Potential Effects of Opium on Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines in Coronary Artery Disease by Interfering with Anti-inflammatory Drugs.

Background: Opium is one of the factors that may interfere with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). This study aimed to investigate the role of opium in certain pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in CAD patients with and without opium dependence on regular prescription medicines.

Methods: Seventy-seven patients with suspected CAD were selected as candidates for coronary angiography in this case-control study.

Neuroichthyosis With a De Novo Variant c.494C>T in ELOVL1 and Severe Pruritus Relieved by Dupilumab.

We report a patient with neuroichthyosis with an ELOVL1 variant associated with severe pruritus who responded well to dupilumab therapy. Our case is the third known patient reported with this de novo heterozygous dominant variant. The feature of severe progressive pruritus greatly impairing quality of life is unique among these reports.

Attentional biases for dynamic stimuli in emerging adults with anxiety: A preliminary eye-tracking study.

While attentional biases towards negative stimuli have previously been linked to the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders, a current limitation of this research involves the use of static images for stimuli, as they cannot adequately depict the dynamic nature of real-life interactions. Since attentional biases in those with elevated anxiety remain understudied using more naturalistic stimuli, such as dynamic social videos, the purpose of this explorative study was to use novel dynamic stimuli and modern eye-tracking equipment to further investigate negative attentional biases in anxious emerging, female adults. Non-clinical participants (N = 62; mean age = 20.

Thymoma-Induced Severe Biventricular Failure without Myasthenia Gravis: Investigating Tachycardia-Induced Cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND Cardiomyopathy associated with thymoma is thought to be a cardiac manifestations of myasthenia gravis (MG). However, there are case reports of newly diagnosed thymoma presenting with cardiomyopathy without MG, and the mechanism remains unclear. The purpose of this report is to explore tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy (TIC) as a potential mechanism for cardiomyopathy in thymoma without features of MG.

Social inequalities in COVID-19 death by area-level income in 11.2 million people in Ontario, Canada: patterns over time and the mediating role of vaccination.

Knowledge of patterns in COVID-19 deaths by area-level income over time and the mediating role of vaccination in inequality patterns remains limited. We used data from a population-based retrospective cohort of 11,248,572 adults in Ontario, Canada. Cause-specific hazard models were used examine the relationship between income 2016 Census at the dissemination area level) and COVID-19 deaths between March-1-2020 and January-30-2022, stratified by wave.

The Use of Nocturnal Home Hemodialysis in Sickle Cell Disease.

Introduction: Despite being a rare cause of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), sickle cell disease has broad kidney implications. Patients with both sickle cell disease and ESKD are at a greater risk of adverse events including mortality; while these patients can be managed with hemodialysis (HD), the use of nocturnal HD in sickle cell disease has not been previously described.

Methods: Here, we report a patient with sickle cell disease and ESKD who transitioned from conventional HD to nocturnal home HD.

Microbiota associated with caries and apical periodontitis: A next-generation sequencing study.

Aim: This study investigated the correlation between microbiota of caries-free enamel and caries-affected dentine biofilms and that of root canals with primary apical periodontitis, by using an Illumina MiSeq platform.

Methodology: Biofilm from caries-free enamel surface (Biofilm-C) or caries-affected dentine (Biofilm-E) and root canal paper point samples (Canal) were collected from 31 teeth with primary apical periodontitis. Microbial composition was analysed by amplicon sequencing that targeted the V3-V4 region of 16S rRNA gene.

The ethical considerations of primordial pandemic prevention from a one health perspective.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has left a devastating global toll. As such, there is a strong impetus to prevent future global pandemics. Ethical considerations are an integral element of pandemic preparedness and response plans and should be incorporated into any pandemic prevention plan to explicitly examine the incorporated values from various stakeholders.

Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on motor function among people with stroke: evidence mapping.

Objective: To present, organize, and assess the methodological quality of the current research related to tDCS on motor function after a stroke and to identify gaps and clinical implications using an evidence mapping approach.

Methods: Six electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL, PEDro), gray literature, and reference lists of articles were searched from inception until October 2023. The Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2) checklist and PEDro scale were used to assess the methodology quality of systematic reviews (SRs) and randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Vegan diet, processed foods, and body weight: a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial.

Low-fat plant-based diets cause weight loss in clinical trials. However, many foods are highly processed, raising the question as to their effect on body weight. This secondary analysis assessed the associations between changes in processed food intake and weight loss in 244 overweight adults randomly assigned to a vegan (n = 122) or control group (n = 122) for 16 weeks.

Sex differences in electrical activity of the brain during sleep: a systematic review of electroencephalographic findings across the human lifespan.

Background: With the explosion of techniques for recording electrical brain activity, our recognition of neurodiversity has expanded significantly. Yet, uncertainty exists regarding sex differences in electrical activity during sleep and whether these differences, if any, are associated with social parameters. We synthesised existing evidence applying the PROGRESS-Plus framework, which captures social parameters that may influence brain activity and function.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic assessment of oral nicotinamide in the NEAT clinical trial for early Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Nicotinamide, a form of B3 vitamin, is an NAD precursor that reduces pTau levels via histone deacetylase inhibition in murine models of Alzheimer's disease (AD). A recent phase 2a randomized placebo-controlled trial tested high-dose oral nicotinamide for the treatment of early AD. While nicotinamide demonstrated good safety and tolerability, it did not significantly lower CSF pTau, the primary biomarker endpoint of the study.

