Response of Rice Growth and Nutrient Absorption in a SalineAlkali Paddy to Different Nitrogen Fertilizer Applications

Nitrogen(N),phosphorus(P)and carbon(C)are essential nutrients for rice growth and development,but the response of nutrient absorption by rice plants to different types of nitrogen fertilizer(N-fertilizer)under saline-alkali conditions is unclear.This study conducted a 147-day field-scale experiment to evaluate rice biomass and nutrient absorption capacity with five N-fertilizer applications.The results showed that the biomass.

The Decarbonization of Construction—How Can Alkali-Activated Materials Contribute?

1.Introduction and context Enormous emphasis is currently being paid to the decarbonization of the global built environment as a leading priority for the engineering community and related industrial sectors[1].One of the main contributors to the overall emissions footprint of the built environment-and thus a cornerstone of efforts to achieve decarbonization-is the emissions profile of construction materials during their production and utilization.The cement and concrete sector is the largest-volume contributor to the emissions incurred in meeting the world’s construction material needs and is therefore targeted in the discussion of the deep,rapid decarbonization that must be achieved in order to minimize irreversible damage to the Earth and its ecosystems.

Steric hindrance shielding viologen against alkali attack in realizing ultrastable aqueous flow batteries

Viologens known as a kind of promising negolyte materials for aqueous organic redox flow batteries,face a critical stability challenge due to the S_N2 nucleophilic attack by hydroxide ions(OH-)during the battery cycling.In this work,a N-cyclic quaternary ammonium-grafted viologen molecule,viz.1,1'-bis(4,4'-dime thylpiperidiniumyl)-4,4'-bipyridinium tetrachloride((DBPPy)Cl_(4)),is developed by the molecular engineering strategy.The obtained(DBPPy)Cl_(4) molecule shows a decent solubility of 1.84 M and a redox potential of-0.52 V vs.Ag/AgCl,Experimental and theoretical results reveal that the grafted N-cyclic quaternary ammonium groups act as the steric hindrance to prevent nucleophilic attack by OH~-,increasing the alkali resistance of the electroactive molecule.The symmetrical battery with 0.50 M(DBPPy)Cl4shows negligible decay during the 13-day cycling test.As demonstration,the flow battery utilizing 1.0 M(DBPPy)Cl_(4) as the negolyte and 1-(1-oxyl-2,2',6,6'-tetramethylpiperidin-4-yl)-1'-(3-(trimethylammonio)propyl)-4,4'-bipyridinium trichloride as the posolyte exhibits a high capacity retention rate of 99.99%per cycle at 60 mA cm^(-2).

Insight into the Alkali Resistance Mechanism of CoMnHPMo Catalyst for NH_(3) Selective Catalytic Reduction of NO

The existence of alkali metals in fl ue gases originating from stationary sources can result in catalyst deactivation in the low-temperature selective catalytic reduction(SCR)of nitrogen oxides(NO_(x)).It is widely accepted that alkali metal poisoning causes damage to the acidic sites of catalysts.Therefore,in this study,a series of CoMn catalysts doped with heteropolyacids(HPAs)were prepared using the coprecipitation method.Among these,CoMnHPMo exhibited superior catalytic performance for SCR and over 95%NO_(x) conversion at 150-300.Moreover,it exhibited excellent catalytic activity and stability after alkali poisoning,demonstrating outstanding alkali metal resistance.The characterization indicated that HPMo increased the specifi c surface area of the catalyst,which provided abundant adsorption sites for NO_(x) and NH_(3).Comparing catalysts before and after poisoning,CoMnHPMo enhanced its alkali metal resistance by sacrifi cing Brønsted acid sites to protect its Lewis acid sites.In situ DRIFTS was used to study the reaction pathways of the catalysts.The results showed that CoMnHPMo maintained high NH_(3) adsorption capacity after K poisoning and then reacted rapidly with NO intermediates to ensure that the active sites were not covered.Consequently,SCR performance was ensured even after alkali metal poisoning.In sum-mary,this research proposed a simple method for the design of an alkali-resistant NH_(3)-SCR catalyst with high activity at low temperatures.

