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Abstract Background Current evidence from epidemiologic studies suggested that phthalate metabolites might be associated with blood pressure (BP) changes. However, the special relationship between phthalate metabolites and BP changes in children has not been clearly elucidated in existing researches. Objectives We investigated the links between phthalate metabolites and various BP parameters, including systolic/diastolic BP, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and the presence of hypertension. Methods The population sample consisted of 1036 children aged 8 to 17 years from the 2013–2018 NHANES in the United States. High performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry was used to measure urinary concentrations of 19 phthalate metabolites. Systolic/diastolic BP were derived from the average of three valid measurements, and MAP was calculated as (systolic BP + 2 × diastolic BP)/3. Hypertension was defined as mean systolic BP and/or diastolic BP that was ≥ 95th percentile for gender, age, and height reference. Linear regression, logistic regression, and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression models were employed to assess the associations between phthalate exposure and systolic/diastolic BP, MAP, and hypertension. Results Ten of 19 phthalate metabolites including MCNP, MCOP, MECPP, MBP, MCPP, MEP, MEHHP, MiBP, MEOHP, and MBzP had detection frequencies > 85% with samples more than 1000. MCNP, MCOP, MECPP, MBP, MCPP, MEHHP, MiBP, MEOHP, and MBzP were generally negatively associated with systolic/diastolic BP and MAP, but not protective factors for hypertension. These associations were not modified by age (8–12 and 13–17 years) or sex (boys and girls). The above-mentioned associations were further confirmed by the application of the WQS analysis, and MCOP was identified as the chemical with the highest weight. Conclusion Phthalate metabolites were associated with modest reductions in systolic/diastolic BP, and MAP in children, while appeared not protective factors for hypertension. Given the inconsistent results among existing studies, our findings should be confirmed by other cohort studies.

Cigarette smoking is one of the most impactful behavior-related risk factors for multiple cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nicotine, as the principal component of tobacco, is not only responsible for smoking addiction but also a carcinogen; nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here we report that nicotine enhances HCC cancer stemness and malignant progression by upregulating the expression of GC-rich binding factor 2 (GCF2), a gene that was revealed to be upregulated in HCC and whose upregulation predicts poor prognosis, and subsequently activating the Wnt/ꞵ-catenin/SOX2 signaling pathway. We found that nicotine significantly increased GCF2 expression and that silencing of GCF2 reduced nicotine-induced cancer stemness and progression. Mechanistically, nicotine could stabilize the protein level of GCF2, and then GCF2 could robustly activate its downstream Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Taken together, our results thus suggest that GCF2 is a potential target for a therapeutic strategy against nicotine-promoted HCC.

This work studied the effects of an on-line static magnetic field on the defects, microstructures, and mechanical properties of AlSi7Mg samples fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). Process experiments were carried out on a self-developed LPBF equipment with an on-line static magnetic field generating system, where magnetic field intensity was adjustable from 0 to 0.3 T. With the action of static magnetic field, the relative density of samples increased from 96.9% to 98.6%. Furthermore, the solidification front of the columnar grain in the mushy zone was broken. With the increase of magnetic field intensity, the crystallographic orientation changed from strong to , and uniform distribution and the average grain was gradually refined from 8.35 to 7.22 μm. Based on the above optimisation, the ultimate tensile strength increased from (326.67 ± 5.31) MPa to (382.00 ± 2.45) MPa. Simultaneously, the elongation at break increased from 8.48% ± 0.20% to 11.78% ± 0.20%. In general, the reduction of pores, the refinement of grains and the increase of Mg2Si precipitates contributed to the simultaneous enhancement of strength and toughness together. This study could provide a new idea for laser additive manufacturing of excellent performance aluminum alloys.

