Mal do século: meio ambiente e doença no filme "Safe" (1995) de Todd Haynes / Evil of the century: environment and disease in the film "Safe" (1995) by Todd Haynes / El mal del siglo: medio ambiente y enfermedad en la película "Safe" (1995) de Todd Haynes

O filme "Safe" (1995), dirigido por Todd Haynes, conta a história de Carol White, dona de casa de classe média alta em Los Angeles, que começa a sofrer de uma misteriosa alergia aos frutos da "modernidade" (alimentos ultraprocessados, produtos sintéticos e poluição). Realizado décadas atrás, o filme é atual para criticar a sociedade contemporânea, explorando a desconexão e o vazio existencial nas crises ambientais. A resenha se aprofunda nos dilemas sofridos pela personagem que, apesar de viver em um ambiente abastado, sente-se alienada e busca refúgio em um grupo que oferece uma solução pseudocientífica para seu mal. O filme se posiciona como uma crítica à sociedade de consumo e às consequências das políticas neoliberais, questionando a eficácia de soluções superficiais para problemas profundos e sistêmicos.

The film "Safe" (1995), directed by Todd Haynes, tells the story of Carol White, an upper-middle-class housewife in Los Angeles, who begins to suffer from a mysterious allergy to the fruits of "modernity" (ultra-processed foods, synthetic products and pollution). Despite being made decades ago, the film is current in criticizing contemporary society, exploring the disconnection and existential void in environmental crises. The review delves into the dilemmas suffered by the character who, despite living in a wealthy environment, feels alienated and seeks refuge in a group that offers a pseudoscientific solution to her illness. The film positions itself as a critique of consumer society and the consequences of neoliberal policies, questioning the effectiveness of superficial solutions to deep, systemic problems.

La película "Safe" (1995), dirigida por Todd Haynes, cuenta la historia de Carol White, una ama de casa de clase media alta de Los Ángeles, que comienza a sufrir una misteriosa alergia a los frutos de la "modernidad" (alimentos, productos ultraprocesados, productos sintéticos y contaminación). A pesar de haber sido realizada hace décadas, la película está vigente en su crítica a la sociedad contemporánea, explorando la desconexión y el vacío existencial en las crisis ambientales. La reseña profundiza en los dilemas que sufre el personaje que, pese a vivir en un entorno acomodado, se siente alienada y busca refugio en un grupo que ofrece una solución pseudocientífica a su enfermedad. La película se posiciona como una crítica a la sociedad de consumo y las consecuencias de las políticas neoliberales, cuestionando la efectividad de soluciones superficiales a problemas sistémicos profundos.

A protocol for accurate radiochromic film dosimetry using Radiochromic.com.

BACKGROUND: Radiochromic films have many applications in radiology and radiation therapy. Generally, the dosimetry system for radiochromic film dosimetry is composed of radiochromic films, flatbed scanner, and film analysis software. The purpose of this work is to present the effectiveness of a protocol for accurate radiochromic film dosimetry using Radiochromic.com as software for film analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Procedures for image acquisition, lot calibration, and dose calculation are explained and analyzed. Radiochromic.com enables state-of-the-art models and corrections for radiochromic film dosimetry, such as the Multigaussian model for multichannel film dosimetry, and lateral, inter-scan, and re-calibration corrections of the response. RESULTS: The protocol presented here provides accurate dose results by mitigating the sources of uncertainty that affect radiochromic film dosimetry. CONCLUSIONS: Appropriate procedures for film and scanner handling in combination with Radiochromic.com as software for film analysis make easy and accurate radiochromic film dosimetry feasible.

Comparison of three film analysis softwares using EBT2 and EBT3 films in radiotherapy.

Introduction The purpose of the study was to compare the results of gamma value based film analysis according to the used type of self-developer film and software product. Material and methods The films were irradiated with different treatment techniques such as 3D conformal and intensity modulated radiotherapy with static and rotational delivery. Stereotactic plans with conformal and intensity modulated arc techniques, using coplanar and non-coplanar beam setup were also evaluated. The data of irradiated film were compared with the planned planar dose distribution exported from the treatment planning system. Three film analysis software programs were evaluated: PTW Mephysto (PTW), FilmQA Pro (FQP) and radiohromic.com(RC). Both EBT2 and EBT3 types of films were examined. The comparisons of dose distributions were performed with gamma analysis using 10% cut-off level. Results The results of the gamma analysis for larger fields were between 78.3% and 98.3%, 75.7% and 100%, 80.2% and 98.8% with PTW, FQP and RC, respectively. The results of evaluation in case of stereotactic measurements were 76.8%-99.2% for PTW, 95.7%-100% for FQP and 91.2%-99.9% for RC. Conclusions All the three software programs are suitable for calibrating and evaluating films, performing gamma analysis, and can be used for patient specific quality assurance measurements. There is no direct connection between gamma passing rate and absolute accuracy or software quality, it is just a feature of the software. The interpretation of own results has to be defined on an institutional level according to given workflow and preliminary results.

