Effects of urbanization and forest type on species composition and diversity,forest characteristics,biomass carbon sink,and their associations in Changchun,Northeast China:implications for urban carbon stock improvement

Differences in forest attributes and carbon sequestration of each organ and layer between broadleaved and conifer forests of central and outer urban areas are not well-defined,hindering the precise management of urban forests and improvement of function.To clarify the effect of two forest types with different urbanization intensities,we determined differences in vegetation composition and diversity,structural traits,and carbon stocks of 152 plots(20 m×20 m)in urban park forests in Changchun,which had the largest green quantity and carbon density effectiveness.We found that 1.1-fold thicker and healthier trees,and 1.6-to 2.0-fold higher,healthier,denser,and more various shrubs but with sparser trees and herbs occurred in the central urban forests(p<0.05)than in the outer forests.The conifer forests exhibited 30–70%obviously higher tree aboveground carbon sequestration(including stem and leaf)and 20%bigger trees,especially in the outer forests(p<0.05).In contrast,1.1-to 1.5-fold higher branch stocks,healthier and more diverse trees were found in broadleaved forests of both the inner and outer forests(p<0.05).Plant size and dominant species had similarly important roles in carbon stock improvement,especially big-sized woody plants and Pinus tabuliformis.In addition,a higher number of deciduous or needle species positively affected the broadleaved forest of the central urban area and conifer forest of the outer urban area,respectively.These findings can be used to guide precise management and accelerate the improvement of urban carbon function in Northeast China in the future.

Customizable multifunctional metasurface absorber based on bidirectional deep neural networks covering the quasi-entire terahertz band

In this work, we propose a novel approach that combines a bidirectional deep neural network(BDNN) with a multifunctional metasurface absorber(MMA) for inverse design, which can effectively address the challenge of on-demand customization for absorbers. The inverse design of absorption peak frequencies can be achieved from 0.5 to 10 terahertz(THz), covering the quasi-entire THz band. Based on this, the BDNN is extended to broadband absorption, and the inverse design yields an MMA at the desired frequency. This work provides a broadly applicable approach to the custom design of multifunctional devices that can facilitate the evaluation and design of metasurfaces in electromagnetic absorption.

Preparation and characterization of intestine PepT1-targeted calcium carbonate nanoparticles

To improve the oral absorption of poorly water-soluble drugs by overcoming the intestinal epithelium barrier, calcium carbonate nanoparticles targeting to intestine peptide transporter 1（Pep T1） were fabricated by modification of the surface of calcium carbonate nanoparticles with Gly-Sar. Gly-Sar-conjugated TPGS was successfully synthesized and characterized, and coumarin 6-loaded Gly-Sar modified calcium carbonate nanoparticles were then prepared and characterized to have a nano-scaled size of about 193 nm in diameter, cracked surface morphology under a scanning electron microscope, and high drug loading efficiency（60.5±5.9）%. Moreover, the Gly-Sar-modified calcium carbonate nanoparticles exhibited better drug loading stability during the process of their transcellular transport, and evidently enhanced intestinal absorption of poorly water-soluble agents. Therefore, the designed intestine Pep T1-targeted calcium carbonate nanoparticles might have a promising potential for oral delivery of poorly water-soluble drugs.

Enhanced tumor-targeted delivery of anticancer drugs by folic acid-conjugated pH-sensitive polymeric micelles

In order to enhance the targeted delivery of anticancer drugs by polymeric micelles, folic acid(FA), the ligand of folate receptor(FR) over-expressed in the most cancer cells, modified p H-sensitive polymeric micelles were designed and fabricated to encapsulate doxorubicin(DOX) by combination of p H-sensitive amphiphilic polymer poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)-poly(D,L-lactide) with FA-conjugated poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)-poly(D,L-lactide). The prepared micelles were characterized to have about 36 nm in diameter with narrow distribution, well-defined spherical shape observed under TEM and p H-responsive drug release behavior. Moreover, the tumor targeting ability of the FA-modified p H-sensitive polymeric micelles was demonstrated by the cellular uptake, in vitro cytotoxicity to FR-positive KB cells and in vivo real time near-infrared fluorescence imaging in KB tumor-bearing nude mice. The efficient drug delivery by the micelles was ascribed to the synergistic effects of FR-mediated targeting and p H-triggered drug release. In conclusion, the designed FR-targeted p H-sensitive polymeric micelles might be of great potential in tumor targeted delivery of water-insoluble anticancer drugs.

