Certification of reference materials for the quality control of major element determinations in groundwater Part 2: Certification

The quality control of groundwater monitoring requires the availability of representative CRMs. This paper describes the preparation of two artificial groundwater reference materials, CRM 616 (high carbonate content) and CRM 617 (low carbonate content), the homogeneity and stability studies and the analytical work performed for the certification of a range of major elements (Ca, Cl, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, NO₃, PO₄ and SO₄). Received: 15 May 1998 / Revised: 25 June 1998 / Accepted: 1 July 1998     

Characterization of polyether‐poly(methyl methacrylate)‐lithium perchlorate blend electrolytes

Solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) systems based on interpenetrating blends of poly(ethylene oxide‐co‐propylene oxide) and poly(methyl methacrylate) host matrices, with lithium perchlorate as guest salt, were prepared. These electrolytes were presented as free‐standing films, and their thermal and electrochemical properties were characterized by conductivity and electrochemical stability measurements. The properties of the interpenetrating blends of poly(ethylene oxide‐co‐propylene oxide) and poly(methyl methacrylate) host matrices as the electrolyte component of a solid‐state electrochromic device are reported and the results obtained suggest that this electrolyte provides an encouraging performance in this application. The most conducting electrolyte composition of this SPE system is the formulation designated as SPE2‐0PC (5.01 × 10^?4 S cm^?1 at about 57°C). The lowest decomposition temperature was registered with the SPE6‐15PC composition (233°C). The average transmittance in the visible region of the spectrum was above 41% for all the samples analyzed. After coloration the device assembled with 71 wt% PC presented an average transmittance of 15.71% and an optical density at 550 nm of 0.61. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of thermal comfort conditions in a classroom equipped with radiant cooling systems and subjected to uniform convective environment

The aim of this work is to evaluate numerically the human thermal response that 24 students and 1 teacher feel in a classroom equipped with radiant cooling systems and subjected to uniform convective environments, in lightly warm conditions. The evolution of thermal comfort conditions, using the PMV index, is made by the multi-nodal human thermal comfort model.In this numerical model, that works in transient or steady-state conditions and simulates simultaneously a group of persons, the three-dimensional body is divided in 24 cylindrical and 1 spherical elements. Each element is divided in four parts (core, muscle, fat and skin), sub-divided in several layers, and protected by several clothing layers. This numerical model is divided in six parts: human body thermal system, clothing thermal system, integral equations resolution system, thermoregulatory system, heat exchange between the body and the environment and thermal comfort evaluation.Seven different radiant systems are combined to three convective environments. In the radiant systems (1) no radiant system without warmed curtain, (2) no radiant system with warmed curtain, (3) radiant floors cooling system with warmed curtain, (4) radiant panels cooling system with warmed curtain, (5) radiant ceiling cooling system with warmed curtain, (6) radiant floor and panels cooling system with warmed curtain and (7) radiant ceiling and panels cooling system with warmed curtain are analysed, while in the convective environments (1) without air velocity field and with uniform air velocity field of (2) 0.2 m/s and (3) 0.6 m/s are also analysed. The internal air temperature and internal surfaces temperature are 28 °C, the radiant cooling surfaces temperature are 19 °C and the warmed internal curtains surfaces temperatures, subjected to direct solar radiation, are 40 °C.The numerical model calculates the Mean Radiant Temperature field, the human bodies’ temperatures field and the thermal comfort level, for the 25 occupants, for the 21 analysed situations.Without uniform air velocity field, when only one individual radiant cooling system is used, the Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied people is lowest when the radiant floor cooling system is applied and is highest when the radiant panel cooling system is applied. When are combined the radiant ceiling or the floor cooling systems with the radiant panel cooling system the Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied people decreases.When the uniform air velocity increases the thermal comfort level, that the occupants are subjected, increases. When the radiant floor cooling system or the combination of radiant floor and panel cooling systems without uniform air velocity field is applied, the Category C is verified for some occupants. However, with a convective uniform air velocity field of 0.2 m/s the Category B is verified and with a convective uniform air velocity field of 0.6 m/s the Category A is verify for some occupants. In the last situation the Category C is verified, in general, for all occupants.     

A new synthetic entry to 3-carboxamido-4-carboxylic acid derivatives of isoxazole and pyrazole

Ethyl 2-amino-3-methoxycarbonyl-4-oxo-2-pentenoate (3) reacts with hydroxylamine or hydrazines to give isoxazole and pyrazole ortho-dicarboxylic acid esters 4 and 5, respectively. Partial hydrolysis of diesters 4 and 5 afforded the corresponding dicarboxylic acid monoesters 6 and 7. Amidation of the intermediate acid chlorides 8,9 followed by hydrolysis of 4-methylesters 10, 11 gave the title compounds 1 and 2, respectively.     

Synthesis of a New Series of Imidazo[1,5-d]pyrido[2,3-b][1,4]thiazines as Potential Ligands for the GABA Receptor Complex

Summary.  Starting from 2-chloro-3-nitropyridine, 1H-pyrido[2,3-b][1,4]thiazin-2(3H)-one was synthesized. This compound was reacted with potassium tert-butoxide and diethyl chlorophosphate to give the intermediate 1H-pyrido[2,3-b][1,4]thiazin-2-ylphosphate derivative, which in turn afforded the 1,2,4-oxadiazolylimidazo[1,5-d]pyrido[2,3-b]pyrazine derivatives. The title compounds are potential ligands for the γ-aminobutyric acid A/benzodiazepine receptor complex. Corresponding author. E-mail: thomas.erker@univie.ac.at Received February 22, 2002. Accepted March 6, 2002     

Differentiation of strawberry varieties through purge-and-trap HRGC-MS,HRGC-FTIR and principal component analysis

The aroma composition of three different Fragaria anannassa cul-tivars Selva, Chandler, and Osso Grande) is studied by purge-and-trap HRGC and the components identified by MRGC-MS and HRGC-FTIR. The chromatographic aroma profiles from four different maturation stages in each variety are compared and the similarities accessed by principal component analysis (PCA). The contents in n-hexanal and hex-2(Z)-enal are characteristic features of the green stage in the three varieties where the content differences in methyl, ethyl, and butyl acetates act as typifying variables among varieties. Ethyl acetate acts as an important differentiation variable for the Selva variety. In the mature stage, the three cultivars may be distinguished from each other through their relative contents of methyl and ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (Selva), methyl 2-methyl-butyrate, methyl butyrate (Chandler), methyl and ethyl butyrates, and methyl caproate (Osso Grande).