A 3D printed microneedle system for transdermal drug delivery of anticancer drugs

Background: Transdermal delivery of drugs is an attractive alternative to the conventional route of administration as oral delivery. The hypodermic injections are painful and less patient compliance. Microneedles (MNs) are micron-sized, minimally invasive needles to deliver a wide range of molecules (e.g., small, DNA, vaccines etc.) to the upper portion of the dermis in a sustained and controlled manner, without causing any pain. The introduction of 3D printing technologies in the fabrication of MN will promote one-step manufacturing tools and scale-up for the delivery devices of anticancer drugs. Methods: The 3D printed MN (3DMN) arrays were fabricated using Stereolithography (SLA), a photopolymerization-based technology, using a biocompatible Class I resin. The printed MN arrays were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and the coating was evaluated through Fluorescence Microscopy (FM). The penetration efficiency of 3DMN was investigated through the Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) into the skin in vitro. The delivery efficiencies of MN arrays to release anticancer drugs in vitro were investigated using Franz diffusion cells and vivo animal studies were carried out to determine the delivery of anticancer drugs and tumour regression effect in mice. Results: 3DMN arrays were successfully fabricated using SLA technology and the dimensions were reproducible. OCT studies have shown more than 80% penetration capability. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated the rapid transdermal delivery of anticancer drugs and regression of tumours in mice. Conclusions: These 3DMNs may prove to be of great assistance for the delivery of anticancer drugs in near future in a painless, precise and accurate manner

A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer

A Capacitive Micro-machined Ultrasonic Transducer (cMUT) is presented. It is a new type of transducer that can be used to transmit and receive ultrasonic signals in medical scanners and a variety of other applications. The behavior of cMUT is investigated based on a proposed model of an equivalent circuit by which the characteristics are predicted. The simulation is carried out using microwave office simulator. The various elements of equivalent circuit and the signals produced by the cMUT are discussed and the results are shown in the following sections

Homeless in Dhaka: Violence, Sexual Harassment, and Drug-abuse

Bangladesh has experienced one of the highest urban population growth rates (around 7% per year) over the past three decades. Dhaka, the capital city, attracts approximately 320,000 migrants from rural areas every year. The city is unable to provide shelter, food, education, healthcare, and employment for its rapidly-expanding population. An estimated 3.4 million people live in the overcrowded slums of Dhaka, and many more live in public spaces lacking the most basic shelter. While a small but growing body of research describes the lives of people who live in urban informal settlements or slums, very little research describes the population with no housing at all. Anecdotally, the homeless population in Dhaka is known to face extortion, erratic unemployment, exposure to violence, and sexual harassment and to engage in high-risk behaviours. However, this has not been systematically documented. This cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted to better understand the challenges in the lives of the homeless population in 11 areas of Dhaka during a 13-month period from June 2007 to June 2008. A modified cluster-sampling method was used for selecting 32 clusters of 14 female and male respondents, for a sample of 896. In addition to sociodemographic details, this paper focuses specifically on violence, drug-abuse, and sexual harassment. The findings showed that physical assaults among the homeless, particularly among women, were a regular phenomenon. Eighty-three percent of female respondents (n=372) were assaulted by their husbands, station masters, and male police officers. They were subjected to lewd gestures, unwelcome advances, and rape. Male respondents reported being physically assaulted while trying to collect food, fighting over space, or while stealing, by police officers, miscreants, or other homeless people. Sixty-nine percent of the male respondents (n=309) used locally-available drugs, such as marijuana and heroin, and two-thirds of injecting drug-users shared needles. The study determined that the homeless are not highly mobile but tend to congregate in clusters night after night. Income-generating activities, targeted education, gender-friendly community police programmes, shelters and crises centres, and greater community involvement are suggested as policy and programmatic interventions to raise the quality of life of this population. In addition, there is a need to reduce high rates of urban migration, a priority for Bangladesh

CSR in major European football leagues in the age of COVID-19: financial vulnerability, mental health and domestic violence

Purpose COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the lives of people and businesses around the world in different ways. France, Spain, Italy and the UK are among the worst affected countries by this pandemic. The purpose of this paper is to identify and compare different corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities taken by the clubs and player of the major football leagues of these four countries to develop a more comprehensive model of intervention. Design/methodology/approach This paper has analyzed the initiatives taken by these football clubs and players to address financial vulnerabilities, mental health problems and domestic violence among the stakeholders and compared them with the existing CSR and humanitarian models. A case study approach has been used to collect and analyze data related to the CSR activities taken by the players and club management. Official websites of the clubs, newspaper and journal articles were among the major sources used to collect data for the paper. Findings Football clubs and players of the four major leagues have raised funds through different campaigns and delivered foods and essential medical supplies to the communities and hospitals to address financial vulnerabilities, mental health issues and domestic violence within their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have provided guidance to their followers using social and television media to improve their physical and mental health during the pandemic. Online competitions, quizzes or virtual hangouts have also been used by the players to engage the stakeholders on a frequent basis. Football clubs have also initiated campaigns to raise awareness within the community on available medical services for the victims of domestic violence and also provided them with shelter, food, medical, legal and online counseling services. Originality/value Football clubs and players of the major leagues were always at the forefront to help the communities and hospitals to address issues related to mental health problems, financial vulnerabilities and domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of this paper could help and guide other entities in designing a more comprehensive model of CSR interventions during pandemics or crisis situations to address financial vulnerabilities, mental health problems and domestic violence within their communities.©2022 Emerald Publishing Limited. This manuscript version is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY–NC 4.0) license, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Design and application of radio frequency identification systems

