BACKGROUND Waxes are esters of long-chain fatty acids and long-chain alcohols. Their principal natural sources are animals (sperm whale oil) and vegetables (jojoba) which are expensive and not easily available. Wax esters synthesized by enzymatic transesterification, using palm stearin as raw material, can be considered as an alternative to natural ones. RESULTS Palm stearin is a solid fracti...

Nine species of Mymaridae and Trichogrammatidae parasitic on eggs of Proconiini sharpshooters (Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae) were collected in northwestern Mexico in relation to neoclassical biological control efforts against glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar), in California. Gonatocerus chula Triapitsyn and Bernal sp. n., which belongs to the ater species group of Gonat...

Inhibition of net photosynthesis (Pn) by moderate heat stress has been attributed to an inability of Rubisco activase to maintain Rubisco in an active form. To examine this proposal, the temperature response of Pn, Rubisco activation, chlorophyll fluorescence, and the activities of Rubisco and Rubisco activase were examined in species from contrasting environments. The temperature optimum of Ru...

BACKGROUND The agitated behaviours that accompany dementia (e.g. pacing, aggression, calling out) are stressful to both nursing home residents and their carers and are difficult to treat. Increasingly more attention is being paid to alternative interventions that are associated with fewer risks than pharmacology. Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) has been thought, for centuries, to have soothin...

The crystal structure development of jojoba-like esters incorporating either 1-decenoic acid and/or 1-decenol, namely octadec-9-enyl dec-9-enoate (JLE-281), and its isomer dec-9-enyl oleate (JLE-282) was investigated to reveal the effect of symmetry about the ester group on crystallization of aliphatic fatty monoesters. The phase transformation path was investigated with temperature-time resolv...

Encapsulated anticorrosion agents provide a suitable alternative to dispersion of metal-based compounds in protective polymeric coatings on metal substrates. Stimuli-responsive microcapsules enhance protection abilities by autonomously responding corrosion-induced environmental changes, rather than relying damage-induced mechanical stimuli. This work reports pH-responsive with triggered release...