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A review about design, manufacture, and mechanobiology of biodegradable scaffolds for bone tissue engineering is given. First, fundamental aspects about bone tissue engineering and considerations related to scaffold design are established. Second, issues related to scaffold biomaterials and manufacturing processes are discussed. Finally, mechanobiology of bone tissue and computational models developed for simulating how bone healing occurs inside a scaffold are described.

Species distribution models, also known as ecological niche models or habitat suitability models, have become commonplace for addressing fundamental and applied biodiversity questions. Although the field has progressed rapidly regarding theory and implementation, key assumptions are still frequently violated and recommendations inadvertently overlooked. This leads to poor models being published and used in real‐world applications. In a structured, didactic treatment, we summarize what in our view constitute the ten most problematic issues, or hazards, negatively affecting implementation of correlative approaches to species distribution modeling (specifically those that model suitability by comparing the environments of a species' occurrence records with those of a background or pseudoabsence sample). For each hazard, we state relevant assumptions, detail problems that arise when violating them, and convey straightforward existing recommendations. We also discuss five major outstanding questions of active current research. We hope this contribution will promote more rigorous implementation of these valuable models and stimulate further advancements.

Happy-productive worker thesis (HPWT) research predicts four configurations depending on well-being and performance levels, one synergistic and three antagonists; however, there has been some discrepancy in the expected results of HPWT, as there are some inclusive results about the specific characteristics that lead to each one of the predicted groups. In this study, we face these discrepancies using a three-configuration model that is more realistic in the organizational context, and exploring how work characteristics, gender, and age can predict workers’ membership in such configurations. We performed multinomial logistic regressions using a sample of 504 Colombian workers and their supervisors from different economic sectors. The results indicated that different work characteristics are associated with the membership of workers in each group, and how this membership varies depending on gender and age group. Our findings offer new research and practice insights about the role of HPWT in HRM (human resources management).

Validating engineering wake models under real‐world operational conditions is essential for improving wind farm performance predictions. This study utilises a unique dataset from the Lillgrund offshore wind farm, collected during the Horizon 2020 TotalControl project campaign, integrating synchronous Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) measurements under both baseline operation (i.e., no intentional yaw offset) and active wake steering scenarios. We assess four combinations of analytical wake models, each employing distinct formulations for velocity deficit, added turbulence, wake superposition and deflection, implemented in the LongSim modelling software developed by DNV. The analysis focuses on time‐averaged wake velocity deficit profiles and turbine‐ and farm‐wide power output, normalised by reference velocity and power. Model accuracy is quantified using mean absolute error (MAE) metrics. The evaluated models generally reproduce wake deficit trends under systematic variations in wake overlap in baseline cases, as well as wake deflection due to intentional yaw misalignment during the wake steering cases across a range of atmospheric conditions. Normalised velocity deficit MAE values range from 7% to 15%, with discrepancies primarily attributed to inflow heterogeneity, near‐wake complexity and model‐specific parameterisations. Power predictions reveal error accumulation with increasing farm depth. Model combinations incorporating cumulative wake superposition and refined turbulence schemes demonstrate improved agreement with field data; however, all models face challenges capturing localised flow features, with normalised turbine‐level power output MAE ranging from 3% to 23%. Farm‐wide power output errors ranged between −13% and +30%; though accurate farm‐level predictions may mask compensating errors at individual turbines. Future studies should prioritise dynamic inflow characterisation and inclusion of blockage effects to enhance predictive reliability further.

The development of advanced materials for biomedical implants has made significant progress in the search for biomaterials with functional surfaces which enhance compatibility, prevent implant corrosion, and reduce the growth of microorganisms in the form of biofilms. This article reviews various materials used in implants, among which yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and hydroxyapatite (HAp) stand out due to their unique properties which favor osseointegration. Additionally, strategies for doping with additional elements, notably the addition of silver for its antimicrobial properties, are highlighted. Different methods of coating implant surfaces with these materials are evaluated. Finally, it is concluded that multilayer coating systems [YSZ/HAp-Ag]n significantly improve corrosion resistance, biocompatibility, and the ability to inhibit bacterial proliferation in implants. Implementing these implant coatings could increase their durability and effectiveness in biomedical applications, contributing to better integration into bone tissue and reducing postoperative infections.

Although many bone substitutes have been designed and produced, the development of bone tissue engineering products that mimic the microstructural characteristics of native bone remains challenging. It has been shown that pore orientation within collagen scaffolds influences bone matrix formation by the endochondral route. In addition, that the unidirectional orientation of the scaffolds can limit the growth of blood vessels. However, a comparison between the amount of bone that can be formed in scaffolds with different pore orientations in addition to analyzing the effect of loading osteogenic and proangiogenic factors is still required. In this work we fabricated uni- and multidirectional collagen sponges and evaluated their microstructural, physicochemical, mechanical and biological characteristics. Although the porosity and average pore size of the uni- and multidirectional scaffolds was similar (94.5% vs. 97.1% and 260 µm vs. 269 µm, respectively) the unidirectional sponges had a higher tensile strength, Young’s modulus and capacity to uptake liquids than the multidirectional ones (0.271 MPa vs. 0.478 MPa, 9.623 MPa vs. 3.426 MPa and 8000% mass gain vs. 4000%, respectively). Culturing of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells demonstrated that these scaffolds support cell growth and osteoblastic differentiation in the presence of BMP-2 in vitro, although the pore orientation somehow affected cell attachment and differentiation. The evaluation of the ability of the scaffolds to support bone growth when loaded with BMP-2 or BMP-2 + VEGF in an ectopic rat model showed that they both supported bone formation. Histological analysis and quantification of mineralized matrix revealed that the pore orientation of the collagen scaffolds influenced the osteogenic process.