Alkali Tolerance of Concrete Internal Curing Agent Based on Sodium Carboxymethyl Starch

Internal curing agents (ICA) based on super absorbent polymer have poor alkali tolerance and reduce the early strength of concrete.An alkali tolerate internal curing agent (CAA-ICA) was designed and prepared by using sodium carboxymethyl starch (CMS) with high hydrophilicity,acrylic acid (AA) containing anionic carboxylic group and acrylamide (AM) containing non-ionic amide group as the main raw materials.The results show that the ratio of CAA-ICA alkali absorption solution is higher than that existing ICA,which solves the low water absorption ratio of the ICA in alkali environment.The water absorption ratio of CAA-ICA in saturated Ca(OH)_(2) solution is 95.8 g·g^(-1),and the alkali tolerance coefficient is 3.4.The application of CAA-ICA in cement-based materials can increase the internal relative humidity and miniaturize the pore structure.The compressive strength of mortar increases up to 12.95%at 28 d,which provids a solution to overcome the reduction of the early strength.

Alkali burn injury model of meibomian gland dysfunction in mice

AIM:To establish a stable,short-time,low-cost and reliable murine model of meibomian gland dysfunction(MGD).METHODS:A filter paper sheet soaked in 1.0 mol/L sodium hydroxide(NaOH)solution was used to touch the eyelid margin of C57BL/6J mice for 10s to establish the model.The other eye was left untreated as a control group.Eyelid margin morphological changes and the meibomian glands(MGs)were observed by slit lamp microscopy on days 5 and 10 post-burn.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and Oil red O staining were adopted in detecting the changes in MGs morphology and lipid deposition.Real-time polymerase chain reaction,Western blot,immunofluorescence staining and immunohistochemical staining were used to detect interleukin(IL)-6,IL-1β,IL-18,tumor necroses factor(TNF)-α,interferon(IFN)-γ,nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate(NADPH)oxidase 4(NOX4),3-nitroturosine(3-NT),4-hydroxynonenal(4-HNE)and cytokeratin 10(K10)expression changes in MGs.RESULTS:MGs showed plugging of orifice,glandular deficiency,abnormal acinar morphology,ductal dilatation,and lipid deposition after alkali burn.The expressions of IL-6,IL-18,IL-1β,IFN-γ,and TNF-αindicators of inflammation and oxidative stress in MGs tissues were significantly increased.Abnormal keratinization increased in the MG duct.CONCLUSION:A murine model of MGD is established by alkali burn of the eyelid margin that matches the clinical presentation of MGD providing a stable,short-time,lowcost,and reliable MGD model.The new method suggests efficient avenues for future research.

Residual alkali-evoked cross-linked polymer layer for anti-air-sensitivity LiNi_(0.89)Co_(0.06)Mn_(0.05)O_(2)cathode

High-energy density lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)with layered high-nickel oxide cathodes(LiNi_(x)Co_(y)Mn_(1-x-y)O_(2),x≥0.8)show great promise in consumer electronics and vehicular applications.However,LiNi_(x)Co_(y)Mn_(1-x-y)O_(2)faces challenges related to capacity decay caused by residual alkalis owing to high sensitivity to air.To address this issue,we propose a hazardous substances upcycling method that fundamentally mitigates alkali content and concurrently induces the emergence of an anti-air-sensitive layer on the cathode surface.Through the neutralization of polyacrylic acid(PAA)with residual alkalis and then coupling it with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane(KH550),a stable and ion-conductive cross-linked polymer layer is in situ integrated into the LiNi_(0.89)Co_(0.06)Mn_(0.05)O_(2)(NCM)cathode.Our characterization and measurements demonstrate its effectiveness.The NCM material exhibits impressive cycling performance,retaining 88.4%of its capacity after 200 cycles at 5 C and achieving an extraordinary specific capacity of 170.0 mA h g^(-1) at 10 C.Importantly,this layer on the NCM efficiently suppresses unfavorable phase transitions,severe electrolyte degradation,and CO_(2)gas evolution,while maintaining commendable resistance to air exposure.This surface modification strategy shows widespread potential for creating air-stable LiNi_(x)Co_(y)Mn_(1-x-y)O_(2)cathodes,thereby advancing high-performance LIBs.