The degradation of shear mechanical properties of rock fracture surfaces was determined after applying multiple dry-wet cycles. Artificially fractured feldspathic sandstone specimens were soaked in chemical solutions with pH values of 2, 7, and 12 for 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 dry-wet cycles, followed by direct shear tests under normal stresses of 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 MPa. The results showed that the pre-peak shear stiffness and peak shear strength of the fracture surfaces decreased, and the peak shear displacement increased progressively after cumulative dry-wet cycling treatments compared to the behavior of oven-dry rock fractures. Additionally, the pre-peak shear stiffness, peak shear strength, peak shear displacement, and residual shear strength decreased cumulatively as the number of dry-wet cycles increased. However, the chemistry of the wetting solution had little effect on mechanical behavior. Based on the Barton formula for describing the peak shear strength for rock fractures, an empirical formula for peak shear strength for irregular rock fractures under dry-wet cycling conditions is proposed by introducing a proportionality factor to describe the degree of deterioration of the rock fracture surface shear strength. The modified formula has a good fitting accuracy for the test shear strength data of sandstone fractures under dry-wet cycling conditions, which may assist in the practical estimation of the peak shear strength of rock fractures under dry-wet cycling conditions in engineering practice.

Abstract Introduction Pneumonia is a leading cause of death in Malaysia. Whilst many studies have reported the aetiology of pneumonia in Western countries, the epidemiology of pneumonia in Malaysia remains poorly understood. As carriage is a prerequisite for disease, we sought to improve our understanding of the carriage and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of respiratory tract pathogens in Malaysia. The rural communities of Sarawak are an understudied part of the Malaysian population and were the focus of this study, allowing us to gain a better understanding of bacterial epidemiology in this population. Methods A population-based survey of bacterial carriage was undertaken in participants of all ages from rural communities in Sarawak, Malaysia. Nasopharyngeal, nasal, mouth and oropharyngeal swabs were taken. Bacteria were isolated from each swab and identified by culture-based methods and antimicrobial susceptibility testing conducted by disk diffusion or E test. Results 140 participants were recruited from five rural communities. Klebsiella pneumoniae was most commonly isolated from participants (30.0%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (20.7%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (10.7%), Haemophilus influenzae (9.3%), Moraxella catarrhalis (6.4%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (6.4%) and Neisseria meningitidis (5.0%). Of the 21 S. pneumoniae isolated, 33.3 and 14.3% were serotypes included in the 13 valent PCV (PCV13) and 10 valent PCV (PCV10) respectively. 33.8% of all species were resistant to at least one antibiotic, however all bacterial species except S. pneumoniae were susceptible to at least one type of antibiotic. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first bacterial carriage study undertaken in East Malaysia. We provide valuable and timely data regarding the epidemiology and AMR of respiratory pathogens commonly associated with pneumonia. Further surveillance in Malaysia is necessary to monitor changes in the carriage prevalence of upper respiratory tract pathogens and the emergence of AMR, particularly as PCV is added to the National Immunisation Programme (NIP).

A new high density alloy NiW750 was developed, which was based on the faced-center cubic solid solution structure and aging strengthening mechanism. Microstructure of the alloy was observed by SEM and TEM. The material characteristics under dynamic compressing loading were investigated by using the split Hopkinson pressure bar test. The comparison among the NiW750, ultra high strength steel G50 and tungsten 93WNiFe was also conducted.The results show that the NiW750 high density alloy has the best comprehensive properties among three materials. After aging at 750℃/5h,the tensile strength of NiW750 can achieve up to 1746MPa,while the impact toughness (akU) can achieve 113J/cm2. Under the condition of dynamic loading, the material shows strain rate hardening effect obviously as its dynamic flow stress can reach about 2250MPa. The adiabatic shear bands are formed within specimens in the direction of 45° to the central axis with a bandwidth of 80-150μm at the strain rate of about 5500s-1 and a wide transition zone, so as to avoid the premature emergence of the shear fracture.

Two pyrazol-4-carboxamides, 3-(difluoromethyl)-N-(mesitylcarbamoyl)-1-methyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxa-mide (7a) and 3-(difluoromethyl)-N-((3,5-dimethylphenyl) carbamoyl)-1-methyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxamide (7b) were synthesized and their structures were confirmed by the aid of 1H NMR and HRMS analyses. The structure of the pyrazole-4-carboxamide, 7a was also determined by X-ray diffraction. The preliminary activity results demonstrate that these two compounds exhibit good inhibitory activity against Botrytis cinerea. Further docking results indicated that the key active group is difluoromethyl pyrazole moiety.

