Search Results (1,063)

Soft tissue reconstruction often requires biomaterials that provide temporary mechanical support while permitting vascular integration and tissue remodeling. In reconstructive breast surgery, these demands converge within a uniquely challenging environment characterized by large surface areas, variable perfusion, frequent exposure to radiation, and reliance on prosthetic implants. Consequently, breast reconstruction serves as a clinically relevant model for evaluating the performance and limitations of soft tissue scaffolds. Acellular dermal matrices (ADMs) were introduced to provide biologically derived reinforcement capable of host integration and neovascularization. Although ADM has transformed implant-based reconstruction, clinical experience has revealed important limitations, including variability in mechanical properties, inconsistent vascularization, susceptibility to fibrosis, and suboptimal performance in compromised tissue beds. These challenges have driven increasing interest in synthetic polymer scaffolds engineered for reproducible mechanics, controlled degradation, and scalable manufacturing. This narrative review examines the evolution from ADM to synthetic and hybrid scaffold systems in breast reconstruction. We discuss how scaffold architecture, thickness, porosity, and degradation kinetics influence angiogenesis, immune response, and mechanical load transfer during healing. Hybrid strategies that incorporate selective bioactivity within synthetic frameworks are also explored, highlighting their translational promise and current limitations. These principles are particularly relevant in implant-based breast reconstruction, where scaffold performance directly influences complication rates, implant stability, and long-term outcomes. Collectively, breast reconstruction serves as a rigorous translational model demonstrating that optimal soft tissue scaffolds must balance vascular permissiveness, mechanical reliability, and predictable resorption to optimize reconstructive success and guide future biomaterial innovation. Full article

The development of protective coatings that integrate self-healing and environmental tolerance is vital for extending substrate lifespan. In this study, a multifunctional hydrogel composite coating is developed based on a waterborne polyacrylate dynamic covalent network containing oxime–carbamate bonds. The functional monomer MEOC, which contains an oxime–carbamate dynamic bond, was synthesized and incorporated into the waterborne polyacrylate matrix to form a hydrogel network (OC-PA) with intrinsic self-healing capability. Prussian blue (PB) and nano-SiO₂ were incorporated to form a photothermal functional layer, imparting hydrophobicity and converting light into heat for de-icing, while also activating dynamic bond rearrangement within the substrate. When the MEOC content was 7 wt% and the PB content was 2 wt%, the coating temperature rose to 110 °C within 2 min under 0.6 W/cm² irradiation, and the scratch healed within 5 min. After 1 h of fracture repair, the tensile strength reached 6.68 MPa, with a repair rate as high as 92.91%, and de-icing time was reduced from 343 s to 183 s. The coating achieved a water contact angle >100°. At −20 °C, the icing delay time increased by 215%. The hydrogel coating also exhibited excellent abrasion resistance, chemical stability, UV aging resistance, and anti-fouling properties, offering a durable solution for demanding environments. Full article

Nano-TiO₂ is widely used in many industrial fields due to its unique physical and chemical properties. In recent years, it has become a core material in the research of road engineering for degrading automobile exhaust. Under ultraviolet irradiation, it can excite electron-hole pairs and use its strong redox capacity to decompose automobile exhaust and improve air quality. From the perspectives of materials, performance and engineering application, this paper briefly describes the structure and physicochemical properties of nano-TiO₂, reviews the recent research progress of nano-TiO₂ in the photocatalytic degradation of automobile exhaust, systematically compares the effects of various strategies such as incorporation methods and modified materials on exhaust degradation efficiency, and conducts a quantitative analysis of performance differences. It is pointed out that insufficient road durability, poor compatibility with pavement materials and limited adaptability to unconventional environments are the main current problems and challenges in this research direction. The future development directions such as developing self-healing composite systems and constructing machine learning prediction models are also prospected. Full article

