Comments on column characterization: A sulfur column

Summary The McReynolds' constants for liquid sulfur as a stationary phase in gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) are presented. A simple graphical method of pattern analysis is used to indicate the uniqueness of the sulfur column as compared with other stationary liquid phases characterized by McReynolds. The limitations of using a single factor (as polarity) for the basis for the selection of GLC columns is discussed.     

Comments on the article "On evaluating molecular-docking methods for pose prediction and enrichment factors"

The recent article "On Evaluating Molecular-Docking Methods for Pose Prediction and Enrichment Factors" (Chen H. et al. J. Chem. Inf. Model. 2006, 46, 401-415) contains a series of comments on a similar study we published in Proteins in 2004 (Perola et al. Proteins 2004, 56, 235-249). We believe that some of these comments are misleading, and we feel that an adequate response is in order.     

Preparative SEC column packed with microporous particles prepared from cellulose

New microporous particles with large pore size (mean pore diameter of 820 nm) are successfully prepared from a mixture of cellulose and konjac glucomannan (RC-KGM3) in 1.5 M NaOH-0.65 M thiourea aqueous solution by coagulating with 5 weight percentage (wt%) CaCl(2), and then 2 wt% HCl aqueous solution. A preparative size-exclusion chromatographic (SEC) column packed with the gel particles is used for the fractionation of a dextran in water. The exclusion limit and fractionation range of the stationary phase are molecular masses of 125 yen 104 g/mol and 5.6 yen 104 to 125 yen 104 g/mol, respectively. The dextran [dextran 50, weight-average molecular mass (M(w)) = 40.1 yen 104 g/mol, polydispersity index (d) = 3.5] is fractionated by the preparative SEC column to obtain six fractions, and four of them are refractionated twice by the same preparative SEC column. The refractionated samples F-3-3 and F-4-3 are characterized by analytical SEC combined with laser light scattering and light scattering to obtain M(w) of 91.8 and 61.9 yen 104 g/mol, as well as d of 1.3 and 1.4, respectively. The results indicate that the fractions having narrow molecular mass distribution are satisfactorily prepared with the SEC column. The described SEC column can be successfully used to fractionate polymers in aqueous solution.     

Rapid method for evaluating reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography column stability

A procedure is presented for the rapid evaluation of HPLC stationary phase stability at pH 8.4 or 10.1 using a temperature of 60 degrees C. Mobile phase (MeOH-0.1 mol l(-1) aqueous NaHCO3, 50:50, v/v) is continuously passed through the column with periodic injections of a test solution until the several chromatographic parameters of the resulting chromatograms are degraded. The tests were applied to several commercial and laboratory-made stationary phases. After degradation two of these phases, one commercial and one laboratory-made, were examined by elemental analysis and scanning electron microscopy to elucidate the degradation process.     

Thermal methods for evaluating polymorphic transitions in nifedipine

The thermal behaviour of nifedipine was studied with the view to understand the various phase transitions between its polymorphs. The focus was on polymorph identification, accompanying morphological changes during crystallization and the nature of the phase transformations. These features were compared to the complexity of the crystallization mechanisms, studied by dynamic differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) heating techniques. DSC, thermogravimetry (TG) established the temperature limits for preparation of amorphous nifedipine from the melt. DSC studies identified that metastable form B, melting point ∼163 °C, was enantiotropically related to a third modification, form C, which existed at lower temperatures. Form C converted endothermically to form B at ∼56 °C on heating and was shown by hot stage microscopy (HSM) to be accompanied by morphological changes. Modulated temperature differential scanning calorimetry (MTDSC) showed discontinuities in the reversing heat flow signal during crystallization of amorphous nifedipine (from ∼92 °C) to form B, which suggested that a number of polymorphs may nucleate from the melt prior to form B formation. Identification of the number of nifedipine polymorphs included the use of combined DSC-powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and variable temperature powder X-ray diffraction (VTPXRD). The crystallization kinetics studied by dynamic DSC heating techniques followed by analysis using the Friedman isoconversion method where values of activation energy (E) and frequency factor (A) were estimated as a function of alpha or extent of conversion (α). The variations in E with α, from 0.05 to 0.9, for the amorphous to form B conversion could indicate the formation of intermediate polymorphs prior to form B. The form B to form A conversion showed a constancy in E on kinetic analysis from α 0.05 to 0.9, which suggested that a constant crystallization mechanism operated during formation of the thermodynamically stable form A.     

