Comparative Study of Hard‐ and Soft‐Modeling Algorithms for Kinetic Data Processing

This article critically compares the efficacy of three algorithms, namely Alternating Least‐squares Multi Curve Resolution (ALS‐MCR), Hard Modeling Alternating Least‐squares (HM‐ALS), and classical Hard Modeling Multi Curve Resolution (HM‐MCR) in finding the true values of rate constants associated with a kinetic model. Simulated experiments on the simple system () indicate that soft‐modeling ALS‐MRC methodology, which is subject only to linear constraints, does not ensure that experimental responses are correctly deconvolved, thus preventing further calculations to determine the true rate constants. Inclusion of the kinetic model in the ALS scheme, which gives rise to the HM‐ALS methodology, was found to yield a correct assessment of the rate coefficients but had a large computational cost. Numerical experiments employing a more complex model () were also carried out, mainly to evaluate strategies for performing efficient searches on multidimensional multimodal least‐squares surfaces using HM‐ALS and HM‐MCR. This study again revealed the efficiency and reliability of classical HM‐MCR methods. Results from simulations were corroborated by analysis of data from an experimental study of chromate reduction by hydrogen peroxide; the mechanism of which is similar in complexity to those considered in simulations. The present work suggests that HM‐MCR algorithms implementing a multiminimum search strategy are the method of choice for analyzing two‐dimensional kinetic data.     

Application of maximum likelihood multivariate curve resolution to noisy data sets

In this work, two different maximum likelihood approaches for multivariate curve resolution based on maximum likelihood principal component analysis (MLPCA) and on weighted alternating least squares (WALS) are compared with the standard multivariate curve resolution alternating least squares (MCR‐ALS) method. To illustrate this comparison, three different experimental data sets are used: the first one is an environmental aerosol source apportionment; the second is a time‐course DNA microarray, and the third one is an ultrafast absorption spectroscopy. Error structures of the first two data sets were heteroscedastic and uncorrelated, and the difference between them was in the existence of missing values in the second case. In the third data set about ultrafast spectroscopy, error correlation between the values at different wavelengths is present. The obtained results confirmed that the resolved component profiles obtained by MLPCA‐MCR‐ALS are practically identical to those obtained by MCR‐WALS and that they can differ from those resolved by ordinary MCR‐ALS, especially in the case of high noise. It is shown that methods that incorporate uncertainty estimations (such as MLPCA‐ALS and MCR‐WALS) can provide more reliable results and better estimated parameters than unweighted approaches (such as MCR‐ALS) in the case of the presence of high amounts of noise. The possible advantage of using MLPCA‐MCR‐ALS over MCR‐WALS is then that the former does not require changing the traditional MCR‐ALS algorithm because MLPCA is only used as a preliminary data pretreatment before MCR analysis. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Second‐Order Data Obtained from Differential Pulse Voltammetry: Determination of Lead in River Water Using Multivariate Curve Resolution‐Alternating Least‐Squares (MCR‐ALS)

Multivariate curve resolution by alternating least squares (MCR‐ALS) with the aim of achieving the electrochemical second order advantage has been applied to potential‐time second‐order data. In this work a simple way is reported as a first approach towards generation of the instrumental electrochemical second‐order data by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). A linear dependency exists in the pulse duration profiles of the electroactive species in the mixture samples. Rank deficiency of the mixture data matrix is broken by matrix augmentation. Due to existence of potential shift in the obtained data, MCR‐ALS could not be achieved the convergence on the augmented data. So this shift was corrected with potential shift correction algorithm. Results of MCR‐ALS after shift correction show that the proposed method could be efficiently used for determination of Pb²⁺ in the presence of unexpected interferents in the river water sample.     

