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Exploiting multi-mode aptamer sensing approaches for target pollutants is urgently required to meet the multi-scene detection requirements and improve the accuracy of detection. Herein, we developed a novel aptamer-based tri-mode sensing for detecting oxytetracycline (OTC). First, OTC can induce the conformational changes of the aptamer, which can promote the formation of duplex structures of the aptamer. Then SYBR Green I (SGI) can embed into the duplex structures of the aptamer to enhance the fluorescence signal. Meanwhile, it can also induce the aggregation of functionalized Au nanoparticles (AuNPs-4MBA) based on the charge neutralization strategy, producing stable colorimetric and Raman signals. Furthermore, we evaluated for the first time the advantage of SGI over salt induced nanoparticles from the perspective of Raman detection. The detection limit for the fluorescence, colorimetric, and Raman mode was 0.074, 5.019, and 0.036 nM, respectively. Moreover, the tri-mode sensing could provide broad detection range with five orders of magnitude (0.1-10000 nM). It also exhibited excellent analytical performance for tap water and honey samples with recoveries of 90.11-119.75% (n = 3). The false-positive results could be effectively avoided through the cross-validation. We expect that aptamer-based tri-mode sensing will provide a potential application for the different application scenarios., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Composition and structure of oleogels significantly influence their digestive behaviour, impacting triacylglycerol breakdown and the bioavailability of incorporated compounds. Texture profile analysis showed that sterol-based oleogels (STOs) exhibited 20 times higher hardness than beeswax-based oleogels (BWOs), which showed stronger cohesion due to elasticity sustained by adhesive forces. Tribological assessments revealed similar initial coefficients of friction (COF) for both oleogels. However, fluctuations were observed in BWOs and a gradual decrease in STOs over time, enhancing lubrication, while BWOs recorded higher adhesion. These findings provide insights into their distinct digestive behaviour, with both oleogels undergoing structural disintegration and STOs displaying a higher lipolysis degree. Non-cytotoxicity was confirmed under Caco-2 cells. β-carotene bioaccessibility was influenced by the oleogels' structural modification and values of 4.0 ± 0.7 % for STOs and 2.6 ± 1.1 % for BWOs were recorded. Results highlight the need to optimize formulations to improve bioactive's bioavailability, emphasizing the role of structured gels in modulating digestion dynamics., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Long-lasting afterglow luminescence imaging that detects photons slowly being released from chemical defects has emerged, eliminating the need for real-time photoexcitation and enabling autofluorescence-free in vivo imaging with high signal-to-background ratios (SBRs). Organic afterglow nano-systems are notable for their tunability and design versatility. However, challenges such as unsatisfactory afterglow intensity, short emission wavelengths, limited activatable strategies, and shallow tissue penetration depth hinder their widespread biomedical applications and clinical translation. Such contradiction between promising prospects and insufficient properties has spurred researchers' efforts to improve afterglow performance. In this review, we briefly outline the general composition and mechanisms of organic afterglow luminescence, with a focus on design strategies and an in-depth understanding of the structure-property relationship to advance afterglow luminescence imaging. Furthermore, pending issues and future perspectives are discussed.

The Fenton-like process, utilizing zero-valent iron (Fe 0 ) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), is employed to degrade refractory organic matter in membrane bioreactor (MBR) effluent derived from landfill leachate. However, the rate-limiting Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ redox step diminishes treatment efficacy and generates substantial iron sludge. This study elucidates the mechanism by which ultraviolet (UV) irradiation augments the Fe 0 /H 2 O 2 process for the removal of refractory organic matter in MBR effluent. The results show that the UV- enhanced H 2 O 2 process effectively disrupts the aromatic structure of organic compounds, reducing molecular weight, degree of polymerization, and humification. Compared with the Fe 0 /H 2 O 2 process, the removal efficiency of UV 254 , color number, and total organic carbon in the effluent treated by the UV/Fe 0 /H 2 O 2 process increased by 24.16%, 14.62%, and 57.46%, respectively. Concurrently, the generation of iron sludge was reduced by 21.6%. This enhancement is primarily attributed to UV's ability to intensify the Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ redox cycle and expedite the surface corrosion of Fe 0 , yielding more iron oxides. This accelerates the decomposition of H 2 O 2 , generating a higher quantity of • OH through both homogeneous and heterogeneous Fenton-like reactions. The refractory organic matter is removed through the oxidation by • OH, as well as the adsorption and precipitation facilitated by iron-based colloids. PRACTITIONER POINTS: UV promotes Fe 0 /H 2 O 2 process to degrade refractory organic matter in MBR effluent. UV promotes Fe 0 to dissolve more Fe 2+ and the redox cycle of Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ . The dosage of H 2 O 2 or Fe 0 influences the treatment effect of the process., (© 2025 Water Environment Federation.)

Background: The relaxivity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents is primarily attributed to metal ions such as gadolinium (Gd) and iron. However, the impact of organic solutes on relaxivity, particularly through alterations in water molecule dynamics, has not been thoroughly investigated. This research was aimed to explore how organic solutes affect the relaxivities of water and Gd-based contrast agents (GBCAs), potentially revealing new aspects for the development of contrast agents., Purpose: To investigate the effects of different proportions of water-soluble organic solvents mixed with pure water and GBCA on T 1 and T 2 relaxivities., Methods: Ethanol, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), 1,4-dioxane, glycerin, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol (PEG) 200, and PEG 400 were mixed with ultrapure water in various ratios (100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50, 40:60, 30:70, 20:80, 10:90, 0:100). GBCA was added to these mixtures at a concentration of 0.05 mmol/L. The mixtures underwent T 1 and T 2 mapping scans using a 3.0 Tesla MRI machine, and the relaxivities R 1 (1/T 1 ) and R 2 (1/T 2 ) were calculated and compared., Results: The relaxivity R 1 of ethanol, 1,4-dioxane, and DMSO mixtures with water or GBCA, as well as R 2 of DMSO mixtures with GBCA, initially increased and then decreased. Conversely, R 1 and R 2 increased significantly with higher proportions of diethylene glycol, PEG 200, and glycerin in the mixtures with GBCA. The increase in relaxivity R 1 was correlated with greater viscosity. When the proportion of DMSO and diethylene glycol exceeded 20%, minimal variability in R 2 was observed as the water content decreased., Conclusions: Adding organic solvents to water and paramagnetic relaxation reagents could alter T 1 and T 2 relaxivities, suggesting potential new directions for modifying current contrast agents. Additionally, increasing the viscosity of the contrast agent was found to enhance the relaxivity., (© 2024 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.)

