Potentially traumatic events (PTEs) are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in aging populations. Despite sex differences in PTE exposure and CVD incidence, no study has examined sex-specific associations between PTEs and CVD in the same sample of middle-aged and older adults. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we examined lifetime exposure to 18 PTEs across three domains: early life adversity, lifetime trauma, and perceived discrimination and CVD (stroke or heart disease). We used Cox proportional hazards regression to calculate crude and adjusted (race/ethnicity, age, and educational attainment) hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Among 12,272 HRS participants, nearly 80% reported experiencing at least one PTE. Within domains, child abuse and serious accident or illness had the strongest associations with CVD for men, aHR = 1.26, 95% CI [1.04, 1.52], aHR = 1.68, 95% CI [1.53, 1.85], respectively, and women, aHR = 1.35, 95% CI [1.17, 1.56], aHR = 1.80, 95% CI [1.64, 1.97], respectively. Sex differences were noted for perceived discrimination-for men, the strongest association was between being prevented from moving into other housing and CVD, aHR = 1.52, 95% CI [1.08, 2.14], and for women, the strongest association was between being denied health care and CVD, aHR = 1.43, 95% CI [1.08, 1.90]. For both sexes, experiencing a higher number of PTEs was associated with an increased rate of CVD. Differences among men and women in these results offer insight into opportunities for prevention and targeted clinical interventions in this age group.

Negative symptoms are a core component of schizophrenia, affecting up to 60% of individuals with the disorder. They are categorised into primary negative symptoms (PNS), which are intrinsic to the illness, and secondary negative symptoms, which arise from external factors such as depression or medication side effects. They can also be divided into diminished expression and amotivation/anhedonia subtypes. While inflammation has been implicated in schizophrenia and linked to negative symptoms, little is known about whether inflammatory profiles differ between negative symptom subtypes in individuals at Ultra-High Risk (UHR) for psychosis.

We conducted a secondary analysis of 147 UHR participants from the Staged Treatment in Early Psychosis (STEP) study to examine whether inflammatory markers (Alpha-2-Macroglobulin, IL-6, CRP, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and suPAR) differed across negative symptom subgroups, using multinomial and binomial logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, smoking, and BMI.

Overall, most inflammatory markers were not significantly associated with negative symptom subgroups. However, higher sICAM-1 levels were asscoiated with lower odds of primary negative symptoms compared with no negative symptoms. Additionally, younger age was associated with increased odds of PNS and amotivation, while smoking was associated with higher odds of secondary negative symptoms compared with no negative symptoms.

These findings suggest that inflammation may not broadly distinguish negative symptom subtypes at the UHR stage, although sICAM-1 may play a role in early illness processes. Limitations include sample ascertainment, potential misclassification of negative symptoms, and the relatively small number of participants with PNS. Future studies with larger samples and longitudinal designs are needed to clarify whether inflammatory changes contribute to the emergence of specific negative symptom subtypes.

Aptamers are single-stranded oligonucleotides with the ability to bind specific target molecules with high affinity and selectivity, positioning them as valuable tools for precision therapeutics and targeted drug delivery. In ophthalmology, aptamer-based platforms have emerged as effective solutions for managing retinal diseases, glaucoma, and ocular surface disorders. This review provides a comprehensive overview of aptamers that have received approval or are in experimental, preclinical, or clinical development stages for ocular diseases.

A narrative literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science databases, concentrating on aptamers that have reached experimental, preclinical, clinical, or FDA-approved stages. Studies published up to March 2026 were screened according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, based on their reported efficacy, molecular targets, and relevance to ocular diseases.

Twenty-four records were included, comprising 24 aptamer-based platforms. Across ocular diseases, aptamers were identified in three principal application domains: therapeutic intervention, diagnostic, and targeted drug delivery. In age-related macular degeneration, aptamers development was predominantly therapeutic, with agents targeting vascular endothelial growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, fibroblast growth factor 2, complement components, nucleolin, CBF1, and CD44. In glaucoma, aptamers were mainly directed toward neuroprotection, antifibrotic modulation, aqueous humor outflow regulation, biomarker detection, and topical drug delivery. In ocular surface diseases, aptamers were primarily developed for antimicrobial and antiviral therapy, antiangiogenic treatment, anti-allergic modulation, corneal surface targeting, and controlled topical drug delivery. Overall, aptamers demonstrated broad translational versatility across both posterior and anterior segment diseases.