Comments on a recently published paper ‘some surprising properties of multivariate curve resolution‐alternating least squares (MCR‐ALS) algorithms’

Some of the results given in a recently published paper in this journal concerning some surprising properties of the multivariate curve resolution‐alternating least squares (MCR‐ALS) method are discussed. My results showed that the surprising properties of MCR‐ALS refer only to the slow linear convergence properties of ALS algorithms and to rounding error computer calculations. Results obtained by MCR‐ALS for the first data example were correct and no significant differences were observed in the resolved profiles. In the second more complex data example, large rotation ambiguities were present for the spectrum profile of the very minor second component which was not correctly estimated by MCR‐ALS. However, even in this case, the subspaces spanned by the MCR‐ALS solutions were also very close to the correct ones apart from slow convergence properties of the MCR‐ALS algorithm in this case. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Forced degradation studies of lansoprazole using LC‐ESI HRMS and 1H‐NMR experiments: in vitro toxicity evaluation of major degradation products

Regulatory agencies from all over the world have set up stringent guidelines with regard to drug degradation products due to their toxic effects or carcinogenicity. Lansoprazole, a proton‐pump inhibitor, was subjected to forced degradation studies as per ICH guidelines Q1A (R2). The drug was found to degrade under acidic, basic, neutral hydrolysis and oxidative stress conditions, whereas it was found to be stable under thermal and photolytic conditions. The chromatographic separation of the drug and its degradation products were achieved on a Hiber Purospher, C18 (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μ) column using 10 mM ammonium acetate and acetonitrile as a mobile phase in a gradient elution mode at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. The eight degradation products (DP1–8) were identified and characterized by UPLC/ESI/HRMS with in‐source CID experiments combined with accurate mass measurements. DP‐1, DP‐2 and DP‐3 were formed in acidic, DP‐4 in basic, DP‐5 in neutral and DP‐1, DP‐6, DP‐7 and DP‐8 were in oxidation stress condition Among eight degradation products, five were hitherto unknown degradation products. In addition, one of the major degradation products, DP‐2, was isolated by using semi preparative HPLC and other two, DP‐6 and DP‐7 were synthesized. The cytotoxic effect of these degradation products (DP‐2, DP‐6 and DP‐7) were tested on normal human cells such as HEK 293 (embryonic kidney cells) and RWPE‐1(normal prostate epithelial cells) by MTT assay. From the results of cytotoxicity, it was found that lansoprazole as well as its degradation products (DP‐2, DP‐6 and DP‐7) were nontoxic up to 50‐μM concentrations, and the latter showed slightly higher cytotoxicity when compared with that of lansoprazole. DNA binding studies using spectroscopic techniques indicate that DP‐2, DP‐6 and DP‐7 molecules interact with ctDNA and may bind to its surface. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stability and degradation products of imipenem applying high‐resolution mass spectrometry: An analytical study focused on solutions for infusion

Carbapenems show recognized instability in aqueous solutions; therefore some care must be taken in their handling and preparation and their use in the hospital environment. The stability and degradation products of imipenem were investigated from conditions that simulate its clinical use. For this, a simple stability‐indicating method by HPLC‐DAD was validated with a focus on the quantitation of drug concentration remaining from infusion solutions (sodium chloride 0.9% and glucose 5%). The degradation products formed were identified by high‐resolution mass spectrometry (ESI‐Q‐TOF‐MS/MS), with detection of the [M + H]⁺ ions at m/z 318 (DP‐1), m/z 599 (DP‐2) and m/z 658 (DP‐3). The most probable elemental compositions were obtained with a high degree of confidence, where the error between the masses observed and calculated was 1.25 ppm for DP‐1, ?0.33 ppm for DP‐2 and 1.82 ppm for DP‐3. The DP‐1 degradation product resulted from cleavage of the β‐lactam ring; DP‐2 corresponded to the drug dimer; and DP‐3 was generated from the interaction between imipenem and cilastatin. The proposed method provides a safe and reliable alternative for the quantitation of imipenem, and the stability data obtained by ESI‐Q‐TOF help in understanding the drug behavior under the conditions of clinical use.     

