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In this study, the potential value of dried grape pomace (whole, seed, and skin) obtained from Fetească Neagră (FN) and Tămâioasă Românească (TR) as a source of secondary metabolites was evaluated following hydroethanolic extraction. The total polyphenol, flavonoid, and anthocyanin contents of FN and TR extracts have been determined, along with their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The investigation of seeds and the whole pomace FN extracts revealed higher levels of polyphenol, flavonoid, and anthocyanin content in comparison to those extracted from TR. Fifteen polyphenolic compounds were identified through ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) analysis. The most abundant concentrations of catechin and epicatechin were detected in seed and whole pomace extracts derived from both Romanian grape varieties. The antioxidant activity was higher in the whole pomace and skin extracts derived from FN than those derived from TR. The antimicrobial evaluation demonstrated that 15 out of 18 reference pathogenic bacteria exhibited low MIC and MBC values, indicating a strong antibacterial activity of FN and TR extracts. No anti-Candida activity was observed. It can be reasonably deduced that the Fetească Neagră and Tămâioasă Românească by-products represent a sustainable resource for the development of new functional ingredients for the pharmaceutical and food industries, in alignment with the principles of the circular bioeconomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current sustainability challenges and the systemic transformation required highlight the need for innovations at multiple levels. The global regulatory framework is driving new environmental design methods and practices. At the European level, based on the European Green Deal, the 8th Environment Action Program (EAP) entered into force on 2 May 2022 as the EU's legally agreed common agenda for environmental policy up to 2030. The EAP forms the EU's basis for achieving the United Nations' 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. In 2020, the European Commission adopted a new Circular Economy Action Plan, which provides measures throughout the product life cycle and aims to prepare the European economy for a green future and strengthen competitiveness, while protecting the environment and giving new rights to consumers. In 2023, the European Council adopted its position on the proposal for a regulation establishing a framework for the stability of eco-design requirements for sustainable products. The automotive industry is trying to cope with these regulations and at the same time to remain competitive in terms of costs. Also, it is a landmark in forming sectoral models of eco-innovation and eco-design due to its role in modern societies, positively as the main choice of transport but negatively in terms of environmental damage and the intensive use of non-renewable resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correction of the biomechanics of human movements is an extremely important activity both for the civilian environment (in which we include: domestic, lucrative activities and those related to sports training) and for the military, as this allows the optimization of neuromuscular control and also the increase of the efficacy of physical and mental resources allocation, in humans. This fact leads to a reduction of the injury risks, to the correction of certain anatomical-functional deficiencies/limitations and last but not least, it allows the improvement of the individual's quality of life. The non-invasive character of certain biomechanical analyses gives them a privileged status because the degree of intrusion and discomfort endured by the human subject subjected to the analysis is minimal, a fact that allows a better interaction with him in terms of he's availability of physical and mental involvement. From the category of these non-invasive systems for biomechanical analysis of motion, as well as of posture, the most used (due to their facilities) are video and inertial ones. They allow qualitative/quantitative evaluations of posture (static determinations) and/or human motion (dynamic determinations). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the real-time obstacle avoidance problem in electric tractor operation, an improved dynamic window approach (DWA) based on optimal energy consumption is proposed for electric tractor obstacle avoidance. Firstly, energy consumption model of tractor is established based on the transmission system of electric tractor, then energy consumption evaluation sub-function is introduced to improve the evaluation function of original DWA algorithm, and finally, the trajectory is evaluated and the optimal solution of the trajectory is determined by using new evaluation function. Based on the kinematics model of YL254ET electric tractor in Yancheng Yueda, a model predictive controller is designed. The obstacle avoidance planning and tracking control of electric tractor are simulated jointly on Simulink and CarSim simulation platform. Finally, the obstacle avoidance planning test is carried out. The simulation and experimental results show that after the algorithm improvement, the energy consumption of electric tractors is reduced, the generated path is smoother, and the lateral error is smaller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botrytis cinerea, is a necrotrophic fungus that causes gray mold on fruits and vegetables. This mold ranked second in the list of the top ten fungal pathogens. The aim of this study was to develop a system for rapid and accurate identification and quantification of B. cinerea on fresh raspberry by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and a comparison was made between traditional methods (cell culture) and molecular tool. Raspberry samples were purchased from the local supermarkets. Raspberry diluted samples were cultivated on Dichloran Rose Bengal Chloramphenicol agar selective medium used for the growth of mold, then DNA was extracted from the same samples and qPCR was done. In classical methods (cell culture) the result was negative (no fungal colony growth). By the qPCR technique, B. cinerea was detected in two out of the three samples. In qPCR technology, the test proved to be selective, rapid and sensitive and can be used for the diagnosis of B. cinerea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of biochemical transformation and microbiological contamination that can occur during storing and commercialization, freshly picked fruits and vegetables tend to be very perishable products, thus having a shortened shelf life. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are microorganisms that play a crucial role in a wide variety of fermentation processes. Using microorganisms Generally recognized as safe (GRAS), LAB, including their metabolites, is proven to be a promising alternative of food preservation by respecting food safety measures in a natural way. Such metabolites produced and released by probiotic lactic bacteria strains are known as postbiotics. Vegetables and fruits can benefit from the antagonistic activity of postbiotics due to their content of bioactive products, such as short-chain fatty acids, antimicrobial peptides, organic acids, carbohydrates, vitamins and enzymes. This review is focused on the advances of the sustainable biopreservation products to extend the shelf life of perishable fruits and leafy vegetables, by the use of synergic postbiotics from LAB strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of the double digital and climate transition is imposed by the realities we are going through. At the European level, this double transition is carefully planned and monitored. The automotive industry is part of the category of the main contributors to economic growth, to the increase in the standard of living, but it is also responsible for the generation of a large amount of waste. Car manufacturers invest around a third of EU spending on research and development, specifically to boost vehicle circularity, taking better account of the increasing complexities and specificities of vehicles, including longevity, durability and repairability. Digitization was quickly introduced by the major car manufacturers, but also by the other actors in the value chain associated with the automotive industry in order to improve their operational efficiency. The article addresses the relevance of a synergy between the Circular Economy - part of ensuring sustainability requirements - and the rapid technological developments manifested in the automotive industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural soils from Romania contain on an average about 15-68 ppm boron and the mobile boron quantity varies between 0,1-0,8 ppm (4). They were noticed Folibor and Borcomplex products in a 5 liters/ha quantity applied in two treatments, which determined the obtaining of some production increases statistically ensured in those two years at the onion from chive crop. Fertilization with the Borcomplex product in a 5 l/ha application dose, determined a production increase at the surface unity, even in the case of very big fluctuations of climatic conditions from one year to the other, the production increases being of 5,375 t/ha in the year 2006 and 6, 575 t/ha in the year 2007. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a study of health benefits of resveratrol and anthocyanins in grapes. The study used modern methods to determine the poliphenolic compounds, like spectrofotometrical method for anthocyanins and HPLC method for resveratrol with ethyl acetate. It observed that the increasing of anthocyanins content is developed at once with the decreasing of resveratrol content.

The experiment was conducted at SCDA Simnic in the year 2006 on a brown reddish reach in clay type of soil with 1,5-1,8 % humus and a 5,6 pH. As biological material Brocor line was used, characterized through a great production potential and high protein content (45,39% average in the years 2005-2006, 51,5% at plants bacterized with Rizoborm). It was studied the effect of boron based fertilizers through the application into vegetation of two treatments with a 51/ha dose, the first one in the 4-6 leaves stage and the second one at 15 days distance from the first application. Variants of the experiment: V1 = water sprinkled Control V2 = Cupribor-fructose V3 = Cupribor-sorbitol V4 = Borcomplex Boron based fertilizers applied into vegetation determine the drop of protein concentration into grain, not so much through the drop of the accumulated nitrogen quantity, but especially through the increase of the accumulated biomass (through the dilution process). Boron based compounds determine significant grain and protein production increases, (Table 1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses an important problem in the industry, that of automation precision measurement and control processes. These are the sealing systems of certain products, such as pistons, valves, syringes, housings, etc. In the automotive industry, the majority the housings are made of cast aluminum. Indeed, cast aluminium transmission housings and pistons have been used in cars and trucks and nowadays castings account for more than 50% of the aluminium used in cars. The casting operation presents the risk of inclusions which may occur due to leakage. These can cause major problems during operation. Because it is very important to check the tightness. There are at least two methods of checking a tightness: Air-water microleakage measurement, where the operating space is water and the check is air; Air-to-air microleakage measurement where both the operating space and the agent of verification are air. In the first type of air-water machines, verification is done by visual inspection of the presence of bubbles. In the second type, the check is carried out with special equipment for microleakage measurement. The air operated electronic device is designed for fracture detection using pneumatically actuated microleakage measurement for walls of a work pieces. It is used in industry, especially in the automotive industry, for presence detection of fractures in castings from high productivity production units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a complex mechatronic equipment which can perform predefined sequential motion cycles. The equipment comprises two parts: an automation panel and a pneumatic assembly. The Master Control Unit of the automation panel is programmed to run a specific software application that ensures the proper fulfilment of the motion cycles. The MCU is connected to a Radio Frequency transceiver and could be easily connected to IoT and/or LAN using a wired network controller. The input data has the following sources: the remote RF sensors' data, the position of the proximity sensors (placed on the pneumatic cylinders), the numerical codes transmitted by the IR remote control and/or by IoT connection and the current motion cycle's settings. The output data consists of digital output signals (send both to the solenoid valves for actuators through relays and to the status lamps) and text messages written onto a LCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]