Commercial Activity’s Contribution to Sustainable Development by Social Responsability Actions: a Vision of SMEs

This paper reports on a small study concerning the development of the social responsibility concept, in order to reveal how this concept became an important element of the sustainable development. According to this relationship, there are presented the results of a qualitative research among small and middle- sized companies involved in commercial activity in Bucharest, to show the way in which their activities of social responsibility meet the national strategy of sustainable development. The conclusions of this paper support the literature in the field, that underlines the fact that small and middle companies involved in commercial activity are concerned mostly with the way they succeed in achieving the economic objectives, and social responsibility is understood more at a minimal level, that are connected with legal obligations. The way in which the activity of the company meets the demands of a sustainable development represents a diffuse preoccupation, totally subordinated to the objectives of economic performance.sustainable development, small and middle-sized companies with commercial activity, social responsibility, commercial activity

Tax Evasion – between Civil and Criminal Law

Establishing the boundaries between the behaviors that constitute tax evasion and those that are outside the criminal law is a subject of maximum interest both for the people called to apply the law, and especially for the litigants. In this article, the authors propose to analyze the relationship between tax evasion and payment due. Over time, a non-unitary practice at the level of judicial bodies has formed around it, capable of generating confusion. The authors believe that some problems are placed in the litigious-fiscal area, coming out of the authority of the criminal law. In support of this opinion, arguments regarding the requirement of the typicality of the deed both on the subjective and objective side, as well as on the need to apply the criminal law as an ultima ratio, are presented at length

Construct Validity For the Self-Reported Competency and Sub-Construct associated Characteristics of Romanian Physicians in autism Spectrum Disorder

BACKGROUND: Lack of physicians\u27 knowledge regarding mental health, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) could have adverse effects on affected individuals\u27 health and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to provide construct validity for a modified questionnaire in order to determine the self-reported competency for underlying sub-constructs in ASD, make inferences on perceived competence in ASD based on a sample of Romanian physicians, and identify physicians\u27 characteristics associated with these sub-domains of competency. METHODS: For this survey, we modified a questionnaire that was used in Pakistan and Turkey, and administered it to a sample of 383 practicing physicians in Romania to assess their perceived competency regarding ASD. Exploratory factor analysis on 12 knowledge questions revealed five sub-domains: stigma, potential causes, children\u27s behavior, misconceptions, and educational needs associated with ASD knowledge. Using General Linear Models, we determined physicians\u27 characteristics that predict the total competency score and various competency sub-scores. RESULTS: Seventy-five percent of the responding physicians were female and 30% had over 30 years practicing medicine. The majority (73-94%) of physicians have correctly responded to some basic questions regarding knowledge about ASD. We also found that younger physicians were more knowledgeable about potential causes of ASD than older physicians (Adjusted Mean Score (AMS): 2.90 vs. 2.18, P \u3c 0.01), while older physicians knew more about the behavior of children with ASD (AMS: 0.64 vs. 0.37, P = 0.02). We found a significant interaction (P \u3c 0.01) between television as source of ASD knowledge and city where the clinic is located in relation to knowledge of the physicians regarding stigma related to ASD. However, the total score was not associated with the variables associated with sub-domains. CONCLUSION: Using factor analysis, we demonstrated construct validity of five sub-domains related to Romanian physicians\u27 knowledge about ASD that include stigma, potential causes, behavior in ASD children, special education needs, and misconceptions related to ASD. The lack of significant association of the knowledge of physicians on ASD neither with the Psychiatry nor the Pediatric ward rotations at medical school may support the need for improving the curriculum on ASD in Romanian medical schools

Effect of organic solvents on solvent-tolerant <i style="">Aeromonas <strong>hydrophila</strong> </i>IBB_Po8 and <i style="">Pseudomonas aeruginosa </i>IBB_Po10

352-361Alkanes (n-hexane, n-heptane) with logarithm of partition coefficient between n-octanol and water (log POW) 3.86 to 4.39 were less toxic to Aeromonas hydrophila IBBPo8 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa IBBPo10 as compared to aromatics (toluene, styrene, xylene isomers, ethylbenzene &amp; propylbenzene) with log POW 2.64 to 3.69. The toxicity of 0.5% (v/v) second phase of organic solvents to these bacteria could be predictable on the basis of the solvents’ log POW. The tolerance, viability, adhesion and β-galactosidase activity of A. hydrophila IBBPo8 and P. aeruginosa IBBPo10 cells in the presence of 0.5% (v/v) organic solvents varied significantly. The results indicated that A. hydrophila IBBPo8 was more susceptible to organic solvents than P. aeruginosa IBBPo10, whereas both the bacterial strains harbour plasmids. A. hydrophila IBBPo8 did not posses hydrophobe/amphiphile efflux 1 (HAE1) transporter genes, while P. aeruginosa IBBPo10 did posses these genes. The adaptation mechanisms (modification of cell hydrophobicity, induction of β-galactosidase activity and changes in the membrane’s lipid and protein content) of bacterial cells, underlying solvent tolerance, in A. hydrophila IBBPo8 and P. aeruginosa IBBPo10 showed a complex response to the presence of 0.5% (v/v) organic solvents in the culture medium. Bacterial strains able to survive in the presence of organic solvents could be used in two-phase biotransformation systems with whole cells for adequate bioremediation of heavily contaminated sites and could be&nbsp; a source for new solvent-stable enzymes with different applications

