Green procedure for the preparation of scented alcohols from carbonyl compounds

Several alcohols--interesting as cosmetic fragrances whose main preparative route on an industrial scale or in the research laboratory is the reduction of the corresponding carbonyl compound--were obtained by a solvent-free methodology in a green chemistry context. The process involves the simple mixing of the carbonyl compound with sodium borohydride dispersed in wet alumina in the solid state; the conversions of the carbonyl compounds were obtained in good yields within short reaction times, without energy consumption. The following carbinols were studied: octan-3-ol, 2-cineolylols (endo-exo mixture), alpha-ionol, 4-methylbenzyl alcohol, 1-phenylethanol, trans-cinnamyl alcohol, p-anisyl alcohol, 4-phenyl-3-buten-2-ol.     

Intervention with polyphenol-rich fruit juices results in an elevation of glutathione S-transferase P1 (hGSTP1) protein expression in human leucocytes of healthy volunteers

Polyphenols are probably antigenotoxic on account of their antioxidant activities and might alter phase I and II enzymes in a way that results in chemoprotection. We investigated the hypothesis that polyphenols enhance expression of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), which increases carcinogen detoxification and thereby provides protection against oxidative stress. HGSTP1 protein expression and GST polymorphisms were determined in leucocytes obtained during an intervention study with healthy subjects consuming two fruit juices in an 8 wk trial (polyphenol-free run in phase, juice intervention phase, washout phase, second juice intervention phase, each treatment regime lasted for 2 wk). The study had originally shown that juice intervention significantly reduced oxidative DNA damage in leucocytes at week 8 (Bub, A., Watzl, B., Blockhaus, M., Briviba, K. et al., J. Nutr. Biochem. 2003, 14, 90-98). We reanalysed the levels of DNA damage based on GST genotypes. We also treated leucocytes in vitro with mixtures of polyphenols and determined cytotoxicity and expression of 96 genes related to drug metabolism. Key results with leucocytes of the intervention study were that the initial content of hGSTP1 protein was first suppressed at weeks 4 and 6. At week 8, however, hGSTP1 protein expression was significantly increased. HGSTP1 protein levels and DNA damage were inversely correlated (p = 0.005), but there was no difference for cells obtained from subjects with hGSTM1*1 and hGSTM1*0 genotypes, nor was there any difference between cells from subjects consuming the two different juices. The treatment of leucocytes with polyphenol mixtures in vitro did not result in modulated GST gene expression or total GST activity, but in an up-regulation of other biotransformation enzymes (e. g., members of the cytochrome P450 and the sulphotransferase family). In conclusion, in vitro treatment of leucocytes led to a modulated mRNA expression of selected genes, not directly related to oxidative defence systems. In vivo, however, we observed a delayed enhancement of hGSTP1, which could be associated with an initial repression of oxidative DNA damage in leucocytes from human subjects, consuming juices with high levels of polyphenols.     

Household bottled water consumption in Phoenix: a lifestyle choice

The demand for bottled water has grown tremendously in recent years, together with concern about its environmental impacts. The authors surveyed individuals in Phoenix, Arizona about their water consumption behaviour, socio-demographic characteristics, perception of water quality and trust in the government's willingness to respond to water quality issues. Using a logit model, the authors then tested the relationship between the respondents' characteristics and bottled water consumption for cooking and drinking in the home. Our results indicate that bottled water consumption reflects lifestyle choice not environmental concerns.     

Proton conductivity of Nafion/ex situ Stöber silica nanocomposite membranes as a function of silica particle size and temperature

In the first systematic study of the influence of the size of silica particles on ion exchange capacity (IEC) and proton conductivity of Nafion–silica nanocomposite membranes, thin films cast from mixtures of silica particles (5 wt%) with varying diameters ranging from 10 to 400 nm and Nafion in alcohol were examined. IECs decreased exactly as expected with the dilution of Nafion and its sulfonic acid groups with added silica. At 80 °C, the proton conductivity was also less with silica particles. However, at higher temperatures (120 °C), there was a 58 % improvement in proton conductivity at low relative humidity and a 45 % improvement at higher relative humidity for nanocomposite membranes prepared with silica particles <50 nm in size. The improvement was less significant with larger silica particles in the membranes.     

