Room temperature phosphorescent (RTP) hydrogels have garnered extensive attraction owing to their distinctive optical properties, low toxicity and cost-effectiveness. However, achieving efficient and long-lived afterglow emission in hydrogel systems remains a formidable challenge due to the severe quenching of triplet excitons by water molecules. Herein, taking inspiration from stimuli-responsive luminescent behavior of jellyfish, we propose a solvent exchange strategy to construct a cellulose-based RTP gel with polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced phosphorescent behavior. Specifically, a cellulose/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) double-network hydrogel system was constructed to confine carbon dots (CDs) within a rigid matrix, which preliminarily enabled phosphorescence emission. Driven by phase separation induced by PEG, the resulting gel with ultra-strong hydrogen-bonded networks exhibits green RTP emission with an extended lifetime of 255.55 ms and a tensile strength of 3.79 MPa, representing 370-fold and 17-fold enhancements, respectively, compared to the gel prepared using water as the solvent. Furthermore, the phosphorescent properties of the gel can be tuned by adjusting the molecular weight of PEG. Taking advantage of these properties, the cellulose-based RTP gels were further fabricated into various luminescent materials, which exhibited promising potential for information encryption and advanced anti-counterfeiting applications.

Microplastics present in seawater significantly alter its radiative properties. This study investigates the impact of various types of microplastics on the inherent optical properties (IOPs) of seawater and examines how these changes influence the radiative transfer of solar energy within the ocean. The analysis utilizes the parameter spectral water-leaving reflectance in the visible region, with Monte Carlo simulations. The microplastics considered in this study are polystyrene (PS), dryer lint (DL), polyamide (PA), glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG), polyester fiber (PEF1 and PEF2), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The Monte Carlo simulations were conducted for varying seawater conditions, with the chlorophyll concentration ranging from 0.1 to 2.0mgm[-3] and the microplastics concentration ranging from 0.01 to 1.0gm[-3]. The experimental measurements of IOPs of microplastics were used for the simulations. The simulation results demonstrate that the presence of microplastics in seawater enhances the water-leaving reflectance, with varying levels depending on the microplastic type and chlorophyll concentration. PS microplastics exhibited the lowest reflectance due to higher absorption, while PETG microplastics resulted in the highest reflectance due to their higher scattering coefficients. Additionally, reflectance increased with higher microplastic concentrations, irrespective of chlorophyll levels in the seawater. At higher microplastic concentrations (0.5-1.0gm[-3]), reflectance notably increases in the 550-700 nm range across all chlorophyll levels, with a more uniform enhancement across all wavelengths at lower chlorophyll concentrations. These findings will greatly influence future research on depth profiles of microplastic concentrations and the interactions between different microplastics in relation to water-leaving reflectance.

Chemically active droplets at fluid interfaces provide versatile building blocks for dynamic matter, yet most systems are limited to behavior encoded within individual droplets or simple pairwise interactions. Here, we report a strategy to generate non-linear, cascading behavior in droplet swarms by combining photo-activation with synergistic solvation of surfactants. At an air/water interface coated with a crystalline layer formed by a decylammonium/carbamate ion pair, mesitylene-based droplets containing a photoacid generator remain immotile until UV irradiation locally destabilizes the layer, which induces droplet motion via capillary effects. While both UV-responsive mesitylene droplets and tri(ethylene glycol) monododecyl ether (C12E3) droplets are individually immobilized within the layer, their fusion produces hybrid droplets that disintegrate the layer through synergistic solvation and exhibit enhanced motility that persists after UV irradiation is stopped. This non-linear activation enables cascades of chasing and merging events that propagate through large droplet fields well beyond the initial space-time window of photo-activation. By introducing repellent boundary structures, these cascades can be spatially confined, allowing control over collective swarm dynamics. Together, our results demonstrate how synergistic solvation allows to program emergent, multistep behavior in active droplet swarms, opening avenues toward droplet-based logics in chemically driven self-organization.