This paper aims to construct a general framework of coupling tumor–bone remodeling processes in order to produce plausible outcomes of the effects of tumors on the number of osteoclasts, osteoblasts, and the frequency of the bone turnover cycle. In this document, Komarova’s model has been extended to include the effect of tumors on the bone remodeling processes. Thus, we explored three alternatives for coupling tumor presence into Komarova’s model: first, using a “damage” parameter that depends on the tumor cell concentration. A second model follows the original structure of Komarova, including the tumor presence in those equations powered up to a new parameter, called the paracrine effect of the tumor on osteoclasts and osteoblasts; the last model is replicated from Ayati and collaborators in which the impact of the tumor is included into the paracrine parameters. Through the models, we studied their stability and considered some examples that can reproduce the tumor effects seen in clinic and experimentally. Therefore, this paper has three parts: the exposition of the three models, the results and discussion (where we explore some aspects and examples of the solution of the models), and the conclusion.

Municipal organic waste management remains a major challenge for sustainable urban development, particularly in regions requiring decentralized treatment alternatives that reduce landfill dependency and promote circular resource recovery. This study compared Takakura composting and vermicomposting for the stabilization of municipal organic waste under decentralized operational conditions in the Ecuadorian Amazon and developed a Composite Circular Resource Recovery and Process Performance Index (CRRPPI) to evaluate resource recovery efficiency. Municipal organic waste was treated through Takakura composting, vermicomposting, and uncontrolled decomposition (control). Operational performance was assessed using material conversion efficiency, process productivity, nutrient recovery efficiency, nutrient productivity, and final physicochemical characteristics. These indicators were integrated into the CRRPPI framework to provide a multidimensional assessment of circular resource recovery performance. Takakura composting showed the highest operational efficiency, achieving material conversion efficiencies of up to 0.80, process productivity values of 1.23 kg day−1, and superior nutrient recovery efficiencies for nitrogen (0.835), phosphorus (0.730), and potassium (0.880). The highest CRRPPI values were obtained for Takakura treatments (0.835–0.842), while vermicomposting showed intermediate performance, and the control treatment presented the lowest resource recovery efficiency (0.216). Sensitivity analysis confirmed ranking stability under ±20% weighting variations, and ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD test identified significant differences among treatments (p < 0.05). The results indicate that Takakura composting is an effective strategy for decentralized municipal organic waste valorization and nutrient recirculation. Furthermore, the proposed CRRPPI provides a practical exploratory framework for integrated evaluation of biological stabilization technologies by simultaneously considering operational performance and circular resource recovery.

Locally advanced cancers remain therapeutically challenging to eradicate. The most successful treatments continue to combine decades old non-targeted chemotherapies with radiotherapy that unfortunately increase normal tissue damage in the irradiated field and have systemic toxicities precluding further treatment intensification. Therefore, alternative molecularly guided systemic therapies are needed to improve patient outcomes when applied with radiotherapy. In this work, we report a trimodal precision cytotoxic chemo-radio-immunotherapy paradigm using spatially targeted auristatin warheads. Tumor-directed antibodies and peptides conjugated to radiosensitizing monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) specifically produce CD8 T cell dependent durable tumor control of irradiated tumors and immunologic memory. In combination with ionizing radiation, MMAE sculpts the tumor immune infiltrate to potentiate immune checkpoint inhibition. Here, we report therapeutic synergies of targeted cytotoxic auristatin radiosensitization to stimulate anti-tumor immune responses providing a rationale for clinical translational of auristatin antibody drug conjugates with radio-immunotherapy combinations to improve tumor control. Monomethyl auristatin (MMAE), also known for its radiosensitizer properties, is a common antibody drug conjugate used for cancer therapy. Here the authors show that, in combination with radiotherapy, tumor-directed antibodies or peptides conjugated to MMAE promote anti-tumor immune responses, improving response to checkpoint inhibitors in preclinical cancer models.

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has revolutionized head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) treatment, but <20% of patients achieve durable responses. Persistent activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling circuitry represents a key oncogenic driver in HNSCC; however, the potential immunosuppressive effects of PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors may limit the benefit of their combination with ICB. Here we employ an unbiased kinome-wide siRNA screen to reveal that HER3, is essential for the proliferation of most HNSCC cells that do not harbor PIK3CA mutations. Indeed, we find that persistent tyrosine phosphorylation of HER3 and PI3K recruitment underlies aberrant PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in PIK3CA wild type HNSCCs. Remarkably, antibody-mediated HER3 blockade exerts a potent anti-tumor effect by suppressing HER3-PI3K-AKT-mTOR oncogenic signaling and concomitantly reversing the immune suppressive tumor microenvironment. Ultimately, we show that HER3 inhibition and PD-1 blockade may provide a multimodal precision immunotherapeutic approach for PIK3CA wild type HNSCC, aimed at achieving durable cancer remission. There is an unmet need to improve the response to immune checkpoint blockade in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Here the authors show that aberrant HER3 activation sustains the proliferation of PIK3CA wild type HNSCC cells and that HER3 inhibition increases response to PD-1 blockade in HNSCC preclinical models.