Emotional body postures are interpreted in relation to their contexts, but whether social anxiety is associated with altered contextual integration or selective differences across posture valences remains unclear.

Two studies used related posture-context emotion-recognition paradigms. Study 1 examined recognition accuracy and reaction time for positive, neutral, and negative postures presented in positive, neutral, and negative contexts in 69 participants with high or low social anxiety (HSA/LSA). Study 2 explored P1, N170, and late positive potential responses to positive and negative postures presented alone or within positive or negative contexts in an independent EEG sample of 35 participants. Participant-level repeated-measures analyses of variance were conducted.

In Study 1, posture-context congruence improved recognition accuracy and response speed. The overall congruence benefit did not differ significantly between groups, but accuracy showed a Group × Posture Valence × Congruence interaction, indicating that group-dependent congruence patterns varied across posture valences. In Study 2, no reliable ERP congruence effect emerged. However, N170 amplitude during posture-context trials showed a Group × Posture Valence interaction, although multiplicity-adjusted follow-up comparisons did not identify a reliable condition-specific difference.

Posture-context congruence facilitates emotional-body recognition behaviorally. Social anxiety was not associated with a generalized disruption of contextual integration, but the interaction-level findings suggest selective, valence-related group differences. The N170 result offers an exploratory neural complement to this pattern but does not establish a specific perceptual mechanism.

Antipsychotics are the mainstay of schizophrenia treatment, but their efficacy and tolerability might differ between females and males, and previous evidence on sex differences has been inconsistent and methodologically limited. We aimed to evaluate sex differences in the efficacy, acceptability, and tolerability of antipsychotics in adults with acute schizophrenia.

We performed individual participant data pairwise, dose-response, and network meta-analyses of antipsychotics versus placebo or another antipsychotic, using data from the Vivli and YODA trial data-sharing platforms (inception to April 9, 2025); the main analyses were restricted to fixed-dose trials. The primary outcome was overall symptoms on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale at week 6 (or closest). Secondary outcomes included all-cause dropout and other efficacy and tolerability outcomes. We performed one-stage pairwise meta-analyses to quantitatively test sex-treatment interactions, and two-stage sex-stratified dose-response and network meta-analyses to visually examine potential sex differences. Credibility of effect modification was assessed with the Instrument to assess the Credibility of Effect Modification Analyses. People with lived experience were involved in planning and interpretation of the study. This study was registered with PROSPERO, CRD420251022957.

We identified 33 eligible trials; 18 fixed-dose trials with 7062 participants (2168 females and 4894 males; of 5161 with race reported, 2954 White, 1187 Black, 752 Asian, and 268 of other or unspecified race; mean age 40·9 years; receiving haloperidol, olanzapine, paliperidone, risperidone, or placebo) were included in the main analyses. There was no evidence of sex differences in drug effects on overall symptoms (difference of standardised mean difference [DoSMD] 0·04, 95% CI -0·09 to 0·18). Dose-response curves were similar in females and males, plateauing at 3-5 mg risperidone equivalents, and the network meta-analysis showed no clear sex-specific treatment effects. Antipsychotics reduced all-cause dropout more in females than in males (ratio of odds ratios 0·74, 95% CI 0·56-0·98; moderate credibility). Prolactin increase was greater in females (DoSMD 0·83, 0·67-0·99; high credibility); other tolerability outcomes showed no clear sex difference.

We found no evidence of sex differences in the efficacy or overall adverse event profiles, and no different dose-response relationships, for the drugs studied. However, we found some evidence that, among females, antipsychotics reduce all-cause dropout more, and increase antipsychotic-induced prolactin elevation versus placebo, as compared with males. Overall treatment efficacy estimates from previous meta-analyses are relevant to both sexes. To promote sex and gender equity, female participation in clinical trials and sex-stratified reporting should be encouraged.

German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space.

Post-bariatric surgery challenges are multifaceted, involving both physiological and psychological dimensions. Modified Qigong Breathing Exercise (MQBE) offers a holistic approach to weight management by integrating gentle exercises that may improve physical fitness and enhance mental clarity.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of MQBE after bariatric surgery.

This single-anonymized, randomized clinical trial included 90 patients (52 males and 38 females), who were randomly allocated into two groups. Group A included 45 patients who received MQBE, whereas Group B included 45 patients who received no intervention. Pulmonary function, trunk endurance, resting metabolic rate (RMR), and fat mass (FM) were assessed using a handheld spirometer, the McGill Torso Muscular Endurance Test Battery, and calorimetry, respectively. Ghrelin plasma levels, fasting gastric pH, and hunger scores were also assessed. Measurements were obtained before and after 12 weeks of intervention. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to compare outcomes within and between the groups.

