Effects of Ionic Liquid Content on the Electrical Properties of PVDF Films by Fused Deposition Modeling.

In this study, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite films were prepared by fused deposition modeling, and the effects of ionic liquid (IL) content on the printability, crystallization behavior, and electrical properties of melted PVDF were systematically investigated. The results show that the addition of IL increased the temperature sensitivity of melted PVDF and decreased its viscosity, while IL acted as a plasticizer to lower the melting point of PVDF and improve its FDM printability. The imidazole cations in IL had electrostatic interactions with the -CF2- groups in PVDF, which promoted the transformation of the nonpolar phase to the polar phase in PVDF; thus, the addition of IL was beneficial to the increase in the polar ß phase. The PVDF with 20 wt.% IL contained the highest proportion of ß phase content (32.59%). Moreover, the increase in polar ß-phase content also increased the polarization strength of PVDF and improved its ferroelectric properties. PVDF with 10 wt.% IL had the highest residual polarization strength (16.87 µC/m2).

A brief review of applied psychology in China.

Psychology in China has a long past, but a rather short history. Modern psychology was introduced to China in the early 20th century soon, psychology as a scientific discipline was established when the teaching, research, and academic exchanges began. Specifically, applied psychology was established until the last decade of the 20th century; however, the past 30 years have witnessed the fast growth of applied psychology in China. In this article, we briefly introduce the history of psychology in China, its establishment as a discipline and a profession, and present some applications of psychology in the domains of public mental health as well as in educational and organizational settings.

Immediate/chronic death threat: The different effects on money desire.

The present study examined the distinct relationships between immediate/chronic death threat and money attitude in the real-world context. Immediate threats led to a stronger desire for money, whereas chronic threats had not such an effect.

Ultra-high strength Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys with high zinc content prepared via powder hot extrusion.

In this paper, two kinds of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys with high Zn content (Al-8.1Zn-2.0Mg-2.3Cu-0.12Zr-0.12Sc and Al-10.5Zn-2.5Mg-1.5Cu-0.12Zr-0.12Sc) are fabricated by powder hot extrusion. Microstructure and mechanical properties are investigated by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and tensile tests. The results show that the formation of ultrafine grains and homogeneous second phases in as-extruded alloys is achieved by perfect metallurgical bonding during severe plastic deformation. After the optimal solution treatment and peak aging treatment, the strength of the two alloys reaches up to 734 MPa and 802 MPa, and the elongation is 9.8 % and 5.3 %, respectively. The excellent mechanical properties are attributed to the grain boundary strengthening, precipitation strengthening and homogenous microstructure. The element content has little effect on the grain size of the powder hot-extruded Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy, but high Zn and Mg contents can improve the density of strengthening phases while low Cu content can reduce the difficulty of solution treatment by inhibiting the precipitation of S(Al2CuMg) phase.

U-Shaped Relationship between Years of Residence and Negative Mental Health Outcomes among Rural-to-Urban Children in Migrant Schools in Beijing, China: The Moderating Effects of Socioeconomic Factors.

AIM: This study aimed to test the relationship between length of residence and mental health in a school-based sample of migrant children who studied in migrant schools. METHODS: A total of 7,296 rural-to-urban migrant children were recruited from 58 schools in Beijing and assessed by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Children's Depression Inventory. RESULTS: A quadratic relationship was found between mental health and length of residence. The results suggested that the scores for anxiety and depression were high during the initial resettlement after migrating and then decreased. However, after approximately 8 years, the scores increased. Our findings also showed a significant moderating effect of family socioeconomic status on the relation between mental health and length of residence. CONCLUSION: This study provided empirical evidence for a better understanding of psychosocial factors on the mental health of migrant children during the process of urbanization in China.

Transitional Suspensions Containing Thermosensitive Dispersant for Three-Dimensional Printing.

Tailoring the rheology of suspensions is an essential and persistent issue form many applications, especially three-dimensional (3D) printing. Colloidal suspensions of ceramic powder (Al2O3) dispersed by a special thermosensitive dispersant (poly(acrylic acid)-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), PAA-PNIPAM) were designed, which underwent a remarkable fluid-gel transition in response to thermal stimulus due to the phase transition of the graft chains (-PNIPAM). 3D periodic structures with a fine size of 100 µm were assembled by 3D printing.

Oxytocin is associated with PTSD's anxious arousal symptoms in Chinese male earthquake survivors.

BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex and severe mental disorder triggered by exposure to an extraordinarily traumatic event. Human and animal studies have implied the functional role of the oxytocin system in the development of PTSD (Cochran, Fallon, Hill, & Frazier, 2013; Koch et al., 2014; Olff, 2012). Specification of the role of the oxytocin system in the emergence and progression of PTSD symptomatology would provide evidence to inform both theory and clinical practice. METHODS: This study examined the association between oxytocin serum levels and PTSD symptoms. A total of 106 Chinese male adults who suffered from the deadly 2008 Wenchuan earthquake participated in this study. PTSD symptoms were measured with PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), and serum oxytocin level was determined with ELISA oxytocin kits. RESULTS: The mean score on the PCL-5 was 19.30 (SD=14.50, range: 1-65) in this sample. The mean oxytocin level was 101.59 pg/ml (SD=55.89, range: 31.50-286.71). The results indicated that although the oxytocin was not associated with total PTSD symptoms, it was associated with PTSD's anxious arousal symptoms. CONCLUSION: These findings support that the oxytocin may play an important functional role in the development of PTSD and contribute to the extant knowledge on the genetic basis of the PTSD symptoms.

TPH2 genotype is associated with PTSD's avoidance symptoms in Chinese female earthquake survivors.

Genetic factors are important in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following exposure to traumatic events. However, the molecular genetic underpinnings of this disorder have not been definitive. This study examined the association between tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) rs11178997 genotype, a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) located in the transcriptional control region, and PTSD symptoms. A total of 326 Chinese adults who suffered from the deadly 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and lost their children during the disaster participated in this study. PTSD symptoms were measured with PTSD checklist, and the SNP was successfully genotyped by the MassARRAY system. The results indicated that, although the rs11178997 genotype was not associated with total PTSD symptoms, it could significantly predict severity of PTSD's avoidance symptoms in women. These findings support that TPH2 may play an important functional role in the development of PTSD and contribute to the limited literature regarding the genetic basis and the sex-specific expression of PTSD's symptoms.

Effect of calligraphy training on hyperarousal symptoms for childhood survivors of the 2008 China earthquakes.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the treatment effects of calligraphy therapy on childhood survivors of the 2008 Sichuan earthquakes in the People's Republic of China. METHODS: In experiment 1, 129 children participated in a 30-day calligraphic training, and 81 children were controls. The Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale was adopted to assess behavioral effects. Experiment 2 involved 41 treatment subjects and 39 controls, with the same procedure as in experiment 1 except that salivary cortisol level was also measured as a physiological indicator. RESULTS: After 30 days of calligraphy treatment, the arousal symptoms and salivary cortisol levels in the experimental group decreased from 5.72±0.31 and 13.34±2.88 to 4.98±0.31 and 9.99±2.81, respectively. In the control group, there was not a significant decrease from pretest to post-test. In addition, the arousal scores in posttest (4.98±4.39) were significantly lower than midtest (5.71±4.14) for girls; in contrast, for boys, posttest (4.90±4.24) showed little change compared with midtest (5.04±4.36), but both were significantly lower than pretest (6.42±4.59). CONCLUSIONS: Calligraphy therapy was effective in reducing hyperarousal symptoms among child survivors.

The underlying dimensions of DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in an epidemiological sample of Chinese earthquake survivors.

The current study investigated the underlying dimensions of DSM-5 PTSD symptoms in an epidemiological sample of Chinese earthquake survivors. The sample consisted of 810 females and 386 males, with a mean age of 47.9 years (SD=10.0, range: 16-73). PTSD symptoms were assessed using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, and alternative models were evaluated with confirmatory factor analysis. Results indicated that a six-factor model comprised of intrusion, avoidance, negative affect, anhedonia, dysphoric arousal, and anxious arousal factors emerged as the best fitting model. The current findings add to limited literature on the latent structure of PTSD symptoms described in the recently released DSM-5, and carry implications for further trauma-related research and clinical practice.

The COMT gene variant is associated with depression's decreased positive affect symptoms in Chinese adults.

This study examined the association between the COMT Val(158) Met genotype and depression symptoms. A total of 326 Chinese adults who experienced the deadly 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and lost children during the disaster participated in this study. Depression symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was successfully genotyped using the MassARRAY system. Results indicated that although the Val(158) Met genotype was not associated with total depression symptoms, it was significantly correlated with decreased positive affect symptoms of depression in males. The findings indicated that COMT may play an important functional role in the development of depression, and contribute to the extant knowledge of the genetic basis and sex-specific expression of symptoms in depression.

Latent structure of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in an adolescent sample one month after an earthquake.

