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A tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is a communication between the trachea and esophagus that is acquired or congenital. Congenital TEF, without other conditions like esophageal atresia, is usually diagnosed after birth or during infancy, as the baby will develop respiratory symptomatology, mostly severe, due to fluid/food aspiration in the trachea. In adults, TEFs can be caused by malignant conditions, blunt trauma, iatrogenic injury, prolonged mechanical ventilation and excessive inflation pressure of the endotracheal tube. We report a male patient of 86 years of age who presented at the "St. Spiridon" Emergency County Hospital in January 2022, accusing breathing difficulty, productive cough and occasional stabbing pain in the posterior thorax, within the previous week. Clinical exam was typical for pneumonia, but since the patient mentioned coughing episodes during eating/drinking since December 2021, together with a history of general anesthesia for abdominal surgery in mid-November 2021, a CT scan was performed. It confirmed a TEF of 7/16 mm (transverse/cranio-caudal) in size, located at the level of T2 vertebral body. The particularity of the case resides in the uncertain etiology of the fistula. If this patient had a clear iatrogenic injury, aspiration pneumonia should have occurred within days after the intubation event. However, after the surgery the patient was fine and discharged home without any symptomatology relevant for TEF. Only after one month, he started experiencing coughing during eating, that leads us to the assumption that he might have been born with a very small and asymptomatic tracheoesophageal defect, and the intubation for general anesthesia, even if done in a correct manner, represented a trigger event which led to development of a TEF. There are very few cases reported in literature with adult patients presenting a minor structural defect that remained unnoticed for a very long time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a randomized controlled clinical trial of 2 dressing materials, viz., Vaseline gauze and collagen sheet, after split thickness skin graft in donor site for wound comfort and pain, surgical site infection, and epithelialization. It is a randomized control study registered with CTRI registration number of CTRI/2 020/02/023207. Enrolled patients were randomized with block randomization method with 50 patients in each group. Following STSG procedure, pain score was documented using numerical pain rating score. Surgical site infection and number of days required for complete epithelialization were also documented and analyzed. The results showed that distribution of mean pain score (NPR) for Vaseline gauze group was significantly higher than collagen sheet group. Similarly, number of days required for complete epithelialization was found to be more for Vaseline gauze group than collagen sheet group and there was no significant difference in surgical site infection between the two groups. The study concluded that collagen sheet dressing is better than Vaseline gauze dressing in reducing pain in STSG donor site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The post-synthesis modification is a highly efficient method for the modification of Metal-organic framework (MOF) materials, which has been used to synthesize MOF materials purposefully that cannot be prepared by direct synthesis and impregnation method. In this work, amino modified ZIF8 with 5-aminotetrazole was prepared by the post synthesis modification method and was employed to reversibly remove SO2 from flue gas. Based on the characterization and analysis of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and Brunner Emmet Teller (BET), it was found that the functionalized ZIF8 (Zn(5-ATZ)1.5) was a microporous material with a two-dimensional nano-layered structure. According to the SO2 adsorption experiments, the adsorption capacity of SO2 at the concentration of 1.6% vol can reach to 122 mg/g under the optimal conditions (25 °C, 2865 h−1). Five successive adsorption-desorption experiments exhibited that Zn(5-ATZ)1.5 had excellent regeneration performance. The characterization results of Raman Spectra (Raman) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) as well as the DFT simulation calculations revealed that SO2 mainly interacted with Zn(5-ATZ)1.5 by hydrogen bonds between O of SO2 and amino H in the Zn(5-ATZ)1.5, and the interaction of SO2 with amino N and 5-aminotetrazole N by forming a non-covalent charge transfer complex. This work suggested that Zn(5-ATZ)1.5 is an excellent potential sorbent for SO2 removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research was to examine the status of library users' adoption of e-books in line with Rogers's Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory and Gartner's Hype Cycle (GHC) Model in the context of Fiji National University (FNU). The FNU Library introduced e-books to its user community in 2014. Purposively chosen 40 undergraduate students from the College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies were selected as the sample to conduct in-depth interviews. The study revealed that the participants' e-book adoption habits were primarily divided among early adopters, early majority, and late majority. The results disclosed many factors that influence the adoption of e-books, such as familiarity with the technology, personal taste, exposure to trial access, use of preferred access devices and enthusiasm for reading. Findings indicate that e-books adoption of university undergraduates in line with the DOI and GHC paradigms has substantiated how the underpinning theories could help interpret the adoption of e-books in teaching and learning environment. Thus, this research will help librarians and educators develop a robust mechanism for better understanding the inherent status-quo of ebook usage in higher education institutions. These research findings will also help develop strategies that can significantly enhance universities' traditional teaching and learning performance with emerging technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Patients with cervical spinal injury with quadriplegia are at an increased risk of developing serious gastrointestinal complications. We report an unusual case of spontaneous rectosigmoid perforation in a quadriplegic patient. Case Presentation. A 58-year-old man with diabetes mellitus and hypertension presented to the emergency department following a fall from 25 feet of height. He sustained a fifth cervical vertebral fracture with quadriplegia and neurogenic shock. One week later, he developed progressive abdominal distension with tachycardia, low blood pressure, and respiratory distress. His abdomen was soft but had impaired liver dullness. Imaging showed evidence of visceral perforation. He underwent an emergency laparotomy and was found to have a perforation of the antemesenteric border of the rectosigmoid junction with fecal contamination. The perforation was repaired primarily, and a temporary loop ileostomy was created. The patient received intensive care for 4 days, and thereafter, the recovery was uneventful. He was later transferred to the spinal unit for further management. The intraoperative findings, histology, and subsequent colonoscopy did not reveal any underlying cause for the perforation. Conclusions. Clinical signs and symptoms are generally absent in patients following spinal cord injury, and the diagnosis of serious gastrointestinal pathology can be difficult and challenging. We believe that ischemia at the rectosigmoid junction precipitated by multiple factors was the possible reason for the spontaneous perforation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-step model of analysis is tested to explore the intensity of populist communication according to a model with six explanatory variables for popularity: Populist Ideology, Populist Speech, Simplicity of Discourse, Entertainment, Language Aesthetics, and Emotion. We transpose multiple definitions of populism in an experimental model that filters the social media channels of eleven of political actors and deconstruct their political statements. The results suggest that both Populist Ideology and Speech are sufficient conditions for populism, whereas the populist markers reinforce the consistency of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romania's mountain area constitutes a defined geographic, economic and social entity, with specific climate, relief, natural and socio-cultural heritage, an identity recognized in Europe and all over the world. The paper aims to analyze the main normative acts for the mountain area in Romania developed after 1990, focusing on the specific legislation of the last 7 years. The aim was to create the legislative framework created, starting with the delimitation of the mountain area - to which this legislation is addressed, the public institutions established for the mountain area, as well as the main provisions to support the mountain population, producers and entrepreneurs in this area. The study of documents was used as research methods: laws, government decisions, ministerial orders, as well as content observation or analysis. The data