Impulsivity is a stable, measurable, and predictive psychological trait.

Impulsivity is a personality construct frequently employed to explain and predict important human behaviors. Major inconsistencies in its definition and measurement, however, have led some researchers to call for an outright rejection of impulsivity as a psychological construct. We address this highly unsatisfactory state with a large-scale, preregistered study (N = 1,676) in which each participant completed 48 measures of impulsivity derived from 10 self-report scales and 10 behavioral tasks and reported frequencies of seven impulsivity-related behaviors (e.g., impulsive buying and social media usage); a subsample (N = 196) then completed a retest session 3 mo later. We found that correlations between self-report measures were substantially higher than those between behavioral tasks and between self-report measures and behavioral tasks. Bifactor analysis of these measures exacted one general factor of impulsivity I, akin to the general intelligence factor g, and six specific factors. Factor I was related mainly to self-report measures, had high test-retest reliability, and could predict impulsivity-related behaviors better than existing measures. We further developed a scale named the adjustable impulsivity scale (AIMS) to measure I. AIMS possesses excellent psychometric properties that are largely retained in shorter versions and could predict impulsivity-related behaviors equally well as I. These findings collectively support impulsivity as a stable, measurable, and predictive trait, indicating that it may be too early to reject it as a valid and useful psychological construct. The bifactorial structure of impulsivity and AIMS, meanwhile, significantly advance the conceptualization and measurement of construct impulsivity.

Quantitative evaluation of the impact of indoor relative humidity on deposition of aerosols generated during tooth grinding in a real-world clinical setting.

OBJECTIVES: Exposure to aerosol particles generated from tooth grinding has a negative impact on the health of dental personnel. The aim of this study was to quantitatively analyze the impact of indoor relative humidity (IRH) on the deposition of these suspended particles in a well-controlled dental environment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, a humidity control system was employed to effectively regulate and maintain indoor relative humidity (IRH). A novel computer-assisted numerical control system was developed to pre-treat the molar specimens, and accurately simulate clinical tooth grinding procedures. Each procedure was performed in triplicate, with an online real-time particle counter (ORPC; TR-8301, TongrenCo.) measuring aerosol production. All testing devices were controlled remotely. The data obtained were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests (Kruskal-Wallis/ Dunn's post hoc test with Bonferroni correction, p < 0.05). RESULTS: The findings showed that with increasing IRH, the maximum peak concentration of aerosol particles decreased by 397% from 6.51 × 107 particles/m3 at 30% to 1.64 × 107 particles/m3 at 80%. The Kruskal-Wallis test results indicated a statistically significant effect of IRH on the aerosol increment (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Increasing the IRH level can effectively promote the deposition of aerosol particles, with a return to baseline within 15 min after reaching 60% or above. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Our study suggested that maintaining IRH above 70% during the cleaning process, allowing natural recovery to ambient humidity levels within 15 min after cleaning, and taking basic precautions, may lead to an adequate reduction in the possible health risks of aerosol contamination.

Developing trustworthy artificial intelligence: insights from research on interpersonal, human-automation, and human-AI trust.

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has impacted society in many aspects. Alongside this progress, concerns such as privacy violation, discriminatory bias, and safety risks have also surfaced, highlighting the need for the development of ethical, responsible, and socially beneficial AI. In response, the concept of trustworthy AI has gained prominence, and several guidelines for developing trustworthy AI have been proposed. Against this background, we demonstrate the significance of psychological research in identifying factors that contribute to the formation of trust in AI. Specifically, we review research findings on interpersonal, human-automation, and human-AI trust from the perspective of a three-dimension framework (i.e., the trustor, the trustee, and their interactive context). The framework synthesizes common factors related to trust formation and maintenance across different trust types. These factors point out the foundational requirements for building trustworthy AI and provide pivotal guidance for its development that also involves communication, education, and training for users. We conclude by discussing how the insights in trust research can help enhance AI's trustworthiness and foster its adoption and application.

