Correlation between ABO blood type and lower extremity deep vein thrombosis in elderly patients following hip fracture.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the correlation between ABO blood type and the incidence of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (LEDVT) in elderly patients after hip fracture surgery, while identifying contributing factors to thrombogenesis. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 159 elderly patients with hip fractures treated at Tianjin Hospital (Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University) from December 2021 to December 2023. The cohort was divided into two groups: those with O blood type (45 patients) and those with non-O blood types (114 patients). We analyzed clinical data and the incidence of LEDVT between the groups. Logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors for LEDVT, and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis evaluated the predictive efficacy of these factors. RESULTS: The incidence of LEDVT was significantly higher in the non-O blood type group compared to the O blood type group (34.21% vs. 15.56%, P = 0.0408). Logistic regression identified high body mass index (BMI), comorbid hypertension, low platelet count (PLT), prolonged prothrombin time (PT), and non-O blood type as independent risk factors for LEDVT. The ROC curve for these predictors showed an area under the curve of 0.862, with a sensitivity of 75.22%, a specificity of 86.96%, and an accuracy of 78.62%. CONCLUSION: ABO blood type is correlated with the occurrence of LEDVT in elderly patients' post-hip fracture. Those with non-O blood type, alongside other factors such as high BMI, hypertension, low PLT, and extended PT, are at increased risk of developing LEDVT.

Quantifying biased technical progress in China: Heterogeneous human capital and labor force dynamics.

The main objectives of this study are to estimate the biased technical progress in China considering heterogeneity in human capital and labor force, examine how this heterogeneity quantitatively impacts the elasticity of substitution and biased technical progress compared to homogeneous labor assumptions, and compare the growth rates of human capital-augmenting and labor-augmenting technical progress. The estimation procedure involves a constrained Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) using provincial-level panel data from 1985 to 2021. By comparing results with and without accounting for labor force heterogeneity and human capital, the analysis quantifies their impact on the estimated elasticity of substitution between factors and the magnitude and direction of technical bias. Results found that the elasticity of capital-labor (human capital) substitution is between 0.7 and 0.8, and the elements are generally complementary. Although it does not affect the overall trend of elasticity of substitution and biased technical progress, the heterogeneity of human capital and labor force has a quantitative impact on them. It means that the elasticity of substitution increased, and the biased technological progress decreased. Moreover, the growth rate of human capital-augmenting technical progress was significantly lower than that of labor-augmenting technological progress. This study estimates the biased technical progress in China, where the human capital and labor force are heterogeneous. The findings suggest that policymakers should prioritize human capital investments and technological upgrades in industries to rebalance China's technical progress and boost productivity growth.

Cloning and characterization of a hyaluronate lyase EsHyl8 from Escherichia sp. A99.

Hyaluronidase, an enzyme that degrades hyaluronic acid (HA), is utilized in clinical settings to facilitate drug diffusion, manage extravasation, and address injection-related complications linked to HA-based fillers. In this study, a novel hyaluronate lyase EsHyl8 was cloned, expressed, and characterized from Escherichia sp. A99 of human intestinal origin. This lyase belongs to polysaccharide lyase (PL) family 8, and showed specific activity towards HA. EsHyl8 exhibited optimal degradation at 40 °C and pH 6.0. EsHyl8 exhibited a high activity of 376.32 U/mg among hyaluronidases of human gut microorganisms. EsHyl8 was stable at 37 °C and remained about 70 % of activity after incubation at 37 °C for 24 h, demonstrating excellent thermostability. The activity of EsHyl8 was inhibited by Zn2+, Cu2+, Fe3+, and SDS. EsHyl8 was an endo-type enzyme whose end-product was unsaturated disaccharide. This study enhances our understanding of hyaluronidases from human gut microorganisms.

Injury-Admission Time is an Independent Risk Factor for Deep Vein Thrombosis in Older Patients with Osteoporotic Hip Fracture.

BACKGROUND Deep vein thrombosis is a common pre- and post-operative complication in older patients with osteoporotic hip fractures. Pre-operative thrombus can increase the risk of surgery. This study examined the association between the time from fracture to admission (injury-admission time) and deep vein thrombosis in older patients with osteoporotic hip fractures. MATERIAL AND METHODS Doppler ultrasound screening of deep lower-extremity veins was performed in patients with osteoporotic hip fractures between June 2019 and December 2021. Clinical data, including medical history, injury-admission time, and laboratory tests, were collected retrospectively. RESULTS Of the 439 patients, deep vein thrombosis was found in 139 (31.66%). The injury-admission time was significantly longer in the thrombosis group, which was positively associated with deep vein thrombosis (odds ratio 1.010, 95% confidence interval 1.003-1.017). The area under the curve to predict deep vein thrombosis was 0.619. The best cut-off value, sensitivity, and specificity were 21 h, 46.76%, and 75%, respectively. When the injury-admission period exceeded 21 h, the prevalence of deep vein thrombosis was 45.8% and the thrombosis incidence was significantly higher than in the <21 h group (24.9%). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that screening for deep vein thrombosis should be routinely performed for patients with osteoporotic hip fractures, particularly for those with injury-admission time ≥21 h.