Alkali and Plasma-Treated Guadua angustifolia Bamboo Fibers:A Study on Reinforcement Potential for Polymeric Matrices

This study focuses on treating Guadua angustifolia bamboo fibers to enhance their properties for reinforcement applications in composite materials.Chemical(alkali)and physical(dry etching plasma)treatments were used separately to augment compatibility of Guadua angustifolia fibers with various composite matrices.The influence of these treatments on the fibers’performance,chemical composition,and surface morphology were analyzed.Statistical analysis indicated that alkali treatments reduced the tensile modulus of elasticity and strength of fibers by up to 40%and 20%,respectively,whereas plasma treatments maintain the fibers’mechanical performance.FTIR spectroscopy revealed significant alterations in chemical composition due to alkali treatments,while plasma-treated fibers showed minimal changes.Surface examination through Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM)revealed post-treatment modifications in both cases;alkali treatments served as a cleanser,eliminating lignin and hemicellulose from the fiber surface,whereas plasma treatments also produce rough surfaces.These results validate the impact of the treatments on the fiber mechanical performance,which opens up possibilities for using Guadua angustifolia fibers as an alternative reinforcement in composite manufacturing.

Defect Engineering in Earth-Abundant Cu_(2)ZnSnSe_(4) Absorber Using Efficient Alkali Doping for Flexible and Tandem Solar Cell Applications

To demonstrate flexible and tandem device applications,a low-temperature Cu_(2)ZnSnSe_(4)(CZTSe)deposition process,combined with efficient alkali doping,was developed.First,high-quality CZTSe films were grown at 480℃by a single co-evaporation,which is applicable to polyimide(PI)substrate.Because of the alkali-free substrate,Na and K alkali doping were systematically studied and optimized to precisely control the alkali distribution in CZTSe.The bulk defect density was significantly reduced by suppression of deep acceptor states after the(NaF+KF)PDTs.Through the low-temperature deposition with(NaF+KF)PDTs,the CZTSe device on glass yields the best efficiency of 8.1%with an improved Voc deficit of 646 mV.The developed deposition technologies have been applied to PI.For the first time,we report the highest efficiency of 6.92%for flexible CZTSe solar cells on PI.Additionally,CZTSe devices were utilized as bottom cells to fabricate four-terminal CZTSe/perovskite tandem cells because of a low bandgap of CZTSe(~1.0 eV)so that the tandem cell yielded an efficiency of 20%.The obtained results show that CZTSe solar cells prepared by a low-temperature process with in-situ alkali doping can be utilized for flexible thin-film solar cells as well as tandem device applications.

Recovery of Solid Oxide Fuel CellWaste Heat by Thermoelectric Generators and AlkaliMetal Thermoelectric Converters

A Solid Oxide Fuel Cell(SOFC)is an electrochemical device that converts the chemical energy of a substance into electrical energy through an oxidation-reduction mechanism.The electrochemical reaction of a solid oxide fuel cell(SOFC)generates heat,and this heat can be recovered and put to use in a waste heat recovery system.In addition to preheating the fuel and oxidant,producing steam for industrial use,and heating and cooling enclosed rooms,this waste heat can be used for many more productive uses.The large waste heat produced by SOFCs is a worry that must be managed if they are to be adopted as a viable option in the power generation business.In light of these findings,a novel approach to SOFC waste heat recovery is proposed.The SOFC is combined with a“Thermoelectric Generator and an Alkali Metal Thermoelectric Converter(TG-AMTC)”to transform the excess heat generated by both the SOFC and the TG-AMTC.The proposed TG-AMTC is evaluated using a number of performance indicators including power density,operating temperature,heat recovery rate,exergetic efficiency,energy efficiency,and recovery time.The experimental results state that TG-AMTC has provided an exergetic efficiency,energetic efficiency,and recovery time of 97%,98%,and 23%,respectively.The study proves that the proposed TG-AMTC for SOFC is an efficient method of recovering waste heat.

