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Ecosystem engineers (EEs) strongly influence ecosystems by affecting the abiotic properties of a system to which many biota respond. EEs can, thus, be pivotal species in restoration by helping to move systems toward desired states much faster and more efficiently than direct human intervention on the abiotic state.For EEs to play a central, purposeful role in restoration, it is important to identify guiding principles about how the EEs may best be selected and incorporated.I discuss three important aspects to determine (a) where the utility for EEs is high; (b) where EEs can most easily establish, are easy to handle and scaling‐up their use is possible; and (c) how to recognize and value multiple, coupled and trait‐dependent engineering functions of EEs.Understanding these aspects of EEs should help guide purposeful and efficient choices in our approach to restoration. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Eurocode 8—Part 4 approaches, per their December 2022 update, are presented for the design of acceleration-sensitive industrial ancillary components. The seismic performance of such nested and/or supported ancillary elements, namely mechanical and electrical equipment, machinery, vessels, etc. is critical for the safety and operability of an industrial facility in the aftermath of an earthquake. Of primary importance are the structural characteristics of the supporting structure and the supported component, pertaining to resonance, strength, and ductility, and whether these are known (and to what degree) during initial design and/or subsequent modifications and upgrades. Depending on the availability and reliability of information on the overall system, the Eurocode methods comprise (a) a detailed component/structure-specific design accounting for all pertinent component and building characteristics, equivalent to typical building design per Eurocode 8—Part 1–2, (b) a conservative approach where a blanket safety factor is applied when little or no such data is available, and (c) a ductile design founded on the novel concept of inserting a fuse of verified ductility and strength in the load path between the supporting structure and the ancillary element. All three methods are evaluated and compared on the basis of a case-study industrial structure, showing how an engineer can achieve economy without compromising safety under different levels of uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prokaryotic Argonautes (pAgos) are DNA/RNA-guided endonucleases that do not require a sequence motif for function. pAgos have been developed for DNA assembly and molecular diagnostics with high sensitivity and rapid response. New mesophilic pAgos are being characterized for in vivo applications such as gene editing in prokaryotes. Eukaryotic gene editing via pAgos has not yet been demonstrated. Synthetic biology approaches to rapidly screen and engineer pAgos for eukaryotic in vivo applications are needed. Prokaryotic Argonautes (pAgos) are an emerging class of programmable endonucleases that are believed to be more flexible than existing CRISPR–Cas systems and have significant potential for biotechnology. Current applications of pAgos include a myriad of molecular diagnostics and in vitro DNA assembly tools. However, efforts have historically been centered on thermophilic pAgo variants. To enable in vivo biotechnological applications such as gene editing, focus has shifted to pAgos from mesophilic organisms. We discuss what is known of pAgos, how they are being developed for various applications, and strategies to overcome current challenges to in vivo applications in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Model-based systems engineering (MBSE) is an emerging methodology not only in the field of spacecraft systems engineering. The key objective is to store the whole system design in one single source of truth system model. The continuously maintained and customizable open-source MBSE tool Virtual Satellite developed by German Aerospace Center (DLR) offers a framework for storing such a system model. Since the open-source 3D computer aided design (CAD) software FreeCAD has a dedicated Virtual Satellite workbench for importing the 3D model file generated by Virtual Satellite, it is possible to export the 3D model from Virtual Satellite, apply changes to it in FreeCAD, and afterwards reimport it in Virtual Satellite. This paper presents a workflow implementation to conduct automated steady-state and transient thermal analyses using the Virtual Satellite system model as a basis, utilizing the aforementioned features. Part of this effort was to extend Virtual Satellite by thermal modeling capabilities, such as material parameters, surface characteristics, thermal interfaces, boundary conditions and further relevant aspects. With custom Java applications, so-called "Apps", all aspects of the system model relevant for a thermal analysis are exported from Virtual Satellite and written to accordingly generated text files. Moreover, the before described 3D model export is used to export the model to FreeCAD. The FreeCAD Python console, in combination with the finite element method (FEM) workbench, is used to create a script that executes meshing, application of the boundary and initial conditions, as well as identification of contacts between parts and application of the specified contact conductance values. The obtained files form a complete thermal model and can be fed directly into the open-source FEM software CalculiX for executing the thermal analysis. Then, the result can be processed by an additional Virtual Satellite App. To account for the space thermal environment an additional feature