Protective encapsulation of implantable biotelemetry units

Development of materials for encapsulating electronic devices used in biotelemetry is discussed. Chemical resistance of materials to effects of animal fluids is described. Silicone rubber is recommended as basic material with polymers applied to outer surface for protective coating

Responding to the crisis: Economic stabilisation grants

This article reviews some of the mainstream policies proposed to tackle the economic crisis of 2008-09 and its aftermath, and goes on to advocate a policy of economic stabilisation grants (ESGs). It argues that ESGs, which would be paid to every citizen at a rate that could be varied according to the severity of the crisis, would be more effective in boosting aggregate demand and more efficient in terms of resource allocation. Unlike the alternatives, ESGs would also address directly two key issues deriving from the process of globalisation, namely the growth of systemic uncertainty and rising inequality

Transdermal delivery of ibuprofen utilizing a novel solvent free pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) : TEPI® technology

Purpose The main objective of this present study was the investigation of potential novel transdermal patch technology (TEPI®) delivering ibuprofen as the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) using a novel poly(ether-urethane)-silicone crosslinked pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) as the drug reservoir in a solvent-free manufacturing process. Methods The patch was synthesized utilizing the hot-melt crosslinking technique without the addition of solvents at 80 °C in 100% relative humidity. Dissolution and permeation studies performed utilizing diffusion cells and subsequently HPLC validated methods were employed to determine the API content in the acceptor solution. Accelerated stability studies were also performed at 40 °C and 70% relative humidity. The adhesive performance of the fabricated patch was evaluated utilizing loop tack adhesion tests. Results In vitro permeation experiments across both Strat-M® and human skin demonstrated that ibuprofen can easily be released from the adhesive matrix and penetrate through the studied membrane. A comparison on the permeation rates of the API across the two membranes indicated that there is not a strong correlation between the obtained data. The presence of chemical enhancers facilitated an increased flux of the API higher than observed in the basic formulation. Initial stability studies of the optimized formulation showed no degradation with respect to the drug content. Adhesion studies were also performed indicating higher values when compared with commercially available products. Conclusions The present study demonstrated the fabrication of an ibuprofen patch utilizing a versatile, solvent-free drug delivery platform. Upon optimization of the final system, the resulting patch offers many advantages compared to commercially available formulations including high drug loading (up to 25 wt%), good adhesion, and painless removal leaving no residues on the skin. This PSA offers many advantages over existing adhesive technology

Teaching medical students how to interpret chest X-rays: the design and development of an e-learning resource

Introduction: The teaching of radiology to medical students has often been criticised for being inadequate and unstructured, with students reporting lack of confidence in assessing x-rays. In this paper, we describe how an e-learning resource, on how to interpret a chest x-ray for medical students, was designed and developed. The aim of the resource was to provide medical students with knowledge of how to interpret a chest x-ray in a systematic approach. Methods: The technology used to design the e-learning resource was Xerte Online Toolkits. The design and development of the e-learning resource was based upon andragogical principles and followed Overbaugh’s guidelines and Mayer’s 12 multimedia principles. An instructional design model called ADDIE was used to help develop the resource and its content. These included cases of common conditions, a quiz and summary table at the end. The paper focuses mainly on the way in which instructional design, education and multimedia principles were used to inform the development of the resource. Findings: A preliminary evaluation was completed by 18 medical students from year 3– 5 who completed the e-learning resource. The feedback was positive with an average rating of 9/10 and 100% of students saying they would recommend the resource to a colleague. Students commented that they liked the resource as it was easy to navigate, had good visual learning and contained good explanations with relevant content. Conclusion and Future Implications: This paper demonstrates how, with the use of instructional models, educational theories and principles, an e-learning resource can be created. Preliminary evaluation showed that students were satisfied with the resource and felt it helped them acquire knowledge on how to interpret chest x-rays. This resource can be further utilized either as a standalone resource or before starting clinical placements and may prove particularly useful in the current and challenging learning environment where there is an increased need for digital resources

Home as a Site of State-Corporate Violence: Grenfell Tower, Aetiologies and Aftermaths

Focusing on the aftermaths and consequences of the Grenfell Tower fire, this article reveals the factors which combined to produce a fire that could have such devastating effects. Further, it delineates the discrete ways in which distinct types of harms – physical, emotional and psychological, cultural and relational, and financial and economic – continue to be produced by a combination of State and corporate acts and omissions. Some of these harms are readily apparent, others are opaque and obscured. It concludes by showing how failures to mitigate these factors constitute one manifestation of the more general phenomenon of ‘social murder’

The Shifting Imaginaries of Corporate Crime

This article begins by setting out an analysis of the process of conventionalizing corporate crime that arises from the symbiotic relationship between states and corporations. Noting briefly the empirical characteristics of four broad categories of corporate crime and harm, the article then turns to explore the role of the state in its production and reproduction. We then problematize the role of the state in the reproduction of corporate crime at the level of the global economy, through the “crimes of globalization” and “ecocide,” warning of the tendency in the research literature to oversimplify the role of states and of international organizations. The article finishes by arguing that, as critical academics, it is our role to ensure that corporate crime is never normalized and fully conventionalized in advanced capitalist societies