Sol-gel derived tertiary bioactive glass–ceramic nanorods prepared via hydrothermal process and their composites with poly(Vinylpyrrolidone-Co-Vinylsilane)

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Bioactive glass (BG) nanoparticles have wide applications in bone repair due to their bone-bonding and biodegradable nature. In this work, nanometric rod-shaped ternary SiO2-CaO-P2O5 bioactive glass particles were prepared through sol-gel chemistry followed by a base-induced hydrothermal process at 130 ◦C and 170 ◦C for various times up to 36 h. This facile, low-temperature and surfactant-free hydrothermal process has shown to be capable of producing uniform nanorods and nanowires. One-dimensional growth of nanorods and the characteristics of siloxane bridging networks were dependent on the hydrothermal temperature and time. Hardened bioactive composites were prepared from BG nanorods and cryo-milled poly(vinylpyrrolidone-co-triethoxyvinylsilane) in the presence of ammonium phosphate as potential bone graft biomaterials. Covalent crosslinking has been observed between the organic and inorganic components within these composites. The ultimate compressive strength and modulus values increased with increasing co-polymer content, reaching 27 MPa and 500 MPa respectively with 30% co-polymer incorporation. The materials degraded in a controlled non-linear manner when incubated in phosphate-buffered saline from 6 h to 14 days. Fibroblast cell attachment and spreading on the composite were not as good as the positive control surfaces and suggested that they may require protein coating in order to promote favorable cell interactions

Sustainable Wages and Need for Convergence in EU-28 Countries

Abstract: In context of recent transformation of the EU economic and socia

The impact of large dams on fluvial sedimentation: The Iron Gates Reservoir on the Danube River

Dam construction is one of the major human pressures impacting fluvial processes, including topography and hydro-sedimentary flows, as a result of the change in flow regime from fluvial to fluvial-lacustrine. This article investigates geomorphic changes at Iron Gates I, the largest reservoir on the Danube River, completed in 1972 for hydropower and navigation. The study focuses on a gulf area that emerged at the mouth of the Cerna River into the reservoir, highlighting spatial changes in topography and sediment distribution, based on a diachronic analysis of two datasets before and after the dam was built: one extracted from historical topographic maps and the other obtained from a bathymetric echo sounding survey, integrated within a GIS analysis. The results reveal the dominance of the sedimentation process, with an alluvium layer thickness up to 14 m. The current sediment pattern has changed the submerged morphology, leading to the formation of an alluvial fan at the mouth of the Cerna River and of a sedimentary bar between the Cerna Gulf and the Danube River’s channel. The siltation process together with the current underwater morphology limits ship traffic and the storage capacity of the reservoir

Lichtenstein Procedure- elective procedure in the treatment of inguinal hernia

Catedra Chirurgie nr. 2 USMF „Nicolae Testemiţanu”, Clinica SCM nr. 3 ,,Sfânta Treime”We present you a study made on a sample of 137 patients with inguinal hernia: interstitial, inguinal - pubian, funicle, inguinal scrotal, recurrent and re - recurrent; hospitalized in the SCM Nr. 3‚ „Sfânta Treime” during the years 12.2001-04.2009. All patients had supported surgical treatment by tension-free method (no voltage) Lichtenstein procedure using synthetic polypropylene net. The performed clinical analysis shows a considerable decrease of complications and postoperative recurrence, quick restoration and very good results. Prezentăm un studiu pe un lot de 137 de pacienți cu hernii inghinale: interstițiale, inghinopubiană, funiculara, inghinoscrotală, recidivante si rerecidivante; spitalizați în SCM N 3 Sfânta Treime” în perioada anilor 12.2001-04.2009. Toți pacienții au suportat cură chirurgicală prin metoda tension-free( fără tensiune) procedeul Lichtenstein prin folosirea plasei sintetice din polipropilenă. Analiza clinică efectuată atestă o scădere considerabilă a complicațiilor și recidivelor postoperatorii, refacerea este rapidă iar rezultatele foarte bune

A Critical Approach on Using Total Water Footprint of Agricultural Products as a Potential Sustainable Development Indicator

Measuring sustainable development represents a fundamental issue which requires a complex approach in identifying relevant indicators to capture the global transformations of the contemporary economic paradigm, within the context of increasing globalization and of the integration of markets and economies. The recent evolutions of the environmenta lanalysis enforced total water footprint as a highly popular and core environmental performance indicator.The paper presents a critical approach on using total water footprint of agricultural products as a potential sustainable development indicator from the EU perspective, by applying a specific research method on clustering and concentration. The results prove that total water footprint of the agricultural products is highly country-specific dependent. The uneven distribution shown by grouping of countries and types of agricultural products consumption confirm this argument

Bacterial translocation in non-ascitic cirrhotic patients with splenomegaly & severe hypersplenism

