Halophilic microorganisms from Romanian saline environments as a source of extracellular enzymes with potential in agricultural economy

Halophilic microorganisms, either bacteria or archaea, flourish in media with salinity levels varying from negligible until to saturation in NaCl and thus are considered extremophiles. Such kinds of media as salt lakes, salted soils, salt deposits or salt mines are widely distributed over the entire Romanian landscape. Several strains of halophilic bacteria and archaea have been isolated from such environments and characterized either by polyphasic taxonomy approach or by their ability to produce extracellular enzymes with putative potential for use in several domains like industry, agriculture and biotechnology. Even if sodium chloride is widely used in Romanian agriculture fields, little is known about salt microbiota, and its effect on the agricultural processes. This paper approaches the wide spectrum of extracellular hydrolytic enzymes with putative use in agriculture for treatment of polluted soils or recovery of salted soils. The strains isolated from inside of salt crystal are divided in two groups, one consisting of six strains belonging to Halorubrum, Haloarcula and Halobacterium genera and characterized by the absence of detectable extracellular enzymatic activity for the tested substrates and the other group consisting of four strains, all belonging to Halorubrum genus and characterized by the presence of amylolytic activity and the absence of other activities. The starch degrading enzymes appear to have a wide distribution both among the strains associated with salt lakes and among those isolated from rock salt

Immunoassay Techniques Highlighting Biomarkers in Immunogenetic Diseases

Diagnosis of autoimmune diseases is crucial for the clinician and the patient alike. The immunoassay techniques most commonly used for this purpose are immunohistochemistry, ELISA, and Western blotting. For the detection of more specific biomarkers or the discovery of new ones for diagnostic purposes and as therapeutic targets, microarray techniques are increasingly used, for example, protein microarray, Luminex, and in recent years, surface plasmon resonance imaging. All of these technologies have undergone changes over time, making them easier to use. Similar technologies have been invented but responding to specific requirements for both diagnostic and research purposes. The goals are to study more analytes in the same sample, in a shorter time, and with increased accuracy. The reproducibility and reliability of the results are also a target pursued by manufacturers. In this chapter, we present these technologies and their utility in the diagnosis of immunogenetic diseases

Prenylated phenolics as promising candidates for combination antibacterial therapy: morusin and kuwanon G

Combination of antibiotics with natural products is a promising strategy for potentiating antibiotic activity and overcoming antibiotic resistance. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether morusin and kuwanon G, prenylated phenolics in Morus species, have the ability to enhance antibiotic activity and reverse antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Commonly used antibiotics (oxacillin, erythromycin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, clindamycin) were selected for the combination studies. Checkerboard and time-kill assays were used to investigate potential bacteriostatic and bactericidal synergistic interactions, respectively between morusin or kuwanon G and antibiotics. According to both fractional inhibitory concentration index and response surface models, twenty combinations (14 morusin-antibiotic combinations, six kuwanon G-antibiotic combinations) displaying bacteriostatic synergy were identified, with 4–512-fold reduction in the minimum inhibitory concentration values of antibiotics in combination. Both morusin and kuwanon G reversed oxacillin resistance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, morusin reversed tetracycline resistance of Staphylococcus epidermidis. At half of the minimum inhibitory concentrations, combinations of morusin with oxacillin or gentamicin showed bactericidal synergy against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Fluorescence and differential interference contrast microscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed an increase in the membrane permeability and massive leakage of cellular content in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus exposed to morusin or kuwanon G. Overall, our findings strongly indicate that both prenylated compounds are good candidates for the development of novel antibacterial combination therapies

SARS-CoV-2 Variant Surveillance in Genomic Medicine Era

In the genomic medicine era, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 was immediately followed by viral genome sequencing and world-wide sequences sharing. Almost in real-time, based on these sequences, resources were developed and applied around the world, such as molecular diagnostic tests, informed public health decisions, and vaccines. Molecular SARS-CoV-2 variant surveillance was a normal approach in this context yet, considering that the viral genome modification occurs commonly in viral replication process, the challenge is to identify the modifications that significantly affect virulence, transmissibility, reduced effectiveness of vaccines and therapeutics or failure of diagnostic tests. However, assessing the importance of the emergence of new mutations and linking them to epidemiological trend, is still a laborious process and faster phenotypic evaluation approaches, in conjunction with genomic data, are required in order to release timely and efficient control measures

A MODEL OF MANAGERIAL COMPETENCIES BASED ON EVIDENCE FROM COUNTIES OF SATU MARE AND BIHOR, ROMANIA

The paper explores the managerial competencies of human resources in the companies from the counties of Satu Mare and Bihor. A model of these competencies is provided also, according to the identified relationships between various managerial competencies. Data were collected by applying a questionnaire to 114 companies located in the counties of Satu Mare and Bihor, within the project HURO/0901/264/2.2.2 implemented in partnership by "Vasile Goldis" Western University and University of Debrecen and financed by European Union through ERDF under Hungary-Romania 2007-2013 Programme. They were processed and analyzed by using the SPSS soft

MOTIVATIONAL PRACTICES USED BY EMPLOYERS FROM THE SATU MARE COUNTY: A COMPARATIVE APPROACH

The paper explores the motivation of human resources in the companies from Satu Mare County, through a comparison of employers' and employees' view. The comparison is based on data collected and processed within the project HURO/0901/264/2.2.2 implemented in partnership by "Vasile Goldiș" Western University and University of Debrecen and financed by European Union through ERDF under Hungary-Romania 2007-2013 Programme, in 2012, and on data collected and processed in 2013-2014, in a new field research applied to employees of 75 companies from Satu Mare County

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MANAGERIAL COMPETENCIES BASED ON EVIDENCE FROM SATU MARE COUNTY, ROMANIA

The paper explores the managerial competencies of human resources in the companies from Satu Mare County, by comparing the employers' and employees' views. The comparison is based on data collected and processed within the project HURO/0901/264/2.2.2 implemented in partnership by "Vasile Goldiș" Western University and University of Debrecen and financed by European Union through ERDF under Hungary-Romania 2007-2013 Programme, in 2012, and on data collected and processed in 2013-2014, in a new field research applied to employees from Satu Mare county

Human Capital Quality and Development: An Employers' and Employees' Comparative Insight

The aim of the paper is to compare the employers' and employees' insights on human capital quality defining and human capital development at organisational level, based on a survey carried out in the county of Satu Mare, Romania. Our findings show that as human capital buyers, employers understand by human capital quality professional background and skills, professional behaviour and efficiency and productivity for the organisation. As human capital sellers, for employees human capital quality means health and the ability to learn and to be suitable to the job requirements. Regarding the opportunities to develop the organisational human capital, the views of employers and employees are very different when the level of discussion is international (macro-level). Employees consider that the international environment has a greater impact on human capital development in their organisation as the employers