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This study investigated changes in carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) concentrations in the three components of the forest ecosystem (leaves, bark and soil) along an altitudinal gradient in the temperate forests of Romania. The properties and processes within the forest ecosystem are influenced by altitude. The leaves, litter and soil are important in the good development of the ecosystem and in the cycle of the elements. Plants extract the nutrients necessary for life and growth from the soil in which they carry out their entire activity. With the help of litter, the soil is supplied with nutrients useful for plants. The soil can be influenced by pH, being a physical factor, and in the forests of Romania it decreases with altitude, becoming acidic. In this paper, studies were performed to investigate the chemical components in the soil-water-plant chain, which highlights the importance of stoichiometric variation of nutrients in plant organs and their relationships with other components of the forest ecosystem.

Meat and bone meal (MBM) is considered animal waste and can no longer be used in agriculture since the onset of the disease called spongiform encephalopathy in cattle. This waste is burned and then dumped in landfills, which causes unwanted emissions to the environment. This is a real problem nowadays and we must find environmentally friendly solutions must be identified to eliminate this waste by energy recovery. For these reasons, a lot of processes have been developed to recovery the MBM, which are environmentally friendly and generate alternative fuels. The pyrolysis process takes place at a temperature of 500 degrees Celsius in a nitrogen atmosphere and in the absence of oxygen that could have developed nitrogen and sulfur compounds. The pyrolysis and gasification processes result in three types of products: MBM pyrolysis bio-oil, MBM pyrolysis gas and MBM pyrolysis bio-char. The calorific value of MBM, but also of reaction products such as MBM pyrolysis bio-oil and MBM pyrolysis gas is in the range of 17.8 MJ / kg - 36.7 MJ / kg. Due to the high ash content and low calorific value of the bio-char, it cannot be used as an alternative fuel. Bio-char can be used to fertilize soils due to its high phosphorus content, in a proportion of about 40%.

The emerging advancements in separation and classification of various biological matters (e.g., living cells and proteins) using magnetic levitation (MagLev) technology have proven to be effective for improving disease diagnostics. MagLev technique has the capacity to detect and separate useful diagnostic biomarkers from biocomplex environments (e.g., blood and plasma), minimizing the unpleasant daunting task of sample preparations and labeling procedures. Here, we demonstrate the capability of this technique combined with image analysis and machine learning approaches for discriminating the various types of multiple sclerosis (MS) as an important model disease. To arrive at a systematic expert system, we combined robust statistical analysis with machine learning to (1) detect and remove outliers from the raw MagLev image datasets; then (2) process the images and output a low dimensional representation of massive data without losing the main statistical features; and finally (3) predict the MS clinical disease type (Relapsing-Remitting, Primary–Progressive, or Secondary–Progressive) using a classifier. This is expected to improve MS diagnostics since the current practices rely solely on clinical observation and central nervous system imaging, making management approaches are often reactional and inefficient. Thus, there is a need to identify the disease type early on. MagLev is expected to improve MS diagnostics, thereby aiding in prognosis and guiding adequate treatment choices before the patient exhibits signs of permanent neurological deficits.

Combustion of fossil fuels, greenhouse gas emissions, large amounts of sewage sludge, lead to environmental pollution and global warming. For this reason we must think of feasible solutions to disposal the sewage sludge by capitalization it and energy recovery. One of the most interesting technologies for disposal the sewage sludge is the pyrolysis process. After the pyrolysis process of sewage sludge are obtained three types of products: bio-oil, syngas and biochar. Bio-oil can be used as an alternative fuel for fossil fuels after refining. Bio-char can be used as an adsorbent after an activation process for the capture and storage CO2. Pyrolysis is considered an environmentally friendly process because it reduces the emission of greenhouse gases, while heavy metals are concentrated in the final residue. In this paper are presented the advantages of sewage sludge pyrolysis.

