Effects of Polyethylene Glycol Spacer Length and Ligand Density on Folate Receptor Targeting of Liposomal Doxorubicin In Vitro

The folate receptor is an attractive target for selective tumor delivery of liposomal doxorubicin (DXR) because it is abundantly expressed in a large percentage of tumors. This study examined the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) spacer length and folate ligand density on the targeting ability of folate-modified liposomes. Liposomes were modified with folate-derivatized PEG-distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine with PEG molecular weights of 2000, 3400, or 5000. The association of DXR-loaded liposomes with KB cells, which overexpress the folate receptor, was evaluated by flow cytometry at various ratios of folate modification. A low ratio of folate modification with a sufficiently long PEG chain showed the highest folate receptor-mediated association with the cells, but did not show the highest in vitro cytotoxicity. DXR release from folate-modified liposomes in endosomes might be different. These findings will be useful for designing folate receptor-targeting carriers

Overcoming Current Mechatronic Design Challenges: A Discussion

The objective of this paper is twofold. Firstly, we discuss the shortcomings of current practices, methods and tools within mechatronic design to signify the most important challenges. In this aspect, requirements management and traceability, support for decision making, and maintaining consistency are highlighted as important challenges. Secondly, potential solutions and directions where further work is important are presented. This includes providing common language, providing means for managing dependencies, utilizing an integration infrastructure, support for informal sketching and support for optimization and decision-making. Our main aim is to trigger discussions within the mechatronic community so that a mutual understanding on the challenges and research directions could be sought, and common roadmaps for future research could be devised.QC20130114</p

Optimization of Active Vibration Control of a Laser Pattern Generator in Micro Lithography

The extreme precision requirements in semiconductor manufacturing drive the need for an active vibration isolation system in a laser pattern generator. Optimization has been performed and evaluated in a model using a high level programming tool [1]. The areas of optimization were 1) Decoupling strategies for decentralized control and 2) Improved feed forward control. Only a limited description of the model itself is given here. More about the model is presented in [2] and [3].QC 20120321</p

Optimization of Active Vibration Control of a Laser Pattern Generator in Micro Lithography

The extreme precision requirements in semiconductor manufacturing drive the need for an active vibration isolation system in a laser pattern generator. Optimization has been performed and evaluated in a model using a high level programming tool [1]. The areas of optimization were 1) Decoupling strategies for decentralized control and 2) Improved feed forward control. Only a limited description of the model itself is given here. More about the model is presented in [2] and [3].QC 20120321</p

