Bidirectional Relationship between Adolescent Gender Egalitarianism and Prosocial Behavior.

This study investigates the bidirectional associations between gender egalitarianism and prosocial behavior in adolescents, and the moderating effect of gender in the associations, as well as gender differences and longitudinal changes in both. We recruited 543 Chinese adolescents (284 girls, 259 boys; mean age at Time 1 = 11.27 years) and collected three waves of data measuring gender egalitarianism and prosocial behavior at one-year intervals. According to the results, girls expressed greater gender egalitarianism than boys did; girls reported more prosocial behavior than boys in the sixth grade, but there were no significant gender differences in the seventh and eighth grades. Adolescents' gender egalitarianism stayed stable from the sixth to the seventh grade then increased from the seventh to the eighth grade, and there was a decrease in prosocial behavior from the sixth to the seventh grade. More importantly, the results of the multi-group cross-lagged panel model revealed that adolescents' gender egalitarianism in the previous year positively predicted prosocial behavior in the next year, and vice versa; such bidirectional associations equally applied to boys and girls. These findings add to the knowledge of adolescent gender egalitarianism and prosocial behavior, and the dynamic interplay between the two.

Vulnerability of protected areas to future climate change, land use modification, and biological invasions in China.

Anthropogenic climate change, land use modifications, and alien species invasions are major threats to global biodiversity. Protected areas (PAs) are regarded as the cornerstone of biodiversity conservation, however, few studies have quantified the vulnerability of PAs to these global change factors together. Here, we overlay the risks of climate change, land use change, and alien vertebrate establishment within boundaries of a total of 1020 PAs with different administrative levels in China to quantify their vulnerabilities. Our results show that 56.6% of PAs will face at least one stress factor, and 21 PAs are threatened under the highest risk with three stressors simultaneously. PAs designed for forest conservation in Southwest and South China are most sensitive to the three global change factors. In addition, wildlife and wetland PAs are predicted to mainly experience climate change and high land use anthropogenetic modifications, and many wildlife PAs can also provide suitable habitats for alien vertebrate establishment. Our study highlights the urgent need for proactive conservation and management planning of Chinese PAs by considering different global change factors together.

Belief in a just world and meaning in life among Chinese adolescents: The mediating role of basic psychological need satisfaction.

Previous literature has shown that adults with higher belief in a just world (BJW) experience greater meaning in life than those with less pronounced BJW. However, the role of BJW in adolescent meaning in life and the associated psychological mechanisms remain unclear. Thus, two studies were conducted to explore the roles of personal belief in a just world (PBJW) and general belief in a just world (GBJW) in meaning in life as well as the explanatory role of basic psychological need satisfaction among Chinese adolescents. Study 1 offered cross-sectional evidence that individuals higher in PBJW and GBJW displayed greater meaning in life, and basic psychological need satisfaction accounted for these associations. Study 2 provided longitudinal evidence that individuals higher in PBJW and GBJW at Time 1 exhibited greater meaning in life six months later (Time 2), wherein basic psychological need satisfaction at Time 1 served as a mediator. These findings contribute to understanding the adaptive benefits of PBJW and GBJW in meaning in life during adolescence and point to a crucial channel connecting BJW and meaning in life.

Association of long-term benzodiazepine hypnotic use and prediabetes in US population: A cross-sectional analysis of national health and nutrition examination survey data.

Benzodiazepine hypnotics' effects on glucose metabolism are seldom reported, and the association between long-term (≥4 weeks) benzodiazepine usage and prediabetes has not been studied. This study was aimed to investigate the association between benzodiazepine hypnotic usage for ≥ 3 months and the prevalence of prediabetes. We analyzed cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) during 2005 to 2008, selecting adult participants without diabetes who used benzodiazepine hypnotics for at least 3 months or did not take any hypnotics. Individuals taking other hypnotics, antipsychotics, glucocorticoids, or hypoglycemic drugs were excluded. We defined prediabetes as an hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) 5.7-6.4%, as suggested by the American Diabetes Association. Prescribed drug information was self-reported and checked by official interviewers, and HbA1C data in NHANES was recognized by the National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program. We calculated the propensity score according to the covariates and adjusted it using multivariate logistic regression. Lower thresholds of HbA1C ≥ 5.5% or ≥ 5.3% were also analyzed. Among 4694 eligible participants, 38 received benzodiazepine hypnotics; using these hypnotics for ≥ 3 months was not significantly associated with the prevalence of prediabetes, as well as HbA1C ≥ 5.5% or ≥ 5.3%. Adjusted for propensity score, the respective odds ratios for prediabetes, HbA1C ≥ 5.5%, and HbA1C ≥ 5.3% were 1.09 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.19-6.32), 0.83 (95% CI 0.22-3.13), and 1.22 (95% CI 0.3-4.93). No significant association was found between benzodiazepine hypnotic usage ≥ 3 months and the prevalence of prediabetes.

