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Funding Acknowledgements This work was supported by CREDO Project - ID: 49182, financed through the SOP IEC -A2-0.2.2.1-2013-1 cofinanced by the ERDF Ventriculo-arterial coupling (VAC) reflects the interaction between the ventricle and the arterial system and its prognostic role was studied in different clinical settings. VAC can be assessed with echocardiography as the ratio between the arterial elastance (Ea) and the end-systolic left ventricular elastance (EES). Data concerning the role of VAC in severe aortic stenosis (AS) are scarce. We aimed to determine VAC in patients (pts) with severe AS and assess its relationship with symptoms. We included 61 consecutive pts with severe AS (vave area There were no significant differences in age (p = 0.08) and aortic valve area (p = 0.18) between groups. Variations of Ea and EES between groups were not significant (p = 0.08 and p = 0.94, respectively). However, VAC differed significantly between the 3 groups, being most impaired in group A (1.11 ± 0.69), followed by 0.77 ± 0.23 in group B and 0.73 ± 0.16 in group C (p = 0.03). The left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) also differed significantly between groups: 41 ± 13% in group A, 51 ± 11% in group B and 57 ± 3% in group C (p VAC is impaired in patients with severe AS and acute heart failure and it differs significantly from VAC in severe AS with chronic, stable symptoms and from VAC in asymptomatic severe AS. This suggests that the progression of symptoms in severe AS might be related to the interactions between the left ventricle and the vascular load, making thus VAC a potential therapeutic target and a parameter to be considered in the thorough evaluation of patients with severe AS. Group A Group B Group C Ea 2.69 ± 1.31 2.09 ± 0.94 1.95 ± 0.60 p = 0.08 EES 2.93 ± 1.90 2.87 ± 1.33 2.71 ± 0.73 p = 0.94 VAC 1.11 ± 0.69 0.77 ± 0.23* 0.73 ± 0.16* p = 0.03 EF 41 ± 13% 51 ± 11%* 57 ± 3%* p

Ventriculo-arterial coupling (VAC) represents a comprehensive expression of the mechanical efficiency and performance of the ventriculo-vascular system. It is defined as the ratio between the arterial elastance (Ea) and the end-systolic ventricular elastance (EES) and it has potential clinical applicability in different settings. The interaction between the ventricle and the aorta in the setting of acute heart failure has been insufficiently investigated. We sought to assess the VAC in patients with acute pulmonary edema (PE) and to establish its relationship with the ejection fraction (EF) and clinical outcome. We included 120 consecutive patients (mean age 74±12 years, 61 men) admitted for acute PE, with either preserved or reduced EF. The control group consisted of 50 subjects (mean age 40±13 years, 35 men) with no previous cardiac history. All patients underwent standard echocardiography on admission and we assessed the VAC non-invasively. We followed the patients for a composite endpoint of death, recurrent PE and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) for a month after hospitalisation. The VAC was significantly impaired in the acute PE group: 1.05±0.49 vs. 0.84±0.16 (p 14 patients (12%) in the study group had at least one in-hospital major cardiovascular event (MACE): in the low EF subgroup, there were 7 recurrent PE (11.5%) and 1 death (1.6%), while in the preserved EF subgroup, there were 5 recurrent PE (8.5%) and 1 ACS (1.7%). There was no significant difference in VAC between patients with in-hospital MACE and MACE-free patients (p=0.55 for low EF subgroup, p=0.59 for preserved EF subgroup). 10 patients (8.3%) in the study group had at least one MACE in the first month after discharge: in the low EF subgroup, there were 4 recurrent PE (6.6%) and 1 death (1.6%), while in the preserved EF subgroup, there were 2 deaths (3.4%) and 3 recurrent PE (5.1%). VAC was more impaired in low EF patients with MACE at 1 month (2.27±0.85) vs. low EF patients MACE-free at 1 month (1.21±0.44, p=0.04). No differences in VAC were noticed for the preserved EF subgroup (p=0.97). Ventriculo-vascular interaction is decoupled in acute PE, with VAC being more impaired when the EF is reduced. Furthermore, for patients with acute PE and low EF, VAC was worse in those who suffered a MACE at 30 days. This suggests the prognostic value of VAC in acute PE and it highlights the importance of integrating this easy-to-obtain parameter in the echocardiographic evaluation of acute heart failure patients. Acknowledgement/Funding This work was supported by CREDO Project - ID: 49182, financed through the SOP IEC-A2-0.2.2.1-2013-1 cofinanced by the ERDF

