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Book ReviewsEvaluation and optimisationof laboratory methods andanalytical proceduresBy D. L. Massart, A. Dijkstra andL.Kaufman1978 Elsevier Scientific Publishing Com-pany, Amsterdam, Oxford, New York.pp.596 $57. 75 ISBN 0-444-41743-5.

This is a book of value to both theanalytical chemist and the statistician, inparticular to the statistician who is work-ing in the field of analytical chemistry.For the analytical chemist to obtain maxi-mum value from the book he will need agreater knowledge of statistical tech-niques than is normally obtained fromthe average undergraduate chemistrycourse. The book is divided into fiveparts and throughout it examples aregiven of the application of the optimisa-tion techniques to analytical methods.Part I: Evaluation ofthe Performance ofAnalytical Procedures. This section givesmany definitions and points out somediscrepancies between those commonlyused. It introduces statistical methodsindicating their use. It gives details offormulae but these are generally kepttogether at the end of the chapter underthe heading ’Mathematical Section’ (thissystem is maintained throughout thebook). There are chapters covering thefollowing topics: performance charac-teristics, precision and accuracy appliedto more than one set of data, reliabilityand drift (although should like to haveseen more on Analytical Quality Control),sensitivity and limit of detection (thischapter is confusing in places and couldpossibly have been taken a little further),selectivity and specificity, and thepracticability and costs of techniques.The whole of this section of the bookwould be extremely valuable toanalytical chemists.Part II: Experimental Optimisation. lnssection begins with a survey of experi-mental optimisation methods followedby detailed chapters on Factorial analysisand Sequential experimental designscovering Simplex methods. The finalchapter examines Steepest Ascent andRegression methods. The whole of thisvery valuable Part would repay carefulreading.Part III: Combinational Problems. As inthe previous section it begins by giving anintroduction with examples of problemsthat may be encountered within theLaboratory, it then goes on to deal withthe solutions. The topics covered are: theMultivariate methods of Cluster, Factor,Principle Component and DiscriminantAnalysis, Operational Research Methods

of Linear programming, Queueingtheory and Graph theory and relatedtopics. This might be the most difficultpart of the book for the average analyticalchemist to understand.Part IV: Requirements for AnalyticalProcedures. This section deals withanalytical errors, process monitoring andcontrol. These chapters are well worth-while reading as they cover subjects thatare frequently neglected.Part V: Systems Approach in AnalyticalChemistry. This gives a systems analysisof the practice of analytical chemistry,breaking down the procedures into thevarious component parts. The finalchapter gives an account of the organisa-tion of an Analytical Laboratory.

This is a good book, it is well writtenand fairly easy to understand. The bookis biased towards the practical applica-tion of the techniques described. It bringstogether in the one book a considerableamount of useful information. Eachchapter concludes with a comprehensivelist of up to date references mostly takenfrom journals in the field of analyticalchemistry. It would be of particular valueto the analytical chemist who is preparedto put some effort into acquiring aknowledge of these techniques, and tothe statistician who requires informationon the practical application of thesetechniques.The book appears to have been pro-

duced by offset litho from a typescriptbut the quality of the typeface is verygood and the book is easy to read unlikemany publications produced by thistechnique.

J. Vernon

Compendium of AnalyticalNomenclatureEdited ly H. M. N. H. Irving, H.Freiser, T. S. West.1978, Pergamon Press Ltd., Ox’ford,pp228, 14.00 (hardback), 8.00 (soft-back). ISBN 008-0220088 (hardback),008-0223478 (softback).

For the last 20 years the AnalyticalDivision of the International Union ofPure & Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) hashad the unenviable task of obtainingworld-wide consensus on the standard-isation of nomenclature and symbols foruse in analytical chemistry. Individualpreliminary reports have been publishedin Pure & Applied Chemistry from timeto time and at least 8 months have beenallowed subsequently for comment to bereceived. After this was taken intoaccount the definitive versions of thereports were produced and have nowbeen gathered together in the compendium.

