Electrospun palladium nanoparticle-loaded carbon nanofibers and their electrocatalytic activities towards hydrogen peroxide and NADH

Palladium nanoparticle-loaded carbon nanofibers (Pd/CNFs) were synthesized by the combination of electrospinning and thermal treatment processes. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that spherical Pd nanoparticles (NPs) are well-dispersed on the surfaces of CNFs or embedded in CNFs. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern indicates that cubic phase of Pd was formed during the reduction and carbonization processes, and the presence of Pd NPs promoted the graphitization of CNFs. This nanocomposite material exhibited high electric conductivity and accelerated the electron transfer, as verified by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV).

Synthesis and characterization of polypyrrole-polyurethane cationomer composites

Poly(ether urethane) cationomers based on poly(oxytetramethylene), 4,4'-bibenzyldiisocyanate, N-methyldiethanolamine as chain extender, and acrylic acid/poly(acrylic acid) as quaternization agent were synthesized. Pyrrole (15 wt.-%) was polymerized in films of the ionomer containing CuCl2. The films were characterized by dynamic mechanical analysis, thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. The electric conductivity of the film without polypyrrole is 7.5 . 10(-12) Omega(-1)cm(-1), while incorporation of polypyrrole increases the conductivity to 4.5 . 10(-6) Omega(-1) cm(-1).

青藏高原矮嵩草草甸种子库的初步研究

The seed bank of Kobresia humilis meadow in Qing- Zang Plateau was preliminaryly studied and the relationships among seed bank , seed rain and above-ground vegetation were compared and analysed.The results showed that there were 23 species in the seed bank in both of green up and withering stage. In species composition of the seed bank ,Ranunculaceae and Leguminosae were dominant ,while the percentage of Cyperaceae and Gramineae were lower. The percentage of K. humilis seeds was relatively lower with 0. 97 % in green up stage and 1. 97 % in withering stage. The species composition of the seed bank correlated with that of the seed rain ( r = 0. 7505 , P < 0. 01) ,and there were 18 common species which was 78. 3 %of species of the seed bank. Only 41. 81 %of above-ground vegetation species presented in the seed bank. The seed numbers of the dominant plant species in vegetation were smaller , with lower percentage in the seed bank. Therefore , the dominant vegetation of K. humilis et al. mainly depended on vegetative reproduction to maintain and strengthen. From vegetation to the seed bank in green up stage ,the species diversity decreased by 9. 94 %. It implied that the seed bank was the source of vegetation regeneration , but also a mechanism of preserving species diversity of the plants.

长期驯化环境下丁香属植物的光合生理生态学研究

本研究是在丁香属植物半个世纪的丰富引种基础上，采用光合生理的实验手段探讨该属重要物种长期驯化中的环境响应机制。 在迁地条件下，与广布种华北紫丁香相比， 濒危种羽叶丁香有较低的光需求，在中等光强下净光合速率显著低于广布种;气孔限制值较大，对光合作用的调节较弱;蒸腾作用亦较弱，导致中午叶温较高造成叶片伤害。功能叶片的净光合速率在8:00光强及气温较低时已达峰值，叶片生长历时短暂并于初夏前结束，长此以往可能影响光合产物积累。可见羽叶丁香以“逃避”的方式适应迁入地生长季节环境胁迫。 为了探究羽叶丁香在引种地“逃避”策略的环境驱动因子，我们分别选取种植在园内全光照曝晒和60% 遮荫、生物量差异极为显著，而其它条件相同的羽叶丁香开展实验。尽管曝晒单株比遮荫单株有着显著低下的生物量，但最大量子效率及叶绿素a/b的结果都表明曝晒并未对其PSⅡ及LHCⅡ造成损伤。遮荫单株也已经由高叶绿素含量表现出对低光环境的适应。可见，其光适应机制已经存在，而引种地生长季节的高温可能是羽叶丁香生长中要回避的主要因子。 为了进一步证实这个推断，并希望了解羽叶丁香在原产地的环境响应状况和致濒的生理原因，我们在其原产地贺兰山对该种进行了调查和试验。调查发现在贺兰山羽叶丁香分布在海拔1700m、西北坡向、近谷底处。由于坡度较缓，晴朗天气光照时数达8h，叶片厚重，净光合速率极显著地高于引种地;最大量子效率表明中午的强光并未带来严重光抑制，且小幅度的光抑制在次日清晨可完全恢复，并且有较高的实际量子效率。故在原产地强光仍旧不是其生长的限制因子;其极高的光合速率及高效的实际量子效率是对冷凉强光条件的特殊适应，说明羽叶丁香具有喜冷凉不惧光的固有特点，而冷凉条件于高温炎热的引种地不能得到满足时，便放弃了对光的要求而在遮荫的生境中适应下来。因此引种地的高温应该是其要“逃避”的重要因子。同时表明较强的光合能力及强光的适应特征不会使羽叶丁香在原产地成为濒危物种。 为了搞清羽叶丁香的濒危原因，我们将原产地野外分布状况连同两地水分利用效率棕合分析发现：在水分保证适当的北京植物园栽培条件下，即使是曝晒的植株也有着较高的水分利用效率，而原产地的羽叶丁香低下的水分利用效率表明其生存和分布对水分条件极为敏感。因此，羽叶丁香是良好水分条件的“享受者”，而不是干旱条件的“耐受者”，而这对于生长在干旱半干旱地区的物种来说在一定程度上限制了其散布的可能性，以致数量极为有限。 “全能” 的华北紫丁香恰是丁香属系统演化中较为进化的种，而“低能” 的羽叶丁香又恰是居于顶生花序系（原始）与欧丁香系（进化）之间的重要过渡种。在对丁香属起源及散布进行推断的基础上，这些已经得到的结果促使我们从区系和演化的层面去了解演化系在长期迁地驯化的光合生理差异。结果发现演化过渡种羽叶丁香的光合指征也多处于中间位置;顶生花序系（原始）种类光合效能相对较低，较强的水分平衡的保持能力可能成为它们能在跨气候带引种中成活的解释。欧丁香系（进化）种类气孔导度对光梯度反应敏感，但较强的蒸腾降低了其水分利用效率，在引种地干旱高温的生长季会因水分不能及时供给而可能在年周期尺度上直接影响生物量。小乔木型的种类可能由于较高的水分利用效率而不畏干旱，形成了拟女真亚组从西北到东北继而向日本的广泛分布。 驯化的现实意义之一是应用。丁香的盐碱耐受性是区域栽培中面对的问题。我们模拟氯化物硫酸盐型盐碱土（NaCl - MgSO4）与光照梯度交互的试验结果表明紫丁香系品种曝晒栽植能耐受0.2% 的土壤盐度，如果在相同盐度生境中遮荫种植会有更高的盐分耐受表现。 对迁地物种环境适应性的研究论证着眼点从“种” 的水平归结到“系”的层次，从对特殊代表物种当今适应机制的量化比较联系到其起源和散布的历史发展，在一定程度上超越了常规引种驯化对现存实体“种” 的定性描述;将迁地驯化与就地适应相联系，以较为科学的思路贯穿驯化保护研究，并最终将研究结果回归于驯化保护实践。

