External Packaging Research Articles

Packaging of disposable vaping products and e-liquids in England, Canada and the United States: A content analysis.

Vaping product packaging is varied and often features bright colours and novel designs, particularly among recently marketed disposable vapes. This study provides an overview of attributes found on the packaging of popular disposable vapes and e-liquid bottles in England, Canada and the United States (US) and assesses compliance with local packaging regulations. Content analysis. Brick-and-mortar and online shops in England (London), Canada (Ontario) and the US (New Hampshire and South Carolina). 108 vaping products (including packaging) from 76 brands in a range of flavours and nicotine levels. Specifically, 48 disposable vapes (15 from England, 16 from Canada, 17 from the US) and 60 e-liquid bottles (20 per country). Textual and graphic branding and marketing elements, independently coded by two researchers and checked by a third. Compliance with local packaging regulations varied across countries. Health warnings were present on the packaging of all but one nicotine-containing product, although 33% of disposables and 17% of e-liquids featuring the warning did not adhere to formatting requirements. Leaflets were seldom included with e-liquid bottles, even in England (45%) where mandatory, and omitted elsewhere. Labelling of nicotine type and batch numbers was inconsistent. Vaping product packaging featured claims relating to sensory perceptions (41%), most often flavours, and some (32%) featured youth-appealing content. Common graphic elements included stylised brand fonts (80%), brand logos (54%), product representations on the external packaging (47%) and abstract graphic elements (64%). Colours on packaging, disposable vapes and e-liquid bottles were associated with product flavour. In England, Canada and the United States, popular disposable vapes and e-liquid bottles appear to have varying compliance with local packaging regulations and inconsistent labelling of nicotine and product characteristics. The use of colourful designs, evocative descriptors and appealing graphics to promote flavours underscores the need for comprehensive packaging regulations and enforcement.

Highly adhesive hydrogel electrolytes driven by adenosine monophosphate and Fe3+ for high-voltage asymmetric flexible zinc-air batteries

Flexible zinc-air batteries (ZABs) are a promising power source for wearable electronics, owing to their high energy density and low cost. However, the limited operating voltage of about 1.4 V and the complex external packaging of conventional ZABs hinder their practical application. Herein, a hydrogel electrolyte (PAMA-ANa/Fe3+) is rapidly prepared for flexible ZABs using copolymers of acrylamide and acrylic acidic (PAMA), along with sodium adenosine-5′-monophosphate (AMPNa) and Fe3+. By leveraging the synergistic effects of exceptional mechanical properties, strong adhesion and the acidic-alkaline decoupling of the PAMA-ANa/Fe3+ hydrogel electrolyte, an asymmetric flexible ZAB (AF-ZAB) based on an acidic-alkaline double-layer PAMA-ANa/Fe3+ hydrogel electrolyte is assembled in a simple and rapid manner. This AF-ZAB achieves an excellent operating voltage of 2.15 V and a high power density of 75.86 mW cm−2. This study provides a new method and strategy for the development and assembly of novel high-voltage flexible quasi-solid-state batteries and other energy storage devices.

The impact of price and image warnings on the social perception of gifting cigarettes in China.

The tobacco gift-giving culture in China poses a significant challenge to public health; however, there is limited research on effectively curbing the tobacco gift-giving culture and its associated tobacco gift consumption. This study examines the potential impact of two tobacco control measures that the Chinese government may consider adopting on cigarette gifting behavior in the future in Chinese society. This study employed a randomized survey experiment to examine the effects of cigarette price treatment and pictorial health warning labels (HWLs) on cigarette gifting. The total sample size of this study is 1035. Four groups of participants were presented with representative cigarettes categorized into high-, medium-, and low-priced products, along with different prices (normal and double) or external packaging imagery (normal and pictorial HWL versions). The price of cigarettes for personal consumption forms an L-shaped distribution, and the price of cigarette gifts forms a W-shaped distribution. Increasing cigarette prices reduces smokers' willingness to gift high-priced cigarettes but stimulates the consumption of low-price cigarettes as gifts. Pictorial HWLs do not directly influence smokers' intentions to gift cigarettes, but they enhance the effectiveness of price regulation concerning medium-priced cigarette products. If the price variance of cigarettes is not reduced, the effect of price regulation will be very limited. Implementing combined interventions of pictorial HWLs and price regulation or modifying the pricing structure of tobacco products may yield stronger control outcomes.