was added to the FreeCAD script. The feature uses orbit information obtained from external mission analysis tools to calculate the approximate combined heat load from Sun, Earth infrared, and albedo radiation at each time point in the specified simulation time interval. This new workflow allows to execute quick thermal analyses at an early design stage and therefore opens new opportunities in the evaluation of different system designs, as early as in a concurrent engineering study. Configuration parameters are provided that also allow more sophisticated analyses in later development phases, such as custom mesh definition and local mesh refinement. • Thermal design process of spacecraft relies on engineer's experience in early stages. • Potential help for the thermal design process is thermal simulation. • Thermal simulations require significant manual setup effort. • Created workflow automates simulation setup and result feedback. • Data for simulation setup maintained in MBSE system model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While Sada Harbarger is primarily known as the author of the first genre-based technical communication textbook, 1923's English For Engineers, I argue through extensive archival materials that her innovative conferencing with engineering students and interdisciplinary writing efforts, rather, drove her interwar success at Ohio State. Her rural agricultural background and acquaintance with the engineering faculty, combined with her literature training, led to OSU's engineering faculty demanding successfully that English promote her without reference to her textbook. Harbarger is also a notable early example of navigating being a female professor teaching engineering writing in a male-dominated English literature department. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Making Art Work: How Cold War Engineers and Artists Forged a New Creative Culture" by W. Patrick McCray explores the collaborations between technologists and artists during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The book highlights how artists began to move away from traditional modes of expression and embrace new media, often working with engineers to create innovative artworks. McCray's work aims to correct the historical oversight of engineers in accounts of this period and emphasizes the importance of collaborations between art and technology. The book also examines the activities of Frank Malina, a socialist rocket scientist turned kinetic artist, and explores the intersections of art and technology in various projects and initiatives. Overall, "Making Art Work" expands the field of art history and offers a distinct perspective on the creative exchange between technologists and artists. [Extracted from the article]

Controlling the polarization of the emitted light at room temperature is critical for the transition metal dichalcogenides monolayer based photonic devices. One way is to integrate the complicated man-made photonic structures with the monolayer where the photoluminescence (PL) couples with linearly polarized radiation. However, the PL polarization of the monolayer is fixed and cannot be tuned in these structures. In this work, through transferring the WS 2 monolayer onto a simple organic β -perylene (Pe) layer, we show the PL of the WS 2 monolayer can be linearly polarized by virtue of the coupling with the anisotropic modes, which are created due to the reflection of photons between the surface of the Pe substrate. More importantly, we demonstrate tunable linearly polarized excitonic emission from the WS 2 monolayer by varying the thickness of the β -Pe substrate. Our work paves the way to engineer the exciton polarization of 2D materials without complicated fabrication structures at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The information technology (IT) sector has been seen as central to society's transformation to a more just and sustainable society, which underlines teachers' responsibility to foster engineers who can contribute specifically to such ends. This study aims to report an effort to significantly update an existing engineering programme in IT with this ambition and to analyse the effects and challenges associated with the transformation. Design/methodology/approach: This study is based on a combination of action-oriented research based on implementing key changes to the curriculum; empirical investigations including surveys and interviews with students and teachers, and analysis of these; and a science and technology studies-inspired analysis. Findings: Respondents were generally positive towards adding topics relating to sustainability. However, in the unmaking of traditional engineering subjects, changes created a conflict between core versus soft subjects in which the core subjects tended to gain the upper hand. This conflict can be turned into productive discussions by focusing on what kinds of engineers the authors' educate and how students can be introduced to societal problems as an integrated part of their education. Practical implications: This study can be helpful for educators in the engineering domain to support them in their efforts to transition from a (narrow) focus on traditional disciplines to one where the bettering of society is at the core. Originality/value: This study provides a novel approach to the transformation of engineering education through a theoretical analysis seldom used in studies of higher education on a novel case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