Water availability, light spectral composition, and phytohormones jointly regulate plant morphogenesis and photosynthesis. Light quality can modify stress responses by altering endogenous regulators such as melatonin. However, it remains unclear whether light spectrum modulates melatonin-mediated protection under osmotic stress. Here, we investigated the effects of 1 μM melatonin on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) subjected to polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG-6000)-induced osmotic stress under three distinct photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) spectral compositions. Our results indicate that PAR spectral composition determines both the magnitude and the primary physiological targets of the melatonin response. Under red-enriched illumination, melatonin predominantly enhanced photosystem II performance, evidenced by increased effective quantum yield of PSII [Y(II)] and electron transport rate (ETR), reduced lipid peroxidation, and altered expression of genes involved in antioxidant defense, melatonin biosynthesis, and auxin signaling. Specifically, expressions of SOD, APX, and ARF were upregulated, while SNAT expression was downregulated. Under blue-enriched illumination, melatonin effects were mainly associated with stomatal regulation: stomata remained more open, stomatal area and density increased, proline accumulated, and guaiacol peroxidase activity rose, collectively supporting water balance and gas exchange. These findings suggest that melatonin functions as a light-dependent regulator of cucumber responses to PEG-induced osmotic stress, with its physiological and molecular effects being modulated by the spectral quality of PAR.

Drought and water deficit have severely restricted melon (Cucumis melo L.) production in Xinjiang, and large-scale systematic evaluations of drought tolerance at the germination stage are still extremely limited. Physiological and biochemical indicators related to the germination stage, including osmotic adjustment substances and antioxidant enzyme activities, have not yet been incorporated into prediction models for the rapid identification of germplasm drought resistance. To address these research gaps, this study selected 60 accessions of local melon germplasm resources in Xinjiang and used polyethylene glycol (PEG) solutions at four different concentrations (0%, 10%, 20% and 30%) to simulate drought stress conditions. Drought tolerance was evaluated to develop a method for the rapid screening of drought-tolerant germplasms. The findings demonstrated that PEG stress significantly suppressed seed germination and had both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on radicle growth. With the increase in PEG concentration, germination indices consistently exhibited a downward trend. Under 10% PEG treatment, the variation among different germplasms was relatively small, while 30% PEG completely inhibited seed germination. Notably, 20% PEG fell within the semi-lethal concentration range for all tested germplasms and yielded the maximum coefficient of variation for germination rate, which could maximally differentiate the drought resistance differences among germplasms. Therefore, 20% PEG was determined to be the optimal screening concentration. Under 20% polyethylene glycol (PEG) stress, the degree of membrane lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde, MDA), contents of osmotic regulators (proline, Pro; soluble protein, SP), and activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, SOD; peroxidase, POD; catalase, CAT; ascorbate peroxidase, APX) in the radicles of melon germplasms were universally elevated. However, the variation ranges and trends of biochemical indices among different germplasms exhibited significant differences. The proline content of melon accessions with strong drought resistance increased, the malondialdehyde (a product of membrane damage) was low, and the enzyme activities increased significantly. The proline content of non-drought-tolerant melon accessions increased less, malondialdehyde accumulated in large amounts, and the activity of some protective enzymes decreased. Correlation analysis demonstrated that Pro exerted a synergistic effect in conjunction with antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT) to mitigate drought stress. Cluster analysis classified the germplasm into 14 high-tolerance types, 10 medium-tolerance types, and 9 low-tolerance types. Based on extreme germination phenotypes, 27 germplasms were identified as drought-sensitive types. A prediction model for drought tolerance was established via stepwise regression: D = -0.309 + 0.053 × Pro (proline content) + 0.319 × RL (radicle length) + 0.469 × MDA (malondialdehyde) + 0.137 × SOD (superoxide dismutase), with four core indicators (RL, MDA, Pro, SOD) identified. These findings provide a scientific basis and technical support for drought tolerance breeding, parental selection, and large-scale, precise, and rapid drought tolerance screening of melon germplasms in the arid regions of Xinjiang.

