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}
Pub Date : 2026-02-09DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2026.02.005
Bengt Lennartson
Introduction: The difference between model-free and model-based reinforcement learning (RL) is discussed in this paper. Focus is on data-efficiency and robustness against neglected high-frequency dynamics. The conclusion is that the less common model-based RL strategy has clear advantages. For moving devices in intelligent manufacturing systems, a more specific model-based RL method is therefore proposed. The method involves estimation of a nonlinear state-space model, where minor physical knowledge can be easily introduced. Based on this nonlinear model and a feedback/feed-forward controller design, a simple temporal optimization procedure is outlined. The path is then assumed to be given, while velocity and acceleration can be modified such that energy is saved. In robot applications, this temporal optimization strategy has shown to be able to save up to 25% energy and 50% peak power, still keeping the original desired makespan.
{"title":"Data-Efficient and Robust Reinforcement Learning for Moving Devices","authors":"Bengt Lennartson","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2026.02.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2026.02.005","url":null,"abstract":"<strong>Introduction:</strong> The difference between model-free and model-based reinforcement learning (RL) is discussed in this paper. Focus is on data-efficiency and robustness against neglected high-frequency dynamics. The conclusion is that the less common model-based RL strategy has clear advantages. For moving devices in intelligent manufacturing systems, a more specific model-based RL method is therefore proposed. The method involves estimation of a nonlinear state-space model, where minor physical knowledge can be easily introduced. Based on this nonlinear model and a feedback/feed-forward controller design, a simple temporal optimization procedure is outlined. The path is then assumed to be given, while velocity and acceleration can be modified such that energy is saved. In robot applications, this temporal optimization strategy has shown to be able to save up to 25% energy and 50% peak power, still keeping the original desired makespan.","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":"146138388","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 : 2026-02-06DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2025.11.035
Yue Cao, Dejun Liu, Fen Pan, Zhenzhen Liu, Qin Zhang, Chengtao Sun, Li Ding, Siquan Shen, Weishuai Zhai, Rina Bai, Zhiyu Zou, Yiqing Wang, Lu Yang, Zexun Lv, Bo Fu, Shizhen Ma, Yao Wang, Ke Zhao, Tingxuan Shi, Yingbo Shen, Rong Zhang, Timothy R. Walsh, Jianzhong Shen, Fupin Hu, Yang Wang, Congming Wu
{"title":"Distribution and Transmission of Apramycin-Resistant Escherichia coli from Humans and Animal-Producing Sectors: A Multicenter, Cross-sectional, and One Health Study","authors":"Yue Cao, Dejun Liu, Fen Pan, Zhenzhen Liu, Qin Zhang, Chengtao Sun, Li Ding, Siquan Shen, Weishuai Zhai, Rina Bai, Zhiyu Zou, Yiqing Wang, Lu Yang, Zexun Lv, Bo Fu, Shizhen Ma, Yao Wang, Ke Zhao, Tingxuan Shi, Yingbo Shen, Rong Zhang, Timothy R. Walsh, Jianzhong Shen, Fupin Hu, Yang Wang, Congming Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.11.035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.11.035","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"311 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134819","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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