Comparison of multianalyte proficiency test results by sum of ranking differences, principal component analysis, and hierarchical cluster analysis

Sum of ranking differences (SRD) was applied for comparing multianalyte results obtained by several analytical methods used in one or in different laboratories, i.e., for ranking the overall performances of the methods (or laboratories) in simultaneous determination of the same set of analytes. The data sets for testing of the SRD applicability contained the results reported during one of the proficiency tests (PTs) organized by EU Reference Laboratory for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (EU-RL-PAH). In this way, the SRD was also tested as a discriminant method alternative to existing average performance scores used to compare mutlianalyte PT results. SRD should be used along with the z scores—the most commonly used PT performance statistics. SRD was further developed to handle the same rankings (ties) among laboratories. Two benchmark concentration series were selected as reference: (a) the assigned PAH concentrations (determined precisely beforehand by the EU-RL-PAH) and (b) the averages of all individual PAH concentrations determined by each laboratory. Ranking relative to the assigned values and also to the average (or median) values pointed to the laboratories with the most extreme results, as well as revealed groups of laboratories with similar overall performances. SRD reveals differences between methods or laboratories even if classical test(s) cannot. The ranking was validated using comparison of ranks by random numbers (a randomization test) and using seven folds cross-validation, which highlighted the similarities among the (methods used in) laboratories. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis justified the findings based on SRD ranking/grouping. If the PAH-concentrations are row-scaled, (i.e., z scores are analyzed as input for ranking) SRD can still be used for checking the normality of errors. Moreover, cross-validation of SRD on z scores groups the laboratories similarly. The SRD technique is general in nature, i.e., it can be applied to any experimental problem in which multianalyte results obtained either by several analytical procedures, analysts, instruments, or laboratories need to be compared.

Rapid Capillary Electrophoresis Method for Simultaneous Determination of Abemaciclib,Ribociclib, and Palbociclib in Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms: A Green Approach

Advances in the treatment of HR+/HER2- breast cancer phenotype have been made with the introduction of abemaciclib, ribociclib, and palbociclib, inhibitors of cyclin D dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6). Here, a novel, fast, cheap, and green CE method for the simultaneous determination of these three CDK4/6 inhibitors in less than 4 min is proposed for the first time. Separation was achieved by capillary zone electrophoresis in an acidic medium, in accordance with the structures of the analytes and their pKa values. The optimal pH of the running buffer was found to be 2.9. The optimal method conditions were 27.5 kV separation voltage, 30 °C, 5 s injection time under 50 mbar pressure, and 50 mM phosphate background buffer with benzimidazole as an internal standard. The developed method was validated with respect to robustness, selectivity, accuracy, precision, linearity, and limits of detection. The method was shown to be linear in the range of 10 to 100 µg mL⁻¹ with correlation coefficients higher than 0.9981. A greenness assessment of the proposed method was performed, and the method was shown to be green. The validated method was successfully applied to pharmaceutical dosage forms of all CDK4/6 inhibitors.     

Multi-Level Robustness Evaluation Approach: From Robustness Criterion to Adapted Algorithm of Dong

This paper proposes an innovative concept for robustness evaluation guided by two crucial aims: indubitable identification of the factors that significantly affect the LC method and avoidance of unnecessary time and money wasting. The first phase of the proposed strategy includes robustness screening during the method optimization. Initial assumptions of the method robustness can be tracked as the rate of the response change while the factors deviate within the expected range. Therefore, partial and total robustness criteria are calculated. If the results obtained are not satisfactory, re-optimization of the method should be considered. Otherwise, extensive robustness testing defined by experimental design and multi-level factors estimation should be performed to confirm the method robustness. Firstly, the important factors are investigated by the standard graphical (normal probability plots) and statistical (algorithm of Dong and error estimation based on a priori declared negligible effects) procedures. Since these approaches have several drawbacks, they can result in the appearance of false negative or false positive results. Thus, the modification of the statistical tests is advised in order to make the final conclusions. Special attention was dedicated to the advantages of the adapted algorithm of Dong (so-called 75 % approach) in the absence of the effect sparsity. The new approach is presented on the optimization and robustness testing of LC method for determination of ramipril and its five impurities. It is proved that the proposed strategy can perform an overall robustness estimation and successfully reveal all important factors.     

Influence of the aryl substituent identity in 4-arylamino-3-nitrocoumarins on their thermal behavior

Thermal behavior of structurally similar 4-arylamino-3-nitrocoumarin derivatives substituted with different electron-donor and electron-acceptor substituents on the aryl side group was investigated. The thermal stability of these compounds was studied by non-isothermal thermo-gravimetric analysis, differential thermo-gravimetry, differential thermal analysis, and pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The thermal degradation of the three synthesized 4-arylamino-3-nitrocoumarins, possessing an iodine atom, a nitro or a methyl group, proceeds in three steps. The thermal stability of the coumarin derivative with the electron-donating methyl substituent is lower than that of the compounds with the electron-accepting nitro group or iodine atom. This least stable compound (4-[(4-methylphenyl)amino]-3-nitro-2H-chromen-2-one) was also characterized with the greatest loss in mass that accompanied the degradation, and all of the three degradation steps of this compound began at the lowest temperature in comparison to the other two.     

