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Investigating Sustainability and Waste Management in Blister Packaging: A Comparative Study of Global Production Sites in a Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company.
Get PDFBlister packaging is the predominant format for oral solid-dose pharmaceutical products, valued for its protection and compliance benefits; however, its complex construction utilising multiple materials (PVC, PVDC, aluminium) renders most blister waste non-recyclable and harmful to the environment. A review of existing literature demonstrated detailed analyses of material properties and laboratory-scale separation techniques, but revealed four critical gaps: (1) a lack of site-level data on actual blister waste volumes and disposal methods; (2) limited evaluation of recycling technologies under real-world, GMP-compliant conditions; (3) insufficient insight into how regulatory frameworks (e.g., the EU Green Deal) translate into operational practice; and (4) minimal incorporation of packaging experts’ perspectives on barriers and enablers for sustainable change.
To address these gaps, this study employed a mixed-method design, conducting an online survey of 30 subject-matter experts across 17 global blister-production sites. Quantitative questions captured annual waste tonnages (90–148,000 kg per site), waste-stream distributions (incineration most prevalent, recycling less common), and material selection drivers (performance rated highest,sustainability ranked lowest). Qualitative responses explored trial outcomes for sustainable alternatives, revealing that 88% of sites had conducted trials but only 11% achieved successful implementation, with performance concerns, lack of suitable alternatives, and high cost cited as primary barriers.
The findings underscore the necessity of strengthening supplier partnerships to enhance alternative material robustness, expanding regulatory engagement to clarify recyclability requirements, and implementing systematic waste-monitoring frameworks to benchmark progress. By using these insights to construct an actionable plan, the pharmaceutical sector can take a crucial first step towards mitigating the environmental impact of blister packaging and fostering long-term sustainability in its global manufacturing network
Painting a Picture: A Visual Analysis of the Representations of Africa and Africans by Irish NGOs (Concern Worldwide and Trócaire) in their Communications Media
Get PDFThis dissertation looks at the ways in which Africa and Africans have been depicted in NGOs' (Concern and Trócaire) communications media. Whilst acknowledging the significant and positive humanitarian contributions made by these organisations throughout the continent, the research also interrogates the ways in which their methods of raising awareness and funds have deployed imagery and narratives with lasting societal impact. By employing Critical Race Theory, Postcolonial Theory, and Social Learning Theory as analytical frameworks, the study evaluates how images and visual signifiers within NGO donor newsletters contribute to the construction and reinforcement of stereotypical depictions of Africa as a site of poverty. hardship, and dependency. Through a multimodal social semiotic analysis, the research identifies recurrent patterns, such as the centring of women and children, motifs of deprivation, and generalised portrayals that risk flattening the diversity of African experiences. Whilst both Concern and Trócaire share similarities in their visual approach, subtle differences in tone and narrative are also discussed. The research recognises the important role such NGOs play in mobilising resources and global empathy, yet it highlights the need for more ethical and empowering approaches to representation that respect the dignity and agency of African individuals and communities. Limitations regarding archival access and the inherent subjectivity of visual analysis are addressed. The findings ultimately call for more critical and nuanced visual storytelling, fostering solidarity and mutual understanding, rather than inadvertently perpetuating stereotypes and racist ideas about Africa and Africans
Brexit on Facebook How was Facebook used to gain votes on Brexit?
Get PDFThis dissertation analyses a national political campaign on social media to explore its role in 21stcentury politics. The European Union Referendum 2016 is the selected election, Facebook is the
platform, and the United Kingdom is the nation. Political campaigning, social media, and public opinion
are the three main topics of this dissertation, forming a triangle for investigation. To ensure impartiality
and fairness, the study considers both sides of the campaign: Leave and Remain. On the Leave side,
there is a Facebook page called Vote Leave, and on the Remain side, one which is called Labour Party.
