Fostriecin and related natural products present a significant challenge for synthetic chemists due to their structural complexity and chemical sensitivity. This review will chronicle the successful efforts of synthetic chemists in the construction of these biologically active molecules. Key carbon–carbon bond forming reactions will be highlighted, as well as the methods used to install the numerous stereocenters present in this class of compounds.

Objective Surgical education has increasingly relied on electronic learning. In particular, online operative videos have become a core resource within neurosurgery. We analyze the forums for neurosurgical operative videos. Methods Operative videos from 5 sources were reviewed: 1) the NEUROSURGERY Journal YouTube channel; 2) the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Neurosurgery YouTube channel; 3) The Neurosurgical Atlas Operative Video Cases; 4) Operative Neurosurgery ; and 5) Neurosurgical Focus : Video . Title, year of publication, senior author, institution, country, and subspecialty were documented for each video. Results A total of 1233 videos showing 1247 surgeries were identified. Ten videos included >1 surgery; of those, there was a median of 2 surgeries (interquartile range, 2.0–2.5) per video. The most frequently represented subspecialties included vascular (48.3%), tumor (35.2%), and skull base surgery (27.5%), with almost 40% of videos showing >1 category. Videos were submitted by investigators from 28 countries, but 82.1% of the videos originated in the United States. Conclusions Neurosurgical operative videos have become increasingly common through a variety of online platforms. Future efforts may benefit from collecting videos from underrepresented regions and subspecialties, providing long-term follow-up data and showing techniques for managing complications.

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Studies of live cells often require loading of exogenous molecules through the cell membrane; however, effects of loading method on experimental results are poorly understood. Therefore, in this work, we compared three methods for loading a fluorescently labeled peptide into cells of the model organism Dictyostelium discoideum. We optimized loading by pinocytosis, electroporation, and myristoylation to maximize cell viability and characterized loading efficiency, localization, and uniformity. We also determined how the loading method affected measurements of enzyme activity on the peptide substrate reporter using capillary electrophoresis. Loading method had a strong effect on the stability and phosphorylation of the peptide. The half-life of the intact peptide in cells was 19 ± 2, 53 ± 15, and 12 ± 1 min, for pinocytosis, electroporation, and myristoylation, respectively. The peptide was phosphorylated only in cells loaded by electroporation. Fluorescence microscopy suggested that the differences between methods were likely due to differences in peptide localization.

OBJECTIVE Craniosynostosis is a congenital disorder resulting from the premature fusion of cranial sutures in the infant skull. This condition results in significant cosmetic deformity and can impede neurodevelopment, if left untreated. Currently, rates of craniometric change following minimally invasive surgery have only been examined for sagittal craniosynostosis. A better understanding of postoperative skull adaptations in other craniosynostosis subtypes is needed to objectively categorize surgical outcomes and guide length of cranial orthosis therapy. METHODS Eleven patients with sagittal and 8 with metopic craniosynostosis treated using endoscopic strip craniectomy and postoperative helmet orthoses were retrospectively reviewed. Using semiautomated image analysis of top-down orthogonal 2D photographs, the following craniometrics were recorded before surgery and at postoperative visits: cephalic index (CI), cranial vault asymmetry index (CVAI), anterior arc angle (AAA), posterior arc angle (PAA), anterior-middle width ratio (AMWR), anterior-posterior width ratio (APWR), left-right height ratio (LRHR), sagittal Hu moment (Sag-Hu), and brachycephaly Hu moment (Brachy-Hu). These craniometrics were then normalized to photograph-based measurements of normocephalic patients and the rates of change between metopic and sagittal craniosynostoses were compared. RESULTS Patients with sagittal craniosynostosis exhibited significantly lower CI, lower PAA, higher AMWR, higher APWR, lower Sag-Hu, and higher Brachy-Hu preoperatively compared to patients with normocephalic craniosynostosis. Patients with metopic craniosynostosis exhibited lower AAA and AMWR preoperatively compared to normocephalic subjects. Sagittal and metopic patients had a rapid initial change in normalized CI or AAA, respectively. Craniometric rates of change that significantly differed between metopic and sagittal patients were found in AAA (p < 0.001), AMWR (p < 0.001), and APWR (p < 0.0001). Metopic patients had a prolonged AAA change with a significantly different rate of change up to 6 months postoperatively (median at 3 months = 0.027 normalized units/day, median at 6 months = 0.017 normalized units/day, and median at > 6 months = 0.007 normalized units/day), while sagittal CI rate of change at these time points was not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS Patients with metopic craniosynostosis have a prolonged rate of change compared to patients with sagittal craniosynostosis and may benefit from longer helmet use and extended postoperative follow-up. Categorizing craniometric changes for other craniosynostosis subtypes will be important for evaluating current treatment guidelines.

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