Coordination and Supramolecular Assemblies from Alkali+-Cucurbit[5]uril-[CdCl_(4)]^(2-)Systems

Thispaper has investigated the coordination and supramolecular assemblies of alkali metal ions,cucurbit[5]uril(Q[5]),and[CdCl_(4)]^(2-)to confirm whether[CdCl_(4)]^(2-)can produce the“honeycomb effect”,induce coordination of alkali metal ions to Q[5],and form linear coordination polymers.In this work,the effect of alkali metal ions on the construction of Q[5]-Cd^(2+)ion system under acidic conditions was investigated.Five complexes were successfully obtained by solvent evaporation method.Among the five crystal structures obtained,it can be observed that the presence of[CdCl_(4)]^(2-)did not result in the complexation of alkali metal ions by the Q[5]molecule.Instead,a bowl-like Cd^(2+)@Q[5]complex was formed.Indeed,[CdCl_(4)]^(2-)did not produce the honeycomb effect but led to the formation of Q[5]-based honeycomb frameworks with hexagonal cellsoccupied by[CdCl_(4)]^(2-).The experimental results show that cadmium ion showed stronger ability to coordinate to Q[5]in HCl solution.

Fundamental Study on Alkali-Activated Slag System with Sodium Carbonate or Calcium Hydroxide

Cement as a building material, has high fluidity, compressive strength, and durability, but carbon dioxide emissions during cement production are a major problem. As one of the countermeasures, alkali-activated cement using blast furnace slag powder with alkaline stimulants is considered to be a very promising solution for reducing carbon dioxide emissions, but there is a lack of information about the fundamental properties of alkali-activated materials. This study presents an experimental investigation of the fundamental properties of an alkali-activated slag system with sodium carbonate (NC) and calcium hydroxide (CH). The effects of calcium sulfo-aluminate (CSA) and shrinkage reducing agent (SRA) on the properties of blast furnace slag (BFS) based alkali-activated mixture were also investigated. In the experiments, fundamental characteristics including compressive strength, drying shrinkage, and water penetration tests of mortar were evaluated. Porosity, pH, and ignition loss were measured to verify the effectiveness of the materials. The experimental investigation revealed that the compressive strength was increased with the increasing replacement rates of NC in the BFS mortar, and in the case of water to BFS ratio of 0.45 with sodium carbonation addition contents 10 wt.%, the compressive strength for 28 days of curing reaches more than 50 MPa. Low water to BFS ratio and higher addition ratio of NC had a positive effect on the compressive strength development of mortar. Incorporating NC into BFS would affect the decrease in porosity and increase in ignition loss, leading to higher compressive strength. There was a negligible change to the compressive strength, porosity, pH, and ignition loss of BFS samples made with CH, thus, the addition rates of CH to BFS have no or little significant effect on the fundamental properties of alkali-activated cement. From the results of drying shrinkage and water penetration tests, the addition of NC and CH only to BFS exhibited poor drying shrinkage and water penetration characteristics. However, these problems may be overcome due to the use of CSA or SRA in the alkali-activated system made with NC or CH.

Effects of Heavy Metals and Saline-alkali on Growth,Physiology and Biochemistry of Orychophragmus violaceus

