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The aim of this study was to analyse e the effect of variety, nitrogen fertilizer rate and their interaction on yield and to determine the economic feasibility of application the fertilizer and varieties for optimum yield grain, two key drivers that contribute guiding the future with efficient agronomic practices to guarantee food security in the advent of the most significant changes for agriculture. The subject of the experiment consisted in testing during one wheat growing season, twenty-one modern winter wheat varieties fertilized with nitric and ammoniacal nitrogen in three different rates - 120, 150 and 170 kg N ha-1. The variety contributes to the production with 61%, the level of fertilizer with 2.4% and the interaction between the factors with 19.4%. The highest production in all fertilization levels and types of N was achieved by the Rubisko variety. The highest value of 5.94 kg/plot is obtained at 120 kg magnesium nitrate rate, and the lowest of 5.25 kg/plot at 150 kg ammonium sulfate. We concluded that increased wheat productions are not linearly linked to an increased nitrogen dose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2022, on the chernozem from Caracal, in the wheat soils sown on 1,100 ha in the production farms of SCDA Caracal, the non-didactic department of the University of Craiova, in two locations: Caracal and Stoenești, FOLIQ 36 Nitrogen was administered to 7 wheat varieties: Glosa, Otilia, Izvor, Avenue, Gabrio, Euclide and Caro line. Leaf samples were taken from 13 physical blocks (one not treated with foliar fertilizer and 12 fertilized with foliar in two doses) in accordance with the leaf sampling instructions approved by the Analitycal Services Laboratory of Yara UK Limited-Packlington. Macro- and micro-nutrients were determined by laboratory analysis in England as follows: nitrogen (%), phosphorus (%), potassium (%), calcium (%), magnesium (%), sulphur (%), iron (ppm), zinc (ppm), manganese (ppm), boron (ppm), copper (ppm), molybdenum (ppm). Interpretation of the results showed that a dose of 1 l/ha significantly increased the zinc content, iron content and nitrogen content of the plant; significantly distinctive also the copper and sulphur content of the plant was increased; very significantly increased were the boron content and phosphorus content of the plant. The same dose also influenced yield very significantly. In general, Gabrio, Avenue and Euclide varieties showed high yields but also high nitrogen, boron, copper, calcium and phosphorus contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we used the matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) technique to obtain hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) and magnesium phosphate (Mg3(PO4)2) thin coatings containing bone morphogenetic protein (BMP4) for promoting implants osteointegration and further nebulized with the antibiotic ceftriaxone (CXF) to prevent peri-implant infections. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), infrared microscopy (IRM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Furthermore, the antimicrobial properties were evaluated on Staphylococcus aureus biofilms and the cytocompatibility on the MC3T3-E1 cell line. The obtained results proved the potential of the obtained coatings for bone implant applications, providing a significant antimicrobial and antibiofilm effect, especially in the first 48 h, and cytocompatibility in relation to murine osteoblast cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone disorders and traumas represent a common type of healthcare emergency affecting men and women worldwide. Since most of these diseases imply surgery, frequently complicated by exogenous or endogenous infections, there is an acute need for improving their therapeutic approaches, particularly in clinical conditions requiring orthopedic implants. Various biomaterials have been investigated in the last decades for their potential to increase bone regeneration and prevent orthopedic infections. The present study aimed to develop a series of MAPLE-deposited coatings composed of magnesium phosphate (Mg3(PO4)2) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) designed to ensure osteoblast proliferation and anti-infective properties simultaneously. Mg3(PO4)2 and AgNPs were obtained through the cooling bath reaction and chemical reduction, respectively, and then characterized through X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED). Subsequently, the obtained coatings were evaluated by Infrared Microscopy (IRM), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Their biological properties show that the proposed composite coatings exhibit well-balanced biocompatibility and antibacterial activity, promoting osteoblasts viability and proliferation and inhibiting the adherence and growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, two of the most important agents of orthopedic implant-associated infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tissue engineering has evolved quickly over the years and provided three generations of scaffolds for bone tissue applications. Numerous materials have been used to induce the desired effect at cellular levels. Mechano-transduction is a phenomenon which is now gaining the attention and focus of tissue engineering researchers. The idea of controlling the cellular fate and inducing a proper response of the human body in contact with different tissue-engineered systems is now under investigation. Moreover, in order to avoid the appearance of on-site infections and the need for a second surgery, scaffolds with dual functionality are now being developed. Hydroxyapatite (HA) is an intensively studied material in this field and various combinations are under examination for the development of such scaffolds. Various techniques were exploited over the years for HA scaffold production, in order to obtain the most accurate matrix which can mimic the native bone tissue and restore its function. Biomimetic scaffolds aim to direct the cellular fate by imitating the natural structure of the bone tissue in terms of porosity, topography, composition, and surface properties. HA particles are exploited in bone tissue engineering in many forms, such as pure or composite scaffolds or reinforcement agents. In this regard, the aim of this review is to offer a current state of art about the use and synthesis of hydroxyapatite particles and their interaction with the physiological media under certain circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]