Study of aerosol dispersion and control in dental practice.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we investigated the dispersion patterns of aerosols and droplets in dental clinics and developed a suction device to evaluate its effectiveness in reducing aerosols during dental procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Firstly, the continuous images of oral aerosols and droplets were photographed with a high-speed camera, and the trajectories of these particles were recognized and processed by Image J to determine key parameters affecting particle dispersion: diffusion velocity, distance, and angle. Secondly, based on the parameter data, the flow field of aerosol particles around the oral cavity was simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and the flow field under adsorption conditions was simulated to demonstrate the aerodynamic characteristics and capture efficiencies of the single-channel and three-channel adsorption ports at different pressures. Finally, according to the simulated data, a three-channel suction device was developed, and the capture efficiency of the device was tested by the fluorescein tracer method. RESULTS: The dispersion experimental data showed that aerosol particles' maximum diffusion velocity, distance, and angle were 6.2 m/s, 0.55 m, and 130°, respectively. The simulated aerosol flow-field distribution was consistent with the aerosol dispersion patterns. The adsorption simulation results showed that the outlet flow rate of single-channel adsorption was 184.5 L/s at - 350 Pa, and the aerosol capture efficiency could reach 79.4%. At - 350 Pa and - 150 Pa, the outlet flow rate of three-channel adsorption was 228.9 L/s, and the capture efficiency was 99.23%. The adsorption experimental data showed that the capture efficiency of three-channel suction device was 97.71%. CONCLUSIONS: A three-channel suction device was designed by simulations and experiments, which can capture most aerosols in the dental clinic and prevent them from spreading. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Using three-channel suction devices during oral treatment effectively reduces the spread of oral aerosols, which is essential to prevent the spread of epidemics and ensure the health and safety of patients and dental staff.

Under-5, infant, and neonatal mortality trends and causes of death, 1991-2022: Findings from death surveillance in Xicheng district of Beijing, China.

Overall, China has made substantial progress in improving child survival over the past few decades, but a detailed understanding of child mortality trend at local level is limited. This study aimed to present a comprehensive analysis of under-5, infant, and neonatal mortality rates and its trend in Xicheng district of Beijing, China. We used the surveillance data of under-5 children reported by Preventive Health Department of Xicheng District Community Health Service Center from 1991 to 2022. The data was collected based on the Child Death Reporting Card of the Beijing Under-5 Mortality Rate Surveillance Network. Data check was performed by each community health service center and related medical institutions. We extracted data included maternal age, date of death, date of birth, gender, census register, classification of any causes of death, and utilization of healthcare services before death and doubly input it in the Excel 2016 program. Categorization of the causes of death was adapted by the International Categorization of Diseases (ICD-10). Mortality rates and distribution of the leading causes of death were analyzed with descriptive statistics and the Pearson's Chi-square test using SAS 14.0 software. The Chi-square trend test was used to explore the trends in mortality. Interrupted time series analysis (ITSA) was conducted to assess the impact of the two-child policy on mortality using STATA statistical packages. From 1991 to 2022, totally, there were 166,061 live births and 793 (4.78 ‰) under-5 deaths. The mortality rates of under-5 children, infants and neonates in Xicheng district decreased from 14.75 ‰, 11.25 ‰ and 8.00 ‰ to 1.03 ‰, 0.83 ‰ and 0.41 ‰ respectively. All mortality rates showed an overall significant decline trend (χ2 trend for neonatal = -15.8136, P trend for neonatal < 0.001; χ2 trend for infant = -17.6652, P trend for infant < 0.001; χ2 trend for under-5 = -18.9103, P trend for under-5 < 0.001). The leading causes of death among under-5 children were congenital heart disease (1.65 ‰), birth asphyxia (1.44 ‰), and other congenital abnormalities (except congenital heart disease and down's syndrome) (1.36 ‰). ITSA results showed that the two-child policy did not change the overall decreased trend of child mortality rates. Future preventive measures for child healthcare should give a priority for congenital heart disease, birth asphyxia, and other congenital abnormalities.

Investigating the ID3/SLC22A4 as immune-related signatures in ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND: Ischemic stroke (IS) is a fearful disease that can cause a variety of immune events. Nevertheless, precise immune-related mechanisms have yet to be systematically elucidated. This study aimed to identify immune-related signatures using machine learning and to validate them with animal experiments and single cell analysis. METHODS: In this study, we screened 24 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) while identifying immune-related signatures that may play a key role in IS development through a comprehensive strategy between least absolute shrinkage and selection operation (LASSO) regression, support vector machine (SVM) and immune-related genes. In addition, we explored immune infiltration using the CIBERSORT algorithm. Finally, we performed validation in mouse brain tissue and single cell analysis. RESULTS: We identified 24 DEGs for follow-up analysis. ID3 and SLC22A4 were finally identified as the better immune-related signatures through a comprehensive strategy among DEGs, LASSO, SVM and immune-related genes. RT-qPCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence revealed a significant decrease in ID3 and a significant increase in SLC22A4 in the middle cerebral artery occlusion group. Single cell analysis revealed that ID3 was mainly concentrated in endothelial_2 cells and SLC22A4 in astrocytes in the MCAO group. A CIBERSORT finds significantly altered levels of immune infiltration in IS patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study focused on immune-related signatures after stroke and ID3 and SLC22A4 may be new therapeutic targets to promote functional recovery after stroke. Furthermore, the association of ID3 and SLC22A4 with immune cells may be a new direction for post-stroke immunotherapy.