Effect of expanded polyethylene (EPE) foam packing net design on the mechanical damage resistance of strawberry fruit during transportation

Fresh strawberries are susceptible to mechanical damage during transportation, leading to high loss rates. This problem can be addressed through the development of appropriate packaging designs. The initial collision velocity of the fruit and the external packaging would also influence the mechanical damage resistance of the expanded polyethylene (EPE) foam packing net. The dynamic finite element method (FEM) was used to investigate the effect of EPE foam packing net on resisting mechanical damage to strawberry fruits. The results showed that the elastic modulus and diameter of the EPE foam packing net material, as well as the hole size of the net, were key factors affecting the maximum impact force and contact time of the collision process. The initial collision velocity of the fruit and the external packaging also influenced the mechanical damage resistance of the EPE foam packing net. Our results showed that the EPE foam packing net material should have a slightly smaller elastic modulus than that of the strawberry cortex tissue, and the hole size of the net should not be too large. Moreover, when the initial collision velocity and environmental temperature increased by 1 m·s−1 and 1 ℃, the collision damage volume of the fruit increased by 37.6433, and 6.4658 mm3, respectively. This study presents a numerical simulation method that evaluates the collision damage resistance of packed fresh fruit. The findings of this study can serve as a valuable guide for designing packaging solutions and optimizing transportation environments for the long-distance transport of fresh fruit.

Eutectic solvent-based bioactive films functionalized with microbial astaxanthin extends shelf life of fresh strawberries

Food waste and consumers safety are critical concerns that necessitate the development of improved packaging systems, such as those involving the use of edible films and coatings, which may act as primary packaging, helping the external (secondary) packaging in its protecting role. However, current options of films/coatings have limitations, such as inefficient plasticizer agents and the need for high levels of active ingredients. To address these challenges, we have created a new packaging material formulated with bio-based sodium alginate (SA) and choline-based deep eutectic solvents (DES), which are eco-friendly and capable of packaging food substrates to enhance their safety and longevity. Using a SA-DES materials we incorporated naturally derived microbial products (astaxanthin - AXT) with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties and evaluated the mechanisms behind the formation of coatings. Our results demonstrate that strawberries coated with alginate-choline chloride:glycerol (SA-[Ch]Cl:Gly) had a longer shelf life, inhibited natural microbial proliferation, and lost less weight than uncoated controls at room temperature. This study demonstrated that DES are a promising and sustainable solution for cost-effective, and biodegradable environmentally friendly packaging systems.

Identification of hub genes associated with hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular cancer using weighted gene co-expression network analysis and protein-protein interaction network analysis

Background. Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the main pathogen of hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the mechanisms of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression are practically unknown. Materials and Methods. The results of RNA-sequence and clinical data for GSE121248 and GSE17548 were accessed from the Gene Expression Omnibus data library. We screened Sangerbox 3.0 for differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was employed to select core modules and hub genes, and protein-protein interaction network module analysis also played a significant part in it. Validation was performed using RNA-sequence data of cancer and normal tissues of HBV-related HCC patients in the cancer genome atlas-liver hepatocellular cancer database (TCGA-LIHC). Results. 787 DEGs were identified from GSE121248 and 772 DEGs were identified from GSE17548. WGCNA analysis indicated that black modules (99 genes) and grey modules (105 genes) were significantly associated with HBV-related HCC. Gene ontology analysis found that there is a direct correlation between DEGs and the regulation of cell movement and adhesion; the internal components and external packaging structure of plasma membrane; signaling receptor binding, calcium ion binding, etc. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis found out the association between cytokine receptors, cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions, and viral protein interactions with cytokines were important and HBV-related HCC. Finally, we further validated 6 key genes including C7, EGR1, EGR3, FOS, FOSB, and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 by using the TCGALIHC. Conclusions. We identified 6 hub genes as candidate biomarkers for HBV-related HCC. These hub genes may act as an essential part of HBV-related HCC progression.

Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 on Cold-Chain Food: Precautions Can Effectively Reduce the Risk.

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a new era in the world, also in the food safety. Up to now, there is no evidence to suggest that people can infect COVID-19 via food contaminated by SARS-CoV-2. Here, we analyzed the results of regular SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid testing of considerable cold-chain food practitioners, cold-chain food surfaces, and their internal or external packaging as well as their associated environments, aiming to explore the risk of cold-chain food being contaminated by SARS-CoV-2 and the probability of people infecting COVID-19 through contaminated cold-chain food in the context of COVID-19 epidemic. This study found that only two batches of cold-chain food were contaminated by SARS-CoV-2, none of the cold-chain food handler were infected due to effective regulatory measures for cold-chain food. Therefore, effective supervision and preventive methods could effectively reduce the transmission risk of SARS-CoV-2 on cold-chain food.

Internal Temperatures of Packaging for Overnight Cross-country Shipping of Zebrafish (Danio Rerio).

As the use of zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a research model continues to rise, so too will the shipping and sharing of zebrafish strains across collaborating institutions. If done incorrectly, shipping can result in significant mortality, welfare concerns, and loss of valuable resources for researchers and research institutions. Here we introduce a novel method to track temperatures of zebrafish containers during shipping and show that internal packaging temperatures are directly affected by the external temperatures. We used temperature logging Thermochron iButtons to track the temperatures of 2 packages containing adult zebrafish that were shipped overnight from Dallas, TX to Columbus, OH during winter following recommended fish shipping guidelines. We found that the external packaging of both boxes of fish were exposed to temperatures that had previously been shown to be lethal to zebrafish. However, internal temperatures and, more specifically, water temperature, stayed within 24.0 to 26.5°C during shipment, resulting in 100% survival of adult zebrafish. This novel method of tracking packaging temperatures of live fish during shipping can help to inform fish health status on arrival.

A Packaged and Reusable Hydrogel Strain Sensor with Conformal Adhesion to Skin for Human Motions Monitoring (Adv. Mater. Interfaces 6/2022)

Hydrogel Strain Sensor In article number 2101786, Meijin Zhao, Lingxiao Xu, Lei Shi, and co-workers use photopolymerizable hydrogel as external packaging layer for hydrogel conducting wires bearing linear sensing property. The inhibition of water evaporation by packaging strategy endows the hydrogel sensor with enhanced lifespan. Besides, the sensor exhibits good reusability benefiting from the swelling property of external hydrogel film.

A Packaged and Reusable Hydrogel Strain Sensor with Conformal Adhesion to Skin for Human Motions Monitoring

AbstractFlexible strain sensors based on conductive hydrogels show great potential in wearable devices, electronic skins, and bioelectronics. However, hydrogels inevitably exhibit poor durability for long‐term usage due to the water loss by evaporation. Herein, an external packaging strategy is demonstrated for fabricating sandwich‐like packaged hydrogel strain sensors (PHSSs) through the combination of conductive hydrogel injection and subsequent packaging via a photopolymerization procedure. The as‐prepared PHSS consists of two functional parts, internal hydrogel conducting wires exhibiting excellent linear strain sensing performance as sensing element and an external packaging hydrogel layer with good transparency and conformal adhesion to human skin. Thanks to these intriguing merits, the PHSS possesses the capability to detect both the large‐scale and subtle human motions precisely. Particularly, compared to conventional naked hydrogel strain sensors, the lifespan of PHSS is proved to be remarkably enlarged benefiting from the protective effect of external packaging layer towards the embedded hydrogel sensing element. Besides, the swelling property of external packaging layer even after severe dehydration enables the sensor to be reusable. This work provides a new approach for the fabrication of flexible strain sensors with enhanced lifespan and good reusability.

