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Monitoring the characteristic components in tipping paper is important to ensure the quality of cigarette products. This study establishes a method based on gas chromatography (GC) for determining cooling agents in tipping paper. The tipping paper was cut into pieces and extracted by ethanol under specific temperatures in a shaker. Then, the characteristic cooling agents of (-)-menthone, L-menthol, and (-)-menthyl lactate in extract were determined using GC coupled with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantification (LOQs) for the three cooling agents ranged from 0.15~0.32 μg/mL and 0.49~1.06 μg/mL, respectively. Results demonstrated a good linear relationship with high correlation coefficients for the three tested cooling agents. The extraction conditions of the cooling agents were optimized through a single-factor experiment as well as an orthogonal experiment. The standard addition recovery experiment showed that the average recoveries range from 81.23 to 100.62%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the measured values (n = 5) ranged from 0.34 to 1.64%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a present a methodical qualitative and quantitative analysis of H-Classic publications that have made key contributions and identify intensive mainstream research areas in atomic spectroscopy. It mentions that the study also provides an insight into historical developments in atomic spectroscopy, which can be valuable to academic organizations and editorial staff in determining areas and fields of research.

The article reports that the gestation period for the Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S) PI-041 data integrity guidance, and a draft 3 was issued for public comment in November 2018, with the final version issued in July 2021. It mentions that Good Practices for Data Management and Integrity in Regulated od distribution practice (GDP) or good manufacturing practice (GMP) environment with a document number PI-041.

The article presents an end user perspective on the utility of the electronic health record during the COVID-19 pandemic, as of November 2021. Topics covered include how the public health crisis has motivated rapid innovation of EHRs, the first EHR changes that end users saw and how updates to patient communication proved essential in managing the surge of patient messages and calls. It also discusses the shift to telemedicine and the limitations of the impact of the EHR progress.

The reasons the DEA set forth in denying a one-time transfer of unfilled hard copy prescriptions is their portability and the patient's ability to be handed back the prescription by the pharmacist. January 20, 2022 Agency aims to allow electronic prescriptions for schedule II to V drugs between registered retail pharmacies on 1-time basis for initial fill. The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to address the transfer of electronically prescribed controlled substances. [Extracted from the article]

Portable Raman spectrometers have become smaller over the last 20 years, while their performance has in creased. This has been made possible by closer coupling of all the compo nents, use of transmission gratings rather than reflection gratings, and general advances in electronics, displays, and battery technologies. An obvious question to ask is whether this trend can continue. This paper describes the technologies and evo lution of these instruments, existing limitations, the current landscape of miniature Raman spectrometers, and the state of the art. Finally, the paper also looks at what emerging technologies could be applied in this area, and how those could lead to new applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is the most significant regulation impacting the pharmaceutical industry and requires substantial investment in resources and time commitments. This paper provides a high-level overview of Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) regulations and related public quality standards. It discusses GMP compliance requirements and practices, emphasizing those relevant to the analytical chemist in development and quality control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adhesives are indispensable raw materials in the assembly of electronics and electrical equipment. Residual monomers in adhesives pose a threat to humans and the environment. Therefore, quantitative analysis of residual monomers in adhesives is extremely important. In this paper, a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method was established and validated for the simultaneous quantification of 17 residual monomers in adhesives, including 15 acrylates and two acrylamides. The ultrasonic extraction conditions were optimized and determined based on the extraction effect and cost. In addition, the matrix effect of residual monomers in adhesives is widespread. A matrix matching calibration standard with high sensitivity, accuracy, and stability was adopted to reduce the matrix effect on quantification. This method can be used for the determination of multiple residual monomers in adhesives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computerized System Validation (CSV) is usually associated with great mountains of paper (GMP). Why should this be the case? Ask yourself, am I lazy? Why write multiple documents if only one is required to validate a spectrometer with a simple intended use? Interested? Read on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview with Phyllis R. Brown, a professor at the University of Rhode Island is presented. Brown says that she started working with paper chromatography and thin-layer chromatography (TLC). She states that working with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system was exciting, challenging and frustrating. She adds that her biggest achievement was to become the pioneer in the HPLC application. INSET: Phyllis R. Brown: A Pioneering Chromatographer, Who Broke ....

The article offers information on the research related to application of paper strip extraction along with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) in pharmacokinetics. It discusses the adaptation of dried blood spot (DBS) technology to develop and validate a novel paper strip extraction method for the analysis of natural product metabolites in biological samples that are obtained from a human pharmacokinetic study of xanthohumol, a hop prenylflavonoid.

