Cell Adhesion and in Vivo Osseointegration of Sandblasted/Acid Etched/Anodized Dental Implants

The authors describe a new type of titanium (Ti) implant as a Modi-anodized (ANO) Ti implant, the surface of which was treated by sandblasting, acid etching (SLA), and anodized techniques. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the adhesion of MG-63 cells to Modi-ANO surface treated Ti in vitro and to investigate its osseointegration characteristics in vivo. Four different types of Ti implants were examined, that is, machined Ti (control), SLA, anodized, and Modi-ANO Ti. In the cell adhesion study, Modi-ANO Ti showed higher initial MG-63 cell adhesion and induced greater filopodia growth than other groups. In vivo study in a beagle model revealed the bone-to-implant contact (BIC) of Modi-ANO Ti (74.20% ± 10.89%) was much greater than those of machined (33.58% ± 8.63%), SLA (58.47% ± 12.89), or ANO Ti (59.62% ± 18.30%). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that Modi-ANO Ti implants produced by sandblasting, acid etching, and anodizing improve cell adhesion and bone ongrowth as compared with machined, SLA, or ANO Ti implants. These findings suggest that the application of Modi-ANO surface treatment could improve the osseointegration of dental implant.     

A study on the factors that affect the adoption of Smart Water Grid

Due to recent climate changes that accompany drastic changes in water recycle process, extreme floods and droughts are occurring frequently throughout the world. In response to these events, Smart Water Management that refers to implement intelligent water information systems by IT convergence is considered as a new paradigm. In this study, we seek to explore the Smart Water Management, especially the adoption of Smart Water Grid Technology. We aim to review previous studies to identify factors that influence the adoption of the Smart Water Grid and to analyze the importance and priority of the factors affecting Smart Water Grid adoption, thereby presenting the successful adoption measures for Smart Water Grid in Korea. This study set a research model with the influencing factors in relation to the adoption of new IT technologies that were identified through the literature reviews of previous studies based on the TOE framework. This study also conducted empirical analysis of the findings and found out that the issue of privacy protection and security due to hacker’s attack would be emerged as a significant risk factor.     

Characterization of the surface energies of functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes and their interfacial adhesion energies with various polymers

The surface energies of pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and MWCNTs functionalized with carboxylic acid (MWCNT-COOH), acyl chloride and ethyl amine were characterized, and the effects of the changes in MWCNT surface energies on the interfacial adhesion and reinforcement of the composites were explored. When the surface energy of pristine MWCNTs was compared to that of functionalized MWCNTs, a decrease in the dispersive surface energy and an increase in the polar surface energy were observed. Interfacial adhesion energies between MWCNTs and various polymers were estimated from surface energy values of MWCNTs and various polymers. Among the MWCNTs, polyethylene, polystyrene and bisphenol-A polycarbonate (PC) had the highest interfacial energy with pristine MWCNTs, while nylon 6,6 and polyacrylamine exhibited the highest interfacial energy with MWCNT-COOH. When tensile properties and adhesion at the interface of PC and nylon 6,6 composites containing MWCNTs were examined, composites having high interfacial adhesion energy exhibited greater adhesion at the interface and reinforcement.     

Ruthenium(II)‐ or Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed Grignard‐Type Addition of Indolines and Indoles to Activated Carbonyl Compounds

The ruthenium(II)‐ or rhodium(III)‐catalyzed pyrimidinyl‐directed Grignard‐type C−H additions of N‐heterocycles with activated aldehydes and ketones are described. A cationic ruthenium catalyst and sodium acetate additive in dichloroethane as solvent were found to be optimal catalytic system for the construction of C‐7 alkylated indolines. In sharp contrast, a cationic rhodium complex allows the generation of C‐2 alkylated indoles and pyrroles as well as C‐1 alkylated carbazoles. The site‐selective C−H functionalization of these heterocyclic scaffolds could be an important asset towards the development of novel bioactive compounds.

