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At least 631 records · Page 35Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Properties of zein films coated with drying oils.

Zein films prepared by resin were coated with either flax oil or tung oil and cured by UV- or gamma-radiation. Coated zein films were then evaluated for tensile and water barrier properties. Film microstructure was examined by transmitted light microscope. Tensile strength, elongation, and toughness of oil-coated samples increased substantially with respect to uncoated films. Flax oil coated samples showed an increase in elongation of 300%. It was suggested that oil coatings fill in pinholes and cracks existing in zein films, affecting their mechanical properties. Water vapor permeability also decreased statistically for coated film (except for tung oil coated-UV treated films), suggesting water vapor transfer was controlled by film hydrophobicity and microstructure. Moreover, the liquid water transmission rate of coated films was at least 10 times slower than for control films. Examination of film microstructure revealed that flax oil coatings had uniform coverage and smooth finish, which explained their high elongation, low water vapor permeability. Tung oil coatings cured under UV light showed patterns of intertwined dark and light regions, which may be caused by cross-linking and drying at different times. The oriented structures were found when tung oil coatings were cured by gamma-radiation.

Chemical Phenomena↗
PubMed2005

Effects of hydrophilic plasticizers on mechanical, thermal, and surface properties of chitosan films.

Chitosan films were plasticized with four hydrophilic compounds, namely, glycerol (GLY), ethylene glycol (EG), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), and propylene glycol (PG). Our objective was to investigate the effect of plasticizers on mechanical and surface properties of chitosan films. The stability of plasticized films was observed by storage for 3 and 20 weeks in an environmental chamber at 50 +/- 5% RH and 23 +/- 2 degrees C. Plasticization improves the chitosan ductility, and typical stress-strain curves of plasticized films have the features of ductile materials, except the film made with 5% PG that exhibits as a brittle polymer and shows an antiplasticization effect. In most cases, the elongation of plasticized films decreases with the storage time, which might be due to the recrystallization of chitosan and the loss of moisture and plasticizer from the film matrix. Although at the beginning the mechanical properties of films made with PG, at high plasticizer concentration, are comparable to those of films made with EG, GLY, and PEG, their stability is poor and they tend to become brittle materials. The surface properties, analyzed by contact angle measurement, reveal that plasticization increases film hydrophilicity. It is found that GLY and PEG are more suitable as chitosan plasticizers than EG and PG by taking into account their plasticization efficiency and storage stability. Furthermore, a plasticizer concentration of 20% (w/w) with GLY or PEG seemingly is sufficient to obtain flexible chitosan film with a good stability for 5 months of storage.

Absorption↗
PubMed2005

Preparation, structure, and electrochemistry of a polypyrrole film doped with manganese(III)-substituted Dawson-type phosphopolyoxotungstate.

The fabrication, structure, electrochemical properties, and electrocatalytic properties of a manganese(III)-substituted Dawson-type phosphopolyoxotungstate, alpha 2-K7P2W17O61(Mn3+.OH2).12H2O (P2W17Mn), entrapped in polypyrrole (PPy) film have been studied. The hybrid film was prepared by potentiostatic polymerization from aqueous solution containing 20 mM pyrrole (Py) and 2 mM P2W17Mn on a pyrolytic graphite (PG) surface. Chronoamperometry, Raman spectroscopy, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry were used to monitor and characterize the growth, structure, and properties of the film. The chronoamperometric curve shows that P2W17Mn can catalyze the electrochemical polymerization of Py. The Raman spectrum suggests that the doped P2W17Mn has little effect on the structure of PPy film. The P2W17Mn/PPy film exhibits good voltammetric response in both the acidic aqueous and acetonitrile solutions. At pH 1.0, the molar ratio of pyrrole to P2W17Mn7- in the hybrid film is 21.1:1, quite close to the expected ratio of 21.2:1 for a PPy film with a +0.33 oxidation level per pyrrole moiety and doped with an anion with a charge of 7. The influence of solution pH on P2W17Mn7- in the film is much smaller than that in the aqueous solution. During the potential scanning in 0.1 M LiClO4 acetonitrile solution, P2W17Mn7- was slowly released from the hybrid film and electrolyte ions (Li+ and ClO4-) were inserted into the film. This was identified by cyclic voltammetry and UV-visible spectroscopy. Additionally, the hybrid film can effectively catalyze the reduction of hydrogen peroxide and nitrite.

