Sea turtles are susceptible to opportunistic infections, particularly when debilitated, injured, or exposed to environmental stressors. Although nontuberculous mycobacteria are increasingly recognized as emerging pathogens in marine wildlife, documented cases in sea turtles remain limited, and coinfections involving mycobacteria and uncommon environmental fungi are rarely reported. Here, we describe a fatal multisystemic disease involving Mycobacterium fortuitum infection, Epicoccum sp.-associated coelomitis, and severe coccidial enteritis in an adult olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) stranded in Southeastern Brazil. The turtle was admitted with marked emaciation, dehydration, and lethargy and died six days after admission despite supportive care and antimicrobial therapy. Necropsy revealed multiple disseminated granulomas over the serosal surfaces of the coelomic viscera, along with pneumonia, hepatitis, cystitis, orchitis, and severe enteritis. Histopathological examination demonstrated granulocytic coelomitis with abundant intralesional septate fungal hyphae, necrosis, and aggregates of unidentified bacterial bacilli. Severe coccidial enteritis associated with intralesional bacilli was also observed. Culture and molecular analyses identified M. fortuitum from tissue samples, while sequencing of fungal DNA recovered from fresh and formalin-fixed tissues identified Epicoccum sp. These findings support a complex multisystemic disease process characterized by mycobacterial infection, opportunistic fungal coelomitis, and severe coccidial enteritis. Chronic debilitation and severe coccidial enteritis may have predisposed the turtle to systemic M. fortuitum infection, with Epicoccum sp. subsequently acting as a secondary opportunistic invader. This case reinforces the pathogenic potential of M. fortuitum in free-ranging sea turtles and contributes to the growing recognition of nontuberculous mycobacteria as relevant pathogens in marine wildlife. In addition, the detection of Epicoccum sp. expands the known host range and pathological spectrum of this rarely reported opportunistic fungus.

Tirzepatide, a dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide/glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, delays gastric emptying and can alter the pharmacokinetics of coadministered oral medications, particularly those with narrow therapeutic indices. We report the first case of life-threatening opioid toxicity precipitated by tirzepatide initiation in a patient on chronic oral sustained-action opioid therapy. A 53-year-old man with primary progressive multiple sclerosis complicated by quadriplegia, maintained on oral sustained-action morphine sulfate 180 mg/day for 13 years without incident, presented with opioid-induced respiratory failure six weeks after starting tirzepatide 2.5 mg weekly (escalated to 5 mg at week 4). He required 12 mg of intranasal naloxone for reversal. Concurrent findings included acute kidney injury (creatinine 1.04 mg/dL from a baseline of 0.5-0.6 mg/dL), hemoconcentration, metabolic acidosis, and ketonuria consistent with tirzepatide-associated dehydration. His caregiver had prospectively noted recurrent somnolence after each weekly injection. Two complementary mechanisms likely converged: tirzepatide-mediated delayed gastric emptying disrupting the release profile of sustained-action morphine and dehydration-induced kidney injury impairing renal clearance of morphine-6-glucuronide, the active opioid metabolite. Concurrent use of other renally cleared CNS depressants likely amplified toxicity. A prior hospitalization for sepsis with similar renal impairment, before tirzepatide initiation, did not produce opioid toxicity, offering a useful, though imperfect, point of comparison. Morphine was reduced to 60 mg/day; at follow-up, the patient reported equivalent pain control on one-third of his prior dose. This case highlights a previously unrecognized, clinically significant drug interaction with urgent implications as GLP-1-based therapies are increasingly co-prescribed with chronic opioid therapy, underscoring the need for clinician vigilance and formal pharmacokinetic study.

Developing wet adhesives integrating rapid interfacial adaptability and superior mechanical stability remains a long-standing hurdle. Existing liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS)-based adhesives mainly exploit phase condensation for interfacial wetting, while the phase-separated domains rarely participate in active molecular reinforcement or adaptive mechanical regulation. Inspired by the hydration-regulated adaptive transition behavior of snail mucus, we herein constructed an adaptive coacervate adhesive through an phase-confined structure transformation and dual-network reinforcement. Through salt bridge-mediated phase separation between sodium thioctate and polycationic components, dense coacervate condensates are formed via synergistic salt-bridge interactions, providing highly confined microenvironments for realizing the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of thioctic acid (TA). Consequently, the coacervate adhesive undergoes hydration-regulated reversible mechanical transition, featuring superior wet interfacial adaptability under the hydrated state and substantial dehydration-induced stiffening and cohesive reinforcement analogous to native snail mucus. Unlike conventional tissue sealants and sutures that often suffer from poor wet adaptability or rigid fixation, the adaptive coacervate system dynamically couples rapid interfacial wetting with dehydration-induced cohesive reinforcement (695.31 vs 24.7 N·m[-2] of fibrin glue). This work establishes a universal biomimetic strategy for coupling confined molecular structural transformation with adaptive supramolecular mechanics toward designing adaptive biointerfaces.