Characteristics of Chinese Lottery Consumers' Financial Literacy and its Relationship with Problem Lottery Gambling.

Problem lottery gambling among lottery consumers has increased globally over the years, rendering it necessary to explore their financial literacy characteristics and to answer whether financial literacy inhibits problem lottery gambling. In the present research, a total of 316 Chinese lottery consumers, who constitute the culturally underrepresented samples in the extant literature, completed a survey about financial literacy and problem lottery gambling. Using the propensity score matching method, we compared financial literacy between Chinese lottery consumers and Chinese general population (N = 10,058). The results showed that the five facets of financial literacy (i.e., financial knowledge, financial capacity, financial management values, financial ethics, and wealth values) among Chinese lottery consumers were significantly lower than Chinese general population. Among Chinese lottery consumers, their Homo sociologicus index (including financial ethics and wealth values) negatively predicted problem lottery gambling, but the Homo economicus index (including financial knowledge, financial capacity, and financial management values) was not significantly associated with problem lottery gambling. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings were discussed.

Mean arterial pressure and mortality in patients with heart failure: a retrospective analysis of Zigong heart failure database.

BACKGROUND: It is commonly observed that a higher target of mean arterial pressure (MAP) is in previous studies. This study assessed the association of MAP with short-term mortality in heart failure (HF) patients. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted by using data from Hospitalized patients with heart failure: integrating electronic healthcare records and external outcome database (v1.2 ). The characteristic of patients was described by 3 groups of MAP: below 80 mmHg, 80-100 mmHg, and above 100 mmHg. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the relevance between MAP and all-cause mortality within 28 days and 6 months. For assessing the effect of multiple variables on patient survival time, 28-day and 6-month, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Forest plot were performed. RESULTS: The overall cohort comprised 2008 patients divided by MAP into 3 groups, each group had 344 (17.1%), 938 (46.7%), and 726 (36.2%) patients. Patients in MAP < 80 mmHg group had higher mortality than MAP 80-100 mmHg and MAP ≥ 100 mmHg in 28 days(3.8% versus 1.6% versus 1.2%) and in 6 months (4.9% versus 2.5% versus 2.3%). Univariate analysis showed that MAP as a continuous variate was associated with 28-day (OR was 0.98, 95% CIs: 0.96-0.99, P  = 0.011) and 6-month mortality (OR was 0.98, 95% CIs: 0.97-1, P  = 0.021) in HF patients. Model 4 put into multivariate logistic regression analyses showed MAP 80-100 mmHg (OR was 0.13, 95% CIs: 0.02-0.8, P  = 0.027) stably associated with 28-day and 6-month mortality after adjusted covariable. Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed a higher survival rate in the MAP ≥ 80 mmHg group than in the MAP < 80 mmHg group. The forest plot showed the stable effect of MAP ≥ 80 mmHg compared with MAP < 80 mmHg, the interaction analysis had no statistical significance effect between the two groups of MAP and multi-variable. CONCLUSION: It is indicated that MAP was independently associated with 28-day, 6-month all-cause mortality of HF patients, and compared with MAP < 80 mmHg, MAP ≥ 80 mmHg had a lower risk of 28-day, 6-month all-cause mortality of patients with HF.

Role of toll-like receptor-mediated pyroptosis in sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy.