Since supporters often create many digital pages on social media for political campaigns, it is
impossible to analyse them all. The criteria for this research involved selecting the two main official
pages from each campaign, based on a scientific analysis of how both sides conducted their campaigns
online. These two teams are examined through their Facebook posts during the campaign for the
British Referendum. Facebook was the dominant social media platform in the UK at the time, according
to the Office of Communications (OFCOM). The analysis focuses particularly on posts shared on
Facebook. The research design is centred on content analysis, drawing on previous studies. The
content analysis employs a hybrid model over six months, examining Facebook posts from both the
Brexit and Bremain sides. The mixed model includes all posts from 1 January 2016 to 23 June 2016,
the day of the Referendum. Before the main analysis, a pilot study was conducted to examine each
post’s content and identify key themes such as Immigration, Economy, the NHS, the European Union,
Industry, Education, and Housing. These topics were comprehensively included in the official analysis
as they highlighted the principal tactics used by both groups on social media. For example, during the
pilot, immigration emerged as a prominent issue, leading to its inclusion in the thematic categories to
capture Brexit-related subjects. The refined model ensured that all themes relevant to the Referendum
were accurately identified. The results indicated that immigration was the primary concern for British
voters. The study found that the Vote Leave Facebook page was more organised and consistent than
the Labour Party, which may have contributed to its victory over Remain. Furthermore, marketing,
propaganda, persuasion, and semiotics are essential tools for clarifying the reasons that led Vote Leave
to work better than the Labour Party in the digital world. Eventually, data collected from both Facebook
pages demonstrated that Vote Leave shared 597 posts while the Labour Party shared 296 posts, which
presents a larger difference between them. So, the highest level of activity was achieved by Vote Leave
Facebook, which had a percentage of 67% of all posts published, whereas the Labour Party had just
33%. It was found that the winner utilised the canon theories from political campaigns in social media
to change voters’ minds. Thus, it can be considered: how was Facebook used to influence votes on the
Brexit Referendum 2016
Selling Exoticized Wellness Orientalism and the Marketing of Yoga in the United States of America
Get PDFUsing an analysis of the content of ads from several well-known yoga
businesses, this dissertation, "Selling Exoticized Wellness: Orientalism and
the Upsurge of Yoga," investigates the marketing tactics used in the
international yoga industry. The study reveals how yoga is commonly
purged of its Indian and Hindu cultural foundations in order to produce a
marketable, Westernised product that is suited to customer preferences. It is
anchored in Edward Said's concept of Orientalism.
In addition to universalisation and decontextualisation, which recast yoga as
a secular wellness and fitness practice with no historical meaning, the study
indicates an ongoing trend of cultural appropriation, where spiritual
linguistics and semiotics are employed decoratively. Furthermore, the
cultural creators of yoga are further marginalised by the near-complete lack
of South Asian presence and the sporadic use of stereotyped depictions.
Yoga has been commercialised by being marketed as an exclusive way of
life that is frequently associated with expensive goods and current pop
culture fads.
Although the marginalisation of South Asian voices continues, temporal
alterations in marketing strategies show a transition from exoticized images
to popular fitness and health narratives. The conversation focusses on how
these methods mirror Orientalist power dynamics, in which Western
businesses erase the cultural context of Eastern traditions while profiting
from them. In order to promote more culturally sensitive depictions, it is
suggested that future study look at customer views, magnify South Asian
viewpoints, and compare international marketing strategies.
This study supports inclusive representations of yoga that honour its historic
and religious roots, as well as ethical marketing that respects the practice's
Indian and Hindu background
Investigation of Periodic Review Validation Practices on Small Scale and Vendor Process Equipment in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing in Ireland
Get PDFIntegration of infrastructure and interconnection of computerised systems in pharmaceutical manufacturing in Ireland is ever-increasing. Organisations are collating data from multiple GxP (Good Practice) systems to generate large datasets from computerised systems. This collation of data is to support the drive for increased contextualisation of the entire manufacturing process for the purpose of delivering increased efficiencies and exploring new methods of production. Despite these advances, and to satisfy current regulatory requirements manual review of systems events continue to be the norm, formerly isolated systems critical to the development of pharmaceutical product can interface to archives and historians but the event logs and audit trails, crucial in maintaining compliance and quality are largely required to be manually investigated by trained personnel. This research was undertaken to investigate current practices of this type of review and capture the awareness of professionals tasked with supporting, executing or reviewing these tasks. The research also explores modern solutions, attitudes and concerns to using advanced technologies such as validated scripting tools and AI models to understand how academic research, industry practices and professionals tasked with supporting these logs for regulatory purposes feel about their use. The research also proposes a framework for the implementation of different methods of review to increase the efficiency, consistency and effectiveness of the task, to assign potential owners and distribute actions
When I Became a Threat A TV Documentary about the Historical Roots and Political Instrumentalisation of Migration
Get PDF"When I became a Threat” is a TV documentary that critically investigates contemporary political
discourse and its role in the construction of the immigrant as a threat within the contexts of the
Global North. Structured in three acts, the film outlines a historical panorama of migration, from
its constant presence throughout human history to its recent political instrumentalisation. The film
adopts an essayistic approach, combining personal experience, a subjective tone, interviews, and
archival footage to explore when and how the migratory phenomenon became embedded in
political narratives that associate migration with the loss of national identity, economic crisis, and
social insecurity.
