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In this study, the aim was to evaluate the antimicrobial action of the non-volatile phenols of rosemary leaves against two Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and two Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis). Three extracts with different phenolic compositions were tested. By the agar disc diffusion method, Gram-positive bacteria were more sensitive to the extracts, and S. epidermidis showed the highest inhibition zones. Overall, all the extracts tested by the broth dilution method showed higher activity than results from the agar disc diffusion method. The minimal bactericidal concentration values indicated that E. coli was the most susceptible strain. This study demonstrated that the flavonoidic fraction of rosemary leaves does not play a crucial role as antimicrobial agents against these microorganisms. The most active extract was characterised by the highest amount of non-volatile terpenoidic compounds.

2011 - 2012, The laminar-turbulent transition is a complex phenomenon involved in several multidisciplinary design issues, such as skin friction drag reduction, anti-icing and de-icing system performance prediction and heat transfer rates assessment. An accurate prediction of the boundary layer state is needed in order to control its thickness by active or passive systems. The state of the boundary layer is of high importance since skin friction drag and heat transfer rates in a turbulent boundary layer can be several times higher than those expected in laminar one. Furthermore, predicting the state of the boundary layer in wind tunnels and ensuring the same state during the real flight, by taking disturbances resulting from the experimental set up into account, leads to the design of transition triggering devices.[edited by author], XI n.s.

Chronic quadriceps tendon tears are uncommon. We report about a body builder taking a cocktail of anabolic drugs for several years in whom reconstruction of a chronic quadriceps tendon tear was performed using ipsilateral hamstring tendons with good results despite the 7 month delay between injury and surgery. The use of hamstring tendons is a good option for the management of these lesions.

The use of tissue engineering for cartilage repair has emerged as a potential therapeutic option and has led to the development of Hyalograft C, a tissue-engineered graft composed of autologous chondrocytes grown on a scaffold entirely made of HYAFF 11, an esterified derivative of hyaluronic acid. Here we present the results of an ongoing multicenter clinical study conducted with the primary objective to investigate the subjective symptomatic, functional and health-related quality of life outcomes of patients treated with Hyalograft C. Clinical results on the cohort of 141 patients with followup assessments ranging from 2 to 5 years (average followup time: 38 months), are reported. At followup 91.5% of patients improved according to the International Knee Documentation Committee subjective evaluation; 76% and 88% of patients had no pain and mobility problems respectively assessed by the EuroQol-EQ5D measure. Furthermore, 95.7% of the patients had their treated knee normal or nearly normal as assessed by the surgeon; cartilage repair was graded arthroscopically as normal or nearly normal in 96.4% of the scored knees; the majority of the second-look biopsies of the grafted site histologically were assessed as hyaline-like. Importantly, a very limited complication rate was recorded in this study. The positive clinical results obtained indicate that Hyalograft C is a safe and effective therapeutic option for the treatment of articular cartilage lesions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic study, Level III-2 (retrospective cohort study). See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Artemisia annuaL. (Asteraceae) is native to China, now naturalised in many other countries, well known as the source of the unique sesquiterpene endoperoxide lactone artemisinin, and used in the treatment of the chloroquine-resistant and cerebral malaria. The essential oil is rich in mono- and sesquiterpenes and represents a by-product with medicinal properties. Besides significant variations in its percentage and composition have been reported (major constituents can be camphor (up to 48%), germacrene D (up to 18.9%), artemisia ketone (up to 68%), and 1,8 cineole (up to 51.5%)), the oil has been subjected to numerous studies supporting exciting antibacterial and antifungal activities. Both gram-positive bacteria (Enterococcus,Streptococcus,Staphylococcus,Bacillus, andListeriaspp.), and gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia,Shigella,Salmonella,Haemophilus,Klebsiella, andPseudomonasspp.) and other microorganisms (Candida,Saccharomyces, andAspergillusspp.) have been investigated. However, the experimental studies performed to date used different methods and diverse microorganisms; as a consequence, a comparative analysis on a quantitative basis is very difficult. The aim of this review is to sum up data on antimicrobial activity ofA. annuaessential oil and its major components to facilitate future approach of microbiological studies in this field.

