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Economic growth, productivity and national well-being over time have been promoted through various innovation strategies. Education aims to shape the human personality according to its particularities but also according to the social dynamics, the mobility of teachers through the dynamic integration of man in society. Education differs from one historical stage to another. With the advancement of technology, students have the opportunity to take online courses, regardless of where they are, age, physical limitations or personal schedule. Technology can open up new opportunities for learning and assessment. With the help of the regression analysis applied based on the indicators provided by the National Institute of Statistics: the number of students, computers, laboratories and workshops in each county in Romania (2010-2017) tested the influence of technology on the number of students enrolled in schools. The main conclusion of the study emphasizes that a higher number of children enrolled in school in a county is correlated with the degree of technology. Thus, the number of new devices will increase to ensure the possibility for both teachers and students to evolve. On the other hand, the fact that some areas of the country are less developed and lack funding, is also reflected in the number of children enrolled as well as in the number of computers available.

The EU's environmental policies and strategies have been developed since the 1970s and underline that the sustainable economic development and well-being of the European Union countries are based on their natural environment. They are aimed at national and global air quality regulations that support the improvement of the air quality and the health of the population. The principal objective of this paper is to highlight the importance of the varied and complex action of the polluting environment on the organism. A convergent objective is the development of pollution management solutions and highlighting good practices for combating and reducing pollution and improving air quality. In this regard, the results of the analysis presented in the paper indicate that a healthier environment can prevent diseases caused by polluted air and decrease the number of deaths caused by respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. This statement represents the main result obtained by applying the methods of multidimensional data analysis (factorial analysis, principal component analysis, cluster analysis) to evaluate the complexity of contemporary environmental and health challenges. On the other hand, the use of tools and examples of the good practices for implementing strategies to improve environmental factors, especially air quality, are particularly useful in creating specific policies that lead to improving the quality of the environment and, implicitly, the health of the population.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are rare neoplasms, colorectal location being met in less than 5% of cases. Knowledge about this site related particularities are limited. The aim of this study is to present our experience with colorectal GISTs between 2005 and 2018 from the clinical, morphological, and immunohistochemical perspectives, with emphasis on prognostic factors. From a total of 203 gastrointestinal stromal tumors registered, 12 were colorectal (6%). The number of colonic tumors surpassed that of the rectum (9 : 3) and on the right side were registered more cases than on the left side (6/3). 9 were primary tumors and 3 were recurrences. Men and women were represented equally and the age range was between 22 and 76. Tumor dimensions varied between 0.5 and 14 cm. Microscopically, spindle cell type was dominant. Mitotic rate was variable between 1 and 115/50HPFs. Accordingly, for primary tumors progression risks were assigned (low risk: 2 cases, intermediate risk: 3 cases and high risk: 4 cases). All GISTs were CD117 and DOG1 positive. Four of the patients died of the disease.

The trend towards health and environmental protection has led to an increase in the consumption of medicinal and aromatic plant (MAP) products. The market for MAP products is influenced by consumer behaviour and therefore the aim of this study was to identify consumer segments that use MAP products for phytotherapeutic, cosmetic and personal care purposes according to their perceptions, attitudes and consumption habits and possible correlations between consumption of MAP products and interest in a healthy lifestyle and sustainable behaviour. Data collection was performed by administering a questionnaire to Cluj-Napoca residents. The final sample consisted of two groups of MAP consumers: the first with 231 respondents who use these products for phytotherapeutic purposes, the second group—with 297 respondents who use them as cosmetic and personal care products. The collected data were statistically analysed using the k-means clustering model, resulting in two distinct clusters in both consumer groups: cluster 1, the “Curious”, and Cluster 2, the “Knowledgeable”. For the consumers of the second cluster, consumption was positively correlated with healthcare and environmental protection, while they exhibited a growing interest in environmentally certified MAP products. The results obtained contribute to a better understanding of the MAP products consumption behaviour while tackling the practical implications for stakeholders in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry through the development and innovation of products tailored to consumer needs.

