title: PeerJ description: Articles published in PeerJ link: https://peerj.com/articles/index.rss3?journal=peerj&page=6 creator: info@peerj.com PeerJ errorsTo: info@peerj.com PeerJ language: en title: A new species of aposematic grasshopper of the genus Pseudoutanacris (Acrididae: Gomphocerinae) from the Andean cloud forest of the Ecuadorian Amazon basin link: https://peerj.com/articles/20376 last-modified: 2026-01-06 description: We have identified a new grasshopper species belonging to the genus Pseudoutanacris Jago, 1971, in the montane forests of the eastern Andes in Ecuador. This discovery expands the known distribution of the genus, previously limited to a single species in the Bolivian tropics, by over 2,000 kilometers. For the first time, a female of the genus is described, and notes on the ecology and natural history of the species are presented. We also provide the first barcodes of the genus Pseudoutanacris Jago, 1971. The males of a newly described species, Pseudoutanacris grilla sp. nov. shares a striking coloration pattern with their Bolivian congener, Pseudoutanacris chromobapta Jago, 1971, setting them apart from other members of the tribe Amblytropidiini. However, the females maintain a cryptic coloration pattern, similar to that of the tribe members, and display different behavior from the males. During our study, we also observed Ps. grilla sp. nov. on the same plant as Megacheilacris graminicola (Descamps & Amédégnato, 1971) (Bactrophorinae: Romaleidae), a species with similar chromatic characteristics. This finding also marks the first formal documentation of the new geographical records of M. graminicola (Descamps & Amédégnato, 1971) in Ecuador. creator: Felipe Campos-Yánez creator: Ana B. García-Ruilova creator: Diego J. Inclán uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.20376 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2026 Campos-Yánez et al. title: Cholesterol and steroid synthesis pathways may be involved in the inhibition of osteosarcoma cell viability by calcium-sensing receptor antagonism link: https://peerj.com/articles/20546 last-modified: 2026-01-05 description: BackgroundThis study examined the effect of calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) antagonism on human osteosarcoma cells and investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms of this effect through transcriptome sequencing.MethodsHuman osteosarcoma cell lines MG-63 and Saos-2 were treated with different concentrations (0.1–10 µM) of the CaSR antagonist NPS-2143. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays were used to detect the effect of CaSR antagonism on the viability of the cells. RNA sequencing was performed on cells treated with five µM NPS-2143 for 24 hours, followed by bioinformatic analysis to identify differentially expressed genes and enriched pathways. qRT-PCR was conducted to validate key genes.ResultsCCK-8 assays showed that at low concentrations (0.1 and one µM), NPS-2143 had no significant effect on MG-63 and Saos-2 cell viability. At higher concentrations (five µM and 10 µM), the viability of MG-63 and Saos-2 cells was significantly reduced. Five µM was therefore selected for subsequent experiments. RNA sequencing revealed distinct gene expression profiles in NPS-2143–treated cells compared to controls. A total of 927 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in Saos-2 cells (378 upregulated, 549 downregulated), and 59 DEGs were identified in MG-63 cells (33 upregulated, 26 downregulated). Reactome and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses indicated significant enrichment of cholesterol and steroid biosynthesis–related pathways. Transcriptome sequencing showed that NPS-2143 modulated the expression of genes in cholesterol and steroid synthesis pathways. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) confirmed that NPS-2143 promoted the expression of the cholesterol and steroid synthesis pathway genes, CYP51A1, DHCR24, LSS, and MSMO1 in MG-63 and Saos-2 cells.DiscussionThe inhibitory effect of NPS-2143 on MG-63 and Saos-2 osteosarcoma tumor cell viability was confirmed. CaSR antagonism significantly up-regulated genes involved in cholesterol and steroid biosynthesis, including CYP51A1, DHCR24, LSS, and MSMO1. These genes encode key enzymes in the cholesterol synthesis pathway, and their upregulation may lead to cholesterol overproduction. This may, in turn, lead to the formation of oxysterols, which are known to induce inflammation and cytotoxicity. These findings suggest a potential metabolic mechanism through which CaSR antagonists influence osteosarcoma cell viability. Although further validation is warranted, our results provide preliminary evidence implicating cholesterol biosynthesis as a mechanistic target in osteosarcoma and underscore the