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We are presenting a case of mechanical jaundice caused by a pancreatic head cancer in a 72-year-old patient. The clinical examination suspected this diagnosis based on the characteristics of jaundice and the Courvoisier-Terrier sign that was present in the clinical exam. Laboratory and imagistic exams confirm this suspicion. After a short preoperative preparation, a cephalic pancreatoduodenectomy was made using the Whipple procedure. The postoperative evolution was complicated by the appearance of a biliary fistula, which closed after the resuming of intestinal transit. The patient left the surgery department after 25 days of hospitalization. Technological advancement, adequate preoperative rebalancing and especially the emergence of surgical centers specialized in pancreatic resections, have reduced mortality after CPD below 5%. However, an unresolved issue is the long-term survival after CPD for pancreatic cancer (0 – 24%), which is considered by some authors disappointing.

Breast cancer is a common disease in women over the age of 50. The risk of breast cancer in women between the ages of 30 to 39 is 1 in 250 women, and in women between the ages of 40 to 49 is 1 in 70 women. Material and method: We analysed clinicopathological data of the breast cancer on a series of 32 cases that underwent surgery between 2020–2021 in General Surgery Department of ”Providenta” Hospital Iasi, Romania. This includes the mammary gland and the cellular-adipose tissue placed between the glandular lobes and lobules together with blood and lymphatic vessels, and nerves. The study was conducted after the surgery on the parts resected through it, but we also used the explorations performed for diagnosis and stage evaluation such as breast ultrasound, mammography, staging CT. The patients ranged between 58 and 71 years old and came from rural areas. The anatomopathological examination confirmed the preoperative diagnosis, the patients being referred to oncology for evaluation followed by adjuvant treatment. Results: The postoperative evolution was favourable, and no immediate postoperative complications were reported. Aspiration drainage was removed on average after 3 days. The average length of hospital stay was 7 days. Discussions: The surgery was performed using the Madden technique and was a radical mastectomy with axillary lymph node removal. This technique offers a very good loco-regional clearance from the oncological point of view because it resects in block the mammary gland, the adipose tissue next to it, the skin on a wide surface as well as the neighbouring fascial system, also preserving the pectoral muscle. The axillary lymph-adenectomy is complete, with no risk of intraoperative dissemination. Conclusion: Radical mastectomy with axillary lymph node removal using the Madden technique, performed in the beginning stage is a modern, effective surgery, easily supported by patients who were informed from the beginning, with an average duration of two hours and reduced postoperative complications, {"references":["Clough K.B., Kaufman G.J., Nos C. et al. Improving breast cancer surgery: a classification and quadrant per quadrant atlas for oncoplastic surgery. Ann Surg Oncol, 2010; 17:1375-1391. DOI: 10.1245/s10434-009-0792-y. 2) Volovat C, Volovat S.R., Vulpoi C., Dascălu C.G., Cărăuşu E.M. Quality of life of women receiving adjuvant hormonal treatment for breast cancer– a randomized trial comparing tamoxifen with aromatase inhibitors. Jurnalul de Chirurgie, Iaşi, 2011; 7(2): 193-202, [ISSN: 1584–9341]. 3) Anastasiadi Z., Lianos G.D., Ignatiadou E., Harissis H.V., Mitsis M. Breast cancer in young women: an overview. Updates Surg, 2017; 69(3): 313-317. doi: 10.1007/s13304-017-0424-1. 4) Kolak A., Kamińska M., Sygit K., Budny A., Surdyka D., Kukiełka-Budny B., Burdan F. Primary, and secondary prevention of breast cancer. Ann Agric Environ Med, 2017; 24(4): 549-553. doi: 10.26444/aaem/75943. 5) Goldhirsch A., Wood W.C., Coates A.S., Gelber R.D., Thürlimann B., Senn H.J. Panel members. Strategies for subtypes– dealing with the diversity of breast cancer: highlights of the St. Gallen International Expert Consensus on the primary therapy of early breast cancer 2011. Ann Oncol, 2011, 22(8):1736–1747. https://doi.org/10.1093/ annonc/mdr304; PMID: 21709140 PMCID: PMC3144634. 