Introducing High Density of Very Active Sites and Stepwise Postmodification for Tailoring the Porosity of Highly Demanding Cr3+-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Chromium(III)-based metal-organic frameworks (Cr-MOFs) are highly robust and porous and have been very attractive in a wide range of investigations. However, the harsh direct synthetic conditions not only impede the synthesis of new Cr-MOFs but also restrict the introduction of functional groups into them. Postsynthetic modification has somewhat alleviated such difficulties; nevertheless, it still suffered from procedures that are tedious and conditions that are not mild, which often result in low concentration of the functional groups introduced. To overcome these shortcomings, here, in this paper, we supplied a new route and prepared a benzyl alcohol functionalized Cr-SXU-2 from the judiciously designed benzyl alcohol functionalized Fe-SXU-2 through solvent-assisted metal metathesis strategy. The functionalized Cr-SXU-2 shows well-preserved crystallinity, porosity, and high chemical stability. The benzyl alcohol group can be converted into a very active benzyl bromide group in an almost quantitative yield and thus for the first time produce the benzyl bromide functionalized MOF, Cr-SXU-2-Br, in which the -Br group can be exchanged by a nucleophilic group. As a proof of concept, -N3 was introduced and transformed into other active sites via "click reaction" to further tailor the interior of Cr-SXU-2. All these functionalized Cr-MOFs showed improved adsorption performance in contrast to the nonfunctionalized one. This step-by-step postmodification process not only diversifies the functionalization of robust MOFs but also opens a new route to employ many different functional groups in the demanding highly stable Cr-MOF platforms.

Inkjet printer prediction under complicated printing conditions based on microscopic image features.

A novel technique is introduced to predict the printer model used to produce a given document. Samples containing only a few letters printed under varying conditions (i.e., different printing modes, letter types, fonts) were collected to establish a dataset of 41 inkjet printer models from common manufacturers, such as HP, Canon, and Epson. Morphological features were analyzed by extraction of image features using several algorithms in a series of microscopic images and a Wilcoxon test was used to measure the significance of variations between printed samples. Significant differences between various printing conditions might post potential challenge to questioned document examination. Discriminant analysis and the k-nearest neighbor (KNN) algorithm were also employed for source printer prediction under varying printing condition on 30% images with the rest images as training dataset. The results of a validation experiment demonstrated that while quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) achieved an accuracy of 96.3%, a combination of KNN and QDA reached 98.6%. As such, this technique could aid in the forensic examination of printed documents.

Enhanced interactions among gut mycobiomes with the deterioration of glycemic control.

BACKGROUND: The gut mycobiome is closely linked to health and disease; however, its role in the progression of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains obscure. Here, a multi-omics approach was employed to explore the role of intestinal fungi in the deterioration of glycemic control. METHODS: 350 participants without hypoglycemic therapies were invited for a standard oral glucose tolerance test to determine their status of glycemic control. The gut mycobiome was identified through internal transcribed spacer sequencing, host genetics were determined by genotyping array, and plasma metabolites were measured with untargeted liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. FINDINGS: The richness of fungi was higher, whereas its dissimilarity was markedly lower, in participants with T2DM. Moreover, the diversity and composition of fungi were closely associated with insulin sensitivity and pancreatic ß-cell functions. With the exacerbation of glycemic control, the co-occurrence network among fungus taxa became increasingly complex, and the complexity of the interaction network was inversely associated with insulin sensitivity. Mendelian randomization analysis further demonstrated that the Archaeorhizomycetes class, Fusarium genus, and Neoascochyta genus were causally linked to impaired glucose metabolism. Furthermore, integrative analysis with metabolomics showed that increased 4-hydroxy-2-oxoglutaric acid, ketoleucine, lysophosphatidylcholine (20:3/0:0), and N-lactoyl-phenylalanine, but decreased lysophosphatidylcholine (O-18:2), functioned as key molecules linking the adverse effect of Fusarium genus on insulin sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: Our study uncovers a strong association between disturbance in gut fungi and the progression of T2DM and highlights the potential of targeting the gut mycobiome for the management of T2DM. FUNDINGS: This study was supported by MOST and NSFC of China.

