Research and Development as a Determinant of Services Sector Competitiveness

Innovation in services has traditionally been neglected in the literature, perhaps because of the assumption that services do not innovate or are primarily users of innovation in manufacturing. In reality, services do innovate in both processes and products, but much of this innovation does not involve formal research. Nevertheless, innovation in services is important for development and Romania is facing the challenge to ensure the most effective connection with global research networks and the innovation systems of other countries.services, innovation, competitiveness;

Research as an Agent for Transformation and Development: the Business Research Center of the Academy of Economic Studies of Bucharest

By establishing a research center, a team of scientist related to the Commerce Department of the Academy of Economic Studies, consisting mainly of university teachers, shows commitment to adhere at worldclass standards of university activity. In response to the demands and opportunities of a changing world, the university research must evolve, to incorporate new findings on the processes of learning. The favorable impact of university research and university partnership with business and industry on the economic and cultural vitality of a given community is well illustrated by best ranked universities which are classified as research universities2; for instance it is considered that the American “research universities” have enormously contributed to the wealth and productivity of the nation. After two years of activity the so called “Centrul de Cercetari Comerciale” (The Business Research Center) has proved its viability by a significant portfolio of research projects, including research of excellence projects selected through competition to receive public funding. The highest priorities for the next development stage of the center are: (a) increasing of the international exposure of its activity, mainly by participation with own research projects in international competitions, and (b) enlarging and strengthening the partnership with the business community.

High performance mass spectrometry for advanced interactomics studies

Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) is a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) binding protein, involved in different biological processes, such as angiogenesis, bone signaling, embryonic development, morphogenesis or cartilage metabolism. GAGs, one of its binding partners, are long-unbranched polysaccharides exhibiting a repeating disaccharide unit. Moreover, preceding studies have shown that GAGs play an important role in tissue development, cellular behavior or extracellular matrix (ECM) organization. The FGF-GAG noncovalent interactions are of high importance in the biological and biomedical fields of research, as a result of their influence in the tissue regeneration and cell proliferation processes. Here, we have employed one of the most advanced mass spectrometric (MS) techniques consisting of fully automated chip-nanoelectrospray (nanoESI), coupled to a quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) MS for studying the FGF-GAG noncovalent complexes. The experiments were conducted in 10 mM ammonium acetate/formic acid, pH 6.8, by incubating FGF-2 and CS disaccharides dissolved in buffer; aliquots were collected after 5, 10, 30, 60 and 90 minutes and further submitted to chip-based MS analysis. For the first time, a CS disaccharide was involved in a binding assay with FGF-2. The detected complexes in the screening experiments were further characterized by top-down fragmentation in tandem MS (MS/MS) using collision induced-dissociation (CID) at low ion acceleration energies. CID MS/MS provided data showing for the first time that the binding process occurs via SO3 located at C4 in the GalNAc moiety

Challenges and opportunities for telecommuting in the school system: Building a sustainable online education in the context of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic

The main idea of this investigation is to identify a series of challenges and opportunities presented by telecommuting within the school system as a result of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic. The objective of the paper is to identify key elements which are able to provide concrete assistance in building a sustainable online education system, with particular reference to Romania, as a system that can be used beyond the timeframe of the current pandemic. The methodology used for our scientific investigation is quantitative, based on an eight-item data collection instrument/questionnaire with 459 respondents (bachelor, masters, doctoral, and postdoctoral students—which makes this research a study from the perspective of the students’ perceptions) with ages ranging from 18 to 53. In terms of results, the eight items were evaluated on a Likert Scale from 1 to 5, leading to the formulation of seven hypotheses (H1 to H6), of which six were accepted and one was rejected (H7) (the questionnaire has a margin error/confidence interval of ±4.5% and a confidence level of P = 95%). We concluded from the six validated hypotheses, coupled with the one which was invalidated, that telecommuting to online education was not only successful but also garnered a system characterized by sustainability. Despite the swiftness of telecommuting to online education and the perceptions of the student population, online learning can be efficient and sustainable, in which case further government policies can only improve a system that has already been proven to work.https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainabilitydm2022Dogmatics and Christian Ethic

Extracellular vesicles from human cardiac progenitor cells inhibit cardiomyocyte apoptosis and improve cardiac function after myocardial infarction