On the implementation of spatial constraints in multivariate curve resolution alternating least squares for hyperspectral image analysis

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a method for exploring spatial and spectral information associated with the distribution of the different compounds in a chemical or biological sample. Amongst the multivariate image analysis tools utilized to decompose the raw data into a bilinear model, multivariate curve resolution alternating least squares (MCR‐ALS) can be applied to obtain the distribution maps and pure spectra of the components of the sample image. However, a requirement is to have the data in a two‐way matrix. Thus, a preliminary step consists of unfolding the raw HSI data into a single‐pixel direction. Consequently, through this data manipulation, the information regarding pixel neighboring is lost, and spatial information cannot directly be constrained on the component profiles in the current MCR‐ALS algorithm. In this short communication, we propose an adaptation of the MCR‐ALS framework, enabling the potential implementation of any variation of spatial constraint. This can be achieved by adding, at each least‐squares step, refolding/unfolding of the distribution maps for the components. The implementation of segmentation, shape smoothness, and image modeling as spatial constraints is proposed as a proof of concept. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Global kinetics of thermal degradation of flame-retarded epoxy resin formulations

A predictive mathematical model to describe mass loss profiles of flame-retardant (FR) containing epoxy resin formulations is proposed. Mass loss is due to thermal degradation of the constituent components and can be described by a generic kinetic scheme with a given set of thermokinetic constants in the form of ordinary differential equations. The scope of this work is to determine the kinetic parameters of the thermal degradation of a known flame-retarded epoxy resin composition by using thermogravimetric analysis and using the acquired data to predict the degradation profiles for other formulations. The mass loss profiles of Visil and intumescent epoxy resin containing formulations were predicted by solving coupled systems of ordinary differential equations and then using Powell minimisation to find the optimal Arrhenius parameters, taking into account the mass ratio of the components in the mixture. The calculated kinetic constants for one formulation (85% resin-15% FR additives) are used to predict the mass loss profiles for other formulations (80% resin-20% FR additives and 90% resin-10% FR additives) with the assumption that the degradation mechanism does not change. The predicted thermal degradation profiles are compared with experimental data acquired using standard laboratory equipment in order to validate the proposed mechanisms. The kinetic parameters obtained adequately describe mass loss history of composite materials studied, even when extremely simplified kinetic schemes have been used.     

Voltammetric,UV–Vis Spectrometric and Fluorescence Study of the Interaction of Ractopamine and DNA with the Aid of Multivariate Curve Resolution‐Alternating Least Squares

Interaction of a steroid drug, Ractopamine (RAC), and DNA was investigated by electroanalysis‐differential pulse and cyclic voltammetry (DPV and CV), and UV‐vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. DPV showed that RAC intercalated with DNA, and CV indicated that the reaction mechanism of RAC and dsDNA involved irreversible oxidation with the loss of two H⁺ and a transfer of two electrons. Reaction binding parameters were obtained. Pure spectra of RAC, DNA and the RAC‐DNA complex, and their concentrations were extracted by multivariate curve resolution‐alternating least squares method (MCR‐ALS). Concentration profiles indicated quantitatively the course of the reaction.     

Identification and characterization of stress degradation products of sumatriptan succinate by using LC/Q‐TOF‐ESI‐MS/MS and NMR: Toxicity evaluation of degradation products

