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Metabolic viability based high throughput assays like MTT and MTS are widely used in assessing the cell viability. However, alteration in both mitochondrial content and metabolism can influence the metabolic viability of cells and radiation is a potential mitochondrial biogenesis inducer. Therefore, we tested if MTT assay is a true measure of radiation induced cell death in widely used cell lines. Radiation induced cellular growth inhibition was performed by enumerating cell numbers and metabolic viability using MTT assay at 24 and 48 hours (hrs) after exposure. The extent of radiation induced reduction in cell number was found to be larger than the decrease in MTT reduction in all the cell lines tested. We demonstrated that radiation induces PGC-1α and TFAM to stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis leading to increased levels of SDH-A and enhanced metabolic viability. Radiation induced disturbance in calcium (Ca 2+ ) homeostasis also plays a crucial role by making the mitochondria hyperactive. These findings suggest that radiation induces mitochondrial biogenesis and hyperactivation leading to increased metabolic viability and MTT reduction. Therefore, conclusions drawn on radiation induced growth inhibition based on metabolic viability assays are likely to be erroneous as it may not correlate with growth inhibition and/or loss of clonogenic survival.

Brown carbon aerosols (BrC) significantly contribute to regional climate warming in East Asia. However, their sources and atmospheric transformation remain poorly constrained due to limited observations. In this study, we clarified the seasonal dynamics of BrC and quantified the sources of relating carbonaceous components, at the gateway of the East Asian air outflow for seasonal variations. Our findings reveal that fossil fuel combustion dominates the sources of BrC containing carbonaceous components in winter, while biomass burning and local biogenic sources become more prominent in spring and summer, respectively. We provide benchmark optical properties of BrC for climate model simulations, demonstrating that the absorption coefficient and mass absorption cross-section of water-soluble fraction from land-originated air masses (0.47 Mm −1 and 0.53 m 2 gC −1 , respectively) are more than twice those of sea-originated air masses (0.11 Mm −1 and 0.21 m 2 gC −1 , respectively). Additionally, we show that BrC undergoes photochemical degradation during transport with a half-life of approximately 1.2 days. A significant reduction in BrC levels during the COVID-19 lockdown period highlights the potential of stringent emission controls to mitigate air pollution and its associated climate impacts. By shedding light on the seasonal dynamics, diverse sources, and atmospheric ageing of BrC, the study provides valuable insights for emission reduction strategies and improving BrC representation in climate models.

Cholemic nephropathy(CN) is an unrecognized cause of kidney dysfunction in patients with acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF). We aimed to evaluate whether urine microscopy(UM) could identify CN in ACLF patients and differentiate from hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) and acute tubular necrosis (ATN). Forty-five patients with ACLF with AKI stratified based on UM as HRS(bland sediment; n = 15), CN(bilirubin crystals; n = 15) and ATN (coarse granular casts; n = 15) were compared to no AKI (n = 15). ACLF patients with mean age of 44 ± 10 years, 93% males were enrolled. Patients with HRS and CN showed significantly elevated biomarkers of renal repair (EGF, Osteopontin, calbindin) and lower levels of renal injury (renin, lipocalin-2, cystatin c, alpha-1 macroglobulin, albumin, TIMP-1, IP-10 and KIM-1) compared to ATN. CN patients had significantly elevated bile acids, proinflammatory cytokines (20 out of 29) compared to other groups. Metabolomic analysis of plasma and renal tubule epithelial cells (RTEC)identified 190 (151 up- and 39 downregulated) and 196 (61 up and 135-down) differentially expressed metabolites in biopsy-proven CN compared to ATN(FC > 1.5, P  < 0.05). Preservation of mitochondrial function was seen in the RTEC of CN compared to ATN. The top 5 biomarkers which predicted CN included GST-alpha, IL-15, bile acids, IL-3, and osteopontin. Clinical models including GST-alpha, IL-15, bilirubin (> 22 mg/dl) or AARC score identified CN with more than 95% accuracy. Taken together, our study shows higher bile acids, preserved renal repair and lesser tubular injury despite intense systemic inflammation with preserved metabolic adaptation of the host differentiated CN from ATN.

