Search Results (1,153)

Background: Biodegradable implants manufactured from Mg-based alloys are one of the most commonly used in orthopedics. However, their overall clinical acceptance is influenced by their fast corrosion speed and hydrogen emission. Based on an innovative manufacturing route previously described, this study introduces a preliminary proof-of-concept for a Gemini-assisted Digital Twin (Gemini-DT),which is an AI-augmented in silico framework designed to consider a MgF₂ conversion coating on the implant surface and to model the synchronization of the degradation process with new bone formation. Methods: Based on the integration of experimental data for Mg-Nd and Mg-Zn alloys and by considering the implant geometry and coating formation, we developed, in collaborative work with LLM Gemini 1.5 Flash (Google), a four-module cognitive framework (surface thermodynamic synergy (Module 1), degradation analysis and alloy extract concentration management (Module 2), micro-channel fluidics and mechanical stability (Module 3), and bio-mechanical synchronization and regenerative evaluation (Module 4)) to evaluate simulated implant behaviors). Results: Using a 10,000 iteration Monte Carlo stability simulation, the model demonstrated a potential 12% reduction in false-negative design screening errors compared to rigid rule-based systems, achieving strong internal decision consistency in sustaining the mandated parametric compliance window. Computational verification supports the projected biocompatibility trends of Mg-Zn alloys, as previously demonstrated in our in vivo studies. Conclusions: Our research leads to a consistent computational architecture dedicated to Mg-based implants and offers a robust platform for virtual design and optimization. These observations suggest that the developed model can recover viable designs, whereas traditional linear models may reject them. Full article

Background/Objectives: Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a chronic condition with no established pharmacological treatment. Recent advances in drug-based therapies offer promising opportunities to prevent or treat SNHL. This scoping review summarizes the current landscape of pharmacotherapeutics for SNHL. Methods: This scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). A literature search of PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted in 2024 using keywords related to SNHL and pharmacotherapeutics. A review protocol was preregistered on the Open Science Framework. A systematic search of five electronic databases identified published studies from 2004 to 2024 on pharmacological treatments for SNHL in human participants, as well as ongoing clinical trials. Interventions were categorized by mechanism of action: antioxidant therapy, steroid-based combination therapy, hematologic-based therapy, pathway modulator therapy, regenerative therapy, and gene therapy. A narrative synthesis approach was used to map key trends across treatment types, study designs, and outcomes. Results: Sixty-six records met the inclusion criteria, including 48 published studies and 18 ongoing or recently completed clinical trial records. Antioxidants, corticosteroids, hematologic agents, and pathway modulators have demonstrated potential in preventing or treating SNHL caused by cisplatin, aminoglycosides, noise-induced ototoxicity, and intraoperative cochlear implantation trauma. Emerging regenerative and gene therapies show promise as future pharmacologic treatment options. Conclusions: Pharmacologic therapies for SNHL are promising but remain constrained by small sample sizes, heterogeneous study designs, and drug delivery challenges across the blood–labyrinth barrier. Future research should prioritize multicenter randomized trials, optimized delivery strategies, and integration of precision medicine approaches. Full article

Collaborative business ecosystems (CBEs) face persistent disruptions, including pandemics, geopolitical instability, climate shocks, cyber threats, resource scarcity, and sustainability transition pressures. Building on prior CBE resilience–antifragility research and a mathematical framework that introduced plasticity as a viable below-baseline response trajectory, this integrative review aims to develop a sustainability-oriented framework explaining how CBEs can align response modes, strategies, capabilities, governance mechanisms, and enabling infrastructures under persistent disruption. The review synthesizes the 2019–2026 literature on sustainable business model innovation (SBMI), circular and regenerative perspectives, digital capability infrastructures, and ecosystem governance. Drawing on 99 sources, it proposes a six-layer Sustainable Resilience–Antifragility Framework for CBEs (SRA-CBE Framework), linking disruption sources, ecosystem vulnerabilities, viable response modes, strategy and capability portfolios, governance mechanisms, and sustainability-oriented outcomes. The synthesis shows that sustainable CBEs require aligned strategy bundles, adaptive and sustainability-oriented capabilities, governance arrangements that prevent collaboration and digitalization from becoming fragility sources, and enablers such as SBMI, circularity, scenario simulation, and governed digital infrastructures. The paper contributes by sharpening the link between disruption response and sustainability-oriented ecosystem design, repositioning viable response modes as design positions, and outlining managerial and research implications for sustainable collaborative ecosystems. Full article

