Silicon Nitride Bioceramics Sintered by Microwave Exhibit Excellent Mechanical Properties, Cytocompatibility In Vitro, and Anti-Bacterial Properties.

Silicon nitride is a bioceramic with great potential, and multiple studies have demonstrated its biocompatibility and antibacterial properties. In this study, silicon nitride was prepared by a microwave sintering technique that was different from common production methods. SEM and pore distribution analysis revealed the microstructure of microwave-sintered silicon nitride with obvious pores. Mechanical performance analysis shows that microwave sintering can improve the mechanical properties of silicon nitride. The CCK-8 method was used to demonstrate that microwave-sintered silicon nitride has no cytotoxicity and good cytocompatibility. From SEM and CLSM observations, it was observed that there was good adhesion and cross-linking of cells during microwave-sintered silicon nitride, and the morphology of the cytoskeleton was good. Microwave-sintered silicon nitride has been proven to be non-cytotoxic. In addition, the antibacterial ability of microwave-sintered silicon nitride against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was tested, proving that it has a good antibacterial ability similar to the silicon nitride prepared by commonly used processes. Compared with silicon nitride prepared by gas pressure sintering technology, microwave-sintered silicon nitride has excellent performance in mechanical properties, cell compatibility, and antibacterial properties. This indicates its enormous potential as a substitute material for manufacturing bone implants.

Post-COVID-19 Challenges for a Sustainable Community-Based Ecotourism: A Case Study of Rural Community in Sabah, North of Borneo.

COVID-19 has impacted the ecotourism industry significantly. It is imperative to examine and identify the key challenges in running rural ecotourism businesses to comprehend the mindset of the working community members before re-establishing a business model during endemic phase. This study aimed to explore and identify the resources and capabilities challenges perceived by the members of community-based ecotourism located in Marakau Village, Sabah. The study, which took place in 2021, employed a qualitative method through interviews among 10 key members of the Tagal Marakau Association responsible for a tagal ecotourism business. The interview was recorded and transcribed to identify common themes of issues. There was a total of 15 emerging issues: lack of capital, lack of business know-how, shortage of hospitality skills, lack of social capital, poor marketing ability, land dispute, absence of a strategic business model, poor financial planning, poor implementation of human resource practices, inadequate infrastructures, limited customer experiences, high fish habitat maintenance, external competitors, stakeholders support, and liability as a small business venture. These issues collated into five themes of business mindset domains: knowledge, attitude, skills, aspiration, and finance (KASA-F). Identifying the perceived challenges would help to understand the mindset of working rural community members to assist in re-formulating strategic plans for business sustainability in the post-COVID era.

Effect of PEG Molecular Weight on the Polyurethane-Based Quasi-Solid-State Electrolyte for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

Nanosilica was surface modified with polyaniline and incorporated into polyurethane to form a polymer matrix capable of entrapping a liquid electrolyte and functioning as quasi-solid-state electrolyte in the dye-sensitized solar cells. The effect on the S-PANi distribution, surface morphology, thermal stability, gel content, and structural change after varying the PEG molecular weight of the polyurethane matrix was analyzed. Quasi-solid-state electrolytes were prepared by immersing the polyurethane matrix into a liquid electrolyte and the polymer matrix absorbency, conductivity, and ion diffusion were investigated. The formulated quasi-solid-state electrolytes were applied in dye-sensitized solar cells and their charge recombination, photovoltaic performance, and lifespan were measured. The quasi-solid-state electrolyte with a PEG molecular weight of 2000 gmol-1 (PU-PEG 2000) demonstrated the highest light-to-energy conversion efficiency, namely, 3.41%, with an open-circuit voltage of 720 mV, a short-circuit current of 4.52 mA cm-2, and a fill factor of 0.63.

Synthesis of Jatropha-Oil-Based Polyester Polyol as Sustainable Biobased Material for Waterborne Polyurethane Dispersion.

