A new mathematical procedure to evaluate peaks in complex chromatograms

Automatic peak evaluation in chromatograms and subsequent quantification of compound concentrations is still a challenge in the analysis of complex samples containing hundreds or thousands of compounds. Although a number of software packages for peak evaluation exist, baseline definition and overlapping peaks of different shapes are the main reasons which prevent reliable automatic analysis of complex chromatograms. A new mathematical procedure is presented which uses peak shapes extracted from the chromatogram itself and modified by nonlinear (in fact, hyperbolic) stretching of the peak head and tail. With this approach, the peak parameters are position, height, scale of front, scale of tail, and smoothness of transition from front to tail scaling. This approach is found to give a substantially better fit than traditional analytically defined peak shapes. Together with a good peak finding heuristic and nonlinear optimization of parameters this allows a reliable automatic analysis of chromatograms with a large number of peaks, even with large groups of overlapping peaks. The analysis matches the quality of standard interactive methods, but still permits interactive refinement. This approach has been implemented and tested on a large set of data from chromatography of hydrocarbons in ambient air samples.     

Peak alignment using wavelet pattern matching and differential evolution

Retention time shifts badly impair qualitative or quantitative results of chemometric analyses when entire chromatographic data are used. Hence, chromatograms should be aligned to perform further analysis. Being inspired and motivated by this purpose, a practical and handy peak alignment method (alignDE) is proposed, implemented in this research for one-way chromatograms, which basically consists of five steps: (1) chromatogram lengths equalization using linear interpolation; (2) accurate peak pattern matching by continuous wavelet transform (CWT) with the Mexican Hat and Haar wavelets as its mother wavelets; (3) flexible baseline fitting utilizing penalized least squares; (4) peak clustering when gap of two peaks is smaller than a certain threshold; (5) peak alignment using differential evolution (DE) to maximize linear correlation coefficient between reference signal and signal to be aligned. This method is demonstrated with both simulated chromatograms and real chromatograms, for example, chromatograms of fungal extracts and Red Peony Root obtained by HPLC-DAD. It is implemented in R language and available as open source software to a broad range of chromatograph users (http://code.google.com/p/alignde).     

Use of the Software Processing of Scanned Chromatogram Images in Quantitative Planar Chromatography

The results of quantitative TLC analysis using the software processing of scanned chromatogram images are demonstrated by the example of the separation and determination of food dyes. The chromatograms obtained were digitized by scanning with a flatbed scanner. Quantitative analysis was performed using special-purpose software. The use of the software processing of scanned images does not require expensive analytical instruments and provides an unbiased quantitative evaluation of substances in a chromatographic peak with a minimum of time expenditure.     

A program for the processing of analytical data (DPP)

Computer-assisted interactive data presentation and analysis facilities are needed to handle the vast amount of information produced by automated instruments. The data processing program, DPP, presented here in a FORTRAN-77 program designed to solve this problem. The program is equipped with a leading verb command language for input and job scheduling, thus providing an efficient and user-friendly operator/program interface, and with a data-base organization that accommodates a wide variety of data structures. Data presentation and analysis procedures include tabulation and plotting, regression analysis, non-linear least-squares fitting, polynomial fitting, principal component analysis, hierarchal clustering and non-hierarchal clustering. Data matrices with up to 10 000 data points, distributed over a maximum of 3000 variables and 3000 samples, can be examined. Because of the open-ended structure of the program, it is straightforward to incorporate additional data analysis procedures when they are needed. Recent applications are discussed.     

Single- and multi-channel detection for generalized quantitative analysis in cases of unresolved chromatographic peaks

Computerized quantification of components under overlapping chromatographic peaks is done by calibration of chromatograms against component mixtures. For conventional (single-channel) detectors, the limitations of earlier methods based on ordinary multiple regression, can be circumvented by data reduction with the aid of principal component analysis with the partial least-squares approach. Simulation studies show that the method can be applied even when there is severe peak overlap, unstable baseline, noisy chromatograms or non-linear detector response. Advantages in the quantification of fused peaks by means of multichannel detectors are outlined. Present limitations on the quantitative evaluation of several overlapping component peaks from a single spectro-chromatogram by means of the partial least-squares method combined with multiple regression on the pure component spectra, are discussed with respect to practical high-performance liquid chromatography.     

