Determination of Mono- and Disaccharides in Foods by Interlaboratory Study: Quantitation of Bias Components for Liquid Chromatography

In 1988, a group of French food manufacturers decided to validate the methods used to determine mono- and disaccharides in foods (fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose, and lactose) based on liquid chromatography with refractive Index detection. Twenty laboratories analyzed 12 products. The reproducibilities obtained exceeded Horwltz's criteria but were still acceptable because laboratories used different equipment and the sample matrixes were complex. Six different sources of variation were characterized because of a more complex experimental design. The method for calculating concentration, In particular, had considerable impact on the final precision; the choice between peak area and peak height must be strictly considered.

Psychopharmaca, Psychic Illness, and Driving Ability: A Contribution to the Debate

Four studies treating methodological and clinical aspects of the question of driving ability of the mentally ill under psychopharmaca have been discussed. The complexity of the integral interplay in the domain of physiological, emotional, and psychomotor-cognitive functions relevant for driving behaviour makes an equally complex experimental design appear necessary to tackle this problem. Although the various test apparatus marketed for the investigation of driving fitness allow a relatively proper estimate, the examination of mentally ill patients under psychopharmaca calls for the differentiated inclusion of physiological, pharmacological, pharmacokinetic, pschomotor-cognitive, and personality-specific dimensions. The present state of science requires the repeated judgment of the treating therapist in addition. This judgment can only be made on the basis of a partnership between doctor and patient.