One-Step Rapid Fabrication of Cell-Only Living Fibers

Cellular aggregates are used as relevant regenerative building blocks, tissue models, and cell delivery platforms. Biomaterial-free structures are often assembled either as 2D cell sheets or spherical microaggregates, both incompatible with free-form deposition, and dependent on challenging processes for macroscale 3D upscaling. The continuous and elongated nature of fiber-shaped materials enables their deposition in unrestricted multiple directions. Cellular fiber fabrication has often required exogenously provided support proteins and/or the use of biomaterial-based sacrificial templates. Here, the rapid (<24 h) assembly of fiberoids is reported: living centimeter-long scaffold-free fibers of cells produced in the absence of exogenous materials or supplements. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell fiberoids can be easily modulated into complex multidimensional geometries and show tissue-invasive properties while keeping the secretion of trophic factors. Proangiogenic properties studied on a chick chorioallantoic membrane in an ovo model are observed for heterotypic fiberoids containing endothelial cells. These micro-to-macrotissues may find application as morphogenic therapeutic and tissue-mimetic building blocks, with the ability to integrate 3D and 4D full biological materials.     

变分布的量子行为粒子群优化算法求解工程约束优化问题

针对工程形状设计领域中带有多个约束条件的非线性设计优化问题,提出了一种自适应的基于高斯分布的量子行为粒子群优化(AG-QPSO)算法。通过自适应地调整高斯分布,AG-QPSO算法能够在搜索的初始阶段有很强的全局搜索能力,随着搜索过程的进行,算法的局部搜索能力逐渐增强,从而满足了算法在搜索过程不同阶段的需要。为了验证算法的有效性,在压力容器和张弦设计问题这两个工程约束优化问题上进行50轮独立实验。实验结果表明,在满足所有约束条件的情况下,AG-QPSO算法在压力容器设计问题上取得了5890.9315的平均解和5885.3328的最优解,在张弦设计问题上取得了0.01096的平均解和0.01096的最优解,远优于标准粒子群优化(PSO)算法、具有量子行为的粒子群优化(QPSO)算法和高斯量子行为粒子群(G-QPSO)算法等现有的算法的结果,同时AG-QPSO算法取得的结果的方差较小,说明该算法具有很好的鲁棒性。     

Intersecting Xenobiology and Neometabolism To Bring Novel Chemistries to Life

The diversity of life relies on a handful of chemical elements (carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus) as part of essential building blocks; some other atoms are needed to a lesser extent, but most of the remaining elements are excluded from biology. This circumstance limits the scope of biochemical reactions in extant metabolism – yet it offers a phenomenal playground for synthetic biology. Xenobiology aims to bring novel bricks to life that could be exploited for (xeno)metabolite synthesis. In particular, the assembly of novel pathways engineered to handle nonbiological elements (neometabolism) will broaden chemical space beyond the reach of natural evolution. In this review, xeno-elements that could be blended into nature's biosynthetic portfolio are discussed together with their physicochemical properties and tools and strategies to incorporate them into biochemistry. We argue that current bioproduction methods can be revolutionized by bridging xenobiology and neometabolism for the synthesis of new-to-nature molecules, such as organohalides.     

Nonribosomal Peptides Produced by Minimal and Engineered Synthetases with Terminal Reductase Domains

Nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) use terminal reductase domains for 2-electron reduction of the enzyme-bound thioester releasing the generated peptides as C-terminal aldehydes. Herein, we reveal the biosynthesis of a pyrazine that originates from an aldehyde-generating minimal NRPS termed ATRed in entomopathogenic Xenorhabdus indica. Reductase domains were also investigated in terms of NRPS engineering and, although no general applicable approach was deduced, we show that they can indeed be used for the production of similar natural and unnatural pyrazinones.     

Scavenging Bacterial Siderophores with Engineered Lipocalin Proteins as an Alternative Antimicrobial Strategy

Iron acquisition mediated by siderophores, high-affinity chelators for which bacteria have evolved specific synthesis and uptake mechanisms, plays a crucial role in microbiology and in host–pathogen interactions. In the ongoing fight against bacterial infections, this area has attracted biomedical interest. Beyond several approaches to interfere with siderophore-mediated iron uptake from medicinal and immunochemistry, the development of high-affinity protein scavengers that tightly complex the siderophores produced by pathogenic bacteria has appeared as a novel strategy. Such binding proteins have been engineered based on siderocalin—also known as lipocalin 2—an endogenous human scavenger of enterobactin and bacillibactin that controls the systemic spreading of commensal bacteria such as Escherichia coli. By using combinatorial protein design, siderocalin was reshaped to bind several siderophores from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and, in particular, petrobactin from Bacillus anthracis, none of which is recognized by the natural protein. Such engineered versions of siderocalin effectively suppress the growth of corresponding pathogenic bacteria by depriving them of their iron supply and offer the potential to complement antibiotic therapy in situations of acute or persistent infection.     

