Endocannabinoid contributions to the perception of socially relevant, affective touch in humans.

Social relationships are central to well-being. A subgroup of afferent nerve fibers, C-tactile (CT) afferents, are primed to respond to affective, socially relevant touch and may mitigate the effects of stress. The endocannabinoid ligand anandamide (AEA) modulates both social reward and stress.

Key Themes in the Care of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Among Immigrant Populations: A Systematic Review.

Background: The care of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) requires special attention among immigrants due to different disease incidence, phenotype, and risk profiles. We aimed to highlight key themes among existing literature to inform equitable care in all immigrants living with IBD.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane library, Scopus, and ProQuest from inception to February 2023 to identify studies capturing the care of IBD among immigrants who moved from one country to another, irrespective of the timing of IBD diagnosis.

Self-reports map the landscape of task states derived from brain imaging.

Psychological states influence our happiness and productivity; however, estimates of their impact have historically been assumed to be limited by the accuracy with which introspection can quantify them. Over the last two decades, studies have shown that introspective descriptions of psychological states correlate with objective indicators of cognition, including task performance and metrics of brain function, using techniques like functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Such evidence suggests it may be possible to quantify the mapping between self-reports of experience and objective representations of those states (e.

Scaling and networking a modular photonic quantum computer.

Photonics offers a promising platform for quantum computing, owing to the availability of chip integration for mass-manufacturable modules, fibre optics for networking and room-temperature operation of most components. However, experimental demonstrations are needed of complete integrated systems comprising all basic functionalities for universal and fault-tolerant operation. Here we construct a (sub-performant) scale model of a quantum computer using 35 photonic chips to demonstrate its functionality and feasibility.

Moiré-driven topological electronic crystals in twisted graphene.

In a dilute two-dimensional electron gas, Coulomb interactions can stabilize the formation of a Wigner crystal. Although Wigner crystals are topologically trivial, it has been predicted that electrons in a partially filled band can break continuous translational symmetry and time-reversal symmetry spontaneously, resulting in a type of topological electron crystal known as an anomalous Hall crystal. Here we report signatures of a generalized version of the anomalous Hall crystal in twisted bilayer-trilayer graphene, whose formation is driven by the moiré potential.

Genomics yields biological and phenotypic insights into bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease. Despite high heritability (60-80%), the majority of the underlying genetic determinants remain unknown. We analysed data from participants of European, East Asian, African American and Latino ancestries (n = 158,036 cases with bipolar disorder, 2.

Experience-dependent dopamine modulation of male aggression.

Numerous studies support the role of dopamine in modulating aggression, but the exact neural mechanisms remain elusive. Here we show that dopaminergic cells in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) can bidirectionally modulate aggression in male mice in an experience-dependent manner. Although VTA dopaminergic cells strongly influence aggression in novice aggressors, they become ineffective in expert aggressors.

Long-Term Safety of Ixekizumab Treatment in Patients with Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis, or Axial Spondyloarthritis: a Post Hoc Analysis of Cerebro-Cardiovascular Events.

Introduction: Psoriasis (PsO), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) may confer an increased risk for cardiovascular (CV) disease, including major adverse cerebro-cardiovascular events (MACE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and pulmonary embolism (PE). Patients with these conditions are often exposed for extended time periods to biologics, such as ixekizumab (IXE). Therefore, understanding the risk of CV events, especially MACE, in patients with PsO, PsA, and axSpA exposed to IXE is important.

Associations Between Early Physician Follow-up and Post-discharge Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Early physician follow-up after hospital discharge is commonly recommended, though whether it mitigates adverse events is unclear. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the association between physician follow-up within 30 days of hospital discharge and risk of hospital readmission, emergency department (ED) visits, or mortality in medical patients.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL electronic databases were searched from inception to April 2023.

In vivo CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in mice identifies genetic modifiers of somatic CAG repeat instability in Huntington's disease.

Huntington's disease, one of more than 50 inherited repeat expansion disorders, is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by a CAG expansion in HTT. Inherited CAG repeat length is the primary determinant of age of onset, with human genetic studies underscoring that the disease is driven by the CAG length-dependent propensity of the repeat to further expand in the brain. Routes to slowing somatic CAG expansion, therefore, hold promise for disease-modifying therapies.

Photothermal nanofiber-mediated photoporation for gentle and efficient intracellular delivery of macromolecules.

