The Global Burden of Neural Tube Defects and Disparities in Neurosurgical Care.

Background: Despite the success of folic acid fortification programs, neural tube defects (NTDs) such as spina bifida, encephalocele, and anencephaly remain among the most substantial causes of childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although these are complicated conditions that require an interdisciplinary approach to care, definitive treatment of survivable NTDs is often neurosurgical.

Methods: Using Global Burden of Disease data, we examined the global burden of NTDs as related to a nation's wealth, health care quality, and access to neurosurgical care.

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase genotype is associated with pulmonary hypertension severity in left heart failure patients.

The biological mechanisms behind the development of pulmonary hypertension in the setting of left heart failure (HF-PH), including combined pre- and post-capillary pulmonary hypertension (Cpc-PH), remains unclear. This study aimed to use candidate polymorphisms in nitric oxide synthase (NOS) genes to explore the role of NOS in HF-PH. DNA samples from 118 patients with HF-PH were genotyped for the NOS3 rs1799983 and NOS2 rs3730017 polymorphisms.