Competitive strategy, development zone policy and firm growth: Empirical evidence from China.

Competitive strategy plays an important role in achieving superior profits, but there is still much to be explored in terms of the effect on firm growth. This study focuses on exploring the relationship between competitive strategy and firm growth in emerging economies. We focus on how the development zone policies moderate this relationship. This study uses a two-way fixed-effect model to analyze data for 527 manufacturing firms listed in China's Shanghai and Shenzhen A-shares from 2012-2021. Our empirical analysis showed that there is a significant positive relationship between low-cost strategy and firm growth and a significant negative relationship between differentiation strategy and firm growth. Compared with national development zones, firms in provincial development zones choose low-cost strategies that are more conducive to growth. Compared with provincial development zones, firms in national development zones choose differentiation strategies that are more conducive to growth. These findings contribute to understanding the mechanisms by which competitive strategy affects firm growth in different regional institutional contexts in emerging economies. The results of the study also have reference value for the government to optimize the development zone policies.

Officials' promotion expectation, corporate strategic deviance and corporate growth in China: The moderating effect of corporate ownership.

Government (especially local government) plays an important role in China's economic growth, the government is made up of officials, corporates are participants and the driving force of market economy, therefore, ignoring officials may not be able to directly explain the mechanism of corporate growth. This paper intends to discover how officials' promotion expectation may be beneficial for corporates-directly and/or indirectly via corporate strategic deviance-in terms of corporate growth. We conduct an empirical analysis of Chinese listed companies to test these arguments, the results show that officials' promotion expectation has a significantly positive impact on corporate growth; corporate strategic deviance has a mediating effect on the relationship between officials' promotion expectation and corporate growth; compared with non-state-owned enterprises, corporate strategic deviance has less influence on state-owned enterprises' growth. Our research generates a more comprehensive understanding of the political stakeholders-corporate growth relationship, provides direct evidence for the positive role of officials in corporate growth and expands the mediating research of corporate growth.

Quantitative assessment of aerosol contamination generated during tooth grinding with a speed-increasing handpiece.

OBJECTIVES: Tooth grinding produces a significant amount of aerosol particles. The aim of this study was to quantitatively assess particle contamination produced from tooth grinding with a speed-increasing handpiece across a real-world clinical setting. METHODS: All molar crowns were pretreated into cylinders with a uniform size. A novel computer-assisted numerical control system was used to parametrically study the bur speed: from 20,000 (20 K) to 200 K rpm at 20 K rpm intervals. 5-minute tooth grinding was performed in triplicate at each speed setting. Three online real-time particle counters (ORPC; TR-8301, TongrenCo.) were placed at 3 positions (0.5, 1, and 1.5 m) to evaluate particle production. All experimental instruments were controlled remotely. The data obtained were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests (Scheirer-Ray-Hare and Kruskal-Wallis/ Dunn-Bonferroni tests, p < 0.05). RESULTS: The concentration level of aerosol particles production during the grinding experiment was elevated above the control group for all conditions, and increased with bur speed at any location (the maximum peak, reaching 5.59 × 107 particles/m3, at 200 K and 1 m), with differences between conditions. The effect of speed on the increment of particles across different channels compared to the control group was statistically significant among locations (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Statistically significant particle contamination was produced using a speed-increasing handpiece, but the contamination level for each experimental condition was reduced to baseline within 30 min, and most particles with a diameter greater than 1üm produced at low speeds (80 K or lower) tended to settle within 1 m. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Our study suggested that the use of a speed-increasing handpiece below 80 K and 30 min of fallow time may lead to an adequate reduction in the health effects of particle contamination.

A New Quantum Private Protocol for Set Intersection Cardinality Based on a Quantum Homomorphic Encryption Scheme for Toffoli Gate.

