PRIVATE EQUITY - CHALLENGE OR A CHANCE?

The purpose of this study is to present the advantages and the opportunities of the private equity funds impact on the Romanian economy, and also identifies the economic disadvantages that can derive from applied strategies. For this reason we can consider private equity as a challenge and a chance at the same time, because beginning with choosing the investment domain, sector, company and the investment strategies the private equity funds can drive to performance for the investee companies, and implicit can have an important impact on the business environment and not in the least to the entire economy.private equity, involvement, economic and social implications, investment cycle, divestment

Androgenic alopecia; the risk–benefit ratio of Finasteride

Finasteride is currently approved and largely used as a therapeutic option for androgenetic alopecia. Apparently a safe drug and effective at the onset of its application, several concerns have since appeared over the years regarding the frequency and magnitude of finasteride adverse effects, which in some cases appear irreversible even after drug termination. This paper discusses the use of finasteride for androgenic alopecia from two distinct perspectives. On the one hand, androgenic alopecia is a condition that especially affects a person’s self-image and esteem, aspects that are subjectively-constructed and thus relative and changeable. On the other hand, this condition involves a multifactorial etiology, with androgens being only partly responsible. Because androgens have important and unique physiological roles within the body, any procedure that results in androgenic suppression should be advised with caution. Furthermore, adverse effects induced by finasteride are neither fully documented nor easily treated. Finally, as alternative therapeutic approaches (such as topical finasteride) become available, the oral administration of finasteride for androgenic alopecia should, in our opinion, be reevaluated. Due to such concerns, a detailed and informed discussion should take place with patients considering therapy with finasteride for androgenic alopecia

Meat Product Reformulation: Nutritional Benefits and Effects on Human Health

This chapter aims to present the current state of the art in the field of meat product reformulation with respect to issues concerning the nutritional improvement and overall health benefits of such products. Our research team has recently finalised a national research project concerning this topic, and we feel that other food scientists could benefit from the theoretical and practical knowledge gathered during this time. The chapter will be divided into four subchapters. The first subsection will present the main targets of meat reformulation, such as lipid or protein profile modification, the use of bioactive compounds as additives, etc. The second subsection will discuss the bioavailability and bioaccessibility of carotenoids, phenolic compounds and other bioactive compounds, presenting these parameters from a nutraceutical perspective. The last subsections will include reported consumer attitudes. In this work, we will present data that could aid scientists in the field of food science to better grasp notions concerning consumer benefit, such as bioavailability, not only of a specific bioactive compound but also as part of a complex food matrix

Aspects of Risk Factors in Two Digital Art Festivals

The present study aims to highlight some risk factors in staging two digital art festivals, from the perspective of the organizers and of the audience. We corroborated the results of two questionnaires that were used following the 2018 editions of the Electro Arts Festival, centred on organizing artistic events resulted from the alignment of technology with visual images, music and dance, and Clujotronic, which included experimental and interdisciplinary installations projects with electronic music, visual art and independent digital games. Statistical correlations were found in the different types of risks and their triggering factors; the results indicated the interdependence between the two perspectives in assessing the events in question

Androgenic alopecia; the risk–benefit ratio of Finasteride

Finasteride is currently approved and largely used as a therapeutic option for androgenetic alopecia. Apparently a safe drug and effective at the onset of its application, several concerns have since appeared over the years regarding the frequency and magnitude of finasteride adverse effects, which in some cases appear irreversible even after drug termination. This paper discusses the use of finasteride for androgenic alopecia from two distinct perspectives. On the one hand, androgenic alopecia is a condition that especially affects a person’s self-image and esteem, aspects that are subjectively-constructed and thus relative and changeable. On the other hand, this condition involves a multifactorial etiology, with androgens being only partly responsible. Because androgens have important and unique physiological roles within the body, any procedure that results in androgenic suppression should be advised with caution. Furthermore, adverse effects induced by finasteride are neither fully documented nor easily treated. Finally, as alternative therapeutic approaches (such as topical finasteride) become available, the oral administration of finasteride for androgenic alopecia should, in our opinion, be reevaluated. Due to such concerns, a detailed and informed discussion should take place with patients considering therapy with finasteride for androgenic alopecia

The Effect of Clay Type on the Physicochemical Properties of New Hydrogel Clay Nanocomposites

This study focuses on the investigation of clay type effect on the final properties of semi-interpenetrated Salecan/poly(methacrylic acid)/clay hydrogel nanocomposites. Previous studies have indicated that the presence of clay in polymer composites leads to better swelling capacity and mechanical properties as functions of clay type. On the other hand, Salecan, which is a water soluble extracellular polysaccharide, was proved to assure greater flexibility to hydrogels. These properties recommend clay and Salecan for semi-interpenetrated hydrogels preparation with specific application in biomedicine. The purpose was to determine the most suitable type of clay as well as Salecan influence for developing the desired water retention/delivery ability and mechanically enhanced semi-interpenetrating polymer network (SIPN) nanocomposites. For our investigations, we have chosen commercially available montmorillonite (ClNa) and different commercial organomodified clay (Cl30B, Cl20A and Cl15A). Several analyses results (FTIR, TGA, DMA, XRD, microscopy and swelling studies) demonstrated that not only the presence of Salecan but also the clay type influenced the structure and properties of the final nanocomposites

