Bioethanol Production from Vineyard Waste by Autohydrolysis Pretreatment and Chlorite Delignification via Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation.

In this paper, the production of a second-generation bioethanol from lignocellulosic vineyard cutting wastes was investigated in order to define the optimal operating conditions of the autohydrolysis pretreatment, chlorite delignification and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). The autohydrolysis of vine-shoot wastes resulted in liquors containing mainly a mixture of monosaccharides, degradation products and spent solids (rich in cellulose and lignin), with potential utility in obtaining valuable chemicals and bioethanol. The autohydrolysis of the vine-shoot wastes was carried out at 165 and 180 °C for 10 min residence time, and the resulted solid and liquid phases composition were analysed. The resulted liquid fraction contained hemicellulosic sugars as a mixture of alpha (α) and beta (ß) sugar anomers, and secondary by-products. The solid fraction was delignified using the sodium chlorite method for the separation of lignin and easier access of enzymes to the cellulosic sugars, and then, converted to ethanol by the SSF process. The maximum bioethanol production (6%) was obtained by autohydrolysis (165 °C), chlorite delignification and SSF process at 37 °C, 10% solid loading, 72 h. The principal component analysis was used to identify the main parameters that influence the chemical compositions of vine-shoot waste for different varieties.

E-cadherin-160 C/A genotypes and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

PURPOSE: E-cadherin is a transmembrane glycoprotein with important roles in the maintenance of cervical squamous epithelium integrity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between E-cadherin-160 C/A polymorphism and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). METHODS: A case-control study was performed enrolling 70 CIN cases and 107 age-matched healthy controls. Each patient was examined colposcopically, having a cervical specimen. All patients and controls have been genotyped for E-cadherin-160. Data were analysed using odds ratios (OR) and chi-square test at a significance level of p<0.005. RESULTS: The presence of E-cadherin-160 C/A was significantly associated with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) (OR=2.7916, 95% CI 1.1495,6.9345, x2=6.33, p=0.0118) and carcinoma in situ (CIS) (OR=2.5617, 95% CI 1.1676,5.6705, x2=6.63, p=0.0100). The detection of either CA or AA genotype was also significantly associated with HSIL and CIS. CONCLUSION: E-cadherin-160 genotype represents a valid risk factor for HSIL and CIS.

Circular Economy in Mountain Value Chains: The Case of Three PDO Cheeses.

The circular economy (CE) has shown promise for achieving several of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, replacing the linear system and reducing negative impacts on the environment. This research aims to assess the effective adoption of CE principles in three cheeses with geographical indication (GI) through an analysis of the practices identified in their respective value chains. Qualitative interviews show the persistence of historical practices that preserve the heritage behind the product, maintain autonomy in relation to external inputs and save energy or make intelligent use of by-products. Radical adoption of CE principles requires innovation to reduce the use of new inputs and greenhouse gas emissions. GI food products are generally not constrained by standards beyond those set by law, but their specifications can be modified, while respecting practices consistent with the link to the terroir. However, the remoteness of small businesses in deep rural areas, far from research centers, is slowing down the transfer of knowledge and the adoption of the latest technologies, particularly in mountainous areas. More participatory research and innovative initiatives are needed to ensure the transition to a circular economy for traditional mountain products, which are strongly linked to local culinary traditions and cultural identity.

Factors Affecting Food Consumers' Behavior during COVID-19 in Romania.

Crisis periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic may reshape consumers' behavior and challenge all food chain actors on how to assure and better respond to consumers' needs and wants. This study aimed to reveal the main concerns of consumers related to food consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify factors that may influence their behavior. An online survey was performed among 859 Romanian consumers. The Principal Component Analysis revealed five factors: ecofriendly, socio-economic aspects, food waste, plant-based food, and easily accessible food, which affected consumers' food behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was noticed that females tended to be more preoccupied with the socio-economic aspects and food waste components, compared to males. At the same time, older people were more concerned about the ecofriendly, socio-economic aspects and health concerns, compared with the younger group, the differences being statistically significant. These insights provide information on crucial aspects that shape consumers' behavior during crisis periods.

Food Consumption Patterns in Romania during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Food consumption behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic has changed worldwide as a consequence of the restrictions imposed by law and/or due to the fear of contamination. Although some similarities are found among countries, there are still many particularities for each nation. The present study focused on Romanian consumers and their consumption behavior related to four main food categories: fruits and vegetables, meat and meat products, bread and bakery products, and milk and milk products. Frequency of buying, shopping habits, place of purchase, and concerns related to the place of purchasing food products during the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed in comparison with the pre-COVID-19 period using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics regarding an online survey. Three types of behavior were identified as being related to the frequency of buying and to organizing a shopping list (less often, no change, more often). Two groups of consumers were identified as being related to the place of purchasing food: people with the same habits and people with new habits. Concerns related to the location of the stores and to the choice of buying directly from producers were also investigated using the ordered logistic regression. The empirical study revealed the new consumption patterns with a reflection on future trends.

Assessing the Importance of Health in Choosing a Restaurant: An Empirical Study from Romania.

