Usnoflast: A Cutting-Edge NLRP3 Inhibitor Attenuates Colonic Inflammation Across Diverse Immunopathology.

NLR (Nod-like receptor) family pyrin domain containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation is key component of innate immune response and is implicated in many autoimmune conditions. Usnoflast is a novel, selective NLRP3-inflammasome inhibitor and is currently in Phase II for various indications including Ulcerative colitis. Here, we report the effect of usnoflast in several experimental models of intestinal inflammation, some of them for the first time for any NLRP3 inhibitor, which involves both innate and adaptive immune mechanisms.

Bacterial diversity in the freshwater sponges of Sundarban and their potential role in biomonitoring toxic element pollution.

Sponges serve as the natural cleaner in diverse aquatic ecosystems, harboring diverse microbial communities and forming a highly specialized holobiont. The present study provides the first insights into the bacterial communities associated with freshwater sponges of Sundarban, highlighting their distinct microbial community composition compared to the surrounding water using 16S rRNA gene-based metataxonomic analyses. The analysis encompassing six sponge species collected from Sagar Island and Ghoramara revealed distinct variations in microbial abundance and diversity compared to their ambient water, suggesting selective bacterial associations with the sponges.

Pollution source tracing and health impact of PM elements using DN-PMF in sub-urban sites of the Indian Himalayan Region.

Air pollution, once considered a problem of urban and industrial centers, is now increasingly impacting remote and ecologically fragile regions like the Indian Himalayas, threatening both environmental stability and public health. This study presents a comprehensive assessment of PM-bound elements across the Indian Himalayan Region, covering western (Mohal-Kullu), central (Almora and Nainital), and eastern (Darjeeling) Himalayas. Extensive sampling from January 2019 to December 2020 revealed a complex mixture of natural and anthropogenic emissions.

Comparative Study of Water Quality Assessment of Distinct Dam in Ranchi, India.

The fresh drinking water is required to prevent the waterborne diseases and to improve the water excellence. The water excellency's interpretation made for the quality assessment of two distinct surface water resources in Ranchi district. A significant number of individuals in Ranchi's urban region rely on the Dhurwa and Kanke dams for drinking water and other household necessities.

Therapeutic Role of Probiotics in Gut-Brain Axis Under Microgravity.

Microgravity is a state of free fall which one experiences in space. Human-crewed missions are becoming more sophisticated in the ongoing times. The altered gravitational conditions exert several physiological changes in the astronauts.

Steric hindrance modulated efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence with non-linear optical, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties.

Multi-carbazole-based benzonitrile systems are efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). However, they suffer from low PLQY due to the large dihedral angle arising from steric crowding. Addressing this challenge, we demonstrate a potent strategy to engineer steric crowding in this work.

Assessment of stable carbon isotope ratios and source characterization of aerosols in ambient PM from the Indian COALESCE network.

This study explores the potential of stable carbon isotope (δC) composition of ambient carbonaceous aerosols in assessing the nature and apportionment of their sources. As part of the CarbOnaceous AerosoL Emissions, Source apportionment & ClimatE Impacts (COALESCE) network, δC measurements (n = 1120) were conducted on aerosol samples collected from eight key locations spread across India. The δC values of aerosols exhibit distinct spatial/temporal isotopic variabilities between background and polluted (urban) sites, and indicate an origin primarily from C-biomass, fossil fuels, vehicular emission sources, etc.

Controlling Triplet-Harvesting Pathways and Nonlinear Optical Properties in Cu(I) Iodide-Based Polymers through Ligand Engineering.

Organic-inorganic hybrid metal halides have become enormously important in optoelectronics, sensing, photosensitization, etc. In this study, we report a structural transition from a staircase configuration to a cubane configuration in Cu(I) iodide-based polymers influenced by the coordination behavior of two different π*-acceptor ligands. The staircase polymer structure, coordinated with 3-cyanopyridine, demonstrates efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence from (metal+halide)-to-ligand charge transfer [(M+X)LCT] states, with a singlet-triplet energy splitting of ∼9 meV.

Palladium Catalyzed C3-(sp)-H Alkenylation of Pyrroles via a Benzothiazole Directing Group: A Direct Access to Organic Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Materials.