A minimalist approach to polarization resistance measurements in a reinforced concrete structure

In the curriculum of future civil engineers, electrochemical concepts are often neglected, even though this knowledge is essential to adequately maintain reinforced concrete structures in a chloride-exposed environment. Experiments are necessary to consolidate key theoretical concepts, but laboratory experience often involves complex and expensive electronic equipment that may obscure the basic procedures at work. This paper presents a simple minimalistic electrochemical test for polarization resistance measurements by which students can learn basic concepts of corrosion electrochemistry and estimate the corrosion rate as a key parameter for estimation of the remaining service life of concrete structures. The focus is on avoiding unnecessary complications and providing an experiment that can be readily implemented for a wider student reach.     

The Marine Polysaccharide Ulvan Confers Potent Osteoinductive Capacity to PCL-Based Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering Applications

Hybrid composites of synthetic and natural polymers represent materials of choice for bone tissue engineering. Ulvan, a biologically active marine sulfated polysaccharide, is attracting great interest in the development of novel biomedical scaffolds due to recent reports on its osteoinductive properties. Herein, a series of hybrid polycaprolactone scaffolds containing ulvan either alone or in blends with κ-carrageenan and chondroitin sulfate was prepared and characterized. The impact of the preparation methodology and the polysaccharide composition on their morphology, as well as on their mechanical, thermal, water uptake and porosity properties was determined, while their osteoinductive potential was investigated through the evaluation of cell adhesion, viability, and osteogenic differentiation of seeded human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells. The results verified the osteoinductive ability of ulvan, showing that its incorporation into the polycaprolactone matrix efficiently promoted cell attachment and viability, thus confirming its potential in the development of biomedical scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration applications.     

新工科背景下现代设计方法教学探讨

“现代设计方法”是机电工程专业一门重要的专业必修课程。聚集于新工科中解决复杂工程问题的能力这一重要目标,针对目前教学中存在的一些不足之处,本文从教学内容、教学模式与教学方法等角度提出了相应的教学改革措施,为进一步培养学生解决复杂工程问题能力提供借鉴。     

Heterogeneous Bimetallic Mo-NiPx/NiSy as a Highly Efficient Electrocatalyst for Robust Overall Water Splitting

Highly efficient electrocatalysts composed of earth-abundant elements are desired for water-splitting to produce clean and renewable chemical fuel. Herein, a heteroatomic-doped multi-phase Mo-doped nickel phosphide/nickel sulfide (Mo-NiP_x/NiS_y) nanowire electrocatalyst is designed by a successive phosphorization and sulfuration method for boosting overall water splitting (both oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions (HER)) in alkaline solution. As expected, the Mo-NiP_x/NiS_y electrode possesses low overpotentials both at low and high current densities in HER, while the Mo-NiP_x/NiS_y heterostructure exhibits high active performance with ultra-low overpotentials of 137, 182, and 250 mV at the current density of 10, 100, and 400 mA cm⁻² in 1 m KOH solution, respectively, in oxygen evolution reaction. In particular, the as-prepared Mo-NiP_x/NiS_y electrodes exhibit remarkable full water splitting performance at both low and high current densities of 10, 100, and 400 mA cm⁻² with 1.42, 1.70, and 2.36 V, respectively, which is comparable to commercial electrolysis.     

Defect Engineering in Ambipolar Layered Materials for Mode-Regulable Nociceptor

Defect engineering represents a significant approach for atomically thick 2D semiconductor material development to explore the unique material properties and functions. Doping-induced conversion of conductive polarity is particularly beneficial for optimizing the integration of layered electronics. Here, controllable doping behavior in palladium diselenide (PdSe₂) transistor is demonstrated by manipulating its adatom-vacancy groups. The underlying mechanisms, which originate from reversible adsorption/desorption of oxygen clusters near selenide vacancy defects, are investigated systematically via their dynamic charge transfer characteristics and scanning tunneling microscope analysis. The modulated doping effect allows the PdSe₂ transistor to emulate the essential characteristics of photo nociceptor on a device level, including firing signal threshold and sensitization. Interestingly, electrostatic gating, acting as a neuromodulator, can regulate the adaptive modes in nociceptor to improve its adaptability and perceptibility to handle different danger levels. An integrated artificial nociceptor array is also designed to execute unique image processing functions, which suggests a new perspective for extension of the promise of defect engineered 2D electronics in simplified sensory systems toward use in advanced humanoid robots and artificial visual sensors.