The Value of Media Studies Approaches for the Evaluation of Entertainment Education: A Case Study of East Los High.

As entertainment education (EE) becomes an increasingly popular medium for delivering health information, evaluation of EE is key to better understanding how it not only influences audiences but also how it can be better implemented. We suggest that EE evaluation has largely focused on impact while its implementation, specifically through narrative, characters, and genre, has remained unexplored. We propose drawing from theories and methods used in media studies to complement current approaches to understanding and evaluation of EE that can help improve EE for health education. East Los High serves as a case study, through which we examine the characters and the narrative demands of the telenovela genre to reveal a disproportional depiction of Latino men and women that ultimately replays familiar Latino stereotypes of criminality and exaggerated sexuality. We discuss the implications this has on the show's ability to do public health work.

Objective assessment of optical quality in dry eye disease using a double-pass imaging system.

PURPOSE: To assess optical quality dynamics using a double-pass (DP) system in patients with dry eye disease (DED). METHODS: Seventy-six eyes with DED and 44 control subjects were enrolled in this study. Each patient underwent ocular surface evaluation including fluorescein corneal staining and Schirmer's II test. Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire was used to assess subjective symptoms. Optical quality dynamics and tear film instability was analyzed using a DP system (HD AnalyzerTM, Visiometrics, Spain). Mean objective scatter index (OSI), maximum and minimum OSI, difference between maximum and minimum OSI (ΔOSI) were recorded with 40 consecutive scans over 20 s. RESULTS: The DED group had pronounced impairment of optical quality compared to the control group. Mean OSI (4.29±4.07), minimum (3.22±3.51) and maximum (5.72±4.52) OSI, ΔOSI (2.50±1.96), OSDI score (36.94±16.55), and fluorescein corneal staining (0.79±0.96) were statistically significantly higher than controls (p<0.05). Schirmer's II test was statistically significantly lower in the DED group compared to controls (10.08±7.85, 26.41±6.75, respectively; p<0.001). Three patterns of dynamic changes of OSI were proposed: ladder (continuous increase of OSI), seesaw (instability of OSI without improvement after blinking), and plateau (steady-high OSI). The ladder group showed the highest value of maximum OSI (6.93±4.13; p=0.03) and ΔOSI (3.76±2.08; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: DP imaging system provides an objective measurement of the visual quality in DED. Tear film instability may be assessed by dynamic changes of OSI over 20 s. In particular, the highest OSI values were observed in the ladder pattern group.

Golden Ages and Silver Screens: The Construction of the Physician Hero in 1930-1940 American Cinema.

During the 1940s in America, as medicine became more research-focused, medical researcher heroes were described as devotedly pursuing miraculous medicine. At the same time, Hollywood thrived, and films were an effective means to help build the myth of the physician hero. Cinematic techniques, rather than only the narrative, of four films, Dr. Arrowsmith, The Story of Louis Pasteur, Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, are discussed to understand how they helped construct the image of the physician hero, both in terms of what they were and what they were not.

Migration of titanium dioxide from PET/TiO2 composite film for polymer-laminated steel.

PET/TiO2 composite film is the most widely used film for polymer-laminated steel, and the migration of TiO2 is very important for the safety evaluation of its packaged food. Microwave digestion, wet digestion and dry ashing were used for pretreatment of composite film to determine the content of TiO2 in composite film. Migration tests were carried out at 40°C, 60°C and 80°C 4% using acetic acid and 50% ethanol as the acid and ester food simulants. The migration amount of TiO2 was determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). With increasing temperature and time, the migration of TiO2 increased. In 4% acetic acid, the migration amount of TiO2 at 40°C for 10 days was 1.88 mg kg-1 and the migration amount at 80°C for 8 h was 3.32 mg kg-1, indicating that the effect of temperature on migration was more obvious. Under the same conditions, the migration amount of TiO2 in 4% acetic acid was greater than in 50% ethanol. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) were used to analyse the crystal structure, morphology, chemical groups and thermal properties of the film before and after the migration tests. The results showed that filmTiO2 had a stable rutile type crystal structure and it was almost uniformly distributed. PET and TiO2 were combined with strong chemical bonds. After TiO2 migration, the crystallinity and the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the film decreased, but the change of melting temperature (Tm) was not obvious.

A emergência da inquietante estranheza: um ensaio de análise fílmica de O estudante de Praga / The uncanny's emergence: a film analysis essay of The student of Prague / La emergencia del inquietante siniestro: un ensayo de análisis fílmico de El estudiante de Praga

Este ensaio questiona as razões pelas quais o filme O estudante de Praga é frequentemente tomado como referência para abordar o conceito psicanalítico unheimlich. Propomos como pergunta: a experiência do estranho-familiar poderia ocorrer de acordo com o encadeamento fílmico? Com essa questão no horizonte, analisamos plano a plano uma cena, na qual o personagem Scapinelli visita o quarto do protagonista Balduin e lhe oferece uma quantia em dinheiro em troca de qualquer coisa do estudante que esteja no local. O jovem perde sua imagem especular, que se torna seu duplo, fenômeno apontado por Freud como um dos motivos para o surgimento do afeto unheimlich. Ao dispor-se a renunciar ao florete, que garante a Balduin o registro do Ideal do eu, constatamos que o estudante fica refém de um jogo de imagens que favorece o surgimento da experiência do unheimlich.

