Efficiency Improvement of Heterojunction Polymer Photovoltaic Cells through Controlling the Morphology of the Polymer Film

1 Results Polymer photovoltaic cells, which provide clean and renewable energy sources, have gained more and more attention. Polymer photovoltaic cells have the advantage of low fabrication cost and high mechanical flexibility. Polymers can be processed through a solution process, so that a homogeneous polymer film could be readily prepared in a large area. Recently, the light-to-electricity conversion efficiency of the polymer photovoltaic cells was improved significantly[1-2]. Polymer donor and organic acceptor are the two components in the active layer of the polymer photovoltaic cells. The photovoltaic performance is strongly dependent on morphology of the polymer donor/organic acceptor film. The dependences of the film morphology and the device performance on the temperature, solvent and ratio of the polymer donor to acceptor will be reported. Baking of the polymer film at a high temperature significantly affects the absorption and the morphology of the polymer film, which is account for the effect of baking polymer film on the photovoltaic performance. Similar effect on the polymer film morphology and absorption can be achieved by adding small amount of organic molecule into the polymer solution. The photovoltaic performance is related to the structure of the additives.     

Study on the Technology of Restoration and Giving a New Lease of Life to the Alpine Grassland Vegetation in the Construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway

This article gives a summary and analasis to experimental study on the restoration and giving a new lease of life to the alpine grassland vegetation along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Through on-the-spot investigation and vegetaion storation experimental study to the constructive fetching soil ground in Tuotuo River experiment section in the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the result shows ： after the activities of the construction, soil conditions on the fetching soil ground have changed a lot, the soil quality has obviously degraded. In order to do well the vegetaton storation and reconstruction in the process of the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the backfilling of the surface soil should really be done well. According to the result of on -the-spot experiment, the Elymus dahuricus Turcz and Poa annua Linn are all more suitable to the fetching soil environment on the alpine grassland, the plant can normally grow in the growing season. The timing selection of the vegetation should fully use feature of both rain and heat in the same season, thus can improve the percentage of success.     

Preparation and characterization of SiO2 non-catalytic nucleation coating for the solidification of undercooled melt

SiO2 non-catalytic nucleation films were coated onto a ceramic substrate and the inner surface of a ceramic crucible by the Sol-Gel method. The surface morphology of the coatings was characterized with an atomic force microscope and a scanning electronic microscope. The non-catalytic effect of the coating on the heterogeneous nucleation of metal melts was tested through measuring the nucleation undercooling. Investigation results indicated that the prepared coating could act as a baffle-wall to prevent the metal melt from nucleating heterogeneously on the inner surface of the crystalline crucible. The tiny holes with a diameter below 2 μm and heaves on the coating surface have no evident effect on the undercooling of metal melts. For a poly-layer coating, the super-layer can cover the cracks in the sub-layers, which prevents the cracks in the coating from spreading in the direction vertical to the coating layers and thus eliminates the effect of cracks on the coating.     

On the Iceberg Style of Ernest Hemingway

Comments on Hemingway’s style have seemed to agree on the simplicity and apparent naturalness of his prose, and its effect of profoundity.The principle of iceberg, which Hemingway adopts in his literary creation, was the main reason attracting readers and critics.The whole art of the principle is concision and profoundity, or saying what you mean in the fewest and clearest words.This essay mainly clarifies the connotation of the two parts of "iceberg"—the one eighth and the seven eighths; and the relations between them.It emphatically expounds how the writer uses the symbolism technique and how his language reaches a unique impact.In the last part of it, the author of the essay traces back to the key elements forming the principle and gives a pertinent conclusion on the style.     

On the parameterization scheme of gravity wave drag effect on the mean zonal flow of mesosphere

Based on McFarlane抯 parameterization scheme of gravity wave drag, a refined gravity-wave-drag scheme is presented. Both the drag effect of the momentum flux and the dissipation effect of gravity wave breaking on the mean zonal flow are included in the refined parameterization scheme. The dissipation effect can be formulated with the gravity wave numbers and the mean quantities. The refined parameterization scheme may represent a complete drag effect of stationary gravity wave breaking on the mean zonal flow.     