A new statistical method for the automated detection of peaks in UV-DAD chromatograms of a sample mixture

One of the major issues within the context of the fully automated development of chromatographic methods consists of the automated detection and identification of peaks coming from complex samples such as multi-component pharmaceutical formulations or stability studies of these formulations. The same problem can also occur with plant materials or biological matrices. This step is thus critical and time-consuming, especially when a Design of Experiments (DOE) approach is used to generate chromatograms. The use of DOE will often maximize the changes of the analytical conditions in order to explore an experimental domain. Unfortunately, this generally provides very different and “unpredictable” chromatograms which can be difficult to interpret, thus complicating peak detection and peak tracking (i.e. matching peaks among all the chromatograms). In this context, Independent Components Analysis (ICA), a new statistically based signal processing methods was investigated to solve this problem. The ICA principle assumes that the observed signal is the resultant of several phenomena (known as sources) and that all these sources are statistically independent. Under those assumptions, ICA is able to recover the sources which will have a high probability of representing the constitutive components of a chromatogram. In the present study, ICA was successfully applied for the first time to HPLC–UV-DAD chromatograms and it was shown that ICA allows differentiation of noise and artifact components from those of interest by applying clustering methods based on high-order statistics computed on these components. Furthermore, on the basis of the described numerical strategy, it was also possible to reconstruct a cleaned chromatogram with minimum influence of noise and baseline artifacts. This can present a significant advance towards the objective of providing helpful tools for the automated development of liquid chromatography (LC) methods. It seems that analytical investigations could be shortened when using this type of methodologies.     

Multivariate curve resolution provides a high-throughput data processing pipeline for pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

We present a data processing pipeline for Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) data that is suitable for high-throughput analysis of lignocellulosic samples. The aproach applies multivariate curve resolution by alternate regression (MCR-AR) and automated peak assignment. MCR-AR employs parallel processing of multiple chromatograms, as opposed to sequential processing used in prevailing applications. Parallel processing provides a global peak list that is consistent for all chromatograms, and therefore does not require tedious manual curation. We evaluated this approach on wood samples from aspen and Norway spruce, and found that parallel processing results in an overall higher precision of peak area from integrated peaks. To further increase the speed of data processing we evaluated automated peak assignment solely based on basepeak mass. This approach gave estimates of the proportion of lignin (as syringyl-, guaiacyl and p-hydroxyphenyl-type lignin) and carbohydrate polymers in the wood samples that were in high agreement with those where peak assignments were based on full spectra. This method establishes Py-GC/MS as a sensitive, robust and versatile high-throughput screening platform well suited to a non-specialist operator.     

Package for on-line data acquisition and processing with microcomputers

Professor Ducauze and his co-workers from the Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon interfaced their CBM 8032 microcomputer with several chromatographs and developed a software package for the data acquisition and processing of the chromatograms. A specific option of the package is the correction of peak positions for long term drift by a comparison with reference chromatograms stored on disk.     

An On-Line Wavelet Transform for De-Noising of High Performance Liquid Chromatograms

ABSTRACT

A novel algorithm of wavelet transform, called the on-line wavelet transform, which can be used in on-line processing of signals of an instrumental analysis, is proposed. And application of the on-line wavelet transform in denoising of high performance liquid chromatograms was investigated. Results showed that the noise in chromatograms was cleanly removed by the method, peak position after the on-line de-noising dose not change, and the linearity of calibration curves of concentration versus peak area remained and even was improved. Quantitative determination of three mixed samples were investigated with five standard samples; the recoveries were between 94.0-105.0%.     

Chromatogram surgery

A computer program is developed on a Hewlett-Packard 3354 B Laboratory Automation System to eliminate background in gas and liquid chromatograms. Moreover undesired peaks, such as solvent peaks and spikes, can be excluded by selecting appropriate method parameters or by application of the integrator-timed events directly affecting peak integration. Injudicious application of these codes deforms the chromatograms. Peaks can be labelled with retention times, areas or amounts.     