Anions↗
PubMed2005

In situ STM studies of electrochemical growth of nanostructured Ni films and their anomalous IR properties.

We have extended the study of anomalous IR properties, which were initially discovered on nanostructured films of platinum group metals and alloys, to nanostructured films of nickel, a member of the iron group triad, and broadened the fundamental knowledge on this subject. Nanostructured thin films of nickel supported on glassy carbon [nm-Ni/GC(n)] were prepared by electrochemical deposition under cyclic voltammetric conditions, and the thickness of films was altered systematically by varying the number (n) of potential cycling within a defined potential range for electrodeposition. Electrochemical in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) was employed to monitor the electrochemical growth of nanostructured Ni films. These in situ STM images illustrated that, along the increase of the film thickness, Ni films have undergone a transformation from layer structure to island structure and finally to lumpish arris structure. Investigations by in situ FTIR spectroscopy employing adsorbed CO as the probe revealed that these nanostructures of Ni films yield abnormal IR features, Fano-like IR features, and normal IR features, respectively. The IR bands of CO adsorbed on Ni thin films of a layer structure were inverted in their direction and enhanced in their intensity up to 15.5 times on an nm-Ni/GC(4) electrode. The Fano-like IR features, which are defined as a bipolar band with its negative-going peak on the low wavenumber side and its positive-going peak on the high wavenumber side, are observed for the first time on Ni thin films of an island nanostructure, i.e., at the nm-Ni/GC(16) electrode. IR features changed to normal absorption in CO adsorbed on the nm-Ni/GC(25) electrode, i.e., that with lumpish arris nanostructured Ni film of a larger thickness.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Layer by layer buildup of polysaccharide films: physical chemistry and cellular adhesion aspects.

The formation ofpolysaccharide films based on the alternate deposition of chitosan (CHI) and hyaluronan (HA) was investigated by several techniques. The multilayer buildup takes place in two stages: during the first stage, the surface is covered by isolated islets that grow and coalesce as the construction goes on. After several deposition steps, a continuous film is formed and the second stage of the buildup process takes place. The whole process is characterized by an exponential increase of the mass and thickness of the film with the number of deposition steps. This exponential growth mechanism is related to the ability of the polycation to diffuse "in" and "out" of the whole film at each deposition step. Using confocal laser microscopy and fluorescently labeled CHI, we show that such a diffusion behavior, already observed with poly(L-lysine) as a polycation, is also found with CHI, a polycation presenting a large persistence length. We also analyze the effect of the molecular weight (MW) of the diffusing polyelectrolyte (CHI) on the buildup process and observe a faster growth for low MW chitosan. The influence of the salt concentration during buildup is also investigated. Whereas the CHI/HA films grow rapidly at high salt concentration (0.15 M NaCl) with the formation of a uniform film after only a few deposition steps, it is very difficult to build the film at 10(-4) M NaCl. In this latter case, the deposited mass increases linearly with the number of deposition steps and the first deposition stage, where the surface is covered by islets, lasts at least up to 50 bilayer deposition steps. However, even at these low salt concentrations and in the islet configuration, CHI chains seem to diffuse in and out of the CHI/HA complexes. The linear mass increase of the film with the number of deposition steps despite the CHI diffusion is explained by a partial redissolution of the CHI/HA complexes forming the film during different steps of the buildup process. Finally, the uniform films built at high salt concentrations were also found to be chondrocyte resistant and, more interestingly, bacterial resistant. Therefore, the (CHI/HA) films may be used as an antimicrobial coating.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Selective Ni-P electroless plating on photopatterned cationic adsorption films influenced by alkyl chain lengths of polyelectrolyte adsorbates and additive surfactants.