This paper proposes a step-up 3-Ф switched-capacitor multilevel inverter topology with minimal switch count and voltage stresses. The proposed topology is designed to provide five distinct output voltage levels from a single isolated dc source, making it suitable for medium and low-voltage applications. Each leg of the proposed topology contains four switches, one power diode, and a capacitor. The switching signals are also generated using a staircase universal modulation method. As a result, the proposed topology will operate at both low and high switching frequencies. To highlight the proposed topology’s advantages, a comparison of three-phase topologies wasperformed in terms of the switching components, voltage stress, component count per level factor, and cost function withthe recent literature. The topology achieved an efficiency of about 96.7% with dynamic loading, and 75% of the switches experienced half of the peak output voltage (VDC), whereas the remaining switches experienced peak output voltage (2VDC) as voltage stress. The MATLAB/Simulink environment was used to simulate the proposed topology, and a laboratory prototype was also built to verify the inverter’s theoretical justifications and real-time performance.

Electrochemical water splitting presents the ultimate potential of hydrogen and oxygen production; however, regulating the rate and efficiency of water splitting is highly dependent on the accessibility of extremely efficient electrode materials for slow performance kinetics and large overpotential of both oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Ruthenium oxide (RuO2) based materials display high performance for OER and HER because of their capacity to bind oxygen, eminent catalytic activity, low cost compared to other precious metals, and stability in a wide pH range. However, there is still much space to promote the OER and HER activity and stability of RuO2 to fulfill the necessity for practical applications in water splitting. Different researchers applied multiple approaches that boosted the catalytic performance of RuO2-based electrocatalysts toward overall water splitting. Herein, this review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in RuO2-based materials in the field of water electrolysis for the generation of alternative energies. It gives a general description of water splitting in acidic and alkaline settings, including reaction mechanisms as well as common evaluation elements for the catalytic function of the materials. Most of the reviews reported based on RuO2 materials are only focused on OER performance, but this review highlighted comprehensive ideas on different strategies like morphology design, electronic structure, electrolytes, and compositions for optimizing both electrocatalytic HER and OER functioning of RuO2-based electrocatalysts.

This study aimed to assess the functional properties of omega-3-rich blended oil-based oleogel and its application in cookies as a solid fat substitute. Blended oil with balanced fatty acids was developed with a saturated (SFA): monounsaturated (MUFA): polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) ratio of 1:1.3:1 using flaxseed oil and palm olein (40:60), incorporated with 1500 parts per million of moringa leaves extract as a natural antioxidant. Soy wax and beeswax at 5% (w/w) concentration were used as oleogelators in different oleogel formulations. The oil-binding capacity of the bee wax-based oleogels (BWO) and soy wax oleogels (SWO) was higher than 99%. Peroxide values of omega-3 rich oleogel, butter, and blend were within the permissible limit (< 2 mEq O₂/kg). The induction period of oil blend, SWO, and BWO was found to be 7.1 h, and the induction periods of SWO (6.95 h) and BWO (6.5 h). The textural properties analysis revealed that the hardness of BWO (2.2 N) and SWO (4.3 N) was lower than that of butter (5.1 N). Rheological properties revealed that SWO and BWO have higher storage modulus (G’) than the loss modulus (G”). A stronger gel network was found in the SWO than in the BWO. Cookies made with butter, SWO, and BWO showed a similarly higher spread ratio, along with lower hardness and fracturability, compared to those made with the oil blend. Thus, these formulated oleogels offer a promising novel fat substitute in bakery products, offering an ideal fatty acid profile and potential health benefits. Graphical abstract

Severe alcoholic hepatitis (SAH) is associated with iron accumulation in hepatocytes/macrophages. This possibly correlates with inflammation and stress but the exact mechanism still remains obscure. To understand the role of iron and the mechanisms of systemic iron-overload, a transcriptomic study of liver and Peripheral Blood -Mononuclear-Cells (PBMCs) was undertaken in SAH patients, with and without hepatic iron-overload. Our results show that iron-overload in hepatocytes/macrophages is due to an increased expression of iron-loading receptors and CD163 signaling cascade. Increase in labile iron pool induces expression of iron-loading, oxidative-stress and inflammatory genes along with expression of CD163 and ADAM17. Increased liver iron correlated with circulatory iron, TNF-α, macrophage activation (sCD163) and peroxide-stress in CD163 + macrophages in patients who were iron-overloaded and died. Circulatory TNF-α and sCD163 levels were associated with poor outcome. Temporal iron/Fenton stress induced in healthy monocyte-derived-macrophage (MDM)/Tohoku-Hospital-Pediatrics-1(THP1) cells showed higher expression of iron-regulatory, inflammatory and oxidative-stress genes. These genes could be suppressed by iron-chelation. These results suggest that iron mediates inflammation through ADAM17 induction, resulting in macrophage activation and increased shedding of TNF-α and sCD163. These events could be inhibited with iron chelation or with ADAM17-blockade, postulating a therapeutic strategy for SAH patients with iron overload.