Whether dissolved ions approach or avoid the air/water interface remains unsettled, despite its importance for atmospheric and interfacial chemistry. Here we show, using chemically accurate data-driven many-body models and a controlled hierarchy of interaction descriptions, that the intrinsic surface propensity of halide ions depends critically on short-range many-body interactions beyond classical polarization. A conventional polarizable model predicts strong iodide adsorption and weaker stabilization of bromide and chloride. When short-range two- and three-body quantum-mechanical interactions are included, adsorption is strongly suppressed: fluoride, chloride, and bromide remain bulk-favored, while iodide retains only a shallow free-energy minimum comparable to thermal energy. Energy decomposition reveals that iodide's residual preference reflects localized reorganization of interfacial water that offsets the cost of partial dehydration, but is opposed by entropy. These results unify classical electrostatic exclusion and molecular many-body descriptions, showing that halide distributions are controlled not by ion size or polarizability alone, but by a finely balanced collective response of the ion-water system.

Grapevine adapts to water stress through complex hydraulic and growth adjustments, with its recovery capacity being a key component of drought tolerance. Recurrent drought can induce an acquired "water stress memory" (priming), altering a genotype's response to future stress. We investigated whether drought responses in grapevine progenies are more shaped by genetic background or environmental history. Primed (NI) and non-primed (FI) progenies of two varieties: Trincadeira (isohydric) and Castelão (anisohydric) were exposed to well-watered (WW) and water stress (WS) conditions, followed by recovery. Over 2 weeks, we monitored plant water status, canopy growth, biomass, transpiration, hydraulic conductance, leaf gas-exchange, stomatal conductance kinetics, chlorophyll and wax content, and leaf temperature. Water stress increased root area only in FI progenies, whereas in NI progenies, fine root proliferation was more linked to past stress than to immediate water stress. Drought memory shifted NI plants towards a less conservative water-use strategy, with reduced water-use efficiency, higher stomatal conductance, and increased transpiration. In Trincadeira, priming enhanced circadian stomatal control, maximizing daytime opening and nighttime closure, while in Castelão it increased stomatal sensitivity to vapor pressure deficit. Leaf temperature differences between genetic backgrounds emerged earlier than stomatal conductance changes. Photosynthesis decline under WS was greater in FI than NI progenies, and primed plants recovered faster, indicating a compensatory recovery effect. Our results demonstrate that drought memory shifts plants towards a less conservative water-use strategy while ensuring photosynthetic capacity, confirming that long-term water stress induces a background memory in grapevine, which is transmitted across vegetatively propagated generations and enhances progeny responses to drought.

This study investigated Cs[+] and Sr[2+] sorption-individually and in binary mixtures-by aluminous (4A and 13X) and siliceous (SSZ-13 and MOR) zeolites across Na[+] and Ca[2+] backgrounds, using kinetic modeling, extended Langmuir isotherms, multivariable regression, and SEM-EDS/XRD analyses. In single-sorbate systems, siliceous zeolites achieved superior Cs[+] removal via accessible 8-membered-ring (8MR) sites accommodating partially dehydrated Cs[+], while aluminous zeolites preferentially removed Sr[2+] through high-charge-density sites, though Ca[2+] competition sharply suppressed Sr[2+] uptake. Unexpectedly, Ca[2+] conditioning enhanced Sr[2+] uptake by H[+]-form siliceous zeolites, requiring a modified Langmuir model incorporating a synergistic conditioning term. Regression identified accessible 8MR density and Si/Al ratio as principal descriptors governing Cs[+] and Sr[2+] distribution coefficients, respectively. In binary systems, co-sorbate effects were condition-dependent: Sr[2+] strongly inhibited Cs[+] uptake by aluminous zeolites in Na[+] media but not in siliceous zeolites, whereas Cs[+] produced framework-dependent inhibition or synergistic enhancement of Sr[2+] uptake by 13X, SSZ-13, and MOR, likely reflecting steric relief from displacement of bulkier hydrated cations. A 4A-SSZ-13 composite achieved simultaneous Cs[+]/Sr[2+] removal in sodic waters, though pure 4 A was preferable in Ca[2+]-rich waters. These results establish a mechanistic and practical framework for selecting zeolite sorbents according to contaminant mixtures and water chemistry in nuclear waste remediation.