Recent advances in sampling techniques in the pharmaceutical industry sparked significant interest in applying improvements to extraction methods for greater analyte detection and quantitation. In particular, the dried blood spot (DBS) sampling technique has numerous advantages compared to traditional methods such as liquid-liquid extraction, including the use of small sample volumes, less sample processing, and less exposure to toxic solvents (ether, methyl tertbutyl ether [MTBE], and dichloromethane). In this article, we discuss the adaptation of DBS technology to develop and validate a novel paper strip extraction method for the analysis of natural product metabolites in biological samples obtained from a human pharmacokinetic study of xanthohumol, a hop prenylflavonoid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the author focuses on a research conducted for the application of paper strip extraction along with Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) in pharmacokinetic study of prenylflavonoid, xanthohumol. It mentions the improvements in mass spectrometry technology have led to high-throughput methods for quantitative analysis of metabolites in biological samples. It mentions the complexity of biological samples influences the sensitivity and selectivity of MS methods.

The article provides information on the 2024 annual meeting concluded by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) in Seattle, Washington with content and presentations that showed the level of innovation on the field of ophthalmology. Topics include number of posters and paper sessions featured in the event, mission of ARVO, and the meeting's focus on the impact of innovation, technology, and information on vision research.

The article presents the discussion on showing the concern in the atomic spectroscopy community. Topics include authors being computer scientists not realizing the gaps due to the lack of familiarity with field of atomic spectroscopy; and specialized applications in areas like material science, physics, clinical applications, and astrobiology.

Computerized system validation (CSV) in good practice (GXP)-regulated laboratories is alleged to take ages and generate piles of paper to keep inspectors and auditors quiet. To the rescue is the draft FDA guidance on computer software assurance (CSA). But...is this really the case? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we describe denaturing and non-denaturing ion-pair reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) methods for analyzing small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA). Drug formulations consisting of one or two siRNA duplexes were analyzed in non-denaturing conditions at a low column temperature to separate intact duplexes from single-stranded oligonucleotide contaminants and quantify them. In a denaturing method, we used an elevated column temperature to ensure the denaturation of siRNA duplexes into their single-stranded oligonucleotide counterparts. The goal of the denaturing LC method was to investigate the impurities in daughter oligonucleotides in siRNA. A column with chemically modified C18 column hardware showed improvements in analytical performance for nucleic acids compared to a conventional C18 stainless-steel column with the same pore size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article mentions the American College of Physicians' (ACP) release of a policy paper on the ethical and professional implications of healthcare business practices and physician employment as of April 2021.

The article discusses Atwood and Goldstein of PerkinElmer published one of the studies on lot-to-lot selectivity variability for a commercial high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) packing material. Topics include vendors provide a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) with test data, and perhaps with acceptance criteria; and the nightmare scenario has not being able to release life-saving medicines.

