In memoriam

Obituaries of Prof. Radu Corneliu and Prof. Mariana Sinca

Is Bucharest Stock Exchange under the Influence of the Five Traded Financial Investment Companies?

Cilj ovoga rada je odrediti je li djelovanje burze u Bukureštu pod utjecajem pet financijskih investicijskih tvrtki (naziv im je ‘Societati de Investitii Financiare’ ili SIF-ovi) čijim se dionicama na ovoj burzi trguje. Te su tvrtke uvedene u kotaciju burze u Bukureštu u studenom 1999. godine, a od studenoga 2000. imaju I svoj indeks, BET-Fi. Izravna promatranja u razdoblju kotacije spomenutih tvrtki ukazuju na to da bi transakcije u financijskim investicijskim tvrtkama mogle imati značajan utjecaj na rumunjsko tržište kapitala, odnosno, njegove aktivnosti. U radu se analiziraju različite serije podataka pomoću regresijske analize, te Grangerov test kauzalnosti kako bi se potvrdila ili odbacila hipoteza formulirana u naslovu.The present paper will try to determine if Bucharest Stock Exchange activity is under the influence of the five traded Financial Investment Companies (called also ‘Societati de Investitii Financiare’ or SIFs). The Financial Investment Companies were introduced at Bucharest Stock Exchange listing in November 1999 and since November 2000 they have a dedicated index, BET-Fi. The direct observations made over the listing period of above mentioned companies suggested the idea that the transactions in Financial Investment Companies might have an important impact on Romanian capital market activity. Inside the current paper, authors will analyze different series of data using regression analysis and Granger-causality tests in order to confirm or reject the hypothesis formulated in the title

Lunar Rickshaw – A non-Motorized Vehicle Designed for Exploration and Rescue Missions on the Moon’s South Pole

We have designed a simple, lightweight vehicle concept—a Lunar Rickshaw (LR)—engineered to rapidly and safely transport an incapacitated astronaut from a remote location to the Lunar Module (LM). In addition to its primary function for emergency evacuation, the Lunar Rickshaw can also serve as a mobile platform for carrying essential tools during extravehicular activities (EVAs). Key features include a rapid fold/unfold mechanism for quick deployment and stowage, a lightweight design that ensures ease of handling even in bulky spacesuits, and robust encapsulation to prevent lunar dust from affecting moving parts. Additionally, the design incorporates redundant fixing components so that if one fails, another seamlessly assumes the load, ensuring continuous, reliable operation in the harsh lunar environment. Another key aspect of the design is its widened wheel track, which enhances safety, balance, and stability during operation. Additionally, the pulling shaft is initially stored in a folded position for compact stowage. When deployed, it is unfolded and securely locked to the frame using a Lock-and-Walk Mechanism (LWM), ensuring structural rigidity, integrity, and efficient load distribution

Magnetic resonance used as a differential diagnostic tool between inflammatory cancer of the sigmoid and acute sigmoid diverticulitis

Sigmoid diverticulitis is a common disease characterized by a well-standardized diagnostic approach and treatment. Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy worldwide, irrespective of gender. In 2020, CRC global-related mortality rate was estimated at 935 173 cases, with an incidence of 9.3% in men and 9.5% in women. The diagnosis of acute diverticulitis is always made by performing a contrast-enhanced-computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen. Current diagnosis guidelines do not recommend the use of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for further and more precise assessment of a suspected sigmoid diverticulitis diagnosed by CT. Early lower-gastrointestinal (lower-GI) endoscopy is rarely conducted; thus, the diagnosis delay could have a negative impact over the oncological outcome of the disease. Few and scarce data can be found related to this issue, with only a recent Swedish study paying attention towards early identification of neoplastic disease residing on a background of sigmoid diverticulitis, facilitated by MRI. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of systematically performing an abdominal MRI included in the primary assessment of acute diverticulitis already diagnosed by CT, in order to argument in favor of an early lower-GI endoscopy where a positive MRI for neoplasia is found

High potential for CH4 emission mitigation from oil infrastructure in one of EU's major production regions

Ambitious methane (CH4) emission mitigation represents one of the most effective opportunities to slow the rate of global warming over the next decades. The oil and gas (O&G) sector is a significant source of methane emissions, with technically feasible and cost-effective emission mitigation options. Romania, a key O&G producer within the EU, with the second highest reported annual CH4 emissions from the energy sector in the year 2020 (Greenhouse Gas Inventory Data - Comparison by Category, 2022), can play an important role towards the EU's emission reduction targets. In this study, we quantify CH4 emissions from onshore oil production sites in Romania at source and facility level using a combination of ground- and drone-based measurement techniques. Measured emissions were characterized by heavily skewed distributions, with 10% of the sites accounting for more than 70% of total emissions. Integrating the results from all site-level quantifications with different approaches, we derive a central estimate of 5.4 kg h-1 per site of CH4 (3.6 %-8.4 %, 95% confidence interval) for oil production sites. This estimate represents the third highest when compared to measurementbased estimates of similar facilities from other production regions. Based on our results, we estimate a total of 120 kt CH4 yr-1 (range: 79-180 kt yr-1) from oil production sites in our studied areas in Romania. This is approximately 2.5 times higher than the reported emissions from the entire Romanian oil production sector for 2020. Based on the source-level characterization, up to three-quarters of the detected emissions from oil production sites are related to operational venting. Our results suggest that O&G production infrastructure in Romania holds a massive mitigation potential, specifically by implementing measures to capture the gas and minimize operational venting and leaks