The issue of drug disposal, as well as the development and implementation of efficient collection strategies, represents an important concern at the highest European level. This research looks into the factors that could have an impact on the efficiency of pharmacies in collecting and disposing the medicinal waste of the population. There were 521 pharmacists from all over the country who filled in a questionnaire on their opinion/attitude related to the system of collecting and disposing the pharmaceutical waste of the population. Of the surveyed pharmacists, 16% work in pharmacies that do not collect unused/expired drugs from the population, and nearly 33% of those investigated have refused, at least once, to take the unused medicines from the people. Pharmacists' most important reasons for refusing to collect the pharmaceutical waste were the lack of procedure, incomplete legislation, exceeding the amount contracted with the operators, and high costs. Results show that pharmacies in Romania face several deficiencies in the pharmaceutical waste collection services. The lack of implemented programs has contributed considerably to lower standards of pharmaceutical waste management in Romania. This study is the first research on this topic in Romania, a country where the management of drug-based waste generated by the population is at the beginning. The results shown in this survey can provide a reference point for competent authorities in developing and implementing a take-back program for waste medicine whose efficiency is superior to the existing ones.

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is the most common form of osteoporosis and one of the major public health problems in developed countries. The prevalence of this condition, associated with the physiological stage of menopause, is continuously increasing. This study evaluated the effectiveness of soy isoflavones as compared to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in low doses, on the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis, by determining bone mineral density (BMD) and urinary deoxypyridinoline (D-pyr) in physiological postmenopausal women. The study was conducted over a period of 12 months, on three parallel groups, which included a total of 325 postmenopausal women (HRT group: n = 95; phytoestrogens group: n = 124; control group: n = 106). At the one-year evaluation, we observed T-score normalization in a small number of cases (5.26%, 2.42% and 0.00%, respectively). The average values of D-Pyr decreased by 11.38% in the group treated with phytoestrogens (p < 0.05) and by 15.32% in the group that followed HRT (p < 0.05); it increased by 4.38% in the control group (p > 0.05). Both therapies have beneficial effects on bone metabolism, leading to a significant decrease in the evolution of bone resorption and there are no major differences between the efficacy of HRT and phytoestrogens in terms of the effects on BMD and bone resorption.

Soil enzymes activities have been considered as sensitive indicators of alteration soil quality by management. In order to obtain new data on the soil enzymological effects of soil management practices, we have determined some enzymatic activities in a preluvosoil submitted to a complex tillage and crop rotation experiment at the Agricultural Research and Development Station in Oradea (Bihor County). Actual and potential dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase and catalase activities were investigated in a split plot experiment where tillage (no-till and conventional tillage) was the main plot and crop rotation (Wheat/Maize, W/M; Soybean/Maize, S/M; Oats-Clover/maize, O-C/M) was the subplot. Soil samples were taken at 0-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm. Each activity in both non-tilled and conventionally tilled soil under maize crop decreased with increasing sampling depth. It was found that no-till, in comparison with conventional tillage, resulted in insignificantly higher (p]0.10) soil enzymatic activities in the 0-20 cm layer and insignificantly (at least at p]0.10) lower activities in the deeper layers, excepting actual and potential dehydrogenase activities in the 40-60 cm layer, in which these activities were significantly lower(0.02]p]0.01). Based on the absolute values of the enzymatic activities, the enzymatic indicator of soil quality (EISQ) was calculated. The EISQ values ranged between 0.201 and 0.974 indicating the presence of high enzymatic activities in the upper layer and a moderate intensity of the enzymatic activities in the deeper layers. A significant correlation between soil enzyme activities and physical and chemical indicators was established.

Stroke is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, as well as a source of long-term disabilities and huge socioeconomic costs. This study investigates the effects of resveratrol, an antioxidant supplement, on blood pressure, weight status, glucose, and lipid profile in patients who had a stroke in the last 12 months. Two hundred and twenty-eight patients were divided into three groups: group I received only allopathic treatment (control group), while groups II and III received allopathic treatment with a daily supplementation of oral resveratrol (100 and 200 mg, resp.) for 12 months. In all groups, the changes of the studied parameters were monitored at 6 and 12 months from the initial evaluation. In groups II and III, resveratrol induced significant changes (p < 0.05) in the blood pressure, body mass index, as well as all parameters of the lipid profile, and glucose (in nondiabetic patients), compared to the control group. The supplementation of the allopathic treatment with resveratrol had a beneficial effect on all monitored parameters, which serve as major risk factors for stroke.

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