溶胶-凝胶柠檬酸三丁酯毛细管气相色谱柱的研究

柠檬酸三丁酯是浅黄色的液体,可作为固定相,文献记载它被制备成色谱柱的最高使用温度为150℃。鉴于最高使用温度低的限制,柠檬酸三丁酯作为色谱固定相时,一些分子量大的化合物不能使用该柱分析。本文将其作为固定相用溶胶-凝胶法制备毛细管气相色谱柱,并在色谱柱上初步研究了一系列低沸点有机物的分离和保留行为,发现其对醇类、胺类、芳烃等有很好的分离效果。同时使用该种方法制得的毛细管柱能承受的最高温度现为240℃,这对提高柠檬酸三丁酯的利用价值有较好的意义。     

Multivariate statistical methods for evaluating biodegradation of mineral oil

Two methods were developed for evaluating natural attenuation and bioremediation of mineral oil after environmental spills and during in vitro experiments. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode was used to obtain compound-specific data. The chromatographic data were then preprocessed either by calculating the first derivative, retention time alignment and normalization or by peak identification, quantification and calculation of diagnostic ratios within homologue series of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs). Finally, principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the preprocessed chromatograms or diagnostic ratios to study the fate of the oil. The methods were applied to data from an in vitro biodegradation experiment with a North Sea crude oil exposed to three mixtures of bacterial strains: R (alkane degraders and surfactant producers), U (PAC degraders) and M (mixture of R- and U-strains) over a 1-year-period with five sampling times. Assessment of variation in degradability within isomer groups of methylfluorenes (m/z 180), methylphenanthrenes (m/z 192) and methyldibenzothiophenes (m/z 198) was used to evaluate the effects of microbial degradation on the composition of the oil. The two evaluation methods gave comparable results. In the objective pattern matching approach, principal component 1 (PC1) described the general changes in the isomer abundances, whereas M samples were separated from U and R samples along PC2. Furthermore, in the diagnostic ratio approach, a third component (PC3) could be extracted; although minor, it separated R samples from U and M samples. These results demonstrated that the two methods were able to differentiate between the effects due to the different bacterial activities, and that bacterial strain mixtures affected the PAC isomer patterns in different ways in accordance with their different metabolic capabilities.     

Critical considerations on the methods for evaluating kinetic parameters from nonisothermal experiments

By surveying the most used methods for evaluating the kinetic parameters from nonisothermal experiments, a new classification scheme of the methods is proposed. For each method the number of principles and theoretical approximations required to derive the equation which grounds it, is considered as a comparison criterion. The methods are, finally, classified into classes of equivalence. As a result of the analysis it is also suggested that the activation energy, as calculated from nonisothermal data, should be given as a range of values instead of a unique value. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 30: 313–327, 1998.     

Fused silica substrate effects on capillary column performance

The effect of a pretreatment step on the polarity of fused silica capillary tubing prior to coating was evaluated. Columns were tested prior to and after coating with a 50% phenl stationary phase, and the chromatographic findings were compared. The results confirmed that the polarity of the fused silica substrate affects the inertness and reproducibility of the final coated columns.     

Comments on the primary and scatter dose-spread kernels used for convolution methods

The basic primary and scatter dose-spread kernels used for convolution methods are usually produced by Monte Carlo simulations with the interaction point forced to the center of a large water phantom. However, it is still not clear whether such Monte Carlo based kernels allow accurate dose calculations with a wide range of field sizes and depths, especially in thorax phantoms. Using the differential primary and scatter concept, this paper proposes another type of basic kernel, with which perfectly accurate primary and scatter absorbed dose calculations can be performed under conditions that the beam is parallel, the incident beam intensity is uniform within and zero outside the field, and the primary beam attenuation coefficient along raylines is not a function of depth and off-axis distance.     

生物表面活性剂及其评价方法

生物表面活性剂是由微生物分泌的天然产物,它无毒,可以生物降解,对环境影响很小,具有较高的表面活性,因此是合成表面活性剂的理想替代品.本文主要阐述了生物表面活性剂的类别、特性、及其表面活性的定性、定量分析及评价方法.     