Tourism destinations consume vast quantities of energy, water, food, and materials, yet these resource flows remain largely invisible in destination planning practice. The aim of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework that reconceptualises tourism destinations as industrial ecosystems and makes their material and energy flows visible, quantifiable, and amenable to destination-scale planning. Existing frameworks prioritise governance and demand management, leaving the material dimension of sustainability unaddressed. To this end, the paper proposes a multi-scale resource-flow framework grounded in industrial ecology. This is a conceptual framework paper: it develops analytical architecture for destination-scale resource accounting rather than reporting empirical measurements. The framework organises four analytical components—actors, flows, structural configurations, and feedback mechanisms—across macro, meso, and micro scales. Three planning capabilities are advanced: supply-chain-complete environmental accounting, resource hotspot detection, and policy design along the full causal chain from structural arrangement to environmental outcome. Material flow analysis, life cycle assessment, and industrial symbiosis mapping are presented as operational tools, illustrated through reference to high-intensity coastal tourism systems. Industrial symbiosis is positioned as a structural mechanism through which by-product valorisation reduces destination-level resource throughput. The study contributes a bridging framework between governance-oriented tourism planning and the material accounting rigour of industrial ecology, distinguishing it from circular economy models that supply a design principle but no material accounting, from urban metabolism approaches that assume temporally stable flows, and from regenerative development that is values-based rather than quantitative. The framework offers a foundation for more integrated and resource-efficient destination sustainability planning. Full article

Programmable peptide hydrogels represent advanced supramolecular biomaterials featured with customizable molecular sequences and tunable self-assembly behaviors, which can biomimetically reconstruct the structural and microenvironmental complexity of native extracellular matrix. This review systematically elaborates the molecular engineering advances of programmable peptide hydrogels following a hierarchical logic from fundamental mechanisms to translational applications. We first interpret the intrinsic self-assembly mechanisms driven by non-covalent interactions and the regulatory effects of typical external microenvironmental stimuli. On this basis, we summarize core rational design principles, covering stimuli-responsive structural optimization, biofunctional modification, and the tunable regulation of physical properties, degradability and immunogenicity. Furthermore, we correlate multi-scale structural features (nanostructures, porous architecture and mechanical properties) with their versatile biomedical functions, and comprehensively discuss their cutting-edge applications in tissue regeneration, targeted drug and gene delivery, cell-mediated therapy, immunomodulation, and anti-infective treatment. Finally, we identify critical translational barriers including batch-to-batch inconsistency, immunogenic risks, and in vivo performance instability, and highlight future directions involving multi-stimuli-responsive systems, artificial intelligence-assisted design, computational modeling, and hybrid material construction. This work systematically clarifies the structure–property–function relationship of peptide hydrogels, and underscores their great potential as next-generation platforms for precision regenerative medicine and targeted disease intervention. Full article

Objectives: Distraction osteogenesis (DO) is an established technique for bone regeneration but is associated with prolonged consolidation time and extended external fixation. Biophysical and biologic adjuncts have been proposed to accelerate regenerative maturation. This systematic review aimed to comparatively evaluate the available clinical evidence regarding low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) and biologic augmentation strategies in distraction osteogenesis. Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines and prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251125456). MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched from inception to October 2025. Randomized controlled trials and cohort studies evaluating LIPUS, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC), culture-expanded mesenchymal stem cells, or hyperbaric oxygen therapy in distraction osteogenesis were included. Risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2 for randomized trials and structured domain-based criteria for observational studies. Due to substantial clinical and methodological heterogeneity, findings were synthesized narratively. Results: Nine studies involving 304 participants met the inclusion criteria, including randomized controlled trials and cohort studies across multiple anatomical sites and fixation techniques. Randomized trials evaluating LIPUS demonstrated inconsistent reductions in healing index and consolidation time, with no consistent effect on complication rates. Biologic adjuncts such as PRP, BMAC, and cell-based therapies showed signals of improved consolidation parameters in selected studies; however, evidence was limited by small sample sizes and methodological heterogeneity. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy lacked sufficient high-quality evidence to support routine use. Overall, the certainty of evidence was constrained by variability in study design, outcome definitions, and risk of bias. Conclusions: Although both biophysical and biologic adjuncts demonstrate compelling biological rationale, current clinical evidence in distraction osteogenesis remains heterogeneous and inconclusive. Biologic strategies may offer theoretical advantages through direct cellular and growth factor supplementation, whereas LIPUS provides non-invasive mechanotransductive stimulation; however, neither approach can currently be recommended for routine clinical use. High-quality, adequately powered trials with standardized outcome reporting are required to define their true clinical role. Level of Evidence: Level III (Systematic review of Level I–III studies). Full article