The influence of inner packaging’s number cue on consumption

AbstractProduct packaging clues can lead to overconsumption and even obesity. While combined packaging represents a common packaging practice, it has not been addressed much in academia. To help clarify how marketers can optimize the relationship between the packaging’s number cues and consumption, this paper explores the effect of the quantity of inner packaging on consumption when the external packaging number is fixed. Across two experiments conducted in China, this study proposes that consumption increases with the number of the inner packages, while the total quantity of products is held constant and the Perceived Package Consumption Count acts as a partial mediator. For the restrained dieters, however, the effect of the packaging’s number cue on consumption disappears. The findings of this study have significant implications for consumers, marketers, and policymakers.

Cloning and expression analysis of <italic>HSC</italic>70 gene in <italic>Trachidermus fasciatus</italic>

Among heat shock proteins, heat shock protein 70(HSP70) is highly conserved in biological evolution, widely found in archaea, plants and animals, and plays an important role in biological resistance to external stimuli, folding and packaging of proteins, presenting antigens and cell proliferation and differentiation. It can be divided into two categories. One type can be induced to express rapidly and in large quantities under different stress conditions, but will be restored to the basic level under normal environment, so they are usually called induced HSP70. The other type has no stress induction process and is expressed constitutively, which is called heat shock homologous protein 70 (HSC70).In this study, a heat shock homologous protein (TfHsc70) was cloned from <italic>Trachidermus fasciatus</italic> by expressing sequence tag (EST) and rapid cDNA end amplification (RACE) technique. It was 2 138 bp with a theoretical molecular weight of 71.1 kDa and an isoelectric point of 5.27,and included an open reading frame (ORF) of 1 947 bp, a 5′-terminal untranslated region (UTR) of 78 bp, and a 3′-terminal UTR of 95 bp with a stop codon (TAA). Sequence alignment showed that <italic>TfHsc</italic>70 contained three conserved sequence tags of the HSP70 family (GIDLGTTY, DLGGGTFD and VLVGGSTRIPKIQK) and an ATP-GTP binding site motif (AEAYLGKT).Compared with the heat shock homologous protein 70 (HSC70) of many fishes, amphibians and reptiles, it was found that the similarity of HSC70 was 88.89%-97.09%. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) demonstrated that the <italic>TfHsc</italic>70 mRNA was expressed in blood, heart, liver, stomach, intestine, spleen, kidney, brain, and gill of <italic>Trachidermus fasciatus</italic>, and the expression level of the <italic>TfHsc</italic>70 mRNA was the highest in the brain. But it was almost undetectable in the skin. When using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to stimulate <italic>Trachidermus fasciatus</italic>, the expression of <italic>TfHsc</italic>70 significantly increased in skin, blood and liver at 2 h, and was slightly upregulated in gill and spleen, but <italic>TfHsc</italic>70 showed initial down-regulation followed by a gradual up-regulation in the brain. This was due to the sensitivity of different tissues to LPS. Based on the analysis of the protein sequence of TfHsc70 and the expression of <italic>TfHsc</italic>70 mRNA, it was shown that TfHsc70 was a member of HSP70 family of heat shock proteins, and it might play an important role in innate immunity of <italic>Trachidermus fasciatus</italic>. In conclusion, the research explored the sequence characteristics and expression of <italic>TfHsc</italic>70 mRNA in <italic>Trachidermus fasciatus</italic>, which laid a foundation for the study of innate immunity in <italic>Trachidermus fasciatus</italic> and other fish.

PRELIMINARY APPLICATION OF COLOR DESIGN ON CREATIVE PRODUCTS BY USING FUZZY CLUSTERING ANALYSIS- A CASE OF STARBUCKS MUG-ICON DESIGN

Colors attached to the external packaging surface of any creative design product are generally regarded as one of the crucial factors that attract consumers to purchase desires and enhance commercial values. However, it is difficult to quickly master the application skills of colors for beginners of learning design. To solve the possible problems in color learning, this study focused on the exploration of the color-plan drawn on mug-icons of Starbucks by using Fuzzy clustering analysis (FCA). The results showed that the color schemes of 175 types of mug-icons produced in European territory could be rapidly divided into four clusters including brown, red, blue, and green clusters based on the silhouette correlation coefficient (SC) and non-fuzziness index (NI). Particularly, of which the published rate of the blue cluster was higher (35.4%) than that of other clusters. It can be assumed that blue series are the main colors of the mug-icons of Starbucks produced in Europe whereas the outer characteristics relate to the statues, buildings, and skyline. In short, FCA has certain effectiveness and application potential for the rapid classification of colors and learning how to perform color-planning for beginners of design.