This study investigated the impact of humic acid (HA) on enzymatic pretreatment efficiency, focusing on sludge properties and HA molecular structure. The results showed that enzymatic pretreatment alleviates HA inhibition, improving hydrolysis efficiency. In the presence of HA, soluble proteins and polysaccharides in the enzyme-cocktail group reached 27.7 mg/L and 23.9 mg/L, 1.4 and 1.3 times higher than the blank group, respectively. The enzyme-cocktail group also had the highest soluble DNA concentration (19.4 mg/L) and the lowest viable cell proportion (69.3 %), indicating effective cell lysis. Enzyme-cocktail pretreatment reduced electrostatic repulsion, enhancing the mobility of extracellular organics. Enzyme interactions with HA released internal hydrolases and decreased amide groups on the HA surface, increasing the availability of biodegradable substrates. Overall, enzymatic pretreatment proves effective in mitigating HA-induced inhibition, thereby improving sludge biodegradation and enhancing carbon recovery in anaerobic fermentation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The impact of β-sitosterol+γ-oryzanol-based oleogels or peanut oil on the protein conformation and gel quality of Nemiperus virgatus surimi was evaluated., Results: A significant reduction in gel strength, texture parameters and water holding capacity (WHC) of surimi was found as oil concentration increased (P < 0.05). However, compared with peanut oil, the gel strength, hydrophobic interaction and disulfide bond content of surimi gel containing oleogels increased by 6.919%, 32.635% and 12.409%, respectively, when the oil concentration was 10 g kg -1 . Both oleogels and peanut oil could enhance the whiteness of surimi gel. Oleogels induced the unfolding of surimi proteins, and promoted the conformational shift from α-helix to β-sheet structure. Furthermore, oleogels filled the gaps of protein networks to make the microstructure of surimi gel more compact and uniform, improving the WHC and reducing the cooking loss., Conclusion: γ-Oryzanol+β-sitosterol-based oleogel alleviated the adverse influences of direct addition of peanut oil on the gel and textural properties of surimi products. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

The nano-self-assembly of natural organic matter (NOM) profoundly influences the occurrence and fate of NOM and pollutants in large-scale complex environments. Machine learning (ML) offers a promising and robust tool for interpreting and predicting the processes, structures and environmental effects of NOM self-assembly. This review seeks to provide a tutorial-like compilation of data source determination, algorithm selection, model construction, interpretability analyses, applications and challenges for big-data-based ML aiming at elucidating NOM self-assembly mechanisms in environments. The results from advanced nano-submicron-scale spatial chemical analytical technologies are suggested as input data which provide the combined information of molecular interactions and structural visualization. The existing ML algorithms need to handle multi-scale and multi-modal data, necessitating the development of new algorithmic frameworks. Interpretable supervised models are crucial owing to their strong capacity of quantifying the structure-property-effect relationships and bridging the gap between simply data-driven ML and complicated NOM assembly practice. Then, the necessity and challenges are discussed and emphasized on adopting ML to understand the geochemical behaviors and bioavailability of pollutants as well as the elemental cycling processes in environments resulting from the NOM self-assembly patterns. Finally, a research framework integrating ML, experiments and theoretical simulation is proposed for comprehensively and efficiently understanding the NOM self-assembly-involved environmental issues.

Machine learning (ML) is expected to bring new insights into the impact of organic structures on the reaction mechanisms in reactive oxygen species oxidation. However, understanding the underlying chemical mechanisms still faces challenges due to the limited interpretability of the ML models. In this study, interpretable ML models were established to predict the second-order rate constants between hydroxyl radicals ( • OH) and organics ( k •OH ). It was found that the energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital ( E HOMO ), the number of aromatic rings ( N AR ), and the number of carbon atoms of organics ( N C ) have important impacts on k •OH . The positive correlation between k •OH and E HOMO can be explained by the regularity of electrophilic reaction, while the relationship between k •OH and N AR and N C seems to be related with reactive sites. Furthermore, a rapid judgment method for reaction mechanism was developed based on an unsupervised learning approach which automatically divided organics into three clusters. Additionally, this methodology was applied to the reaction between organics and sulfate radicals. This study offers a rational model for predicting reaction mechanisms and provides more insights into the impact of organic structures on the reaction mechanism from the perspective of big data.

The effect of oleogels prepared using γ-oryzanol, β-sitosterol and vegetable oils with different unsaturation on the gel properties of surimi was compared. The findings from SEM and optical microscopy demonstrated that direct addition of vegetable oils caused loose surimi gel three-dimensional network structure, which negatively impacted the water holding capacity (WHC) and texture properties. However, oleogels increased the hydrophobic interaction and disulfide bond content, facilitated the transition from α-helix to β-sheet, improving the WHC and gel strength of surimi. Among them, the surimi containing oleogels prepared by linseed oil with the highest polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content had the highest gel strength and WHC, which were 3936.067 g·mm and 66.77 %, respectively. The results of microstructure showed that linseed oil based oleogels were able to fill the gaps of gel network more uniformly with smaller holes. Therefore, oleogels enriched with PUFA were more effective in enhancing the gel properties of surimi., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The authors have declared no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Replacing animal fat with vegetable oil occurred extensively in the meat products, but whether these replacements will affect the nutrition of meat protein was seldom revealed. Effect of substitution of back fat (BF) by vegetable oils or their oleogels in emulsion-type sausage on the digestion process of meat protein was investigated. Replacement of BF with vegetable oils and their oleogels decreased the G'/G" values of meat paste, and oleogels largely weakened the structure of sausages. The substitution significantly reduced the liberation of -NH 2 during the initial gastric and intestinal digestion, and resulted in bigger digests in CLSM images. The reduced gastric digestibility induced by substitution was shown to be related to the reduced stability of gastric digests, which can be attributed to the larger particle size and reduced viscosity of digests. These results highlighted stability of digests as a key point changing the digestion process of meat protein., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Oleogels have attracted considerable attention due to their excellent viscoelasticity and high content of polyunsaturated fatty acid. This study explored the potential of Zein/(-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate/Ca 2+ complexes oleogels loaded with lycopene as potential substitute for solid fats in biscuit formulations. Utilizing an emulsion-templated method, oleogels were prepared and characterized for visual appearance, droplet size, microstructure, and rheological properties. The incorporation of lycopene indicated a dose-dependent effect on these characteristics, achieving optimal properties at a concentration of 0.3 mg/mL. At this concentration, oleogels exhibited higher encapsulation efficiency (> 90 %), lower oil loss (< 2 %), and denser network structures. Rheological analysis highlighted the shear-thinning behavior, gel-like structure, and thixotropic recovery of oleogels. Substituting of margarine with lycopene-loaded oleogels in biscuits yielded products with regular appearance, uniform color, and potential health benefits, demonstrating the viability of these oleogels as a healthier alternative to traditional solid fats in baking., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest On behalf of all the authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Accurate prediction of bioaccumulation parameters is essential for assessing exposure, hazards, and risks of chemicals. However, the majority of prediction models on bioaccumulation parameters are individual models based on a single algorithm and lack model interpretation, resulting in unsatisfactory prediction accuracy due to inherent constraints of the algorithm and weak interpretability. Ensemble learning (EL) that combine multiple algorithms, coupled with SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) method, may overcome the limitations. Herein, EL models were constructed for three bioaccumulation parameters using datasets covering 2496 chemicals. The EL models demonstrated superior prediction accuracy compared to both individual models developed in this study and those from previous research, achieving a coefficient of determination of up to 0.861 on the validation sets. Applicability domains were characterized using a structure-activity landscape-based (abbreviated as AD SAL ) methodology. The optimal EL models, together with the AD SAL , were successfully used to predict bioaccumulation parameters for 4374 chemicals included in the Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances of China. Model interpretation using the SHAP method offered insight into key features influencing bioaccumulation potential, including hydrophobicity, water solubility, polarizability, ionization potential, weight, and volume of molecules. Overall, the study provides data and models to support the sound management and risk assessment of chemicals., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study presented an approach for controlling supramolecular oleogel crystal network by regulating kinetical factors - specifically, a combination of cooling temperature and aging period. Results indicated that only under long aging period, supramolecular oleogels prepared at different cooling temperature exhibited distinct crystal morphology compared to those under short aging period. The physicochemical properties of oleogels were affected by different crystal networks. Therefore, further research on oleogels under longed aging was explored. For lutein encapsulation, it was observed that supramolecular oleogels with denser crystal network exhibited higher lutein bioaccessibility. This was probably because the denser crystal network providing a solid physical barrier that effectively protected lutein unaffected by gastric acid degradation. Additionally, the micellar capacity was also enhanced to accommodate lutein due to release of long chain fatty acid from the gelator glycerol monostearate (GMS). Collectively, kinetical factors regulation facilitated rational design of oleogels for delivery of lipid-soluble bioactive compounds., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The search for evidence of past prebiotic or biotic activity on Mars will be enhanced by the return of samples to Earth laboratories. While impressive analytical feats have been accomplished by in situ missions on the red planet, accessing the capabilities of Earth's global laboratories will present a step change in data acquisition. Highly diagnostic markers of past life are biomarkers, organic molecules whose architecture can be attributed to once living organisms. Similar organic molecular structures can also be used to identify the prebiotic steps that preceded any emergence of life. The style of modification or degradation of such organic structures indicates their agents of change, including oxidants, radiation, heating, water, and pressure. For biomarker analysis, sample return provides enhanced opportunities for sample preparation and analyte isolation. The augmentation of biomarker data with spatial information provides the opportunity for confirmatory data but is a multistep and multitechnique process best achieved here on Earth. Efficient use of returned samples will benefit from lessons learned on Earth's ancient records and meteorites from Mars. The next decade is a time when analytical capabilities can be improved as we prepare for the delivery of carefully selected and collected extraterrestrial samples containing potential evidence of the development or even emergence of past life on Mars., Competing Interests: Competing interests statement:The authors declare no competing interest.