The recent world, development of effective technologies for linking the object wireless information is being prompted in various fields. Radio frequency identification (RFID) is the latest technology for automatic identification which allows the transmission of a unique serial number wirelessly. The purpose of this paper is to review RFID systems and its various components infrastructure. The components and features are still under research and being integrated in existing systems to create a marketable and potential new system. To achieve higher performance; low cost, low power RFID tag with efficient anticollision technique which provides a large throughput and flexible security mechanism is required. The review has shown different types of readers, antennas and tags which would becomes a bottleneck to reduce the RFID cost. The paper has shown details the entire components where RFID researchers will get benefit for the development of future technology. The challenges of RFID system design with the entire components (Reader, Tag and Antenna) and its advantages, disadvantages are briefly explained

Evaluation of impact of measles rubella campaign on vaccination coverage and routine immunization services in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Like other countries in Asia, measles-rubella (MR) vaccine coverage in Bangladesh is suboptimal whereas 90-95 % coverage is needed for elimination of these diseases. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) of the Government of Bangladesh implemented MR campaign in January-February 2014 to increase MR vaccination coverage. Strategically, the MOHFW used both routine immunization centres and educational institutions for providing vaccine to the children aged 9 months to <15 years. The evaluation was carried out to assess the impact of the campaign on MR vaccination and routine immunization services. METHODS: Both quantitative and qualitative evaluations were done before and after implementation of the campaign. Quantitative data were presented with mean (standard deviation, SD) for continuous variables and with proportion for categorical variables. The overall and age- and sex-specific coverage rates were calculated for each region and then combined. Categorical variables were compared by chi-square statistics. Multiple logistic regression analysis were performed to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) of coverage associated with covariates, with adjustment for other covariates. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: The evaluations found MR coverage was very low (<13 %) before the campaign and it rose to 90 % after the campaign. The pre-post campaign difference in MR coverage in each stratum was highly significant (p < 0.001). The campaign achieved high coverage despite relatively low level (23 %) of interpersonal communication with caregivers through registration process. Child registration was associated with higher MR coverage (OR 2.91, 95 % CI 1.91-4.44). Children who attended school were more likely to be vaccinated (OR 8.97, 95 % CI 6.17-13.04) compared to those who did not attend school. Children of caregivers with primary or secondary or higher education had higher coverage compared to children of caregivers with no formal education. Most caregivers mentioned contribution of the campaign in vaccination for the children not previously vaccinated. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the evaluation indicated that the campaign was successful in terms of improving MR coverage and routine immunization services. The evaluation provided an important guideline for future evaluation of similar efforts in Bangladesh and elsewhere

Current and Prospective Applications of 3D Printing in Cosmetics: A Literature Review

3D printing (3DP) is a manufacturing technology that produces 3D objects from a design file using layer-by-layer deposition of material. It has already found applications in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, while its use in the field of topical delivery has been extensively studied in the last two decades. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the 3DP-based developments in topical delivery, with special emphasis on its current and potential use in the cosmetic field. This review covers the principles and main types of 3DP technology, production and characteristics of two key 3DP skin delivery platforms (patches and microneedles—MNs), as well as topical active materials used, focusing on those for cosmetic application

Length-weight relationships and condition factors of mono- and mixed-sex Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in open water cage culture system

The current study compared the length-weight relationships and condition factors in mono- and mixed-sex Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The trial lasted for 91 days and included two treatments with five replications for each, all with the same stocking density. During the study period, 20 randomly selected fish individuals were measured and recorded from each cage every two weeks. The observed growth trend was allometric, with no significant difference in the mean exponential values (b), 2.696 and 2.65 for mono and mixed-sex tilapia respectively. There was a significant difference in final weight gain between monosex (171.58±7.39 g) and mixed-sex (149.09±4.14 g) tilapia. There was no significant difference in final length between monosex (19.80±0.42 cm) and mixed-sex (19.80±0.42 cm) tilapia. Moreover, the mean correlation coefficient (r2) of both groups was positive. The Fulton condition factor (K) also varies from 0.700 to 1.000 (monosex) and 1.000 to 1.010 (mixed-sex). The relative condition factor (Kn) for monosex and mixed-sex tilapia ranged from 1.96 to 2.222 and 2.092 to 2.35 respectively, indicated good aquaculture conditions. The present findings will attract fish farmers to mixed-sex tilapia culture by allowing them to lessen hormone administration and expected to boost national fish production through open water cage aquaculture

A photoanode with hierarchical nanoforest TiO 2 structure and silver plasmonic nanoparticles for flexible dye sensitized solar cell

Due to unique photovoltaic properties, the nanostructured morphologies of TiO2 on flexible substrate have been studied extensively in the recent years for applications in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Microstructured electrode materials with high surface area can facilitate rapid charge transport and thus improve the light-to-current conversion efficiency. Herein we present an improved photoanode with forest like photoactive TiO2 hierarchical microstructure using a simple and facile hydrothermal route. To utilize the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and hence increase the photon conversion efficiency, a plasmonic nanoparticle Ag has also been deposited using a very feasible photoreduction method. The branched structure of the photoanode increases the dye loading by filling the space between the nanowires, whereas Ag nanoparticles play the multiple roles of dye absorption and light scattering to increase the light-to-current conversion efficiency of the device. The branched structure provides a suitable matrix for the subsequent Ag deposition. They improve the charge collection efficiency by providing the preferential electron pathways. The high-density Ag nanoparticles deposited on the forest like structure also decrease the charge recombination and therefore improve the photovoltaic efficiency of the cells. As a result, the DSSC based on this novel photoanode shows remarkably higher photon conversion efficiency (ηmax = 4.0% and ηopt = 3.15%) compared to the device based on pristine nanowire or forest-like TiO2 structure. The flexibility of the device showed sustainable and efficient performance of the microcells