Open access approach

The issue of Open Access is a huge one for scientific publishing. Advocates want to move from traditional subscription-based journals to a model that would make all research findings accessible to anyone with a computer. There are however a number of problems with the open-access approach. 

This session and the first day of the workshop closed with a talk by academic researcher and open-access advocate Stevan Harnad, (University of Quebec, Montreal) who discussed the different paths to maximizing research access and impact. He discussed the origins of the open-access movement and how open-access approaches lead to increased research impact. 

In the drug development area, thermospray ionization has found application in open-access approaches, as the technique allows the rapid determination of the molecular mass of a synthesized product without the need to optimize too many experimental variables. In this type of work, the thermospray interface is simply applied as an easy access to the MS. 

Dissociating the development of clinical probes from commercialization also obviates the need to seek patent protection on the molecule or to ensure that the molecule is novel, from an intellectual property perspective (Box 3). This is a tremendous advantage of an open-access approach because it avoids lengthy negotiations over in ter institutional material transfer and collaboration agreements, and it makes possible collaborations between scientists in different institutions and countries. The absence of a patent position does, however, raise a legitimate question what happens to a clinical probe that appears to have the appropriate... 

Development of the method involved the installation of a system in an existing mass spectrometry laboratory and working with chemists for 3 months to determine specific needs and to develop a consistent, reliable procedure. The instrument was moved to an open-access laboratory and chemists were trained in its use. A key to making this approach a success is the fact that instrument downtime was kept to a minimum. Understandably, maintenance is done at off-peak times, and support mechanisms are put in place so problems are immediately addressed. Training and education was highlighted as a key factor for the successful implementation of this LC/MS system to optimize performance and to reduce the possibility of instrument contamination. 

In this study, the LC/MS/MS analysis is <3 min, with injections occurring every 3.5 min. The previous HPLC method with fluorescence detection had a cycle time of 25 min. Thus, many opportunities exist with LC/MS/MS quantitative analyses to optimize chromatographic separations for speed. Similar to standard approaches described for open-access or metabolite identification, standard or generic methods may be usable with this application (Dear et al., 1998). 

Accelerated development schemes have made scientists more dependent on analytical information, and consequently, they are more apt to want to control or perform analysis activities themselves. No doubt the human factor will inevitably arise and create reluctance, and perhaps, barriers to adopt new approaches. For example, the LC/MS applications that deal with open-access support for combinatorial and medicinal chemistry made aspects of acceptance quite clear. A chemist preferred simple answers to simple questions. 

Access problems occur with either the percutaneous approach or open surgical approach to the vessels for endograft insertion. The femoral artery may be injured and require immediate repair with a patch or replacement of a segment. In addition, distal thrombosis may occur from the blockage of the flow into the lower extremities by the sheath and... 

It is generally accepted that an analysis by LC/UV/MS coupled with a H NMR is sufficient to characteri.se a compound and provide an estimation of purity. The massive increase in sample numbers through combinatorial approaches has led to an urgent need for the above techniques to be available to the chemist on demand. This has cataly.sed the development of high-throughput walk-up open-access LC/UV/MS systems. 

The different synthetic approaches have opened access to various stable or functionalized diphosphiranes and diphosphirenes. As can be seen from their behaviour under various conditions, their reactivity is essentially dominated by the ring opening reactions involving a preferential P—P bond rupture. Thus, they can be considered as potential precursors of 1,3-diphosphapropenes, 1,3-... 

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