CO2-Based Stable Porous Metal-Organic Frameworks for CO2 Utilization.

The transformation of carbon dioxide (CO2) into functional materials has garnered considerable worldwide interest. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), as a distinctive class of materials, have made great contributions to CO2 capture and conversion. However, facile conversion of CO2 to stable porous MOFs for CO2 utilization remains unexplored. Herein, we present a facile methodology of using CO2 to synthesize stable zirconium-based MOFs. Two zirconium-based MOFs CO2-Zr-DEP and CO2-Zr-DEDP with face-centered cubic topology were obtained via a sequential desilylation-carboxylation-coordination reaction. The MOFs exhibit excellent crystallinity, as verified through powder X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy analyses. They also have notable porosity with high surface area (SBET up to 3688 m2 g-1) and good CO2 adsorption capacity (up to 12.5 wt %). The resulting MOFs have abundant alkyne functional moieties, confirmed through 13C cross-polarization/magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectra. Leveraging the catalytic prowess of Ag(I) in diverse CO2-involved reactions, we incorporated Ag(I) into zirconium-based MOFs, capitalizing on their interactions with carbon-carbon π-bonds of alkynes, thereby forming a heterogeneous catalyst. This catalyst demonstrates outstanding efficiency in catalyzing the conversion of CO2 and propargylic alcohols into cyclic carbonates, achieving >99% yield at room temperature and atmospheric pressure conditions. Thus, this work provides a dual CO2 utilization strategy, encompassing the synthesis of CO2-based MOFs (20-24 wt % from CO2) and their subsequent application in CO2 capture and conversion processes. This approach significantly enhances overall CO2 utilization.

Novel Environmentally Friendly RNAi Biopesticides: Targeting V-ATPase in Holotrichia parallela Larvae Using Layered Double Hydroxide Nanocomplexes.

RNA interference (RNAi)-based biopesticides offer an attractive avenue for pest control. Previous studies revealed high RNAi sensitivity in Holotrichia parallela larvae, showcasing its potential for grub control. In this study, we aimed to develop an environmentally friendly RNAi method for H. parallela larvae. The double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) of the V-ATPase-a gene (HpVAA) was loaded onto layered double hydroxide (LDH). The dsRNA/LDH nanocomplex exhibited increased environmental stability, and we investigated the absorption rate and permeability of dsRNA-nanoparticle complexes and explored the RNAi controlling effect. Silencing the HpVAA gene was found to darken the epidermis of H. parallela larvae, with growth cessation or death or mortality, disrupting the epidermis and midgut structure. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and confocal microscopy confirmed the effective absorption of the dsRNA/LDH nanocomplex by peanut plants, with distribution in roots, stems, and leaves. Nanomaterial-mediated RNAi silenced the target genes, leading to the death of pests. Therefore, these findings indicate the successful application of the nanomaterial-mediated RNAi system for underground pests, thus establishing a theoretical foundation for developing a green, safe, and efficient pest control strategy.

Highly Efficient and Scalable p-i-n Perovskite Solar Cells Enabled by Poly-metallocene Interfaces.

Inverted p-i-n perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are easy to process but need improved interface characteristics with reduced energy loss to prevent efficiency drops when increasing the active photovoltaic area. Here, we report a series of poly ferrocenyl molecules that can modulate the perovskite surface enabling the construction of small- and large-area PSCs. We found that the perovskite-ferrocenyl interaction forms a hybrid complex with enhanced surface coordination strength and activated electronic states, leading to lower interfacial nonradiative recombination and charge transport resistance losses. The resulting PSCs achieve an enhanced efficiency of up to 26.08% for small-area devices and 24.51% for large-area devices (1.0208 cm2). Moreover, the large-area PSCs maintain >92% of the initial efficiency after 2000 h of continuous operation at the maximum power point under 1-sun illumination and 65 °C.

Investigating cultivation strategies for enhancing protein content in Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa FACHB-5.

This study investigated the influence of yeast extract addition, carbon source, and photoperiod on the growth dynamics of Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa FACHB-5. Employing response surface methodology, the culture strategy was optimized, resulting in the following optimal conditions: yeast extract addition at 0.75 g L-1, glucose concentration of 0.83 g L-1, and a photoperiod set at Light: Dark = 18 h: 6 h. Under these conditions, the biomass reached 1.76 g L-1 with a protein content of 750.00 g L-1, containing 40 % of essential amino acids, representing a 1.52-fold increase. Proteomic analysis revealed that the targeted cultivation strategy up-regulated genes involved in microalgal protein synthesis. The combined effect of yeast extract and glucose enhanced both the glutamine synthetase-glutamate synthetase mechanism and the free amino acid content.

