Heavy-Atom-Free Nanoparticles Based on Boron Dipyrromethene Derivatives for Combined Photothermal and Photodynamic Cancer Therapy

Boron dipyrromethenes (BODIPYs) have been extensively studied in phototherapy against cancer. However, heavy-atom-free BODIPYs have been relatively less explored, and some of them are only used for photothermal therapy. Here, four heavy-atom-free BODIPYs with phenyl, naphthyl, anthracyl, or pyrenyl were synthesized and named B-mPh, B-mNa, B-mAn, and B-mPy, respectively. Stable nanoparticles (NPs) of the BODIPYs were prepared via the assembly with pluronic F127, which were named B-mPh NPs, B-mNa NPs, B-mAn NPs, and B-mPy NPs. The spin–orbit charge transfer (SOCT) of the anthracene group enhances the intersystem crossing (ISC) effect and improves the ability of B-mAn to generate singlet oxygen. Compared with other NPs, B-mAn NPs showed enhanced cytotoxicity upon irradiation. This kind of heavy-atom-free nanomaterials based on BODIPY, which promotes ISC by SOCT and enhances the generation of reactive oxygen species, plays an active part in the realization of combined photothermal and photodynamic therapy

Safe and Intelligent Thermoresponsive β‑Cyclodextrin Pyraclostrobin Microcapsules for Targeted Pesticide Release in Rice Disease Management

This study presents the development of thermoresponsive pyraclostrobin (PYR) microcapsules (PYR@PNIPAm-MCs) designed for controlled temperature-regulated pesticide release. These microcapsules, characterized by a regular spherical shape, smooth surface, and average size of 7.08 μm, achieved a 14.99% drug loading capacity. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) analysis confirmed the efficient encapsulation of PYR. The release kinetics of PYR from the PYR@PNIPAm-MCs demonstrated a sustained, temperature-sensitive release pattern influenced by drug diffusion and matrix erosion. The efficacy of the PYR@PNIPAm-MCs against Magnaporthe oryzae paralleled that of 97% PYR technical concentrate at elevated temperatures. Acute toxicity assays revealed a significantly reduced toxicity of PYR@PNIPAm-MCs to aquatic life (LC50 = 7.71 mg/L), and the formulation showed no adverse effects on rice seedling growth. The results underscore the potential of this formulation to enhance the application of PYR in rice disease management, offering targeted release and improved safety profiles

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<p>Ecological understandings of soil bacterial community succession and assembly mechanism along elevational gradients in mountains remain not well understood. Here, by employing the high-throughput sequencing technique, we systematically examined soil bacterial diversity patterns, the driving factors, and community assembly mechanisms along the elevational gradients of 1800–4100 m on Gongga Mountain in China. Soil bacterial diversity showed an extraordinary stair-step pattern along the elevational gradients. There was an abrupt decrease of bacterial diversity between 2600 and 2800 m, while no significant change at either lower (1800–2600 m) or higher (2800–4100 m) elevations, which coincided with the variation in soil pH. In addition, the community structure differed significantly between the lower and higher elevations, which could be primarily attributed to shifts in soil pH and vegetation types. Although there was no direct effect of MAP and MAT on bacterial community structure, our partial least squares path modeling analysis indicated that bacterial communities were indirectly influenced by climate via the effect on vegetation and the derived effect on soil properties. As for bacterial community assembly mechanisms, the null model analysis suggested that environmental filtering played an overwhelming role in the assembly of bacterial communities in this region. In addition, variation partition analysis indicated that, at lower elevations, environmental attributes explained much larger fraction of the β-deviation than spatial attributes, while spatial attributes increased their contributions at higher elevations. Our results highlight the importance of environmental filtering, as well as elevation-related spatial attributes in structuring soil bacterial communities in mountain ecosystems.</p