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South Africa’s Abortion Values Clarification Workshops: an opportunity to deepen democratic communication missed

  • Authors: Vincent, Louise
  • Date: 2011
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141981 , vital:38021 , DOI: 10.1177/0021909610396161
  • Description: A rich literature exists on local democracy and participation in South Africa. While the importance of participation is routinely built into the rhetoric of government, debate has increasingly focused on the dysfunctionality of participatory mechanisms and institutions in post-apartheid South Africa. Processes aimed ostensibly at empowering citizens, act in practice as instruments of social control, disempowerment and cooptation. The present article contributes to these debates by way of a critique of the approach used by the South African state, in partnership with the non-governmental sector, in what are called abortion ‘values clarification’ (VC) workshops. This article examines the workshop materials, methodology and pedagogical tools employed in South African abortion VC workshops which emanate from the organization Ipas — a global body working to enhance women’s sexual and reproductive rights and to reduce abortion-related deaths and injuries. VC workshops represent an instance of a more general trend in which participation is seen as a tool for generating legitimacy and ‘buy-in’ for central state directives rather than as a means for genuinely deepening democratic communication.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

Using iterative learning to improve understanding during the informed consent process in a South African psychiatric genomics study

  • Authors: Campbell, Megan M , Susser, Ezra , Mall, Sumaya , Mqulwana, Sibonile G , Mndini, Michael M , Ntola, Odwa A , Nagdee, Mohamed , Zingela, Zukiswa , Van Wyk, Stephanus , Stein, Dan J
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Informed consent (Medical law) , Patient education
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/6114 , vital:45124 , https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188466
  • Description: Obtaining informed consent is a great challenge in global health research. There is a need for tools that can screen for and improve potential research participants’ understanding of the research study at the time of recruitment. Limited empirical research has been conducted in low and middle income countries, evaluating informed consent processes in genomics research. We sought to investigate the quality of informed consent obtained in a South African psychiatric genomics study. A Xhosa language version of the University of California, San Diego Brief Assessment of Capacity to Consent Questionnaire (UBACC) was used to screen for capacity to consent and improve understanding through iterative learning in a sample of 528 Xhosa people with schizophrenia and 528 controls. We address two questions: firstly, whether research participants’ understanding of the research study improved through iterative learning; and secondly, what were predictors for better understanding of the research study at the initial screening? During screening 290 (55%) cases and 172 (33%) controls scored below the 14.5 cut-off for acceptable understanding of the research study elements, however after iterative learning only 38 (7%) cases and 13 (2.5%) controls continued to score below this cut-off. Significant variables associated with increased understanding of the consent included the psychiatric nurse recruiter conducting the consent screening, higher participant level of education, and being a control. The UBACC proved an effective tool to improve understanding of research study elements during consent, for both cases and controls. The tool holds utility for complex studies such as those involving genomics, where iterative learning can be used to make significant improvements in understanding of research study elements. The UBACC may be particularly important in groups with severe mental illness and lower education levels. Study recruiters play a significant role in managing the quality of the informed consent process.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Point-of-care and lung ultrasound incorporated in daily practice

  • Authors: Neethling, E , Roodt, F , Beck, C , Swanevelder, J L C
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/5248 , vital:44424 , http://www.samj.org.za/index.php/samj/article/view/12293
  • Description: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a fast-growing clinical utility and is becoming an essential clinical skill for all practitioners attending to critically ill patients. Ultrasound equipment is now smaller, more affordable and readily available in clinical work areas. POCUS is performed by a non-cardiologist physician at the patient’s bedside as an adjunct to the physical examination. It is easily taught, non-invasive and allows for real-time clinical information. Bedside use of ultrasound imaging aids with rapid diagnosis of severe and life-threatening pathological conditions. It can be repeated, may change clinical management, and impact on patient outcome. POCUS has a broad clinical use, including, but not limited to, focused assessed transthoracic echocardiography (FATE), lung ultrasound imaging, extended focused assessment with sonography for trauma (e-FAST), vascular access and regional blocks. It may also be extended to detect endotracheal intubation and the estimation of intracranial pressure. Assessment of cardiac pathology by POCUS, performed by a novice examiner, has been shown to compare with the gold standard of an expert. Training is paramount. The physician should know his limitations and always relate the information back to the clinical scenario and context. By incorporating POCUS as part of our armamentarium and into our daily medical practice, we might see it reach its full clinical potential, optimising patient care and improving patient outcomes.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Photophysical properties of newly synthesized fluorinated zinc phthalocyanines in the presence of CdTe quantum dots and the accompanying energy transfer processes