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is widely used for the classification of materials and the quantification of their properties. Today, there is a high demand for extending the use of this technique to portable applications, and eventually, the integration with consumer appliances and smartphones. To reach this goal, the overall size of the NIR sensor, its production cost, robustness, and resistance to vibrations are of particular importance. This paper describes an approach to spectral sensing in the NIR (850-1700 nm) using a handheld sensor module based on a fully integrated multipixel detector array with a footprint of around 2×2 mm². The capabilities of the spectral sensor module were recently evaluated in two application cases: Quantification of the fat percentage in raw milk and the classification of plastic types. Fat quantification was achieved with a root mean square error (RMSE) of prediction of 0.14% and classification of plastic types was achieved with a prediction accuracy on unknown samples of 100%. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the direct NIR sensing approach used by the integrated sensor, which has potential to be used in a variety of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignocellulose determination and categorization analysis are critical to the treatment of biofuel pellets. For lignocellulose determination, partial least square (PLS) regression models based on full-range spectra, feature intervals, and feature bands were established. The models that were based on feature bands displayed the best performance, with the determination coefficients of 0.956, 0.864, and 0.926 for cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, respectively. For the categorization analysis issue, two specific cases were studied. First, linear discriminant analysis and random forest were used for biofuel pellet classification. Second, fuzzy clustering based on transitive closure was adopted to implement the hierarchical clustering of biofuel pellets without the label information. Excellent categorization results were obtained. This paper provides an effective auxiliary means for the pretreatment and storage of biofuel pellets with the utilization of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space target recognition is of great importance for maintaining aerospace safety and national security. When observing a space target, owing to the low spatial resolution of ground-based observation equipment, each pixel in a hyperspectral image might represent a mixture of several different materials. Hyperspectral unmixing is a process used to extract the endmembers and their corresponding abundances from hyperspectral data. Unfortunately, most existing methods cannot make full use of the available spatial information data. The paper proposes a new local manifold sparse regularized unmixing model based on similarity regularized nonnegative matrix factorization (SRNMF). To exploit the spatial information of the vis-NIR (approximately 400-2500 nm) hyperspectral image of a space target, image segmentation is introduced to generate similar local regions. These local regions are generated adaptively, and pixels within each region have similar abundance sparseness. Simulation experiments validated the high efficiency and precision of the proposed algorithm, which should also be suitable for other spectral analysis applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we show surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) of serum from acute leukemia and analyze the SERS through the multivariate statistical method of principal component analysis (PCA). First, the changes in the structure of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and other substances in the serum of patients with acute leukemia are analyzed from the molecular perspective. The results showed that the ordered structure of the protein main chain and the side chain conformation was weakened, the main chain structure was almost broken, and the protein became loose and disordered. In addition, the content of esters, amino acids, glycoproteins, and carbohydrate-related substances decreases, indicating a change in the environment. Finally, the PCA method was used to analyze the SERS signal of the serum of healthy people and patients with acute leukemia to accurately distinguish the two serum samples. The above conclusions can provide a favorable experimental basis for diagnosing leukemia and the study of the biochemical mechanism involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near-infrared (NIR) spectrum detection technology is used widely, with broad application prospects in detecting the composition of cement raw meal. However, the onsite cement production environment is relatively complex, noting that the output needs to be adjusted continuously according to the production requirements. Furthermore, the sampling volume is changing continuously, affecting the online detection results. This paper examines the influence of sample bulk density on a NIR spectrum detection model of cement raw meal by establishing two different models of calibration set samples. The model I samples have the same bulk density, but the model II samples have a bulk density that changes. After a smoothing preprocessing of the spectral data and band selection, a detection model was established by partial least squares regression. A comparison of the prediction results of the two groups of models revealed a 19.10%, 17.65%, 20.37%, and 27.40% increase in the coefficients of determination (R²) of SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, and CaO, respectively, in model II compared to model I. The experimental results show that the variation of bulk density leads to specific errors in the prediction results of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights the topics of Glaucoma Free Paper session at the 1998 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. Anti-glaucoma medications; Surgical interventions on patients with primary open-angle glaucoma; Information on the computer software in perimetric testing.

The article offers tips on how to implement successful electronic health record (EHR) system in the U.S. The author mentions that transition from paperworks to EHR improves practice, reduces cost and increases revenue. To integrate EHR efficiently, it is suggested to analyze the current process, to create a new scheme and to have an information technology (IT) plan.

Presents highlights of several studies about glaucoma. Assessment of the efficacy and safety of mitomycin-C for primary filtering surgery; Management of leaking filtering bleb; Penetration of fluoroquinolones into eyes with functioning filtering blebs; Efficacy and safety of sclerectomy versus trabeculectomy.