were collected and interpreted. Results obtained: The 3 official delimitations of the existing mountain area during the studied period were identified and presented, the normative acts by which they were legislated as well as the main criteria that were the basis of each of these delimitations. It should be noted that the delimitation has undergone changes over time, depending on the instruments, policies and legislation existing at each of the times when they were developed. The main public institutions, with a role in the development of mountain areas and the application of public policies, were also identified. The development of mountain areas is achieved through specific policies. The Law of the Mountain and the subsequent laws elaborated, aim to support mountain producers, entrepreneurs and implicitly to lead to the development of mountain areas. By acquiring the right to use the optional quality mention "mountain product", at the level of the mountain area in Romania a Register and a national logo were created and a number of 580 "certified" products were obtained on the end of April 2020. Another 5 laws that provide for investments in this area are being drafted and are waiting to be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COMPLETE SACRAL SPINA BIFIDA OCCULTA fortuitously DISCOVERED IN A TRAUMA PATIENT (Abstract): Sacral spina bifida occulta (SSBO) is a defect occurring during embryonic life when the neural tube develops. It consists of o complete lack of the posterior wall of the sacral canal, which anatomically is represented by the median sacral crest. This condition belongs to a larger group of pathologies named spina bifida, the latter comprising also the meningocele and the myelomeningocele. In this paper we present a totally asymptomatic complete SSBO in a 47- year old patient with multiple traumas that arrived at "Sf Spiridon" Emergency County Hospital in Iasi, Romania. He experienced an accidental fall from approximately 1.5 - 2.0 metres and we managed to discover his sacral defect during the CT scans he underwent in the Radiology Department. We present the axial and the reconstructed CT images and discuss the anatomy of the sacrum in both complete and incomplete SSBO, pointing towards possible complications that might arise in case of injury at this level. We have reviewed the related literature on PubMed discovering the controversies amongst classification and the methodological approach of this condition. Several data is presented comparatively and an emphasis is done on the prevalence of this rare finding in several anthropological studies, based on archaeological sites from abroad and even located in our city, Iasi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how the Theory of Motivated Information Management influences adolescents' sexual information-seeking behaviour and their satisfaction with the information they find. A cross-sectional investigation that purposively selected and surveyed 128 adolescents in the Matara District of Sri Lanka using a semi-structured questionnaire was designed. The variables such as high-risk sexual behaviour, having a partner or not, sexual curiosity, computer self-rated proficiency, sex of the adolescents, self-rated English proficiency, Uncertainty Discrepancy anxiety and self-efficacy were used to inquire about the contributing effects on adolescents' sexual health information seeking behaviour. The findings reveal that the most important sexual health information for adolescents is the information related to "high-risk sexual behaviour" and "sexual curiosity". Boys are more likely to engage with sexual health information in a positive way than girls. The results further validate the TMIM framework. The orientation of associations between model variables has been consistent with past studies, particularly the negative relationship between anxiety and efficacy. Adolescents expressed difficulties in obtaining health information, including difficulty determining the quality of information and the lack of appropriate health information, highlighting the need for effective measures in this area. To overcome these barriers, the Ministries of Health and Education, the National Library, the Academic Library System and particularly medical/health libraries in universities, and the National Youth Services Council should plan easily accessible, outcome measurable, and appropriate opportunities and training through their official centres and institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Romania, agriculture is undergoing restructuring and economic development as a result of the changes following the 1989 Revolution. Within this background, agriculture has remained one of the priority branches of the national economy, in close correlation with the level of technical and economic performances achieved worldwide and especially within the agriculture of developed European countries, where technical, scientific and managerial progress has penetrated faster. The authors' intention is to analyse the main aspects related to the marketing actions for the main crops of grain maize, feed barley and rape, within S.C. AGRAR-M SERV S.R.L. company, based in Bordei-Verde, Lișcoteanca Village, Brăila County, for the reference period 2012-2015. In order to achieve the purpose of this paper, we started from compiling the database for the period under review, and thereafter we presented and analysed the natural conditions in the researched area that influenced the production results and, implicitly, the economic and financial ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical anisotropy is an essential property for biomolecules to assume structural and functional roles in mechanobiology. However, there is insufficient information on the mechanical anisotropy of ligand–biomolecule complexes. Herein, we investigated the mechanical property of individual human telomeric G‐quadruplexes bound to telomestatin, using optical tweezers. Stacking of the ligand to the G‐tetrad planes changes the conformation of the G‐quadruplex, which resembles a balloon squeezed in certain directions. Such a squeezed balloon effect strengthens the G‐tetrad planes, but dislocates and weakens the loops in the G‐quadruplex upon ligand binding. These dynamic interactions indicate that the binding between the ligand and G‐quadruplex follows the induced‐fit model. We anticipate that the altered mechanical anisotropy of the ligand–G‐quadruplex complex can add additional level of regulations on the motor enzymes that process DNA or RNA molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical anisotropy is an essential property for biomolecules to assume structural and functional roles in mechanobiology. However, there is insufficient information on the mechanical anisotropy of ligand–biomolecule complexes. Herein, we investigated the mechanical property of individual human telomeric G‐quadruplexes bound to telomestatin, using optical tweezers. Stacking of the ligand to the G‐tetrad planes changes the conformation of the G‐quadruplex, which resembles a balloon squeezed in certain directions. Such a squeezed balloon effect strengthens the G‐tetrad planes, but dislocates and weakens the loops in the G‐quadruplex upon ligand binding. These dynamic interactions indicate that the binding between the ligand and G‐quadruplex follows the induced‐fit model. We anticipate that the altered mechanical anisotropy of the ligand–G‐quadruplex complex can add additional level of regulations on the motor enzymes that process DNA or RNA molecules. 99 red balloons: Binding of a telomestatin analogue strengthens the mechanical stability of G‐tetrads, while weakening that of loops in a human telomeric G‐quadruplex. The mechanical anisotropy effect is sustained by the uneven structural variation of the G‐quadruplex after ligand binding, similar to a balloon squeezed in certain directions (the squeezed balloon effect). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of our article is to emphasize a potential evolution of the Romanian literary language across the one hundred and twenty-five years of confrontation with Jules Verne's novels. The successive translations of the French author's works reflect passing from the fixation of the Romanian supradialectal literary language, to its use and emphasis in diachronic and diastratic versions corresponding to the evolution of the Romanian society. We proceed from the idea that the solutions found by the Romanian translators in the lexical-semantic field, that of morpho-syntactic structures, of the transmitted pragmatic-stylistic values, have constituted true contributions to enriching, emphasising and plasticizing the Romanian literary language. Upon carrying out this analysis, we have, of course, called upon the work principles, methods and instruments of the two sciences of the word - valorised in any such undertaking - traductology on the one hand, and diachronic linguistics, on the other hand. Obviously, in both cases, we will be starting from the contrastive-typological grammar data, with frequent references to descriptive, normative grammar, to elements of pragmatics and stylistics, to the particularities of dialectology, in certain situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romania has joined the European Union on January 1st 2007. In the last 10 years, a lot of changes have taken place in the Romanian economy, including in agriculture - generated by the Common Agricultural Policy. The authors referred, on the basis of statistical information, to some changes that have taken place in Romania's agriculture, such as: changing the ownership system in favor of private property, in accordance with the Land Fund Act; reducing of employment in agriculture; increasing the number of agricultural units and their size - both in plant and animal husbandry; the use of new varieties and hybrids, having superior productivity, improved and adapted to the pedoclimatic conditions in Romania; introduction of new breeds and hybrids - in animal husbandry; the use of modern production technologies with a high level of mechanization and automation; obtaining better agricultural output than in 2017; increasing the incomes of the employed population in agriculture; rural tourism development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nos recherches sur le prix en tant qu'élément essentiel du marketing mix se sont appuyées sur l'étude bibliographique de nombreux ouvrages spécialisés et ont visé les aspects suivants: - la signification du prix - les étapes précédant la fixation du prix des produits agricoles et / ou agro-alimentaires; - les catégories de prix et leur contenu; - les stratégies de prix pour les nouveaux produits lancés sur le marché et la négociation des prix; - les méthodes de calcul pour les produits agricoles et / ou agro-alimentaires; - les prix d'intervention et l'implication des organismes européens pour leur protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Les recherches ont porté sur les principaux aspects qui caractérisent le marché des céréales pour les grains, en général, avec un regard particulier pour la situation en Roumanie, notamment après le 1er janvier 2007, date à laquelle la Roumanie a rejoint l'Union européenne. D'un point de vue économique, les céréales grains occupent la première place dans la structure de l'agriculture mondiale, avec plus de 50% des terres arables cultivées. En Roumanie, pour ce qui est de la structure de la surface arable, la plus grande superficie est occupée par le blé et le maïs et l'offre totale de céréales grains en 2011 a atteint environ 21 millions de tonnes, dont plus de 5 millions de tonnes exportées (Annuaire statistique, 2016 ). Actuellement, la Roumanie occupe la première place en Europe, devant la France, pour la surface cultivée en maïs, mais la production totale obtenue la place en deuxième position, après la France. Le marché des céréales est à la base de l'obtention des produits d'origine animale (viande, lait, oeufs, etc.) et contribue en même temps à l'approvisionnement en matières premières de l'industrie alimentaire (Drobotă et al..2008 Dans le processus de vente, le marché des céréales présente un certain nombre de circuits spécifiques, tels que: le circuit typique (marché de gros, marché de détail); la vente directe aux consommateurs de produits alimentaires non transformés par des intermédiaires; la vente directe aux consommateurs de produits agricoles ou alimentaires (Chiran et al., 2011; Constantin M. et al., 2008); La valorisation des céréales grains et des produits céréaliers comprend plusieurs processus: la transformation, la distribution, le transport, le stockage ( Mălăşinc J., 2004 Les céréales grains peuvent être vendues immédiatement après la récolte ou après une période de stockage dans l'entrepôt. Plusieurs circuits de distribution et de valorisation des céréales grains et des produits céréaliers finis céréaliers sont présentés. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates the main changes that have taken place in the Romanian fruits and vegetables supply chain over the past twenty years. Its sustainability is assessed using time-series data from different official and private data-bases applying statistic research methods. Results showed that the Romanian supply chain is dominated in terms of both inputs used and offer, by imports originating from different EU countries. The local subsistence and semi-subsistence farms cannot provide enough qualitative and quantitative products such as to penetrate the supermarkets, the main players from the market. Agritourism, a potential niche market, was investigated using sampling techniques. The guesthouses from one of the most important ecotourism destinations where assessed by face-to-face interviews. Results showed that even such short-marketing chains are unsustainable tools for the fresh fruits and vegetables products sectors. The lack of governance for the local producers does not allow them to enter on such niche market. All this findings can provide important incentives for better future targeted sectorial agricultural policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the performed and presented financial analyzes, in the case of the two units, does not allow major discrepancies between the estimated and achieved situation. The authors have based the research on the technical-economic and financial analysis of investments, which sets economic efficiency and investments viability and assumes forecast of revenue, expenses, profit and loss account, balance sheet and cash flow: a) static analysis of indicators; b) dynamic analysis of indicators, c) cost-benefit analysis. Analysis of economic efficiency and sustainability of investments aimes at both static indicators of investment analysis and dynamic analysis of economic efficiency. The goal of research was to improve analyzes and economic indicators for assessing the effectiveness and sustainability of investments and the objectives targeted technical and economic analysis, solvency and viability of investments and the impact of the investment on key indicators of economic and financial technical analysis. Case studies, carried out at S.C. NORD INTERMED CONSULTING GROUP S.R.L. Dorneşti, Suceava county and S.C. ANDIMIR TOP S.R.L. Mihălăşeni, Botoşani county, led to a series of measures to improve the financial analysis of economic efficiency and sustainability of investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the consumer buying behavior for bakery of Iasi county population (purchasing criteria, favorite brands and types, quantities purchased and consumed) a statistical survey was conducted in 2012 by the survey method with the written questionnaire. The main objectives of the study were represented by: highlighting acquisition criteria and factors influencing consumption of bakery products; revealing the varieties of bread consumed in terms of quality and quantity; identify the main bakery brands acquired; specifying the buying motivations and determinants of bread consumption pattern from the consumer's point of view; determine the conditions of the purchase in grocery stores and buyer satisfaction. The main reason for buying certain bakery was given by the product quality (54.90%) while the products influence on health was the main motivation for 22.22% of the subjects. A particular pattern of consumption for bakery products can be determined mainly by consumption behavior of the family (especially parents) in view of 26.8 % of respondents, household income (29.41%), food needs and/or diet (27.45%). Consumers targeted by the undertaken survey are loyal to a certain brand of bread products (44.4%), most rural people stating that the brand is not one of the main criteria of choice. Information on the label are considered to be very important in the process of purchasing for 31.4% of respondents, quite important for 28.8 %, while 9.8 % said they are unimportant. In the Iasi County, the supermarkets develops their own brands, offering fresh and a wide range of products, generally disposed in a specially designed bakery space and with an attractive visual layout, while maintaining and diversifying local or regional manufacturers brands. The quantities of bread and bakery products bought in Romania by a household decreased during the analyzed period (2007-2012), at nation level registered successive declines, ranging in 2012 at 7.66 kg/month/person, respectively at 91.92 kg/year/person, the highest consumption being in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wine market is a mature market, strongly influenced by favorable or unfavorable developments, determined by dietary patterns and consumers' buying behavior. Market behavior seems to be determined by the slogan "drink less, but drink better". (Chiran A. et al., 2004). Wine market comprises several segments. The most important segment is represented by stabilized wines, which can be divided into several groups: average to mediocre quality wines and top-quality wines with strict specifications and regulations. Wine market, in general, but, in particular, the European market, is characterized by structural surpluses. The wine distribution system shows the same pattern everywhere in the world, being highly fragmented, with a large number of retailers, finding a shift in the distributed quantities through wholesale channels (hotels, restaurants) to retail distribution channels for the domestic consumer (supermarket chains), which allows improving product competitiveness by price and favors modern