Surface modifications of a titanium implant by a picosecond Nd:YAG laser operating at 1064 and 532 nm

Interaction of an Nd:YAG laser, operating at 1064 or 532 nm wavelength and pulse duration of 40 ps, with titanium implant was studied. Surface damage thresholds were estimated to 0.9 and 0.6 J/cm² at wavelengths 1064 and 532 nm, respectively. The titanium implant surface modification was studied by the laser beam of energy density of 4.0 and 23.8 J/cm² (at 1064 nm) and 13.6 J/cm² (at 532 nm). The energy absorbed from the Nd:YAG laser beam is partially converted to thermal energy, which generates a series of effects, such as melting, vaporization of the molten material, shock waves, etc. The following titanium/implant surface morphological changes were observed: (i) both laser wavelengths cause damage of the titanium in the central zone of the irradiated area, (ii) appearance of a hydrodynamic feature in the form of resolidified droplets of the material in the surrounding outer zone with the 1064 nm laser wavelength and (iii) appearance of wave-like microstructures with the 532 nm wavelength. Generally, both laser wavelengths and the corresponding laser energy densities can efficiently enhance the titanium/implant roughness. This implant roughness is expected to improve its bio-integration. The process of the laser interaction with titanium implant was accompanied by formation of plasma.     

Thermodynamic and Kinetic Studies on Reactions of Pt(II) Complexes with Pyrazole, Pyridazine, and 1,2,4-Triazole

Substitution reactions of the complexes [Pt(dien)H₂O]²⁺ and [PtCl(dien)]⁺, where dien = diethylentriamine or 1,5-diamino-3-azapentane, with some nitrogen-donor ligands such as 1,2,4-triazole, pyrazole, and pyridazine, were studied in an aqueous 0.10 M NaClO₄ at pH = 2.5 using variable-temperature spectrophotometry and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The second-order rate constants indicate that the aqua complex, [Pt(dien)H₂O]²⁺, is more reactive than the corresponding chloro complex, [PtCl(dien)]⁺. The reactivity of the used ligands follows the order: 1,2,4-triazole > pyridazine > pyrazole. Activation parameters were determined for all reactions and the negative entropies of activation (ΔS ^≠) support an associative ligand substitution mechanism.     

Monoclinic structure and nonstoichiometry of `KAlSiO4‐O1'

Crystals of KAlSiO₄‐O1 (potassium aluminium silicate) were synthesized using a flux method and analysed utilizing single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and electron microprobe analysis. Both methods confirm that the crystals are nonstoichiometric according to K_1−xAl_1−xSi_1+xO₄ with x = 0.04 (1). KAlSiO₄‐O1 is closely related to the stuffed derivatives of tridymite, although the topology of the Si/Al‐ordered framework is different. Six‐membered rings of UUDDUD and UUUDDD (U = up and D = down; ratio 2:1) configurations are present in layers parallel to the ab plane. In contrast, the framework of tridymite exhibits UDUDUD rings. The crystals are affected by inversion, pseudo‐orthorhombic and pseudo‐hexagonal twinning.     

Electrochemical properties and square-wave voltammetric determination of pravastatin

The electrochemical reduction and adsorptive voltammetric behaviour of pravastatin have been studied by means of cyclic and square-wave voltammetry at a hanging mercury-drop electrode in electrolytes of different pH. Within the entire pH range (2.0–9.0) in Britton–Robinson buffer, pravastatin gave rise to a single voltammetric peak in the potential interval from −1.22 to −1.44 V, depending on pravastatin concentration. It was found that the reduction of pravastatin proceeds via a relatively stable intermediate, which is transformed to the final electroinactive product by a coupled chemical reaction or can be re-oxidized back to pravastatin. The rate of chemical transformation is controlled by the proton concentration. The electrode mechanism has the properties of a surface redox reaction. A sensitive analytical method for trace analysis of pravastatin based on the adsorptive stripping technique has been developed. The calibration plot was linear in the range 8×10⁻⁸–5×10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹. Application of the square-wave voltammetric method to determination of pravastatin in a pharmaceutical dosage form, without sample pretreatment, resulted in acceptable deviation from the stated concentration.     

Quantitative determination of glycine in commercial dosage forms by kinetic spectrophotometry

A kinetic method for the determination of nanogram quantities of amino acid glycine (Gly) is described. The catalytic activity of cobalt in the reaction of oxidation of purpurin (1,2,4-trihydroxyantraquinone, PP) by hydrogen peroxide in alkaline buffer solution decreases in the presence of micro quantities of glycine. Operating conditions for the successful determination of glycine were optimized and yielded a theoretical detection limit of 6.5 ng/mL. Kinetic equations are proposed for the investigated process. The interference effects of certain foreign ions and amino acids upon the reaction rate were studied in order to assess the selectivity of the method. The procedure was successfully applied to the determination of glycine in various pharmaceutical samples. The unique features of this procedure are that the determination can be carried out rapidly at room temperature and analysis time is short. The procedure is simple, inexpensive and efficient for use in the analysis of a large number of samples. The article is published in the original.     

PELDOR Spectroscopy Distance Fingerprinting of the Octameric Outer‐Membrane Protein Wza from Escherichia coli.

Distance fingerprinting : Pulsed electron–electron double resonance spectroscopy (PELDOR) is applied to the octameric membrane protein complex Wza of E. coli. The data yielded a detailed distance fingerprint of its periplasmic region that compares favorably to the crystal structure. These results provide the foundation to study conformation changes from interaction with partner proteins.