Publications by authors named "Popovici V"

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected tropical parasitic disease linked with significant social and economic burdens worldwide. The scientific community has minimal information on echinococcosis in Romanian people, and hospital medical records are the only sources that may be used to investigate its status. A 7-year retrospective clinical study on pediatric patients with CE from Southeast Romania was performed, and 39 children and adolescents were included, aged 2-15 years old.

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(1) Background: A sustainable healthy diet assures human well-being in all life stages, protects environmental resources, and preserves biodiversity. This work investigates the sociodemographic factors, knowledge, trust, and motivations involved in organic food acquisition behavior. (2) Methods: An online survey via Google Forms platform, with 316 respondents, was conducted from 1 March to 31 May 2024.

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Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are vital dietary elements that play a significant role in human nutrition. They are highly regarded for their positive contributions to overall health and well-being. Beyond the fact that they provide a substantial supply of energy to the body (a role that saturated fats can also perform), these unsaturated fatty acids and, especially, the essential ones are involved in cell membrane structure, blood pressure regulation, and coagulation; participate in the proper functioning of the immune system and assimilation of fat-soluble vitamins; influence the synthesis of pro- and anti-inflammatory substances; and protect the cardiovascular system.

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Oral cancer contributes to approximately 3-10% of all cancer mortality worldwide, and its incidence is continuously increasing due to environmental conditions and harmful habits of the modern lifestyle [...

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Tumor heterogeneity results in aggressive cancer phenotypes with acquired resistance. However, combining chemical treatment with adjuvant therapies that cause cellular structure and function perturbations may diminish the ability of cancer cells to resist at chemical treatment and lead to a less aggressive cancer phenotype. Applied treatments on prostate hyperplasia primary cell cultures exerted their antitumor activities through mechanisms including cell cycle blockage, oxidative stress, and cell death induction by flow cytometry methods.

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Article Synopsis
  • Food waste in Romania amounts to 70 kg per person annually, with public catering, retail services, and households contributing to over 50% of it. This study explores the socio-demographic factors and behaviors related to food waste in Romanian households.
  • An online questionnaire collected data on various factors, including demographics, food purchasing habits, sources of waste, awareness of food waste impact, and intentions for sustainable practices. It was conducted over a month in 2023.
  • Findings indicate that food waste is frequently reported by 15% of respondents, primarily among those aged 35-44. Homemade food, bread, and fruits are the most wasted items, and increased involvement in food management can reduce waste,
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This study evaluated the impact of the encapsulation of sea buckthorn and grape pomace extracts in liposomal formulations on the retention and release of bioactive compounds and their antioxidant activity. The profile and composition of lipophilic extracts of sea buckthorn and hydrophilic extracts of grape pomace were analyzed. Encapsulation efficiency, retention rate, and the content of bioactive compounds encapsulated in liposomal formulations prepared in two media-water and ethanol-were evaluated.

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We conducted an epidemiological non-interventional cross-sectional and case-control study from 1 January 2023 until 26 May 2023 in Oltenia region, southwestern Romania. Throughout the research, 160 consecutive patients were included from two different clinical departments (1-Pneumology; 2-Diabetes and Nutritional Diseases). Subjects were voluntary adult individuals of any gender who expressed their written consent.

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The present study aims to evaluate the antibacterial activity of five commercially available essential oils (EOs), Lavender (LEO), Clove (CEO), Oregano (OEO), Eucalyptus (EEO), and Peppermint (PEO), against the most-known MDR Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria- (ATCC 25923), (ATCC 25922), and (ATCC 27853)-alone and in various combinations. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis established their complex compositions. Then, their antibacterial activity-expressed as the inhibition zone diameter (IZD) value (mm)-was investigated in vitro by the diffusimetric antibiogram method, using sterile cellulose discs with Ø 6 mm impregnated with 10 µL of sample and sterile borosilicate glass cylinders loaded with 100 µL; the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value (µg/mL) for each EO was calculated from the IZD values (mm) measured after 24 h.

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Background: The pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus demonstrated the importance of prevention through a healthy diet and lifestyle, the most vulnerable people being those with severe chronic conditions, those who are overweight, and those with an unbalanced immune system. This study aims to examine the nutritional status and lifestyle behaviors of the Romanian population.

Methods: The evaluation of the eating habits and lifestyle of the Romanian population in the post-pandemic period was carried out based on a cross-sectional observational study with the help of a questionnaire.

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(L.) has remarkable ethnopharmacological properties and is widely used in traditional medicine. The present study investigated stem bark (Berberidis cortex) by extraction with 50% ethanol.

