Pub Date : 2026-02-13DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2026.02.007
Yaqin Sun, Cheng Niu, Guangyan Sun, Xinyuan Zhao, Suyue Zhang, Zaiwei Zong, Wei Wang, Feiqiang Chen, Tianyi Fan, Na Liu, Shaoting Qiu, Yani Li, Xupeng Wei, Yunzheng Yan, Shuyuan Pan, Wu Zhong, Yuntao Zhang, Song Li
Since 2022, global mpox outbreaks have resulted in 172 510 confirmed cases and 462 deaths as of October 31, 2025. Tecovirimat, a small-molecule therapeutic agent for orthopoxvirus infections (e.g., smallpox and mpox), is clinically limited owing to its poor solubility. A novel tecovirimat formulation was developed and characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and stability assessments. The antiviral activity of tecovirimat against orthopoxvirus was evaluated using cytopathic effect inhibition assays. Safety evaluations included: ① active systemic anaphylaxis and vascular irritation tests in guinea pigs and rabbits, respectively, evaluated using scoring systems and histopathological examinations; ② visual assessment of hemolytic activity in red blood cells; and ③ repeated-dose toxicity evaluation in cynomolgus monkeys (14-d administration followed by a 28-d recovery period). The novel formulation enhanced the aqueous solubility of tecovirimat to 50 mg∙mL–1. The lyophilized powder formulation 5 (LP5) exhibited exceptional stability under high-temperature, high-humidity, and photolytic conditions and maintained favorable physicochemical properties after 90 days of storage at 40 °C and 75% relative humidity (RH). Furthermore, safety assessments revealed no concerns regarding allergic reaction, irritation, hemolysis, or toxicity in repeated-dose studies. These findings demonstrate that the novel tecovirimat formulation is a stable, safe, and promising candidate for industrial development and clinical applications.
{"title":"Boosted Tecovirimat Injection for Orthopoxvirus Infection Therapy","authors":"Yaqin Sun, Cheng Niu, Guangyan Sun, Xinyuan Zhao, Suyue Zhang, Zaiwei Zong, Wei Wang, Feiqiang Chen, Tianyi Fan, Na Liu, Shaoting Qiu, Yani Li, Xupeng Wei, Yunzheng Yan, Shuyuan Pan, Wu Zhong, Yuntao Zhang, Song Li","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2026.02.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2026.02.007","url":null,"abstract":"Since 2022, global mpox outbreaks have resulted in 172 510 confirmed cases and 462 deaths as of October 31, 2025. Tecovirimat, a small-molecule therapeutic agent for orthopoxvirus infections (e.g., smallpox and mpox), is clinically limited owing to its poor solubility. A novel tecovirimat formulation was developed and characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and stability assessments. The antiviral activity of tecovirimat against orthopoxvirus was evaluated using cytopathic effect inhibition assays. Safety evaluations included: ① active systemic anaphylaxis and vascular irritation tests in guinea pigs and rabbits, respectively, evaluated using scoring systems and histopathological examinations; ② visual assessment of hemolytic activity in red blood cells; and ③ repeated-dose toxicity evaluation in cynomolgus monkeys (14-d administration followed by a 28-d recovery period). The novel formulation enhanced the aqueous solubility of tecovirimat to 50 mg∙mL<sup>–1</sup>. The lyophilized powder formulation 5 (LP5) exhibited exceptional stability under high-temperature, high-humidity, and photolytic conditions and maintained favorable physicochemical properties after 90 days of storage at 40 °C and 75% relative humidity (RH). Furthermore, safety assessments revealed no concerns regarding allergic reaction, irritation, hemolysis, or toxicity in repeated-dose studies. These findings demonstrate that the novel tecovirimat formulation is a stable, safe, and promising candidate for industrial development and clinical applications.","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"32 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146184545","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}
Pub Date : 2026-02-13DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2025.10.038
Weijie Chen, Naikun Kuang, Christoph Martin, Akshit Puri, Bin Liu, Jing He, Yunpeng Zhou, Yunkai Li
Agricultural water scarcity is increasingly conflicting with demands for both crop yield and crop nutritional quality, yet current irrigation strategies are failing to achieve synergistic improvements. This study explores how reducing soil moisture fluctuations (SMFs) affects crop yield and quality, using tomato plants under three irrigation treatments: fast wetting (FW), medium wetting (MW), and slow wetting (SW). We analyzed soil moisture dynamics, yield, fruit quality, soil bacteria, and plant molecular responses. Slowing the wetting process significantly improved tomato yield by 10%–20% and increased vitamin C and lycopene content by 10%–17% and 7%–29%, respectively, while reducing the irrigation quota by 30%–35%. The results showed a significant increase in the relative abundance of Myxococcota and Chloroflexi, while the relative abundance of Actinobacteria significantly decreased. Functional prediction showed that the abundance of aerobic chemotrophic heterotrophy was suppressed, whereas nitrate reduction was promoted. Based on a joint analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics, several genes encoding key enzymes (GME, DHAR, IDH1, crtB, and crtH) in the pathways of ascorbic acid, lycopene, and organic acid cycles were significantly affected. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that the stabilized soil moisture directly increased microbial community diversity and soil fertility, which subsequently activated transcriptional pathways associated with nutrient assimilation and antioxidant biosynthesis. This cascade of biological responses ultimately mediated improvements in crop productivity and quality. These findings challenge the conventional understanding of wet-dry cycles in irrigation. Reducing SMFs offers a practical approach to simultaneously improving water-use efficiency, crop yield, and fruit quality, with potential applications in sustainable agriculture.