Seed Germination of Swertia mussotii,an Important Application in Tibetan Folk Medicine

In this study,the effects of temperature,the growth regulator GA3 and storage conditions on seed germination of the biennial Swertia mussotii Franch were compared in seeds from a natural high altitude alpine site and after one-cycle of artificial cultivation at a low altitude.The untreated seeds from high altitude displayed higher germination than those from low altitude.Both GA3 and storage conditions enhanced germination from all sources.After treatment,the final germination of seeds from different sources shows no distinct difference.These results suggest that:(i) all seeds of this species,irrespective of their sources,have similar kinds of dormancy;(ii) the dormancy of this species can not been broken through one-cycle adaptation in ex situ cultivation and thus might be genetically controlled;(iii) both GA3 and 4℃ cold storage are effective for dormancy breaking in ex situ cultivation of this important medicinal species.

Phylogeography of Pinus tabulaeformis Carr. (Pinaceae), a dominant species of coniferous forest in northern China

How coniferous trees in northern China changed their distribution ranges in response to Quaternary climatic oscillations remains largely unknown. Here we report a study of the phylogeography of Pinus tabulaeformis, an endemic and dominant species of coniferous forest in northern China. We examined sequence variation of maternally inherited, seed-dispersed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) (nad5 intron 1 and nad4/3-4) and paternally inherited, pollen- and seed-dispersed chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) (rpl16 and trnS-trnG) within and among 30 natural populations across the entire range of the species. Six mitotypes and five chlorotypes were recovered among 291 trees surveyed. Population divergence was high for mtDNA variation (G(ST) = 0.738, N-ST = 0.771) indicating low levels of seed-based gene flow and significant phylogeographical structure (N-ST > G(ST), P < 0.05). The spatial distribution of mitotypes suggests that five distinct population groups exist in the species: one in the west comprising seven populations, a second with a north-central distribution comprising 15 populations, a third with a southern and easterly distribution comprising five populations, a fourth comprising one central and one western population, and a fifth comprising a single population located in the north-central part of the species' range. Each group apart from the fourth group is characterized by a distinct mitotype, with other mitotypes, if present, occurring at low frequency. It is suggested, therefore, that most members of each group apart from Group 4 are derived from ancestors that occupied different isolated refugia in a previous period of range fragmentation of the species, possibly at the time of the Last Glacial Maximum. Possible locations for these refugia are suggested. A comparison of mitotype diversity between northern and southern subgroups within the north-central group of populations (Group 2) showed much greater uniformity in the northern part of the range both within and between populations. This could indicate a northward migration of the species from a southern refugium in this region during the postglacial period, although alternative explanations cannot be ruled out. Two chlorotypes were distributed across the geographical range of the species, resulting in lower levels of among-population chlorotype variation. The geographical pattern of variation for all five chlorotypes provided some indication of the species surviving past glaciations in more than one refugium, although differentiation was much less marked, presumably due to the greater dispersal of cpDNA via pollen.