Massive gravity from descent equations

Both massless and massive gravity are derived from descent equations (Wess-Zumino consistency conditions). The massive theory is a continuous deformation of the massless one.Comment: 8 pages, no figur

The Interaction of Quantum Gravity with Matter

The interaction of (linearized) gravitation with matter is studied in the causal approach up to the second order of perturbation theory. We consider the generic case and prove that gravitation is universal in the sense that the existence of the interaction with gravitation does not put new constraints on the Lagrangian for lower spin fields. We use the formalism of quantum off-shell fields which makes our computation more straightforward and simpler.Comment: 25 page

Effects of assisted animal therapy on the development of socio-emotional abilities of children with autism

We focused in this research on the effects of animal-assisted therapy on improving the socio-emotional skills development of children with autism. To achieve the research were used: case study (main method), interview-based survey, document analysis, and observation method. The tools used are the interview guides for therapists and for parents and observation grids for children with autism. The results of the study confirm the efficacy of animal-assisted therapy in improving the development of socio-emotional abilities of children with autism

PRODUCTION STATUS OF BIOMASS PELLETS – REVIEW

The use of biomass has become extremely important for the production of clean energy from renewable sources. This is due to the continuously increased need for energy, to the possible depletion of conventional fossil fuels in the near future, and also to the regulations of European Union on the need to reduce significantly the emissions of greenhouse gases. This paper presents a synthesis on the raw materials used for pellets production, some of the important characteristics of pellets (density, ash content and heating power), and also data on the status of pellets production and consumption in different countries. Latest reported data show that the European Union is the biggest wood pellets producer globally, with a production of 13.5 million tonnes in 2014. Romania’s pellets production in 2014 was of 740000 tonnes, and estimations are that in 2020 it will exceed 1.2 million tonnes

Proline and glycine betaine accumulation in two succulent halophytes under natural and experimental conditions

[EN] Proline (Pro) and glycine betaine (GB) contents were determined in two Mediterranean halophytes, Plantago crassifolia and Inula crithmoides, to assess their possible role in salt tolerance of both taxa. Plant material was collected in a littoral salt marsh under different environmental conditions, and from plants subjected to salt treatments in a growth chamber. Relative growth inhibition by NaCl indicated that I. crithmoides is more salt-tolerant than P. crassifolia, in agreement with the distribution of the two species in nature. Field and laboratory data confirmed GB as the major osmolyte responsible for osmotic adjustment in I. crithmoides, but with only a minor role if any as osmoprotectant in the salt tolerance of P. crassifolia. Under natural conditions, Pro contents were very low in both taxa, but increased to levels high enough to contribute significantly to osmotic balance when plants were artificially treated with 450 600mM NaCl higher salt concentrations than those they would normally encounter in their natural habitats. These data suggest that halophytes possess built-in mechanisms, such as accumulation of additional osmolytes, to rapidly adapt to increasing salinity levels in their natural ecosystems; for example, those expected to be caused by climate change in salt marshes in the Mediterranean region.This work was funded by a grant to O.V. from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Project CGL2008-00438/BOS), with contribution from the European Regional Development Fund. COST Action FA0901: "Putting Halophytes to work - From Genes to Ecosystems" supported M. N. Grigore for his stay in Valencia within the frame of a Short-Term Scientific Mission. A. Tifrea was funded by the Erasmus fellowship programme for her stay in Valencia to carry out her Master Thesis.Pardo-Domenech, L.; Tifrea, A.; Grigore, M.; Boscaiu, M.; Vicente, O. (2016). Proline and glycine betaine accumulation in two succulent halophytes under natural and experimental conditions. Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology. 150(5):904-915. https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2014.990943S904915150

Massive Vector Mesons and Gauge Theory

We show that the requirements of renormalizability and physical consistency imposed on perturbative interactions of massive vector mesons fix the theory essentially uniquely. In particular physical consistency demands the presence of at least one additional physical degree of freedom which was not part of the originally required physical particle content. In its simplest realization (probably the only one) these are scalar fields as envisaged by Higgs but in the present formulation without the ``symmetry-breaking Higgs condensate''. The final result agrees precisely with the usual quantization of a classical gauge theory by means of the Higgs mechanism. Our method proves an old conjecture of Cornwall, Levin and Tiktopoulos stating that the renormalization and consistency requirements of spin=1 particles lead to the gauge theory structure (i.e. a kind of inverse of 't Hooft's famous renormalizability proof in quantized gauge theories) which was based on the on-shell unitarity of the $S$-matrix. We also speculate on a possible future ghostfree formulation which avoids ''field coordinates'' altogether and is expected to reconcile the on-shell S-matrix point of view with the off-shell field theory structure.Comment: 53 pages, version to appear in J. Phys.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH AGRO-TOURISM FOR THE CONSOLIDATION OF AGRICULTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Designed as a necessary association between people and nature, as a new way of development that can support the human progress in time, sustainable development can be seen as a harmonization of interests between present and future generations.Therefore, in order to respond to present needs without compromising the capacity of future generations to meet their own needs, sustainable development planning must be understood as a process unfolding at three different levels: economical - by increasing the exploration and the exploitation of resources, environmental - by avoiding environmental degradation, and social - through jobs growth, traditional crafts, agro-tourism and by strengthening the cultural identity of local communities.These levels are closely linked with the different problems agriculture and environmental are facing; so, in order to have aproper development/performance, a soundmanagement and suitable solutions, we need a national legislative framework that is harmonized with international rules; this condition must be regarded as the first/prerequisite step to be takenfor a sustainable development in the future

DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL FOLIAR FERTILIZER WITH ZINC

Zinc deficiency, resulted from various stress factors, limits agricultural production worldwide. Therefore, research into developing sustainable methods to alleviate this type of deficiency should be a priority. This study presents the development of a new foliar fertlizer, focusing on its formulation, characterization, and testing. The fertilizer formula associates a classic NPK and micronutrients (Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn) matrix with organic substances having bio-stimulating effect: humic acids and algae extracts. The composition of the experimental fertilizer (8.2% N, 3.9% P, 3.6% K, 0.8% Zn) is formulated to prevent and correct imbalances in plant mineral nutrition, especially those caused by zinc deficiency. A set of field trials were conducted in order to assess the effect of the fertilizer on grapevine (cv Chasslas dore) and maize (DKC 4590). Experimental data indicated that application of the foliar fertilizer had signifficant contribution to the improvment of yield, leaf nutrient and chlorophyll content, and crop quality parameters

RESEARCHES REGARDING THE OBTAINING OF JUICE FROM SUGAR SORGHUM STALK

Sugar sorghum is a technical plant with high energy value due to the high productivity obtained per hectare. By pressing of sugar sorghum strains it can be obtained a juice that can be further used in various forms: alcohol, ethanol, etc