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COLUMNS

• THE BASELINE
  Group Theory and Symmetry, Part I: Symmetry Elements
  Group theory is the field of mathematics that includes, among other things, the treatment of symmetry. Well, it turns out that molecules have symmetry, so group theoretical principles can be applied to molecules. Because spectroscopy uses light to probe the properties of molecules, it might not be surprising that group theory has some application to spectroscopy. Here, we start a multipart discussion of symmetry and group theory.
  David W. Ball

• FOCUS ON QUALITY
  Are You Getting Value From Your Spectrometer?
  Getting the best business value from a spectrometer requires knowledge of the instrument and its operating abilities, any attachments, the sample including sampling procedure and presentation, and the software. All of these elements must be pulled together by a skilled and knowledgeable spectroscopist. Unfortunately, this is not always the case in many organizations.
  R.D. McDowall

ARTICLE

• 2009 Editorial Index
  Spectroscopy presents its annual index of authors and articles as a resource for readers and researchers.
  

DEPARTMENTS

• From the Editor
• News Spectrum

COLUMNS

• MASS SPECTROMETRY FORUM
  Pressure and Vacuum: Not Really Trivial
  Good vacuum system design is a crucial underpinning for high performance instrumentation. The important aspects of pressure and vacuum need regular teaching, and here Ken Busch discusses them.
  Kenneth L. Busch

• FOCUS ON QUALITY
  The Tiger Has Sharp New Teeth
  The new FDA Commissioner wants a strong FDA and is backing her words with action by initiating a program that cuts the time that firms must respond to 483 observations from 30 to 15 business days. Not only is the time halved but the response must be complete! Therefore, it is better and cheaper to be compliant than not.
  R.D. McDowall

• ATOMIC PERSPECTIVES
  Speciation Analysis by LC-ICP-MS
  Speciation analysis by LC-ICP-MS has been growing rapidly in popularity and application over the past several years. Not only have people begun looking at different elements and species, but there has been an increase in the variety of matrices that speciation analysis is being performed on.
  Kenneth Neubauer

ARTICLE

• Interaction of Indigo Carmine with Nucleic Acids in the Presence of Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide: Spectral Studies and the Confirmation of Combined Points
  The interaction of indigo carmine with nucleic acids in weak acid medium was studied in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTMAB) using resonance light scattering, UV-vis, and NMR.
  Changqun Cai, Xiaoming Chen, and Hang Gong

DEPARTMENTS

• From the Edito
• News Spectrum
• Product Resources
• Calendar
• Ad Index

COLUMNS

• MOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY WORKBENCH
  FT-IR and Raman: A Synergism, Not Competing Technologies
  Columnist Fran Adar discusses applications for Raman and FT-IR spectroscopy.
  Fran Adar

• CHEMOMETRICS IN SPECTROSCOPY
  Statistics and Chemometrics for Clinical Data Reporting, Part II: Using Excel for Computations
  In this installment, columnists Jerome Workman and Howard Mark describe the statistical underpinnings related to computation and interpretation of chemometric methods and statistics for reporting clinical quantitative measurement methods.
  Jerome Workman and Howard Mark

ARTICLES

• FACS 2009 Preview
  Spectroscopy previews the upcoming FACSS conference.
  Helen A. Castro

• Raman Spectroscopy as a Tool for Investigating Lipid-Protein Interactions
  The authors discuss the feasibility of using Raman spectroscopic markers for the study of lipid-protein complexes in model systems and review relevant Raman spectroscopic markers for lipids and proteins.
  Frederic N.R. Petersen and Claus H‚lix Nielsen

• Discrimination of Complex Substances with Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
  The authors present results obtained with two specialized LIBS systems. The data illustrate how LIBS and LIBS/Raman analyzers can answer a multitude of real-world needs for chemical analysis of various substances.
  Alexander A. Bol'shakov, Jong H. Yoo, Chunyi Liu, and Richard E. Russo

DEPARTMENTS

• From the Editor
• News Spectrum
• Product Resources
• Calendar
• Ad Index

COLUMNS

• THE BASELINE
  Color
  After receiving a scarf with the visible emission spectrum of hydrogen knitted into it, David Ball decided to write the September "Baseline" installment on the topic of color.
  David W. Ball

