Curcumin is one of the principle bioactive compounds used in the ayurvedic medicine system that has the history of over 5000 years for human use. Curcumin an "Indian Gold" is used to treat simple ...ailments like the common cold to severe life threatening diseases like cancer, and HIV. Though its contribution is immense for the health protection and disease prevention, its clinical use is limited due to its susceptible nature to alkaline pH, high temperature, presence of oxygen and light. Hence it becomes extremely difficult to maintain its bioactivity during processing, storage and consumption. Recent advancements in the application of nanotechnology to curcumin offer an opportunity to enhance its stability, bioactivity and to overcome its pharmacokinetic mismatch. This in turn helps to bridge the gaps that exist between its bench top research data to its clinical findings. Among the various types of nano/micro delivery systems, lipid based delivery systems are well studied and are the best suited delivery systems to enhance the stability and pharmacokinetic profile of curcumin both for pharma and the food application. In the current review, effort will be made to recapitulate the work done in the past to use lipid based delivery systems (liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, and emulsions) to enhance the application of curcumin for health promotion and disease prevention. Further, future prospects for the utilization of these lipid-based delivery systems will be discussed in detail.
In the present work, curcuminoids-loaded lipid nanoparticles for parenteral administration were successfully prepared by a nanoemulsion technique employing high-speed homogenizer and ultrasonic ...probe. For the production of nanoparticles, trimyristin, tristerin and glyceryl monostearate were selected as solid lipids and medium chain triglyceride (MCT) as liquid lipid. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the spherical nature of the particles with sizes ranging between 120 and 250
nm measured by photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS). The zeta potential of the particles ranged between −28 and −45
mV depending on the nature of the lipid matrix produced, which also influenced the entrapment efficiency (EE) and drug loading capacity (LC) found to be in the range of 80–94% and 1.62–3.27%, respectively. The LC increased reciprocally on increasing the amount of MCT as confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). DSC analyses revealed that increasing imperfections within the lipid matrix allowed for increasing encapsulation parameters. Nanoparticles were further sterilized by filtration process which was found to be superior over autoclaving in preventing thermal degradation of thermo-sensitive curcuminoids. The
in vivo pharmacodynamic activity revealed 2-fold increase in antimalarial activity of curcuminoids entrapped in lipid nanoparticles when compared to free curcuminoids at the tested dosage level.
Effective evaluation of technological and operational approaches to reduce entrainment of marine organisms at cooling water intake structures (CWIS) requires accurate organism-sensing systems. ...Current detection methods lead to large temporal data gaps, require tedious manual analysis, and are fatal to organisms. Here, we describe integrating deep learning with a non-lethal, non-intrusive imaging method—digital holography—to rapidly detect fish larvae. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that the instrument could successfully image fish larvae at flow rates exceeding ranges seen in CWIS. Holograms of two fish larvae species, in the presence of bubbles and detritus, were collected to build a large database for training a lightweight convolutional neural network. The model achieves 97% extraction accuracy in quantifying larvae, and distinguishing them from other particles, including detritus and bubbles, when applied to a dataset of manually classified images, exceeding previous metrics for non-lethal, accurate, and real-time detection. These results demonstrate the potential of in situ holographic imaging for monitoring endangered larval fish species at power plant intake structures, and for high-fidelity, real-time applications in monitoring aquatic ichthyoplankton.
In situ measurements were undertaken to characterize particle fields in undisturbed oceanic environments. Simultaneous, co-located depth profiles of particle fields and flow characteristics were ...recorded using a submersible holographic imaging system and an acoustic Doppler velocimeter, under different flow conditions and varying particle concentration loads, typical of those found in coastal oceans and lakes. Nearly one million particles with major axis lengths ranging from ~14 μm to 11.6 mm, representing diverse shapes, sizes, and aspect ratios were characterized as part of this study. The particle field consisted of marine snow, detrital matter, and phytoplankton, including colonial diatoms, which sometimes formed “thin layers” of high particle abundance. Clear evidence of preferential alignment of particles was seen at all sampling stations, where the orientation probability density function (PDF) peaked at near horizontal angles and coincided with regions of low velocity shear and weak turbulent dissipation rates. Furthermore, PDF values increased with increasing particle aspect ratios, in excellent agreement with models of spheroidal particle motion in simple shear flows. To the best of our knowledge, although preferential particle orientation in the ocean has been reported in two prior cases, our findings represent the first comprehensive field study examining this phenomenon. Evidence of nonrandom particle alignment in aquatic systems has significant consequences to aquatic optics theory and remote sensing, where perfectly random particle orientation and thus isotropic symmetry in optical parameters is assumed. Ecologically, chain-forming phytoplankton may have evolved to form large aspect ratio chains as a strategy to optimize light harvesting.
