ASPECTS REGARDING THE COUTRY RISK AND ITS RATING

Is Romania affected by the country risk? Country risk, especially the score given by the rating companies is meant to lead to economic growth or recession. Is it possible for only one grade to have that much impact upon the economy? The truth is that suchcountry risk, country rating, business environment rating

Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products in the SomeŞ River Basin, Romania

p>Abstract. The mass flows of selected pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) were studied in the aqueous compartment of the river Someş in Romania. PPCPs distribution was correlated with wastewater treatment plant effluents in the receiving river water. Carbamazepine, pentoxyfylline, ibuprofen, diazepam, galaxolide, tonalide and triclosan were determined in wastewater effluents with individual concentrations up to 800 ng/L. Caffeine was measured at concentrations up to 43 000 ng/L. Due to the high contamination of WWTP effluents, the receiving river was also polluted. The most abundant PPCPs measured in the Someş were caffeine, galaxolide, carbamazepine and triclosan, with concentrations ranging from 10 to 400 ng/L. The loads increased significantly after the confluence of the river Somesul Mic with the river Someşul Mare after Dej. The highest loads were observed for caffeine (800ndash;2400 g/d), galaxolide (410ndash;860 g/d), triclosan (200ndash;310 g/d) and carbamazepine (170ndash;240 g/d) suggesting the discharge of wastewater without proper treatment into the Someş. These results show that the upgrading of the WWTPs in the River Basin is of high importance to reduce the effluent load of contaminants into the Someş. This study is a first overview of PPCPs along the Romanian stretch of the Someş River./p

High impact exercise improves bone microstructure and strength in growing rats

Physical activity is beneficial for skeletal development. However, impact sports during adolescence, leading to bone growth retardation and/or bone quality improvement, remains unexplained. This study investigated the effects of in vivo low (LI), medium (MI), and high (HI) impact loadings applied during puberty on bone growth, morphometry and biomechanics using a rat model. 4-week old rats (n = 30) were divided into control, sham, LI, MI, and HI groups. The impact was applied on the right tibiae, 5 days/week for 8 weeks mimicking walking (450 microepsilon), uphill running (850 microepsilon) and jumping (1250 microepsilon) conditions. Trabecular and cortical parameters were determined by micro-CT, bone growth rate by calcein labeling and toluidine blue staining followed by histomorphometry. Bio-mechanical properties were evaluated from bending tests. HI group reduced rat body weight and food consumption compared to shams. Bone growth rate also decreased in MI and HI groups despite developing thicker hypertrophic and proliferative zone heights. HI group showed significant increment in bone mineral density, trabecular thickness, cortical and total surface area. Ultimate load and stiffness were also increased in MI and HI groups. We conclude that impact loading during adolescence reduces bone growth moderately but improves bone quality and biomechanics at the end of the growing period