The audiovisual format was chosen for its ability to reach a broader audience and offer more tools
for constructing a narrative that merges elements of collective history to build a personal story and
vice versa. The narrative techniques employed were selected to facilitate a deeper understanding
of both macrostructural contexts and the individual human stories that are intertwined within the
migration debate.
The film also aims to provide viewers with a better understanding of the use of fear politics as a
strategy, the binary simplification between “us” and “them” in media and political discourses, and
the symbolic construction of the immigrant as a scapegoat during times of crisis. The work further
identifies the effects of this discursive construction on the legitimisation of authoritarian policies
and the weakening of public debate and social justice
Clear Medication Labels for Better Public Health Outcomes: Tackling Non-Adherence in India
Get PDFIn the context of India’s diverse linguistic and educational landscape, medication label clarity plays a critical role in promoting safe and effective medicine use. This study investigates how the clarity of pharmaceutical labelling affects patient adherence, with particular attention to language accessibility and visual design. The primary aim was to examine the impact of label clarity on adherence, while secondary objectives included identifying barriers to comprehension, assessing public health implications, and proposing actionable recommendations. A quantitative survey method was employed, with responses gathered from 142 participants to examine how label design, language accessibility, and digital tools influence patient comprehension and medicationtaking behaviour. The findings revealed that over half of participants reported occasionally or frequently deviating from label instructions. This behaviour was closely linked to factors such as complex terminology, small font size, and the exclusive use of English on labels. In contrast, respondents who encountered clear, visually accessible labels with simplified language and pictograms reported better understanding and adherence. The results further demonstrated a strong public preference for multilingual labelling, colour coding, and the integration of QR codes and digital tools to support comprehension, especially among diverse linguistic groups. An overwhelming majority of 95.8% of respondents considered label standardisation important for patient safety and public health. These insights highlight the urgent need for pharmaceutical labelling reform to ensure inclusivity, reduce preventable medication errors, and improve health outcomes. This dissertation concludes by offering practical and policy-oriented recommendations. These include the adoption of user-friendly design features, incorporation of regional languages, and digital enhancements, with suggested implementation through national regulatory bodies like the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). Limktations of the study are acknowledged, particularly the absence of inferential analysis, and future research is recommended to explore causal links between label improvements and long-term adherence behaviour across wider populations
Evaluating the effectiveness of supplier quality management practices in enhancing supply chain performance within pharmaceutical quality management systems
Get PDFThis study investigates the implementation and effectiveness of Supplier Quality Management (SQM) practices in organizations, focusing on these practices influence on supply chain reliability, regulatory compliance, cost efficiency and technological integration. The core objective was to identify which factors significantly affect SQM effectiveness and how organizations respond to challenges and opportunities in supplier management. In this research, a positivism philosophy with deductive approach is adopted to examine the impact of SQM on supply chain performance. A quantitative, cross-sectional research methodology was used, with data collected through structured questionnaires and non-probability purposive sampling was applied to target industry professionals. Data analysed by SPSS including descriptive statistics to determine variable relationships and the capabilities of selected variables. In the process all ethical procedures are duly abided and followed. The findings of this study indicated a moderate level of SQM adoption across the sample, with variability in how frequently audits are conducted and how advanced technologies are integrated into quality systems. Notably, a significant positive correlation between SQM practices and regulatory compliance strengthens the industry standards and technology use is positively linked to cost efficiency, indicating the reduction in operational costs. Conversely, a significant negative correlation between the effectiveness of quality agreements and supply chain reliability, suggests a mismatch in expectations or execution. Regression results demonstrated that the model explained approximately 14.9% of the variance in SQM practices indicating a moderate relationship between the predictors and dependent variable. The ANOVA test supported the model’s statistical significance (F = 3.037, p = .009), confirming that the selected independent variables collectively have a meaningful impact on SQM outcomes. In conclusion, SQM practices significantly improves supply chain performance by the use of advanced technologies, enhancing regulatory compliance and operational efficiency but challenges remain in aligning with supplier non-compliance and reliability. Furthermore, future research should consider these insights for continuous improvement, strategic investment in digital tools and stronger supplier collaboration frameworks to support long-term quality objectives
Nothing Beats a Family Holiday: Analysing the Emotional Appeal of Package Holiday Advertisements.