Sepsis, a life-threatening dysregulated status of the host response to infection, can cause multiorgan dysfunction and mortality. Sepsis places a heavy burden on the cardiovascular system due to the pathological imbalance of hyperinflammation and immune suppression. Myocardial injury and cardiac dysfunction caused by the aberrant host responses to pathogens can lead to cardiomyopathy, one of the most critical complications of sepsis. However, many questions about the specific mechanisms and characteristics of this complication remain to be answered. The causes of sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction include abnormal cardiac perfusion, myocardial inhibitory substances, autonomic dysfunction, mitochondrial dysfunction, and calcium homeostasis dysregulation. The fight between the host and pathogens acts as the trigger for sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy. Pyroptosis, a form of programmed cell death, plays a critical role in the progress of sepsis. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) act as pattern recognition receptors and participate in innate immune pathways that recognize damage-associated molecular patterns as well as pathogen-associated molecular patterns to mediate pyroptosis. Notably, pyroptosis is tightly associated with cardiac dysfunction in sepsis and septic shock. In line with these observations, induction of TLR-mediated pyroptosis may be a promising therapeutic approach to treat sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy. This review focuses on the potential roles of TLR-mediated pyroptosis in sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy, to shed light on this promising therapeutic approach, thus helping to prevent and control septic shock caused by cardiovascular disorders and improve the prognosis of sepsis patients.

Bile acid coordinates microbiota homeostasis and systemic immunometabolism in cardiometabolic diseases.

Cardiometabolic disease (CMD), characterized with metabolic disorder triggered cardiovascular events, is a leading cause of death and disability. Metabolic disorders trigger chronic low-grade inflammation, and actually, a new concept of metaflammation has been proposed to define the state of metabolism connected with immunological adaptations. Amongst the continuously increased list of systemic metabolites in regulation of immune system, bile acids (BAs) represent a distinct class of metabolites implicated in the whole process of CMD development because of its multifaceted roles in shaping systemic immunometabolism. BAs can directly modulate the immune system by either boosting or inhibiting inflammatory responses via diverse mechanisms. Moreover, BAs are key determinants in maintaining the dynamic communication between the host and microbiota. Importantly, BAs via targeting Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and diverse other nuclear receptors play key roles in regulating metabolic homeostasis of lipids, glucose, and amino acids. Moreover, BAs axis per se is susceptible to inflammatory and metabolic intervention, and thereby BAs axis may constitute a reciprocal regulatory loop in metaflammation. We thus propose that BAs axis represents a core coordinator in integrating systemic immunometabolism implicated in the process of CMD. We provide an updated summary and an intensive discussion about how BAs shape both the innate and adaptive immune system, and how BAs axis function as a core coordinator in integrating metabolic disorder to chronic inflammation in conditions of CMD.

How many masks do you buy? A simple dilemma task to differentiate between individual and social rationality.

Prior measures on rationality overlook the individual differences in the weight people place on social rationality versus individual rationality. The current research develops and validates an individual-collective dilemma task (ICDT) to distinguish different rationality types. It was translated from a reality that, at the beginning of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, a global shortage of face masks occurred because of the jumping demand for masks as a precautionary measure. The ICDT asked participants to decide how many masks to buy in front of a shortfall of masks, which facilitated coping with a hypothetical epidemic outbreak. Based on the number of masks they selected, three rationality groups emerged. Individual rationalists preferred self-interest goals to goals of social interests; social rationalists prioritized social-interest goals; balancers assigned equal weight to both goals. The ICDT showed sound test-retest reliability and criterion-related, discriminant, and convergent validity. The present research contributes to the literature on rationality assessment and offers policy-makers a valid and reliable tool to understand the distribution of rationalists among the public. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-03338-x.

Community identity profiles and COVID-19-related community participation.

Prior studies have revealed that community identity promotes participation. However, it remains unclear whether heterogenous community identity profiles emerged and how they differed in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related community participation. Thus, the current study used a person-oriented approach to address these issues. A total of 1,083 Chinese residents participated in a national online survey in mid-March 2020. A latent profile analysis found that residents belonged in one of four community identity profiles: Strong identifiers (43.7%), function-dominant identifiers (25.0%), emotion-dominant identifiers (19.8%) and weak identifiers (11.5%). The strong identifiers profile showed the most positive COVID-19-related community management attitude and the highest participation intention and participation behaviour among the four profiles. Compared with strong identifiers, other profiles displayed less positive management attitude and lower participation intention and, in turn, exhibited less participation behaviour. The findings can help community organizers and administrators design intervention programs targeting specific subgroups amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Please refer to the Supplementary Materials section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

