The effect of prescription and over-the-counter medications on core temperature in adults during heat stress: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Heat stress impacts are an escalating global health concern. Public health bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) warn that certain medications impair thermoregulation, with limited supporting evidence. Our aim was to investigate whether medications listed by the WHO increase core temperature responses during heat stress.

Quantification and interpretation of nitric oxide-dependent cutaneous vasodilation during local heating.

Human cutaneous microdialysis approaches for assessing nitric oxide (NO)-dependent blood flow include local heating (LH) of the skin until a plateau is reached, followed by infusion of a NO synthase inhibitor such as -nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME); however, varied methods of quantifying and expressing NO-dependent vasodilation can obfuscate data interpretation and reproducibility. We retrospectively assessed NO-dependent vasodilation during LH to 39°C or 42°C, calculated as the ) absolute contribution of the NO-dependent component (along with baseline and the non-NO-dependent component) to the total cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) response to LH, normalized to maximal CVC (%CVC); ) difference in %CVC (Δ%CVC) between the LH plateau and post-NO synthase inhibition (l-NAME plateau; Δ%CVC = LH plateau - l-NAME plateau); ) percentage of the LH plateau attributable to Δ%CVC (%plateau = Δ%CVC/LH plateau × 100); and ) %plateau when correcting for baseline. The LH plateaus during 39°C and 42°C were 48 ± 17%CVC (9 ± 5% baseline; 2 ± 4% non-NO dependent; 36 ± 15% NO dependent) and 88 ± 10%CVC (15 ± 8% baseline; 9 ± 10% non-NO dependent; 64 ± 13% NO dependent), respectively.

Achieving Equity in Hypertension: A Review of Current Efforts by the American Heart Association.

The purpose of this article is to summarize disparities in blood pressure (BP) by race in the United States, discuss evidence-based strategies to increase equity in BP, review recent American Heart Association BP equity initiatives, and highlight missed opportunities for achieving equity in hypertension. Over 122 million American adults have hypertension, with the highest prevalence among Black Americans. Racial disparities in hypertension and BP control in the United States are estimated to be the single largest contributor to the excess risk for cardiovascular disease among Black versus White adults.

Development and Characterization of Polyethylenimine-Infiltrated Mesoporous Silica Foam Pellets for CO Capture.

Polyethylenimine (PEI) has been shown to be promising for direct air capture (DAC) of carbon dioxide and has potential for commercial scale-up globally. Laboratory scale processes include multiple steps, such as mixing, solvent extraction, vacuum application, sonication, and various flushes and activation steps. It is critical to properly control these operating parameters to achieve higher capture capacity as a result of the optimized material configuration.

Integration of CTCF loops, methylome, and transcriptome in differentiating LUHMES as a model for imprinting dynamics of the 15q11-q13 locus in human neurons.

Human cell line models, including the neuronal precursor line LUHMES, are important for investigating developmental transcriptional dynamics within imprinted regions, particularly the 15q11-q13 Angelman (AS) and Prader-Willi (PWS) syndrome locus. AS results from loss of maternal UBE3A in neurons, where the paternal allele is silenced by a convergent antisense transcript UBE3A-ATS, a lncRNA that terminates at PWAR1 in non-neurons. qRT-PCR analysis confirmed the exclusive and progressive increase in UBE3A-ATS in differentiating LUHMES neurons, validating their use for studying UBE3A silencing.

Adult obesity treatment and prevention: A trans-agency commentary on the research landscape, gaps, and future opportunities.

Given the high and growing prevalence of obesity among adults in the United States, obesity treatment and prevention are important topics in biomedical and public health research. Although researchers recognize the significance of this problem, much remains unknown about safe and effective prevention and treatment of obesity in adults. In response to the worsening obesity epidemic and the many unknowns regarding the disease, a group of key scientific and program staff members of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal and non-government agencies gathered virtually in September 2021 to discuss the current state of obesity research, research gaps, and opportunities for future research in adult obesity prevention and treatment.

Integration of CTCF Loops, Methylome, and Transcriptome in Differentiating LUHMES as a Model for Imprinting Dynamics of the 15q11-q13 Locus in Human Neurons.