6) Siegel R.L., Miller K.D., Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2020. CA Cancer J Clin, 2020; 70(1):7-30. doi: 10.3322/caac. 21590. 7) Odle T.G. Precision Medicine in Breast Cancer. Radiol Technol, 2017; 88(4): 401M-421M. PMID: 28298516. 8) Fahad Ullah M. Breast Cancer: Current Perspectives on the Disease Status. Adv Exp Med Biol, 2019; 1152:51-64. doi: The Value of Clinical Anatomy, Imaging, Breast Gland Surgery and Therapeutic Implications in Breast Cancer IJMRA, Volume 06 Issue 01 Janaury 2023 www.ijmra.in Page 465 10.1007/978-3-030-20301-6_4. 9) Partene Vicoleanu Simona Alice. Stromal inflammatory cell phenotypes in breast cancer. PhD thesis, \"Grigore T. Popa\" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania, prof. univ. dr. Carasevici Eugen, 2012. 10) Iancu G., Vasile D., Iancu R.C., Daviţoiu D.V. \"Triple positive\" breast cancer–a novel category? Rom J Morphol Embryol, 2017, 58(1):21–26; PMID: 28523293. 11) Perou C.M., Sørlie T., Eisen M.B., van de Rijn M., Jeffrey S.S., Rees C.A., Pollack J.R., Ross D.T., Johnsen H., Akslen L.A., Fluge O., Pergamenschikov A., Williams C., Zhu S.X., Lønning P.E., Børresen-Dale A.L., Brown P.O., Botstein D. Molecular portraits of human breast tumours. Nature, 2000, 406(6797): 747–752; https://doi.org/10.1038/35021093; PMID: 10963602. 12) 12.Eliyatkın N., Yalçın E., Zengel B., Aktaş S., Vardar E. Molecular classification of breast carcinoma: from traditional, oldfashioned way to a new age, and a new way. J Breast Health, 2015, 11(2):59–66. https://doi.org/10.5152/ tjbh.2015.1669; PMID: 28331693; PMCID: PMC5351488. 13) Volovat S., Apostol D., Volovat C., Cărăuşu M. Quality of Life of Women with Breast Cancer Treated in Adjuvant Setting with Tamoxifen or Aromatase Inhibitors. European Journal of Cancer, 2011; 47(Suppl. 1): S379. DOI: 10.1016/S0959- 8049(11)71605-7. 14) Edge S.B., Sheldon D.G. Counterpoint: sentinel lymph node biopsy is not indicated for ductal carcinoma in situ. J Natl Compr Netw, 2003; 1:207-212. doi: 10.6004/jnccn.2003.0019. 15) Silverstein M.J., Lagios M.D., Groshen S. et al. The influence of margin width on local control of ductal carcinoma in situ of breast. N Engl J Med 1999; 340:1455-1461. 16) Hashmi A.A., Aijaz S., Mahboob R., Khan S.M., Irfan M., Iftikhar N., Nisar M., Siddiqui M., Edhi M.M., Faridi N., Khan A. Clinicopathologic features of invasive metaplastic and micropapillary breast carcinoma: comparison with invasive ductal carcinoma of breast. BMC Res Notes, 2018, 11(1):531. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-018-3623-z PMID: 30064485 PMCID: PMC 6069771. 17) Chen A.C., Paulino A.C., Schwartz M.R., Rodriguez A.A., Bass B.L., Chang J.C., Teh B.S. Population-based comparison of prognostic factors in invasive micropapillary and invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. Br J Cancer, 2014, 111(3): 619– 622. https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.2014.301; PMID: 24921921; PMCID: PMC 4119976. 18) Baucom D.H., Porter L.S., Kirby S.J. et al. Psychosocial issues confronting women with breast cancer. Breast Dis 2005; 23:103-113. doi: 10.3233/bd-2006-23114. 19) Arrigada R., Le W.G., Rochard F., Contesso G. Conservative treatment versus mastectomy in early breast cancer: patterns of failure with 15 years of follow-up data. Institute Gustave Roussy, Brest Cancer Group. J Clin Oncol, 1996; 14(5):1558- 1564. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1996.14.5.1558. 20) Litière S., Werutsky G., Fentiman I.S., Rutgers E., Christiaens M.R., Van Limbergen E., Baaijens M.H., Bogaerts J., Bartelink H. Breast conserving therapy versus mastectomy for stage I-II breast cancer: 20 years of follow-up of the EORTC 10801 phase 3 randomised trial. Lancet Oncol, 2012; 13: 412-419. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(12)700 42-6. 21) Cărăuşu M., Bidard F.C., Callens C., Melaabi S., Jeannot E., Pierga J.Y., Cabel L. ESR1 mutations: a new biomarker in breast cancer. Expert Rev Mol Diagn. 2019; 19(7):599-611. doi: 10.1080/ 14737159.2019.1631799; PMID:31188645. There is an Open Access article, distributed"]}

