Tree species composition governs urban phenological responses to warming.

Urban environments are typically warmer than surrounding rural areas, providing a unique setting for studying phenological responses to climate warming. Phenological differences between urban and rural trees are driven by local climate and species composition. Yet, the extent to which species composition influences phenological responses to urbanization remains poorly understood.

Positive feedbacks and alternative stable states in forest leaf types.

The emergence of alternative stable states in forest systems has significant implications for the functioning and structure of the terrestrial biosphere, yet empirical evidence remains scarce. Here, we combine global forest biodiversity observations and simulations to test for alternative stable states in the presence of evergreen and deciduous forest types. We reveal a bimodal distribution of forest leaf types across temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere that cannot be explained by the environment alone, suggesting signatures of alternative forest states.

The global biogeography of tree leaf form and habit.

Understanding what controls global leaf type variation in trees is crucial for comprehending their role in terrestrial ecosystems, including carbon, water and nutrient dynamics. Yet our understanding of the factors influencing forest leaf types remains incomplete, leaving us uncertain about the global proportions of needle-leaved, broadleaved, evergreen and deciduous trees. To address these gaps, we conducted a global, ground-sourced assessment of forest leaf-type variation by integrating forest inventory data with comprehensive leaf form (broadleaf vs needle-leaf) and habit (evergreen vs deciduous) records.

Rapid and ratiometric fluorescent detection of hypochlorite by glutathione functionalized molybdenum disulfide quantum dots.

We proposed a rapid and ratiometric fluorescent detection method for hypochlorite by glutathione functionalized molybdenum disulfide quantum dots (G-MoS QDs). The G-MoS QDs were obtained through a hydrothermal method and the maximum fluorescence intensity was obtained at 430 nm under excitation of 360 nm. The fluorescence of G-MoS QDs at 430 nm can be weakened by curcumin through the inner filter effect, meanwhile the fluorescence of curcumin at 540 nm appeared.

Ascorbic acid detector based on fluorescent molybdenum disulfide quantum dots.

A rapid and facile method is reported for the detection of ascorbic acid using molybdenum disulfide quantum dots (MoS QDs) as a fluorescence sensor. Water-soluble and biocompatible MoS QDs with the maximum fluorescence emission at 506 nm have been successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method and specific detection for ascorbic acid (AA) was constructed to utilize the modulation of metal ion on the fluorescence of MoS QDs and the affinity and specificity between the ligand and the metal ion. The fluorescence of MoS QDs was quenched by the irreversible static quenching of Fe through the formation of a MoS QDs/Fe complex, while the pre-existence of AA can retain the fluorescence of MoS QDs through the redox reaction between AA and Fe.

pH-responsive AgS nanodots loaded with heat shock protein 70 inhibitor for photoacoustic imaging-guided photothermal cancer therapy.

Heat-treated cancer cells have thermo-resistance due to the up-regulated levels of heat shock proteins (HSP) resulting in low therapeutic efficiency and ineffective ablation of tumors. In this work, we report pH-responsive AgS nanodots (AgS NDs) loaded with HSP70 inhibitor (QE-PEG-AgS) for enhanced photothermal cancer therapy. QE-PEG-AgS was easily prepared via self-assembly of hydrophobic AgS NDs, amphiphilic pH-responsive PEG-PAE polymer, and an HSP70 inhibitor quercetin (QE).

Azure-winged magpies fail to understand the principle of mirror imaging.

Mirror self-recognition (MSR) is considered a crucial step in the emergence of self-cognition. The MSR paradigm has become a standard method for evaluating self-cognition in several species. For example, Eurasian magpies and Indian house crows have passed the mark test for self-cognition, whereas efforts to find MSR in other corvid species have failed.

Polydopamine-Based Tumor-Targeted Multifunctional Reagents for Computer Tomography/Fluorescence Dual-Mode Bioimaging-Guided Photothermal Therapy.

Development of multifunctional diagnosis and treatment reagents is very meaningful in clinical application. Herein, we developed a polydopamine-based (PDA-based) tumor targeted multifunctional reagent by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) strategy. First, the targeted PDA nanoparticles were prepared via combining with folic acid (FA) and dopamine.

Polydopamine-mediated bio-inspired synthesis of copper sulfide nanoparticles for T-weighted magnetic resonance imaging guided photothermal cancer therapy.

Copper sulfide nanoparticles(CuS NPs) have attracted considerable interest in the field of photothermal therapy(PTT) due to its low cost, easy preparation and favorable photothermal effect. However, lack of reliable visualization and relatively poor biocompatibility restrict its further bio-application. To overcome these limitations, polydopamine(PDA, a melanin-like biopolymer) stabilized CuS NPs and further chelated with iron ions (denoted as CuPDF) were designed as a versatile nanoplatform for T-weighted MR imaging-guided PTT.

Dual-Porosity Hollow Carbon Spheres with Tunable Through-Holes for Multi-Guest Delivery.

Dual-porosity hollow carbon spheres (DPHCs) with small mesopores (2-4 nm) and large through-holes (20-30 nm) in shells were successfully synthesized using colloidal silica as the template, small silica nanoparticles as nanomasks, and nontoxic dopamine as the carbon precursor followed by post-carbonization and etching. The synthesized DPHCs were further oxidized to be hydrophilic and then used to simultaneously deliver the protein bovine serum albumin (21 × 4 × 14 nm) and the small molecule doxorubicin (<1 nm), which exhibited a high loading capacity of 689.4 and 1421.