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Industrial evolution is the most important part of society's development. Technological advances have led to essential changes in the evolution of industries, leading to the appearance of the 4 industrial revolutions. It is also important to emphasize that the evolution of occupational health and safety regulations has always followed the revolutionary developments in the industry. Technological progress, innovation, change and streamlining of technology, products and processes, have had a number of real consequences (positive or negative) on the safety and health of workers. All this provided the impetus to identify and implement reliable and sustainable solutions to ensure their safety. The purpose of this study is to present a brief review of the characteristic elements of the 4 industrial revolutions that have taken place over the years and to identify and propose recommendations to be implemented to ensure (maintain or improve) safety and health of workers in the context of the transition to Industry 4.0 / Industry 5.0.

This article explores the integration of wood recycling and reuse practices within construction and reconstruction processes, as highlighted in a wood products questionnaire. The aim of this study is to understand how the Romanian consumers perceive the circular economy in order to adopt responsible consumption models. The working instrument consisted of a questionnaire. The questionnaire was applied to 60.7% urban respondents and 39.3% rural ones and consisted of 23 items. The response rate was 68.5% for certain items (257 responses). In the first part, the integration of wood recycling and reuse practices within construction and reconstruction processes is examined. Emerging recycling techniques and demolition processes, particularly incorporating reused, reconditioned, and recycled wood in the construction industry, are evaluated. The economic and environmental implications of these practices are also examined, contributing to the discussion of eco-design policies, and construction waste management and standards. In the second part, insights are provided into how Romanian consumers' knowledge of CE principles, information about product characteristics, and attitudes influence the demand for recycled wood products. The study concludes with recommendations for better promotion strategies of wood-based recycled products, aiming to increase awareness of its long-term environmental and socio-economic benefits. Additionally, it suggests the need for providing more information on the environmental benefits of wood-based recycled products, and for a more active engagement of stakeholders in the transition to a circular economy. The results serve as a basis for a better understanding of Romanian consumers' adoption of sustainable consumption behavior in agreement with circular economy concepts and SDGs. While the majority of respondents generally shows openness to an eco-friendly product, mere promotion of these principles may not suffice to change entrenched behaviors and purchasing habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodegradable metallic materials are gaining attention for medical applications in short-term implants (15–500 days) because of their good mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and generalized corrosion. Most medical applications involve implant wear processes, particularly for bone fractures. Parallelepipedic specimens (dimensions 50 mm × 10 mm × 3 mm) were obtained by cutting the hot-rolled material processed from cast ingots of ZnMgY. To test the tribological performance of these stationary specimens, they were placed at the upper point of the machine's tribological contact. The rotating lower disk of the AMSLER machine (AMSLER & Co., Schaffhouse, Switzerland) is manufactured from AISI 52100 bearing steel with a 62–65 HRC hardness and a diameter of 59 mm both radially and axially. Frictional torque is the parameter that is measured. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) were used to analyze the worn areas. The material behavior in the normal and wear states upon immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) was evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the principles of sustainable development are being implemented in almost all economy sectors whereas one of the key drivers of the transition to a new concept is higher education system also. The inclusion of special academic disciplines on sustainable development, the implementation of environmental protection measures, financial support for research in the field of environmental sciences, campuses landscape – all these stimulates the process of transition to a concept of sustainable development. In addition, higher education makes it possible to form an ecological worldview among the younger generation that is an effective tool in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). University graduates who understand the need to achieve the SDGs and provide environmental protection, lead an eco-friendlier lifestyle and pass on the knowledge they have gained to their children or other family members. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between the involved activity of universities in the field of sustainable development and the implementation of large-scale government programs to achieve environmental sustainability. The study will examine the experience of Eu and non-EU universities and state environmental protection programs. The results obtained allow us to conclude about the correlation between educational activities in the higher education system and achievements at the state level of environmental sustainability.

Global annual extraction has increased due to market demand. It is anticipated that this aspect will continue in the future. The mining industry is one of the important industries at national level. It also anticipates certain aspects of sustainability that must be seriously evaluated. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate mine waste reuse, pollution, and recycling in mining industries. At the same time, mining operations are evaluated to carry out a review of the implications for sustainability. In order to achieve the research aspects, a qualitative evaluation and a semi-quantitative evaluation of some data series are used. For the entire research approach, the objectives of sustainable development and its principles are used. At the same time, the results emphasize the importance of the existence of an efficient waste and pollution management.

Biosurfactants are surface-active compounds synthesized by microorganisms as secondary metabolites with important applications in medicine, cosmetics, food, oil, agriculture, and the pharmaceutical industries. In the present study, the Pseudomonas fluorescens ICCF 392 strain was screened to determine its ability to produce extracellular biosurfactants. The strain was cultivated on M44 liquid medium (5% (v/v) glycerol as a carbon source) and also, on M44 modified medium (by replacing the glycerol as a carbon source with 5% (v/v) waste cooking oil). The supernatants obtained at the end of the bioprocesses were evaluated, to confirm the ability of the strain in biosurfactant production, using the drop collaps method, oil spreading technique, and emulsification activity determination (E24). The best results were obtained in the case of the M44 liquid medium. The partially purified bioactive compounds were analyzed by the TLC method, which indicated the nature of the biosurfactants produced as rhamnolipids. Therefore, our results showed that the Pseudomonas fluorescens ICCF 392 strain was efficient in biosurfactant production, using glycerol or waste cooking oil as carbon sources in the biosynthesis process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Organizational skill is a transversal competence, which is formed through concrete life experiences. On the labour market, organizations want high-performing employees with developed organizational skills. The approach of training the organizational competence is inductive, starting from personal life, competence formed through voluntary exercise, and continuing by practicing and improving it during school life and at work, through ways offered by academic education and management, but also through organizational skill management. This paper aims to analyse the concept of organizational skill, from the perspective of mental mechanisms involved in its formation, as well as human resource management strategies, applied at the level of university education. Approaching the organizational skill from both perspectives, the competence will lead to a new lifestyle and workstyle oriented towards performance and success. The level of organizational skill of students was analysed, based on a questionnaire to assess organizational competence and a practical test of organization. Following the analysis of the results, it was observed that a small number of young people are very well organized, and their resistance to change is quite high. Finally, the study offers possible school management strategies for training and developing organizational skills, leading to a successful lifestyle and work.

This study provides a comprehensive view of the research field of construction and demolition waste (CDW) management in the circular economy based on a literature review. The increased intensity of interest is due to the need to create frameworks, mechanisms, and tools for the process of mind-shifting towards circularity. Research topics, researched life cycle stages, strategies for CDW management, sustainability assessment, building stock quantification, assessment tools and forecast methods, materials with CDW content, waste treatment solutions, and the barriers and drivers for efficient waste management in the construction industry are identified as the main concerns in the analyzed research field. The results show that a major concern in the academic field directs research to the path of innovative strategy elaboration, identifying the enablers and barriers in CDW management, computational tool creation for design and assessment, building stock modeling, and circular building material development. The environmental approach prevails, leaving economic and social assessments in CDW management uncovered. Although stakeholders' involvement is stressed in most cases, strategies for awareness-raising and education for a sustainable circular activity in the field are lacking. The circularity of CDW management being a multifaceted and multi-disciplinary complex challenge, it is approached on different levels. This study introduces the novelty of structuring the trends of existing knowledge in a holistic view, identifying the research directions, dimensions, specific aspects, and instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]