In recent years, bacteria-based self-healing has emerged as a promising bioengineering strategy to address the self-repair of cracks in cement-based materials, which represent one of the persistent durability challenges. This approach relies on microbiologically induced calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) precipitation (MICP), in which metabolically active bacteria promote CaCO₃ formation of crystals that can heal cracks and restore material integrity. This study compares the self-healing potential of a natural (N-) alkaline soil Bacillus licheniformis strain with a UV-strain (phenotypic mutant) generated through controlled UV exposure followed by adaptive evolution. Both strains were evaluated under conditions relevant to cementitious environments. The UV-strain exhibited enhanced ureolytic performance, reaching urease activity of 0.32 U/mg compared to 0.24 U/mg in the N-strain. This translated into improved biomineralization, with CaCO₃ precipitation reaching 2.37 mg versus 2.23 mg/100 mL in the N-strain. Additionally, the UV-strain showed increased cell hydrophobicity and aggregation, indicating improved nucleation potential and surface-mediated mineral deposition. Multivariate analysis confirmed strong correlations between ureolytic metabolism, alkalization, and mineral formation, while artificial neural network (ANN) modeling (MLP 6-10-14) successfully predicted biomineralization-related parameters with high accuracy (R² > 0.90 for urease activity, NH₄⁺, ΔpH, and CaCO₃). The results demonstrate that UV-induced phenotypic adaptation can enhance biomineralization efficiency with minor trade-offs in physiological robustness. For the first time, that controlled UV-induced phenotypic adaptation can be used as a targeted strategy to enhance biomineralization efficiency in B. licheniformis, while maintaining functional stability under cement-relevant conditions. These findings provide a novel framework for tailoring bacterial performance in self-healing systems for construction biotechnology. Full article

The paper deals with the concept of how to regulate structure formation in the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between the Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) matrix and basalt to ensure the durability of basalt fiber-reinforced concretes. It has been demonstrated that the alkali–silica reaction (ASR) can be transformed from a destructive (negative) process into a constructive one in OPC concrete through activation by sodium water glass combined with the incorporation of an Al₂O₃-containing additive, namely metakaolin. Alkaline activation increased the compressive strength of OPC basalt fiber-reinforced concrete by 1.6–1.9 times. The formation of stable zeolite-like hydration products within the Na₂O-CaO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂-H₂O system promoted self-healing of the ITZ. This resulted in a 5.6-fold increase in ITZ microhardness compared to the cement matrix, as well as transforming expansion into shrinkage of concrete with a final value of 0.01 mm/m after 360 days. The structure-forming processes in the ITZ ensured a 1.14-fold increase in the compressive strength of 180-day alkali-activated OPC basalt fiber-reinforced concrete compared to its 30-day strength, in contrast to a 0.92-fold decrease in the strength of the non-modified OPC analog under conditions accelerating the development of ASR. Full article

Bone tissue plays a vital role in the human body and possesses intrinsic self-repair mechanisms; however, large defects or pathological fractures may exceed its natural healing capacity. Bone tissue engineering provides promising strategies to restore bone integrity through the use of scaffolds, growth factors, and stem cells. While calcium phosphate (CaP)-based ceramics, such as hydroxyapatite (HAp) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP), represent the current benchmark, their limitations, including slow degradation (HAp) and limited osteoinductivity (TCP), have driven the development of alternative biomaterials. In this context, magnesium phosphate (MgP)-based materials have gained increasing attention due to their tunable resorption rate, improved biodegradability, and ability to stimulate osteogenesis and angiogenesis through the release of magnesium (Mg²⁺) ions. This study reports on composite scaffolds based on electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) fibres coated with MgP layers doped with lithium (Li) and zinc (Zn), designed to mimic the nanofibrous architecture of the extracellular matrix. Lithium and zinc were selected due to their known ability to modulate cellular response, with lithium promoting osteogenic activity and zinc contributing to improved cell proliferation and antibacterial potential. The phosphate phases obtained by coprecipitation were deposited onto the PCL fibres using Matrix-Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE), enabling controlled surface functionalization. Following thermal treatment, the formation of the crystalline magnesium pyrophosphate (Mg₂P₂O₇) phase was confirmed by chemical and structural characterization. The combination of a slowly degrading PCL matrix, providing sustained structural support, and a bioactive MgP coating, enabling rapid and controlled ion release, results in improved scaffold performance in terms of biocompatibility, biodegradability, and bioactivity. While the slow degradation rate of PCL ensures mechanical stability over an extended period, the surface-deposited MgP phase allows immediate interaction with the biological environment, facilitating faster ion release and enhancing cell–material interactions. These findings highlight the potential of the developed composites as promising candidates for trabecular bone regeneration and as viable alternatives to conventional CaP-based scaffolds in regenerative medicine. Full article

