Synthesis, Self-Assembly and In Vitro Cellular Uptake Kinetics of Nanosized Drug Carriers Based on Aggregates of Amphiphilic Oligomers of N-Vinyl-2-pyrrolidone

Development of nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems is a major breakthrough in pharmacology, promising targeted delivery and reduction in drug toxicity. On the cellular level, encapsulation of a drug substantially affects the endocytic processes due to nanocarrier–membrane interaction. In this study we synthesized and characterized nanocarriers assembled from amphiphilic oligomers of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone with a terminal thiooctadecyl group (PVP-OD). It was found that the dissolution free energy of PVP-OD depends linearly on the molecular mass of its hydrophilic part up to [Formula: see text] = 2 × 10(4), leading to an exponential dependence of critical aggregation concentration (CAC) on the molar mass. A model hydrophobic compound (DiI dye) was loaded into the nanocarriers and exhibited slow release into the aqueous phase on a scale of 18 h. Cellular uptake of the loaded nanocarriers and that of free DiI were compared in vitro using glioblastoma (U87) and fibroblast (CRL2429) cells. While the uptake of both DiI/PVP-OD nanocarriers and free DiI was inhibited by dynasore, indicating a dynamin-dependent endocytic pathway as a major mechanism, a decrease in the uptake rate of free DiI was observed in the presence of wortmannin. This suggests that while macropinocytosis plays a role in the uptake of low-molecular components, this pathway might be circumvented by incorporation of DiI into nanocarriers

Opportunities and clinical significance of preoperative diagnosis of infiltrative endometriosis

Aim. To optimize preoperative diagnosis of infiltrative forms of genital endometriosis. Materials and methods. We analyzed the results of the preoperative examination and surgical treatment of 667 patients from 22 to 49 years old (31.4 [27.3; 34.2]) with external endometriosis presented with pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia (n=580), and primary or secondary infertility (n=215). The duration of the disease ranged from 1 to 16 years. Seventy-eight (11.69%) patients had a history of surgery for external endometriosis. The serum concentration of the CA-125 tumor marker was measured by immunochemiluminescence assay. Colonoscopy was performed in 655 cases, and cystoscopy in 66 cases. In addition, pelvic ultrasound was performed for all patients. Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed with an intravenous bolus injection of a contrast agent. Results. Patients with endometrioid ovarian cysts (n=564) and "minor" forms of endometriosis (n=44) predominated. Endometrioid infiltrates occurred in 59 (8.84%) patients. In the group of patients with infiltrates, 18.64% had a history of surgery for endometriosis; 5.7% had a recurrence. Patients with retrocervical endometriosis and endometriosis of uterosacral ligaments predominated among females with infiltrative forms. No statistically significant differences in CA-125 concentration between patients with and without infiltrates were observed. The infiltrate was revealed, and its topography was described in 49 (83.05%) patients using ultrasound and 56 (94.81%) patients using MRI. All patients with dysuria had ultrasound, MRI, colonoscopy and cystoscopy. Conclusion. The combined use of pelvic ultrasound and MRI provides high accuracy in diagnosing infiltrative endometriosis

Economic Ideas and Institutional Change: Evidence from Soviet Economic Discourse 1987-1991

In recent years, institutional and evolutionary economists have become increasingly aware that ideas play an important role in economic development. In the current literature, the problem is usually elaborated upon in purely theoretical terms. In the present paper it is argued that ideas are always also shaped by historical and cultural factors. Due to this historical and cultural specificity theoretical research must be supplemented by historical case studies. The paper analyses the shift in ideas that took place in Soviet economic thought between 1987 and 1991. This case study, it is argued, may contribute to our understanding of the links between ideas and institutions. More specifically, it sheds new light on the issue of whether the evolution of economic ideas is pathdependent, so that they change only incrementally, or whether their development takes place in a discontinuous way that can best be compared with revolutions

Apophis planetary defense campaign

We describe results of a planetary defense exercise conducted during the close approach to Earth by the near-Earth asteroid (99942) Apophis during 2020 December–2021 March. The planetary defense community has been conducting observational campaigns since 2017 to test the operational readiness of the global planetary defense capabilities. These community-led global exercises were carried out with the support of NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office and the International Asteroid Warning Network. The Apophis campaign is the third in our series of planetary defense exercises. The goal of this campaign was to recover, track, and characterize Apophis as a potential impactor to exercise the planetary defense system including observations, hypothetical risk assessment and risk prediction, and hazard communication. Based on the campaign results, we present lessons learned about our ability to observe and model a potential impactor. Data products derived from astrometric observations were available for inclusion in our risk assessment model almost immediately, allowing real-time updates to the impact probability calculation and possible impact locations. An early NEOWISE diameter measurement provided a significant improvement in the uncertainty on the range of hypothetical impact outcomes. The availability of different characterization methods such as photometry, spectroscopy, and radar provided robustness to our ability to assess the potential impact risk