Romania's European Union accession in 2007 has resulted in a substantial reduction of the formal barriers to integration with the European Union Single Market. This study takes stock of the progress by benchmarking product market policies in Romania to those of European Union countries, as measured by the OECD indicators of Product Market Regulation. These indicators allow for a comprehensive mapping of policies affecting competition in product markets. Comparison with European Union countries reveals that, for half of the policy areas covered by the study, Romania's product market policies are more restrictive of competition than most direct comparators in the region, whereas for other indicators Romania is on a par with the European Union average or has achieved best practice. Nonetheless, these results should be interpreted in light of the fact that the Product Market Regulation approach measures officially adopted policies and does not capture implementation. Future reforms should be directed both at improving official regulation and, where policies that favor competition are already in place, toward effective enforcement.

Inappropriate regulation can influence productivity performance by affecting incentives to invest and adopt new technologies, as well as by directly curbing competitive pressures. Results of a labor productivity growth model for European countries suggest that improving the regulatory environment -- proxied by the Worldwide Governance Indicators regulatory quality indicator -- and boosting effective exposure to competition through increasing trade integration -- expressed as the ratio of exports plus imports to gross domestic product -- have positive effects on productivity growth. In Romania a 10 percent increase in openness to global trade over 1995-2010 would have boosted productivity growth by 9.7 percent per year. A 10 percent increase in openness to European Union trade, in particular, would have led to an annual increase in productivity of 7 percent. Realizing the benefits from trade integration depends to some extent on regulation. In this regard, the effects of regulation on productivity growth are found to be positive, regardless of the indicator used to measure regulation, and both through direct and indirect channels (by increasing the speed at which a country catches up with productivity leaders). Simulation results also show how countries with different levels of regulatory quality would benefit from a regulatory improvement: had Romania improved its regulatory environment to the same level as Denmark in 2010, its annual productivity growth would have been 14 percent higher over 1995-2010.

Microbiological sampling of surfaces and air was performed in a hematology department, to monitor the presence of methicillin and vancomycin-resistant staphylococci and of vancomycin-resistant enterococci. The hematology department was divided in two areas, one of which with controlled access.Staphylococci were detected equally in the two areas while vancomycin-resistant enterococci were isolated only occasionally. The results show that the implementation of strict protocols for accessing hospital wards is not justified if effective cleaning and disinfection practices are not adopted.

This paper examines whether natural resource dependence has a negative influence on various indicators of institutional quality when controlling for the potential effects of other geographic, economic and cultural initial conditions. Analysis of a panel of countries from 1996 to 2010 indicates that a high degree of resource dependence, measured as the share of mineral fuel exports in a country's total exports, is associated with worse government effectiveness, as well as with reduced levels of competition across the economy. Furthermore, estimation of long-run elasticities suggests that government effectiveness and the intensity of domestic competition decrease over time as the dependence on natural resources increases. An illustration of the Russian case shows that the negative effects accumulate in the long run, leading to a worse deterioration of government effectiveness in Russia than in Canada, a country with a comparable resource endowment but far better overall institutional quality. This result is corroborated by a significant negative correlation found between regional resource dependence and an indicator of regulatory capture in Russian regions, which indicates that the regulatory environment is more likely to be subverted in regions that are more dependent on extractive industries. Overall, the findings would be consistent with a situation in which a generally weak institutional environment would allow resource interests to wield the bidding power accruing from export revenues to subvert the content of laws and regulations, as well as their enforcement. The fact that this is associated with negative externalities for the rest of the economy, notably by undermining a level playing field across non-resource sectors, sheds light on a potential channel for the resource curse.