Significant improvements were observed in pulmonary function, trunk endurance, RMR, FM, plasma ghrelin levels, fasting gastric pH, and hunger scores in Group A following the intervention compared with baseline values (p < 0.05).

MQBE demonstrated promising effects in reducing FM, enhancing RMR, decreasing appetite, and increasing ghrelin levels and gastric pH.

Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly large language models (LLMs), offers clinical hypnotists a powerful and immediately accessible set of tools for enhancing practice. Despite growing interest at the intersection of AI and mental health care, virtually no practical guidance exists for clinicians seeking to integrate AI into hypnotherapy. This article addresses that gap. Written by practicing clinicians in active engagement with an AI system, it provides concrete, demystified, and clinically grounded examples of how AI can augment clinical hypnosis: from generating individualized hypnotic scripts and tailored therapeutic metaphors to synthesizing research evidence, adapting interventions across cultural contexts, designing between-session self-hypnosis resources, supporting clinical training, and generating research hypotheses. Ethical considerations - including the American Psychological Association's recent ethical guidance for AI use, informed consent, data privacy, and the clinician's irreplaceable role as curator of all AI-generated material - are discussed. The article concludes with a practical step-by-step guide, including sample prompts ready for immediate clinical use.

Previous research showed high prevalences of maladaptive personality traits in nursing home (NH) residents with mental and physical multimorbidity (MPM). Our study aimed to identify if these maladaptive personality traits are associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in this population.

142 residents with MPM (excluding dementia) were included, from Dutch gerontopsychiatric NH units. NPS were measured with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), analyzed in clusters: 'hyperactivity' (irritability, agitation/aggression, disinhibition), 'mood' (depression, anxiety, apathy) and 'psychosis' (delusions, hallucinations). Maladaptive personality traits were assessed with the present-time Hetero-Anamnestic Personality questionnaire (HAP-t). Partial correlations between HAP-t and NPI scores were calculated using multiple linear regression, controlling for potential confounders.

Statistically significant correlations were found of 'uncertain' (-0.27, p = 0.002), 'rigid' (0.40, p < 0.001), 'vulnerable' (0.48, p < 0.001), 'self-satisfied' (0.59, p < 0.001), 'antagonistic' (0.64, p < 0.001) and 'unpredictable/impulsive' (0.65, p < 0.001) traits with 'hyperactivity' NPS. 'Somatizing' (0.19, p = 0.038), 'vulnerable' (0.20, p = 0.030) and 'socially avoidant' (0.48, p < 0.001) traits were significantly correlated with 'mood' NPS. HAP-t traits substantially explained the variance in 'hyperactivity' (55.8%) and 'mood' (42.6%). No significant correlations with 'psychosis' were identified.

These findings highlight the relevance of personality traits in late-life mental illness, suggesting target points for personalized treatment. Future studies are needed on personality-informed interventions in NHs.

This study aims to systematically investigate the relationship between serum perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), along with its potential mechanisms, through a combination of population analysis and bioinformatics approaches.

To explore the association between serum PFAS levels and COPD, we utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) covering three cycles from 2013 to 2018. We specifically analyzed the relationship between COPD patient data and levels of five PFAS compounds: perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDeA), 2-(N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamide) acetic acid (Me-PFOSA-AcOH), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUA). Additionally, we employed a combination of network toxicology, transcriptomic analysis, and molecular docking to elucidate the potential mechanisms underlying this association.

This study encompassed 4939 participants and identified statistically significant differences in the levels of PFDeA and Me-PFOSA-AcOH between the COPD group and the control group (P < 0.05). After controlling for potential confounding variables, logistic regression analysis demonstrated that both PFDeA and PFUA are statistically associated after covariate adjustment to COPD (PFDeA: OR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.06-0.87; PFUA: OR = 0.06, 95% CI: 0.01-0.47). Weighted Quantile Sum (WQS) regression analysis indicated a positive relationship between cumulative serum PFAS levels and the prevalence of self-reported physician-diagnosed COPD (P = 0.011). Furthermore, restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis revealed a nonlinear relationship between PFDeA and COPD, which was statistically significant (P-overall = 0.008, P-nonlinear = 0.003). Network toxicology and transcriptomic analysis suggested that PFDeA may influence COPD by modulating several biological pathways, including the collagen catabolic process, thyroid hormone metabolism, extracellular matrix (ECM) disaggregation, endolysosomal function, collagen binding, Toll-like receptor signaling, lysosomal activity, and apoptosis, through the regulation of genes such as PTGS1, CTSK, TLR9, MMP9, and CTSB. Molecular docking studies indicated that the binding free energy of PFDeA with these molecular targets ranged from -8.2 to -6.3 kcal/mol.

