Complementary use of model-free and modelistic methods in the analysis of solid-state kinetics

There are many methods for analyzing solid-state kinetic data. They are generally grouped into two categories, model-fitting and isoconversional (model-free) methods. Historically, model-fitting methods were widely used because of their ability to directly determine the kinetic triplet (i.e., frequency factor [A], activation energy [E(a)], and model). However, these methods suffer from several problems among which is their inability to uniquely determine the reaction model. This has led to the decline of these methods in favor of isoconversional methods that evaluate kinetics without modelistic assumptions. This work proposes an approach that combines the power of isoconversional methods with model-fitting methods. It is based on using isoconversional methods instead of traditional statistical fitting methods to select the reaction model. Once a reaction model has been selected, the activation energy and frequency factor can be determined for that model. This approach was investigated for simulated and real experimental data for desolvation reactions of sulfameter solvates.     

Latest achievements in the analytical chemistry of actinides

New methods for separation and determination of actinides, widely used in analysis of actinides in technological and environmental samples are reviewed. Special attention is paid to obtaining and stabilizing transplutonium elements. (TPE) in extreme oxidation states. Their use in analytical practice resulted in expanding possibilities of methods for separation and determination of TPE. Solvent extraction, sorption and extraction chromatography are the basic methods for separation of TPE. Solvent extraction, sorption and extraction chromatography are the basic methods for separation of TPE. Methods of separation in gas phase and some other methods such as precipitation and coprecipitation are applied, however, to a lesser degree. Trends of development of these methods including those of various types of membrane extraction that succeeded in separation of TPE in both trivalent and other valence states have been shown. Attention is paid mainly to consideration of modern methods for determination of actinides, special distinction of such methods being low limits of determination, high precision and selectivity. Alpha- and beta-spectrometric methods with semiconductor detectors are the most advanced among various methods based on registration of nuclear radiation. Tremendous success has been achieved in development of emission-spectrometric methods for determination of trace amounts of actinides and various impure elements occurring in samples of actinides. Sensitive mass-spectrometric methods are widely used for determination of both isotope composition and content of elements in various samples including those which are highly radioactive. More simple and precise titrimetric methods based on using oxidizing-reducing or complexing agents are developed successfully. A large number of coulometric methods for determination of americium and berkelium, characterizing high precision and selectivity as well as luminescence methods have been developed.     

On the existence of primary methods of measurement

 There is much discussion in chemical metrology about the definition of primary methods of measurement, just as a couple of years ago there was debate about its predecessors, absolute methods and definitive methods. It is argued in this paper that the designation of certain methods as being primary only makes sense if there is an outstanding property identified that is common to all primary methods, and not present for all non-primary methods. The aim to identify primary methods should not blur our notion that it is the good practice of analytical chemistry that produces good results, not a particular method of analysis.     

Overview of Special Session B—Compositional and Structural Analysis of Biomass

Special Session B at the 29th Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals was the first invited session at this symposium devoted to analytical methods. The special topic was added in response to numerous requests for information on new and innovative methods that could be applied in the growing renewable fuels industry. Presentation topics include analytical methods for the characterization and analysis of maize traits, tools for investigating cell wall limitations to enzymatic degradation, methods for customizing enzyme cocktails for biomass, new techniques for the analysis of carbohydrates, analytical methods that enhance our understanding of pretreatment, improved methods for monitoring process intermediates, and published standard analytical methods for biomass conversion processes.     

Listeria monocytogenes: knowledge gained through DNA sequence-based subtyping, implications, and future considerations

The purpose of subtyping is to differentiate bacterial isolates beyond the classification of species or subspecies. Subtyping methods can be grouped into two broad categories based on the cellular components targeted: (1) phenotypic subtyping methods that differentiate isolates by the enzymes, proteins, or other metabolites expressed by the cell, and (2) molecular subtyping methods that discriminate isolates based on interrogation of nucleic acid sequences. The two major types of molecular subtyping methods include band-based methods based on fragment pattern data or DNA fingerprints, and methods that generate DNA sequence data. Molecular subtyping methods have shown that Listeria monocytogenes isolates can be classified into four genetic lineages or divisions. Although band-based molecular subtyping methods continue to serve as the gold standard for routine molecular subtyping of most clinically important foodborne pathogens, including L. monocytogenes, the explosion of recently completed and ongoing DNA sequencing projects, and thus available DNA sequence data, have stimulated efforts to develop highly discriminatory and high-throughput DNA sequence-based subtyping methods for L. monocytogenes. L. monocytogenes represents one of the most highly sequenced human pathogens; more than 20 genome sequences are currently available for this organism. This review provides an overview of the concepts behind subtyping and discusses the application of molecular subtyping methods, with an emphasis on DNA sequence-based subtyping methods to characterize L. monocytogenes.     

