Multifunctional nanoplatforms for imaging‐guided synergistic antitumor treatment are highly desirable in biomedical applications. However, anticancer treatment is largely affected by the pre‐existing hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME), which not only causes the resistance of the tumors to photodynamic therapy (PDT), but also promotes tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Here, a continuous O2 self‐enriched nanoplatform is constructed for multimodal imaging‐guided synergistic phototherapy based on octahedral gold nanoshells (GNSs), which are constructed by a more facile and straightforward one‐step method using platinum (Pt) nanozyme‐decorated metal–organic frameworks (MOF) as the inner template. The Pt‐decorated MOF@GNSs (PtMGs) are further functionalized with human serum albumin‐chelated gadolinium (HSA‐Gd, HGd) and loaded with indocyanine green (ICG) (ICG‐PtMGs@HGd) to achieve a synergistic PDT/PTT effect and fluorescence (FL)/multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT)/X‐ray computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The Pt‐decorated nanoplatform endows remarkable catalase‐like behavior and facilitates the continuous decomposition of the endogenous H2O2 into O2 to enhance the PDT effect under hypoxic TME. HSA modification enhances the biocompatibility and tumor‐targeting ability of the nanocomposites. This TME‐responsive and O2 self‐supplement nanoparticle holds great potential as a multifunctional theranostic nanoplatform for the multimodal imaging‐guided synergistic phototherapy of solid tumors.

Catalyst-free growth of wafer-scale h-BN few-layers is realized on sapphire substrates by the combination of surface nitridation and N+ sputtering.

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1. Widespread plant species generally have high intraspecific variation in functional traits, which is reflected in their great variety of phenotypes. This variety can result from both genetic differences due to local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity. With high intraspecific variation and nearly global distribution, the common reed Phragmites australis is a suitable model species for studying the underlying mechanisms of intraspecific trait variation. 2. In this study, 71 genotypes of P. australis from seven phylogeographic groups were transplanted into two replicate common gardens located in very different climates: northern Europe and mid-east Asia. We measured seven functional traits of all these genotypes over the growing season, including shoot height, maximum biomass per shoot, shoot density, node number per stem, leaf life span, flowering occurrence and flowering date. Our aim was to assess the relative effects of genetic (phylogeographic origin) and environmental (common garden) status, and interactions between them, on intraspecific variation in functional traits of P. australis. 3. We found common garden having the strongest influence on most functional traits studied. All traits except flowering occurrence varied significantly across gardens, revealing the important role of phenotypic plasticity on trait variation in P. australis. We also found significant differences in trait variation among the different phylogeographic groups of P. australis and, thus, evidence for genetically determined intraspecific variation in the morphological and life-history traits addressed in this study. All functional traits showed significant (p ≤ 0.0054), albeit minor to moderately explained (R 2 ≤ 0.57), latitudinal patterns in both gardens. Covariation of multiple traits was similar in the two gardens. Phenotypic plasticity was trait-specific, and the plasticity of shoot height and maximum biomass per shoot increased towards higher latitude of genotypic origin. Our results indicate that the latitude of origin affects the evolution of functional traits, as well as their phenotypic plasticity. 4. Since phenotypic plasticity is a crucial mechanism for acclimation and evolution, our findings support the role of gene-based adaptive phenotypic plasticity in plant

Grain size and concentrations of heavy metals (arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn)) of 148 surface sediments and activities of 210Pb and heavy metal concetrantions of one sediment core from the Pearl River Estuary were analyzed. The surface sediments were dominated by silt and sandy silt. Sediment type controlled the spatial distribution patterns of the heavy metals. The heavy metal concentrations in the sediments ranged from 3.34 to 37.11 mg/kg for As, 0.06 to 2.06 mg/kg for Cd, 12 to 130 mg/kg for Cr, 5.8 to 170.6 mg/kg for Cu, 0.01 to 0.25 mg/kg for Hg, 23 to 78 mg/kg for Pb, and 32 to 259 mg/kg for Zn. Both contents of clay and organic carbons were significantly positively correlated with heavy metals. The baseline values of elements in the study area were 12.97 mg/kg for As, 0.14 mg/kg for Cd, 68 mg/kg for Cr, 28.9 mg/kg for Cu, 0.08 mg/kg for Hg, 33 mg/kg for Pb, and 92 mg/kg for Zn. The metal enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) were calculated to assess anthropogenic contamination. Results showed slight to moderate Cd contamination in the region. Principle component analysis indicated that Cd could be attributed to anthropogenic sources; As and Hg were predominantly affected by human activities; and Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn were associated with both natural and anthropogenic sources.

No abstract

Abstract. Many factors are known to influence greenhouse gas emissions from coastal wetlands, but it is still unclear which factors are most important under field conditions when they are all acting simultaneously. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of water table, salinity, soil temperature and vegetation on CH 4 emissions and ecosystem respiration (R eco ) from five coastal wetlands in the Liaohe Delta, Northeast China: two Phragmites australis (common reed) wetlands, two Suaeda salsa (sea blite) marshes and a rice (Oryza sativa) paddy. Throughout the growing season, the Suaeda wetlands were net CH 4 sinks whereas the Phragmites wetlands and the rice paddy were net CH 4 sources emitting 1.2-6.1 g CH 4 m −2 yr −1 . The Phragmites wetlands emitted the most CH 4 per unit area and the most CH 4 relative to CO 2 . The main controlling factors for the CH 4 emissions were water table, temperature, soil organic carbon and salinity. The CH 4 emission was accelerated at high and constant (or managed) water tables and decreased at water tables below the soil surface. High temperatures enhanced CH 4 emissions, and emission rates were consistently low (< 1 mg CH 4 m −2 h −1 ) at soil temperatures < 18 • C. At salinity levels > 18 ppt, the CH 4 emission rates were always low (< 1 mg CH 4 m −2 h −1 ) probably because methanogens were out-competed by sulphate-reducing bacteria. Saline Phragmites wetlands can, however, emit significant amounts of CH 4 as CH 4 produced in deep soil layers are transported through the air-space tissue of the plants to the atmosphere. The CH 4 emission from coastal wetlands can be reduced by creating fluctuating water tables, including water tables below the soil surface, as well as by occasional flooding by high-salinity water. The effects of water management schemes on the biological communities in the wetlands must, however, be carefully studied prior to the management in order to avoid undesirable effects on the wetland communities.

The nanomechanical properties of tumor-derived small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are essential to cancer progression. Here, nanoindentation is utilized on atomic force microscopy (AFM) to quantitatively investigate the nanomechanical properties of human breast cancer cell-derived sEVs at single vesicle level and explore their relationship with tumor malignancy and vesicle size. It is demonstrated that the stiffness of the sEVs results from the combined contribution of the bending modulus and osmotic pressure of the sEVs. The stiffness and osmotic pressure increase with increasing malignancy of the sEVs and decrease with increasing size of the sEVs. The bending modulus decreases with increasing malignancy of the sEVs and is lower in smaller sEVs. This study builds relationship between the nanomechanical signature of the sEV and tumor malignancy, adding information for better understanding cancer mechanobiology.