Pub Date : 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2026.01.018
Huajun Li, Jiancheng Liu, Lei Li, Xiuzhan Zhang, Liwei Yu
{"title":"Prospects for Commercial Exploitation of Deep-Sea Polymetallic Nodules: From Perspectives of Economic Benefits, Technological Feasibility, and Environmental Protection","authors":"Huajun Li, Jiancheng Liu, Lei Li, Xiuzhan Zhang, Liwei Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2026.01.018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2026.01.018","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"89 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146109808","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 : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-11-20DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2024.04.028
Zhibin Liu , Dashuai Wang , Xinyi Tan , Libin Zeng , Xianyun Peng , Bin Yang , Zhongjian Li , Lecheng Lei , Yang Hou
Metallic Ni is widely used for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysis. It acts as a precatalyst and undergoes surface reconstruction into NiOOH, which is the active species used in OER. Consequently, OER performance is highly related to the NiOOH structure, which is determined by the precatalyst. Thus, the modulation of metallic Ni to obtain superior NiOOH is critical. Herein, an interfacial redox modulation strategy is proposed to oxidize a Ni foam (NF) surface into the desired Ni2+ species using electrochemically exfoliated graphene (EG). OER-favorable γ-NiOOH on EG-oxidized NF was investigated under anodic potentials by in situ characterization techniques, whereby the formation of inferior β-NiOOH was found to be inhibited. Single Ni atoms and clusters were anchored onto the EG layers after reduction. The altered γ-NiOOH and Ni single atoms and clusters improved the OER performance of the EG-oxidized NF with low overpotential and enhanced stability. Subsequently, controllable EG and Ni-based metals were used to verify the versatility of the proposed interfacial redox modulation strategy. The optimized EG-oxidized NiFe system achieved an overpotential of 243 mV at 10 mA⋅cm−2 and long-term stability at 500 mA⋅cm−2 for 100 h.
{"title":"Superior Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution of Nickel-Based Metals Modulated by Controllable Graphene Layers via Interfacial Redox Process","authors":"Zhibin Liu , Dashuai Wang , Xinyi Tan , Libin Zeng , Xianyun Peng , Bin Yang , Zhongjian Li , Lecheng Lei , Yang Hou","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2024.04.028","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eng.2024.04.028","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Metallic Ni is widely used for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysis. It acts as a precatalyst and undergoes surface reconstruction into NiOOH, which is the active species used in OER. Consequently, OER performance is highly related to the NiOOH structure, which is determined by the precatalyst. Thus, the modulation of metallic Ni to obtain superior NiOOH is critical. Herein, an interfacial redox modulation strategy is proposed to oxidize a Ni foam (NF) surface into the desired Ni<sup>2+</sup> species using electrochemically exfoliated graphene (EG). OER-favorable γ-NiOOH on EG-oxidized NF was investigated under anodic potentials by <em>in situ</em> characterization techniques, whereby the formation of inferior β-NiOOH was found to be inhibited. Single Ni atoms and clusters were anchored onto the EG layers after reduction. The altered γ-NiOOH and Ni single atoms and clusters improved the OER performance of the EG-oxidized NF with low overpotential and enhanced stability. Subsequently, controllable EG and Ni-based metals were used to verify the versatility of the proposed interfacial redox modulation strategy. The optimized EG-oxidized NiFe system achieved an overpotential of 243 mV at 10 mA⋅cm<sup>−2</sup> and long-term stability at 500 mA⋅cm<sup>−2</sup> for 100 h.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"57 ","pages":"Pages 210-216"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145554854","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}
Building on coding mutations and splicing variants, post-translational modifications add a final layer to protein diversity that operates at developmental and physiological timescales. Although protein glycosylation is one of the most common post-translational modifications, its evolutionary origin remains largely unexplored. Here, we performed a phylostratigraphic tracking of glycosylation machinery (GM) genes and their targets—glycoproteins (GPs)—in a broad phylogenetic context. Our results show that the vast majority of human GM genes trace back to two evolutionary periods: the origin of all cellular organisms and the origin of all eukaryotes. This indicates that protein glycosylation is an ancient process likely common to all life, further elaborated in early eukaryotes. In contrast, human glycoproteins exhibited prominent enrichment signals in more recent evolutionary periods, suggesting an important role in the transition from metazoans to vertebrates. Focusing specifically on the N-glycosylation (NG) pathway, we noted that the majority of NG genes acting on the cytoplasmic side of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) trace back to the origin of cellular organisms. This sharply contrasts with the rest of the NG pathway, which is oriented toward the ER lumen, where genes of eukaryotic origin predominate. In the Golgi, we also identified an analogous binary evolutionary origin of GM genes. We discuss these findings in the context of the evolutionary emergence of the eukaryotic endomembrane system and propose that the ER evolved through the invagination of a prokaryotic cell membrane containing an NG pathway.
