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To deal the stubborn problem arising from oily matrix of cosmetics in the chromatography of parabens, an efficient, rapid, and economic sample preparation method is proposed involving separation of matrix material by extraction with 1 mL of isooctane/1-octanol (50:50,v/v) in the presence of 1 mL of 1 mol/L sodium hydroxide, and centrifugation. Then, parabens in the alkaline solution were preconcentrated, after acidification, by liquid–liquid–liquid microextraction using 200 µL of isooctane/1-octanol (50:50,v/v) as organic solvent and 5 µL of 0.1 mol/L of sodium hydroxide as the acceptor drop. Using the optimized procedure, the method provided a rectilinear graph for 0.01–8 mg/kg of parabens with correlation coefficient (r) in the range 0.9982–0.9990, limit of detection in the range 1.7–4.3 µg/kg, and enrichment factor in the range 79–118. Intra-day (and inter-day) RSD at 0.01 and 5 mg/kg spiked levels of parabens were found as 7.7% (9.2%) and 4.7% (5.6%), respectively. Average recovery of spiked amounts of parabens to cosmetics was 98.9% with an average RSD of 6.1%. A distinct superiority of the present method in terms of sensitivity attained for parabens was evident over HPLC and CE methods that used UV detection, and some others where mass spectrometric detection was used. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Corn husk is an agro waste which poses a problem of its disposal. Hence, fibres were extracted from corn husk to utilize it. The fibres extracted from corn husk were coarse with linear density of 86 deniers, had bundle strength of 1.3 g/d and elongation at break of 18.5%. Water retention of corn husk fibres was also found to be 200%, which makes them suitable as absorbent material. Therefore, the possibility of using corn husk fibres in the absorbent layer of sanitary napkins was explored. Corn husk fibres were mixed with wood pulp in different proportions for use in sanitary napkins. The developed sanitary napkins were evaluated for various physical and hygiene parameters like pH, water retention, absorbency and ability to withstand pressure, disposability, bacterial and fungal bio-burden, and presence of common skin pathogens and compared with other sanitary napkins for all the parameters. The water retention and absorbency of corn husk napkins were comparable to branded napkins, which had higher absorbancy probably due to the presence of SAP in their absorbent layer or difference in the quality of top sheet and technology used to manufacture the napkins. The bacterial and fungal bio-burden for the developed napkins was found to be lowest and within acceptable limits of 1000 c.f.u/ml. The common skin pathogen Staphylococcus aureus and uterine pathogen Candida albicans were found to be absent. Thus, use of corn husk fibres for developing various absorbent hygiene products could be sought as an opportunity for transforming waste to useful products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2011 census, 5.3% of the Indian population was > 65 years of age. This number has steadily grown over past few years and is steeply growing. Healthcare burden of elderly diabetics is immense and proper diagnosis and treatment alone can prevent further complications. According to the most recent surveillance data in U.S., the prevalence of diabetes among U.S. adults aged >65 years varies from 22 to 33%, depending on the diagnostic criteria used. In CSIR-NEERI, India, we have healthcare system wherein a fixed and limited number of patients are treated for their lifetime by qualified practitioners with negligible financial burden of the treatment costs. The patients have regular monthly follow up and hence we diagnose Diabetes and evaluate the control and diagnose micro vascular and macro vascular complications in all patients. We did retrospective analysis of all elderly patients following up in NEERI Hospital to find the exact prevalence of T2DM in elderly. It was observed that from total 585 elderly people, 178 had T2DM (30.42%-Prevalence).The sex ratio of Diabetic males to females was almost equal (1:0.97).Obesity was present in 114 people (64%).High prevalence of hypertension was found in Diabetic elderly population (80%). Comparing our prevalence rates with few other studies, it was found that our prevalence rates are quite high. The contributing factors may be urban living, with high prevalence of central obesity and Asian ethnicity, over and above, data of all patients undergoing treatment is available. We treated all diabetics with persistent values of Systolic BP > 130 mm of Hg and Diastolic values of BP > 80mm of Hg as Hypertensives, in order to achieve reduction in cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. This paper is for awareness of disease burden, in real primary care setup. It is not cross-sectional study but study with 100% inclusion of beneficiaries'. This is real world urban diabetes prevalence, also associated hypertension and central obesity prevalence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Diethyltin(methoxy)methanesulfonate reacts readily with equimolar amount of t-butylphosphonic acid (RT, 8–10h) in moist dichloromethane and methanol to afford [(Et2Sn)6(O3PBu t )4(OSO2Me)4·CH2Cl2] n (1) and [(Et2Sn)6(O3PBu t )4(OSO2Me)4·2H2O] n (2), respectively. The identity of these compounds has been established by IR, multinuclear (1H, 13C, 31P and 119Sn) NMR as well as X-ray crystallographic studies. Despite apparent similarity in the composition, a marked difference in the structural motifs between 1 and 2 is evident in the solid state. For 1, the formation of three-dimensional self- assembly results from μ 3-phosphonate and μ 2, μ 3-sulfonate binding modes and exhibits continuous channel of voids which are occupied by disordered CH2Cl2 