     

Preparation of nano-zeolite tubular membrane for ethylbenzene separation from ternary mixed xylene by microwave functional coating method

The ethylbenzene separation from mixed xylene is one of the critical issues in the chemical industry. In this study, separation of ethylbenzene from ternary xylene mixtures system [ethylbenzene (EB), para-xylene (PX) and meta-xylene (MX)] was performed using a nano-zeolite coated tubular membrane system. Nano-zeolite membranes with different Si/Al ratios (Si/Al = 30, 100 and ∞) were prepared by a microwave hydrothermal method and the separation performance was compared. MFI-type nano-zeolite membranes were synthesized on alumina tubes from the randomly oriented seed layers by dip coating and functional coating using 3-chloropropyltrimethoxysilane, respectively. After the microwave-assisted secondary growth, it was observed that thinner layers of nano-zeolites were prepared by functional coating (3–4 μm) compared to the typical dip coating (6–8 μm). Ethylbenzene separation tests were performed using a comparatively high EB-containing ternary mixture feed (EB/PX/MX = 80/5/15 molar ratio). The silicalite-1 (Si/Al ratio = ∞) membrane with a functional layer shows the best ethylbenzene separation factor of 3.11 from the high EB-containing ternary mixture feed (ethylbenzene flux: 1,010.6 mol/m² s Pa ×10^?10).     

Nanoinformatics: Emerging Databases and Available Tools

Nanotechnology has arisen as a key player in the field of nanomedicine. Although the use of engineered nanoparticles is rapidly increasing, safety assessment is also important for the beneficial use of new nanomaterials. Considering that the experimental assessment of new nanomaterials is costly and laborious, in silico approaches hold promise. Several major challenges in nanotechnology indicate a need for nanoinformatics. New database initiatives such as ISA-TAB-Nano, caNanoLab, and Nanomaterial Registry will help in data sharing and developing data standards, and, as the amount of nanomaterials data grows, will provide a way to develop methods and tools specific to the nanolevel. In this review, we describe emerging databases and tools that should aid in the progress of nanotechnology research.     

Pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis of Laminaria japonica and polypropylene over mesoporous Al-SBA-15 catalyst

The catalytic co-pyrolysis of a seaweed biomass, Laminaria japonica, and a typical polymer material, polypropylene, was studied for the first time. A mesoporous material Al-SBA-15 was used as a catalyst. Pyrolysis experiments were conducted using a fixed-bed reactor and pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). BET surface area, N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms, and NH₃ temperature programmed desorption were measured to examine the catalyst characteristics. When only L. japonica was pyrolyzed, catalytic reforming slightly increased the gas yield and decreased the oil yield. The H₂O content in bio-oil was increased by catalytic reforming from 42.03 to 50.32 wt% due to the dehydration reaction occurring on the acid sites inside the large pores of Al-SBA-15. Acids, oxygenates, mono-aromatics, poly aromatic hydrocarbons, and phenolics were the main components of the bio-oil obtained from the pyrolysis of L. japonica. Upon catalytic reforming over Al-SBA-15, the main oxygenate species 1,4-anhydro-d-galactitol and 1,5-anhydro-d-manitol were completely removed. When L. japonica was co-pyrolyzed with polypropylene, the H₂O content in bio-oil was decreased dramatically (8.93 wt% in the case of catalytic co-pyrolysis), contributing to the improvement of the oil quality. A huge increase in the content of gasoline-range and diesel-range hydrocarbons in bio-oil was the most remarkable change that resulted from the co-pyrolysis with polypropylene, suggesting its potential as a transport fuel. The content of mono-aromatics with high economic value was also increased significantly by catalytic co-pyrolysis.     

Oxidative stress mediated cytotoxicity of biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles in human lung epithelial adenocarcinoma cell line

The goal of the present study was to investigate the toxicity of biologically prepared small size of silver nanoparticles in human lung epithelial adenocarcinoma cells A549. Herein, we describe a facile method for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles by treating the supernatant from a culture of Escherichia coli with silver nitrate. The formation of silver nanoparticles was characterized using various analytical techniques. The results from UV-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis show a characteristic strong resonance centered at 420 nm and a single crystalline nature, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the possible bio-molecules responsible for the reduction of silver from silver nitrate into nanoparticles. The particle size analyzer and transmission electron microscopy results suggest that silver nanoparticles are spherical in shape with an average diameter of 15 nm. The results derived from in vitro studies showed a concentration-dependent decrease in cell viability when A549 cells were exposed to silver nanoparticles. This decrease in cell viability corresponded to increased leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), increased intracellular reactive oxygen species generation (ROS), and decreased mitochondrial transmembrane potential (MTP). Furthermore, uptake and intracellular localization of silver nanoparticles were observed and were accompanied by accumulation of autophagosomes and autolysosomes in A549 cells. The results indicate that silver nanoparticles play a significant role in apoptosis. Interestingly, biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles showed more potent cytotoxicity at the concentrations tested compared to that shown by chemically synthesized silver nanoparticles. Therefore, our results demonstrated that human lung epithelial A549 cells could provide a valuable model to assess the cytotoxicity of silver nanoparticles.