No abstract

The goat flock in our country is steadily increasing, so that if 1072013 animals were reported in 2007, they were 1804478 in December 2016 that reflecting the growing interest of breeders for this species. This paper aims to highlight the dynamics of infectious pathology in the goat population in the Northeast region of Romania during 2014-2017, the factors that led to the emergence of diseases, as well as the prevention and control measures. The most common diseases are those of the respiratory, digestive, reproductive and locomotors apparatus produced by infectious pathogens such as Pasteurella spp., Artrithis Encephalitis Virus, Orf Virus, Mycoplasma agalactiae, Dichelobacter nodosus and Fusobacterium necrophorum. Research has led to establishment of the prevalence of infectious diseases in goats, so the results show that the most affected breeds are specialized breeds: Saanen and French Alpine, kids being more sensitive compared to adult animals. Knowledge of the epidemiological situation is the basis for proposing specific control and / or prevention plans that allow the design, management and evaluation of goat health programs.

Biodegradable alloys in Mg have the advantages of traditional metallic materials and those of biodegradable polymers with superior strength, lower density and ideal rigidity for fixing bone fractures. The biocompatibility and biodegradability of the five concentrations of Mg-0.5Ca-xZr alloys used were assessed using clinical and laboratory examinations that followed over time: tissue reaction, histological and imaging (RX, CT and SEM) evolution at 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks after implant. The main purpose of this study was to investigate in vivo the long-term effect of Mg-0.5Ca-xZr alloys in rats. The results confirmed that Mg-0.5Ca-xZr alloys are biocompatible and biodegradable and are recommended to be used as possible materials for new orthopedics devices.

Caprine arthritis encephalitis is an important disease of dairy goats with a worldwide distribution. Despite the eradication programs, this disease is still prevalent and causing huge financial losses due to reduced lactation performance and culling. The aim of this study was to reveal the presence of CAEV antibodies among a goat population from the North-Eastern of Romania. During 2014-2016, a total of 295 blood samples were collected from healthy or diseased animals. The serum samples were tested for CAEV antibodies detection, using the agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test. Within the 295 serum samples tested by AGID technique, 31.86% were confirmed as being positive. All positive samples came from subjects without clinical signs of disease. The results obtained in this preliminary study; show that CAEV is present in French Alpine goats breed within a farm in North-Eastern of Romania.

Purpose:The main goal of this study is to explore the influence of cultural distance on migration flows in EU to see if there is a model/pattern of general behavior in this regard. Given the exploratory goal of this paper, the paper is focusing on the Romanian case, being the first one in a subsequent series of studies applied to all EU countries. Design/Methodology/Approach: Employing World Bank data for the decades between 1960 and 2000 and a cultural distance based on the six cultural dimensions' model developed by Hofstede, a SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) methodology is applied using Smart-PLS software. Findings: The results confirm a negative significant correlation between cultural distance and migration flows, suggesting that when cultural distance is increasing, migration flows decrease. Practical Implications: The research has two management implications: firstly, the findings demonstrate that culture is crucial in decision-making and, acknowledging this fact, leads to better solutions to migration problems between various EU countries. Moreover, this research indicates that studying only the economic aspects of migration is not sufficient; there is also a need to grasp the complexity of cultural aspects. In this regard, culture is a powerful resource and can be instrumental in finding proper strategies to migration crisis and conflict management. Originality/Value: The present research adds valuable input to the exiting literature due to several reasons: firstly, is focusing on an Eastern European country with a communist past and with an interesting democratic evolution. Secondly, most of the studies regarding the Romanian migration focuses mainly on its flows to specific countries, such as Italy, Spain, and Germany. Thirdly, this research demonstrates that culture really shapes human actions and it points out that human flows are part of an important cultural assimilation process.

In this paper, a novel biocompatible alloy defined as FeMoTaTiZr was obtained and functionalized by hydroxyapatite-based coatings (HAP) in order to increase their biocompatibility, bioactivity, and resistance to corrosion for to be used as bone implants. To obtain the surface with antibacterial properties, the HAP coatings were doped with small amount of Zn. The alloy was prepared using the VAR (Vacuum Arc Remelting) equipment, while the coatings by RF magnetron sputtering method. The EDS analysis confirmed the presence of Ca and P in the case of all developed coatings, having Ca/P or Ca/(P+Zn) ratio of about 1.70 and 1.66, respectively. The XRD and ATR-FTIR investigations confirmed the presence of calcium phosphate phases. The roughness of uncoated substrates increased after coating with HAP, and it was considerably increased by the Zn addition. The electrochemical tests showed that the un-doped HAP exhibited good corrosion behavior, while Zn doped HAP coatings have a high dissolution rate in fetal bovine serum, being more proper as a biodegradable material.

Abstract

The medical field has undergone constant development in recent years, and a segment of this development is occupied by biodegradable alloys. The most common alloys in this field are those based on Mg, their main advantage being the ability to degrade gradually, without affecting the patient, and also their ability to be fully absorbed by the human body. One of their most important conditions is the regeneration and replacement of human tissue. Tissue can be engineered in different ways, one being tissue regeneration in vivo, which can serve as a template. In vivo remodeling aims to restore tissue or organs. The key processes of tissue formation and maturation are: proliferation (sorting and differentiation of cells), proliferation and organization of the extracellular matrix, biodegradation of the scaffold-remodeling, and potential tissue growth. In the present paper, the design of the alloys in the Mg-Ca-Y system is formed from the beginning using high-purity components, Mg-98.5%, master-alloys: Mg-Y (70 wt.%–30 wt.%) and Mg-Ca (85 wt.%–15 wt.%). After 8 weeks of implantation, the degradation of the implanted material is observed, and only small remaining fragments are found. At the site of implantation, no inflammatory reaction is observed, but it is observed that the process of integration and reabsorption, over time, accentuates the prosaic surface of the material. The aim of the work is to test the biocompatibility of magnesium-based alloys on laboratory rats in order to use these alloys in medical applications. The innovative parts of these analyses are the chemical composition of the alloys used and the tests performed on laboratory animals.