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This study investigates the increasingly important issue of sustainable tourism development through the lens of Big Data analytics, economic considerations, and policy frameworks. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior, we formulated seven hypotheses to explore how these variables impact attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intentions, and actual engagement in sustainable tourism. Using a questionnaire-based survey we collected data from N=398 respondents and employing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) for data analysis, we found substantial evidence supporting our hypotheses. Findings revealed that Big Data analytics significantly influence attitudes towards sustainable tourism. Economic factors shape societal norms and expectations regarding sustainable tourism, whereas policy frameworks impact individuals' perceived control over sustainable tourism activities. The study also confirmed that positive attitudes towards sustainable tourism led to higher intentions to engage in such practices, which in turn are predictive of actual engagement. Furthermore, societal norms and perceived behavioural control were found to be significant predictors of both the intention to engage in and the actual engagement with sustainable tourism practices. Overall, the results indicate that Big Data analytics play a significant role in shaping attitudes and behaviors towards sustainable tourism. Moreover, economic and policy considerations were also found to be key determinants. This research not only fills a scholarly gap but also provides actionable insights for policymakers and business stakeholders in the tourism sector.

Pollution is a major problem updated in every corner of the world. The sources of pollution are diverse, from the natural pollution to the anthropogenic pollution. Anthropogenic pollution has a significant impact. Industrial activity, with all its fields, represents one of the most important sources of anthropic pollution. Also, the mining activities can be a source of pollution worth considering. Even if the mining activity has been completed, the possibility of pollution exists. Mining activity is the major source of industrial waste. At present, the mining units can fall into three categories: active mining, where the activity continues; in conservation mining, where the closing and greening program has not yet been applied; closed mining, which are in the Closing and Greening Program. The most affected environmental factors can be the sources of water, soil, but also air.

Although the field of Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIEd) has a substantial history as a research domain, never before has the rapid evolution of AI applications in education sparked such prominent public discourse. Given the already rapidly growing AIEd literature base in higher education, now is the time to ensure that the field has a solid research and conceptual grounding. This review of reviews is the first comprehensive meta review to explore the scope and nature of AIEd in higher education (AIHEd) research, by synthesising secondary research (e.g., systematic reviews), indexed in the Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC, EBSCOHost, IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect and ACM Digital Library, or captured through snowballing in OpenAlex, ResearchGate and Google Scholar. Reviews were included if they synthesised applications of AI solely in formal higher or continuing education, were published in English between 2018 and July 2023, were journal articles or full conference papers, and if they had a method section. 66 publications were included for data extraction and synthesis in EPPI Reviewer, which were predominantly systematic reviews (66.7%), published by authors from North America (27.3%), conducted in teams (89.4%) in mostly domestic-only collaborations (71.2%). Findings show that these reviews mostly focused on AIHEd generally (47.0%) or Profiling and Prediction (28.8%) as thematic foci, however key findings indicated a predominance of the use of Adaptive Systems and Personalisation in higher education. Research gaps identified suggest a need for greater ethical, methodological, and contextual considerations within future research, alongside interdisciplinary approaches to AIHEd application. Suggestions are provided to guide future primary and secondary research.

The aim of this study was to develop new materials with adsorbent properties that can be used for the adsorption recovery of Au(III) from aqueous solutions. To achieve this result, it is necessary to obtain inexpensive adsorbent materials in a granular form. Concomitantly, these materials must have a high adsorption capacity and selectivity. Other desired properties of these materials include a higher physical resistance, insolubility in water, and materials that can be regenerated or reused. Among the methods applied for the separation, purification, and preconcentration of platinum-group metal ions, adsorption is recognised as one of the most promising methods because of its simplicity, high efficiency, and wide availability. The studies were carried out using three supports: cellulose (CE), chitosan (Chi), and diatomea earth (Diat). These supports were functionalised by impregnation with extractants, using the ultrasound method. The extractants are environmentally friendly and relatively cheap amino acids, which contain in their structure pendant groups with nitrogen and sulphur heteroatoms (aspartic acid—Asp, l-glutamic acid—Glu, valine—Val, DL-cysteine—Cys, or serine—Ser). After preliminary testing from 75 synthesised materials, CE-Cys was chosen for the further recovery of Au(III) ions from aqueous solutions. To highlight the morphology and the functionalisation of the material, we physicochemically characterised the obtained material. Therefore, the analysis of the specific surface and porosity showed that the CE-Cys material has a specific surface of 4.6 m2/g, with a porosity of about 3 nm. The FT-IR analysis showed the presence, at a wavelength of 3340 cm−1, of the specific NH bond vibration for cysteine. At the same time, pHpZc was determined to be 2.8. The kinetic, thermodynamic, and equilibrium studies showed that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model best describes the adsorption process of Au(III) ions on the CE-Cys material. A maximum adsorption capacity of 12.18 mg per gram of the adsorbent material was achieved. It was established that the CE-Cys material can be reused five times with a good recovery degree.

