Radical collaboration during a global health emergency: development of the RDA COVID-19 data sharing recommendations and guidelines.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic required a rapid and effective response. This included ethical and legally appropriate sharing of data. The European Commission (EC) called upon the Research Data Alliance (RDA) to recruit experts worldwide to quickly develop recommendations and guidelines for COVID-related data sharing. Purpose: The purpose of the present work was to explore how the RDA succeeded in engaging the participation of its community of scientists in a rapid response to the EC request. Methods: A survey questionnaire was developed and distributed among RDA COVID-19 work group members. A mixed-methods approach was used for analysis of the survey data. Results: The three constructs of radical collaboration (inclusiveness, distributed digital practices, productive and sustainable collaboration) were found to be well supported in both the quantitative and qualitative analyses of the survey data. Other social factors, such as motivation and group identity were also found to be important to the success of this extreme collaborative effort. Conclusions: Recommendations and suggestions for future work were formulated for consideration by the RDA to strengthen effective expert collaboration and interdisciplinary efforts.

Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical characterization of Myrothamnus flabellifolia Welw.

The upper aerial parts and leaf tips of Myrothamnus flabellifolia Welw. (Myrothamnaceae), a resurrection plant indigenous to southern Africa, are used in African traditional medicine for infections of the respiratory and urinary system as well as for inflammation of mucosa and skin. Within a phytochemical investigation of the herbal material from M. flabellifolia the flavonoid fraction was shown to contain quercetin 10 as well as the respective 3-O-ß-d-galactosides, glucosides, -glucuronides and 3-O-α-l-rhamnosides of quercetin (6, 7, 8, 26) and kaempferol (1, 2, 3, 9). Additionally mono-galloylated 12, 13, di-galloylated 15 and tri-galloylated 16 flavonol glycosides were identified. 3,4,5-Tri-O-galloyl- 14 and 1,3,4,5-tetra-O-galloyl quinic acid 28 were isolated and characterized, beside arbutin 27 and 2″,3″-di-O-galloyl-arbutin 11. Furthermore, the depside 2-O-(3,4-dihydroxybenzoyl)-2,4,6-trihydroxyphenylacetic acid 5, 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-ß-d-glucose 22 and seven ellagitannins were found: 1,2-di-O-galloyl-(4,6-(S)-hexahydroxydiphenoyl)-ß-d-glucose 20, 1,3-di-O-galloyl-(4,6-(S)-hexahydroxydiphenoyl)-ß-d-glucose 21, 2,3-di-O-galloyl-(4,6-(S)-hexahydroxydiphenoyl)-ß-d-glucose (tellimagrandin-I) 19, 1,2,3-tri-O-galloyl-(4,6-O-hexahydroxydiphenoyl)-ß-d-glucose (tellimagrandin-II) 23, and two so far not described dimers of tellimagrandin-I and -II (myrodigamin-I and -II, 24, 25). The presence of trehalose (3.3%), raffinose (0.2%) and stachiose (0.2%) beside a fructan (2.1%) was determined. Two ICH2-validated UHPLC methods have been developed and used within batch analysis for unambiguous identification of the herbal material and quantification of the major compounds myrodigamin-I (0.9 to 1.7%), tellimagrandin-II (0.3 to, 0.9%) and 3,4,5-tri-O-galloyl quinic acid (0.1 to 0.7%), besides kaempferol (0.1 to 0.3%) and quercetin content (0.2 to 0.3%) after hydrolysis of the respective glycosides.

Procyanidins from Myrothamnus flabellifolia.

From the ethyl acetate soluble fraction of an acetone-water extract of the twig tips of Myrothamnus flabellifolia Welw. (Myrothamnaceae), a variety of flavan-3-ols (epicatechin, epigallocatechin and their 3-O-galloylated analogues) and procyanidins (DP 8)-catechin], B4 [catechin-(4alpha --> 8)-epicatechin], B6 [catechin-(4alpha --> 6)-catechin] and catechin-(4alpha --> 8)-epigallocatechin along with the galloylated analogues B4-3'-O-gallate, procyanidin B2-3'-O-gallate [epicatechin-(4beta --> 8)-epicatechin-3-O-gallate], B2-3,3'-di-O-gallate, procyanidin B5-3,3'-O-gallate [epicatechin-3-O-gallate-(4beta --> 6)-epicatechin-3-O-gallate], catechin-(4alpha --> 8)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate, the trimer procyanidin C1-3''-O-gallate[epicatechin-(4beta --> 8)-epicatechin-(4beta --> 8)-epicatechin-3-O-gallate] and the new epicatechin-3-O-gallate-(4beta --> 6)-epicatechin-3-O-p-hydroxybenzoate. The structures were elucidated by 1D- and 2D-NMR experiments of their peracetylated derivatives, partial acid-catalysed degradation with phloroglucinol, ESI-MS and CD spectra.