A Pd (II)-catalyzed direct C3-(sp)-H alkenylation of heteroarenes using benzothiazole as a directing group was successfully achieved. A wide range of 2--alkylpyrroles undergo an oxidative coupling with a variety of acrylates to furnish highly regio- and chemoselective E-alkenylation products at the C3 position. An important intermediate complex has been isolated and characterized so as to have an insight into the mechanism.

Multifunctional luminogens with synergy of aggregation-induced delayed fluorescence, two-photon absorption and photocurrent generation.

In this study, we investigated the aggregation-induced delayed fluorescence (AIDF) properties of three luminogens - TN, TA, and TP. Our comprehensive theoretical analysis reveals a significant reduction in the Δ in their aggregated or solid-state, activating TADF, on a ∼μs time-scale. Additionally, these luminogens demonstrate two-photon excited anti-Stokes photoluminescence emission and improved photocurrent generation, attributed to their strong charge transfer characteristics and longer singlet exciton lifetimes.

Contrasting features of winter-time PM pollution and PM-toxicity based on oxidative potential: A long-term (2016-2023) study over Kolkata megacity at eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain.

The present study is an attempt to understand the level of PM pollution and its toxicity based on the oxidative potential (OP) during the winter-time pollution period over Kolkata, a megacity at the eastern most parts of Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) during the period of 2016-2023. We have assessed the effectiveness of the Government of India's national mission, the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) in PM reduction over this city, and the study revealed that the mission has been efficacious in lessening the PM load by 28 % from pre-NCAP (2016-2019) to post-NCAP (2021-2023) periods. Several policy interventions reduced the contributions from various anthropogenic sources; however, biomass/solid waste burning remained a major concern with no significant reduction.

A novel selective NLRP3 inhibitor shows disease-modifying potential in animal models of Parkinson's disease.

Pathological activation of the Nod-like receptor family pyrin domain containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome signaling underlies many autoimmune and neuroinflammatory conditions. Here we report that, a rationally designed, novel, orally active, selective NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor, Usnoflast (ZYIL1), showed potent inhibition of ATP, Nigericin and monosodium urate-mediated interleukin (IL)-1β release in THP-1 cells and human PBMC. In isolated microglia cells, the IC of ZYIL1 mediated inhibition of IL-1β was 43 nM.

Exploring Macroscopic Dipoles of Designed Cyclic Peptide Ordered Assemblies to Harvest Piezoelectric Properties.

Crystalline materials exhibiting non-centrosymmetry and possessing substantial surface dipole moments play a critical role in piezoelectricity. Designing biocompatible self-assembled materials with these attributes is particularly challenging when compared to inorganic materials and ceramics. In this study, we elucidate the crystal conformations of novel cyclic peptides that exhibit self-assembly into tubular structures characterized by unidirectional hydrogen bonding and piezoelectric properties.

Activation of TADF in Photon Upconverting Crystals of Dinuclear Cu(I)-Iodide Complexes by Ligand Engineering.

This work reports that ligand engineering can modulate the triplet harvesting mechanism in iodide-bridged rhombic CuI complexes. Complex-1, with a smaller Cu-Cu distance, exhibits phosphorescence from (M+X)LCT and CC states with 66% quantum yield, whereas an increased Cu-Cu distance in complex-2 results in a switch of the emission from phosphorescence to TADF, which occurs via (M+X)LCT states with 83% quantum yield. The TADF property of complex-2 has been utilized for the fabrication of a pc-LED emitting efficient warm white light.

Probabilistic microkinetic modeling: Species balance equations for a catalyst surface containing multiple short-range order parameters to capture spatial correlations.

Adsorbed molecules on a catalyst almost always arrange themselves in a manner that is far from perfectly random, which gives rise to spatial correlations. These correlations are a result of the interactions between the adsorbed species (adspecies) as well as elementary processes such as diffusion and reaction events that shape the adspecies arrangements. Despite their importance, spatial correlations are usually ignored while writing species balance equations for the modeling of heterogeneous catalytic systems.

Unraveling the collinearity in short-range order parameters for lattice configurations arising from topological constraints.

In multicomponent lattice problems, for example, in alloys and at crystalline surfaces and interfaces, atomic arrangements exhibit spatial correlations that dictate the kinetic and thermodynamic phase behavior. These correlations emerge from interparticle interactions and are frequently reported in terms of the short-range order (SRO) parameter. Expressed usually in terms of pair distributions and other cluster probabilities, the SRO parameter gives the likelihood of finding atoms/molecules of a particular type in the vicinity of other atoms.

