Sheep manure application increases soil exchangeable base cations in a semi-arid steppe of Inner Mongolia

The long-term productivity of a soil is greatly influenced by cation exchange capacity（CEC）.Moreover,interactions between dominant base cations and other nutrients are important for the health and stability of grassland ecosystems.Soil exchangeable base cations and cation ratios were examined in a 11-year experiment with sheep manure application rates 0–1,500 g/（m2？a） in a semi-arid steppe in Inner Mongolia of China,aiming to clarify the relationships of base cations with soil p H,buffer capacity and fertility.Results showed that CEC and contents of exchangeable calcium（Ca2＋）,magnesium（Mg2＋）,potassium（K＋） and sodium（Na＋） were significantly increased,and Ca2＋ saturation tended to decrease,while K＋ saturation tended to increase with the increases of sheep manure application rates.The Ca2＋/Mg2＋ and Ca2＋/K＋ ratios decreased,while Mg2＋,K＋ and Na＋ saturations increased with increasing manure application rates.Both base cations and CEC were significantly and positively correlated with soil organic carbon（SOC） and soil p H.The increases of SOC and soil p H would be the dominant factors that contribute to the increase of cations in soil.On a comparison with the initial soil p H before the experiment,we deduced that sheep manure application could partly buffer soil p H decrease potentially induced by atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur.Our results indicate that sheep manure application is beneficial to the maintenance of base cations and the buffering of soil acidification,and therefore can improve soil fertility in the semi-arid steppes of northeastern China.

Gallium-based liquid metal micro/nanoparticles for photothermal cancer therapy

Gallium-based liquid metals have attracted significant interest in the biomedical field due to their unique properties such as low viscosity,good fluidity,high thermal/electrical conductivity,and good biocompatibility.Meanwhile,photothermal therapy has made great development in the field of antitumor with its advantages of low adverse effects,high specificity,and repeatable treatment.The photothermal capability possessed by gallium-based liquid metals makes them show unparalleled advantages in photothermal therapy.Liquid metal-based photothermal therapy has progressed in recent years and can perform a vital role in accurate and noninvasive antitumor therapy.Herein,a review of the major preparation methods of liquid metal micro/nanoparticles,the mechanism of liquid metal photothermal conversion,and discussions on the factors affecting the photothermal properties of liquid metals are presented.The biological applications of liquid metal photothermal therapy in synergy with other therapies are discussed,as well as the current challenges and opportunities for the clinical translation of liquid metals in biomedical applications.