Relationship between S-alk(en)yl-l-cysteine sulfoxides and green pigmentation of garlic (Allium sativum L.)

The effects of 3 S-alk(en)yl-l-cysteine sulfoxides (alliin, isoalliin, and methiin) on garlic greening were investigated using actual garlic as well as a model system. The intensity of greening was positively but weakly proportional to the content of isoalliin (S-trans-1-propenyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide) in actual garlic, whereas the content of alliin (S-allyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide) and methiin (S-methyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide) did not appear to influence greening. In a semi-defined greening model system, which contained different combinations of l-cysteine sulfoxides and thiosulfinate-less fresh garlic water extract, the intensity of greening was proportional to the isoalliin concentration. In the model system, alliin enhanced the intensity of greening up to a certain concentration, and beyond which, it reduced greening progressively and generated a more yellowish tint with increasing alliin content. Methiin, however, affected garlic greening negatively in the model system, and the intensity of greening decreased progressively as the content of methiin increased. Using purified natural l-cysteine sulfoxides, both alliin and methiin were newly found to have specific influences on garlic greening.     

Effectiveness of strategic environmental assessment in Poland

The paper presents the results of an evaluation of the effectiveness of SEA obtained as a result of a survey with the participation of stakeholders. In Poland, several hundred SEAs are conducted annually at the local and regional levels and several at the national level. Although the survey demonstrated that SEA is evaluated as effective or quite effective, the respondents pointed to several irregularities in the non-procedural dimension of effectiveness. The main ones in terms of substantive effectiveness are that SEA is rarely used to help develop plans/programmes and procedures are highly politicised. Moreover, low effectiveness in terms of variant assessment and cumulative impacts and nearly non-existent monitoring of the actual effects of implementing plans/programmes influence substantive effectiveness significantly. The respondents pointed to the problem resulting from the fact that plan-makers are unwilling to take into account the SEA recommended changes. They also emphasised that there are certain attempts to put pressure on SEA consultants to make the conclusions less stringent. Respondents indicate that in Poland the costs associated with conducting SEA often outweigh the profits. The research shows that the society is properly informed about SEA, but public involvement is still low.     

On the usefulness of guidelines and instructions for environmental assessment – a qualitative study of the helpfulness perceived by Polish practitioners

Guidelines and instructions for Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment (together referred to as EA here) are developed to improve the quality of legal requirements’ implementation and to support EA procedure accomplishment. However, to date, it has not been checked whether they are useful for practitioners. Therefore, the aim of the study underlying this paper was to verify, based on the experience of Polish EA experts, whether guidelines and instructions are useful in their everyday work. A qualitative study comprising of a questionnaire survey and interviews tested whether (1) EA practitioners know and use the Polish and EU guidelines, (2) how EA practitioners evaluate the validity and usefulness of such instructions, and (3) in which areas there is a lack of instructions and guidelines. The results show a low level of knowledge of national and EU handbooks. Those guidelines focusing on legal procedures, road investments and designing animal passageways are considered to be the most useful. Moreover, practitioners indicate that EU guidelines should be translated into Polish. Most important for practitioners is the linking of guidelines with the EA procedure, so that they can become a platform for dialogue of all stakeholders.     

Improvement of the steering feel of an electric power steering system by torque map modification

This paper discusses a de motor equipped electric power steering (EPS) system and demonstrates its advantages over a typical hydraulic power steering (HPS) system The tire-road interaction torque at the steering tires is calculated using the 2 d o f bicycle model, in other words by using a single-track model, which was verified with the J-turn test of a real vehicle Because the detail parameters of a steering system are not easily acquired, a simple system is modeled here In previous EPS systems, the assisting torque for the measured driving torque is developed as a boost curve similar to that of the HPS system To improve steering stiffness and return-ability of the steering system, a third-order polynomial as a torque map is introduced and modified within the preferred driving torques researched by Bertollini Using the torque map modification sufficiently improves the EPS system     

Inverse kinematic and dynamic analyses of 6-DOFPUS type parallel manipulators

This paper presents inverse kinematic and dynamic analyses of HexaSlide type six degree-of-freedom parallel manipulators. The HexaSlide type parallel manipulators (HSM) can be characterized as an architecture with constant link lengths that are attached to moving sliders on the ground and to a mobile platform. In the inverse kinematic analyses, the slider and link motion (position, velocity, and acceleration) is computed given the desired mobile platform motion. Based on the inverse kinematic analysis, in order to compute the required actuator forces given the desired platform motion, inverse dynamic equations of motion of a parallel manipulator is derived by the Newton-Euler approach. In this derivation, the joint friction as well as all link inertia are included. Relative importance of the link inertia and joint frictions on the computed torque is investigated by computer simulations. It is expected that the inverse kinematic and dynamic equations can be used in the computed torque control and model-based adaptive control strategies.     

Comparative study of a turbulent wall-attaching offset jet and a plane wall jet

The flow field characteristics of a two-dimensional wall-attaching offset jet (WAOJ) are experimentally investigated by comparing with those of a turbulent plane wall jet(PWJ). The mean velocity, the turbulent stresses and triple velocity correlations are measured with a split film probe and anX wire probe. Even with the strong influence of the suction pressure field in the recirculation bubble at the lower corner, it is found that the WAOJ in the wall jet region has a close similarity with the PWJ. Especially, the decay of maximum velocity and the upper jet spread along the maximum velocity line of the WAOJ are virtually the same as those of the PWJ. The mean velocity profile of the WAOJ attains similarity after the jet impingement onto the lower plate. However the profiles of second and third-order moments of fluctuating velocities vary rapidly before the impingement and then relax very slowly to the similarity profiles of the PWJ.     