Hydrogels, a typical solid-liquid hybrid material, have shown great potential in wearable electronics, tissue engineering, and other fields; however, their underwater applications have long been limited by the 'swelling-weakening 'effect. To address this challenge, this study proposes a 'bacterial cellulose (BC) synergistic reverse -dialysis-induced confined dense network 'strategy to construct a BP-RD hydrogel with high water content and excellent mechanical-functional properties through a one-step approach. The design innovatively uses the reverse dialysis process to drive dual dynamic assembly. First, polyethylene glycol-mediated water extraction compresses the BC network to form a rigid confined space. Then, polyvinyl alcohol molecules move and crystallize in the BC framework, creating a dense interpenetrating network. At 75% moisture content, the material achieved 22 MPa fracture strength, 145 MJ m-3 toughness, and 1.58 S m-1 conductivity owing to the confinement effect. Additionally, it showed outstanding antiswelling characteristics (the tensile strength increased by 14% after 7 days). This method can also be applied to combine existing hydrogels in one step, creating a double-layer hydrogel structure with improved mechanical properties and swelling performance. This approach solves the key problems of the failure of traditional hydrogels to expand, the cumbersome preparation process, and the difficulty in meeting the performance requirements of multiple scenarios.

Chemico-biological cascade catalysis of hexose into 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan (BHMF) is desirable but limited by the incompatibility between the solvent and whole-cell catalyst. In this work, aqueous polyethylene glycol (PEG-1000) solution was proven to facilitate both chemical dehydration of fructose and bioreduction of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). A high HMF yield of 0.80 was obtained from fructose using 50 mol% HCl in 60 wt% PEG-1000, in which PEG-1000 significantly restrained the formation of by-products. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis revealed that PEG formed hydrogen bonds with HMF and disrupted the original water-water hydrogen bond network. Such dual regulatory effects restricted the nucleophilic attack of water molecules, thereby efficiently inhibiting HMF rehydration. On the other hand, PEG-1000 was biocompatible to E. cloacae HA188, which retained 91% relative activity when it was exposed to 15 wt% PEG-1000 solution, thus the diluted crude HMF was reduced to BHMF at 0.89 yield by E. cloacae HA188 at 35℃. Finally, 454 mM of fructose was converted to BHMF with an overall yield of 0.71 by a tandem chemobiocatalytic approach under mild conditions, providing a sustainable strategy for the production of valuable furan-based chemicals.

Nanoplastics (NPs) are new types of pollutants that have emerged in food which has attracted widespread attention. However, due to the small size and low concentration, and the complexity of food matrices, the selective and sensitive determination of NPs in food is challenging. Herein, we report a dual-probe system for determination of trace-level polystyrene (PS) NPs with high sensitivity and selectivity. The proposed dual-probe system was composed of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles functionalized with PS-specific peptides (Fe3O4@Au-PSBP) and a high-quality Li+-doped ZnGa2O4:Cr3+ persistent luminescence nanoparticles (PLNPs) modified with ethylene glycol chitosan. By integrating peptide-based specific recognition, persistent luminescence signaling, and magnetic separation with pH-switchable charge reversal, the proposed system enables effective capture and sensitive detection of PS NPs in complex matrices. Under the optimized conditions, the method showed a linear range of 50-800 pg mL-1 and a detection limit of 8.11 pg mL-1. The precision for the determination of 50 pg mL-1 PS NPs was 5.24% (RSD, n = 11). The method was successfully applied to the analysis of PS NPs in different matrices, including bottled purified water, saltwater (3.5% salinity), artificial lake water, and tea beverage, with recoveries ranging from 91.25% to 110.53%. More importantly, the proposed system can be readily adapted for the analysis of other targets by replacing the recognition unit, providing a versatile and selective sensing strategy for trace-level hazardous analytes.