Set Intersection Cardinality (SI-CA) computes the intersection cardinality of two parties' sets, which has many important and practical applications such as data mining and data analysis. However, in the face of big data sets, it is difficult for two parties to execute the SI-CA protocol repeatedly. In order to reduce the execution pressure, a Private Set Intersection Cardinality (PSI-CA) protocol based on a quantum homomorphic encryption scheme for the Toffoli gate is proposed. Two parties encode their private sets into two quantum sequences and encrypt their sequences by way of a quantum homomorphic encryption scheme. After receiving the encrypted results, the semi-honest third party (TP) can determine the equality of two quantum sequences with the Toffoli gate and decrypted keys. The simulation of the quantum homomorphic encryption scheme for the Toffoli gate on two quantum bits is given by the IBM Quantum Experience platform. The simulation results show that the scheme can also realize the corresponding function on two quantum sequences.

A multicenter retrospective controlled study of the Pipeline™ and Tubridge™ Flow Diverter devices for intracranial wide-necked aneurysms.

Purpose: To compare the safety and efficacy of PipelineTM and TubridgeTM Flow Diverter devices (FDs) in the treatment of intracranial wide-necked aneurysms. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 92 patients with intracranial wide-necked aneurysms who were treated with those two flow-diverter devices (FDs) at four participating centers between July 2012 and December 2020. Results: This study included 92 patients who underwent endovascular therapy using either Pipeline™ (n = 39) or TubridgeTM (n = 53) for treating intracranial wide-necked aneurysms. The periprocedural complication developed in 2.56% (1/39) patients of Pipeline group and 3.77% (2/53) patients of the TubridgeTM group. During perioperative period, one patient in Pipeline™ group showed subarachnoid hemorrhage (2.56%, 1/39) and two ischemic complications in the Tubridge™ group (3.77%, 2/53). Follow-up assessments were conducted on 31 patients (79.49%) in the Pipeline™ group (the mean follow-up period was 9.7 ± 3.3 months). The rate of complete aneurysm occlusion at the final angiographic follow-up was 77.42%. Patients with a modified Rankin scale (mRS) score of 0.44 ± 0.31. Follow-up assessments were conducted on 42 patients (79.25%) in the TubridgeTM group (the mean follow-up period was 9.1 ± 4.4 months). The rate of complete aneurysm occlusion at the final angiographic follow-up was 85.71%. Patients with mRS score of 0.52 ± 0.28. Three patients showed parent artery stenosis, and one showed parent artery occlusion. Conclusion: Both the PipelineTM and TubridgeTM are safe and effective for the treatment of intracranial wide-necked aneurysms, with no significant difference in the rate of complete aneurysm occlusion and perioperative complications between the two FDs.

Characterization and Origin Analysis of Heavy Oil in the Western Sag of the Liaohe Basin.

This article systematically examines the physical characteristics, group composition characteristics, and geochemical characteristics of heavy oil in the Western Sag of the Liaohe Basin. The examination is based on the separation and quantitative analysis of crude oil and rock samples, as well as the analysis of test results from gas chromatography with saturated hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons. It also analyzes the generation mechanism and main controlling factors of heavy oil. The results show that heavy oil has low wax content (1.8-9.2%), a low freezing point (-19-38 °C), low sulfur content (0.28-0.5%), high colloid and asphaltene content, high density (0.926-1.008 g/cm3), and high viscosity (328-231910 mPa·s). The physical properties of the heavy oil in the same formation decrease from the depression's edge toward its center and within the same area, and the physical properties in different formations also have an inverse relationship with burial depth. Biodegradation is the main reason for the formation of heavy oil. Based on the biodegradation degree, there are four types of heavy oil: undegraded, weakly degraded, moderately degraded, and severely degraded. The main controlling factors of biodegradation are temperature and the water environment. This study provides a method for studying the genetic mechanism of heavy oil, an approach for discovering similar genetic oil and gas, and a basis for the transformation of heavy oil field development.

Does a single dose of palonosetron have any role in preventing acute chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in pediatric osteosarcoma patients without dexamethasone? A randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is a troublesome side-effect of chemotherapy in pediatric patients undergoing osteosarcoma treatment. In this context, the role of 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonists needs to be explored. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the superiority of single-dose palonosetron over granisetron in pediatric patients undergoing highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) for osteosarcoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this double-blind, randomized study, pediatric patients were assessed in terms of acute nausea and vomiting following HEC for osteosarcoma. These children were assigned to group 1 (palonosetron) and group 2 (granisetron) without any other antiemetic prophylaxis. The primary outcome variable was the children's segment with a complete response (CR) during the acute phase of the 1st on-study chemotherapy cycle. The risk factors associated with the emesis were analyzed. The patients were followed up for the first 24 h after chemotherapy. RESULTS: A total number of 200 children were evaluated in terms of the response, and other factors that might alter the response were assessed in the 2 groups. These 200 children underwent 604 blocks of chemotherapy. Complete responses were documented in 83% and 72% of children receiving palonosetron and granisetron, respectively, during the acute phase. Only dexamethasone, used as a rescue medication, was found to be a significant risk factor that predisposed to the response (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Single-dose palonosetron is an effective alternative to granisetron for preventing CINV in children receiving HEC for osteosarcoma.

