Remote Loading Research Articles

Efficient Loading into and Controlled Release of Lipophilic Compound from Liposomes by Using Cyclodextrin as Novel Trapping Agent.

Lipid bilayer vesicles, liposomes are representative drug delivery carriers. High encapsulation efficiency and release control of drugs are essential for clinical application of liposomes. For efficient drug loading into liposomes, remote loading method using driving force like transmembrane gradients of pH and ions are utilized. Ions are called as "trapping agents," which are also critical for the controlled release of drugs loaded into liposomes inside. It is difficult to apply ions as trapping agents to various drugs because of limited physicochemical compatibility between drugs and ions. Cyclodextrins (CDs) with hydrophobic cavity can make inclusion complexes with various hydrophobic compounds. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the potential of CDs as a novel trapping agent using sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD) and ibuprofen (IB), a weak acid hydrophobic drug. Encapsulation efficiency of IB in liposomes with pH gradient was approximately 27%, and it was enhanced by intraliposomal SBE-β-CD inclusion in addition to pH gradient, which was SBE-β-CD concentration-dependent. In liposomes with pH gradient, a large fraction of IB was released in a short time. This early-stage rapid IB release was significantly suppressed by the inclusion of SBE-β-CD inside liposomes. Thus, novel remote loading technology by intraliposomal SBE-β-CD enabled the efficient encapsulation of the hydrophobic drug into the aqueous phase of liposomes as well as their controlled release. This technology should be applied to various drugs that can be included into CDs in order to enhance their therapeutic benefits.

Weak interface-induced repeated kinking of a central crack in a brittle multilayered plate under remote shear loading

Understanding the repeated kinking pattern of cracks is essential for controlling the complex fracture trajectories in multilayered composites. While previous studies have explored many aspects of fractures in layered materials, the conditions governing the repeated kinking behavior under basic loading modes remain largely unrevealed. This research elucidates the continual kinking condition for a central crack in a brittle, multilayered plate with closely-parallel weak interfaces under remote shear stresses. Using the strain energy release rate (SERR) ratio criterion, we analytically derived a closed-form solution to the condition through the equivalent crack concept. The solution specifies a value domain for the intersection angle and fracture toughness ratio of weak interfaces, where the load-guided direction competes closely with the weak interface-guided direction to shape the crack trajectory into a repeated kinking pattern. Our theoretical results, validated by a series of finite element (FE) simulations, clarify how closely-parallel weak interfaces induce repeated crack kinking in multilayered materials under remote shear loading. This research paves the way for the deeper understanding of intricate crack trajectories under mixed loads in various practical applications.

Failure Prediction of an Airfoil-Type Crack in Thermoelectric Coupling Materials

Airfoil-type cracks with curved surfaces and sharp tips are frequently encountered in modern engineering applications and the aerospace industry. However, such cracks significantly threaten structures due to stress concentration and further cause damage. This study investigates the theoretical analysis and failure prediction of airfoil-type cracks within thermoelectric coupling materials under the interaction of remote mechanical loads, heat flux and electric current density. By employing complex variable theory, conformal mapping methods, and the analytic continuation theorem, the full-field stress and stress intensity factors of an airfoil-type crack were determined under three different loading conditions. The results indicate that when the airfoil-shaped crack tip is subjected to horizontal compression, vertical tensile mechanical load, and both heat flux and current density parallel to the crack, the crack tip would reach a dangerous state. Additionally, the full-field stress distribution reveals stress concentration around the crack tip, which explains variations in SIFs under different external forces and shape factors. Four critical situations suppressing crack propagation under mixed loading conditions are proposed. Furthermore, using an acrylic plate and bismuth telluride alloy as examples, the critical values of external loading for the mixed-mode fracture are determined based on the strain energy density criterion. These critical values can be used to predict failure initiation, thus reducing the risk of structural failure due to airfoil cracks within thermoelectric coupling materials.