Combination of Hua Shi Bai Du granule (Q-14) and standard care in the treatment of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A single-center, open-label, randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Hua Shi Bai Du Granule (Q-14) plus standard care compared with standard care alone in adults with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). STUDY DESIGN: A single-center, open-label, randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Wuhan, China, February 27 to March 27, 2020. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 204 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were randomized into the treatment group and control group, consisting of 102 patients in each group. INTERVENTIONS: In the treatment group, Q-14 was administered at 10 g (granules) twice daily for 14 days, plus standard care. In the control group, patients were provided standard care alone for 14 days. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The primary outcome was the conversion time for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral assay. Adverse events were analyzed in the safety population. RESULTS: Among the 204 patients, 195 were analyzed according to the intention-to-treat principle. A total of 149 patients (71 vs. 78 in the treatment and control groups, respectively) tested negative via the SARS-CoV-2 viral assay. There was no statistical significance in the conversion time between the treatment group and control group (Full analysis set: Median [interquartile range]: 10.00 [9.00-11.00] vs. 10.00 [9.00-11.00]; Mean rank: 67.92 vs. 81.44; P = 0.051). The recovery time for fever was shorter in the treatment group than in the control group. The disappearance rate of symptoms like cough, fatigue, and chest discomfort was significantly higher in the treatment group. In chest computed tomography (CT) examinations, the overall evaluation of chest CT examination after treatment compared with baseline showed that more patients improved in the treatment group. There were no significant differences in the other outcomes. CONCLUSION: The combination of Q-14 and standard care for COVID-19 was useful for the improvement of symptoms (such as fever, cough, fatigue, and chest discomfort), but did not result in a significantly higher probability of negative conversion in the SARS-CoV-2 viral assay. No serious adverse events were observed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR2000030288.

Bidirectional relationship between parental psychological control and adolescent maladjustment.

INTRODUCTION: This study explores the longitudinal and bidirectional relations between paternal/maternal psychological control and adolescent maladjustment (i.e., internalizing symptoms, aggression, and association with deviant peers). METHODS: This longitudinal investigation was conducted at two time points over a one-year interval with participants comprising 543 Chinese adolescents aged 10 to 13 (mean age at Time 1 = 11.29; 51.93% girls). The performed measurements encompassed paternal/maternal psychological control, adolescent internalizing symptoms, aggression, association with deviant peers, and demographic information. RESULTS: The findings of a cross-lagged model analysis revealed that paternal psychological control was longitudinally and positively related to adolescent internalizing symptoms and aggression. Maternal psychological control was not significantly related to any domain of adolescent maladjustment. In turn, adolescent association with deviant peers was longitudinally and positively associated with both parents' psychological control. CONCLUSIONS: Parental psychological control was bidirectionally associated with adolescent maladjustment in general, and paternal psychological control played a crucial role on adolescent maladjustment in the Chinese cultural context. The study's findings supported the reciprocal model of parent-child interaction, and extended it by highlighting the apprehension of the characteristics of parental impact from a cultural perspective. The study results add to the current scholarly understanding of parental psychological control in the non-western cultural context.

Network Pharmacology-Based Exploration of Synergistic Mechanism of Guanxin II Formula (II) for Coronary Heart Disease.

OBJECTIVE: To study the pharmacological mechanism of Guanxin II formula (II) for treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD). METHODS: A network pharmacology-based method was utilized. First candidate compounds, targets of GX II were collected using PharmMapper, BATMAN-TCM, DrugBank and SwissTargetPrediction, and targets on CHD were mined from GeneCards, DisGenet, DrugBank and GEO. Afterwards, the big hub compounds and targets were chosen in the candidate compounds-direct therapeutic targets on the CHD (C-T) network and the direct therapeutic targets on the CHD (T-D) network. Furthermore, the Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis were performed to identify the enriched terms. Finally, a molecular docking simulation strategy was adopted to verify the binding capacity between the big hub compounds and big hub targets on CHD. RESULTS: First, 114 candidate compounds were selected with the following criteria: OB⩾30%, DL⩾0.18, and HL ⩾4 h. Then, 1,035 targets of GX II were gathered, while 928 targets on CHD were collected. Afterwards, 196 common targets of compound targets and therapeutic targets on CHD were defined as direct therapeutic targets acting on CHD. In addition, the contribution index (CI) in the C-T network was calculated, and 4 centrality properties, including degree, betweenness, closeness and coreness, in the T-D network, 4 big hub compounds, and 6 big hub targets were eventually chosen. Furthermore, the GO and KEGG analysis indicated that GX II acted on CHD by regulating the reactive oxygen species metabolism, steroid metabolism, lipid metabolism, inflammatory response, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. The docking results manifested excellent binding capacity between the 4 big hub compounds and 6 big hub targets on CHD. CONCLUSION: This network pharmacology-based exploration revealed that GX II might prevent and inhibit the primary pathological processes of CHD.