Organic photoelectrochemical transistor (OPECT)-based sensors that use light-sensitive semiconductor materials as the gate have recently garnered increasing interest in various fields ranging from biological analysis to environmental monitoring. However, so far, the working principle and representative applications of OPECT sensors have not been discussed and reviewed systematically. In this review, we aim to present a comprehensive overview of the working principle and sensing mechanisms of OPECT-based sensors and various inorganic and organic photoactive gate materials used in OPECTs, with a focus on the representative applications and recent progress of these sensors in the fields of enzyme sensing, immunoassays, and nucleic acid-based sensing. Moreover, the challenges and outlooks that need to be addressed for future advancements in this field are summarized and discussed. This review will assist researchers in gaining a more comprehensive understanding and cognition of new OPECT-based sensing methods and devices.

The metabolism of environmental organic chemicals often relies on the catalytic action of specific enzymes at the nanoscale, which is critical for assessing their environmental impact, safety, and efficacy. Hydrolysis is one of the primary metabolic and degradation reaction pathways. Traditionally, hydrolysis product identification has relied on experimental methods that are both time-consuming and costly. In this study, machine-learning-based atomic-driven models were constructed to predict the hydrolysis reactions for environmental organic chemicals, including four main hydrolysis sites: N-Hydrolysis, O-Hydrolysis, C-Hydrolysis, and Global-Hydrolysis. These machine learning models were further integrated with a knowledge-based expert system to create a global hydrolysis model, which utilizes predicted hydrolysis site probabilities to prioritize potential hydrolysis products. For an external test set of 75 chemicals, the global hydrolysis site prediction model achieved an accuracy of 93%. Additionally, among 99 experimental hydrolysis products, our model successfully predicted 90, with a hit rate of 90%. This model offers significant potential for identifying hydrolysis metabolites in environmental organic chemicals.

The computational construction of small organic molecules (de novo design), directly in a protein binding site, is an effective means for generating novel ligands tailored to fit the pocket environment. In this work, we present two new methods, which aim to improve de novo design outcomes using (1) biasing algorithms to prioritize selection and/or acceptance of fragments and torsions during growth, and (2) parallel-based clustering and pruning algorithms to remove duplicate molecules as candidate fragment are added. Large-scale testing encompassing thousands of simulations were employed to interrogate the methods in terms of multiple metrics which include numbers of duplicate molecules generated, pairwise-similarity, focused library reconstruction rates, fragment and torsion frequencies, fragment and torsion rank scores, interaction energy and drug-likeness scores, and 3D pose comparisons. The biasing algorithms, particularly those that include fragment and torsion components simultaneously, led to molecules that more closely mimicked the distributions of fragments and torsions found in drug-like libraries. The new parallel-based clustering and pruning algorithms, compared with the existing serial approach, also led to larger ensembles comprised of topologically unique molecules with much greater efficiency by removing redundant growth paths., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Powdered activated carbon (PAC) adsorption remains an indispensable method for addressing odor problems in drinking water. While natural organic matter (NOM) is ubiquitous and competes strongly in deteriorating odorant adsorption capacity, it can also serve as a promising indicator for predicting odorant adsorption through online measurement. However, the impact of PAC surface chemistry on NOM competition and feasibility of prediction across various adsorbents are not well understood. Here, we examined the role of PAC properties (pore structure and surface chemistry) in the competitive adsorption between odorants and NOM components, aligned with the applicability assessment of using NOM optical properties for odorant adsorption projection across various PAC samples. Chemical oxidation and thermal treatment achieved considerable changes in surface functional group composition, alongside minimal changes in pore structure, of two typical PAC products with microporous/mesoporous pore characteristics. The effect of NOM interference on the reduction of odorant adsorption exhibited a similar level regardless of the PACs with different pore structure (average pore size of 1.7 nm vs. 4.2 nm). Surface modification increased the equilibrium adsorption capacity (q e50 ) of odorants by 15.1 % to 146.4 % (thermal treatment) or decreased by -81.3 % to -34.1 % (chemical oxidation), respectively, but minimal changes in odorant-NOM selectivity. For various odorants, hydrophobicity (log D) influenced the adsorption capacity while the structural flexibility (reflected by the rotatable bonds) affected the vulnerability of odorant adsorption to NOM competition. It was found for the first time that four-parameter Richards model (RMSE = 2.6 %) is superior to the linear model (RMSE = 12.5 %) or logarithmic model (RMSE = 77.6 %) to describe the S-shape UV 254 projection curves associated with odorant adsorption on PAC. Moreover, the feasibility was confirmed to use UV 254 projection curves of pristine PAC fitted with the Richards model to predict the odorant adsorption on surface-modified PAC in two different surface waters (RMSE 9.2 % and 7.4 %, respectively). This study provides insight into the role of PAC surface chemistry and pore characteristics in odorant adsorption in NOM-containing waters and enhances the feasibility of the NOM surrogate model for odorant monitor and control during PAC adsorption., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