Research progress on the role of macrophages in acne and regulation by natural plant products.

Acne vulgaris is one of the most common skin diseases. The current understanding of acne primarily revolves around inflammatory responses, sebum metabolism disorders, aberrant hormone and receptor expression, colonization by Cutibacterium acnes, and abnormal keratinization of follicular sebaceous glands. Although the precise mechanism of action remains incompletely understood, it is plausible that macrophages exert an influence on these pathological features. Macrophages, as a constituent of the human innate immune system, typically manifest distinct phenotypes across various diseases. It has been observed that the polarization of macrophages toward the M1 phenotype plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of acne. In recent years, extensive research on acne has revealed an increasing number of natural remedies exhibiting therapeutic efficacy through the modulation of macrophage polarization. This review investigates the role of cutaneous macrophages, elucidates their potential significance in the pathogenesis of acne, a prevalent chronic inflammatory skin disorder, and explores the therapeutic mechanisms of natural plant products targeting macrophages. Despite these insights, the precise role of macrophages in the pathogenesis of acne remains poorly elucidated. Subsequent investigations in this domain will further illuminate the pathogenesis of acne and potentially offer guidance for identifying novel therapeutic targets for this condition.

Development and validation of a nomogram for preoperative prediction of ipsilateral cervical central lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid cancer: a population-based study.

Background: The incidence of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has increased dramatically, and it is susceptible to cervical lymph node metastasis (LNM), predominantly in the ipsilateral cervical central lymph node metastasis (CLNM). Ipsilateral cervical CLNM affects patients' surgical options and survival rates. In this study, we integrated multiple factors to establish a nomogram-based preoperative prediction model of ipsilateral cervical CLNM in PTC. Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from 609 patients with PTC admitted to Peking University International Hospital, all of whom underwent ipsilateral cervical lymph node dissection. They were randomly divided into a modeling set and validation set in the ratio of 7:3. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze independent risk factors for ipsilateral cervical CLNM in PTC and to construct a nomogram model. The performance of nomogram CLNM prediction was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration curve. Results: Binary Logistic Regression showed that age, history of osteoporosis, complicated by Hashimoto's thyroiditis, enlarged lymph nodes in the central neck, and extrathyroidal extension were risk factors for ipsilateral cervical CLNM. Combining these five independent risk factors, a nomogram prediction model was developed. In the modeling set, the area under the curve (AUC) of the nomogram ROC was 0.782 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.730-0.833], and the sensitivity and specificity of the model were 0.761 and 0.763, respectively, with a well-calibrated curve fit. Moreover, the model presented better discrimination than any of the independent risk factors. The nomogram performed well in the validation set (AUC 0.753; 95% CI: 0.648-0.858). Conclusions: A non-invasive, and accurate nomogram prediction model for ipsilateral cervical CLNM of PTC was established. It can help physicians identify patients with a high risk of ipsilateral cervical CLNM of PTC preoperative for individualized treatment.

Nomogram for preoperative estimation of microvascular invasion risk in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Microvascular invasion (MVI) is an adverse prognostic indicator of tumor recurrence after surgery for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, developing a nomogram for estimating the presence of MVI before liver resection is necessary. We retrospectively included 260 patients with pathologically confirmed HCC at the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital between January 2021 and April 2024. The patients were randomly divided into a training cohort (n = 182) for nomogram development, and a validation cohort (n = 78) to confirm the performance of the model (7:3 ratio). Significant clinical variables associated with MVI were then incorporated into the predictive nomogram using both univariate and multivariate logistic analyses. The predictive performance of the nomogram was assessed based on its discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility. Serum carnosine dipeptidase 1 ([CNDP1] OR 2.973; 95 % CI 1.167-7.575; p = 0.022), cirrhosis (OR 8.911; 95 % CI 1.922-41.318; p = 0.005), multiple tumors (OR 4.095; 95 % CI 1.374-12.205; p = 0.011), and tumor diameter ≥3 cm (OR 4.408; 95 % CI 1.780-10.919; p = 0.001) were independent predictors of MVI. Performance of the nomogram based on serum CNDP1, cirrhosis, number of tumors and tumor diameter was achieved with a concordance index of 0.833 (95 % CI 0.771-0.894) and 0.821 (95 % CI 0.720-0.922) in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. It fitted well in the calibration curves, and the decision curve analysis further confirmed its clinical usefulness. The nomogram, incorporating significant clinical variables and imaging features, successfully predicted the personalized risk of MVI in HCC preoperatively.

