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The study aims to investigate the influence of TiO2 nanoparticles on the permeation and retention properties of polymeric membranes used in wastewater nanofiltration systems from the medical sector. The research is focused on the influence of the TiO2 nanoparticles concentration on the membrane properties. Additives in general determine enhanced membrane properties like permeation and retention capacity. Hydrophobicityhowever, is decreasing due to the nanoparticles affinity for water and this have an important effect on the permeation properties, at the same time with the decrease in surface roughness, with an important influence on the fouling effect. Membranes with four different concentrations of TiO2 nanoparticles were studied, from 0 to 2% nanoparticles. Results showed that small percent of nanoparticles have an important impact on the permeation properties of the membranes, finding that at 2% nanoparticles the permeation decreases due to the nanoparticles aggregations which are blocking the pores.

Introduction: Dementia is an important public health problem, the only cause of death that can not be treated or cured. The number of people who are diagnosed with dementia is increasing, over 55 million patients in 2021(about 5% of the world population), more than that a new case is diagnosed every 3 seconds, according World Health Organization. Prevalence of dementia is increasing, both before and after stroke. Aim: The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance of early identification of the risk factors associated with cognitive decline and the role of the complex health care approach. Method: The retroactive study involved analyzing the medical record of 60 subjects with stroke and cognitive impairments, hospitalized between july -december 2021. Furthermore we searched the latest PubMed database and Cochrane Library regarding the risk factors common for this two pathologies. The outcome showed that more women are affected by this debilitating disease, of which 72% were over 80 years old. The following modifiable risk factors were identified: 63% of patients had hypertension, 42% had recurrent stroke, 37% atrial fibrillation, 26% type II diabetes, 22% dyslipidemia, and 10% obesity. It is believed that one third of cases can be prevented by early identification of risk factors, especially cardiovascular, and by increasing the efficiency recovery after stroke. This can be done before the onset of the disease, growing the mental and emotional health, specificaly the cognitive abilitiy, including the executive function and the memory of people prone to neurodegeneration or cerebrovascular lesions. In elderly subjects, healthy diet, moderate physical activity, chronic stress reduction, social interaction along with improvement in cardiovascular risk factors, could be considered the first line of defense against the development and progression of dementia. Conclusions: The pathological process begins long before it manifests itself clinically, thus providing the opportunity to identify or combat the prodromal stages of the disease forward. We recommend multifactorial intervention to prevent cognitive impairment and dementia.

In esthetic restorative dentistry, resin composites are generally encountered. Because of their excellent biocompatibility, lack of taste, odour, tissue discomfort, and toxicity, insolubility in body fluids, ease of use, good clinical/ aesthetic properties, stable colours, optical characteristics, efficient pigmentation, low cost, and repairability, they are becoming more common. Currently used composite resins have some flaws, particularly inconsistent mechanical properties. For a long time, particles of various sizes have been used as fillers to enhance these properties. In prosthodontics, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is commonly used as a dental base material. It does, nevertheless, have several weaknesses, including low strength and weak thermal properties. The effects of different sizes of alumina (Al2O3) particles on the poly(methyl ethacrylate) (PMMA) denture base were determined in this experiment. PMMA powder was blended with Al2O3 added to methyl methacrylate (MMA).For PMMA polymeric materials strengthened with Al2O3 (40 nm, 140 nm and 0.3-0.8 μm) in various concentrations, the mechanical properties were studied.Also, the synergetic influence of the three nanoparticle sizes in the resin matrix was studied.Furthermore, thermogravimetric (TGA) analysis and water absorption and solubility characteristics of the composites prepared were also examined. Among the most significant properties to be obtained for good denture materials is high mechanic properties, water absorption and solubility, since they have different attributes in the aqueous condition of the oral cavity. Results showed clear properties optimization, especially for the size-hybrid alumina composites.

The aim of this study is to characterize (wettability, surface roughness and gloss) and test (microhardness and diametral compression) four types of light-cured composite resins, one of which is commercial. The first lab-made composite is the reference, obtained by mechanical mixing of three monomers, in equal concentrations. The following two lab-made materials can be considered nanocomposites because they were mechanically mixed in the base solution (Bis-GMA/TEGDMA/Bis-EMA) with α-Al2O3 nanopowders, with a concentration of 5 wt.% for one solution and 10 wt.% for the other. The benchmark material comparison for these lab-made composite and nanocomposite resins is the bioresin system, Filtek™ Supreme Ultra Universal Restorative. Results were promising, especially for the 10 wt.% Al2O3/Bis-GMA/TEGDMA/Bis-EMA system, characterized by mechanical improvment in comparison with the reference composite.