Foot marches are a common occupational task for service members and require walking long distances while carrying heavy occupational loads (e.g., 25 kg fighting load). The physical exertion associated with foot marches may induce sweat-related dehydration and altered thermoregulation, potentially leading to impaired performance and increased risk of exertional heat illness. Yet, many studies fail to assess hydration, even in controlled settings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate hydration and cardiorespiratory responses to a simulated, laboratory-based 9.65 km foot march and examine relationships between participant characteristics and outcomes. Sixteen (10 male, 6 female) adults with load carriage experience performed a 9.65 km foot march at 4.82 km/h on a treadmill in a temperature-controlled (22.2 °C) laboratory. Participants received no fluid during the march and 1 L of water during a 1h recovery. Hydration was assessed pre-, mid-, and post-march and post-recovery via urine specific gravity (USG), nude dry mass, and perceived thirst. Heart rate and breathing rate were averaged across each half of the march. Repeated measures analysis of variances (ANOVAs), paired t-tests, and Pearson correlations (α = 0.05) assessed changes and associations with characteristics. Participants became mildly dehydrated (USG: p < 0.001, ηp[2] = 0.622; post-march 1.020 ± 0.005) with 1.5 ± 0.7% body mass loss. Heart rate (p < 0.001, ηp[2] = 0.671) and breathing rate (p < 0.001, ηp[2] = 0.788) were elevated while marching versus recovery but did not differ between march halves. Fat mass (R = 0.618, p = 0.011) and body fat percentage (R = 0.537, p = 0.032), but not aerobic fitness, were significantly correlated with USG changes. Even under controlled laboratory conditions, the fluid-restricted foot march induced mild dehydration, with greater adiposity associated with increased susceptibility. These findings underscore the need for hydration assessment, in both research and training settings, using measures such as USG, body mass change, and thirst to better manage dehydration risk and its implications for performance.

The tolerance to cryoprotectant equilibration and the necessary cellular dehydration during equilibrium or quasi-equilibrium cooling that facilitates avoidance of intracellular ice is fundamentally connected to the ability of cells to transport water across the plasma membrane. Because of this, the relationship between the rate of water transport and post-thaw motility in bovine sperm has long been hypothesized, but has not been definitively established. Previous studies suggested that variability in bull sperm water permeability might explain post-thaw motility. Here we used a stopped-flow technique in which sperm were abruptly exposed to hypoosmotic and hyperosmotic media (220 mOsm/kg and 445 mOsm/kg final osmolalities, respectively) to critically evaluate this hypothesis and determine whether there is a relationship between the water permeability of fresh semen and the post-thaw motility rates in bull semen from various ejaculates, breeds, and age groups. We also evaluated additional possible predictive metrics of kinetic volume responses to anisosmotic medium, including the time to achieve 10%, 50% and 90% equilibrium volume (T10, T50, T90) in both hypoosmotic and hyperosmotic media. The total motility in the first of two ejaculates (Ejaculate 1) collected from each bull within a 10-15-minute interval was approximately 6.3% higher, and its progressive motility was about 8.1% higher than that of Ejaculate 2. Holstein bulls showed significantly higher total motility than Jersey bulls. No significant differences in either total or progressive motility of post-thaw bull semen were detected across the age groups of 12-24 months, 25-38 months, 40-57 months, and 69-116 months. Direct association analyses identified only weak relationships between water permeability and post-thaw motility, and none remained statistically significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons. The available sample size provided 80% power to detect absolute correlations of approximately 0.30 or greater. However, significant volume rectification was observed, with water permeability under hyperosmotic conditions being approximately 2% to 42% higher than under hypoosmotic conditions, depending on ejaculate number, breed, and age group. Principal component analysis indicated that Lp under hypoosmotic conditions, followed by Lp under hyperosmotic conditions, contributes most strongly to the separation of samples. Overall, the present paper demonstrates that both log-logistic and linear models provide reliable estimators of Lp. Although Lp was not a robust predictor of post-thaw motility under the freezing conditions examined, these modeling approaches provide a quantitative framework for future studies investigating sperm osmotic behavior during cryopreservation.