exploratory value of CaSR antagonists as metabolic regulators in cancer research. creator: Luchuan Wang creator: Jianfa Wang creator: Xinjie Chu creator: Yao Liu creator: Yanping Fan creator: Xunzhong Qi creator: Jin Guo creator: Shuqiu Wang uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.20546 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2026 Wang et al. title: The impact of physical activity on social anxiety among college students: an analysis of the chain mediation effect of family support and self-efficacy link: https://peerj.com/articles/20511 last-modified: 2026-01-05 description: BackgroundThis study aimed to explore the mechanisms through which physical activity affects social anxiety in college students, with a specific focus on the sequential mediating roles of family support and self-efficacy.MethodsA total of 391 valid responses were analyzed using the Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3), the Interaction Anxiousness Scale (IAS). Family Support Scale (PSS-Fa), and the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES). Mediation analyses were conducted with structural equation modeling (SEM) and bootstrapping procedures (5,000 resamples).ResultsPhysical activity significantly predicted lower social anxiety (β =  − 0.187, p < .001). Both family support (β =  − 0.309, p < .001) and self-efficacy (β =  − 0.390, p < .001) mediated this association, with the sequential pathway (β =  − 0.073, p < .001) accounting for 13.35% of the total effect.ConclusionPhysical activity was associated with lower social anxiety indirectly via higher family support and self-efficacy, while the direct effect was not statistically significant in the full mediation model. These findings provide empirical support for incorporating physical activity into university-based mental health strategies aimed at alleviating social anxiety. creator: Baiyi Yang creator: Xiaodi Yang creator: Zhengyang Fan creator: Chang Liu creator: Zhanfei Zheng uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.20511 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2026 Yang et al. title: Development and validation of a risk prediction model for overall survival in cervical cancer patients under 50: a prospective cohort study in southwest China link: https://peerj.com/articles/20509 last-modified: 2026-01-05 description: ObjectiveAccurately predicting the prognosis of cervical cancer in younger patients is increasingly important due to the rising incidence of the disease in China and the growing number of cases among individuals under 50. This study aimed to develop a nomogram to predict overall survival (OS) in cervical cancer patients under 50 in southwest China.MethodsClinicopathological and follow-up data for cervical cancer patients under 50 were prospectively collected as part of an ongoing longitudinal cohort study at Chongqing University Cancer Hospital between January 1, 2015, and May 31, 2019. A training cohort (n = 703) and a validation cohort (n = 301) were randomly selected. Variables associated with OS were assessed using a Cox regression model. Multivariate analysis was used to construct the nomogram and identify independent prognostic factors. The model’s performance was evaluated using decision curve analysis (DCA), calibration curves, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC), and the concordance index.ResultsThe final model identified pathology, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging, treatment, β2-microglobulin, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and albumin as independent risk factors for OS in patients under 50. The concordance index for OS was 0.818 in the training cohort and 0.747 in the validation cohort. Calibration curves in both cohorts showed strong agreement between predicted and observed survival probabilities. In the training cohort, AUCs for 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS were 0.851, 0.847, and 0.816, respectively; in the validation cohort, they were 0.810, 0.733, and 0.730. Compared to the FIGO staging system, the nomogram demonstrated superior predictive accuracy and net benefit, as shown by the net reclassification index (NRI) and DCA.ConclusionThe nomogram provides a reliable tool for predicting overall survival in cervical cancer patients under 50, supporting more personalized treatment planning. creator: Li Yuan creator: Baogang Wen creator: Xiuying Li creator: Fangrong Liu creator: Haike Lei creator: Qi Zhou uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.20509 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2026 Yuan et al. title: Improving taxonomic resolution, biomass and abundance assessments of aquatic invertebrates by combining imaging and DNA megabarcoding link: https://peerj.com/articles/20501 last-modified: 2026-01-05 description: Understanding biodiversity change requires a comprehensive assessment of not only the identity of species inhabiting an ecosystem but also their biomass and abundance. However, assessing biodiversity on the species level with precise biomass information is a time-consuming process and thus rarely applied. While DNA-based approaches like DNA barcoding offer precise species identification, they lack information on specimen size and biomass. In contrast, high-throughput imaging techniques enable rapid measurements of a specimen’s size and morphological features but may have low taxonomic resolution. In this study, we combined DNA megabarcoding, i.e., high-throughput barcoding of single specimens, with semi-automated imaging and deep neural networks to produce accurate taxonomic identifications, abundance, and biomass estimations for insects. In a multiple stressor field experiment, we collected a dataset of 743 specimens from 14 species of the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT), which are routinely used as aquatic biological quality indicator taxa. Each specimen was imaged, weighed, and megabarcoded using the COI barcode gene. From the images captured using the semi-automated imaging device BIODISCOVER, we curated a final dataset of 146,439 images taken from two perpendicular cameras. We trained convolutional neural networks (CNNs) with these pictures for species identification and biomass estimation and evaluated their performance. In addition, we investigated whether models pre-trained for species identification perform better on the biomass estimation task, compared to models trained solely for biomass estimation, thus potentially reducing the need for extensive labelled data in future studies. Our findings demonstrate that combining DNA megabarcoding with automated imaging and deep neural networks enables fast, reliable, but also comprehensive assessment of species composition and biomass on the specimen level, contributing to the urgently needed methods in conservation biology, ecology, and evolution. creator: Philipp M. Rehsen creator: Mia S. Honka creator: Mikko Impiö creator: Iris Madge Pimentel creator: Florian Leese creator: Arne J. Beermann uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.20501 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2026 Rehsen et al. title: The petrosal and bony labyrinth of extinct horses (Perissodactyla, Equidae) and their implications for perissodactyl evolution link: https://peerj.com/articles/20484 last-modified: 2026-01-05 description: Perissodactyla, or odd-toed ungulates, are represented today by 16 species of rhinoceroses, tapirs, and horses. Perissodactyls were much more diverse in the past, having a rich fossil record spanning from the earliest Eocene (~56 Ma) to recent, including a myriad of extinct lineages. Despite over a century of study, the inter-relationships of some extinct perissodactyl families remain poorly resolved. New morphological characters are needed to help solve this issue. Recent studies suggest that the ear region, i.e., the petrosal and the bony labyrinth of the inner ear, is a valuable source of morphological characters for mammalian phylogenetic analyses. The petrosal is the bony structure protecting the inner ear, the organs of hearing and balance in mammals. However, perissodactyl petrosals are poorly documented and have not been used in such a phylogenetic framework. In this study, we describe the petrosals and inner ears of five European fossil equid taxa and perform a preliminary phylogenetic analysis. Despite its small sample size, our phylogenetic analysis recovers important groupings, which suggests the petrosal is phylogenetically informative in equids. This study supports the relevance of the ear region for phylogenetic inference and its potential to better resolve long-contentious relationships within Perissodactyla. creator: Owen Axel Goodchild creator: Sydney Nicole Rosen creator: Bastien Mennecart creator: Jin Meng creator: Jérémy Tissier uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.20484 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2026 Goodchild et al. title: Feeding ecology of scolopendromorphs: integrating a global literature review with Japanese citizen-sourced data link: https://peerj.com/articles/20482 last-modified: 2026-01-05 description: Knowledge of food habits is essential for ecological research, yet those are often assessed based on general assumptions rather than evidence, especially in secretive animals that are difficult to observe in the wild, such as centipedes. This leads to underestimation and mischaracterisation of their ecological roles. To address this problem, the present study evaluates the trophic interactions of scolopendromorphs by a dual approach, which integrates a global literature review