Atmospheric organic aerosol (OA) are considered as a significant contributor to the light absorption of OA, but its relationship with abundance, composition and sources are not understood well. In this study, the abundance, chemical structural characteristics, and light absorption property of HULIS and other low-to-high polar organics in PM 0.95 collected in Tomakomai Experimental Forest (TOEF) were investigated with consideration of their possible sources. HULIS were the most abundant (51%), and correlation analysis revealed that biogenic secondary organic aerosols significantly contribute to HULIS. The mass spectra obtained using a high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-AMS) showed that HULIS and highly polar water-soluble organic matter (HP-WSOM) were substantially oxygenated organic aerosol fractions, whereas water-insoluble organic matter (WISOM) had a low O/C ratio and more hydrocarbon-like structures. The WISOM fraction was the predominant light-absorbing organics. HULIS and WISOM showed a noticeable seasonal change in mass absorption efficiency (MAE 365 ), which was highest in winter. Further, HULIS were shown to be less absorbing than those reported for urban sites. The findings in this study provide insights into the contribution of biogenic secondary OA on aerosol property and radiative forcing under varying contributions from other types of OA.

This study introduces an approach to validate sampling points for air monitoring in environments where operations generate significant airborne particulate radioactivity. A case study of repair works in a nuclear spent fuel reprocessing facility is used to synthesis and demonstrate the methodology. We use the probability distribution of air activity measurements and the correlation between two sampling points near high particulate generating operations and the ventilation ducts. The methodology developed in this paper can be applied in task-related air monitoring scenarios for validation of sampling points. This will augment internal exposure control measures during works involving physical entries in areas with high potential of escalation of air activity (e.g., during major repairs, during decommissioning of nuclear facilities etc.) and to evaluate the sufficiency of respiratory protection.

Bacillus spp. has the potential to control bacterial and fungal diseases of crops. In vitro study, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens DSBA-11 showed best to inhibit the growth of Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum as compared to Bacillus cereus JHTBS-7, B. pumilus MTCC-7092, B. subtilis DTBS-5 and B. licheniformis DTBL-6.Three primers sets from nucleotide sequences of polyketide antibiotic synthase genes viz., macrolactin, difficidin and bacillaene of B. amyloliquefaciens FZB42 were designed and standardized protocol for simultaneous detection of polyketide antibiotics-producing strains of Bacillus spp. by multiplex—PCR with products size of 792 bp, 705 bp and 616 bp respectively. All the strains of B. amyloliquefaciens contained three polyketide antibiotic synthase genes, and B. subtilis possessed difficidin and macrolactin, whereas B. cereus JHTBS-7, B. pumilus MTCC-7092 and B. licheniformis DTBL-6 did not contain any polyketide antibiotic genes. By using this technique, polyketide-producing strains of Bacillus spp. were screened within a short period with high accuracy. These polyketide synthase genes were cloned by using a T&A vector to study the role of these genes in producing antibiotics that suppressed the growth of R. pseudosolanacearum under both in vitro and in vivo conditions. Bio-efficacy of cloned products of these genes macrolactin, bacillaene, and difficidin along with parent strain B. amyloliquefaciens DSBA-11 inhibited the growth of R. pseudosolanacearum and formed 1.9 cm2, 1.9 cm2, 1.7 cm2 and 3.3 cm2 inhibition area under in vitro conditions respectively. Minimum bacterial wilt disease intensity (29.3%) with the highest biocontrol efficacy (57.72%) was found in tomato cv. Pusa Ruby (susceptible to wilt disease) was treated with B. amyloliquefaciens DSBA-11 followed by cloned products of difficidin and macrolactin under glasshouse conditions. Hence, the developed multiplex protocol might be helpful for screening polyketide antibiotics producing potential strains of Bacillus spp. from soil which can apply for managing the wilt disease of tomatoes. The polyketide antibiotics produced by bacteria might have a significant role suppression of R. pseudosolanacearum due to the disintegration of cells.