Flow “Fine” Synthesis: High Yielding and Selective Organic Synthesis by Flow Methods

The concept of flow “fine” synthesis, that is, high yielding and selective organic synthesis by flow methods, is described. Some examples of flow “fine” synthesis of natural products and APIs are discussed. Flow methods have several advantages over batch methods in terms of environmental compatibility, efficiency, and safety. However, synthesis by flow methods is more difficult than synthesis by batch methods. Indeed, it has been considered that synthesis by flow methods can be applicable for the production of simple gasses but that it is difficult to apply to the synthesis of complex molecules such as natural products and APIs. Therefore, organic synthesis of such complex molecules has been conducted by batch methods. On the other hand, syntheses and reactions that attain high yields and high selectivities by flow methods are increasingly reported. Flow methods are leading candidates for the next generation of manufacturing methods that can mitigate environmental concerns toward sustainable society.     

Measurement of ozone concentration

The principal methods used to measure ozone concentration are reviewed and experimental comparisons made between chemical methods, with both phosphate and boric acid buffers, UV absorption, and electrochemical methods. The advantages and disadvantages of the methods are considered and recommendations are made for the adoption of a standard reference method for rubber test methods.     

Applications of nuclear methods in the automotive industry

Over the years nuclear methods have proved to be a valuable asset to industry in general and to the automotive industry in particular. This paper summarizes some of the most important recent contributions of nuclear technology to the development of vehicles having high quality and long-term durability. Radiotracer methods are used to measure engine oil consumption and the wear rates of inaccessible components. Radiographic and tomographic methods are used to image fluids and structures in engines and accessory components. Tracers are used to understand combustion chemistry and quantify fluid flow. Gauging methods are used for inspection and process control. Nuclear analytical methods are used routinely for materials characterization and problem solving. Although nuclear methods are usually considered as the means of last resort, they can often be applied more easily and quickly than conventional methods when those in industrial engineering and R&D are aware of their unique capabilities.     

Review of separation methods for the determination of ammonium/ammonia in natural water

Ammonium (NH₄⁺) and ammonia (NH₃) in aquatic ecosystems are of great interest to environmental scientists because they can be used to study the nitrogen cycle and as water quality indicators. Analytical separation methods developed in recent decades have been used widely to determine NH₄⁺ and NH₃ in aqueous solutions. This review presents an overview of state-of-the-art separation methods and analytical techniques for determining NH₃/NH₄⁺ in natural water, including chromatographic methods, electrophoretic methods, extraction methods, membrane-based gas diffusion methods, membraneless gas diffusion methods, passive sampling methods, and paper-based analytical methods. Common detection techniques that can be used in conjunction with particular separation methods are described, phase-transfer strategies (liquid-liquid, liquid-solid, liquid-membrane-liquid, and liquid-gas-liquid methods) are highlighted, and the strengths and weaknesses of the separation methods are discussed. The outlook, challenges, and expected future developments in the field of separation methods for determining NH₄⁺ and NH₃ in natural water are presented.     