The objective of this article is to demonstrate the impact of one of many pollution forms, waste type, and impact upon human health, by analyzing the following indices: CO2 emissions from waste management for EU 28 and the annual number of new cases of lung cancer for EU 28 with the help of a simple regression econometric model. The purpose of this research is to identify the relationship between the previously mentioned indices. This study ascertains the indices correlation and the results are supported by several studies that have shown the link between overall pollution and human health. The present research aims at changing the perspective regarding all waste types that should be regarded as resources, not to be considered as an inevitable inconvenience.

Purpose Patients with oligometastatic colorectal cancer have demonstrated excellent clinical outcomes with surgical resection of hepatic and pulmonary metastases. Stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR) has emerged as an alternative local therapy for nonsurgical candidates. Herein, we report the oncologic and patient-reported quality-of-life (PR-QoL) outcomes for a subset of patients with oligometastatic colorectal cancer who were treated in a prospective phase 2 multicenter clinical trial. Methods and materials Patients with a pathologically proven diagnosis of oligometastatic colorectal cancer were enrolled as part of a prospective study. SABR dose and fractionation schedules were dependent on the lesion location and size. Patient follow-up occurred 6 weeks after completion of SABR and at 3-month intervals for the following 3 years. Patients received the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General questionnaire at baseline and at each follow-up visit to assess PR-QoL. The total Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General questionnaire scores were compared with those from baseline using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Overall survival, local progression-free survival (PFS), and distant PFS were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier estimation to the date of the last follow-up visit/death or local/distant failure. Results A total of 31 patients with oligometastatic colorectal cancer with 1 (71.0%), 2 (16.1%), 3 (3.2%), 4 (3.2%), or 5 (6.5%) metastatic lesions were identified. After a median follow-up time of 50.1 months, the median OS from the time of completion of the SABR was 53.9 months (95% confidence interval, 23.2-84.6), and the 5-year OS, local PFS, and distant PFS were 45%, 83%, and 27%, respectively. Acute grade 2+ toxicity was 9.7% (pain, nausea, fatigue) and late grade 3+ toxicity (small bowel obstruction) was 3.2% with no significant change in PR-QoL in the year after SABR. Conclusions This subset analysis of a prospective phase 2 study demonstrates that SABR is a safe and effective treatment option for patients with unresectable oligometastic colorectal cancer. In addition, SABR of oligometastatic disease preserves PR-QoL.

The food consumption behaviour is determinant, as it impacts directly on human health. Paradoxically, modern people consume large quantities of food, but predominantly of poor nutritional value, instead of the recommended balanced diet. The young generation is the key for the health and well-being of the society, and therefore, this chapter relies on a survey applied on 2378 students in 7 university centres from Romania, Bulgaria and the Republic of Moldavia and focuses on revealing some decisive aspects of their food consumption behaviour in connection to their lifestyle trends, culture and traditions, common values, and economic and societal changes. On an overall basis, university students in this study display excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates, meat and unhealthy fats. A relationship was established between the culinary traditions of these countries, the unfavourable economic environment and students’ food consumption habits. Moreover, their food consumption behaviour aligns to a generalized international trend of fast and cheap eating.

Due to the accelerated pace of information and communication technology developments, the digital society and the digital economy have become real and, in turn, pose specific challenges. In this environment, digital skills and competences are essential to achieve the professional success and personal development of any individual. The positive impact that information and communication technology has on education cannot be disputed, but there are also some obstacles that need to be overcome in order to make the most of these benefits. An essential aspect to consider is that technology has repercussions not only on pupils and students, but also on teachers, who must adapt and acquire the knowledge necessary to disseminate information. Having as the main objective of reflecting the impact of digitalization on the educational sector, the paper highlights the basic concepts in the field of digital technology and, at the same time, the current implications on educational processes. At the same time, through logistic regression, the way in which the means of digital innovation influence the education in Romania is analysed and to determine the factors with the highest degree of influence. Modern technology can be considered as synonymous with the future and that is why it is essential that all young students acquire the digital knowledge necessary to revolutionize the educational process and at the same time redefine the recruitment of the labour market.