Previous comparable IUPAC com-

pendia have included coverage of thesymbols and nomenclature of organicand inorganic chemistry, physicalquantities and units, etc., none of theseeither attempted or needed to cover thevariety of topics which fall under theheading of ’analysis’. In the preamble tothe book it is stressed that the member-ship of the various commissions respon-sible for the work within the AnalyticalDivision, has changed considerably overthe last 20 years and this, plus the factthat different commissions approachedtheir problems in different ways, hasmeant that there is a lack of consistencyin the approach adopted to the variouschapters. Precise definitions in somecases give way to discursive prose treat-ment of the meanings of various termsand though this makes for interestingreading, for reference purposes, requireddata in various areas may be somewhatdifficult to find. There are 21 shortchapters whose coverage ranges fromgeneral recommendations on the report-ing of results (with definitions ofaccuracy, precision, etc.) to recom-mendations for specific types of instru-ments and systems. Appendix deals withthe usage of the terms ’equivalent’ and’normal’.

F. L. Mitchell

Computers in MassSpectrometryby J. R. Chapman1978 Academic Press, London. pp.275,9.80. ISBN 0-12-168-7503.

Review texts on the use of computers inmass spectrometry are scarce and publi-cation of this book should be welcome tomost laboratories, workers and studentsin the field of organic mass spectrometry.The reasons why few books have beenattempted on this topic perhaps lie in therapidly changing nature and diversity ofcomputer hardware, and the difficulty intreating the subject in a way which wouldnot limit its readership to computerexperts, but also be ofvalue to the generalreader. The first of these problems theauthor has avoided by strictly limiting hisdescription of mass spectrometric andcomputer hardware on the grounds thatany detailed discussion would soon beout of date. On balance this seems a wisedecision. A comprehensive number ofaspects of the topic are covered in thebook at a fairly high level but at onewhich will require the reader to refer tooriginal papers on individual aspects formore detailed information. This approachwould seem essential to restrict over-emphasis of specialised detail which haslimited interest, and maintain the objec-tive of the book which is an overview of

Volume 1 No.2 January 1979 105

Book Reviews

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computer implementation in mass spectro-metry.The chapters fall naturally into two

parts. In the first four chapters the authordeals with instrumentation and dataacquisition, conversion and reduction,while the remaining chapters includeapproaches to the interpretation andtreatment of this data with a final chapteron quantitative analysis.Fashions in the most acceptable

computer system for a laborator havechanged since they were first introducedinto mass spectrometry, passing throughthe stage when centralised computerswere advocated.The author discusses the merits of

different arrangements but uses the on-line dedicated mini-computer as themodel system when consideringacquisition of data. Such systems are themost commonly adopted at present andare likely to remain so with improving

specifications, although microprocessorswill undoubtedly influence aspects ofdesign.The excellent chapter on library search

should be of value to many workersinterested in finding suitable routines tocope with their own individual needs forlibrary facilities. Obviously no singleprogramme is satisfactory for all prob-lems, and the chapter sets out well thevarious ways of compiling library files ofmass spectra and the merits of differentsystems for searching these files to matchan unknown spectrum. When the libraryfile does not contain the unknownspectrum then there is a need for thelibrary programmes to pick out structur-ally similar compounds or to go furtherand attempt to elucidate the structuralfeatures from known fragmentation rulesand other information. Interpretativeprogrammes are extremely large and theauthor has conveniently summarised the

II

principles involved. In addition the com-plexities of pattern recognition algorithmsapplied to unknown spectra should helpmost readers to follow the expandingliterature in this area.The control of several parts of the mass

spectrometer and the acquisition analprocessing of data from quantitativeanalysis can be carried out by computerfor reasons of convenience, improvedprecision and the measurement of oftenlarge numbers of samples of the sametype. The author has reviewed develop-ments in this area in a way, like most ofthe text, which will give the reader abroad understanding of the progress andutility of computer application. For thisreason this book is a worthwhile additionto the bookshelves of all users of massspectrometers and data systems.