Delivery of PARP inhibitors through 2HG-incorporated liposomes for synergistically targeting DNA repair in cancer

PARP inhibitors (PARPi) benefit only a small subset of patients with DNA homologous recombination (HR) defects. In addition, long-term administration of a PARPi can lead to the development of drug resistance. 2-Hydroxyglutarate (2HG) has long been known as an oncometabolite but is capable of inducing an HR defect, which makes tumor cells exquisitely sensitive to PARPi. To facilitate the translation of this discovery to the treatment of both HR-deficient and HR-proficient tumors, a liposomal formulation was developed for codelivery of 2HG and veliparib, a PARPi. A sequential loading protocol was developed such that the initial loading of 2HG into liposomes greatly facilitated the subsequent, pH gradient-driven remote loading of veliparib. The liposomes co-loaded with veliparib and 2HG exhibited favorable stability, slow kinetics of drug release, and targeted delivery to the tumor. Furthermore, the veliparib/2HG liposomes demonstrated enhanced anti-tumor activity in both PARPi-resistant BRCA mutant cancer and BRCA wildtype cancer by synergistically enhancing the defect in DNA repair. Moreover, combination of veliparib and 2HG via liposomal co-delivery also augmented the function of cytotoxic T cells by activating the STING pathway and downregulating PD-L1 expression via 2HG-induced hypermethylation.

Liposomal Drug Delivery for Neurological Disorders: Advances and Challenges

Abstract: Liposomal drug delivery methods are becoming increasingly viable options for improving treatment outcomes for neurological illnesses. These systems provide a flexible framework for the formulation of medications intended for delivery to the brain, protecting the medication from enzymatic breakdown and enhancing its bioavailability. To maximize liposome-drug interactions and improve brain-targeted delivery efficiency, a variety of formulation strategies are used, such as surface modification and remote loading. By utilizing various pathways to cross the blood- -brain barrier (BBB), such as passive diffusion and receptor-mediated transcytosis, liposomes facilitate the effective transport of therapeutic drugs to the brain parenchyma. Liposomal formulations show potential for targeted drug delivery, reducing off-target effects, and improving treatment efficacy in neurological conditions like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and brain cancers. For instance, in Parkinson's disease, liposomal delivery of neuroprotective agents can help maintain dopamine levels and protect dopaminergic neurons. In Alzheimer's disease, liposomes can be engineered to deliver drugs that reduce amyloid-beta plaques or tau tangles. For brain cancer, liposomal chemotherapy can target tumor cells more precisely while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. In stroke, liposomal delivery of neuroprotective agents can reduce the extent of brain damage, while in multiple sclerosis, liposomes can be used to deliver drugs that modulate the immune response. However, the clinical translation of liposomal drug delivery systems for brain diseases faces challenges related to scalability, stability, and immunogenicity, in addition to regulatory barriers. Scalability issues arise from the complex manufacturing processes required to produce liposomes consistently on a large scale. Stability concerns involve maintaining the integrity of liposomes during storage and after administration. Immunogenicity can be a problem if the liposomes trigger an unwanted immune response, potentially reducing their effectiveness or causing adverse effects. To overcome these obstacles, multidisciplinary cooperation is essential. Collaboration among materials scientists, pharmacologists, neurologists, and regulatory experts can drive the development of more robust liposomal formulations. Continuous research is needed to refine liposome designs, such as by optimizing lipid composition, surface charge, and size to improve stability and targeting capabilities. Advanced techniques like PEGylation (coating liposomes with polyethylene glycol) can help reduce immunogenicity and extend circulation time in the bloodstream. Despite these challenges, liposomal methods present intriguing prospects for transforming medication administration to the brain and offering effective treatments for neurological illnesses. The development of more sophisticated liposomal technologies, combined with a deeper understanding of their mechanisms of action, could lead to significant breakthroughs in the treatment of neurological disorders. For example, research into ligand- targeted liposomes, which use specific molecules to bind to receptors on the BBB, holds promise for enhancing delivery specificity and efficiency. To fully realize the therapeutic promise of these novel drug delivery systems, further advancements in liposomal technologies and a deeper understanding of their mechanisms are necessary. This includes not only technical improvements but also comprehensive preclinical and clinical studies to evaluate safety, efficacy, and long-term effects. As our knowledge expands and technology progresses, liposomal drug delivery could become a cornerstone of neurological disease treatment, providing new hope for patients with previously intractable conditions.

