Special importance is given to the total synthesis and the synthetic strategies intended therein, comprising a set of main reactions. © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.The Amaryllidaceae alkaloids are a distinctive chemotaxonomic feature of the subfamily Amaryllidoideae of the family Amaryllidaceae, which consists of 59 genera and >800 species distributed primarily in tropical and subtropical areas. Since the first isolation, ca. 140 ago, >600 structurally diverse Amaryllidaceae alkaloids have been reported from ca. 350 species (44% of all species in the subfamily). A few have been found in other plant families, but the majority are unique to the Amaryllidoideae. These alkaloids have attracted considerable research interest due to their wide range of biological and pharmacological activities, which have been extensively reviewed. In this chapter we provide a review of the 636 structures of isolated or tentatively identified alkaloids from plants of the Amaryllidoideae and their classification into 42 skeleton types, as well as a discussion on their distribution, and chemotaxonomical and chemoecological aspects. © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Lamellarins are marine alkaloids containing fused 14-phenyl-6H-[1]benzopyrano[4′,3’4,5]pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinoline or non-fused 3,4-diarylpyrrole-2-carboxylate ring systems. To date, more than 50 lamellarins have been isolated from a variety of marine organisms, such as mollusks, tunicates, and sponges. Many of them, especially fused type I lamellarins, exhibit impressive biological activity, such as potent cytotoxicity, topoisomerase I inhibition, protein kinases inhibition, and anti-HIV-1 activity. Due to their useful biological activity and limited availability from natural sources, a number of synthetic methods have been developed. In this chapter, we present an updated and comprehensive review on lamellarin alkaloids summarizing their isolation, synthesis, and biological activity. © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.BACKGROUND Emergence coughing can harm the patient following completion of surgery, but it is unclear which medication is most effective at reducing this event. We conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis of RCTs to determine the medications’ relative efficacies on decreasing moderate to severe emergence coughing after general anaesthesia. Medications studied were lidocaine (i.v., intracuff, topical, or tracheal application), dexmedetomidine, remifentanil, and fentanyl. METHODS We searched eight different medical literature databases, conference abstracts, and article references. After screening, included citations were evaluated for bias and had their data extracted. H-His-OH.HCl.H2O Pooled odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for each treatment comparison were calculated. A surface under the cumulative ranking curve analysis (SUCRA) determined the relative rank of each intervention to decrease moderate to severe emergence coughing. Subgroup analyses included severe coughing only, extubation times, type of maintenance anaesthetic, and dosages. RESULTS The network meta-analysis included 70 studies and 5286 patients. All study medications had favourable odds in reducing moderate and severe peri-extubation coughing compared with either no medication or placebo. No single medication was favoured over another. Dexmedetomidine had the highest SUCRA rank, followed in order by remifentanil, fentanyl, and lidocaine via intracuff, tracheal/topical, and i.v. routes. Remifentanil was ranked highest for decreasing severe coughing only. Intracuff lidocaine had higher odds of prolonging extubation times compared with placebo, dexmedetomidine, fentanyl, and remifentanil. CONCLUSION All study medications were better than placebo or no medication in reducing moderate to severe emergence cough, with dexmedetomidine ranked the most effective. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION PROSPERO registration number CRD42018102870. Inorganic nanoparticles are commonly employed as vectors for delivering drugs into cancer cells while decreasing undesired cytotoxicity in healthy tissues. Carbonate apatite is an attractive nonviral vector that releases drugs at acidic environment inside the cells following endocytosis. However, maintaining the smaller particle size is crucial for enhancing cellular uptake of drugs as well as prolonging their systemic circulation time. We aimed to modify carbonate apatite with citrate for reducing the growth kinetics of carbonate apatite particles and enhancing the cellular uptake of cyclophosphamide via endocytosis. Several concentrations of sodium citrate were used to fabricate citrate-modified carbonate apatite (CMCA) particle complexes in absence or presence of cyclophosphamide. The binding affinity of the drug towards the particles and its cellular uptake were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The nanoparticles’ average size and zeta potential were determined by Malvern Zetasizer. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was performed to justify association of citrate with carbonate apatite. MTT assay was performed to evaluate the cell viability. CMCA exhibited 6% more binding efficiency for cyclophosphamide and promoted fast cellular uptake of cyclophosphamide with enhanced cytotoxicity in MCF-7 cells, compared to unmodified carbonate apatite. Therefore, CMCA nanoparticles have a high potential for intracellular delivery of anti-cancer drugs and demand for further investigated in animal models of cancer.On 27 December 2019, the French Public Health Agency identified a large increase in the number of acute gastroenteritis and vomiting visits, both in emergency departments and in emergency general practitioners’ associations providing house-calls. In parallel, on 26 and 27 December, an unusual number of food-borne events suspected to be linked to the consumption of raw shellfish were reported through the mandatory reporting surveillance system. This paper describes these concomitant outbreaks and the investigations’ results.Interim results from Canada’s Sentinel Practitioner Surveillance Network show that during a season characterised by early co-circulation of influenza A and B viruses, the 2019/20 influenza vaccine has provided substantial protection against medically-attended influenza illness. Adjusted VE overall was 58% (95% confidence interval (CI) 47 to 66) 44% (95% CI 26 to 58) for A(H1N1)pdm09, 62% (95% CI 37 to 77) for A(H3N2) and 69% (95% CI 57 to 77) for influenza B viruses, predominantly B/Victoria lineage.