p–n junctions based on nanocrystals now serve as fundamental components in optoelectronics. However, the process of designing these p–n junctions has largely relied on empirical choices, either for ligand exchange or for the selection of charge transport layers. Therefore, a systematic strategy is still lacking. In this study, we explore the utilization of ferroelectric domains as a general method for remotely inducing the formation of a p–n junction. To ensure compatibility with devices of various designs, we employ a commercially available periodically poled LiNbO3 (PPLN) substrate commonly used in nonlinear optics. We engineer a PPLN/graphene/HgTe heterostructure and demonstrate its planar photodiode behavior. Through x-ray photoemission microscopy, we confirm that the rectifying behavior stems from the influence of the ferroelectric domains, by ruling out the possibility of the formation of non-ohmic contacts at the electrode/semiconductor interfaces. This approach proves to be quite general and holds promise for the future design of high-speed nanocrystal-based photodiodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: To precisely engineer complex helical hierarchies at nano/microscales, reactive inks with chiral nematic anisotropy are designed for 3D printing. The phase transformations and chiral evolution in response to parallel and orthogonal shear forces are meticulously investigated to finely adjust the 3D printing parameters for programming oriented chiral assemblies. The interplay between chiral relaxation dynamics and photo-polymerization kinetics is finely tuned to enable well-controlled chiral reformation, while simultaneously ensuring high print quality. Helical hierarchy found in biomolecules like cellulose, chitin, and collagen underpins the remarkable mechanical strength and vibrant colors observed in living organisms. This study advances the integration of helical/chiral assembly and 3D printing technology, providing precise spatial control over chiral nano/microstructures of rod-shaped colloidal nanoparticles in intricate geometries. We designed reactive chiral inks based on cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) suspensions and acrylamide monomers, enabling the chiral assembly at nano/microscale, beyond the resolution seen in printed materials. We employed a range of complementary techniques including Orthogonal Superposition rheometry and in situ rheo-optic measurements under steady shear rate conditions. These techniques help us to understand the nature of the nonlinear flow behavior of the chiral inks, and directly probe the flow-induced microstructural dynamics and phase transitions at constant shear rates, as well as their post-flow relaxation. Furthermore, we analyzed the photo-curing process to identify key parameters affecting gelation kinetics and structural integrity of the printed object within the supporting bath. These insights into the interplay between the chiral inks self-assembly dynamics, 3D printing flow kinematics and photo-polymerization kinetics provide a roadmap to direct the out-of-equilibrium arrangement of CNC particles in the 3D printed filaments, ranging from uniform nematic to 3D concentric chiral structures with controlled pitch length, as well as random orientation of chiral domains. Our biomimetic approach can pave the way for the creation of materials with superior mechanical properties or programable photonic responses that arise from 3D nano/microstructure and can be translated into larger scale 3D printed designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—The abundance of the common nettle on taluses was found to be strongly correlated with the abundance of signs of Turuchan pika occurrence such as feces, latrines, and haypiles collected by pikas in the crevices between and under the stones. We believe this activity of pikas provides nitrates and thus facilitates the growth of the common nettle, a ruderal nitrophilous plant, on taluses. On the other hand, pikas selectively store nettles. As a result, pikas can be considered as both "ecosystem engineers" and "niche constructors." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A well-designed strategy is demonstrated to consecutively engineer a homogeneously dispersed cobalt monoxide nanoparticle on reduced graphene oxide as a composite anode (CoO@RGO) and a nanosized lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO 2 , LCO) cathode material, starting from metallic Co foils and few-layered graphene oxide (GO) aqueous suspension. [Display omitted] Downsizing the electrochemically active materials in both cathodic and anodic electrodes commonly brings about enhanced lithium-ion storage performances. It is particularly meaningful to explore simplified and effective strategies for exploiting nanosized electrode materials in the advanced lithium-ion batteries. In this work, the spontaneous reaction between few-layered graphene oxide (GO) and metallic cobalt (Co) foils in mild hydrothermal condition is for the first time employed to synthesize a reduced graphene oxide (RGO) supported nanosized cobalt monoxide (CoO) anode material (CoO@RGO). Furthermore, the CoO@RGO sample is converted to nanosized lithium cobalt oxide cathode material (LiCoO 2 , LCO) by taking the advantages of the self-templated effect. As a result, both the CoO@RGO anode and the LCO cathode exhibit inspiring lithium-ion storage properties. In half-cells, the CoO@RGO sample maintains a reversible capacity of 740.6 mAh·g−1 after 300 cycles at the current density of 1000 mA·g−1 while the LCO sample delivers a reversible capacity of 109.1 mAh·g−1 after 100 cycles at the current density of 100 mA·g−1. In the CoO@RGO//LCO full-cells, the CoO@RGO sample delivers a reversible capacity of 553.9 mAh·g−1 after 50 cycles at the current density of 200 mA·g−1. The reasons for superior electrochemical behaviors of the samples have been revealed, and the