Preoperative diffusion tensor imaging: Fiber-trajectory-distribution-based tractography to identify facial nerve in vestibular schwannoma.

PURPOSE: Tractography of the facial nerve based on diffusion MRI is instrumental before surgery for the resection of vestibular schwannoma, but no excellent methods usable for the suppression of motion and image noise have been proposed. The aim of this study was to effectively suppress noise and provide accurate facial nerve reconstruction by extend a fiber trajectory distribution function based on the fourth-order streamline differential equations. METHODS: Preoperative MRI from 33 patients with vestibular schwannoma who underwent surgical resection were utilized in this study. First, T1WI and T2WI were used to obtain mask images and regions of interest. Second, probabilistic tractography was employed to obtain the fibers representing the approximate facial nerve pathway, and these fibers were subsequently translated into orientation information for each voxel. Last, the voxel orientation information and the peaks of the fiber orientation distribution were combined to generate a fiber trajectory distribution function, which was used to parameterize the anatomical information. The parameters were determined by minimizing the cost between the trajectory of fibers and the estimated directions. RESULTS: Qualitative and visual analyses were used to compare facial nerve reconstruction with intraoperative recordings. Compared with other methods (SD_Stream, iFOD1, iFOD2, unscented Kalman filter, parallel transport tractography), the fiber-trajectory-distribution-based tractography provided the most accurate facial nerve reconstructions. CONCLUSION: The fiber-trajectory-distribution-based tractography can effectively suppress the effect of noise. It is a more valuable aid for surgeons before vestibular schwannoma resection, which may ultimately improve the postsurgical patient's outcome.

Establishment of Cephalic Index by Computed Tomography in Sampled Chinese Children.

OBJECTIVE: Cephalic Index (CI), the ratio of head width to length, is one of the indexes reflecting cranial morphological characteristics. Current norms were established by European and American countries. The purpose of the study was to study anthropometry of cranial parameters using computed tomography scans to establish the CI of the sampled Chinese Children. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was carried out on patients of age younger than 14 years old at Shanghai Children's Medical Center. The measurement of maximum cranial breadth and maximum cranial length were taken on a computed tomography scan machine and recorded for analysis. Cephalic Index was calculated for each age and sex group and compared with previously established norms. RESULTS: Five hundred eighteen patients met the inclusion criteria, including 301 males and 217 females. The means for boys and girls were 87.1 (SD: 4.3) and 85.8 (SD: 4.3), respectively. There was a significant difference between boys and girls (P < 0.01). Cephalic Index in different ages and on applying the 1-way analysis of variance association was statistically insignificant (P = 0.19). CONCLUSIONS: Chinese head shape was brachycephalic. A statistically significant correlation was seen between the CI and sex, while not age.

Sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate ameliorates neointima by protecting endothelial progenitor cells in diabetic mice.

BACKGROUND: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) transplantation is one of the effective therapies for neointima associated with endothelial injury. Diabetes impairs the function of EPCs and cumbers neointima prevention of EPC transplantation with an ambiguous mechanism. Sodium Tanshinone IIA Sulfonate (STS) is an endothelium-protective drug but whether STS protects EPCs in diabetes is still unknown. METHODS: EPCs were treated with High Glucose (HG), STS, and Nucleotide-binding Domain-(NOD) like Receptor 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1, the Receptor of Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs) (RAGE) inhibitors, Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein (TXNIP) siRNA, and EPC proliferation, differentiation functions, and senescence were detected. The treated EPCs were transplanted into db/db mice with the wire-injured Common Carotid Artery (CCA), and the CD31 expression and neointima were detected in the CCA inner wall. RESULTS: We found that STS inhibited HG-induced expression of NLRP3, the production of active caspase-1 (p20) and mature IL-1ß, the expression of catalase (CAT) cleavage, γ-H2AX, and p21 in EPCs. STS restored the expression of Ki67, CD31 and von Willebrand Factor (vWF) in EPCs; AGEs were found in the HG-treated EPCs supernatant, and RAGE blocking inhibited the expression of TXNIP and the production of p20, which was mimicked by STS. STS recovered the expression of CD31 in the wire-injured CCA inner wall and the prevention of neointima in diabetic mice with EPCs transplantation. CONCLUSION: STS inhibits the aggravated neointima hyperplasia by protecting the proliferation and differentiation functions of EPC and inhibiting EPC senescence in diabetic mice. The mechanism is related to the preservation of CAT activity by inhibiting the RAGE-TXNIP-NLRP3 inflammasome pathway.

