Methodology for Assessing the Logistics Potential of the Foreign Economic Activity of a Pharmaceutical Company

The aim of the article is to determine the essence of the logistics potential of a foreign trade activity of a pharmaceutical enterprise and justify the methods for determining it.The materials used in the study include statistical data of the investigated pharmaceutical enterprises, namely JSC FF “Darnitsa”, PJSC NPC “Borschagovsky Chemical and Pharmaceutical Plant”, PJSC “Pharmak”, LLC “FC Zdorovia” and JSC “Lekhim-Kharkiv”. The study used methods of analysis and synthesis, generalization, content analysis, questionnaires and methods for assessing potential. The questionnaire was used to select indicators that should be part of the logistics potential of a foreign trade activity of a pharmaceutical enterprise.The experts were 100 leading specialists of pharmaceutical companies. They are all involved in foreign economic activity. Experts are gender–divided into women (73 %), men (27 %); by age: up to 25 years – 8 %, 25–35 years – 14 %, 35–45 years – 27 %, 45–55 years – 36 %, over 55 years – 15 %; by experience: up to 5 years – 11 %, 5–10 years – 15 %, 10–20 years – 32 %, 20–30 years – 36 %, over 30 years – 6 %. The experts\u27 conclusions are valid, the coefficient of concordance is 0.86, and the Pearson test exceeds the table value.The essence of the definition of "potential of logistics of pharmaceutical enterprise\u27s foreign trade activity" is investigated. The types of logistics potential of foreign economic activity and indicators that are appropriate to use for determining the level of development of the logistic potential in foreign economic activity are offered.The potential of logistics of foreign trade activities of pharmaceutical enterprises consists of the potentials of logistics in the field of export and import. The system of indicators for measuring the logistics potential of a foreign trade activity of a pharmaceutical enterprise contains indicators selected through content analysis and questionnaires.The method of estimation of logistics potential in foreign economic activity of pharmaceutical enterprise is offered

Diffusivity of drug actives in transdermal drug delivery (TDD)

Transdermal Drug Delivery (TDD) through skin patches has many advantages including the following: slow and continuous administration of the therapeutic over long periods of time, timely dosage, accessibility, kinetic maneuverability, elimination of the “First Pass Effect” and negative side effects on the digestive tract. All of the above justify investment into further development of TDD therapies, despite the skin permeability restrictions posed on size and charge by the skin. As skin permeability varies between all individuals based on age, ethnicity and lifestyle, the determination of the proper drug dosages to be contained in the skin patch is highly reliant on clinical trials. The objective of this research is to further investigate the application of components of a modified Duda-Zalinsky Equation (DZE) for drug diffusivity through a polymer matrix, to account for physical enhancers added to the Heated Lidocaine-Tetracaine Patch based on diffusivity results obtained from tests run in a Franz Cell apparatus. Pre-clinical trials computational estimation of the drug’s diffusion properties with respect to the polymer matrix and skin will provide for safer clinical trials, with testing dosages that are closer to the therapeutic drug concentration in the blood

Sensitivity-bandwidth limit in a multi-mode opto-electro-mechanical transducer

An opto--electro--mechanical system formed by a nanomembrane capacitively coupled to an LC resonator and to an optical interferometer has been recently employed for the high--sensitive optical readout of radio frequency (RF) signals [T. Bagci, \emph{et~al.}, Nature {\bf 507}, 81 (2013)]. Here we propose and experimentally demonstrate how the bandwidth of such kind of transducer can be increased by controlling the interference between two--electromechanical interaction pathways of a two--mode mechanical system. With a proof--of--principle device \new{operating at room temperature, we achieve a sensitivity of 300 nV/Hz^(1/2) over a bandwidth of 15 kHz in the presence of radiofrequency noise, and an optimal shot-noise limited sensitivity of 10 nV/Hz^(1/2) over a bandwidth of 5 kHz. We discuss strategies for improving the performance of the device, showing that, for the same given sensitivity, a mechanical multi--mode transducer can achieve a bandwidth} significantly larger than that of a single-mode one

Quantum dynamics of a vibrational mode of a membrane within an optical cavity

Optomechanical systems are a promising candidate for the implementation of quantum interfaces for storing and redistributing quantum information. Here we focus on the case of a high-finesse optical cavity with a thin vibrating semitransparent membrane in the middle. We show that robust and stationary optomechanical entanglement could be achieved in the system, even in the presence of nonnegligible optical absorption in the membrane. We also present some preliminary experimental data showing radiation-pressure induced optical bistability.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures. Work presented at the conference QCMC 2010 held on 19-23 July 2010 at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australi

