COVID-19 resulting in bilateral pulmonary emboli and a right ventricular thrombus: association or causation? A case report.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 is a novel viral illness originating out of Wuhan China in late 2019. This global pandemic has infected nearly 3 million people and accounted for 200 000 deaths worldwide, with those numbers still climbing. CASE SUMMARY: We present a 54-year-old patient who developed respiratory failure requiring endotracheal intubation from her infection with SARS-CoV-2. This patient was subsequently found to have a right ventricular thrombus and bilateral pulmonary emboli, likely contributing to her respiratory status. On the 14th day of hospitalization, the patient was successfully extubated, and 5 days later was discharged to the rehabilitation unit. DISCUSSION: SARS-CoV-2 presents primarily with pulmonary symptoms; however, many patients, particularly those who are severely ill, exhibit adverse events related to hypercoagulability. The exact mechanism explaining this hypercoagulable state has yet to be elucidated, but these thrombotic events have been linked to the increased inflammation caused by SARS-CoV-2. This novel viral illness is still largely misunderstood, but the hypercoagulable state, seen in severely ill patients, appears to play a major role in disease progression and prognosis.

Mapping mycological ignorance - checklists and diversity patterns of fungi known for West Africa.

Scientific information about biodiversity distribution is indispensable for nature conservation and sustainable management of natural resources. For several groups of animals and plants, such data are available, but for fungi, especially in tropical regions like West Africa, they are mostly missing. Here, information for West African countries about species diversity of fungi and fungus-like organisms (other organisms traditionally studied by mycologists) is compiled from literature and analysed in its historical context for the first time. More than 16,000 records of fungi representing 4843 species and infraspecific taxa were found in 860 publications relating to West Africa. Records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) database (2395 species), and that of the former International Mycological Institute fungal reference collection (IMI) (2526 species) were also considered. The compilation based on literature is more comprehensive than the GBIF and IMI data, although they include 914 and 679 species names, respectively, which are not present in the checklist based on literature. According to data available in literature, knowledge on fungal richness ranges from 19 species (Guinea Bissau) to 1595 (Sierra Leone). In estimating existing species diversity, richness estimators and the Hawksworth 6:1 fungus to plant species ratio were used. Based on the Hawksworth ratio, known fungal diversity in West Africa represents 11.4% of the expected diversity. For six West African countries, however, known fungal species diversity is less than 2%. Incomplete knowledge of fungal diversity is also evident by species accumulation curves not reaching saturation, by 45.3% of the fungal species in the checklist being cited only once for West Africa, and by 66.5% of the fungal species in the checklist reported only for a single country. The documentation of different systematic groups of fungi is very heterogeneous because historically investigations have been sporadic. Recent opportunistic sampling activities in Benin showed that it is not difficult to find specimens representing new country records. Investigation of fungi in West Africa started just over two centuries ago and it is still in an early pioneer phase. To promote proper exploration, the present checklist is provided as a tool to facilitate fungal identification in this region and to aid conceptualisation and justification of future research projects. Documentation of fungal diversity is urgently needed because natural habitats are being lost on a large scale through altered land use and climate change.

Factors shaping communities of pyrophilous macrofungi in microhabitats destroyed by illegal campfires.