Utilizando-se da Lei de Responsabilidade Fiscal, este artigo tem como objetivos investigar se o poder executivo do estado de Pernambuco cumpriu os limites de gastos com pessoal no período de 2014 a 2019? Como ocorreu a evolução e composição desses gastos? Qual o impacto das receitas de ICMS e Transferências Correntes (TC) na Receita Corrente Líquida (RCL)? Esta pesquisa é classificada como descritiva, bibliográfica e quantitativa. Os resultados demonstraram que o poder executivo ultrapassou o limite de alerta em todos os anos e, por três anos consecutivos (2017, 2018 e 2019), ficou acima do limite prudencial, com destaque para o ano de 2017 que atingiu 48,97% da RCL, quando o limite máximo é de 49%; as despesas com Pessoal Inativo e Pensionistas aumentaram 11% a.a. enquanto com Pessoal Ativo cresceu 5% a.a.; por fim, não foi possível afirmar que o descumprimento dos limites teve como causa apenas as reduções das TC.

In the present study, the effect of Hf and Ti substitution of Zr in the ZrCo alloy, used for hydrogen isotope storage, has been investigated in order to ascertain the improvement of the anti-dispro...

This study aimed to analyze Romanian (RO) involvement in the LULUCF sector by considering the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) good practice guidance (GPG). Trends were assessed using the Mann-Kendall (MK) test for trend estimation to determine the total greenhouse gas (GHG) (GHGCO₂-eq.) emissions/ removals. The results emphasized the increasing average annual levels of emissions/removals in both the EU-28 and RO when the subperiods from 1990-2005 and 2005-2017 were analyzed. Kendall’s analysis of GHG removal showed a positive trend in Romanian GHG removals, and no trend was observed for the EU-28. In comparison, the emissions indicated an increasing trend for RO and a decreasing trend for the EU-28. The GHGCO₂-eq. generated by the LULUCF sector decreased to an average annual rate of 0.5% per year in the EU-28. In Romania, these emissions increased by approximately 0.2% per year on average. Between 1990 and 2017, the CO2 total absorption increased to 0.9% per year. The methane absorption also increased by 11.7% per year, and no significant increasing trend was observed for methane. The dynamics of GHGCO₂-eq. emissions/removals in RO and LULUCF sectors showed that settlement had decreased in wetlands, and settlement of other land areas had increased. Assessing GHG gas emissions is essential for allowing each sector to promote specific strategies, policies and action plans. This will improve the national-level monitoring of the LULUCF sector and make this information more accessible to decision makers by raising awareness of the Romanian position within the EU-28

We recently discovered that superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) can levitate plasma biomolecules in the magnetic levitation (MagLev) system and cause formation of ellipsoidal biomolecular bands. To better understand the composition of the levitated biomolecules in various bands, we comprehensively characterized them by multi-omics analyses. To probe whether the biomolecular composition of the levitated ellipsoidal bands correlates with the health of plasma donors, we used plasma from individuals who had various types of multiple sclerosis (MS), as a model disease with significant clinical importance. Our findings reveal that, while the composition of proteins does not show much variability, there are significant differences in the lipidome and metabolome profiles of each magnetically levitated ellipsoidal band. By comparing the lipidome and metabolome compositions of various plasma samples, we found that the levitated biomolecular ellipsoidal bands do contain information on the health status of the plasma donors. More specifically, we demonstrate that there are particular lipids and metabolites in various layers of each specific plasma pattern that significantly contribute to the discrimination of different MS subtypes, i.e., relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), secondary-progressive MS (SPMS), and primary-progressive MS (PPMS). These findings will pave the way for utilization of MagLev of biomolecules in biomarker discovery and diagnosis of this and other complex disorders.

