3D-printed Franz cells - update on optimization of manufacture and evaluation

OBJECTIVES: Laboratory in vitro permeation processes require the use of modified Franz type diffusion cells which are conventionally fabricated from glass. Fragility and high cost are frequently associated with this type of laboratory apparatus. The purpose of our present research was to develop a simple, economical and versatile approach to manufacture Franz type cells using additive manufacturing (AM). METHODS: Graphical Franz diffusion cell designs were reproduced with a stereolithography (SLA) 3D printer and assessed over a minimum period of 24 h. The surface morphology of AM printouts was analysed before and after compatibility studies using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Comparative permeation studies in both glass and AM Franz type diffusion cells were conducted using a caffeine solution (1.5 mg mL‑1), applied to a model silicone membrane. RESULTS: Testing of the 3D printed scaffolds confirmed similar recovery of the permeant when compared to glass cells: 1.49 ± 0.01 and 1.50 ± 0.01 mg mL‑1, respectively, after 72 h. No significant differences were visible from the SEM micrographs demonstrating consistent, smooth and non-porous surfaces of the AM Franz cells’ core structure. Permeation studies using transparent 3D printed constructs resulted in 12.85 ± 0.53 μg cm ‑2 caffeine recovery in the receptor solution after 180 min with comparable permeant recovery, 11.49 ± 1.04 μg cm ‑2, for the glass homologues. CONCLUSION: AM constructs can be considered as viable alternatives to the use of conventional glass apparatus offering a simple, reproducible and cost-effective method of replicating specialised laboratory glassware. A wider range of permeants will be investigated in future studies with these novel 3D printed Franz diffusion cells

The Feasibility, Appropriateness, Meaningfulness, and Effectiveness of Parenting and Family Support Programs Delivered in the Criminal Justice System: A Systematic Review

Children whose parents are involved in the criminal justice system (CJS) are at increased risk of developing social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties and are more likely than their peers to become involved in the CJS themselves. Parenting behaviour and parent-child relationships have the potential to affect children’s outcomes with positive parenting practices having the potential to moderate some of the negative outcomes associated with parental involvement in the CJS. However, many parents in the CJS may lack appropriate role models to support the development of positive parenting beliefs and practices. Parenting programs offer an opportunity for parents to enhance their parenting knowledge and behaviours and improve relationships with children. Quantitative and qualitative evidence pertaining to the implementation and effectiveness of parenting programs delivered in the CJS was included. Five databases were searched and a total of 1145 articles were identified of which 29 met the review inclusion criteria. Overall, programs were found to significantly improve parenting attitudes; however, evidence of wider effects is limited. Additionally, the findings indicate that parenting programs can be meaningful for parents. Despite this, a number of challenges for implementation were found including the transient nature of the prison population and a lack of parent-child contact. Based on these findings, recommendations for the future development and delivery of programs are discussed

Erratum to: 36th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13054-016-1208-6.]

Wini Breines Speaks on The Trouble Between Us

Wini Breines, you are a brave woman.” I shared this sentiment with her during the Q&A portion of the talk she gave on her November 6th visit to UCLA. Dr. Winifred Breines, Professor of Sociology and Women’s Studies at Northeastern University, had come to speak about her new book The Trouble Between Us: An Uneasy History of White and Black Women in the Feminist Movement. The crowd in Royce Hall that afternoon was a diverse mixture of students, young faculty, more seasoned feminist scholars, and older activists who had directly participated in the movements about which Breines had written. Women of various racial and ethnic backgrounds had come to hear Breines share her perspective on how race influenced the development of the women’s movement. Her book analyzes a mixture of archival data, memoirs, primary and secondary accounts, interviews, and conversations to construct a story of white and black feminist racial politics in the late 1960s and 1970s

When Revising a Text can Transform your Research

This brief essay responds to an invitation by the editors of Sociologica to write about the process of revising a manuscript