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We report a series of experiments based upon cinnamon oil that were developed to provide a practical integration of green and sustainable chemistry concepts for the organic chemistry laboratory. Five experiments centering around cinnamaldehyde as a green, plant-based chemical were performed by undergraduate students in a second-year organic chemistry class. Cinnamon oil was obtained through hydrodistillation, and cinnamaldehyde was used to demonstrate the use of a secondary metabolite in chemistry laboratories. Subsequently, a reduction reaction, aldol reaction, and Schiff base formation were carried out. Through these experiments, students are able to practice techniques such as thin-layer chromatography, column chromatography, recrystallization, and measurement of melting points along with UV, FTIR, and [superscript 1]H NMR spectroscopy. Microscale practices were employed in each of the reactions, and microscale column chromatography was used for purifications. The final experiment was an antimicrobial activity assessment of cinnamon oil and the cinnamaldehyde derivatives obtained from the previous experiments. Along with an interdisciplinary component, students were exposed to sunscreen chemistry and were led to consider the many uses of each product obtained. These experiments were based upon a single, inexpensive plant metabolite and biobased material to educate students about green chemistry and its practical applications in the undergraduate laboratory.

Introduction: The prevalence rates of obesity have increased in recent decades; despite leveling off in recent German studies among children and adolescents, obesity rates remain high. Psychosocial factors have an adverse impact on the maintenance of obesity. Hence, this study examined the mediating effects of mental health problems on the relation between the body mass index standard deviation score (BMI-SDS) and global health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among adolescent inpatients with obesity while controlling for gender and age-group. Methods: Three simple mediation analyses with gender and age-group as covariates were conducted for n = 313 adolescents with obesity (nfemale = 193, 61.7%) aged 12–17 (M = 14.19, SD = 1.52; BMI-SDS: M = 2.67, SD = 0.52). The adolescents were asked to report their global HRQoL at admission, and their parents estimated the children’s mental health problems at home prior to inpatient rehabilitation. Results: Emotional, peer-related, and conduct problems mediated the unfavorable effects of BMI-SDS on global HRQoL, showing high, moderate, and small effect sizes, respectively (completely standardized indirect effect of emotional problems: β = −0.09, SE = 0.03, 95% B-CI = −0.15 to −0.04; conduct problems: β = −0.03, SE = 0.02, 95% B-CI = −0.06 to −0.01; peer-related problems: β = −0.10, SE = 0.03, 95% B-CI = −0.16 to −0.05). Conclusion: Mental health problems may be one salient pathway through which BMI-SDS impairs global HRQoL among adolescents with obesity. Hence, inpatient rehabilitation programs for adolescents with obesity should increase their focus more on the development of psychosocial skills. Thus, the promotion of emotion regulation and social-emotional competencies is suggested.

Temporal changes in the bird community of an agricultural landscape in northeast Germany were analysed covering three different analytical foci (landscape-wide, habitat types, sample plots) and two aggregation levels of bird observation data (whole bird community, bird guilds). The analyses are based on a systematic data sampling over two multi-year campaigns (1999–2002; 2013–2015). Our analyses address the question of how changes in the occurrences of agricultural birds (numbers of species and of individuals) at local spots manifest themselves in the landscape as a whole. By summarizing all findings concerning single variables (number of species, observation frequencies, abundances, different habitat types, bird guilds), a dramatic, systematic decline of the bird community at sample plots was discovered between the campaigns, which is not yet recognisable across the whole landscape in terms of species richness. Furthermore, we found that landscape-wide, the birds’ use of habitat changed; the variability between single sample plots increased strongly and most species occurred at fewer sample plots over the whole landscape. Obviously, sample plots with high bird occurrences are becoming more relevant for maintaining bird communities over the whole landscape. Bird community composition changed significantly within the observation period.

This document is a summary of an article from the journal Experimental & Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes titled "Diagnosis, Therapy and Follow-Up of Diabetes Mellitus in Children and Adolescents." The article provides comprehensive information on the diagnosis, therapy, and follow-up of diabetes in this age group. It covers topics such as epidemiology, types of diabetes, risk factors, prevention, and early detection. The article emphasizes the importance of immediate insulin therapy after diagnosis and recommends specialized care for children with diabetes. It also discusses the psychosocial aspects of long-term care, the importance of a multi-professional team, and the treatment of acute and long-term complications. The document provides guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of various types of diabetes in children and adolescents, including associated autoimmune diseases. It was prepared by the German Diabetes Society with input from experts in the field. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: To examine whether characteristics of children and adolescents who start lifestyle intervention (LI) for obesity in Germany changed over the last decade. Methods: 65,453 subjects (Results: Extreme obesity was found to be more frequent at the onset of LI (2005: 11.6; 2015: 12.7%) with a similar trend in subgroups (p Conclusion: During the last decade, children and adolescents presented with higher BMI SDS at the onset of LI and the proportion with obesity-related comorbidities increased. Particularly the presence of comorbidities differed between outpatients and inpatients.