Efficient methods for finding transition states in chemical reactions: comparison of improved dimer method and partitioned rational function optimization method

A combination of interpolation methods and local saddle-point search algorithms is probably the most efficient way of finding transition states in chemical reactions. Interpolation methods such as the growing-string method and the nudged-elastic band are able to find an approximation to the minimum-energy pathway and thereby provide a good initial guess for a transition state and imaginary mode connecting both reactant and product states. Since interpolation methods employ usually just a small number of configurations and converge slowly close to the minimum-energy pathway, local methods such as partitioned rational function optimization methods using either exact or approximate Hessians or minimum-mode-following methods such as the dimer or the Lanczos method have to be used to converge to the transition state. A modification to the original dimer method proposed by [Henkelman and Jonnson J. Chem. Phys. 111, 7010 (1999)] is presented, reducing the number of gradient calculations per cycle from six to four gradients or three gradients and one energy, and significantly improves the overall performance of the algorithm on quantum-chemical potential-energy surfaces, where forces are subject to numerical noise. A comparison is made between the dimer methods and the well-established partitioned rational function optimization methods for finding transition states after the use of interpolation methods. Results for 24 different small- to medium-sized chemical reactions covering a wide range of structural types demonstrate that the improved dimer method is an efficient alternative saddle-point search algorithm on medium-sized to large systems and is often even able to find transition states when partitioned rational function optimization methods fail to converge.     

三维人脸识别算法研究

近年来,基于三维图像的人脸识别技术已经取得了很大进展,在约束环境下也能获得很好的识别性能,但仍受限于姿态、表情等因素,需要从算法上改进才能解决其影响。本文分别从基于空域直接匹配、基于局部特征匹配和基于整体特征匹配3个角度出发,对人脸匹配算法以及融合算法进行了研究,列出了部分改进算法的实验结果,并分析了算法有效性的原因,总结了目前面临的三维人脸识别算法难以突破的一些困难及未来的研究趋势。     

橡胶贮存寿命预测方法研究进展与思考建议

概述了用数学模型法预测橡胶贮存寿命的方法,包括阿伦尼斯模型,用ASTM D412评估橡胶拉伸性能,应力应变老化模型,压缩永久变形的预测方法,橡胶疲劳寿命损伤模型,用有限元法考核橡胶的裂纹长度与抗裂能之间的关系,基于叠加原理的寿命预测模型等,针对上述模型预测研究结果提出了相关思考建议。认为以老化动力学为基础预测材料寿命的数学模型法发展非常迅速,建议深入研究并拓宽应用;在透彻了解和掌握必需的分子结构参数的基础上,如果结合计算机技术模拟长期贮存或使用条件,对橡胶老化反应机理的研究可能是一个有前景的发展方向。     

Chemometric methods for the simultaneous determination of some water-soluble vitamins

Two spectrophotometric methods, derivative and multivariate methods, were applied for the determination of binary, ternary, and quaternary mixtures of the water-soluble vitamins thiamine HCI (I), pyridoxine HCI (II), riboflavin (III), and cyanocobalamin (IV). The first method is divided into first derivative and first derivative of ratio spectra methods, and the second into classical least squares and principal components regression methods. Both methods are based on spectrophotometric measurements of the studied vitamins in 0.1 M HCl solution in the range of 200-500 nm for all components. The linear calibration curves were obtained from 2.5-90 microg/mL, and the correlation coefficients ranged from 0.9991 to 0.9999. These methods were applied for the analysis of the following mixtures: (I) and (II); (I), (II), and (III); (I), (II), and (IV); and (I), (II), (III), and (IV). The described methods were successfully applied for the determination of vitamin combinations in synthetic mixtures and dosage forms from different manufacturers. The recovery ranged from 96.1 +/- 1.2 to 101.2 +/- 1.0% for derivative methods and 97.0 +/- 0.5 to 101.9 +/- 1.3% for multivariate methods. The results of the developed methods were compared with those of reported methods, and gave good accuracy and precision.     

Isothermal and Non-Isothermal Kinetics When Mechanistic Information Available

In the case of a complex mechanism of two parallel independent reactions, peak maximum evolution methods and model-fitting methods give only a mean value of the kinetic parameters, while isoconversional methods are useful to describe the complexity of the mechanism. Isothermal and non-isothermal isoconversional methods can be used to elucidate the kinetics of the process. Nevertheless, isothermal isoconversional methods can be limited by restrictions on the temperature regions experimentally available because of duration times or detection limits. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A comparison of field-based similarity searching methods: CatShape, FBSS, and ROCS

Three field-based similarity methods are compared in retrospective virtual screening experiments. The methods are the CatShape module of CATALYST, ROCS, and an in-house program developed at the University of Sheffield called FBSS. The programs are used in both rigid and flexible searches carried out in the MDL Drug Data Report. UNITY 2D fingerprints are also used to provide a comparison with a more traditional approach to similarity searching, and similarity based on simple whole-molecule properties is used to provide a baseline for the more sophisticated searches. Overall, UNITY 2D fingerprints and ROCS with the chemical force field option gave comparable performance and were superior to the shape-only 3D methods. When the flexible methods were compared with the rigid methods, it was generally found that the flexible methods gave slightly better results than their respective rigid methods; however, the increased performance did not justify the additional computational cost required.     

