Engineering最新文献

{"title":"Engineering Spinal Cord and Peripheral Nerve Organoids: Strategies for Construction and Potential Applications for Regenerative Medicine in Neurotrauma","authors":"Jiaqi Su, Zhiwen Yan, Xiaoxuan Tang, Tong Wu, Jue Ling, Yun Qian","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.05.011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.05.011","url":null,"abstract":"Organoids have emerged as powerful tools for disease modeling, mechanistic exploration, drug screening, and regenerative medicine. Spinal cord and peripheral nerve organoids mimic real organs in terms of cell morphology, tissue structure, and function, offering new possibilities for tissue engineering therapies in spinal cord injury (SCI) and peripheral nerve injury (PNI). In this review, we introduce the genesis and structure of the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system and summarize the key factors for constructing spinal cord and peripheral nerve organoids. We then discuss the recent advances in the formation of three-dimensional (3D) organoid structures through engineering approaches and explore their potential applications in neural tissue engineering. Finally, we address current challenges such as the high heterogeneity among neural organoids and incomplete replication of organ functions. Future development of engineered matrix materials and manufacturing methods is crucial for further clinical translation of organoids in spinal cord and peripheral nerve repair.","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"98 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144189061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Design of a Multi-Valent SARS-CoV-2 Peptide Vaccine for Broad Immune Protection via Deep Learning","authors":"Ziyan Feng, Xuelian Pang, Qian Xu, Zijie Gu, Shiliang Li, Lili Zhu, Honglin Li","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.04.025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.04.025","url":null,"abstract":"The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants capable of evading both convalescent and vaccine-triggered antibody responses has underscored the pivotal role of T-cell immunity in antiviral defense. Here, we develop the ConFormer network for epitope prediction, which couples convolutional neural network (CNN) local features with Transformer global representations to enhance binding prediction performance, and employ a deep learning algorithm and bioinformatics workflows to identify conserved T-cell epitopes within the SARS-CoV-2 proteome. Five epitopes are identified as potential inducers of T-cell immune responses. Notably, the multi-valent vaccine composed of these five peptides significantly activates cluster of differentiation (CD)8⁺ and CD4⁺ T cells both <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em>. The serum of mice immunized with this vaccine is able to neutralize the five major SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. This study provides a candidate peptide vaccine with the potential to trigger antiviral T-cell responses, thereby offering the prospect of immune protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants.","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"237 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144183798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dual Protein-Based Nanocomposite Hydrogel Scaffolds Synergistically Promote Cartilage Regeneration Through Chondrocyte Differentiation and Immunomodulation","authors":"Huan Lei, Daidi Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.05.010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.05.010","url":null,"abstract":"The treatment of prolonged inflammation and cartilage damage due to osteoarthritis (OA) is a major clinical challenge. We developed a comprehensive cartilage repair therapy using a dual drug-loaded nanocomposite hydrogel that leveraged the spatiotemporal immunomodulatory effects of a naturally degradable protein-based nanocomposite hydrogel. The hydrogel acted as a scaffold that created a favorable microenvironment for cartilage regeneration. The hydrogel recruited macrophages and human mesenchymal cells (hMSCs), which supported the growth and adhesion of osteoblasts, and degraded to provide nutrition. Silk protein nanoparticles were chemically cross-linked with kartogenin, and human-like collagen was physically cross-linked with dexamethasone through hydrogen bonding. In the early stages of cartilage repair, a large quantity of dexamethasone was released. The dexamethasone acted as an anti-inflammatory agent and a spatiotemporal modulator of the polarization of M1 macrophages into M2 macrophages. In the middle and late stages of cartilage repair, kartogenin underwent sustained release from the hydrogel, inducing the differentiation of hMSCs into chondrocytes and maintaining chondrocyte stability. Therefore, kartogenin and dexamethasone acted synergistically to induce cartilage repair. In conclusion, we developed an integrated therapeutic system by constructing a cartilage regeneration microenvironment and inducing synergistic drug-based cartilage regeneration. The therapeutic system demonstrated satisfactory efficacy for repairing cartilage damage in rabbits.","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144183878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Medicinal Plant Stem Cells: Unlocking Potential in the Genomics Era","authors":"Ranran Gao, Yuhua Shi, Yuanzhu Liu, Ling Yuan, Li Xiang","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.05.009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.05.009","url":null,"abstract":"Plant stem cells are undifferentiated cells found in meristematic tissues that possess the ability to self-renew and differentiate into specialized cell types, making them essential for plant growth, development, and regeneration [<span><span>1</span></span>,<span><span>2</span></span>]. They are categorized into three main types: apical meristems, located at the tips of roots and shoots, which drive primary growth; lateral meristems, found in vascular and cork cambium, which contribute to secondary growth and thickening of stems and roots; and intercalary meristems, present in monocots, such as grasses, which enable regrowth after cutting. These stem cells