Lipidic Cubic Phases as a Versatile Platform for the Rapid Detection of Biomarkers,Viruses, Bacteria,and Parasites

Rapid and affordable detection of analytes is critical in diagnostic technologies, but current methods are typically expensive and unsuitable for field detection. Lipidic cubic phases are optically isotropic, transparent lyotropic liquid crystals (LC), containing highly confined water nanochannels in‐between percolating lipid bilayers following defined space groups. Due to this nanoconfinement, the water in these systems provides a unique environment for chemical and enzymatic reactions. Here, it is shown that during the in meso peroxidase enzymatic reaction, the converted product crystallizes within the mesophase domains, generating a detectable birefringence signal and a new general assay principle is presented for the detection of an unprecedented vast class of analytes using such birefringence as sole optical output signal. By exploiting bienzymatic cascade reactions or introducing an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay based on birefringence (Birefringent‐ELISA), this approach is used for real‐time detection of exemplary analytes, such as glucose and cholesterol, model pathogenic microorganisms, Escherichia coli, and viruses such as Ebola and HIV. It is also shown how the same technology enables the rapid, naked‐eye screening of malaria infection via in meso detection of hemozoin crystallites. This new technology is general and readily adaptable to the rapid detection of virtually any type of analyte, such as disease biomarkers, viruses, bacteria, and parasites.     

Representation and internalization in infancy: Three principles of salience.

Three principles of salience (POSs) describe interaction structures in the 1st yr of life. Ongoing regulations (ORs), disruption and repair (DAR), and heightened affective moments (HAMs) are variations on the ways in which expectancies of social interactions are organized. The term ORs captures the pattern of repeated interactions. DAR describes a specific sequence in the broad pattern. In HAMs, 1 dramatic moment stands out in time. The POSs constitute criteria by which interactions will be categorized and represented at a presymbolic (PS) level, and can illuminate the origins of both representation (REP) and internalization (INTL). Interactive regulation (REG) is the central concept in both. It is proposed that INTL is not distinct from the organization (ORG) of REPs. The expectation and PS REP of the dyadic modes of REG, as organized by the POSs, constitute the inner ORG. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sexual overstimulation as a cause of unstable gender identity in men: a case report

A phase in the analysis of a young man is presented, demonstrating evidence of maternal sexual overstimulation from infancy through early adulthood. A consequence of this overstimulation was a regression to an unstable gender identity. The developmental line of gender identity proved useful in understanding this man's conflicts.     

Activation of embedded words in spoken word recognition.

Three cross-modal associative priming experiments investigated whether speech input activates words that are embedded in other words. When the embedded word corresponded to the final syllable of a bisyllabic carrier (boos, meaning angry embedded in framboos, meaning raspberry), facilitatory priming effects were observed for related targets of the embedded word. No effects were found when the end-embedded word did not start at the onset of a syllable (wijn meaning wine in zwijn meaning swine). Beginning-embedded words were activated only If the carrier was a nonword (vel meaning skin in velk), but not when the carrier was a word (vel in velg, meaning rim). The results support the joint operation of metric segmentation and lexical competition: Words are activated if their onset matches the onset of a strong syllable; words are then excluded on the basis of interword competition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The contribution of mother-infant mutual influence to the origins of self- and object representations.

Early interaction structures provide an important basis for emerging self- and object representations. Interaction structures are characteristic patterns of mutual regulation which the infant comes to remember and expect. We use recent evidence for early representational capacity to suggest that early interaction structures are represented in a presymbolic form in the first year and provide the basis for emerging symbolic forms of self- and object representations. We specifically address the nature of the interrelatedness that is represented. Patterns of mutual regulation between mother and infant in the early months of life, illustrating matching and derailed exchanges, are described, based on microanalyses of film and videotape. These patterns provide an empirical basis for conceptualizing variations in the quality of the interrelatedness that may be represented. We suggest that the dynamic process of reciprocal adjustments is the substance of these earliest "interactive representations." What is represented is an emergent dyadic phenomenon, structures of the interaction, which cannot be described on the basis of either partner alone. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)