In the context of a spectacular growth of the Romanian restaurant market, it has become a necessity for managers to analyze the decision-making process related to restaurant selection toward obtaining a competitive advantage, which can be achieved through better segmentation and adequate targeting. The main objectives involved the identification of the main factors that influence restaurant selection by evaluating the role that health concerns play in this process and identifying consumers' restaurant profiles. A survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews as the contact method, in order to identify the main factors considered important for consumers in the city of Cluj-Napoca in the decision-making process related to restaurant selection. Principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted to group the attributes. The non-hierarchical cluster analysis through the use of the k-means method was used to define different groups within the sample and identify common features. Results suggest that the analyzed restaurant market is dominated by three segments of consumers, of which the largest is represented by "health seekers": a group of young women with medium and low incomes. As such, the possibility of consuming healthy meals within a restaurant is the most important factor for them during the decision-making process for restaurant selection. The present study has important managerial implications. Restaurant managers should admit that this process represents the starting point in designing restaurant concepts, as this type of information is fundamental for management decisions. On the other hand, the study offers important information regarding consumer perception of food, which has recently changed significantly, especially in the segment of young consumers to whom health is very important.

VEGF +936 C/T Genetic Polymorphism in Patients with Cervical Dysplasia.

Aim. The present study aims to analyze the potential role of VEGF +936 C/T polymorphism in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Material and Method. One hundred and eighty-six patients were included in the study: 75 cases (patients diagnosed with CIN) and 111 controls (negative for both HPV testing and cytology). For each patient a single visit was scheduled when colposcopy was performed. From cervical specimen, cytology and HPV testing were performed and from peripheral blood VEGF +936 genotyping was determined. For statistical analysis purposes OR and chi-square were used at a level of significance of <0.05. Results. No link has been found in the detection of CT genotype in cases versus controls, OR = 0.8295, [0.42, 1.62]. An inverse correlation has been found between T allele and HSIL, OR = 0.2121, [0.0473, 0.9517], p = 0.0866. Conclusion. No link has been found between VEGF +936 C/T and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

Treatment effects model for assessing disease management: measuring outcomes and strengthening program management.

This paper describes an analytical methodology for obtaining statistically unbiased outcomes estimates for programs in which participation decisions may be correlated with variables that impact outcomes. This methodology is particularly useful for intraorganizational program evaluations conducted for business purposes. In this situation, data is likely to be available for a population of managed care members who are eligible to participate in a disease management (DM) program, with some electing to participate while others eschew the opportunity. The most pragmatic analytical strategy for in-house evaluation of such programs is likely to be the pre-intervention/post-intervention design in which the control group consists of people who were invited to participate in the DM program, but declined the invitation. Regression estimates of program impacts may be statistically biased if factors that impact participation decisions are correlated with outcomes measures. This paper describes an econometric procedure, the Treatment Effects model, developed to produce statistically unbiased estimates of program impacts in this type of situation. Two equations are estimated to (a) estimate the impacts of patient characteristics on decisions to participate in the program, and then (b) use this information to produce a statistically unbiased estimate of the impact of program participation on outcomes. This methodology is well-established in economics and econometrics, but has not been widely applied in the DM outcomes measurement literature; hence, this paper focuses on one illustrative application.

Evaluation of restricted antibiotic use in a hospital in Romania.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotics are the most frequently used drugs among hospitalised patients. Antimicrobial resistance is a major health issue and therefore antibiotic consumption should be under strict surveillance. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of restricted antibiotics in an academic hospital in Romania. METHODS: Retrospective evaluation of the use of 11 restricted antibiotics issued based on the antibiotics formularies for the year 2012. Therapeutic guidelines and the summary of product characteristics were used for the evaluation. The appropriateness antibiotics use was verified, according to three main criteria: appropriate indication (type of treatment, localization and type of infection), dose and duration of treatment. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression analysis were performed. Results 664 prescribing formularies were analyzed, of these 319 were from the intensive care unit (48.04 %). The most prescribed antibiotics were vancomycin (171, 25.75 %), imipenem (151, 22.74 %) and meropenem (116, 17.47 %). Overall, 285 prescriptions (42.92 %) were considered inappropriate. Vancomycin, meropenem and imipenem were prescribed inappropriate in 49.71, 46.55 and 44.06 % of such cases. Of the total 285 prescriptions deemed as inappropriate, for 49.82 % the dose was incorrect, 20 % were inadequate in terms of treatment duration and 15.44 % were wrongly indicated. Inappropriate use was significantly higher among empirical prescriptions than the documented ones (69.75 vs. 30.25 %, p < 0.001). Multiple stepwise logistic regression identified that the duration of the treatment was significant for inappropriate antibiotic use (p < 0.05). The risk of inappropriate use in the case of empirical prescriptions is higher than for documented prescriptions (OR 5.78, p < 0.001, CI 3.65-9.15). CONCLUSIONS: the results suggest the need to intensify the control of the use of restricted antibiotics. The implementation of drug formularies in hospitals and the involvement of the clinical pharmacist may ensure rational antibiotic therapy.