Hungary is in many respects a diligent student of transition, one that has successfully gathered the spoils of transition in spite of initial drawbacks. The article argues that Hungary had a facilitated entry into the wormhole of transition because of pre-democratic initiatives to implement competitive fiscal measures—mainly in the years prior to the fall of the Iron Curtain. However, the gradual transition reached an end by 1995 due to debt accumulations that triggered an internal market reformation. The article further suggests that, in the process, the impact of the FDI has been bittersweet during the transition; on the one hand, foreign capital infusions balanced the state budget, corrected the deficit and transferred know-how. On the other hand, the FDI-based transition produced fragmentation and high dependency of the national economy on unstable foreign capital, rendering a component of unsustainability to the Hungarian economy and the risk of entry into a low added-value chain profile.

सुरक्षित, स्वतन्त्र एवम् सम्मानपूर्वक जीवनयापन मानिसको नैसर्गिक अधिकार हो । मानवीय हित एवम् कल्याण गर्नु सरकारको दायित्व हो ।मुलुकको स्वतन्त्रता, सार्वभौमसत्ता, भौगोलिक अखण्डता, राष्ट्रियता, स्वाधीनता, स्वाभिमान, नागरिकको हकहितको रक्षा, सीमानाको सुरक्षा, आर्थिक समृद्धि र समुन्नति एवम् राष्ट्रिय चाहनाको संरक्षण आर्थिक, राजनैतिक, कूटनैतिक तथा शक्ति प्रक्षेपणका माध्यमबाट गरिने व्यवस्थापकीय क्रियाकलाप नै राष्ट्रिय सुरक्षा व्यवस्थापन हो । परम्परागत अवधारणामा राष्ट्रिय सुरक्षालार्इ एक राष्ट्रले अर्को राष्ट्रमाथि गरिने आक्रमण वा अतिक्रमणको विरुद्धमा लिइने रक्षा नीतिलाई मात्र बुझिन्थ्यो। अहिले मानवीय सुरक्षा, खाद्य सुरक्षा, सामाजिक सुरक्षा, वातावरणीय सुरक्षा आदिलाई मानवोचित व्यवहारका पक्षहरूबाट हेर्ने गरिन्छ । विज्ञान र प्रविधिको विकाससँगै राष्ट्रले अपनाउने सुरक्षाका विविध विषयहरू जस्तैःराजनैतिक, आर्थिक, सामाजिक, कुटनैतिक, सूचना र पर्यावरण आदि समेत यसमा समावेश हुन आउँछन्। आजको सन्दर्भमा विश्वको प्रमुख सुरक्षा चुनौतीको रूपमा पर्यावरणीय सङ्कट, आणविक युद्ध प्रसार,राजनैतिक बहिष्करणएवम् प्रविधिले निम्त्याउने सङ्‍कट मानवीय अस्तित्वको विनाशका कारणका रूपमा रहेका छन् भने उन्नत प्रविधिका कारण पनि जोखिम बढ्दो छ, उक्त जोखिम व्यवस्थापन गर्न शक्तिशाली सङ्‍गठन, उत्तम राष्ट्रिय सुरक्षा नीति, कुशल नेतृत्व, प्रविधिको प्रयोग, साइबर सुरक्षा नीतिको निर्माण र कार्यान्वयन गर्न आवश्यक छ । यसका लागि सरकारको इच्छाशक्ति, कर्मचारीतन्त्रको साथ, सचेत नागरिकहरूको सक्रिय सहभागिता एवम् खबरदारी आवश्यक देखिन्छ । {Living a safe, free and dignified life is a natural human right. It is the responsibility of the government to safeguard the humanitarian interests and welfare of the country. That is national security management. The traditional concept of national security was defined as a defense policy taken by one nation against an attack or encroachment on another. At present, human security, food security, social security, environmental security, etc. are viewed from the perspective of humane behavior. Along with the development of science and technology, various security issues adopted by the nation such as political, economic, social, diplomatic, information and environment are also included. The traditional concept of national security was defined as a defense policy taken by one nation against an attack or encroachment on another. At present, human security, food security, social security, environmental security, etc. are viewed from the perspective of humane behavior. Along with the development of science and technology, various security issues adopted by the nation such as political, economic, social, diplomatic, information and environment are also included.}

Analizar la incidencia de los riesgos financieros en la rentabilidad de la Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito PILAHUIN TIO Ltda., en el periodo de 2019 al 2020 Las cooperativas de ahorro y crédito por su naturaleza del negocio están expuestas a diferentes riesgos financieros, además buscan mayores rendimientos asumiendo el menor riesgo posible, bajo esta premisa en la presente investigación se analiza la problemática presentada en la Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito Pilahuín Tío Ltda., en torno a la falta de concientización de la importancia del análisis financiero de los riesgos. Se plantea como objetivo el análisis de los riesgos financieros y su incidencia en la rentabilidad de la Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito Pilahuín Tío Ltda., en el periodo 2019-2020, debido a la falta de gestión de los riesgos financieros como morosidad, liquidez y sensibilidad de tasas de interés, los cuales deben ser controlados y monitoreados para evitar que se materialicen los riesgos financieros. Para lo cual se desarrolló conceptos puntuales que sustentan teóricamente lo analizado a lo largo de la investigación. La metodología aplicada tiene un enfoque cuantitativo, de diseño no experimental, alcance descriptivo y correlacional, se aplicaron técnicas multivariantes como el análisis de clúster y de regresión lineal múltiple con series de tiempo. Las técnicas que se utilizó para el análisis financiero son análisis vertical, horizontal y análisis de indicadores financieros. Los resultados del estudio reflejan que de los indicadores de los riesgos financieros solo el indicador mínimo de liquidez es un determinante para rentabilidad de la cooperativa proponiendo estrategias que mitiguen los riesgos financieros. Maestría

Wastewater surveillance (WS), when coupled with advanced molecular techniques, offers near real-time monitoring of community-wide transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and allows assessing and mitigating COVID-19 outbreaks, by evaluating the total microbial assemblage in a community. Composite wastewater samples (24 h) were collected weekly from a manhole between December 2020 and November 2021 in Maryland, USA. RT-qPCR results showed concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA recovered from wastewater samples reflected incidence of COVID-19 cases. When a drastic increase in COVID-19 was detected in February 2021, samples were selected for microbiome analysis (DNA metagenomics, RNA metatranscriptomics, and targeted SARS-CoV-2 sequencing). Targeted SARS-CoV-2 sequencing allowed for detection of important genetic mutations, such as spike: K417N, D614G, P681H, T716I, S982A, and D1118H, commonly associated with increased cell entry and reinfection. Microbiome analysis (DNA and RNA) provided important insight with respect to human health-related factors, including detection of pathogens and their virulence/antibiotic resistance genes. Specific microbial species comprising the wastewater microbiome correlated with incidence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, suggesting potential association with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Climatic conditions, namely, temperature, were related to incidence of COVID-19 and detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, having been monitored as part of an environmental risk score assessment carried out in this study. In summary, the wastewater microbiome provides useful public health information, and hence, a valuable tool to proactively detect and characterize pathogenic agents circulating in a community. In effect, metagenomics of wastewater can serve as an early warning system for communicable diseases, by providing a larger source of information for health departments and public officials.