consumption patterns and purchasing behavior. Another feature of the wine market is the significant share that cooperative societies hold, which uses European markets and, also, the North American ones, as product providers and as an end market for alcoholic products. Table wine consumption continues a traditionalist trend, represented by rural life, while quality wine market developments expresses rupture from the traditionalist tendencies (Liliana Rotaru et al., 2011). In the wine marketing policy, the growing consumers' health concerns play a vital role. With alcohol fighting organizations' movements, a new ideology that aims towards eating healthy foods, which include wines, has been developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online promotion of wine products is a new but indispensable approach in all promotional activities initiated by companies and producers of wine, whereas there is a need for a greater focus on this specific market, not separated from the real one, but a new component, increasingly prevalent. The new market, where demand is getting bigger in our country and where consumers are becoming more and more faithful to this type of promotion, is the online environment, which generated, as a response from manufacturers and distributors in almost all food industry areas, online marketing. Promoting in the virtual environment follows the same stages of development as any promoting strategy from other environments of intersection with customers: initial research, market segmentation, setting goals, market positioning, marketing mix, implementation of the promotional campaign itself and the implementation and post implementation control. The key features of wine products online promoting is interactivity and socialization. Internet communication occurs in two directions, unlike traditional marketing, which is unidirectional. The other characteristic of virtual promo-tional methods - socialization characterizes the future of cyberspace. The research purpose is not to separate the new form of promotion of other forms of nonvirtual marketing activities, but to emphasize that online marketing is the component that should not be missing from any promotional cam-paign launched by a company. The research was based on information provided by the S.C. Cotnari S.A. Department of Marketing. In order to determine the characteristics of online communication and modern promoting trends, we analyzed the website and social media accounts of this wine producer, as well as news portals and blogs. Questionnaires were applied on a sample of 133 consumers, to analyze the impact on their use of online marketing. The studied sample consisted of consumers of wine and, most of them, Internet users, from urban or rural areas. Each questionnaire contained 16 questions, with a total of 63 variables, and aimed to compare the behavior of respondents towards online promotion activity of S.C. Cotnari S.A., Iaşi county. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The well-demonstrated biological functions of DNA G-quadruplex inside cells call for small molecules that can modulate these activities by interacting with Gquadruplexes. However, the paucity of the understanding of the G-quadruplex stability contributed from submolecular elements, such as loops and tetraguanine (G) planes (or Gquartets), has hindered the development of small-molecule binders. Assisted by click chemistry, herein, we attached pulling handles via two modified guanines in each of the three G-quartets in human telomeric G-quadruplex. Mechanical unfolding using these handles revealed that the loop interaction contributed more to the G-quadruplex stability than the stacking of G-quartets. This result was further confirmed by the binding of stacking ligands, such as telomestatin derivatives, which led to similar mechanical stability for all three G-quartets by significant reduction of loop interactions for the top and bottom G-quartets. The direct comparison of loop interaction and G-quartet stacking in Gquadruplex provides unprecedented insights for the design of more efficient G-quadruplexinteracting molecules. Compared to traditional experiments, in which mutations are employed to elucidate the roles of specific residues in a biological molecule, our submolecular dissection offers a complementary approach to evaluate individual domains inside a molecule with fewer disturbances to the native structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asan intracellular organelle, phospholipid-coated lipid dropletshave shown increasing importance due to their expanding biologicalfunctions other than the lipid storage. The growing biological significancenecessitates a close scrutiny on lipid droplets, which have been proposedto mature in a cell through processes such as fusion. Unlike phospholipidvesicles that are well-known to fuse through docking and hemifusionsteps, little is known on the fusion of lipid droplets. Herein, weused laser tweezers to capture two micrometer-sized 1,2,3-trioleoylglycerol(triolein) droplets coated with 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) that closely resemble intracellularlipid droplets. We started the fusion processes by a well-controlledcollision between the two lipid droplets in phosphate buffer at pH7.4. By monitoring the change in the pathway of a trapping laser thatcaptures the collided lipid droplets, docking and physical fusionevents were clearly distinguished for the first time and their lifetimeswere determined with a resolution of 10 μs after postsynchronizationanalysis. Our method revealed that the rate-limiting docking processis affected by anions according to a Hofmeister series, which shedslight on the important role of interfacial water shedding during theprocess. During the physical fusion, the kinetics between bare trioleindroplets is faster than lipid droplets, suggesting that breaking ofphospholipid coating is involved in the process. This scenario wasfurther supported by direct observation of a short-lived hemifusionstate with ∼46 ms lifetime in POPC-coated lipid droplets, butnot in bare triolein droplets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development and efficiency strategy of agricultural production in a certain area is based on the analysis of the economic and financial situation of the agricultural sector, which should take into account the adoption of those measures aimed primarily at increasing agricultural production and, secondly, making it more efficient by accessing European funds (1, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 24). These measures will have a major influence on increasing the efficiency of the Romanian agriculture by promoting farmers' managerial and marketing skills and orientation of farming activities to profitable investment, including integrated projects, by accessing EU funds (5, 6, 10, 15, 16). National Rural Development Programme is the instrument through which the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the European Economic Recovery Plan (EERP) can be accessed, which complies with the strategic guidelines of the EU rural development (15,20). Achieving the desired objectives of the National Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 is provided by the Managing Authority for P.N.D.R., namely the General Directorate of Rural Development, belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), in its actual form, consumes, through the complex system of subsidies and other financial incentives, about half of the common budget and is built around two pillars: the first is the common market organizations and covers common regulation measures of agricultural products integrated markets functioning, and the second, which gained magnitude in the past decade, is rural development and includes structural measures that target a harmonious rural development (diversification of activities, product quality, environmental protection) (24). Accessing European funds for agriculture and rural development is closely linked to the Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture, which operates in three main areas, developing support measures financed from the national budget and European funds (6.16): a) direct payments and market measures; b) some measures financed from European funds for agriculture and rural development, established by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development; c) payments which represent financial support from the national budget. Through the presented paper, the authors have proposed to highlight the main aspects that characterize the evolution of Botosani county's agriculture after Romania's adherence to the European Union (8, 11, 12, 22). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research indicates that there is no such thing as a well defined market for wine, as there are no typical wine consumers. Wine market consists of several segments that are influenced by demographics, psychographics and the context in which it is consumed. Given the complex nature of the product itself, but also of the market, wine is one of the consumer products that are most difficult to address from a marketing perspective. Understanding how consumers choose a brand of wine continues to be a complex problem. Wine is a product that generates confusion among consumers, due to the large number of indexes on the label, such as brand name, region or grape variety. Unlike most foods products, wine taste may vary in a given year depending on the harvest, even if the brand and other extrinsic information remain the same. For other food categories, consumers easily switch between different brands according to market share and are not very concerned about the differences in taste or quality behind the labels. The study on which this paper is based aimes to analyze the wine consumers' behavior from the Iasi market. Research objectives include: evaluating the main characteristics of the wine purchasing behavior, determination of preferences regarding the main characteristics of the product, evaluation of the main characteristics of consumer behavior and identifying features of the acquisition, consumption and preferences based on gender, age, education, number of family members and income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents effects of intravenous laser blood irradiation (ILBI) in a transient immunodeficiency patient with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) treated with an interleukin-6 receptor inhibitor (Tocilizumab). Biological agents induce JIA remission, but some patients do not respond favorably to this final therapeutic line of defense. ILBI was performed in a 16-year-old male patient, with JIA and transient immunodeficiency. When ILBI was introduced, the patient was receiving disease-modifying drugs, steroids, tocilizumab, and physical therapy. Because the disease was not well controlled, ILBI was applied in addition to other ongoing therapies. The patient underwent 1 session daily, and 10 successive sessions per month, repeated every 3 months, for 7 months. Patient evaluation was performed before ILBI was started and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after ILBI initiation, using the ACR Pediatric response. The outcome was evaluated using Pediatric 50, 70, and 90 responses and compared to initial status, after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. At the end of study, the titre of IgA and IgG levels returned to normal. Synergistic anti-inflammatory effect of ILBI was evident, if applied additionally in combination with tocilizumab, in a patient with a therapy-resistant severe form of JIA and related subacute transient immunodeficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new approach to the synthesis and 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of nitrones has been described from 2,3-dihydro-4H-pyran and various hydroxylamines, with electron-deficient alkynes for the synthesis of isoxazoline derivatives. Significant rate acceleration and improved yields of exclusively exo isoxazolines in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium based ionic liquids have been observed. Novel isoxazolines may be used as a precursor for the synthesis of variety of peptides. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Individuals with COVID-19 are advised to self-isolate at their residences unless they require hospitalization. Persons sharing a dwelling with someone who has COVID-19 have a substantial risk of being exposed to the virus. However, environmental monitoring for the detection of virus in such settings is limited. We present a pilot study on environmental sampling for SARS-CoV-2 virions in the residential rooms of two volunteers with COVID-19 who self-quarantined. Apart from standard surface swab sampling, based on availability, four air samplers positioned 0.3–2.2 m from the volunteers were used: a VI able V irus A erosol S ampler (VIVAS), an inline air sampler that traps particles on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filters, a NIOSH 2-stage cyclone sampler (BC-251), and a Sioutas personal cascade impactor sampler (PCIS). The latter two selectively collect particles of specific size ranges. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected by real-time Reverse-Transcription quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (rRT-qPCR) analyses of particles in one air sample from the room of volunteer A and in various air and surface samples from that of volunteer B. The one positive sample collected by the NIOSH sampler from volunteer A's room had a quantitation cycle (Cq) of 38.21 for the N-gene, indicating a low amount of airborne virus [5.69E-02 SARS-CoV-2 genome equivalents (GE)/cm3 of air]. In contrast, air samples and surface samples collected off the mobile phone in volunteer B's room yielded Cq values ranging from 14.58 to 24.73 and 21.01 to 24.74, respectively, on the first day of sampling, indicating that this volunteer was actively shedding relatively high amounts of SARS-CoV-2 at that time. The SARS-CoV-2 GE/cm3 of air for the air samples collected by the PCIS was in the range 6.84E+04 to 3.04E+05 using the LED-N primer system, the highest being from the stage 4 filter, and similarly, ranged from 2.54E+03 to 1.68E+05 GE/cm3 in air collected by the NIOSH sampler. Attempts to isolate the virus in cell culture from the samples from volunteer B's room with the aforementioned Cq values were unsuccessful due to out-competition by a co-infecting Human adenovirus B3 (HAdVB3) that killed the Vero E6 cell cultures within 4 days of their inoculation, although Cq values of 34.56–37.32 were measured upon rRT-qPCR analyses of vRNA purified from the cell culture medium. The size distribution of SARS-CoV-2-laden aerosol particles collected from the air of volunteer B's room was >0.25 μm and >0.1 μm as recorded by the PCIS and the NIOSH sampler, respectively, suggesting a risk of aerosol transmission since these particles can remain suspended in air for an extended time and travel over long distances. The detection of virus in surface samples also underscores the potential for fomite transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in indoor settings. [Display omitted] • SARS-CoV-2 was present in air and on surfaces in rooms of self-isolating persons. • Aerosol particles of size >0.25 μm contained SARS-CoV-2 genetic material. • Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in air suggests possibility of aerosol transmission. • Detection of SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces shows possibility of fomite transmission. • Co-infections warrant development of comprehensive analytical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-stranded guanine (G)-rich sequences at the 3' end of human telomeres provide ample opportunities for physiologically relevant structures, such as G-quadruplexes, to form and interconvert. Population equilibrium in this long sequence is expected to be intricate and beyond the resolution of ensemble-average techniques, such as circular dichroism, NMR, or X-ray crystallography. By combining a force-jump method at the single-molecular level and a statistical population deconvolution at the sub-nanometer resolution, we reveal a complex population network with unprecedented transition dynamics in human telomeric sequences that contain four to eight TTAGGG repeats. Our kinetic data firmly establish that G-triplexes are intermediates to G-quadruplexes while long-loop G-quadruplexes are misfolded population minorities whose formation and disassembly are faster than G-triplexes or regular G-quadruplexes. The existence of misfolded DNA supports the emerging view that structural and kinetic complexities of DNA can rival those of RNA or proteins. While G-quadruplexes are the most prevalent species in all the sequences studied, the abundance of a misfolded G-quadruplex in a particular telomeric sequence decreases with an increase in the loop length or the number of long-loops in the structure. These population patterns support the prediction that in the full-length 3' overhang of human telomeres, G-quadruplexes with shortest TTA loops would be the most dominant species, which justifies the modeling role of regular G-quadruplexes in the investigation of telomeric structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This single-blind, placebo-controlled study assesses the efficacy of synergic administration of intravenous laser blood irradiation (ILBI) and etanercept in selected subtypes of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Etanercept is a tumor necrosis factor alpha blocking agent with recognized importance in JIA. Laser radiation has immunomodulatory effects in animal and human studies. Fourteen patients (Group I) received ILBI and 9 patients (Group II) received placebo laser. ILBI was performed in addition to ongoing JIA medication, including etanercept. ILBI was administrated in 3 sets of 5 consecutive daily sessions, with a 7-week interval between every set of sessions. Evaluation was performed using ACR (American College of Rheumatology) Pediatric Criteria (ACR Pedi) at study enrollment and at 10 and 20 weeks, respectively. After 10 weeks, 85.7% of the patients in Group I fulfilled Pedi 30 criteria, compared to only 55.6% of the patients in Group II. After 20 weeks, all patients in both groups had a Pedi 30 response. In Group I, 92.8% of the subjects met the Pedi 50 response, compared to only 55.6% in the placebo group. One patient in Group I responded best, fulfilling Pedi 70 criteria. If applied