  • Authors: Erdoğmuş, Ali , Moeno, Sharon , Litwinski, Christian , Nyokong, Tebello
  • Date: 2010
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/262671 , vital:53543 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2009.12.014"
  • Description: The photophysical properties of two newly synthesized phthalocyanines (Pcs) were studied in the presence and the absence of 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) capped quantum dots (QDs). Energy transfer processes resulting from the combination of QDs and the Pcs: 4-(tetrakis-5-(trifluoromethyl)-2-mercaptopyridinephthalocyaninato)zinc(II) (TtfmMPyZnPc, 3) and 4-(tetrakis-5-(trifluoromethyl)-2-pyridyloxyphthalocyaninato) zinc(II) (TtfmPyZnPc, 4) were also studied. The photophysical properties of the Pcs in the presence of QDs were enhanced and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) was observed with the phthalocyanines used. The efficiency of FRET between the QDs and TtfmMPyZnPc and TtfmPyZnPc was found to be 0.31% and 0.45% in DMSO and 0.24% and 0.32% in pyridine, respectively. The triplet state quantum yields for TtfmMPyZnPc and TtfmPyZnPc were found to be 0.86 and 0.74 in DMSO and 0.83 and 0.76 in pyridine.
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  • Date Issued: 2010

Reflections on Teaching Africa in South Africa:

  • Authors: Matthews, Sally
  • Date: 2016
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/142235 , vital:38061 , DOI: 10.1111/1467-9256.12107
  • Description: This article draws on the author’s experience of teaching African Studies to undergraduate South African students in order to reflect on some of the key challenges facing teachers of African Studies, both in South Africa and beyond. In particular, it discusses challenges relating to teaching a field as contested as African Studies, looking at whether teaching African alternatives to mainstream African politics is helpful and at whether and how one can teach Africa in a way that encourages and develops critical thinking. The article also explores how the racial politics of the context in which one teaches African Studies inevitably affects the way in which students engage with the content of the course. While the article discusses these issues in relation to the South African higher education context in particular, implications for other contexts are also highlighted.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

A research tool for analysing and monitoring the Extent to which Environmental issues are integrated into teachers’ lessons

  • Authors: Nsubuga, Yvonne
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/386447 , vital:68142 , xlink:href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajee/article/view/122246"
  • Description: South Africa enjoys strong policy support for the integration of environmental issues into school curricula. However, much doubt exists over the extent to which this has been converted into appropriate classroom practice at the majority of under-resourced rural schools in the country. This article reports on a study which piloted a research tool which can be used to analyse teachers’ lessons, with the aim of gaining insight into the extent to which they integrate natural resource management issues. The research tool was based on Bernstein’s concept of classification and consisted of five indicators of natural resource management integration into Life Sciences lessons. The study contributes to the design of research tools that can be used to analyse and monitor the integration of environmental issues into teachers’ lessons. It also provides some insight into the environmental content of a sample of Grade 10 Life Sciences lessons at four rural underresourced schools in the Eastern Cape.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

The photophysical studies of Pluronic F127/P123 micelle mixture system loaded with metal free and Zn 5, 10, 15, 20-tetrakis [4-(benzyloxy) phenyl] porphyrins

  • Authors: Managa, Muthumuni , Ngoy, Bokolombe P , Nyokong, Tebello
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/188932 , vital:44799 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2017.02.018"
  • Description: Binary mixtures of Pluronics are studied as drug nanocarriers in this work. H2 and Zn 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[4-(benzyloxy) phenyl] porphyrin were encapsulated onto binary micelle mixture of Pluronic F127/P123. The fluorescence and singlet oxygen generating behaviour of the porphyrins were investigated following incorporation. The fluorescence quantum yield for H2TBnOPP (ΦF = 0.034) was higher than that of ZnTBnOPP (ΦF = 0.023) and decreased when ZnTBnOPP or H2TBnOPP when in the presence of Pluronic F127/P123 binary mixtures. The kq values were 2.8 × 108 and 3.7 × 108 M−1 s−1, for H2TBnOPP + Pluronic F127/P123 and ZnTBnOPP + Pluronic F127/P123 in water, respectively. The binding constants (Kb) were 1.58 × 105 M−1 and 1.02 × 105 M−1 for ZnTBnOPP + Pluronic F127/P123 and H2TBnOPP + Pluronic F127/P123, respectively.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Detecting plant species in the field with deep learning and drone technology:

  • Authors: James, Katherine , Bradshaw, Karen
  • Date: 2020
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/160445 , vital:40446 , https://0-doi.org.wam.seals.ac.za/10.1111/2041-210X.13473
  • Description: Aerial drones are providing a new source of high‐resolution imagery for mapping of plant species of interest, amongst other applications. On‐board detection algorithms could open the door to allow for applications in which drones can intelligently interact with their environment. However, the majority of plant detection studies have focused on detection in post‐flight processed orthomosaics. Greater research into developing detection algorithms robust to real‐world variations in environmental conditions is necessary, such that they are suitable for deployment in the field under variable conditions. We outline the steps necessary to develop such a system, show by example how real‐world considerations can be addressed during model training and briefly illustrate the performance of our best performing model in the field when integrated with an aerial drone.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Applications of polymerized metal tetra-amino phthalocyanines towards hydrogen peroxide detection

  • Authors: Mashazi, Philani N , Togo, Chumunorwa , Limson, Janice , Nyokong, Tebello
  • Date: 2010
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/261840 , vital:53451 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1142/S1088424610001994"
  • Description: This work reports the use of metallo tetra-amino phthalocyanines (MTAPc, M = Co and Mn) polymer thin films on gold and glassy carbon electrode surfaces for the detection and monitoring of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The polymer-modified electrodes were characterized using electrochemical and microscopic-based methods. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to study the bare and polymer-modified ITO surfaces. The electrocatalytic reduction of H2O2 with glassy carbon polymer-modified electrodes gave higher current densities compared to their gold counterparts. The electroanalytical properties of H2O2 were obtained using a real-time calibration curve of the amperometric determination in pH 7.4 aqueous solution. The limits of detection (LoD) of the polymer-modified electrodes towards electroreduction of H2O2 were of the order of 10–7 M, with high sensitivity ranging from 6.0–15.4 mA.mM-1.cm-2.
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  • Date Issued: 2010

Book Review: From the Outside In

  • Authors: Magadla, Siphokazi
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/298628 , vital:57722 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10220461.2019.1610042"
  • Description: From the Outside In: Domestic Actors and South Africa’s Foreign Policy presents an exciting collection of chapters that explore various and often-ignored domestic actors and their relationships within the state, including government departments and local government; and non-governmental organisations such as labour unions, big business and social movements. The editors evoke the imagery of the ‘chess game of foreign policy’, used by scholars such as Joseph Nye,1 to argue that power in international relations is distributed like a ‘three-dimensional chessboard’ consisting of military power, economic power and transnational relations.
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  • Date Issued: 2019

Tracking the decline of the world’s largest seabream against policy adjustments

  • Authors: Kerwath, Sven E , Parker, Denham , Winker, A Henning , Potts, Warren M , Mann, Bruce , Wilke, Christopher , Attwood, Colin G
  • Date: 2019
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/131433 , vital:36571 , https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12853
  • Description: For most rare marine species, abundance trends are poorly estimated. This uncertainty often translates into disagreement on management regulations, impeding conservation efforts when they are most urgently required. The world’s largest sea bream, the red steenbras Petrus rupestris, has undergone a substantial and widely acknowledged decline during the 20th century. Standardised probability of encounter over the last 3 decades was used to track red steenbras abundance trajectories in 2 regions, which together represent the species’ distribution. The results predicted a reduction in abundance of 44% in the East region and 96% in the South-West region, from what was already considered to be a collapsed population at the start of the time series. The species is now largely confined to areas in the centre of its historical abundance. Content analysis of a recreational angling magazine revealed a concurrent 50% decrease in reported size between 1984 and 2012. Shore-based observer data (2009-2010) indicate that the impact of recreational fishers on this species far exceeded that of commercial fishers at the time. Regulations in the form of progressively more stringent catch and effort restrictions appear to have been largely ineffective, too lenient, implemented too late or were unsuitable to control fishing mortality for this species. This study highlights 2 fundamental challenges in management of rare marine fish species: (1) providing decision makers with a credible measure of abundance for species whose rarity limits data availability and (2) implementing effective policy changes before the specific measures become ineffective and obsolete.
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  • Date Issued: 2019