Clinica nr. 2 Chirurgie „Constantin Ţîbîrnă” cu LCŞ Hepatochirurgie, Catedra Chirurgie nr. 2, USMF „Nicolae Testemiţanu”The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and clinical significance of microbiologically confirmed bacterial translocation to the mesenteric lymph node in cirrhotic patients with splenomegaly & severe hypersplenism. A series of 21 consecutive cirrhotic patients with splenomegaly and severe hypersplenism were treated using the splenectomy & transabdominal azygo-portal disconnection and 19 patients with gallbladder stone were treated by classic colecistectomy, within which were excised and microbiologically investigated the mesenteric lymph nodes. The results suggest that the bacterial translocation in non-ascitic cirrhotic patients with splenomegaly and severe hypersplenism was 23,8 % cases comparative with 5,3% in colestomizated patients. Possible the immunosuppression determined by progressive hypersplenism present one the factor that predispose to bacterial translocation in this patients. Obiectivul studiului dat a constituit estimarea frecvenţei şi semnificaţiei clinice a transclocării bacteriene în nodulii limfatici mezenterici la bolnavii cirotici cu splenomegalie şi hiperseplenism sever. Un lot consecutiv de 21 pacienţi cirotici cu splenomegalie şi hipersplenism sever au fost trataţi prin splenectomie cu deconectare azygo-portală cît şi 19 bolnavi cu litiază biliară în cadrul căreea au fost excizaţi şi supuşi cercetărilor bacteriologice nodulii limfatici mesenterici. Rezultatele sugestă, că rata translocării bacteriene la pacientul cirotic non-ascitic cu splenomegalie şi hipersplenism sever a constituit 23,8 % cazuri comparativ cu 5,3% la bolnavii colecistectomizaţi. Probabil imunosupresia condiţionată de hipersplenismul progresant reprezintă un factor ce predispune către translocarea bacteriană la aceşti pacienţi

The reactivation of central limfocirculation by cervical decompresion of thoracic duct in treatment of cirrhotic patients with advanced ascites

LCŞ Hepatochirurgie, Clinica 2 Chirurgie „Sfânta Treime” a Catedrei Chirurgie nr.2, USMF “N. Testemiţanu”Managementul sindromului ascitic rămâne a fi una din problemele dificile ale tratamentului medico-chirurgical în ciroza hepatică. Acest fapt este determinat de cunoaşterea incompletă a mecanismelor de evoluţie a ascitei. Lucrarea dată are drept scop studierea rolului decompresiei ductului limfatic toracic în reactivarea limfocirculaţiei centrale în ascita cirogenă avansată şi ameliorarea tratamentului chirurgical.The management of ascites syndrome remains one of the difficult problems in medical & surgical therapies of liver cirrhosis. This is determined by the insufficient knowledge of ascites evolution mechanisms. This trial is meant to research the role of the decompression of the thoracic lymphatic duct in the reactivation of the central limfocirculation in decompensated ascites and amelioration of the surgical treatment

Using total water footprint of national consumption as sustainable development indicator: A critical review

In highly competitive and modern economies, water represents a determinant productive resource and using the water footprint (WF) as a possible indicator in assessing sustainable development is integrated in the overall framework of macroeconomic efficiency analysis. The main aim of this paper is to argue that water footprint could represent a proper indicator in analyzing the sustainable economic development. In this context the territorial distribution of water footprint across the 28 EU countries is analyzed in order to substantiate decisions and achieve sustainable economic development forecasts and strategies at European level. The results have led to the conclusion that, overall, the total water footprint of national consumption in the 28 EU Member States has a very low degree of concentration, therefore, tends towards uniformity. With regard to the three types of water footprint, the main characteristic outcome of the research is the low degree of concentration for gray and green water footprint, while blue water footprint proves a moderate degree of concentration

Introducing Semi-Interpenetrating Networks of Chitosan and Ammonium-Quaternary Polymers for the Effective Removal of Waterborne Pathogens from Wastewaters

The present work aims to study the influence of ammonium-quaternary monomers and chitosan, obtained from different sources, upon the effect of semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) hydrogels upon the removal of waterborne pathogens and bacteria from wastewater. To this end, the study was focused on using vinyl benzyl trimethylammonium chloride (VBTAC), a water-soluble monomer with known antibacterial properties, and mineral-enriched chitosan extracted from shrimp shells, to prepare the semi-IPNs. By using chitosan, which still contains the native minerals (mainly calcium carbonate), the study intends to justify that the stability and efficiency of the semi-IPN bactericidal devices can be modified and better improved. The new semi-IPNs were characterized for composition, thermal stability and morphology using well-known methods. Swelling degree (SD%) and the bactericidal effect assessed using molecular methods revealed that hydrogels made of chitosan derived from shrimp shell demonstrated the most competitive and promising potential for wastewater (WW) treatment.Introducing Semi-Interpenetrating Networks of Chitosan and Ammonium-Quaternary Polymers for the Effective Removal of Waterborne Pathogens from WastewaterspublishedVersio