synergistically, ILBI and etanercept would have an increased efficacy in promoting JIA remission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botoşani County has a high agricultural potential, with an agricultural area of 78.8 % out of the total county area and an average agricultural land per capita at 0.98 hectares. The agriculture occupies an important place in the economy structure of Botoşani County. However, big changes have taken place since 1990, such as: recognition of the property rights by the Land Law of February 1991, which has determined the change of the property structure in favour of the private property. This phenomenon is also observed in the field of animal husbandry. Regarding the endowment with agricultural machinery, we can observe that land owners did not have sufficient financial resources to purchase different machinery, which influenced negatively the farming technology for plant cultivation and the animal husbandry sector. Other relevant matters such as agricultural land division led to the apparition of a very high number of small plots territorially dispersed, which could not allow crop rotation and using high-tech technologies, with a high mechanization and automation of agricultural labour. All these aspects have had negative consequences on crop production level, which was unstable during last years, on crop structure, leading to the disappearance of some crop varieties from farmers' fields, which was mainly replaced by the maize culture and also to an insignificant number of agricultural associations and a decreasing number of farm animals. An important factor was the implementation of a system of subsidies for farmers after Romania's accession to the European Union, which has led to the agricultural production development and reorganisation in Botoşani County. Taking into account of all these aspects, the survey has been shown the most important changes produced in the agriculture of Botoşani County after 1990. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The survey aims to elaborate managerial strategies concerning the optimisation of agricultural units from Botoşani County, by attracting European funds. At present, the common agricultural policy (CAP) represents a complex system of subsidies and other financial incentives built on two pillars and it takes nearly half of the common European Union's budget. The firs pillar concerns greener and more equitable measures in the area of market support. The second pillar concerns rural development measures and concentrates on the harmonious development of rural areas, including activities diversifying, product quality increase and environment protection. In the actual context, the Romanian farmers need to adapt to the world economic reality, to adopt new technical and economic methods for having a good economic stability and economic efficiency and to produce according to the European market standards. The European funds absorption for agriculture and rural development is closely linked to the activity of the Agency for Paying and Intervention for Agriculture, which is carried out on three main directions, concentrating on support measures financed both by the national budget and the European funds. The survey's authors have proposed to emphasize the strategies that could contribute to the ensuring of private agricultural units efficient development through the European funds absorption, based on a case study at S.C.MULTIAGRA S.R.L. Vlăsineşti from Botosani County. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper proposes is to analyze the current situation and prospects of the Romanian agricultural and rural economy and to recommend actions to reduce potential risks of fully integration of Romanian agricultural economy in the rural economy of the European Union. This paper tries to provide an updated the agricultural diagnosis and rural development in Romania and assess the global implications on the rural economy diversification and create new jobs. The subject includes theoretical addressing agricultural management system and characteristics of the studied phenomena, directed and coordinated contemporary management. Recent research shows that changes in agriculture and rural development are reflected in the economic downturn, the occurrence of demographic problems (increased distances between work and home, low rural population), changes in social structure, refocusing on value systems, pressures arising ecosystems, destruction of cultural heritage areas, and reducing income disparity, changing habitat preferences (second homes in the village). Integrating agriculture into the market economy, technical and economic modernization is done with great difficulty due to various reasons: lack of capital and a well organized credit system, inadequate material resources, dependence on upstream prices due to high input sites industrial and agricultural nature, but also downstream, and following the disruption of agricultural contracting system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Romania, the archaic village was and it is ontological evoked, if not for its exclusive existence form then certainly for its admiring and preferred form. A fundamental reality that was verified in time and space has been forgotten: "many peasants, a lot of scarcity". Committing such a mistake, Romanians ended up glorifying and venerating the bareness that the providence requites. The Romanians did not have the possibility, and consequently neither the vocation of modernizing the social structures. In 1901, the United Kingdom had only 9% of labor force in agriculture, while in Romania it is still deplored the depopulation of the villages after the Second World War, in a primitive structure with 80% peasants. At the beginning of the XVIth century, Thomas Morus said about the United Kingdom that it is the country "where the sheep eats people". It was the time when the depopulation of the English village has occurred, with the specific shocks of any modernization, but which has transformed the United Kingdom in the first world industrialized power. The reality is that the most important modernization of the housing stock of the Romanian village took place during the communist period. Today, more than 70% of the living fund in the Romanian villages was allocated during the period of 1948-1989. However, it is not the case of the villages inhabited by Swabians and Saxons, some of the villages inhabited by Hungarians and some of the villages inhabited by Romanians, which are located in Marginimea Sibiului, from Tara Fagarasului and North Bucovina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, agriculture has become intensive with an increased specialization of farms and regions. By increasing the productive capacity of soil and crop yields, by using fertilizers and plant protection products, agriculture has reached a stage where it is possible to obtain short term profitability of farms but on a long term, a negative impact on the environment. The main problems encountered are: negative effects on human health, contamination of surface and ground water due to nitrates and phosphates, compaction, soil erosion and degradation of landscape and wildlife habitat as a result of concentration of farms, development of monocultures, dismantling green fences and terraces, wet land drainage, etc. People living near a farm are likely to be exposed to pesticide droplets in the air and the water consumption or contaminated food. In this paper were identified and analyzed the existing main pollutants factors of air in vegetable farms specialized in cereals. To estimate emissions of greenhouse gases in a cereal farm, it was conducted a case study. The main factors identified as agricultural pollutants are: pesticides, odors, smoke, dust, pollen allergen and waste. The existing corn production technology in the focus company emphasizes the minimizing of CO2 emissions. Thus, the dose of chemical fertilizer is determined by soil analysis that is performed annually and the recommendations of specialists. Also, vegetal waste are chopped and incorporated, which significantly reduces the amount of CO2 emissions. The total amount of emissions is estimated at approx. 2.35 tonnes of CO2 per hectare of corn and 0.94 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of corn. Most emissions are from fertilizer, about 56.6% of the total. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If before 1989, Romania was one of the countries with the largest physical size of farms, after 1989 it became one of the countries with the lowest physical size of these holdings. In 2007, the first year after EU accession, the physical size of farms was 3.5 ha, our country being on the penultimate place in the EU 27 (exceeded only Malta whose total area was only 11 000 ha). The opposite stood the Czech Republic, with 89.3 ha per holding. Putting the two former socialist countries on diametrically opposed positions is the following of different applied policy in the transition of agriculture to a market economy. While Romania has pursued restoration of what was formerly in agriculture, in the Czech Republic was considered foreshadowing the future of agriculture. Consequently, in Romania has resulted atomization of agricultural holdings and fragmentation of land which exceeds what was about 50-60 years before, in the interwar period and the Czech Republic - a concentration of agricultural holdings land that placed it at the forefront of EU countries. Romania's agricultural policy during the accession to the EU was facing, no doubt, at the enterprise or farm size, measured by the single criterion of land surface in use or existing livestock, some acts showing the orientation sided, narrow and exclusive. Thus, by the provisions of Emergency Ordinance no. 108 / 27 June 2001 on commercial farms, farms are considered only agricultural units which have at least 110 ha of arable land in the plain (ie 50 hectares in hilly area) or 15 cows or 5,000 meat poultry or 100 pigs etc. The criteria for sizing of large, medium or small farms don't have a unified approach to economic theory. However, the most commonly used are the following two criteria established by: the attracted resources in production (in physical units), with reference, first, on the average size of holdings land and, secondly, at livestock, tractors and agricultural machinery and other elements of the production factors; the results achieved (expressed in physical or monetary units), with reference to the quantities of final products or proceeds. The literature, in the majority inclined to physical parameters or reflects the inputs or results. In Galati, characteristic of farms distribution by physically class size, is very large share of farms under 5 ha - 97.23% of all farms in the southern of Galati county, against 96.57% in the county of Galati and higher share of holdings with 50 and over 50 hectares - 0.88% against 0.56% in Galati county. The authors have proposed, using a case study, to highlight the common agricultural policy impact on physical and economic size of farms in the southern of Galati county. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism represents today, undoubtedly one of the phenomenon's which dominates the contemporary world, one of the most profitable segments, of the global economy, unique, in its dynamics, multiple motivations and great variety of ways of manifestation. The aim of the paper is to present a general overview of the NE Region area regarding the touristic development, to show how were blended the physical and economic-geographical factors, to emphasize factitive the geographical landscape evolution as a result of the interaction of the genetic factors, to highlight the positive and negative action of the human on the natural frame and of tourism and to propose measures for systematization of the NE Region territory. The touristic arrangement of the NE Region area in Romania has an existence of over 100 years. Numerous associations and touristic pensions occurred since the period of the end of XIX century; they had outstanding contributions at equipping the NE Region tourist area. Gradually in the times until the December 1989, these actions were limited because of the prohibition of accommodation of foreign tourists to privates, being only few exceptions. The purpose of this study is to examine how the indicators which quantify the NE Region agro tourism Romania, aiming to eliminate weaknesses and strengths potentiation. In this sense it was the fact that, starting and running agro business requires a capital investment. For this reason, starting investment is preceded by a careful justification of expenditures, whether they are intended for new targets, or for improvement or interior and exterior refurbishments. The authors have proposed that assess the efficiency and effectiveness of agro-tourism activities to be completed by a budget analysis and a feasibility study. To define the nature of income, the results of different activities (agricultural, tourism, services, etc..) Will establish a budget revenue and expenditure showing the sources of revenue and cost of resources used. From this point of view, it will evaluate the annual receipts of tourists and the seasons, prices and costsprovided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Apuseni Mountains represent one of the most attractive tourist destination in Romania. The studied area comprises the territory of Arieşeni commune, which is placed in the northern part of Alba county and the holiday village named Vârtop, close to the border of Bihor county. The location represents a circle placed at equal distances from several big towns, such as: Cluj-Napoca, Oradea, Arad, Deva and Alba Iulia, therefore it represents an attraction for the tourists belonging to these areas. The population of Arieşeni commune counts 1810 inhabitans. It is distributed in 18 villages, whereby the most important villages are Casa de Piatră, Vârtop, Galbena and Bubeşti. The main elements of tourism attraction are: * the ski slope from Vârtop; * the climatic potential, which is favourable to hiking, climbing, mountaineering, winter sports, repose, relaxation etc., during both seasons: the summer and the winter. The statistics point out that the yearly average duration of the snow cover lasts 150 days, ensuring a schi season of 5 months each year; * Gârdişoara Gorges; Vârciorog Waterfall; Glacier Cave Vârtop; Crow Castle in Padis Plateau; Gura Apei Cave; Huda Orbului Cave; Hodobana Cave; Aven Cave with two entrances; Izbucul Tauzului Cave etc. There are also anthropic touristic resourses represented by museums, wooden churches, etnographic and folklore festivals. The tourism of repose and relaxation is practiced most during the summer time, being favoured by a very pleasant natural environment, the water and air purity, the altitude of over 800 m that ensures pleasant temperatures. The vegetation has a vertical distribution and contains deciduous forests, beech forests, mixed forests and valley subalpine meadows with a great variety of floristic composition. In Vârtop-Arieşeni area, there is evidence of 88 guesthouses, having a tourist accommodation capacity of 1190 beds in 2008. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper identifies the existing promotional avenues for university librarians in Sri Lanka, the basic requirements needed for these avenues, the obstacles and obstacle mitigating strategies. The research design of the study comprised of three steps, viz., literature analysis, survey based on telephonic interviews, and finally, the opinion modeling. It was found that the major problems that hinder career advancement prospects among librarians are a combination of professional duties with research and publication requirements, inadequate opportunities to reach the rank of librarian and lack of higher educational qualification requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of rapid technological and economic expansion throughout the world, society is confronted with new requirements. For the success of the medical practice, even with the rapid changes in technology and the medical field, practitioners involved in the use of patients' information are obliged to continue to behave ethically This paper reviews the ethical challenges raised in the use of patients' information for medical and other purposes. It also discusses the values underlining the ethical issues and their importance in the use of patients' information in the doctor and patient context The issues surrounding the use of patients' information such as secrecy and confidentiality are raised and potential problems in the area, policy issues which must be addressed by those concerned with the confidentiality and secrecy of health information and the germane legal issues are also discussed. Moreover, this is a review of the current status of the health care information ethics with particular reference to the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia and developing countries. Finally, it concludes that the emerging field of health care information ethics will require careful thought and insights from an international collection of ethicists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: The aortic arch (AA) branching model is challenging, considering the multiple anatomical variations documented in existing research. The bovine aortic arch (BAA) is the most prevalent anatomical variation among these. This variant of AA branching has long been considered a nonsymptomatic malformation, having been discovered incidentally during imaging investigations for other causes. However, more recent studies have demonstrated that BAA shows a frequent association with coarctation of the aorta (CoA), thoracic aortic disease (TAD), and stroke. At the same time, given the current context of increasing activity in the fields of interventional and surgical procedures in the aorta and its branches, it is very important to know the medical–surgical implications of this anatomical variant. (2) Methods: We conducted a comprehensive review using PubMed and Embase, focusing specifically on randomized trials and cohort analyses that examined the medical–surgical implications of BAA. We assessed information related to studied groups, medical procedures, and study outcomes. Initially, we identified 8454 studies, and after rigorous evaluation, we narrowed down our review to 25 articles. (3) Discussions: The intervention consisted of assessing the risks associated with BAA through different