A new data-driven paradigm for the study of avian migratory navigation.

Avian navigation has fascinated researchers for many years. Yet, despite a vast amount of literature on the topic it remains a mystery how birds are able to find their way across long distances while relying only on cues available locally and reacting to those cues on the fly. Navigation is multi-modal, in that birds may use different cues at different times as a response to environmental conditions they find themselves in.

Assessing the impact of a mandatory calorie labelling policy in out-of-home food outlets in England on consumer behaviour: a natural experimental study.

Background: Out-of-home (OOH) food tends to be energy-dense and nutrient-poor. In response, England implemented a mandatory calorie labelling policy in the OOH sector. We evaluated changes in consumer behaviours after the policy was implemented in April 2022.

Addressing health equity during design and implementation of health system reform initiatives: a scoping review and framework.

Background: Health equity is a commonly asserted goal of health systems. However, there is a limited understanding on how best to promote equity as a part of health system reform initiatives. We conducted a scoping review to (1) identify and characterise strategies that promote health equity during the design and implementation of health system reform initiatives; and (2) determine opportunities to strengthen health equity informed policy design and implementation processes and outcomes.

Ex.50.T aptamer impairs tumor-stroma cross-talk in breast cancer by targeting gremlin-1.

The tumor microenvironment profoundly influences tumor complexity, particularly in breast cancer, where cancer-associated fibroblasts play pivotal roles in tumor progression and therapy resistance. Extracellular vesicles are involved in mediating communication within the TME, specifically highlighting their role in promoting the transformation of normal fibroblasts into cancer-associated fibroblasts. Recently, we identified an RNA aptamer, namely ex.

When Help Is Harm: Health, Lookism and Self-Improvement in the Manosphere.

How do online communities impact men's health? How does hegemonic masculinity harm men's health? In this paper, we analyse an online looksmaxxing community that receives 6 million unique visitors per month and is aimed at men seeking to improve their appearance. We qualitatively analysed 8072 discussion board comments in total. Our findings first demonstrate how users apply a hegemonic masculine gaze as they critique men's bodies (e.

Establishing content validity of the Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale.

Background: This study was designed to evaluate content validity of the Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS), a patient-reported outcome measure, in adults with anhedonia in the context of major depressive disorder (MDD). To accomplish this, a conceptual model including the symptoms and impacts of anhedonia in the context of MDD was developed and refined through a targeted literature review, clinician interviews (N = 6), and participant interviews (N = 20).

Results: Using the final conceptual model, an item mapping exercise was conducted for the DARS, demonstrating that it provided suitable concept coverage in this population.

The Effects of Bilingualism on the Executive Control Abilities of the Prader-Willi Syndrome Population.

Unlike with the typically developing population, non-typically developing individuals, especially those with intellectual disabilities, have usually been recommended to learn and use only one language, despite perhaps coming from bilingual families or living in multilingual environments. This common practice, however, is not backed by empirical evidence; previous research, although limited, has systematically shown that bilingualism does not have negative effects. This study investigates how bilingualism shapes the executive control abilities of individuals with genetic disorders.

Whose sleep matters? Untangling the relationships between maternal sleep, child sleep, and maternal depressive symptoms in the first two years of life.

Infants frequently experience sleep problems in early childhood. Poor infant sleep can impact not only infants' cognitive development but also maternal sleep and maternal mental health. Studies have reported associations between infant sleep and maternal sleep and between infant sleep and maternal depression.

Best Practices and Recommendations for Non-Liquid Matrices Bioanalysis.

The analysis of Non-Liquid Matrices (NLMs) can provide key information on many aspects in drug discovery and development. These include but are not limited to drug uptake and distribution, engagement and modulation, and target exposure. A thorough understanding of these aspects is fundamental to the progression of drug development.

Cardiogenic Shock Risk Score at Diagnosis of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children: A Multicenter Study.

Severe cardiovascular involvement is associated with mortality in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). This study aimed to test a previously published cardiogenic shock risk score at diagnosis of MIS-C and build a new screening tool in a larger pediatric cohort. The first score published in a single-center cohort (age > 8 years, time to diagnosis ≥ 6 days, and NT-proBNP at diagnosis ≥ 11.

Sleep selectively and durably enhances memory for the sequence of real-world experiences.

Sleep is thought to play a critical role in the retention of memory for past experiences (episodic memory), reducing the rate of forgetting compared with wakefulness. Yet it remains unclear whether and how sleep actively transforms the way we remember multidimensional real-world experiences, and how such memory transformation unfolds over the days, months and years that follow. In an exception to the law of forgetting, we show that sleep actively and selectively improves the accuracy of memory for a one-time, real-world experience (an art tour)-specifically boosting memory for the order of tour items (sequential associations) versus perceptual details from the tour (featural associations).