Activated carbon-decorated polyacrylonitrile fibers and their porphyrin-immobilized composites for removal of methylene blue dye and Ciprofloxacin in water

  • Authors: Oyim, James , Amuhaya, Edith , Nyokong, Tebello
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/${Handle} , vital:65077 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10601325.2023.2183868"
  • Description: Photocatalyst adsorbents are an appealing group of materials for environmental applications. Herein, we study a new simple, inexpensive, yet very effective adsorbent photocatalyst based on porphyrin immobilized activated carbon-decorated polyacrylonitrile, InP(PAN/AC), for removal of methylene blue dye and Ciprofloxacin in water under Xe-lamp and sunlight irradiation (the latter for Ciprofloxacin only). Our results shed light on developing the most effective and sustainable adsorbent photocatalysts that can easily be industrialized due to the ease of preparation through electrospinning coupled with the readily available preparation materials. After five cycles, the InP(PAN/AC) maintained high methylene dye removal efficiency and structural integrity. Significantly, we propose the coordinated contribution of singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radical in the photodegradation process and highlight the importance of such an integrated system with adsorption and photodegradation capabilities for water treatment.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Secrets, lies and redemption:

  • Authors: Boshoff, Priscilla A , Prinsloo, Jeanne
  • Date: 2017
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/143381 , vital:38241 , DOI: 10.1080/00020184.2017.1285671
  • Description: Confession is a central disciplining technology deployed in the second series of Intersexions, a popular South African TV series that seeks to change sexual and social behaviours that contribute to the risk of HIV infection. The article considers the ‘edu’ part of this edutainment programme, specifically with the nature of the lessons and with the form of ‘disciplining’ the narratives presuppose for gendered and sexual subjects. Central to this critical and constructivist exploration of the gender relationships that are validated and expurgated are Foucault’s notions of discourse and confession as a technology of self. We argue that the series presents a range of different gendered and sexual subjectivities but implicitly endorses a modern subjectivity and transformation at the level of the individual.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Creating the Ideal Push-Pull System for Electrocatalysis A Comparative Study on Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Cardanol-based Cobalt Phthalocyanines

  • Authors: Nkhahle, Reitumetse , Nyokong, Tebello
  • Date: 2021
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/${Handle} , vital:44452 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1002/elan.202060019"
  • Description: A symmetrical cardanol-based cobalt phthalocyanine (Pc) along with its asymmetrical acid-based derivatives were synthesized and applied in the electrocatalysis of hydrazine. Despite the inhibition of electron movement by the bulky cardanol-based substituent throughout the series of molecules, an ideal combination of substituents was established in GCE-3 (2,9,16-tris(3- pentadecylphenoxy)-23-mono propionic acid phthalocyanato cobalt (II)) where a limit of detection (LoD) value of 5.10 μM (signal to noise ratio=5) was recorded for the detection of hydrazine. The results obtained serve as an illustration that the combination of electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents has a significant influence on the complete functioning of the phthalocyanine molecule(s) being investigated.
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  • Date Issued: 2021

Interaction of nitric oxide with cobalt (II) phthalocyanine

  • Authors: Vilakazi, Sibulelo L , Nyokong, Tebello
  • Date: 1998
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/293579 , vital:57100 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-5387(98)00244-7"
  • Description: The coordination of nitric oxide (NO) to cobalt(II) phthalocyanine (CoPc) in dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) has been studied. CoPc coordinates with NO in a 1:1 ratio, forming a CoPc(NO) species. The IR band observed at 1680 cm−1 is assigned to the coordinated NO. In the presence of excess NO, pseudo first order kinetics were followed. The observed rate constant, kf, was determined to be 15.0±0.3 dm−3 mol−1 s−1 and the equilibrium constant was K=5.4±0.4×104dm3 mol−1. Solution or adsorbed CoPc catalyses the reduction of NO. The products of reduction include NH3 and NH2OH.
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  • Date Issued: 1998