Stress–strain hysteresis during hydrostatic loading of porous rocks

A micro-mechanical model is proposed to predict the stress–strain hysteresis during the cyclic hydrostatic loading of fluid-saturated rocks under drained or undrained conditions. A spherical pore is surrounded by a multi-cracked shell where local deviatoric stress develops despite the remote hydrostatic loading. The effective properties of the material composing the shell are constructed assuming an isotropic distribution of cracks with no interaction, and the overall properties thanks to the spherical assemblage approach. The fluid pressure in drained and undrained conditions is assumed to be uniform throughout the assemblage. A new analytical solution is proposed, assuming all cracks are closed and slipping either forwardly or reversely. It is shown with numerical simulations for drained conditions that this assumption is indeed respected for sufficiently small values of the crack friction angle. However, for reasonable values, the closed cracks during the unloading phase could slip in either direction: reversely close to the pore and still forwardly away from the pore. Moreover, at critical radii, the slip could occur in either direction depending on the crack orientation. A similar micro-structural response is observed for undrained conditions, although the remote confining stress required to close the cracks is much larger. The model’s predictions compare favourably with recent experimental data on dry sandstones and carbonates, which were presented in a study on the influence of strain amplitude on the transition between static and dynamic properties. The crack density and matrix elasticity modulus are sufficient fitting parameters to accurately predict the hysteresis loops, especially for porosity levels above 10%.

Enhanced pilot protection scheme for half-wavelength transmission line based on the conservation of traveling wave energy

The half-wavelength transmission system is a viable technology for long-distance and large-capacity power transmission. It can safely and efficiently transmit a large amount of clean energy to remote load centers. However, the traditional traveling wave protection methods have reliability and speed limitations for HWTL lines. To overcome these limitations, this paper proposes a novel and robust pilot protection scheme based on the conservation of traveling wave energy at the protection installation. The proposed scheme uses the constant equation relationship between fault-traveling waves, reflected waves and refracted waves at the measurement end to significantly improve the reliability and effectiveness of the protection mechanism. The blocking protection operation logic constructed by the inequality directional element is used to improve the rapidity of the pilot protection scheme. The theoretical analysis and real-time digital simulator (RTDS) digital-analog hybrid test demonstrate that the action equation of the proposed protection scheme is explicit to the operating value. The novel scheme exhibits enhanced resilience against high transition resistance and the impact of impulse corona while ensuring both reliability and rapidity.© 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The steady-state response of a three-phase elliptical inhomogeneity with interface slip and diffusion under an edge dislocation in the matrix

Abstract We study the steady-state response of a three-phase elliptical inhomogeneity in which the internal elliptical elastic inhomogeneity is bonded to the surrounding infinite matrix through an interphase layer with two confocal elliptical interfaces permitting simultaneous interface slip and diffusion. The matrix is subjected to an edge dislocation at an arbitrary position and uniform remote in-plane stresses. An analytical solution to the steady-state problem is derived using Muskhelishvili’s complex variable formulation. The effect of the edge dislocation and remote loading on the elastic fields in the inhomogeneity and the interphase layer is exhibited through a single loading parameter. More specifically, when divided by this loading parameter, the expressions for the stresses and strains in the inhomogeneity and the interphase layer are uninfluenced by the specific loading applied in the matrix. After excluding a particular common factor, the stresses and strains in the inhomogeneity and the interphase layer are also unaffected by the mismatch in shear moduli between the interphase layer and the matrix.

Outcome of intraoperative brachytherapy as asalvage treatment for locally recurrent rectal cancer.

