A Community-Based Sensor Network for Monitoring the Air Quality in Urban Romania

Air quality, especially particulate matter pollution levels in urban areas, is an essential academic and social topic due to its association with health issues and climate change. In Romania, increasing awareness of urban communities and the availability of low-cost sensors has led to the development of an independent monitoring network currently distributed in over 194 cities and towns. The uRADMonitor((R)) network consists of 630 sensors measuring PM10 and PM2.5 concentration levels. The spatial distribution of the sensors complements the national air quality network with sensors in residential areas, intense traffic zones, and industrial areas. The data are available through a user-friendly web-based platform from uRADMonitor((R)). Based on data collected in 2021, we present an analysis of PM10 pollution levels in Romania's five most populated urban areas by employing five annual statistical indicators recommended by the European Environmental Agency. For the case of Timis,oara, we also compare the data measured by independent sensors with those from the national monitoring network. The results highlight the usefulness of our community-based network as it complements the national one

A Pre-Landing Assessment of Regolith Properties at the InSight Landing Site

This article discusses relevant physical properties of the regolith at the Mars InSight landing site as understood prior to landing of the spacecraft. InSight will land in the northern lowland plains of Mars, close to the equator, where the regolith is estimated to be ≥3--5 m thick. These investigations of physical properties have relied on data collected from Mars orbital measurements, previously collected lander and rover data, results of studies of data and samples from Apollo lunar missions, laboratory measurements on regolith simulants, and theoretical studies. The investigations include changes in properties with depth and temperature. Mechanical properties investigated include density, grain-size distribution, cohesion, and angle of internal friction. Thermophysical properties include thermal inertia, surface emissivity and albedo, thermal conductivity and diffusivity, and specific heat. Regolith elastic properties not only include parameters that control seismic wave velocities in the immediate vicinity of the Insight lander but also coupling of the lander and other potential noise sources to the InSight broadband seismometer. The related properties include Poisson’s ratio, P- and S-wave velocities, Young’s modulus, and seismic attenuation. Finally, mass diffusivity was investigated to estimate gas movements in the regolith driven by atmospheric pressure changes. Physical properties presented here are all to some degree speculative. However, they form a basis for interpretation of the early data to be returned from the InSight mission.Additional co-authors: Nick Teanby and Sharon Keda

The effect of pre-incubation of Allium cepa L. roots in the ATH-rich extract on Pb uptake and localization

The positive influence of anthocyanin (ATH) on toxic metal-treated plant material is well documented; however, it is still not explained if it is caused by changes in element absorption and distribution. Therefore, detailed analysis of the effect of the ATH-rich extract from red cabbage leaves on Pb uptake and localization at morphological, anatomical and ultrastructural level was the goal of this study. Two-day-old adventitious roots of Allium cepa L. (cv. Polanowska) were treated for 2 h with the aqueous solution of Pb(NO3)2 at the concentration of 100 μM with or without preliminary incubation in the anthocyanin-rich extract from Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata rubra leaves (250 μM, 3 h). The red cabbage extract did not change the total Pb uptake but it enhanced the translocation of accumulated metal from roots to shoots. Within the pretreated roots, more Pb was deposited in their basal part and definitely smaller amount of the metal was bound in the apoplast of the outer layers of cortex cells. The ultrastructural analysis (transmission electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis) revealed that the ATH-rich extract lowered the number of Pb deposits in intracellular spaces, cell wall and cytoplasm of root meristematic cells as well as in such organelles important to cell metabolism as mitochondria, plastids and nucleus. The Pb deposits were preferably localised in those vacuoles where ATH also occurred. This sequestration of Pb in vacuoles is probably responsible for reduction of metal cytotoxicity and consequently could lead to better plant growth.This work was supported by the grant of the University of Lodz, no. 505/04038

Compression properties of novel thermoplastic carbon fibre and poly-ethylene terephthalate fibre composite lattice structures

A novel manufacturing route to efficiently produce fibre composite lattice structures has been developed. By using thermoplastic composite materials, flat sheets have been continuously folded, cut into a lattice shape and joined into a sandwich structure. Carbon fibre reinforced poly-ethylene terephthalate (CPET) and poly-ethylene terephthalate fibre reinforced poly-ethylene terephthalate (SrPET) materials have been used to explore two different core options; a carbon fibre option which gives high performance but low recyclability and a single polymer PET option which gives lower performance but full recyclability. Parametric numerical simulations have been used to investigate how the various manufacturing parameters affect the mechanical performance of the core. The carbon fibre composite cores have mechanical performance on-par or better than existing metallic and composite lattice cores presented in literature. Single polymer PET cores show better performance compared to high-end foam cores but have considerable lower performance than carbon fibre lattice cores

Factors influencing the quality of life perception in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Romulus Timar,1 Iulian Velea,2 Bogdan Timar,3 Diana Lungeanu,3 Cristian Oancea,4 Deiana Roman,5 Octavian Mazilu6 1Second Department of Internal Medicine, 2Department of Pediatrics, 3Department of Functional Sciences, 4Department of Infectious Diseases, 5Faculty of General Medicine, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6First Department of Surgery, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania Purpose: To evaluate the impact of several factors on the patient’s perception on quality of life in a group of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Patients and methods: In this cross-sectional study, 198 patients with T2DM were enrolled according to a consecutive-case population-based study design. In all participants, the perception on the quality of life was measured using the quality of life index – diabetes version III proposed by Ferrans and Powers. We evaluated the impact of several anthropometric and diabetes-related (ie, diabetes history and quality of glycemic control) factors on the patient’s perception on the quality of life.Results: The presence of diabetes complications was associated with a decreased quality of life: retinopathy (1 vs 5 points; P<0.001), chronic kidney disease (-1 vs 5 points; P<0.001), and neuropathy (-1 vs 5 points; P<0.001). A significant reverse correlation was found between the patient’s quality of life and depression’s severity (Spearman’s r=-0.345; P<0.001) and body mass index (Spearman’s r=-0.158; P=0.026). A positive association between the quality of life and the quality of diabetes-related self-care activities was found (Spearman’s r=0.338; P<0.001). No significant association was found between the patient’s quality of life and the quality of glycemic control, diabetes duration, age, gender, or smoking status.Conclusion: To improve the patient’s quality of life, special care should be given to the modifiable diabetes-related factors: the prevention and treatment of diabetes complications, treatment of depression, and weight loss in obese and overweight patients. Keywords: quality of life, type 2 diabetes, diabetes complications, diabetes-related self-care activitie

SIDROM KALLMANN

Sindromul Kallmann se caracterizează prin defi cit izolat de GnRH, asociat cu hipo/anosmie. La examenul clinic al pacienţilor cu sindrom Kallmann se decelează micropenis, criptorhidie, absenţa instalării pubertăţii, infertilitate. Se prezintă cazul unui adolescent în vârstă de 16 ani, afi rmativ cu anosmie şi hipogonadism (sesizat de aparţinători) încă de la vârsta de 2-3 ani. A fost evaluat în repetate rânduri în diferite servicii medicale, fără a se stabili un diagnostic de certitudine. Ulterior, pacientul se internează în Clinica II Pediatrie pentru investigaţii suplimentare şi precizare de diagnostic

UNIVERSITATEA DIN CRAIOVA UNIVERSITY OF CRAIOVA Seria: Biologie Horticultur Tehnologia prelucr rii produselor agricole Ingineria mediului Vol. XVII ( LIII ) -2012 MECHANISMS OF DROUGHT PERSISTENCE IN ROMANIA IN THE CLIMATE CHANGE PERSPECTIVE

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