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In this study, the silk fibroin/nano-hydroxyapatite/hyaluronic acid (SF/nHAp/HA) composite scaffolds with different HA contents were developed by blending, cross-linking and freeze-drying, and their physicochemical properties and cell biocompatibility in vitro were subsequently studied. It was observed that the molecular conformation of the composite scaffolds was mainly composed of silk I and a small amount of the β-sheets structure. On enhancing the HA content, the pore size of the scaffold decreased, while the porosity, water absorption, swelling ratio and mechanical properties were observed to increase. In particular, the SF/nHAp/HA scaffold with a 5.0 wt% ratio exhibited the highest water absorption and mechanical properties among the developed materials. In addition, the in vitro cytocompatibility analysis showed that the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells exhibited excellent cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation ability on the SF/nHAp/5.0 wt%HA scaffolds, as compared with the other scaffolds. It can be concluded that the developed composite scaffolds represent a promising class of materials for the bone tissue repair and regeneration.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of optical properties of lithium disilicate glass ceramics and the light-curing protocols (LCP) on the curing performance of light-cured resin cement. Lithium disilicate glass-ceramics with different optical properties were sectioned to produce ceramic specimens of 0.8 mm thickness. Irradiance through the ceramic specimens was measured by a radiometer. Light transmittance of ceramics was assessed using a UV/Vis spectrophotometer. The light-cured resin cement was injected into a Teflon mold and ceramics with different optical properties were placed on it, cured under different LCPs, and the degree of conversion (DC) and Vickers microhardness of the resin cement were separately measured by Micro-ATR/FTIR spectrometry and the microhardness tester. The shade (p < 0.001) and transparency (p < 0.001) of ceramics affect the irradiance of the light-curing unit. The transparency (p < 0.001) of the ceramic and light-curing protocols (p < 0.001) affect the DC and microhardness of resin cements. When the thickness of the ceramic is 0.8 mm, the light transmittance of the ceramic and the curing performance of the resin cement increase with the increase of the transparency of the ceramic. An appropriate increase in irradiance and exposure time can optimize the curing performance of resin cement. These factors should be taken into account by the clinician when designing the bonding solution for porcelain veneers.