Few‐Layered WS2 Nanoplates Confined in Co,N‐Doped Hollow Carbon Nanocages: Abundant WS2 Edges for Highly Sensitive Gas Sensors

Edges of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are well known as highly reactive sites, thus researchers have attempted to maximize the edge site density of 2D TMDs. In this work, metal‐organic framework (MOF) templates are introduced to synthesize few‐layered WS₂ nanoplates (a lateral dimension of ≈10 nm) confined in Co, N‐doped hollow carbon nanocages (WS₂_Co‐N‐HCNCs), for highly sensitive NO₂ gas sensors. WS₂ precursors are assembled in the surface cavity of Co‐based zeolite imidazole framework (ZIF‐67) and subsequent pyrolysis produced WS₂_Co‐N‐HCNCs. During the pyrolysis, the carbonized ZIF‐67 are doped by Co and N elements, and the growth of WS₂ is effectively suppressed, creating few‐layered WS₂ nanoplates functionalized Co‐N‐HCNCs. The WS₂_Co‐N‐HCNCs exhibit outstanding NO₂ sensing characteristics at room temperature, in terms of response (48.2% to 5 ppm), selectivity, response and recovery speed, and detection limit (100 ppb). These results are attributed to the enhanced adsorption and desorption kinetics of NO₂ on abundant WS₂ edges, confined in the gas permeable HCNCs. This work opens up an efficient way for the facile synthesis of edge abundant few‐layered TMDs combined with porous carbon matrix via MOF templating route, for applications relying on highly active sites.     

Influence of Bulky Organo‐Ammonium Halide Additive Choice on the Flexibility and Efficiency of Perovskite Light‐Emitting Devices

Perovskite light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) require small grain sizes to spatially confine charge carriers for efficient radiative recombination. As grain size decreases, passivation of surface defects becomes increasingly important. Additionally, polycrystalline perovskite films are highly brittle and mechanically fragile, limiting their practical applications in flexible electronics. In this work, the introduction of properly chosen bulky organo‐ammonium halide additives is shown to be able to improve both optoelectronic and mechanical properties of perovskites, yielding highly efficient, robust, and flexible perovskite LEDs with external quantum efficiency of up to 13% and no degradation after bending for 10 000 cycles at a radius of 2 mm. Furthermore, insight of the improvements regarding molecular structure, size, and polarity at the atomic level is obtained with first‐principles calculations, and design principles are provided to overcome trade‐offs between optoelectronic and mechanical properties, thus increasing the scope for future highly efficient, robust, and flexible perovskite electronic device development.     

Microstructure Evolution of Concentration Gradient Li[Ni0.75Co0.10Mn0.15]O2 Cathode for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Detailed analysis of the microstructural changes during lithiation of a full‐concentration‐gradient (FCG) cathode with an average composition of Li[Ni_0.75Co_0.10Mn_0.15]O₂ is performed starting from its hydroxide precursor, FCG [Ni_0.75Co_0.10Mn_0.15](OH)₂ prior to lithiation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals that a unique rod‐shaped primary particle morphology and radial crystallographic texture are present in the prelithiation stage. In addition, TEM detected a two‐phase structure consisting of MnOOH and Ni(OH)₂, and crystallographic twins of MnOOH on the Mn‐rich precursor surface. The formation of numerous twins is driven by the lattice mismatch between MnOOH and Ni(OH)₂. Furthermore, the twins persist in the lithiated cathode; however, their density decrease with increasing lithiation temperature. Cation disordering, which influences cathode performance, is observed to continuously decrease with increasing lithiation temperature with a minimum observed at 790 °C. Consequently, lithiation at 790 °C (for 10 h) produced optimal discharge capacity and cycling stability. Above 790 °C, an increase in cation disordering and excessive coarsening of the primary particles lead to the deterioration of electrochemical properties. The twins in the FCG cathode precursor may promote the optimal primary particle morphology by retarding the random coalescence of primary particles during lithiation, effectively preserving both the morphology and crystallographic texture of the precursor.     

Structural and optical properties of GaxIn1−xP layers grown by chemical beam epitaxy

Chemical beam epitaxial (CBE) Ga_xIn_1?xP layers (x≈0.5) grown on (001) GaAs substrates at temperatures ranging from 490 to 580°C have been investigated using transmission electron diffraction (TED), transmission electron microscopy, and photoluminescence (PL). TED examination revealed the presence of diffuse scattering 1/2{111}_B positions, indicating the occurrence of typical CuPt-type ordering in the GaInP CBE layers. As the growth temperature decreased from 580 to 490°C, maxima in the intensity of the diffuse scattering moved from ½{111}_B to ½{?1+δ,1?δ,0} positions, where δ is a positive value. As the growth temperature increased from 490 to 550°C, the maxima in the diffuse scattering intensity progressively approached positions of $\frac{1}{2}\{\bar 110\} $ , i.e., the value of δ decreased from 0.25 to 0.17. Bandgap reduction (～45 meV) was observed in the CBE GaInP layers and was attributed to the presence of ordered structures.