[Objective] The aim was to study on effects of heavy metals and saline-alkali on growth, physiology and biochemistry of Orychophragmus violaceus. [Method] Taken Orychophragmus violaceus as materials, growth, physiology and biochemistry were explored under stress of saline-alkali and heavy metals (light, moderate and severe saline-alkali, Pb, Pb + Cd, light saline-alkali + Pb, moderate saline-alkali + Pb, severe saline-alkali + Pb, light saline-alkali + Pb + Cd, moderate saline-alkali + Pb + Cd and severe saline-alkali + Pb + Cd) with control group set. [Result] Light stress of saline-alkali had little effect on membrane permeability, as follows: MDA contents in leaves and root systems declined by 25.6% and 9.0% compared with control group; Pb (500 mg/L) stress promoted synthetization of photosynthetic pigments, as follows: chlorophyll a and b and carotenoid increased by 0.86%, 0.69% and 6.25% than those of control group; combined stresses of Pb and Cd destroyed synthetization of photosynthetic pigments, among which carotenoid was more sensitive; under combined stresses of saline-alkali, Pb and Cd, POD and SOD activities, soluble saccharides and Pro content all increased and activities of POD and SOD in root system were both higher than those in leaves. [Conclusion] Orychophragmus violaceus is with resistance against light combined stresses of saline-alkali and Pb (500 mg/L).

Phytosynthetic bacteria (PSB) as a water quality improvement mechanism in saline-alkali wetland ponds

The efficiency of phytosynthetic bacteria (PSB) to improve the water quality in saline alkali ponds was studied, the result showed that (1) PSB application could increase the content of DO, NO\+-\-3\|N and effective phosphorus (EP) in ponds; (2) the changes of COD were not evident, just effective in later period after PSB application; (3) PSB application could decrease the contents of NH\+-\-4\|N (NH\-3\|N), NO\+-\-2\|N ; (4) PSB application could improve the structure of the effective nitrogen (EN) and EP, stimulate the growth of phytoplankton, and increase primary productivity, and finally increase the commercial profits of ponds because of the increase of EP and the decrease of EN contents; (5) the effect exerting speed of PSB was slower, but the effect sustaining time was longer; (6) the appropriate concentration of PSB application in saline alkali wetland ponds was 10×10 -6 mg/L, one time effective period was more than 15 days. So PSB was an efficient water quality improver in saline alkali ponds.

The Effects of Biochar on Germination and Growth of Wheat in Different Saline-alkali Soil

Saline alkali soil can cause physiological drought on crops,so only some salinity tolerant crops can grow in saline alkali soil.Biochar can increase the utilize efficiency of nutrient and the water retention of the soil,and affect the growth of the plant.In this research,four different proportion of biochar was added in five different levels of saline-alkali soil for pot culture experiment.The pH of the soil increases as the proportion of biochar increase in same saline-alkali level soil,while the EC decrease as the proportion of biochar increase.The germination rate of wheat seeds varies as the different of soil's saline-alkali level.Notable among these results is the germination of wheat seeds in the serious saline-alkali soil without biochar added is 0,while in 45%biochar added in serious saline-alkali soil,the germination rate get to as high as 48.9%.Also,biochar improve the growth of wheat seedling,while for mild saline alkali soil and normal soil.Biochar had no obvious effect on the growth of wheat seedling.

Effects of an ectomycorrhizal fungus on the growth and physiology of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica seedlings subjected to saline-alkali stress

This research investigates the mechanism of increased salinity tolerance of ectomycorrhizal fungiinoculated P. sylvestris var. mongolica to provide a theoretical basis for the application of the fungus in saline soils.Growth effects due to inoculation of seedlings with Suillus luteus(a symbiotic ectomycorrhizal fungus), were determined in four kinds of saline–alkali soils. Growth and physiological indicators, including photosynthetic characteristics, plant height, biomass, photosynthetic pigments,catalase(CAT) and superoxide dismutase(SOD) enzyme levels, and malondialdehyde(MDA), an organic marker for oxidative stress, and soluble protein levels were determined. Mycorrhizal colonization rate decreased with increasing saline–alkalinity and growth of inoculated seedlings was significantly enhanced. Biomass and chlorophyll contents also increased significantly. SOD and CAT activities were higher than in non-inoculated seedlings. However, MDA content decreased in inoculatedseedlings. Soluble protein content did not increase significantly. Inoculation with a symbiotic ectomycorrhizal fungus could enhance the saline–alkali tolerance of P. sylvestris var. mongolica. Growth and physiological performance of inoculated seedlings were significantly better than that of uninoculated seedlings. The results indicate that inoculated P. sylvestris var. mongolica seedlings may be useful in the improvement of saline–alkali lands.