Chimonobambusapleiacantha (Poaceae, Bambusoideae), a new species from southeast Sichuan, China.

Chimonobambusapleiacantha, a newly-identified species of the genus Chimonobambusa Makino from southeast Sichuan, China, is meticulously described and illustrated herein. It is morphologically similar to Ch.tuberculata, but differs in having 4-angled internodes, thicker wall to 4.5-8.5 mm, more reclinate and elongated root thorns to 5-8 mm long, culm internodes with three grooves and two longitudinal ridges on the branch-bearing side, persistent culm leaves, densely brown-purple setose at the bottom of culm leaf sheaths together with sheath scar, developed foliage leaf fimbriae, 6-8 on each shoulder, ca. 3-8 mm long, abaxially white pubescent foliage leaf blades. Phenologically, new shoots usually appear in September to October. In the light of these key morphological and phenological characteristics, Ch.pleiacantha was identified as a new species of the genus Ch. Makino which is different from published species of this genus.

Association between physical activity and health-related quality of life among adults in China: the moderating role of age.

Objective: The aim of the study was to examine the association between physical activity (PA) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among adults and explore the role of age in the association between PA and HRQOL in Shandong, China. Methods: We investigated the relationship between PA and HRQOL and examined the moderated role of age in this association among adults with different age groups and physical activity levels. Data were obtained from the sixth China National Health Services Survey conducted in Shandong province in 2018. The multi-stage-stratified cluster random sampling method was used to selected respondents, with individuals aged 18 and above included in the present study. The tool of assessing HRQOL was the three-level EuroQol Five Dimensions Questionnaire (EQ-5D-3L). Results: The study found PA was significantly related to HRQOL (P < 0.05). The interaction analysis indicated that the relationship between PA and HRQOL was significantly different across young, middle-aged, and older adults (P < 0.05). Older adults with the sufficient PA (coefficient = 0.090, 95%CI: [0.081, 0.100]) and active PA (coefficient = 0.057, 95%CI: [0.043, 0.072]) had significantly higher HRQOL compared with young and middle-aged groups. Conclusion: PA was positively associated with HRQOL among the adults. Age played a moderate role between the association between PA and HRQOL. Guidelines for PA should be specifically tailored to adults of different age groups in order to enhance their HRQoL.

A degradome-related signature for predicting the prognosis and immunotherapy benefit in stomach adenocarcinoma based on machine learning procedure.

Stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) is one of the subtype of gastric cancer with high invasiveness, extreme heterogeneity, high morbidity, and high mortality. The degradome is the most abundant class of cellular enzymes that play an essential role in regulating cellular activity and carcinogenesis. An integrative machine learning procedure including 10 methods was performed to develop a prognostic degradome-based prognostic signature (DPS) in TCGA, GSE15459, GSE26253, and GSE62254 datasets. Investigations of the DPS concerning immune infiltration, immunotherapy benefits, and drug priority were orchestrated. The DPS developed by Enet [alpha = 0.3] method was regarded as the optimal prognostic model. The DPS had a stable and powerful performance in predicting the clinical outcome of STAD and served as an independent risk factor in training and testing cohorts. The C-index of DPS was higher than that of age, sex, and clinical stage. STAD patients with low DPS scores had a higher abundance of B cells, CD8+ T cells, higher cytolytic scores, and T cell co-stimulation scores. Moreover, low DPS score indicated a lower tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion score, lower T cell dysfunction and exclusion score, higher PD1&CTLA4 immunophenoscore, and higher tumor mutation burden score in STAD, demonstrating a better immunotherapy response. STAD patients with a high DPS score had a lower IC50 value of common chemotherapy and targeted therapy regimens (Cisplatin, Docetaxel, Gefitinib, etc). Our study developed an optimal DPS for STAD. The DPS could predict the prognosis, risk stratification and guide treatment for STAD patients.

Structure and Properties of Exopolysaccharide Produced by Gluconobacter frateurii and Its Potential Applications.

An exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing bacterium was isolated from apricot fermentation broth and identified as Gluconobacter frateurii HDC-08 (accession number: OK036475.1). HDC-08 EPS is a linear homopolysaccharide mainly composed of glucose linked by α-(1,6) glucoside bonds. It contains C, H, N and S elements, with a molecular weight of 4.774 × 106 Da. Microscopically, it has a smooth, glossy and compact sheet structure. It is an amorphous noncrystalline substance with irregular coils. Moreover, the EPS showed surface hydrophobicity and high thermal stability with a degradation temperature of 250.76 °C. In addition, it had strong antioxidant properties against DPPH radicals, ABPS radicals, hydroxyl radicals and H2O2. The EPS exhibited high metal-chelating activity and strong emulsifying ability for soybean oil, petroleum ether and diesel oil. The milk solidification test indicated that the EPS had good potential in fermented dairy products. In general, all the results demonstrate that HDC-08 EPS has promise for commercial applications as a food additive and antioxidant.

The Association between the Diversity of Coenzyme Q10 Intake from Dietary Sources and the Risk of New-Onset Hypertension: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a food active component with blood-pressure-improving properties. However, the association between the variety and quantity of different sources of dietary CoQ10 and new-onset hypertension remains uncertain. We aimed to investigate the associations between the diversity and quantity of CoQ10 intake from eight major food sources and new-onset hypertension risk. A total of 11,489 participants were included. Dietary intake was evaluated via three consecutive 24 h recalls and household food inventory. The diversity score of CoQ10 sources was calculated by the sum of food groups consumed in the ideal range. Cox proportional hazard models were used for evaluating their associations with hypertension. Model performance was assessed by ROC analyses and 200-times ten-fold cross-validation. The relationships between CoQ10 and hypertension were U-shaped for meat, egg, vegetable, and fruit sources, inverse J-shaped for fish, and nut sources, and L-shaped for dairy products sources (all p-values < 0.001). A higher diversity score was associated with lower hypertension risk (HR (95% CI): 0.66 (0.64, 0.69)). The mean areas under the ROC curves for 6, 12 and 18 years were 0.81, 0.80 and 0.78, respectively. There is a negative correlation between the diversity of CoQ10 with moderate intake from different sources and new-onset hypertension. One diversity score based on CoQ10 was developed.

Effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy on hemoglobin A1c in periodontitis patients without diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review was aimed to evaluate the effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in periodontitis patients without diabetes mellitus (DM). DATA/SOURCES: The present systematic review and meta-analysis were performed through searching the following electronic databases: EMBASE, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Open GREY. Interventional studies of periodontitis patients without DM were investigated. HbA1c changes in these patients before and after NSPT were analyzed. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were employed to identify sources of heterogeneity. STUDY SELECTION: Three reviewers independently selected the eligible studies by screening the titles and abstract. Then, a full-text analysis was performed. The reasons for excluding studies were recorded. Any disagreements were settled by discussion with a fourth reviewer. All the four reviewers extracted and crosschecked the data, and disagreements were resolved by discussion. There are 21 case-series studies (self-controlled studies) and 1 non-randomized interventional studies (NRIs) were included. RESULTS: For periodontitis patients without DM, a total of 469 individuals from 22 studies were enrolled. The pooled analysis demonstrated that it was significantly changed in HbA1c levels at 3-month follow-up (0.16 with 95 % CI 0.04, 0.27; P = 0.008), and 6-month follow-up (0.17 % with 95 % CI 0.08, 0.27; P < 0.001) compared with baseline. Smoking, gender, experience of periodontal therapy and HbA1c value at baseline could be the sources of heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: NSPT is potentially beneficial for the management of HbA1c in periodontitis patients with high risks of DM. However, high-quality randomized controlled trials are still necessary to confirm these conclusions. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The systemic review evaluated the effect of NSPT on HbA1c in periodontitis patients without DM. The analysis may be beneficial to the management and control of the high risks of DM in periodontitis patients.

A probabilistic knowledge graph for target identification.