Hydrogel optical fibers (HOFs) offer soft, transparent, and biocompatible fiber platforms for biointegrated photonics, yet their practical use in wearable and implantable sensing is limited by thermally induced dehydration, shrinkage, refractive index drift, and optical loss. Here, we report a thermally stable HOF that couples hydrogen bond reinforcement with water-state regulation to stabilize both the hydrogel matrix and the fiber photonic interface. Polyacrylamide-based hydrogel fibers are fabricated by drawing-spinning, followed by thermal treatment, during which drawing-induced chain orientation, free-water evaporation, and glycerol-mediated hydrogen bonding generate dense hydrogen-bonded nanoclusters and a stable bound water. The resulting fibers exhibit smooth cylindrical morphology, a step-index-like refractive index profile, low optical attenuation of 0.136 ± 0.004 dB/cm, high flexibility, and stable light guiding from -10 to 80 °C. Benefiting from the thermally stable and metallizable hydrogel surface, a nanoscale gold film is integrated onto the fiber to construct a soft HOF surface plasmon resonance interface. The HOFs enable wearable skin temperature warning and implantable in vivo body temperature monitoring in mice. This work establishes a material-interface-device strategy for thermally robust hydrogel fiber photonics and expands HOFs from passive soft waveguides toward active plasmonic sensing platforms for wearable and implantable physiological monitoring.

Fine-root hydraulic failure under drought is often attributed to structural collapse or loss of soil-root contact; however, whether declines in radial hydraulic conductivity (Lp r) reflect irreversible damage or coordinated biomechanical regulation remains unresolved. We tested the hypothesis that progressive soil drying induces a π tlp -coordinated mechanical transition that is associated with radial hydraulic limitation in fine roots of Opuntia ficus-indica. Roots were exposed to 45, 120, and 180 days without irrigation, followed by short-term rehydration. We quantified pressure-volume (P-V) traits, root sap osmotic potential (π r), radial hydraulic conductivity (Lp r), and anatomical restructuring. Drought progressively shifted the turgor loss point (π tlp) to more negative values, increased the volumetric elastic modulus (ε), and reduced relative capacitance above π tlp (C FT). Pre- π tlp P-V relationships remained strongly linear across treatments, indicating preserved hydrostatic buffering and stable Lp r while tissues remained turgid. In contrast, post- π tlp linearity progressively deteriorated with drought duration, coinciding with increased ε , reduced C FT , cortical cell wall folding, lacuna formation, and sharp declines in Lp r . Across treatments, changes in ε and C FT were associated with reductions in Lp r , consistent with a link between tissue stiffening and radial hydraulic limitation. Root osmotic potential (π r) became progressively more negative with drought severity; however, under extreme dehydration, divergence between measured π r and P-V-derived osmotic potential at full turgor (π 0) indicated structural compartmentalization and departure from homogeneous tissue behavior. Lp r remained stable under moderate drought, showed a non-significant trend toward reduction at 120 days, and declined sharply after 180 days of drought, with incomplete recovery following severe stress. Together, these results are consistent with concurrent shifts in hydraulic and mechanical traits across π tlp . Above π tlp , hydrostatic elastic buffering is associated with maintained radial hydraulic conductivity. Below π tlp , increased stiffness and reduced relative capacitance constrain volumetric deformation and are associated with progressive radial hydraulic limitation. We propose a conceptual π tlp -mediated hydraulic-mechanical safety margin as the hydration interval between the onset of post- π tlp stiffening and the inflection point of Lp r decline, which is associated with functional soil-root coupling under extreme soil drying.

The hyaluronic acid levels in the body decline over time due to various factors, such as aging and UV irradiation. Therefore, technologies that can directly deliver hyaluronic acid across the skin are clinically relevant. In this study, we fabricated a nanoparticle-in-oil dispersion (NOD) by dehydrating a water-in-oil emulsion containing rhodamine B isothiocyanate-labeled sodium hyaluronate (RHA; average molecular weight, 1200000-1600000). To clarify the effect of NOD on the transdermal absorption of RHA, in vitro experiments were performed using three formulations: RHA-loaded NOD (RHA-NOD), an olive oil dispersion of RHA (RHA-O) containing a surfactant (polyglyceryl-6 polyricinoleate), and an olive oil dispersion of RHA (oil dispersion). The RHA concentrations in the RHA-NOD, RHA-O, and oil dispersion, each prepared at 0.03% (w/v), were 144.5 ± 9.1, 2.5 ± 0.3, and 4.0 × 10[-2] ± 0.3 × 10[-2] µg/mL, respectively. Dynamic light-scattering and field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed a uniform size of 150 nm for the NOD. The skin penetration flux of the RHA-NOD was 3.4 times that of RHA-O. Analysis of cryosections indicated that NOD significantly increased the RHA concentration from the skin surface to a depth of 140 µm. These findings position NODs as platforms with the potential to maintain a high concentration of RHA on the skin surface.

