Trace element concentration in head hair of the inhabitans of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad area

Instrumental neutron activation analysis technique has been used to determine the concentration levels of 12 trace elements in human head hair samples collected from 105 individuals living in various areas of Rawalpindi-Islamabad. The data show that the average concentrations of Mn, Co, Ag and Au are higher in the female group as compared to the male group. Four individuals were found to have elevated levels of Se due to the use of anti-dandruff shampoos, whereas two individials had elevated levels of Hg.     

Synthesis and characterization of new thermally stable copoly(ester–amide)s from diester–dicarboxylic acids

Three new aromatic diester–dicarboxylic acids containing furan rings, namely, benzofuro[2,3-b]benzofuran-2,9-dicarboxyl-bis-phenyl ester-4,4^′-dicarboxylic acid, benzofuro[2,3-b]benzofuran-2,9-dicarboxyl-bis-phenyl ester-3,3^′-dicarboxylic acid and benzofuro[2,3-b]benzofuran-2,9-dicarboxyl-bis-naphthyl ester-2,2^′-dicarboxylic acid were synthesized by the reaction of benzofuro[2,3-b]benzofuran-2,9-dicarbonyl chloride with 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid and 3-hydroxy-naphthalene-2-carboxylic acid, respectively. Diester–dicarboxylic acids were characterized by FT-IR and NMR spectroscopy and elemental analyses. Then, these monomers were converted to aromatic copoly(ester–amide)s by their reaction with various aromatic diamines via the direct polycondensation. These polymers were characterized by viscosity measurements, solubility tests, FT-IR, Ultraviolet and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy and thermogravimetry. The polymers with inherent viscosities in the range of 0.16–0.37 dl/g in dimethyl sulfoxide at 30 °C were obtained in high yield. Most of them dissolved readily at room temperature in polar solvents. The synthesized copoly(ester–amide)s possessed glass-transition temperatures from 210–255 °C. The copoly(ester–amide)s exhibited excellent thermal stabilities and had 10% weight loss at temperature above 295 °C under nitrogen atmosphere.     

Radiation induced polymerization of vinyl monomers and their application for preparation of wood-polymer composites

Polymerizing effects of high energy radiation has been found suitable for preparation of wood-polymer composites. In the present work after evaluating polymer products that have been obtained by irradiation method, wood-polymer composites have been prepared by in situ polymerization of vinyl acetate, acrylic acid and acrylic acid/styrene mixture using two samples of Iranian hardwoods, Beech and Hornbeam. These woods and their composites have been tested for their physical and mechanical properties. The results have shown that chemical bonding between polymer and the cell wall component lead to better strength properties in the composites.     

Stability-Indicating HPTLC Assay for Leuprolide Acetate

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - A new stability-indicating HPTLC assay has been established for leuprolide acetate. Silica gel 60F254 was used as stationary phase....     

Development of an optical fibre Al(III) sensor based on immobilised chrome azurol S

Chrome azurol S immobilised on XAD-2 has been used in this study as a reagent phase for the development of an optical fibre Al(III) sensor. Using a kinetic approach, this sensor was able to give a linear response in the Al(III) concentration range of 1.3 x 10(-5)-2.0 x 10(-4) M with a limit of detection of 1.0 x 10(-4) M. The optimum responses were obtained at pH 6.0 and when the solution was stirred. The sensor response was found to have a repeatability and reproducibility of 1.6% and 5.8%, respectively. The results obtained for Al(III) determination in aqueous sample were in good agreement with those obtained using graphite furnace-atomic absorption spectrometry.     

Organic–inorganic nanocomposites prepared from fluoro-aramid and silica

Fluoro-aramid-based sol/gel-derived nanocomposites were synthesized by condensing a mixture of 4,4′-(hexafluoro-isopropylidene)dianiline and 1,3-phenylenediamine with terephthaloylchloride (TPC) in dimethylacetamide. TPC was added in slight excess to produce amide chains with carbonyl chloride end groups and then replaced with alkoxy groups using aminophenyltrimethoxysilane to develop bonding with the silica network. Mechanical, dynamic mechanical thermal, water absorption and morphological measurements were carried out on the thin hybrid films. Increase in the tensile strength and modulus was observed as compared to pristine polyamide. The thermal decomposition temperature was found in the range of 400–500 °C. The water absorption was found to be reduced with higher silica content. The glass transition temperature and the storage moduli increased with increasing silica concentration. The maximum increase in the T _g value (345 °C) was observed with 20 wt% silica. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the uniform distribution of silica in the matrix with an average particle size ranging from 8 to 50 nm.     

Negative ion FAB mass spectroscopy of some ribose alkylated 5'-UMP derivatives

Characteristic fragment ions obtained in Fast atom bombardment (FAB) mass spectroscopy of ribose alkylated Uridine 5'-monophosphate (5'-UMP) derivatives in negative ion mode are described. All the compounds examined exhibited either [M]- or quasimolecular ion [M - H]- the fragmentations can be used to characterize these nucleotides.     

Dynamics of molecular oxygen in micellar solutions

Fluorescence quenching by molecular oxygen has been employed to estimate dynamic parameters and solubility characteristics of molecular oxygen in micelle forming detergent solutions. A kinetic model which assumes that oxygen quenching occurs only in the micellar phase is employed to analyze the data.     

A study of simultaneous photolysis and photoaddition reactions of riboflavin in aqueous solution

The photodegradation reactions of riboflavin (RF) in the presence of 0.05-2.00 M phosphate (pH 7.0) have been studied using a specific multicomponent spectrophotometric method. The reactions involve simultaneous photolysis (intramolecular photoreduction) and photoaddition (intramolecular photoaddition) leading to lumichrome (LC) and cyclodehydroriboflavin (CDRF), respectively, as major products. The contribution of each reaction in the overall photodegradation depends upon the phosphate concentration, i.e., higher the phosphate concentration higher the extent of photoaddition. The apparent first-order rate constants for the photodegradation of RF and for the formation of LC and CDRF at 0.25-2.00 M phosphate concentration range from 0.65 to 3.03 x 10(-2), and from 0.41 to 0.99 x 10(-2) and 0.12 to 1.63 x 10(-2) min(-1), respectively. The second-order rate constants for the phosphate catalysed photodegradation of RF and for the formation of LC and CDRF are 2.12 x 10(-4) and 0.61 x 10(-4) and 1.41 x 10(-4) M(-1)s (-1), respectively. Since the formation of CDRF by photoaddition is catalysed by HPO(4)(2-) ions, it is suggested that H(2)PO(4)(-) ions may be involved in the formation of LC by photolysis. Thus, both H(2)PO(4)(-) and HPO(4)(2-) ions may catalyse the two major reaction pathways of riboflavin photodegradation, respectively.     

Reaction of Cα,O-dilithiooximes with functionalized carbonyl compounds. Part 2 . Reaction with α-chloroketones and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and ketones

The reaction of Cα,O-Dilithiooximes 2 and α-chloroketones afforded 5-(hydroxymethyl)-Δ²-soxazolines 4 . α,β-Unsaturated aldehydes and ketones reacted with 2 to give the corresponding acyclic 1,2-addition products 5 . The latter were cyclized with phosphorus pentoxide to 5-vinyl-Δ²-isoxazolines 6 .