Addition of eptifibatide and manual thrombus aspiration to ticagrelor does not improve long-term survival after STEMI treated with primary PCI

Background: Current guidelines recommend that glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor (GPI) and manual aspiration thrombectomy should not be routinely used in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI), although there is a lack of dedicated studies. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of combined usage of a potent P2Y12 inhibitor, GPI, and manual aspiration thrombectomy on long-term survival after STEMI.Methods: All STEMI patients treated by pPCI in a tertiary center who have been included prospectively in the local PCI registry between January 2016 and December 2022 were analyzed in this study. Patients were excluded if they required oral anticoagulation or bridging between clopidogrel or ticagrelor during hospitalization.Results: A total of 1,210 patients were included in the present study, with a median follow-up of 2.78 (1.00–4.88) years. Ticagrelor significantly reduced all-cause and cardiovascular-cause mortality [HR = 0.27 (0.21–0.34), p < 0.0001 and HR = 0.23 (0.17–0.30), p < 0.0001, respectively]. Eptifibatide significantly reduced all-cause and cardiovascular-cause mortality [HR = 0.72 (0.57–0.92), p = 0.002, and HR = 0.68 (0.52–0.89), p = 0.001, respectively]. Manual thrombus aspiration had no significant effect on both all-cause and cardiovascular-cause mortality. In multivariate Cox regression, all-cause mortality was reduced by ticagrelor, while eptifibatide or manual thrombus aspiration had no significant effect. However, cardiovascular-cause mortality was reduced by both ticagrelor and eptifibatide, while manual thrombus aspiration had no significant effect.Conclusion: Ticagrelor consistently reduced cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, while eptifibatide reduced only cardiovascular mortality. Manual thrombus aspiration provided no long-term benefit. Our findings support the current guideline recommendation that GPI and manual aspiration thrombectomy should not be routinely used in treatment of STEMI with pPCI

PRIVATE EQUITY - CHALLENGE OR A CHANCE?

The purpose of this study is to present the advantages and the opportunities of the private equity funds impact on the Romanian economy, and also identifies the economic disadvantages that can derive from applied strategies. For this reason we can consider private equity as a challenge and a chance at the same time, because beginning with choosing the investment domain, sector, company and the investment strategies the private equity funds can drive to performance for the investee companies, and implicit can have an important impact on the business environment and not in the least to the entire economy

Experimental techniques for defect characterization of highly irradiated materials and structures

There are several applications where solid devices are exposed to irradiation. Depending on the operational conditions (type of the particles, temperature, fluence) the physical properties of the exposed device degrades differently, reaching the point of electrical failure in very harsh enviroments. The radiation damage, starting already under low irradiation fluences, get more complex with increasing fluences due to the generation of various type of irradiation induced, electrically active, defects. Accord ingly, the defect characterization becomes a more difficult and costly task, requiring several complementary techniques to understand the detailed relation between the "microscopic" reasons as based on defect analysis and their "macroscopic" consequences for device performance. In this respect, we present the most powerful techniques employed and developed within the CERN RD50 Collaboration for investigating highly irradiated materials/structures : (i) Thermally Stimulated Current and Thermally Dielectric Relaxation Current techniques used for electrical characterization of bulk and interface defect states. With the obtained defect parameters several electrical characteristics of the devices could quantitatively explained; (ii) High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance allowing the structural and chemical identification of the radiation induced defects

INTEGRATED DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SOLUTION FOR THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

In this paper we present system analysis and design elements for the integrated document management solution at local governing authorities in the rural areas. While specifically dealing with the actual management of the Agricultural Register, an important primary unitary evidence document, we also keep a general character of the discussion, in order to argue for the generality of the proposed solution. Hence, for the identified and described problem space we propose an administrative and software infrastructure solution. This work is an empirical research in which our aim is primarily to identify key problems within the local governing authorities from several perspectives concerning the management of the Agricultural Register then to address those problems with an integrated document management system. For the proposed solution we give and argue the general system architecture and describe the key-mechanisms that support quality requirements. The relevance of this research concern is given by the impact of the actual Agricultural Register management on important stakeholders. This can be measured as the satisfaction felt by taxpayers and the performance of the local governing authorities, the Financial Administration, the Agency of Payments and Intervention in Agriculture and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. This work is also intended as a start-point for a new, modern thinking of the governing authorities in their pursue to improve public services. For this, in our work we highlight the importance of complete system analysis at all administrative levels as a main priority concern for all public managers. Our aim is the improvement of the public service by rising the awareness of the decision makers on the necessity of using integrated document management solutions for the provided services. Also, our work aims at increasing the efficiency with which nowadays, governing authorities invest public funds in various IT projects for the management of their services. For this, we highlight the importance of documenting quality requirements during system analysis