Present situation and tendency of saline-alkali soil in west Jilin Province

Taking west Jilin Province as an example, this paper put forward the assessment index of salinization, and based on it, the authors present the distribution characteristics of saline-alkali soil in the 1980s and the 1990s in west Jilin and analyze its physical and chemical properties in detail. The developing tendency of salinization was also inferred by comparing the saline-alkali soil of the 1980s with that of the 1990s. Finally, the natural and human factors leading to salinization are analyzed.

Osmotic Regulation of Betaine Content in Leymus chinensis Under Saline-alkali Stress and Cloning and Expression of Betaine Aldehyde Dehydrogenase(BADH) Gene

The potted Leymus chinensis seedlings were treated with saline-alkali solution of six different（from Ⅰ to Ⅵ） concentrations. The results demonstrate that the betaine content and Betaine-aldehyde dehydrogenase（BADH： EC 1.2.1.8） activities have a direct relation with increased stressing time in the same treatment; both exhibit a single peak with increasing the concentration of saline-alkali solution, and number V shows the highest value. The BADH gene of Leyrnus chinensis was cloned by RT-PCR and RACE technology and was designated as LcBADH. The cDNA sequence of LcBADH was 1774bp including the open reading frame（ORF） of 1521bp（coding 506 amino acids）. The vector of prokaryotic expression was constructed by inserting the LcBADH gene fragmcnt into pET30a（＋） and transformed into E. coli BL21（DE3）. The result of SDS-PAGE shows that the idio-protein with a molecular mass of 56.78 kDa was effectively expressed in the recombinant bacteria induced by isopropyl fl-D-thiogalactoside（IPTG）.

Microbial diversity in the saline-alkali soil of a coastal Tamarix chinensis woodland at Bohai Bay, China

Soil salinization or alkalization is a form of soil desertification. Coastal saline-alkali soil represents a type of desert and a key system in the network of ecosystems at the continent-ocean interface. Tamarix chinensis is a drought-tolerant plant that is widely distributed in the coastal saline-alkali soil of Bohai Bay, China. In this study, we used 454 pyrosequencing techniques to investigate the characteristics and distribution of the microbial diversity in coastal saline-alkali soil of the T. chinensis woodland at Bohai Bay. A total of 20,315 sequences were obtained, representing 19 known bacterial phyla and a large proportion of unclassified bacteria at the phylum level. Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria were the predominant phyla. The coverage of T. chinensis affected the microbial composition. At the phylum level, the relative abundance of y-Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes decreased whereas Actinobacteria increased with the increasing coverage of T. chinensis. At the genus level, the proportions of Steroidobacter, Lechevalieria, Gp3 and Gp4 decreased with the increase of the vegetation coverage whereas the proportion of Nocardioides increased. A cluster analysis showed that the existing T. chinensis changed the niches for the microorganisms in the coastal saline-alkali soil, which caused changes in the microbial community. The analysis also distinguished the microbial community structure of the marginal area from those of the dense area and sparse area. Furthermore, the results also indicated that the distance to the seashore line could also affect certain groups of soil bacteria in this coastal saline-alkali soil, such as the family Cryomorphaceae and class Flavobacteria, whose population decreased as the distance increased. In addition, the seawater and temperature could be the driving factors that affected the changes.

Effect of Saline-alkali Stress on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Oat

Neutral black soil was mixed with strong saline-alkali soil in different weight ratios, then physiological indexes during seed germination and seedling growth in soil of different ratios and the corresponding leaching liquor treatments were observed to explore effect of saline-alkali stress on oat seed germination and seedling growth, and analyze tolerance of oat to saline-alkali soil. The results showed that germination ability of oat seeds reduced with the increasing saline-alkali stress, salt injury index increased and seedling growth was inhibited. Effect of different saline-alkali stresses on germination ability of oat seeds showed difference, and effect of leaching liquor treatment on oat seed germination was stronger than that of soil treatment.