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Stage II colon cancer (CC) encompasses a heterogeneous group of patients with diverse survival experiences: 87% to 58% 5-year relative survival rates for stages IIA and IIC, respectively. While stage IIA patients are usually spared the adjuvant chemotherapy, some of them relapse and may benefit from it; thus, their timely identification is crucial. Current gene expression signatures did not specifically target this group nor did they find their place in clinical practice.

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(L.) is one of the essential spices most frequently used in our daily routine and has remarkable ethnobotanical and pharmacological properties. Its fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and numerous other phenolic metabolites with a well-known antioxidant activity.

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Article Synopsis
  • * SGLT-2 inhibitors have shown significant benefits in T1DM patients, including improved glycemic control, reduced insulin requirements, and better weight management, but they also come with risks like increased occurrences of Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA).
  • * The review emphasizes the need for further research on SGLT-2 inhibitors and their potential use alongside automated insulin delivery systems to enhance treatment outcomes for T1DM patients. *
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Heterogeneity of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) represents a major hurdle towards personalized medicine. Efforts based on whole tumor profiling demonstrated that the CRC molecular subtypes were associated with specific tumor morphological patterns representing tumor subregions. We hypothesize that whole-tumor molecular descriptors depend on the morphological heterogeneity with significant impact on current molecular predictors.

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Endothelial dysfunction is the basis of the physiopathological mechanisms of vascular diseases. In addition to the therapeutic activity of plant extracts, cytotoxicity is significant. This research evaluates the cytotoxicity of three vegetal extracts ( extract-CE, extract-GE, and extract-SE).

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Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects millions of people and generates high healthcare costs due to frequent complications when inappropriately managed. Our paper aimed to review the latest technologies used in T1DM management for better glycemic control and their impact on daily life for people with diabetes. Continuous glucose monitoring systems provide a better understanding of daily glycemic variations for children and adults and can be easily used.

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Oxidative stress is the most critical factor in multiple functional disorders' development, and natural antioxidants could protect the human body against it. Our study aims to investigate the polyphenol content of four extracts of two medicinal plants ( L. and L.

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Essential oils (EOs) have gained economic importance due to their biological activities, and increasing amounts are demanded everywhere. However, substantial differences between the same essential oil samples from different suppliers are reported-concerning their chemical composition and bioactivities-due to numerous companies involved in EOs production and the continuous development of online sales. The present study investigates the antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of two to four samples of five commercially available essential oils (Oregano, Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Clove, and Peppermint oils) produced by autochthonous companies.

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Sunflower oil () contains a rich concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are susceptible to rapid oxidative processes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the stabilizing effect of lipophilic extracts from two types of berries, sea buckthorn and rose hips, on sunflower oil. This research included the analysis of sunflower oil oxidation products and mechanisms, including the determination of chemical changes occurring in the lipid oxidation process via LC-MS/MS using electrospray ionization in negative and positive mode.

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The treatment and interdisciplinary management of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) continue to improve long-term outcomes. The medical nutrition intervention's role is to establish a healthy diet plan for kidney protection, reach blood pressure and blood glucose goals, and prevent or delay health problems caused by kidney disease. Our study aims to report the effects of medical nutrition therapy-substituting foods rich in phosphorus-containing additives with ones low in phosphates content on phosphatemia and phosphate binders drug prescription in stage 5 CKD patients with hemodialysis.

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Integration of multi- data can provide a more complex view of the biological system consisting of different interconnected molecular components. We present a new comprehensive R/Bioconductor-package, IntOMICS, which implements a Bayesian framework for multi- data integration. IntOMICS adopts a Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling scheme to systematically analyze gene expression, copy number variation, DNA methylation, and biological prior knowledge to infer regulatory networks.

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Oxidative stress is associated with aging, cancers, and numerous metabolic and chronic disorders, and phenolic compounds are well known for their health-promoting role due to their free-radical scavenging activity. These phytochemicals could also exhibit pro-oxidant effects. Due to its bioactive phenolic secondary metabolites, (L.

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Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most frequent oral malignancy, with a high death rate and an inadequate response to conventional chemotherapeutic drugs. Medical research explores plant extracts' properties to obtain potential nanomaterial-based anticancer drugs. The present study aims to formulate, develop, and characterize mucoadhesive oral films loaded with (L.

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Medical research explores plant extracts' properties to obtain potential anticancer drugs. The present study aims to formulate, develop, and characterize the bioadhesive oral films containing (L.) dry ethanol extract (F-UBE-HPC) and to investigate their anticancer potential for possible use in oral cancer therapy.

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