In this study, for the first time, a forward-rotating roller is proposed for the spreading of CF/PA12 composite powder in the selective laser sintering (SLS) process. The mesoscopic kinetic mechanism of composite particle spreading is investigated by utilizing the “multi-spherical” element within the discrete element method (DEM). The commercial software EDEM and the open-source DEM particle simulation code LIGGGHTS-PUBLIC are used for the simulations in this work. It is found that the forward-rotating roller produces a strong compaction on the powder pile than does the conventional counter-rotating roller, thus increasing the coordination number and mass flow rate of the particle flow, which significantly improves the powder bed quality. In addition, the forward-rotating pattern generates a braking friction force on the particles in the opposite direction to their spread, which affects the particle dynamics and deposition process. Therefore, appropriately increasing the roller rotation speed to make this force comparable to the roller dragging force could result in faster deposition of the composite particles to form a stable powder bed. This mechanism allows the forward-rotating roller to maintain a good powder bed quality, even at a high spreading speed, thus providing greater potential for the industry to improve the spreading efficiency of the SLS process.

Smoke taint in wine has become a critical issue in the wine industry due to its significant negative impact on wine quality. Data-driven approaches including univariate analysis and predictive modeling are applied to a data set containing concentrations of 20 VOCs in 48 grape samples and 56 corresponding wine samples with a taster-evaluated smoke taint index. The resulting models for predicting the smoke taint index of wines are highly predictive when using as inputs VOC concentrations after log conversion in both grapes and wines (Pearson Correlation Coefficient PCC = 0.82; R2 = 0.68) and less so when only grape VOCs are used (Pearson Correlation Coefficient PCC = 0.76; R2 = 0.56), and the classification models also show the capacity for detecting smoke-tainted wines using both wine and grape VOC concentrations (Recall = 0.76; Precision = 0.92; F1 = 0.82) or using only grape VOC concentrations (Recall = 0.74; Precision = 0.92; F1 = 0.80). The performance of the predictive model shows the possibility of predicting the smoke taint index of the wine and grape samples before fermentation. The corresponding code of data analysis and predictive modeling of smoke taint in wine is available in the Github repository (https://github.com/IBPA/smoke_taint_prediction).

Using numerical simulations and experimental tests, the temperature and velocity fields of the molten pool during selective laser melting (SLM) were investigated, where the laser scanning speed ranging from 2.5 m/s to 0.3 m/s was employed. Experiments for single tracks and part samples were conducted for verification. Three kinds of molten pool states were identified and investigated: unstable state, transition state and stable state. The unstable state is characterized by numerous balling defects, where the bulk density is severely deteriorated. The transition state is featured by the transition region where the melt velocity is relatively lower, and the molten pool is vulnerable to the necking defect. The molten pool with a depression region is identified as the stable state. A small depression is favorable for improving the surface quality of single track and the bulk density. However, exorbitant energy input will convert the depression into a keyhole. Additionally, a threshold of the scanning speed was found, where the bulk density peaked. Over the threshold, the density decreased continuously with the speed increasing. However, the density slightly decreased by 1.5% when the speed was below the threshold; this anomaly was ascribed to the residual pores induced by the recoil pressure. Keywords: Scanning speed, Selective laser melting, Temperature and velocity fields, Molten pool states, Threshold

The property of water flow through a single rock fracture is the base of describing the seepage characteristics of jointed rock mass. Five artificial tensile fractures of coarse-grained cylinder marble samples were made at about the midpoint of the long axis by using a self-made splitting mold. The upper and lower surfaces of the tensile fractures were scanned by a 3D laser scanner (OKIO) to obtain their 3D coordinates. Then, the Geomagic Studio Software and rock surface topography scan test software were used to obtain peak density values of each single fracture surface. To study the seepage characteristics of open fracture, 4 rectangular plastic spacers with the size of about 3 mm × 2 mm × 0.2 mm were put into the fracture when water flowed through the single rough fracture tests were conducted under different normal stresses using the self-developed radial flow system. According to the testing data, the relationships between the seepage characteristics of single rough rock fracture and the peak density of fracture surface were studied. It is discovered that the 3D fracture morphology had great influences on the seepage characteristics of the single rock fracture. A modified cubic law was put forward to present the relationship between the seepage characteristics of a rough rock fracture and peak density of two fracture surfaces. Comparison between the modified cubic law and the experimental data showed a relatively good agreement.