Background The left atrium (LA) is a highly dynamic chamber that has 3 mechanical functions (reservoir, conduit, booster pump), as well as additional endocrine and regulatory properties. It is a marker of both the severity and chronicity of diastolic dysfunction and its remodelling has been shown to be a reliable predictor of clinical outcome in patients with heart disease. While LA function has been extensively studied in chronic heart failure, information about LA mechanics in patients with acute heart failure and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) are scarce. Purpose We sought to assess LA mechanics in a cohort of patients with acute pulmonary edema and preserved EF and compare it with a normal reference group. Methods We included 50 consecutive patients (22 men) with acute pulmonary edema, preserved EF and sinus rhythm in our study. Patients with significant mitral or aortic valve disease were not considered eligible. The control group consisted of 30 subjects (18 men) with no previous cardiovascular disease. We performed conventional transthoracic echocardiography for all patients and we assessed various parameters of LA mechanics. To evaluate the reservoir function, we determined the total ejection volume (EV), the total EF, the LA expansion index (LAEI) and the LA function index (LAFI). To evaluate the conduit function, we determined the passive EV and passive EF. For the booster pump function, we determined the active EV, active EF, the atrial filling fraction, the ejection force and the LA kinetic energy (LAKE). We used T-test to compare the parameters between the two groups. Results The mean age in the study group was 72±14 years, while in the control group the mean age was 56±16 years (p=0.06). The total EV did not differ significantly between groups (p=0.44). The total LA ejection fraction was lower in the study group: 29±10% vs. 51±9% (p Conclusion All three integrated phases of left atrial mechanics (reservoir, conduit, booster pump) are impaired in patients with acute pulmonary edema and preserved left ventricular EF. These findings highlight the importance of diastolic dysfunction in the pathogenesis of acute heart failure for these patients and they suggest that LA dysfunction might be a potential therapeutic target in this clinical setting. Acknowledgement/Funding This work was supported by CREDO Project - ID: 49182, financed through the SOP IEC-A2-0.2.2.1-2013-1 cofinanced by the ERDF

Objective: The persistence of high prevalence of thyroid pathology (goiter, nodules) in Romanian population, despite the correction of iodine defi ciency, determined us to evaluate the impact of factors different than iodine intake on the thyroid gland as environmental endocrine disruptors. We studied the potential correlation between pesticide exposure and parameters of the function, autoimmunity and morphology of the thyroid in a group of greenhouse workers (GHWs) exposed to multiple uncontrolled pesticides across agricultural seasons. Materials and methods: A group of 108 GHWs, 18‐78 year olds, with normal iodine intake, from a plain village, exposed to multiple pesticides was enrolled voluntary in this study. Thyroid echography, thyroid parameters [thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free T4 (FT4), and antibody to thyroid peroxidase (ATPO)], some of the used pesticides (chlorpyrifos, trichloropyridinol (TCP), carbofurane, cypermethrin, dimethoate) and cholinesterase activity were determined in biological samples (urine, blood) collected across two agricultural seasons. Results: The median urinary iodine concentration in children from this village was 135.20 µg/L, while median TSH and median FT4 was 1.72 μUI/mL and 16.68 pmol/L, respectively. Hypothyroidism (TSH > 4.2 μUI/mL) was present in 12.4% of patients, median TSH value was 7.26 μUI/mL. In four of them post-thyroidectomy hypothyroidism was present. Elevated titres of anti-TPO antibodies were found in 22 (20.37%). Echographic pattern of thyroiditis was present in 16.49% of the patients, and thyroid nodules were detected by ultrasonography in 38.13%. There were two subjects with Graves’ disease. The detectable level of TCP was bigger in the fi rst season (range 120‐190 μg/L) than in the second (range 0.7‐1.7 μg/L). The range of seasonal concentration of urinary carbofurane was 0.004‐0.25 μg/mL. Cypermethrin was detected in a small number of subjects (range: 12.5‐13.3 μg/g creatinine). Dimethoate was undetectable. Conclusions: The distribution of thyroid disorders in study group living in an area with normal iodine intake did not differ from known epidemiological studies. The most frequently encountered pesticide was chlorpyrifos. Some samples presented several pesticides simultaneously.

