[1,5]Benzothiazepines are widely used in a number of different therapeutic areas and therefore represent an interesting scaffold for de novo exploration. Recent literature reports suggest their value as antibacterial agents. The present paper reports the exploration of this scaffold for the generation of combinatorial libraries both in solution and on solid phase.

Background: Multiple osteochondromas is a rare skeletal disorder characterized by the presence of osteocartilaginous protrusions causing bony deformities, especially around the knee. Guided growth by temporary hemiepiphyseal stapling is the treatment of choice to correct the deformity by modulating the residual physeal growth of the lower limbs. Although this procedure is increasingly practiced, inconclusive evidence exists regarding its effectiveness in children with multiple osteochondromas. The study aims to compare the outcomes of temporary hemiepiphyseal stapling for correcting genu valgum in children with multiple osteochondromas vs. idiopathic cases. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we included patients admitted at a single institution from 2008 to 2018. A total of 97 children (77 idiopathic, 20 multiple osteochondromas) were enclosed, accounting for 184 limbs treated by temporary hemiepiphyseal stapling. We investigated if children with multiple osteochondromas had a similar successful rate of correction, rate of complications, and correction velocity compared to children with idiopathic genu valgum. Results: Overall, 151 limbs (82%) achieved complete correction or overcorrection, with idiopathic cases having a significantly higher rate of success compared to pathologic cases (88% vs. 55%; p < 0.001). In addition, multiple osteochondromas children sustained a higher rate of major complications (p = 0.021) and showed significantly lower correction velocity (p = 0.029). Conclusion: Temporary hemiepiphyseal stapling is effective in both idiopathic and multiple osteochondromas children, although the latter often achieved incomplete correction, had a higher risk of complications, and required a longer time of stapling. We suggest to anticipate the timing of intervention; otherwise, children with multiple osteochondromas and severe valgus deformity, approaching skeletal maturity, could undergo combined femoral and tibial stapling.

This paper presents the application of a low-cost 3D printing technology in pre-operative planning and intra-operative decision-making. Starting from Computed Tomography (CT) scans, we were able to reconstruct a 3D model of the area of interest with a very simple and rapid workflow, using open-source software and an entry level 3D printer. The use of High Temperature Poly-Lactic Acid (HTPLA) by ProtoPasta allowed fabricating sterilizable models, which could be used within the surgical field. We believe that our method is an appealing alternative to high-end commercial products, being superior for cost and speed of production. It could be advantageous especially for small and less affluent hospitals that could produce customized sterilizable tools with little investment and high versatility.

The introduction of aminic nitrogen in organic molecules has been achieved in many different ways, one of the most popular being the use of imines. The main disadvantage of these starting materials lies in the difficulty of synthesising and using imines of ammonia, due to their instability, which results in their tendency to trimerize, giving the corresponding triazine. Recently a new class of imines, the N-metalloimines, a stable form of the corresponding elusive imines of ammonia, has found very useful applications in the synthesis of nitrogen-containing organic compounds. This review will cover the syntheses and applications of N-(trialkylsilyl)imines. It is not intended to be a comprehensive review of the literature; rather it is intended to highlight novel and potentially useful applications. In this context, particular emphasis will be devoted to methodologies which could be easily scaled up to kilogram scale. The synthesis of important small-ring heterocycles such as aziridines, β-lactams, pyrrolines, and piperidines and hetero-Diels−Alder derived compounds will be reviewed. Some aspects of the synthesis of commercially interesting acyclic compounds, such as amines, aminols, nitriles, and amino acids, obtained using N-(trialkylsilyl)imines, will be reported.

Congenital radioulnar synostosis (CRUS) is one of the most common congenital disorders affecting the elbow and forearm, with the forearm being fixed in a range of positions usually varying from neutral rotation to severe pronation. The aim of this study, apart from a systematic review of all surgical procedures described for CRUS, is to derive any correlation between various influencing factors, outcomes and complications. This review was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses format by an electronic literature search of Ovid , MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library databases. Grading was according to the Newcastle-Ottawa scale and the Modified Coleman Methodology Score. Demographic data, surgical procedures, outcomes and complications were analyzed. Outcome data were pooled to establish means and ranges across all studies. Spearman correlations were performed. A total of 23 articles, showing a poor overall study quality (all Level of Evidence IV), met the inclusion criteria. A total of 374 forearms with a mean age of 6.7 years (2.0–18.8) were analyzed. Derotational surgeries were more commonly performed (91%) than motion-preserving surgeries (9%). The mean deformity improved from 64.8° pronation (−75° to 110°) to a mean of 2.8° pronation (−50° to 80°). In total, 17.9% of patients presented with complications. A significant correlation was noted between age and major complications, proximal osteotomies and complications, and postoperative loss of reduction and double level osteotomies as the primary treatment modality. Most of the complications occurred above the threshold of 65–70° of correction and in children 7 years and above. Surgery is essential to improve the quality of life of children with CRUS. However, each type of surgery is associated with complications, along with the respective hardware being used in rotation osteotomies. Caution is, nevertheless, warranted in interpreting these results in view of the inherent limitations of the included studies.