Home has been recognized as a health infrastructure through hospital-at-home, home care, and direct-to-consumer wellness and fitness products. However, the patient home environment has been largely overlooked by healthcare as a means to improve therapy outcomes for difficult-to-treat chronic conditions, such as migraine; high-impact pain; and treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, or insomnia. Growing research evidence enables the formulation of a therapeutic home environment standard consisting of three pillars: biophilic design, indoor environmental quality, and intentional self-care spaces that serve as habit cues and foster sleep hygiene, stress management, relaxation, physical activity, and social interactions. Together, these environmental and behavioral interventions can transform real-world inputs into clinical benefits through autonomic, circadian, and emotional regulation. We also highlight the converging roles of self-management, self-efficacy, self-regulation, and self-compassion in sustaining patient engagement and healing at home. The applicability of the therapeutic home environment as an adjunct is illustrated in the case of chronic migraine, a debilitating neurological condition commonly associated with comorbidities. Current challenges in achieving migraine freedom with FDA-approved pharmacotherapies, neuromodulation devices, and digital health technologies are underscored by the high prevalence of refractory, chronic, episodic, and pediatric migraine. Perspectives on developing a personalized, multimodal cure for migraine are illustrated through a hypothetical drug + digital combination therapy comprising anti-CGRP drugs and an AI-powered digital health platform that promotes daily self-care practices within the therapeutic home environments. In conclusion, achieving sustained freedom from high-morbidity conditions requires end-to-end care ecosystems that integrate pharmacological, cognitive, behavioral, and environmental interventions into real-world settings. Full article

As schools take on more responsibility for promoting student mental health, there is an increasing focus on how educational policies and practices enhance psychological well-being. However, research has yet to fully examine how alternative school environments support student mental health, especially for those facing structural inequities related to exclusionary discipline and system involvement. This exploratory qualitative case study examined how an urban intensive, asset-based alternative high school supports the mental health of formerly incarcerated transition-age (18–25) Black male students during reentry. Drawing on interviews (n = 12), observations (n = 33), a focus group (n = 4), and document review, analyzed using thematic analysis with the Radical Healing Framework as an interpretive lens, four interconnected themes emerged: academic engagement and high school completion as sources of future orientation; employment preparation as a pathway to economic stability and purpose; social-emotional stability fostered through relational support and collective care; and liberation from system involvement as relief from racialized surveillance. These mechanisms were perceived as reducing psychological distress, supporting emotional regulation, and promoting a sense of belonging and agency within and outside the alternative school context. Implications for healing-centered, culturally responsive educational policy, practice, and future research are discussed. Full article

Carbon dots (CDs) have demonstrated promising application prospects in the field of corrosion protection due to their small size, excellent dispersibility, abundant and tunable surface functional groups, low cost, environmental friendliness, and unique fluorescence properties. However, existing reviews have predominantly focused on the synthesis and photoluminescence properties of CDs, lacking systematic integration and in-depth mechanistic analysis of their diverse applications in corrosion protection. This review systematically summarizes the recent research progress and underlying mechanisms of CDs in five key areas: corrosion inhibitors, anticorrosive coatings, photogenerated cathodic protection, chloride binding, and corrosion monitoring. As corrosion inhibitors, CDs form compact protective films on metal surfaces through synergistic physical and chemical adsorption. In anticorrosive coatings, CDs not only enhance the physical barrier effect but also impart intelligent functionalities such as self-healing and corrosion monitoring. In the field of photogenerated cathodic protection, CDs broaden the light absorption range of semiconductors and facilitate the separation of photogenerated carriers. As chloride binding promoters, CDs promote the formation of cement hydration products, thereby improving the durability of reinforced concrete structures. As sensing platforms, CDs enable early visual detection of corrosion through their specific fluorescence response to ions such as Fe³⁺. Despite significant progress, challenges remain in scalable preparation, practical application performance in complex environments, and multifunctional integration. This review systematically outlines the research advancements of CDs in corrosion protection, providing a practical reference for subsequent studies and engineering applications. Future research should focus on scalable synthesis, machine learning-assisted design, and the development of integrated multifunctional protection systems to promote the practical application of CDs in the field of corrosion protection. Full article