{"title":"Reducing Soil Moisture Fluctuations Significantly Improves Crop Yield and Quality: Insight into Multiomics in Soil–Plant Systems","authors":"Weijie Chen, Naikun Kuang, Christoph Martin, Akshit Puri, Bin Liu, Jing He, Yunpeng Zhou, Yunkai Li","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.10.038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.10.038","url":null,"abstract":"Agricultural water scarcity is increasingly conflicting with demands for both crop yield and crop nutritional quality, yet current irrigation strategies are failing to achieve synergistic improvements. This study explores how reducing soil moisture fluctuations (SMFs) affects crop yield and quality, using tomato plants under three irrigation treatments: fast wetting (FW), medium wetting (MW), and slow wetting (SW). We analyzed soil moisture dynamics, yield, fruit quality, soil bacteria, and plant molecular responses. Slowing the wetting process significantly improved tomato yield by 10%–20% and increased vitamin C and lycopene content by 10%–17% and 7%–29%, respectively, while reducing the irrigation quota by 30%–35%. The results showed a significant increase in the relative abundance of Myxococcota and Chloroflexi, while the relative abundance of Actinobacteria significantly decreased. Functional prediction showed that the abundance of aerobic chemotrophic heterotrophy was suppressed, whereas nitrate reduction was promoted. Based on a joint analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics, several genes encoding key enzymes (<em>GME</em>, <em>DHAR</em>, <em>IDH1</em>, <em>crtB</em>, and <em>crtH</em>) in the pathways of ascorbic acid, lycopene, and organic acid cycles were significantly affected. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that the stabilized soil moisture directly increased microbial community diversity and soil fertility, which subsequently activated transcriptional pathways associated with nutrient assimilation and antioxidant biosynthesis. This cascade of biological responses ultimately mediated improvements in crop productivity and quality. These findings challenge the conventional understanding of wet-dry cycles in irrigation. Reducing SMFs offers a practical approach to simultaneously improving water-use efficiency, crop yield, and fruit quality, with potential applications in sustainable agriculture.","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146184432","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}
Pub Date : 2026-02-12DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2025.12.040
Sungbin Ju, Seonghyun Chung, Sung Bae Park, Jun Mo Koo, Giyoung Shin, Hyeonyeol Jeon, Jeyoung Park, Dongyeop X. Oh
{"title":"Reframing Biodegradable Plastic as an Effective, Chemically Recyclable Resource for a Circular Economy","authors":"Sungbin Ju, Seonghyun Chung, Sung Bae Park, Jun Mo Koo, Giyoung Shin, Hyeonyeol Jeon, Jeyoung Park, Dongyeop X. Oh","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.12.040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.12.040","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"70 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146160942","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}
Pub Date : 2026-02-10DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2025.12.038
Margi Shah, Yue Zhou, Jianzhong Wu, Max Mowbray
{"title":"Deep Reinforcement Learning for Scheduling of a Steel Plant in the Electricity Spot Market","authors":"Margi Shah, Yue Zhou, Jianzhong Wu, Max Mowbray","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.12.038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.12.038","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146153034","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}
Pub Date : 2026-02-10DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2026.02.006
Lingping Zhu, Minhazur Rahman, Teemu H. Teeri
{"title":"Give Me a Reductase! Where Do Plant Polyketide Synthases Get Their Accessory Activities?","authors":"Lingping Zhu, Minhazur Rahman, Teemu H. Teeri","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2026.02.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2026.02.006","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"97 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146153033","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}