The progressive behavior of human papillomavirus (HPV) associated neoplasia in immunossuppressed patients has been clearly demonstrated. Hodgkin’s disease and its treatment render a patient highly susceptible to persistent HPV and its consequences, thus requiring a more aggressive treatment and a closer follow-up protocol. We present the case of a 41-years old patient diagnosed with nodular sclerosing Hodgkin lymphoma receiving radiochemotherapy regimen. After having completed the oncologic therapy the patient was addressed to our clinic presenting abnormal uterine bleeding; a HPV 16-positive high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia diagnosis was established. We obtained persistent disease after conservative treatment which finally leads us to performing a total hysterectomy. We observed a rapidly progressive course of high-grade HPV-induced neoplasia in a case of Hodgkin’s disease patient which may represent an accelerated version of untreated neoplasia in the immunocompetent. Screening and prompt treatment are of utmost importance in this group at risk.

Aims: A newly isolated strain of Rhizoctonia ssp. was used for the production of extracellular inulinase. Previously, the qualitative effects of some carbon and nitrogen sources from fermentative media and the physicochemical parameters for growth were established by Plackett–Burman analysis, and the main parameters that affect extracellular inulinase yield were identified. In this study, the quantitative effect of the carbon to nitrogen ratio in the fermentative medium and the growth temperature were studied and optimized using central composite design and response surface methodology. Methods and results: On the basis of optimization, the maximum extracellular inulinase activity was achieved when 2·5–6·5% buckwheat flour was used as a single carbon source and 4·6–5·0% yeast extract was used as nitrogen source, by submerged cultivation, after 48 h at an incubation temperature between 15 and 27·5°C. Conclusions: Under the fermentative conditions established in this study, a maximum extracellular inulinase yield of 1·8 UI ml−1 was achieved. Rhizoctonia ssp. strain can be used for extracellular inulinase production. Also, buckwheat flour proved to be an inexpensive and abundant substrate suitable for obtaining inulinase. Significance and impact of the study: Inulinases are versatile tools for biotechnology as they can be used for a wide range of applications, including production of bioethanol, fructose syrup and inulo-oligosaccharides, lactic acid, citric acid and butanediol.

The western part of the Gulf of Taranto, southern Italy, is a seismically active area with high sediment supply. New swath bathymetry and sub-bottom profiler (CHIRP) data were acquired on board R/V OGS-Explora during the WGDT cruise. The data were analyzed to describe the seafloor morphology and the acoustic facies of relevant morphologic features. Special attention was given to the features produced by mass wasting and soft-sediment deformations. The features identified include: slides and slide scars, debris flow deposits, enigmatic dip-slope trending sub-parallel linear depressions, and along-slope undulations inferred to have been produced either by creeping or sediment deposition by hyperpycnal flows. The description of these features contributes to the characterization of the Calabria foreland basin system and provides an analogue for other basins similarly affected by a close relation between sediment supply and active tectonics.