With the continuous exploitation and utilization of mineral resources, the mineral reserves of all countries in the world are decreasing. In this case, the boundary grades and industrial grades of ore are bound to be adjusted downward along with the decrease of mineral resources. Low-grade ore will have mining value and bring economic benefits to enterprises. For low-grade ore, the traditional content determination has the disadvantages of high cost and long time consumption. Therefore, it needs a method that can quickly identify the content of low-grade ore. In addition, mining will destroy the surrounding ecological environment and cause heavy metals in the land to exceed the standard. This paper proposes a method of using spectral information and remote sensing data to determine copper content in mining areas. We trained the calibration model with spectral data as input, and the copper content of the ore as output. Finally, through the remote sensing information of the mining area, the metal content of the entire mining area is inverted. This provides guidance for the later beneficiation technology of ore, and the reclamation of the land after mining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an effective identification method of wavelength variable selection to rapidly discriminate the grape seed oil adulteration by near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is investigated. The extreme learning machine (ELM) is employed to build a stable and accurate model, and a firefly algorithm combined with a successive projections algorithm (FA-SPA) is developed to eliminate redundant wavelengths (The model used throughout is called FA-SPA-ELM). The comparison among different models--the partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model, the support vector machine (SVM) model, the least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM), and the FA-SPA-ELM model--demonstrates that the wavelength number of the FA-SPA model can be effectively reduced with a wavelength variable of 17, and the model of FA-SPA-ELM presents the excellent predictive capability. The experimental results show that the proposed novel method could be used to identify adulterated grape seed oil quickly, effectively, and nondestructively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a portable near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer, combined with chemometrics methods, was used for rapid identification of 20 wood species. Four spectral pretreatment methods, including Norris-Williams smooth (NWS), standard normal variate (SNV), multiplicative scatter correction (MSC) and Savitzky-Golay 1st derivative (SG 1st-Der), were adopted for noise reduction and information enhancement of near-infrared (NIR) spectra of wood. Three pattern recognition methods, including principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and support vector machine (SVM), were used to cluster analysis of sample spectra. The competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) method was proposed to select effective wavelengths (EWs). The Bayesian information criteria (BIC) value was used for comprehensive evaluation of model accuracy and complexity. Compared with PLS-DA models, both the correction set and test set of the SG 1st-Der-SVM model and the SNV-SVM model have obtained 100% correct recognition rates (CRRs). The CARS method shows the SG 1st-Der-SVM model having the smallest BIC value, and the model was optimal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bis(pinacolato)diboron (BPD) and tetrahydroxydiboron (BBA) are commonly used reagents in Suzuki-Miyaura coupling for the synthesis of many intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). These reagents have tested Ames positive and are classified as mutagenic by the International Council for Harmonization (ICH), under the "Assessment and Control of DNA Reactive (Mutagenic) Impurities in Pharmaceuticals to Limit Potential Carcinogenic Risk," M7 (ICH M7) as Class 2 impurities. Because BPD and BBA are mutagenic, they need to be controlled and subsequently detected down to very low levels. Current methods using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) give only the total boron content, which is problematic if the API also contains a boron molecule. In this paper, we describe a novel gas chromatography (GC)-MS approach for the low-level analysis of BPD and BBA in drug substances, even in the presence of boron from other sources. The analysis of BBA required derivatization of BPA to BPD, resulting in quantitation limits of 30 ppm of BBA (back calculated from the derivatized compound). BPD could be analyzed directly with quantitation limits of 2.5 ppm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lamellar structures are common in many polymeric materials and biological tissues. These structures are characterized by alternating layers of different compositions or densities that act as electron density gratings that diffract X-rays, giving rise to reflections at small scattering angles. This paper discusses the characteristics of these small-angle X-ray scattering patterns, relate these parameters to the features of the lamellar structure, and describe the analyses of these features to investigate deformations at the microstructural length scales. Structural models generated using known principles of lamellar assembly and evolution can be refined by comparing the simulated and the observed diffraction patterns. The method is illustrated using data from semicrystalline polymers where the contrast arises from the electron density differences between the crystalline lamellae and the amorphous segments. Use of these data to study the deformation of lamellae under strain is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is the second of a series of four white papers on the bioanalysis of small-molecule drugs and metabolites by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Part 1 was an overview of the fundamentals and regulations. This installment, part 2, is on sample preparation. Part 3 will cover method development, optimization, and best practices, and part 4 discusses method validation for regulated bioanalysis. This section provides an overview of sample preparation fundamentals, best practices, and modern trends. A sample preparation method development case study illustrates these practices and concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents results of the BRIO-I study, a clinical trial of Brimochol PF, a topical fixed-dose combination for the treatment of presbyopia from Visus Therapeutics, which references a research paper by R. S. Verhoeven et al., published in a 2022 issue of the "Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science." It discusses a comparison of a single dose of the drug with individual monotherapies, and the implications of the study for future medical presbyopia correction.

Online monitoring of critical quality attributes (CQAs) directly within the bioreactor can provide the basis for advanced processing of therapeutics production, including automated real-time monitoring, feedback control process intensification, smart manufacturing, and real-time release testing. This paper presents recent developments in online high performance liquid chromatography– high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC–HRMS) platforms as a promising process analytical technology (PAT) tool for real-time monitoring of antibody quality attributes (QAs) in biopharmaceutical processes. This technology can be used to monitor multiple CQAs and process parameters during cell culture production, enabling real-time decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the use of brown bagging strategy among pharmacists who participate in and offer extended counseling concepts. Topics discussed include the use of brown bagging in instilling quality care and the benefits of participating in a brown bag checkup session. Also mentioned is the case of an overweight woman who is a new customer at a pharmacy.