Wound healing is a complex, multi-stage process governed by tightly regulated molecular mechanisms. However, effective regenerative therapies remain with limitations. This study presents a novel marine-derived biocomposite, JPC-ALG-CT, designed to improve wound healing through synergistic bioactive mechanisms. The material incorporates collagen extracted from the jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo, chitosan derived from the crab Pachygrapsus mormoratus, and polysaccharide-rich extracts from the green alga Cladophora vagabunda, all sourced from the Black Sea. The study is based on the biochemical analysis of these three marine-derived components, highlighting the collagen content of jellyfish, the polysaccharides present in algae, and the bioactive properties of chitosan. The biochemical and physico-chemical properties of each component were characterized, with particular emphasis on the structural features of jellyfish collagen and the functional bioactivity of chitosan and algal polysaccharides. The research findings are supported by the identification of the collagen type extracted from jellyfish, as well as by the characterization of chitosan and green algal extracts. The resulting composite demonstrated significant antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, indicating its potential to integrate key processes involved in wound repair, including inflammation control and microbial protection. In vitro studies using fibroblast and keratinocyte models showed that the JPC-CT-ALG biocomposite supported cell viability at lower tested concentrations and promoted scratch closure in cell monolayers, suggesting preliminary wound-relevant biological activity. These findings suggest that the combined marine-derived components interact to enchance wound healing at the cellular level. This work evidenced the potential of marine biomaterials as sources for next-generation regenerative therapies and supports further investigation into their molecular mechanisms and in vivo applications for improved wound care. Full article

This paper presents an application-oriented evaluation of a 130 kW interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) for C-segment electric vehicle (EV) traction by linking sequentially coupled multiphysics analysis with WLTP-based vehicle system-level simulation. Conventional motor performance evaluation is based on single-physics analysis at a limited number of operating points. This approach is insufficient to capture nonlinear characteristic variations under changing operating conditions or to reflect realistic driving environments. To overcome this limitation, sequentially coupled multiphysics analysis incorporating electromagnetic, thermal, and structural characteristics was performed, and the resulting loss data were incorporated into a vehicle system-level simulation model. The WLTP Class 3b driving cycle was applied to quantitatively evaluate energy performance under realistic driving conditions. The results show that the designed IPMSM satisfies the target output power of 130 kW, while its electromagnetic, thermal, and structural characteristics, including torque ripple, back-EMF, winding temperature, permanent magnet temperature, and rotor stress, remain within acceptable limits. The system-level analysis further indicates that the motor operating points during driving are predominantly distributed in the high-efficiency region, and that the final energy economy considering regenerative braking reaches 5.59 km/kWh, with an estimated maximum driving range of 352.58 km on a single charge. These results indicate that the combined motor-level and vehicle-level numerical evaluation can provide useful design-stage information for assessing high-power-density EV traction motors. Full article

Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent age-related joint disease, yet the limited regenerative capacity of articular cartilage severely constrains spontaneous repair. Here, we present a freeze–thaw polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogel platform featuring a hybrid open–closed macroporous architecture that enables cartilage-mimetic load dissipation for artificial cartilage applications. The hybrid porous structure provides synergistic advantages, where closed pores enhance load-bearing stiffness while open pores facilitate energy dissipation. By systematically tuning polymer composition and processing conditions, clear structure–property relationships among porosity, water content, and mechanical performance are established. An optimized formulation (18 wt.% PVA, 85–124 kDa; 18 wt.% PEG; three freeze–thaw cycles) yields hydrogels with high water content (39.1 ± 7.8 wt.%), high compressive Young’s modulus (3.60 ± 0.67 MPa), and excellent resilience under cyclic loading. Notably, under dynamic compression (2 m/s), a frequently overlooked yet physiologically relevant mechanical property of hydrogels, the materials exhibit nearly twofold enhancement in compressive modulus compared to static conditions, demonstrating pronounced strain-rate-dependent stiffening. Finite element analysis reveals efficient load redistribution across the interconnected porous network, providing mechanistic insight into the observed mechanical robustness. Compared with native cartilage and recently reported hydrogel systems, the developed hydrogels exhibit superior stiffness while maintaining mechanical and structural resilience. In vitro cytotoxicity and direct-contact assays confirm excellent cytocompatibility. These results establish a scalable and cost-effective design strategy for engineering mechanically robust, rate-adaptive hydrogels, advancing the development of next-generation artificial cartilage substitutes. Full article