In this work, a green sludge bioflocculant (SBF) was prepared via chemical hydrolysis of dewatered sludge and applied to flocculation of domestic wastewater. The process parameters for the preparation of the SBF were 1.80 % hydrochloric acid concentration, 60 min extraction time, and 4000 r/min centrifugation speed. SBF is polymeric flocculant composed of organic and inorganic compounds. Flocculation efficiency reached 97.31 ± 0.26 % under optimal flocculation conditions. Charge neutralization promotes the surface adsorption, bridging and net trapping and sweeping of Fe (OH) 3 , Al (OH) 3 and active functional groups O-H/N-H and C = O in SBF, which together achieve efficient flocculation reactions. SBF had high efficiency and stable flocculation performance for phosphorus in urban domestic wastewater, and the concentration of TP in effluent was lower than 0.30 mg/L. Therefore, SBF prepared from dewatered sludge has efficient flocculation properties and is suitable for removing pollutant phosphorus, which has good application prospects in the field of wastewater treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The mechanism of nacre formation in gastropods involves a vesicular system that transports organic and mineral precursors from the mantle epithelium to the mineralization chamber. Between them lies the surface membrane, a thick organic structure that covers the mineralization chamber and the forming nacre. The surface membrane is a dynamic structure that grows by the addition of vesicles on the outer side and recedes by the formation of interlamellar membranes on the inner side. By using a combination of electron microscopy imaging and spectroscopy, we have monitored the journey of the vesicles from the mantle epithelium to the mineralization chamber, focusing on the elemental composition of the organic structures at each stage. Our data reveal that transport occurs in lipid bilayer vesicles through exocytosis from the outer mantle epithelium. After release into the surface membrane, chitin undergoes a process of self-assembly and interaction with proteins, resulting in progressive changes of the internal structure of the surface membrane until the final structure of the interlamellar membranes is acquired. Finally, these detach from the inner side of the surface membrane. Elemental analysis revealed the transport of a considerable amount of calcium bound to proteins, likely forming calcium-protein complexes. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The formation of nacre tablets occurs through the incorporation of organic and mineral precursors extruded from the mantle epithelium. Although much attention has been paid to the presence of amorphous phases in recent decades, the calcium transport system has not yet been elucidated. We have monitored the packaging of organic and mineral precursors in the form of vesicles from the mantle epithelium to the mineralization chamber. We have shown that the surface membrane represents the zone where chitin and protein polymerization takes place, acquiring the final structure for the formation of interlamellar membranes. Interestingly, these organic structures transport a considerable amount of organic calcium into the mineralization chamber, which support a transport system based on acidic calcium-binding proteins., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

This paper reviews the structure and properties of amorphous active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), including small molecules and proteins, in the glassy state (below the glass transition temperature, T g ). Amorphous materials in the neat state and formulated with excipients as miscible amorphous mixtures are included, and the role of absorbed water in affecting glass structure and stability has also been considered. We defined the term "structure" to indicate the way the various molecules in a glass interact with each other and form distinctive molecular arrangements as regions or domains of varying number of molecules, molecular packing, and density. Evidence is presented to suggest that such systems generally exist as heterogeneous structures made up of high-density domains surrounded by a lower density arrangement of molecules, termed the microstructure. It has been shown that the method of preparation and the time frame for handling and storage can give rise to variable glass structures and varying physical properties. Throughout this paper, examples are given of theoretical, computer simulation, and experimental studies which focus on the nature of intermolecular interactions, the size of heterogeneous higher density domains, and the impact of such systems on the relative physical and chemical stability of pharmaceutical systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The spatial distribution of organics in geological samples can be used to determine when and how these organics were incorporated into the host rock. Mass spectrometry (MS) imaging can rapidly collect a large amount of data, but ions produced are mixed without discrimination, resulting in complex mass spectra that can be difficult to interpret. Here, we apply unsupervised and supervised machine learning (ML) to help interpret spectra from time-of-flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) of an organic-carbon-rich mudstone of the Middle Jurassic of England (UK). It was previously shown that the presence of sterane molecular biomarkers in this sample can be detected via ToF-SIMS (Pasterski, M. J. et al., Astrobiology 2023, 23, 936). We use unsupervised ML on scanning electron microscopy-electron dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) measurements to define compositional categories based on differences in elemental abundances. We then test the ability of four ML algorithms─k-nearest neighbors (KNN), recursive partitioning and regressive trees (RPART), eXtreme gradient boost (XGBoost), and random forest (RF)─to classify the ToF-SIM spectra using (1) the categories assigned via SEM-EDS, (2) organic and inorganic labels assigned via SEM-EDS, and (3) the presence or absence of detectable steranes in ToF-SIMS spectra. In terms of predictive accuracy and balanced accuracy, KNN was the best performing model and RPART the worst. The feature importance, or the specific features of the ToF-SIM spectra used by the models to make classifications, cannot be determined for KNN, preventing posthoc model interpretation. Nevertheless, the feature importance extracted from the other models was useful for interpreting spectra. We determined that some of the organic ions used to classify biomarker containing spectra may be fragment ions derived from kerogen which is abundant in this mudstone sample.

Reactive halogen radicals (e.g., Cl 2 •- and Br 2 •- ) greatly impact the degradation of micropollutants in natural waters and engineered water treatment systems. The ubiquitous dissolved organic matter (DOM) in real waters is known to greatly inhibit the degradation of micropollutants by reducing micropollutant's intermediate (i.e., TC •+ /TC(-H) • ), however, such DOM's effects on the halogen-radical-induced system have not been understood yet. The present study focuses on investigating and quantifying such inhibitory effects of DOM during Cl 2 •- - and Br 2 •- -mediated process. Guanosine (Gs) was selected as a model compound. The transient spectra show that Cl 2 •- and Br 2 •- react with Gs generating intermediates (i.e., Gs •+ /Gs(-H) • ) via single-electron transfer. In the presence of 1.0 mg C L -1 DOM, over 70% of this oxidized Gs was reduced back to Gs. Comparing the extent of reverse-reduction inhibitory among different reaction systems, this inhibitory in Br 2 •- system was slightly lower than that in Cl 2 •- and SO 4 •- system, corresponding the slightly difference of inhibition factor (IF) values as SO 4 •- < Cl 2 •- < Br 2 •- . The reverse-reduction effect of DOM was further quantified for 19 common micropollutants. It varied significantly with IF values of 0.21-1.26 and 0.28-1.40 in Cl 2 •- - and Br 2 •- -mediated process, respectively. Purines and amines generally exhibited more pronounced inhibition than phenols in both systems. A good correlation of IF values with micropollutant's reduction potential was observed, which can be applied to predict the degradation of more unstudied micropollutants. This study highlights the important role of the reverse-reduction effect of DOM on micropollutant degradation. It can significantly improve the accuracy in predicting degradation rate in advanced oxidation processes for treating water containing halides., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Road runoff underwent treatment using a filter filled with sludge from drinking water treatment plants to assess its capacity for removing dissolved organic matter (DOM). This evaluation utilized resin fractionation, gel permeation chromatography, three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy, and UV-Visible spectroscopy. The filter demonstrated enhanced efficiency in removing dissolved organic carbon, achieving removal rates between 70 and 80%. It effectively targeted macromolecular DOM components present in road runoff, with hydrophobic organic compounds showing higher removal rates than hydrophilic ones. Additionally, acidic and neutral organic substances were preferentially removed over basic organic compounds. Fluorescent substances identified in road runoff DOM included fulvic acid-like, humic acids, and protein-like substances, all of which exhibited significantly reduced intensities in fluorescence peaks after filtration. Furthermore, filtration led to a decrease in the aromatization and humification of runoff DOM due to the effective removal of aromatic compounds and macromolecular structural components ., Competing Interests: The authors declare there is no conflict., (© 2025 The Authors This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits copying, adaptation and redistribution for non-commercial purposes, provided the original work is properly cited (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).)

