Leading past COVID-19: An analysis of remote work now and beyond.

In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many cancer centers and clinics deployed remote work options for their employees. Due to the rapid response needed during this crisis, little to no feedback was obtained from dosimetrists. This study aimed to assess the productivity level and job satisfaction of medical dosimetrists in response to changes in working conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the assistance from the medical dosimetrists certification board (MDCB), critical data was gathered via an original instrument conducted and distributed by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center-School of Health Professions to all current practicing certified medical dosimetrists registered with the MDCB. Data were collected using Qualtrics and analyzed with IBM's SPSS. Most (326, 77.7%) participants indicated they transitioned to a version of remote work due to COVID-19. Almost half of the participants (208, 49.5%) reported increased job satisfaction due to the option to work remotely. The participants reported being extremely satisfied with the individual (247, 58.8%) and department (201, 47.9%) productivity levels even after implementing remote work options. Most participants (225, 53.6%), independent of age and years of experience, would prefer to stay in a hybrid role even after COVID-19 abates. These findings suggest that most dosimetrists prefer to perform their job remotely or asynchronously. A one size fits all job model design may make it difficult for organizations to attract, retain, and grow top dosimetrists. Industry leaders and employers may benefit by embracing this change as dosimetrists may value work-set-up flexibility over other employer-based benefits. Further research is needed to assess the unintended consequences of remote work environments in this profession.

Método fluorométrico para identificar agentes naturales citotóxicos y su aplicación en la evaluación de agentes antiparasitarios selectivos / Fluorometric method for the identification of cytotoxic natural agents and its application in the evaluation of selective antiparasitic agents

El ministerio de salud tiene como una de las prioridades en investigación a las enfermedades infecciosas, entre las que incluye a las leishmaniasis y la tripanosomiasis americana. En la Facultad Ciencias Farmacéuticas y Bioquímicas se estudian especies vegetales medicinales utilizadas por la cultura Tacana como fuente de agentes antiparasitarios potenciales. Los laboratorios dedicados al descubrimiento de moléculas naturales con actividad antiparasitaria, tienen el desafío de desarrollar protocolos que permitan detectar biomoléculas selectivas, efectivas y menos tóxicas que las disponibles. Por ende, las evaluaciones antiparasitarias in vitro (CI50), deberían ir acompañadas de evaluaciones de citotoxicidad (DL50), con el fin de calcular un Índice de Selectividad (IS=DL50 / CI50) como parámetro de especificidad biológica. La citotoxicidad fue medida sobre líneas de macrófagos (RAW 264.7, murino), células involucradas en las infecciones por parásitos intracelulares. El protocolo fluorométrico parte con una población de 5x104 células/mL, incubada a 37ºC en DMEM (Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's médium), por 96 horas, con adición de resazurina (2mM) 3 horas antes de las lecturas finales. Bajo estas condiciones se evaluó la citotoxicidad de drogas control y 15 extractos vegetales seleccionados por su actividad anti-kinetoplastida. El extracto de Cosmailu fue el más citotóxico, Ejije bid'u resultó selectivo para T. cruzi y Leishmania amazonensis, mientras que Id'ene eidhue, fue selectivo para L. amazonensis. Finalmente, los otros 12 extractos resultaron ser poco selectivos o citotóxicos.

The Ministry of Health has infectious diseases as one of the research priorities, including leishmaniasis and American trypanosomiasis. The Faculty of Pharmaceutical and Biochemical Sciences develops evaluations of medicinal plant species used by the Tacana culture as a source of potential antiparasitic agents. Laboratories dedicated to the discovery of natural molecules with antiparasitic activity, have the challenge of developing protocols that allow the detection of selective, effective and less toxic biomolecules than those available. Therefore, in vitro antiparasitic evaluations (IC50) should be accompanied by cytotoxicity evaluations (LD50), in order to calculate a Selectivity Index (IS = LD50/ IC50) as a parameter of biological specificity. The cytotoxicity was measured on macrophage line (RAW 264.7, murine), cells engaged on intracellular parasites infections. The fluorometric protocol starts with an initial population of 5x104 cells/mL, incubated at 37ºC, in DMEM (Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's medium) for 96 hours with addition of resazurin (2mM) 3 hours, before final readings. Under these conditions the cytotoxicity of control drugs and 15 plant extracts, selected by their anti-kinetoplastid activity, was evaluated. Cosumailu extract was the most cytotoxic, Ejije bid'u was selective for T. cruzi, and Leishmania amazonensis, while Id'ene eidhue, was selective for L. amazonensis. Finally, the other 12 extracts were little selective or cytotoxic.