have significant applications across various industries, including agriculture and plant breeding, where they enhance plant regeneration, propagation, and stress tolerance against adverse environmental conditions, such as drought, disease, and extreme temperatures [<span><span>3</span></span>,<span><span>4</span></span>]. In the cosmetics and skincare industries, plant stem cells, particularly those derived from apples (<em>Malus domestica</em>), grapes (<em>Vitis vinifera</em>), and edelweisses (<em>Leontopodium alpinum</em>), are valued for their high antioxidant content and regenerative properties, making them popular ingredients in anti-aging and skin repair formulations [<span><span>5</span></span>,<span><span>6</span></span>]. In medicine and biotechnology, plant stem cells have the potential to produce plant-derived pharmaceuticals and bioengineered compounds, supporting sustainable drug synthesis without relying on large-scale farming [<span><span>7</span></span>]. Additionally, they serve as sustainable alternatives in plant tissue culture, allowing the efficient production of bioactive compounds without extensive use of natural resources. Given their broad applications and potential to revolutionize multiple industries, plant stem cells continue to be a vital area of research and innovation.","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"128 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144165032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Novel ketone-based IPDA phase change absorbents for highly efficient wide-concentration-range CO2 capture and low-energy regeneration","authors":"Qingrui Zeng, Ziang Jia, Yingyang Song, Yiwen Fan, Xu Liu, Jinping Cheng","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.05.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.05.008","url":null,"abstract":"Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) is an important technological path for realizing “carbon neutrality,” where carbon capture is one of the three key CCS technologies. At present, mature carbon capture technologies still have technical shortcomings and difficulties, such as low capture efficiency and high energy consumption, which limit their large-scale popularization and application. In this study, a solid–liquid phase change absorbent (PCA) system with isophorone diamine (IPDA) as the only carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture carrier and ketone-based organic molecules as the phase change medium was developed. The solid–liquid PCA system has a wide range of applicability, with highly efficient CO₂ capture (1.11 mol·mol⁻¹) at concentrations ranging from typical values in air to those in coal-fired industrial emissions (400 to 150 000 ppm) and low-energy consumption regeneration, as revealed by a two-phase integrated engineering model. The CO₂ absorption product IPDA(NHCOO⁻)₂ was characterized by materials science analysis, molecular dynamics (MD) calculations and quantum chemistry. The results indicate that in noncyclic ketone-based phase-change media, the hydrogen bonding in IPDA(NHCOO⁻)₂ is modulated by noncovalent bond interaction (NCI) forces to form a small-scale hydrogen-bonding network. These properties ensure that the product can be easily regenerated by low-temperature thermal treatment (333 K, 60 °C), and characterization and calculations revealed a reaction mechanism different from that of the aqueous system. The technoeconomic evaluation (TEA) results show that this type of ketone-based PCA has an obvious low-cost advantage over traditional carbon capture technologies. This study provides a new perspective on the application and practical feasibility of PCAs for direct air capture of carbon dioxide.","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"56 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144122880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quantifying Urban Disaster Resilience for Informed Mitigation Strategies","authors":"Ying Zhou, Yi Xiao, Haoran Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.05.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.05.007","url":null,"abstract":"As centers of human activity, cities concentrate populations, resources, and wealth in limited areas. According to the United Nations, 55% of the global population now lives in urban areas [<span><span>1</span></span>]. Moreover, the World Economic Forum’s “Global Risks Report 2023” [<span><span>2</span></span>] highlights natural disasters as a major threat to sustainable development, especially for densely populated cities.","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"121 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144088157","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Metagenomics and Metabolomics Reveal Intrinsic Drivers of Pyrite-based Mixotrophic Denitrifying Biofilters: Microbial Spatial Stratification, Nitrogen Removal Pathways, and Key Metabolites","authors":"Qi Zhou, Weizhong Wu, Jianlong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.05.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.05.006","url":null,"abstract":"Microbial functions and metabolism are intrinsic drivers of pollutant removal in mixotrophic denitrification systems. Four pyrite-based mixotrophic denitrifying biofilters were constructed and monitored for 304 days. Variations in pollutant characteristics indicated that the hot zones of heterotrophic denitrification, autotrophic denitrification, and sulfate reduction were located in the bottom, middle-lower, and upper parts of biofilters, respectively. These hot zones corresponded to preferential enrichment of heterotrophic denitrifying, S-based mixotrophic denitrifying, and sulfate-reducing bacteria, respectively, highlighting microbial spatial stratification. Differential functional gene analysis for S reduction revealed that only a dissimilated sulfate reduction process could consistently provide biogenic S⁰ as a new electron donor via the Fcc enzyme and extracellular polymeric substance protection systems, enhancing the denitrification process. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the accumulation of biogenic S⁰. Untargeted metabolomic analysis suggested that vitamin B₁₂ and tryptophan might be the key metabolites for realizing synergistic promotion of autotrophic and heterotrophic denitrification. The microbe–metabolite network indicated that dominant bacteria (e.g., <em>Thiothrix</em> and <em>unclassified_f_Rhodocyclaceae</em>) were specialists with less cross-feeding metabolism, while rare species (e.g., <em>Thiobacillus</em> and <em>Desulfobacter</em>) were generalists with complex cross-feeding metabolism in the constructed mixotrophic denitrification systems. The electron transfer pattern indicated that most of the electrons released from S, C, and Fe oxidation were utilized in denitrification processes as the dominant nitrogen removal pathway, including S²⁻/S⁰-based autotrophic, fermentation acetic acid production-heterotrophic, and Fe(II)-based autotrophic denitrification. Some electrons were utilized for coupling dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia (DNRA) and anammox processes as an auxiliary pathway for systemic nitrogen removal. The findings of this study advance our understanding of the deeper intrinsic drivers of nitrogen removal by pyrite-based mixotrophic denitrifying biofilters, facilitating their optimization.","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"73 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144097354","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring COPD Patient Clusters and Associations with Health-Related Quality of Life Using A Machine Learning Approach: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study","authors":"Chao Wang, Fengyun Yu, Zhong Cao, Ke Huang, Qiushi Chen, Pascal Geldsetzer, Jinghan Zhao, Zhoude Zheng, Till Bärnighausen, Ting Yang, Simiao Chen, Chen Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.05.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.05.005","url":null,"abstract":"Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex condition marked by considerable interindividual heterogeneity. Comorbidities exacerbate this variability, worsening disease severity and reducing health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Despite the high prevalence of COPD in China, comorbidity clusters remain poorly characterized. This study aimed to identify and validate comorbidity clusters in Chinese patients with COPD using cluster analysis. This cross-sectional, multicenter cohort study used data from the Chinese Enjoying Breathing Program (2020–2023). HRQoL was measured using the EuroQol five dimension (EQ-5D). Dimension reduction was performed via multiple correspondence analysis on 31 variables, including indicators of 27 comorbidities and four socio-demographic characteristics. Unsupervised machine learning algorithms, K-means++, and hierarchical clustering identified distinct clusters. Robustness was assessed using random forest classification. Logistic regression evaluated the association between cluster membership and EQ-5D outcomes. Among 11 145 patients, 59.4% had comorbidities. Four clusters emerged: young male smokers, biomass-exposed females, respiratory comorbidity, and elderly multimorbid. The last two clusters had notably lower HRQoL. Cluster analysis identified four clinically meaningful COPD clusters based on comorbidities and risk profiles, each with distinct HRQoL outcomes. These findings support targeted public health interventions and integrated care strategies for COPD management.","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"53 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144088162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Non-traditional and Natural Pozzolans as Precursors for Sustainable Alkali-Activated Binders: Reactivity, Phase Assemblage, and Composition Analysis","authors":"Roshan Muththa Arachchige, Shubham Mishra, Jan Olek, Farshad Rajabipour, Sulapha Peethamparan","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.05.003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.05.003","url":null,"abstract":"This study evaluates four groups of non-traditional aluminosilicate industrial coal byproducts and natural pozzolans—ground bottom ashes (GBAs), low-purity calcined clays (CCs), volcanic ashes (VAs), and fluidized bed combustion ashes (FBCAs)—as potential precursors for alkali-activated binders. Each group was activated using a mixture of sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide solution under optimized solution parameters. Their reaction behavior, pore solution changes, phase assemblage, and composition were analyzed using various material characterization tools. Results indicate that the reaction rate and total heat are similar to those of conventional fly ash precursors, with total heat release 38%–82% lower than that of Portland cement. Pore solution analyses reveal the formation of typical alkali-activated gel phases, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) revealed calcium sodium aluminosilicate hydrates with aluminum/silicon (Al/Si) ranging 0.07–0.36. A novel reactivity index was proposed using Al-NMR. CCs and GBAs exhibited superior performance compared to other two materials used.","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"43 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143946182","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Development of Artificial Intelligence: Toward Consistency in the Logical Structures of Datasets, AI Models, Model Building, and Hardware?","authors":"Li Guo, Jinghai Li","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.05.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.05.004","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of this article is to explore potential directions for the development of artificial intelligence (AI). It points out that, while current AI can handle the statistical properties of complex systems, it has difficulty effectively processing and fully representing their spatiotemporal complexity patterns. The article also discusses a potential path of AI development in the engineering domain. Based on the existing understanding of the principles of multilevel complexity, this article suggests that consistency among the logical structures of datasets, AI models, model-building software, and hardware will be an important AI development direction and is worthy of careful consideration.","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143946183","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}