The prevalence of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women in urban Tianjin, China and its related factors.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of the study are to understand the prevalence of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women in urban Tianjin, China and its related factors through a questionnaire and to assess the correlation between individual characteristics, physical mobility, psychological and emotional well-being, and prevalence, as well as people's awareness of osteoporosis. METHODS: We selected 240 postmenopausal women from 12 randomly selected streets in 6 administrative districts of Tianjin for bone mineral density measurement and a face-to-face questionnaire survey to obtain the relevant data. Female residents who had lived in the communities under the jurisdiction of the incorporated streets for more than 10 years and had been in menopause for 2 years were included. The women were made aware of the study, there were no communication barriers, and they were willing to undergo dual-energy absorptiometry and cooperate in completing the questionnaire. We used one-way analysis of variance, Fisher exact test, and Pearson correlation analysis for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women in the six districts of Tianjin was found to be 52.08%, and the χ 2 test for trend showed a clear trend of increasing with age ( P = 0.035). Body mass index was found to be the most significant personal characteristic affecting the prevalence of osteoporosis; the mean values of the nonosteoporosis and osteoporosis group were (25.45 ± 3.09) and (23.85 ± 3.16), respectively ( P < 0.001); previous fractures were closely associated with the prevalence of osteoporosis. Awareness about osteoporosis had not disseminated among the population, and 9.17% of the participants had never heard of the disease. While 75.42% and 72.92% of the participants, respectively, believe that the harm of osteoporosis cannot be compared with heart disease and cerebral infarction, 56.67% had never had an examination for osteoporosis and paid little to no attention to this disease. People still had major misconceptions about the hazards of osteoporosis and common-sense precautions that needed to be followed. CONCLUSIONS: Although osteoporosis is prevalent among postmenopausal women in urban Tianjin and is strongly linked to both history of fracture and body mass index, most women are only familiar with the disease's name and lack an understanding of the dangers it poses as well as the importance of early diagnosis and treatment. To ensure the prevention and control of osteoporosis, it is crucial to focus on increasing the examination and treatment rates and spreading awareness of the three-level diagnosis and treatment pattern among the public.

The roles of immune system and autoimmunity in pulmonary arterial hypertension: A review.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a chronic disease characterized by increased pulmonary artery pressure which if left untreated, can lead to poor quality of life and ultimately death. It is a group of conditions and includes idiopathic PAH, familial/hereditary PAH and associated PAH. The condition has been studied for many years and its association with the immune system and in particular autoimmunity has been investigated. The mechanisms for the pathobiology of PAH are unclear although research has highlighted the role of adaptive and innate immune systems in its development. Diagnostics and therapeutic approaches range from cytokine treatments to the use of immunomodulating drugs, although there is still scope for improvements in the field. This article discusses the mechanisms linked to PAH, its association with other conditions and recent therapeutic interventions.

Akt signals upstream of L-type calcium channels to optimize insulin secretion.

OBJECTIVES: Both the serine/threonine protein kinase Akt and the voltage-gated L-type calcium channel act as important players in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Akt recruits the L-type calcium channel to and maintains them in the plasma membrane. This study aimed to characterize the role of L-type calcium channels in mediation of Akt signaling in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. METHODS: Insulin secretion was evaluated in rat pancreatic islets and INS-1 pancreatic ß cells by a standard insulin radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: Akt inhibition effectively abrogates not only glucose-stimulated but also potassium depolarization-stimulated insulin secretion from rat islets, the latter critically relying on the voltage-gated calcium channel-mediated Ca(2+) influx without involvement of glucose metabolism. Likewise, Akt inhibition also reduces both glucose-stimulated and potassium depolarization-stimulated insulin secretion from INS-1 cells. Importantly, pharmacological ablation of L-type calcium channels partially blocks Akt inhibition-induced reduction in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion but completely prevents that in potassium depolarization-evoked insulin release from INS-1 cells. Furthermore, Akt inhibition does not influence calcium ionophore A23187-induced insulin secretion from INS-1 cells, which occurred without involvement of L-type calcium channels. CONCLUSIONS: Akt signals upstream of L-type calcium channels to optimize glucose-stimulated insulin secretion.

Subthreshold α2-adrenergic activation counteracts glucagon-like peptide-1 potentiation of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion.

The pancreatic ß cell harbors α2-adrenergic and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptors on its plasma membrane to sense the corresponding ligands adrenaline/noradrenaline and GLP-1 to govern glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. However, it is not known whether these two signaling systems interact to gain the adequate and timely control of insulin release in response to glucose. The present work shows that the α2-adrenergic agonist clonidine concentration-dependently depresses glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from INS-1 cells. On the contrary, GLP-1 concentration-dependently potentiates insulin secretory response to glucose. Importantly, the present work reveals that subthreshold α2-adrenergic activation with clonidine counteracts GLP-1 potentiation of glucose-induced insulin secretion. This counteractory process relies on pertussis toxin- (PTX-) sensitive Gi proteins since it no longer occurs following PTX-mediated inactivation of Gi proteins. The counteraction of GLP-1 potentiation of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by subthreshold α2-adrenergic activation is likely to serve as a molecular mechanism for the delicate regulation of insulin release.