The Value of Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Human Geography and Bioethics.

Human geography and bioethics both take pride in their interdisciplinary approaches. Relatively little cross-pollination has occurred between human geography and bioethics. This paper takes three cases to highlight the generative potentials of both disciplines, dedicating time and space to learning from each other.

Mental Health as a Mediator of the Association Between Educational Inequality and Cardiovascular Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

Background Education is inversely associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Several mediators of this have been established; however, a proportion of the protective effect remains unaccounted for. Mental health is a proposed mediator, but current evidence is mixed and subject to bias from confounding factors and reverse causation.

Exploring the Effects of Cigarette Smoking on Inflammatory Bowel Disease Using Mendelian Randomization.

Background: Previous observational evidence has suggested an association between smoking and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Methods: We used observational techniques followed by Mendelian randomization to explore whether smoking is a causal factor in the development of IBD and its subtypes.

Results: In those who have ever smoked, we observed increased risk of IBD and, in current smokers, we observed increased risk of Crohn disease and decreased risk of ulcerative colitis.

Therapeutic Approaches Targeting Inflammation in Cardiovascular Disorders.

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western world and represents an enormous global health burden. Significant advances have been made in the conservative, medical and surgical management across the range of cardiovascular diseases however the inflammatory components of these diseases have traditionally been neglected. Inflammation is certainly a key component of atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory condition, but it is at least correlative and predictive of risk in many other aspects of cardiovascular medicine ranging from heart failure to outcomes following reperfusion strategies.

Leukocyte Trafficking in Cardiovascular Disease: Insights from Experimental Models.

Chemokine-induced leukocyte migration into the vessel wall is an early pathological event in the progression of atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of myocardial infarction. The immune-inflammatory response, mediated by both the innate and adaptive immune cells, is involved in the initiation, recruitment, and resolution phases of cardiovascular disease progression. Activation of leukocytes via inflammatory mediators such as chemokines, cytokines, and adhesion molecules is instrumental in these processes.

Twenty years and still counting: including women as participants and studying sex and gender in biomedical research.

Background: This paper chronicles attempts in the United States over the past 20 years to fully represent women in clinical trials and ensure the study of sex and gender in biomedical research. We maintain that productive science with the aim of serving the public health requires examining the influence of sex and gender on health outcomes.

Discussion: This section provides a historical perspective on the changes in recommendations and requirements of both the National Institutes of Health - the world's largest single funder of biomedical research - and the U.