We demonstrated that the photopatterned single-layer adsorption film of poly(1-dodecyl-4-pyridinium bromide) on a silica surface was available for a template of nickel-phosphorus (Ni-P) electroless plating through sensitization with a SnCl(2) aqueous solution and activation with a PdCl(2) aqueous solution. Four kinds of poly(1-alkyl-4-vinylpyridinium halide)s bearing methyl, propyl, hexyl, and dodecyl groups were prepared. The cationic polymers were adsorbed by a negatively charged silica surface from their solutions, to form single-layer adsorption films exhibiting desorption-resistance toward deionized water and ethanol. The organic adsorption films could be decomposed completely by exposure to 172 nm deep-UV light. The formation and decomposition of the single-layer films were confirmed by deep-UV absorption spectral measurement and zeta-potential measurement. Ni-P electroless plating was carried out on the photopatterned adsorption films, using three types of SnO(x) colloidal materials without and with cationic or anionic surfactant as catalyst precursors in the sensitization step. In the case of the negatively charged SnO(x) colloids surrounded by anionic surfactant, Ni-deposition took place preferentially on the cationic adsorption films remaining in unexposed regions. The Ni-deposition was accelerated significantly on the cationic adsorption film bearing dodecyl groups. It was obvious by ICP-AES analyses that the hydrophobic long-chain dodecyl groups in the adsorption film could promote the adsorption of the negative SnO(x) colloids on the film surface, followed by much nucleus formation of zerovalent Pd catalysts useful for the electroless plating. The result of our experiment clearly showed that, in addition to electrostatic interaction, van der Waals interaction generating between the hydrophobic long-chain hydrocarbons of the adsorption film and the surfactant improved significantly the adsorption stability of the SnO(x) colloids, resulting in highly selective Ni-deposition in accord with the photopattern shape of the cationic single-layer adsorption film.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Human serum albumin self-assembly on weak polyelectrolyte multilayer films structurally modified by pH changes.

Adsorption of proteins onto film surfaces built up layer by layer from oppositely charged polyelectrolytes is a complex phenomenon, governed by electrostatic forces, hydrogen bonds, and hydrophobic interactions. The amounts of the interacting charges, however, both in polyelectrolytes and in proteins adsorbed on such films are a function of the pH of the solution. In addition, the number and the accessibility of free charges in proteins depend on the secondary structure of the protein. The subtle interplay of all these factors determines the adsorption of the proteins onto the polyelectrolyte film surfaces. We investigated the effect of these parameters for polyelectrolyte films built up from weak "protein-like" polyelectrolytes (i.e., polypeptides), poly(L-lysine) (PLL), and poly(glutamic acid) (PGA) and for the adsorption of human serum albumin (HSA) onto these films in the pH range 3.0-10.5. It was found that the buildup of the polyelectrolyte films is not a simple function of the pure charges of the individual polyelectrolytes, as estimated from their respective pKa values. The adsorption of HSA onto (PLL/PGA)n films depended strongly on the polyelectrolyte terminating the film. For PLL-terminated polyelectrolyte films, at low pH, repulsion, as expected, is limiting the adsorption of HSA (having net positive charge below pH 4.6) since PLL is also positively charged here. At high pH values, an unexpected HSA uptake was found on the PGA-ending films, even when both PGA and HSA were negatively charged. It is suggested that the higher surface rugosity and the decrease of the alpha-helix content at basic pH values (making accessible certain charged groups of the protein for interactions with the polyelectrolyte film) could explain this behavior.

Absorption↗
PubMed2005

Fabrication and photoluminescence of hybrid organized molecular films of a series of gemini amphiphiles and europium(III)-containing polyoxometalate.