Quantum dynamics of a high-finesse optical cavity coupled with a thin semi-transparent membrane

We study the quantum dynamics of the cavity optomechanical system formed by a Fabry-Perot cavity with a thin vibrating membrane at its center. We first derive the general multimode Hamiltonian describing the radiation pressure interaction between the cavity modes and the vibrational modes of the membrane. We then restrict the analysis to the standard case of a single cavity mode interacting with a single mechanical resonator and we determine to what extent optical absorption by the membrane hinder reaching a quantum regime for the cavity-membrane system. We show that membrane absorption does not pose serious limitations and that one can simultaneously achieve ground state cooling of a vibrational mode of the membrane and stationary optomechanical entanglement with state-of-the-art apparatuses.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figure

Green synthesis of gold nanoparticles using Kiwifruit juice

The use of kiwifruit juice as a source of metal-reducing and stabilizing agents for the production of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was investigated. The reaction was carried out in batch by mixing appropriate amounts of kiwifruit juice and gold(III) chloride solution. The formation of AuNPs was monitored by measuring the intensity of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band of gold. The effects of temperature (20-60 °C), pH (8-12) and gold-to-polyphenol ratio (GPR) were investigated. Characterisation of AuNPs by XRD, DLS and zeta-potential measurements showed that they were highly crystalline, with an average hydrodynamic diameter of about 50 nm and a zeta-potential ranging between -29.2 and -21.7 mV. Under the best reaction conditions (60 °C, pH 9, GPR = 5 mol Au3+/mol GAE), AuNPs with an average size of about 30 nm were produced. The results obtained suggest that kiwifruit juice is a suitable medium for the production of small-sized and stable AuNPs

Optomechanical sideband cooling of a thin membrane within a cavity

We present an experimental study of dynamical back-action cooling of the fundamental vibrational mode of a thin semitransparent membrane placed within a high-finesse optical cavity. We study how the radiation pressure interaction modifies the mechanical response of the vibrational mode, and the experimental results are in agreement with a Langevin equation description of the coupled dynamics. The experiments are carried out in the resolved sideband regime, and we have observed cooling by a factor 350 We have also observed the mechanical frequency shift associated with the quadratic term in the expansion of the cavity mode frequency versus the effective membrane position, which is typically negligible in other cavity optomechanical devices.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure

Optomechanically induced transparency in membrane-in-the-middle setup at room temperature

We demonstrate the analogue of electromagnetically induced transparency in a room temperature cavity optomechanics setup formed by a thin semitransparent membrane within a Fabry-P\'erot cavity. Due to destructive interference, a weak probe field is completely reflected by the cavity when the pump beam is resonant with the motional red sideband of the cavity. Under this condition we infer a significant slowing down of light of hundreds of microseconds, which is easily tuned by shifting the membrane along the cavity axis. We also observe the associated phenomenon of electromagnetically induced amplification which occurs due to constructive interference when the pump is resonant with the blue sideband.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Type 2 diabetes and reduced exercise tolerance: A review of the literature through an integrated physiology approach

The association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and heart failure (HF) is well established. Early in the course of the diabetic disease, some degree of impaired exercise capacity (a powerful marker of health status with prognostic value) can be frequently highlighted in otherwise asymptomatic T2DM subjects. However, the literature is quite heterogeneous, and the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms are far from clear. Imaging-cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is a non-invasive, provocative test providing a multi-variable assessment of pulmonary, cardiovascular, muscular, and cellular oxidative systems during exercise, capable of offering unique integrated pathophysiological information. With this review we aimed at defying the cardiorespiratory alterations revealed through imaging-CPET that appear specific of T2DM subjects without overt cardiovascular or pulmonary disease. In synthesis, there is compelling evidence indicating a reduction of peak workload, peak oxygen assumption, oxygen pulse, as well as ventilatory efficiency. On the contrary, evidence remains inconclusive about reduced peripheral oxygen extraction, impaired heart rate adjustment, and lower anaerobic threshold, compared to non-diabetic subjects. Based on the multiparametric evaluation provided by imaging-CPET, a dissection and a hierarchy of the underlying mechanisms can be obtained. Here we propose four possible integrated pathophysiological mechanisms, namely myocardiogenic, myogenic, vasculogenic and neurogenic. While each hypothesis alone can potentially explain the majority of the CPET alterations observed, seemingly different combinations exist in any given subject. Finally, a discussion on the effects -and on the physiological mechanisms-of physical activity and exercise training on oxygen uptake in T2DM subjects is also offered. The understanding of the early alterations in the cardiopulmonary response that are specific of T2DM would allow the early identification of those at a higher risk of developing HF and possibly help to understand the pathophysiological link between T2DM and HF