Petrophysical properties (wet bulk density, porosity, P-wave velocity) are used to predict biogenic silica contents along a seismic reflection profile that ties two well sites, 1095 and 1096, drilled by Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 178 on sediment drifts on the Pacific continental margin of the Antarctic Peninsula. The biogenic silica contents along the seismic reflection profile were estimated on the basis of three hypotheses about petrophysical properties distributions in the two boreholes and statistical relationships between biogenic silica and other petrophysical properties, which were established on various sediment layers within the boreholes. Our study demonstrates the possibility to reliably predict the distribution of biogenic silica in the sub-seabed sediments if seismic data processed with amplitude preservation are used and statistical relations are considered. We conclude that the statistical extrapolation of biogenic silica content along seismic reflection profiles tied to borehole data is an efficient tool to quantify the amounts of silica undergoing crystalline transformation, which may have strong implications for submarine slope destabilisation.

As the definition of contourites has widened to embrace a large spectrum of sediments in so-called mixed systems, the distinction between contourites and turbidites has become at times vague. The case history of sediment Drift 7 off the Antarctic Peninsula is analysed in this paper in the light of newly acquired swath bathymetry data. The co-existence of various sedimentary processes is reflected in a complex morphology: erosional gullies produced by debris flows on the upper part of the continental slope; deeply incised channels at the slope base; main trunk-type inter-drift turbidity channels separating the drifts; slide scars; undulating depositional bedforms interpreted as bottom-current sediment waves; fluid escape structures perhaps associated with deep-water coral bioherms. The data suggest that Drift 7 is a genuine sediment drift in which bottom currents pirate the sediment of the turbidity currents. Finally, we propose that the control on location and elongation of the drift is inherited from an older margin structure. The relationships between bottom current and deposition are investigated through a comparison with the SE Greenland continental margin, an analogous counterpart in the northern

The face milling could be applied for generating cylindrical surfaces in ingot peeling or heavy-shaft rough out. The practical application of the process requires special technological conditions. The design of technological equipment and of the machining parameters requires a knowledge of fundamental elements regarding surface generation, process kinematics and functional geometry of cutting tool. These are analysed and discussed in this paper, in a systematic unitary fashion. The theoretical model created by the authors is simulated on the computer, yielding very useful results. The experimental researches carried out confirm and validate the conclusions of the theoretical analysis. The results presented in this paper could increase the interest of industry for applying the process, given that it shows remarkable technical and economical performance.

The Semantic Web has opened new horizons for internet applications in general and for e-Learning in particular. The e-Learning community is aiming at having much more effective services than what is currently provided by any of the available computer aided tutoring, or learning management systems. The e-Learning process is no more restricted to providing courses online. Nowadays, knowledge is distributed throughout the Web on millions of pages, PDF files, multimedia and other resources. The learner is not necessarily someone who is registered in a course or needs e-Learning to support a particular course. Students and researchers need vast amount of material and spend considerable amount of time trying to learn about a particular subject or find relevant information. This research reports on the work in progress to develop a framework for Semantic Web mining and exploration, a practical method towards Semantic Web application to e-Learning along with its design framework is suggested.

This study describes 8 years of experience (1990-97) in the first Romanian center for family planning and contraception, which started in Bucharest at the Clinic Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology 'Prof. Dr. P. Sirbu' on 27 February 1990. A total of 14,258 women had attended the clinic by 1 January 1998. Trends in the use of contraceptives and the number of births and abortions at the center are described. During the 8 years, the induced abortions decreased by 65% and the uncompleted abortions (illegal abortions) by 45%. Hormonal contraception was the most commonly used contraceptive method (61.5%), followed by intrauterine devices (28.8%) and local contraception (barrier methods: condoms, diaphragms, spermicides) (9%).

Just like simulators are a standard in aviation and aerospace sciences, we expect for surgical simulators to soon become a standard in medical applications. These will correctly instruct future doctors in surgical techniques without there being a need for hands on patient instruction. Using virtual reality by digitally transposing surgical procedures changes surgery in are volutionary manner by offering possibilities for implementing new, much more efficient, learning methods, by allowing the practice of new surgical techniques and by improving surgeon abilities and skills. Perfecting haptic devices has opened the door to a series of opportunities in the fields of research,industry, nuclear science and medicine. Concepts purely theoretical at first, such as telerobotics, telepresence or telerepresentation,have become a practical reality as calculus techniques, telecommunications and haptic devices evolved,virtual reality taking a new leap. In the field of surgery barrier sand controversies still remain, regarding implementation and generalization of surgical virtual simulators. These obstacles remain connected to the high costs of this yet fully sufficiently developed technology, especially in the domain of haptic devices.