Pub Date : 2026-02-09DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2026.01.022
Ning Shao, Rui Liu, Jingjing Gan, Yuanjin Zhao
Biocompatible hydrogels are highly valuable for wound management; however, improving their mechanical compatibility and achieving controlled drug release for dynamic wound treatment remain challenging. Inspired by skin structure and function, a novel mechanically-responsive hydrogel was developed using drug-loaded liposomes as structural units. The crosslinked hydrogel network was generated via free-radical polymerization of acrylamide, incorporating double-bond-functionalized liposomes as crosslinkers. Deformable liposomes endowed the hydrogel with improved mechanical properties and enabled controlled drug release in response to mechanical deformation. The rifampin-loaded mechanically-responsive hydrogel exhibited strong antimicrobial activity both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, anti-inflammatory effects and enhanced wound-healing properties were observed in dynamic wound environments. These findings indicate that mechanically-responsive skin-mimicking hydrogels offer a promising strategy for dynamic wound management.
{"title":"Skin-Inspired Mechanically-Responsive Antimicrobial Hydrogels with Liposome-Based Crosslinkers","authors":"Ning Shao, Rui Liu, Jingjing Gan, Yuanjin Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2026.01.022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2026.01.022","url":null,"abstract":"Biocompatible hydrogels are highly valuable for wound management; however, improving their mechanical compatibility and achieving controlled drug release for dynamic wound treatment remain challenging. Inspired by skin structure and function, a novel mechanically-responsive hydrogel was developed using drug-loaded liposomes as structural units. The crosslinked hydrogel network was generated via free-radical polymerization of acrylamide, incorporating double-bond-functionalized liposomes as crosslinkers. Deformable liposomes endowed the hydrogel with improved mechanical properties and enabled controlled drug release in response to mechanical deformation. The rifampin-loaded mechanically-responsive hydrogel exhibited strong antimicrobial activity both <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em>. In addition, anti-inflammatory effects and enhanced wound-healing properties were observed in dynamic wound environments. These findings indicate that mechanically-responsive skin-mimicking hydrogels offer a promising strategy for dynamic wound management.","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146138390","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}
Pub Date : 2026-02-09DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2025.08.045
Yejiong Yu, Siqi Dai, Johnny Xiangyi Zhou, Wei E. Huang, Zhanfeng Cui
This study evaluates the efficacy of the proposed matrix-assisted room-temperature (MART) drying as an alternative to freeze-drying for the thermostabilization of functional proteins in a solid state. To achieve this, protective agents are formulated with functional proteins, and the mixture is dried on a biocompatible cellulose fiber matrix. Drying is carried out at room temperature or elevated temperatures (∼30 °C), either through dry air circulation (MART-DA drying) or under a vacuum (MART-V drying). The entire drying process involves no refrigeration or freezing steps. The results demonstrate the successful thermostabilization of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), and functional enzymes in reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) reagents through the use of MART drying. The functional proteins were immobilized and effectively encapsulated in sugar glass films, preserving the proteins’ structure and functions. The sugar glass films were supported by a low-cost 3D cellulose fiber matrix. Overall, MART drying offers a simple, fast, low energy-consumption, and cost-effective strategy for drying functional proteins for long-term storage.