molecules. In contrast, the sulfonate ligands in 2 act exclusively in μ 2-fashion and hydrogen bonding interactions (O–H⋯O) between coordinated water molecules and methanesulfonate groups is significant in the construction of 3D supramolecular assembly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Solid-phase extraction (SPE) of phenol and chlorophenols, their derivatization to methyl ethers, headspace single-drop microextraction (HS-SDME) of methyl ethers using 1-butanol as extraction solvent, and direct transfer of the drop into the injector for high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) have been reported. A flanged-end polytetrafluoroethylene sleeve, 3mm×0.5mm, placed at the tip of the syringe needle, allowed the use of 10μL solvent drop for extraction. The procedure has been optimized for variables involved in SPE and HS-SDME. A rectilinear relationship was obtained between the amount of chlorophenols and peak area ratio of their methyl ethers/internal standard (4-methoxyacetophenone) in the range 0.01–10mgL−1, correlation coefficient in the range 0.9956–0.9996, and limit of detection in the range 1.5–3.9μgL−1 when HS-SDME alone was used for sample preparation. When using coupled SPE and HS-SDME, the linear range obtained was 0.1–500μgL−1, correlation coefficient in the range 0.9974–0.9998, and the limit of detection in the range 0.04–0.08μgL−1. Spiked real samples have been analyzed with adequate accuracy, and application of the method has been demonstrated for the analysis of chlorophenols formed upon bamboo pulp bleaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Headspace single-drop microextraction has been used for the determination of cyanide with ninhydrin in combination with fibre-optic-based cuvetteless microspectrophotometry which accommodates sample volume of 1μL placed between the two ends of optical fibres, and has been found to avoid salient drawbacks of batch methods. This method involved hydrocyanic acid formation in a closed vial, and simultaneous extraction and reaction with 2μL drop of ninhydrin in carbonate medium suspended at the tip of a microsyringe needle held in the headspace of the acidified sample solution. The method was linear in range 0.025–0.5mgL−1 of cyanide. The headspace reaction was free from the interference of substances, e.g., thiocyanate, hydrazine sulphate, hydroxylammonium chloride and ascorbic acid. Sulphide was masked by cadmium sulphate, nitrite by sulphamic acid, sulphite by N-ethylmaleimide, and halogens by ascorbic acid. The limit of detection was found to be 4.3μgL−1 of cyanide which was comparable to existing most sensitive methods for cyanide. However, the present method is far more simple. The method was applied to acid-labile and metal cyanides complexes by treatment with sulphide when metal sulphides were precipitated setting cyanide ion free, and to iron(II) and (III) cyanide complexes by their decomposition with mercury(II), the mercury(II) cyanide formed was then determined. These pre-treatment methods avoided cumbersome pre-separation of cyanide by methods such as distillation or gas diffusion. The overall recovery of cyanide in diverse samples was 97% with RSD of 3.9%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hydrolysis of the mixed-ligand dimethyltin(ethoxy)ethanesulfonate, [Me2Sn(OEt)(OSO2Et)]n (1a) in moist hexane proceeds via disproportionation and partial cleavage of Sn—C and S—C bonds to afford a novel oxo-/hydroxo- organotin cluster of the composition [(Me2Sn)(MeSn)4(OSO2Et)2(OH)4(O)2(SO3)2] (1) bearing both mono- and dimethyltin fragments and in situ generated sulfite (SO32-) anion in the structural framework. On the other hand, similar reactions with analogous mixed ligand diorganotin precursors, [R2Sn(OR1)(OSO2R1)]n (R = n-Bu, R1 = Et (2a); R = Et, R1 = Me (3a)), result in the formation of tetranuclear diorganotin clusters, [{(n-Bu2Sn)2(OH)(OSO2Et)}O]2 (2) and [(Et2Sn)4(OH)(O)2(OSO2Me)3] (3), respectively. The activation of the Sn—C or S—C bond is not observed in these cases. These findings provide a preliminary insight into the unusual reactivity of 1a under hydrolytic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Headspace single-drop microextraction has been investigated for the determination of chloride in conjunction with fibre optic-based cuvetteless micro-spectrophotometry which accommodates sample volume of 1μL placed between the two ends of optical fibres. Method has been evolved for the determination of 0.025–4mgL−1 of chloride involving its oxidation with permanganate in sulphuric acid medium, and reaction of chlorine with 2μL drop of starch-iodide reagent suspended at the tip of microsyringe needle in the headspace of the reaction mixture. The limit of detection was found to be 2.8μgL−1 of chloride which was better than obtained by existing methods. The method was highly selective and a number of ions which interfered severely in other methods did not affect the results. The method has been used to analyze water samples, inorganic compounds and cement when the overall recovery of chloride was 94.9% with a relative standard deviation of 3.9%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A simple and rapid method has been reported for the determination of carbonyl compounds involving reaction with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine and extraction of hydrazones with water-miscible organic solvent acetonitrile when the phase separation occurs by addition of ammonium sulphate, a process called salt-assisted liquid–liquid microextraction. The extract was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection at 360nm. The procedure has been optimized with respect to solvent suitable for extraction, salt for phase separation between water and organic solvent, reaction temperature and reaction time. The method has been validated when a linear dynamic range was obtained between the amount of analyte and peak area of hydrazones in the range 7μg–15mgL−1, the correlation coefficient over 0.9964–0.9991, and the limit of detection in the range 0.58–3.2μgL−1. Spiked water samples have been analyzed with adequate accuracy, and application of the method has been demonstrated in the analysis of benzaldehyde formed as oxidation product in pharmaceutical preparation where benzyl alcohol is used as preservative, and for a keto drug dexketoprofen. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • FT-IR enabled integrating unperturbed band inazo dye. • Solvent polarity and pH of final solution do not interfere. • Response surface methodology employed for optimization of reactions used. • Method applied to real samples of food grade salt, health supplements, and vegetables. • Sensitivity of FT-IR method found comparable or better than spectrophotometry. A novel method based on diffused reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (DRS-FTIR) was employed for iodate determination in food grade salt and food products. The method attained sensitivity that was comparable to or better than that in most of the contemporary spectrophotometric methods. This was realized through a combination of azo dye formation and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction of dye when a 37-fold enrichment was obtained. FT-IR enabled integrating alternative target peak, and freedom in sample solvent composition relative to UV–visible spectrophotometry where the solvent polarity, pH, and presence of ions may affect the spectral properties of the measurable coloured species. Food samples containing iodide or covalently bonded iodine were oxidized with alkaline permanganate for mineralization and iodate formation. Optimization of both reaction conditions was carried out by means of response surface methodology. The method had a linear range 0.04–10 mg kg−1 iodate and limit of detection of 4.4 µg kg−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Described the technology for refining biowaste into bioenergy and bioproducts. • The circular economy laid the groundwork for the advancement of bioenergy and bioproducts. • Outlined the implications, problems, and future directions of a modern circular economy. The generation of bioenergy and bioproducts from biowaste streams has piqued global interest in achieving a cutting-edge circular economy. The integration of biowaste into the cutting-edge circular economy has the potential to significantly increase the production of sustainable bioproducts and bioenergy. The potential for advanced forms and innovations to transform complicated, natural-rich biowastes into a variety of bioproducts and bioenergy with an advanced circular economy has been demonstrated in this article. It is described to emphasise the critical nature of research into improving biowaste conversion into circular economies and the impact that bioeconomy has on various societal sectors. The present study examined how microbial profiles have transformed treasured bioenergy and bioproducts aspirations into mechanical bioproducts marvels discovered through cutting-edge microbial analyses of biowaste. Additionally, the article discussed contemporary experiences with the developing circular economy of biowaste as a resource for numerous bioproducts and bioenergy businesses, as well as the emanant biowaste biorefinery methods that could be used to evaluate industrial-scale maintainable financial models for updated bioproducts and other generation-related issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Presence of iodine in aromatic amines, introduced by their reaction with iodine, and other electron withdrawing substituents such as chlorine and nitro, has been found to afford excellent liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) in toluene and separation by gas chromatography in the determination of primary, secondary and tertiary aromatic amines. The effect is due to decreased basic nature of amines when electronegative substituents are present. Single drop microextraction (SDME) of the amines in 2μl of toluene and injection of the whole extract into GC, or LPME into 50μl of toluene and injection of 2μl of extract, were used. LPME has been found more robust and to give better extraction in shorter period than SDME. In SDME–GC–FID, the average correlation coefficient was 0.9939 and average limit of detection 25μgl−1 (range 12–61μgl−1) whereas the corresponding values in LPME–GC–MS were, respectively, 0.9953 and 33ngl−1 (range 18–60ngl−1). The method has been applied to determine aromatic amines in river water, dye factory effluents and food dye stuffs. The LPME was found as robust, rugged and simple extraction method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The synthesis, structural characterization, and catalytic application of two novel aluminum complexes, [κ3ENSe−{Ph2P(E)N−C6H4−SePh}AlMe2] [E=S (1) and Se (2)] supported by new pincer‐type phenylselenium‐phosphanamidinate chalcogenide ligands are described. The molecular structures of both complexes in their solid states reveal a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry around the Al(III) ion, involving monoanionic ligand {Ph2P(E)N−C6H4−SePh}− bonded to the AlMe2‐motif in a tridentate manner. Complex 1 was found to be an effective pre‐catalyst for the cyanosilyation of aldehydes and ketones with TMSCN under solvent‐free conditions. The reaction protocol is simple, efficient, and has a diverse substrate scope of aldehydes and ketones, showing superior functional group tolerance. The kinetic study revealed that ketone reduction proceeded with first‐order dependence on ketone concentrations, TMSCN, and catalyst 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]