Experimental investigation of the influence of electric field on frost layer growth under natural convection condition

The influence of direct current (DC) electric field on the thickness and mass of frost on a cold vertical plate was investigated. The photos of frost layer growth were taken with and without the presence of electric field, and results showed that the electric field has a strong influence on the frost thickness. The influences of cold plate temperature and ambient temperature on frost thickness and frost mass were also investigated under the natural convection condition with electric field. Experimental results demonstrated that the cold plate temperature has very strong effect on the frost layer thickness, but its influence on frost mass is minor; the influence of ambient temperature on the frost mass is more obvious than that on the frost thickness.     

Investigation of Heat Transfer in the Spray Cooling of Continuous Casting

The heat transfer coefficient between spray water droplets and hot surface is measured in the laboratory. The effect of spray water flow rate, water pressure, spray distance of nozzle from the surface of strand, spray water temperature on the heat transfer is made a detail studied. And meanwhile, the effect of the strand surface FeO scale on the heat transfer is also investigated. According to the experimental results, the influence of above factors on the heat transfer coefficient has been discussed and a experience formula between the heat transfer coefficient and spray water flow rate is given out.     

The age of the plant fossil assemblage in the Liuqu Conglomerate of southern Tibet and its tectonic significance

The Liuqu Conglomerate, situated to the south of Yarlung Tsangbo Suture Zone (YTSZ), is a suit of molasse formed in a foreland basin of the Himalayan orogenic belt after the collision between the two plates of the Indian and Eurasion. It is of great significance in constraining the younger limit time of the collision of the two plates and providing stratigraphic evidence to reveal the post?collisional tectonic evolution and uplifting history of the Tibet plateau. However, the age of this molasse suit and its correlation to other synchronous strata distributed in southern Tibet have been in great disputes for a long time. Especially in recent years, argues on its ages are growing violently with the recognition of the great sedimentary tectonic significances of this molasse. During the field work carried out recently on this molasse suit, a lot of plant fossils were found preserved in fairly good conditions in the upper part of this strata, which is of great help in determining its age. By identification, the assemblage of the plant fossils belongs to a tropic to subtropic flora developed in the southern margin of the Northern Hemisphere supercontinent during the Middle to Later Eocene, which can provide good constraint on its formation age. This paper is to give a brief introduction of the plant assemblage and its age, and to discuss their tectonic significances.     

Environmental archaeology of the Dachang region in the Daning Valley,the Three Gorges reservoir region of the Yangtze River,China

Environmental archaeology of archaeological sites on both sides of the Dachang section in the Daning River,the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River,shows that riverbed evolution has a great influence on the distribution of archaeological sites during the prehistorical and historical period,and it restricts human activity and the development of ancient culture.Field investigation,dating data,paleocurrent analysis of 100 gravels on the riverbed and archaeological excavation reveal that the riverbed of the Dachang section developed in the Shuangyantang region during the early stage,after about 30 kaBP it shifted westward gradually and reached the present place.Along with the westward shift,the focus of ancient culture changed for several times.In the Western Zhou Dynasty’s period,the east riverbank of the Daning River was the main residential area.During the Han Dynasty,along with the westward shift,the living space of ancient people was no longer confined to the east riverbank and the focus of culture moved westward.Then the Zhangjiawan site became the main dwelling district.In the late Han Dynasty, the villages were flooded and the ancients had to immigrate to a high place.Tombs of the Han and the Jin Dynasties outcropped on the flood plain of the east bank because their surface sediments were eroded by several flood events and the westward shift of the riverbed.     