Organic/inorganic hybrid monolayers, consisting of an oval decatungstoeuropate (EuW10) with photoluminescence and a series of gemini-type amphiphiles with various lengths of the flexible hydrophobic spacers, were formed through electrostatic interaction at the air/water interface. The ultrathin hybrid multilayer films could be fabricated through the horizontal transfer of the monolayers onto the solid substrates. The characteristic absorption band of EuW10 in the UV spectra of the hybrid films showed a slight red shift in comparison with that in solution, indicating the ordered arrangement of EuW10 in the hybrid films. FT-IR spectra of the hybrid films presented characteristic bands of EuW10, indicating that the structure of the cluster was kept in the films. X-ray diffraction measurements of the films revealed that the well-defined layer structures were formed in these multilayer films and the EuW10 cluster ions were orientated with their short axis parallel to the film surface. Typical photoluminescence of the 5D0 --> 7F2 and 5D0 --> 7F1 transitions of EuW10 was observed in the hybrid films. Interestingly, the relative intensity of the two emission bands varied with the spacer length of the gemini amphiphiles in the films. A size matching between EuW10 and the gemini amphiphile with a hexamethylene spacer was observed, which showed the lowest ratio of the emission intensity of 5D0 --> 7F2 to that of 5D0 --> 7F1. Circular nanoparticles were observed in the AFM images for all these hybrid films. In addition, the size of the formed nanoparticles showed a dependence on the spacer length.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

Measurement of apparent diffusion coefficients within ultrathin nafion Langmuir-Schaefer films: comparison of a novel scanning electrochemical microscopy approach with cyclic voltammetry.

The use of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) to evaluate the apparent diffusion coefficient, Dapp, of redox-active species in ultrathin Nafion films is described. In this technique, an ultramicroelectrode (UME) tip, positioned close to a film on a macroscopic electrode, is used to oxidize (or reduce) a species in bulk solution, causing the tip-generated oxidant (reductant) to diffuse to the film/solution interface. The oxidation (reduction) of film-confined species regenerates the reductant (oxidant) in solution, leading to feedback to the UME. A numerical model is developed that allows Dapp to be determined. For these studies, ultrathin films of Nafion were prepared using the Langmuir-Schaefer (LS) technique and loaded with an electroactive species, either the ferrocene derivative ferrocenyltrimethylammonium cation, FA+, or tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II), Ru(bpy)32+. The morphology and the thickness of the Nafion LS films (1.5 +/- 0.2 nm per layer deposited) were evaluated using atomic force microscopy (AFM). For comparison with the SECM measurements, cyclic voltammetry (CV) was employed to evaluate the concentration of electroactive species within the Nafion LS films and to determine Dapp. The latter was found to be essentially invariant with film thickness, but the value for Ru(bpy)32+ was 1 order of magnitude larger than for FA+. CV and SECM measurements yield different values of Dapp, and the underlying reasons are discussed. In general, the Dapp values for these films are considerably smaller than for recast Nafion films, which can be attributed to the compactness of Nafion LS films. Nonetheless, the ultrathin nature of the films leads to fast response times, and we thus expect that these modified electrodes could find applications in sensing, electroanalysis, and electrocatalysis.

Diffusion↗
PubMed2006

Electron transfer through clay monolayer films fabricated by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique.

Hybrid films composed of amphiphilic molecules and clay particles were constructed by the modified Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) method. Clays used were sodium montmorillonite (denoted as mont) and synthetic smectite containing Co(II) ions in the octahedral sites (denoted as Co). Two kinds of amphiphilic molecules were used-[Ru(dC(18)bpy)(phen)2](ClO4)2 (dC(18)bpy = 4,4'-dioctadecyl-2,2'-bipyridyl and phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) (denoted as Ru) and octadecylammonium choloride (ODAH+Cl- or denoted as ODAH). Three kinds of hybrid films (denoted as Ru-mont, Ru-Co, and ODAH-Co films) were prepared by spreading an amphiphilic molecule onto an aqueous suspension of a clay. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses of the films deposited on silicon wafers indicated that closely packed films were obtained at 20 ppm for all the above three cases. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was measured on an ITO electrode modified with a hybrid film or a monolayer film of pure Ru(II) complex salt (denoted as Ru film). The Ru(II) complexes incorporated in the Ru-mont film lost their redox activity, indicating that montmorillonite layers acted as a barrier against electron transfer. In contrast, the same complexes in the Ru-Co film were electrochemically active with the simultaneous appearance of the redox peaks due to the Co(II)/Co(III) (or Co(II)/Co(IV)) couple. The results implied that electron transfer through cobalt clay layers was possible via mediation by Co(II) ions in a clay sheet. For an aqueous solution containing nitrite ions (NO2-) at pH 3.0, a large catalytic oxidation current was observed for both the electrodes modified with the Ru-mont and Ru-Co films. The results were interpreted in terms of the mechanisms that the charge separation of an incorporated Ru(II) complex took place to produce a pair of a Ru(III) complex and an electron and that the generated Ru(III) complex was reduced by a nitrite ion before it recombined with the electron.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Protein adsorption on nanoporous TiO2 films: a novel approach to studying photoinduced protein/electrode transfer reactions.