Introduction LIKERT 4 and 5 lesions picked up on MRI prostate have a high chance of picking up high grade high volume prostate cancer so they under biopsy. It is quite challenging to decide whether to biopsy pure LIKERT 3 lesions. In our retrospective review of 500 prostate MRI scan we looked for correlation between pure LIKERT 3 lesions and the risk of finding prostate cancer after biopsy. Materials and Methods Pre-biopsy Multi parametric MRI prostate was done in 500 cases and reported by two consultant radiologists. 157 mp Prostate MRIs showed one or more pure LIKERT 3 lesions . All 157 cases underwent targeted and saturation biopsies. 91 biopsies (57.96%) out of 157 were benign. 66 biopsies (42%) out of 157 showed prostate cancer. Gleeson score is shown in the table below Conclusion 157 cases with pure LIKERT 3 lesions on MRI prostate 58% were benign. 42% who had positive biopsies low and intermediate risk i.e. Gleeson 6 or 7 (95.4%) prostate cancer was found. High grade prostate cancer i.e. Gleeson 8 and 9 was seen in 3%. Patients with pure LIKERT 3 lesion on mp MRI prostate should be counselled about the risks of finding prostate cancer, likely grade to help them make an informed decision about PSA monitoring only or undergo prostate biopsies.

Invasive forms of aspergillosis of the nervous system are relatively rare and are usually diagnosed in immunocompromised patients. We present the case of a young female patient, treated in the last two months with corticosteroids and antifungal drug for pulmonary aspergillosis, who developed progressive paraparesis. An intramedullary abscess at the C7–D1 level was identified and the lesion was treated with a combination of surgery and antifungal therapy. Histopathologic findings of surgical specimens showed myelomalacia with Aspergillus hyphae and a peripheral rim of neutrophils. We consider that the use of multiple drugs and corticosteroids for our patient’s initial community pneumonia could be the factor that transformed her into a mildly immunocompromised individual and permitted the Aspergillus spp. to disseminate through the blood and into the spinal cord. Moreover, we highlight the fact that more attention should be paid to living and working conditions of the patients, as a simple colonization of the lung with Aspergillus spp. could develop, in a short time, into an invasive disease with a high risk of mortality.

In this work, amine-functionalized ZIF8 (i.e., ZIF8-A) was dispersed in n-heptanol (ZIF8-A/n-heptanol) to remove SO2. The effects of ZIF8-A proportion, SO2 concentration, and absorption and desorpt...

This study is addressing topics related to sustainable consumption and aims to identify and rank the decisional factors involved in the process of purchasing local eco-friendly agri-food products and to analyse to what extent the incidence of eco-friendly agri-food consumption is influenced by five factors: income, age, gender, education, living area. Thus, the paper presents the results of a market research regarding the consumer behaviour of agri-food and the willingness of adopting a more sustainable diet, in one of the developing regions of the European Union: the North-East Region of Romania, Ia.i County. Our substantive findings indicate that personal benefits (taste, perceived health benefits and freshness) are the main motivations driving sustainable consumption, while environmental conditions did not reach such a great significance. The results show that, in general, people are not well informed about the environmental implications of their diet. Their environmental attitudes are not aligned with their actual purchase practices: although the majority of people declare they are preoccupied with environmental protection, the driving motivations of agri-food purchase do not necessarily imply environmental concern factors, such as transportation, reusable/recyclable package or the wish to protect the environment. The study shows that women are more willing than men to change their consumption behaviour of agri-food products in order to contribute to a sustainable environment. Also, elderly people are more determined to purchase agrifood produced in an environmentally sustainable manner. Findings from this research lead to understanding the multiple factors that consumers consider in making purchase decisions of environmentally sustainable agri-food. Educational campaigns should be implemented in order to grow awareness about how our diet and food choices can address climate change.

Life science is often focused on the microscopic level. Single-molecule technology has been used to observe components at the micro- or nanoscale. Single-molecule imaging provides unprecedented information about the behavior of individual molecules in contrast to the information from ensemble methods that average the information of many molecules in various states. A typical feature of living systems is motion. The lack of synchronicity of motion biomachines in living systems makes it challenging to image the motion process with high resolution. Thus, single-molecule technology is especially useful for real-time study on motion mechanism of biomachines, such as viral DNA packaging motor, or other ATPases. The most common optical instrumentations in single-molecule studies are optical tweezers and single molecule total internal refection fluorescence microscopy (smTIRF). Optical tweezers are the force-based technique. The analysis of RNA using optical tweezer has led to the discovery of the rubbery or amoeba property of RNA nanoparticles for compelling vessel extravasation to enhance tumor targeting and fast renal excretion. The rubbery property of RNA lends mechanistic evidence for RNAs use as an ideal reagent in cancer treatment with undetectable toxicity. Single molecule photobleaching allows for the direct counting of biomolecules. This technique was invented for single molecule counting of RNA in the phi29 DNA packaging motor to resolve the debate between five and six copies of RNA in the motor. The technology has subsequently extended to counting components in biological machines composed of protein, DNA, and other macromolecules. In combination with statistical analysis, it reveals biomolecular mechanisms in detail and leads to the development of ultra-sensitive sensors in diagnosis and forensics. This review focuses on the applications of optical tweezers and fluorescence-based techniques as single-molecule technologies to resolve mechanistic questions related to RNA and DNA nanostructures.

