0000000000380969
AUTHOR
Carlotta Marianecci
Thickness measurement of soft thin films on periodically patterned magnetic substrates by phase difference magnetic force microscopy
The need for accurate measurement of the thickness of soft thin films is continuously encouraging the development of techniques suitable for this purpose. We propose a method through which the thickness of the film is deduced from the quantitative measurement of the contrast in the phase images of the sample surface acquired by magnetic force microscopy, provided that the film is deposited on a periodically patterned magnetic substrate. The technique is demonstrated by means of magnetic substrates obtained from standard floppy disks. Colonies of Staphylococcus aureus adherent to such substrates were used to obtain soft layers with limited lateral (a levy microns) and vertical (hundreds of n…
Potential dopamine prodrug-loaded liposomes: preparation, characterization, andin vitrostability studies
Dopamine delivery to the central nervous system (CNS) undergoes the permeability limitations of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Condensation of dopamine with neutral amino acids could afford potential pro- drugs able to interact with the BBB endogenous transporters and easily enter the brain. To improve the bio-availability of the dopamine prodrug, 2-amino-N-[2-(3,4-dihydroxy-phenyl)-ethyl]-3-phenyl-propionamide (DOPH), it was encapsulated in unilamellar liposomes of dimiristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC)and cholesterol. Vesicles were characterized by dynamic light scattering in order to evaluate their dimensions and vesicle stability, by zeta-potential measurements, by means of electronic mi…