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Research ImpactCigarette smoke (CS) exposure is strongly associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In respiratory airways, CS exposure disrupts airway barrier functions, mucous/phlegm production, and basic immune responses of airway epithelial cells. Based on our recent identification of a specific immunomodulatory long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), we investigated its role in CS-induced responses in bronchial airways of cynomolgus macaque model of CS-induced COPD and in former smokers with and without COPD. The lncRNA was significantly upregulated in CS-induced macaque airways and in COPD airways that exhibited higher mucus expression and goblet cell hyperplasia. Experimental models of cells derived from COPD subjects recapitulated the augmented inflammation and mucus expression following the smoke challenge. Blocking of lncRNA expression in cell culture setting suppressed the smoke-induced and COPD-associated dysregulated mucoinflammatory response suggesting that this airway specific immunomodulatory lncRNA may represent a novel target to mitigate the smoke-mediated inflammation and mucus hyperexpression.RationaleIn conducting airways, CS disrupts airway epithelial functions, mucociliary clearances, and innate immune responses that are primarily orchestrated by human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs). Mucus hypersecretion and dysregulated immune response are the hallmarks of chronic bronchitis (CB) that is often exacerbated by CS. Notably, we recently identified a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) antisense to ICAM-1 (LASI) that mediates airway epithelial responses.ObjectiveTo investigate the role of LASI lncRNA in CS-induced airway inflammation and mucin hyperexpression in an animal model of COPD, and in HBECs and lung tissues from former smokers with and without COPD. To interrogate LASI lncRNA role in CS-mediated airway mucoinflammatory responses by targeted gene editing.MethodsSmall airway tissue sections from cynomolgus macaques exposed to long-term mainstream CS, and those from former smokers with and without COPD were analyzed. The structured-illumination imaging, RNA fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH), and qRT-PCR were used to characterize lncRNA expression and the expression of inflammatory factors and airway mucins in a cell culture model of CS extract (CSE) exposure using HBECs from COPD (CHBEs) in comparison with cells from normal control (NHBEs) subjects. The protein levels of mucin MUC5AC, and inflammatory factors ICAM-1, and IL-6 were determined using specific ELISAs. RNA silencing was used to block LASI lncRNA expression and lentivirus encoding LASI lncRNA was used to achieve LASI overexpression (LASI-OE).ResultsCompared to controls, LASI lncRNA was upregulated in CS-exposed macaques and in COPD smoker airways, correlating with mucus hyperexpression and mucus cell hyperplasia in severe COPD airways. At baseline, the unstimulated CHBEs showed increased LASI lncRNA expression with higher expression of secretory mucin MUC5AC, and inflammatory factors, ICAM-1, and IL-6 compared to NHBEs. CSE exposure of CHBEs resulted in augmented inflammation and mucus expression compared to controls. While RNA silencing-mediated LASI knockdown suppressed the mucoinflammatory response, cells overexpressing LASI lncRNA showed elevated mRNA levels of inflammatory factors.ConclusionsAltogether, LASI lncRNA may represent a novel target to control the smoke-mediated dysregulation in airway responses and COPD exacerbations.

Neurological disorders are the biggest concern globally. Out of ~36 million human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive people, about 30%–60% exhibit neurological disorders, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) like pathology. In AD or AD like neurological disorders, the pathogenesis is mainly due to the abnormal accumulation of extracellular amyloid beta (Aβ). In this era of antiretroviral therapy, the life span of the HIV-infected individuals has increased leading towards increased neurocognitive dysfunction in nearly 30% of HIV-infected individuals, specifically older people. Deposition of the Aβ plaques in the CNS is one the major phenomenon happening in aging HIV patients. ART suppresses the viral replication, but the neurotoxic protein (Tat) is still produced and results in increased levels of Aβ. Furthermore, drugs of abuse like cocaine (coc) is known to induce the HIV associated neurocognitive disorders as well as the Aβ secretion. To target the Tat and coc induced Aβ secretion, we propose a potent bifunctional molecule Withaferin A (WA) which may act as a neuro-protectant against Aβ neurotoxicity. In this study, we show that WA reduces secreted Aβ and induced neurotoxicity in amyloid precursor protein (APP)-plasmid transfected SH-SY5Y cells (SH-APP). In this study, we show that in SH-APP cells, Aβ secretion is induced in the presence of HIV-1 Tat (neurotoxic) and drug of abuse coc. Our fluorescent microscopy studies show the increased concentration of Aβ40 in Tat (50 ng/ml) and coc (0.1 μM) treated SH-APP cells as compared to control. Our dose optimization study show, lower concentrations (0.5–2 μM) of WA significantly reduce the Aβ40 levels, without inducing cytotoxicity in the SH-APP cells. Additionally, WA reduces the Tat and cocaine induced Aβ levels. Therefore, we propose that Aβ aggregation is induced by the presence of Tat and coc and WA is potent in reducing the secreted Aβ and induced neurotoxicity. Our study provides new opportunities for exploring the pathophysiology and targeting the neurological disorders.

