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Biomaterials designed for tissue engineering should be nontoxic and nonimmunogenic and should achieve their intended functions. Treated dentin matrix (TDM), a bioactive extracellular matrix, is promising for tooth regeneration. However, the effect of sterilization on the surface properties of allogenous TDM in the animal model is unclear. The biological characteristics and influences of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) with autoclaved TDM (a-TDM) were studied using scanning electron microscopy, immunofluorescence microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in vitro. In addition, a-TDM was implanted in a mouse model for 6 weeks and was a substrate with DPSCs for tooth reconstruction in a goat animal model in vivo. Allogenous a-TDM induced and supported DPSCs to develop new dentin pulp–like tissues, enamel dental pulp, and cementum periodontal complexes. Immunohistochemistry data showed that the markers dentin sialoprotein, βⅢ-tubulin, dentin matrix protein 1, amelogenin, VIII factors, type I collagen, cementum-derived attachment protein, and scleraxis transcription factor were positive stained in toothlike tissue. Allogenous a-TDM served as an effective scaffold enabling DPSCs to proliferate and differentiate into a broad array of resident cells including odontoblasts, fibroblasts, vascular cells, and neural endings. Allogenous a-TDM with DPSCs can provide an ideal biomaterial for optimizing the regeneration of tooth material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both agriculture wastes, black rice husk ash (BRHA) and bagasse ash (BA), were used as sand replacement to prepare autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) product at various temperatures and times. The compressive strengths of AAC were increased with the further autoclaving temperatures and times, except dry density. BRHA and BA have influence on the mechanical properties of AAC with low dry density for all conditions, approximately 6–54%, due to the high Na 2 O and K 2 O content and the fineness of both ashes compared to sand. The appearance of relative high Al 2 O 3 of BA compared to BRHA leads to the additional strength gain of AAC sample containing BA, because of the formation of tobermorite through katoite. Therefore, both residues are shown to be highly potential substitution materials for sand in AAC production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two species of poultry (cockerel and Japanese quail), two levels of enzyme (0 and 0.5 g/kg), and 6 processing methods (control (C), gamma irradiation 25 (GI25), and 50 kGy (GI50), autoclaving (AU), fermentation without lactobacillus (F), and fermentation with lactobacillus (FL)) on the nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) of barley. In this experiment, each processing method was tested at two levels of enzyme (0 and 0.5 g/kg) in six replications with two cockerels or four quails per replication. The results showed that the AMEn values by barley processing methods were: C-11.45 and 12.27; GI25-11.50 and 11.30; GI50-11.49 and 11.29; AU-11.70 and 11.46; F- 12.90 and 12.30; FL-1295 and 12.51 MJ/kg in cockerels and quails, respectively. The AMEn (11.49 MJ/kg) of enzyme 0 was significantly lower than that of enzyme 0.5 (12.35 MJ/kg). There was a significant difference in the AMEn of processed barley between cockerels and quails. In conclusion, the most effective processing method of barley for AMEn is fermentation with lactobacillus and enzyme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Previous studies have been carried out on calcined phosphogypsum (PG) for making the building materials. The present study was focused on autoclaved PG and its use in making load-bearing wall bricks. Autoclaved PG was prepared from original waste PG with steam pre-treatment. The crystalline phase, morphology, and thermal characteristics of original waste PG and autoclaved PG were investigated by XRD, SEM, and SDT. Then bricks of the size of Chinese standard brick were prepared from different types of PG in the PG-fly ash–lime–sand system. Results showed that the compressive strength of bricks from autoclaved PG by lower-pressure steam of 0.12MPa, 120°C for 16h was much higher. The flexural strength and compressive strength of the bricks could reach 4.0MPa and 15.0MPa, respectively. The durability of the bricks was investigated by 15 freezing–thawing cycles at temperatures from −20°C to 20°C, and the weight loss was only 0.029% after all of cycles. Hemihydrates (CaSO4 ·0.5H2O) were dehydrated products from dihydrates in original PG with lower-pressure steam treatment, and hemihydrates were susceptible to absorbing the humidity and were transformed into densified re-crystallization gypsum (CaSO4 ·2H2O) that contributed to the final strength of bricks. Microstructural characteristics of bricks were investigated by XRD and SEM. Tobermorite was the significant hydrated product, which contributed to the strength of bricks. The use of autoclaved PG for making load-bearing wall bricks was recommended instead of conventional burnt clay bricks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]