• MASS SPECTROMETRY FORUM
  Ion Lenses
  Efficient creation, transport, containment, and detection of ions are issues at the core of mass spectrometry. Improvement in any of these areas leads to improved overall performance of the mass spectrometer. Here, Ken Busch looks at the impact ion lenses can have on this process.
  Kenneth L. Busch

ARTICLES

• Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for Analysis of Aerosol Particles: The Path Toward Quantitative Analysis
  The application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for the analysis of aerosol systems is a challenging problem that entails a wide range of physical phenomena that are coupled to the ultimate analyte response. The author summarizes the evolution of thought with regard to LIBS-based analysis of aerosol systems and provides insight into future research directions.
  David W. Hahn

• The Role of Naturally Occurring Stable Isotopes in Mass Spectrometry, Part II : Small Gas Molecule Calculations
  In the third installment of this tutorial, the authors explain the determination of the isotopic composition of a sample from a mass spectrometric measurement, and the methods of calculation as well as the units used. This tutorial outlines the practices in common usage so that researchers new to this field can obtain a good understanding of the fundamentals involved.
  Les Bluck and Dietrich A. Volmer

DEPARTMENTS

• From the Editor
• News Spectrum
• Product Resources
• Calendar
• Ad Index

BUYERS' GUIDE & INDUSTRY TRENDS

• SPECTROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTATION: SPECTROMETER SYSTEMS
• OPTICS, ELECTRO-OPTICS, OPTRONICS, FIBER OPTICS, AND RELATED COMPONENTS
• SAMPLING/SAMPLE HANDLING
• SPECTROSCOPY SOFTWARE/ COMPUTER HARDWARE/AUTOMATION PRODUCTS
• SPECTROSCOPY SERVICES
• GENERAL SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES
• PROCESS ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENTATION
• BIOANALYSIS INSTRUMENTS

ALSO:

• INDUSTRY TRENDS REPORT
• PRODUCT INDEX
• MANUFACTURER DIRECTORY

COLUMNS

• MASS SPECTROMETRY FORUM
  Sampling in Mass Spectrometry
  Columnist Kenneth L. Busch discusses some of the basic considerations for valid sampling, with some examples pertinent to mass spectrometry.
  Kenneth L. Busch

• ATOMIC PERSPECTIVES
  Software Features to Improve Quality Control and Data Validation in the Inorganic Laboratory
  One of the most difficult tasks in any laboratory is the validation and assurance of all data being reported. Whether or not this is being mandated by a regulating agency, it is imperative that the quality of data from any analysis be controlled.
  Laura Thompson

• LASER AND OPTICS INTERFACE
  Advantages of High OD Filters to Microscopy
  The author discusses the use of filters in optical microscopy and the advantages that have been gained as a result of developments in filter technology.
  Paul Gelsinger-Austin

ARTICLES

• DXC 2009: X-Ray Analysis Comes to the Rockies
  Spectroscopy previews the 58th Annual Denver X-Ray Conference, to be held July 27-31 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
  Helen A. Castro

• The Revolution in Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry: Spectrum Imaging at Output Count Rates Above 1 MHz with the Silicon Drift Detector on a Scanning Electron Microscope
  The author discusses the improvements offered by silicon drift detector energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SDD-EDS) systems over the classic Si(Li)-EDS for mapping the compositional microstructure of matter with scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
  Dale E. Newbury

DEPARTMENTS

• From the Editor
• News Spectrum
• Pittcon Addendum
• Product Resources
• Calendar
• Ad Index

COLUMNS

• THE BASELINE
  Auger Spectroscopy
  Columnist David W. Ball discusses Auger spectroscopy, in which the energies of emitted electrons are measured.
  David W. Ball

• CHEMOMETRICS IN SPECTROSCOPY
  Statistics and Chemometrics for Clinical Data Reporting, Part I
  This article describes the application of chemometric methods and statistics for reporting clinical quantitative measurement methods. Part I will introduce these concepts and Part II will discuss the statistical underpinnings in greater detail.
  Jerome Workman, Jr. and Howard Mark

