On the surface and beyond. Degradation morphologies affecting plant ash‐based archaeological glass from Kafir Kala (Samarkand, Uzbekistan)

The study focuses on an assemblage of glass finds from the citadel of Kafir Kala, Uzbekistan, located along one of the major Eurasian branches of the “Silk Roads” with a consistent occupation between the 8th and 12th century CE. Glass fragments for this study were selected based on marked surface alterations they showed, with stratified deposits of different thickness and colours. Starting from a preliminary observation under Optical Microscope, fragments were clustered into four main groups based on the surface appearance of the alterations; Scanning Electron Microscopy investigations of the stratigraphy of the alteration products were then carried out, to evaluate micro‐textural, morphological and compositional features. Data from the analyses allowed identifying preferential patterns of development of the various degradation morphologies, linkable to compositional alterations of the glass due to burial environment and the alkali leaching action of the water. Iridescence, opaque weathering (at times associated with black stains), and blackening were identified as recurring degradation morphologies; as all but one sample were made of plant ash‐based glass, results show no specific correlation between glass composition and the occurrence of one or the other degradation pattern, often found together. Framed in a broad scenario, the paper aims to set the basis for the development of a study approach dedicated to the degradation morphologies affecting archaeological glasses, a topic still lacking systematisation and in‐depth dedicated literature

Development and Evaluation of Curcumin Loaded Nanoparticles for Treatment of Diabetes

A nanometer is one billionth of a metre, hence nanotechnology is an intersection of science, engineering, and technology that works with structures and materials at the nanoscale scale, often in the range of 1 to 100 nanometers. Materials frequently display distinctive and innovative features at this scale that are distinct from those at the macroscopic or even microscopic levels. Nanotechnology is the manipulation, design, and control of materials and devices at the nanoscale to produce new products, technologies, and applications. Nanotechnology is essential to the development of tailored medication delivery systems, imaging agents, and diagnostic instruments in medicine. It offers the promise for more targeted treatments that are also less likely to cause negative effects. Since ancient times, turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) has been widely used as a spice and a remedy. Curcumin, a polyphenol that aids in the prevention and management of neurological, pulmonary, cardiovascular, metabolic, inflammatory, and autoimmune illnesses as well as some malignancies, is the primary active component of turmeric. Curcumin does have certain disadvantages, though, including limited water solubility, poor absorption, rapid metabolism, rapid systemic elimination, inadequate bioavailability subpar pharmacokinetics, low stability, and subpar penetration targeting effectiveness. A typical approach is to encapsulate curcumin in nanocarriers for targeted distribution to get over these disadvantages. Concerns have been raised about the degradation of nanocarrier products. In this study, curcumin nanoparticles and nanocurcumin were created without the aid of nanocarriers. To do this, raw turmeric rhizome was soxhlet extracted to obtain curcumin. The stock solutions of various curcumin concentrations made in dichloromethane were sonicated for varying lengths of time and included in boiling water at various flow rates. With 5.00 mg/mL of stock solution concentration, 0.10 mL/min flow rate, and 30 minutes of sonication, an average particle size of 82 04 nm was produced. Particle size seems to decline with sonication time but tends to increase with flow rate and curcumin content in the stock solution. Although nanocurcumins are amorphous, X-ray diffraction reveals crisp and powerful diffraction peaks for curcumin, suggesting its integrity and high crystallinity. The presence of all the functional groups of curcumin in nanocurcumin is confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy spectra. Images obtained using transmission and scanning electron microscopy display the morphology of completely spherical objects

Evaluation of Herbal Extracts of Momordica Charantia and Fenugreek Seeds for Management of Diabetes

The present study discloses a composition for regulating blood sugar levels, comprising a synergistic blend of Momordica Charantia extract, Fenugreek seed extract, and additional natural extracts. The composition offers a natural and holistic approach to blood sugar regulation, harnessing the potential benefits of these extracts to support glycemic control. Momordica Charantia extract, derived from the fruits of the Momordica Charantia plant, contains bioactive compounds such as charantin, polypeptide-p, and vicine. Fenugreek seed extract, obtained from Trigonella foenum graecum seeds, comprises soluble dietary fibers, saponins, and alkaloids, known for their potential in blood sugar regulation

