Neurocardiac Axis Physiology and Clinical Applications.

The neurocardiac axis constitutes the neuronal circuits between the arteries, heart, brain, and immune organs (including thymus, spleen, lymph nodes, and mucosal associated lymphoid tissue) that together form the cardiovascular brain circuit. This network allows the individual to maintain homeostasis in a variety of environmental situations. However, in dysfunctional states, such as exposure to environments with chronic stressors and sympathetic activation, this axis can also contribute to the development of atherosclerotic vascular disease as well as other cardiovascular pathologies and it is increasingly being recognized as an integral part of the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease.

The development and implementation of a new hospital performance measure to assess hospital contributions to community health and equity.

Objective: To develop and implement a measure of how US hospitals contribute to community health with a focus on equity.

Data Sources: Primary data from public comments and hospital surveys and secondary data from the IBM Watson Top 100 Hospitals program collected in the United States in 2020 and 2021.

Study Design: A thematic analysis of public comments on the proposed measure was conducted using an iterative grounded approach for theme identification.

Cx43 hemichannels contribute to astrocyte-mediated toxicity in sporadic and familial ALS.

Connexin 43 (Cx43) gap junctions and hemichannels mediate astrocyte intercellular communication in the central nervous system under normal conditions and contribute to astrocyte-mediated neurotoxicity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Here, we show that astrocyte-specific knockout of Cx43 in a mouse model of ALS slows disease progression both spatially and temporally, provides motor neuron (MN) protection, and improves survival. In addition, Cx43 expression is up-regulated in human postmortem tissue and cerebrospinal fluid from ALS patients.

Assessment of Public Opinion on Transparency at the US Food and Drug Administration.

This survey study assesses public support for or opposition to transparency measures regarding the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug approval process.

A 4-year old presenting with fever and achiness.

In children under the age of 5 who have abnormalities in history, physical examination, and laboratory studies indicating multi-system disease, uncovering the correct diagnosis is challenging. Here, we report the course of a 4-year-old girl who presented with a change in behavior, fever, arthralgia, arthritis, and hematuria following three recent hospitalizations for pneumonia and impetigo. Serologic findings were suggestive of a rheumatologic etiology and a renal biopsy was consistent with Membranous Lupus Nephritis Class V which helped secure the diagnosis of pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus.

Global Regulatory Agencies and Data Transparency.

Egilman et al. review the current data sharing practices of three global regulatory agencies - Health Canada, the European Medicines Agency and the Food and Drug Agency. While there has been progress towards increasing transparency over the past decade, progress has been slow.

Classroom Temperatures and Asthma-Related School-Based Health Care Utilization: An Exploratory Study.

Objective: Schools with aging infrastructure may expose students to extreme temperatures. Extreme outdoor temperatures have previously been linked to more asthma-related health care utilization. Explore the relationship between classroom temperatures and school-based health care visits for asthma in an urban school building with an outdated heating and cooling system.

establishes germline versus soma by balancing inherited histone methylation.

Formation of a zygote is coupled with extensive epigenetic reprogramming to enable appropriate inheritance of histone methylation and prevent developmental delays. In , this reprogramming is mediated by the H3K4me2 demethylase SPR-5 and the H3K9 methyltransferase, MET-2. In contrast, the H3K36 methyltransferase MES-4 maintains H3K36me2/3 at germline genes between generations to facilitate re-establishment of the germline.