Sumatriptan succinate, a selective 5‐HT1B receptor agonist, was subjected to forced degradation studies as per to International Conference on Harmonization‐specified conditions. The drug exclusively showed its degradation under basic, photolytic, and oxidative stress conditions, whereas it was found to be stable under acidic, thermal, and neutral conditions. Eight (DP‐1 to DP‐8) degradation products were identified and characterized by UPLC‐ESI/MS/MS experiments combined with accurate mass measurements. The effective chromatographic separation was achieved on Hibar Purospher STAR, C18 (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column using mobile phase consisting of 0.1% formic acid and methanol at a flow rate of 0.6 mL/minute in gradient elution method. It is noteworthy that 2 major degradation products DP‐3 and DP‐7 were isolated using preparative HPLC and characterized by advanced NMR experiments. The degradation pathway of the sumatriptan was established, which was duly justified by mechanistic explanation. In vitro cytotoxicity of isolated DPs was tested on normal human cells such as HEK 293 (embryonic kidney cells) and RWPE‐1 (normal prostate epithelial cells). This study revealed that they were nontoxic up to 100 μm concentration. Further, in silico toxicity of the drug and its degradation products was determined using ProTox‐II prediction tool. This study revealed that DP‐4 and DP‐8 are predicted for immune toxicity. Amine oxidase A and prostaglandin G/H synthase 1 are predicted as toxicity targets for DP‐3, DP‐4, and DP‐6 whereas DP‐1 and DP‐2 are predicted for amine oxidase A target.     

Multivariate curve resolution of mixed bacterial DNA sequence spectra: identification and quantification of bacteria in undefined mixture samples

A comprehensive understanding of factors that influence microbial competition and cooperation, their diversity and processes will be greatly beneficial in many research areas. Current tools for microflora determinations are far from suitable for high‐throughput monitoring of development in complex microbial communities. Here, we describe the application of a calibration free method, multivariate curve resolution with alternating least squares (MCR‐ALS), for identification and quantification of different microbes in mixture samples. The idea is to utilize MCR‐ALS to enable close monitoring of ecology in a variety of microbial communities. The data from two designed experiments consisting of DNA sequence spectra measured on mixtures were analysed with MCR‐ALS using no prior information on the data except for appropriate constraints, such as non‐negativity and closure. The results were compared both to the known true concentrations as well as to the results obtained from the well‐established multivariate calibration method partial least squares (PLS) regression. MCR‐ALS performed as well as PLS regression, successfully extracting all pure bacterial spectra and quantitative information on these, with 97.81% and 97.91% explained variance for the first and the second data set, respectively. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Novel theoretical and computer-assisted modeling of isothermal and non-isothermal depolymerization kinetics

A novel kinetic model accounting for the observed asymptotic approach of the degree of polymerization (DP) to a limiting value significantly greater than unity on prolonged degradation is derived and applied to the solid-state degradation of cellulose (Kraft paper) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) under isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. Experimental data were fitted using two iterative computer algorithms: one for isothermal DP data and the other for non-isothermal DP data obtained under a linear temperature ramp. The apparent activation energy for the solid-state recombination of chain radicals was found to be low in each case and was attributed to the proximity of free radicals being facilitated by restrictions imposed by the polymer matrix. The application of the model to non-isothermal DP yielded rate parameters that could be reconciled with those obtained from isothermal analyses, suggesting the novel approach has much merit for the future study of polymer degradation.     

Study of degradation behavior of besifloxacin,characterization of its degradation products by LC–ESI–QTOF–MS and their in silico toxicity prediction

Knowledge and understanding of the stability profile of a drug is important as it affects its safety and efficacy. In the present work, besifloxacin, a new, fourth‐generation fluoroquinolone antibiotic, was subjected to different forced‐degradation conditions as per International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines such as hydrolysis (acid, base and neutral), oxidation, thermal and photolysis. The drug degraded under acidic, basic, oxidative and photolytic conditions while it was found to be stable under dry heat and neutral hydrolytic conditions. In total, five degradation products (DPs) were formed under different conditions—DP1 and DP2 (photolysis), DP3 (oxidation), DP4 (acidic), DP3 and DP5 (basic). The chromatographic separation of besifloxacin and its degradation products was achieved on a Sunfire C₁₈ (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column with 0.1% aqueous formic acid–acetonitrile as a mobile phase. The gradient RP‐HPLC method was developed and validated as per ICH guidelines. The degradation products were characterized with the help of LC–ESI–QTOF mass spectrometric studies and the most likely degradation pathway of the drug was proposed. In silico toxicity assessment of the drug and its degradation products was carried out, which indicated that DP3 and DP4 carry a mutagenicity alert.     

