Search

Background: Reportedly, the stress–hyperglycemia ratio (SHR) is closely associated with poor prognosis in patients with severe acute disease. However, the community‐dwelling may also be in a state of stress due to environmental exposure. Our study aimed to explore the association between SHR and all‐cause mortality in the community‐dwelling population. Methods: A total of 18 480 participants were included out of 82 091 from the NHANES 1999–2014 survey. The Kaplan–Meier survival analyses were used to assess the disparities in survival rates based on SHR, and the log‐rank test was employed to investigate the distinctions between groups. The multivariate Cox regression analysis and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis were performed to assess the association of SHR with all‐cause mortality. A subgroup analysis was also conducted. Results: A total of 3188 deaths occurred during a median follow‐up period of 11.0 (7.7; 15.4) years. The highest risk for all‐cause mortality was observed when SHR≤ 0.843 or SHR ≥0.986 (log‐rank p <.001). After adjusting for the confounding factors, compared with subjects in the second SHR quartile (Q2), participants in the highest (Q4, adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28–1.73) and lowest quartiles (Q1, adjusted HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.16–1.60) have a higher probability of all‐cause death. The RCS observed a dose‐response U‐shaped association between SHR and all‐cause mortality. The U‐shaped association between SHR and all‐cause mortality was similar across subgroup analysis. Conclusions: The SHR was significantly associated with all‐cause mortality in the community‐dwelling population, and the relationship was U‐shaped. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Serum sodium level is associated with cardiovascular and endocrine health. Though decreased serum sodium is considered to be associated with reduced hypertension risk, some studies also found that it may increase the risk of diabetes. This study aimed to investigate the association of serum sodium with new‐onset diabetes in hypertensive patients. Methods: Based on the annual health examinations from 2011 to 2016 in Dongguan City, Guangdong, China, hypertensive patients without diabetes at baseline were selected. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline were used to evaluate the association between serum sodium level and new‐onset diabetes. Subgroup analysis was also conducted. Results: A total of 4438 hypertensive patients with a mean age of 58.65 years were included, of whom 48.9% were male. During a median follow‐up of 35.1 months, 617 (13.9%) of the subjects developed new‐onset diabetes. Per 1‐SD (3.39 mmol/L) increment of serum sodium was associated with a 14% lower risk of new‐onset diabetes (odds ratio = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.78, 0.97; p = 0.01). The lowest quartile of serum sodium was associated with the lowest diabetes risk. The restricted cubic spline showed a linear inverse relationship (nonlinear p = 0.72). Across all the subgroups, the inverse association was consistent (p for interaction >0.05). Conclusion: An inverse association of serum sodium with new‐onset diabetes in hypertensive patients was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Mitochondrial damage is commonly involved in liver injury. We have previously shown that normal mitochondria can be coated with a carrier protein to form complexes that are specifically taken up by liver cells in culture. The aim of the current study was to determine whether mitochondrial complexes could be specifically delivered to the livers of living rats by intravenous injection. Methods: Mitochondria were harvested from fresh mouse liver, mixed with an asialoglycoprotein‐based carrier, asialoorosomucoid‐polylysine (AsOR‐PL), and purified to form complexes. To facilitate the release of internalized mitochondria from endosomes, an endosomolytic peptide, listeriolysin O (LLO), was coupled to AsOR to form AsOR‐LLO. Mitochondria alone, mitochondrial complexes with AsOR‐PL, and mitochondrial complexes plus AsOR‐LLO conjugate all containing the same number of mitochondria were injected intravenously. Animals were killed, and organs were removed and analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction of mouse mitochondrial DNA, electron microscopy (EM), and in situ polymerase chain reaction and hybridization followed by immunohistochemical analyses. Results: Calculations revealed that approximately 27% of the total injected mitochondria was detected in the liver, while less than 2% was found in spleen, and < 1% in lungs. Immunohistochemistry showed that mouse mitochondrial DNA staining was minimal with mitochondrial complexes alone, strong periportal with mitochondrial complexes co‐injected with AsOR‐LLO, and absent with mitochondria alone. Conclusions: Targetable mitochondrial complexes can be delivered to rat liver, and the efficiency of that process is greatly enhanced by co‐injection of a targetable endosomal release agent, AsOR‐LLO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene (GR), as a 2D carbon nanomaterial with high specific surface area, is one of the primary candidates for energy‐storage applications. In this work, the adsorption properties of graphene and Mn‐modified graphene (Mn‐GR) systems for CH4 molecules are investigated, based on first‐principles density functional theory. It is found that intrinsic graphene adsorbs CH4 molecules weakly. The single side can adsorb up to 4 CH4 molecules, and the average adsorption energy is −0.220 eV per CH4. Mn atom modification can significantly improve the adsorption performance of GR system on CH4. The structure with the largest methane storage capacity is that the GR modified by two Mn atoms that are located in the spacer holes on the opposite sides. The system can adsorb 10 CH4 molecules on both sides, the CH4 adsorption amount can reach 32.93 wt%, and the average adsorption energy is −0.402 eV per CH4. The interaction between the Mn atom and graphene is mainly between the d orbital of the Mn atom and the p orbital of the C atom. After the CH4 molecule is adsorbed, charge transfer occurs between Mn atoms and CH4, which results in a Coulomb attraction and enhances the adsorption performance of CH4 molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]