Daniel Corbett

Use of in vitro and haptic assessments in the characterisation of surface lubricity

Lubricity is a key property of hydrophilic-coated urinary catheter surfaces. In vitro tests are commonly employed for evaluation of surface properties in the development of novel catheter coating technologies; however, their value in predicting the more subjective feeling of lubricity requires validation. We herein perform a range of in vitro assessments and human organoleptic studies to characterise surface properties of developmental hydrophilic coating formulations, including water wettability, coefficient of friction, dry-out kinetics and lubricity. Significant reductions of up to 40% in the contact angles and coefficient of friction values of the novel coating formulations in comparison with the control poly(vinylpyrrolidone)-coated surfaces were demonstrated during quantitative laboratory assessments. In contrast, no significant differences in the more subjective feeling of lubricity between the novel formulations and the control-coated surfaces were observed when formulations were haptically assessed by the techniques described herein. This study, importantly, highlights the need for optimisation of in vitro and human haptic assessments to more reliably predict patient preferences.

Assessment of Chinese students’ progression and perceptions in blended team-based learning approach at an international college in China

Blended team-based learning (TBL) as a major component of an undergraduate course was implemented at a UK joint college in China. The core components of TBL were introduced in the course for Chinese students and their academic performance and course evaluation data with blended TBL approach was compared with solely flipped classroom and traditional lecture-based courses. Students’ perceptions regarding traditional learning and TBL were investigated and compared through the use of an online perceptual learning style preference questionnaire. Students ranked blended TBL as a superior method of learning in comparison with didactic lecturing style. Higher data retention and classroom performance was achieved within blended TBL course compared to traditional learning style. Students’ perceptions and performance suggested that blended TBL can benefit non-native English speaker students, who are studying in a remote campus, where English language is not the first spoken language and provided positive feedback on their preparedness may help them to develop higher reasoning skills.