Improvement of occupational health and safety system in Valdorf primere school

Kvalifikācijas darba autors Andris Bumbieris esošā laikā ir Latvijas Universitātes 1. līmeņa profesionālās augstākās izglītības studiju programmas “Darba aizsardzība” 3.kursa students. Kvalifikācijas darba tēma:” Darba aizsardzības sistēmas pilnveide Valdorfa Pirmskolas Izglītības iestādē”; tālāk tekstā “iestāde”. Lai sasniegtu pētījumam izvirzīto mērķi, tika analizēta literatūra, piemēram, Leilands un Putnis u.c., un informācijas avoti par ergonomiskajiem riska faktoriem un to ietekmi uz cilvēka veselību. Tika veikts pētījums par iestādes darba aizsardzības organizātoriskā nolikuma punktu atbilstību ergonomiskajiem riska faktoriem, kas var veidoties strādājot konkrētajās darba vietās . Apkopojot pētījuma teorētiskos aspektus un salīdzinot tos ar praktiskā pētījuma rezultātiem, tika izstrādāts jaunais preventīvo pasākumu plāns ergonomisko risku novēršanai iestādes darba vietās. Darbā izmantotas sekojošas pētījuma metodes – teorētiskās (literatūras un dokumentu un informācijas avotu analīze) un datu statiskā apstrāde. Pirmajā nodaļā ir veikta iepazīšanās ar jaunizveidoto iestādes DAOS (darba aizsardzības organizātoriskās struktūras nolikums) . Otrajā nodaļā ir veikta iepazīšanās ar iestādē nepieciešamo normatīvo dokumentu sarakstu darba aizsardzībā. Trešajā nodaļā ir veikta literatūras un informācijas avotu analīze par ergonomikas būtību, mērķiem un uzdevumiem. Ceturtajā nodaļā ir veikta Latvijas Republikas normatīvo aktu analīze pirmskolas mācību iestādē, kā arī iestādes iekšējo normatīvo dokumentu darba aizsardzībā analīze. Piektajā nodaļā ir veikta ergonomisko darba vides risku analīze iestādē, izmantojot aptaujas metodi. Izstrādāts jauns preventīvo pasākumu plāns ar analīzi ergonomisko risku novēršanai iestādes darbiniekiem ( Pielikums Nr.3). Nobeigumā izstrādāti secinājumi un izteikti priekšlikumi. Kvalifikācijas darba apjoms 44 lappuses bez pielikumiem. Darba struktūru veido: ievads, 5 nodaļas ar apakšnodaļām, secinājumi, priekšlikumi, izmantotās literatūras informācijas avotu saraksts un pielikumi.  The author of the qualification pape Andris Bumbieris is currently 3rd year student of the 1st level profisional higher education study program “Labor Protection” at the University of Latvia. Theme of the qualification paper:”Improvement of the labor protection system at Waldorf Pre-school Education Institution”; hereinafter referred to as “authority”. In order to achieve the objective of the study,literature was analyzed ,such as Leyland and Puttin et al., and sources of infomation on ergonomic risk factors and their effects on human heath.A study was carrieed out on the compliance of the points of the institution’s labor protection organizationaal regulations with the ergonomic risk factors that may occur when working in specific workplaces .Summarizing the theoretical aspects of theresearch and comparing them with the results of the practical research , anew preventive plan for theprevention of ergonomiccisks in the institution’s workplaces was developed. The following research methods are used in the works theoretical ( analysis of literature and dokumentsand information sources) and static processing of data. The first chapter introduces the newly established institution DAOS ( the organizational chart of labor protection regulations). In the second chapter , the list of normative documents required for work in the workplace is made available to the institution. Int re third chapter , an analysis of literature and information sources on the essence, objectives and tasks of ergonomics has been carried outs. The fourth chapter deals with analysis of normative acts of the Republic of Latvia at pre-school education institution’s internal normative documents in labo protection. In the fifth chapter , an analysis of the ergonomic work environ ment risk in the institution has been carried out using the survey method. Anew plan of preventive measures with an analysis for ergonomic risk prevention for the employees of the institution ( Annex No.3) has been developed. Concluding conclusions and suggestions. Qualification paper 44 pages without appendixes.The structure of the work consists of: introduction,5 chapters with subdivisions, conclusions, proposals, list of sources of literature used and annexes

Optimization of Active Vibration Control of a Laser Pattern Generator in Micro Lithography

The extreme precision requirements in semiconductor manufacturing drive the need for an active vibration isolation system in a laser pattern generator. Optimization has been performed and evaluated in a model using a high level programming tool [1]. The areas of optimization were 1) Decoupling strategies for decentralized control and 2) Improved feed forward control. Only a limited description of the model itself is given here. More about the model is presented in [2] and [3].QC 20120321</p

Ahsan Qamar Dependency Modeling and Model Management in Mechatronic Design

Mechatronic design is traditionally supported through domain-specific design activities throughout the product development process. The partitioning into domain-specific problems leads to a situation where product properties influence each other, hence giving rise to dependencies. These dependencies play a key role in the prediction of properties and, as a result, in the decision-making process. The important question is how to manage the dependencies for efficient and effective decision making? The aim of this paper is threefold. First, we investigate the nature of dependencies and study how to model them. The paper proposes appropriate terminology taking into account the synthesis and analysis nature of both the properties and the dependencies. This terminology will be the core of the new dependency modeling language. The concepts related to dependency modeling are then illustrated through a simple robot design example, where the creation and importance of a dependency model are explained. Second, we study practical approaches for consistency management and model management in the presence of dependencies. Six levels-of-detail in modeling dependencies are presented; emphasizing that modeling at a higher level-of-detail ensures that more inconsistencies are avoided. Available languages such as OMG SysML TM are evaluated for a possible creation of the dependency models leading toward executable dependency networks. However, at present, SysML does not provide sufficiently rich language constructs to model dependencies. Third, we compare our dependency modeling approach to other state-of-the-art approaches such as dependency modeling with a design structure matrix (DSM), and highlight the benefits of the terminology proposed in this paper. We aim to convince the reader that there is substantial value in modeling dependencies explicitly, especially to avoid inconsistencies, which is not the current state of practice. However, an overall value from dependency modeling can only be obtained if the cost of creating the dependency model is reasonable. Issues such as human interaction/effort and model management through product lifecycle management (PLM) are discussed