The effect of funding the investments in the Romanian agricultural holdings through the pre-accession Programs

In the pre-accession period, in addition to the support to all agricultural holdings by EU funded programs, specific national measures were also applied, together with massive allocation of funds from the national budget in order to support the agricultural producers. The present paper is analyzing the results of SAPARD Program implementation (measure 3.1 Investments on agricultural holdings), as well as of the nationally funded programs. One third of the total funds were allocated for this measure. The present paper is analyzing the eligible projects, as compared to those under the nationally funded investment programs, their distribution by counties and development regions, investment types and volumes, and legal status of the applicant farms, as well as the impact of investments upon the establishment of new farms. At the same time, the private consultancy and design firms, as well as the agricultural consultancy offices at county level had an important contribution in supporting the farmers to carry out over 3600 eligible projects.investments on agricultural holdings, SAPARD Program, Romania, Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance,

Resilient DC LV communities – UPB demonstrator

This work presents the architecture and operational features of a demonstrator developed at the premises of MicroDERLab Research Group at UPB that consists of two interconnected DC low voltage microgrids aiming to serve several research projects that focus on resilient DC LV communities. The architecture of the demonstrator uses a case-driven approach to validate and demonstrate the toolkits to be developed. Concretely, the demonstrator aims to facilitate the experimental assessments of several applications from monitoring and active power management of energy consumption in prosumers’ world, to aggregation of measurement data for modelling, planning, integration, operation and evaluation of distributed Energy Storage Systems. One of the major innovation of the proposed architecture consists in the extension of the functionality of the Unbundled Smart Meter (USM), the so called SMX side that processes all the information coming from the micro-controller of the energy router (ER). Simulated results of a distributed and adaptive energy management system to be tested on this demonstrator are also presented, while briefing a number of use-cases in line with several business models that led us to this design

Impact of public subsidies on farms’ technical efficiency in New Member States before and after EU accession

This paper presents some results of a two-year (2006-2007) research project supported by the French Ministry of Research’s funding program ECONET. One of the project’s objectives was to investigate the determinants of farm technical efficiency in New Member States before and after accession to the European Union, and in particular the role of public subsidies on this performance variable. Four countries were considered: Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovenia, who acceded to the EU in 2004, and Romania, whose accession was in 2007. The study found that subsidies had a negative impact on farm technical efficiency in Hungary over the period 2001-2005, in the Czech dairy corporate sector over the period 2000-2004, in Slovenia over the period 1994-2003, and in the Romanian crop sector in 2005.technical efficiency, farms, subsidies, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Romania, Farm Management,

Considerations on the expertise of pumping plants from irrigation systems

The paper presented a series of concepts on the technical expertise of irrigation pumping stations. Sprinkling irrigation screens in operation show significant wear and aging phenomena. Any project for the rehabilitation and upgrading of a pumping station is based on technical expertise. It critically analyses the design, construction and operation of structural components and installations serving a pumping station. The technical expertise consists of four components: 1 - Critical analysis of the data on the achievement of the objective; 2 - field research and research on the behaviour of the objective during the exploitation period; 3 - complementary studies and research to define the response situations of the objective to the action of internal and external factors; 4 - the conclusions of the expertise and the directions of rehabilitation and modernization. The expertise for a sprinkler irrigation plot equipped with a pumping and pressure plant (considered a case study) highlighted the complexity of the rehabilitation and modernization process. The rehabilitation process must be carried out in successive stages and by using modern equipment and technologies

Considerations on rehabilitation of monophilar pumping stations of the irrigation sprinkler plots