An illustrated booklet for reinforcing community health worker knowledge of tuberculosis and facilitating patient counselling:

  • Authors: Okeyo, Ida L A , Dowse, Roslind
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/156629 , vital:40032 , https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/1687/2559
  • Description: Community health workers (CHWs) have facilitated the move to decentralize tuberculosis (TB) management, but lack access to information appropriate both for personal use and in patient interaction and education. To explore the impact of a pictorial-based TB booklet on reinforcing CHW knowledge and facilitating patient counselling.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

First candidates for γ vibrational bands built on the [505] 11/2− neutron orbital in odd-A Dy isotopes:

Fluorescence “turn on” probe for bromide ion using nanoconjugates of glutathione-capped CdTe@ ZnS quantum dots with nickel tetraamino-phthalocyanine

  • Authors: Adegoke, Oluwasesan , Nyokong, Tebello
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/190479 , vital:44998 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2013.05.013"
  • Description: In this paper, three differently sized glutathione (GSH)-capped CdTe@ZnS quantum dots (QDs) have been successfully conjugated to nickel tetraamino-phthalocyanine (NiTAPc) to form different QDs-NiTAPc nanocomplexes. Several techniques such as TEM, FT-IR, time-resolved fluorescence measurement and electronic spectroscopy were employed to characterize the nanocomplex. Bromide ion was chosen as a model anion to test the efficacy of the nanoprobe. The fluorescence of the nanoconjugate was “turned off” upon binding but was progressively “turned on” upon interaction with varying concentrations of bromide ion. Experimental results showed that the quantum size effect of nanocrystal QD determined the overall sensitivity and selectivity of the nanoprobe and followed the order QD563-NiTAPc > QD605-NiTAPc > QD621-NiTAPc. The mechanism of reaction is proposed.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

Dragonfly (Odonata) community structure in the Eastern Highlands Biodiversity Hotspot of Zimbabwe: potential threats of land use changes on freshwater invertebrates

  • Authors: Mafuwe, Kudzai , Moyo, Sydney
  • Date: 2020
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/158265 , vital:40167 , https://doi.org/10.1080/13887890.2020.1768156
  • Description: We examined the diversity and potential drivers of dragonfly distribution in a biodiversity hotspot of Southern Africa (Eastern Highlands, Zimbabwe) by surveying 30 sites (13 lentic and 17 lotic habitats) located within this region. Additionally, we identified the anthropogenic factors that may threaten Odonata diversity and abundance.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Selection and characterization of suitable lipid excipients for use in the manufacture of didanosine-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers

  • Authors: Kasongo, Kasongo W , Pardeike, Jana , Muller, Rainer H , Walker, Roderick B
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/184016 , vital:44156 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jps.22711"
  • Description: This research aimed to evaluate the suitability of lipids for the manufacture of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) loaded with the hydrophilic drug, didanosine (DDI). The crystalline state and polymorphism of lipids with the best‐solubulizing potential for DDI was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS). DSC and WAXS were also used to determine potential interactions between the bulk lipids and DDI. Precirol® ATO 5 and Transcutol® HP showed the best‐solubilizing potential for DDI. Precirol® ATO 5 exists in the β‐modification before heating; however, a mixture of both α‐ and β‐modifications were detected following heating. Addition of Transcutol® HP to Precirol® ATO 5 changes the polymorphism of the latter from the β‐modification to a form that exhibits coexistence of the α‐ and β‐modifications. DDI exists in a crystalline state when dispersed at 5% (w/w) in Precirol® ATO 5 or in a Precirol® ATO 5/Transcutol® HP mixture. DSC and WAXS profiles of DDI/bulk lipids mixture obtained before and after exposure to heat revealed no interactions between DDI and the lipids. Precirol® ATO 5 and a mixture of Precirol® ATO 5 and Transcutol® HP may be used to manufacture DDI‐loaded SLN and NLC, respectively.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2011
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