Stereoconvergent Synthesis of Monofluoroalkenes via Photoinduced Dual Decarboxylative Cross-Coupling of α-Fluoroacrylic Acids with Redox-Active Esters.

Herein, a new strategy for the synthesis of monofluoroalkenes via employing α-fluoroacrylic acids and N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) redox-active esters as coupling partners has been developed. This decarboxylative reaction enabled the formation of C(sp2)-C(sp3) bonds to provide a practical and efficient approach for the construction of a variety of monofluoroalkenes, which are key structural motifs in organic chemistry, under mild reaction conditions. The protocol exhibited excellent functional group compatibility and delivered monofluoroalkene products with excellent Z-stereoselectivity. This work also provides a platform for the modification of complex biologically active molecules containing carboxylic acids.

Dual Nickel/Ruthenium Strategy for Photoinduced Decarboxylative Cross-Coupling of α,ß-Unsaturated Carboxylic Acids with Cycloketone Oxime Esters.

Herein, a dual nickel/ruthenium strategy is developed for photoinduced decarboxylative cross-coupling between α,ß-unsaturated carboxylic acids and cycloketone oxime esters. The reaction mechanism is distinct from previous photoinduced decarboxylation of α,ß-unsaturated carboxylic acids. This reaction might proceed through a nickelacyclopropane intermediate. The C(sp2)-C(sp3) bond constructed by the aforementioned reaction provides an efficient approach to obtaining various cyanoalkyl alkenes, which are synthetically valuable organic skeletons in organic and medicinal chemistry, under mild reaction conditions. The protocol tolerates many critical functional groups and provides a route for the modification of complex organic molecules.

[Uremic Toxins in Cognitive Impairment].

Patients with uremia can suffer from decreased renal function and endocrine and metabolism disorders,which can lead to the accumulation of toxins in the body.Accumulation of uremic toxins is a major cause of cognitive dysfunction in uremic patients.This article summarizes some of the cognitive dysfunction-related uremic toxins and their possible mechanisms.

A Facile Green Approach for Synthesis of Selenium Nanowires with Visible Light Photocatalytic Properties.

In this work, high purity trigonal selenium (t-Se) nanowires were synthesized through a simple one-step solvothermal process at 50 °C. Sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate (SFS) was used as a reducing agent. To our knowledge, this is the first time that SFS was used as the reducing agent for synthesis of Se nanostructures. In this method, Se nanowires were obtained at lower temperature, shorter period of reaction time and without using complex equipment. The experimental parameters, such as reaction duration, temperature and amount of surfactant, were investigated. The as-prepared Se nanowires have a diameter of about 100-200 nm and length of up to 10 µm. A "Solid-Solution-Solid" growth mechanism was proposed. In the presence of H2O2, the Se nanowires showed good catalytic performance, where over 99% of methylene blue (MB) was degraded in 3.0 h. Results from this study demonstrated that the Se nanowires exhibit a promising application for photodegradation.

Real spinal cord injury without radiologic abnormality in pediatric patient with tight filum terminale following minor trauma: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality (SCIWORA) is defined as having "clinical symptoms of traumatic myelopathy with no radiographic or computed tomographic features of spinal fracture or instability". The mechanism of pediatric SCIWORA following minor trauma is still unclear. Tight filum terminale (TFT) has been studied in the literature, but the information regarding the predisposing factor for SCIWORA is still being defined. CASE PRESENTATION: We report three cases of thoracic and lumber SCIWORA with TFT. The trauma was potentially mild in all cases but resulted in catastrophic damage of the cord. All patients had no signs or symptoms of tethered cord syndrome prior to the minor trauma. TFT was found during operation. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that TFT might be a predisposing factor for SCIWORA and chronic spinal cord traction play an important role in the mechanism of pediatric thoracic and lumber SCIWORA following minor trauma. Patients who never undergo treatment for TFT likely have an elevated risk of developing SCIWORA following minor trauma.

Experimental study on the strain energy evolution mechanism of thick and hard sandstone roof in Xinjiang Mining Area.