The available evidence demonstrates a diverse and rapidly expanding repertoire of aptamers developed for ocular diseases, underscoring their versatile potential as next-generation platforms for therapeutic, biomarker-guided diagnosis, and targeted drug delivery in ophthalmology.

Recent findings indicate oligodendrocytes (ODCs) and their progenitors are vulnerable in Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis. Notably, oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) exhibit high endogenous expression of the PD-relevant gene LRRK2. We differentiated iPSCs carrying the PD-relevant LRRK2 p.G2019S mutation into oligodendroglial lineages and performed single-cell RNA sequencing. Cell-type composition analysis revealed an increased proportion of OPCs, proliferating OPCs, and ciliated ependymal cells in LRRK2 lines, all of which are characterized by LRRK2 expression. Differential expression analysis revealed transcriptomic changes in several pathways, including downregulation of genes related to myelin assembly in ODCs, semaphorin-plexin pathway in OPCs, and cilium movement in proliferating OPCs. Pseudotemporal trajectory analysis revealed that SHH had significantly altered expression along the pseudotime, accompanied by higher expression levels in LRRK2 lines. We provide a single-cell transcriptomic atlas of iPSC-derived oligodendroglial lineage cells carrying the PD-relevant LRRK2 p.G2019S mutation and control lines.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading ocular disorder that causes irreversible visual impairment and blindness in the elderly population. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that AMD is the end-stage outcome of various retinal degenerative lesions and vascular anomalies. Its core pathogenic mechanisms mainly involve dysfunction and atrophy of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, choroidal capillary degeneration, pathological choroidal neovascularization (CNV), chronic inflammation, oxidative stress injury, deposition of extracellular substances such as drusen, and genetic predisposition. Given its multifactorial origin and complicated pathophysiological processes, the full molecular regulatory network of AMD has not been fully clarified, which restricts the development of more efficient intervention regimens. This review systematically summarizes the latest research progress concerning the molecular mechanisms of AMD, and comprehensively discusses mainstream and emerging therapeutic strategies, including anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs, antioxidant and mineral supplements, photodynamic therapy, and laser therapy, as well as innovative modalities such as gene therapy, stem cell therapy, and targeted regulation of complement and inflammatory pathways. It is intended to provide theoretical basis and research references for in-depth mechanistic exploration, early prevention and precise clinical management of AMD.

Screening for mental health and addiction disorders is a priority due to the rising prevalence of these conditions. This clinical practice guideline (CPG) sought to systematically synthesize evidence to address screening for mental health and addiction disorders among children, adolescents, and adults.

This CPG followed the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to CPG development recommended by the Department of Health, including GRADE Adolopment, a systematic process of adapting evidence summaries, and the GRADE Evidence to Decision (EtD) framework. The Steering Committee set the objectives, scope, target, and audience. The Steering Committee also led the formulation of clinical questions, and prioritized and finalized the questions after gathering inputs from relevant stakeholders. The Technical Working Group reviewed and synthesized the evidence, and a multisectoral Consensus Panel reviewed the evidence summaries and formulated recommendations through a formal consensus method, and the external reviewers evaluated the final recommendations. This CPG was completed in June 2022.

The CPG provides ten (10) recommendations on nine (9) prioritized questions on mental health and addiction. Screening for depression among high-risk groups, anxiety in adults, substance use disorders in adults and adolescents, depression and anxiety among children and adolescents, and stress and sleep disturbances as risk factors for possible mental health or addiction disorders were recommended. Recommendations were made AGAINST screening for dementia in older adults (60 and above) using standardized instruments and substance use disorders using standardized drug tests.

The CPG provided recommendations on the prioritized clinical questions in the screening for certain conditions on mental health and addiction. The recommendations are based on the appraisal of the best available evidence.

Urinary tract infections from rare fungi are rising in immunocompromised cancer patients. Early diagnosis and antifungal testing of Vanrija humicola are essential to guide treatment and improve outcomes in urothelial carcinoma.

An 82-year-old man with advanced urothelial carcinoma and metastases to the bone and lungs was admitted to Jiangxi Cancer Hospital on September 22, 2025. He presented with urinary frequency, urgency, dysuria, and pain in the left hip. At admission, he was started on cefoperazone-sulbactam for a suspected urinary tract infection. On September 29, he underwent transurethral resection of the prostate. Pathology confirmed a malignant bladder tumor (urothelial carcinoma). Palliative radiotherapy and chemo-immunotherapy with toripalimab, gemcitabine, and cisplatin were initiated on October 10. Urine culture performed on October 10 grew Enterococcus faecalis. An unidentified fungal culture obtained on October 12, which was confirmed as Vanrija humicola by ITS and D1-D2 rDNA sequencing. Antifungal susceptibility showed voriconazole MIC 0.12 mg/L, fluconazole 4 mg/L, amphotericin B <1 mg/L, echinocandins >8 mg/L. He was treated with intravenous voriconazole and amoxicillin-clavulanate, with close clinical monitoring. During treatment, his urinary symptoms gradually resolved, inflammatory markers returned to normal levels, and the pain in his left hip improved. The patient was discharged on October 22, 2025.