NG2 glia, also known as oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, represent a unique population of glial cells characterized by dynamic morphology and the ability to extend branched processes that actively contact neurons and other cellular elements. These structural and functional interactions enable NG2 glia to contribute to the regulation of axonal excitability, electrical activity, and axonal architecture. Unlike most other glial cells, NG2 glia receive direct synaptic input from neurons and can generate action potentials, defining their distinctive physiological status. A particularly important feature of this cell population is the expression of the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan NG2/CSPG4, which serves as a key molecular marker and plays an essential role in intercellular interactions. Following spinal cord injury (SCI), NG2 glia rapidly become activated, undergo phenotypic changes, and engage in extensive interactions with neurons, astrocytes, microglia, and endothelial cells. These interactions form a complex regulatory network that influences both the severity of secondary injury and the effectiveness of remodeling and repair processes. Mechanisms of particular importance include the secretion of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans and alterations in extracellular matrix properties. Finally, this review highlights potential therapeutic approaches aimed at modulating NG2 glial activity and their intercellular interactions. The focus is on strategies designed to reduce the inhibitory effects of proteoglycans while enhancing the remyelinating and neuroprotective potential of these cells, thereby opening new perspectives for regenerative therapies after SCI. Full article

Background: Large segmental bone defects remain a major challenge in reconstructive surgery, particularly in the presence of impaired vascularization. Despite advances in scaffold design and biomaterials, insufficient vascular supply continues to represent the primary limitation in bone tissue engineering, often leading to impaired osteogenesis and graft failure. Objective: This review aims to analyze the role of vascularized flaps as “living bioreactors” in bone tissue engineering, focusing on their capacity to enhance scaffold vascularization, support osteogenesis, and facilitate clinical translation. Methods: A narrative review was conducted through a structured search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science using combinations of the following keywords: “bone tissue engineering”, “vascularized flaps”, “arteriovenous loop”, and “in vivo bioreactor”. Relevant preclinical and clinical studies were selected based on their contribution to vascularization strategies in scaffold-based bone regeneration, with the aim of illustrating the evolution and integration of these approaches. Results: Vascularized flaps provide an established vascular network and a biologically active microenvironment that promote scaffold integration and tissue regeneration. Periosteal flaps demonstrate strong osteogenic potential, whereas muscle and omental flaps primarily act as vascular carriers and adaptable regenerative environments. AV loop-based strategies enable intrinsic axial vascularization, ensuring rapid and homogeneous perfusion of large constructs. Hybrid approaches, including regenerative matching axial vascularization (RMAV), integrate vascularized tissues with advanced biomaterials and show promising translational outcomes. Conclusions: Vascularization-driven strategies represent a paradigm shift in bone tissue engineering, moving from passive scaffold implantation to actively engineered, vascularized constructs. The integration of microsurgical techniques with advanced biomaterials offers significant potential for the development of personalized and clinically applicable bone regeneration strategies. Full article

The landscape of human cardiac biology was transformed by the discovery that adult somatic cells can be reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells, enabling patient-specific disease modeling, drug testing, and regenerative strategies without the prior ethical or biological constraints. Subsequent advances in directed differentiation made the generation of human iPSC-derived cardiac myocytes reliable and scalable. Despite this progress, a central limitation has remained: these cells are developmentally immature, resembling fetal cardiac myocytes in structure, metabolism, and function. This immaturity restricts their utility for modeling adult-onset disease, predicting drug responses, and achieving clinical translation. Maturation is now understood as a multifactorial symphony, requiring coordinated molecular, structural, and environmental inputs rather than single interventions. As a result, the field is shifting toward integrative approaches that incorporate 3D architecture, multicellular systems, and biomimetic environments to better replicate native cardiac tissue. While fully adult-like myocardium remains an ongoing goal, advances in bioengineering and system-level design are narrowing the gap, with success increasingly defined by the generation of functional cardiac tissue rather than isolated cell maturity. Full article

