Does the introduction of Basic Life Support (BLS) training in years 1- 4 of an undergraduate MBBS curriculum improve the knowledge, competence, and confidence of the year 4 student

Introduction: Year one medical students were assessed on their BLS skills post external Registered Training Organisation (RTO) instruction and did not meet the Australian Resuscitation Council criteria. BLS instruction was introduced into each of the first 4 years of the 6 year curriculum to address this. Aim: Evaluate the effectiveness of introducing BLS into years 1- 4 on the knowledge, competence and confidence of the year 4 student Methods: Pre:post longitudinal study comparing Control group (CG) with the Intervention Group (IG) using OSCE format as the evaluation of competence. Knowledge and confidence were measured by questionnaire. Analysis used 2-sided chi-square tests with SPPS software. Results: The IG had statistically significant improvement in responsiveness, airway, breathing and defibrillation of DRsABCD (p value <0.001) The self-reported knowledge and confidence of BLS were not significantly different between groups and did not correlate with evaluation results. Discussion: These results are supported by the literature that repetition and experiential learning is important for retention of knowledge and psychomotor skills. Self-reporting of competency did not equate to assessment findings. Conclusions: The introduction of Basic Life Support (BLS) into years 1,2,3,4 of the MBBS undergraduate curriculum along with practice sessions and assessment significantly improved the competence of BLS skills in the year 4 student

Alcohol-related behaviours, beliefs, and knowledge regarding cancer risk related to alcohol in the New South Wales LGBTQ+ community

Sexuality and gender diverse (LGBTQ+) people are a priority for cancer control due to differing experience of risk factors for cancer and participation in cancer screening services compared to cisgender and heterosexual people. Alcohol use among LGBTQ+ people is typically higher compared to the general population, but awareness of alcohol-related cancer risk in the LGBTQ+ community is unclear and other alcohol-related behaviours/beliefs (e.g., perceived health risks) have also been under-researched in this community. This technical report details a study conducted in collaboration with ACON and Cancer Institute NSW to examine a range of alcohol-related behaviours and beliefs among LGBTQ+ adults in NSW, including alcohol use patterns, perceived health risks of alcohol use, awareness of alcohol-related cancer risk, and alcohol-related help-seeking behaviours

Perpetual plastic for food to go: a design-led approach to polymer research

There is both an increasing awareness and concern that human activity is responsible for the climate crisis. The role of polymers within this narrative is not always clear, but by industries engaging in linear economic systems there will always be a need for new plastic production, and the associated planetary cost that comes with it, to meet demand. This is a particular issue for the UK Food to Go industry where single-use plastic packaging plays a vital role in maintaining the integrity of the packaged contents. The circular economy, in which there would be multiple closed-loop cycles of plastic reuse before recycling, offers a promising direction but there are several barriers to the UK Food to Go industry's transition. This perspective article introduces a design-led approach to polymer research, highlighting three advantages that could help to overcome these barriers: frame creation as a way for synthesising complex issues towards novel research directions; the potential for changing consumer behaviour through scripted material characteristics; and multidisciplinary working as a facilitator of knowledge generation and transfer. The article concludes with an introduction to the Perpetual Plastic for Food to Go project, a design-led research project that combines polymer chemistry with sustainable manufacturing and design to reduce the impact of UK Food to Go plastic packaging.</p

Perpetual Plastic for Food to Go (PPFTG) project: A multidisciplinary collaboration approach

'Perpetual Plastic for Food to Go (PPFTG) project: A multidisciplinary collaboration approach' poster presented at the Loughborough University Research Conference 2022, on 6th December 2022.</p

Perpetual plastic for food to go: Enabling technology

The ability to quickly identify packaging for reuse and determine its history of use will be important for enabling this new circular business model. Fluorescent labelling of packaging is an emerging technology to aid in sorting plastic waste. However, markers are currently applied as external labels. To survive multiple use and wash cycles, the fluorescent component could be blended into the polymer instead. Polymeric design reduces risk of dye leaching into food.</p

Enabling the reuse of food-to-go packaging

Plastic pollution is a major global issue causing severe damage to our environment and wildlife. The proliferation of single-use plastic packaging is a large contributor to this problem, much of which is produced by the food-to-go (FTG) industry. Reuse of plastic packaging is a promising solution to eliminate the FTG industry’s plastic waste problem, but some key barriers to its widescale implementation must first be overcome. Barriers such as supply chain modelling, cleaning assurance, plastic traceability and consumer behaviour. The perpetual plastics for food-to-go project (PPFTG) is a multidisciplinary effort based at Loughborough University, incorporating several industry stakeholders. Polymer science plays a fundamental role in several areas of the PPFTG project in its aim to define a new plastic reuse model for FTG.</p

Optical cleaning assurance for reusable PET (re-PET) food packaging [Abstract]

The growing environmental and socioeconomic concerns regarding plastic food packaging suggest reuse to replace single-use, particularly considering the UK’s aim to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste by 2042. However, packaging reuse systems require suitable cleaning methods and assuring cleanliness to avoid cross-contamination between uses. Currently no rigorous technology exists. This work demonstrates the feasibility of using ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence imaging to detect residual fouling following cleaning processes.</p

Designing perpetual plastic packaging

Conference presentation slides on the plastic waste problem, the food to go industry, the future of packaging, the Perpetual Plastics for Food To Go (PPFTG) Project, challenges with washing plastic food packaging, and creating change. Some images have been removed for copyright reasons.</p

Towards making polymer food packaging suitable for the circular economy: Cleanliness is next to godliness

Single use plastic packaging and its environmental impacts have received much attention over the last few years from governments, businesses and consumers. One option to reduce plastic packaging waste and its associated environmental impacts is to shift towards circular business models, supplying reusable packaging options that are used many times before being recycled. One technical barrier to the implementation of plastic food packaging reuse is the need to effectively clean the packs and provide cleaning assurance to prevent the possibility of product crossover. This research investigated the feasibility of using Ultraviolet Fluorescence imaging to optically detect residual food fouling and thus assuring cleanliness in the case example of margarine spread tubs. Processing of obtained images was carried out using MATLAB® applying Otsu’s thresholding method. It was established that for the current setup the minimum detectable quantity of fouling was of the order 10-4 g/mm2. The assessment process was correlated against that of Adenosine Triphosphate assay, an industry-standard process for assessing the cleanliness of food contact surfaces. The implications of the investigated technique overcome one barrier to plastic food packaging reuse on an industrial scale. Fast and reliable fouling evaluation of every pack will underpin business and consumer trust in such a circular material flow. The established technique has the potential to form part of the wider reuse system for polymer packaging. Implications on optical detection optimization, packaging design, and suitability for automation are discussed alongside wider food supply chain considerations.</p

Perpetual plastic for food to go: Consumer behaviour

The Perpetual Plastic for Food to Go (PPFTG) project aims to find solutions to existing issues with plastic packaging, reduce plastic waste and pollution, and unlock barriers to create fundamental changes within UK industry. [...]</p