Soil-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) links soil and water carbon pools and is an important source of photochemically produced reactive intermediates (PPRIs) in aquatic environments. Despite its importance, the variations in photochemical reactivity of soil-derived DOM molecules in producing PPRIs across broad geographical regions, and the factors driving these variations, remain unclear. Herein, we resolved the apparent quantum yields (Φ(PPRIs)) of hydroxyl radicals (•OH), singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ), and excited triplet-state DOM ( 3 DOM*) for irradiated DOM from 22 representative soil reference materials in China, and linked them to soil pH, mineral weathering degree, and DOM characteristics. Generally, the average Φ(PPRIs) values of the soil-derived DOM followed the order of Φ( 3 DOM*) (1.67× 10 -2 ) > Φ( 1 O 2 ) (1.47× 10 -2 ) > Φ(•OH) (7.31× 10 -5 ). The DOM from less weathered soils showed higher Φ(•OH) and Φ( 3 DOM*) and comparable Φ( 1 O 2 ) than that from more weathered soils. The differences were mainly regulated by the abundance of humic-, lignin-, tannin-, and aromatic-like compounds, as indicated by the correlation and random forest model analyses. Partial least squares and multiple linear regression analyses identified DOM molecular weight, nominal oxidation state of carbon, and soil chemical index of alteration as effective predictors of •OH yields. Soil chemical index of alteration emerged as a prioritized predictor of 3 DOM* yields, while the electron-donating capacity and humic-like compound content of the soil-derived DOM were effective predictors of 1 O 2 yields. This study advances our understanding of how mineral weathering processes regulate the photochemical reactivity of soil-derived DOM in the aquatic environment across wide geographical regions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Traditional energy-intensive pollution control pattern poses great challenges to the sustainable development of urban cities, necessitating the implementation of more compact and cost-effective biological treatment technology. High-rate contact stabilization (HiCS) process can effectively capture low-concentration organic carbon matters from municipal wastewater. However, the role of dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration at stabilization phase-a critical determinant of carbon capture efficiency-remains poorly understood, thus hindering its operation optimization and application. This work investigated the impact of DO content at the stabilization phase on the effluent quality and carbon capture efficiency of HiCS process from the perspectives of sludge dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition and microbial metabolism activity changes. The results showed that optimal carbon capture efficiency (52.1 %) and the lowest effluent chemical oxygen demand concentration were achieved at a DO concentration of 1 mg/L. Elevated DO levels would increase the aromaticity of DOM in sludge, rendering it more recalcitrant to microbial degradation. In addition, higher DO concentration induced a metabolic shift towards endogenous respiration among the microbial community, leading to the increased release of DOM and microbial metabolites, which in turn deteriorated the effluent quality. The findings of this work highlight the necessity of controlling appropriate aeration intensity when applying HiCS in practical application, to both effectively minimize organic carbon mineralization and operational energy consumption while without sacrificing pollutant removal performance., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

For the practical application of oleogels and to produce oleogels with consistent properties, a full understanding of the factors affecting properties of oleogels is necessary. This study aimed to understand the effects of type of oil and minor components in oils on the properties of 3% and 7% rice bran wax (RBW) oleogels, which were prepared with 12 vegetable oils with different degrees of unsaturation as well as the same oils where polar compounds were removed (stripped oils). Correlation coefficients of iodine values (IVs) of oils with the firmness of 3% and 7% RBW stripped oil oleogels were -0.632 and -0.499, respectively, indicating that the gel strength decreased with increasing unsaturation of oil. The gel strength increased after removing polar compounds in oil for all the oleogel samples. Higher unsaturation of oil resulted in higher solid wax contents (SWCs) in 7% RBW stripped oil oleogels (r = 0.617), which, however, did not affect the gel strength. Very thin, large platelet wax crystals were observed under phase-contrast microscopy, which were almost identical across the oleogel samples. The permeation of dyed oil through oleogels was faster with unstripped oil oleogels than stripped oil oleogels, and the negative correlation between the color permeation rate and the firmness of oleogels was significant (r = -0.602 at Day 28) indicating that defects in the three-dimensional crystal network is an important factor for the gel strength. This study found several important factors affecting the physical properties of RBW oleogels, which can be applied to their practical applications. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: For the practical application of oleogels, factors affecting properties of oleogels must be fully understood so that the quality of oleogel-containing food products could be well controlled. Although oil is the major component of oleogels, the effect of the type of oil on oleogel properties was not well understood to date, and this study revealed very important relationships between oil properties and oleogel properties, which can be applied to the production of oleogel-containing products. The major findings are that gel strength was higher with lower unsaturation of oil and less polar compounds in oil and that melting temperature was higher with higher unsaturation of oil., (Published 2024. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.)

Edible plant-based oleogels with zero trans-fat are promising solid fat substitutes. In this study, Antarctic krill oil (AKO) oleogels prepared from pea protein fibril (PPF) and ι-carrageenan (CG) by foam-templated method were developed for the first time. The modulation of the ratio of PPF and CG concentration on the structure and properties of foam, cryogel and oleogel was investigated and the potential formation mechanism of the foam-templated oleogel was explained. The results demonstrated that the addition of CG significantly decreased the foam size and enhanced the foam stability. The oil absorption and oil holding ability of the dense and reticular porous structure of the cryogel was demonstrated. Fourier infrared spectroscopy confirmed the interaction between PPF and CG involved in the formation of cryogels. With the addition of CG, the network structure and mechanical strength of the cryogel were reinforced, leading to more compact pores and higher capillary suction, which was appropriate for the establishment of good viscoelastic semi-solid oleogels. In addition, the oleogel was effective in masking the fishy odor of AKO. The significance of this study lies in its provision of a novel approach to the preparation of the foam-templated oleogel with PPF and CG as the oleogelators., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest and no competing financial interest. We declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence our work., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Recently, organic sensors for the detection of Ag + and other metal ions have experienced significant advancements. This is because there is a growing demand for reliable and sensitive tools to monitor various environmental pollutants. Organic sensors have O-, S-, and N-donor atoms, which can act as a ligand and coordinate with different metal ions, hence stabilizing them in a variety of oxidation states. This interaction gives colorimetric and fluorescence changes, which are used to monitor Ag + and other metal ions. This comprehensive review highlights the latest developments in organic sensors for the recognition of Ag + . We present an in-depth analysis of the underlying principles and mechanisms governing Ag + ion recognition. Various organic sensing platforms, such as fluorescent and colorimetric sensors, are discussed, shedding light on their unique advantages and limitations. Special attention is given to the diverse range of organic ligands, receptors, and functional materials used to achieve high sensitivity, selectivity, and quantification accuracy. Additionally, we delve into real-world applications of organic sensors for Ag + ion detection, examining their performance in complex matrices such as biological, environmental, industrial and agricultural matrices.