A Novel Diterpene Glycoside with Nine Glucose Units from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni.

Following our interest in new diterpene glycosides with better taste profiles than that of Rebaudioside M, we have recently isolated and characterized Rebaudioside IX-a novel steviol glycoside-from a commercially-supplied extract of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni. This molecule contains a hexasaccharide group attached at C-13 of the central diterpene core, and contains three additional glucose units when compared with Rebaudioside M. Here we report the complete structure elucidation-based on extensive Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analysis (1H, 13C, Correlation Spectroscopy (COSY), Heteronuclear Single Quantum Coherence-Distortionless Enhancement Polarization Transfer (HSQC-DEPT), Heteronuclear Multiple Bond Correlation (HMBC), 1D Total Correlation Spectroscopy (TOCSY), Nuclear Overhauser Effect Spectroscopy (NOESY)) and mass spectral data-of this novel diterpene glycoside with nine sugar moieties and containing a relatively rare 16 α-linked glycoside. A steviol glycoside bearing nine glucose units is unprecedented in the literature, and could have an impact on the natural sweetener catalog.

A New Diterpene Glycoside: 15α-Hydroxy-Rebaudioside M Isolated from Stevia rebaudiana.

In a continued search for novel diterpenoid glycosides, we recently isolated and characterized a Rebaudioside M derivative with a hydroxyl group at position 15 in the central diterpene core from an extract of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni. Here we report the complete structure elucidation of 15α-hydroxy-Rebaudioside M (2) on the basis of NMR (1H, 13C, COSY, HSQC-DEPT, HMBC, 1D TOCSY, NOESY) and mass spectral data. Steviol glycoside with a hydroxyl group at C-15 in the central diterpene core has not been previously reported.

Degradation products of rubusoside under acidic conditions.

A natural sweetener, Rubusoside (1), subjected to extreme pH and temperature conditions, resulted in the isolation and structural elucidation of one novel rubusoside degradant (7), together with seven known degradants (2-6 and 8-9). ID and 2D NMR spectroscopy (1H, 13C, COSY, HSQC-DEPT, HMBC, and NOESY) and mass spectral data were used to fully characterize the degradant 7.

Bioconversion of rebaudioside I from rebaudioside A.

To supply the increasing demand of natural high potency sweeteners to reduce the calories in food and beverages, we have looked to steviol glycosides. In this work we report the bioconversion of rebaudioside A to rebaudioside I using a glucosyltransferase enzyme. This bioconversion reaction adds one sugar unit with a 1→3 linkage. We utilized 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy (1H, 13C, COSY, HSQC-DEPT, HMBC, 1D TOCSY and NOESY) and mass spectral data to fully characterize rebaudioside I.

Isolation and structure elucidation of rebaudioside D2 from bioconversion reaction of rebaudioside A to rebaudioside D.

We report the isolation and complete structure of an isomer of rebaudioside D, known as rebaudioside D2. This novel steviol glycoside was isolated from a bioconversion reaction of rebaudioside A to rebaudioside D. Rebaudioside D2 possesses a relatively rare 1 --> 6 sugar linkage, which was discovered by extensive analysis of NMR (1H, 13C, COSY, HSQC-DEPT, HMBC, 1D TOCSY and NOESY) and mass spectral data.

Isolation and characterization of a novel rebaudioside M isomer from a bioconversion reaction of rebaudioside A and NMR comparison studies of rebaudioside M isolated from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni and Stevia rebaudiana Morita.

A minor product, rebaudioside M2 (2), from the bioconversion reaction of rebaudioside A (4) to rebaudioside D (3), was isolated and the complete structure of the novel steviol glycoside was determined. Rebaudioside M2 (2) is considered an isomer of rebaudioside M (1) and contains a relatively rare 1→6 sugar linkage. It was isolated and characterized with NMR (1H, 13C, COSY, HSQC-DEPT, HMBC, 1D-TOCSY, and NOESY) and mass spectral data. Additionally, we emphasize the importance of 1D and 2D NMR techniques when identifying complex steviol glycosides. Numerous NMR spectroscopy studies of rebaudioside M (1), rebaudioside D (3), and mixture of 1 and 3 led to the discovery that SG17 which was previously reported in literature, is a mixture of rebaudioside D (3), rebaudioside M (1), and possibly other related steviol glycosides.

A concise synthesis of enantiopure circumdatins E, H and J.

A concise total synthesis of enantiopure circumdatins E, H and J has been developed using a reductive cyclization of chiral N-prolinoyl-2-nitrobenzamides to construct the core quinazolinone ring.