Interobserver reliability of classification and characterization of proximal humeral fractures: a comparison of two and three-dimensional CT

Interobserver reliability for the classification of proximal humeral fractures is limited. The aim of this study was to test the null hypothesis that interobserver reliability of the AO classification of proximal humeral fractures, the preferred treatment, and fracture characteristics is the same for two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) computed tomography (CT). Members of the Science of Variation Group--fully trained practicing orthopaedic and trauma surgeons from around the world--were randomized to evaluate radiographs and either 2-D CT or 3-D CT images of fifteen proximal humeral fractures via a web-based survey and respond to the following four questions: (1) Is the greater tuberosity displaced? (2) Is the humeral head split? (3) Is the arterial supply compromised? (4) Is the glenohumeral joint dislocated? They also classified the fracture according to the AO system and indicated their preferred treatment of the fracture (operative or nonoperative). Agreement among observers was assessed with use of the multirater kappa (κ) measure. Interobserver reliability of the AO classification, fracture characteristics, and preferred treatment generally ranged from "slight" to "fair." A few small but statistically significant differences were found. Observers randomized to the 2-D CT group had slightly but significantly better agreement on displacement of the greater tuberosity (κ = 0.35 compared with 0.30, p < 0.001) and on the AO classification (κ = 0.18 compared with 0.17, p = 0.018). A subgroup analysis of the AO classification results revealed that shoulder and elbow surgeons, orthopaedic trauma surgeons, and surgeons in the United States had slightly greater reliability on 2-D CT, whereas surgeons in practice for ten years or less and surgeons from other subspecialties had slightly greater reliability on 3-D CT. Proximal humeral fracture classifications may be helpful conceptually, but they have poor interobserver reliability even when 3-D rather than 2-D CT is utilized. This may contribute to the similarly poor interobserver reliability that was observed for selection of the treatment for proximal humeral fractures. The lack of a reliable classification confounds efforts to compare the outcomes of treatment methods among different clinical trials and reports

<i>Torenia sp.</i> Extracts Contain Multiple Potent Antitumor Compounds with Nematocidal Activity, Triggering an Activated DNA Damage Checkpoint and Defective Meiotic Progression

Previously, we analyzed 316 herbal extracts to evaluate their potential nematocidal properties in Caenorhabditis elegans. In this study, our attention was directed towards Torenia sp., resulting in reduced survival and heightened larval arrest/lethality, alongside a noticeable decrease in DAPI-stained bivalent structures and disrupted meiotic progression, thus disrupting developmental processes. Notably, Torenia sp. extracts activated a DNA damage checkpoint response via the ATM/ATR and CHK-1 pathways, hindering germline development. LC–MS analysis revealed 13 compounds in the Torenia sp. extracts, including flavonoids, terpenoids, tanshinones, an analog of resveratrol, iridoids, carotenoids, fatty acids, and alkaloids. Of these, 10 are known for their antitumor activity, suggesting the potential of Torenia species beyond traditional gardening, extending into pharmaceutical and therapeutic applications

Labdane and Abietane Diterpenoids from <i>Juniperus oblonga</i> and Their Cytotoxic Activity

A phytochemical investigation of the whole plant of Juniperus oblonga led to the isolation of one previously undescribed labdane diterpenoid, (4R,5S,9S,10R)-13-des-ethyl-13-oxolabda-8(17),11E-dien-19-oic acid (1), together with nine known diterpenoids (2&#8211;3, 6&#8211;12), two lignans (4, 5), and a coumarin (13). The structures of all the compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectrometric data, primarily one-dimensional (1D)- and two-dimensional (2D)-NMR and mass spectrometry. Electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations determined the absolute configuration of 1. In addition, the isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against three human tumor cell lines (HepG2, MCF-7, and HeLa). 6,12-Dihydroxyabieta-5,8,11,13-tetraen-7-one (6) showed moderate cytotoxicity against all three cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 24.41 &#956;M to 58.39 &#956;M and trilobinone (10) showed weaker activity with IC50 values ranging from 56.93 &#956;M to 79.98 &#956;M. None of the isolated diterpenoids have been previously reported from Juniperus oblonga, and five compounds are here reported from the genus Juniperus for the first time

Antibacterial and Anti-Biofilm Activity of Pyrones from a <i>Pseudomonas mosselii</i> Strain