• FOCUS ON QUALITY
  Understanding and Interpreting the New GAMP 5 Software Categories
  The GAMP (Good Automated Manufacturing Practice) guide version 5 was released in March 2008 and one of the changes was that the classification of software was revised - again. In this column we will look at what the changes mean for the laboratory and whether all of these should be implemented.
  R.D. McDowall

ARTICLES

• Current Status of Standoff LIBS Security Applications at the United States Army Research Laboratory
  The U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has been applying standoff laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to hazardous material detection and determination. Here, the authors describe several standoff systems that have been developed.
  Frank C. De Lucia, Jr., Jennifer L. Gottfried, Chase A. Munson, and Andrzej W. Miziolek

• Spectral Studies on the Interaction of [Ru(bpy)₂(BTIP )]²⁺ with DNA and Determination of Nucleic Acids at Nanogram Levels
  The interaction of [Ru(2, 2'~bipyridine)2(2~benzo[b] thien~2~yl~1H~imidazo[4,5~f][1,10] phenanthroline)]²⁺ ([Ru(bpy)2(BTIP)]²⁺) with nucleic acids in weak acidic medium is studied based upon the measurements of resonance light scattering (RLS) and UV-vis absorbance.
  Chao Weng, Xiaoming Chen, and Changqun Cai

DEPARTMENTS

• News Spectrum
• Product Resources
• Calendar
• Ad Index

COLUMNS

• CHEMOMETRICS IN SPECTROSCOPY
  The Long, Complicated, Tedious and Difficult Route to Principal Components: Coda
  Columnists Howard Mark and Jerome Workman, Jr. take a final look at the topic of principal components, which has been the subject of six previous installments.
  Howard Mark and Jerome Workman, Jr.

• ATOMIC PERSPECTIVES
  Universal Quantification - The Uncelebrated Strength of ICP -MS
  Guest columnist Steven Wilbur discusses the elemental nature of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and its strength as a universal quantifier, an aspect of the technique he believes has not received enough attention.
  Steven Wilbur

ARTICLES

• Pittcon 2009 New Product Review
  Spectroscopy columnist Howard Mark takes a comprehensive look at the products that were introduced at Pittcon 2009 in Chicago.
  Howard Mark

• The Use of a Raman Spectral Database of Minerals for the Rapid Verification of Semiprecious Gemstones
  The authors discuss the use of Raman spectroscopy to identify an unknown gem or mineral sample or to verify that a known sample has been classified correctly.
  Steve Lowry, Dick Wieboldt, Dave Dalrymple, Renata Jasinevicius, and Robert T. Downs

DEPARTMENTS

• News Spectrum
• Products Showcase
• Ad Index

COLUMNS

• THE BASELINE
  The Seven Base Units: Part II
  In the previous installment of this column, David Ball introduced the concept of base units and discussed several of them. Here, he completes the discussion of the units themselves and presents some associated issues.
  David W. Ball

• FOCUS ON QUALITY
  USP <1058> Analytical Instrument Qualification and Its Impact
  United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) general chapter 1058 on analytical instrument qualification (AIQ) has finally become official and was released in August 2008. Here, Bob McDowall revisits this standard and discusses the impact that it will have on the spectroscopy laboratory.
  R.D. McDowall

• LASER AND OPTICS INTERFACE
  Terahertz Pulsed Imaging for Nondestructive Testing of Pharmaceutical Products
  Tablet coatings are of great importance to both the consumer and the pharmaceutical manufacturer. In this column, Guest Columnist Philip Taday explores the use of terahertz spectroscopy for tablet coating analysis.
  Philip F. Taday

ARTICLE

• Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry: A Tool for Characterizing the Petroleome
  The authors demonstrate the capacity to separate petroleum-derived molecules having the same nominal mass in the mobility dimension. Inspection of IM-MS spectra reveals a high degree of diversity in structure and chemical class for crude oil components.
  Christopher Becker, Francisco Fernandez-Lima, and David H. Russell

DEPARTMENTS

• News Spectrum
• Products Showcase
• Calendar
• Ad Index

COLUMNS

• ATOMIC PERSPECTIVES
  Hyphenated ICP-MS Techniques for Speciation Analysis
  The authors discuss speciation analysis methods that enable scientists to identify and measure the quantities of one or more individual chemical species in a sample.
  Shona McSheehy and Michael Sperling