PHYSICAL EFFORT CAPACITY AND GLYCEMIC CONTROL IN TYPE 1 DIABETES PACIENTS

Introduction. Physical activity may be considered as an efficient and relatively inexpensive non-pharmacological tool for diabetes treatment, added to the usual insulin administration. Objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility to improve physical effort capacity in type 1 diabetes patients, maintaining an adequate glycemic control. Materials and methods. The subjects included in this study were three patients (two men and one woman), aged 19-22, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The study was conducted at a fitness studio in Cluj-Napoca for a period of 6 weeks with a frequency of 3 sessions per week, 60 minutes each session. Aerobic exercise capacity was assessed before the physical exercises program (CAEi) began and at the end of the program (CAEf). The arithmetic mean of subjects' glycemic counts recorded each day for each of the four moments of glycemic control was calculated: morning, noon, evening and bedtime (the week before the physical exercises program, after 3 weeks, after 6 weeks and the week after the physical exercises program was completed). Results. In our study, with regular physical exercise, we managed to increase aerobic exercise capacity by maintaining satisfactory glycemic control in patients with type 1 diabetes. Conclusions. The aerobic exercise capacity has increased in patients with type 1 diabetes who have undergone a regular exercise program. Glycemic control can be maintained at an appropriate level during a regular exercise program in patients with type 1 diabetes. REZUMAT. Capacitatea de efort fizic și controlul glicemic la pacienții cu diabet de tip 1. Introducere. Activitatea fizică poate constitui o metodă non-farmacologică eficientă și necostisitoare pentru tratamentul pacienților cu diabet de tip 1, concomitent cu administrarea de insulină. Obiective. In acest studiu am investigat dacă putem crește capacitatea de efort fizic la pacienții cu diabet de tip 1, menținând, în același timp, un control glicemic adecvat. Materiale și metode. În studiu au fost incluși trei pacienți cu diabet de tip 1, (doi bărbați și o femeie), cu vârste cuprinse între 19-22 de ani. Programul de exerciții fizice s-a desfășurat într-o sală de fitness din Cluj-Napoca, pe parcursul a 6 săptămâni, de 3 ori pe săptămână, 60 de minute fiecare ședință. Capacitatea aerobă de efort fizic a fost evaluată înainte și după cele 6 săptămâni de exerciții fizice. S-au măsurat glicemiile pe tot parcursul studiului, in fiecare zi, dimineața, la amiază, seara și înainte de culcare. S-au calculat mediile glicemiilor pentru fiecare moment al zilei, pentru săptămâna de dinainte de începerea programului de exerciții fizice, după trei săptămâni, după 6 săptămâni și în săptămâna de după terminarea programului de exerciții fizice. Rezultate. Rezultatele studiului arată că s-a reușit creșterea capacității de efort fizic aerob la toți pacienții incluși în studiu, menținând, în același timp, un control glicemic adecvat. Concluzii. Capacitate de efort fizic aerob a crescut la pacienții cu diabet de tip 1 care au urmat un program regulat de exerciții fizice. Controlul glicemic a fost menținut la un nivel adecvat pe tot parcursul programului de exerciții fizice, la pacienții cu diabet de tip 1. Cuvinte cheie: activitate fizică, capacitate de efort fizic, control glicemic, diabet de tip 1

Anabolic and catabolic responses of human articular chondrocytes to varying oxygen percentages

Oxygen is a critical parameter proposed to modulate the functions of chondrocytes ex-vivo as well as in damaged joints. This article investigates the effect of low (more physiological) oxygen percentage on the biosynthetic and catabolic activity of human articular chondrocytes (HAC) at different phases of in vitro culture

Wear protection without surface modification using a synergistic mixture of molecular brushes and linear polymers

We describe the design of lubricating and wear protecting fluids based on mixtures of bottlebrushes (BB) and linear polymers solutions. To illustrate this concept we used hyaluronic acid (HA) - a naturally occurring linear polyelectrolyte, and a water soluble synthetic BB polymer. Individually, these two polymers exhibit poor wear protecting capabilities compared to saline solutions. Mixture of the two polymers in pure water or in saline allows to drastically increase wear protection of surfaces over a wide range of shearing conditions. We demonstrate that this synergy between the BB and HA polymers emerges from a strong cohesion between the two components forming the boundary film due to entanglements between both polymers. We show that this concept can be applied to other types of linear polymers and surfaces and is independent of the chemical and mechanical properties of the surfaces

Endothelin-1 in osteoarthritic chondrocytes triggers nitric oxide production and upregulates collagenase production

The mechanism of endothelin-1 (ET-1)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production, MMP-1 production and MMP-13 production was investigated in human osteoarthritis chondrocytes. The cells were isolated from human articular cartilage obtained at surgery and were cultured in the absence or presence of ET-1 with or without inhibitors of protein kinase or LY83583 (an inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase and of cGMP). MMP-1, MMP-13 and NO levels were then measured by ELISA and Griess reaction, respectively. Additionally, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and phosphorylated forms of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, p44/42, stress-activated protein kinase/Jun-N-terminal kinase and serine-threonine Akt kinase were determined by western blot. Results show that ET-1 greatly increased MMP-1 and MMP-13 production, iNOS expression and NO release. LY83583 decreased the production of both metalloproteases below basal levels, whereas the inhibitor of p38 kinase, SB202190, suppressed ET-1-stimulated production only. Similarly, the ET-1-induced NO production was partially suppressed by the p38 kinase inhibitor and was completely suppressed by the protein kinase A kinase inhibitor KT5720 and by LY83583, suggesting the involvement of these enzymes in relevant ET-1 signalling pathways. In human osteoarthritis chondrocytes, ET-1 controls the production of MMP-1 and MMP-13. ET-1 also induces NO release via iNOS induction. ET-1 and NO should thus become important target molecules for future therapies aimed at stopping cartilage destruction