Abstract Background Current checkpoint immunotherapy has shown potential to control cancer by restoring or activating the immune system. Nevertheless, multiple mechanisms are involved in immunotherapy resistance which limits the clinical benefit of checkpoint inhibitors. An immunosuppressive microenvironment is an important factor mediating the original resistance of tumors to immunotherapy. A previous report by our group has demonstrated that local angiotensin II (AngII) predominantly exists in a tumor hypoxic microenvironment where hypoxic tumour cells produced AngII by a hypoxia-lactate-chymase-dependent mechanism. Results Here, using 4T1 and CT26 syngeneic mouse tumor models, we found that local AngII in the tumor microenvironment was involved in immune escape of tumour cells and an AngII signaling blockage sensitized tumours to checkpoint immunotherapy. Furthermore, an AngII signaling blockage reversed the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment, and inhibition of angiotensinogen (AGT, a precursor of AngII) expression strongly triggered an immune-activating cytokine profile in hypoxic mouse cancer cells. More importantly, AGT silencing combined with a checkpoint blockage generated an abscopal effect in resistant tumors. Conclusion Our study demonstrated an important role of local AngII in the formation of a tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment and its blockage may enhance tumor sensitivity to checkpoint immunotherapy. The combination of an AngII signaling blocker and an immune-checkpoint blockage could be a promising strategy to improve tumors responses to current checkpoint immunotherapy.

In drinking water distribution systems, the oxidation of zerovalent chromium, Cr(0), in iron corrosion scales by chlorine residual disinfectant is the dominant reaction to form carcinogenic hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI). This study investigates inhibitive corrosion control strategies through adjustments of chemical water parameters (i.e., pH, silicate, phosphate, calcium, and alkalinity) on Cr(VI) formation through oxidation of Cr(0)(s) by free chlorine under drinking water conditions. The results show that an increase in pH, silicate, alkalinity, and calcium suppressed Cr(VI) formation that was mainly attributed to in situ surface precipitation of new Cr(III) solids on the surface of Cr(0)(s), including Cr(OH)3(s), Cr2(SiO3)3(s), CrPO4(s), Cr2(CO3)3(s), and Cr10Ca(CO3)16(s). The Cr(III) surface precipitates were much less reactive with chlorine than Cr(0)(s) and suppressed the Cr redox reactivity. The concentration of surface Cr(III) solids was inversely correlated with the rate constant of Cr(VI) formation. Adding phosphate either promoted or inhibited the Cr(VI) formation, depending on the phosphate concentration. This study provides fundamental insight into the Cr(VI) formation mechanisms via Cr(0) oxidation by chlorine and the importance of surface precipitation of Cr(III) solids with different corrosion control strategies and suggests that increasing the pH/alkalinity and addition of phosphate or silicate can be effective control strategies to minimize Cr(VI) formation.

Chlorate (ClO3-) is a toxic oxyanion pollutant from industrial wastes, agricultural applications, drinking water disinfection, and wastewater treatment. Catalytic reduction of ClO3- using palladium (Pd) nanoparticle catalysts exhibited sluggish kinetics. This work demonstrates an 18-fold activity enhancement by integrating earth-abundant vanadium (V) into the common Pd/C catalyst. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrochemical studies indicated that VV and VIV precursors are reduced to VIII in the aqueous phase (rather than immobilized on the carbon support) by Pd-activated H2. The VIII/IV redox cycle is the predominant mechanism for the ClO3- reduction. Further reduction of chlorine intermediates to Cl- could proceed via VIII/IV and VIV/V redox cycles or direct reduction by Pd/C. To capture the potentially toxic V metal from the treated solution, we adjusted the pH from 3 to 8 after the reaction, which completely immobilized VIII onto Pd/C for catalyst recycling. The enhanced performance of reductive catalysis using a Group 5 metal adds to the diversity of transition metals (e.g., Cr, Mo, Re, Fe, and Ru in Groups 6-8) for water pollutant treatment via various unique mechanisms.

