Third-party evaluators perceive AI as more compassionate than expert humans.

Empathy connects us but strains under demanding settings. This study explored how third parties evaluated AI-generated empathetic responses versus human responses in terms of compassion, responsiveness, and overall preference across four preregistered experiments. Participants (N = 556) read empathy prompts describing valenced personal experiences and compared the AI responses to select non-expert or expert humans.

Genetic diversity of Bartonella spp. in vampire bats and associated Streblidae bat flies in the Brazilian Amazon.

Among mammals, bats stand out as important reservoirs for Bartonella spp., second only to rodents. In Brazil, out of the 182 species of bats described, three are hematophagous: Desmodus rotundus, Diphylla ecaudata and Diaemus youngii.

Gut microbiota and gut-derived metabolites are altered and associated with dietary intake in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Background: Disturbances in the gut microbiota may act as mechanisms influencing the interplay between dietary factors and metabolic disorders. Studies have demonstrated that these alterations are associated with the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Within this context, we aimed to investigate associations between gut microbiota, gut-derived metabolites (short-chain fatty acids [SCFAs] and indole-3-propionic acid [IPA]), and dietary intake in women with PCOS.

Extraction, Purification, and Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Analysis of DNA and RNA from Formalin-Fixed and Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) Tissue.

Formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissues have long been used for immunohistological analyses. FFPE tissues can be stored at room temperature for several years enabling analyses to be performed later. Ease of storage and transport makes these tissues an attractive source of biological material.