The emergence of drug resistant microbes over recent decades represents one of the greatest threats to human health; the resilience of many of these organisms can be attributed to their ability to produce biofilms. Natural products have played a crucial role in drug discovery, with microbial natural products in particular proving a rich and diverse source of antimicrobial agents. During antimicrobial activity screening, the strain Pseudomonas mosselii P33 was found to inhibit the growth of multiple pathogens. Following chemical investigation of this strain, pseudopyronines A-C were isolated as the main active principles, with all three pseudopyronines showing outstanding activity against Staphylococcus aureus. The analogue pseudopyronine C, which has not been well-characterized previously, displayed sub-micromolar activity against S. aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Moreover, the inhibitory abilities of the pseudopyronines against the biofilms of S. aureus were further studied. The results indicated all three pseudopyronines could directly reduce the growth of biofilm in both adhesion stage and maturation stage, displaying significant activity at micromolar concentrations

The newly established fungal collection and the research on medicinal mushrooms at the School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, China

A fungal collection has been recently established at the School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology (SPST), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China. The collection is mainly based on strains of filamentous fungi preserved under water or mineral oil and by cryoconservation, but also includes some yeasts and bacteria of particular interest for human health. The strains are also kept as actively growing cultures on special low nutrient agar. Our aim is to use the significantly wide range of expertise represented in SPST, encompassing microbial taxonomy and ecology, molecular biology, chemistry and synthetic biology, to clarify the identity and role of microorganisms collected and analysed in our research activity. A substantial portion of our mycological research projects focus on medicinal fungi. Some projects are still in their initial phase to perform an in-depth analysis of the diversity of human body associated fungi and their involvement in human health and disease. Moreover, we are planning to carry out a number of research projects to assess fungal diversity associated with key human diseases, such as mycosis, sepsis, meningitis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and gut microbiome related diseases. We will keep in our fungal collection clinical isolates as a reference for the scientific community for new fungus diagnostic assays validation. One of our main research interests is currently represented by medicinal mushrooms, including biodiversity, conservation, taxonomy, ecology, biochemistry and pharmacology. We present the preliminary results of an international scientific cooperation between SPST and Sapienza University of Rome for the identification, isolation in culture and chemical characterization of medicinal mushroom species collected in nature. During a recent intensive sampling activity performed in protected areas in Italy, characterised by different forest habitats, we collected basidiomata of several wood-decaying basidiomycetes belonging to different genera, mostly in the families Hymenochaetaceae and Polyporaceae, such as Fomes, Inonotus, Phellinus, and Trametes. Fungal taxa were identified based on observations preferably made on fresh collected sporomata, but also on dried specimens, by analysing organoleptic characters, macro- and micro-anatomical features as well as macro- and micro-chemical properties. During each survey, notes on morphological characters and ecological conditions of observed macrofungi were recorded in the field, and a representative collection of fruit bodies was taken to the laboratory for subsequent microscopic examination and fungal isolation on different media. Part of fresh material was frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at –80 °C for molecular identification, in particular for taxa with not clear morphological delimitation, which require phylogenetic analysis. Preliminary chemical analysis of the wood decaying basidiomycete fruit bodies and isolated mycelia, using HPLC and LC-MS, revealed diverse secondary metabolites present in several of the samples. Current studies are focusing on the identification of secondary metabolites using metabolomic strategies, and on the isolation of key compounds active in a broad spectrum of biological assays

Chemotaxonomy of Hawaiian Anthurium Cultivars Based on Multivariate Analysis of Phenolic Metabolites

Thirty-six anthurium varieties, sampled from species and commercial cultivars, were extracted and profiled by liquid-chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Three hundred fifteen compounds, including anthocyanins, flavonoid glycosides, and other phenolics, were detected from these extracts and used in chemotaxonomic analysis of the specimens. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) revealed close chemical similarities between all the commercial standard cultivars, while tulip-shaped cultivars and species displayed much greater chemical variation. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) supported the results from HCA and were used to identify key metabolites characteristic of standard and tulip cultivars and to identify chemical markers indicative of a particular ancestry. Discriminating metabolites included embinin, <b>4</b>, which was characteristic of standard-shaped spathes and indicated ancestry from Anthurium andraeanum, while isocytisoside 7-glucoside, <b>7</b>, was found in the majority of tulip-shaped cultivars and suggested that Anthurium amnicola or Anthurium antioquiense had contributed to their pedigree