Parental Responsibility and the Duty to Consult - the public's view

This article considers the imposition, by the courts, of a parental duty to consult on matters of importance in a child’s life. The results of a survey of 2,300 respondents, who were asked to respond to a number of scenarios, are analysed and discussed. The survey provides some interesting reflections on the views of the general public as to who should be ‘in control’ over decision making for children.

Enantiocomplementary preparation of (S)- and (R)-1-pyridylalkanols via ketone reduction and alkane hydroxylation using whole cells of Pseudomonas putida UV4

A previously unreported alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme in the mutant soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida UV4 catalyses the reduction of 2-, 3- and 4-acylpyridines to afford the corresponding (S)-1-pyridyl alkanols, with moderate to high e.e., whilst under the same conditions 2,6-diacetylpyridine is readily converted to the corresponding enantiopure C2-symmetric (S,S)-diol in one step. In contrast, the toluene dioxygenase enzyme in the same organism catalyses the hydroxylation of 2- and 3-alkylpyridines to (R)-1-(2-pyridyl) and (R)-1-(3-pyridyl)alkanols. This combination of oxidative and reductive biotransformations thus provides a method for preparing both enantiomers of chiral 1-pyridyl alkanols using one biocatalyst.