Disclosing the effect of exogenous betaine on growth of Suaeda salsa (L.) Pall in the Liaohe coastal wetland, North China.

Liaohe coastal wetland has experienced severe degradation of Suaeda salsa (L.) Pall (S. salsa) in recent years. However, the impact of exogenous betaine (GB) on S. salsa growth remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted a natural simulated cultivation in soils of coastal wetland to investigate the effects of GB on S. salsa growth. The results showed that GB increased the height and weight of S. salsa, and meanwhile stimulated the synthesis of endogenous betaine and amino acids, increased soluble sugars and elevated the activity of Na+, K+-ATPase (enhancing osmotic stability). In addition, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) increased, and malondialdehyde (MDA) and H2O2 decreased correspondingly, thereby improving the antioxidant capacity. Overall, GB application significantly alleviated salt stress and effectively promoted S. salsa growth. This study first indicated the important role of GB in influencing S. salsa growth, offering potential strategies for remediation in coastal wetlands.

Enhanced hydrogen storage properties of ZrTiVAl1-x Fe x high-entropy alloys by modifying the Fe content.

Lightweight ZrTiVAl high-entropy alloys have shown great potential as a hydrogen storage material due to their appreciable capacity, easy activation, and fast hydrogenation rates. In this study, transition metal Fe was used to improve the hydrogen storage properties of the equimolar ZrTiVAl alloy, and ZrTiVAl1-x Fe x (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1) alloys were prepared to investigate the microstructure evolution and hydrogen storage properties. The results show that the ZrTiVAl1-x Fe x alloys are composed of a C14 Laves phase and Ti-rich HCP phase. With Fe substituting Al, the fraction of the C14 Laves phase increases and that of the HCP phase decreases. Besides, the interdendritic area fraction reaches the maximum when the Fe ratio is 0.2. The element V transferred to the C14 Laves phase from the HCP phase, which is caused by the strong affinity between V and Fe. The ZrTiVAl1-x Fe x alloys show enhanced hydrogenation kinetics and capacities. Notably, the ZrTiVFe alloy can reversely absorb 1.58 wt% hydrogen even at room temperature under 1 MPa H2. The reduced interdendritic phase is beneficial to shorten the H atom diffusion distance, thus improving the hydrogenation rates. Both the transfer of the hydrogen-absorbing element V to the C14 Laves phase and the increased fraction of the C14 Laves phase lead to the increase of hydrogen storage capacity with the addition of Fe. Moreover, the increased Fe content leads to an increase of average valence electron concentration (VEC), where a larger VEC destabilizes the hydrides, and the desorption temperature of ZrTiVAl1-x Fe x hydride decreases significantly.

[Optimizing Artificial Cultivated Conditions of Phellinus igniarius by Response Surface Methodology].

OBJECTIVE: To optimize and determine the artificial cultivated conditions of Phellinus igniarius by Response Surface Method. METHODS: With the index for the content of hypholomine B which was the main component of alcohol extract of Phellinus igniarius, the effect factors such as cultivated temperature, humidity, substrate types and illumination time were investigated respectively. By univariate analysis of variance, three most influential factors designed by BBD ( Box-Behnken Design) response surface optimization were selected to determine the optimal combination of them. RESULTS: Cultivated temperature, humidity and substrate types were the most significant factors, the influence order was as follows: cultivated temperature > humidity > substrate types. The optimal artificial cultivated conditions of Phellinus igniarius were as follows: cultivated temperature 35 degress C, humidity 95%, and substrates for wheat. Under the conditions, the average content of hypholomine B was 1.046%. CONCLUSION: Response Surface Method can be used for optimization of artificial cultivated conditions of Phellinus igniarius,which provides an experimental method for the optimization of cultivated conditions of medicinal resources.