Comparison of Materials Used for 3D-Printing Temporal Bone Models to Simulate Surgical Dissection.

Objective: To identify 3D-printed temporal bone (TB) models that most accurately recreate cortical mastoidectomy for use as a training tool by comparison of different materials and fabrication methods.

Background: There are several different printers and materials available to create 3D-printed TB models for surgical planning and trainee education. Current reports using Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic generated via fused deposition modeling (FDM) have validated the capacity for 3D-printed models to serve as accurate surgical simulators.

New Strategy To Access Enantioenriched Cyclohexadienones: Kinetic Resolution of -Quinols by Organocatalytic Thiol-Michael Addition Reactions.

Existing stereoselective routes to 2,5-cyclohexadienones involve either desymmetrization of an achiral substrate or have attempted to perform an asymmetric dearomatization of a phenol. Herein, we report proof-of-principle experiments aimed at developing a kinetic resolution as an alternative method for accessing enantioenriched 2,5-cyclohexadienones. More specifically, chiral bifunctional thiourea catalysts were used to promote the addition of 2-thionapthalene into unsymmetric -quinols.

Tart Cherry Prevents Bone Loss through Inhibition of RANKL in TNF-Overexpressing Mice.

Current drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis-associated bone loss come with concerns about their continued use. Thus, it is necessary to identify natural products with similar effects, but with fewer or no side effects. We determined whether tart cherry (TC) could be used as a supplement to prevent inflammation-mediated bone loss in tumor necrosis factor ()-overexpressing transgenic (TG) mice.

Development and preclinical testing of a novel biodegradable hydrogel vaginal packing technology for gynecologic high-dose-rate brachytherapy.

Purpose: We evaluated the performance of a novel hydrogel-based strategy developed for clinical use as vaginal packing using phantoms and cadavers, and to compare the hydrogel to gauze and balloon packing.

Material And Methods: The biocompatible hydrogel is based on a thiol-Michael addition reaction, with delivery of reagents into the vaginal cavity using a custom-made system. Soft-cured cadavers were used for soft tissue-like mechanical properties.

Synthetic explorations of the briarane jungle: progress in developing a synthetic route to a common family of diterpenoid natural products.

The briarane diterpenoids are a large family of marine natural products that have been primarily isolated from gorgonian octocorals around the world. Structurally, the family is characterized by a -fused bicyclo[8.4.

Torsional steering as friend and foe: development of a synthetic route to the briarane diterpenoid stereotetrad.

Two synthetic routes to the briarane stereotetrad have been investigated. The first route employed a boron aldol reaction to establish the stereogenic all-carbon quaternary carbon (C1). In this case, it was found that torsional steering in the transition state led to the formation of the undesired configuration at this position.

A concise synthetic route to the stereotetrad core of the briarane diterpenoids.

A concise synthesis (under 10 steps) of the stereotetrad core of the briarane diterpenoids is reported. This approach harnesses the unique reactivity of salicylate ester derived 2,5-cyclohexadienones to quickly build complexity. In particular, a highly diastereoselective acetylide conjugate addition/β-ketoester alkylation sequence was used to set the relative configuration of the C1 (quaternary) and C10 (tertiary) vicinal stereocenters.