The current models for inventory management are complementary, but together they offer a large pallet of elements for solving complex problems of companies when wanting to establish the optimum economic order quantity for unfinished products, row of materials, goods etc. The main objective of this paper is to elaborate an automated decisional model for the calculus of the economic order quantity taking into account the price regressive rates for the total order quantity. This model has two main objectives: first, to determine the periodicity when to be done the order n or the quantity order q; second, to determine the levels of stock: lighting control, security stock etc. In this way we can provide the answer to two fundamental questions: How much must be ordered? When to Order? In the current practice, the business relationships with its suppliers are based on regressive rates for price. This means that suppliers may grant discounts, from a certain level of quantities ordered. Thus, the unit price of the products is a variable which depends on the order size. So, the most important element for choosing the optimum for the economic order quantity is the total cost for ordering and this cost depends on the following elements: the medium price per units, the stock cost, the ordering cost etc.

A newly isolated strain of Rhizoctonia ssp. was used for the production of extracellular inulinase. Previously, the qualitative effects of some carbon and nitrogen sources from fermentative media and the physicochemical parameters for growth were established by Plackett-Burman analysis, and the main parameters that affect extracellular inulinase yield were identified. In this study, the quantitative effect of the carbon to nitrogen ratio in the fermentative medium and the growth temperature were studied and optimized using central composite design and response surface methodology. On the basis of optimization, the maximum extracellular inulinase activity was achieved when 2·5-6·5% buckwheat flour was used as a single carbon source and 4·6-5·0% yeast extract was used as nitrogen source, by submerged cultivation, after 48 h at an incubation temperature between 15 and 27·5°C. Under the fermentative conditions established in this study, a maximum extracellular inulinase yield of 1·8 UI ml⁻¹ was achieved. Rhizoctonia ssp. strain can be used for extracellular inulinase production. Also, buckwheat flour proved to be an inexpensive and abundant substrate suitable for obtaining inulinase. Inulinases are versatile tools for biotechnology as they can be used for a wide range of applications, including production of bioethanol, fructose syrup and inulo-oligosaccharides, lactic acid, citric acid and butanediol.

Laser processing has became a valuable alternative to classical techniques in a large variety of technical applications : cutting, drilling, welding, etc. The development of laser metal processing techniques need a deep understanding of the basic physical phenomena, like temperature distribution and its evolution in a target during laser metal interaction. The heat conduction equation have been solved using a numerical method and the results are compared with penetration weld data obtained on tantal and stainless steel targets irradiated by a Nd:YAG laser with variable pulse width. Depending by pulses parameters (duration, rate of repetition, peak power, pulse-shape) and pulses overlapping the depth of weld has been investigated.

We developed a new technique for quantifying the amount of porosity loss during silica diagenesis. The technique is based on 3-D seismic data from offshore Norway, where the biosiliceous mudstones of the Kai and Brygge Formations are deformed by a polygonal fault system. Evidence is shown that the dip of the polygonal fault planes reduces abruptly across the opal-A to opal-CT diagenetic boundary, suggesting that the fault planes were passively rotated into shallower dips due to diagenesis. The reduction of fault plane dip was used to quantify the vertical compaction strain due to diagenesis. Using an independent assessment of the magnitude of the porosity loss, we are able to validate the method based on fault planes dip, and also to evaluate whether the porosity loss results in an exclusively vertical strain. We also investigate the impact of the silica diagenesis on the shear strength of the sediments and fault growth.