Oleogels (organogels) are systems resembling a solid substance based on the gelation of organic solvents (oil or non-polar liquid) through components of low molecular weight or oil-soluble polymers. Such compounds are organogelators that produce a thermoreversible three-dimensional gel network that captures liquid organic solvents. Oleogels based on natural oils are attracting more attention due to their numerous advantages, such as their unsaturated fatty acid contents, ease of preparation, and safety of use. As a result of the research, two oleogels were developed, into which freeze-dried alginate carriers with a probiotic, L. casei , were incorporated. Two techniques were used to produce probiotic-loaded capsules-extrusion and emulsification. Alginate beads obtained by the extrusion process have a size of approximately 1.2 mm, while much smaller microspheres were obtained using the emulsification technique, ranging in size from 8 to 17 µm. The trehalose was added as a cryoprotectant to improve the survival rate of probiotics in freeze-dried alginate carriers. The encapsulation efficiency for both of the methods applied, the emulsification and the extrusion technique, was high, with levels of 90% and 87%, respectively. The obtained results showed that the production method of probiotic-loaded microspheres influence the bacterial viability. The better strain survival in the developed systems was achieved in the case of microspheres produced by the emulsification (reduction in bacterial cell viability in the range of 1.98-3.97 log in silica oleogel and 2.15-3.81 log in sucragel oleogel after 7 and 30 days of storage) than by the extrusion technique (after a week and a month of oleogel storage, the decrease in cell viability was 2.52-4.52 log in silica oleogel and 2.48-4.44 log in sucragel oleogel).

Soil contamination by organic and hazardous substances is a critical environmental issue, particularly in developing countries. This study investigates the limitations of double-layer theory for bentonite-organic contaminant interactions through experimental and numerical analysis. Using NaCl and KCl as salts and acetone, isopropyl alcohol, and glycerol as organic contaminants, the research explores the rheological properties of Na-bentonite dispersions. The double-layer theory, particularly Stern's model, has limitations in accurately representing the interaction between bentonite and organic contaminants. The research aims to validate the double-layer equations and investigate the impact of viscosity and cation hydrated radius on the rheological properties of Na-bentonite. The novelty lies in introducing a range of viscosities into the pore fluid to challenge existing double-layer equations. Numerical calculations based on double-layer theory were used to analyze the total interaction energy. The study found that without salt, bentonite showed similar rheological behavior in acetone and alcohol but higher yield stress in glycerol. NaCl up to 0.1 M increased yield stress, while 0.5 M reduced it. KCl had a more pronounced effect on rheological properties than NaCl, highlighting the importance of cation hydrated radius. In soil-organic mixtures, lower viscosity organic chemicals increased yield stress. Despite similar dielectric constants, acetone showed higher yield stress than glycerol at lower concentrations, but at higher concentrations, dielectric constant differences became dominant. The study confirms the limitations of double-layer theory in bentonite-organic contaminant interactions, particularly regarding pore fluid viscosity, though it remains reliable at high contaminant concentrations., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

In recent years, oleogel as a viscoelastic semi-solid to replace trans fatty acids and reduce saturated fatty acids in food has received more and more attention. Herein, an emulsion template method was used to produce soybean oil-based oleogels with seven different ester emulsifiers and soy protein isolate as oleogelators. The chemical and physical characteristics of oleogels produced via various crosslinking factors were comparatively examined. Results revealed that all oleogels generated β-type needle crystals and exhibited high oil-holding capacity (>80 %), among which glycerol monolaurate G2 and diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono-diglycerides G6 exhibited the strongest oil-holding capacity (96.6 % and 96.2 %, respectively). Furthermore, all oleogels exhibited strong thixotropic recovery, high thermal stability, as well as high gel strength (G' > G''). Of these, G2 and G6 exhibited the highest thixotropic recovery rates at 74.54 % and 78.19 %, respectively. Additionally, in accelerated oxidation trials, the peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances of all oleogels had low oxidation rates, indicating high oxidative stability. These results contribute to a better understanding of oleogels for formulating trans-free and low-saturated foodstuffs with desired physical and functional properties., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The Special Issue "New Chemo-, Regio- and Stereoselective Reactions and Methods in Organic Synthesis" collects eight articles that have developed advanced approaches to the chemo-, regio- and stereoselective synthesis of novel important compounds, scaffolds, synthons, and practically valuable products [...].

Redox fluctuations within redox dynamic environments influence the redox state of natural organic matter (NOM) and its interaction with redox-active elements, such as iron. In this work, we investigate the changes in the molecular composition of NOM during redox fluctuations as well as the impact of these changes on the Fe-NOM interaction employing Suwannee River Dissolved Organic Matter (SRDOM) as a representative NOM. Characterization of SRDOM using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry showed that irreversible changes occurred following electrochemical reduction and reoxidation of SRDOM in air. Changes in the redox state of SRDOM impacted its interaction with iron with higher rates of Fe(III) reduction in the presence of reduced and reoxidized SRDOM than in the presence of the original SRDOM. The increased rate of Fe(III) reduction in the presence of reduced SRDOM was due to the formation of reduced organic moieties on SRDOM reduction. The Fe(II) oxidation rate also increased in the presence of reduced SRDOM due to the formation of redox-active moieties that were capable of oxidizing Fe(II). Overall, our study provides useful insights into the changes in SRDOM that may occur in redox dynamic environments and the associated impact of these changes on Fe transformations.