Aims Recent evidence suggests that cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) may improve cardiac function after injury. The underlying mechanisms are indirect, but their mediators remain unidentified. Exosomes and other secreted membrane vesicles, hereafter collectively referred to as extracellular vesicles (EVs), act as paracrine signalling mediators. Here, we report that EVs secreted by human CPCs are crucial cardioprotective agents. Methods and results CPCs were derived from atrial appendage explants from patients who underwent heart valve surgery. CPC-conditioned medium (CM) inhibited apoptosis in mouse HL-1 cardiomyocytic cells, while enhancing tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. These effects were abrogated by depleting CM of EVs. They were reproduced by EVs secreted by CPCs, but not by those secreted by human dermal fibroblasts. Transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis showed most EVs to be 30-90 nm in diameter, the size of exosomes, although smaller and larger vesicles were also present. MicroRNAs most highly enriched in EVs secreted by CPCs compared with fibroblasts included miR-210, miR-132, and miR-146a-3p. miR-210 down-regulated its known targets, ephrin A3 and PTP1b, inhibiting apoptosis in cardiomyocytic cells. miR-132 down-regulated its target, RasGAP-p120, enhancing tube formation in endothelial cells. Infarcted hearts injected with EVs from CPCs, but not from fibroblasts, exhibited less cardiomyocyte apoptosis, enhanced angiogenesis, and improved LV ejection fraction (0.8 ± 6.8 vs. −21.3 ± 4.5%; P < 0.05) compared with those injected with control medium. Conclusion EVs are the active component of the paracrine secretion by human CPCs. As a cell-free approach, EVs could circumvent many of the limitations of cell transplantatio

Aspects regarding the Level of Education in the Context of Sustainable Development

Employers are demanding ever higher levels of training. Higher level qualifications offer the possibility of accessing those opportunities that appear on the labor market. Changes are occurring in all areas of social life. As a consequence of these changes, education is becoming more and more important. Employment rates can be increased by applying flexible learning pathways. Technological changes occur in economic systems, which are based on the updating of skills, abilities and knowledge. Both pre-university education, and especially higher education, have in mind the development of skills and competences. Sustainable development can be achieved through quality education. Through the analysis carried out, the statistical data related to students enrolled in pre-university education, as well as to people who have a tertiary level of education, are highlighted. The comparative analysis gives us a picture of the evolution of these educational indicators

Telocytes in pleura: two- and three-dimensional imaging by transmission electron microscopy

Information about the ultrastructure of connective (interstitial) cells supporting the pleural mesothelium is scarce. Our aim has been to examine whether telocytes (TCs) are present in pleura, as in epicardium and mesentery. TCs are a distinct type of cell, characterized by specific prolongations named telopodes (Tp). We have used transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron tomography (ET) to determine whether ultrastructural diagnostic criteria accepted for TCs are fulfilled by any of the cell subpopulations existing in the sub-mesothelial layer in mouse and human pleura. TCs have been identified with TEM by their characteristic prolongations. Tp appear long and moniliform, because of the alternation of podomeres (thin segments of less than 0.2 μm) and podoms (small dilations accommodating caveolae, mitochondria, and endoplasmic reticulum). Tp ramifications follow a dichotomic pattern and establish specialized cell-to-cell junctional complexes. TCs, via their Tp, seem to form an interstitial network beneath the mesothelium, covering about two-thirds of the abluminal mesothelial layer. ET has revealed complex junctional structures and tight junctions connecting pleural TCs, and small vesicles at this level in Tp. Thus, pleural TCs share significant similarities with TCs described in other serosae. Whether TCs are a (major) player in mesothelial-cell-induced tissue repair remains to be established. Nevertheless, the extremely long thin Tp and complex junctional structures that they form and the release of vesicles (or exosomes) indicate the participation of TCs in long-distance homo- or heterocellular communication

FORAGE MIXTURES WITH ALFALFA CULTIVARS, PERENNIAL GRASSES AND ANETHUM GRAVEOLENS

Fodder crops consisting of several species are a way to obtain very good quality feed. They have been used more and more recently in Europe because, in addition to the superiority of feed production and quality, sowing mixtures of several species can lead to a significant reduction in the need for nitrogen fertilizer, an increase in performance and animal health. In Romania, there are few studies on the use of multi-species feed mixtures to reduce dependence on expensive inputs in order to increase the profitability and quality of feed, in organic agriculture production system. The objective was to compare forage yield, degree of coverage and weed infestation of alfalfa single crop and perennial grasses mixtures, which include 10 synthetic alfalfa cultivars and 5 varieties, grasses (a cultivar of Dactylis glomerata, Festuca arundinacea, Phleum pratense), mixed with herb Anethum graveolens. A field experiment was established in 2022 in the experimental field of the Center for Organic Agriculture at NARDI Fundulea. The results showed that mixtures of alfalfa with dill and festuca had a higher yield than alfalfa in pure crop. Anethum graveolens seeded with forage mixtures proved the efficacy as a natural repellent of Hypera variabilis in the first year of crop. In general, alfalfa-grass mixtures had beside higher feed yields and lower weed and pests infestations than alfalfa monocultures or mixtures of two species