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O presente artigo tem como objetivo analisar o perfil das publicações científicas sobre Escritórios de Projetos (EGP) em Instituições de Ensino Superior (IES) brasileiras, no período de 2011 a 2020. Para tanto, foi realizada uma análise bibliométrica a partir da coleta de artigos realizada no Periódico Capes, no Portal Spell e no Google Acadêmico. Foram encontradas 22 publicações pertinentes, publicadas em periódicos ou anais de eventos. Esses artigos foram sistematizados e categorizados de acordo com os temas centrais abordados, por meio da análise do conteúdo. Os resultados apontaram 81% das publicações abordaram os métodos, ferramentas e/ou práticas que são aconselháveis para a implantação dos EGP nas IES ou algum tipo de contribuição que essas estruturas trazem para essas organizações. 46 autores foram responsáveis pelas publicações, destacando-se que aproximadamente 60% são provenientes de IES da região Sudeste. Entre as referências bibliográficas utilizadas pelos artigos houve predomínio dos periódicos, com destaque para o International Journal of Project Management, mencionado 66 vezes. Concluiu-se que a produção científica sobre a temática é incipiente, revelando a oportunidade de novas investigações, pois os EGP são tema contemporâneo de relevância para a gestão das IES.

This study provides important data on the distribution, sources and ecological risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), in surface waters and sediments collected from dam reservoirs on middle and lower course of the Olt River, the main tributary of the Danube, until the discharge into the Black Sea. A wide variation range of total PAHs concentrations in water (from 1.3 to 46.2 ng/L) and sediment (from 1.78 to 614.04 μg/kg) samples was emphasized by the results. The highest average PAHs concentration in water was recorded in the cold season and the lowest in the summer. In sediments, no differences were observed depending on the sampling period. Spatial distribution of PAHs in waters and sediments was correlated with the main anthropogenic activities along the river course. Regardless of the method used to attribute PAH sources (diagnostic ratios of specific PAHs, principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis), it was confirmed that the potential anthropogenic sources of PAHs were both pyrogenic (incomplete combustion of biomass and coal) and pyrolytic (incomplete combustion of liquid fossil fuels and vehicle exhaust emissions), with a dominant pyrolytic input. Ecological risk assessment based on environmental quality standards, mean effect range-median quotient (m-ERM-Q), toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) and risk quotient (RQ) methods indicated potentially low ecological risks from PAHs. The ecological status of the Olt river waters poses no potential risk, and pollution of surface sediments can be classified as low polluted, except for two sites near industrial activities classified as moderately polluted. Therefore, a regular monitoring of PAHs concentration in the waters and sediments should be performed to prevent further contamination of PAHs in the studied area, especially in densely populated industrial areas.

Background: Paramagnetic rims have been observed as a feature of some multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions on susceptibility-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and indicate compartmentalized inflammation. Objective: To investigate clinical, MRI, and intrathecal (cerebrospinal fluid, CSF) associations of paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs) using 3T MRI in MS. Methods: This is a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis. All patients underwent 3T MRI using a T2*-weighted sequence with susceptibility postprocessing (susceptibility-weighted angiography (SWAN) protocol, GE). SWAN-derived filtered-phase maps and corresponding T2-FLAIR images were manually reviewed to determine PRL. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and regression determined demographic, clinical, MRI, and CSF associations with PRL. Results: A total of 147 MS patients were included; 79 of whom had available CSF. Forty-three percent had at least one PRL. PRL status (presence/absence) did not vary by sex or Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) but was associated with younger age, shorter disease duration, worse disease severity, high-efficacy therapy use, and poorer dexterity, as well as lower age-adjusted brain volumes and cognitive processing speeds. PRL status was moreover associated with blood–brain barrier disruption as determined by pathologically elevated albumin quotient. Sensitivity analyses remained supportive of these findings. Conclusion: PRLs, an emerging noninvasive biomarker of chronic neuroinflammation, are confirmed to be associated with greater disease severity and newly shown to be preliminarily associated with blood–brain barrier disruption.