Digitalization of Multi-Object Technological Projecting in Terms of Small Batch Production

Decreasing the share of time for the technological training of new product creation is an actual and perspective task. The actuality of the given task always increases with the development of machine-building production. Changes which happen inside the organization of industrial production are connected to the development of consumer demand. Modern tendencies are such that there can be seen a constant lowering of batch products with an increase in the range of their production, and, consequently, a reduction in the production stage of the product life cycle. Under these conditions, it is necessary to react as quickly as possible to changes of external (for example, the arrival of new production orders, adjusting the number of already started production, etc.) and internal conditions (for example, stopping technological equipment for organizational reasons, correcting production routes for parts, etc.). Obviously, the effectiveness of the functioning of the production system will be determined primarily by the right decisions. Errors lead to large material costs and a serious loss of time, which can be fatal for an enterprise. The development goal described in the article is to build a digital model of a production system that allows—on a machine time scale and in the absence of material costs—the analysis of various control scenarios and finding correct solutions in in short time. The methodological basis for constructing such models is the use of simulation modeling with the combination of discrete event and agent modeling. The construction of a model on this principle allows its openness to accumulate information about successful decisions made and use them to solve similar problems in the future. The benefit of this approach is the ability to predict the production situation over time, rational distribution of technological resources, reducing equipment downtime, streamlining the routes of production tasks and determining the stages of acquiring the necessary materials and components. It increases the competitiveness of the enterprise and ensures its economic stability

(Table 1) Temperature, salinity, and micronutrient concentrations in the surface water layer of the White Sea on August 17-28, 2004

Species composition, cell concentration (N), and biomass (B) of phytoplankton, as well as chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration, primary production (PP), and concentrations of dissolved inorganic micronutrients (phosphorus, silica, nitrogen as nitrite) were estimated for the Kandalaksha Bay (KB), the Dvina Bay (DB), and the basin (Bas) of the White Sea in August of 2004. Micronutrient concentrations were lower compared to the average long-term values for the summer period. Chl a concentration varies from 0.9 to 2.0 mg/m**3 for most of the studied areas, reaching up to 7.5 mg/m**3 in the Northern Dvina River estuary. The surface water layer of the DB was the most productive area, where PP reached up to 270-375 mg C/m**3/day. Phytoplankton biomass varied from 11 to 205 mg C/m**3 with the highest values observed in the Bas and DB. Three groups of stations were defined during the analysis of phytoplankton species composition similarity. Dinoflagellates Dinophysis norvegica and Ceratium fusus were particular to phytoplankton assemblages in the KB; diatom Ditylum brightwellii was particular to the upper and central parts of the DB. These three phytoplankton species were less abundant in the Bas

Synthesis of a Fractional-order PIλDμ-controller for a Closed System of Switched Reluctance Motor Control

The relevance of creating high-quality control systems for electric drives with a switched reluctance motor (SRM) was substantiated. Using methods of mathematical modeling, transient characteristics of the process of turn-on of SRMs with various moments of inertia were obtained. Based on analysis of the obtained transient characteristics, features of the SRM turn-on process determined by dynamic change of parameters of the SRM during its turn-on were shown.Low accuracy of SRM identification using a fractionally rational function of rat34 class was shown. Regression coefficient of the resulting model was 85 %. Based on analysis of transient characteristics of the SRM turn-on process, a hypothesis was put forward about the possibility of identifying the SRM by means of a fractional-order transfer function. Using the methods of mathematical modeling, transient characteristics of the process of turning-on the SRMs with various moments of inertia were obtained. Using the FOMCON MATLAB Toolbox, identification of the SRM turn-on process with the help of a fractional-order transfer function of second order was performed. Regression coefficient of the resulting model was 93–96 %.For the obtained fractional-order transfer functions, a method of synthesis of a fractional-order PIλDμ controller optimized in terms of minimum integral square error of the transition function of the closed system of fractional-order control of objects was implemented. The FOMCON MATLAB Toolbox was used for synthesis of the PIλDμ controller.Comparative analysis of the SRM turn-on processes in both open and closed control systems with a classical integer-order PID controller and with a fractional-order PIλDμ controller was made. Use of the fractional-order PIλDμ controller in comparison with the classical integer-order regulator makes it possible to reduce overshoot from 13.3 % to 2.64 %, increase speed of the closed ACS, decrease regulation time from 1.48 s to 0.53 s while reducing variability of transient characteristics. The study results can be used to improve performance of closed systems for controlling angular velocity of the SR