The utilization of vegetable oil in the production of polymeric material has gained interest due to its proven ability to replace nonrenewable petroleum sources, as it is readily modified via chemical reaction to produce polyol and subsequently for polyurethane production. Jatropha oil (JO), a second-generation feedstock, is one of the suitable candidates for polyester polyol synthesis because it contains a high percentage of unsaturated fatty acids. In this study, jatropha-based polyester polyols (JOLs) with different hydroxyl values were successfully synthesized via a two-step method: epoxidation followed by oxirane ring-opening reaction. Ring-opening reagents; methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol were used to produce polyol with hydroxyl number of 166, 180, and 189 mg/KOH, respectively. All the synthesized JOLs exhibited a Newtonian to shear thinning behavior in the measured shear rate ranges from 10 to 1000 s-1 at 25 °C. The viscosity of a JOL ring-opened with methanol, isopropanol, and ethanol was 202, 213, and 666 mPa·s, respectively, at 20 °C and 100 s-1, which is within the range of commercially available polyols. Successively, the JOLs were reacted with isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) to produce polyurethane prepolymer by utilizing 2,2-dimethylol propionic acid (DMPA) as an emulsifier. The prepolymer was then dispersed in water to produce a waterborne polyurethane dispersion. Colloidal stability of the jatropha-based polyurethane dispersions (JPUDs) were investigated by particle size analysis. A JPUD with a small particle size in the range of 6.39 to 43.83 nm was obtained, and the trend was associated with the soft segment of the polyol in the formulation. The zeta potentials of the JPUs ranged from -47.01 to -88.9 mV, indicating that all synthesized JPUs had high dispersity and stability. The efficient synthesis procedure, low cost, and excellent properties of the resulting product are thought to offer an opportunity to use jatropha oil as a sustainable resource for polyester polyol preparation.

Synthesis of Hydroxyapatite/Bioglass Composite Nanopowder Using Design of Experiments.

Composite scaffolds of hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanoparticles and bioactive glass (BG) were applied as an appropriate selection for bone tissue engineering. To this end, HAp/BG composite was synthesized by a hydrothermal method using Design of Experiments (DOE) with a combined mixture-process factor design for the first time. The input variables were hydrothermal temperature at three levels (i.e., 100, 140, 180 °C) as a process factor and two mixture components in three ratios (i.e., HAp 90, 70, 50; BG 50, 30, 10). The degree of crystallinity and crystal size in the composite were the output variables. XRD showed that only a small fraction of BG was crystallized and that a wollastonite phase was produced. The XRD results also revealed that incorporation of Si into the HAp structure inhibited HAp crystal growth and restricted its crystallization. The FTIR results also showed that the intensity of the hydroxyl peak decreased with the addition of silicon into the HAp structure. DOE results showed that the weight ratio of the components strongly influenced the crystal size and crystallinity. SEM and FTIR results identified the greatest bioactivity and apatite layer formation in the Si-HAp sample with an HAp70/BG30 ratio after 14 days immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) solution, as compared to other ratios and HAp alone. Therefore, the combination of HAp and BG was able to yield a HAp/BG composite with significant bioactivity.

Peptide Conjugate on Multilayer Graphene Oxide Film for the Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Wharton's Jelly-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Graphene oxide (GO) is extensively studied as a template material for mesenchymal stem cell application due to its two-dimensional nature and unique functionalization chemistries. Herein, a new type of peptide-conjugated multilayer graphene oxide (peptide/m-GO film) was fabricated and used as biomaterial for culturing human Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs). The characterization of the peptide/m-GO films was performed, and the biocompatibility of the WJ-MSCs on the peptide/m-GO films was investigated. The results demonstrated that the peptide conjugate on the m-GO film did not hamper the normal growth of WJ-MSCs but supported the growth of WJ-MSCs after the 6-day culture period. In addition, the osteogenic differentiation of WJ-MSCs on the peptide/m-GO films was enhanced as compared with the parent m-GO film. Therefore, such peptide-conjugated m-GO films could provide a highly biocompatible and multifunctional 2D material to tailor the potential application of WJ-MSCs in bone tissue regeneration.

Fabrication of Hydroxyapatite with Bioglass Nanocomposite for Human Wharton's-Jelly-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Growing Substrate.