Locally advanced recurrent rectal cancer (RRC) requires amultimodal approach. Intraoperative high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) may reduce the risk of local recurrence. However, the optimal therapeutic regimen remains unclear. The aim of this retrospective monocentric study was to evaluate the toxicity of HDR-BT after resection of RRC. Between 2018 and 2022, 17patients with RRC received resection and HDR-BT. HDR-BT was delivered alone or as an anticipated boost with amedian dose of 13 Gy (range 10-13 Gy) using an 192iridium microSelectron HDR remote afterloader (Elekta AB, Stockholm, Sweden). All participants were followed for assessment of acute and late adverse events using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version5.0 and the modified Late Effects in Normal Tissues criteria (subjective, objective, management, and analytic; LENT-SOMA) at 3‑ to 6‑month intervals. Atotal of 17patients were treated by HDR-BT with median dose of 13 Gy (range 10-13 Gy). Most patients (47%) had an RRC tumor stage of cT3‑4 N0. At the time of RRC diagnosis, 7patients (41.2%) had visceral metastases (hepatic, pulmonary, or peritoneal) in the sense of oligometastatic disease. The median interval between primary tumor resection and diagnosis of RRC was 17months (range 1-65months). In addition to HDR-BT, 2patients received long-course chemoradiotherapy (CRT; up to 50.4 Gy in 1.8-Gy fractions) and 2patients received short-course CRT up to 36 Gy in 2‑Gy fractions. For concomitant CRT, all patients received 5‑fluorouracil (5-FU) or capecitabine. Median follow-up was 13months (range 1-54). The most common acute grade1-2 toxicities were pain in 7patients (41.2%), wound healing disorder in 3patients (17.6%), and lymphedema in 2patients (11.8%). Chronic toxicities were similar: grade1-2 pain in 7patients (41.2%), wound healing disorder in 3patients (17.6%), and incontinence in 2patients (11.8%). No patient experienced agrade ≥3 event. Reirradiation using HDR-BT is well tolerated with low toxicity. An individualized multimodality approach using HDR-BT in the oligometastatic setting should be evaluated in prospective multi-institutional studies.

A general solution for electromechanical analysis of electroelastic composite plates with arbitrary holes

Stroh formalism provides an elegant method of solution for two-dimensional anisotropic elasticity problems through the generalized eigen relation associated with the dual coordinate system that gives the material eigen values and eigen vectors, and also the fundamental elasticity matrix and its associated Barnett-Lothe tensors. The extended Stroh-like formalism of Hwu and Hsieh has expanded the scope of basic Stroh formalism by addressing the electro-mechanical coupling effects in electro elastic plates. This paper presents an inclusive solution that addresses the two-dimensional problems in infinite electro-elastic, anisotropic, and isotropic plates with an arbitrary hole under remote arbitrary coupled electro-mechanical loading. This is achieved by adopting the Stroh formalism and its subsequent versions to consider the anisotropic and electro-elastic plates, and further, by incorporating the arbitrary biaxial loading condition into the boundary conditions, and the generalized mapping function into the basic formulation to accommodate all types of in plane loading and a variety of hole shapes respectively. Various equations of the solution are derived explicitly for easy understanding and computer implementation. The stress function is derived explicitly to satisfy the condition of traction free hole with remote electro-mechanical loading under generalized plane stress-open circuit condition. The stresses and electric displacements around the hole boundary are obtained by taking the derivative of the stress function with respect to unit normal along the hole boundary. The solution presented can be degenerated to the anisotropic or isotropic case by choosing the corresponding material properties, or appropriate values of complex parameters respectively. This general solution has exactly reproduced the results of other solutions in the literature for piezoelectric plates given by different methods. New results of stresses and electric displacements are obtained for various arbitrary holes in [PZT5H/45/-45/PZT5H]s graphite/epoxy plate and PZT 4 plates. Results for holes in piezoelectric laminates and PZT 4 piezo layer are also presented by FEM.