Liquid adsorption chromatography of polyethers: experiments and simulation

The adsorption behavior of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) in reversed-phase chromatography is studied both experimentally and theoretically and a computer simulation of chromatograms is performed on the basis of these studies. The experimental conditions were: different reversed-phase adsorbents and a solvent methanol–water system as the mobile phase. At varying mobile phase compositions highly resolved chromatograms of PEG samples were obtained, in which all peaks could be identified, and the dependencies of the distribution coefficient on the degree of polymerization for PEG molecules were evaluated by processing these chromatograms. The data were interpreted by using a theory of homopolymers based on a continuum Gaussian chain model of flexible macromolecules and a slit-like model of pores of stationary phase. The theory proved to describe well the experimental data in the whole range of studied molecular masses, and the thermodynamic parameters characterizing interactions of ethylene oxide repeating units in PEG molecules with the adsorbent pore walls have been determined from the comparison of the theory with the experimental data. The dispersion of chromatographic peaks corresponding to individual oligomer molecules is also estimated. In the system studied the peak width occurred to be proportional to the distribution coefficient of corresponding macromolecule. The theory is used to develop a computer-assisted procedure for simulation of chromatograms for samples of linear homopolymers. Using the obtained data on the thermodynamic parameters and the estimates of peak dispersion, chromatograms are simulated for PEG samples at two different chromatographic conditions. These simulated chromatograms were in good quantitative agreement with the real chromatograms.     

MASIC: a software program for fast quantitation and flexible visualization of chromatographic profiles from detected LC-MS(/MS) features

Quantitative analysis of liquid chromatography (LC)-mass spectrometry (MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) data is essential to many proteomics studies. We have developed MASIC(2) to accurately measure peptide abundances and LC elution times in LC-MS/MS analyses. This software program uses an efficient processing algorithm to quickly generate mass specific selected ion chromatograms from a dataset and provides an interactive browser that allows users to examine individual chromatograms with a variety of options.     

Computer language for identifying chemicals with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

This paper describes a language for expressing criteria for chemical identification with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography paired with mass spectrometry (GC x GC-MS) and presents computer-based tools implementing the language. The Computer Language for Indentifying Chemicals (CLIC) allows expressions that describe rules (or constraints) for selecting chemical peaks or data points based on multi-dimensional chromatographic properties and mass spectral characteristics. CLIC offers chromatographic functions of retention times, functions of mass spectra, numbers for quantitative and relational evaluation, and logical and arithmetic operators. The language is demonstrated with the compound-class selection rules described by Welthagen et al. [W. Welthagen, J. Schnelle-Kreis, R. Zimmermann, J. Chromatogr. A 1019 (2003) 233-249]. A software implementation of CLIC provides a calculator-like graphical user-interface (GUI) for building and applying selection expressions. From the selection calculator, expressions can be used to select chromatographic peaks that meet the criteria or create selection chromatograms that mask data points inconsistent with the criteria. Selection expressions can be combined with graphical, geometric constraints in the retention-time plane as a powerful component for chemical identification with template matching or used to speed and improve mass spectrum library searches.     

SOAS: A free program to analyze electrochemical data and other one-dimensional signals

This paper describes an open source program called SOAS, which we developed with the aim of analysing one-dimensional signals. It offers a large set of commands for handling voltammetric and chronoamperometric data, including smoothing signals, differentiation, subtracting baselines, fitting current responses, measuring limiting currents, and searching for peak positions. Although emphasis is on the analysis of electrochemical signals, particularly protein film voltammetry data, SOAS may also prove useful for processing spectra. This free program is available by download from the Internet, and can be installed on computers running any flavor of Unix or Linux, most easily on MacOS X.     