{"title":"Thermostabilizing Functional Proteins with Matrix-Assisted Room-Temperature Drying","authors":"Yejiong Yu, Siqi Dai, Johnny Xiangyi Zhou, Wei E. Huang, Zhanfeng Cui","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.08.045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.08.045","url":null,"abstract":"This study evaluates the efficacy of the proposed matrix-assisted room-temperature (MART) drying as an alternative to freeze-drying for the thermostabilization of functional proteins in a solid state. To achieve this, protective agents are formulated with functional proteins, and the mixture is dried on a biocompatible cellulose fiber matrix. Drying is carried out at room temperature or elevated temperatures (∼30 °C), either through dry air circulation (MART-DA drying) or under a vacuum (MART-V drying). The entire drying process involves no refrigeration or freezing steps. The results demonstrate the successful thermostabilization of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), and functional enzymes in reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) reagents through the use of MART drying. The functional proteins were immobilized and effectively encapsulated in sugar glass films, preserving the proteins’ structure and functions. The sugar glass films were supported by a low-cost 3D cellulose fiber matrix. Overall, MART drying offers a simple, fast, low energy-consumption, and cost-effective strategy for drying functional proteins for long-term storage.","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"83 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146138884","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}
Pub Date : 2026-02-09DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2026.01.023
Tianze Yu, Long Zhang, Hua Zhou, Zhuyin Ren, Xiaohua Gan
The unique transport properties of hydrogen give rise to fuel re-stratification and super-adiabatic flame temperature (SAFT) in premixed flames—phenomena that are generally not absent in fossil-fuel combustion. These effects undermine the effectiveness of conventional fuel/air fully premixed technology for achieving low NOx emissions in hydrogen energy and propulsion systems. In this study, a scaling law for SAFT, incorporating the Lewis number (Le) and Zel’dovich number (Ze), is revisited for fully premixed hydrogen laminar flames under flow straining conditions. The impact of SAFT on NOx formation, with particular emphasis on thermal NOx governed by the Zel’dovich mechanism, is systematically analyzed. A theoretical expression is derived to estimate the thermal NOx reaction rate as a function of SAFT. With these new insights, a novel concept based on the synergistic effects of fuel stratification and preferential diffusion is proposed to achieve ultra-low NOx emissions in hydrogen combustion. The effectiveness of this concept is demonstrated in multi-slot flames, where a designed nonuniform equivalence ratio (ϕ) at the inlet configuration reduces peak temperature by 53–236 K and NO emissions by 15%–54% over the typical gas-turbine operating range of 0.4<ϕ<0.7, compared with a fully premixed inlet configuration. This counter-intuitive approach provides new insights into hydrogen flame control and offers a promising pathway to achieving ultra-low NOx emissions in hydrogen energy and propulsion systems.
{"title":"Synergistic Effects of Fuel Stratification and Preferential Diffusion for Ultra-Low NOx Formation in Hydrogen Flames","authors":"Tianze Yu, Long Zhang, Hua Zhou, Zhuyin Ren, Xiaohua Gan","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2026.01.023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2026.01.023","url":null,"abstract":"The unique transport properties of hydrogen give rise to fuel re-stratification and super-adiabatic flame temperature (SAFT) in premixed flames—phenomena that are generally not absent in fossil-fuel combustion. These effects undermine the effectiveness of conventional fuel/air fully premixed technology for achieving low NO<ce:italic>x</ce:italic> emissions in hydrogen energy and propulsion systems. In this study, a scaling law for SAFT, incorporating the Lewis number (<ce:italic>Le</ce:italic>) and Zel’dovich number (<ce:italic>Ze</ce:italic>), is revisited for fully premixed hydrogen laminar flames under flow straining conditions. The impact of SAFT on NO<ce:italic>x</ce:italic> formation, with particular emphasis on thermal NO<ce:italic>x</ce:italic> governed by the Zel’dovich mechanism, is systematically analyzed. A theoretical expression is derived to estimate the thermal NO<ce:italic>x</ce:italic> reaction rate as a function of SAFT. With these new insights, a novel concept based on the synergistic effects of fuel stratification and preferential diffusion is proposed to achieve ultra-low NO<ce:italic>x</ce:italic> emissions in hydrogen combustion. The effectiveness of this concept is demonstrated in multi-slot flames, where a designed nonuniform equivalence ratio (<mml:math altimg=\"si7.svg\"><mml:mi>ϕ</mml:mi></mml:math>) at the inlet configuration reduces peak temperature by 53–236 K and NO emissions by 15%–54% over the typical gas-turbine operating range of <mml:math altimg=\"si15.svg\"><mml:mrow><mml:mn>0.4</mml:mn><mml:mo><</mml:mo><mml:mi>ϕ</mml:mi><mml:mo><</mml:mo><mml:mn>0.7</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:math>, compared with a fully premixed inlet configuration. This counter-intuitive approach provides new insights into hydrogen flame control and offers a promising pathway to achieving ultra-low NO<ce:italic>x</ce:italic> emissions in hydrogen energy and propulsion systems.","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146146276","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}
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