Ioana Anca Stefanopol,1,2,&ast; Liliana Baroiu,3,4 Sergiu Chirila,5 Magdalena Miulescu,6,&ast; Lucre&tcedil;ia Anghel,3,7 Luiza Nechita,3,&ast; Ciprian Adrian Dinu,8,&ast; Victorita Stefanescu,3 Carmen Bobeica,1,&ast; Alexandru Nechifor,3,&ast; Alin Lauren&tcedil;iu Tatu3,9– 11 1Department of Morphological and Functional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Dun&abreve;rea de Jos” University, Galati, Romania; 2Department of Pediatric Surgery and Orthopedy, “Sf Ioan” Clinical Emergency Hospital for Children, Galati, Romania; 3Clinical Medical Department, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Dun&abreve;rea de Jos” University, Galati, Romania; 4Infectious Diseases Department, “Sf. Cuvioasa Parascheva” Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases, Galati, Romania; 5Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Ovidius University, Constanta, Romania; 6Research Center in the Functional Cardiorespiratory and Neuromotor Exploration, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Dun&abreve;rea de Jos” University, Galați, Romania; 7Internal Medicine Department, “sf Andrew the Apostle” County Emergency Clinical Hospital, Galati, Romania; 8Dental Department, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Dun&abreve;rea de Jos” University, Galati, Romania; 9Research Center in the Field of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Reform-UDJ, Galati, Romania; 10Dermatology Department, “Sf. Cuvioasa Parascheva” Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases, Galati, Romania; 11Multidisciplinary Integrated Center of Dermatological Interface Research MIC DIR, Galati, Romania&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Liliana Baroiu, Clinical Medical Department, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Dun&abreve;rea de Jos” University, 47 Domneasc&abreve; Street, Galati, 800010, Romania, Tel +40723201241, Email lilibaroiu@yahoo.com Sergiu Chirila, Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Ovidius University, 1 University Alee, Campus B, Constanta, 900470, Romania, Tel +407213320668, Email sergiu.chirila@univ-ovidius.roBackground: The incidence of ovarian cystic lesions (OCLs) in pediatric patients has been increasing in recent years. An early diagnosis is mandatory for a favourable prognosis but it depends on the primary medical care services and on the socioeconomic status of the patient. The present study aims at assessing the prevalence and the age-specific frequencies of pediatric OCLs, as well as identifying disparities between subjects in the urban and the rural areas, in order to explore the extent to which OCLs occurrence, diagnosis, evolution and treatment differ in the case of patients living in rural areas.Methods: A 3-year retrospective study was conducted between 2017 and 2019. All the female patients aged between 0 and 18 with OCLs ≥ 10 mm (N = 488), diagnosed and treated at “Sf.Ioan” Clinical Emergency Hospital for Children in Gala&tcedil;i were included in the study. The Chi2 test was used for comparing the distributions of frequencies, and the t-Student test was used for comparing the means of any two normally distributed variables. The statistical significance threshold (p) was set at 0.05.Results: The prevalence of OCLs ≥ 10 mm was 14.85%, 47.13% of the subjects originating in rural area (p = 0.62). Different from the urban areas, the rural ones are characterised by a lower proportion of patients with BMI ≥ 25 (p = 0.002), larger OCLs mean size (p = 0.278), a more frequent complex aspect on ultrasonography (p = 0.01), and a smaller number of general physician referrals (p = 0.005). Moreover, a higher proportion of rural patients were intraoperatively diagnosed with OCLs (p = 0.044), had complicated OCLs (p = 0.012) and had their OCLs surgically treated OCLs (p < 0.01).Conclusion: Taking into consideration the socio-economic situation of south eastern Romania, patients living in rural areas have proven exposed to a higher risk of presenting with larger, complex and complicated OCLs, which most often require surgical treatment.Keywords: ovarian cyst, rural population, incidence, body mass index, management, torsion