Test for the deep: magnetic loading characterization of elastomers under extreme hydrostatic pressures

Soft robot incarnates its unique advantages in deep-sea exploration, but grapples with high hydrostatic pressure’s unpredictable impact on its mechanical performances. In our previous work, a self-powered soft robot showed excellent work performance in the Mariana Trench at a depth of 11 000 m, yet experienced notable degradation in deforming capability. Here, we propose a magnetic loading method for characterizing elastomer’s mechanical properties under extremely high hydrostatic pressure of up to 120 MPa. This method facilitates remote loading and enables in-situ observation, so that the dimensions and deformation at high hydrostatic pressure are obtained and used for calculations. The results reveal that the Young’s modulus of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) monotonously increases with pressure. It is found that the relative increase in Young’s modulus is determined by its initial value, which is 8% for an initial Young’s modulus of 2200 kPa and 38% for 660 kPa. The relation between initial Young’s modulus and relevant increase can be fitted by an exponential function. The bulk modulus of PDMS is about 1.4 GPa at 20 °C and is barely affected by hydrostatic pressure. The method can quantify alterations in the mechanical properties of elastomers induced by hydrostatic pressure, and provide guidance for the design of soft robots which serve in extreme pressure environment.

A bioinspired doxorubicin-carried albumin Nanocage against aggressive Cancer via systemic targeting of tumor and lymph node metastasis

Cancer metastasis and recurrence are obstacles to successful treatment of aggressive cancer. To address this challenge, chemotherapy is indispensable as an essential part of comprehensive cancer treatment, particularly for subsequent therapy after surgical resection. However, small-molecule drugs for chemotherapy always cause inadequate efficacy and severe side effects against cancer metastasis and recurrence caused by lymph node metastases. Here, we developed doxorubicin-carried albumin nanocages (Dox-AlbCages) with appropriate particle sizes and pH/enzyme-responsive drug release for tumor and lymph node dual-targeted therapy by exploiting the inborn transport properties of serum albumin. Inspired by the protein-templated biomineralization and remote loading of doxorubicin into liposomes, we demonstrated the controlled synthesis of Dox-AlbCages via the aggregation or crystallization of doxorubicin and ammonium sulfate within albumin nanocages using a biomineralization strategy. Dox-AlbCages allowed efficient encapsulation of Dox in the core protected by the albumin corona shell, exhibiting favorable properties for enhanced tumor and lymph node accumulation and preferable cellular uptake for tumor-specific chemotherapy. Intriguingly, Dox-AlbCages effectively inhibited tumor growth and metastasis in orthotopic 4T1 breast tumors and prevented postsurgical tumor recurrence and lung metastasis. At the same time, Dox-AlbCages had fewer side effects than free Dox. This nanoplatform provides a facile strategy for designing tumor- and lymph node-targeted nanomedicines for suppressing cancer metastasis and recurrence.

Cross-scale mechanobiological regulation of cylindrical compressible liquid inclusion via coating

The double-bag theory in modern anatomy suggests that structures with coatings are commonly found in human body at various length scales, such as osteocyte processes covered by pericellular matrix and bones covered by muscle tissue. To understand the mechanical behaviors and physiological responses of such biological structures, we develop an analytical model to quantify surface effects on the deformation of a coated cylindrical compressible liquid inclusion in an elastic matrix subjected to remote loading. Our analytical solution reveals that coating can either amplify or attenuate the volumetric strain of the inclusion, depending on the relative elastic moduli of inclusion, coating, and matrix. For illustration, we utilize this solution to explore amplification/attenuation of volumetric strain in musculoskeletal systems, nerve cells, and vascular tissues. We demonstrate that coating often plays a crucial role in mechanical regulation of the development and repair of human tissues and cells. Our model provides qualitative analysis of cross-scale mechanical response of coated liquid inclusions, helpful for constructing mechanical microenvironment of cells.

Efficient energy management of domestic loads with electric vehicles by optimal scheduling of solar-powered battery energy storage system