SpecPad: device‐independent NMR data visualization and processing based on the novel DART programming language and Html5 Web technology

SpecPad is a new device‐independent software program for the visualization and processing of one‐dimensional and two‐dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) time domain (FID) and frequency domain (spectrum) data. It is the result of a project to investigate whether the novel programming language DART, in combination with Html5 Web technology, forms a suitable base to write an NMR data evaluation software which runs on modern computing devices such as Android, iOS, and Windows tablets as well as on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X desktop PCs and notebooks. Another topic of interest is whether this technique also effectively supports the required sophisticated graphical and computational algorithms. SpecPad is device‐independent because DART's compiled executable code is JavaScript and can, therefore, be run by the browsers of PCs and tablets. Because of Html5 browser cache technology, SpecPad may be operated off‐line. Network access is only required during data import or export, e.g. via a Cloud service, or for software updates. A professional and easy to use graphical user interface consistent across all hardware platforms supports touch screen features on mobile devices for zooming and panning and for NMR‐related interactive operations such as phasing, integration, peak picking, or atom assignment. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Deconvolution method for accurate determination of overlapping peak areas in chromatograms.

A method is described for deconvoluting chromatograms which contain overlapping peaks. Parameters can be selected to ensure that attenuation of peak areas is uniform over any desired range of peak widths. A simple extension of the method greatly reduces the negative overshoot frequently encountered with deconvolutions. The deconvoluted chromatograms are suitable for integration by conventional methods.     

Kinetic aspects of the syntheses using short-lived radionuclides

“ACTIVA” is an activation analysis programme written for small computers (16 to 32 k-words) in FORTRAN-IV. Input-mode for operating commands is interactive, guided with self-explenatory questions. This enables the evaluation of gamma-spectra which could be registered under 4 different conditons (flux, geometry, etc.) with two different counting systems existing in Atominstitute. In each case another data-library with different calibration factors will be chosen and used automaticly. Programme “ACTIVA” is originally designed for gamma-spectra registered with “Loss-Free-Counting” (LFC) electronic with 2×2048 channels, but can be modified for 1024 or 4096 channels easily. Two different multichannel analysers (MCA) can be chosen for data-input: ORTEC-6240 MCA, or NOVALFC (Loss-Free-Counting). The correct energy calibration constants will also be chosen automaticly. The programme has a modular constraction and combined (linked) with overlay technique.     

Automatic program for peak detection and deconvolution of multi-overlapped chromatographic signals part II: peak model and deconvolution algorithms

Several interlinked algorithms for peak deconvolution by non-linear regression are presented. These procedures, together with the peak detection methods outlined in Part I, have allowed the implementation of an automatic method able to process multi-overlapped signals, requiring little user interaction. A criterion based on the evaluation of the multivariate selectivity of the chromatographic signal is used to auto-select the most efficient deconvolution procedure for each chromatographic situation. In this way, non-optimal local solutions are avoided in cases of high overlap, and short computation times are obtained in situations of high resolution. A new algorithm, fitting both the original signal and the second derivatives is proved to avoid local optima in intermediate coelution situations. This allows achieving the global optimum without the need of background knowledge by the user. A previously reported peak model, a Gaussian with a polynomial standard deviation whose complexity can be modulated to enhance the fitting quality, was applied. However, the original formulation was modified to account baseline outside the peak region. Also, the optimal model complexity was auto-selected via error propagation theory. The method is able to process simultaneously several related chromatograms. The software was tested with both simulated and experimental chromatograms obtained with monolithic silica columns.     

Enhancement of chromatographic detail using infrared spectra from chromatography/infrared spectrometer systems

Working with chromatography/infrared spectroscopy data, the technique of local baseline correction in the calculation of the chromatographic intensities from each spectrum is used to provide improved chromatographic detection. The technique reduces chromatographic baseline drift, and produces broad-band (universal) chromatograms with noise levels approaching those obtained from narrow-band specific chromatograms. Chromatograms produced from the ratio of two selected band chromatograms can quickly profile a trend in a homologous series of compounds, test a chromatographic peak for compositional uniformity, or show shifts in composition across a polymer chromatographic series.     

A computer language for reducing activation analysis data

A program, written in FORTRAN, is described that defines a language for reducing activation analysis data. Communications are effected through commands, and these can be given in almost any order. Consistency checks are done and diagnostic messages are printed automatically to guard against the incorrect use of the commands. Default options on the commands allow instructions to be expressed concisely while providing a capability to specify details for the data reduction process. The program has been implemented on a UNIVAC 1108 computer.