strategy in this work can be considered to be straightforward and effective for engineering both anode and cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Poly(N -isopropylacrylamide) [PNIPAM]-grafted cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) are new thermo-responsive hydrogels which can be used for a wide range of applications. Currently, there is no clear understanding of the precise mechanism by which CNFs and PNIPAM interact together. Here, we hypothesize that the physical crosslinking of grafted PNIPAM on CNF inhibits the free movement of individual CNF, which increases the gel strength while sustaining its thermo-responsive properties. The thermo-responsive behaviour of PNIPAM-grafted CNFs (PNIPAM- g -CNFs), synthesized via silver-catalyzed decarboxylative radical polymerization, and PNIPAM-blended CNFs (PNIPAM- b -CNFs) was studied. Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) combined with Ultra-SANS (USANS) revealed the nano to microscale conformation changes of these polymer hybrids as a function of temperature. The effect of temperature on the optical and viscoelastic properties of hydrogels was also investigated. Grafting PNIPAM from CNFs shifted the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) from 32 °C to 36 °C. Below LCST, the PNIPAM chains in PNIPAM- g -CNF sustain an open conformation and poor interaction with CNF, and exhibit water-like behaviour. At and above LCST, the PNIPAM chains change conformation to entangle and aggregate nearby CNFs. Large voids are formed in solution between the aggregated PNIPAM-CNF walls. In comparison, PNIPAM- b -CNF sustains liquid-like behaviour below LCST. At and above LCST, the blended PNIPAM phase separates from CNF to form large aggregates which do not affect CNF network and thus PNIPAM- b -CNF demonstrates low viscosity. Understanding of temperature-dependent conformation of PNIPAM- g -CNFs engineer thermo-responsive hydrogels for biomedical and functional applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) with a semi-permeable nature are prerequisites for constructing synthetic cells. Here we engineer semi-permeable GUVs by the inclusion of DOTAP lipid in vesicles. Diffusion of molecules of different charge and size across GUVs are reported. Control over size-selective permeability is demonstrated by modulating the DOTAP lipid composition in different lipid systems without reconstituting membrane proteins. Such semi-permeable GUVs have immense applications for constructing synthetic cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaborative efforts between basic scientists, engineers, and clinicians are enabling translational epileptology. In this article, we summarize the recent advances presented at the International Conference for Technology and Analysis of Seizures (ICTALS 2022): (1) novel developments of structural magnetic resonance imaging; (2) latest electroencephalography signal‐processing applications; (3) big data for the development of clinical tools; (4) the emerging field of hyperdimensional computing; (5) the new generation of artificial intelligence (AI)–enabled neuroprostheses; and (6) the use of collaborative platforms to facilitate epilepsy research translation. We highlight the promise of AI reported in recent investigations and the need for multicenter data‐sharing initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by the development of molecular spintronics, we studied the phonon-assisted spin transport along a DNA chain in the presence of environmental-induced dephasing using multifractal analysis. The results demonstrate that a nearly pure spin current is generated in the presence of the voltage gate. The pure spin current is enhanced by increasing thermal effects. The vibration modes due to the thermal phonon bath assist in generating the spin current, so the spin state is more delocalized in strong electron-phonon coupling. The phonon chirality can translate to the electron spin to create a nontrivial spin texture, including spin currents. The spin states become more extended by increasing the phonon temperature. On the other hand, the spin states are less localized in longer chains as the spin selectivity is higher in longer chains than in short ones. Therefore, we can engineer a molecular spintronic device by controlling phonon effects on the storage and transport of binary digits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the industrial revolution, the civil engineers who created a built environment for a civilisation that is based on fossil fuel have been admired. For over 250 years, engineers have been educated and trained for the 'upslope' of using ever more resources to fuel engineering needs. However, there is now an urgent requirement to enter an era that is an order of magnitude shorter, and which is on the steep 'downslope' towards net-zero carbon dioxide by 2050 or earlier. The difference between what it meant to be an engineer on the upslope and what it means to be engineer on the downslope is colossal. The first step for all educators is to realise this, to embrace it and to be part of the solution by instilling a downslope mentality in engineering students. The Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) has recently reviewed and updated its guidelines for universities. It has placed the climate emergency central to the education of future civil engineers. This paper describes the background to, and details of, the changes made by the JBM. Given that creativity is enhanced through these additional challenges, what could possibly be more exciting for today's engineering students than knowing that they will lead the profession in achieving massive reductions in emissions, to the benefit of all