The Effect of Xinmailong Infusion on Sepsis-Induced Myocardial Dysfunction: a Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial.

ABSTRACT: Sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction (SIMD) contributes significantly to cardiovascular dysfunction during septic shock. We aimed to evaluate the potential role of Xinmailong injection (XMLI), a polypeptide medicine extracted from Periplaneta americana, in reversing the progression of myocardial damage to SIMD in sepsis patients. This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group trial. We recruited all patients consecutively admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) who were aged 18 to 85 years old and met the sepsis 3.0 criteria. The primary outcome measure was the incidence of sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction while in the ICU. Of the 192 patients, 96 were assigned to the treatment group, and 96 to the control group. Subsequently, 41 patients [41/96 (42.7%)] in the XMLI group and 61 patients in the placebo group [61/96 (63.5%)] were confirmed to have diastolic dysfunction on the fifth day (D5). The incidence of diastolic SIMD was significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.004). There were 36 deaths in the two groups during the 28-day follow-up, with a general mortality rate of 18.8% (36/192). The 28-day mortality rates were not significantly different between the groups (P = 0.45). However, the brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) plasma concentration trends on D0, D2, and D5 significantly differed between the two groups (P = 0.049). In septic patients, XMLI decreased the occurrence rate of diastolic SIMD more effectively than the placebo. The improvement in serum BNP concentration was also greater in the XMLI group. XMLI may, therefore, effectively and safely improve cardiac function in patients with sepsis.

Heterogeneous Risk Perception amid the Outbreak of COVID-19 in China: Implications for Economic Confidence.

BACKGROUND: The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has elicited concerns about public fear and economic fallout. The current study takes a person-oriented approach to identify the unique response patterns that underlie three risk perception components (likelihood, severity, and protection efficacy) of COVID-19, with information sources as precursors and economic confidence as outcomes. METHODS: A total of 1,074 Chinese citizens participated in a national online survey in early February 2020. RESULTS: A latent profile analysis showed that participants exhibited one of three classes: Risk Neutrals (49.9%; moderate in all components), Risk Deniers (14.3%; low likelihood, low severity, and high protection efficacy), or Risk Exaggerators (35.8%; high likelihood, high severity, and low protection efficacy). Subsequent analyses showed that reliance on unofficial sources (gossip and news spread among friends; WeChat) positively correlated with membership in the Risk Exaggerators class. In turn, belonging in the Risk Exaggerators class correlated with the lowest short-term (but not long-term) economic confidence. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that exploring the heterogeneity of the public risk perception might help the government to design differentiated risk communication strategies during the COVID-19 outbreak.

When Do Good Deeds Lead to Good Feelings? Eudaimonic Orientation Moderates the Happiness Benefits of Prosocial Behavior.

Engaging in prosocial behavior is considered an effective way to increase happiness in a sustainable manner. However, there is insufficient knowledge about the conditions under which such a happiness effect occurs. From a person-activity congruence perspective, we proposed that an individual's eudaimonic orientation moderates the effect of prosocial behavior on happiness, whereas hedonic orientation does not. For this purpose, 128 participants were assigned to play a game in which half of them were explained the benevolence impact of playing the game (the benevolence condition), and the other half played the same game without this knowledge (the control condition). Participants' eudaimonic and hedonic orientations were assessed before the game, and their post-task happiness were measured after the game. The results showed that participants in the benevolence condition reported higher post-task positive affect than those in the control condition. Furthermore, this happiness effect was moderated by participants' eudaimonic orientation-participants with high eudaimonic orientation reaped greater benefits from benevolence, and their hedonic orientation did not moderate the relationship between benevolence and happiness. The importance of the effect of person-activity congruence on happiness is discussed, along with the implications of these findings for sustainably pursuing happiness.

Paeoniflorin ameliorates glycemic variability-induced oxidative stress and platelet activation in HUVECs and DM rats.

