Elimination kinetics of iopamidol,a new water soluble nonionic radiographic contrast medium,analyzed by radioactivation

Summary We have studied the elimination kinetics of iopamidol employing radioactivation and radiochemical separation. This method offers the advantage of guaranteeing absolutely no interference by radiation with tissue distribution or elimination kinetics of the analyzed compound. Our results show that iopamidol does not cross the blood-brain barrier, has no effect on thyroid iodine uptake and does not accumulate in the liver.Acknowledgments. The authors wish to acknowledge use of the nuclear reactor offered by Prof. Orvini, L.E.N.A., Pavia and the invaluable suggestions provided by Prof. G. Cittadini and by Dr M. Gallorini. Moreover the authors wish to acknowledge the accurate revision of the English draft offered by Dr S. Raffanti.     

Recent Advances in Hard, Tough, and Low Friction Nanocomposite Coatings

Nanocomposite coatings demonstrate improved friction and wear responses under severe sliding conditions in extreme environments. This paper provides a review how thin film multilayers and nanocomposites result in hard, tough, low-friction coatings. Approaches to couple multilayered and nanocomposite materials with other surface engineering strategies to achieve higher levels of performance in a variety of tribological applications are also discussed. Encapsulating lubricious phases in hard nanocomposite matri- ces is one approach that is discussed in detail. Results from state-of-the-art ＂chameleon＂ nanocomposites that exhibit reversible adaptability to ambient humidity or temperature are presented.