Messy methods: Making sense of participatory research with young people in PE and sport

Participatory research with young people has become an approach increasingly adopted by researchers within PE and sport. In this paper, we draw on our research diaries to collectively reflect on our experiences of attempting to work in participatory ways. Although we each work with different young people and have adopted differing participatory approaches, there are similarities in our research experiences. This includes recurring accounts of ‘muddling through’ and messiness occupying our reflections. We are also struck by the absence of concern within the literature to reveal the messiness of research. In light of our shared musings about participatory research with different young people, this paper offers some preliminary thoughts about our experiences of dealing with this messiness. We take as our focus the increasing concerns to support rights-based research that advocates inclusion, participation and empowerment, and draw on our research to explore how these features were worked towards. In these discussions we are open about the limitations of the research, challenges encountered and the resultant messiness arising. Our conclusion turns to what it might mean if researchers were more transparent about the usually unpredictable, messy and confusing situations that arise in the practice of doing participatory research with young people

Novel preparation of controlled porosity particle/fibre loaded scaffolds using a hybrid micro-fluidic and electrohydrodynamic technique.

The purpose of this research was to produce multi-dimensional scaffolds containing biocompatible particles and fibres. To achieve this, two techniques were combined and used: T-Junction microfluidics and electrohydrodynamic (EHD) processing. The former was used to form layers of monodispersed bovine serum albumin (BSA) bubbles, which upon drying formed porous scaffolds. By altering the T-Junction processing parameters, bubbles with different diameters were produced and hence the scaffold porosity could be controlled. EHD processing was used to spray or spin poly(lactic-co-glycolic) (PLGA), polymethysilsesquioxane (PMSQ) and collagen particles/fibres onto the scaffolds during their production and after drying. As a result, multifunctional BSA scaffolds with controlled porosity containing PLGA, PMSQ and collagen particles/fibres were obtained. Product morphology was studied by optical and scanning electron microscopy. These products have potential applications in many advanced biomedical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic fields e.g. bone regeneration, drug delivery, cosmetic cream lathers, facial scrubbing creams etc

The effect of needle tip displacement in co-axial electrohydrodynamic processing

Co-axial electrospraying and electrospinning are versatile electrohydrodynamic (EHD) techniques that can be used to encapsulate a variety of materials in the form of polymeric particles and fibres via a one step process. The successful production of uniform encapsulated products in co-axial EHD (CEHD) processing depends on multiple parameters including solution concentration, applied voltage and needle capillary diameter. Although many studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of these parameters, there has been very limited research on how the axial displacement between the two needle tips affects the final products formed. Hence the purpose of this study was to adjust the positioning of the inner needle such that its tip extends beyond, is level with or resides inside that of the outer needle and to thus determine the most effective arrangement for controlling product size, uniformity and/or yield. Core–shell particles were prepared using two polymers, poly(lactic-co-glycolic)acid (PLGA) as the shell and polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSQ) as the core and core–shell fibres using PMSQ as the shell and a volatile liquid, perfluorohexane (PFH) as the core. The products formed were analyzed by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). After analysis, it was concluded that the most effective arrangement for generating both particles and fibres with the optimal combination of size, uniformity and yield was to have the inner needle 2 mm inside the outer needle. This allows for formation of a stable cone–jet and successful encapsulation of the inner liquid within the outer liquid, before the outer stable cone–jet forms. The corresponding collected product diameter and percentage of products in which material was successfully encapsulated were found to be 0.6 ± 0.1 μm and 85 ± 3% respectively for particles and 9 ± 1 μm and 92 ± 2% for fibres

Electrosprayed nanoparticle delivery system for controlled release

This study utilises an electrohydrodynamic technique to prepare core-shell lipid nanoparticles with a tunable size and high active ingredient loading capacity, encapsulation efficiency and controlled release. Using stearic acid and ethylvanillin as model shell and active ingredients respectively, we identify the processing conditions and ratios of lipid:ethylvanillin required to form nanoparticles. Nanoparticles with a mean size ranging from 60 to 70 nm at the rate of 1.37 × 109 nanoparticles per minute were prepared with different lipid:ethylvanillin ratios. The polydispersity index was ≈ 21% and the encapsulation efficiency ≈ 70%. It was found that the rate of ethylvanillin release was a function of the nanoparticle size, and lipid:ethylvanillin ratio. The internal structure of the lipid nanoparticles was studied by transmission electron microscopy which confirmed that the ethylvanillin was encapsulated within a stearic acid shell. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis indicated that the ethylvanillin had not been affected. Extensive analysis of the release of ethylvanillin was performed using several existing models and a new diffusive release model incorporating a tanh function. The results were consistent with a core-shell structure

Protein-decorated microbubbles for ultrasound-mediated cell surface manipulation

Delivering cargo to the cell membranes of specific cell types in the body is a major challenge for a range of treatments, including immunotherapy. This study investigates employing protein-decorated microbubbles (MBs) and ultrasound (US) to “tag” cellular membranes of interest with a specific protein. Phospholipid-coated MBs were produced and functionalized with a model protein using a metallochelating complex through an NTA(Ni) and histidine residue interaction. Successful “tagging” of the cellular membrane was observed using microscopy in adherent cells and was promoted by US exposure. Further modification of the MB surface to enable selective binding to target cells was then achieved by functionalizing the MBs with a targeting protein (transferrin) that specifically binds to a receptor on the target cell membrane. Attachment and subsequent transfer of material from MBs functionalized with transferrin to the target cells significantly increased, even in the absence of US. This work demonstrates the potential of these MBs as a platform for the noninvasive delivery of proteins to the surface of specific cell types

Microfluidic system for high throughput characterisation of echogenic particles

Echogenic particles, such as microbubbles and volatile liquid micro/nano droplets, have shown considerable potential in a variety of clinical diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The accurate prediction of their response to ultrasound excitation is however extremely challenging, and this has hindered the optimisation of techniques such as quantitative ultrasound imaging and targeted drug delivery. Existing characterisation techniques, such as ultra-high speed microscopy provide important insights, but suffer from a number of limitations; most significantly difficulty in obtaining large data sets suitable for statistical analysis and the need to physically constrain the particles, thereby altering their dynamics. Here a microfluidic system is presented that overcomes these challenges to enable the measurement of single echogenic particle response to ultrasound excitation. A co-axial flow focusing device is used to direct a continuous stream of unconstrained particles through the combined focal region of an ultrasound transducer and a laser. Both the optical and acoustic scatter from individual particles are then simultaneously recorded. Calibration of the device and example results for different types of echogenic particle are presented, demonstrating a high throughput of up to 20 particles per second and the ability to resolve changes in particle radius down to 0.1 μm with an uncertainty of less than 3%

The "quasi-stable" lipid shelled microbubble in response to consecutive ultrasound pulses

Controlled microbubble stability upon exposure to consecutive ultrasound exposures is important for increased sensitivity in contrast enhanced ultrasound diagnostics and manipulation for localised drug release. An ultra high-speed camera operating at 13 × 10 6 frames per second is used to show that a physical instability in the encapsulating lipid shell can be promoted by ultrasound, causing loss of shell material that depends on the characteristics of the microbubble motion. This leads to well characterized disruption, and microbubbles follow an irreversible trajectory through the resonance peak, causing the evolution of specific microbubble spectral signatures. © 2012 American Institute of Physics