The aim of this study was to compare the main ferments selected to be used in the process of mead making: Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast and pollen, the latter having been used in ancient times as ferment. It has only been recently that the market has exhibited significant interest in developing foods containing functional ingredients. Honey has been a corollary of hidden nutritional and medicinal value for centuries. Mead is the result of alcoholic fermentation, by mixing different proportions of honey with water and pollen, as a fermentation agent. The fermentation process was monitored by collecting samples periodically and analyzing the alcohol concentration, total extract, the level of fermentation, the pH, as well as the yeast number with the Thoma cell counting chamber. Additionally, physicochemical (acidity and vitamin C) and sensory parameters were determined for the final products. Results and discussion: Pollen-fermented beverages have a higher alcohol concentration than beverages fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is explained by the additional intake of carbohydrates induced by the addition of pollen.

Nowadays, biopolymers as intelligent and active biopolymer systems in the food and pharmaceutical industry are of considerable interest in their use. With this association in view, biopolymers such as chitosan, alginate, pectin, cellulose, agarose, guar gum, agar, carrageenan, gelatin, dextran, xanthan, and other polymers have received significant attention in recent years due to their abundance and natural availability. Furthermore, their versatile properties such as non-toxicity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and flexibility offer significant functionalities with multifunctional applications. The purpose of this review is to summarize the most compatible biopolymers such as chitosan, alginate, and pectin, which are used for application in food, biotechnological processes, and biomedical applications. Therefore, chitosan, alginate, and pectin are biopolymers (used in the food industry as a stabilizing, thickening, capsular agent, and packaging) with great potential for future developments. Moreover, this review highlights their characteristics, with a particular focus on their potential for biocompatibility, biodegradability, bioadhesiveness, and their limitations on certain factors in the human gastrointestinal tract.

Despite its well known toxic effects, lead continues to be a part of modern life. Lead concentrations in the environment have increased steadily throughout history, with a huge increase when lead became a common additive to paint and gasoline. Although the use of lead in gasoline and most paint has been banned in many countries, there are still many ways for lead to be released on the environment. The effects of lead on human health have been the subject of significant international examination over the last decade. Exposure occurs from lead presence in air, water, soil, food, paint and other materials. Lead is easily absorbed by the body via the primary routes of entry, inhalation and ingestion. About 10% to 20% of inhaled lead enters in the blood stream. Children are particularly susceptible to levels of lead in their blood due to exposure to lead (i.e. in children, ~50% of ingested lead is absorbed as compared to 8% to 10% for adults). These blood lead levels reflect current and past exposure from a number of sources and air emissions may only be a small part of the total exposure. The lead pollution in Bucharest is a significant issue that must be taking into consideration. Therefore, in order to prevent the lead pollution of Bucharest it is necessary to have an air pollution control and air quality management for develop a risk management strategy. As a result, in the present paper we have proposed a proper administration by assurance of a risk management strategy for impact of lead on environment and human health. Tree targets are necessary for this strategy: to provide a summary of information about sources of lead in the environment; to report the effects of lead on environment and direct effects on the human health; to make recommendations for chemical risk analysis. In this way, lead should be considered as a main concern that will continue to be carefully monitored and searched.