Conclusions. An unfavourable progression of SARS-CoV-2 infection can be expected in middle-aged, obese patients, and in those with elevated levels of inflammatory markers and LDH. Abnormally increased NLR and PLR values may also serve as potential indicators of disease severity; however, further evaluation in a larger patient sample is required to determine the predictive role of these rations in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The paper presents aspects regarding the construction and operation of hybrid plants consisting of renewable energy sources, electrolyzes and hydrogen and electricity storage facilities that have been obtained. The authors analyze the energy processes in hydrogen production stations in order to optimize operating costs. The cheap electricity obtained for example through photovoltaic panels, can supply the electrolysis stations and the resulting hydrogen in this case, will have low production costs without negative ecological impact. At the end of paper are stated some conclusions that resulted from the study.

This study was conducted to capitalize on the waste produced by the vinification process which proved to be important sources of bioactive compounds with significant antifungal properties. ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ grape pomace extracts were characterized in terms of total polyphenol content, antioxidant potential, but also evaluated in terms of antifungal effect against phytopathogenic fungi (Fusarium sp. and Alternaria sp.). The isolates used in this study were grown on three potato-dextrose-agar culture media, Czapek Dox and Malt-Agar. The highest amount of polyphenols was determined from the extract obtained by the microwave-assisted method (42.76 mg/g GAE), followed by the extract obtained by maceration (30.37 mg/g GAE). The lowest amount was obtained by the ultrasound-assisted method (15.06 mg/g GAE). However, the highest antioxidant activity was determined in the macerated extract, TEAC = 0.0523. The results of in vitro tests clearly indicated a high inhibitory percentage on the mycelium growth rate and, respectively, a significant decrease in spore germination power in Fusarium sp. (91.56%). However, for the pathogen Alternaria sp. further studies are needed to correctly validate the percentage of inhibition, as alcohol has been shown to have a negative effect on it.

Polymers involved as adsorbent materials during Eu(III) removal tests were prepared by functionalization of a natural polymer – cellulose, and a commercial one represented by Amberlite XAD7. As extractant, we used tetrabutil ammonium di-hydrogen phosphate (TBAH2P) which is a cheap and environmentally friendly product. Impregnated polymers using a rotavapor system in which the quaternary ammonium salt used as extractant was concentrated on to the used polymer. Later obtained materials were characterized by Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-Ray electron dispersion (EDX). During experimental test we determine pH, contact time, Eu(III) initial concentration and temperature effect on the functionalized polymers adsorption capacity. Therewith for both functionalized polymers, a comparison was made between the adsorption process characteristics based on kinetics and thermodynamic studies. Keywords: Europium, Cellulose, Amberlite XAD7, Adsorption, Adsorption isotherm

Metaphors and analogies are efficient and attractive tools used in science teaching to explain abstract ideas in simpler, familiar terms. Science textbook authors and teachers rely on metaphors and analogies to explain abstract scientific concepts and convey them to young learners. In this paper, we discuss a corpus of metaphorical expressions found in Romanian physics and chemistry textbooks for secondary education (grades 6-8), and classified based on target domains (i.e., the core scientific concepts presented in the unit lessons of the analyzed textbooks) and source domains (i.e., the more concrete, more familiar concepts used to explain scientific concepts from the analyzed textbooks). Furthermore, we explore the way in which the identified and annotated metaphors may provide the basis for understanding core concepts from physics (e.g., electricity in terms of ‘water flowing’) and chemistry (e.g., electron shells as ‘field track lanes’). This study is part of a larger research project which aims is to examine how metaphors and analogies used in Romanian science textbooks are understood and misunderstood by young learners and what (mis-) understanding complex scientific ideas might mean for pupils’ preparedness to make sense of the world we live in and, ultimately, for their future engagement with and interest in science.

