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Publisher Correction: Prognostic Value of Non-nodal Regional Metastases in Predicting Sentinel Lymph Node Status in Cutaneous Melanoma: Multicenter Analysis of the Sentinel Lymph Node Working Group Database
No full textExamining Associations between COVID-19 Distress, Multilevel Resilience, and HIV Viral Suppression among African American/Black Adults in the Southeastern United States
No full textAccuracy of Autism-Related TikTok Information in Italian: A Comparison Between Human Raters and Large Language Models
No full textPurpose Social networking sites are major channels for sharing information on neurodiversity, including autism spectrum disorder. TikTok has become a particularly influential platform for autism-related communication, yet concerns remain about the scientific accuracy of such content. Most prior studies have focused on English-language videos and have evaluated accuracy with limited granularity. Additionally, the difficulty of achieving consistent expert ratings underscores the need for automated reliability assessment. Methods In this study, we examined 408 informational statements extracted from 148 TikTok videos posted under the hashtag #Autismo (Italian for #Autism). Three clinical experts independently classified each statement as inaccurate, over-generalized, or accurate; their median ratings served as the human-derived ground truth and were compared with classifications from two large language models: ChatGPT 4.0 mini and Gemini 1.5 Flash. Results Human raters showed moderate agreement (kappa(mean) = 0.52) and high specific agreement only for accurate statements, with lower agreement for overgeneralized and inaccurate content. ChatGPT achieved moderate agreement with human ratings (kappa= 0.58), while Gemini reached only fair agreement (kappa= 0.29). ChatGPT also exhibited a more conservative evaluation pattern (accurate information: precision = 0.89, recall = 0.82), whereas Gemini tended to overestimate accuracy (accurate information: precision = 0.76, recall = 0.93). Conclusion These findings suggest that LLMs, particularly ChatGPT, may support cautious and assistive evaluation of online health content. Future research should assess their applicability across online communities and platforms and explore their integration into accuracy-based alert systems that provide users with contextual reliability cues.</p
Unveiling the Dietary Selection of Lowland Tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) in a Tropical Rainforest
No full textLarge terrestrial herbivores play crucial roles in shaping ecosystem structure and function through their foraging activities. Still, the dietary ecology of elusive tropical species remains poorly understood. We investigated the diet composition of lowland tapirs ( Tapirus terrestris ), the largest terrestrial herbivore in the Neotropics, using DNA metabarcoding of fecal samples from 31 latrines in Carlos Botelho State Park, Brazil. We characterized local plant communities through vegetation plots and analyzed five leaf economic spectrum (LES) traits from both consumed and surrounding vegetation to assess selective feeding patterns. Lowland tapirs consumed 61 plant species from 69 genera and 46 families, predominantly those from the Melastomataceae, Asteraceae, and Myrtaceae families. Beta‐diversity analysis revealed high compositional turnover among latrines, with a high dissimilarity index, indicating that the samples being compared are distinct in species composition. The plant composition in tapir diets differed significantly from that of the surrounding vegetation, suggesting that this species forages on distinct plant species across its extensive home range rather than consuming locally abundant species. Finally, the functional trait analysis revealed no significant differences between the dietary species and the surrounding vegetation in LES traits. Tapirs consumed plants that spanned both “fast” (high specific leaf area and high nitrogen content) and “slow” (high leaf dry matter content and thick leaves) strategies, indicating a broad dietary tolerance rather than trait‐based selectivity. This suggests that tapirs can adapt to diverse plant textures and nutritional profiles, browsing on leaves ranging from tough to softer and more digestible. Our findings demonstrate that lowland tapirs exhibit generalist feeding strategies, which promote high plant species turnover, potentially contributing to the maintenance of tropical forest diversity, as observed in the Atlantic forest. Given the critical threats facing this endangered megafauna, understanding their generalist diet is essential for developing effective conservation strategies. Large terrestrial herbivores, such as lowland tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) present many dietary ecological roles in their habitat. In this article, we investigated the diet of lowland tapirs in a tropical rainforest combining different techniques such as DNA metabarcoding, fieldwork, and plant functional traits. Our results suggests that this large herbivore is a generalist feeder, consuming 61 plant species, enhancing diversity turnover within latrines, and not consuming the immediate surrounding vegetation. We also found that this species consume plants with both ends of the leaf economic spectrum traits. We discuss the importance of tapirs for the plant biodiversity and conservation of this endangered animal
High Psychiatric Morbidity and Underutilization of Mental Health Services in Patients with Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation
No full textDiagnostic accuracy of hysteroscopy for chronic endometritis in reproductive-age and infertile women: a systematic review and latent class meta-analysis
No full textTo evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of hysteroscopy for chronic endometritis (CE) in reproductive-aged women, including those with infertility or recurrent pregnancy loss, considering histopathological, immunohistochemical, and microbiological tests as imperfect reference standards through a Bayesian latent class meta-analysis.