humanity? The JBM, and society, require of civil engineering education that this ambition is fulfilled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DevOps has been identified by industry as one of the cornerstones of their development process. It is not just a set of tools but a set of principles and practices to build an efficient team improving the communication and collaboration. Its importance has greatly impacted even hiring processes being DevOps Engineer among the most recruited jobs according to LinkedIn. But it is not clear whether universities have noticed the magnitude this movement has attained in industry, despite the need of higher education and industry building up advances together. This led us to determine whether there is a gap between the training provided by higher education and the one expected from industry. For this aim, a questionnaire, defined after a careful review of the literature, has been run worldwide to answer the four research questions. The analysis arose several conclusions, such as higher prevalence of use than of training for most of the analyzed technological practices, except for those related to architecture, probably due to the migration cost these require. It was also found that the two practices with higher prevalence in industry, feedback and limit‐WIP, are scarcely trained in higher education. These conclusions provide interesting advice for future adaptations of computer science degrees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the life and accomplishments of Jorge Juan, a Spanish scientist and seaman during the 18th century. Juan played a crucial role in the Spanish-French expedition to South America, where he conducted scientific measurements and observations. He also made significant contributions to the modernization of the Spanish navy, including industrial espionage in England to learn about shipbuilding techniques. Additionally, Juan implemented educational reforms, particularly in the teaching of mathematics and calculus, which had a lasting impact on the education system in Spain. [Extracted from the article]

The design of slopes in open pit mines requires an in-depth understanding of the ground behavior to predict the potential failure mechanism and to better determine the stabilization measures. This study compares the critical slip surface defined by the limit equilibrium method (LEM), the limit analysis (LA), and the finite elements method (FEM) for the stability analysis to better approach the stability on a multi-layered slope. The safety factor, the size, and the location of the critical slip surface obtained from the applied methods are considered in the comparisons. This study highlights some features that affect the slope stability and presents a procedure for addressing the evaluation challenges in a multi-layered formation. Moreover, it presents some aspects of the upper-bound computation on the safety factor of a layered slope subjected to the effects of pore water pressures. Based on the obtained results, the critical slip surface defined by the limit equilibrium method compares well with the slip mechanism suggested by the limit analysis and the finite element approach. In view of the differences in the shape and location of the critical slip surface, as well as the values obtained for the safety factor, it is recommended that an engineer should analyze critical slopes using the finite element method in combination with the limit equilibrium or limit analysis method as a cross reference. The authors propose that in defining the potential failure mass, consideration must be given to the conducted field research and monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A short history of taxidermy in the National Museum of Natural History “Grigore Antipa” from Bucharest is presented, from the beginning, in 1834, until nowadays. The main trends of this art of animal preparation were pointed. Prodigious contributions to this science were brought by Carol Valstein (1837), who worked with several taxidermists: Carlo Ferreratti, Nicolae Stahi, Petrache Georgiu (Gheorghiu, then Georgescu) and his sons, Cristian and Simion, Constantin Hepites – pharmacist, Carlo Ferreratti. Other notable figures in this field who have made outstanding contributions to bird and mammal collections are: Ion P. Licherdopol, Vasile Dumitrescu – engineer, R. R. Dombrovski and his most valuable help Constantin – “old man” Dăianu, Rudolf Ion Pop, Richard Canisius, Anghelie Bardan, Richard Hoenicke, Max Bleich, Tănase Modval, Nicolae Semen, Carol Borsiczky, Nicolae Pușcașu, Pamfil Polonic, Octavian Crăciunescu, Mircea Lucian Șerban, Aurel Papadopol, Marcel Ionescu, Adrian Mihalcea-Suru, Radu Ștefan Pană, Mircea-Liviu Ciobanu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue of Polymer Composites on "Additive Manufacturing of Composites" seeks to provide insight into recent advances in the field of additive manufacturing (AM), often termed 3D printing, using composite materials. We hope this issue provides help to the practicing engineer, material suppliers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), Tier‐1 suppliers, academics and scientists, and others with an interest in using or applying AM to their products and systems. This issue presents new materials, new material systems, enhancements of the final part performance, novel manufacturing methods, and applications, and improvements of existing manufacturing methods for AM. Solutions are presented by the research community to solve specific scientific and engineering challenges within the field in this issue. This issue is highlighted by several review articles on recent advances within the field of polymer composite additive manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of mobility in Canada's history can hardly be overstated. The built waterways, railways, and roadways that allowed for the movement of peoples, goods, and ideas within the country have long been considered cultural icons conveying collective ideas of Canadian identity. Yet, little has been written on the history of the modern construction machines that made this mobility infrastructure possible after Confederation, along with their designers, manufacturers, and operators. This article helps fill that gap by examining the technological development, manufacturing, and commercialization of earthmoving equipment in Canada (especially Ontario) in the 1860s-1920s, a period of great construction activity, including two of the world's largest civil engineering and earthmoving projects and one of the fastest-expanding road networks in North America. It discusses the role of the federal, provincial, and municipal governments in developing, adopting, and disseminating this technology, and their ultimate reliance on American manufacturers despite the National Policy's protectionism. This article supports the argument that technological development in Canada during the Second Industrial Revolution was continentally integrated in ways that involved technological dialogue with American companies, associations, and publications. While this manufacturing sector became dominated by American corporations by the First World War, the extent to and manner by which that happened varied depending on the type of machinery and the construction sectors in which they were used. The technological transition from steam-powered machines to electric, gasoline, and diesel motors and how it impacted Canadian manufacturers are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D‐on‐3D (2D/3D) perovskite heterostructures present a promising strategy to realize efficient and stable photovoltaics. However, their applicability in inverted solar cells is limited due to the quantum confinement of the 2D‐layer and solvent incompatibilities that disrupt the underlying 3D layer, hampering electron transport at the 2D/3D interface. Herein, solvent‐dependent formation dynamics and structural evolution of 2D/3D heterostructures are investigated via in situ X‐ray scattering. It is revealed that solvent interaction with the 3D surface determines the formation sequence and spatial distribution of quasi‐2D phases with n = 2–4. Isopropanol (IPA) reconstructs the perovskite into a PbI2‐rich surface, forming a strata with smaller n first, followed by a thinner substratum of larger n. In contrast, 2,2,2‐Trifluoroethanol (TFE) preserves the 3D surface, promoting the formation of uniformly distributed larger n domains first, and smaller n last. Leveraging these insights, Dion–Jacobson perovskites are used with superior charge transport properties and structural robustness to fabricate 2D/3D heterostructures dominated by n ≥ 3 and engineer a favorable energy landscape for electron tunneling. Inverted solar cells based on 3‐Aminomethylpyridine and TFE achieve a champion efficiency of 23.60%, with Voc and FF of 1.19 V and 84.5%, respectively, and superior stabilities with t94 of 960 h under thermal stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presented here is a novel engineering degree initiative established at Charles Sturt University (CSU), Australia. This program embodies emerging trends and prospects in engineering education, aspiring to nurture adept engineers well-prepared for practical application. Furthermore, this paper delves into the application of this program for training the next generation of water engineers, equipping them with indispensable skills to confront novel challenges. The CSU Engineering program incorporates several attributes commonly found in progressive engineering curricula. It places significance on work-based learning and encompasses an extensive 6000-hour industrial work placement. This emphasizes student self-reflection, engineering design, robust academic leadership, the integration of educational innovation and novel tools for scholastic exploration, and comprehensive student assessment. Gaining robust industry support, the CSU Engineering program garners recognition as an exemplar for future education. The adaptability, professionalism, responsibility, and leadership exhibited by CSU cadets are highly regarded by their industrial partners. Feedback highlights the consistent advancement of cadets' soft skills, spanning teamwork, communication, leadership, community engagement, and interpersonal relations. Notably, CSU cadets receive substantial remuneration from their industrial engagements. Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19 restrictions, the CSU Engineering program continues to operate seamlessly with minimal disruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The historical analysis of the structural features of Carlo Mollino's Teatro Regio, built in Turin in the early 70s, gives evidence of peculiar technical and expressive solutions worth being studied. In addition to the well-known "special structures," conceived by Sergio Musmeci, Teatro Regio includes a magnificent example of reinforced concrete doubly curved shell used for the lyric hall's large-span roof. The roof was designed and built by Felice Bertone, an Italian engineer who devoted his activity to daring reinforced concrete design. In this study, the original theatre configuration is redrawn, modeled, and discussed based on archival documentation. This unique hypar thin shell concrete roof is thoroughly described focusing on its intertwined geometric and static features. Bertone's roofing parametric modeling is eventually presented