Background: Immediate loading of dental implants shortens treatment time and improves early function, but it also exposes the healing peri-implant tissue to a critical mechanical environment. This study compared the biomechanical and mechanobiological response of a conventional threaded implant and a porous scaffold-based implant under immediate and delayed loading conditions. Methods: A three-dimensional finite element model of a bone block with a 0.2 mm peri-implant callus was developed in ABAQUS/Standard. Model A was a threaded Ti-6Al-4V implant, while Model B was a porous implant with 64.26% porosity. Bone tissues were modeled as poroelastic materials. Immediate and delayed loading were simulated through frictional and tied bone-implant interfaces, respectively. Mechanobiological predictions were performed using the Prendergast-Huiskes stimulus. Results: Under immediate loading, the porous implant reduced cortical bone stress (32.5 MPa vs. 88 MPa) and markedly increased callus stimulation (20.5–31.6 MPa vs. about 2.5 MPa) compared with the threaded implant. Mechanobiological analysis showed that Model B promoted higher fractions of immature and mature bone and lower fractions of cartilage and fibrous tissue. In all cases, implant stresses remained below the yield strength of the corresponding materials. Conclusions: The porous implant provided a more favorable mechanical environment for early peri-implant healing, particularly under immediate loading, and may be a promising strategy to enhance callus maturation and reduce stress shielding. Full article

Wind turbine blades are exposed to multiple coupled stressors requiring protective coatings with ultra-low volatile organic compound (VOC) content, thick-film capability, and long-term durability. This review critically evaluates waterborne polyurethane (WPU) coatings as a sustainable solution, benchmarking five synthesis routes—prepolymer emulsification, acetone process, melt dispersion, ketimine/ketazine chemistry, and self-emulsification—with prepolymer emulsification identified as the most industrially mature method. Key modification strategies are systematically compared, including nano-reinforcement, surface energy control, self-healing chemistries, and bio-based approaches. Based on a synthesis of laboratory, wind-tunnel, and field studies, three critical bottlenecks—thick-film formation, nanofiller dispersion, and long-term weatherability—are identified. To address these, a layered coating architecture is proposed, integrating a low-surface-energy topcoat, a lamellar-barrier mid-coat, and a post-crosslinked primer. This framework aims to guide the industrial deployment of WPU thick-film blade coatings in offshore and other extreme environments. Full article

Bacterial cellulose (BC) has emerged as a structurally robust, biologically compatible, and highly adaptable biomaterial with significant potential for next-generation wound-care technologies. Its nanofibrillar, extracellular-matrix-like architecture provides exceptional moisture retention, mechanical stability, and conformability, enabling BC to function as an active scaffold rather than a traditional dressing. Advances in chemical modification, composite engineering, and bioactive functionalization, including antimicrobial metals, chitosan, biosurfactants, enzymes, and growth factors, have expanded BC’s therapeutic capabilities. Emerging smart BC dressings integrate biosensors, stimuli-responsive drug release, and 3D-printed architectures tailored to patient-specific wound geometries. Parallel developments in artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming BC production by optimizing bioprocessing, guiding genetic engineering, reducing culture media costs, and enabling real-time quality control, thereby improving scalability and industrial feasibility. These combined innovations position BC as a multifunctional, immunologically instructive, and digitally integrated platform for advanced regenerative wound care. This review reframes BC within the contemporary pathophysiology of chronic wounds, emphasizing its roles in immunomodulation, macrophage polarization, angiogenesis, mechanotransduction, and the disruption of mixed bacterial–fungal biofilms that characterize diabetic foot ulcers and other non-healing wounds. BC hydrogels typically contain >90–99% water and exhibit tensile strengths exceeding 200 MPa, enabling robust mechanical performance in wound environments. Advances in BC composites have demonstrated antimicrobial reductions of 3–5 log units against common chronic-wound pathogens. Full article