Satisfaction Analysis of External Packaging Graphic Art Effect Based on Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Method

Satisfaction Analysis of External Packaging Graphic Art Effect Based on Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Method

The “timber box” effect for premium wines

The present research aimed to examine the effectiveness of using luxurious external packaging boxes to improve customer perceptions towards premium wine. Consumers viewed images of wine presented in four types of packaging: (1) no box; (2) a plain wooden box; (3) a wooden box with explanatory text; and (4) a wooden box with both explanatory text and a transparent window; and completed a survey measuring product attitude, willingness to pay, perceived luxury, and perceived risk associated with the product. Results indicated all box types resulted in higher willingness to pay, and that the explanatory and transparent boxes were able to elicit significantly higher product attitudes than the plain box or no box at all. The positive effects of the transparent and explanatory boxes were fully mediated, or explained, by perceived luxury. Furthermore, the negative effects underlying the plain box conditions were partially mediated by perceived risk. The present study was the first to empirically investigate the psychological mechanisms responsible for the influence of packaging, and to examine how perceived product luxury and perceived risk underlie these effects. Managerial implications are discussed, and recommendations are provided for retailers.

Patients' Perspective And Usefulness Of Pictograms In Short-Term Antibiotic Therapy - Multicenter, Randomized Trial.

PurposeTo evaluate the practical utility of pharmaceutical pictograms in routine practice in community pharmacy. The primary outcome (composite endpoint) consisted of three elements: i) complete use of the whole package of medication, ii) taking the recommended dose twice a day, and iii) subjective assessment of patients’ perspective on medical information about antibiotic therapy obtained during the pharmacy consultation measured by Net Promoter Score in scale from 1 to 10 where 1 is the lowest and 10 the highest possible rating.Patients and methodsA multicenter, randomized controlled study was conducted. Community pharmacies (n = 64) which agreed to participate in the study were assigned to one of two groups: i) study – providing an antibiotic with pictograms placed on the external packaging of the medicinal product containing information about drug regimen (n = 32); or ii) control – providing an antibiotic according to usual pharmacy practice (n = 32). Two semi-structured interviews were performed. Data were collected from 199 patients with a mean age ± SD of 45.5 ± 17.0 years.ResultsIn the control group, 15.7% of participants discontinued therapy before using the whole package compared with 13.4% of participants in the study group. In the control group, 81.3% of patients reported that they always took the medication twice a day as recommended by their healthcare providers compared with 80.4% of patients in the study group. The Net Promoter Score was higher for pharmacy practice with than without pictograms (71.3% vs 51.5%, respectively, p<0.005). The chance that a patient was an advocate of pharmaceutical services (scores 9 and 10) was twice as likely in the case of pharmaceutical practice supported by pictograms (p<0.02). The composite endpoint was achieved more frequently in the population using pictograms, however this difference was not statistically significant (p<0.34).ConclusionThe pharmaceutical pictograms are readily accepted by patients and could prove to be a valuable support for pharmacists in conducting pharmaceutical care. Further representative research is needed to evaluate the true effectiveness of this solution.

The Development of a Uniform Alginate-Based Coating for Cantaloupe and Strawberries and the Characterization of Water Barrier Properties.

Water loss, gain or transfer results in a decline in the overall quality of food. The aim of this study was to form a uniform layer of sodium alginate-based edible coating (1.25% sodium alginate, 2% glycerol, 0.2% sunflower oil, 1% span 80, 0.2% tween 80, (w/w)) and investigate the effects on the water barrier characteristics of fresh-cut cantaloupe and strawberries. To this end, a uniform and continuous edible film formation was achieved (0.187 ± 0.076 mm and 0.235 ± 0.077 mm for cantaloupe and strawberries, respectively) with an additional immersion step into a calcium solution at the very beginning of the coating process. The coating application was effective in significantly reducing the water loss (%) of the cantaloupe pieces. However, no significant effect was observed in water vapor resistance results and weight change measurements in a climate chamber (80%→60% relative humidity (RH) at 10 °C). External packaging conditions (i.e., closed, perforated, and open) were not significantly effective on water activity (aw) values of cantaloupe, but were effective for strawberry values. In general, the coating application promoted the water loss of strawberry samples. Additionally, the water vapor transmission rate of stand-alone films was determined (2131 g·100 µm/(m2·d·bar) under constant environmental conditions (23 °C, 100%→50% RH) due to the ability to also evaluate the efficacy in ideal conditions.

