The purpose of this study was to review the physicochemical characterization of Romanian honey and propolis and their antifungal effect on different strains. As an indicator of environmental pollution, lead exceeded the allowed limits in two study areas. The relationship between the acidity and electrical conductivity of polyfloral honey and the antioxidant activity with the total content of phenolics and flavonoids was investigated. The antifungal activity of 13 polyfloral honey and propolis samples from North-West and Central Romania and 12 samples from Alba County was investigated against six fungal strains: Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Candida albicans, Penicillium chrysogenum, Rhizopus stolonifer, Fusarium oxysporum. All honey and propolis samples exhibited an antifungal effect. The most sensitive strains were P. chrysogenum and R. stolonifer for honey and P. chrysogenum and F. oxisporumn for propolis. A two-way analysis of variance was used to evaluate the correlations between the diameter of the inhibition zones for the strains and the propolis extracts. Statistical analysis demonstrated that the diameter of the inhibition zone was influenced by the strain type and the geographical origin of honey and propolis. Pearson’s correlation coefficient shows a significant positive linear relationship between the diameter of the inhibition zone and the flavonoid and phenol concentration of honey and propolis, respectively.

The purification of used oils and their introduction into production cycles lead to reduction in environmental contamination. A simulation was conducted to study the thermal degradation of sunflower oil under varying temperatures over time. In the purification process of used cooking oil, an adsorption technique using zeolite and eggshell as an adsorbent (5, 10, 20, and 30 g/100 mL used oil) was applied. To optimize purification, different doses of thermally and chemically activated adsorbents were used, at different temperatures (30 and 80 °C). Therefore, this study was conducted in batch operations to determine the effect of suitable adsorption for a contact time of the adsorbent of 2 h. In comparison, the purification of used vegetable oils was achieved using a saline solution. The adsorption capacity was evaluated by determining the physicochemical parameters of the oils before and after purification. The characterization of natural adsorbents was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF). The results showed that the adsorbent in a dose of 30 g of zeolite activated with NaOH and heat-treated eggshell, respectively, exhibited a larger surface area and greater adsorption capacity. Adsorption increased with contact time. The FT-IR spectra of the oils showed the IR bands at 1097, 1160, and 1237, corresponding to the presence of the ester C-O-, 1743 for C=O ester, 2853, 2922 for (CH₂, CH₃), and 3008 for (C=C). The acidity and peroxide values decreased with increasing dose and contact time with zeolite or eggshell. Together, our result strongly suggests that natural adsorbents contribute to the purification of used oils.

(1) Background: Affective distress can be triggered by aggressive stimuli with an unfavorable role for the individual. Some of the factors that lead to the development and evolution of a mental disorder can be genetic. The aim of this study is to determine some correlations between the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes and the affective distress profile (PDA). (2) Methods: A psychological assessment and testing tool for anxiety was applied to 115 people. The low-resolution HLA alleles of class I (HLA-A, HLA-B, and HLA-C) and class II (HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1) were identified by the PCR technique after DNA extraction from the blood. Depending on the PDA, the subjects were divided into two groups: a group with a low PDA and another one with a medium and high PDA. The IBM SPSS software was used to compare the frequency of HLA alleles between the two groups. (3) Results: The univariate analysis revealed a significant association of the HLA-A locus (A*01, A*30), HLA-B (B*08), and HLA-DRB1 (DRB1*11) with the low PDA group and of the HLA-A locus (A*32), HLA-B (B*52), and HLA-C (C*12) with the medium and high PDA group. (4) Conclusions: The present study highlighted potential associations between HLA alleles and anxiety disorders.

Pollution caused by plastic materials has a great impact on the environment. The biodegradation process is a good treatment solution for common polymers and biodegradation susceptible ones. The present work introduces new insight into the biodegradation process from a mathematical point of view, as it envisions a new empirical model for this complex process. The model is an exponential function with two different time constants and a time delay, which follows the weight loss profile of the polymer during the biodegradation process. Moreover, this function can be generated as the output variable of a dynamic exogenous system described through state equations. The newly developed models displayed a good fit against the experimental data, as shown by statistical indicators. In addition, the new empirical model was compared to kinetics models available in the literature and the correlation coefficients were closest to 1 for the new empirical model in all discussed cases. The mathematical operations were performed in the MATLAB Simulink environment.

This paper presents a new risk assessment methodology called the Integrated Risk Framework (IRF) through the application of Ishikawa diagrams combined with the enhanced Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system. This risk investigation technique aims to ensure a significantly higher level of quality, safety, and sustainability in food products by using improved classical methods with strong intercorrelation capabilities. The methodology proposes expanding the typology of basic physical, chemical, and biological risks outlined by the ISO 22000 Food Safety Management System standard, adding other auxiliary risks such as allergens, fraud/sabotage, Kosher/Halal compliance, Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed notification, or additional specific risks such as irradiation, radioactivity, genetically modified organisms, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, African swine fever, peste of small ruminants, etc. depending on the specific technological process or ingredients. Simultaneously, it identifies causes for each operation in the technological flow based on the 5M diagram: Man, Method, Material, Machine, and Environment. For each identified risk and cause, its impact was determined according to its severity and likelihood of occurrence. The final effect is defined as the risk class, calculated as the arithmetic mean of the impact derived at each process stage based on the identified risks and causes. Within the study, the methodology was applied to the spring water bottling process. This provided a new perspective on analyzing the risk factors during the bottling operations by concurrently using Ishikawa diagrams and HACCP principles throughout the product’s technological flow. The results of the study can form new methodologies aimed at enhancing sustainable food safety management strategy. In risk assessment using these two tools, the possibility of cumulative or synergistic effects is considered, resulting in better control of all factors that may affect the manufacturing process. This new perspective on studying the dynamics of risk factor analysis through the simultaneous use of the fishbone diagram and the classical HACCP system can be extrapolated and applied to any manufacturing process in the food industry and beyond.