Fossils of Quercus sect. Heterobalanus can help explain the uplift of the Himalayas

Using data from previous research on Quercus sect. Heterobalanus, the coexistence approach to Xix-abangma and Namling fossil sets, and altitudinal ranges of vegetation presented by fossil floras, a re-view and reevaluation have been made of existing theories on the uplift of the Himalayas, especially the palaeoaltitudes of Xixabangma and Namling in Tibet. The Xixabangma fossil set has a palaeoaltitude range of 2500―3500 m, and has risen 2200―3400 m since the Pliocene. The lower and upper assem-blages of the Miocene Namling had palaeoaltitudes of 2500―3000 m and 2800―3000 m, respectively. Therefore, Namling has risen at least 1300 m since the Miocene, thereby challenging some existing theories that suggest Namling has been static since the Miocene.     

Salt tolerance conferred by over-expression ofOsNHX1 gene in Poplar 84K

OsNHX1 gene (Na⁺/H⁺ antiporter gene ofOryza sativa L.) was introduced into Poplar 84K withAgrobacterium tumefaciens- mediated transformation. PCR, Southern and Northern blot analysis showed thatOsNHX1 gene was incorporated successfully into the genome of Poplar 84K and expressed in these transgenic plants. Salt tolerance test showed that three lines of transgenic plants grew normally in the presence of 200 mmol/L NaCl, while the Na⁺ content in the leaves of the transgenic plants grown at 200 mmol/L NaCl was significantly higher than that in plants grown at 0 mmol/L NaCl. The osmotic potential in the transgenic plants with high salinity treatment was lower than that of control plants. Our results demonstrate the potential use of these transgenic plants for agricultural use in saline soils.     

Molecular characterization of a K+ channel blocker in the scorpionButhus martensii Karsch

K⁺ channel blockers of scorpion venoms are of important value in studying pharmacology and physiology of specific K⁺ channel of cells. Based on the amino acid sequences of BmP01 previously characterized as a small-conductance Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ channel blocker, two “back to back” degenarate primers have been designed and synthesized for inverse PCR strategy, its full-length cDNA has been cloned from the venom gland of the Chinese scorpionButhus martensii. The cDNA is composed of 3 parts: 5′ UTR, ORF and 3′ UTR. The flanking sequence of translation initiation codon ATG is AAAATGA, which is highly conserved in scorpion Na⁺ channel toxin and protozoan genes, suggesting that these genes may have followed a common mechanism for translation initiation. The 3′ UTR contains poly(A) signal AATAAA. The open reading frame encodes a precursor of 57 residues with a signal peptide of 28 residues and a mature peptide of 29 residues. The signal peptide is rich in hydrophobic amino acid residues and its length is significantly different from that of the determined scorpion Na⁺ channel toxin. The deduced amino acid sequence of mature peptide is completely consistent with BmP01 previously determined by primary structure analysis.     

Molecular characterization of GmNHX2, a Na＋/H＋ antiporter gene homolog from soybean,and its heterolosous expression to improve salt tolerance in Arabidopsis

Na＋/H＋ antiporters have been well documented to enhance plant salt tolerance by regulating cellular ion homeostasis. Here, a putative Na＋/H＋ antiporter gene homolog GmNHX2 from soybean was cloned and predicted to encode a protein of 534 amino acids with 10 putative transmembrane domains. GmNHX2 was expressed in all soybean plant tissues but enriched in roots and its expression was induced by NaCI and polyethylene glycol （PEG） treatments. GmNHX2 exhibits greater sequence similarity with LeNHX2 and AtNHX6 than that of AtNHX1 and AtSOS1. Although phylogenetic analysis clustered GmNHX2 with organellar （tonoplast and vesicles） antiporters, the GmNHX2-EGFP （enhanced green fluorescent protein） fusion protein was possibly localized in the plasma membrane or organelle membrane of transgenic plant cells, Furthermore, transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing GmNHX2 were more tolerant to high NaCl concentrations during germination and seedling stages when compared with wild-type plants. These results suggest that GmNHX2 is a membrane Na＋/H＋ antiporter and may function to regulate ion homeostasis under salt stress.     