The increasing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and variable energy usage patterns substantially strain the electrical grid; indeed, optimal energy management, monitoring, and utilization are required for the reliable operation of the grid. This paper introduces a novel model design of a solar-powered battery energy storage system (SPBESS) as a viable substitute for conventional demand-side management (DSM) and time of use (ToU) pricing schemes, intending to optimize energy management and utilization with IoT monitoring. In addition, the IoT-based prototype has been developed to monitor and control the proposed system. To validate the proposed SPBESS model, the study examines two distinct cases: one encompassing domestic loads and the other integrating EV loads alongside household demand. Using ToU pricing, it determines the optimal charging and discharging strategies for the SPBESS, evaluates their implications for the system configuration and grid ToU pricing, and quantifies the annual reductions in power purchases, electricity bills, energy costs, and carbon emissions. Moreover, the study comprehensively analyzes the optimal power exchanges between the photovoltaic system, battery energy storage system, and the grid, precisely considering the specific load requirements and grid ToU pricing. The conducted research findings manifest considerable decreases in energy costs, with the domestic load condition witnessing a reduction from $0.312 per kilowatt-hour to $0.245 per kilowatt-hour and the scenario involving EV and residential loads experiencing a decline from $0.27 per kilowatt-hour to $0.197 per kilowatt-hour. Furthermore, the annualized cost savings for cases 1 and 2 amount to $1,336 and $4,544, respectively, yielding substantial reductions in polluting gas emissions. Besides, the IoT-based constructed prototype model design for real-time power parameters monitoring and control shows the importance of IoT-based monitoring for remote load control, allowing users to maximize energy efficiency, resource utilization, and system visualization.

Development of Brayton circulating cooling system

The Brayton Circulating Cooling System is a unique refrigeration system designed to demonstrate the basic technology needed to provide cold helium gas refrigeration at high pressures to an external superconducting magnet or any remote load for cool down purposes. The system is designed to provide cool down refrigeration from room temperature to target minimum temperatures of approximately 40 K. The system consists of an F-70H helium compressor with gas control manifold, interconnecting gas lines, cables, the Brayton refrigeration unit mounted in a Dewar assembly and control system. The helium compressor uses high purity helium gas for its refrigerant. Electricity, cooling water for the compressor and a source of pure helium (99.995%) for make-up gas are the only required utilities. The scope of the project, system design, target specifications and summary of test results will be discussed in this paper.

Elastic prolate spheroidal inclusion in an infinite elastic solid—an exact analysis of the inclusion stress by an engineering treatment of the problem based on the corresponding cavity solutions

The paper demonstrates the analysis of the stress and strain states of an inhomogeneous structure with an axial symmetrical spheroidal inclusion in an infinite solid under a remote uniform tension load derived from the conditions of the theory of elasticity. With respect to the inhomogeneous structure, the deformations produce constraints that require a complete 3-dimensional analysis in the z, r-coordinate system. The solution generates the stress state of the inclusion and at the interface of the matrix. Spheroidal inclusions in an uniform outer tension stress field deform self-similarly to a rather elongated spheroid. With respect to the compatibility condition and depending on the different elastic moduli and Poisson’s ratios in the inclusion and matrix, the solution procedure leads to a system of two linear equations with the magnitudes of the two tractions as unknowns. In this way, the solution is shortened to a twofold statically indeterminate system. The analysis performed leads to an exact solution of the general spheroidal problem in a formulation of stress concentration factors considering the different stiffness parameters of inclusion and matrix.

Experimental analysis of a modified scheme for supplying single-phase remote loads from micro-hydro based three-phase self-excited induction generator

Induction machine (IM) plays significant role in rural electrification, acting as a generator for small kilowatt to large megawatt applications. These IMs are therefore used for power generation, gaining a huge acceptance within the researchers because of its brushless system, robust design and cheap market rate. In off-grid operation, the induction generator (IG) also known as self-excited IG (SEIG), requires supply of external reactive power (RP) for building up its terminal voltage and satisfying the electrical load demand. A small kilowatt level renewable-driven three-phase SEIG is generally deployed for generating single-phase power in off-grid mode for remote areas. Generation of single-phase power and supplying the load from a three-phase SEIG in off-grid operation, results in the imbalance of the SEIG's stator current and phase voltage. In this regard, various capacitor-based excitation (CBE) schemes have been reported for supplying the required RP to the three-phase SEIG and generating single-phase power, while reducing the mentioned difficulties. The current paper emphasizes on the steady-state mathematical formulation of a proposed modified CBE scheme for generating single-phase power and supplying remote hilly load from a hydro-driven three-phase SEIG under the fixed speed of the generator. Further, a state-of-the-art experimental test-bench of the proposed scheme, where a hydro-driven three-phase SEIG supplying single-phase resistive-inductive (RL) load has been showcased with the same being simulated in the MATLAB environment. The result indicates that the proposed CBE scheme can effectively supply single-phase RL load of different power factors (p.f.), having promising voltage regulation with balanced SEIG operation.