We report on the experimental investigation of the magnetoresistance behavior of cryogenic temperature sensors based on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as a function of temperature and magnetic flux density; one sensor was based on layers/networks of unsorted SWCNT of various chiralities, and one on SWCNTs layers of (7,6) chirality. SWCNT-based sensors were fabricated according to a straightforward method, and the electrical properties were measured from room temperature down to 2 K using a Quantum Design Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS). The two sensors present different magneto-transport behavior, with the magnetoresistance dependence on the magnetic field being a sum of two terms with positive and negative contributions respectively. The expression for magnetoresistance is derived together with its experimentally determined coefficients. For both sensors, the electrical resistance dependence on temperature below the 80 K mark is explained by Mott’s law of variable-range hopping. The experimentally obtained hopping dimension ${d}$ values of 2.67 for the system comprised of purified (7,6) chirality SWCNTs and 2.97 for the system comprised of unsorted SWCNTs are in good agreement with the theory. As a second step, the magnetic field was kept constant and at different values, while the temperature was scanned over the investigated domain.

Fumarate targets pyroptosis A form of inflammatory cell death called pyroptosis depends on the caspase-mediated cleavage of gasdermin D (GSDMD), the fragments of which assemble into permeability pores that then kill the cell. The mechanisms regulating this important cellular process are not yet fully understood. Humphries et al. now report that the tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediate fumarate can act as an inhibitor of pyroptosis (see the Perspective by Pickering and Bryant). Both endogenous fumarate and exogenously delivered dimethyl fumarate (DMF) convert the cysteines in GSDMD to S-(2-succinyl)-cysteines (a process called succination) to prevent its interaction with caspases and subsequent processing and activation. Administration of DMF to mice alleviated inflammation in models of multiple sclerosis and familial Mediterranean fever. These findings may explain the efficacy of DMF as a treatment for multiple sclerosis and other inflammatory diseases and offer insights into future anti-inflammatory drug design. Science , this issue p. 1633 ; see also p. 1564

The identification and quantification of a large range of pesticide residues (e.g. fungicides, insecticides, acaricides) in vegetables from Romania markets, in Maramures, Alba Iulia and Botosani region, was performed by gas-chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-ToFMS) to better assess the impact of agricultural practices that may result from `accidental` application of higher doses of treatment solutions. The ion chromatograms obtained by GC-ToFMS enabled us to easily quantify at ppb level and to record the entire spectrum at high speeds (up to 500 spectra/second) without losing of the data quality. Although, most of the pesticide residues detected were below the limits set by the law, the results highlighted concentrations that exceeded the maximum allowed for toclofos-methyl and malathion from recent treatments and still high levels of alpha- and beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (mostly in green lettuce) from the historical treatments. It was also evidenced that green lettuce accumulated more than 77% higher amount of pesticides than cucumber, green beans and tomatoes.

Natural ecosystems are polluted with various contaminants, and among these heavy metals raise concerns due to their side effects on both environment and human health. An investigation was conducted on essential oil samples, comparing similar products between seven producers, and the results indicated a wide variation of metal content. The recommended limits imposed by European Union regulations for medicinal plants are exceeded only in Mentha × pipperita (Adams, 0.61 mg/kg). Except for Thymus vulgaris, the multivariate analysis showed a strong correlation between toxic and microelements (p < 0.001). We verified plant species–specific bioaccumulation patterns with non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis. The model showed that Adams, Doterra, Hypericum, and Steaua Divina essential oils originated from plants containing high micro and macroelement (Cu, Mn, Mg, Na) levels. We noted that the cancer risk values for Ni were the highest (2.02 × 10−9–7.89 × 10−7). Based on the target hazard quotient, three groups of elements were associated with a possible risk to human health, including As, Hg, and Cd in the first group, Cr, Mn, Ni, and Co in the second, and Zn and Al in the third. Additionally, the challenge of coupling inter-element relationships through a network plot analysis shows a considerable probability of associating toxic metals with micronutrients, which can address cumulative risks for human consumers.