• MASS SPECTROMETRY FORUM
  Development of Mass Spectrometry in the United States: The First 50 Years
  Columnist Ken Busch presents an overview of the development of mass spectrometry in the United States, covering a period of about 50 years.
  Kenneth L. Busch

• MOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY WORKBENCH
  Raman Spectroscopy for Biomedical Applications
  The application of Raman spectroscopy to studies of disease states results from an interesting confluence of spectroscopists and medical researchers. In this column, Fran Adar discusses what progress is being made in the field and why it is worth the effort to pursue.
  Fran Adar

ARTICLES

• 2009 Salary Survey: Salaries and Stress on the Rise
  LCGC assistant editor Megan Evans discusses this year's salaries and trends in employment for spectroscopists.
  Megan Evans

• Spectroscopy: Enduring During Uncertain Times
  The spectroscopy market and its major segments: atomic spectroscopy, molecular spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry, are forecasted and analyzed for the coming year. Despite a difficult business environment, the expectation is that spectroscopy demand will hold up nicely.
  Lawrence S. Schmid

DEPARTMENTS

• News Spectrum
• Products Showcase
• Calendar
• Ad Index

COLUMNS

• CHEMOMETRICS IN SPECTROSCOPY
  The Long, Complicated, Tedious, and Difficult Route to Principal Components: Part VI
  Howard Mark and Jerome Workman, Jr. continue their discussion of the derivation of the principal component algorithm using elementary algebra.
  Howard Mark and Jerome Workman, Jr.

• MOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY WORKBENCH
  Raman Spectroscopy of Carbon - More Information Than You Would Think
  In this installment, columnist Fran Adar reviews the important features of the Raman spectra of graphene and indicates why the extracted information is important for material development and engineering.
  Fran Adar

ARTICLES

• Forensic Application of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy: Aging of Bloodstains
  The authors discuss the use of near-infrared spectroscopy to determine the age of a bloodstain, which can be critical in helping establish when a crime was committed.
  Edita Botonjic-Sehic, Chris W. Brown, Marc Lamontagne, and Mary Tsaparikos

• The Role of Naturally Occurring Stable Isotopes in Mass Spectrometry, Part II: The Instrumentation
  In the second installment of this tutorial, the authors explain the instrumentation for measuring naturally occurring stable isotopes, specifically the magnetic sector mass spectrometer.
  Les Bluck and Dietrich A. Volmer

• A Novel Recognition of Three Kinds of Sibling Plant Using FT-IR with Continuous Wavelet Feature Extraction Combined with an Artificial Neural Network
  Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) and horizontal attenuated total reflectance (HATR) techniques are used to obtain the FT-IR spectra of the yellow foxtail seed, the giant foxtail seed, and the green foxtail seed.
  Cungui Cheng, Wei Xiong, Yumei Tian, and Changjiang Zhang

DEPARTMENTS

• From the Editor
• News Spectrum
• SPIE DSS09 Preview
• Products Showcase
• Ad Index

COLUMNS

• THE BASELINE
  The Seven Base Units, Part I
  Columnist David Ball discusses the history of the units system used by scientists and several of the base units themselves.
  David W. Ball

• MASS SPECTROMETRY FORUM
  Higher Resolution Mass Analytis in Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry
  Columnist Ken Busch discusses the ability to "dial in" resolving power as needed in newer trap mass analyzers, which shows promise for speciation analysis in ICP-MS with chromatographic separation of sample components.
  Kenneth L. Busch

• LASER AND OPTICS INTERFACE
  How Will Distributed Sensing Inspire Changes in Optical-Sensing R&D?
  The author discusses what the future holds for the field of optics.
  Rob Morris

ARTICLE

• Mid-Infrared Gas Sensing Using a Photonic Bandgap Fiber as a Gas Cell
  Gas sensing in the mid-infrared region is examined.
  Nicolas Gayraud, Lukasz Kornaszewski, James M. Stone, Jonathan C. Knight, Derryck T. Reid, William N. MacPherson, and Duncan P. Hand

DEPARTMENTS

• From the Editor
• News Spectrum
• IFPAC Preview
• Products Showcase
• Calendar
• End of the Spectrum
• Ad Index