Primary melanoma aggressiveness is determined by rapid selection and growth of cellular clones resistant to conventional treatments, resulting in metastasis and recurrence. In addition, a reprogrammed tumor-immune microenvironment supports melanoma progression and response to therapy. There is an urgent need to develop selective and specific drug delivery strategies for modulating the interaction between cancer cells and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment. This study proposes a novel combination therapy consisting of sequential administration of simvastatin incorporated in IL-13-functionalized long-circulating liposomes (IL-13-LCL-SIM) and doxorubicin encapsulated into PEG-coated extracellular vesicles (PEG-EV-DOX) to selectively target both tumor-associated macrophages and melanoma cells. To this end, IL-13 was conjugated to LCL-SIM which was obtained via the lipid film hydration method. EVs enriched from melanoma cells were passively loaded with doxorubicin. The cellular uptake of rhodamine-tagged nano-particles and the antiproliferative potential of the treatments by using the ELISA BrdU-colorimetric immunoassay were investigated in vitro. Subsequently, the therapeutic agents were administered i.v in B16.F10 melanoma-bearing mice, and tumor size was monitored during treatment. The molecular mechanisms of antitumor activity were investigated using angiogenic and inflammatory protein arrays and western blot analysis of invasion (HIF-1) and apoptosis markers (Bcl-xL and Bax). Quantification of oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde (MDA) was determined by HPLC. Immunohistochemical staining of angiogenic markers CD31 and VEGF and of pan-macrophage marker F4/80 was performed to validate our findings. The in vitro data showed that IL-13-functionalized LCL were preferentially taken up by tumor-associated macrophages and indicated that sequential administration of IL-13-LCL-SIM and PEG-EV-DOX had the strongest antiproliferative effect on tumor cells co-cultured with tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Accordingly, strong inhibition of tumor growth in the group treated with the sequential combination therapy was reported in vivo. Our data suggested that the antitumor action of the combined treatment was exerted through strong inhibition of several pro-angiogenic factors (VEGF, bFGF, and CD31) and oxidative stress-induced upregulation of pro-apoptotic protein Bax. This novel drug delivery strategy based on combined active targeting of both cancer cells and immune cells was able to induce a potent antitumor effect by disruption of the reciprocal interactions between TAMs and melanoma cells.

In this paper, we studied the scandium adsorption from aqueous solutions on the surface of low-temperature-activated alumina products (GDAH). The GDAH samples are industrially manufactured, coming from the Bayer production cycle of the Sierra Leone bauxite as aluminium hydroxide, and further, by drying, milling, classifying and thermally treating up to dehydroxilated alumina products at low temperature. All experiments related to hydroxide aluminium activation were conducted at temperature values of 260, 300 and 400 °C on samples having the following particle sizes:

This study aims to remove arsenic from an aqueous medium by adsorption on a nanocomposite material obtained by the sol–gel method starting from matrices of silica, iron oxide and NaF (SiO2/Fe(acac)3/NaF). Initially, the study focused on the synthesis and characterization of the material by physico–chemical methods such as: X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and magnetization. Textural properties were obtained using nitrogen adsorption/desorption measurements. The zero load point, pHpZc, was also determined by the method of bringing the studied system into equilibrium. In addition, this study also provides a comprehensive discussion of the mechanism of arsenic adsorption by conducting kinetic, thermodynamic and equilibrium studies. Studies have been performed to determine the effects of adsorbent dose, pH and initial concentration of arsenic solution, material/arsenic contact time and temperature on adsorption capacity and material efficiency. Three theoretical adsorption isotherms were used, namely Langmuir, Freundlich and Sips, to describe the experimental results. The Sips isotherm was found to best describe the experimental data obtained, the maximum adsorption capacity being ~575 µg As(III)/g. The adsorption process was best described by pseudo-second order kinetics. Studies have been performed at different pH values to establish not only the optimal pH at which the adsorption capacity is maximum, but also which is the predominantly adsorbed species. The effect of pH and desorption studies have shown that ion exchange and the physiosorption mechanism are implicated in the adsorption process. From a thermodynamic point of view, parameters such as ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS° were evaluated to establish the mechanism of the adsorption process. Desorption studies have been performed to determine the efficiency of the material and it has been shown that the material can be used successfully to treat a real-world example of deep water with a high arsenic content.

The macrophyte plants Lemnaceae are abundant in the tropical and subtropical regions but now present in the Danube Delta. The plant grows in water with high levels of N, P, and K, synthesizing protein at a remarkable rate. Used as food and feed in some regions it is currently attracting interest especially for its ability to metabolize and purify wastewater. Our culture technique of duckweed was standardized in water tanks and a series of analytical methods for determining the chemical parameters of waste water were optimized. Phenotypic biodiversity of the aquatic communities was analyzed using the Biolog Ecoplates system on a total of eight samples, concluding in a symbiosis between the plants and the microbial community that can be linked to Lemnaceae high wastewater purification abilities, that transforms the highly toxic environment into an environment conducive to the development of aerobic organisms.