We included peer-reviewed diagnostic accuracy studies, cohort studies, and case series that assessed hysteroscopy as the index test for CE. Eligible studies applied histopathological, immunohistochemical, or microbiological reference standards to endometrial, endocervical, or vaginal samples, providing sufficient quantitative data. Searches across common databases and registries up to October 1st, 2025, were not restricted by language. Study quality was assessed using QUADAS-2.
Pooled estimates of sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and likelihood ratios (LR) were obtained using an imperfect-standards Bayesian latent class meta-analysis approach. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed regarding the profile of the studied populations and the risk of bias within and across the studies.
The 28 included studies (12 diagnostic accuracy, 5 cohort, 11 case series) yielded pooled hysteroscopy results of 0.816 sensitivity (95% CI: 0.728–0.882), 0.806 specificity (0.729–0.871), and a DOR of 18.895 (9.364–39.832). Hematoxylin-eosin staining was the most accurate reference standard. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses confirmed results consistency across reproductive-disorder populations and lower-bias studies, with a low estimated risk of reporting bias.
Hysteroscopy demonstrates high diagnostic performance for CE when compared against imperfect reference standards. Despite model-based limitations, evidence supports hysteroscopy as a reliable primary diagnostic tool in clinical assessment and treatment planning.
PROSPERO registration number: CRD42025108754
Injury-specific effect of Schwann cell-derived exosome treatment for peripheral nerve injury
No full textPeripheral nerve injury (PNI) is characterized by a loss of cellular and axonal integrity that can lead to limited functional recovery. Because many PNIs are not amenable to repair with traditional techniques, cell therapies have emerged as a treatment option. Exosomes, which can be secreted by Schwann cells (SC), carry cellular signaling molecules that facilitate intercellular communication. Our laboratory and others have success using SC-derived exosomes in preclinical PNI models; however, there is no study that directly compares recovery from different PNIs after exosome treatment. Thus, the currently study investigated if SC-derived exosomes can effectively treat different types of PNI, as measured by axonal regeneration and functional recovery. Adult male Fischer rats were divided into several treatment groups, including nerve transection, reversed autograft, conduit + exosomes, nerve crush, and nerve crush + exosomes. Animals underwent functional assessment through the duration of the experiment and at the conclusion (11 weeks), electrophysiological and histological characteristics were assessed. Results indicate an injury-specific effect of SC-derived exosome treatment. Specifically, exosome treatment improved axon regeneration/myelination, muscle recovery, and gait characteristics for severe, large-gap injuries. These SC-exosome based effects were not observed in crush injuries. Taken together, the results of the current study indicate that there may be differences in recovery based on injury type after PNI and treatment with SC-derived exosomes, potentially due to differences in exosome retention/distribution at the injury site. Future studies should explore how exosomes are distributed following administration across various PNI models, as their therapeutic effects may be more pronounced in upstream regions.</p
Structural basis of TACO1-mediated efficient mitochondrial translation