Does risk perception motivate preventive behavior during a pandemic? A longitudinal study in the United States and China.

Controlling the spread of an infectious disease depends critically on the general public's adoption of preventive measures. Theories of health behavior suggest that risk perceptions motivate preventive behavior. The supporting evidence for this causal link is, however, of questionable validity. The COVID-19 pandemic provides a rare opportunity to examine how risk perceptions, preventive behavior, and the link between them develop in a fast-changing risky environment. In a 4-wave longitudinal study conducted in the United States and China, we found that for Chinese participants, there was little relationship between risk perceptions and preventive behavior. This may be a result of the Chinese government's strict control and containment policies and a collectivistic culture that encourages conforming to norms-both of which limit individuals' nonconformist behavior. For U.S. participants, risk perceptions did motivate preventive behavior in the early stage of the pandemic; however, as time went by and the risk of COVID-19 persisted, preventive behavior also led to perception of higher infection risk, which in turn further motivated preventive behavior. Thus, instead of the presumed unidirectional influence from perception to behavior, our results indicate that the two could mutually reinforce each other. Overall, our findings suggest that risk perceptions-at least in the context of a dynamic health hazard-may only motivate preventive behavior at specific stages and under specific conditions. They also highlight the importance of early interventions in promoting preventive behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Sharing intention of electronic health records in online health communities: Patients' behavioral decisions in the context of privacy protection measures.

Online health communities (OHCs) have become more important to people's daily lives on the foundation of the voluntary sharing of electronic health records (EHRs). However, no in-depth investigation has been conducted concerning the influence of the perceptions of privacy protection among patients on their willingness to share EHRs. To fill the knowledge gap, by combining and modifying the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the health belief model in the context of the privacy protection models implemented by OHCs, an empirical research method using a questionnaire approach is conducted to validate the hypotheses. The results indicate that the more positive a patient's attitude toward medical information sharing behavior is, the higher that patient's level of perceived behavioral control; in addition, the greater the social rewards obtained from this process, the more willing the patient is to share his or her EHRs after privacy protection measures are implemented by OHCs. Meanwhile, the effects of past positive experiences and disease severity have also been tested. The findings of this study can be used to promote patients' full participation in OHCs from a privacy perspective and offer theoretical and practical suggestions to promote the development of OHCs.

Glucocorticoids induce osteonecrosis of the femoral head through the Hippo signaling pathway.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) induced by glucocorticoids (GCs) has been considered to be associated with the dysfunction of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Studies have reported that GCs can regulate the normal differentiation of BMSCs. However, the exact mechanism of this regulation remains unclear. In this study, we used methylprednisolone (MPS) to induce BMSCs, and then found that the Hippo signaling pathway was upregulated in a dose-dependent manner compared to that in the control group. In addition, the osteogenic ability of BMSCs was decreased, as evaluated by Alizarin Red S staining analysis and alkaline phosphatase activity assays, accompanied by the downregulated expression of Runx2, osteopontin, and osteocalcin. Additionally, the adipogenic capacity of BMSCs under the MPS conditions was increased, as identified by Oil Red O staining with upregulated triglyceride and PPARγ expression. Moreover, suppression by knockdown of MST1 was found to attenuate the Hippo signaling pathway and adipogenic differentiation, while enhancing osteogenic differentiation. In conclusion, our findings revealed that the Hippo signaling pathway was involved in GC-ONFH by affecting the osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation capacities of BMSCs. Our study could provide a basis for further investigation of the specific function of the Hippo pathway in ONFH.

Changing emotions in the COVID-19 pandemic: A four-wave longitudinal study in the United States and China.