Surface contamination of the outer and blister packages of oral anticancer drugs: A multicenter study.

All guidelines necessitate wearing personal protective equipment during dispensing of oral anticancer drugs. This study aims to measure the degree of contamination on the press-through-package strips of oral anticancer drugs in Japan. Surface contamination of the external packaging of anticancer drugs was examined by performing wipe tests at four hospitals and two community pharmacies. The following commercially available drugs were examined: Xeloda®, TS-1®, and methotrexate tablets and SA-1® and Rheumatrex® capsules. The wipe tests' results revealed that the contamination levels of Xeloda® and TS-1® tablets and SA-1® capsules were within their detection limits. In some facilities, the contamination levels on the press-through-package strips of Rheumatrex® capsules were 3.27 × 10-1, which is close to its detection limit. However, across all facilities, the contamination level of methotrexate tablets was above its detection limit. The results of this study suggested that adherence to oral anticancer drugs may not occur during manufacture or transportation. However, it may be due to the presence of pollutants in the facilities. Prevention of pollution in facilities might eliminate the need to wear personal protective equipment during dispensing of oral anticancer drugs.

The effects of inner packaging color on the desirability of food

Product packaging plays a significant role in the interactions between manufacturers, retailers, and consumers. Marketers manipulate the exterior of the packaging to influence consumer expectations, experiences, and behaviors. Yet there has been limited, if any, research on the effects of inner packaging color (IPC) on post-purchase, pre-consumption behaviors. Study 1 explored interaction effects between IPC (white vs. red vs. blue) and health consciousness (HC) on the desirability of food. Study 2 explored interaction effects between IPC (red vs. blue) and health consciousness (HC) on the desirability of food. Study 3 explored whether perceived pleasure mediates the interaction effect of IPC and HC on the desirability of food. The results showed that merely changing the IPC of a food item can increase its desirability among high-HC individuals. In contrast, IPC increases the perceived pleasure of a food item for both low-HC and high-HC individuals, and perceived pleasure mediates the interaction effect of IPC and HC on the desirability of food. This study will assist marketers to explore a range of possibilities for inner packing color on both the physiological and cognitive aspects of consumer behavior relating to food products. For example, marketers could consider the relational effects of inner packaging with a range of different colors, as well as exploring internal and external color packaging combinations and their impact on post purchase pre-consumption behaviors.

Numerical and experimental study of phase-change temperature controller containing graded cellular material fabricated by additive manufacturing

The improved phase-change temperature control can be obtained by the rational graded cellular design as the thermal conductivity enhancer. 3D printing as an advanced manufacture technique provides a possibility to fabricate the integrated structure with precisely defined complex geometric architecture including the graded cellular structure, which is changing the design profoundly. In this paper, a three-dimensional numerical analysis method is proposed for the integrated phase-change temperature controller simultaneously containing internal graded cellular material and external packaging structure fabricated by additive manufacturing. In the numerical model, the two-equation model considering the phase change process is employed to describe the heat transfer of internal graded cellular material filled with the paraffin wax and the thermal conduction equation is used to calculate the temperature field of the external packaging structure. In addition, the direct couple strategy in the solving process is adopted by setting the same temperature at the interface. The experiment is carried out in order to verify the effectiveness of the numerical model. The measured temperatures under the different heating powers are all in good agreement with ones by the numerical model, which indicate that the experimental and numerical results are reliable. The parameter analysis shows that the distribution of porosity in the cellular material and the wall thickness of packaging structure have a significant influence on phase change process, and the heat transfer performance of thermal controller should be improved by the collaborative design of the internal cellular material and external packaging structure.