This essay reflects on how regenerative strategies used within the field of ecology can be considered in terms of Fine Art practice and pedagogy (and vice versa) and proposes how these methodological alliances inform and extend our understanding of the relationship between these disciplines. Building on recent interest in regenerative practice in the field of design and contemporary art, this piece of writing compares actions of ecological restoration with methods and processes taking place in the artist’s studio. Referencing specialists in the fields of regenerative agriculture, ecology and contemporary arts practice, this text suggests potential alignments and coalescences that broaden our understanding of what a ‘regenerative’ perspective may mean for art practice and, in particular, that of collage and painting, which are central to the author’s own work. This essay includes accounts and anecdotes from conversations with students in studio tutorials alongside recollections of conversations with tutors when I was a student, where discussions highlight processes and decision-making that align with what a ‘regenerative art practice’ might look like. In conclusion, building on Basarab Nicolescu’s proposal of the transdisciplinary, this essay locates the edge of boundaries as fertile ground for radical method-making. Full article

Opportunistic bacterial and fungal infections from surface wounds remain a persistent threat to aquaculture, resulting in significant economic losses and reduced stock welfare. Topical wound sealants are widely employed in recreational aquaculture applications, yet no market regulation or efficacy data exist to support their usage. The broader biological/environmental impacts of these products also remain poorly characterized. This study provides the first quantitative assessment of the antibacterial, antifungal and cellular toxicity of a panel of commercially available topical ‘carp care’ formulations. Our data highlights highly variable to no functional growth inhibition or killing of microbial pathogens, significant inherent cyprinid cellular toxicity, and lack of submerged wet adhesion in all products tested. We show for the first time that commercial propolis solutions are ineffective against the four main pathogenic microorganisms affecting carp. Propolis formulations were also found to induce apoptosis and ROS generation in cyprinid cells in vitro, and permeabilise intact carp skin, questioning the foundation of propolis formulations in topical wound-care treatments for carp rearing/angling. We show improved efficacies can be attained through natural compound implementation, with increased antibacterial and antifungal effects, inherent regenerative benefits to cyprinid fibroblasts, and improved human and environmental safety profiles. This research demonstrates the widespread lack of efficacy in currently commercially available wound sealants for carp; of those tested here, many popular formulations are in fact inherently toxic to carp cells, and also have a permeabilizing effect on intact carp skin due to carrier solvent effects, providing a route for secondary infection; most show no activity against any common carp pathogens; and all uniformly lacked wet adhesion. This work provides a framework standard for the future development of topical wound-care formulations for carp and highlights the need for better dialogue between trade and academia when designing novel wound-care products. Full article

Background/Objectives: Contemporary implant dentistry is increasingly oriented toward minimally invasive regenerative strategies designed to reduce surgical morbidity while preserving or improving clinical outcomes. Conventional bone augmentation procedures remain effective and biologically well established, but they may be associated with greater patient burden, increased risk of complications, and higher technical demands in selected clinical scenarios. This narrative review critically examines minimally invasive bone regeneration approaches in implant dentistry, with particular focus on the Bone Core Technique, the Sub-Periosteal Peri-implant Augmented Layer (SPAL) technique, and Immediate Dentoalveolar Restoration (IDR), emphasizing their biological rationale, clinical indications, surgical workflows, limitations, and reported outcomes. Methods: A structured, non-systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify publications relevant to minimally invasive bone regeneration in implant dentistry. Priority was given to clinical studies, prospective cohorts, case series, technical descriptions, and biologically oriented conceptual papers addressing vascular preservation, flap limitation, donor-site morbidity, and peri-implant hard- and soft-tissue integration. Results: Available evidence suggests that minimally invasive regenerative protocols may offer favorable clinical and patient-centered outcomes only in carefully selected indications and when performed by experienced operators. The strength of support is uneven across techniques: the Bone Core Technique currently has the strongest dedicated prospective follow-up for localized peri-implant defects, SPAL is supported by limited retrospective and emerging histologic evidence, and IDR remains largely based on case reports, technique-driven descriptions, and broader immediate implant literature. Conclusions: Minimally invasive bone regeneration reflects a shift toward biologically guided and patient-centered treatment concepts in implant dentistry, but it should not be interpreted as a universal substitute for conventional augmentation. Its successful application depends on careful case selection, sound knowledge of wound healing and defect morphology, and advanced surgical and prosthetic expertise. Further research should prioritize standardized outcome measures, longer follow-up, and comparative prospective studies. Full article