Validation studies and proficiency testing

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) entered the European food market in 1996. Current legislation demands the labeling of food products if they contain <1% GMO, as assessed for each ingredient of the product. To create confidence in the testing methods and to complement enforcement requirements, there is an urgent need for internationally validated methods, which could serve as reference methods. To date, several methods have been submitted to validation trials at an international level; approaches now exist that can be used in different circumstances and for different food matrixes. Moreover, the requirement for the formal validation of methods is clearly accepted; several national and international bodies are active in organizing studies. Further validation studies, especially on the quantitative polymerase chain reaction methods, need to be performed to cover the rising demand for new extraction methods and other background matrixes, as well as for novel GMO constructs.     

Lessons learned in induced fit docking and metadynamics in the Drug Design Data Resource Grand Challenge 2

Two of the major ongoing challenges in computational drug discovery are predicting the binding pose and affinity of a compound to a protein. The Drug Design Data Resource Grand Challenge 2 was developed to address these problems and to drive development of new methods. The challenge provided the 2D structures of compounds for which the organizers help blinded data in the form of 35 X-ray crystal structures and 102 binding affinity measurements and challenged participants to predict the binding pose and affinity of the compounds. We tested a number of pose prediction methods as part of the challenge; we found that docking methods that incorporate protein flexibility (Induced Fit Docking) outperformed methods that treated the protein as rigid. We also found that using binding pose metadynamics, a molecular dynamics based method, to score docked poses provided the best predictions of our methods with an average RMSD of 2.01 Å. We tested both structure-based (e.g. docking) and ligand-based methods (e.g. QSAR) in the affinity prediction portion of the competition. We found that our structure-based methods based on docking with Smina (Spearman ρ?=?0.614), performed slightly better than our ligand-based methods (ρ?=?0.543), and had equivalent performance with the other top methods in the competition. Despite the overall good performance of our methods in comparison to other participants in the challenge, there exists significant room for improvement especially in cases such as these where protein flexibility plays such a large role.     

Immunochemical applications in environmental science

Immunochemical methods are based on selective antibodies combining with a particular target analyte or analyte group. The specific binding between antibody and analyte can be used to detect environmental contaminants in a variety of sample matrixes. Immunoassay methods provide cost-effective, sensitive, and selective analyses for many compounds of environmental and human health concern. Immunoaffinity chromatography methods have been integrated with chromatographic methods and are also being used as efficient sample preparations prior to immunochemical or instrumental detection. Immunosensors show promise in obtaining rapid online analyses. These and other advancements in immunochemical methods continue the expansion of their role from field screening methods to highly quantitative procedures that can be easily integrated into the environmental analytical laboratory.     

Recent analytical approaches in quality control of traditional Chinese medicines—A review

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) are gaining more and more attention all over the world, due to their specific theory and long historical clinical practice. But the uncontrollable quality is a bottleneck for its modernization and globalization. This paper reviewed the recent analytical methods in the quality control of TCMs, including screening strategies of bioactive markers from TCMs through biochromatographic methods, the traditional chromatographic methods, DNA methods, as well as the spectroscopic methods, including FT-IR, NIR and NMR. The comprehensive methods, such as fingerprint and multi-component quantification are emphasized; hyphenated techniques, like HPLC-MS, GC-MS, CE-MS, LC-NMR, chemometric methods, and combination of chemical and biological methods, such as biofingerprint, metabolic fingerprint are now more and more widely used in TCMs. In a few word, the analysis and quality control of TCMs are moving towards an integrative and comprehensive direction, in order to better address the inherent holistic nature of TCMs.