Human cell line models, including the neuronal precursor line LUHMES, are important for investigating developmental transcriptional dynamics within imprinted regions, particularly the 15q11-q13 Angelman (AS) and Prader-Willi (PWS) syndrome locus. AS results from loss of maternal UBE3A in neurons, where the paternal allele is silenced by a convergent antisense transcript UBE3A-ATS, a lncRNA that normally terminates at PWAR1 in non-neurons. qRTPCR analysis confirmed the exclusive and progressive increase in UBE3A-ATS in differentiating LUHMES neurons, validating their use for studying UBE3A silencing.

The virtual reality classroom: a randomized control trial of medical student knowledge of postpartum hemorrhage emergency management.

Objective: To investigate the use of a virtual reality learning environment (VRLE) to enhance medical student knowledge of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) emergency management and insertion of a postpartum balloon.

Methods: A randomized control trial involving medical students from University College Dublin, Ireland. Participants were randomly allocated to the intervention group (VRLE tutorial) or control group (PowerPoint tutorial on the same topic).

A Multi-Perspective Qualitative Study About Working With Autistic Individuals in Prison-Based Interventions to Address Sexual Offending.

Research suggests that sexual offending is one of the more common forms of offending behaviour committed by autistic individuals. Despite this, very little research has investigated approaches to rehabilitation for autistic individuals who have sexually offended. The small body of literature that does exist suggests that interventions to address sexual offending may not be sufficiently adapted for this group.

Nitric oxide-mediated cutaneous microvascular function is not altered in middle-aged-to-older adults following mild SARS-CoV-2 infection: A pilot study.

We tested the hypothesis that post-COVID-19 adults (PC) would have impaired cutaneous nitric oxide (NO)-mediated vasodilation compared to controls (CON). We performed a cross-sectional study including 10 (10 F/0 M, 69 ± 7 years) CON and 7 (2 F/5 M, 66 ± 8 years) PC (223 ± 154 days post-diagnosis). COVID-19 symptoms severity (survey) was assessed (0-100 scale for 18 common symptoms).

Skin and eye irritancy assessment of six lactic acid bacteria strains.

Here we investigate the suitability of in vitro models to assess the skin and eye irritation potential of six microbial strains. Acute skin irritation was tested according to the unmodified and modified OECD test guideline (OECD TG) 439, while acute eye irritation was examined using the OECD TG 491 and 492. The OECD TG 439 guideline, modified to introduce 8-10 μg/mL of streptomycin during the recovery phase and use of test items containing 100% microbial product instead of finished formulae, was found to be suitable for skin irritation evaluation.

Elucidation of the GSK3α Structure Informs the Design of Novel, Paralog-Selective Inhibitors.

Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) remains a therapeutic target of interest for diverse clinical indications. However, one hurdle in the development of small molecule GSK3 inhibitors has been safety concerns related to pan-inhibition of both GSK3 paralogs, leading to activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and potential for aberrant cell proliferation. Development of GSK3α or GSK3β paralog-selective inhibitors that could offer an improved safety profile has been reported but further advancement has been hampered by the lack of structural information for GSK3α.

An anthropomorphic 3D printed inhomogeneity thorax phantom slab for SBRT commissioning and quality assurance.

Anthropomorphic phantoms with tissue equivalency are required in radiotherapy for quality assurance of imaging and dosimetric processes used in radiotherapy treatments. Commercial phantoms are expensive and provide limited approximation to patient geometry and tissue equivalency. In this study, a 5 cm thick anthropomorphic thoracic slab phantom was designed and 3D printed using models exported from a CT dataset to demonstrate the feasibility of manufacturing anthropomorphic 3D printed phantoms onsite in a clinical radiotherapy department.

The user safety assessment of a selenized yeast feed additive.

Of the several selenized yeasts authorised for use as feed additives in the EU, CNCM I-3060 inactivated' (Sel-Plex), was the first to be approved for use, in 2006. The additive has a concentration of selenium between 2000 and 2400 mg/kg and a selenomethionine content greater than 63%. Previous toxicological and safety studies have shown Sel-Plex to be safe for use for target animal species, consumers, users and the environment.