Determination of heavy metals in soil and wine is very important for wine quality and consumer health, but at the same time it is a complementary tool for differentiating wines according to their geographical origin. In this work, soils and ten brands of wines originated from four major wine-growing areas of Romania (Iaşi, Babadag, Ştefăneşti and Blaj) were considered for performing a multielement (Cr, Ni, Cu, As, Pb, Hg, V, Sr, Mn, Zn, Fe) investigation in order to assess regional specificity. Heavy metals found in the investigated wines were below the limits imposed by European standards (O.I.V.) the elements concentrations following the trend: Zn>Fe>Mn>Sr>Ni>Cr>Cu>Pb>V>Hg>As. For the soils analyzed, the heavy metals content was found to be below the maximum permitted limit, except for Cu (135.45 mg/kg) from the Iaşi vineyard, which was at the permitted limit. The high values obtained for copper may be the result of different treatments with the Bordelaise solution for the vine. The elements CA, Mn and Hg observed from the research that they are predominantly of natural origin. Based on our results, a distinction has been made between wines according to their geographical origin, considering that the specific elements of discrimination Sr, Pb, and Ni for the Stefănesti vineyard (Muntenia region), Cr and Hg for the Babadag vineyard (Dobrogea region), Sr and V for the Iaşi vineyard (region of Moldova), respectively Fe and Zn for the Blaj vineyard (Transilvania region).

Background and ObjectiveParamagnetic rims have been observed as a feature of some MS lesions on susceptibility-sensitive MRI and indicate ongoing inflammation, principally consisting of compartmentalized activated microglia/macrophages. We investigated clinical, MRI, and intrathecal (cerebrospinal fluid, CSF) associations of paramagnetic rim lesions (PRL) using 3T MRI in MS.MethodsThis is a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of patients at a single neuroimmunology clinic. All patients had standardized 3T MRI using a multiecho T2*-weighted sequence with susceptibility postprocessing (SWAN protocol, GE) as part of the inclusion criteria. SWAN-derived filtered phase maps and corresponding T2-FLAIR images were manually reviewed by one expert rater blinded to clinical data, and PRL were determined based on qualitative assessment of hypointense paramagnetic edges on corresponding T2-hyperintense lesions. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and linear regression determined demographic, clinical, MRI, and intrathecal profile associations with the presence of one or more PRL.ResultsOne hundred and forty-seven (147) MS patients were included in this analysis (2 clinically isolated syndrome, 118 relapsing-remitting, 14 secondary progressive, 13 primary progressive). Baseline mean age was 48.8 years, disease duration 12.8 years, and median EDSS 2, with 79% women. Seventy-five percent of patients were receiving a disease-modifying therapy, and 79 patients (54%) had available cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis. Sixty-three patients (43%) had at least 1 PRL. PRL status (presence or absence) did not vary by sex or EDSS but was associated with younger age (51 vs 46 years; p=0.01) and shorter disease duration (14.5 vs 10.5 years; p=0.01). PRL status was also associated with worse disease (MS severity score: 2.8 vs 3.7; p=0.05) and blood-brain barrier disruption as determined by higher protein and pathologically elevated albumin quotient, as well as the presence of CSF oligoclonal bands (all p≤0.05); there was no association with immunoglobulin index or synthesis rate. PRL status was additionally associated with higher burden of T2-hyperintense cerebral lesion volume (T2LV), higher age-adjusted cerebral brain volume loss (especially of gray matter), and poorer performance on multiple clinical measures, including the 9-hole peg test and symbol digit modalities test (but not timed 25-foot walk speed). Clinical and intrathecal profiles remained associated with PRL after adjustment for age and in many cases T2LV as well. Sensitivity analyses limited to subgroups of patients without disease activity at the time of CSF sampling remained supportive of results. Patients with PRL were being treated with higher-efficacy disease-modifying therapies at the time of the data query.ConclusionsPRL, an emerging noninvasive biomarker of chronic cerebral neuroinflammation in MS, are confirmed to be associated with greater disease severity and newly shown to be associated with intrathecal inflammation and blood-brain-barrier disruption.