Fluconazole (FLU) exhibits extensive polymorphism and hydrate formation, posing challenges for controlling its solid-state properties and pharmaceutical performance. Here, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and thermal analysis (DSC/TGA) were used to elucidate solid-state transformation pathways and assess the pH-dependent equilibrium solubility of this important antifungal drug. A commercial FLU drug substance marketed in Brazil was identified as a mixture of polymorph 5 (FLU-P5) and FLU monohydrate (FLU-MH). Water-assisted mechanochemistry converted this mixture into phase-pure FLU-MH, whereas dehydration of FLU-MH produced FLU-P5 and melting yielded an amorphous solid (FLU-AM). Time-dependent PXRD showed that freshly prepared FLU-AM crystallizes over hours to days into a mixture of FLU-MH and FLU-P5. Equilibrium solubility was measured at 37 °C after 12 and 24 h in five media (water, buffers pH 4.5-7.2, and 0.1 M HCl). No significant differences were observed between 12 and 24 h of shaking, indicating that equilibrium was reached within 12 h. FLU-MH and FLU-P5 showed comparable equilibrium solubilities in water and three buffered media (average solubility of ∼6.5 g L[-1]), while solubility in 0.1 M HCl increased by ∼3.85-fold. PXRD of residual solids demonstrated complete solvent-mediated conversion of FLU-P5 to FLU-MH during equilibration, explaining the similar solubilities of the two starting solid forms. Therefore, this study advances the understanding of relationships among FLU solid phases, establishes a route to obtain phase-pure monohydrate, and provides PXRD evidence that FLU-MH forms at 37°C in water and across the physiological pH range from the pharmaceutically relevant polymorph FLU-P5, thereby governing drug solubility under physiologically relevant conditions even when another solid form is initially present.

The enigmatic Ediacara biota represents Earth's earliest example of macroscopic, complex life, yet the driving forces promoting their mid-Ediacaran evolution and subsequent extinction across the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary remain speculative. If these were true animals requiring oxygen for aerobic respiration, their rise has often been linked to dramatic changes in the redox state of seawater. Their disappearance from the fossil record-whether gradual or abrupt-and replacement with Cambrian animals has similarly been linked to redox fluctuations, suggesting an environmental driver, or alternatively to biological factors such as predation of the predominantly soft-bodied organisms and bioturbation that disrupted the microbial mats in which they were intimately associated. Insofar as Ediacara extinction is linked to a major perturbation of the global carbon cycle (the BAsal Cambrian carbon isotope Excursion or BACE), an environmental driver seems likely. On the one hand, their demise might reflect the spread of seawater anoxia if these organisms had aerobic metabolisms, but on the other, widespread ocean oxygenation may have been the proximal cause of their extinction and the BACE event if the biota was tolerant and even thrived under low-oxygen conditions. To test between the two alternative redox scenarios, we present a suite of geochemical data including uranium isotopes (δ[238]U) from carbonate and evaporite-rich successions that span the BACE on the Siberian Platform. Like conditions before and after the event, consistently low δ[238]U values from both sections (median reconstructed seawater δ[238]U = -0.74‰ to -0.79‰) suggest that widespread ocean anoxia persisted across the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition. The integrated data indicate that neither a rise nor fall of seawater oxidation state led to the demise of the Ediacara biota. Lacking evidence for a redox driver, we hypothesize that sea-level regression and the widespread development of evaporative conditions in shallow-water environments negatively impacted the largely immobile, diffusion-dependent, and potentially stenothermal Ediacara biota by subaerial exposure, dehydration through osmosis, and/or large temperature variations in shallow water. Thereafter, normal salinity and subtle rises in shallow ocean O2 levels in concert with tectonic and ecological factors could have driven the Cambrian radiation in oceans that remained O2-depleted well into the Paleozoic Era.