Improvement of Solubility and Stability of Valsartan by Hydroxypropyl-\boldbeta-Cyclodextrin

Aim of the present work was to investigate the effect of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) on the solubility, dissolution rate and stability of Valsartan (VAL), a drug used orally for the treatment of hypertension. Phase solubility studies demonstrated the ability of the HP-β-CD to complex VAL and to increase drug solubility. The dissolved amount of VAL increased linearly with the addition of HP-β-CD according to an A_L type plot. The apparent stability constant of the complex, calculated supposing a 1:1 stoichiometry, was 296±7 M⁻¹. VAL/HP-β-CD interactions were also studied by ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. Equimolar VAL/HP-β-CD solid systems were prepared by physical-mixing and freeze-drying, and their properties in the solid state studied by DSC and FT-IR analysis. The results provided clear indications of the formation of a new solid phase corresponding to the inclusion complex in the freeze-dried sample. The dissolution profiles of the drug from each solid system were affected by its physico-chemical properties, the freeze-dried being the most rapidly dissolving form. The thermal stability of the complex was studied, also determining the number and identity of the decomposition products of the drug. The stability studies revealed that the VAL/HP-β-CD complex significantly decreases the rate of VAL degradation. These results suggest that CD technology would be a very useful method to overcome the solubility and the stability problems of VAL.     

Kinetics of the reaction of 4,4′‐biphenol with bromoethane and 1‐bromobutane by phase‐transfer catalysis

The reaction of 4,4′‐biphenol and two species of bromoalkanes (e.g., bromoethane and 1‐bromobutane) to synthesize two symmetric products (4,4′‐diethanoxy biphenyl and 4,4′‐dibutanoxy biphenyl) and one asymmetric product (4‐ethanoxy, 4′‐butanoxy biphenyl) was successfully carried out under two‐phase phase‐transfer catalysis conditions. A rational mechanism and kinetic model were built up by considering the reactions both in aqueous phase and in organic phase. The first active catalyst (QO(Ph)₂OQ) was also synthesized under two‐phase reaction and was identified by instruments. The experimental data were explained satisfactorily by the pseudo‐steady‐state hypothesis. Two sets of rate constants of organic reactions, i.e. primary (k₁ and k₂) and secondary (k₁₁, k₁₂, k₂₁, and k₂₂) rate constants participate in the kinetic model. The two primary rate constants were obtained individually via experimental data for synthesizing the symmetric products. The ratios of the other four secondary rate constants were obtained from the reaction of synthesizing asymmetric products and determined from the initial yield rates of symmetric products. The effects of the ratio of bromoethane and 1‐bromobutane, temperature, organic solvents, amount of catalyst, and amount of sodium hydroxide on the reaction rate and the selectivity of products were investigated in detail. The results were explained satisfactorily by the interaction between the reactants and the environmental species. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 35: 139–153, 2003     

Simultaneous Anodic Stripping Voltammetric Determination of Pb and Cd,Using a Vibrating Gold Microwire Electrode,Assisted by Chemometric Techniques

Simultaneous anodic stripping voltammetric determination of Pb and Cd is restricted on gold electrodes as a result of the overlapping of these two peaks. This work describes the quantitative determination of a binary mixture system of Pb and Cd, at low concentration levels (up to 15.0 and 10.0 µg L^?1 for Pb and Cd, respectively) by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV; deposition time of 30 s), using a green electrode (vibrating gold microwire electrode) without purging in a chloride medium (0.5 M NaCl) under moderate acidic conditions (HCl 1.0 mM), assisted by chemometric tools. The application of multivariate curve resolution alternating least squares (MCR‐ALS) for the resolution and quantification of both metals is shown. The optimized MCR‐ALS models showed good prediction ability with concentration prediction errors of 12.4 and 11.4 % for Pb and Cd, respectively. The quantitative results obtained by MCR‐ALS were compared to those obtained with partial least squares (PLS) and classical least squares (CLS) regression methods. For both metals, PLS and MCR‐ALS results are comparable and superior to CLS. For Cd, as a result of the peak shift problem, the application of CLS was unsuitable. MCR‐ALS provides additional advantage compared to PLS since it estimates the pure response of the analytes signal. Finally, the built up multivariate calibration models, based either in MCR‐ALS or PLS regression, allowed to quantify concentrations of Pb and Cd in surface river water samples, with satisfactory results.     