In many cases the chirality was almost observed but the transition probabilities are different. This fact is clearly seen in the cases of 134Pr and 102Rh. In the case of chirality, the yrast and the side bands should be nearly degenerate. In the angular momentum region where chirality sets, the B(E2) values of the electromagnetic transitions deexciting analog states of the chiral twin bands should be almost equal. Correspondingly the B(M1) values should exhibit staggering. Our lifetime measurements in the cases of 134Pr and 102Rh and the theoretical analysis do not support static chirality. Chirality has mainly a dynamical character in both nuclei. In the present paper, we compare our results with the results for other chiral candidate nuclei, which fulfill static chirality conditions.

Fusion cross-section measurements were performed for system 40Ca + 70Zn around the Coulomb barrier energies using Heavy Ion Reaction Analyzer (HIRA). The observed enhancement in experimental fusion cross-sections was investigated via coupled-channels formalism. The coupling of inelastic excitations alone could not reproduce the experimental data, however, the effect of octupole state of the projectile was observed to be significant. The multi-neutron positive Q-value transfer channels were also included in the calculations using semi-classical model. It was observed that two neutrons pick-up channel gave a major contribution to the fusion enhancement and successfully reproduce the experimental data at above as well as below barrier energies. The coupling of more than two neutrons transfer could not give any significant enhancement to subbarrier fusion.

Present work aims to explicate the effect of entrance channel mass asymmetry on fusion dynamics for the Compound Nucleus 80Sr populated through two different channels, 16O+64Zn and 32S+48Ti, using cross-section and spin distribution measurements as probes. The evaporation spectra studies for these systems, reported earlier indicate the presence of dynamical effects for mass symmetric 32S+48Ti system.The CCDEF and TDHF calculations have been performed for both the systems and an attempt has been made to explain the reported deviations in the α-particle spectrum for the mass symmetric system.

Two odd-odd nuclei from the A ~ 100 and A ~ 130 regions, namely 102Rh and 134Pr have been studied in search for chiral doublet bands via 94Zr(11B,3n)102Rh and 119Sn(19F,4n)134Pr reactions, respectively. Two nearly degenerate bands built on the πg9/2 ⊗ vh11/2 configuration have been identified in 102Rh and on the πg11/2 ⊗ vh11/2 configuration for 134Pr. Lifetimes of excited nuclear states were measured using Dopplershift attenuation method and recoil distance Doppler-shift method. The deexciting gamma rays were registered by the Indian National Gamma Array for 102Rh and using the EUROBALL IV detector array with an inner Bismuth Germanate (BGO) ball for 134Pr, respectively. Polarization and angular correlation measurements have been performed to establish the spin and parity assignments for these bands. The derived reduced transition probabilities are compared to the predicitons of the two quasiparticles + triaxial rotor and interacting boson fermion-fermion models.

The spin distributions are measured for the compound nucleus 80Sr populated in the reactions 16O+64Zn and 32S+48Ti. The comparison of the experimental results for both the systems shows that the mean γ-ray multiplicity values for the system 32S+48Ti are lower than those for 16O+64Zn. The spin distribution of the compound nucleus populated through the symmetric channel is also found to be lower than the asymmetric channel. Present investigation directly shows the effect of entrance channel mass asymmetry on the reaction dynamics.

We present the evolution of giant dipole resonance (GDR) width as a function of angular momentum in the compound nucleus 144Sm in the temperature range of 1.5-2.0 MeV. The high energy γ rays emitted from the decay of excited 144Sm were measured using large NaI detector in coincidence with 4π sum spin spectrometer. GDR widths were found to comply with thermal shape fluctuation model in this temperature range over a wide range of spin. Experimental widths tend to increase rapidly at high angular momentum values.

Statistical model calculations are performed for 48Ti + 122Sn system to reproduce the experimentally available evaporation residue (ER) and fission cross-section data using the spin distribution obtained from the CCFULL code after fitting the experimental fusion cross-section at every energy point. For this, the fission barrier (Bf ) is scaled by a scaling factor (Kf ) in the statistical model code input which varies in the range of 0.5 to 1.0.

Excited states in 102Rh were populated in the fusion-evaporation reaction 94Zr(11B, 3n)102Rh at a beam energy of 36 MeV, using the INGA spectrometer at IUAC, New Delhi. The angular correlations and the electromagnetic character of some of the 03B3-ray transitions observed in 102Rh were investigated in detail. A new candidate for achiral twin band was identified in 102Rh for the first time.

Exclusive measurement of giant dipole resonance (GDR) γ rays has been performed in 144Sm nucleus which was populated at near barrier energy using the heavy ion reaction of 28Si beam on 116Cd target. GDR γ rays were detected in coincidence with low energy γ rays using 32 elements 4π sum-spin spectrometer. The 144Sm nucleus was populated at an excitation energy of 68 MeV in the temperature range of 1.1-1.3 MeV. The measured GDR widths in this temperature range are consistent with the Kusnezov’s parametrization.