Objetivo: Evaluar el efecto del nivel de oferta de ensilaje de Avena sativa L., variedad Altoandina, en el consumo de materia seca total de la dieta y la productividad de las vacas lactantes en pastoreo en el municipio de Pasto, Colombia. Materiales y Métodos: Se utilizaron 12 vacas F1 (Kiwi cross x Holstein), de 450 kg de peso vivo promedio, en un diseño de sobre cambio. Se establecieron dos tratamientos, que correspondieron a dos niveles de inclusión de ensilaje: 20 (T1) y 35 % (T2) del consumo de materia seca total. Se evaluaron períodos de 12 días, siete de adaptación y cinco de medición. Se estimó el consumo de materia seca, la calidad y la producción de leche, así como los indicadores del perfil metabólico (glucosa, colesterol y nitrógeno ureico en sangre). La información se procesó mediante un análisis de varianza y la prueba de comparación de medias Tukey. Resultados: Hubo efecto significativo (p < 0,05) para las variables consumo de materia seca total del ensilaje (2,8 vs 1,4 kg/MS/vaca/día para 35 y 20 % de inclusión de ensilaje de avena, respectivamente). La producción de leche fue de 14,9 vs 14,3 kg/vaca/día, para 35 y 20 % de inclusión de ensilaje de avena, respectivamente. El nitrógeno ureico en leche y el nitrógeno ureico en sangre resultaron superiores en T1 con respecto a T2 (15,8 y 3,1 vs 14,5 y 2,8, respectivamente). Conclusiones: La introducción en la dieta de ensilaje de A. sativa, variedad Altoandina (20 y 35 %), afectó el consumo de materia seca total. Además, la inclusión de 35 % del ensilaje influyó positivamente en la producción de leche, al aumentar en 4 %.

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.

Fitness centers are considered high risk for SARS-CoV-2 transmission due to their high human occupancy and the type of activity taking place in them, especially when individuals pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic for COVID-19 exercise in the facilities. In this study, air (N = 21) and surface (N = 8) samples were collected at a fitness center through five sampling events from August to November 2020 after the reopening restrictions were lifted in Florida. The total attendance was ~2500 patrons during our environmental sampling work. Air samples were collected using stationary and personal bioaerosol samplers. Moistened flocked nylon swabs were used to collect samples from high-touch surfaces. We did not detect SARS-CoV-2 by rRT-PCR analyses in any air or surface sample. A simplified infection risk model based on the Wells-Riley equation predicts that the probability of infection in this fitness center was 1.77% following its ventilation system upgrades based on CDC guidelines, and that risk was further reduced to 0.89% when patrons used face masks. Our model also predicts that a combination of high ventilation, minimal air recirculation, air filtration, and UV sterilization of recirculated air reduced the infection risk up to 94% compared to poorly ventilated facilities. Amongst these measures, high ventilation with outdoor air is most critical in reducing the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. For buildings that cannot avoid air recirculation due to energy costs, the use of high filtration and/or air disinfection devices are alternatives to reducing the probability of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 through inhalation exposure. In contrast to the perceived ranking of high risk, the infection risk in fitness centers that follow CDC reopening guidance, including implementation of engineering and administrative controls, and use of personal protective equipment, can be low, and these facilities can offer a relatively safe venue for patrons to exercise.

Phase-matching-free SHG is observed from a monolayer WSe2 placed in a Yb3+ doped picosecond fiber oscillator. The mode-locking and laser output of the fiber oscillator are unaffected. This enables applications in self-referencing f-2f frequency combs.

University library administrators in Sri Lanka, realising the necessity of complying with customer perception of high-quality service, have begun to search for alternative ways to satisfy their clientele on the basis of service quality. This study therefore aims to meet this need by developing a model to assess the extent to which service quality indicators may be used to predict customer satisfaction, from a service quality perspective. The research methods were “mixed methods of research,” which involved a combination of positivist and phenomenological inquiries that led to the use of qualitative and quantitative approaches in line with the purpose of the study, which was exploratory in nature and searched for causality. The model based on the performance-only paradigm and the linearity assumption between the constructs was found to be the best parsimony model that provided for enhanced predictive performance, calibration, and potential insight into attributes and domain relevance.

This chapter explores what Human Rights Literacy (HRL) involves and how it establishes and develops improved rights of the citizens supportive to social justice in the society. People with different cultural backgrounds have the fundamental right to be literate members of society. However, due to various cultural influences, this right is somewhat restricted to certain individuals. For example, girls' education has become controversial in some lands. There are still instances in some cultures where people of all walks of life, such as LGBTI, Blacks, Indigenous people, migrants, etc., are helpless in the face of their rights. Thus, legal literacy and its unique component of human rights literacy are essential to ensure the protection of human rights. A theoretical framework is eventually drawn up by summarising the findings of the study.

This paper attempts to demonstrate the dissonance between the highlighted themes placing people at the epicenter and yet excluding the general public and their actual security needs, examines national security from a consumer’s perspective. To underscore a dissonance in the discourse on national security, the writer explores the paradigm of national security policy. Then, it illustrates the discord between the public security needs in their everyday life and the outlined threats in the national security documents. To validate the above argument, the paper offers a new avenue on the overlooked consumer identity of human beings and demonstrates the probability and impact of threats to national security by means of the qualitative data analysis.

