Naturalistic psilocybin use is associated with persisting improvements in mental health and wellbeing: results from a prospective, longitudinal survey.

Introduction: The classic psychedelic psilocybin, found in some mushroom species, has received renewed interest in clinical research, showing potential mental health benefits in preliminary trials. Naturalistic use of psilocybin outside of research settings has increased in recent years, though data on the public health impact of such use remain limited.

Methods: This prospective, longitudinal study comprised six sequential automated web-based surveys that collected data from adults planning to take psilocybin outside clinical research: at time of consent, 2 weeks before, the day before, 1-3 days after, 2-4 weeks after, and 2-3 months after psilocybin use.

Situational determinants of young children's gratitude: The effects of perceived intentionality and the value of the benefit on gratitude and prosocial behavior.

Across a series of studies, we examined the effects of the intentionality of the benefactor and the value of the benefit on 3- to 6-year-old children's gratitude, using an experimental design. Feelings and expressions of gratitude were used as indicators of gratitude, and prosocial behavior toward the benefactor was examined as a possible behavioral correlate. Experiment 1 (N = 175) showed that the benevolent intention of the benefactor affected preschool children's gratitude and helping behavior toward the benefactor.

Reliability of Handheld Dynamometry to Measure Focal Muscle Weakness in Neurofibromatosis Types 1 and 2.

Objective: To determine a suitable outcome measure for assessing muscle strength in neurofibromatosis (NF) type 1 and NF2 clinical trials, we evaluated the intraobserver reliability of handheld dynamometry (HHD) and developed consensus recommendations for its use in NF clinical trials.

Methods: Patients ≥5 years of age with weakness in at least 1 muscle group by manual muscle testing (MMT) were eligible. Maximal isometric muscle strength of a weak muscle group and the biceps of the dominant arm was measured by HHD.

Extracellular ATP is a key modulator of alveolar bone loss in periodontitis.

Periodontal diseases are initiated by pathogenic bacterial biofilm activity that induces a host inflammatory cells immune response, degradation of dento gingival fibrous tissue and its detachment from root cementum. It is well accepted, that osteoclastic alveolar bone loss is governed exclusively through secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that once degradation of collagen fibers by MMPs occurs, a drop of cellular strains cause immediate release of ATP from marginal gingival fibroblasts, cell deformation and influx of Ca+2.

Higher body mass index associated with severe early childhood caries.

Background: Severe Early Childhood Caries (S-ECC) is an aggressive form of tooth decay in preschool children affecting quality of life and nutritional status. The purpose was to determine whether there is an association between Body Mass Index (BMI) and S-ECC.

Methods: Children with S-ECC were recruited on the day of their slated dental surgery under general anesthesia.