A Novel Triterpene Saponin from Gypsophila capillaris

A novel C-28 tetraglycoside of quillaic acid (1) has been isolated from Gypsophila capillaris. The structure was elucidated by 1 D NMR (NOE difference, DEPT, selective13C{1H} INEPT), 2D NMR (1H,1H and1H,13C COSY,1H,1H,1H RELAY, ROESY and TOCSY) and other spectroscopic and chromatographic evidences. Conformational dynamics within the tetrasaccharide part were estimated from NOE responses and ROESY peaks. © 1995 Verlag der Zeitschrift für Naturforschung. All rights reserved

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020

Damping characteristics of full-scale grouped helical piles in dense sands subjected to small and large shaking events

A full-scale pile testing program was implemented using the large outdoor shake table at the University of California-San Diego. Nine steel helical piles with varying geometry were embedded in dense sand and tested individually and in 2x2 groups comparing fixed and pinned pile head connections. The test piles were subjected to shake motions ranging from pulses and white noise to replicated earthquakes. Strain gauges attached to the exterior pile walls and accelerometers placed on the pile caps and within the soil provided data for analyzing the behavior of these piles. Foundation damping (herein soil-pile system) is a substantial parameter in seismic design of the foundation-structure. Therefore, the damping characteristics of the soil bed along with the combined soil-pile system consisting of single and grouped helical piles are discussed based on the experimental pulse, white noise and shake excitations. Several methods, including logarithmic decrement, half power bandwidth and energy (equivalent) methods were implemented to estimate the damping ratio over a range of strains. Based on the experimental data gathered from this study, the suitability and accuracy of different computational methods to determine damping ratio as well as the effect of type and location of instrumentation on the calculated damping ratio were evaluated.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Sesquiterpenes from Cymbopogon proximus

In addition to four previously reported compounds: proximadiol (1), 5α-hydroxy-β-eudesmol (2), 1β-hydroxy-β-eudesmol (4) and 1β-hydroxy-α-eudesmol (5), two new sesquiterpenes, 5α-hydroperoxy-β-eudesmol (3) and 7α,11-dihydroxycadin-10(14)-ene (6) were isolated from the unsaponifiable fraction of the petroleum ether extract of Cymbopogon proximus STAPF. Isolation of compounds 2, 4 and 5 from the genus Cymbopogon is reported for the first time. The structure elucidation of these compounds was based primarily on 1D and 2D-NMR analyses

Development and validation of a predictive scoring system for in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 Egyptian patients: a retrospective study

Abstract SARS-CoV-2 virus has rapidly spread worldwide since December 2019, causing COVID-19 disease. In-hospital mortality is a common indicator for evaluating treatment outcomes. Therefore, the developing and validating a simple score system from observational data could assist in modulating the management procedures. A retrospective cohort study included all data records of patients with positive PCR for SARS-CoV-2. The factors that associated with mortality were analyzed, then allocation of potential predictors of mortality was executed using different logistic regression modeling, subsequently scoring system was developed from the most weighted predictors. The mortality rate of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia was 28.5% and 28.74%, respectively. The most significant factors that affected in-hospital mortality were old age (> 60 years), delay in hospital admission (> 4 days), high neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio “NLR” (> 3); higher computed tomography severity score; and CT-SS (> 20), in addition to using remdesivir and tocilizumab in the treatment protocol (P < 0.001 for all). The validity of the newly performed score was significant; the AUC was 85%, P < 0.001, and its prognostic utility was good; the AUC was 75%, P < 0.001. The prognostic utility of newly developed score system (EGY.Score) was excellent and could be used to adjust the treatment strategy of highly at-risk patients with COVID-19 pneumonia