For understanding the mechanical performance and strain energy evolution mechanism of thick hard roof sandstone samples, a sequence of uniaxial compression trials with acoustic emission (AE) monitoring were carried out. The results indicate: (1) The stress-strain curve of the thick hard roof sandstone specimens exhibits distinct stage characteristics. Based on the evolvement of instantaneous axial stiffness, it is separated into Fracture Closure Phase, Elastic Deformation Phase, Steady Fracture Expansion Phase, Unsteady Fracture Expansion Phase, and Post-Peak Phase. (2) The AE energy and cumulative count curves of the thick hard roof sandstone specimens also exhibit significant stage characteristics and can be mutually corroborated with the stage division of the stress-strain curve. (3) Based on the energy conservation principle, the evolution of strain energy density in the thick hard roof sandstone specimens under uniaxial compression loading was analyzed, and plastic strain energy increment was employed to study the stage characteristics of strain energy dissipation. (4) A damage constitutive model for the thick hard roof sandstone specimens was constructed, considering the characteristics of strain energy dissipation. This model effectively describes the stress-strain relationship among the samples, which undergo strain hardening, strain softening, and sudden destruction.

Constricted posterior fourchette deformities: Definition, classification and surgical treatment.

BACKGROUND: Labiaplasty is one of the top cosmetic procedures patients are seeking in the past two years. However, treatment of disease in posterior fourchette caused by various etiological factors was less investigated and neglected. METHODS: Three types of posterior fourchette deformity were proposed: (1) Redundant posterior fourchette, (2) Relaxed posterior fourchette, and (3) Constricted posterior fourchette. Local flap transfer technique was applied. Y-V-plasty and 5-Z-Flap-plasty were used to treat web type and tight type of the constricted posterior fourchette, respectively. Follow-ups were arranged on the Internet or at the outpatient clinic. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was utilized to evaluate sexual discomfort in the satisfaction questionnaires during follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 48 patients with constricted posterior fourchette deformity from May 2022 to May 2023 were reviewed in the study. Y-V-plasty could decrease VAS in patients with web-type deformity by 4.13 ± 1.46 (p＜0.001). 5-Z-Flap-plasty could decrease VAS in patients with tight-type deformity by 3.76 ± 1.53 (p＜0.05). Satisfaction rates of the web type and tight type were 93.1% (27/29) and 86.7% (13/15) respectively. Complications include two cases of hematoma, one case of persistent pain and two cases of dehiscence. CONCLUSION: Constricted posterior fourchette seriously affects the quality of life. Y-V-plasty and 5-Z-Flap-plasty can be utilized to treat the two subtypes of constricted posterior fourchette, which can effectively reduce the pain score of patients with high satisfaction and few long-term complications.

Comprehensive aesthetic corrections of gynecomastia using the reproducible safe and minimally invasive surgical strategy.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive access and fast recovery are trends of gynecomastia surgery. We placed great importance on liposuction and modified original pull-through technique. The purpose of this study was to present a refined surgical strategy for gynecomastia in grade I and II. METHODS: The refined strategy embraced enhanced liposuction to remove the intraglandular fat sufficiently, followed by open resection of gland using the pull-through and bottom-up technique with adjuvant liposuction in the end. Surgical data were recorded and satisfactory questionnaires with 5-point scales were administered during follow-up. RESULTS: Between January 2017 and May 2022, 165 patients underwent enhanced liposuction combined with the pull-through and bottom-up technique for gland excision. Age ranged from 12 to 56 years. The median length of surgery was 100 min. A median of 300 ml of fat was aspirated and a median of 20.8 g of gland was excised. Seventy-seven patients (46.7%) responded the questionnaires at least 6 months postoperatively, and the average overall satisfaction was 4.68 ± 0.52 points. Thirteen sides of breasts developed complications with a rate of 4.0%. CONCLUSION: Enhanced liposuction combined with pull-through and bottom-up technique proved effective to treat grade I and II gynecomastia with minimal scarring and high satisfaction. The refined strategy was simple and safe, and would obtain optimal outcomes even for inexperienced surgeons.

Strength Degradation and Fracture Propagation of Repeatedly Immersed Artificial Dam Samples under Uniaxial Cyclic Loading-Unloading.

