A simple method for optimal redundancy allocation for complex networks

In this paper a simple method for optimum redundancy allocation for complex networks is presented. A new heuristic criterion is introduced for solving the problem by decomposing the same in two phases. After finding all minimal path sets of the system in phase I, we choose a minimal path set having the highest value of the ‘sensitivity factor’. In phase II we add one component to the stage having the largest value of the selection factor amongst the stages of the selected minimal path set. This procedure is continued until no more redundant component can be added within the available resources. The proposed method is simple, easily computerizable, fast and capable of handling problems subject to any number of constraints. The method has been illustrated by examples and results are compared with the existing methods.     

Attenuol—structure,stereochemistry and synthesis

A new lignan, attenuol, isolated from Knema attenuata (Wall.) Warb., has been assigned structure (1) on the basis of spectral data. Lignan (1) and the stereoisomer (4) (2-epiattenuol) have been synthesized and the structure assigned to attenuol has been confirmed.     

Recovery of Pd(II) and Ru(III) from aqueous waste using inorganic ion-exchanger

The applicability of mica minerals and zeolites for the efficient removal of valuable platinum group metals (PGMs), Pd(II) and Ru(III) from aqueous waste by sorption has been investigated. The sorption of PGMs Pd(II) onto mica-mineral, muscovite and Ru(III) onto natrolite as zeolite have been studied as a function of (i) exchanger composition, (ii) temperature at which sorption process takes place and (iii) the presence of competing cations such as Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺. These three factors have remarkable effect on the sorption process. The synthesized gel was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, energy dispersive spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy.     

In vivo oral insulin delivery via covalent organic frameworks

With diabetes being the 7th leading cause of death worldwide, overcoming issues limiting the oral administration of insulin is of global significance. The development of imine-linked-covalent organic framework (nCOF) nanoparticles for oral insulin delivery to overcome these delivery barriers is herein reported. A gastro-resistant nCOF was prepared from layered nanosheets with insulin loaded between the nanosheet layers. The insulin-loaded nCOF exhibited insulin protection in digestive fluids in vitro as well as glucose-responsive release, and this hyperglycemia-induced release was confirmed in vivo in diabetic rats without noticeable toxic effects. This is strong evidence that nCOF-based oral insulin delivery systems could replace traditional subcutaneous injections easing insulin therapy.

We report the successful use of a gastro-resistant covalent organic framework for in vivo oral delivery of insulin.     

Immobilization of biogenic gold nanoparticles in thermally evaporated fatty acid and amine thin films

We have recently demonstrated the biological synthesis of gold nanoparticles by the reduction of aqueous chloroaurate ions by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum and with extract of geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) leaf. In this paper, we demonstrate the immobilization of biogenic gold nanoparticles in lipid thin films deposited by thermal evaporation. The charge on the gold nanoparticles synthesized by both the fungus and the geranium plant extract is used to facilitate their immobilization in both anionic and cationic lipid thin films. A rough estimate of the isoelectric point of the proteins capping the gold nanoparticles synthesized using the fungus could be made by pH-dependent microgravimetry studies of the immobilization process. An interesting size and shape selectivity in the immobilized gold nanoparticles is observed in the lipid thin films. The biogenic gold nanoparticle-lipid composite films were characterized using quartz crystal microgravimetry, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy.     

Four novel classes of heterobimetallic isopropoxides of chromium(III)

Four novel classes of hydrocarbon-soluble isopropoxometallates of chromium(III): [Cr{²-Zr(OPr ⁱ )₅}₃], [Cr- {²-M₂(OPr ⁱ )₉}₃] [M = Zr^IV, Sn^IV], [Cr{²-M(OPr ⁱ ) _x Cl}₃] (M = Al, x = 3; M = Nb, x = 5), and [Cr{⁴-Zr₂-(OPr ⁱ )₈Cl}Cl₂]/[Cr{³-Zr₂(OPr ⁱ )₈Cl}{²-Zr₂(OPr ⁱ )₈Cl}Cl] [ ⁿ represents the number of connectivity sites (n = 2, 3, 4) involved in binding Cr^III] have been prepared for the first time and characterized by the elemental analyses, spectroscopic (i.r., electronic) and magnetic susceptibility studies as well as molecular weight measurements. The [Cr{²-Ga(OPr ⁱ )₄}₃] derivative has also been prepared and its magnetic and electronic properties compared with the above four novel types of Cr^III complexes.     

Development and application of polymer-coated hollow fiber membrane microextraction to the determination of organochlorine pesticides in water

A novel extraction procedure coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometric detection for quantification of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in water is described. Amphiphilic polyhydroxylated polyparaphenylene (PH-PPP) was synthesized and coated on the surfaces of a porous polypropylene hollow fiber membrane (HFM). Due to the high porosity of the HFM, maximum active surface area to achieve high extraction efficiency is expected. The polymer-coated HFM was used for the extraction of 15 OCPs from water. The extraction efficiency was compared with emerging and established methods such as liquid-phase microextraction (LPME), solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) techniques. We term the current procedure as polymer-coated hollow fiber microextraction (PC-HFME). PC-HFME showed good selectivity and sensitivity. Detection limits for OCPs were in the range of 0.001-0.008 microg l(-1). The sensitivity and selectivity of the coated HFM could be adjusted by changing the characteristics of the coated PH-PPP film.     

