Slow wave sleep (SWS) is essential for supporting cognitive functioning. Understanding its influence could guide interventions to enhance mental performance and mitigate cognitive deficits associated with insufficient sleep. This systematic review investigated the impact of pharmacological interventions on SWS and cognitive performance in healthy volunteers and clinical populations. A comprehensive literature search identified 1286 references, of which 27 articles (representing 27 studies) met the inclusion criteria. Only RCTs that reported on both SWS and cognition were eligible for inclusion. Pharmacological interventions targeted mainly the GABAergic, serotonergic, histaminergic, noradrenergic, and hypocretinergic systems. The included studies varied considerably in type of pharmacological agent used, sleep condition, control condition, and the specific cognitive assessments employed to measure targeted neurocognitive domains. Most investigated agents effectively increased SWS duration; however, this rarely translated into cognitive improvement. These findings suggest that cognitive benefits are not driven by SWS duration alone, underscoring the need to integrate additional sleep metrics. Future research should consider moving beyond a singular focus on SWS duration and incorporate quality measures of slow wave activity. In addition, the current clinical test conditions should preferably be replaced by ecologically valid study conditions and cognitive metrics to increase generalizability and representativeness.

Defining motor phenotypes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is important for individualized care and optimal therapeutic trial design. The "ALS-OPM" classification is based on the onset region (O), the propagation of motor symptoms (P), and the degree of clinical upper (UMN) and/or lower (LMN) motor neuron dysfunction (M).

An international ALS expert focus group was held in September 2025, followed by a consensus process through which revisions of the OPM classification were finalized.

Onset (O1-4) identifies first motor symptoms as relating to the head (O1), distal/proximal arm (O2d/p), respiratory/axial trunk (O3r/a), or distal/proximal leg (O4d/p). Onset symptoms are defined by weakness or slowed, poorly coordinated voluntary movements in the muscles of the head, arm, trunk, or leg, including dysarthria, dysphagia, dysphonia, dyspnea, and axial instability. Propagation (P1(n)) or absence of propagation (P0(n)) of motor symptoms from the onset region to another body region are designated, where n denotes the number of months from onset to propagation or assessment. The degree of UMN dysfunction (slowed, poorly coordinated voluntary movements, hyperreflexia and/or spastic muscle tone, emotional lability) and/or LMN dysfunction (weakness with associated muscle atrophy) is classified as follows: balanced UMN and LMN dysfunction (M0); dominant (M1d) or pure UMN dysfunction (M1p); dominant (M2d) or pure LMN dysfunction (M2p); and dissociated UMN/LMN dysfunction (M3), in which the arms and legs predominantly show LMN and UMN involvement, respectively.

The revised ALS-OPM classification aims to make it routine, practical and feasible to capture phenotype in clinical practice and therapeutic trials.

The multifaceted risk associated with war and terrorism challenges professionals in providing care matched to needs. While exposure to war and terrorism situations elevates risks of various mental and physical health issues, risk factors are not uniform across individuals and may vary given less apparent but equally powerful sources of distress. Recognizing this challenge, we adapted the Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT), a brief screening tool of psychosocial risk, for individuals exposed to war and terrorism (PAT-WT).

First, an adaptation of the original PAT for the context of war and terrorism was conducted. Then, the new version (PAT-WT) was implemented in an expedited validation pilot study among N = 112 individuals with various types and levels of exposure to war- and terror-related traumatic events.

The PAT-WT was found to be valid and consistent with the original PAT. In addition, it correlated with the General-Health Questionnaire (ρ = 0.54, p < .01), indicating its ability to identify high emotional distress among war-exposed individuals. Larger clinical-risk groups were identified compared to prior PAT versions, highlighting the impacted population's vulnerability. However, community cohesion offered a buffer against posttraumatic stress.

While further validation is needed, the PAT-WT shows promise as a comprehensive tool for assessing psychosocial risk factors that may link to adverse biopsychosocial outcomes following exposure to extreme traumatic events related to war and conflict. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

The objectives of this scoping review were to summarize (a) common types of positive childhood experiences (PCEs) among Indigenous Peoples and (b) the relationship between PCEs and mental health among Indigenous Peoples.