including a critical interpretation of its structural behavior carried out through qualitative and quantitative analysis. The Teatro Regio architecture with its innovative forms and structural solutions represents an outstanding example of Modern Heritage Architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Synthetic control systems have led to significant advancement in the study and engineering of unicellular organisms, but it has been challenging to apply these tools to multicellular organisms like plants. The ability to predictably engineer plants will enable the development of novel traits capable of alleviating global problems, such as climate change and food insecurity. Engineering predictable multicellular phenotypes will require the development of synthetic control systems that can precisely regulate how the information encoded in genomes is translated into phenotypes. Many efficient control systems have been developed for unicellular organisms. However, it remains challenging to use such tools to study or engineer multicellular organisms. Plants are a good chassis within which to develop strategies to overcome these challenges, thanks to their capacity to withstand large-scale reprogramming without lethality. Additionally, engineered plants have great potential for solving major societal problems. Here we briefly review the progress of control system development in unicellular organisms, and how that information can be leveraged to characterize control systems in plants. Further, we discuss strategies for developing control systems designed to regulate the expression of transgenes or endogenous loci and generate dosage-dependent or discrete traits. Finally, we discuss the utility that mathematical models of biological processes have for control system deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As additive construction technologies evolve, the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center has studied the functionality and structural integrity of structures produced using additive construction methodologies. Compared with precast construction, additive construction has multiple advantages including unique geometries, reduction of worker power, no required formwork, and ability to use locally sourced materials. The purpose of this study is to evaluate additively-constructed concrete structures and compare it with conventional construction methods. Static analyses are performed using finite-element modeling on several precast concrete beams and compared with experimental data. A finite-element model was created for additively-constructed beams by incorporating cohesive interaction properties to evaluate the interface strength between three-dimensional (3D) printed layers. To further validate the model, an additively-constructed concrete wall is also experimentally tested and compared with models. Numerical predictions are developed to explore damage caused by interfaces of additively-constructed structures and its effects on the structural performance. Maximum deflections and peak loads were also obtained for the conventional construction method experimentally with finite-element models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuromorphic Computing, a concept pioneered in the late 1980s, is receiving a lot of attention lately due to its promise of reducing the computational energy, latency, as well as learning complexity in artificial neural networks. Taking inspiration from neuroscience, this interdisciplinary field performs a multi-stack optimization across devices, circuits, and algorithms by providing an end-to-end approach to achieving brain-like efficiency in machine intelligence. On one side, neuromorphic computing introduces a new algorithmic paradigm, known as Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs), which is a significant shift from standard deep learning and transmits information as spikes (“1” or “0”) rather than analog values. This has opened up novel algorithmic research directions to formulate methods to represent data in spike-trains, develop neuron models that can process information over time, design learning algorithms for event-driven dynamical systems, and engineer network architectures amenable to sparse, asynchronous, event-driven computing to achieve lower power consumption. On the other side, a parallel research thrust focuses on development of efficient computing platforms for new algorithms. Standard accelerators that are amenable to deep learning workloads are not particularly suitable to handle processing across multiple timesteps efficiently. To that effect, researchers have designed neuromorphic hardware that rely on event-driven sparse computations as well as efficient matrix operations. While most large-scale neuromorphic systems have been explored based on CMOS technology, recently, Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) technologies show promise toward implementing bio-mimetic functionalities on single devices. In this article, we outline several strides that neuromorphic computing based on spiking neural networks (SNNs) has taken over the recent past, and we present our outlook on the challenges that this field needs to overcome to make the bio-plausibility route a successful one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topology optimization (TO) plays a significant role in industry by providing engineers with optimal material distributions based exclusively on the information about the design space and loading conditions. Such approaches are especially important for current multidisciplinary design tasks in industry, where the conflicting criteria often lead to very unintuitive solutions. Despite the progress in integrating manufacturing