We have investigated the use of nanoporous TiO2 films as substrates for protein immobilisation. Such films are of interest due to their high surface area, optical transparency, electrochemical activity and ease of fabrication. These films moreover allow detailed spectroscopic study of protein/electrode electron transfer processes. We find that protein immobilisation on such films may be readily achieved from aqueous solutions at 4 degrees C with a high binding stability and no detectable protein denaturation. The nanoporous structure of the film greatly enhances the active surface area available for protein binding (by a factor of up to 850 for an 8 microns thick film). We demonstrate that the redox state of proteins such as immobilised cytochrome-c (Cyt-c) and haemoglobin (Hb) may be modulated by the application of an electrical bias potential to the TiO2 film, without the addition of electron transfer mediators. The binding of Cyt-c on the TiO2 films is investigated as a function of film thickness, protein concentration, protein surface charge and ionic strength. We demonstrate the potential use of immobilised Hb on such TiO2 films for the detection of dissolved CO in aqueous solutions. We further show that protein/electrode electron transfer may be initiated by UV bandgap excitation of the TiO2 electrode. Both photooxidation and photoreduction of the immobilised proteins can be achieved. By employing pulsed UV laser excitation, the interfacial electron transfer kinetics can be monitored by transient optical spectroscopy, providing a novel probe of protein/electrode electron transfer kinetics. We conclude that nanoporous TiO2 films may be useful both for basic studies of protein/electrode interactions and for the development of novel bioanalytical devices such as biosensors.

Adsorption↗
PubMed2006

Layer-by-layer growth of thin amorphous solid water films on Pt(111) and Pd(111).

The growth of amorphous solid water (ASW) films on Pt(111) is investigated using rare gas (e.g., Kr) physisorption. Temperature programmed desorption of Kr is sensitive to the structure of thin water films and can be used to assess the growth modes of these films. At all temperatures that are experimentally accessible (20-155 K), the first layer of water wets Pt(111). Over a wide temperature range (20-120 K), ASW films wet the substrate and grow approximately layer by layer for at least the first three layers. In contrast to the ASW films, crystalline ice films do not wet the water monolayer on Pt(111). Virtually identical results were obtained for ASW films on epitaxial Pd(111) films grown on Pt(111). The desorption rates of thin ASW and crystalline ice films suggest that the relative free energies of the films are responsible for the different growth modes. However, at low temperatures, surface relaxation or "transient mobility" is primarily responsible for the relative smoothness of the films. A simple model of the surface relaxation semiquantitatively accounts for the observations.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Drug release kinetics from polymeric films containing propranolol hydrochloride for transdermal use.