Early identification of safe and efficacious disease targets is crucial to alleviating the tremendous cost of drug discovery projects. However, existing experimental methods for identifying new targets are generally labor-intensive and failure-prone. On the other hand, computational approaches, especially machine learning-based frameworks, have shown remarkable application potential in drug discovery. In this work, we propose Progeni, a novel machine learning-based framework for target identification. In addition to fully exploiting the known heterogeneous biological networks from various sources, Progeni integrates literature evidence about the relations between biological entities to construct a probabilistic knowledge graph. Graph neural networks are then employed in Progeni to learn the feature embeddings of biological entities to facilitate the identification of biologically relevant target candidates. A comprehensive evaluation of Progeni demonstrated its superior predictive power over the baseline methods on the target identification task. In addition, our extensive tests showed that Progeni exhibited high robustness to the negative effect of exposure bias, a common phenomenon in recommendation systems, and effectively identified new targets that can be strongly supported by the literature. Moreover, our wet lab experiments successfully validated the biological significance of the top target candidates predicted by Progeni for melanoma and colorectal cancer. All these results suggested that Progeni can identify biologically effective targets and thus provide a powerful and useful tool for advancing the drug discovery process.

Expression patterns of mechanosensitive ion channel PIEZOs in irreversible pulpitis.

BACKGROUND: Mechanosensitive ion channel PIEZOs have been widely reported to involve inflammation and pain. This study aimed to clarify expression patterns of PIEZOs and their potential relations to irreversible pulpitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Normal pulp tissues (n = 29) from patients with impacted third molars and inflamed pulp tissues (n = 23) from patients with irreversible pulpitis were collected. Pain levels were assessed using a numerical rating scale. PIEZO expressions were measured using real-time PCR and then confirmed using GEO datasets GSE77459, immunoblot, and immunohistochemistry staining. Correlations of PIEZO mRNA expression with inflammatory markers, pain markers, or clinical pain levels were evaluated using Spearman's correlation analysis. Univariate analysis was conducted to analyze PIEZO expressions based on pain description and clinical examinations of cold test, percussion, palpation, and bite test. RESULTS: Compared with normal pulp tissues, mRNA expression levels of PIEZO1 were significantly increased in inflamed pulp tissues, while PIEZO2 was significantly decreased, which was further confirmed in GSE77459 and on a protein and histological level. The positive correlation of the mRNA expression levels between PIEZO1 and inflammatory markers, as well as between PIEZO2 and pain markers, was verified. PIEZO2 expression was also positively correlated with pain levels. Besides, irreversible pulpitis patients who reported continuous pain and who detected a positive response to cold stimulus exhibited a higher expression level of PIEZO2 in the inflamed pulp tissues. By contrast, patients reporting pain duration of more than one week showed a higher expression level of PIEZO1. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the upregulation of PIEZO1 and the downregulation of PIEZO2 in irreversible pulpitis and revealed the potential relation of PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 to inflammation and pain. These findings suggested that PIEZOs might play critical roles in the progression of irreversible pulpitis and paved the way for further investigations aimed at novel therapies of irreversible pulpitis by targeting PIEZOs.

[Correlation Analysis of Peripheral Blood B Cell Count with Clinical Features and Prognosis in Patients Newly Diagnosed with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation between peripheral blood B cell count and clinical features and prognosis of patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). METHODS: The relationship of peripheral blood B cell count with clinical features, laboratory indexes and prognosis in 67 patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL was retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Patients were divided into low B-cell count group (B cell＜0.1×109/L, n=34) and high B-cell count group (B cell≥0.1×109/L, n=33) according to the median B cell count values. Compared with the high B cell count group, the low B cell count group had a higher proportion of patients with Lugano stage III-IV, elevated LDH, elevated ß2-MG and IPI score 3-5 and increased CRP (P =0.033, 0.000, 0.023, 0.001, 0.033). The peripheral CD3+ and CD4+ cell counts of patients in the low B cell count group were significantly lower than those in the high B cell count group (P =0.010, 0.017). After initial treatment, overall response rate (ORR) and complete remission (CR) rate in high B cell count group were significantly higher than those in low B cell count group (P =0.032, 0.013). The median follow-up time of patients was 23(2-77) months, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients in the high B cell count group were significantly better than those in the low B cell count group (P =0.001, 0.002). Univariate analysis showed that pretreatment low B cell count in the peripheral blood was associated with shortened PFS and OS (HR=4.108, P =0.002; HR=8.218, P =0.006). Multivariate analysis showed that low B cell count was an independent prognostic factor for shortened PFS (HR=3.116, P =0.037). CONCLUSION: Decreased peripheral blood B cell count in newly diagnosed DLBCL patients is associated with high-risk clinical features and may affect the efficacy of immunochemotherapy, which is associated with poor clinical prognosis.