This study identified cross-sectional associations between several serum PFAS concentrations and self-reported physician-diagnosed COPD, with PFDeA showing a non-linear exposure-response pattern. Transcriptomic analyses and molecular docking further provided hypothesis-generating clues implicating inflammation- and extracellular matrix-related genes and pathways. Given the cross-sectional design, the potential for reverse causation, and residual confounding, these findings should not be interpreted as evidence of causality. Further longitudinal and experimental studies are warranted to validate these observations and clarify their biological relevance.

Negative affect automatically triggering rumination is a core pathological mechanism underlying emotional distress. While mindfulness is hypothesized to buffer this process, few studies have dynamically tracked these effects during systematic interventions. The study employed a single-arm daily diary design during an 8-week mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) to investigate whether daily mindfulness buffers the effect of negative affect on rumination. A sample of 116 participants with emotional distress completed daily assessments of mindfulness, negative affect, and state rumination during the MBI. Data were analyzed using linear mixed models (LMMs) and dynamic structural equation modeling (DSEM). LMM results showed that following the MBI, participants' daily mindfulness significantly increased, while daily negative affect and state rumination significantly decreased. Given the single-arm pre-post design without a control group, these pre-post changes should be interpreted cautiously and cannot be attributed solely to the intervention. DSEM results indicated that higher daily mindfulness buffered the effect of daily negative affect on state rumination. Additional analyses further suggested that different mindfulness components played distinct roles in the onset and maintenance of rumination. These findings highlight the protective role of mindfulness in weakening maladaptive rumination, thereby promoting overall psychological well-being.

Perianal fistulas are a debilitating complication of Crohn's disease, frequently refractory to conventional medical and surgical therapy. Stem cell-based interventions, particularly mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), have emerged as a promising therapeutic alternative, yet long-term outcomes remain uncertain.

Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were searched through September 1, 2024. Studies evaluating stem cell or stem cell-derived products for Crohn's disease-associated perianal fistulas with ≥12 months' follow-up were included. Efficacy outcomes included clinical and radiological healing and recurrence; safety outcomes encompassed adverse events, infections, malignancies and mortality. Meta-analyses were conducted using random-effects models. The primary analysis was restricted to RCTs, while observational and early-phase studies were analysed separately. An exploratory pooled estimate across all study designs was also performed.

Eighteen studies comprising 750 patients were included, with follow-up ranging from 12 months to 4 years. In the primary analysis of RCTs, the pooled long-term healing rate was 59% (95% CI, 51%-67%), with no observed heterogeneity (I² = 0%). Observational and early-phase studies demonstrated broadly comparable healing rates but with greater heterogeneity and a higher risk of bias. An exploratory pooled analysis across all studies yielded an overall healing rate of 63% (95% CI 55%-70%), although this estimate should be interpreted with caution due to differences in study design. Safety profiles were favourable across studies. No treatment-related deaths and no definitively therapy-associated malignancies were identified.

Stem cell-based therapy is a safe and effective long-term treatment option for Crohn's disease associated perianal fistulas, achieving durable closure in approximately two-thirds of patients.

South Asia is faced with the growing burden of malnutrition and non-communicable diseases, with increasing rates of overweight and obesity. Yet there is limited comparable evidence from repeated Demographic Health Surveys anthropometric data across multiple South Asian countries on the extent to which these trends are associated with social determinants.

This study examines the absolute and temporal changes in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among South Asian women, investigating their associations with social determinants in selected South Asian countries that have comparable Demographic Health Survey data.

We analysed the absolute changes from 2000 until 2022 using log regression model fitted with social determinants: wealth, education, and urban-rural residence. The data was based on Demographic Health Surveys's from 1,561,090 women aged 15-49 across Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Maldives, and Pakistan.

Overweight and obesity rose significantly in all countries, except the Maldives, with prevalence ranging from 5% to 37%. It was more pronounced among urban (13% to 46% in Bangladesh), less educated (7.3% in India to 70% in the Maldives), and wealthier women (23% in Nepal to 73% in Pakistan).

Overall, the findings indicate a marked epidemiological shift towards increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity rates among South Asian women of reproductive age.