Photodegradation study of decabromodiphenyl ether by UV spectrophotometry and a hybrid hard- and soft-modelling approach

This work presents an exploratory study of the photochemical degradation process of decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE) and gives an interpretation of the kinetic pathway, species and effects of the key factors involved in the degradation process. Use of lowly brominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) has been banned by the EU and there seems to be evidence of the photolytic degradation of highly brominated PBDEs into lowly brominated congeners. Hence, the importance of knowing the photodegradation process of decaBDE.The photodegradation was investigated under UV light by UV-spectrophotometric monitoring. A novel hybrid data analysis approach, based on the combination of hard- and soft-spectrophotometric multivariate curve resolution, was applied to elucidate the mechanism of the degradation process, to resolve kinetic profiles and pure spectra of the photodegradation products and to evaluate the rate constants. The photodegradation process could be described with a kinetic model based on three consecutive first-order reactions and a decrease of the degradation process was observed as solvent polarity increased. Complementary identification of photodegradation products by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry using negative chemical ionization (GC-NCI-MS) is attempted.This work presents a novel attempt of describing in a comprehensive way the photochemical degradation process of decaBDE, with all successive steps and related rate constants. This study proves also the potential of the proposed hybrid data analysis methodology as a general strategy to interpret the evolution of these photochemical reactions.     

Curing reaction of glycidylthioether resins: Kinetic model study by near infrared spectroscopy and multivariate curve resolution

The reactivity of sulfur‐based epoxy monomers was studied by monitoring of a model system involving phenylglycidylthioether and aniline. The reaction was carried out under isothermal conditions and monitored in situ by near infrared spectroscopy. Using multivariate curve resolution‐alternating least squares made it possible to obtain the concentration and spectral profiles of each species throughout the reaction. To obtain the kinetic rate constants, the values of the recovered concentration profiles were fitted to a kinetic model proposed for the reaction. Reactivity was evaluated by comparing the concentration profiles and kinetic rate constants obtained with the same parameters obtained for phenylglycidylether/aniline as a reference system. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 4846–4856, 2006     

Study of valsartan interaction with micelles as a model system for biomembranes

In this study, the interaction of valsartan (VAL), an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, with cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was investigated. The effect of cationic micelles on spectroscopic and acid-base properties of VAL was carried out using UV spectrophotometry at physiological conditions (pH 7.4). The binding of VAL to CTAB micelles implied a shift in drug acidity constant (pK(a)(water)-pK(a)(micelle)=1.69) proving the great affinity of VAL dianion for the positively charged CTAB micelle surface. To quantify the degree of VAL/CTAB interaction, two constants were calculated by using mathematical models: micelle/water partition coefficient (K(x)) and drug/micelle binding constant (K(b)). The decrease of K(x) with VAL concentration, obtained by using pseudo-phase model, is consistent with an adsorption-like phenomenon. From the dependence of differential absorbance at lambda=295 nm on CTAB concentration, by using mathematical model that treats the solubilization of VAL dianion as its binding to specific sites in the micelles (Langmuir adsorption isotherm), the binding constant (K(b)=(2.50+/-0.49)x10(4)M(-1)) was obtained. Binding constant VAL/CTAB was also calculated using micellar liquid chromatography (MLC).