The use of underground reservoirs is a critical technique for achieving sustainable coal and water resources in many ecologically fragile mines in western China. Concrete samples subject to repeated water immersion and cyclic loading-unloading (CLU) operations were obtained from an underground artificial reservoir dam in Chahasu Colliery to study their strength damage and fracture propagation behavior. The variation in water content of the samples according to immersion times were divided into the rapid growth stage (0-10 h), slow growth stage (10-60 h), and stable stage (>60 h). With an increase in immersion times (IIT), the saturated water content of the coal samples logarithmically increased to 7.02%, and the ultrasonic wave velocity decreased by 10.44%. According to the increasing trend of plastic damage energy density, the total stress-strain curve was divided into four fracture stages. The total energy and elastic energy densities increased nonlinearly with the increase in cycles, whereas the plastic damage energy density first decreased and then increased. The plastic damage energy ratio at the stress peak point of the samples under different sequential times of immersion was 0.18, 0.29, 0.28, 0.58, and 0.61. The initial fracture development and fracture damage thresholds of the samples decreased by 20 and 50% with IIT, respectively. However, the proportion of the fracture closure and initial fracture development thresholds of the samples showed an increasing quadratic trend with IIT. Based on the low ratio of rise time to amplitude and high average frequency, the fracture mode of the samples under repeated water immersion was mainly tensile fracture. Acoustic emission events with energy higher than 104 aJ spread from the center with repeated water immersion. When the CLU was greater than 6, the plastic damage energy of the fitted three-dimensional surface increased nonlinearly with IIT. The energy parameter-plastic damage energy ratio was introduced to help develop a theoretical model for describing the complete stress-strain damage evolution of repeatedly immersed concrete samples under CLU. The paper provides technical references for improving the long-term strength design of concrete artificial dams of underground reservoirs.

Nesfatin-1 inhibits gastric acid secretion via a central vagal mechanism in rats.

Nesfatin-1, a novel hypothalamic peptide, inhibits nocturnal feeding behavior and gastrointestinal motility in rodents. The effects of nesfatin-1 on gastrointestinal secretory function, including gastric acid production, have not been evaluated. Nesfatin-1 was injected into the fourth intracerebral ventricle (4V) of chronically cannulated rats to identify a nesfatin dose sufficient to inhibit food intake. Nesfatin-1 (2 µg) inhibited dark-phase food intake, in a dose-dependent fashion, for >3 h. Gastric acid production was evaluated in urethane-anesthetized rats. Nesfatin-1 (2 µg) was introduced via the 4V following endocrine stimulation of gastric acid secretion by pentagastrin (2 µg·kg(-1)·h(-1) iv), vagal stimulation with 2-deoxy-D-glucose (200 mg/kg sc), or no stimulus. Gastric secretions were collected via gastric cannula and neutralized by titration to determine acid content. Nesfatin-1 did not affect basal and pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion, whereas 2-deoxy-D-glucose-stimulated gastric acid production was inhibited by nesfatin-1 in a dose-dependent manner. c-Fos immunofluorescence in brain sections was used to evaluate in vivo neuronal activation by nesfatin-1 administered via the 4V. Nesfatin-1 caused activation of efferent vagal neurons, as evidenced by a 16-fold increase in the mean number of c-Fos-positive neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMNV) in nesfatin-1-treated animals vs. controls (P < 0.01). Finally, nesfatin-induced Ca(2+) signaling was evaluated in primary cultured DMNV neurons from neonatal rats. Nesfatin-1 caused dose-dependent Ca(2+) increments in 95% of cultured DMNV neurons. These studies demonstrate that central administration of nesfatin-1, at doses sufficient to inhibit food intake, results in inhibition of vagally stimulated secretion of gastric acid. Nesfatin-1 activates DMNV efferent vagal neurons in vivo and triggers Ca(2+) signaling in cultured DMNV neurons.