A comparative study of diaryl urea molecules with and without sulfonamide group on Carbonic anhydrase IX and XII inhibition and its consequence on breast cancer cells.

To investigate the intrinsic relation between carbonic anhydrase inhibition and anticancer activity, we have prepared four sets of diaryl urea molecules and tested for the inhibition of hCA-IX and XII on two breast cancer cell lines. Among 21 compounds, compound J2 (with -SONH group) and J16 (without -SONH group) showed the best activity under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. The IC values of J16 for MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells, under normoxic condition were 6.

Identification of sources of coarse mode aerosol particles (PM) using ATR-FTIR and SEM-EDX spectroscopy over the Himalayan Region of India.

This study attempts to examine the morphological, elemental and physical characteristics of PM over the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) using FTIR and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) analysis. The study aimed at source identification of PM by exploring the inorganic ions, organic functional groups, morphology and elemental characteristics. The pollution load of PM was estimated as 63 ± 22 μg m; 53 ± 16 μg m; 67 ± 26 μg m and 55 ± 11 μg m over Mohal-Kullu, Almora, Nainital and Darjeeling, respectively.

Acidity and oxidative potential of atmospheric aerosols over a remote mangrove ecosystem during the advection of anthropogenic plumes.

To investigate the acidity and the water-soluble oxidative potential of PM, during the continental biomass-burning plume transport, a three-year (2018-2020) winter-time campaign was conducted over a pristine island (21.35°N, 88.32°E) of Sundarban mangrove ecosystem situated at the shore of Bay of Bengal.

Quantifying Disorder in a Protein by Mapping its Locally Correlated Structure and Kinetics.

Proteins under physiological conditions are inherently mobile and sample a vast array of structures. Consequently, the need arises, on the one hand, at a local level to determine the independent moving parts and their associated conformations and kinetics, and on the other hand, at a global level, to quantify the disorder in the full protein molecule. We present an approach that provides these quantities in the form of local kinetic network models, which are constructed by analyzing the molecular dynamics (MD) trajectories of the protein molecule.

Engineering TADF, mechanochromism, and second harmonic up-conversion properties in regioisomeric substitution space.

This research article explores the distinct TADF efficiency of three donor-acceptor based regio-isomers: DPAOCN (-isomer), DPAMCN (-isomer), and DPAPCN (-isomer). DPAPCN exhibits maximum TADF efficiency in both solution and solid-state with an impressive reverse inter-system crossing (RISC) rate of ∼10 s; the underlying cause being the minimum singlet-triplet splitting energy or Δ and maximum SOC (spin-orbit coupling) between the S & T states. Apart from TADF, differences in crystal packing of the regio-isomers result in intriguing bulk phase properties.

A visible light-driven direct synthesis of industrially relevant glutaric acid diesters from aldehydes.

A straightforward and practical method has been developed to access α-substituted glutaric diesters from acrylates and aldehydes using visible light, with Eosin Y facilitating hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) and subsequent Giese-type addition. Also, sunlight has been successfully used as an alternative sustainable light source. The method has also been explored to access substituted 4,5-dihydro-2H-pyridazinones, which have potential biological and industrial applications.

Thermodynamic calculations using reverse Monte Carlo: Simultaneously tuning multiple short-range order parameters for 2D lattice adsorption problem.

Lattice simulations are an important class of problems in crystalline solids, surface science, alloys, adsorption, absorption, separation, catalysis, to name a few. We describe a fast computational method for performing lattice thermodynamic calculations that is based on the use of the reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) technique and multiple short-range order (SRO) parameters. The approach is comparable in accuracy to the Metropolis Monte Carlo (MC) method.

PM pollution exceeding Indian standard over a semi-urban region at eastern IGP: Chemistry, meteorological impact, and long-range transport.

A year-long study (January-December 2019) on the chemical characterization and meteorological impact on PM was conducted over a semi-urban station, Shyamnagar, in the easternmost part of the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). PM concentrations (Mean = 81.69 ± 66.

A Rare Case of Blood & Sweat: Hematohidrosis.

Hematohidrosis is an uncommon pathophysiological condition of sweating blood. A young lady with abrupt bleeding from the skin (since January 2017) was brought to the emergency. The bleeding was vanished after mopping with no site of injury, but it reappeared soon enough confirming its nature.