Gas chromatography (GC) is among the richest data-producing techniques in analytical chemistry. A chromatogram can provide a wealth of information about an individual analyte in a sample, about the sample itself, and about how well the instrument is performing. Traditional isothermal chromatograms provide useful information about the thermodynamics and kinetics of the analyte-stationary phase interactions and whether these are changing over time. They also provide measures of instrument performance through theoretical plate and tailing factor calculations. Many of these determinations are automatically performed by today's data systems, but they trace their origins to calculations and simplifications that were done in days when chromatograms were printed on rolls of paper and calculations were done with slide rules. We will see how our data systems both assist and hinder in obtaining maximum information from chromatograms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomenon of retention loss observed for reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC) columns used with near 100% aqueous mobile phases when stopping and resuming the flow has often wrongly been attributed to phase collapse of the bonded alkyl chains onto the silica surface. However, this phenomenon is now explained as a process of pore dewetting with the expulsion of water from the hydrophobic pore network. The driving force for this process is the instability of the water liquid/vapor biphasic system when water is confined in hydrophobic mesopores with diameters <50 nm. Water is forced to leave the mesopore space in porous reversed-phase LC materials by the pressure difference between the vapor and liquid phases (also known as Laplace pressure). While the pore-dewetting phenomenon can occur with mobile phases containing <100% water, all experiments shown in this paper utilized a 100% aqueous mobile phase with flow rate interruptions as a worst-case scenario. We have accurately measured the effect on the kinetics of pore dewetting of various experimental variables, such as water pressure, temperature, the amount of dissolved gases in water, average pore size, the nature of the surface chemistry, and the surface coverage of the hydrophobic bonded groups. From these data, it is demonstrated why outlet column pressures kept above 50 bar, the use of degassed mobile phases, large mesopores (>20 nm), wide pore size distribution, the low surface coverage of the hydrophobic ligand (<2 µmol/m2), phenyl-bonded or charged surface alkyl-bonded stationary phases, and enhanced molecular disorder of the tip of the bonded phase would minimize (or eliminate) the retention loss phenomenon with fully aqueous mobile phases after flow rate interruptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the effect of an applied electric field on the laser-induced titanium plasma. We employed a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser system with a wavelength of 1064 nm, and focused on the surface of the titanium target. We observed that the intensities of the negative biasing voltages were higher than those of the positive biasing voltages. We recorded an enhancement in the intensity 2.5 times higher with the -15 kV voltage compared to one without. With an applied electric field of 15 kV, the spectral intensity of the titanium plasma recorded a 0.9 times decrease in the intensity with reference to the zero voltage. The electrical characterization of the titanium plasma was also investigated. The results showed a sharp decrease in the electrical signal as the distance between the plates increased from 15 to 60 mm. From the Saha-Boltzmann equation, the plasma temperature was calculated at 9152 K with a laser energy of 100 mJ and an applied electric field of -15 kV. The plasma temperatures were enhanced under the negative biasing voltage case compared to the positive biasing voltage case. The electron density of the titanium plasma was also examined, and the results predicted increasing electron density with increasing laser energy. At an applied electric field of -15 kV and laser energy of 300 mJ, the highest electron density of the titanium plasma was recorded as 1.51×1018 cm-3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the case of a healthy woman who presented for an eye examination and received a diagnosis of idiopathic macular hole, as indicated in the paper of Roberto Pinelli, founder of the Switzerland Eye Research Institute. The patient underwent an investigational technique which administers a combination of light and sound with nutraceuticals to the retina. Also cited is the rationale of the treatment as explained by Pinelli.