The paper presents an analysis of the directions of rehabilitation of the single-line pumping stations from aspersion irrigation plots. The single-line pumping station consists of one or two pumping units supplied from a canal. Each pumping unit supplies a distribution pipeline equipped with irrigation hydrants. The rehabilitation and modernization has been differentiated on the structural and functional components: foundations, hydromechanical technological line, power supply system, monitoring and automation system. The case study was prepared for an irrigation plot located in the Moldavian area (Plot 7, Doniceasa Falciu, Vaslui County). The irrigation plot has 1222 ha and is equipped with 15 single-line pumping stations. The pumps type is 6 NDS and has the parameters: flow rate 241 - 345 m3 /h, pressure 6.5 - 7.5 bar and power 75 - 110 kW. The paper presents two options for the rehabilitation of the pumping stations: a - equipping with horizontal pumps; b - equipping with vertical pump

Interesarea nervilor pudendali la femeile în postmenopauză cu prolaps genital asociat sau nu cu incontinenţă urinară de stres

Prolapsul organelor pelvine este rezultatul deteriorării structurale a ţesuturilor pelviperineale, leziuni ce pot fi localizate la nivelul fi brelor musculare, ţesutului conjunctiv, vaselor de sânge şi la nivelul fi brelor nervoase, interesarea acestora modelând tabloul complex al prolapsului pelviperineal. Cercetarea de faţă s-a axat pe studiul anomaliilor nervoase periferice la femei cu prolaps pelviperineal asociat sau nu cu incontinenţă urinară de stress. În timpul intervenţiilor chirurgicale pentru rezolvarea prolapsului şi/sau a incontinenţei urinare la 50 femei, comparativ cu un lot martor de 25 femei, care au suferit intervenţii chirurgicale pelvine pentru alte afecţiuni, s-au obţinut fragmente tisulare din sistemele de susţinere care au fost prelucrate prin tehnici histologice. Examenul microscopic efectuat a relevat aspecte diferite, în funcţie de localizarea fi letelor nervoase, mai afectate fi ind cele din regiunea periuretrală, în toate aceste cazuri existând un grad de incontinenţă urinară de stress, concomitent cu alterări ale ţesutului muscular şi conjunctiv. Modifi cările fi brelor nervoase remarcate la bolnavele cu prolaps al organelor pelvine constau în reducerea numărului fi brelor nervoase, reducerea numărului fi brelor mielinice, dezorganizarea nervilor prin incluziuni fi broase care „ştrangulează” fi brele nervoase, dar şi degenerare moderată a fi brelor nervoase. În concluzie, leziunile microscopice observate susţin existenţa neuropatiei pudendale care este implicată în etiologia relaxării planşeului pelvin, a incontinenţei urinare de stres şi a incontinenţei fecale la femeile în postmenopauză. Afectarea nervilor muşchiului levator anal poate apare ca urmare a traumatismelor din timpul naşterii, ajungându- se la mişcarea paradoxală a muşchiului ia punct fi x pe sacrum şi coccige şi alungeşte fanta urogenitală, lăsând organele pelvine fără susţinere, în loc să ia punct fi x pe pubis şi să micşoreze această fantă

On the electrostatic inertia in microgrids with inverter-based generation only—an analysis on dynamic stability

Storage4Grid project grant agreement No. 731155 RESERVE project grant agreement No. 727481 KIOS CoE grant agreement No. 739551.Microgrids are about to change the architecture and the operation principles of the future power systems towards smartness and resiliency. Power electronics technologies are key enablers for novel solutions. In this paper we analyze the benefits of a “microgrid by design” architecture (MDA), using a solid-state transformer (SST) as a low-voltage grid-former and inverter-based generation only. In this context, the microgrid stability is maintained with the help of “electrostatic energy inertia” that can be provided by the capacitor connected to the DC busbar behind the SST inverter topology. This happens in a natural way, alike the mechanical inertia in power systems with synchronous machines, however without depending on frequency and without the need of a rotational inertia. This type of microgrid always operates (both fully connected to the main grid or in islanding mode) with all the necessary mechanisms needed to maintain the microgrid stable—no matter of the perturbations in the upstream of the point of common coupling (PCC). In the case of microgrids with inverter-based generation only (including the energy storage systems), there is no mechanical inertia and different stability mechanisms need to be applied compared to the stability principle of the classical power systems. Our proposed mechanism differentiates from the recently proposed stability assessments of microgrids based on virtual synchronous generators from the control theory perspective. This paper is a continuation of our previous work where the MDA was first introduced. The use-cases and scenarios are based on realistic and yet reasonable complexities, by coupling the disturbance magnitude with the voltage stability limit in power grids. The paper finds meaningful disturbances to test the electrostatic energy inertia at the boundaries of grid stability, as guidance to understand the range of voltage variation for extreme conditions. The results show that in microgrids with inverter-based generation only and passive loads (RLC type) the operation is no longer frequency dependent. The energy of the DC busbar capacitor as electrostatic energy inertia of the MDA has a role similar to that of the rotational machines in classical grids in terms of maintaining dynamic stability, however impacting two different types of stability.publishe