This scoping review examined research conducted in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States (Settler States and territories) whose samples included Indigenous participants. The databases that were searched include PubMed, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL, and Web of Science. The review also examined gray literature consisting of dissertations, conference abstracts and proceedings, and nonacademic statistical reports. Data were screened, selected, and extracted by a team of four independent reviewers. Thematic analysis, theoretically grounded by multisystemic resilience, was conducted and presented to frame a discussion of the evidence on PCEs and mental health among Indigenous Peoples.

A total of 57 sources were included after full-text review. The body of research represented diverse methodologies ranging from culturally centered qualitative methods, such as yarning circles, to brief intervention studies providing family- and/or school-based resilience promotion services. Four major types of PCEs emerged from the analyses, consisting of relations, culture, land, and identity. Existing research indicated that PCEs were positively associated with improved mental health outcomes among Indigenous Peoples. No harmful associations were reported among the included sources.

Current research suggested that PCEs serve as multisystemic pathways to supporting Indigenous well-being. PCEs are relevant to strengths and resilience-focused programs that promote the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Social relationships, including dominance status, are powerful regulators of mental health, and social experiences impact the continued expression of these behaviors. However, very little is known about the neuronal mechanisms that regulate the positive reinforcing effects of aggression that underlie social dominance, including potential sex differences. To address this gap, we used viral-mediated gene expression in Syrian hamsters to investigate how nucleus accumbens neurons regulate behavioral adaptations caused by aggression and other social interactions in both males and females. We found that females, but not males, display an increase in the efficiency to establish aggression with repeated experience. Females also displayed a more rapid potentiation of calcium signals from nucleus accumbens neurons over repeated social interactions. Chemogenetic inhibition of nucleus accumbens neurons specifically decreased aggression in females. Optogenetic stimulation of excitatory synaptic input from prefrontal cortex to nucleus accumbens decreased social investigation in females, but increased social investigation and reduced aggression in males. Collectively, these studies suggest that the activity of nucleus accumbens neurons drives behavioral adaptations related to social interactions in general, and aggressive experience in particular, in opposite directions in females and males. This mechanism may contribute to the enhanced reward for social interactions in females compared to males, and help explain the sex differences in the susceptibility to disorders associated with deficits in social behavior.Significance statement Sex differences in neurobiology for social behaviors likely contribute to sex differences in the predisposition for many disorders. For the first time here, we report that neurons in the nucleus accumbens have opposite effects in the regulation of aggression and social affiliative behaviors for male and female Syrian hamsters. Moreover, with aggressive experience, females display a more pronounced potentiation of calcium signals from neurons in the nucleus accumbens compared to males, which may underlie the more pronounced sensitivity to the rewarding and reinforcing effects of aggression in females compared to males. These studies advance the understanding of sex differences in the reinforcing effects of social behaviors.

Workplace health promotion interventions are effective in improving employee health. However, most interventions are temporary and cannot be sustained, and a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence implementation is limited. Therefore, using the implementation framework, this scoping review aims to identify the barriers and facilitators influencing the implementation of workplace health promotion interventions for the prevention of non-communicable diseases.

We searched databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus from January 1986 to August 2022 according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Consistent with the Arksey and O'Malley framework, two independent reviewers reviewed the titles and abstracts for eligibility, followed by full-text screening using a data extraction form. Subsequently, a narrative summary of the barriers and facilitators identified from the included articles was synthesized and categorized into the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). The identified barriers and facilitators were stratified according to the implementation outcomes.

Of the 38,384 articles identified, 610 articles were eligible for full-text screening, and 53 articles were included in the final analysis. Over 80% of the studies had applied a qualitative or mixed-methods approach, and the most common topics of intervention were reducing physical inactivity and promoting exercise (36%); moreover, 60% of the studies targeted interventions in medium- to large-sized organizations. Most factors were identified in the inner setting domain of the CFIR. The predominant facilitators were evidence strength and quality and leadership engagement, whereas structural characteristics, relative priority, and available resources were the most identified predominant barriers to the implementation of workplace health promotion interventions.

The barriers and facilitators identified in this study can be used to implement a process to develop a strategy that targets the identified determinants to improve workplace health promotion interventions and their implementation.