with analysis of Japanese citizen-sourced data to examine the diets of scolopendromorphs. A total of 76 publications were systematically reviewed, and 102 reported predation events were analysed to assess publication trends and predator–prey size ratios. Concurrently, 8,684 entries from social media and citizen science platforms were mined, yielding 1,130 predation records that were used to construct a detailed prey inventory for Japanese scolopendromorphs. The literature review revealed that scolopendromorphs consume small prey when targeting mammals and amphibians but are capable of preying on large reptiles comparable to themselves, at least regarding body length. Despite the increase in recent publications, it is highly probable that available reports are biased towards vertebrate prey. In contrast, although the citizen-sourced data lacked quantitative metrics such as body size, they encompassed a much broader array of trophic interactions, including the consumption of animals, both alive and dead, and plant material, many of which are not covered in the literature. The citizen-sourced data revealed ecologically notable interactions including cross predation, foraging on spider webs, and ingestion of venomous animals. Collectively, these findings highlight the remarkably broad foraging versatility of scolopendromorphs and ascertain a potential risk of drawing ecological inferences from unverified assumptions or a biased subset of evidence. By integrating a traditional literature review with analysis of citizen-sourced data, the present study not only provides a more comprehensive portrayal of the feeding ecology of scolopendromorphs but also illustrates a promising methodology for uncovering the structure of food webs for secretive animals, for which observations depend on chance encounters. creator: Ryosuke Uno uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.20482 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2026 Uno title: Bacterial diversity in the jelly of shark Ampullae of Lorenzini: a holobiont perspective link: https://peerj.com/articles/20461 last-modified: 2026-01-05 description: The Ampullae of Lorenzini (AoL) are specialized electrosensory organs found in sharks and other chondrichthyans. They allow the detection of electric fields, temperature changes, and salinity variations. These organs contain a jelly composed of mucopolysaccharides, proteins, and ions, whose microbiota had not been previously characterized. In this study, we investigated and described the presence of bacteria associated with the AoL jelly in seven shark species from the Mexican coast, including three species from the family Sphyrnidae and four from the family Carcharhinidae. Bacteria present in the AoL jelly were cultured on selective media and characterized through 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. We identified bacterial species belonging to the families Staphylococcaceae, Micrococcaceae, Bacillaceae, Vibrionaceae, Aeromonadaceae, and Microbacteriaceae. Additionally, we performed whole-genome sequencing of a subset of these bacterial isolates using the Illumina platform to identify genes related to AoL colonization and potential biological functions. We propose that the bacteria found in the jelly may be regular inhabitants of the AoL, as it provides the nutrients necessary for their persistence. This study represents the first report of bacteria associated with the AoL jelly in sharks, offering new insights into the microbiota of these organs and their potential influence on electrosensory function. creator: Nataly Bolaño-Martínez creator: Benjamín Cristian Corona-Comunidad creator: Oscar Uriel Mendoza-Vargas creator: Luis E. Eguiarte creator: Valeria Souza uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.20461 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2026 Bolaño-Martínez et al. title: Evaluating portable EEG: a comparison between two wireless systems (EPOC Flex and LiveAmp) and the wired BrainAmp system link: https://peerj.com/articles/20416 last-modified: 2026-01-05 description: BackgroundRecent advances in equipment miniaturization have led to low-cost, portable electroencephalography (EEG) systems that facilitate data collection in real-world settings and with larger samples. Although wireless EEG systems were originally developed for non-research applications, recent studies have provided valuable information to help researchers make informed choices, particularly about participant comfort, mobility during recordings, and data validity. This study aimed to assess the impact of portability by comparing the performance of portable consumer- and research-grade systems (EPOC Saline Flex, EM; LiveAmp, LA) with fixed research-grade systems (BrainAmp, BA).MethodContinuous EEG was recorded with each system in healthy