Alternaria blight in mustard cause heavy damage to the foliar parts resulting into poor growth and development of plants and thereby reduces seed yield. Inorder to manage Alternaria infestation in mustard seed for yield maximization, an experiment was conducted in the plant protection laboratory in Nepal Polytechnic Institute, Bharatpur, Chitwan in 2018, using Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four replicates. Five treatments i.e.Uthane M-45 (2g/kg), Neem powder (3 g/kg), Bojho powder (4g/kg), Trichoderma harzianum, (107 Conidia/mL) and control (without treatment) were used for seed treatment of local variety of Mustard. Four hundred seeds for each treatment (25 seeds in each petriplate) were plated using triple layers of moistened blotter paper in petriplate and incubated at (27±20C) for 2 days and followed deep freezing for 24 hrs. Data of disease incidence and seed germination were recorded in 3, 7 and 10 days after incubation (DAI). Seedling vigor and seedling weight were also recorded at 5 DAI. The percentage of Alternaria spp incidence on seeds at different DAI showed highly significant with respect to different treatments. Application of Uthane M-45 and T. harzianum significantly reduced the seed-borne infection of Alternaria spp. as compared to control. At 3 DAI Uthane M-45 completely checked the pathogen however, only 4% and 5% disease incidence was observed in 7 DAI and 10 DAI respectively. Bio control agent Trichoderma harzianum was found next best alternative after Uthane M-45 to control disease. Plant extract Bojho powder and Neem powder were found better than control to check the disease. Furthermore, highest germination (76%) was observed in Trichoderma treatment whereas, lowest germination was found in control.

Objective: To describe the proportion of women presenting with undiagnosed anaemia at confinement and to explore associations between anaemia and socio economic factors, dietary pattern and compare maternal and neonatal outcome among term mothers with anaemia compared to non-anaemic pregnant women at a tertiary care centre in Sri Lanka. Method: A comparative cross-sectional study was performed by recruiting anaemic and non-anaemic term mothers who delivered at the Teaching Hospital Peradeniya during the period March 2018-March 2019. Pregnant mothers whose haemoglobin level was less than 10.5 g/dl were considered as anaemic and compared with the mothers whose haemoglobin level was above this level. With written consent, demographic data, etiological factors, maternal and neonatal outcomes of term mothers were evaluated by an interview and blood samples were withdrawn to carry out anaemia related investigations. Results: Among 2854 pregnancies, a total of 234 (8.19%) term pregnant mothers were anaemic and they were and compared with 199 non-anaemic mothers. Out of the anaemic mothers (Hb < 105 g/l), 133 (56.76%) had moderate anaemia, 100 (42.79%) had mild anaemia and 1 mother (0.45%) had severe anaemia. Low monthly family income was significantly associated with the incidence of anaemia. Anaemia was also associated with low weekly consumption of red meat (OR 8.994; 95% CI, 5.74 - 14.09, p < 0.05) and high weekly tea intake (OR 0.217; 95% CI 0.144 - 0.327, p < 0.05). Among anaemic mothers, 215 (67.44%) had low serum ferritin (

In recent years, cadmium (Cd) pollution in soil has increased with increasing industrial activities, which has restricted crop growth and agricultural development. The heavy metal ATPase (HMA) gene family contributes to heavy metal stress resistance in plants. In this study, 21 HMA genes (HvHMAs) were identified in barley (Hordeum vulgare L., Hv) using bioinformatics methods. Based on phylogenetic analysis and domain distribution, barley HMA genes were divided into five groups (A–E), and complete analyses were performed in terms of physicochemical properties, structural characteristics, conserved domains, and chromosome localization. The expression pattern analysis showed that most HvHMA genes were expressed in barley and exhibited tissue specificity. According to the fragments per kilobase of exon per million fragments values in shoots from seedlings at the 10 cm shoot stage (LEA) and phylogenetic analysis, five HvHMA genes were selected for expression analysis under Cd stress. Among the five HvHMA genes, three (HvHMA1, HvHMA3, and HvHMA4) were upregulated and two (HvHMA2 and HvHMA6) were downregulated following Cd treatments. This study serves as a foundation for clarifying the functions of HvHMA proteins in the heavy metal stress resistance of barley.

Celiac disease (CD) comprises over 1% of the world’s population and is a chronic multisystem immune-mediated condition manifested by digestive and/or extradigestive symptoms caused by food intake of gluten. This review looked at the risk of children diagnosed with CD developing SARS-CoV-2 infection and possible severe forms of COVID-19. A better understanding of the interaction and effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection in CD is very important, as is the role of environmental and genetic factors, but especially the molecular mechanisms involved in modulating intestinal permeability with impact on autoimmunity. CD inspired the testing of a zonulin antagonist for the fulminant form of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and paved the way for the discovery of new molecules to regulate the small intestine barrier function and immune responses. Original published works on COVID-19 and CD, new data and points of view have been analyzed because this dangerous virus SARS-CoV-2 is still here and yet influencing our lives. Medical science continues to focus on all uncertainties triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection and its consequences, including in CD. Although the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be gradually extinguishing, there is a wealth of information and knowledge gained over the last two years and important life lessons to analyze, as well as relevant conclusions to be drawn to deal with future pandemics. Zonulin is being studied extensively in immunoengineering as an adjuvant to improving the absorption of new drugs and oral vaccines.

