Knowledge: A Factor for Acceptance of Insects as Food

The role that insects will play in a healthier and more sustainable diet has been highlighted in the last years, at the European level. In future, due to environmental concerns and population growth, eating insects might be a solution for many problems. However, populations without the tradition of eating insects are still reluctant in accepting such a food as part of their diet. The present observational study highlights some factors that are influencing the acceptance of insects as food in Romania, in 2022. A number of 496 Romanian adults, 433 women and 63 men, with the mean age 39.3 ± 11 years, completed a validated questionnaire analyzing food behaviors, as well as attitudes and knowledge in relation to insects, including sustainability, nutrition and food safety aspects. Only 6.3% of participants had already eaten insects, while 43.8% claimed their openness to do it in future. Insect-based products were accepted more than insects that can be perceived as such. The most frequent words associated with insects were rather deleterious: disgust, odd, nausea, not to eat, or curiosity. Investigating the factors involved in insect acceptability in Romanians’ diets, we found a statistically significant correlation between openness to eat them and the knowledge about insects as being a valuable, sustainable and safe source of nutrients. Targeted education seems to be an important tool in accepting them as part of future diets.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Integrating Ecosystem Services in Historically Polluted Areas: Bioremediation Techniques for Soils Contaminated by Heavy Metals

Bioremediation of soils contaminated by heavy metals is based on the use of specially selected plants able to reduce the hazards of toxic metals. Depending on the mode of action on the heavy metals existing in the soil and the place where the action takes place, the following mechanisms for soil phytoremediation are distinguished: phytostabilization, phytoextraction, phytoimobilization, rhizofiltration, or evapotranspiration. These mechanisms are complex and include the plant ability to reduce the mobility and bioavailability of heavy metals and other pollutants, to extract large amounts of heavy metals from the soil or to evaporate water together with various pollutants already reached in the rhizosphere. Decontamination of polluted soils by using bioaccumulative plants is proposed as an environmental-friendly alternative to the traditional physicochemical methods, being a sustainable method with a great potential in the terms of environmental protection and cost management

Methadone Treatment for Heroin Dependence

In substitution therapy for treatment of heroin addiction, methadone is the synthetic opioid agonist of first choice. Methadone doses vary depending on addict profile established by repeated evaluation. It studied a group of 82 patients both male and female, aged between 19 and 47 years, residing in Bucharest, with diagnosis of heroin addiction. They were voluntarily submitted in the methadone substitution treatment at a specialized treatment center for addiction in Bucharest. The study group was characterized in detail, taking into account demographic, comorbid and addiction characteristics, heroin use history, treatment history, and clinical and paraclinical evaluation. The outcomes resulting from the study design on 82 heroin addict patients enrolled into a methadone maintenance program highlighted: lowering of the onset age of heroin use, HVC infection comorbidity, and the extension of the treatment period due to the relapses. The results obtained by clinical, laboratory, and psychological complex evaluations in a correlative approach is essential both in initiating methadone treatment and monitoring the detox period but also in the supervision of methadone maintenance treatment

STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF VAT CASH IN COLLECTION SYSTEM IN THE CASE OF A SMALL BUSINESS

The measure regarding the introduction of VAT cash-in collection system, has generated heated debates in the economic environment, pros and cons opinions appeared. Today, after one year since the first application of this legislative measure it is important to analyze the impact of VAT-cash-in system on a small company. The study was conducted for a period of almost two years, from January 1, 2012 till November 30, 2013, for the SIMM'S COMPUTER CENTER SRL, a small IT business, applying the VAT-cash-in system. The study consisted in converting the transactions in VAT cash-in system and comparing with the same transactions, but in VAT normal tax system. The analysis was carried out for fiscal years 2012 and 2013. We considered it is important to follow if there are any differences between the maximum amount paid in the each fiscal year and in what the time of year the VAT paid amount increase

Quality Control of Different Types of Honey and Propolis Collected from Romanian Accredited Beekeepers and Consumer’s Risk Assessment

Honey is a natural product recognized and appreciated for its nutritional value and therapeutic potential. However, the quality of bee honey is essential because various contaminants can seriously affect consumers’ health. In the experimental part of the work, we analyzed different types of honey (linden, black locust, rapeseed and multifloral honey) and propolis, which were collected from Romanian accredited beekeepers who placed beehives in two areas characterized by different industrial activity: area 1 (A1) is an area with intense industrial activity, with other industries existing nearby, including a refinery, while area 2 (A2) is entirely devoid of industrial activity, but with moderate agricultural activity. A total of 144 samples were collected, twelve samples for each variety of honey, propolis and soil, corresponding to each area analyzed. In addition, seven heavy metals and three pesticides were tested for in the samples collected. Finally, the correlation between the degree of contamination with soil pollutants and the contamination of the bee products harvested from the analyzed areas was studied. Cadmium, lead, copper, zinc and the sum of DDT metabolites exceeded the maximum allowable levels in honey samples, with differences between different types of honey

Quality Control of Different Types of Honey and Propolis Collected from Romanian Accredited Beekeepers and Consumer’s Risk Assessment

Honey is a natural product recognized and appreciated for its nutritional value and therapeutic potential. However, the quality of bee honey is essential because various contaminants can seriously affect consumers’ health. In the experimental part of the work, we analyzed different types of honey (linden, black locust, rapeseed and multifloral honey) and propolis, which were collected from Romanian accredited beekeepers who placed beehives in two areas characterized by different industrial activity: area 1 (A1) is an area with intense industrial activity, with other industries existing nearby, including a refinery, while area 2 (A2) is entirely devoid of industrial activity, but with moderate agricultural activity. A total of 144 samples were collected, twelve samples for each variety of honey, propolis and soil, corresponding to each area analyzed. In addition, seven heavy metals and three pesticides were tested for in the samples collected. Finally, the correlation between the degree of contamination with soil pollutants and the contamination of the bee products harvested from the analyzed areas was studied. Cadmium, lead, copper, zinc and the sum of DDT metabolites exceeded the maximum allowable levels in honey samples, with differences between different types of honey

Black Sea Mussels Qualitative and Quantitative Chemical Analysis: Nutritional Benefits and Possible Risks through Consumption

Mussels have a particular nutritional value, representing a highly valued food source and thus sought after worldwide. Their meat is a real culinary delicacy, rich in proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, trace elements, enzymes, and vitamins. The seasonal variation of mussels’ biochemical composition has been studied to determine the best harvesting period to capitalize on various biologically active fractions. In this work biochemical determinations have been performed on fresh flesh samples of Mytilus galloprovincialis specimens from the Black Sea coast to study seasonal variations in mussels’ biochemical compounds. An analysis of significant lipid classes and the fatty acid composition of lipid extracts obtained from mussel flesh has also been performed. Since mussels retain pollutants from the marine environment, in parallel, the concentration of heavy metals in the meat of mussels collected for the analysis of the chemical composition was investigated. The impact and risk of heavy metal poisoning due to food consumption of mussels contaminated due to pollution of the marine harvesting area was evaluated by the bio-concentration factor of metals and estimated daily intakes of heavy metals through mussel consumption