Impact of low fasting plasma glucose on mortality in the general population.

Background: While the association between hypoglycaemia and poor outcomes in diabetes is well established, it is unclear whether such an association is generalizable to those without diabetes.

Methods: A total of 8497 participants free of cardiovascular disease and diabetes from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were included. We examined the relationship between baseline low (<80 mg/dL) and high (⩾126 mg/dL) fasting plasma glucose compared to normal levels (80-99 mg/dL).

Antidepressant activity of anti-hyperglycemic agents in experimental models: A review.

Background And Aims: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and depression occur comorbidly and share some pathophysiological mechanisms. The course of depression in patients with the two conditions is severe. Treatment of depression in diabetic patients requires special attention because most of psychopharmacological agents can worsen glycemic control.

Association of P-Wave Axis With Incident Atrial Fibrillation in Diabetes Mellitus (from the ACCORD Trial).

Abnormal P-wave axis may reflect preclinical atrial dysfunction and has been associated with an increased risk of incident atrial fibrillation (AF) in the general population. Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have a higher prevalence of AF, but the association of abnormal P-wave axis and the risk of incident AF in those with diabetes has not been previously explored. For this analysis, we included 8,965 eligible participants from the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial.

Objectively Measured Physical Activity and the Risk of Atrial Fibrillation (from the REGARDS Study).

The association between objectively measured physical activity and atrial fibrillation (AF) has not been examined. Therefore, we examined the association between moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with incident AF in 5,147 participants who completed accelerometer assessment for 4 to 7 consecutive days in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. MVPA was defined as >1,065 counts/minute, and daily mean time spent in MVPA was computed.

Heme-Dependent ER Stress Apoptosis: A Mechanism for the Selective Toxicity of the Dihydroartemisinin, NSC735847, in Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Artemisinin derivatives, including the dihydroartemisinin (DHA) monomers, are widely used as clinical agents for the treatment of malaria. Numerous studies demonstrate that these molecules also display antineoplastic activity with minimal toxicity.

Multi-Ethnic Genome-Wide Association Study of Decomposed Cardioelectric Phenotypes Illustrates Strategies to Identify and Characterize Evidence of Shared Genetic Effects for Complex Traits.

Background: We examined how expanding electrocardiographic trait genome-wide association studies to include ancestrally diverse populations, prioritize more precise phenotypic measures, and evaluate evidence for shared genetic effects enabled the detection and characterization of loci.

Methods: We decomposed 10 seconds, 12-lead electrocardiograms from 34 668 multi-ethnic participants (15% Black; 30% Hispanic/Latino) into 6 contiguous, physiologically distinct (P wave, PR segment, QRS interval, ST segment, T wave, and TP segment) and 2 composite, conventional (PR interval and QT interval) interval scale traits and conducted multivariable-adjusted, trait-specific univariate genome-wide association studies using 1000-G imputed single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Evidence of shared genetic effects was evaluated by aggregating meta-analyzed univariate results across the 6 continuous electrocardiographic traits using the combined phenotype adaptive sum of powered scores test.

JAK2, CALR, and MPL Mutations in Egyptian Patients With Classic Philadelphia-negative Myeloproliferative Neoplasms.

Background: Genetic mutations have been proven to be one of the major criteria in the diagnosis and distinction of different myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) subtypes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the molecular profile of Egyptian patients with MPN subtypes and correlate with clinicopathological status.

Methods: A series of 200 patients with MPNs (92 polycythemia vera, 68 essential thrombocythemia, and 40 primary myelofibrosis) were included in this study.

Microwave-enforced green synthesis of novel magnetic nano composite adsorbents based on functionalization of wood sawdust for fast removal of calcium hardness from water samples.

Developing new generation of adsorbents for water treatment to reduce calcium hardness and producing high quality water is important and continuous trend. This manuscript is devoted with this direction. Thus, two novel magnetic nanocomposite adsorbents were synthesized by covalently binding of tartaric acid (TA) and citric acid (CA) to wood sawdust coated magnetic nanoparticles (WSD@Fe O NPs) using green microwave solvent-less technique.

