Sb‐Doped SnO2 Hollow Spheres Offering Micro‐ and Nanoporosity in Fuel Cell Electrode Structures

Sb‐doped SnO₂ (ATO) is used as an alternative support material to replace carbon in the highly corrosive environment of a fuel cell cathode. Two ATO powders with different morphologies are decorated with Pt nanoparticles and afterwards used as the cathode catalyst. The commercial ATO powder exhibits crystallites in the nanometer range, while the home‐made ATO powder, which was synthesized by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis, consists of polycrystalline hollow spheres. The spheres have diameters in the micrometer range and are composed of individual nanocrystallites. The unusual morphology of the home‐made ATO offers nano‐ and microporosity at the same time and opens up new possibilities for the controlled design of electrode structures in low‐temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cells. Both materials are characterized by XRD, SEM, and TEM and tested in a single cell set‐up. While almost no current is gained from the membrane electrode assembly with the commercial ATO support, the cell with the home‐made ATO achieves a mediocre performance. This higher activity, however, is obtained with approximately half the Pt content compared to the catalyst with the commercial support. The different behaviours of both ATO powders can therefore mainly be attributed to differences in the specific support morphology.     

A Technique to Screen American Beech for Resistance to the Beech Scale Insect (Cryptococcus fagisuga Lind.)

Beech bark disease (BBD) results in high levels of initial mortality, leaving behind survivor trees that are greatly weakened and deformed. The disease is initiated by feeding activities of the invasive beech scale insect, Cryptococcus fagisuga, which creates entry points for infection by one of the Neonectria species of fungus. Without scale infestation, there is little opportunity for fungal infection. Using scale eggs to artificially infest healthy trees in heavily BBD impacted stands demonstrated that these trees were resistant to the scale insect portion of the disease complex¹. Here we present a protocol that we have developed, based on the artificial infestation technique by Houston², which can be used to screen for scale-resistant trees in the field and in smaller potted seedlings and grafts. The identification of scale-resistant trees is an important component of management of BBD through tree improvement programs and silvicultural manipulation.     

小花三脉紫菀和狭叶三脉紫菀的区别:形态学和细胞学证据

产自湖北神农架的狭叶三脉紫菀Aster ageratoides var. gerlachii (Hance) Chang一直被各种文献和有关标本馆误定为小花三脉紫菀A. ageratoides var. micranthus Ling。我们对二者进行了野外采集和形态学、细胞学的比较研究,分析了导致错误鉴定的原因,重新确定了二者的界限。小花三脉紫菀无横走地下茎,这一性状具有重要的分类学价值。核型研究发现,小花三脉紫菀为二倍体,2n=2x=18=18m,核型属1A型;狭叶三脉紫菀则是四倍体,2n=4x=36=32m+4sm (2SAT),核型属2A型。二变种的染色体数目、核型均为首次报道。狭叶三脉紫菀在湖北为新分布记录。     

Morphology of the first-instar nymph and adult female of Kermes echinatus Balachowsky,with a comparison to K. vermilio Planchon (Hemiptera,?Coccoidea,?Kermesidae)

Thefirst-instar nymph and the adult female of Kermes echinatus Balachowsky (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Kermesidae) are described and illustrated. This species is compared with Kermes vermilio Planchon, a morphologically similar species known in the Palaeractic region.