The characterization of particle and plankton populations, as well as microscale biophysical interactions, is critical to several important research areas in oceanography and limnology. A growing ...number of aquatic researchers are turning to holography as a tool of choice to quantify particle fields in diverse environments, including but not limited to, studies on particle orientation, thin layers, phytoplankton blooms, and zooplankton distributions and behavior. Holography provides a non-intrusive, free-stream approach to imaging and characterizing aquatic particles, organisms, and behavior
in situ
at high resolution through a 3-D sampling volume. Compared to other imaging techniques, e.g., flow cytometry, much larger volumes of water can be processed over the same duration, resolving particle sizes ranging from a few microns to a few centimeters. Modern holographic imaging systems are compact enough to be deployed through various modes, including profiling/towed platforms, buoys, gliders, long-term observatories, or benthic landers. Limitations of the technique include the data-intensive hologram acquisition process, computationally expensive image reconstruction, and coherent noise associated with the holograms that can make post-processing challenging. However, continued processing refinements, rapid advancements in computing power, and development of powerful machine learning algorithms for particle/organism classification are paving the way for holography to be used ubiquitously across different disciplines in the aquatic sciences. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of holography in the context of aquatic studies, including historical developments, prior research applications, as well as advantages and limitations of the technique. Ongoing technological developments that can facilitate larger employment of this technique toward
in situ
measurements in the future, as well as potential applications in emerging research areas in the aquatic sciences are also discussed.
The vertical distributions of freshwater cyanobacteria populations are important to plankton community structure, ecology and for influencing water column optical properties relevant to remote ...sensing. In August of 2014, we examined the vertical structure of a cyanobacteria bloom across the western basin of Lake Erie with new technologies, including LIDAR and a digital holographic system. In addition, vertical profiles of environmental and optical properties were made. The active LIDAR penetrated the water column, and provided a detailed picture of the particle distribution for the whole water column. The holographic system provided digital images processed for particle size, count and identification of Microcystis and Planktothrix - the two main cyanobacteria genera that were present. The correlations between the LIDAR backscatter intensity and the cyanobacteria cell counts from holography averaged to 0.53 and ranged from −0.13 to 0.96 based on nearest matchups. The vertical structure of the overall cyanobacteria population was influenced by wind speed, and to a lesser degree the solar heating of surface waters. On a more detailed level, Microcystis populations were consistently nearer to the surface relative to Planktothrix. Pigments from surface samples revealed a higher degree of photoprotection for Planktothrix-dominated communities. The vertical distributions of the cyanobacteria genera were related to light intensity in the water column and known tolerances and/or preferences for each genus. Vertical profiles of optical properties supported the patterns seen in the LIDAR and holographic data, and had direct implications on the exiting light field. These combined data provide a unique view into the natural variations in spatial (vertical and horizontal) distribution patterns of cyanobacteria and resulting impacts on remote sensing detection and associated interpretations, and demonstrate the potential for these technologies to observe cyanobacteria in lake environments.
•Vertical distributions of cyanobacteria population detected from LIDAR data during a bloom event.•Composition of the cyanobacteria populations was also revealed by digital holography during same time period.•Correlations between LIDAR and cell count from holography averaged 0.53 and ranged from −0.13 to 0.96.•Two major populations identified, comprising Microcystis and Planktothrix with different vertical structures.•Vertical distributions of the two populations were a function of light preferences/tolerances and wind.
Light scattering characteristics of the cyanobacterium Microcystis are investigated with numerical models for sphere aggregates. During summer bloom seasons, Microcystis is prevalent in many inland ...waters across the globe. Monitoring concentrations with remote sensing techniques requires knowledge of the inherent optical properties (IOPs), especially the backscattering properties of Microcystis cells and colonies in natural settings. In situ measurements in waters dominated by Microcystis blooms have previously detected extremely high backscattering ratios, i.e., b
/b>0.043 at 443 nm 1, the highest to our knowledge in the natural environment. These highb
/bvalues could hold promise as a diagnostic tool in identifying and monitoring Microcystis using optical approaches. However, it has been unclear how this type of optically 'soft' organic particle can generate such highb
/bvalues. In this study, the Multiple Sphere T-matrix (MSTM) model is used to calculate the IOPs of model colonies, including b
/b. Colony sizes in the model ranged from several cells to several hundred and both colony packing density and cell gas vacuole content were varied. Results are compared with model results for equivalent-volume spheres (EVS) and direct in situ measurements. Colony formation was required in the modeling to reproduce the high b
/bconsistent with in situ measurements. The combination of moderate to very dense colony (packing density >30%) and high gas vacuole content in individual cells (volume percentage >20%) was the most favorable condition leading to rapid increases in b
/bwith increasing number of cells N
of the colony. Significant linear correlations were observed betweenb
/b and
for these colonies, whereb
/b increased beyond 0.04 once cell number reached about 1000 cells in the case with the most densely packed cells and highest gas vacuole content. Within commonly observed colony sizes (N
<10
), colonies with high gas vacuole content exhibited b
/bvalues up to 0.055, consistent with direct measurements from Lake Erie. Polarized scattering was also of interest as a diagnostic tool, particularly with future Earth-orbiting polarimeters being deployed for the NASA Plankton, Aerosols, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission. The Degree of Linear Polarization (DoLP), expressed by the ratio of two Mueller matrix elements-P
/P
, decreased with increasing colony cell number for Microcystis. Another ratio of two Mueller matrix elementsP
/P
, an index for nonsphericity, also decreased with increasing colony size. In addition to higher relative backscattering, greater colony packing density and larger gas vacuole sizes both led to lower DoLP peak magnitude and lowerP
/P
. An optical opposition feature due to constructive phase interference that was observed previously for cosmic dusts is also present for these modeled colonies, manifested by a narrow intensity peak and negative polarization dip near exact backscattering direction, gradually forming as colony size increases.