Glycemic variability (GV) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of vascular complications associated with diabetes mellitus (DM). Paeoniflorin is an effective Chinese traditional medicine with anti-inflammatory and immune-regulatory effects. Previous studies implicated the beneficial effects of paeoniflorin in treatment for diabetic complications, such as type 2 diabetic nephropathy and diabetes with myocardial ischemic injury. Current evidence suggests that oxidative stress and platelet activation, as well as their interaction, are potentially associated with GV and involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes-associated vascular complications. This study aimed to explore the effects of paeoniflorin on oxidative stress and platelet activation, using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) cultured with different glucose concentrations, and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats fed different glycemic index diets. Paeoniflorin treatment effectively improved the morphology and cell viability of HUVECs under glucose fluctuation. Moreover, the platelet aggregation rate, CD62p expression, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration decreased, while glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) levels increased in paeoniflorin-treated groups. In conclusion, our study found that paeoniflorin ameliorates oxidative stress and platelet activation induced by glycemic variability both in vivo and in vitro, suggesting a novel potential strategy for treatment of diabetic complications.

Chinese adolescents' power distance value and prosocial behavior toward powerful people: A longitudinal study.

We were interested in how specific cultural value and adolescent social behavior would influence each other over time. Thus the present study explored the longitudinal and bidirectional relations between adolescents' power distance value and prosocial behavior toward powerful people over a year. A sample of 434 Chinese adolescents participated in the investigation (initial mean age = 11.27; 54.15% females). The results based on cross-lagged models showed that, earlier prosocial behavior toward powerful people was positively correlated to subsequent power distance value, but not vice versa. The findings point toward an understanding of the important role of adolescent social behavior on his/her cultural value development, and also shed light on future research in terms of the interplay between cultural values and individual's social behaviors in other cultures.

Longitudinal relations between adolescents' materialism and prosocial behavior toward family, friends, and strangers.

The present study examines the short-term changes and longitudinal relations between adolescents' materialism and prosocial behavior toward family, friends, and strangers over a year. A total of 434 Chinese adolescents (mean age at Time 1 = 11.27; 54% girls) participated in the two time points. From 6th grade to 7th grade, boys' and girls' materialism increased, whereas their prosocial behavior toward family, friends, and strangers declined, despite the stable trend in boys' prosocial behavior toward strangers. Furthermore, a cross-lagged model was conducted and the results showed that, adolescent materialism was associated longitudinally with decreased prosocial behavior toward friends and strangers, but not toward family. However, earlier prosocial behavior toward family, friends, and strangers were not associated with subsequent adolescent materialism. The findings point toward an understanding of materialism as a precursor rather than an outcome or byproduct to prosocial behavior.

Plasma Neutrophil Elastase and Elafin as Prognostic Biomarker for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Multicenter Survival and Longitudinal Prospective Observation Study.

BACKGROUND: Neutrophil elastase (HNE) is a destructive enzyme and plays crucial roles in the pathophysiology of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Endogenous proteinase inhibitors elafin (PI3) is important to protect against lung tissue destruction. We proposed to examine whether HNE and PI3 serve as prognostic biomarkers for ARDS. METHODS: This study is a survival and longitudinal analysis of plasma profiles of HNE and PI3 in ARDS patients from a multicenter prospective observational cohort in Beijing, China. Plasma samples were collected on day-1, day-3, and day-7 of study enrollment. RESULTS: HNE levels were higher in ARDS non-survivors than survivors, whereas PI3 showed opposite direction for all three measurements (P < 0.01 for all). Patients with HNE level above median and PI3 level below median values had the lowest survival probability and died the fastest. There was a significant longitudinal effect of HNE levels and PI3 level on mortality. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis demonstrated combination of HNE and PI3 had the discrimination ability for 28-day mortality (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve [AUC]: 0.76), better than the combination of Berlin categories and APACHE II (AUC: 0.63). The addition of HNE and PI3 to Berlin categories and APACHE II has significantly improved the prognostic discrimination ability (AUC: 0.81, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Imbalance between HNE and PI3 levels in ARDS patients was associated with ARDS mortality. By combining these biomarkers with Berlin categories and APACHE II, prognostic power of ARDS was greatly improved. Circulation levels of HNE and PI3 may have the potential to predict ARDS mortality and better inform clinicians about ARDS mortality risk.