Soybeans (Glycine max L. Merril) is the world’s most important seed legume and she is considered a basic food with a high nutritional value. The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of two types of chemical complex fertilizers (NPK 27:13.5:0 and NPK 16:16:16) with four levels of fertilization (unfertilized, 150 kg/ha, 200 kg/ha and 250 kg/ha) on the main soybean growing stages in 2019. Field experiments were conducted in the soil and climate conditions of the Agricultural Research and Development Station from Turda. The vegetation stages of the studied soybean genotypes were influenced by: atypical climatic conditions of this year and also the type of fertilizer and the fertilization dose. By analyzing the experimental data, it was noted that one genotype had longer growing season (Raluca TD variety: 135-140 days), and three genotypes had shortest growing season (Perla variety: 122-125 days; Carla TD variety: 121-123 days; T-295 line: 121-123 days).

The paper exposes the design, experimental development and testing of a hardware structure that integrates the two widely used concepts in air navigation, INS and GPS. Its detection components are an inertial module and a satellite positioning module, the data provided by them being fused with a microcontroller. The satellite positioning module is a UBLOX NEO-6M, while the inertial module, which is in fact an inertial measurement unit, includes three analogue miniaturized inertial sensors: two bi-axial analogue gyros, LPY510AL and LPR510AL, and a three-axial analogue accelerometer, MMA7361L. Since it was desired the development of the navigation application in Matlab-Simulink, to integrate the two modules it was chosen a dsPIC33EP512MU810 microcontroller, which is found in the MPLAB Device Blocks for Simulink library's microcontroller list. The first tests were performed in the laboratory conditions, with the system in various fixed positions, while the dynamic testing of the system was carried out by boarding it on a testing car, which played also the role of monitored vehicle. Simultaneously with the acquisition of experimental data, a real-time monitoring of the vehicle was made by placing its position on a map.

Two hydro-alcoholic extracts of Aronia melanocarpa berries were obtained by different extraction techniques: classical solvent extraction by maceration with solvent, under stirring, for 10 hours and ultrasonic assisted extraction at 20 kHz for 5 minutes, respectively. In both cases the ratio dried vegetal material: hydro-alcoholic solvent mixture (3:1, v: v) was 1: 10 (g: g). The resulting extracts were analysed to evaluate their antioxidant capacity. An important antioxidant activity expressed by the amount of total polyphenols content and antiradical power it was shown for both extracts. The method using ultrasounds was more efficient leading to extracts richer in polyphenols (5376.947 mg GAE/10. 0g D.W.) and with higher antiradical power meaning higher percentage of inhibition of DPPH and lower EC50. Using this powerful extract, the synthesis of some silver nanoparticles was performed, and the results were confirmed by molecular absorption spectrometry (MAS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The characteristic peak for green silver nanoparticles has been found, in the region 450 nm of the absorption spectrum. Therewith, SEM images showed spherical nanoparticles with dimensions between 18 -105 nm.

In actual context, when the terms of biomass and bioenergy are extensively used, it becomes clear that the comparative study of some biopolymers, such as cellulose and chitosan, can offer a large usage range, based on the scientific progress obtained in the biomaterials field. Starting from the structural similarity of these two polymers, we synthesized composite materials by grafting on their surface biocide substances (phosphonium salts). After testing the biocidal effect, we can conclude that the antibacterial effect depends on the ratio of support to phosphonium salt, influenced by the interaction between the cationic component of the biocides and by the anionic component of the bacterial cellular membrane. It was also observed that for the materials obtained by cellulose functionalization with tri-n-butyl-hexadecyl phosphonium bromide, the bacterial effect on E. coli strain was much better when chitosan was used as the support material.

The purpose of our study was to describe research attitudes of undergraduate social work students and to identify individual characteristics associated with positive research attitudes. Our data were collected in the spring semester of 2016 through an online survey at a midsize state university with 170 study participants. Research attitudes were measured with the Attitudes Toward Research Scale and the Kirk-Rosenblatt Research Inventory. We found that although respondents appreciated the value of research and its application to social work, negative emotions of anxiety and stress persisted. Older age, completion of prior research course work, prior research exposure, knowing what evidence-based practice means, and acceptance into the BSW program were associated with more positive attitudes toward research.