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Zwitterionic hydrogels, as highly hydrated and soft materials, have been considered as promising materials for wound dressing, due to their unique antifouling and mechanical properties. While the viscoelasticity and softness of zwitterionic hydrogels are hypothetically essential for creating adaptive cellular niches, the underlying mechanically regulated wound healing mechanism still remains elusive. To test this hypothesis, we fabricated zwitterionic poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (polySBMA) hydrogels with different elastic moduli prepared at different crosslinker contents, and then applied the hydrogels to full-thickness cutaneous wounds in mice. In vivo wound healing studies compared the mechanical cue-induced effects of soft and stiff polySBMA hydrogels on wound closure rates, granulation tissue formation and collagen deposition. Collective results showed that the softer and more viscoelastic hydrogels facilitated cell proliferation, granulation formation, collagen aggregation, and chondrogenic ECM deposition. Such high wound healing efficiency by the softer hydrogels is likely attributed to stress dissipation by expanding the cell proliferation, the up-regulation of blood vessel formation, and the enhanced polarization of M2/M1 macrophages, both of which would provide more oxygen and nutrients for cell proliferation and migration, leading to enhanced wound repair. This work not only reveals a mechanical property–wound healing relationship of zwitterionic polySBMA hydrogels, but also provides a promising candidate and strategy for the next-generation of wound dressings. 

Drawing on self‐regulation theories, the current study examined the effect of the daily experience of customer mistreatment at work on three types of maladaptive behaviours after work (impulsive buying, overeating behaviours, and mobile phone overuse) through self‐control capacity impairment. Further, we investigated the moderating roles of two recovery activities at work (taking some time for relaxation and learning something new at work) on the relationship between customer mistreatment and employee self‐control capacity impairment. With daily diary data collected from 57 fulltime service employees across 5 working days, our results revealed that daily experience of customer mistreatment at work was positively related to employees' impulsive buying and mobile phone overuse after work (but not overeating behaviours) via self‐control capacity impairment after controlling for the mediating effect of negative affect. Besides, relaxation, but not learning, buffered the positive relationship between customer mistreatment and self‐control capacity impairment. These findings shed light on further understanding the underlying mechanisms between customer mistreatment and employee maladaptive behaviours after work and strategies at work that might mitigate the negative effects of customer mistreatment.