Biochar and hydrochar have garnered widespread attention owing to their excellent performance in environmental remediation, carbon sequestration, and resource utilization from biowaste. Studies on the release potential of dissolved organic matter (DOM) have been limited, and the distinction between biochar and hydrochar remains unclear. In this study, pine sawdust was utilized as a model precursor with the aim of comparing the release quantity, components, and properties of DOM from biochar (BDOM) and hydrochar (HDOM) under various simulated conditions. The amount of DOM released by hydrochar (38.20-190.49 g/kg) was significantly greater than that released by biochar (0.57-11.96 g/kg), and more DOM was released at higher temperatures and pH values. BDOM consists of three categories of components, namely, humic-like, protein-like, and benzoic acid-like and tyrosine-like substances compounds, whereas HDOM consists of four categories of components, namely, two categories of humic-like compounds and two categories of protein-like compounds. By using ESI-FT-ICR-MS technology, 8586 compounds in BDOM and 6428 compounds in HDOM were identified. A total of 4665 unique compounds were found in BDOM, 1416 unique compounds were found in HDOM under alkaline release conditions, and HDOM contained more unique compounds than those found in other environments. CRAM/lignin-like compounds made up the majority of the released DOM and reached 31.01-65.35 % for BDOM and 54.79-73.05 % for HDOM. These findings revealed significant differences in the release potential of DOM from biochar and hydrochar, and further behavior research is needed to guide future applications of char materials in the environment and agriculture fields., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Eutrophication has significantly challenged the treatment of algae-contaminated water. Ultrafiltration has become an essential method for water purification, though frequent on-line chemical cleaning is necessary to maintain membrane permeability. This study aims to systematically investigate the impact of various chemical cleaning agents on the release of dissolved organic matters and toxic by-products, particularly from algal cells. Through a series of controlled experiments, Microcystis aeruginosa cells were exposed to different cleaning agents (HCl, NaOH, NaClO), and the resulting DOM and by-products were characterized. Special attention was paid to the release of intracellular organic matter (IOM) and extracellular organic matter (EOM). Results revealed that NaClO significantly oxidized IOM, leading to the formation of humic-like substances and halogenated organic compounds (TOX), including 15 types of halogenated by-products detected by UPLC/ESI-tqMS. Furthermore, the release of toxic microcystin LR (MC-LR) was traced primarily to IOM. The removability of these contaminants by UF and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes was analyzed, revealing that over 50 % of the toxic by-products passed through UF membranes, and 10 % still penetrated RO membranes, raising significant concerns for downstream water quality and drinking water safety., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Recent studies show that biodegradable microplastics (BMPs) could increase soil CO 2 emission, but whether altered carbon emission results from modified soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition remains underexplored. In this study, the effect and mechanisms of BMPs on CO 2 emission from soil were investigated, using poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT, the main component of agricultural film) as an example. Considering that straw returning is a common agronomic measure which may interact with microplastics through affecting microbial activity, both soils with and without wheat straw were included. After 120 d, 1 % (w/w) PBAT BMPs ificantly increased cumulative CO 2 emission by 1605.6 and 1827.7 mg C kg -1 in soils without and with straw, respectively. Cracks occurred on the surface of microplastics, indicating that CO 2 was partly originated from plastic degradation. Soil dissolved organic matter (DOM) content, carbon degradation gene abundance (such as abfA, xylA and manB for hemicellulose, mnp, glx and lig for lignin, and chiA for chitin) and enzyme activities increased, which significantly positively correlated with CO 2 emission rate (p < 0.05), suggesting that PBAT enhanced carbon emission by stimulating the decomposition of SOM (and possibly the newly added straw) via co-metabolism and nitrogen mining. This is supported by DOM molecular composition analysis which also demonstrated stimulated turnover of carbohydrates, amino sugars and lignin following PBAT addition. The findings highlight the potential of BMPs to affect SOM stability and carbon emission., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Oncorhynchus clarkii, Salvelinus fontinalis, and Salvelinus namaycush are vital trout species in North America, crucial for maintaining ecological balance, economic stability, and human health. These species thrive in cold, unpolluted waters and are highly vulnerable to contaminants. Given the rapid proliferation of industrial organic chemicals, traditional in vivo toxicity testing methods are inadequate to ensure timely and comprehensive risk assessments. Therefore, we employed in silico tools, namely Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) and Quantitative Read-Across Structure-Activity Relationship (q-RASAR), to efficiently predict the aquatic toxicity of chemicals. Utilizing acute median lethal concentration (LC 50 ) data from the US EPA's ToxValDB, we developed the first-ever species-specific QSAR and q-RASAR models. The q-RASAR models outperformed traditional QSAR models by achieving higher internal and external statistical quality for each species. Key toxicity-determining descriptors included electrotopological state indices, autocorrelation descriptors, and similarity-based RASAR descriptors. For O. clarkii, the presence of chlorine atoms and rotatable bonds significantly influenced toxicity. S. fontinalis toxicity was strongly affected by polarizability, and van der Waals volumes, while S. namaycush showed sensitivity to weak hydrogen bond acceptors and topological complexity. The models predicted the toxicity of 1172 external compounds, identifying the most and least toxic chemicals for each species. This study not only offers the first comprehensive q-RASAR models for predicting trout species-specific toxicity but also provides novel insights into species-specific toxicological modes of action. The results contribute significantly to chemical screening and prioritization in aquatic risk assessments, effectively filling critical data gaps and advancing predictive modeling techniques., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Food-grade oleogels were prepared by lyophilizing the foam-template of methyl cellulose (MC) and xanthan gum (XG). The cryogels prepared using MC exhibited low density, high porosity and firmness, as well as high oil absorption capacity (OAC) and oil binding capacity (OBC). Furthermore, the addition of XG improved properties of cryogels. As the concentrations of MC and XG were incremented, notable enhancements in the cryogels' density and firmness were observed, accompanied by a corresponding decrease in porosity. Upon attaining MC concentration of 1.2 % and XG concentration of 0.3 %, the OBC of the cryogels surpassed 90 %. SEM images revealed that the cryogels possessed a dense and highly uniform porous network structure. Furthermore, oleogels formulated using the higher viscosity variant of MC (designated as MC 3 ) exhibited greater firmness and apparent viscosity, resulting in the formation of a robust network structure that demonstrated excellent thermal stability. The incorporation of oleogels into chocolate spreads significantly enhanced textural and rheological characteristics, while simultaneously decreasing their enthalpy of crystallization. Notably, the partial substitution of these oleogels in the spreads yielded a crystalline morphology that was indistinguishable from those prepared solely with saturated fats, indicating a successful integration and preservation of desirable structural attributes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There is no conflict of interest to report for the authors., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Solvent flotation primarily relies on the variations in the activity of substances to adsorb target compounds onto the surface of bubbles, thereby facilitating the process of separation and extraction. This technology has the advantages of high separation efficiency, gentle process, and simple operation, making it widely applicable across various fields. This article reviews relevant research from the past decade to analyze the factors influencing this technology. Additionally, it provides a comprehensive overview of its applications in detecting organic matter in environmental samples and extracting bioactive compounds from natural products, while also anticipating upcoming trends in its development., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

To improve nutritional health, a low-salt (0.5 %) silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) surimi gel with α-tocopherol, soybean oil, and glyceryl monostearate oleogel was fabricated and evaluated for textural qualities, lipid oxidation, and in-vitro digestion analysis. Based on the texture profile analysis, gel strength, water holding capacity (WHC), rheological, protein secondary structure, and microstructural examination, 5 % oleogel addition to low-salt surimi exhibited similar physicochemical properties to regular-salt surimi gels. By crosslinking myosin and filling protein network voids, the oleogel increased surimi gel density. Increasing oleogel content improved the physicochemical qualities of heat-induced surimi, causing protein aggregation during digestion and reducing digestibility. The presence of oleogel altered protein secondary structure, reducing α-helix content and increasing β-sheet and other structures, enhancing WHC and gel strength of low salt surimi. Adding oleogel improved the antioxidant activity of digestive solutions. This study will help understand myosin-oleogel interaction and the development of sustainable and nutritious surimi-based foods., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Recently, research on the plant-based oleogels, has gained significant attention as a promising approach for oil formulation. In this research, emulsion-templated technique utilizing millet prolamin (MP) as oleogelator was employed for crafting edible oleogels from various vegetable oils of varying degree of unsaturation. The focus of the study was to examine the formation process, structural characteristics, rheological properties, and lipid digestion of these oleogels. The results indicated that MP-based oleogels exhibited uniform morphology and low oil loss. The construction of the oleogel network could be attributed to hydrogen bonding between oleogelator molecules, hydrophobic interactions among the oleogelator molecules and between the oleogelator and oil, as well as van der Waals forces between the oil molecules themselves. Increasing MP concentration formed a denser oleogel network, and exhibited greater elastic moduli (G') and viscous moduli (G''). Additionally, 8 % MP oleogel prepared from flaxseed oil with high linolenic acid showed low oil loss, high hardness and efficient release of free fatty acids. These results indicated the potential of MP as an oleogelator in creating oleogels, and it is promising for fabricating trans-free and low-saturated oleogel-based products., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest and no competing financial interest that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are crystalline porous polymers constructed from organic building blocks into ordered two- or three-dimensional networks through dynamic covalent bonds. Attributed to their high porosity, well-defined structure, tailored functionality and excellent chemical stability, COFs have been considered ideal sorbents for various separation applications. The synthesis of COFs mainly employs the solvothermal method, which usually requires organic solvents in sealed Pyrex tubes, resulting in unscalable powdery products and environmental pollution that seriously limits their practical applications. Herein, our protocol focuses on an emerging synthesis method for COFs based on organic flux synthesis without adding solvents. The generality of this synthesis protocol has been applied in preparing various types of COFs, including olefin-linked, imide-linked, Schiff-based COFs on both gram and kilogram scales. Furthermore, organic flux synthesis avoids the disadvantages of solvothermal synthesis and enhances the crystallization and porosity of COFs. Typically, COF synthesis takes 3-5 d to complete, and subsequent washing procedures leading to pure COFs need 1 d. The procedure for kilogram-scale production of COFs with commercially available monomers is also provided. The resulting COFs are suitable for separation applications, particularly as adsorbent materials for industrial gas separation and water treatment applications. The protocol is suited for users with prior expertise in the synthesis of inorganic materials and porous organic materials., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. Springer Nature Limited.)