{"title":"Contrasting Macroevolutionary Patterns in the Human N-Glycosylation Pathway","authors":"Domagoj Kifer , Nina Čorak , Mirjana Domazet-Lošo , Niko Kasalo , Gordan Lauc , Göran Klobučar , Tomislav Domazet-Lošo","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.06.039","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.06.039","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Building on coding mutations and splicing variants, post-translational modifications add a final layer to protein diversity that operates at developmental and physiological timescales. Although protein glycosylation is one of the most common post-translational modifications, its evolutionary origin remains largely unexplored. Here, we performed a phylostratigraphic tracking of glycosylation machinery (GM) genes and their targets—glycoproteins (GPs)—in a broad phylogenetic context. Our results show that the vast majority of human GM genes trace back to two evolutionary periods: the origin of all cellular organisms and the origin of all eukaryotes. This indicates that protein glycosylation is an ancient process likely common to all life, further elaborated in early eukaryotes. In contrast, human glycoproteins exhibited prominent enrichment signals in more recent evolutionary periods, suggesting an important role in the transition from metazoans to vertebrates. Focusing specifically on the N-glycosylation (NG) pathway, we noted that the majority of NG genes acting on the cytoplasmic side of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) trace back to the origin of cellular organisms. This sharply contrasts with the rest of the NG pathway, which is oriented toward the ER lumen, where genes of eukaryotic origin predominate. In the Golgi, we also identified an analogous binary evolutionary origin of GM genes. We discuss these findings in the context of the evolutionary emergence of the eukaryotic endomembrane system and propose that the ER evolved through the invagination of a prokaryotic cell membrane containing an NG pathway.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"57 ","pages":"Pages 87-99"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144630435","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}
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.
{"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":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.05.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>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.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"57 ","pages":"Pages 262-282"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","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}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-04-16DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2025.04.006
Wei Wang
{"title":"Can DNA Be Glycosylated?","authors":"Wei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.04.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.04.006","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"57 ","pages":"Pages 6-9"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147386702","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 : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-12-18DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2025.12.007
Demin Zhou , Dezhong Ji , Jiandong Jiang
{"title":"From Flu to Therapy: Development of Influenza Viruses as Platforms for Combating Infections and Cancer","authors":"Demin Zhou , Dezhong Ji , Jiandong Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.12.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.12.007","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"57 ","pages":"Pages 16-17"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145785553","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 : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-07-01DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2025.04.027
Renkuan Zhai , Zhangqi Pan , Yuanshi Kou , Chuang Yang , Yang Ruan , Chenli Xu , Linjie He , Jianfeng Zang
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, outfitted with internal gradient coils capable of manipulating magnetic gradients in three-dimensional (3D) space, offer an intriguing platform for the navigation of medical magnetic robots. These robots offer considerable promise for applications in minimally invasive therapy, targeted drug delivery, and theranostic interventions. However, an MRI-driven robot presents a challenging contradiction between real-time control and image resolution, resulting in suboptimal tracking accuracy—attributed to the inefficiency of conventional signal acquisition and the presence of metal artifacts. In this paper, we report a multi-frequency excitation sequence with dual-echo (MFDE) that reduces the repetition time (TR) to 30 ms, allowing the precise tracking of magnetic particles (relative error < 1%) without artifacts. The duty cycle of the driving gradient is as high as 77%, and perturbations from the imaging gradients are eliminated. Expanding on these foundations, we adapted our technique to 3D operations. We established an integrated platform for imaging and motion control by creating a three-view window and developing a control joystick to be used in conjunction with the platform. Demonstrations of navigation in a maze, in a phantom vessel, and in vivo animal trials validate its feasibility and effectiveness, providing a significant advancement in the field of MRI-guided magnetic robot control.