The present study ascertains the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and students' science self-efficacy using data involving 509,182 15-year-old students and 17,678 school principals in 69 countries/regions who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015. Hierarchical linear modelling results show that, after controlling for science teachers' instructional practices (science class disciplinary climate, inquiry-based instruction, teachers' support, direct instruction, provision of feedback, instructional adaptation), school science resources and various student variables (gender, grade levels, type of school programme), SES was related to students' science self-efficacy in the majority of countries/regions (62-68 countries/regions, depending on the SES indicators used). Specifically, SES was related to students' science self-efficacy in a larger number of countries/regions when it was measured using home cultural resources, home educational resources or a composite indicator (economic, social and cultural status) than when it was measured using parental education levels or occupational status. In contrast, students' science self-efficacy was unrelated to the science teachers' instructional practices examined (except inquiry-based instruction) in most of the countries/regions. These results expand our understanding of students' science self-efficacy, as a type of learning motivation, from being a largely psychological attribute to one that is also influenced by social origins such as family SES. They imply that SES may have a larger influence on student achievement than we may have assumed if we include the indirect influence of SES on student achievement via students' self-efficacy.

Adding CrIII or AlIII salts into the water suspension of platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts accelerated oxyanion pollutant reduction by up to 600%. Our initial attempts of adding K2CrVIO4, K2CrVI2O7, or KCrIII(SO4)2 into Pd/C enhanced BrO3- reduction with 1 atm H2 by 6-fold. Instrument characterizations and kinetic explorations collectively confirmed the immobilization of reduced CrVI as CrIII(OH)3 on the catalyst surface. This process altered the ζ-potentials from negative to positive, thus substantially enhancing the Langmuir-Hinshelwood adsorption equilibrium constant for BrO3- onto Pd/C by 37-fold. Adding AlIII(OH)3 from alum at pH 7 achieved similar enhancements. The Cr-Pd/C and Al-Pd/C showed top-tier efficiency of catalytic performance (normalized with Pd dosage) among all the reported Pd catalysts on conventional and nanostructured support materials. The strategy of adding inert metal hydroxides works for diverse PGMs (palladium and rhodium), substrates (BrO3- and ClO3-), and support materials (carbon, alumina, and silica). This work shows a simple, inexpensive, and effective example of enhancing catalyst activity and saving PGMs for environmental applications.

Perovskite-related materials show very promising properties in many fields. Pb-free perovskites are particularly interesting, because of the toxicity of Pb. In this study, hybrid double perovskite MA2KBiCl6 (MA = methylammonium cation) was found to have interesting variable temperature behaviours. Both variable temperature single crystal X-ray diffraction, synchrotron powder diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy were conducted to reveal a rhombohedral to cubic phase transition at around 330 K and an order to disorder transition for inorganic cage below 210 K.

Purpose: The study aims to examine the influence of soft skill integration on the interpersonal soft skill levels of diploma business students in the private higher education institutions based in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia. Research Methods: The study was guided by the Soft Skill Development Model (2006) and the Soft Skill Integration method, according to Devadason, Subramaniam and Daniel (2010). This paper applied a descriptive quantitative survey method to assess the levels and relationships between the variables. A set of self-administered questionnaires were adapted based on Devadason, Subramaniam and Daniel's (2010) instruments. The questionnaires were distributed through a proportionate stratified random sampling method to 429 respondents from 12 private higher learning institutions in three northern states of Peninsular Malaysia. Descriptive analysis, correlation, and regression analyses were applied in the findings. Findings: The results revealed a significant influence of the overall soft skill integration towards communication and teamwork levels. The study also advocated the significant impact of soft skill integration in problem-solving and critical thinking on all of the four essential soft skills elements. Implications for Research and Practice: Despite decades of emphasis on soft skill development, soft skill integration in Malaysia is still not at an optimal level. Embedding soft skills would lead to more real-life experiences, and they will horn students' skills, especially their problem-solving ability. The empirical evidence of soft skill integration contributes towards innovative teaching and learning experiences, social innovation, and the impact on school policies to develop what is required in the industry.