A. H. Lawson

eWLiteraturePharmaceutical sciencesTechnicon Industrial Systems haspublished a special issue of thePharmaceutical Sciences Newsletter, ofparticular interest to methodsdevelopment laboratories now involvedwith HPLC technology and with the fast-approaching USPXX dissolution require-ments. The special newsletter issuefeatures an article on the analytical andphysical chemistry section of WyethLaboratories Inc., Radnor, a long-termuser of continuous-flow systems. Facedwith the need to speed up HPLC assays,Wyeth successfully automated a stability-indicating assay for benzodiazepines,using a fully automated analytical systemcombining sample treatment with liquidchromatography separation techniques.Copies of the newsletter can be

obtained by writing to TechniconIndustrial Systems, Tarrytown, NewYork 10591, U.S.A.

Photometer for amino acidanalysisA two-page data sheet is now availablefor the Dionex Model D-550 Dual Chan-nel Ratio Photometer, a high performancedetector for amino acid analysis. Thedata sheet lists features ofthe photometerand describes the principles of operation.In addition, a functional diagram illus-trates the photometer and its relationshipto an amino acid analyser. Also includedis a table of applications, a figure

showing dynamic range and a list ofspecifications. The Model D-550employs a number of novel techniques toexpand the linear absorbance range to 3.5Abs and improve the signal-to-noiseratio.

Copies of the sheet are available fromDionex Corporation, 1228 Titan Way,Sunnyvale, CA 94086, U.S.A.

Water analysisThe Ionics range of laboratory monitors,the 1200 series, for the analysis of naturaland waste waters, available from Tech-mation, are described in a 6-page bookletavailable on request. The series includestotal oxygen demand, total carbon, totalorganic carbon and combined totaloxygen demand/total organic carbonanalysers. All the analysers feature an allceramic sample injection valve that pro-vides accuracy and a repeatable perform-ance with low maintenance. They arefully automated and simple to operate.Reliable solid state electronics give auto-matic zeroing prior to each analysis andprovide precisely controlled operations.The 1200 series can be interfaced with anauto-sampler: the operator is able toanalyse and record the results ofup to 200individual samples.The booklet is available on request

from Techmation Ltd., 58 EdgwareWay, Middx., U.K.

High performance thin-layerchromatographyA 16-page CAMAG bulletin ’HPTLC’contains their new HPTLC developingsystem, several variations of the circulardeveloping device ’U-Chamber’ acc. toR. E. Kaiser, and two quantitativesubmicroliter sample applicators.

A separate 4-page bulletin presents anew TLC/HPTLC scanner, a photo-densitometer that has been designed toscan automatically all tracks of achromatogram, be it conventional orhigh-performance TLC, developed linearor circular.

Both bulletins are available free fromCAMAG, Homburgerstrasse 24, CH-4132 Muttenz/Schweiz.

Semiconductor devicesData I/O have recently published a32-page booklet entitled ’How to survivein the bipolar PROM, FPLA, PAL,MOS EPROM, diode matrix, PMUX,and gate array Programming Jungle: Thebook is a good introduction to the manyaspects of programmable semiconductordevices and programming techniques.The first major section of the book

discusses the various semiconductor tech-nologies that are used to produce pro-grammable devices. This is followed bytips on handling MOS devices and amethod to assess the effectiveness of theultra-violet lamp used to erase MOSEPROMs. Having provided the readerwith the basic background knowledge,the booklet goes on to explain how thedevices are programmed under bothmanual and automatic computer control.Each process is covered and all the jargonnormally found in literature describingprogramming equipment is explained insimple terms. A section is included whichprovides details of the range of Data I/Oprogramming machines. These machinescover all programming needs from simple’one off’ programming to batch pro-gramming on a production line basis. Thefinal pages of the book list the keyfeatures of about 300 programmable

Volume 1 No.2 January 1979 107

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