This case shows the opportunistic pathogenic potential of V. humicola in immunocompromised patients. Accurate identification and antifungal testing are essential, and clinicians should consider rare fungi for timely, effective treatment.

Companion animals are often assumed to benefit human emotional wellbeing, yet empirical evidence for this effect and the proposed stress-buffering mechanism underlying this effect is heterogeneous. This study examined whether momentary interaction with a companion animal is associated with pet owners' positive and negative affect in daily life, and whether these interactions buffer the affective impact of stress. We further tested whether these associations differ between interacting with dogs versus cats. Using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), 188 dog and cat owners reported their affect, stress, and interactions with their companion animals at random moments up to 10 times per day over five consecutive days. Multilevel regression analyses accounting for repeated measurements nested within individuals, including random intercepts and slopes, and controlling for age, gender, and social context, showed that pet interaction was associated with higher positive and lower negative affect, independent of species. No evidence for a stress-buffering effect was found, instead a species-specific pattern emerged for negative affect in response to event-related stress: interactions with cats amplified, rather than attenuated, the association between stress and negative affect. Overall, findings support robust momentary emotional benefits of interacting with companion animals, but do not support stress-buffering as the mechanism underlying this association. These results emphasize the importance of considering both species and situational context when examining the psychological impact of human-animal interaction.

This study investigated the mechanisms underlying mental health risks among lesbian/gay (LG) and bisexual university students in China, focusing on the roles of sexual identity centrality, identity uncertainty, and interpersonal discrimination in depressive symptoms.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 363 university students (142 LG students and 221 bisexual). Group differences were examined, and structural equation modeling was used to test the direct and indirect associations among sexual orientation, sexual identity centrality, identity uncertainty, interpersonal discrimination, and depressive symptoms.

Compared with LG participants, bisexual participants reported lower identity centrality, higher identity uncertainty, and fewer experiences of interpersonal discrimination, whereas no significant group difference was found in depressive symptoms. Structural equation modeling indicated that identity uncertainty and interpersonal discrimination jointly mediated the association between bisexuality and depressive symptoms, with the two indirect effects operating in opposite directions and forming a competing mediation effect. Sexual identity centrality showed a double-edged role: it was associated with lower identity uncertainty but greater interpersonal discrimination, which in turn were differentially associated with depressive symptoms.

These findings reveal complex and divergent mechanisms linking sexual orientation and mental health among Chinese sexual minority university students. They also suggest that clinical interventions and future research should attend to both intrapersonal identity-related processes and interpersonal minority stress experiences when addressing depressive symptoms among LGB young adults.

Transition clinics in sickle cell disease (SCD) were developed to address the gap in care and poor outcomes that frequently occur in adolescents and young adults (AYA) with SCD. Our retrospective study evaluated the outcomes of a multi-disciplinary SCD transition program at the Tulane University Sickle Cell Center of Southern Louisiana.

49 patients (39 who participated in the transition clinic, and 10 patients who transferred directly from pediatric to adult care) aged 18-25 with SCD who received care between January 2021 to November 2024 were included in the analysis. Socio-demographic data was collected as well as information on transition metrics, mental health comorbidities, and acute care utilization.

At the time of analysis, 30.7% (n = 12) of patients in the transition clinic had transferred to adult care. Age ≥ 21, completing high school and attending 5 or more transition visits were significantly associated with successful adult care transfer completion (p < 0.0001, p = 0.017, p = 0.0407). Across both groups, those with an established mental health diagnosis had significantly higher levels of hospital admissions (B = 5.55, SE = 1.67, p = .002). Moreover, compared to those who are in high school, those who completed high school had significantly lower levels of hospital admissions (B = -5.02, SE = 2.26, p = .03). There was no statistically significant difference in acute care utilization, medication compliance, or presence of SCD complications between both groups.

Higher levels of educational attainment and consistent engagement with transition programming positively impact successful adult care transfer in AYA with SCD. Mental health and wellbeing has a significant impact on morbidity and hospitalizations in AYA with SCD and represents an area for further research and intervention.