Seven days of statin treatment improves nitric-oxide mediated endothelial-dependent cutaneous microvascular function in women with endometriosis.

Introduction: Endometriosis is associated with systemic inflammation and increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Endothelial dysfunction is one of the first manifestations of CVD but is unexplored in women with endometriosis. HMG-CoA-reductase inhibitors (statins) exert potent anti-inflammatory effects, and have been proposed as an adjunctive therapy in women with endometriosis.

Skin pigmentation is negatively associated with circulating vitamin D concentration and cutaneous microvascular endothelial function.

Darkly pigmented individuals are at the greatest risk of hypovitaminosis D, which may result in microvascular endothelial dysfunction via reduced nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability and/or increased oxidative stress and inflammation. We investigated the associations among skin pigmentation (M-index; skin reflectance spectrophotometry), serum vitamin D concentration [25(OH)D], circulating inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10) concentrations, and the NO contribution to local heating-induced cutaneous vasodilation (%NO-mediated vasodilation) in a diversely pigmented cohort of young adults. An intradermal microdialysis fiber was placed in the forearms of 33 healthy adults (14 men/19 women; 18-27 yr; M-index, 30-81 AU) for local delivery of pharmacological agents.

Safety assessment of Asterarcys quadricellulare, a microalga, with applications in poultry and livestock feed.

Asterarcys quadricellulare (AQ) is a microalgal species with potential applications in improving the quality of animal feed, and safety studies on this species are lacking. Therefore, this study presents safety data on an industrially cultivated strain of AQ tested using the following Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines: acute skin irritation in rabbits; skin sensitisation in guinea pigs; acute eye irritation in rabbits; acute oral fixed-dose procedure in rats; and bacterial reverse mutation using the B.N.

Nitric oxide-mediated cutaneous microvascular function is not altered in young adults following mild-to-moderate SARS CoV-2 infection.

Vascular dysfunction has been reported in adults who have recovered from COVID-19. To date, no studies have investigated the underlying mechanisms of persistent COVID-19-associated vascular dysfunction. Our purpose was to quantify nitric oxide (NO)-mediated vasodilation in healthy adults who have recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Acute systemic inhibition of inflammation augments endothelium-dependent dilation in women with a history of preeclamptic pregnancy.

Women who have had preeclampsia demonstrate microvascular endothelial-dysfunction, mediated in part by reduced nitric oxide (NO)-dependent dilation. Preeclamptic pregnancies are associated with elevated inflammation, and inhibition of inflammation attenuates endothelial damage in animal models of preeclampsia. However, it is unclear if inhibition of vascular inflammation improves endothelial function in women after a preeclamptic pregnancy.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cardiovascular Science: Anticipating Problems and Potential Solutions: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had worldwide repercussions for health care and research. In spring 2020, most non-COVID-19 research was halted, hindering research across the spectrum from laboratory-based experimental science to clinical research. Through the second half of 2020 and the first half of 2021, biomedical research, including cardiovascular science, only gradually restarted, with many restrictions on onsite activities, limited clinical research participation, and the challenges associated with working from home and caregiver responsibilities.

Menthol-induced activation of TRPM8 receptors increases cutaneous blood flow across the dermatome.

Topical menthol-based analgesics increase skin blood flow (SkBF) through transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) receptor-dependent activation of sensory nerves and endothelium-derived hyperpolarization factors. It is unclear if menthol-induced TRPM8 activation mediates a reflex change in SkBF across the dermatome in an area not directly treated with menthol. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of localized topical menthol application on SkBF across a common dermatome.

Vascular Health Triad in Humans With Hypertension-Not the Usual Suspects.

Hypertension (HTN) affects more than one-third of the US population and remains the top risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Identifying the underlying mechanisms for developing HTN are of critical importance because the risk of developing CVD doubles with ∼20 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure (BP). Endothelial dysfunction, especially in the resistance arteries, is the primary site for initiation of sub-clinical HTN.