Association of Cardiac Biomarkers With the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease Without Heart Failure.

Background The Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) is a measure of heart failure (HF) health status. Worse KCCQ scores are common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), even without diagnosed heart failure (HF). Elevations in the cardiac biomarkers GDF-15 (growth differentiation factor-15), galectin-3, sST2 (soluble suppression of tumorigenesis-2), hsTnT (high-sensitivity troponin T), and NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide) likely reflect subclinical HF in CKD.

Performance evaluation of microbial fuel cell using a radiation synthesized low density polyethylene-grafted-poly (glycidyl methacrylate-co-vinyl acetate) as a proton exchange membrane.

The present work focuses on the synthesis of a proton exchange membrane to be assembled in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) for simultaneous bioelectricity production and domestic wastewater treatment. The indigenous membrane was prepared by ionizing irradiation-induced graft copolymerization of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and vinyl acetate (VAc) onto low-density polyethylene and subsequently, the prepared grafted sheets were sulfonated via epoxy ring-opening of PGMA moieties. Parameters affecting the grafting degree were investigated and the prepared membranes were characterized by investigating their structural, thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties.

Association of Atrial Fibrillation Without Cardiovascular Comorbidities and Stroke Risk: From the REGARDS Study.

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with a 5-fold increased stroke risk. While most patients with AF warrant anticoagulation, optimal treatment remains uncertain for patients with AF without cardiovascular comorbidities because the risk of stroke in this population has not been well-characterized. Methods and Results Participants (N=28 253; 55% women, mean age 64.

Circulating electrolytes and the prevalence of atrial fibrillation and supraventricular ectopy: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

Background And Aims: Evaluating associations of circulating electrolytes with atrial fibrillation (AF) and burden of supraventricular arrhythmias can give insights into arrhythmia pathogenesis.

Methods And Results: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 6398 participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, ages 71-90, with data on serum electrolytes (magnesium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, chloride, sodium). Prevalence of AF was determined from electrocardiograms and history of AF hospitalizations.

Multi-ancestry GWAS of the electrocardiographic PR interval identifies 202 loci underlying cardiac conduction.

The electrocardiographic PR interval reflects atrioventricular conduction, and is associated with conduction abnormalities, pacemaker implantation, atrial fibrillation (AF), and cardiovascular mortality. Here we report a multi-ancestry (N = 293,051) genome-wide association meta-analysis for the PR interval, discovering 202 loci of which 141 have not previously been reported. Variants at identified loci increase the percentage of heritability explained, from 33.

Association of right atrial structure with incident atrial fibrillation: a longitudinal cohort cardiovascular magnetic resonance study from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background: While studies of the left atrium (LA) have demonstrated associations between volumes and emptying fraction with atrial fibrillation (AF), the contribution of right atrial (RA) abnormalities to incident AF remains poorly understood.

Objectives: Assess the association between RA structure and function with incident AF using feature-tracking cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR).

Methods: This is a prospective cohort study of all participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis with baseline CMR, sinus rhythm, and free of clinical cardiovascular disease at study initiation.

P-wave axis is associated with all-cause mortality in diabetes: The ACCORD trial.

Abnormal P-wave axis (PWA) has emerged as a novel marker of risk for both cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality (ACM) in the general population, though this relationship has not been adequately explored among those with type 2 diabetes (DM2). We aimed to explore the association between abnormal PWA and ACM among a large, well-phenotyped group of participants with DM2 from the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial. This analysis included 8899 ACCORD participants with available PWA data on baseline electrocardiogram.

PPARγ Deficiency in Carbon Nanotube-elicited Granulomatous Inflammation Promotes a Th17 Response to a Microbial Antigen.