Photoporation with free photothermal nanoparticles (NPs) is a promising technology for gentle delivery of functional biomacromolecules into living cells, offering great flexibility in terms of cell types and payload molecules. However, the translational use of photoporation, such as for transfecting patient-derived cells for cell therapies, is hampered by safety and regulatory concerns as it relies on direct contact between cells and photothermal NPs. A solution is to embed the photothermal NPs in electrospun nanofibers, which form a substrate for cell culture.

Quantum-computing-enhanced algorithm unveils potential KRAS inhibitors.

We introduce a quantum-classical generative model for small-molecule design, specifically targeting KRAS inhibitors for cancer therapy. We apply the method to design, select and synthesize 15 proposed molecules that could notably engage with KRAS for cancer therapy, with two holding promise for future development as inhibitors. This work showcases the potential of quantum computing to generate experimentally validated hits that compare favorably against classical models.

Phage therapy could be key to conquering persistent bacterial lung infections in children.

Persistent bacterial lung infections in children lead to significant morbidity and mortality due to antibiotic resistance. In this paper, we describe how phage therapy has shown remarkable efficacy in preclinical and clinical studies, demonstrating significant therapeutic benefits through various administration routes. Ongoing trials are evaluating its safety and effectiveness against different pathogens.

Data on insect biodiversity in a Chinese potato agroecosystem from DNA metabarcoding.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a staple crop important in global food security. As a leading potato producer, China faces significant challenges from insect pest infestations that compromise yield and quality. However, insect communities within Chinese potato fields remain poorly characterized.

Neuroimaging stratification reveals the striatal vulnerability to stress as a risk for schizophrenia.

The striatum, a core brain structure relevant for schizophrenia, exhibits heterogeneous volumetric changes in this illness. Due to this heterogeneity, its role in the risk of developing schizophrenia following exposure to environmental stress remains poorly understood. Using the putamen (a subnucleus of the striatum) as an indicator for convergent genetic risk of schizophrenia, 63 unaffected first-degree relatives of patients (22.

Molar Incisor Hypomineralization and Periodontitis in Adolescents: A Population-Based Study.

Aim: To investigate the association between molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) and periodontitis in adolescents.

Methods: A population-based study was undertaken of Brazilian adolescents aged 18 and 19 years (n = 2515). MIH was assessed according to Ghanim's criteria.

Effective interventions to prevent youth vaping behaviours: a rapid review.

Objective: To identify effective policies and non-policy interventions preventing youth vaping behaviour initiation and assess their effectiveness by the level of intrusiveness and subpopulations.

Design: This systematic rapid review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

Data Sources: Searches on MEDLINE and APA-PsycINFO for studies published between January 2019 and November 2023.

Diversity in the medical research ecosystem: a descriptive scientometric analysis of over 49 000 studies and 150 000 authors published in high-impact medical journals between 2007 and 2022.

Objectives: Health research that significantly impacts global clinical practice and policy is often published in high-impact factor (IF) medical journals. These outlets play a pivotal role in the worldwide dissemination of novel medical knowledge. However, researchers identifying as women and those affiliated with institutions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have been largely under-represented in high-IF journals across multiple fields of medicine.

Short-acting beta agonist, antibiotics, oral corticosteroid and association with mortality and cardiopulmonary events in patients with COPD: a retrospective cohort study in Alberta, Canada.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to examine the association between short-acting beta agonist (SABA), antibiotic and oral corticosteroid (OCS) use and mortality and cardiopulmonary outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Design: Retrospective cohort study using administrative health data from 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2020.

Setting: Alberta, Canada.

Improving sonographic visualisation of the appendix in a regional referral hospital.

Ultrasound is a first-line and often preferred imaging modality in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. When the appendix is not visualised during a dedicated appendix ultrasound study, patients may require a CT study, which uses ionising radiation, or undergo conservative clinical observation with the inherent risk of clinical deterioration, perforation and sepsis. Median baseline data, at our hospital imaging department, revealed a rate of combined normal and abnormal appendix visualisation of 34.

Prostate-specific Membrane Antigen-radioguided Surgery in an EMBARK-like Cohort of Patients with Oligorecurrent Hormone-sensitive Prostate Cancer: Delay in Systemic Treatment.

We analyzed data for a cohort of 111 patients with EMBARK-like biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer (prostate-specific antigen [PSA] doubling time ≤9 mo, PSA ≥1 ng/ml) after radical prostatectomy and localized oligorecurrence on prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-based imaging. All patients underwent PSMA-radioguided surgery (RGS). At PSMA-RGS, the median PSA was 1.