Neha Garg

The fly Drosophila melanogaster is one of the most intensively studied organisms in biology and serves as a model system for the investigation of many developmental and cellular processes common to higher eukaryotes, including humans. We have determined the nucleotide sequence of nearly all of the approximately 120-megabase euchromatic portion of the Drosophila genome using a whole-genome shotgun sequencing strategy supported by extensive clone-based sequence and a high-quality bacterial artificial chromosome physical map. Efforts are under way to close the remaining gaps; however, the sequence is of sufficient accuracy and contiguity to be declared substantially complete and to support an initial analysis of genome structure and preliminary gene annotation and interpretation. The genome encodes approximately 13,600 genes, somewhat fewer than the smaller Caenorhabditis elegans genome, but with comparable functional diversity.

Mutations in insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway have been shown to lead to increased longevity in various invertebrate models. Therefore, the effect of the haplo-insufficiency of the IGF-1 receptor (Igf1r(+/-)) on longevity/aging was evaluated in C57Bl/6 mice using rigorous criteria where lifespan and end-of-life pathology were measured under optimal husbandry conditions using large sample sizes. Igf1r(+/-) mice exhibited reductions in IGF-1 receptor levels and the activation of Akt by IGF-1, with no compensatory increases in serum IGF-1 or tissue IGF-1 mRNA levels, indicating that the Igf1r(+/-) mice show reduced IGF-1 signaling. Aged male, but not female Igf1r(+/-) mice were glucose intolerant, and both genders developed insulin resistance as they aged. Female, but not male Igf1r(+/-) mice survived longer than wild type mice after lethal paraquat and diquat exposure, and female Igf1r(+/-) mice also exhibited less diquat-induced liver damage. However, no significant difference between the lifespans of the male Igf1r(+/-) and wild type mice was observed; and the mean lifespan of the Igf1r(+/-) females was increased only slightly (less than 5%) compared to wild type mice. A comprehensive pathological analysis showed no significant difference in end-of-life pathological lesions between the Igf1r(+/-) and wild type mice. These data show that the Igf1r(+/-) mouse is not a model of increased longevity and delayed aging as predicted by invertebrate models with mutations in the insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway.

Background: ChatGPT and Google Bard™ are popular artificial intelligence chatbots with utility for patients, including those undergoing aesthetic facial plastic surgery. Objective: To compare the accuracy and readability of chatbot-generated responses to patient education questions regarding aesthetic facial plastic surgery using a response accuracy scale and readability testing. Method: ChatGPT and Google Bard™ were asked 28 identical questions using four prompts: none, patient friendly, eighth-grade level, and references. Accuracy was assessed using Global Quality Scale (range: 1–5). Flesch-Kincaid grade level was calculated, and chatbot-provided references were analyzed for veracity. Results: Although 59.8% of responses were good quality (Global Quality Scale ≥4), ChatGPT generated more accurate responses than Google Bard™ on patient-friendly prompting ( p < 0.001). Google Bard™ responses were of a significantly lower grade level than ChatGPT for all prompts ( p < 0.05). Despite eighth-grade prompting, response grade level for both chatbots was high: ChatGPT (10.5 ± 1.8) and Google Bard™ (9.6 ± 1.3). Prompting for references yielded 108/108 of chatbot-generated references. Forty-one (38.0%) citations were legitimate. Twenty (18.5%) provided accurately reported information from the reference. Conclusion: Although ChatGPT produced more accurate responses and at a higher education level than Google Bard™, both chatbots provided responses above recommended grade levels for patients and failed to provide accurate references.