Increasing empirical studies suggest that the tripartite posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) model described in the DSM-IV does not accurately account for the underlying PTSD factor structure, and several alternative models have been proposed. The present study investigated a newly refined, five-factor model of PTSD symptoms in a sample of Chinese adolescent survivors of an earthquake. A total of 1198 middle school students (653 females, 526 males) with a mean age of 14.4 years (SD = 1.1, range: 11-18) participated in this study one month after an earthquake. The novel five-factor model comprised of intrusion, avoidance, numbing, dysphoric arousal, and anxious arousal demonstrated significantly better fit than two alternative four-factor models. Further analyses revealed differentiable relations between the PTSD factors and external measures of anxiety and depression. These findings provide empirical support for the robustness of five-factor model, and carry implications for further reorganization of PTSD criteria.

Stathmin genotype is associated with reexperiencing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in Chinese earthquake survivors.

Stathmin (STMN1) has been demonstrated as a regulator of fear processing across species, which implicates that it may be important in the etiopathogenesis of fear-related psychiatric disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study examined the association between STMN1 rs182455 genotype, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) located within or close to the putative transcriptional control region of STMN1 gene, and PTSD symptoms. A total of 326 Chinese adults who suffered from a deadly 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and unexpectedly lost their children during the disaster participated in this study. PTSD symptoms were measured with the PTSD Checklist (PCL). The Sequenom iPlex chemistries and the MassARRAY system were used to genotype the STMN1 rs182455 SNP. Our results indicated that the STMN1rs182455 genotype was not associated with severity of total PTSD symptoms in either females or males; however, it could significantly predict severity of PTSD's reexperiencing symptoms in females. The findings provide preliminary evidence supporting the important role of STMN1 in the development of PTSD, and expand extant knowledge on the genetic underpinnings of PTSD and the sex-specific expression of PTSD's symptoms.

PAC1 receptor (ADCYAP1R1) genotype is associated with PTSD's emotional numbing symptoms in Chinese earthquake survivors.

BACKGROUND: Genetic factors are important in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following exposure to traumatic events. However, the molecular genetic underpinnings of this disorder remain largely unresolved. The present study investigated the association between ADCYAP1R1 rs2267735 genotype and PTSD symptoms in a highly traumatized sample of Chinese adults. METHODS: Participants included 326 victims who experienced 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and lost their children during the disaster. PTSD symptoms were assessed with the PTSD Checklist (PCL). The ADCYAP1R1 rs2267735 SNP was genotyped with the Sequenom iPlex chemistries and the MassARRAY system. RESULTS: The results indicated that although the rs2267735 'CC' genotype was not associated with total PTSD symptoms, it could significantly predict severity of PTSD's emotional numbing symptoms in women. LIMITATIONS: A relatively small sample exposed to specific traumatic events was used, and PTSD was assessed using a self-reported instrument. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that the PACAP-PAC1 receptor pathway may play an important role in female human responses to traumatic stress, and carry implications for better understanding and treating of posttraumatic psychopathology.

The structure of acute stress disorder among Chinese adults exposed to an earthquake: is dysphoric arousal a unique construct of acute posttraumatic responses?

As a diagnosis organized mainly on the basis of theoretical conceptualization, acute stress disorder (ASD) has been widely criticized for lack of empirical support since it was introduced into the DSM system. To address this issue, the present study investigated the latent structure of ASD symptoms measured by the Acute Stress Disorder Scale (ASDS). A total of 350 adults with a mean age of 32.9 years (SD = 14.0, range: 16-85) took part in this study 12 to 15 days after an earthquake. The results of confirmatory factor analyses showed that a five-factor intercorrelated model (dissociation, reexperiencing, avoidance, dysphoric arousal, and anxious arousal) demonstrated the best data fit. The findings provide preliminary empirical evidence in favor of a new reconceptualization of ASD symptoms, and are informative for the impending DSM-5.

The dimensionality of PTSD symptoms and their relationship to health-related quality of life in Chinese earthquake survivors.

The current study investigated the latent structure of PTSD symptoms with a sample of 326 Chinese survivors who lost their children during a deadly earthquake. The results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a five-factor intercorrelated model comprised of intrusion, avoidance, emotional numbing, dysphoric arousal, and anxiety arousal provided significant better fit than both the four-factor numbing model of King, Leskin, King, and Weathers (1998) and the four-factor dysphoria model of Simms, Watson, and Doebbeling (2002). Further analyses with structural equation modeling showed that the PTSD factors were differentially associated with external measures of psychosocial and physical health-related quality of life. The findings provide further empirical support for the novel five-factor PTSD model, and carry implications for conceptualizing and assessing PTSD for the upcoming DSM-5.