Conversion of substituted 5‐aryloxypyrazolecarbaldehydes into reduced 3,4′‐bipyrazoles: synthesis and characterization,and the structures of four precursors and two products,and their supramolecular assembly in zero,one and two dimensions

The reaction of 5‐chloro‐3‐methyl‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazole‐4‐carbaldehyde with phenols under basic conditions yields the corresponding 5‐aryloxy derivatives; the subsequent reaction of these carbaldehydes with substituted acetophenones yields the corresponding chalcones, which in turn undergo cyclocondensation reactions with hydrazine in the presence of acetic acid to form N‐acetylated reduced bipyrazoles. Structures are reported for three 5‐aryloxycarbaldehydes and the 5‐piperidino analogue, and for two reduced bipyrazole products. 5‐(2‐Chlorophenoxy)‐3‐methyl‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazole‐4‐carbaldehyde, C₁₇H₁₃ClN₂O₂, (II), which crystallizes with Z′ = 2 in the space group P, exhibits orientational disorder of the carbaldehyde group in each of the two independent molecules. Each of 3‐methyl‐5‐(4‐nitrophenoxy)‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazole‐4‐carbaldehyde, C₁₇H₁₃N₃O₄, (IV), 3‐methyl‐5‐(naphthalen‐2‐yloxy)‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazole‐4‐carbaldehyde, C₂₁H₁₆N₂O₂, (V), and 3‐methyl‐1‐phenyl‐5‐(piperidin‐1‐yl)‐1H‐pyrazole‐4‐carbaldehyde, C₁₆H₁₉N₃O, (VI), (3RS)‐2‐acetyl‐5‐(4‐azidophenyl)‐5′‐(2‐chlorophenoxy)‐3′‐methyl‐1′‐phenyl‐3,4‐dihydro‐1′H,2H‐[3,4′‐bipyrazole] C₂₇H₂₂ClN₇O₂, (IX) and (3RS)‐2‐acetyl‐5‐(4‐azidophenyl)‐3′‐methyl‐5′‐(naphthalen‐2‐yloxy)‐1′‐phenyl‐3,4‐dihydro‐1′H,2H‐[3,4′‐bipyrazole] C₃₁H₂₅N₇O₂, (X), has Z′ = 1, and each is fully ordered. The new compounds have all been fully characterized by analysis, namely IR spectroscopy, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. In each of (II), (V) and (IX), the molecules are linked into ribbons, generated respectively by combinations of C—H…N, C—H…π and C—Cl…π interactions in (II), C—H…O and C—H…π hydrogen bonds in (V), and C—H…N and C—H…O hydrogen bonds in (IX). The molecules of compounds (IV) and (IX) are both linked into sheets, by multiple C—H…O and C—H…π hydrogen bonds in (IV), and by two C—H…π hydrogen bonds in (IX). A single C—H…N hydrogen bond links the molecules of (X) into centrosymmetric dimers. Comparisons are made with the structures of some related compounds.     

Transmetalation reaction between hydrophobic silver nanoparticles and aqueous chloroaurate ions at the air-water interface

The transmetalation reaction between a sacrificial nanoparticle and more noble metal ions in solution has emerged as a novel method for creating unique hollow and bimetallic nanostructures. In this report, we investigate the possibility of carrying out the transmetalation reaction between hydrophobic silver nanoparticles assembled and constrained at the air-water interface and subphase gold ions. We observe that facile reduction of the subphase gold ions by the sacrificial silver nanoparticles occurs resulting in the formation of elongated gold nanostructures that appear to cross-link the sacrificial silver particles. This transmetalation reaction may be modulated by the insertion of an electrostatic barrier in the form of an ionizable lipid monolayer between the silver nanoparticles and the aqueous gold ions that impacts the gold nanoparticle assembly. Transmetalation reactions between nanoparticles constrained into a close-packed structure and appropriate metal ions could lead to a new strategy for metallic cross-linking of nanoparticles and generation of coatings with promising optoelectonic behavior.     

Green analytical chemistry-driven response surface modeling to stability-indicating chromatographic method for estimation of cilnidipine and application of high-performance thin-layer chromatography–mass spectrometry for characterization of degradation products

Cilnidipine is a calcium channel blocker that is used to treat cardiac diseases such as angina and high blood pressure. Several column and planar chromatographic methods for estimating cilnidipine in pharmaceutical dosage forms have been documented. However, these method developments have been carried out employing organic solvents such as acetonitrile, methanol, toluene, chloroform, and others as mobile phase components or as sample pretreatment diluents. These organic solvents are neurotoxic and teratogenic to humans and aquatic animals, according to International Council for Harmonization Q3C (R8) recommendations. According to the green analytical chemistry approach, such organic solvents should be reduced or removed during the development of chromatographic methods for environmental protection and the safety of human and aquatic animal life. As a result, the stability-indicating chromatographic estimation of cilnidipine was performed utilizing less toxic organic solvents. To prevent organic solvent waste during method development, mobile-phase optimization was performed using the design of experiment-based response surface modeling. Cilnidipine has been subjected to hydrolysis, oxidation, photolysis, and dry-heat decomposition to determine its stability. The greenness profiles of the suggested and published chromatographic methods were examined using the national environment method index, analytical greenness calculator, green analytical procedure index software, and eco-scale assessment tool.