The Hybrid Recoil mass Analyzer (HYRA) operated in gas-filled mode has recently been coupled with the TIFR 4π spin spectrometer at IUAC, New Delhi to carry out spin (or angular momentum) distribution of heavy residues from fusion-evaporation reactions and spin gated GDR measurements. The details of the combined facility, initial experiments on evaporation residue tagged γ-multiplicity and the extraction of average transmission efficiency of HYRA are elaborated.

The spin distribution of Evaporation Residues (ER) was measured for the reaction 30Si + 170Er. ER spin distributions were compared for the systems 16O + 184W, 19F + 181Ta and 30Si + 170Er forming the Compound Nucleus 200Pb. Mean gamma multiplicity vs. excitation energy curve shows saturation at a lower value in case of 30Si + 170Er. This was attributed to non compound nuclear processes.

Fission fragment mass distributions for 19F+184W have been measured at beam energies in the range of 85 - 125 MeV. Analysis of mass distribution width indicates that the system proceeds towards the formation of compound nucleus. No signature of quasifission is observed in this reaction. These results strengthen the conclusions of our earlier works revealing the stabilizing effect of the Z = 82 shell closure against fission.

Evaporation residue (ER) excitation function in the complete fusion of 16O with 194Pt is measured around the Coulomb barrier using gas-filled mode of the HYbrid Recoil mass Analyser (HYRA) at the Inter University Accelerator Centre (IUAC), New Delhi. Measured ER excitation function is compared with statistical model calculation. Nuclear dissipation strength β = 1.5 is required to explain the experimental data at higher excitation energies.

Volatile organic compounds significantly impact the atmospheric chemistry of polluted megacities. Delhi is a dynamically changing megacity and yet our knowledge of its ambient VOC composition and chemistry is limited to few studies conducted mainly in winter before 2020 (all pre-covid). Here, using a new extended volatility range high mass resolution (10000–15000) Proton Transfer Reaction Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer10K, we measured and analyzed ambient VOC-mass spectra acquired continuously over a four-month period covering "clean" monsoon (July–September) and "polluted" post-monsoon seasons, for the year 2022. Out of 1126 peaks, 111 VOC species were identified unambiguously. Averaged total mass concentrations reached ~260 µgm-3 and were >4 times in polluted season relative to cleaner season, driven by enhanced emissions from biomass burning and reduced atmospheric ventilation (~2). Among 111, 56 were oxygenated, 10 contained nitrogen, 2 chlorine, 1 sulphur and 42 were pure hydrocarbons. VOC levels during polluted periods were significantly higher than most developed world megacities. Surprisingly, methanethiol, dichlorobenzenes, C6-amides and C9-organic acids/esters, which have previously never been reported in India, were detected in both the clean and polluted periods. The sources were industrial for methanethiol and dichlorobenzenes, purely photochemical for the C6-amides and multiphase oxidation and partitioning for C9-organic acids. Aromatic VOC/CO emission ratio analyses indicated additional biomass combustion/industrial sources in post-monsoon season, alongwith year-round traffic sources in both seasons. Overall, the unprecedented new information concerning ambient VOC speciation, abundance, variability and emission characteristics during contrasting seasons significantly advances current atmospheric composition understanding of highly polluted urban atmospheric environments like Delhi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM) are major constituents of smog. Delhi experiences severe smog during post-monsoon season, but a quantitative understanding of VOCs and PM sources is still lacking. Here, we source-apportioned VOCs and PM, using a high-quality recent (2022) dataset of 111 VOCs, PM2.5, and PM10 using positive matrix factorization. Contrasts between clean-monsoon and polluted-post-monsoon air, VOC source fingerprints, molecular-tracers, enabled differentiating paddy-residue burning from other biomass-burning sources, which has hitherto been impossible. Fresh paddy-residue burning and residential heating & waste-burning contributed the highest to observed PM10 (25 % & 23 %), PM2.5 (23 % & 24 %), followed by heavy-duty CNG-vehicles 15 % PM10 and 11 % PM2.5. For ambient VOCs, ozone, and SOA formation potentials, top sources were petrol-4-wheelers (20 %, 25 %, 30 %), petrol-2-wheelers (14 %, 12 %, 20 %), mixed-industrial emissions (12 %, 14 %, 15 %), solid fuel-based cooking (10 %, 10 %, 8 %) and road construction (8 %, 6 %, 9 %). Emission inventories tended to overestimate residential-biofuel emission (>2) relative to the PMF output. The major source of PM pollution was regional biomass burning, whereas traffic and industries governed VOC and secondary pollutant formation. Our novel source-apportionment method quantitatively resolved even similar biomass and fossil-fuel sources, offering insights into both VOC and PM sources affecting extreme-pollution events. It represents a notable advancement over current source apportionment approaches, and would be of great relevance for future studies in other polluted cities/regions of the world with complex source mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]