adults performing five benchmark tasks in fundamental and clinical cognitive neuroscience. Mental states (alpha power variations in open/closed eyes) and unconscious perception (steady-state visual evoked potential, SSVEP) were analyzed through time/frequency methods, while active (N200 and P300 components during active listening and N170 component during face recognition) and passive cognitive processes (Mismatch negativity, MMN component during passive listening) were examined using time/amplitude analyses (event-related potential, ERPs). Our analyses compared system efficiency at native and equalized sampling rates and examined 100%, 75%, and 50% of the datasets to determine the required trial number for satisfactory signal quality.ResultsDespite the smaller amount of signal retained for EM, all systems recorded the expected resting state alpha power decrease and SSVEP responses, with EM showing lower spectral effects ([EM < (LA≈BA)]). ERPs for active (N170, N200, P300) and passive (MMN) processes emerged across all systems, with EM and LA showing lower amplitudes only for N170 compared to BA. Furthermore, the dataset reduction resulted in a decreased N170 at P7 only for EM ([EM < LA < BA]). EM also exhibited shorter latencies for all ERPs except for MMN.ConclusionThis study provides concrete guidance for designing EEG experiments in real-world settings, with significant potential for investigating children and vulnerable populations. The efficiency of the three EEG systems is more influenced by task duration than sampling rates. A wireless EEG device, such as the EM, can effectively support both time/frequency and time/amplitude analyses in cognitive science, provided that the number of trials is sufficient and latencies are controlled. creator: Justine Epinat-Duclos creator: Antoine Rossignon creator: Jérôme Prado creator: Jean-Baptiste Van der Henst creator: Yves Paulignan creator: Maude Beaudoin-Gobert creator: Françoise Lecaignard creator: Nathalie Bedoin uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.20416 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2026 Epinat-Duclos et al. title: Indonesian parental knowledge, attitudes, and sources of information regarding pediatric space maintainers: a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study link: https://peerj.com/articles/20363 last-modified: 2026-01-05 description: BackgroundSpace maintainers are an important part of pediatric dentistry to prevent malocclusion after premature loss of primary teeth. The use of space maintainers are limited in developing countries such as Indonesia. This survey study was conducted to determine Indonesian parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and informational sources related to paediatric space maintainers and factors influencing awareness and acceptance.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional survey of 400 Indonesian parents was executed. Respondents completed a questionnaire distributed to them through clinics, schools, and publicly sponsored sites in social media. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, t-tests and multivariate logistic regression were conducted to study predictors of knowledge and attitudes.ResultsOnly 25% of parents indicated that they were aware of space maintainers. Urban parents (37.5%) were significantly more likely to be aware than rural parents (6.3%; χ2 = 48.35, p < 0.001). Urban location was an important predictor of the dependent variable of awareness, with urban parents being 8.92 times more likely to report awareness than rural parents (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 8.92, p < 0.001). At one point, awareness was related to higher comfort (p = 0.0013) and more favorable attitudes (χ2 = 10.88, p = 0.0043). Dentists were reported as the most common source of information about dental visits for parents living in urban settings (68.75%) while rural parents sourced information from community members and social media. Although awareness and attitude were correlated, for favorable perception about dental visits location was a more robust and independent predictor, (AOR for urban location = 8.27, p < 0.001).ConclusionThere is a marked gap in knowledge about space maintainers, among Indonesian parents, specifically in rural areas. Targeted educational efforts and proactive dental counselling are urgently needed to improve parental awareness and promote preventive orthodontic care. creator: Aishwarya Kumbhar creator: Bhagyashree Thakur creator: Dian Agustin Wahjuningrum creator: Suraj Arora creator: Krishna Prasad Shetty creator: Alexander Maniangat Luke creator: Mohmed Isaqali Karobari creator: Ajinkya M. Pawar uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.20363 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2026 Kumbhar et al.