This in vitro study aimed to quantitatively evaluate residual monomer release at different time points from specimens with different thicknesses fabricated from five commercially available 3D-printed permanent crown resins manufactured using additive manufacturing technology. Specimens with thicknesses of 2 mm and 4 mm were prepared from five 3D-printed permanent crown resins [BEGO VarseoSmile Crown plus (BVS), NextDent C&B MFH (ND), Formlabs Permanent Crown Resin (FL), Saremco print CROWNTEC (SC), DentaFab PowerResins C&B (DF)] and from GC Cerasmart270 as a reference material (24 groups, n=8). The specimens were stored in a 75% ethanol/water solution for 1 week and 1 month. The elution of triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA), urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA), bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate (Bis-GMA) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. Higher monomer release was observed for Bis-GMA and TEGDMA, particularly in the BEGO group. Increased specimen thickness was associated with higher TEGDMA release in the BVS group and higher Bis-GMA and TEGDMA release in the ND group. Prolonged storage duration generally increased Bis-GMA and TEGDMA release levels, particularly in the BVS, SC, and DF groups. Thickness- and time-dependent increases in UDMA and HEMA release were also observed in certain groups. These findings suggest that residual monomer release may be influenced by material type, specimen thickness and storage duration under the present experimental conditions.

Plant-based foods are essential component in healthy human diets. Recently, plant-based protein-rich (PBPR) foods-made from cereals and legumes using innovative processing technologies that enhance taste, texture, and nutritional value-have been driving market growth. However, processing techniques significantly alter the biochemical composition of these foods, impacting their sensory and nutritional properties. Using [1]H NMR metabolomics, this study analyzed PBPR foods across processing techniques, revealing distinct biochemical profiles. Products classified as highly processed (made from protein concentrates or isolates) were characterized by elevated levels of propylene glycol, pyroglutamate, levulinic acid, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), and glucose, and lower levels of myo-inositol and asparagine. In particular, fermented products, such as tempe, were associated with high levels of amino acids, 4-aminobutyrate (2-fold higher than in whole beans), and nicotinate (12.6-fold higher). These findings highlight that processing technique is associated with distinct biochemical profiles of PBPR foods, which may have implications for health, warranting precision design and optimization of the processing of PBPR.

Chronic wounds pose challenges due to delayed healing and infection risks. Advanced dressings that provide moisture, support, and bioactivity are critical for regeneration. Hydrogels offer high water content and biocompatibility, while the human amniotic membrane (hAM) provides proteins and growth factors that enhance healing. However, hAM's fragility limits direct use. This study developed a hydrogel of chitosan, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), and propylene glycol (PG), incorporating lyophilized hAM particles to combine the hydrogel's physicochemical properties with hAM's bioactivity. Chitosan hydrogels crosslinked with β-glycerophosphate were optimized for gelation, swelling, degradation, FTIR, rheology, and strength. The optimized formulation exhibited controlled degradation and stability. Incorporating hAM (5% w/v) enabled sustained protein release without disrupting the network (FTIR). Characterization included FTIR and Bradford protein assays. Biological evaluations assessed cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity. The hydrogel showed rapid gelation (<10 min at 37 °C), high swelling (166.07 ± 41.03%), strength (110 ± 60 Pa), >85% L929 fibroblast viability, and inhibition of gram-positive and -negative bacteria. The self-healing AM-loaded hydrogel shows promising properties for wound dressings. Further in vivo and clinical studies are warranted.

Chirality critically governs the pharmacodynamics and clinical performance of small molecule drugs, yet its role in governing bio-nano interactions of synthetic polymeric nanocarriers has remained largely unexplored. Surface grafting with hydrophilic, biocompatible "stealth" polymers such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is a critical design strategy for nanomedicines intended to reduce nonspecific biological interactions and achieve prolonged circulation. However, the rising prevalence of anti-PEG antibodies has driven the search for fundamentally new design principles, mostly focused on substituting PEG with an entirely different polymer type. Poly(2-oxazoline)s (POx) constitute a versatile class of biocompatible synthetic polymers that uniquely enable access to numerous water-soluble macromolecules that can be rendered chiral, an attribute rarely accessible in synthetic stealth polymers. Here, we report the fabrication of crystalline-core nanorods bearing a chiral poly(2,4-dimethyl-2-oxazoline) (PdMeOx) corona via crystallisation-driven self-assembly (CDSA), and examine the influence of polymer chirality on biodistribution and antibody recognition in vivo. Well-defined enantiopure and racemic PdMeOx-b-poly(2-(isopropyl)-2-oxazoline) block copolymers were synthesised and assembled into short nanorods with distinct optical activities, enabling a detailed investigation of chirality-dependent bio-nano interactions. We demonstrate that polymer chirality induces the generation of enantiomer-specific antibodies, an effect that has not previously been reported for synthetic macromolecular nanomaterials. These findings reveal stereochemistry as an orthogonal design parameter for modulating immune interactions and suggest a future strategy in which alternating polymer chirality, rather than changing polymer type, can be exploited to mitigate antibody-mediated clearance through structured dosing regimens.