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of existing micromechanical models to predict the hygroelastic and strength properties of wood fiber composites based on the properties of the fiber and matrix constituents, and the microstructure. It presents to refer the reader to relevant resources to find a suitable model. Most models have previously been developed for composite materials based on synthetic fibers. Those fibers generally have a simpler geometry and show less variability than wood fibers. If a model has not been validated thoroughly to be used for wood fiber composites, care must be taken when choosing models that have been developed for other materials. The particularities of the wood fibers that could affect the applicability of models developed for composites with synthetic fibers are their rather large variability in properties, helical structure, general anisotropy, pits, etc. The micromechanical models can be used to back-calculate a certain fiber property, since it may prove to be easier to test a composite than individual wood fibers. The models may also be used for simulations to identify which microstructural feature has the largest impact on the given macroscopic property. That could give processing engineers and chemists an indication of where to spend most of their efforts in materials development.

This paper proposes a method of inverting a neural network which represents the forward model of a process. The inverting method can be used in inverse neural control and neural model-based control structures, where an inverse model of the process is required. The method is tested on a DC motor control problem. The forward neural model of the DC motor is developed, and the controller output is calculated by online inversion of the forward model.

3,4-Epoxy-1-butene, an active metabolite of 1,3-butadiene, was reacted with guanosine, deoxyguanosine and calf thymus DNA. The products were isolated and positively identified using various spectroscopic techniques. Treatment of calf thymus-DNA with 3,4-epoxy-1-butene yielded two N7-guanine adducts of equal stability. Depurination by neutral hydrolysis showed that 7-(2-hydroxy-3-buten-1-yl)guanine (compound I) was formed in greater quantities compared to its regioisomer 7-(1-hydroxy-3-buten-2-yl)guanine (compound II); spontaneous depurination experiments showed that compound I was released in the highest proportion. The circular dichroism spectral studies with R and S 3,4-epoxy-1-butene revealed that the reaction mechanism at aqueous neutral pH media is more similar to SN2-type rather than SN1-type. The HPLC-electrochemical detection method used to carry out the DNA alkylation study provides a rapid and sensitive quantitation of N7 guanine adducts in biological fluids. This serves as a useful tool for further human biomonitoring experiments.

In Romania, as a result of the 1966 law forbidding abortion, the use of all contraceptive methods was considered a serious crime and punished by imprisonment. In this situation, the only solution for women was self- induced abortion, which has been the cause of thousands of tragedies for the Romanian population in the years since the law was enacted. The repeal of the law on Dec. 25, 1989, which became effective on January, 1990 facilitated the legal basis for establishment of family planning activities and the introduction of various methods of contraception in Romania. After the visit of a team of specialists from the UN, World Health Organization, and International Planned Parenthood Federation, the Obstetric-gynecological clinic of Bucharest set up a consultancy in family planning. We began this work on February 27, 1990 and up to this time (March 17) we have registered 107 women who have agreed to family planning and contraception, with each individual woman. Afterwards we made out medical cards containing social data, previous hereditary, personal psychological, physiological, and pathological history, and previous obstetric and gynecological history. The women were clinically examined. We found numerous examples of cervical lesions for which we recommended further investigations. We noticed that of the total 107 women, the number asking for sterilization was only 6. These were women aged between 38-40, mothers of 4 to 5 children, whose previous history included numerous abortions. In the case of the remaining women the choice of contraceptive method coincided, in most cases, with their own choice, so that we recommended the IUD to 47 women and the contraceptive pill to 35. 19 women, on request, were given diaphragms as well as 2 tubes of spermicidal cream per person. From March 12 we began the application of the 1st IUDs of the Multiload Cu250 and we noticed that the IUDs were easily fitted, and well tolerated without loss of blood or pain. To confirm the tolerance we recommended that the women returned to have a check-up a month later. To the women who preferred the poll as a contraceptive method and who presented the necessary medical indication, we recommended the administration of 3 cycles of pills. We recommended that the women returned for a check-up after 3 months. As for the group of 19 women to whom we had recommended the use of a vaginal diaphragm with spermicidal cream, we noted the ease with which these women learned to use the diaphragm and we asked them to return at the end of the month.