BACKGROUND: Myofibroblast differentiation, characterized by α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression, is a key process in organ fibrosis, and is induced by TGF-β. Here we examined whether an anti-fibrotic agent, N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysylproline (Ac-SDKP), can regulate induction of TGF-β signaling and myofibroblast differentiation as a potential key component of its anti-fibrotic mechanism in vivo and in vitro. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Rat pulmonary fibroblasts were cultured in vitro and divided to 4 groups 1) control; 2) TGF-β1; 3) TGF-β1+ LY364947; 4) TGF-β1+Ac-SDKP. For in vivo studies, six groups of animals were utilized 1) control 4w; 2) silicotic 4w; 3) control 8w; 4) silicotic 8w; 5) Ac-SDKP post-treatment; 6)Ac-SDKP pre-treatment. SiO(2) powders were douched in the trachea of rat to make the silicotic model. Myofibroblast differentiation was measured by examining expression of α-SMA, as well as expression of serum response factor (SRF), a key regulator of myofibroblast differentiation. The expressions of collagen, TGF-β1 and RAS signaling were also assessed. The results revealed that TGF-β1 strongly induced myofibroblast differentiation and collagen synthesis in vitro, and that pre-treatment with Ac-SDKP markedly attenuated myofibroblast activation, as well as induction of TGF-β1 and its receptor. Similar results were observed in vivo in the pathologically relevant rat model of silicosis. Ac-SDKP treatment in vivo strongly attenuated 1) silicosis-induced increased expressions of TGF-β1 and RAS signaling, 2) myofibroblast differentiation as indicated by a robust decrease of SRF and α-SMA-positive myofibroblast localization in siliconic nodules in the lung, 3) collagen deposition. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The results of the present study suggest a novel mechanism of action for Ac-SDKP's beneficial effect in silicosis, which involves attenuation of TGF-β1 and its receptors, SRF and Ang II type 1 receptor (AT(1)) expression, collagen deposition and myofibroblast differentiation. The results further suggest that therapies targeting myofibroblast differentiation may have therapeutic efficacy in treatment of silicosis of the lung.

Contextualized in the debate on the (mis)use of habitus in educational research, the present study addresses two research questions: (a) What are the different functions that habitus (i.e., the dispositions underpinning cultural capital that are accumulated through socialization and that guide individuals' daily practices) serves in students' educational experiences? and (b) What characterizes the pattern of continuity or discontinuity for habitus across different contexts? Results of the meta-ethnographic review synthesizing findings from 37 qualitative studies show that there was a typology of different functions associated with habitus (academic socialization, motivating learning, facilitating content learning, developing learners' self-identity and aspirations). These functions transcended cognitive, affective, and social dimensions in students' present and future learning. However, habitus could also serve as a coping or risk-mitigation mechanism. Furthermore, results show that habitus could be continuous or discontinuous across fields (student, familial, institutional) and sub-fields (educational levels, types of learning, subjects, programs, learners). These results suggest that the prolific use of habitus in research should not be simply dismissed as conceptual infidelity; rather, it enables researchers to clarify how habitus serves different functions in educational experiences of students varying in their learning needs at different stages of their learning and in different contexts. The study contributes to the development of a conceptual framework for habitus that can inform future research. Practical implications for improving disadvantaged students' learning are discussed.

Decades of research have been conducted on the factors [i.e. family socioeconomic status (SES), urban-rural divide (household registration) and high-school type] associated with higher education selection. However, few studies have disentangled the relationship between each factor and the mechanisms of inequality among these factors in higher education selection. The present study, analysing China Family Panel Studies data (N = 3043), first examined the factors that predicted higher education selection and then ascertained the interplay of family SES, household registration and high-school type. The two major findings were: (1) family SES and high-school type (key/non-key schools) were positively associated with the predicted probability of students' access to higher education and elite universities, while household registration (the urban-rural divide, hukou) was only associated with the predicted probability of students' access to higher education; and (2) either urban or rural students and either key or non-key school students from socioeconomically advantaged families had a higher probability of access to both higher education and elite universities compared to their counterparts from socioeconomically disadvantaged families. The study also found that family SES did not drive the urban-rural attainment gaps (access to both higher education and elite universities), while the key/non-key school attainment gap in access to higher education was primarily attributable to family SES. However, the attainment gap between key and non-key high schools in admission to elite universities was not dependent on family SES. The present study contributes to the existing literature on higher education by shedding light on the determinants of educational attainment in terms of higher education selection and by enabling a greater understanding of the real possibility of confounding between family SES, household registration and high-school type in higher education selection.