imaging investigation methods such as computer tomographic angiography (CTA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or ultrasonography (US). The following results were evaluated: the prevalence of the BAA, the importance of imaging investigations in establishing the diagnosis and the therapeutic management and monitoring the evolution of patients with the BAA, the association of the BAA with CoA, TAD, and stroke, and the potential risks of interventional treatment in patients with the BAA. (4) Conclusions: The prevalence of the BAA differs both between different ethnic groups and between genders. Advanced imaging methods such as CTA and 4D flow MRI allow detailed descriptions of supra-aortic vascular anatomy and information about blood flow velocities, direction, and turbulence in the AA. US remains an easy and valuable imaging investigation, with the potential to detect and correctly diagnose the BAA and its hemodynamic implications. Anatomical variations in the AA are associated with increased rates of TAD, CoA, and stroke, necessitating early diagnosis and increased supervision of patients with such incidentally observed abnormalities. In addition, there is a need to further develop and refine the surgical techniques used and personalize them to the individual characteristics of patients with the BAA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ankylosing spondylarthritis is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease, which includes axial and peripheral arthritis, inflammation of the site where tendons and joint capsules attaches to the bone and degeneration of the sacroiliac joint and the spinal cord joints, leading to progressive spinal fusions. Introduction of new immunomodulatory molecules into therapy aiming at interleukins, such as the tumor necrosis factor alpha, was considered a major breakthrough in the treatment of severe ankylosing spondylarthritis. This case illustrates the particular evolution of the clinical manifestations in correlation with joint trauma, gastrointestinal infection and the devastating consequences of active HLA-B27 positive ankylosing spondylarthritis with juvenile onset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spondilartrita anchilozantă este o boală inflamatorie mediată imun, care include artrita axială şi periferică, inflamaţia locului unde tendoanele şi capsulele articulare se inseră pe os, precum şi degenerarea articulaţiilor sacro-iliace şi ale coloanei vertebrale, care conduce la fuziuni progresive ale vertebrelor. Introducerea în terapie a moleculelor imunomodulatoare, cu ţintă pe interleukine, cum ar fi pe factorul de necroză tumorală alfa, a fost considerată ca un progres major în tratamentul formelor severe de spondiliartrite ankilozante. Acest caz ilustrează evoluţia particulară a manifestărilor clinice în corelaţie cu traumatismul articular, infecţia digestivă şi consecinţele devastatoare ale spondilitei ankilozante active HLA-B27 pozitivă cu debut juvenil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The influence of the early COVID-19 pandemic on non-COVID-19 emergencies is uncertain. We conducted a systematic review and a meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic on the presentation, management, and prognosis of patients presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods: We searched the PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases from January to August 2020. A meta-analysis of studies comparing the profile, STEMI severity at presentation, reperfusion delay, and in-hospital mortality for patients presenting before and during the early COVID-19 pandemic was conducted. Fifteen cross-sectional observational studies including 20,528 STEMI patients from the pre-COVID period and 2190 patients diagnosed and treated during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic met the inclusion criteria. Results: Patients presenting with STEMI during the pandemic were younger and had a higher comorbidity burden. The time interval between symptoms and first medical contact increased from 93.22 ± 137.37 min to 142 ± 281.60 min (p < 0.001). Door-to-balloon time did not differ significantly between the two periods (p = 0.293). The pooled odds ratio (OR) for low left ventricular ejection fraction at presentation during the pandemic was 2.24 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.54–3.26) and for a presentation delay >24 h was 2.9 (95% CI 1.54–5.45) relative to before the pandemic. In-hospital mortality did not increase significantly during the outbreak (p = 0.97). Conclusion: During the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, patients presenting with STEMI were addressed later in the course of the disease with more severe left ventricular impairment. In-hospital emergency circuits and care functioned properly with no increase in door-to-balloon time and early mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: reviewing data on the anatomical variations of mandible and imaging data. Material and method: 10 studies were selected over a period of eighteen years (2013-2021), which have as object of study anatomical variations of mandible. A total of 482 patients were analyzed in imaging studies of anatomical variations of mandible, of which were 170 male and 312 were female. Results: The mandibular foramen was situated in the inferior 1/3 of mandibular ramus in 30 cases.(3-6). In 20 cases (40%) the mandibular foramen was situated in the middle of the ramus. Mental foramen was located on the anterior surface of the corpus of the mandible, posterior to the mental tubercle and had a round shape in 30 cases (60%). Mental foramen had an oval shape in 20 cases (40%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The celiac trunk represents an unpaired visceral branch of the abdominal aorta, which detaches at the level of the 12th cervical vertebra. It has a trajectory of 1-2 cm and a caliber of 5-8 mm, having relations with the parietal peritoneum, the vestibule of the omental bursa, the diaphragmatic lymph nodes and the diaphragmatic pillar muscles, the caudate lobe of the liver, the vertical portion of the small gastric curvature and the median arcuate ligament. The celiac trunk trifurcates into three terminal branches: the left gastric artery, the common hepatic artery and the splenic artery. Each of these branches has a specific trajectory and relations, vascularizing the corresponding organs. Given its importance as a source of vascularization, any anatomical variation is eloquent and necessary to be known for the diagnosis and treatment of conditions at this level. Methods: The selection of articles that were included in this paper was made using the PubMed database, where the following keywords were used: variation of celiac trunk, celiac trunk and laparoscopic surgery, clinical implications of celiac trunk, celiac trunk and oncologic extensive surgery. Entering the mentioned keywords generated an initial number of 5428 references. They were subjected to a filtering process: duplicates were removed, only free full-text articles were selected, and inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Subsequently, the most appropriate articles for the topic of the paper were chosen, according to the Web of Science Impact Factor and suitability criteria, resulting in a final number of 28 articles. Literature review: These 28 articles were reviewed based on the criteria: anatomical variants in the branching of the celiac trunk, implications of anatomical variations of the celiac trunk in: laparoscopic surgery - treatment of median arcuate ligament syndrome, abdominal oncological surgery, liver transplant and interventional radiology. Conclusions: The anatomical variations of the celiac trunk have a significant impact on abdominal surgery, whether oncological or not, liver transplant, as well as minimally invasive radiological procedures. A correct knowledge of the up-mentioned variations significantly decreases the rate of intra- and post-interventional complications, accompanied by a smaller recovery time in the possible event of a complication, and also the general healing time following surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human heart beats around 2.5 billion times during a normal lifetime. Responsible for this function is the cardiac conduction system (CCS). This unique system is formed by specialized cardiomyocites, in which generate the cardiac impulse and conduct it from the atrial to the ventricular chambers. The functional components of the CCS are: sinoatrial node (SAN), atrioventricular node(AVN), atrioventricular bundle (AVB or bundle of His), the right and the left bundle branches (RBB and LBB) and the Purkinje network fibers. The CCS examination is a difficult task for most practicing pathologists, because it is macroscopically identical to the surrounding cardiac structures. For this reason,detailed anatomical knowledge is required to identify it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented discussing self-administration of medicines by inpatients.

Starting from the known dihydropyran-derived nitrone (I), a series of isoxazolines are prepared via regioselective cycloaddition reaction with electron-deficient alkynes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]