•An in situ holographic microscope developed to monitor Karenia brevis.•K. brevis automatically classified from images using a convolutional neural network.•Results showed good agreement with manual ...counts and flow cytometry.•Towing system paired with sensor allows for spatial mapping of plankton/blooms.•Promising method for adaptation in long term plankton/bloom monitoring networks.
Karenia brevis blooms, also known as red tide, are a recurring problem in the coastal Gulf of Mexico. These blooms have the capacity to inflict substantial damage to human and animal health as well as local economies. Thus, monitoring and detection of K. brevis blooms at all life stages and cell concentrations is essential for ensuring public safety. Current K. brevis monitoring methods have several limitations, including size resolution limits and concentration ranges, limited capacity for spatial and temporal profiling, and/or small sample volume processing. Here, a novel monitoring method wherein an autonomous digital holographic imaging microscope (AUTOHOLO), that overcomes these limitations and can characterize K. brevis concentrations in situ, is presented. Using the AUTOHOLO, in situ field measurements were conducted in the coastal Gulf of Mexico during an active K. brevis bloom over the 2020–21 winter season. Surface and sub-surface water samples collected during these field studies were also analyzed in the lab using benchtop holographic imaging and flow cytometry for validation. A convolutional neural network was trained for automated classification of K. brevis at all concentration ranges. The network was validated with manual counts and flow cytometry, yielding a 90% accuracy across diverse datasets with varying K. brevis concentrations. The usefulness of pairing the AUTOHOLO with a towing system was also demonstrated for characterizing particle abundance over large spatial distances, which could potentially facilitate characterization of spatial distributions of K. brevis during bloom events. Future applications of the AUTOHOLO can include integration into existing HAB monitoring networks to enhance detection capabilities for K. brevis in aquatic environments around the world.
Chromosomes adopt specific conformations to regulate various cellular processes. A well-documented chromosome configuration is the highly compacted chromosome structure during metaphase. More ...regional chromatin conformations have also been reported, including topologically associated domains encompassing mega-bases of DNA and local chromatin loops formed by kilo-bases of DNA. In this review, we discuss the changes in chromatin conformation taking place between somatic and meiotic cells, with a special focus on the establishment of a proteinaceous structure, called the chromosome axis, at the beginning of meiosis. The chromosome axis is essential to support key meiotic processes such as chromosome pairing, homologous recombination, and balanced chromosome segregation to transition from a diploid to a haploid stage. We review the role of the chromosome axis in meiotic chromatin organization and provide a detailed description of its protein composition. We also review the conserved and distinct roles between species of axis proteins in meiotic recombination, which is a major factor contributing to the creation of genetic diversity and genome evolution. Finally, we discuss situations where the chromosome axis is deregulated and evaluate the effects on genome integrity and the consequences from protein deregulation in meiocytes exposed to heat stress, and aberrant expression of genes encoding axis proteins in mammalian somatic cells associated with certain types of cancers.
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder defined by the selective deterioration of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. This comprehensive review explored the ...effect of FTD on language, speech, and behavior. Early symptoms include difficulty in word finding, reduced speech output, and comprehension deficits, often leading to aphasia. The study discussed the profound behavioral changes observed in FTD patients, including apathy, disinhibition, compulsive behaviors, and loss of empathy, the importance of an accurate and early diagnosis, and its challenges. We even reviewed the potential for targeted therapies and the essential role of multidisciplinary care in managing the language, speech, and behavioral aspects of FTD. By examining objective data and comprehensive research on the subject, this study offers valuable insights into FTD's profound effects on language, speech, and behavior, assisting in improved clinical management and potential therapeutic strategies for this devastating condition.
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