Reduced Na+ and K+ permeability of K+ channel in plasma membrane isolated from roots of salt-tolerant mutant of wheat

The Na⁺ and K⁺ permeability of K⁺ channel in plasma membrane, isolated from roots of the salt-tolerant mutant of wheat, was lower than that of wild type in 100 mmol/L KCl and NaCl solution. The opening frequency of K⁺ channel of the mutant reduced more significantly than that of wild type in two kinds of solution mentioned above. It is assumed that the reduction of opening frequency mainly contributes to the Na⁺ and K⁺ permeability of K⁺ channel of the mutant. The electric conductance of single-channel of the mutant was similar to that of wild type and the main difference between them was exhibited as the opening frequency. Their K⁺/Ka⁺ selectivity of K⁺ channel had no significant difference. The K⁺/Na⁺ selectivity of the mutant and wild type was 3.35 and 3.18 respectively.     

Comparative expression analysis of three genes from the Arabidopsis vacuolar Na^＋/H^＋ antiporter （AtNHX） family in relation to abiotic stresses

Na~ /H~ antiporters (NHX) are ubiquitous transmembrane proteins that play a key role in salt tolerance of plants. In this study, the sequence of 3 Arabidopsis NHX gene (AtNHX2―4) were compared with other AtNHX members. Putative cis-elements analysis identified elements that have been associated with stress responses. The activities of the promoters AtNHX2―4 were studied in transgenic plants carrying corresponding promoter-β-glucuronidase (GUS) fusions. The AtNHX2 promoter-GUS analysis indicated that AtNHX2 was expressed in constitutive pattern with high GUS activity in roots and leaves. AtNHX2 promoter activity was not up-regulated by NaCl or abscisic acid (ABA), in contrast to the AtNHX1 promoter which was previously studied. The AtNHX3 and AtNHX4 promoters showed tissue-specific activities. Strong GUS activity was detected in roots and vascular bundles of the stele in plants carry-ing an AtNHX4 promoter-GUS fusion, and GUS activity increased under salt stress suggesting a func-tion related to salt tolerance. Transgenic plants carrying the AtNHX3 promoter-GUS fusion showed strong GUS activity in petals, stamens and tops of siliques, suggesting a possible role of AtNHX3 in flower and seed development. Results of histochemical analysis suggested that AtNHX2―4 are involved in divergent functions and are differentially regulated under abiotic stress. The structure of AtNHX4 was predicted to include 12 transmembrane regions and a NHX domain. Overexpression of AtNHX4 in Arabidopsis transgenic lines confers greater salt tolerance than in wild type plants. These results suggest that AtNHX4 may encode a putative vacuolar NHX that plays an important role in salt tolerance.     

Effect of fatty acids on polyamine contents and Na+/H+ antiport activity in PM vesicles isolated from roots of barley under salt stress

With 200 mmol/L NaCl treatment on barley cultivar “Jian 4” (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. J4) seedlings for 6 d, the contents of covalently and noncovalently conjugated polyamines (PAs) and activities of H⁺-ATPase in plasma membrane (PM) vesicles isolated from the roots decreased remarkably. Moreover, the activity of Na⁺/H⁺ antiport was detected first in PM vesicles. The results showed that the decrease in the contents of membrane phospholipid, noncovalently conjugated PAs and activity of H⁺-ATPase caused by NaCl could be restored partially by application of 1 mmol/L stearie acid (C_16:0) and linoleic acid (C_18:2), and C_18:2 was more effective than C_16:0 In addition, a reduction in the contents of covalently conjugated PAs was only reversed partially in the presence of C_18:2 Furthermore, Na⁺/H⁺ antiport activity was strengthened by exogenous C_16:0 and C_18:2 and C_18:2 was more effective than C_16:0. The correlative analysis suggested that, after application of C_16:0 and C_18:2 under salt stress, there was a significant positive correlation existing among phospholipid content, noncovalently conjugated PA levels, H⁺-ATPase activities and Na⁺/H⁺ antiport activities, indicating that one of the mitigative mechanisms of exogenous fatty acids on salt injury was to improve membrane phospholipid and PA contents, leading to an enhance in membrane integrity and a change in charge status of PM vesicles, so the activity of membrane-associated enzyme H⁺-ATPase was increased and synthesis of Na⁺/H⁺ antiport protein was activated.     