The volume contains the papers accepted and published in the proceedings of the 9th International symposium entitled: “Agrarian Economy and Rural Development - Realities and Perspectives for Romania’, organized by the Research Institute for Agriculture Economy and Rural Development – Bucharest, in cooperation with the Institute of Agricultural Economics - Romanian Academy, University of Agrarian Sciences and Veterinary Medicine – The Faculty of Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and Rural Development – Bucharest - Romania, Institute for Economy, Finance and Statistics – Chisinau - Republic of Moldova, Institute of Agricultural Economics - Belgrade – Serbia, under the high scientific patronage of the Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences ”Gheorghe Ionescu Sisesti”, held in Bucharest - Romania, on November 15th, 2018. The proceedings are structured in accordance with the sessions of the symposium: Concepts, evaluations and visions on the dynamics of rural socio-economy; Economy, management and agricultural marketing; Rural development and agricultural policies. In the symposium proceedings, there are shared knowledge, experience and the newest results of the research on agrarian economy and rural development domains, related to: the agri-food trade, the impact of new tax policies in semi-subsistence agriculture, statistical analysis of the socio-demographic and economic characteristics of rural areas, bioeconomy concept - challenges and perspectives for agriculture, land resources – structural evolutions, modernization and socio-economic development of the rural area, rural education, improvement and optimisation of soil conservation system “no tillage”, the analysis of the technico-economic indicators for the main crops, milk sector in international context, vegetable farm structure evolution by standard output, rentability of consumed resources in condition of conventional and ecological operation, analysis of the impact of coupled support in agriculture etc. The symposium proceedings is structured in 5 specialized sections, where the read my find interesting argues regarding this research field.

This paper discloses viable eco-solutions concerning the formulation and the performance of biocomposites and bioblends formulated based on polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA6), and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and designated for the fabrication of interior automotive parts. Biocomposites containing up to 40 wt.% of cellulosic fibres were first formulated and compounded. Bioblends containing up to 30 wt.% polylactide (PLA) were also obtained. Different formulations of biocomposites were also compounded based on PLA-containing alloys and cellulosic fibres. Tensile strength, tensile modulus, and heat deflection temperature (HDT) of obtained bioblends and biocomposites presented at least equivalent values comparing to their commercial counterparts currently used in the fabrication of automotive interior parts. Parts obtained by foaming through injection-moulding process presented similar properties as the unfoamed and commercial grades while being up to 25 wt.% lighter, up to 37% less expensive, and up to 50 wt.% greener.

The paper presents the agrochemical evolution of the districambosoil, through differentiated organo-mineral fertilization on potato crop, in the Avram Iancu commune, under the slope of the Găina Mountain, where the Apuseni seem a huge fort and a gate open towards the world and the sky. The districambosoil (the brown acidic soil) is representative for the mountain area, exhibiting an acidic and strong-acidic trait (pHH2O 4.8 -5.6), the presence of exchangeable aluminium in all of its subtypes, a moderate humus content, a low supply in basic nutritive elements for plants. Thus, it requires enhanced attention granted to fertilization, with an emphasis on mineral fertilizers. Through organo-mineral fertilization, the organic matter in the soil formed from natural organic fertilizers exerts a positive influence on the soils physical and agrochemical traits, making a contribution to the decrease of soil acidity and erosion (characteristic to the mountain area), diminishing nutrition imbalances and enhancing the effect of mineral fertilizers applied to plant species, to achieve superior qualitative and quantitative productions. Alongside being the basic food product of population in the area, the importance of potato increases once the altitude of the area also increases, being used as fodder for animal husbandry, due to the fact that the assortment of cultivated plants is limited to potato, rye, oat, some fruit trees, certain vegetables, while the rest of the surfaces is covered with natural pastureland and forests. Nutritionally, the potato is considered to be a highly-demanding plant in terms of nutritive elements. Once harvesting occurs, the export of nutritive elements in the soil is high, which determined the quick depletion of the soil. Thus, it is necessary to apply suitable fertilization to potato crop, which is adequate to the household system specific to the mountain area, where the basic occupation of locals is animal husbandry. This yields an amount of natural fertilizers that can be rationally employed as the main fertilization source of plants cultivated on lo-fertility soils. The numerous research in the area led to the conclusion that there are good and even very good pedoclimatic conditions for the potato crop, but it has been proven that the time variation of agrochemical indices is the result of the dynamics determined by present clmate change, microorganisms, the plants’ productive consumption and soil nutrient chemism, as well as the influence of fertilizer application and systems of agriculture applied. The increasing possibility and severity of climate events will lead to the increase of the risk of calamity for cultivated agricultural and horticultural plants. Climate change will also affect the soil, decreasing the organic matter content – a major contributor to soil fertility. The importance, originality and novelty of these agrochemical experiemnts are due to yet unsolved issued regarding fertilization combinations through the implementing of an ecologically-protective soil fertilization system to maintain and enhance the organic matter content according to the climatic specificity of the mountain area and the specific and overall consumption requirements of potato varieties in the area. This soil fertilization system for potato crop in the mountain area accompanied by a rigorous agrochemical control, provide for a diversity of practical solutions in achieving the agrochemical optimum of the soil-plant system and protection of mountain ecosystems.