Comments on instrument-zeroing and blank-correction methods in trace analysis

Summary The zeroing of analytical instruments is often performed with the pure solvent and/or with a reagent blank. This is equivalent to subtracting the solvent and/or blank signal from each sample signal. In so doing, the tacit assumption of equal sensitivities, i.e., equal slopes of calibration curves for the pure solvent, blank solutions and samples (no matrix effects), is often not at all examined. Numerous publications, instruction manuals, and textbooks indicate that this simple method of zeroing or blank correction is done or recommended even in standard-addition procedures: this leads, however, to systematic errors precisely due to the fact that this evaluation technique is applied because of strong matrix effects. The point of this commentary is to suggest a rigorous examination of the validity of this correction method especially in ultra-trace analysis and/or to subtract the mean concentration of the reagent blank instead of the signal.

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Bemerkungen zur Nullpunktstellung analytischer Geräte und zur Blindwertkorrektur in der Spurenanalyse

Zusammenfassung Die Nullpunktstellung analytischer Geräte wird häufig mit dem reinen Lösungsmittel und/oder einer Chemikalienblindwertprobe durchgeführt. Dieses Vorgehen ist äquivalent einer Subtraktion des Lösungsmittels- oder Blindwert-Signals von jedem Proben-Signal. Dabei wird fast regelmäßig die damit stillschweigend verbundene Annahme fehlender Matrix-Effekte und damit gleicher Empfindlichkeit nicht kritisch genug überprüft. Diese Vorgehensweise ist nur erlaubt, wenn die Eichkurven beim reinen Lösungsmittel, beim Chemikalien-Blindwert und bei der realen Probenmatrix alle strikt parallel verlaufen. Trotzdem empfehlen zahlreiche Originalarbeiten, Bedienungsanleitungen und Lehrbücher diese Methode sogar auch noch bei Standard-Additions-Auswertungen, die ja gerade wegen vorhandener Matrix-Effekte angewandt werden müssen. Zur Vermeidung der resultierenden systematischen Fehler wird vorgeschlagen, bei kritischen Analysen im extremen Spurenbereich die Voraussetzung der Nullpunktseinstellung in jedem Fall im betreffenden Empfindlichkeitsbereich zu überprüfen und/oder den mittleren Gehalt der Blindproben anstelle des Signals in Abzug zu bringen.

     

On evaluating molecular-docking methods for pose prediction and enrichment factors

Four of the most well-known, commercially available docking programs, FlexX, GOLD, GLIDE, and ICM, have been examined for their ligand-docking and virtual-screening capabilities. The relative performance of the programs in reproducing the native ligand conformation from starting SMILES strings for 164 high-resolution protein-ligand complexes is presented and compared. Applying only the native scoring functions, the latest versions of these four docking programs were also used to conduct virtual screening for 12 protein targets of therapeutic interest, involving both publicly available structures and AstraZeneca in-house structures. The capability of the four programs to correctly rank-order target-specific active compounds over alternative binders and nonbinders (decoys plus randomly selected compounds) and thereby enrich a small subset of a screening library is compared. Enrichments from the virtual-screening experiments are contrasted with those obtained with alternative 3D shape-matching and 2D similarity database-search methods.     

The effect of hydrothermal treatment on column performance for monolithic silica capillary columns

Monolithic silica capillary columns with i.d. 100 μm and monolithic silica rods were prepared with tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) or a mixture of TMOS and metyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) using different hydrothermal treatments at T=80 °C or 120 °C. Nitrogen physisorption was applied for the pore characterization of the rods and inverse size exclusion chromatography (ISEC) for that of the capillary columns. Using nitrogen physisorption, it was shown change of pore size and surface area corresponds to that of hydrothermal treatment and silica precursor. The results from ISEC agreed well with those from nitrogen physisorption regarding the pore size distribution (PSD). In addition, the retention factors for hexylbenzene with the ODS-modified capillary columns in methanol/water=80/20 at T=30 °C could also support the results from nitrogen physisorption. Furthermore, column efficiency for the columns was evaluated with alkylbenzenes and three kinds of peptides, leucine-enkephalin, angiotensin II, and insulin. Column efficiency for alkylbenzenes was similar independently of the hydrothermal treatment at T=120 °C. Even for TMOS columns, there was no significant difference in column efficiency for the peptides despite the difference in hydrothermal treatment. In contrast, for hybrid columns, it was possible to confirm the effect on hydrothermal treatment at T=120 °C resulting in a different column efficiency, especially for insulin. This difference supports the results from both nitrogen physisorption and ISEC, showing the presence of more small pores of ca. 3-6 nm for a hybrid silica without hydrothermal treatment at T=120 °C. Consequently, the results suggest that hydrothermal treatment for a hybrid column with higher temperature or longer time is necessary, compared to that for a TMOS column, to provide higher column efficiency with increase in molecular size of solute.     