The antimicrobial triclosan is present in myriad personal care products, many of which are disposed of down household drains and travel to wastewater treatment plants. Triclosan and its metabolite, methyl triclosan, remain in biosolids even after treatment for use on agricultural lands and domestic gardening. Triclosan presents a host of environmental concerns and methyl triclosan is assumed to have similar risks. This article describes a simple and rapid method for the preparation and extraction of triclosan and methyl triclosan from the complex matrix of biosolids and paper mulch samples followed by analysis using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). No derivatization or cleanup steps are needed, resulting in significant time savings. Components within the paper mulch enhance the poor response of underivatized triclosan. Matrix-matched standards exploit this matrix effect and lower the limit of quantitation (LOQ) by a factor of 10. The quantitative analysis is carried out using isotopic dilution to enhance precision and accuracy. This method was used to investigate the use of earthworms (Eisenia fetida) as a bioremediation agent to remove triclosan and methyl triclosan from biosolids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antimicrobial triclosan is present in myriad personal care products, many of which are disposed of down household drains and travel to wastewater treatment plants. Triclosan and its metabolite, methyl triclosan, remain in biosolids even after treatment for use on agricultural lands and domestic gardening. Triclosan presents a host of environmental concerns, and methyl triclosan is assumed to have similar risks. This article describes a simple and rapid method for the preparation and extraction of triclosan and methyl triclosan from the complex matrix of biosolids and paper mulch samples followed by analysis using gas chromatography--tandem mass spectrometry (GC--MS/MS). No derivatization or cleanup steps are needed, resulting in significant time savings. Components within the paper mulch enhance the poor response of underivatized triclosan. Matrix-matched standards exploit this matrix effect and lower the limit of quantitation (LOQ) by a factor of 10. The quantitative analysis is carried out using isotopic dilution to enhance precision and accuracy. This method was used to investigate the use of earthworms (Eisenia fetida) as a bioremediation agent to remove triclosan and methyl triclosan from biosolids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antimicrobial triclosan is present in myriad personal care products, many of which are disposed of down household drains and travel to wastewater treatment plants. Tridosan and its metabolite, methyl tridosan, remain in biosolids even after treatment for use on agricultural lands and domestic gardening. Triclosan presents a host of environmental concerns, and methyl triclosan is assumed to have similar risks. This article describes a simple and rapid method for the preparation and extraction of triclosan and methyl triclosan from the complex matrix of biosolids and paper mulch samples follow ed by analysis using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). No derivatization or cleanup steps are needed, resulting in significant time savings. Components with in the paper mulch enhance the poor response of underivatized triclosan. Matrix-matched standards exploit this matrix effect and lower the limit of quantitation (LOQ) by a factor of 10. The quantitative analysis is carried out using isotopic dilution to enhance precision and accuracy. This method was used to investigate the use of earthworms (Eisenia fetida) as a bioremediation agent to remove triclosan and methyl triclosan from biosolids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antimicrobial tridosan is present in myriad personal care products, many of which are disposed of down household drains and travel to wastewater treatment plants. Tridosan and its metabolite, methyl tridosan, remain in biosolids even after treatment for use on agricultural lands and domestic gardening. Tridosan presents a host of environmental concerns, and methyl tridosan is assumed to have similar risks. This article describes a simple and rapid method for the preparation and extraction of tridosan and methyl tridosan from the complex matrix of biosolids and paper mulch samples followed by analysis using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). No derivatization or cleanup steps are needed, resulting in significant time savings. Components with in the paper mulch enhance the poor response of underivatized tridosan. Matrix-matched standards exploit this matrix effect and lower the limit of quantitation (LOQ) by a factor of 10. The quantitative analysis is carried out using isotopic dilution to enhance precision and accuracy. This method was used to investigate the use of earthworms (Eisenia fetida) as a bioremediation agent to remove tridosan and methyl tridosan from biosolids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides information on the best way to manage paper charts in medical practice. Main reason for loss of charts; Aid of color-coded tabs on the edge of chart covers to reduce misfiling; Significance of an outguide, a colored vinyl or paper sheet inserted in a place of a chart, in tracking charts coming and goings. INSET: How to manage paper HIPAA-style.

This installment is the first of a series of three white papers on stability studies and testing of pharmaceuticals, as well as the development and validation of stability-indicating high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods. The series is co-authored by Kim Huynh-Ba, a subject-matter expert on stability testing and regulatory compliance, and Michael Dong, the columnist on "Perspectives in Modern HPLC." This first installment provides a comprehensive and updated overview of stability studies and testing of small molecule drugs, current regulatory requirements, and industry practices for forced degradation, as well as possible approaches for reduced testing and data evaluation to expedite stability study timelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS)-based imaging is becoming a promising technique in the panel of spatially resolved elemental approaches. This method has outstanding advantages, such as all-optical instrumentation, fast acquisition speed, operation at ambient atmosphere, and detection limits at the ppm scale for most elements. LIBS-based imaging has an extensive range of applications, including biology, medicine, industry, and geology. In this paper, we report on recent advances in LIBS imaging, focusing on instrumentation, performance, and applicability. Two examples are shown: first, a speleothem with application to paleoclimate studies, and second, a biological organ with implications for toxicology of new drugs based on nanoparticles. Finally, some future directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]