Background: Mutualistic mycorrhiza fungi that live in symbiosis with plants facilitates nutrient and water acquisition, improving tree growth and performance. In this study, we evaluated the potential of mutualistic fungal inoculation to improve the growth and disease resistance of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) against the forest pathogen Heterobasidion annosum.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Appl Biomater Funct Mater
December 2024
Improving bone-graft substitutes and expanding their use in orthopedic and spinal surgery leads to shorter surgical times, fewer complications, and less pain among patients both in human and veterinary medicine. This study compared an elastic porous β-tricalcium phosphate/poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (β-TCP/PLCL) copolymer scaffold (composite scaffold) and a commercially available β-TCP/PLCL bone-graft substitute (chronOS Strip) in a rabbit calvarial defect. A bilateral, 12-mm circular defect was created in the parietal bones of 12 rabbits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis paper explores the role of measurement as a cognitive technology across human history, emphasizing the coexistence of formal and informal measurement systems. While standardized systems dominate contemporary culture and are well documented across large-scale societies of the past, this manuscript highlights the less explored domain of informal measurement practices that have been integral to daily life from the past to the present. Through the examination of body-based measurement systems and proportional heuristics, we demonstrate how these informal strategies were not merely precursors to formal standards but essential adaptive tools for solving everyday problems.
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