Polymeric films containing propranolol hydrochloride (PPN) were formulated and evaluated with a view to select a suitable formulation for the development of transdermal drug delivery systems. Films containing different ratios of ethyl cellulose (EC), poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), and PPN were prepared by mercury substrate method. In vitro drug release and skin permeation studies were conducted using paddle over disk and modified Franz diffusion cell, respectively. The drug release profiles from the polymeric film indicated that the drug content in the film decreased at an apparent first-order rate, whereas the quantity of drug release was proportional to the square root of time. The release rate of PPN increased linearly with increasing drug concentration and PVP fraction in the film, but was found to be independent of film thickness. The increase in release rate may be due to leaching of hydrophilic fraction of the film former, which resulted in the formation of pores. It was also observed that the release of drug from the films followed the diffusion-controlled model at low drug concentration. A burst effect was observed initially, however, at high drug loading level, which may be due to rapid dissolution of the surface drug followed by the diffusion of the drug through the polymer network in the film. The in vitro skin permeation profiles displayed increased flux values with increase of initial drug concentration in the film, and also with the PVP content. From this study, it is concluded that the films composed of EC/PVP/PPN, 9:1:3, 8:2:2, and 8:2:3, should be selected for the development of transdermal drug delivery systems using a suitable adhesive layer and backing membrane for potential therapeutic applications.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMedDate not supplied

End-tidal pCO2 in blood phobics during viewing of emotion- and disease-related films.

OBJECTIVE: Many patients with blood, injection, and injury (BII) phobia respond to specific stimuli with vasovagal dysregulation and fainting. However, little is known about the role of hyperventilation in the distress of these patients. Hyperventilation, defined by subnormal arterial pCO2 levels, induces anxiety and may promote the development of fainting. We studied end-tidal pCO2 in 12 patients with BII phobia and 14 nonanxious controls during presentation of emotional films. METHOD: Ten film clips were shown, two in each of 5 categories: pleasant, unpleasant, neutral, BII-related (surgery), and asthma-related (portraying labored breathing). For each subject, two subsets were created, each containing one clip from each category. For one subset, the instruction was simply to view the film, and for the other subset, to view the film while tensing the leg muscles. PCO2, heart rate, blood pressure, and leg electromyogram were recorded continuously during viewing, and self-report of symptoms and emotion was collected after each film. RESULTS: Patients reported the greatest anxiety and disgust during surgery films. PCO2 was relatively stable throughout all categories except surgery films, during which minima were below 30 mm Hg, indicating significant hypocapnia. Cardiovascular variables suggested biphasic patterns in two patients with BII phobia. These patients, together with one additional patient and one control who were close to fainting after or during one surgery film, also showed a marked fall in pCO2) Leg muscle tension raised heart rate and systolic blood pressure for all films, but was not related to near-fainting or endurance in surgery film viewing. CONCLUSION: Hyperventilation is part of the fear response of patients with BII phobia, but was transitory in experimental fear induction using surgery films. Its role in real-life exposure and fainting deserves further study.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Linear splay elasticity in surface-induced films of tilted smectic liquid crystals.

The prefrozen films that may be observed at the surface of isotropic liquid crystal droplets, close to the isotropic-smectic phase transition, or surface-induced films, are essentially asymmetric. If moreover, the molecules are tilted inside the smectic layers, as in the smectic-C (SmC) or smectic-C(A) (SmC(A)) phases, the c director that we may define as the order parameter of the film, is a real vector. Thus, the surface-induced films of MHTAC exhibit vectorial or polar properties, though the molecules are not chiral. The film free energy therefore contains a surface-elasticity term, K(1)c(2) c, that is a linear function of the splay distortion, and that may be negative enough to promote a mechanical instability. A spontaneous c distortion, or c modulation, then invades the whole film and produces an array of parallel stripes, with a typical four-fringe periodicity when observed between crossed polarisers. Here, we present optical measurements of the distortion for different film thicknesses, and we propose a linear analysis of the data to test our model. Due to the limitations inherent to the Fourier expansion that we use, the calculations are valid only between two limits: a large q limit where splay domains collapse into disclination lines, and a small q borderline below which the distortion evolves towards a system of independent solitons. We find that the sign of the spontaneous splay elastic constant K1 alternates as a function of the number of layers, N, a property that is reminiscent of the alternate structure of the SmC(A) phase. We argue that the two-dimension elastic constant, K1, originates from the interactions between the molecules in contact to the isotropic phase, and we deduce K1 approximately -(-1)(N)x10(-11) N and the elastic anisotropy, with a ratio of the splay over bend elastic constants K(s)/K(b) approximately 4.5. Similar properties could be observed also in other types of ultrathin films, e.g., in free-standing, ferroelectric (SmC*) or antiferroelectric (SmC(*)(A)), films, in Langmuir films, and even in particular biological films. In some cases, a second, electric instability may occur and superimpose onto the elastic one.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

The depiction of seizures in film.

