Pharmacokinetics and the analytical chemist

A prerequisite in pharmacokinetic studies is the development of analytical methods to assay the parent drug and its metabolites in biological fluids. For method development and application, a detailed knowledge of pharmacokinetics is not essential, but familiarity with its fundamental principles and terminology is necessary and helps in interpreting assay results and in interacting more effectively with colleagues who may be specialists in medical or related fields. The purpose of this article is to introduce the basic concepts of pharmacokinetics and some of the biological processes associated with it. Areas relevant to the needs of analytical chemists are discussed.     

Chemical sensing in the environment: The challenge to the analytical chemist

A contemporary appraisal of chemical sensing in the environment reveals that there are few sound applications. This situation arises from the current state of sensor technology, rather than a lack of demand. A more strategic approach to the development of chemical sensors should lead to the production of useful devices.     

Multivariate calibration: What is in chemometrics for the analytical chemist?

Chemometrics has been used for some 30 years but there is still need for disseminating the potential benefits to a wider audience. In this paper, we claim that proper analytical chemistry (1) must in fact incorporate a chemometric approach and (2) that there are several significant advantages of doing so. In order to explain this, an indirect route will be taken, where the most important benefits of chemometric methods are discussed using small illustrative examples. Emphasis will be on multivariate data analysis (for example calibration), whereas other parts of chemometrics such as experimental design will not be treated here. Four distinct aspects are treated in detail: noise reduction; handling of interferents; the exploratory aspect and the possible outlier control. Additionally, some new developments in chemometrics are described.     

Targeting cancer treatment: the challenge of anatomical pathology to the analytical chemist

Anatomical pathology involves the scrutiny of specimens of human tissue for the diagnosis of disease. Included in this field is cytopathology which addresses the evaluation of small groups of cells. Doug Demetrick of the Department of Pathology of the University of Calgary argues that analytical chemistry has had minimal impact in such medical diagnostic endeavours, unlike the situation for hematology, microbiology and molecular genetics. Furthermore, it is stressed that new strategies are required for sample handling, increasing the cost effectiveness of instrumentation, and decreasing the subjectiveness of data processing. In tandem with drug development, it is more important to predict the response of disease to treatment than to concentrate on new methods for diagnosis.     

Properties of zirconium compounds likely to be of interest to the analytical chemist

A review of zirconium chemistry, with emphasis on the features underlying the chemical methods of determining this element, and an application of zirconium compounds in the analytical chemistry of other species.     

Biomarker discovery by proteomics: challenges not only for the analytical chemist

This forum article outlines some of the major challenges in present day biomarker discovery research. Notably the dilemma of reaching sufficient concentration sensitivity versus the required analysis time per sample is highlighted using a model calculation. A number of possible developments and recent research findings are considered to show possible ways out of this dilemma. Finally, the challenge of processing large, megavariate datasets prior to statistical analysis is presented.     

The analytical use of neutrons in the non-ferrous metal industry

Activation analysis with reactor neutrons is used as a complement to the chemical methods for the fabrication of standard materials or for the determination of rraces in non-ferrous metals. The 14 MeV neutrons are used to determine oxygen in metals. Finally, certain problems such as the determination of F in salts, Si in Al−Si alloys or B in the AT5B alloy can be solved by using the neutrons from an isotopic source.     

Atomic weights and isotopic abundances of the elements: A future concern for the analytical chemist

Summary The recent evolution and present status of the atomic weights of the elements is reviewed. Attention is drawn upon a number of rather unknown characteristics of these values: the accuracy of a considerable number of atomic weights has been decreased due to lack of justification of the number of significant figures in published values. Furthermore geological and artificial variations in isotopic composition start to influence atomic weights of some elements being circulated in the reagents market; the analytical chemist should be aware of it.The concept of atomic weights and natural isotopic abundances being fundamental constants of nature should be abandoned.

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Atomgewichte und Isotopenhäufigkeiten der Elemente: ein künftiges Problem für den Analytiker

Zusammenfassung Ein Überblick wird gegeben über die jüngste Entwicklung und den gegenwärtigen Stand. Auf eine Anzahl ziemlich unbekannter Charakteristica dieser Daten wird hingewiesen. So hat z.B. die Genauigkeit vieler Atomgewichte abgenommen, da die Angabe der in den Veröffentlichungen angegebenen Dezimalstellen nicht mehr gerechtfertigt ist. Außerdem beginnen geologische und künstliche Veränderungen in der Isotopenzusammensetzung die Atomgewichte einiger Elemente, die in Reagentien verwendet werden, zu beeinflussen. Der Analytiker sollte darauf achten. Die Vorstellung von Atomgewichten und natürlichen Isotopenhäufigkeiten als grundlegenden Naturkonstanten sollte aufgegeben werden.

Associate Member of the IUPAC International Commission on Atomic Weights.     

Japanese analytical instrument manufacturing industry

The production of analytical instrumentation in Japan has increased markedly in recent years. The percentage of this output which is exported has also increased, and reached 25% of total production in 1981.