RATIONALE: Tracking the trajectory of people's emotional and behavioral reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic sheds light on how people cope with the emerging crisis, evaluates the impact of emotional reactions on preventive behaviors, and provides insights into how preventive behaviors can be encouraged and maintained in the long term. OBJECTIVE: We addressed two related questions: How did emotions change across various stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to what extent were preventive behaviors predicted by emotional reactions and information acquisition? METHODS: We conducted a four-wave longitudinal study in the United States and China across four stages of the pandemic: prepandemic, onset of viral outbreak, ongoing risk, and contained risk. We measured emotions, life satisfaction, preventive behaviors, acquisition of COVID-19 related information, and risk perceptions. We used the Emotional Recall Task (ERT) to investigate people's emotions. By allowing people to describe their emotional experience in their own words, the ERT evaluates each individual based on emotions relevant to their personal experience, making it more suitable for a wider range of contexts and social groups. RESULTS: Boredom, anxiety, fear, and worry were common emotional reactions to the pandemic as it emerged. Surprisingly, participants' emotional experience did not mirror infection and death rates: Instead of negative emotions growing as the virus spread, emotions soon reverted back to normality. This pattern held regardless of whether the viral spread was contained. Consequently, people's preventive behaviors were predicted by fear, anxiety, and worry only at the onset of the viral outbreak. In contrast, actively acquiring information and knowledge about COVID-19 had a more enduring effect on the engagement of preventive behaviors in both countries. CONCLUSION: Our research suggests a possible life cycle of emotional reactions towards a pandemic and highlights the importance of people acquiring information and knowledge about the threat in containing its spread.

Improved stress corrosion cracking resistance of in-situ TiB2/7050Al composite by pre-precipitation treatment.

A two-step aging treatment (50 L P, a peak aging following 50 ℃ pre-precipitation) has been investigated for the in-situ TiB2/7050Al composite. The 50 L P composite has the comparable mechanical properties to the composite at peak-aged (T6) state, and even better stress corrosion cracking resistance over the composite with the retrogression and re-aging (RRA) treatment. In detail, the different aging conditions lead to different precipitate morphologies and grain boundary microchemistries. According to the microstructure characteristics in the Al matrix, the 50 L P composite has considerably increased grain boundary precipitate interspace in comparison with the T6 composite, since the lower aging temperature should result in the reduced grain boundary precipitate number. Furthermore, the 50 L P composite has more Cu content in the grain boundary precipitate and reduced precipitate free zone width over the RRA composite, indicating the improved stress corrosion cracking resistance. For the reinforcement, the TiB2 particles should slightly aggravate the stress corrosion cracking susceptibility, since the grain boundary precipitates are still the preferential corrosion sites due to their lower corrosion potentials.

Three functional polymorphisms in CCDC170 were associated with osteoporosis phenotype.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play essential roles in regulating bone formation and homeostasis. Genomic variations within miRNA target sites may therefore be important sources of genetic differences in osteoporosis risk. The function of CCDC170 in bone biology is still unclear. To verify the function of CCDC170, we knocked down CCDC170 in cells and mice and searched for miRNA recognition sites within CCDC170 using the TargetScan, miRNASNP, and miRBase databases. In this study, our results demonstrated that CCDC170 plays an important role in the positive regulation of bone formation. MiR-153-3p, miR-374b-3p, miR-4274, miR-572 and miR-2964a-5p inhibited CCDC170 expression in an allele-specific manner by binding GWAS lead SNPs rs6932603, rs3757322 and rs3734806. These findings may improve our understanding of the association between CCDC170, miRNAs, GWAS lead SNPs, and osteoporosis pathogenesis and may provide a potential therapeutic target for osteoporosis therapy.

A novel anticoagulant affinity membrane for enhanced hemocompatibility and bilirubin removal.

Affinity membrane is widely employed to promote specific adsorption of toxins and reduce the blood purification therapeutic time. However, it suffers from insufficient toxin binding and low hemocompatibility. Herein, a novel anticoagulant affinity membrane (AAM) was developed to clear bilirubin from human blood in a pore-flow-through way. Firstly, a nylon net membrane with a regularly arranged pore as the matrix was coated with poly(pyrrole-3-carboxylic acid) via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. Then, poly(L-arginine) (PLA) as a highly specific ligand of bilirubin, was immobilized onto the surface of the composited membrane after the modification of heparin. Owing to the 3-dimensional molecular architecture of PLA, up to 86.1 % of bilirubin was efficiently cleared. Besides, the AAM exhibited effective anticoagulant activity in the measurement of clotting time, with suppressed thrombus formation, low hemolysis ratio, minimized platelet and leukocyte adhesion, and excellent biosafety. Therefore, the AAM has enormous potential in blood purification therapy for enhancing hemocompatibility and bilirubin removal.