No full textTranslation elongation is a universally conserved step in protein synthesis, relying on elongation factors that engage the ribosomal L7/L12 stalk to mediate aminoacyl-tRNA delivery, accommodation, and ribosomal translocation. Using in organello cryo-electron microscopy, we reveal how the mitochondrial translation accelerator TACO1 promotes efficient elongation on human mitoribosomes. TACO1 binds the mitoribosomal region typically bound by elongation factor Tu (mtEF-Tu), bridging the large and small subunits via contacts with 16S rRNA, bL12m, A-site tRNA, and uS12m. While active throughout elongation, TACO1 is especially critical when translating polyproline motifs. Its absence prolongs mtEF-Tu residence in A/T states, causes persistent mitoribosomal stalling and premature subunit dissociation. Structural analyses indicate that TACO1 competes with mtEF-Tu for mitoribosome binding, stabilizes A-site tRNA, and enhances peptidyl transfer through a mechanism distinct from EF-P and eIF5A. These findings suggest that bacterial TACO1 orthologs may serve analogous roles, highlighting an evolutionarily conserved strategy for maintaining elongation efficiency during challenging translation events
Design and Characterization of Cross-Bar Pressure Sensors for High-Resolution Force Mapping
No full textThis letter reports the design, fabrication, and evaluation of a flexible cross-bar pressure sensor array for real-time high-resolution force mapping, with a primary application in pressure monitoring. Traditional flexible pressure sensors are limited by low spatial resolution and wiring complexity, hindering their use in detailed biomechanical analysis. Here, we introduce a novel plain-weave cross-bar structure, in which copper wire electrodes are interlaced with multilayer Velostat sheets. The sensor array is integrated with an ESP32 microcontroller and a multiplexer to achieve scalable data acquisition and wireless transmission. Calibration tests demonstrate that the sensor exhibits high sensitivity (up to 0.85 kPa −1 ) in the low-pressure regime (0-2.5 kPa), and reliable response for dynamic foot pressure mapping during walking. The system enables real-time visualization and mapping of pressure distribution across a 6 × 6 array, providing rich data for gait and rehabilitation monitoring. This design improves electrode-material contact uniformity, and reduces noise compared to conventional stacked cross-bar configurations. The combination of a low-cost fabrication approach with the novel plain-weave architecture establishes the key novelty of this work, offering a scalable and customizable platform for wearable biomechanics and health monitoring
Transported African Dust in the Lower Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer is Internally Mixed with Sea Salt Contributing to Increased Hygroscopicity and a Lower Lidar Depolarization Ratio
Get PDFSaharan dust is frequently transported across the Atlantic, yet the chemical, physical, and morphological transformations dust undergoes within the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) remain poorly understood. These transformations are critical for understanding dust's radiative and geochemical impacts, it's representation in atmospheric models, and detection via remote sensing. Here, we present coordinated observations from the Office of Naval Research's Moisture and Aerosol Gradients/Physics of Inversion Evolution (MAGPIE) August 2023 campaign at Ragged Point, Barbados. These include vertically resolved single-particle analyses, mass concentrations of dust and sea spray, and High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) retrievals. Single-particle data show that dust within the Saharan Air Layer (SAL) remains externally mixed, with a corresponding high HSRL-derived linear depolarization ratio (LDR) at 532 nm of ∼ 0.3. However, at lower altitudes, dust becomes internally mixed with sea spray, and under the high humidity (>80 %) of the MABL undergoes hygroscopic growth, yielding more spherical particles, suppressing the LDR to <0.1; even in the presence of high dust loadings (e.g., ∼ 120 µg m−3). This low depolarization in the MABL is likely due to a combination of the differences between the single scattering properties of dust and spherical particles, and the potential modification of the dust optical properties from an increased hygroscopicity of dust caused by the mixing with sea salt in the humid MABL. These results highlight the importance of the aerosol particle mixing state when interpreting LDR-derived dust retrievals and estimating surface dust concentrations in satellite products and atmospheric models