Preparation and characterization of intestinal transporter-targeted polymeric micelles

The intestinal epithelium is the main barrier to the oral delivery of poorly water-soluble drugs. Based on the specific transporters expressed on the apical membrane of the intestinal epithelium, novel polymer micelles targeting to the organic cation transporter 2（OCTN2） were constructed by combining carnitine conjugated poly（2-ethyl-2-oxazoline）-poly（D,L-lactide）（Car-PEOz-PLA） with monomethoxy poly（ethylene glycol）-poly（D,L-lactide）（mP EG-PLA）. The structure of the synthesized Car-PEOz-PLA was confirmed by -1H NMR, TLC and ammonium reineckate precipitation reaction, and the number-average molecular weight determined by GPC was 7260 g/mol with a low PDI of 1.44. Coumarin 6-loaded carnitine modified polymeric micelles prepared by film hydration method were characterized to have a nano-scaled size of about 31 nm in diameter, uniform spherical morphology, high drug loading content of 0.098%±0.03% and encapsulation efficiency of 92.67%±2.80%. Moreover, the carnitine-modified micelles exhibited the similar in vitro release behavior in SGF and SIF, and evidently enhanced intestinal absorption of poorly water-soluble agent. Therefore, the designed OCTN2-targeted micelles might have a promising potential for oral delivery of poorly water-soluble drugs.

Construction and characterization of intestinal oligopeptide transporter PepT1-targeted polymeric micelles for enhanced intestinal absorption of poorly water-soluble agents

To overcome the main barrier of intestinal epithelium for the oral absorption of poorly water-soluble drugs and further improve their oral absorption, Gly-Sar, the substrate of the oligopeptide transporter PepT1 widely distributed in the small intestine,conjugated poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(D,L-lactide)(Gly-Sar-PEG-b-PLA) was designed and synthesized, and Pep T1-targeted polymeric micelles were prepared and characterized. The structure of the synthesized Gly-Sar-PEG-b-PLA was confirmed by use of TLC and 1 H-NMR. The average molecular weight measured by GPC was 5954 g/mol with PDI of 1.34. The DiI-loaded polymeric micelles from Gly-Sar-PEG-b-PLA with drug loading content of 0.076% were characterized to exhibit 40.36 nm in diameter with PDI of 0.294, and well-defined spherical shape observed by TEM. Furthermore, the PepT1-targeted polymeric micelles profoundly enhanced intestinal absorption of poorly water-soluble drug. Therefore, the designed PepT1-targeted polymeric micelles might have a promising potential for oral delivery of water-insoluble drugs.

Preparation and characterization of dual pH-sensitive polymer-doxorubicin conjugate micelles

In the present study, we designed and fabricated pH-sensitive polymeric micelles based on the conjugate of poly（2-ethyl-2-oxazoline）-poly（D,L-lactide）（PEOz-PLA） with doxorubicin（PEOz-PLA-imi-DOX） to efficiently inhibit tumor cell growth. Hence, PEOz-PLA-imi-DOX was successfully synthesized by connecting DOX to the hydrophobic end of pH-sensitive PEOz-PLA via acid cleavable benzoic imine linker and characterized by 1 H NMR spectrum and thin layer chromatography. The critical micelle concentration of PEOz-PLA-imi-DOX was determined to be（14.84±3.85） mg/L. The conjugate micelles（denoted as PP-DOX-PM） formed by PEOz-PLA-imi-DOX using film-hydration method were characterized to have a nano-scaled size of about 21 nm in diameter, and the drug loading content was 1.67%. PP-DOX-PM showed pH-dependent drug release behavior with gradually accelerated release of DOX with decrease of pH value, illustrating the micelles＇ distinguishing feature of endo/lysosomal pH from physiological pH by accelerating drug release. As anticipated, PP-DOX-PM maintained the cytotoxicity of DOX against MDA-MB-231 cells. Collectively, PP-DOX-PM might have great potential for effective suppression of tumor growth.

High open-circuit voltage solution-processed organic solar cells based on a star-shaped small molecule end-capped with a new rhodanine derivative

A new star-shaped small molecule named TCNR3TTPA,with a triphenylamine(TPA)unit as the central building block and2-(1,1-dicyanomethylene)-3-octyl rhodanine(CNR)as the end-capped group,has been designed and synthesized.TCNR3TTPA showed a deep highest occupied molecular orbital(HOMO)energy level( 5.60 e V)and broad absorption.The solution-processed bulk heterojunction(BHJ)solar cells based on TCNR3TTPA:PC61BM(1:1,w/w)exhibited a high open-circuit voltage(Voc)of 0.99 V,a short-circuit current density(Jsc)of 5.76 m A/cm2,and a power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 2.50%under the illumination of AM 1.5 G,100 m W/cm2.The high Voc is ascribed to the strong electron-with-drawing ability of the end-capped 2-(1,1-dicyanomethylene)-3-octyl rhodanine group.These results demonstrated that the Voc of small-molecule organic solar cells could be increased by introducing a strong electron-withdrawing end-capped block,and that this is an effective strategy to design high-performance small molecules for organic solar cells.