Pyrophilous macrofungi (PM) are a narrowly specialised group appearing exclusively in plant communities recently destroyed by fire. Their significance has hitherto been studied only for vegetation destroyed over large areas, while in small areas of fire, i.e., microhabitats they are viewed as independent components of the community linked only to the substratum. In the present work, the following hypotheses were tested: (1) species structures of PM in microhabitats depend on the type of plant community, (2) PM form communities on a small scale which are similar in structure and function to analogous large scale communities. We studied 20 surfaces destroyed by illegal campfires in four natural plant communities: oak-hornbeam forest Tilio-Carpinetum (TC), lowland acidophilus beech forest Luzulo pilosae-Fagetum (LF), suboceanic pine forest Leucobryo-Pinetum (LP), and an initial-phase xerothermic grassland community on a transitional habitat (MH). TC and LF habitats were conspicuously more favourable for PM than LP and MH. In TC and LF fire leads to significant loss of mycorrhizae in the upper layer of leaf litter. This provides a development opportunity for ectomycorrhizal PM species which, having little competition, substitute for the destroyed fragments of mycorrhizal networks. In LP and MH fire over a small surface does not destroy more deeply located mycorrhizal associations. Another important factor for PM influencing the quality of environment is the fertility of soil: highest in TC, intermediate in LF and lowest in LP and MH. The results casts doubt on the concept that PM are only synusia linked to the substratum (burnt wood). PM growing in microhabitats constitute an important group of organisms which facilitate rapid regeneration of plant community fragments destroyed by fire.

Anti-tuberculosis compounds from Mallotus philippinensis.

Bioassay-directed fractionation of the organic extract of Mallotus philippinensis gave five compounds (1-5), the most active of which against Mycobacterium tuberculosis was a new compound, 8-cinnamoyl-5,7-dihydroxy-2,2-dimethyl-6-geranylchromene (1) for which the name mallotophilippen F is suggested. Compound (2), 8-cinnamoyl-2,2-dimethyl-7-hydroxy-5-methoxychromene, was isolated from a natural source for the first time, while the remaining three compounds, rottlerin (3), isoallorottlerin=isorottlerin (4) and the so-called "red compound," 8-cinnamoyl-5,7-dihydroxy-2,2,6-trimethylchromene (5), had been isolated previously from this plant. All compounds were identified by analysis of their spectra including 2D-NMR, which was used to correct the literature NMR spectral assignments of compounds 2-4. The C-13 NMR of 5 is reported for the first time.

1-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-(2,4-dimethoxy-3-methylphenyl)propane, a novel tyrosinase inhibitor with strong depigmenting effects.

A series of diarylpropane compounds was isolated by screening a plant extract library for inhibitors of mushroom tyrosinase. The most potent compound, 1-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-(2,4-dimethoxy-3-methylphenyl)propane (UP302: CAS# 869743-37-3), was found in the medicinal plant Dianella ensifolia. Synthetic and plant-derived versions of UP302 inhibited mushroom tyrosinase with similar potencies. UP302 inhibited mushroom tyrosinase with K(i)=0.3 microM, in a competitive and reversible fashion. UP302 was 22 times more potent than Kojic acid in inhibiting murine tyrosinase, with IC(50) values of 12 and 273 microM respectively. Experiments on mouse melanoma cells B16-F1 and on human primary melanocytes demonstrated that UP302 inhibits melanin formation with IC(50) values of 15 and 8 microM respectively. Long-term treatment of cultured melanocytes with up to 62 microM of UP302 revealed no detectable cytotoxicity. In a reconstructed skin model (MelanoDerm) topical application of 0.1% UP302 resulted in significant skin lightening and decrease of melanin production without effects on cell viability, melanocyte morphology or overall tissue histology. In conclusion, UP302 is a novel tyrosinase inhibitor that suppresses melanin production in both cultured melanocytes and reconstructed skin with high potency and without adverse side effects.

Structure elucidation of an unexpected product from dehydration of a beta-hydroxyketone.

The structure of an unexpected compound from the dehydration of an aldol addition product has been determined using 1-D and 2-D NMR techniques. This reaction is the last step in a new synthetic approach to the galanthan ring system. Complete 1H and 13C NMR assignments for two synthetic precursors are also reported.

A photochemical approach to the Galanthan ring system.

A five-step, atom-efficient synthesis of the Galanthan tetracyclic skeleton has been developed. The key step is an unusual intramolecular de Mayo reaction using an isocarbostyril substrate with a functionalized tether on nitrogen. The target molecule is produced in 35% overall yield from isocarbostyril.