Biosurfactant production by a Bacillus megaterium strain

The aim of the present study was to investigate the ability of Bacillus megaterium IBBPo17 (GenBank KX499518) cells to produce biosurfactant when the growth was done in the presence of long-chain n-alkane n-hexadecane on medium supplemented with yeast extract, proteose peptone, starch, or cellulose. B. megaterium IBBPo17 revealed a higher growth in the presence of n-hexadecane when the medium was supplemented with yeast extract, proteose peptone, or starch, compared with cellulose. Biosurfactant production was higher when B. megaterium IBBPo17 was grown in the presence of n-hexadecane on yeast extract, proteose peptone, or starch supplemented medium, compared with biosurfactant produced on cellulose supplemented medium. A direct correlation between cell growth and biosurfactant production was observed. When the growth of B. megaterium IBBPo17 cells was higher, the decrease in pH values of the medium was higher too, and more amount of CO2 was released. Changes in cell morphology, aggregation of the cells in clusters, and biofilm formation were observed when B. megaterium IBBPo17 was grown in the presence of n-hexadecane on medium supplemented with yeast extract, proteose peptone, starch, or cellulose. Due to its physiological abilities, this Gram-positive bacterium could be a promising candidate for the bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon polluted environments

Role of Indigenous Bacteria in Corrosion of Two Types of Carbon Steel

This study aimed to investigate the presence of both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in a water sample collected from a nuclear power plant and establish if the indigenous bacteria or the products of their metabolic activities could initiate the corrosion of two different types of carbon steel (i.e., A570, 1045). The aerobic (heterotrophic, iron-oxidizing) and anaerobic (sulfate-reducing) bacteria were detected in low numbers in the water sample. Three bacterial strains were isolated by the enrichment procedure from this sample. Based on phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, the isolated bacteria were identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia IBBCn1 (MT893712), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia IBBCn2 (MT893713), and Bacillus thuringiensis IBBCn3 (MT893714). The bacteria existing in the water sample were able to initiate the corrosion of carbon steel A570 and 1045. The sulfate-reducing bacteria were detected in higher numbers than the heterotrophic bacteria and iron-oxidizing bacteria at the end of the biocorrosion experiments. The carbon steel coupons revealed macroscopic and microscopic changes in the surface characteristics, and these changes could be due to biofilm formation on their surfaces and the accumulation of the corrosion products. The corrosion rate varied from one type of carbon steel to another, depending on the incubation conditions and the chemical composition of the coupons

Highly Solvent Tolerance in Serratia marcescens IBBPo15

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate the solvent tolerance mechanisms in Serratia marcescens strain IBBPo15 (KT315653). Serratia marcescens IBBPo15 exhibited remarkable solvent-tolerance, being able to survive in the presence of high concentrations (above 40%) of toxic organic solvents, such as cyclohexane, n-hexane, n-decane, toluene, styrene, and ethylbenzene. S. marcescens IBBPo15 produced extracellular protease and the enzyme production decreased in cells exposed to 5% cyclohexane, n-hexane, toluene, styrene, and ethylbenzene, as compared with the control and n-decane exposed cells. S. marcescens IBBPo15 cells produced carotenoid pigments and alteration of pigments profile (i.e., phytoene, lycopene) were observed in cells exposed to 5% cyclohexane, n-hexane, n-decane, toluene, styrene, and ethylbenzene. The exposure of S. marcescens IBBPo15 cells to 5% cyclohexane, n-hexane, n-decane, toluene, styrene, ethylbenzene induced also changes in the intracellular (e.g., 50 kDa protein) and extracellular (e.g., 39, 41, 43, 53, 110 kDa proteins) proteins profile. Significant RAPD, ARDRA, rep-PCR and PCR pattern modifications were not observed in DNA extracted from S. marcescens IBBPo15 cells exposed to 5% cyclohexane, n-hexane, n-decane, toluene, styrene, and ethylbenzene. Though only HAE1 and acrAB genes were detected in the genome of S. marcescens IBBPo15 cells, the unspecific amplification of other fragments being observed also when the primers for ompF and recA genes were used

Nitric oxide production rate of pulsed nanosecond and microsecond discharge in atmospheric pressure air

International audienc