Quality perceptions of design journals: The design scholars’ perspective

The primary objectives of this study were to identify a set of journals that report on industrial design research and to propose quality rankings of those journals. Based on an online survey, design journals were assessed in terms of two quality metrics: popularity and indexed average rank position. We find that both general and specialized design journals are highly valued and that geographic origin and academic background can be related with journal rankings. The results of the study offer a guide to both evaluators and those evaluated when judging or selecting research outlets.     

A CFD study of convection in a double glazed window with an enclosed pleated blind

A numerical study has been conducted of steady free convection in a double glazed window with a between-panes pleated cloth blind. The model geometry is based on a commercial product that is available on the consumer market in North America. The study considers the effects of Rayleigh number, enclosure aspect ratio, and blind geometry on the convective heat transfer. A simplified model of the coupled convective and radiative heat transfer is also presented. Sample results show that the average Nusselt number data from the CFD study can be combined with a one-dimensional model to closely predict the glazing-to-glazing U-value.     

Rapid spectrophotometric determination of quinine in tonic waters

Summary The quinine content of tonic water, after rendering it carbondioxide free, can rapidly be determined by measuring 50 ml of the liquid, adding 20 ml 1.0 n-HCI/25%-phosphoric acid (1:1) and water to 100 ml. The absorbanee at 347.5 nm in 1 cm cuvettes against a reagent blank is a measure for the quinine content read from a calibration graph. The method is reliable, reproducible, rapid and simple and therefore suitable for routine analysis.

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Zusammenfassung Die Chiningehalte von ,Tonic Waters' können sehr schnell bestimmt werden in kohlensäurefrei gemachten Getränken, wenn 50 ml der Flüssigkeit, 20 ml 1.0 n-HCI/25%-Phosphorsäure (1 + 1) and Wasser bis 100 ml zugesetzt werden. Die Extinktion wird gemessen bei 347,5 nm, 1 cm Schichtdicke, gegen die Reagentien als Referenz. Der Chiningehalt wird einer Eichkurve entnommen. Die Methode ist zuverlässig, reproduzierbar, sehnell und einfach und ist deshalb sehr geeignet für Routine-Analysen.

     

Enantiodifferentiation in asymmetric sonochemical hydrogenations

The effect of sonochemical pretreatment on the enantioselectivity of Pt/Al₂O₃–cinchonidine-catalyzed ethyl pyruvate hydrogenation was studied at different hydrogen pressures in various solvents, mainly in acetic acid. The sonochemical pretreatment of a commercial Pt/Al₂O₃–cinchonidine catalytic system in acetic acid resulted in enhanced enantioselectivity providing excellent ee values (97% ee) under mild and widely varied experimental conditions. Moreover, the application of ultrasonics provides a possibility of the catalyst recycling without regeneration. The catalyst was tested by transmission electron microscopy to determine the effect of the sonication on the metal particle size morphology. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Studies on the Oxidation of cis- and trans-Pinane with molecular oxygen

The pinanes are preferably attacked at the tertiary C-H bond in 2-position, but products of the oxidative attack at the secondary C-H bonds in 3- and 4-position are also found. At 100°C cis-pinane is attacked more easily than trans-pinane (k_cis : k_trans = 6.4), the relative rates of attack at the secondary C-H bonds in positions 3 and 4 with respect to the tertiary C-H bond in 2-position were also determined (in cis-pinane k_sec: k_tert = 0.027; in trans-pinane k_sec : k_tert = 0.20). After the attack at the 2-C-H bond the radical formed can either react with oxygen to form the corresponding cis- and trans-peroxy radicals and further to give cis- and trans-2-hydroperoxy pinane or fragmentate to the monocyclic radical derived from α-terpinene, giving as final products α-terpinene hydroperoxide and the bicyclic 8-hydroperoxy 4,4,8-trimethyl 2,3-dioxabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane. The corresponding alcohols were found after reduction with sodium sulphite. The oxidation at position 2 of the pinanes delivers not only the cis- and trans-hydroperoxide but also, as shortlived intermediates, the corresponding 2-pinanyloxy radicals. These radicals fragmentate forming a carbon radical with cyclobutane structure whose oxidation products were identified. Besides fragmentation of the 2-pinanyloxy radical also an intramolecular H-transfer from the methyl group in 9-position to the oxygen of the trans-2-pinanyloxy radical takes place leading to 9-hydroperoxy trans-pinane-2-ol.     

Dietary intake and risk evaluation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in The Netherlands

The current study aims at estimating the dietary intake of PBDEs in the Netherlands and evaluating the resultant risk. Dietary intake was estimated using results of PBDE analyses in Dutch food products from 2003/2004 and consumption data of the third Dutch National Food Consumption Survey (1997/1998). Assuming that non-detects represent levels of half the detection limit, the median long-term intake of the Dutch population of the sum of five major PBDEs (namely PBDEs 47, 99, 100, 153+154) is 0.79 ng/kg body weight bw/day (P97.5: 1.62 ng/kg bw/day). When non-detects are considered as zeros the values are 0.53 (median) and 1.34 (P97.5) ng/kg bw/day. Environmental concentrations of PBDEs in Europe are expected to decline in the near future because of the ban on penta- and octaBDE technical products. However, it will take at least a decade before this will result in lower PBDE concentrations in food products. Hence, a regular monitoring program for PBDEs is recommended. A risk evaluation at the most sensitive endpoints of BDE 99 carried out in this paper indicates that, although the long-term exposure to BDE 99 is well below the human exposure threshold level for neurodevelopmental toxicity, it may be close to that for reproductive toxicity.     

Lessons learned from a Salmonella enteritidis phage type 4 outbreak in Austria, 2005

An outbreak of gastroenteritis due to Salmonella Enteritidis phage type 4 occurred in people who attended a traditional hunting festivity in a small village in western Austria 6 through 11 November 2005. Of approximately 250 attendees, 227 had consumed dishes offered at the festival, and of these consumers 35 persons fulfilled the outbreak case definition (attack rate of 15.4%). Sp?tzle (traditional pastalike side dish) was most likely the contaminated part of the incriminated main course (relative risk of 18.9, 95% confidence interval of 4.6 to 76.7; P < 0.001). Thirteen eggs that remained from the preparation of the sp?tzle were negative for Salmonella when tested individually without shell disinfection, as were 1200 eggs collected at the egg production plant and examined with shell disinfection. The back-traced egg production farm had been initially certified as Salmonella free by a voluntary quality control program. However, an intensified environmental investigation of the incriminated egg production farm performed in the first quarter of 2006 and based on an appropriate method of sampling revealed Salmonella Enteritidis phage type 4 in 4 of 13 flocks. Although a combination of epidemiological and microbiological investigations allowed elucidation of the mode of spread, no restrictions were placed on the incriminated flocks of laying hens. These flocks were kept in production until they were stalled out due to age in August 2006. In June 2006, a cluster of 23 cases of Salmonella Enteritidis phage type 6 infection was again associated with this egg production farm. Evidence provided by epidemiological analyses is often disregarded by decision makers. However, negative results from microbiological testing of food involved in an outbreak are often weighted as strong evidence against a causal association between that food and the outbreak.