Low molecular weight heparin for the prevention of deep venous thrombosis after total knee arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To systematically evaluate the prophylaxis efficacy of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) in the prevention of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHOD: PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Wanfang, CNKI, and VIP databases were searched by index words to identify the eligible RCTs; relevant literature sources were also searched. The latest research was conducted in March 2017. Relative risks (RR), mean difference (MD), and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to analyze the main outcomes. RESULT: A total of 22 articles were included in the meta-analysis with a total number of 11,320 patients (5543 in the LMWH group and 5777 in the control group). The results indicated that in the LMWH group, the incidence of DVT (OR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.41-0.77) and wound complications (SMD: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.75-1.22) was significantly lower than that in the control group. Furthermore, LMWH also increased the occurrence of bleeding event (OR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.31-1.88) and the total blood transfused (SMD: 0.12, 95% CI: 0.04-0.19). However, no statistical difference was found in blood loss (SMD: -0.26, 95% CI: -0.65-0.14) between the two group. In the subgroup analysis, the incidence of DVT was significantly decreased in the ardeparin sodium group (OR: 0.70, 95%CI: 0.53-0.94) and the dalteparin group (OR:0.40, 95%CI:0.32-0.50). CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis demonstrated that LMWH is obviously efficacious in the prophylaxis of DVT after TKA. However, it has some negative effects, such as the increase in the number of bleeding events and the total blood transfused.

Laparoscopic-Assisted Resection for Advanced Colorectal Cancer in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients.

AIM: To evaluate the feasibility, short- and long-term outcomes, and safety of laparoscopic resection for advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) in solid organ transplant recipients. METHODS: Between September 2001 and April 2016, five patients who underwent laparoscopic-assisted resection for CRC after solid organ transplantation were included in this study. Their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed with regard to patient demographics, immunosuppressive therapy, tumor characteristics, surgical outcomes, and follow-up data. RESULTS: Four kidney and one heart transplant recipients were included. Laparoscopic-assisted low anterior resection was performed in four patients with rectal or rectosigmoid junction cancer, and sigmoidectomy was done in one with sigmoid colon cancer. One kidney transplant patient received a protective loop transverse colostomy. All resections achieved complete tumor removal with tumor-free margins and total mesorectal excision, with an average number of 14 lymph nodes harvested. Most tumors were in stage III (n = 3), one was in stage II, and one in stage IV. The mean duration of surgery, intraoperative blood loss, and postoperative hospital stay were 144 min, 105 mL, and 8.8 days, respectively. No major complications occurred and graft function stayed well. During a mean follow-up period of 62 months, two patients developed metastasis and died eventually. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic resection for advanced CRC in organ transplant recipients is technically feasible and therapeutically safe, and seems to have the advantages of few postoperative complications, short recovery time, and acceptable oncological outcomes.

Risk assessment and management of preoperative venous thromboembolism following femoral neck fracture.

BACKGROUND: Limited studies are available to investigate the prevalence of preoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) in elderly patients with femoral neck fractures. Our primary aim was to determine the incidences of VTE and its risk or protective factors in such patient population. The secondary objective was to evaluate the need of therapeutic anticoagulation for isolated calf muscular venous thrombosis (ICMVT) prior to femoral neck fracture surgery. METHODS: This is a retrospective case-control study, including 301 femoral neck fracture patients who were admitted to our institution between January 2014 and March 2017. Bilateral Doppler ultrasonography was performed in each of the patients as a preoperative VTE screening. The event rate of VTE was calculated, and significant risk or protective factors were determined by using a multivariate logistic regression model. Patients with ICMVT were divided into anticoagulation and no anticoagulation groups to assess the efficacy and safety of preoperative therapeutic anticoagulation. Intraoperative blood loss, drainage volume, blood transfusion, perioperative hemoglobin change, and rate of thrombosis extension were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The overall preoperative incidence of VTE in patients with femoral neck fracture was 18.9% (57/301), in which deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was 18.9% and pulmonary embolism (PE) was 1%. Among the DVT cases, 77.2% (44/57) were ICMVTs. Multiple fractures (odds ratio [OR] = 9.418; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.537 to 34.96), coexisting movement disorder (OR = 3.862; 95% CI = 1.658 to 8.993), bed rest for more than 7 days (OR = 2.082; 95% CI = 1.011 to 4.284) as well as elevated levels of D-dimer (OR = 1.019; 95% CI = 1.002 to 1.037) and fibrinogen (OR = 1.345; 95% CI = 1.008 to 1.796) led to an increase in the risk of VTE, while the recent use of antiplatelet drug (OR = 0.424; 95% CI = 0.181 to 0.995) and prophylactic anticoagulation (OR = 0.503; 95% CI = 0.263 to 0.959) decreased the risk of VTE. For the 39 patients with ICMVT undergoing femoral neck fracture surgery, there were no significant differences in the rate of thrombosis extension between anticoagulation and no anticoagulation groups, but significantly decreased postoperative hemoglobin was observed in the anticoagulation group. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed a high prevalence of preoperative VTE in elderly patients with femoral neck fracture, with risk factors identified. We found that the most detected VTE were ICMVTs. Our study suggested that a direct surgery without preoperative use of therapeutic anticoagulation for ICMVT would not reduce the risk of thrombus extension, and the therapeutic use of anticoagulation may worsen postoperative anemia.