Calcium peroxide nanoparticles (CaO₂ NPs) have recently attracted increasing attention as oxygen-generating nanomaterials with potential biomedical applications. Their ability to release molecular oxygen and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in aqueous environments enables modulation of hypoxic and oxidative microenvironments, which play critical roles in infection control, tumor progression, and tissue regeneration. Despite growing interest in oxygen-releasing biomaterials, the literature specifically addressing CaO₂ nanomaterials remains comparatively limited and fragmented, particularly when compared with the extensive body of work on calcium oxide-based systems. This review provides a comprehensive overview of CaO₂ nanoparticles, focusing on synthesis strategies, physicochemical properties, and emerging biomedical applications. Conventional bottom-up synthesis routes based on calcium salts, calcium hydroxide, and calcium oxide are critically compared, highlighting the influence of reaction parameters and stabilizing agents on particle size, morphology, crystallinity, and colloidal stability. Surface modification strategies, including polyethylene glycol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and hyaluronic acid, are also discussed for their role in improving nanoparticle stability, regulating decomposition kinetics, and enhancing biocompatibility. The mechanisms governing oxygen and ROS generation are analysed in relation to antibacterial activity, hypoxia alleviation in tumor microenvironments, and oxygen-supplying biomaterials for tissue engineering and wound healing. In addition, key challenges associated with oxidative stress responses are discussed. Finally, the review outlines current limitations and perspectives regarding the clinical translation of CaO₂-based nanotherapeutic systems. Overall, this work aims to consolidate the currently dispersed knowledge on CaO₂ nanoparticles and provide a critical framework to guide future research in oxygen-releasing nanomedicine. Full article

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are emerging as potent acellular therapeutics; however, their rapid clearance hinders their clinical translation. To address this issue, 3D-bioprinted genipin-crosslinked gelatin (GECL) was engineered for human health. GECL hydrogels were functionalised with human umbilical cord MSC-derived sEVs (hUCMSC-sEVs) to create a bioactive wound-healing platform. These hydrogels demonstrated favourable physicochemical, mechanical, and biodegradable properties while providing an extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimetic environment conducive to tissue regeneration. MSCs were isolated from the umbilical cords, and their small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) were extracted and incorporated into gelatin-based hydrogels via 3D bioprinting. These sEV-loaded scaffolds were embedded in full-thickness wounds in mice, and healing was evaluated through macroscopic observation, histological analysis, collagen deposition, and angiogenesis assessment. Compared with the untreated controls, both the hydrogel-only (B) and sEV-loaded hydrogel (BE) groups significantly accelerated in vivo wound healing. Notably, the BE group achieved complete wound closure within 14 days, restoring the skin architecture, which closely resembled the native tissue with well-organised epidermal and dermal layers, optimal thickness, and skin appendages. Histological and ultrastructural assessments revealed an increased collagen type I deposition, a reduced α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression, and a robust neovascularisation. The TEM revealed tight junctions and active cellular infiltration, indicating scaffold integration and functional remodelling. Immunohistochemistry further revealed an upregulated CD31 expression with a balanced α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression, reflecting coordinated angiogenesis and myofibroblast regulation. These results highlight sEV-functionalised GECL hydrogels as robust and clinically translatable acellular therapeutic green products for accelerated wound closure and functional skin regeneration, advancing the fields of regenerative medicine and life expectancy. Full article

As the scale and complexity of Internet of Things (IoT) deployments increase, maintaining resilience in resource-constrained mesh networks becomes a significant challenge. Frequent node failures due to battery depletion, environmental interference, or hardware degradation can disrupt data flows and lead to operational downtime. To address this, we propose EdgeRescue, a novel lightweight AI-driven framework for self-healing in energy-constrained IoT mesh environments. EdgeRescue enables each node to perform local anomaly detection using compact 1D Convolutional Neural Networks (1D-CNNs) and initiates distributed, energy-aware routing reconfiguration when faults are detected. Unlike cloud-dependent methods, EdgeRescue operates entirely at the edge, requiring minimal computation, memory, and communication overhead. Extensive simulations on a 100-node testbed demonstrate that EdgeRescue improves packet delivery by 13.2%, reduces recovery latency by 57%, and lowers average node energy consumption by 18.8% compared to state-of-the-art baselines. These results establish EdgeRescue as a scalable and practical solution for achieving real-time resilience in next-generation IoT mesh networks. Full article