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Abstract Background The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR), which are calculated using different parameters, are widely used as markers of insulin resistance and are associated with cardiovascular diseases and prognosis. However, whether they have an additive effect on the risk of mortality remains unclear. This study aimed to explore whether the combined assessment of the TyG index and eGDR improved the prediction of long-term mortality in individuals with and without diabetes. Methods In this cross-sectional and cohort study, data were derived from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001–2018, and death record information was obtained from the National Death Index. The associations of the TyG index and eGDR with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were determined by multivariate Cox regression analysis and restricted cubic splines. Results Among the 17,787 individuals included in the analysis, there were 1946 (10.9%) all-cause deaths and 649 (3.6%) cardiovascular deaths during a median follow-up of 8.92 years. In individuals with diabetes, the restricted cubic spline curves for the associations of the TyG index and eGDR with mortality followed a J-shape and an L-shape, respectively. The risk of mortality significantly increased after the TyG index was > 9.04 (all-cause mortality) or > 9.30 (cardiovascular mortality), and after eGDR was 9.04 and eGDR

Endophytic fungi from desert plants belong to a unique microbial community that has been scarcely investigated chemically and could be a new resource for bioactive natural products. In this study, 13 secondary metabolites (1–13) with diverse carbon skeletons, including a novel polyketide (1) with a unique 5,6-dihydro-4H,7H-2,6-methanopyrano[4,3-d][1,3]dioxocin-7-one ring system and three undescribed polyketides (2, 7, and 11), were obtained from the endophytic fungus Neocamarosporium betae isolated from two desert plant species. Different approaches, including HR-ESI-MS, UV spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, NMR, and CD, were used to determine the planar and absolute configurations of the compounds. The possible biosynthetic pathways were proposed based on the structural characteristics of compounds 1–13. Compounds 1, 3, 4, and 9 exhibited strong cytotoxicity toward HepG2 cells compared with the positive control. Several metabolites (2, 4–5, 7–9, and 11–13) were phytotoxic to foxtail leaves. The results support the hypothesis that endophytic fungi from special environments, such as desert areas, produce novel bioactive secondary metabolites.

Five new arylnaphthalide lignans (1 − 4a/4b), together with five known analogues (5–9), were isolated from whole plants of Saussurea medusa. Compound 4 was characterized as an aryltetralin lignan with an unusual C-7′-C-9 oxygen bridge group, and a chiral HPLC analysis was carried out to afford one pair of enantiomers (4a/4b). Structures of the new compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. All compounds were firstly isolated from S. medusa, and compounds 1–5, 7 and 8 had never been obtained from the genus Saussurea previously. Furthermore, this is the first report of arylnaphthalide lignans isolated from S. medusa. anti-inflammatory activities of the compounds were evaluated by determining their inhibitory activities on the production of NO by LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Compounds (−)-4a and 5 exerted the significant inhibition activities with IC50 values of 13.4 ± 1.5 and 15.7 ± 1.1 μM, respectively, which even exceeded the positive control quercetin (IC50 = 15.9 ± 1.2 μM). Compounds 2, (+)-4b, 6 and 9 exhibited moderate inhibitory activities with IC50 values ranging from 19.7 ± 1.9 to 47.4 ± 3.1 μM. Further analysis by molecular docking showed that almost all the active compounds could interact with the amino acid residues of iNOS proteins, which also supported their anti-inflammatory activities.