Recently, composite scaffolding has found many applications in hard tissue engineering due to a number of desirable features. In this present study, hydroxyapatite/bioglass (HAp/BG) nanocomposite scaffolds were prepared in different ratios using a hydrothermal approach. The aim of this research was to evaluate the adhesion, growth, viability, and osteoblast differentiation behavior of human Wharton's-jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hWJMSCs) on HAp/BG in vitro as a scaffold for application in bone tissue engineering. Particle size and morphology were investigated by TEM and bioactivity was assessed and proven using SEM analysis with hWJMSCs in contact with the HAp/BG nanocomposite. Viability was evaluated using PrestoBlueTM assay and early osteoblast differentiation and mineralization behaviors were investigated by ALP activity and EDX analysis simultaneously. TEM results showed that the prepared HAp/BG nanocomposite had dimensions of less than 40 nm. The morphology of hWJMSCs showed a fibroblast-like shape, with a clear filopodia structure. The viability of hWJMSCs was highest for the HAp/BG nanocomposite with a 70:30 ratio of HAp to BG (HAp70/BG30). The in vitro biological results confirmed that HAp/BG composite was not cytotoxic. It was also observed that the biological performance of HAp70/BG30 was higher than HAp scaffold alone. In summary, HAp/BG scaffold combined with mesenchymal stem cells showed significant potential for bone repair applications in tissue engineering.

A fed-batch strategy to produce high poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) terpolymer yield with enhanced mechanical properties in bioreactor.

This study reports an efficient fed-batch strategy to improve poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB-co-3HV-co-4HB)] terpolymer production by Cupriavidus sp. USMAA2-4 with enhanced mechanical properties in bioreactor. The cultivations have been performed by combining oleic acid with γ-butyrolactone at different concentration ratios with 1-pentanol at a fixed concentration. The batch and fed-batch fermentations have resulted in P(3HB-co-3HV-co-4HB) with compositions of 9-35 mol% 3HV and 4-24 mol% 4HB monomers. The DO-stat fed-batch fermentation strategies have significantly improved the production with a maximum 4.4-fold increment of cell dry weight (CDW). Besides, appropriate feeding of the substrates has resulted in an increment of terpolymer productivity from 0.086-0.347 g/L/h, with a significantly shortened cultivation time. The bacterial growth and terpolymer formation have been found to be affected by the concentration of carbon sources supplied. Characterization of P(3HB-co-3HV-co-4HB) has demonstrated that incorporation of 3HV and 4HB monomer has significantly improved the physical and thermodynamic properties of the polymers, by reducing the polymer's crystallinity. The tensile strength, Young's modulus of the terpolymer has been discovered to increase with the increase of M w. The fed-batch fermentation strategies employed in this study have resulted in terpolymers with a range of flexible materials having improved tensile strength and Young's modulus as compared to the terpolymer produced from batch fermentation. Possession of lower melting temperature indicates an enhanced thermal stability which broadens the polymer processing window.

Biosynthesis and characterization of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) terpolymer with various monomer compositions by Cupriavidus sp. USMAA2-4.

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB-co-3HV-co-4HB)] terpolymer was produced using Cupriavidus sp. USMAA2-4 via one-step cultivation process through combination of various carbon sources such as 1,4-butanediol or γ-butyrolactone with either 1-pentanol, valeric acid, or 1-propanol. Oleic acid was added to increase the biomass production. The composition of 3HV and 4HB monomers were greatly affected by the concentration of 1,4-butanediol and 1-pentanol. Terpolymers with 3HV and 4HB molar fractions ranging from 2 to 41 mol.% and 5 to 31 mol.%, respectively, were produced by varying the concentration of carbon precursors. The thermal and mechanical properties of the terpolymers containing different proportions of the constituent monomers were characterized using gel permeation chromatography (GPC), DSC, and tensile machine. GPC analysis showed that the molecular weights (M (w)) of the terpolymer produced were within the range of 346 to 1,710 kDa. The monomer compositions of 3HV and 4HB were also found to have great influences on the thermal and mechanical properties of the terpolymer P(3HB-co-3HV-co-4HB) produced.