The short C-terminal hydrophilic domain of NhaH Na^＋/H^＋ antiporter from Halobacillus dabanensis with roles in resistance to salt and in pH sensing

The Na^＋/H^＋ antiporter plays key roles in maintaining low cytoplasmic NaNa^＋ level and pH homeostasis, while little is known about the Carboxyl-terminal hydrophilic tails of prokaryotic antiporters. In our previous study, the first Na^＋/H^＋ antiporter gene nhaH from moderate halophiles was cloned from Halobacillus dabanensis D-8 by functional complementation. A topological model suggested that only nine amino acid residues （^395PLIKKLGMI403） existed in the hydrophilic C-terminal domain of NhaH. The C-terminal truncated mutant of NhaH was constructed by PCR strategy and designated as nhaH△C. Salt tolerance experiment demonstrated that the deletion of hydrophilic C-terminal nine amino acid residues significantly inhibited the complementation ability of E. coil KNabc, in which three main Na^＋/H^＋ antiporters nhaA, nhaB and chaA were deleted. Everted membrane vesicles prepared from E. coil KNabc/nhaHAC decreased both Na^＋/H^＋ and Li^＋/H^＋ exchange activities of NhaH, and also resulted in an acidic shift of its pH profile for Na^＋, indicating a critical role of the short C-terminal domain of NhaH antiporter in alkali cation binding/translocation and pH sensing.     

Cesium accumulation by bacterium Thermus sp. TibetanG7： hints for biomineralization of cesiumbearing geyserite in hot sprinss in Tibet, China

The bacterium Thermus sp. TibetanG7, isolated from hot springs in Tibet, China, was examined for the ability to accumulate cesium from solutions. Environmental conditions were simulated and the effects of pH, K^＋, Na^＋and K^＋-regimes were then studied to determine the possible role of the bacterium in the formation of cesium-bearing geyserite around these hot springs. In despite of the inhibition of K^＋ and Na^＋, the bacterium Thermus sp. TibetanG7 revealed noticeable accumulation of cesium from solutions, with maximum accumulations of 53.49 and 40.41 pmol Cesium/g cell dry weight in Na^＋ and K^＋ inhibition experiments, respectively. The accumulation of cesium by this microorganism is rapid, with 40% --50% accumulated within the first 5 min. K^＋-deficient cells showed a much higher capacity of cesium accumulation compared with K^＋-sufficient cells. It is evident that the bacteria within the genus thermus play a significant role in the cesium assembly. The formation of cesium-bearing geyserite is also considered.     

Nitric oxide suppresses stomatal opening by inhibiting inward-rectifying K<Stack><Subscript>in</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript></Stack> channels in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis</Emphasis> guard cells

We explore nitric oxide （NO） effect on K^＋in, channels in Arabidopsis guard cells. We observed NO inhibited K^＋in, currents when Ca^2＋ chelator EGTA （Ethylene glycol-bis（2-aminoethylether）-N,N,N′,N;tetraacetic acid） was not added in the pipette solution; K^＋in currents were not sensitive to NO when cytosolic Ca^2＋ was chelated by EGTA. NO inhibited the Arabidopsis stomatal opening, but when EGTA was added in the bath solution, inhibition effect of NO on stomatal opening vanished. Thus, it implies that NO elevates cytosolic Ca^2＋ by activating plasma membrane Ca^2＋ channels firstly, then inactivates K^＋in, chartnels, resulting in stomatal opening suppressed subsequently.