Pteridium species around the world are aggressive, very productive, functionally closer to shrubs than ferns. Their rhizomes, buried deep and rich in starch, allow them to survive repeated fires and their efficient uptake of nutrients allow them to exploit a wide range of soils (McGlone et al., 2005). Mechanical methods. Tillage and cultivation. On lands that are not too steep or rocky, a good reduction in fern coverage can be achieved by plowing from late June to early August. The goal is to plow deep in order to expose the rhizomes, leaving them undisturbed throughout the winter and followed by the spring sowing

Present worldwide debate, including certain national approaches, lead to highly diversified tendencies for the implementation of agricultural systems involving a higher or lesser role played by fertilizer employment in their success, but they are all called to make a contribution to the achievement of qualitative and quantitative food quantities, while increasing soil fertility and environmental protection. In terms of scientific fundamentals with regard to complex food chain effects, all agricultural systems are perfectible and thus make it impossible for an ultimate and complete achievement of objectives set by human society, cosumers and soil fertility increase requirements. Potato crop fertilizer application does not always bear the mark of the agricultural systems in terms of varieties, content and doses applied, as the purpose and importance of this crop frequently determines attention granted to the achievement of high production results that are much better than in other plants. In this context, the objectives of our research, as well as the research-experiment of the effect of foliar fertilizer assortments ultimately provide applicable variants for agricultural practice that are applied on the inside and the outside of the practised agricultural system. The present paper aims at preseting the results obtained by applying a wide range of foliar fertilizers on the Redsec variety, during the 2005, 2006 and 2007, when the productive effect of these fertilizers was highlighted and differentiated according to the fertilizer assortment and conditions of application. Differentiation of effects obtained by foliar fertilizer application and the level of tuber production are dependant on the application of these fertilizers through varieties exhibiting an essential macroelement nutritive balance or i the particular coposition, there is a predominance of nitrogen presence and concentration (such assortments like Lecol, Folifert and Fortifert). These results show that the effect of foliar fertilizers applied is first due to the involvement of these compositions within the nitrogen cycle and its assimilatio that can be capitalized at an optimal level through the simultaneous representation of phosphorus and potassium in their composition.

The assessment of caveolin-1 (Cav-1) as a marker of tumor aggressiveness in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In this study, we examined the expression of Cav-1 in 34 human PDAC tissue samples and the associated peritumoral tissues by immunohistochemistry and western blot. Additionally, we correlated Cav-1 expression with other tissue (Ki-67, p53) and serum (CA 19-9) tumor markers. In the tumor-derived tissue, both tumor cells and blood vessels expressed Cav-1. In contrast, in peritumoral tissue, Cav-1 expression was confined mainly to blood vessels and was only occasionally expressed in ductal or parenchymal cells. Western blot analysis confirmed the overexpression of Cav-1 in pancreatic tumors compared with peritumoral tissue. Cav-1 expression in tumor tissues was correlated with both the Ki-67 LI (r = 0.95, P