Plasma brain natriuretic peptide, platelet parameters, and cardiopulmonary function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic respiratory disease with worldwide occurrence and high disability and mortality rate. It occurs mostly in the elderly population with pulmonary heart disease, type II respiratory failure, and other serious complications. AIM: To investigate the correlation of plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and platelet parameters with cardiac function and pulmonary hypertension in patients with COPD and pulmonary heart disease. METHODS: From June 2016 to June 2019, 52 patients with COPD-pulmonary heart disease (pulmonary heart disease group), 30 patients with COPD (COPD group), and 30 healthy individuals (control group) in our hospital were enrolled in the study. The pulmonary heart disease group was further divided into subgroups according to cardiac function classification and pulmonary artery pressure. Plasma BNP and platelet parameters were estimated and compared among each group and subgroup. The correlation of plasma BNP and platelet parameters with cardiac function classification and pulmonary artery pressure was then analyzed. RESULTS: In the pulmonary heart disease group, the COPD group, and the control group, the levels of plasma BNP, platelet distribution width (PDW), and mean platelet volume (MPV) showed a decreasing trend (P < 0.05), while an increasing trend was found in platelet count (PLT) and plateletcrit (PCT) levels among the three groups (P < 0.05). In the pulmonary hypertension mild, moderate, and severe subgroups, the levels of plasma BNP, PDW, and MPV showed an increasing trend (P < 0.05), while a decreasing trend was observed in PLT levels (P < 0.05); however, PCT levels showed no significant difference among the three subgroups (P > 0.05). In the cardiac function grade I, II, III, and IV subgroups, the levels of plasma BNP, PDW, and MPV showed an increasing trend (P < 0.05), while a decreasing trend was noted in PLT and PCT levels among the four subgroups (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that the levels of plasma BNP, PDW, and MPV in patients with pulmonary heart disease were positively correlated with their pulmonary artery pressure (P < 0.05), while PLT was negatively correlated with their pulmonary artery pressure (P < 0.05). Moreover, plasma BNP, PDW, and MPV levels were positively correlated with cardiac function grade (P < 0.05) of these patients, while PLT and PCT levels were negatively correlated with their cardiac function grade (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Plasma BNP and PLT parameters are significantly correlated with the cardiac function and pulmonary hypertension in patients with COPD and pulmonary heart disease, indicating that these parameters have high clinical relevance in reflecting the health condition of these patients and for guiding their treatment.

NAA at a high concentration promotes efficient plant regeneration via direct somatic embryogenesis and SE-mediated transformation system in Ranunculus sceleratus.

The novel methods for efficient plant regeneration via direct somatic embryogenesis (SE) and SE-mediated transformation system under high concentration of NAA in Ranunculus sceleratus were established. On MS media containing a high concentration of NAA (10.0 mg/L) in the dark, all inoculated explants (root, stem and leaf) formed somatic embryos at high frequencies, respectively, 66.03, 126.47 and 213.63 embryoids per explant, and 100% of the embryoids developed into plantlets on 1/2 MS rooting media. Morphological and histological analyses revealed that SE in R. sceleratus followed a classical pattern. All inoculated explants can be used as receptors for genetic transformation in R. sceleratus, through direct SE-mediated method after Agrobacterium infection. RcLEC1-B, as a marker gene, changed the number and morphology of flower organs and the development of cuticle in R. sceleratus, which indicated that the efficient transgenic system of R. sceleratus was established. To our knowledge, this is the first observation that both direct SE and transgenic transformation system, via induction of a single plant growth regulator, have been successfully constructed in R. sceleratus.

Muscle Magnetic Resonance Imaging for the Differentiation of Multiple Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency and Immune-mediated Necrotizing Myopathy.

BACKGROUND: Clinically, it is difficult to differentiate multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MADD) from immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) because they display similar symptoms. This study aimed to determine whether muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could be used for differential diagnosis between MADD and IMNM. METHODS: The study evaluated 25 MADD patients, confirmed by muscle biopsy and ETFDH gene testing, and 30 IMNM patients, confirmed by muscle biopsy. Muscles were assessed for edema and fatty replacement using thigh MRI (tMRI). Degrees and distribution patterns of fatty infiltration and edema in gluteus maximus and thigh muscles were compared. RESULTS: Total fatty infiltration and edema scores (median, [Q1, Q3]) were 4.00 (1.00, 15.00) and 0 (0, 4.00) in MADD and 14.50 (8.00, 20.75) and 22.00 (16.75, 32.00) in IMNM, respectively, which were significantly more severe in IMNM than that in MADD (P = 0.000 and P = 0.004, respectively). Edema scores for gluteus maximus, long head of biceps femoris, and semimembranosus were significantly higher in IMNM than in MADD (all P = 0.000). Fatty infiltration scores for anterior and medial compartments were significantly more severe in IMNM than that in MADD (all P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: Different patterns of muscle involvement on tMRI can contribute to differential diagnosis between MADD and IMNM when clinical suspicions alone are insufficient, thereby reducing the need for muscle biopsy.

The Protocol of Fixed Reconstruction for Severely Worn Teeth Combined with Anterior Deep Bite.

Full mouth reconstruction is one of the most effective methods to restore severe worn teeth that have suffered reduced vertical dimension. Although the use of the overlay splint restoration for a trial period allowing the patient to adapt to an increased vertical dimension is the recognized method, the specific protocol from the transitional splint to the fixed reconstruction is yet to be established. This case report describes a 50-year-old female patient who has severely worn teeth combined with an anterior deep bite and chewing pain. The protocol of the treatment process is described.