Sepsis-associated intestinal injury represents a critical pathological event contributing to multiple organ dysfunction, with its pathogenesis closely linked to excessive oxidative stress and hyperactivated endoplasmic reticulum stress. Current clinical interventions lack the capacity for precise modulation of the intestinal microenvironment, while existing nanozyme systems generally face challenges such as low oral delivery efficiency, insufficient stability, and uncertain biosafety. To address these limitations, we developed a novel oral nanozyme delivery system based on 2D V₂C MXene. Through surface modification with hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), we constructed a V₂C@HEC (CV) nanozyme with enhanced physiological stability and intestinal mucoadhesion. In both in vitro and in vivo studies, the CV nanozyme demonstrated significant reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging capacity. Oral administration of CV effectively mitigated intestinal barrier damage and improved survival in a septic mouse model. Mechanistic investigations suggested that the protective effects of CV may be associated with ROS clearance and modulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress, with inhibition of the ATF6/CHOP signaling pathway potentially serving as one underlying mechanism for its cytoprotective function. In summary, this study not only presents a novel nanozyme material with favorable biocompatibility, excellent stability, and a defined antioxidant mechanism, but also provides an innovative materials-based strategy for the treatment of sepsis.

 Colporrhaphy is a surgical option for anterior or posterior compartment vaginal prolapse. Colporrhaphy has a high complication rate. Previous literature proved that individuals diagnosed with diabetes had higher rates of complications in other urological surgeries, especially in prosthesis or mesh insertion.

 This study aims to determine if HbA1c is associated with anterior or posterior colporrhaphy complications.

 The 2021 National Surgical Quality Surgical Improvement database was used for a retrospective review study of patients who had anterior or posterior colporrhaphy. The cohort was subdivided into those with HbA1c ≤6.4 and those with ≥6.5. In a 30-day composite, major and minor complications were analyzed. A multivariate logistic regression was then performed to predict complications.

 A total of 182 patients were included, with 46 (25.3%) in the ≥6.5 cohort and 136 (74.7%) in the ≤6.4 cohort. The ≥6.5 group was older (67.9 years vs. 64.1 years), whereas there was no noted difference in race, hypertension, or previous abdominal operations. The composite complication was higher in the ≥6.5 group at 21.7% (n = 10) compared to 10.3% (n = 14) in the ≤6.4 group. The most common complication was urinary tract infection (8.2%, n = 15). On adjusted analysis, the ≥6.5 group had higher odds of complication (OR 3.16, p = 0.05).

Diabetes should be considered a comorbidity in patients undergoing anterior or posterior colporrhaphy. Our study shows that there are three times the odds of complications in patients with higher HbA1c. Strict glycemic control should be implemented to decrease the risk.

Background Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represent major and rapidly increasing public health burdens in Saudi Arabia. Metabolic (bariatric) surgery is an effective long-term intervention for obesity-related T2DM, while modern injectable pharmacotherapies, including glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, have become increasingly popular. However, public awareness and perceptions regarding these modalities remain insufficiently characterized in Saudi communities. Hence, this study aimed to assess public awareness, perceptions, misconceptions, and self-reported treatment preferences regarding metabolic (bariatric) surgery and injectable pharmacotherapies for obesity-related T2DM among adult residents of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, using a perception-based cross-sectional survey. Methodology A community-based, descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted using an online, self-administered questionnaire distributed via social media platforms. The survey assessed sociodemographic characteristics, self-reported diabetes status, awareness and perceptions of obesity, metabolic (bariatric) surgery, and injectable pharmacotherapies, as well as stated treatment preferences. All outcomes reflect participant perceptions and were not intended to measure clinical knowledge or treatment effectiveness. Accordingly, type 2 diabetes status and related variables were self-reported and not verified through medical records. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participant characteristics and awareness indicators. Chi-square tests were applied to explore exploratory associations between selected demographic variables and treatment preferences, with statistical significance set at a p-value <0.05. Results Participants demonstrated high awareness that obesity is a major modifiable risk factor for T2DM (74.6%). However, only 21.1% of participants recognized metabolic (bariatric) surgery as an effective metabolic intervention for diabetes improvement. Injectable therapies were preferred by 57.9% of participants, while 42.1% preferred surgical options. Misconceptions regarding indications, risks, and long-term outcomes were prevalent. Conclusions Although general awareness of obesity's metabolic impact was high, understanding of the therapeutic role of metabolic (bariatric) surgery for T2DM remained limited. Injectable therapies were more frequently preferred than surgical options; however, the present data do not allow definitive conclusions regarding the underlying drivers of these preferences. These findings highlight the need for structured public education initiatives to address misconceptions and improve metabolic literacy. The results reflect public perceptions rather than clinical decision-making or treatment effectiveness.