Mayonnaise, a protein-stabilized oil-in-water emulsion, undergoes irreversible destabilization during freeze-thaw (FT) cycling, yet the relative contributions of aqueous-phase ice formation, protein denaturation, and fat crystallization remain debated. Here, we investigated FT destabilization using cryo-microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), particle size analysis, interfacial protein assays, and a non-freezing control experiment. Cryo-microscopy revealed heterogeneous ice distribution, with an ice area fraction of 83% at the surface compared with 65% internally, indicating mechanical crowding of oil droplets during freezing. DSC analysis showed cooling-rate-dependent ice crystallization accompanied by severe freeze-concentration, with the aqueous-phase pH decreasing from 3.92 to 3.82 and NaCl concentration increasing to approximately 1.7 times the initial value at 40% ice formation. Despite repeated FT cycles, egg-yolk LDL retained 82-94% of its native emulsifying activity, while surface hydrophobicity decreased by only 25-32%, suggesting that protein functionality loss alone cannot explain the observed 45-70% oil separation under slow cooling conditions. Critically, replacing the aqueous phase with a non-freezing medium (90% v/v ethylene glycol-water, freezing point < -60 °C), while the oil phase, egg-yolk LDL concentration, homogenization protocol, and thermal treatment (-40 °C, 20 h, 3 °C/min) were kept identical to the water-based control, substantially suppressed destabilization (ΔD50 < 5% versus 532 ± 45.2% in water-based controls; p < 0.001). These findings indicate that aqueous-phase ice crystallization is the dominant driver of FT instability via two coupled pathways: (1) mechanical compression of oil droplets by growing ice crystals, and (2) freeze-concentration that generates chemically hostile unfrozen microenvironments (acetic acid >5%, NaCl >10-11%) that inactivate interfacial LDL. This water-centric mechanism provides quantitative targets for designing freeze-tolerant emulsion systems.

Water-soluble polymers (WSPs) are emerging as a largely overlooked class of contaminants. Despite their widespread use, the lack of specific regulation contributes to the uncontrolled release, especially into aquatic ecosystems, raising concerns for environmental and human health. Among WSP-based consumer products, dishwasher pods are widely used and are typically enclosed in a water-soluble film made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and formulation additives. This study provided an integrated ecotoxicological assessment of such films in zebrafish (Danio rerio), combining physicochemical characterization and multitier approach spanning molecular to organismal levels, including metabolomics, oxidative stress and neurotoxicity biomarkers, energetic metabolism, cardiac activity, morphology, and behaviour. PVA was first separated from additives, and the resulting fractions were chemically characterized. Embryos were then exposed to the whole film (0.1 mg/L), reflecting environmentally-relevant concentrations, and the corresponding concentrations of PVA (0.07 mg/L) and additives (0.03 mg/L). Chemical analyses indicated that the film consisted of 70% PVA and 30% additives, mainly polyhydric alcohols and polyethylene glycol oligomers. Exposures induced subtle yet biologically meaningful alterations across all levels of the biological organization: PVA selectively affected mitochondrial respiration and eye development, while additives and pod film induced broader metabolic reprogramming, neurotoxicity, and decreased tail-coiling activity. Additives also induced significant bradycardia and increased body length. Notably, these findings revealed a substantial contribution of additives to the observed toxicity patterns, despite being present at lower concentrations. Overall, pod film toxicity could not be predicted from individual components, indicating mixture-specific effects and challenging the assumption that PVA-based products are environmentally safe, highlighting the need to assess commercial formulations as complex mixtures.