A microfabricated graphitic carbon column for high performance liquid chromatography

We report the first development of a novel, planar, microfluidic, graphitic carbon separations column utilizing an array of graphitic micropillars of diamond cross-section as the chromatographic stationary phase. 795 nm femtosecond laser ablation was employed to subtractively machine fluidic architectures and a micropillared array in a planar, graphitic substrate as a monolithic structure. A sample injector was integrated on-chip, together with fluid-flow distribution architectures to minimize band-broadening and ensure sample equi-distribution across the micro-pillared column width. The separations chip was interfaced directly to the ESI probe of a Thermofisher Surveyor mass spectrometer, enabling the detection of test-mixture analytes following their differential retention on the micro-pillared graphitic column, thus demonstrating the exciting potential of this novel separations format. Importantly, unlike porous, graphitic microspheres, the temperature and pressure resilience of the microfluidic device potentially enables use in subcritical H(2)O chromatography.     

Studies on the performance of different coiled column configurations for compact type-I countercurrent chromatography

Three types of novel coiled column configurations, i.e. a triangular coiled column and elliptical coiled columns I and II, were designed for type-I countercurrent chromatography and their performances were evaluated with two solvent systems each with suitable test samples. Three dinitrophenyl (DNP) amino acids (DNP-DL-glu, DNP-β-ala and DNP-L-ala) were separated with a moderately hydrophobic two-phase solvent system composed of hexane-ethyl acetate-metanol-0.1 M hydrochloric acid (1:1:1:1, v/v), while two dipeptides (tryptophyl-tyrosine and valyl-tyrosine) were separated with a polar solvent system composed of 1-butanol-acetic acid-water (4.75:0.25:5, v/v). The overall results indicated that the performance of compact type-I countercurrent chromatography was improved by elliptical coiled column I which was mounted with its maximum coil diameter perpendicular to the surface of the column holder. Hydrodynamic effects involved in these separations were discussed.     

An analysis of coating-efficiency as a measure for capillary column performance

Summary An expression is proposed for the value of the Coating-Efficiency C. E. starting from the Golay-equation, extended to situations of appreciable pressure drop by Giddings. A comparison is made between the coating-efficiency following this theory and the simplified expression for coating-efficiency as generally used in the literature, that neglects the effects of resistance to mass transfer in the liquid phase and the pressure drop. It is shown that the complete equation from the coating-efficiency explains the observations made in practice. Application of the theory described will lead to a better check on film formation in capillary columns.     

A theoretical framework for evaluating analytical digestion methods for poorly soluble particulate beryllium

Complete digestion of all chemical forms and sizes of particulate analytes in environmental samples is usually necessary to obtain accurate results with atomic spectroscopy. In the current study, we investigate the physicochemical properties of beryllium particles likely to be encountered in samples collected from different occupational environments and present a hypothesis that a dissolution theory can be used as a conceptual framework to guide development of strategies for digestion procedures. For monodisperse single-chemical constituent primary particles, such as those encountered when handling some types of beryllium oxide (BeO) powder, theory predicts that a digestion procedure is sufficient when it completely dissolves all primary particles, independent of cluster size. For polydisperse single-chemical constituent particles, such as those encountered during the handling of some types of beryllium metal powder, theory predicts that a digestion procedure is sufficient only when it completely dissolves the largest particle in the sample. For samples with unknown or multi-chemical constituent particles and with particles having undefined sizes, e.g., fume emissions from a copper–beryllium alloy furnace operation or dust from a beryl ore crushing operation, a surface area-limited and single-constituent-dependent dissolution theory may not predict complete dissolution, thereby requiring non-routine robust treatment procedures with post-digestion filtration, followed by examination of residual particulate material. Additionally, for beryllium, and likely other poorly soluble materials, particulate reference materials of various chemical forms and size distributions are needed to better evaluate and harmonize analytical digestion procedures. Figure Generation of aerosol particles during machining of beryllium oxide The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.