Statistical Analysis and Machine Learning Used in the Case of Two Behavioral Tests Applied in Zebrafish Exposed to Mycotoxins

Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence that allows computer systems to learn directly from examples, data, and experience. Statistical modeling is more about finding connections between variables and consequently the impact of these relationships, while also catering for prediction. It should be clear that these two methodologies are different in terms of their purpose, despite the fact that they use similar means to get there. The evaluation of the machine learning algorithm uses a set of tests to validate its accuracy. Although, for a statistical model, the analysis of regression parameters by confidence intervals, significance tests and other tests can be used to assess the legitimacy of the model. To demonstrate the applications and usefulness of this theory, an experimental study was conducted on zebrafish exposed to mycotoxin. Methods: Patulin (70 µg/L) and kojic acid (100 mg/L, 204 mg/L, and 284 mg/L) were administered by immersion to zebrafish once daily for a period of 7 days before the behavior testing. The following behavioral tests were performed: a novel tank test (NTT) (to assess the explorative behavior and anxiety); and a Y-maze test (which measures the spontaneous explorative behavior). Behavioral tests were performed on separate days. For the behavior tests, the statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA variation analysis (two-way ANOVA). All results are expressed as the mean ± standard error of the mean. The values of the general index F for which p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Y-maze—patulin exposure led to an intensification of the locomotor activity and an increased traveled distance and number of arm entries. By increasing the spontaneous alternation between the aquarium’s arms, patulin has shown a stimulating effect on spatial memory. In the case of zebrafish exposed to 100 mg/L kojic acid, the traveled distance was shorter by 27% than the distance attained by those in the control group. The higher doses of kojic acid (204 mg/L and 284 mg/L) led to an increased locomotor activity, distance traveled, number of arm entries, and the spontaneous alternation. The increase in spontaneous alternation demonstrates that 204 mg/L and 284 mg/L kojic acid doses had a stimulating effect on spatial memory. Novel tank test—compared to the control group, the traveled distance of the patulin-exposed fish is slightly reduced. Compared to the control group, the traveled distance of the kojic acid-exposed fish is reduced, due to a shorter mobile time (by 25–27% in the case of fish exposed to 204 mg/L and 284 mg/L kojic acid). Patulin and kojic acid exhibit toxic effects on zebrafish liver, kidney, and myocardium and leads to severe alteration. We continued the analysis by trying some machine learning algorithms on the classification problems in the case of the two behavioral tests MAZE and NTT, after which we concluded that the results were better in the case of the NTT test relative to the MAZE test and that the use of decision tree algorithms leads to amazing results, knowing that their hierarchical structure allows them to learn signals from both classes. Conclusions: The groups exposed to patulin and kojic acid show histological changes in the liver, kidneys, and myocardial muscle tissue. The novel tank test, which assesses exploratory behavior, has been shown to be conclusive in the behavioral analysis of fish that have been given toxins, demonstrating that the intoxicated fish had a decreased explorative behavior and increased anxiety. We were able to detect a machine learning algorithm in the category of decision trees, which can be trained to classify the behavior of fish that were given a toxin in the category of those used in the experiment, only by analyzing the characteristic features of the NTT Behavior Test