Elliptic Rigid Inclusion in Soft Materials of Harmonic Type

Abstract We investigate finite plane deformations of an elliptic rigid inclusion embedded in a soft matrix that is made of a particular class of harmonic-type hyperelastic materials. The inclusion is assumed to be perfectly bonded to the matrix, which is subjected to a constant remote in-plane loading. Utilizing the Cauchy integral techniques associated with conformal mappings, we derive closed-form solutions for the full-field deformation, Piola stress, and Cauchy stress in the entire matrix. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the current solutions in comparison with those established from linear elasticity theory. We find that in terms of the Cauchy stress around the inclusion, the maximum normal stress component always appears at the endpoints of the major axis of the inclusion, irrespective of the magnitude of the remote loading, while the maximum hoop stress component occurs not exactly at the above-mentioned endpoints when the remote loading exceeds a certain value. In particular, we identify an exact explicit formula for determining the relative rotation of the inclusion during deformation induced by a remote uniaxial loading of arbitrarily given magnitude and direction.

Real-Time Quantitative Evaluation of a Drug during Liposome Preparation Using a Probe-Type Raman Spectrometer.

During the manufacturing process of liposome formulations, it is considered difficult to evaluate their physicochemical properties and biological profiles due to the complexity of their structure and manufacturing process. Conventional quality evaluation is labor-intensive and time-consuming; therefore, there was a need to introduce a method that could perform in-line, real-time evaluation during the manufacturing process. In this study, Raman spectroscopy was used to monitor in real time the encapsulation of drugs into liposomes and the drug release, which are particularly important quality evaluation items. Furthermore, Raman spectroscopy combined with partial least-squares (PLS) analysis was used for quantitative drug evaluation to assess consistency with results from UV-visible spectrophotometry (UV), a common quantification method. The prepared various ciprofloxacin (CPFX) liposomes were placed in cellulose tubes, and a probe-type Raman spectrophotometer was used to monitor drug encapsulation, the removal of unencapsulated drug, and drug release characteristics in real time using a dialysis method. In the Raman spectra of the liposomes prepared by remote loading, the intensities of the CPFX-derived peaks increased upon drug encapsulation and showed a slight decrease upon removal of the unencapsulated drug. Furthermore, the peak intensity decreased more gradually during the drug release. In all Raman monitoring experiments, the discrepancy between quantified values of CPFX concentration in liposomes, as measured by Raman spectroscopy combined with partial least-squares (PLS) analysis, and those obtained through ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometry was within 6.7%. The results revealed that the quantitative evaluation of drugs using a combination of Raman spectroscopy and PLS analysis was as accurate as the evaluation using UV spectrophotometry, which was used for comparison. These results indicate the promising potential of Raman spectroscopy as an innovative method for the quality evaluation of liposomal formulations.

ENSURING THE THREAD CAPACITY OF ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION LINES UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF THEIR RESERVATION

A method of increasing the power transmission capacity in the post-emergency mode is considered, when a redundant line is connected to one of the working power transmission lines (LEP) with a voltage of 10 kV using the point of automatic switching on of the reserve (AVR). The effectiveness of such redundancy in most cases turns out to be low due to the limited capacity of trunk sections of mutually reserved lines with smaller cross-sections of wires at the end sections of these lines, which were built as radial lines. This leads to increased losses of active power and voltage, and, as a result, unacceptable deviation of voltage in remote load nodes of the redundant power transmission line. In order to improve the parameters of the operation mode of power transmission, it is proposed to use devices of longitudinal capacitive compensation and reactive power compensation in the scheme of the AVR point. An assessment of the effectiveness of the proposed measure was made.