In this study, a novel pea protein (PP)-based bigel was developed, featuring a high internal phase emulsion. The impact of gelling agent concentration on the gel properties and freeze-thaw stability of the bigel was investigated. The bigel was comprised of two distinct gel phases: an aqueous-phase gel with a covalent network formed by PP and transglutaminase (TGase), and an oil-phase gel with a crystal network structure of rice bran wax (RBW). Microstructural analysis revealed a bi-continuous network structure in the bigel, with network density increasing as TGase and RBW concentrations rose. Rheological analysis showed that storage modulus (G'), apparent viscosity, and structural recovery of the bigel increased with higher TGase and RBW concentrations. Temperature scanning experiments confirmed that the bigel maintained its elastic solid behavior even at elevated temperatures. Optimal sensory properties and low coefficient of friction were achieved at 0.4 % TGase and 7 % RBW concentrations. Additionally, the bigel exhibited notable freeze-thaw stability at TGase and RBW concentrations exceeding 0.2 % and 5 %, respectively. These findings highlight the excellent gelation properties and stability of the PP-RBW-based bigel, suggesting its potential as a fat substitute in the food industry., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No conflicts of interest are declared for any of the authors., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In the present study, bigels containing nanocellulose hydrogel and monoglyceride oleogel were prepared as a novel fat substitute. The nanocellulose was derived from chestnut shells via TEMPO oxidation, resulting a yield of 59.6 %. The impact of varying the oleogel/hydrogel ratio on the macroscopic and microscopic structures, chemical interactions, and the textural, thermal and rheological properties of the bigels was explored. As the hydrogel content increased from 20 % to 50 %, the average droplet diameter in the bigels increased. The bigels transitioned from a water-in-oil structure to a bi-continuous structure, and the textural hardness, cohesiveness, and rheological properties improved significantly. Shortbread cookies were prepared by incorporating different proportions of the bigels to replace animal butter as shortening, and the color, spreadability, hardness and baking loss rate of cookies were analyzed. The result showed that replacing butter with bigels in cookie preparation could reduce fat content without significantly altering the appearance or properties of the cookies. These prepared bigel have the potential to serve as a healthy and sustainable solid fat substitute in the food industry., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Food-grade bigels represent a highly innovative and versatile gel system within the food industry, characterized by their unique ability to combine the advantages of both oleogels and hydrogels. This dual-phase system can effectively address the limitations of each gel type and offers enhanced functionality. This review classifies food-grade bigels and their properties, highlighting examples of novel methods in bigel preparation. Additionally, the study delves into the use of bigels as fat replacers, bioactive and probiotic capsulation systems, and active packaging materials, as well as their significant potential in emerging 3D/4D food printing and nanotechnologies. Choosing the optimal combination of hydrogels and oleogels along with appropriate preparation technology, helps achieve the desired techno-functional and sensory properties in bigel. Advances in 3D printing and nanotechnology have further enabled precise control over the bigel properties, facilitating customized formulations tailored to specific needs. Therefore, the food industry can significantly benefit from using bigels in various food sectors. The integration of sustainable ingredients such as plant-based and insect proteins in bigel production presents a promising avenue for reducing the ecological footprint of food production and disposal. Ongoing research and development in this area will be essential to optimize these systems for sustainability., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no affiliation with any organization with a direct or indirect financial interest in the subject matter discussed in the manuscript., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Oleogels are semi-solid systems that can function both as replacers of trans and saturated fats and/or as carriers of lipophilic bioactive compounds. However, bioactive compounds can affect the structure of the oleogel matrix and this effect depends on the properties of such compounds. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop oleogels loaded with β-carotene (BC) or resveratrol (R), with low concentrations of glycerol monostearate (GMS, 2-5 wt%) and sunflower oil as organic solvent. The gels were characterized by polarized light microscopy, rheological measurements, differential scanning calorimetry, oil binding capacity and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. At higher GMS concentrations, stronger oleogels and higher temperatures associated with transitions (sol-gel/gel-sol and crystallization/melting) were observed. The incorporation of bioactive compounds modified the gelation behavior. BC weakened the oleogel structure during the transient molecular organization of GMS, whereas R increased the dynamic moduli. BC also caused slight oil release at lower concentrations, while R improved retention. The high hydrophobicity of BC may be disturbing the solubility balance of the system, while R has phenolic hydroxyl groups that may strengthen hydrogen bonds. However, there were no considerable changes in mechanical properties after storage. We hypothesize that the molecular organization of GMS over time may be masking the modifications that bioactive compounds cause in mechanical properties. In fact, changes in the structure were revealed, as the addition of BC or R changed the morphology of the three-dimensional network crystals. Thus, the results can contribute to the rational choice of system components using low concentrations of oleogelator, as the composition of the bioactive compound exerts influence on the modulation of lipid matrices., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The aggregation behavior of nanoplastics (NPs) is crucial in determining their fate in aquatic environments. Dissolved organic matter (DOM), characterized by its complex molecular structure and diverse functional groups, can spontaneously absorb on the surface of NPs, thus altering their colloidal stability. In eutrophic waters, DOM primarily originates from metabolic byproducts released by phytoplankton, and its molecular composition and hydrophilic properties change dynamically as the progression of algal blooms. This perspective aims to summarize the heterogeneity of DOM during the initiation, outbreak and recession of algal blooms. And we investigate the influence of molecular-level variations in DOM composition on the aggregation behavior of NPs. Additionally, this study provides insights into the underlying mechanisms relating to the interactions between DOM and NPs. Ultimately, it tackles the challenges and future directions, highlighting the necessity for comprehensive studies to understand the fate of NPs in eutrophic waters., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: A perspective on the algae-derived dissolved organic matter and its dynamic influence on the aggregation of nanoplastics in eutrophic waters., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) enable rapid and label-free high-sensitivity detection of target analytes due to their low cost, large-area processing, biocompatibility, and inherent signal amplification. At the same time, the freedom of synthesis, tailorability, and functionalization of organic semiconductor materials and their ability to be combined with flexible substrates make them one of the ideal platforms for biosensing. However, OTFTs-based biosensors still face significant challenges, such as unexpected surface adsorption, disordered conformation, inhomogeneous graft density, and flexibility of probe molecules that biological sensing probes would face during immobilization. In this review, efficient immobilization strategies based on OTFTs biological sensing probes developed in the last 5 years are highlighted. First, the biosensors are classified according to their sensing interface. Second, a comprehensive discussion of the types of biological sensing probes is presented. Third, three commonly used methods for immobilizing biological sensing probes and their challenges are briefly described. Finally, the applications of OTFTs-based biosensors for liquid phase detection are summarized. This review provides a comprehensive and timely review of optimization in sensing interface engineering so that efficient immobilization of biological sensing probes with sensing interfaces will contribute to the development of high-performance OTFTs-based biosensors., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)