10.7717/peerj.18884","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Oases are azonal, highly productive, densely vegetated areas within drylands, often converted to agriculture, and characterized by significant biocultural diversity. Despite their importance, comprehensive information on the global distribution and biocultural diversity of oases has been lacking.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To address this gap, a detailed bibliographic search and random forest modeling were combined to create a global map of oases, with a focus on Asia and North Africa (ANA).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the ANA region, oases cover 1.5% of the dryland area and are populated by 150 million people, with an additional 268 million people living nearby and most likely being dependent on them. Globally, oases contain more than 8,200 vertebrate species, of which 13% are classified as threatened. However, less than 0.5% of their total area is currently under protection, making oases one of the least conserved ecosystems worldwide. These findings highlight the distinct biocultural, ecological, and geopolitical importance of oases, which are increasingly threatened by climate change and direct human impacts. Despite their significance, oases remain undervalued, emphasizing an urgent need for developing adaptative strategies to sustainably manage these pivotal ecosystems.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"13 ","pages":"e18884"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11874939/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143542893","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}