This essay questions the reasons why the movie The student of Prague is frequently taken as reference to approach the unheimlich psychoanalytic concept. We propose as a question: could an uncanny experience occur according to the filmic chain? With this question on the horizon, we analyze shot to shot a scene, in which Scapinelli character visits the Balduin's room, the main character, and offers him an amount of money in exchange for anything in the place that belongs to the student. Balduin loses its mirror image, which becomes a doppelganger, phenomenon pointed by Freud as one of the causes for the appearance of unheimlich. When willing to waive his rapier, which guarantees to Balduin the ego's ideal record, the student becomes hostage of an image game, which favors the unheimlich experience.

Este ensayo cuestiona las razones por las que la película El estudiante de Praga es a menudo tomada como referencia para abordar el concepto psicoanalítico unheimlich. Proponemos como pregunta: ¿la experiencia del siniestro-familiar podría ocurrir de acuerdo con el encadenamiento fílmico? Con esta cuestión en el horizonte, analizamos plan a plan una escena, en la que el personaje Scapinelli visita la habitación del protagonista Balduin y le ofrece una cantidad en dinero a cambio de cualquier cosa del estudiante que esté en el lugar. El joven pierde su imagen especular, que se convierte en su doble, fenómeno señalado por Freud como uno de los motivos para el surgimiento del afecto unheimlich. Al disponerse a renunciar al florete, que garantiza a Balduin el registro del Ideal del yo, constatamos que el estudiante queda rehén de un juego de imágenes que favorece el surgimiento de la experiencia del unheimlich.

Analysis of Indium Tin Oxide Film Using Argon Fluroide (ArF) Laser-Excited Atomic Fluorescence of Ablated Plumes.

A two-pulse laser-excited atomic fluorescence (LEAF) technique at 193 nm wavelength was applied to the analysis of indium tin oxide (ITO) layer on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film. Fluorescence emissions from analytes were induced from plumes generated by first laser pulse. Using this approach, non-selective LEAF can be accomplished for simultaneous multi-element analysis and it overcomes the handicap of strict requirement for laser excitation wavelength. In this study, experimental conditions including laser fluences, times for gating and time delay between pulses were optimized to reveal high sensitivity with minimal sample destruction and penetration. With weak laser fluences of 100 and 125 mJ/cm2 for 355 and 193 nm pulses, detection limits were estimated to be 0.10% and 0.43% for Sn and In, respectively. In addition, the relation between fluorescence emissions and number of laser shots was investigated; reproducible results were obtained for Sn and In. It shows the feasibility of depth profiling by this technique. Morphologies of samples were characterized at various laser fluences and number of shots to examine the accurate penetration. Images of craters were also investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results demonstrate the imperceptible destructiveness of film after laser shot. With such weak laser fluences and minimal destructiveness, this LEAF technique is suitable for thin-film analysis.

Composition of ultrathin binary polymer brushes by thermogravimetry-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

In the present paper, a reliable and rugged thermogravimetry-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TGA-GC-MS) method was developed to determine the composition of ultrathin films consisting of binary blends of functional polystyrene (PS) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) grafted to a silicon wafer. A general methodology will be given to address the composition determination problem for binary or even multicomponent polymer brush systems using the PS/PMMA-based samples as a paradigmatic example. In this respect, several distinct tailor-made materials were developed to ensure reliable calibration and validation stages. The analytical method was tested on unknown samples to follow the composition evolution in PS/PMMA brushes during the grafting reaction. A preferential grafting of the PMMA was revealed in full agreement with its preferential interaction with the SiO2 polar surface.

The Bio:Fiction film festival: Sensing how a debate about synthetic biology might evolve.

Synthetic biology (SB) is a new techno-scientific field surrounded by an aura of hope, hype and fear. Currently it is difficult to predict which way the public debate - and thus the social shaping of technology - is heading. With limited hard evidence at hand, we resort to a strategy that takes into account speculative design and diegetic prototyping, accessing the Bio:Fiction science film festival, and its 52 short films from international independent filmmakers. Our first hypothesis was that these films could be used as an indicator of a public debate to come. The second hypothesis was that SB would most likely not follow the debate around genetic engineering (framing technology as conflict) as assumed by many observers. Instead, we found good evidence for two alternative comparators, namely nanotechnology (technology as progress) and information technology (technology as gadget) as stronger attractors for an upcoming public debate on SB.