Preparation of Magnesium-Aluminum Hydrotalcite by Mechanochemical Method and Its Application as Heat Stabilizer in poly(vinyl chloride)

The traditional methods for preparing magnesium aluminum layered double hydrotalcite (Mg₂Al-CO₃LDHs) in industry include coprecipitation and hydrothermal methods. Both these methods have the disadvantages of high preparation cost and complicated water washing process. Using Mg(OH)₂, Al(OH)₃, and CO₂ as raw materials in this work, the Mg₂Al-CO₃ LDHs are successfully prepared by mechanochemical method, which solves the shortcomings of traditional preparation method and realizes the conversion and utilization of CO₂ resource. The prepared Mg₂Al-CO₃ LDHs are evaluated as a heat stabilizer in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). The result indicates that, when 2.4 phr Mg₂Al-CO₃ LDHs, 0.3 phr ZnSt₂, and 0.3 phr of zinc acetylacetonate are added to the PVC, the thermal stability time of PVC can reach 190 min, which is better than PVC containing commercial Mg₂Al-CO₃ LDHs. Meanwhile, its processing performance is basically the same as the PVC containing commercial Mg₂Al-CO₃ LDHs.     

Coding Variants in Nephrin (NPHS1) and Susceptibility to Nephropathy in African Americans

Background and objectives

Presumed genetic risk for diabetic and nondiabetic end stage renal disease is strong in African Americans.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements

Exome sequencing data from African Americans with type 2 diabetic end stage renal disease and nondiabetic, non-nephropathy controls in the T2D-GENES study (Discovery, n=529 patients and n=535 controls) were evaluated, focusing on missense variants in NPHS1. Associated variants were then evaluated in independent type 2 diabetic end stage renal disease (Replication, n=1305 patients and n=760 controls), nondiabetic end stage renal disease (n=1705), and type 2 diabetes-only, non-nephropathy samples (n=503). All participants were recruited from dialysis facilities and internal medicine clinics across the southeastern United States from 1991 to present. Additional NPHS1 missense variants were identified from exome sequencing resources, genotyped, and sequence kernel association testing was then performed.

Results

Initial analysis identified rs35238405 (T233A; minor allele frequency=0.0096) as associated with type 2 diabetic end stage renal disease (adjustment for admixture P=0.042; adjustment for admixture+APOL1 P=0.080; odds ratio, 2.89 and 2.36, respectively); with replication in independent type 2 diabetic end stage renal disease samples (P=0.018; odds ratio, 4.30) and nondiabetic end stage renal disease samples (P=0.016; odds ratio, 4.48). In a combined analysis (all patients with end stage renal disease versus all controls), T233A was associated with all-cause end stage renal disease (P=0.0038; odds ratio, 2.82; n=3270 patients and n=1187 controls). A P-value of <0.001 was obtained after adjustment for admixture and APOL1 in sequence kernel association testing. Two additional variants (H800R and Y1174H) were nominally associated with protection from end stage renal disease (P=0.036; odds ratio, 0.44; P=0.0084; odds ratio, 0.040, respectively) in the locus-wide single-variant association tests.

Conclusions

Coding variants in NPHS1 are associated with both risk for and protection from common forms of nephropathy in African Americans.     

Training and Education in Clinical Psychology in the Context of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) is revamping the access, quality, and financing of the health and mental health systems. However, its impact on training and education in clinical psychology is unclear. This article aims to identify specific components of the ACA, in particular the Mental and Behavioral Health Education and Training Grants, that are expected to affect training and education in the field. The article further connects the ACA with four paradigm shifts in clinical psychology that have broad implications for training and education—evidence‐based practices, research methodology, interprofessionalism, and the quality indicator movement. The overarching goal of this article is to begin timely discussions on the future directions of the field under the current healthcare reform.     

Induction of phosphorylated c‐Jun in neonatal spinal motoneurons after axonal injury is coincident with both motoneuron death and regeneration

c‐Jun activation has been implicated not only in neuronal degeneration, but also in survival and regeneration. Here, we investigated c‐Jun activation in injured motoneurons by using a nerve crush model in neonatal rats. We identified two distinct subpopulations of motoneurons: about 60% underwent degeneration following injury whereas the remaining 40% survived and induced a regeneration response at 3 weeks post injury. However, all motoneurons examined expressed phosphorylated‐c‐Jun‐immunoreactivity (p‐c‐Jun‐IR) at the early stage of 3 days following injury. These results suggest that active c‐Jun was induced in all neonatal motoneurons following nerve crush injury, regardless of whether they were destined to degenerate or undergo successful regeneration at a later stage. Our findings therefore support the hypothesis that active c‐Jun is involved in both neuronal degeneration and regeneration.