Characterization of Lens Based Photoacoustic Imaging System

Some of the challenges in translating photoacoustic (PA) imaging to clinical applications includes limited view of the target tissue, low signal to noise ratio and the high cost of developing real-time systems. Acoustic lens based PA imaging systems, also known as PA cameras are a potential alternative to conventional imaging systems in these scenarios. The 3D focusing action of lens enables real-time C-Scan imaging with a 2D transducer array. In this paper, we model the underlying physics in a PA camera in the mathematical framework of an imaging system and derive a closed form expression for the point spread function (PSF). Experimental verification follows including the details on how to design and fabricate the lens inexpensively. The system PSF is evaluated over a 3D volume that can be imaged by this PA camera. Its utility is demonstrated by imaging phantom and an ex vivo human prostate tissue sample

BRCA1 and BRCA2 as molecular targets for phytochemicals indole-3-carbinol and genistein in breast and prostate cancer cells

Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and genistein are naturally occurring chemicals derived from cruciferous vegetables and soy, respectively, with potential cancer prevention activity for hormone-responsive tumours (e.g., breast and prostate cancers). Previously, we showed that I3C induces BRCA1 expression and that both I3C and BRCA1 inhibit oestrogen (E2)-stimulated oestrogen receptor (ER-α) activity in human breast cancer cells. We now report that both I3C and genistein induce the expression of both breast cancer susceptibility genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2) in breast (MCF-7 and T47D) and prostate (DU-145 and LNCaP) cancer cell types, in a time- and dose-dependent fashion. Induction of the BRCA genes occurred at low doses of I3C (20 μM) and genistein (0.5–1.0 μM), suggesting potential relevance to cancer prevention. A combination of I3C and genistein gave greater than expected induction of BRCA expression. Studies using small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and BRCA expression vectors suggest that the phytochemical induction of BRCA2 is due, in part, to BRCA1. Functional studies suggest that I3C-mediated cytoxicity is, in part, dependent upon BRCA1 and BRCA2. Inhibition of E2-stimulated ER-α activity by I3C and genistein was dependent upon BRCA1; and inhibition of ligand-inducible androgen receptor (AR) activity by I3C and genistein was partially reversed by BRCA1-siRNA. Finally, we provide evidence suggesting that the phytochemical induction of BRCA1 expression is due, in part, to endoplasmic reticulum stress response signalling. These findings suggest that the BRCA genes are molecular targets for some of the activities of I3C and genistein

IL-24 Inhibits lung cancer cell migration and invasion by disrupting the SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling axis

© 2015 Panneerselvam et al. Background The stromal cell derived factor (SDF)-1/chemokine receptor (CXCR)-4 signaling pathway plays a key role in lung cancer metastasis and is molecular target for therapy. In the present study we investigated whether interleukin (IL)-24 can inhibit the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis and suppress lung cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro. Further, the efficacy of IL-24 in combination with CXCR4 antagonists was investigated. Methods Human H1299, A549, H460 and HCC827 lung cancer cell lines were used in the present study. The H1299 lung cancer cell line was stably transfected with doxycycline-inducible plasmid expression vector carrying the human IL-24 cDNA and used in the present study to determine the inhibitory effects of IL-24 on SDF-1/CXCR4 axis. H1299 and A549 cell lines w ere used in transient transfection studies. The inhibitory effects of IL-24 on SDF1/CXCR4 and its downstream targets were analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR, western blot, luciferase reporter assay, flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry. Functional studies included cell migration and invasion assays. Principal Findings Endogenous CXCR4 protein expression levels varied among the four human lung cancer cell lines. Doxycycline-induced IL-24 expression in the H1299-IL24 cell line resulted in reduced CXCR4 mRNA and protein expression. IL-24 post-transcriptionally regulated CXCR4 mRNA expression by decreasing the half-life of CXCR4 mRNA ( > 40%). Functional studies showed IL-24 inhibited tumor cell migration and invasion concomitant with reduction in CXCR4 and its downstream targets (pAKTS 473 , pmTORS 2448 , pPRAS40 T246 and HIF-1α). Additionally, IL-24 inhibited tumor cell migration both in the presence and absence of the CXCR4 agonist, SDF-1. Finally, IL-24 when combined with CXCR4 inhibitors (AMD3100, SJA5) or with CXCR4 siRNA demonstrated enhanced inhibitory activity on tumor cell migration. Conclusions IL-24 disrupts the SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling pathway and inhibits lung tumor cell migration and invasion. Additionally, IL-24, when combined with CXCR4 inhibitors exhibited enhanced anti-metastatic activity and is an attractive therapeutic strategy for lung metastasi