Structure of montmorillonite cointercalated with stearic acid and octadecylamine: modeling, diffraction, IR spectroscopy.

Structural analysis of Na-montmorillonite co-intercalated with octadecylamine and stearic acid was carried out using combination of experiment: X-ray powder diffraction and IR spectroscopy with molecular modeling (force field calculations) in Cerius(2) modeling environment. Results of structure analysis revealed the chemical reaction of guest compounds leading to the formation of octadecylammonium stearate. This reaction may occur even before the intercalation out of the interlayer space of montmorillonite. The presence of octadecylammonium stearate in the samples was clearly confirmed by IR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Present results also showed that: (1) Stearic acid itself does not intercalate into Na-montmorillonite; (2) cointercalation with octadecylamine led to the formation of octadecylammonium stearate, which was successfully intercalated into the interlayer space of montmorillonite, and (3) Na-montmorillonite intercalated with octadecylammonium stearate does not create a stable structure. Intercalated samples in ambient conditions undergo gradual decomposition, accompanied by the release of octadecylammonium stearate from the interlayer space and rearrangement of the interlayer structure. Co-intercalation of STA and ODA to lower the octadecylamine content and consequently to suppress the unfavorable effect of amine groups on the polymer matrix in nanocomposite, was investigated.

Intercalation of octadecylamine into montmorillonite: molecular simulations and XRD analysis.

Intercalation of octadecylamine (ODAMIN) into Na montmorillonite based on the ion-dipole interaction was investigated using molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics simulations combined with X-ray powder diffraction. Molecular modeling revealed the interlayer structure of the ODAMIN-montmorillonite intercalate, the charge distribution on the host layer and guest species, and the energy characteristics, i.e., the total sublimation energy and it's individual contributions (electrostatic and Van der Waals). The present study showed the development of the interlayer structure, basal spacing, and exfoliation energy in dependence on the ODAMIN content.

The Legal Admissibility of Positron Emission Tomography Scans in Criminal Cases: People v. Spyder Cystkopf.

This article discusses various legal issues posed when the results of position emission tomographic scans are sought to be introduced in criminal trials.

Anti-neuronal antibodies similar to those found in Alzheimer's disease induce memory dysfunction in rats.

Although the etiology and pathogenesis of the cholinergic degeneration in Alzheimer's disease are not known, several reports implicate immunological mechanisms. Recently we have shown that sera of Alzheimer's disease patients contain antibodies which bind specifically to the heavy molecular weight neurofilament protein of Torpedo cholinergic neurons. In the present study we investigated the possibility that such antibodies play a role in neuronal degeneration by examining the behavioral and cellular effects of immunizing rats with the heavy neurofilament protein of Torpedo cholinergic neurons. The immunized rats developed antibodies which were specific to the heavy neurofilament protein of Torpedo cholinergic neurons and which cross-reacted with rat brain neurofilaments. Immunohistochemical studies revealed the accumulation of antibodies in the perikarya and neurites of neurons in the septum and hippocampus of the cholinergic neurofilament immunized rats and in white matter tracts in their forebrains. No such staining was seen in adjuvant immunized control rats. Behavioral tests revealed that rats immunized with the heavy cholinergic neurofilament protein performed significantly worse than controls in a T-maze alternation test and that their performance deteriorated profoundly after the introduction of a 20-s delay in the paradigm, indicating a deficit in short term memory. In contrast, both groups performed similarly in a T-maze discrimination test, indicating that long term reference memory was not affected by immunization with the heavy cholinergic neurofilament protein. Further experiments revealed that the rats immunized with the heavy cholinergic neurofilament protein were also deficient in a reversal of choice paradigm in a position discrimination test.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Immunization with cholinergic cell bodies induces histopathological changes in rat brains.

We have previously shown that sera from patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) contain antibodies to the cell bodies (perikarya; PK) of purely cholinergic Torpedo neurons, and that repeated immunization of rats with this neuronal preparation for over a year induces learning and memory impairments. In the present study, we examined the brain morphology of cholinergic PK immunized rats relative to controls. Immunohistochemical studies of the brains of these rats revealed the accumulation of IgG in specific areas, such as, the hippocampus. Parallel histochemical studies demonstrated significant changes in the hippocampus, and in white matter areas. They included large vacuoles and necrotic nuclei in the granular layer of the dentate gyrus, tangle-like appearance in some pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus, and vacuolar degeneration accompanied by oligodendroglia hypertrophy in white matter tracts, such as, the corpus callosum and fimbria. In contrast, immunization with Torpedo cholinergic nerve terminals, that has no cognitive effects on the rat, also did not induce brain morphological changes. These findings suggest that the learning and memory deficits induced by immunizing rats with cholinergic PK are related to the observed brain morphological changes, and support the hypothesis that the antibodies to cholinergic neurons found in the sera of AD patients may play a role in neuronal degeneration in this disease.

Obstructive renal failure and pleural effusion caused by the gravid uterus.

Acute renal failure due to ureteral obstruction by the gravid uterus is considered to be a rare complication of late pregnancy. Pleural effusion caused by urinary tract obstruction is also extremely uncommon. This presentation reports what is believed to be the first case in which both these complications appeared at the same time in a pregnant patient.

What is the actual incidence of peritonitis in maintenance peritoneal dialysis? A prospective study.

Generally, the incidence of peritonitis in maintenance peritoneal dialysis programs is calculated as a percentage of the total number of treatments or as the number of episodes per patient-months. Both statistical methods give the wrong impression that peritonitis is seldom observed. However, peritonitis is still the major and unsolved challenge to successful long-term peritoneal dialysis. The lack of a standard and homogeneous definition of peritonitis is another critical point that prevents a rational interpretation of the published experiences. In the present study, dialysate cell counts of greater than 1,100 cells/mm3 were assumed to be the first sign of peritoneal infection. As long as more signs and symptoms are required for recognizing peritonitis (fever, abdominal pains, positive cultures), the statistical probability of making such a diagnosis shows the characteristics of a Poisson distribution. It is concluded that in long-term peritoneal dialysis, the currently used statistical methodology for evaluation of the incidence of peritonitis, including the clinical definition of this complication, is misleading. Dialysate cell counts appear to be the more sensitive sign for early diagnosis of peritonitis.