Background: The pathological consequences of interaction between environmental carbon pollutants and microbial antigens have not been fully explored. We developed a murine model of multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-elicited granulomatous disease which bears a striking resemblance to sarcoidosis, a human granulomatous disease. Because of reports describing lymphocyte reactivity to mycobacterial antigens in sarcoidosis patients, we hypothesized that addition of mycobacterial antigen (ESAT-6) to MWCNT might elicit activation in T cells.

Adsorptive removal of oil spill from sea water surface using magnetic wood sawdust as a novel nano-composite synthesized via microwave approach.

Water pollution by oil is a serious environmental problem. Developing new generation of benign adsorbents satisfying several criteria required for real practical application is of great need. This work introduces an effort in this direction, by utilizing a facile synthesis of wood sawdust coated magnetite nanoparticles functionalized stearic acid (WSD@FeONPs/SA) as a novel nano composite along with its precursor WSD@FeONPs.

Insulin resistance and reduced cardiac autonomic function in older adults: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study.

Background: Prior studies have shown insulin resistance is associated with reduced cardiac autonomic function measured at rest, but few studies have determined whether insulin resistance is associated with reduced cardiac autonomic function measured during daily activities.

Methods: We examined older adults without diabetes with 48-h ambulatory electrocardiography (n = 759) in an ancillary study of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Insulin resistance, the exposure, was defined by quartiles for three indexes: 1) the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), 2) the triglyceride and glucose index (TyG), and 3) the triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL-C).

An adaptive QRS detection algorithm for ultra-long-term ECG recordings.

Background: Accurate detection of QRS complexes during mobile, ultra-long-term ECG monitoring is challenged by instances of high heart rate, dramatic and persistent changes in signal amplitude, and intermittent deformations in signal quality that arise due to subject motion, background noise, and misplacement of the ECG electrodes.

Purpose: We propose a revised QRS detection algorithm which addresses the above-mentioned challenges.

Methods And Results: Our proposed algorithm is based on a state-of-the-art algorithm after applying two key modifications.

Effect of Intensive Blood Pressure Lowering on the Risk of Atrial Fibrillation.

It remains uncertain whether intensive control of blood pressure (BP) results in a lower risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with hypertension. Using data from SPRINT (Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial), which enrolled participants with hypertension at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, we examined whether intensive BP lowering (target systolic BP [SBP] <120 mm Hg), compared with standard BP lowering (target SBP<140 mm Hg), results in a lower risk of AF. This analysis included 8022 participants (4003 randomized to the intensive arm and 4019 to standard BP arm) who were free of AF at the time of enrollment and with available baseline and follow-up electrocardiographic data.

Electrocardiographic myocardial injury and stroke mortality in the general population.

Background: Recent evidence suggests a link between myocardial infarction and stroke risk, but it is unclear whether such risk exists with electrocardiographic myocardial injury in otherwise healthy individuals. Therefore, we explored the association of myocardial injury with stroke mortality in participants free of cardiovascular disease.

Methods: This analysis included 6017 participants (58.

Interrelations of Cumulative Social Risk, Silent Myocardial Infarction, and Mortality in the General Population.

Cumulative social risk (CSR), defined as experiencing more than one social risk factor, is associated with a significant increase in cardiovascular mortality. However, it is unclear whether CSR is associated with prevalent silent myocardial infarction (SMI), and whether their joint presence is predictive of mortality more than the presence of CSR in isolation. This analysis included 6,708 participants from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who were free of clinical cardiovascular disease at the time of enrollment.

Association between excessive daytime sleepiness and measures of supraventricular arrhythmia burden: evidence from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

Purpose: Excessive daytime sleepiness is a common sleep complaint among older adults. Assessment of excessive daytime sleepiness is used to screen for obstructive sleep apnea, which may be linked to atrial fibrillation (AF) and other sustained arrhythmias. Using data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study cohort, we examined the association of excessive daytime sleepiness with measures of arrhythmia burden derived from a continuous ECG recording device in a community-based sample of older adults.