constraints into TO, one of the main factors restricting the use of TO in practice is the users' limited control of the final material distribution. To address this problem, recently, a universal methodology for enforcing similarity to reference structures in various TO methods by applying scaling of elemental energies was proposed. The method, however, requires an expensive hyperparameter sampling, which involves running multiple TO processes to find the design of a given similarity to a reference structure. In this article, we propose a novel end-to-end approach for similarity-based TO, which integrates a machine learning model to predict the hyperparameters of the method, and provide the engineer, at minimal computational cost, with a design satisfying multidisciplinary criteria expressed by the similarity to a reference. The training set for the model is generated based on an academic linear elastic problem, but the model generalizes well to both nonlinear dynamic crash and industrial-scale TO problems. We show the latter by applying the proposed methodology to a real-world multidisciplinary TO problem of a car hood frame, which demonstrates the usefulness of the approach in industrial settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

mRNA levels of all genes in a genome is a critical piece of information defining the overall state of the cell in a given environmental condition. Being able to reconstruct such condition-specific expression in fungal genomes is particularly important to metabolically engineer these organisms to produce desired chemicals in industrially scalable conditions. Most previous deep learning approaches focused on predicting the average expression levels of a gene based on its promoter sequence, ignoring its variation across different conditions. Here we present FUN-PROSE—a deep learning model trained to predict differential expression of individual genes across various conditions using their promoter sequences and expression levels of all transcription factors. We train and test our model on three fungal species and get the correlation between predicted and observed condition-specific gene expression as high as 0.85. We then interpret our model to extract promoter sequence motifs responsible for variable expression of individual genes. We also carried out input feature importance analysis to connect individual transcription factors to their gene targets. A sizeable fraction of both sequence motifs and TF-gene interactions learned by our model agree with previously known biological information, while the rest corresponds to either novel biological facts or indirect correlations. Author summary: In this paper we develop a deep learning method to predict condition specific gene expression in various kinds of fungi ranging from baker's yeast to red bread mold. Predicting condition-specific gene expression is useful because it measures the response of organisms to different environmental conditions. Among other uses, our model would allow us to predict the effects of TF knockout experiments and discover novel genes that play an important role in a given environment. In addition, our framework allows us to predict how an organism will express genes in a novel environment. Being able to make these predictions is an important part of the metabolic engineering of fungi to optimize their use in the production of desired chemicals in industrially scalable conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key part of an engineer's purpose is to create products and services that benefit society, or, in other words, to create products with a positive social impact. While engineers have many predictive models to aid in making design decisions about the functional performance or safety of a product, very few models exist for estimating or planning for the wide range of social impacts an engineered product can have. To model social impact, a model must contain representations of both the product and society. Agent-based modeling is a tool that can model society and incorporate social impact factors. In this paper, we investigate factors that have historically limited the usefulness of product adoption agent-based models and predictive social impact models through a systematic literature review. Common themes of limiting factors are identified, steps are presented to improve the usefulness of agent-based product adoption models and predictive social impact models, and a general process for the creation of agent-based social impact models is presented. Improving the usefulness of these predictive models can aid engineers in making better design decisions. Predictive social impact models can help identify areas in the design space to improve the social impact of products. When coupled with existing design methods, agent-based predictive social impact models can help increase the probability that a product achieves positive social impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we address the lack of a unified approach to understanding engineering practice by developing and presenting a taxonomy of common engineering activities. The taxonomy consists of 86 common engineering activities linked to 17 engineering competencies and the 11 International Engineering Alliance graduate attributes. The list of activities was developed using a six-step process, including multiple systematic literature searches and surveying engineers. The taxonomy provides a critical foundation for better understanding what engineers do, particularly in the Australian and New Zealand context. The taxonomy has potential utility in both engineering practice research and engineering education curriculum reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]