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In recent years, research has focused on developing materials exhibiting outstanding mechanical, electrical, thermal, catalytic, magnetic and optical properties such as graphene/polymer, graphene/metal nanoparticles and graphene/ceramic nanocomposites. Two-dimensional sp2 hybridized graphene has become a material of choice in research due to the excellent properties it displays electrically, thermally, optically and mechanically. Noble nanomaterials also present special physical and chemical properties and, therefore, they provide model building blocks in modifying nanoscale structures for various applications, ranging from nanomedicine to catalysis and optics. The introduction of noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) (Au, Ag and Pd) into chemically derived graphene is important in opening new avenues for both materials in different fields where they can provide hybrid materials with exceptional performance due to the synergistical result of the specific properties of each of the materials. This review presents the different synthetic procedures for preparing Pt, Ag, Pd and Au NP/graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composites.

Water is the key element that defines and individualizes our planet. Relative to body weight, water represents 70% or more for the majority of all species on Earth. Taking care of water as a whole is equivalent with taking care of the entire biodiversity or the whole of humanity itself. Water quality is becoming an increasingly important component of terrestrial life, hence intensive work is being conducted to develop sensors for detecting contaminants and assessing water quality and characteristics. Our bibliometric analysis is focused on water quality sensors based on carbon nanotubes and highlights the most important objectives and achievements of researchers in recent years. Due to important measurement characteristics such as sensitivity and selectivity, or low detection limit and linearity, up to the ability to measure water properties, including detection of heavy metal content or the presence of persistent organic compounds, carbon nanotube (CNT) sensors, taking advantage of available nanotechnologies, are becoming increasingly attractive. The conducted bibliometric analysis creates a visual, more efficient keystones mapping. CNT sensors can be integrated into an inexpensive real-time monitoring data acquisition system as an alternative for classical expensive and time-consuming offline water quality monitoring. The conducted bibliometric analysis reveals all connections and maps all the results in this water quality CNT sensors research field and gives a perspective on the approached methods on this specific type of sensor. Finally, challenges related to integration of other trends that have been used and proven to be valuable in the field of other sensor types and capable to contribute to the development (and outlook) for future new configurations that will undoubtedly emerge are presented.

Feedback represents an important component in the process of assessing the competencies of the IT professionals as it allows to evaluate their performance and helps their managers to personalize the learning content according to employees’ needs and profiles. In the current paper we propose a computer-based formative feedback framework that provides personalized feedback for the technical employees. Extensive research has been carried out focusing on formative assessment aspects that includes the elaborate feedback. An online competency assessment tool was designed and it is going to be implemented in order to measure the professionals’ performance in software organizations. The subjects of the study are going to be software developers, working in departments of IT Romanian companies. Their performance is going to be evaluated through the competency-based assessment tool. At the end of the assessment process, an elaborate feedback is provided in order to improve their current level of competency acquired. The current paper reveals the role of the computer-based formative assessment within software organizations as well as the importance of an elaborate feedback that can improve the employees’ knowledge and skills.

Pentru o analiză amănunțită din punct de vedere semantic a proiectelor de cercetare cu finanțare nerambursabilă a fost verificată, ca și variantă, aplicația informatică TROPS, ce reprezintă un soft ce a fost dezvoltat de către Agnès Landré și Pierre Molette în urma lucrărilor realizate de către Rodolphe Ghiglione. În cadrul prezentei lucrări se are în vedere realizarea unui thesaurus electronic, care va avea la bază o encilopedie a proiectelor de cercetare cu finanțare nerambursabilă.