{"title":"Multi-Frequency Dual-Echo Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Real-Time and Artifact-Free Magnetic Robot Navigation","authors":"Renkuan Zhai , Zhangqi Pan , Yuanshi Kou , Chuang Yang , Yang Ruan , Chenli Xu , Linjie He , Jianfeng Zang","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.04.027","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.04.027","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, outfitted with internal gradient coils capable of manipulating magnetic gradients in three-dimensional (3D) space, offer an intriguing platform for the navigation of medical magnetic robots. These robots offer considerable promise for applications in minimally invasive therapy, targeted drug delivery, and theranostic interventions. However, an MRI-driven robot presents a challenging contradiction between real-time control and image resolution, resulting in suboptimal tracking accuracy—attributed to the inefficiency of conventional signal acquisition and the presence of metal artifacts. In this paper, we report a multi-frequency excitation sequence with dual-echo (MFDE) that reduces the repetition time (TR) to 30 ms, allowing the precise tracking of magnetic particles (relative error < 1%) without artifacts. The duty cycle of the driving gradient is as high as 77%, and perturbations from the imaging gradients are eliminated. Expanding on these foundations, we adapted our technique to 3D operations. We established an integrated platform for imaging and motion control by creating a three-view window and developing a control joystick to be used in conjunction with the platform. Demonstrations of navigation in a maze, in a phantom vessel, and <em>in vivo</em> animal trials validate its feasibility and effectiveness, providing a significant advancement in the field of MRI-guided magnetic robot control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"57 ","pages":"Pages 189-199"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144534026","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 : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-07-26DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2025.07.023
Hongwei Sun , Ning Xing , Jiayu Zou , Yuqi Rong , Yang Shi , Han Ding , Hai-Tao Zhang
This study establishes a high-speed nano-positioning stage composed of a symmetrically driven structure with multiple parallel-bonded thin piezoelectric ceramic layers capable of performing micro- or nano-scale manipulations. Accordingly, a neural-network-based switching output regulation controller (NN-SORC) was developed to compensate for the associated hysteresis nonlinearity. To address the challenges of slow floating-point computation speeds and low compilation efficiency, a closed-loop control system with a field-programmable gate array–central processing unit (FPGA–CPU) dual-layer data-processing framework was developed. A feedback linearization method was designed to linearize the hysteresis nonlinearity of the framework, resulting in a switching-tracking error system. With the assistance of Lyapunov theory and an average dwell time technique, sufficient conditions were derived to ensure the asymptotic stability of the NN-SORC governing closed-loop system using the switching reference signals often encountered in realistic micro-/nano-scale detection and manufacturing processes. Finally, extensive comparative experiments were conducted to verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed NN-SORC scheme.
{"title":"Neural Network-Based Switching Output Regulation Control for High-Speed Nano-Positioning Stages","authors":"Hongwei Sun , Ning Xing , Jiayu Zou , Yuqi Rong , Yang Shi , Han Ding , Hai-Tao Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.07.023","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eng.2025.07.023","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study establishes a high-speed nano-positioning stage composed of a symmetrically driven structure with multiple parallel-bonded thin piezoelectric ceramic layers capable of performing micro- or nano-scale manipulations. Accordingly, a neural-network-based switching output regulation controller (NN-SORC) was developed to compensate for the associated hysteresis nonlinearity. To address the challenges of slow floating-point computation speeds and low compilation efficiency, a closed-loop control system with a field-programmable gate array–central processing unit (FPGA–CPU) dual-layer data-processing framework was developed. A feedback linearization method was designed to linearize the hysteresis nonlinearity of the framework, resulting in a switching-tracking error system. With the assistance of Lyapunov theory and an average dwell time technique, sufficient conditions were derived to ensure the asymptotic stability of the NN-SORC governing closed-loop system using the switching reference signals often encountered in realistic micro-/nano-scale detection and manufacturing processes. Finally, extensive comparative experiments were conducted to verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed NN-SORC scheme.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11783,"journal":{"name":"Engineering","volume":"57 ","pages":"Pages 227-235"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144712212","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}