Micro-flow nanocatalysis: synergic effect of TfOH@SPIONs and micro-flow technology as an efficient and robust catalytic system for the synthesis of plasticizers.

The combination of continuous flow technology with immobilizing of only 0.13 mol% of triflic acid (TfOH) on silica-encapsulated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) under solvent-free conditions successfully provided a powerful, efficient, and eco-friendly route for the synthesis of plasticizers. The turnover frequency value in micro-flow conditions varied in the range of 948.7 to 7384.6 h-1 compared to 403.8 to 3099 h-1 for in-flask. This technique works efficiently, encouraging future applications of micro-flow nano-catalysis in green chemistry.

Toxoplasma gondii Exposure and the Risk of Schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is a major psychiatric disorder with a deeply destructive pathophysiology. There are evidences to indicate that infectious agents such as Toxoplasma gondii may play some roles in etiology of the disorder. OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed to determine the association between T. gondii exposure and the risk of schizophrenia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: T. gondii IgG antibodies of 100 patients with schizophrenia as well as 200 healthy volunteers were assessed. The subjects also completed demographic questionnaires. Data was analyzed using the chi-square and Fisher exact tests. RESULTS: The analyses confirmed the significant differences between healthy women and ones with schizophrenia (P = 0.001) as well as between males and females with schizophrenia (P = 0.009) in IgG positivity. CONCLUSIONS: The present study supported the contamination with T. gondii as a risk factor for schizophrenia just in women.