BackgroundComplete kinematic measurements in the medium or high-energy region is a common experimental method to study the structure and properties of exotic nuclides on the neutron-rich side. The experiment setup in the Cooling Storage Ring - Radioactive Ion Beam Line in Lanzhou (CSR-RIBLLII), a typical nuclear external target facility, comprises many detectors with different requirements. The anticoincidence (Veto) detector is an essential part of the external target facility for eliminating the interference of charged particles and measuring medium or high-energy neutrons with high reliability and performance by combining them with a neutron wall detector. The original Veto detector with photomultiplier (PMT) readouts has many disadvantages, such as low detection efficiency and poor uniformity, resulting in significant differences or contradictions between experimental and calculation results.PurposeThis study aims to upgrade the original Veto detector using wave length shifter fiber (WLS) and silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) to improve the detection efficiency of charged particles.MethodsFirstly, a new configuration for the anticoincidence Veto detector unit was designed and the detector thickness was increased by 5 mm compared to the previous Veto detector, resulting in a final thickness of 1 cm. The Veto detector was embedded with 15, 7, and 3 WLS fibers from both ends, and read using SiPM. Furthermore, to systematically explore the performance of the detector unit, a linear relationship was calibrated between the number of photons of the SiPMs and the number of Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) channels. This relationship was used to accurately calculate the threshold value, laying a foundation for calculating detection efficiency. Then, based on Multi-Wire Proportional Chamber (MWPC), a detection efficiency test platform was established, and time position conversion and track selection data analysis methods were developed as test methods. Finally, a detailed test on the whole and each part of the anticoincidence Veto detector unit was carried out on the MWPC test platform.ResultsTest results show the highest anticoincidence efficiencies of SiPMs at both ends for the Veto detector embedded with 15, 7, and 3 WLS fibers are 99.99%, 99.94%, and 99.82%, respectively; increased by over 22.74% compared with the original Veto detector.ConclusionsThe new Veto detector based on WLS fiber and SiPM readout meets the needs of the CSR-RIBLLII external target facility.

Seco-sativene sesquiterpenoids are an important member of phytotoxins and plant growth regulators isolated from a narrow spectrum of fungi. In this report, eight seco-sativene sesquiterpenoids (1–8) were first analyzed using the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technique in positive mode, from which their mass fragmentation pathways were suggested. McLafferty rearrangement, 1,3-rearrangement, and neutral losses were considered to be the main fragmentation patterns for the [M+1]+ ions of 1–8. According to the structural features (of different substitutes at C-1, C-2, and C-13) in compounds 1–8, five subtypes (A–E) of seco-sativene were suggested, from which subtypes A, B/D, and E possessed the diagnostic daughter ions at m/z 175, 189, and 203, respectively, whereas subtype C had the characteristic daughter ion at m/z 187 in the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS profiles. Based on the fragmentation patterns of 1–8, several known compounds (1–8) and two new analogues (9 and 10) were detected in the extract of plant pathogen fungus Bipolaris sorokiniana based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis, of which 1, 2, 9, and 10 were then isolated and elucidated by NMR spectra. The UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS spectra of these two new compounds (9 and 10) were consistent with the fragmentation mechanisms of 1–8. Compound 1 displayed moderate antioxidant activities with IC50 of 0.90 and 1.97 mM for DPPH and ABTS+ scavenging capacity, respectively. The results demonstrated that seco-sativene sesquiterpenoids with the same subtypes possessed the same diagnostic daughter ions in the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS profiles, which could contribute to structural characterization of seco-sativene sesquiterpenoids. Our results also further supported that UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS is a powerful and sensitive tool for dereplication and detection of new analogues from crude extracts of different biological origins.

Analysis, purification, and characterization of AFB1 degraded products are vital steps for elucidation of the photocatalytic mechanism. In this report, the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technique was first coupled with purification and NMR spectral approaches to analyze and characterize degraded products of AFB1 photocatalyzed under UV irradiation. A total of seventeen degraded products were characterized based on the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis, in which seven ones (1–7) including four (stereo) isomers (1,2, 5, and 6) were purified and elucidated by NMR experiments. According to the structural features of AFB1 and degraded products (1–7), the possible photocatalytic mechanisms were suggested. Furthermore, AFB1 and degraded products (1–7) were evaluated against different cell lines. The results indicated that the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technique combined with purification, NMR spectral experiments, and biological tests was an applicable integrated approach for analysis, characterization, and toxic evaluation of degraded products of AFB1, which could be used to evaluate other mycotoxin degradation processes.