El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar tres cultivares de ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) con vacas lecheras, en el trópico alto de Nariño-Colombia, en dos localidades: Pasto (PAS) y Cumbal (CUM). En cada localidad se utilizaron nueve vacas, en un diseño cuadrado latino (3 x 3) con tres tratamientos (T), correspondientes a cada cultivar a evaluar: T1: ryegrass Columbia, T2: ryegrass Samson, T3: ryegrass Ohau. Se estimó el consumo de materia seca (CMS) y la producción de leche (PL), y se recolectaron muestras para analizar: grasa, proteína, sólidos totales y nitrógeno ureico en leche (MUN). No hubo diferencia estadística en el CMS entre los ryegrass en las localidades. En PAS se hallaron diferencias significativas entre cultivares en la variable producción de leche (p < 0,05); con Samson y Ohau se obtuvo mayor producción (17,5 y 17,1 kg/vaca/día) respecto al Columbia (15,5 kg/vaca/día). En el contenido de grasa y sólidos no grasos en leche, no hubo diferencias entre los tratamientos en ninguna de las dos localidades. En cambio, se encontró diferencia significativa (p < 0,05) en la proteína en leche en PAS (3,48; 3,61 y 3,47 % para Columbia, Samson y Ohau, respectivamente). Para la variable MUN (mg/dL), se observó diferencia significativa (p < 0,05) en la localidad de PAS. Se concluye que los cultivares de L. perenne presentaron características nutricionales similares en las dos localidades donde se establecieron. La respuesta en producción y calidad composicional láctea se consideró buena, teniendo en cuenta que los animales no recibieron suplementación y el experimento se realizó en la época de seca, en la cual los rendimientos de las pasturas disminuyen.

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.

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-biomokcule complexes. Herein, we investigated the mechanical property of individual human telomeric G-quadruplexes bound with a telomestatin ligand by optical tweezers. Stacking of the ligand to the G-tetradplanes changes the conformation of the G-quadruplex, which resembles a balloon squeezed at certain directions. Such a squeezed balloon effect strengthens the G-tetrad planes whereas 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.

The paper proposes the development of a weather station made up from a Raspberry Pi 3 and the Sense Hat shield. The shield used in this application has sensors for temperature, humidity and pressure. The weather station can connect to the internet wirelessly or with a standard UTP (Unshielded twisted pair) connection, this connection gives us the ability to take part in a scientific community for the sole purpose to monitor the weather all around the world. The program for the weather station is made in Python, the program language is easy to used and very versatile.

Fecal incontinence is a health problem that leads to serious quality of life disturbances in the elderly, much greater than the ones generated by micturition disturbances. When physical therapy, habit changes and medication fail to control the disease, electrical stimulation of the sacral nerves at the level of the third sacral foramen represents a solution for eligible patients. Our research done on 29 patients, operated by the first author at Klinikum Bielefeld, Germany, revealed statistically significant improvements, slightly superior to the ones in the literature. As many as 82.75% of the patients experienced more than 70% reduction in the number of weekly incontinence episodes, correlated with a robust increase in the quality of life and level of daily physical activity. The aim of the present paper is to present our results after the intervention, and at 1-year follow-up, and to describe the surgical technique, hoping for an increased awareness and adoption in Romania.

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.

Since mask use and physical distancing are difficult to maintain when people dine indoors, restaurants are perceived as high risk for acquiring COVID-19. The air and selected environmental surfaces in two restaurants in a mid-scale city located in north central Florida that followed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reopening guidance were sampled three times from July 2020 to February 2021. Sixteen air samples were collected for 2 hours using air samplers, and 20 surface samples by using moistened swabs. The samples were analyzed by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA. A total of ~550 patrons dined in the restaurants during our samplings. SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA was not detected in any of the air samples. One of the 20 surface samples (5%) was positive. That sample had been collected from a plastic tablecloth immediately after guests left the restaurant. Virus was not isolated in cell cultures inoculated with aliquots of the RT-PCR-positive sample. The likelihood that patrons and staff acquire SARS-CoV-2 infections may be low in restaurants in a mid-scale city that adopt CDC restaurant reopening guidelines, such as operation at 50% capacity so that tables can be spaced at least 6 feet apart, establishment of adequate mechanical ventilation, use of a face covering except while eating or drinking, and implementation of disinfection measures.

Rubber is a fascinating material in both industry and daily life. The development of elastomeric material in nanotechnology is imperative due to its economic and technological potential. By virtue of their distinctive physicochemical properties, nucleic acids have been extensively explored in material science. The Phi29 DNA packaging motor contains a 3WJ with three angles of 97°, 125°, and 138°. Here, the rubber-like property of RNA architectures was investigated using optical tweezers and in vivo imaging technologies. The 3WJ 97° interior angle was contracted or stretched to 60°, 90°, and 108° at will to build elegant RNA triangles, squares, pentagons, cubes, tetrahedrons, dendrimers, and prisms. RNA nanoarchitecture was stretchable and shrinkable by optical tweezer with multiple extension and relaxation repeats like a rubber. Comparing to gold and iron nanoparticles with the same size, RNA nanoparticles display stronger cancer-targeting outcomes, while less accumulation in healthy organs. Generally, the upper limit of renal excretion is 5.5 nm; however, the 5, 10, and 20 nm RNA nanoparticles passed the renal filtration and resumed their original structure identified in urine. These findings solve two previous mysteries: (1) Why RNA nanoparticles have an unusually high tumor targeting efficiency since their rubber or amoeba-like deformation property enables them to squeeze out of the leaky vasculature to improve the EPR effect; and (2) why RNA nanoparticles remain non-toxic since they can be rapidly cleared from the body via renal excretion into urine with little accumulation in the body. Considering its controllable shape and size plus its rubber-like property, RNA holds great promises for industrial and biomedical applications especially in cancer therapeutics delivery.