Get PDFI. Research Focus and Questions
This study investigates how family is represented in contemporary package holiday advertising, with a particular focus on the visual and linguistic strategies which are used to evoke an emotional appeal. The research is guided by the following questions:
To identify how nuclear family structures are visually represented in package holiday advertisements.
Analyse the use of settings and activities in constructing a positive image of family life.
To examine the emotional language and storytelling devices used to support family-oriented narratives.
To determine the specific emotional responses these adverts aim to evoke in parents with young children.
To apply Stuart Hall’s encoding decoding model to explain how audiences may interpret or resist these family representations.
To provide practical recommendations for marketers on how to use family imagery more effectively to enhance consumer engagement and brand trust.
II. Research Design and Methodology
The study adopts a qualitative content analysis approach, analysing twenty specifically selected adverts from leading holiday brands, TUI, Jet2holidays, Centre Parcs and Disneyland. Both visual and linguistic elements were examined, including group composition, setting, body language, taglines and voiceovers. The analysis is framed through Stuart Hall’s encoding and decoding model, enabling a critical reading of how emotional and cultural meanings are constructed and potentially received.
III. Key Findings and Insights
Findings reveal that adverts largely depict nuclear, white, heteronormative families engaging in idealised leisure and holiday activities, framed within warm, aspirational settings. Emotional appeal is driven by themes of togetherness, nostalgia and escapism. However, the relationships are often limited in diversity, often excluding single-parent, extended or non-traditional families. The research also found a lack of representation of race, LGBTQ+ and families with disabilities. Audience interpretation is likely to vary, with dominant readings supporting the emotional narrative and oppositional reading identifying the lack of inclusivity.
IV. Implications for Policy and Future Research
The study highlights the need for more inclusive representations of family in tourism marketing. It suggests that brands could enhance consumer engagement and trust by reflecting the diverse realities of modern family life. Future research could expand cross-cultural comparisons or examine audience reception directly through interviews or surveys
Blending Nature and Technology: Optimizing Tinosporaside, a Natural Lead, for Advanced COVID-19 Therapy
Get PDFThis study explored the antiviral potential of Tinosporaside, a natural compound found in Tinospora cordifolia, and its chemically modified versions, to identify a new treatment strategy against COVID-19. The research focused on two important viral enzymes-Mpro and PLpro, that are essential for the virus to replicate and weaken the immune response. This research employed a quantitative, computational methodology rather than a survey-based approach. Techniques such as molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were used to design and evaluate 56 Tinosporaside analogs. One particular derivative, T46, stood out for its strong and stable binding to both enzymes. It exhibited better performance than the original compound and possessed favorable druglike properties, including high absorption, low toxicity, and chemical stability. Small structural modifications to the compound, such as the addition of a pyrrole ring, carboxylic acid, and a bromine atom, played a crucial role in enhancing its effectiveness. Further computer simulations confirmed that T46 could interact effectively with both viral targets, potentially disrupting the virus’s ability to function. These findings suggest that T46 has strong potential as a lead compound for future antiviral drug development. While the results are based on computer simulations, they provide a solid starting point for laboratory experiments and, eventually, real-world applications. This work also highlights how natural compounds can be refined and repurposed using modern tools to fight emerging diseases like COVID-19