Simple Summary: The current study aimed to investigate the virulence and resistance genes associated with Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from the farms of four animal species in selected areas of Xinjiang, China, encompassing cows, sheep, chickens, and pigs. The sensitivity to antibiotics was evaluated. Genetic diversity was assessed using wzi allele typing and multilocus sequence typing. The findings shed light on the antibiotic resistance patterns and genetic diversity among K. pneumoniae isolates originating from different animal sources, highlighting the potential for inter-species transmission of this bacterium. Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is recognized as a zoonotic pathogen with an increasing threat to livestock and poultry. However, research on K. pneumoniae of animal origin remains limited. To address the gap, a comprehensive investigation was carried out by collecting a total of 311 samples from the farms of four animal species (dairy cow, chicken, sheep, and pig) in selected areas of Xinjiang, China. Isolates were identified by khe gene amplification and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Genotyping of K. pneumonia isolates was performed using wzi typing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). PCR was employed to identify virulence and resistance genes. An antibiotic susceptibility test was conducted using the Kirby–Bauer method. The findings revealed an isolation of 62 K. pneumoniae strains, with an average isolation rate of 19.94%, with the highest proportion originating from cattle sources (33.33%). Over 85.00% of these isolates harbored six virulence genes (wabG, uge, fimH, markD, entB, and ureA); while more than 75.00% of isolates possessed four resistance genes (blaTEM, blaSHV, oqxA, and gyrA). All isolates exhibited complete resistance to ampicillin and demonstrated substantial resistance to sulfisoxazole, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and enrofloxacin, with an antibiotic resistance rate of more than 50%. Furthermore, 48.39% (30/62) of isolates were classified as multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains, with a significantly higher isolation rate observed in the swine farms (66.67%) compared to other farms. Genetic characterization revealed the classification of the 62 isolates into 30 distinct wzi allele types or 35 different sequence types (STs). Notably, we identified K. pneumoniae strains of dairy and swine origin belonging to the same ST42 and wzi33-KL64 types, as well as strains of dairy and chicken origin belonging to the same wzi31-KL31-K31 type. These findings emphasize the widespread occurrence of drug-resistant K. pneumoniae across diverse animal sources in Xinjiang, underscoring the high prevalence of multidrug resistance. Additionally, our results suggest the potential for animal-to-animal transmission of K. pneumoniae and there was a correlation between virulence genes and antibiotic resistance genes. Moreover, the current study provides valuable data on the prevalence, antibiotic resistance, and genetic diversity of K. pneumoniae originating from diverse animal sources in Xinjiang, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new class of fluorinated cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b′]dithiophene (CPDT)-based small molecules, namely YC-oF, YC-mF, and YC-H, are demonstrated as hole-transporting materials (HTMs) for high-performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs). PSCs employing YC-oF as the HTM delivered an excellent efficiency of 22.41% with encouraging long-term stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic small molecular materials with coplanar π-conjugated system as HTMs in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted considerable attention due to their high charge transport capability and thermal stability. Herein, three novel pentafulvalene-fused derivatives with or without fluorine atoms incorporated (YSH-oF and YSH-mF and YSH-H, respectively) are designed, synthesized, and applied as hole-transporting materials (HTMs) in PSCs fabrication. The fluorinated HTMs, YSH-oF and YSH-mF, exhibited higher hole mobility and better charge extraction at the perovskite/HTM interface than non-fluorinated one do, presumably due to the closer intermolecular π-π packing interactions. As a result, small-area (0.09 cm2) PSCs made with YSH-oF and YSH-mF achieved an impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.59% and 22.76% respectively, with negligible hysteresis, in contrast with the 20.57% for the YSH-H-based devices. Furthermore, for large-area (1.00 cm2) devices, the PSCs employing YSH-oF exhibited a PCE of 21.92%. Moreover, excellent long-term device stability is demonstrated for PSCs with F-substituted HTMs (YSH-oF and YSH-mF), presumably due to the higher hydrophobicity. This study shows the great potential of fluorinated pentafulvalene-fused materials as low-cost HTM for efficient and stable PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]