PURPOSE: The purpose was to describe the depiction of epilepsy in English language film. METHODS: The list of films, developed by consulting several databases, film scholars, and neurologists, includes every film suggested by any source. By using the saturation techniques of grounded theory, names of films were sought until no new names were received. All films were reviewed by an experienced board-certified neurologist. RESULTS: Seizures were depicted in 20 films. Generally, seizures are used in film to develop narrative or enrich character. They serve four functions: (a) a principal character has epilepsy; thus the condition is critical to character and narrative; (b) a seizure is used to drive the narrative; (c) a seizure is used to enrich a minor role; and (d) a seizure is feigned to distract attention from another activity. CONCLUSIONS: Conclusions can be drawn in four areas: character, accuracy of depiction, roles and responses of onlookers, and the place of epilepsy in the films: (a) Epilepsy is one dimension linked with other aspects of an individual to enrich character; (b) Seizures are depicted fairly accurately, but their frequent representation as uncontrollable and violent is exaggerated and out of date; (c) In the films, the onlookers' responses range from fear to taking correct measures; and (d) The presence of epilepsy is never arbitrary, but the function varies. Overall, the view of epilepsy conveyed in film continues to be distorted, sensationalized, and presented in the most frightening ways.

Epilepsy↗
PubMed1989

Quantitative design for photostabilization of nifedipine by using titanium dioxide and/or tartrazine as colourants in model film coating systems.

The photostabilization of nifedipine by using film coating has been investigated in model systems in which a drug sample, dispersed on a glass plate, was covered with a free film and exposed to intensive light of mercury vapour lamp. The light transmission properties of films containing titanium dioxide or tartrazine alone as colourant were not always satisfactory. The tartrazine system exhibited superior light transmission properties to the titanium dioxide system at all additive concentrations. However, in combination both colourants gave much better light protection than did the colourants separately. The film-coated drug degraded following apparent first-order kinetics. The degradation rate constant decreased as both colourant concentration and film thickness increased; thus photostabilization was almost completely achieved by applying a film (thickness: 60 microns) of the binary mixture system containing only 0.7% of each of these colourants. The protective effectiveness of a film could be quantitatively evaluated by plotting the degradation rate constant against CL value of film formulation (C: concentration of colourant; L: film thickness). The degradation rate constant showed a good linear correlation with the average percent transmittance of a film in the wavelength range relating to the photolytic degradation of the drug. The average percent transmittance was thus proved to be an important and useful parameter for estimating the photostability of film-coated drugs.

Azo Compounds↗
PubMed1993

Detection of pneumothorax by accident and emergency officers and radiologists on single chest films.

To assess whether an accurate diagnosis of pneumothorax can be made on a single chest film, 233 pairs of inspiratory (I) and expiratory (E) chest films taken in an accident and emergency (A&E) department for suspected pneumothorax were reviewed by two A&E officers and three radiologists. The films were assessed for the presence of pneumothorax by viewing the I film in isolation and, after an interval, by viewing the paired I and E films together. Fifty-four of the patients had a pneumothorax. The five observers missed 23 pneumothoraces (8.5% of total) on the I film alone which were correctly diagnosed on the paired I and E films, the three radiologists missed 10/162 pneumothoraces on the I film alone which were correctly identified on the I and E films (6%) and the two A&E officers 13/108 (12.5%). The use of a single inspiratory chest film for suspected pneumothorax could result in pneumothoraces being missed, particularly by less experienced observers and therefore we believe that paired I and E films should continue to be used routinely for suspected pneumothorax.

Adolescent↗