IFN-γ secretion in gut of Ob/Ob mice after vertical sleeve gastrectomy and its function in weight loss mechanism.

Vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) is becoming more and more popular among the world. Despite its dramatic efficacy, however, the mechanism of VSG remains largely undetermined. This study aimed to test interferon (IFN)-γ secretion n of mesenteric lymph nodes in obese mice (ob/ob mice), a model of VSG, and its relationship with farnesoid X receptor (FXR) expression in the liver and small intestine, and to investigate the weight loss mechanism of VSG. The wild type (WT) mice and ob/ob mice were divided into four groups: A (WT+Sham), B (WT+VSG), C (ob/ob+Sham), and D (ob/ob+VSG). Body weight values were monitored. The IFN-γ expression in mesenteric lymph nodes of ob/ob mice pre- and post-operation was detected by flow cytometry (FCM). The FXR expression in the liver and small intestine was detected by Western blotting. The mouse AML-12 liver cells were stimulated with IFN-γ at different concentrations in vitro. The changes of FXR expression were also examined. The results showed that the body weight of ob/ob mice was significantly declined from (40.6±2.7) g to (27.5±3.8) g on the 30th day after VSG (P<0.05). At the same time, VSG induced a higher level secretion of IFN-γ in mesenteric lymph nodes of ob/ob mice than that pre-operation (P<0.05). The FXR expression levels in the liver and small intestine after VSG were respectively 0.97±0.07 and 0.84±0.07 fold of GAPDH, which were significantly higher than pre-operative levels of 0.50±0.06 and 0.48±0.06 respectively (P<0.05). After the stimulation of AML-12 liver cells in vitro by different concentrations of IFN-γ (0, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 200 ng/mL), the relative FXR expression levels were 0.22±0.04, 0.31±0.04, 0.39±0.05, 0.38±0.05, 0.56±0.06, and 0.35±0.05, respectively, suggesting IFN-γ could distinctly promote the FXR expression in a dose-dependent manner in comparison to those cells without IFN-γ stimulation (P<0.05). It was concluded that VSG induces a weight loss in ob/ob mice by increasing IFN-γ secretion of mesenteric lymph nodes, which then increases the FXR expression of the liver and small intestine.

Synthesis, crystal structure of α-Keggin heteropolymolybdates with pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylate based frameworks, and associated RhB photocatalytic degradation and 2D-IR COS tests.

Three α-Keggin heteropolymolybdates with the formula [(C(5)H(4)NH)COOH](3)[PMo(12)O(40)] 1, {[Sm(H(2)O)(4)(pdc)](3)}{[Sm(H(2)O)(3)(pdc)]}[SiMo(12)O(40)]·3H(2)O 2 and {[La(H(2)O)(4)(pdc)](4)}[PMo(12)O(40)]F 3 (H(2)pdc = pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylate), have been synthesized under hydrothermal condition and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses, elemental analyses, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), IR, thermal gravimetric analyses, thermal infrared spectrum analyses and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analyses. Single crystal X-ray diffraction indicates all three compounds comprise ball-shaped Keggin type [XMo(12)O(40)](n-) polyoxometalates (POMs) (n = 3, X = P; n = 4, X = Si, respectively) with different types of carboxylic ligands derived from H(2)pdc, and these cluster anions are isostructural. In order to explore structural characteristics, Rhodamine B photocatalytic (RhB) degradation and two-dimensional infrared correlation spectroscopy (2D-IR COS) tests, are investigated for 1, 2 and 3. In RhB degradation, all compounds show good photocatalytic activity. For 1, the activity mainly comes from POMs. While in 2 and 3, POMs' photocatalytic activity is enhanced by the Ln(iii)-pdc metal-organic frameworks. Structural properties like POM's stability and magnetic sensitivity are discussed by 2D-IR COS under thermal/magnetic perturbations.