ß-Galactosidase-triggered in situ synthesis of yellow emitting silicon nanoparticle and its application in visual detection of E. coli O157:H7 and drug susceptibility test.

The sensitive detection of foodborne pathogenic and rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) is of great significance. This paper reports the enzyme-triggered in situ synthesis of yellow emitting silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) and the detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 in food samples and the rapid AST. The rapid counting of E. coli O157:H7 has been achieved through direct visual observation, equipment detection, and smartphone digitalization. A simple detection platform based on smartphone senses and cotton swabs has been established. Meanwhile, rapid AST based on enzyme-catalyzed SiNPs can intuitively obtain colorimetric samples. This paper established a system for bacterial enzyme-triggered in situ synthesis of SiNPs, with high responsiveness, luminescence ratio, and specificity. The detection limit for E. coli O157:H7 can reach 100 CFU/mL during 5 h, and the recovery efficiency ranges from 90.14% to 110.16%, which makes it a promising strategy for the rapid detection of E. coli O157:H7 and AST.

Association of visceral adipose tissue with albuminuria and interaction between visceral adiposity and diabetes on albuminuria.

AIMS: To explore the correlation between visceral adipose tissue and albuminuria, and whether there is interaction between visceral adipose tissue and diabetes on albuminuria. METHODS: The study subjects were adult subjects (age ≥ 18 years) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) database of the USA in 2017-2018. Visceral fat area (VFA) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Subjects were divided into three groups according to VFA: low (VFA 0-60cm2), medium (VFA 60-120 cm2) and high (VFA ≥ 120 cm2). Albuminuria was defined as urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) ≥ 30 mg/g. The statistical analysis software used is STATA 17.0. RESULTS: Data pertaining to 2965 participants (2706 without albuminuria) were included in the analysis. High VFA is an independent risk factor for albuminuria (OR 1.367, 95% CI 1.023-1.827). In the low-VFA group, there is no significant association between diabetes and albuminuria (OR 1.415, 95% CI 0.145-13.849). In the medium-VFA group, diabetes is an independent risk factor for albuminuria (OR 2.217, 95% CI 1.095-4.488). In the high-VFA group, diabetes is also an independent risk factor for albuminuria (OR 5.150, 95% CI 3.150-8.421). There is an additive interaction between high VFA (VFA ≥ 120 cm2) and diabetes on the effect of albuminuria (RERI 3.757, 95% CI 0.927-6.587, p = 0.009), while no multiplication interaction (OR 1.881, 95% CI 0.997-1.023, p = 0.141). CONCLUSIONS: High VFA may represent an independent risk factor for albuminuria. The amount of visceral fat may affect the effect of diabetes on albuminuria. The higher the visceral fat, the stronger the correlation between diabetes and albuminuria should be present. We suppose an additive interaction between VFA and diabetes on the effect of albuminuria.

The impact of hypertension follow-up management on the choices of signing up family doctor contract services: does socioeconomic status matter?

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the association between hypertension follow-up management and family doctor contract services, as well as to examine whether socioeconomic status (SES) had an interaction effect on this relationship among older adults in China. METHODS: We used data from the sixth National Health Service Survey of Shandong Province, China, including 3,112 older adults (age ≥ 60 years) with hypertension in 2018. Logistic regression models and a margins plot were used to analyze the role of SES in the relationship between hypertension follow-up management and family doctor contract services. RESULTS: The regular hypertension follow-up management rate and family doctor contracting rate were 81.8% and 70.9%, respectively, among older adults with hypertension. We found that participants with regular hypertension follow-up management were more likely to sign family doctor contract services (OR=1.28, 95%CI: 1.04, 1.58, P=0.018). The interaction effect occurred in the groups who lived in rural areas (OR=1.55, 95%CI: 1.02, 2.35), with high education level (OR=0.53, 95%CI: 0.32, 0.88) and had high incomes (OR=0.53, 95%CI: 0.35, 0.81). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that regular hypertension follow-up management was associated with family doctor contract services and SES influenced this relationship. Primary health care should improve the contracting rate of family doctors by strengthening follow-up management of chronic diseases. Family doctors should focus on improving services quality and enriching the content of service packages especially for older adults with higher income and education level.