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.

Vitex negundo (VN) is a widely used plant in folk medicine, namely for the treatment of jaundice, wounds, body ache, toothache, asthma, eye pain, and migraine. These effects have been increasingly attributed to its chemical composition. Here, we assessed the VN chemical and nutritional composition and biological activity, with particular emphasis on antioxidant and antimicrobial effects. VN methanol and hexane extracts revealed the presence of important phytochemical, such as terpenoids, polyphenol, steroids, saponins, phenolic compound and flavonoids. Total phenolic content of VN methanol extract from bark was 1082.473 mg/g GAE and that of leaves was 1382.984 mg/g GAE. The total flavonoids content in VN methanol extract from VN bark was 127.744 mg/g QE and that of leaves was 123.776 mg/g QE. VN methanol extract from bark exhibited high antioxidant effects (IC50=38.47 ppm). The content (%) of ash, moisture, crude fiber, crude protein and fat in VN leaves was, respectively, 7.86%, 18.35%, 6.52%, 9.687% and 6.19%. VN leaves methanol extract revealed antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, with inhibition halos being, respectively, 13 mm and 14 mm, and the MBC values were found to be 1.562 mg/mL and 6.25 mg/mL, respectively. Similarly, VN bark methanol extract led to inhibition halos of 18 mm and 15 mm for B. subtilis and S. aureus, respectively, and the MBC values were found to be 2.372 mg/mL and 0.245 mg/mL. GC-MS analysis of the VN bark methanol extract revealed that monoolein was the major compounds, with an area of 0.57%. Thus, our results encourage the potential use of VN as a medicinal product, with high protein contents, and prominent antioxidant and anti-bacterial effects.

Single-crystal iron oxide nanorings have been proposed as a promising candidate for magnetic hyperthermia application because of their unique shape-induced vortex-domain structure, which supports good colloidal stability and enhanced magnetic properties. However, the synthesis of single crystalline iron oxide has proven to be challenging. In this article, we showed that chemically synthesized multigrain magnetite nanorings disfavor a shape-induced magnetic vortex-domain structure. Our results indicate that the multigrain Fe3O4 nanorings with an average outer diameter of ~110 nm and an inner to outer diameter ratio of ~0.5 do not show a shape-induced vortex-domain structure, which was observed in the single-crystal Fe3O4 nanorings of similar dimensions. At 300 Ks, multigrain magnetite nanorings showed an effective anisotropy field of 440 Oe, which can be attributed to its high surface area and intraparticle interaction. Both calorimetric and AC loop measurements showed a moderate inductive heating efficiency of multigrain magnetite nanorings of ~300 W/g at 800 Oe. Our results shed light on the magnetic ground states of chemically synthesized multigrain Fe3O4 nanorings.

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.

In recent years, cadmium (Cd) pollution in soil has increased with increasing industrial activities, which has restricted crop growth and agricultural development. The heavy metal ATPase (HMA) gene family contributes to heavy metal stress resistance in plants. In this study, 21 HMA genes (HvHMAs) were identified in barley (Hordeumvulgare L., Hv) using bioinformatics methods. Based on phylogenetic analysis and domain distribution, barley HMA genes were divided into five groups (A–E), and complete analyses were performed in terms of physicochemical properties, structural characteristics, conserved domains, and chromosome localization. The expression pattern analysis showed that most HvHMA genes were expressed in barley and exhibited tissue specificity. According to the fragments per kilobase of exon per million fragments values in shoots from seedlings at the 10 cm shoot stage (LEA) and phylogenetic analysis, five HvHMA genes were selected for expression analysis under Cd stress. Among the five HvHMA genes, three (HvHMA1, HvHMA3, and HvHMA4) were upregulated and two (HvHMA2 and HvHMA6) were downregulated following Cd treatments. This study serves as a foundation for clarifying the functions of HvHMA proteins in the heavy metal stress resistance of barley.

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.

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 VIable Virus Aerosol Sampler (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., Graphical abstract Image 1

Advertising helps to establish a set of assumptions that the consumer will bring to all other aspects of their engagement with a given brand. Advertising provides tangible evidence of the financial credibility and competitive presence of an organization. Persuasion is becoming more important in advertising. In marketing, persuasive advertising acts to establish wants/motivations and beliefs/attitudes by helping to formulate a conception of the brand as being one which people like those in the target audience would or should prefer. Considering the changes in lifestyle and eating habits of a significant part of the population in urban areas in Romania, the paper aims to analyse how brands manage to differentiate themselves from competitors, to reposition themselves on the market and influence consumers, meeting their increasingly varied needs. Food brands on the Romanian market are trying, lately, to identify new methods of differentiation and new benefits for their buyers. Given that more and more consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about what they eat and the products’ health effects, brands struggle to highlight the fact that their products offer real benefits for the body. The advertisements have become more diversified and underline the positive effects, from the health and well - being point of view, that those foods offer (no additives and preservatives, use of natural ingredients, various vitamins and minerals or the fact that they are dietary). Advertising messages’ diversification is obvious on the Romanian market, in the context of an increasing concern of the population for the growing level of information of some major consumer segments.

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.