Ioana Pop

Is there a Connection among Environmental and Financial Performance of a Company in Developing Countries? Evidence from Romania.☆

Abstract This paper analyzes the existence of a connection among corporate environmental performance and financial position and performance of a company in developing countries such as Romania. This paper mainly aims at assessing if obtaining environmental performance influences the costs, the revenues and the profitability of a company. Does better environmental performance increase the profitability or the rates of return of the company? Does better environmental performance determine the growth of revenues or the decrease of costs? In order to respond to the above questions we used a panel of Romanian economic entities for a time period of 6 years starting from 2005 until 2010. The results show we can’t establish a significant link between the two dimensions studied. The result of the study is confirmed by the literature review, which revealed that in developing countries were not demonstrated significant links between studied indicators unlike mature economies where was evidenced a positive or a negative correlation.

Effects of sleeve gastrectomy on insulin resistance

Background and aim Obesity is a major risk factor for the onset of insulin resistance (IR), hyperinsulinemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) Evidence data has proven that beyond important weight loss bariatric surgery especially Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and bilio-pancreatic diversion (BPD) leads to significant early reduction of insulinemia and of IR calculated through the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR), independently of fat mass decrease. Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is now used as a sole weight loss operation with good results. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the early changes of fasting blood glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR in a group of morbidly obese (MO) patients i.e. at 7, 30 and 90 days after SG. Methods The study included 20 MO patients (7 male and 13 female) submitted to SG. Anthropometrical (weight, body mass index –BMI, percent excess BMI loss -%EBMIL) and biochemical (plasma glucose, insulin and calculated HOMA-IR ) evaluation were performed before and at 7, 30 and 90 days after SG. In addition, a second group of 10 normal weight healthy subjects with a BMI ranging form 19 kg/m2 to 23.14 kg/m2, matched for age and gender was investigated. Results Plasma glucose (p=0.018), insulin (p=0.004) and HOMA-IR (p=0.006) values were statistically different between the studied groups. After surgery, at every follow-up point, there were statistically different weight and BMI mean values relative to the operation day (p<0.003). BMI, decreased at 7 days (estimated reduction=2.79; 95% CI:[2.12;3.45]), at 30 days (estimated reduction=5.65; 95% CI:[3.57;7.73]) and at 90 days (estimated reduction=10.88; 95% CI:[7.35;14.41]) respectively after SG. We noted a tendency toward statistical significant change of mean insulin values at 7 days after surgery (corrected p=0.075), no statistical change at 30 days (corrected p=0.327) and a significant change at 90 days (corrected p=0.027) after SG as compared to baseline. There was a significant change in mean values of HOMA-IR at 30 days (corrected p=0.009) and at 90 days (corrected p=0.021) after the operation day. Conclusions The present study showed important early changes consisting in reductions of mean values of plasma insulin and HOMA-IR after SG.

Chemerin, Inflammatory, and Nitrooxidative Stress Marker Changes Six Months after Sleeve Gastrectomy

Background Chemerin is a chemokine known to be increased in morbidly obese (MO) patients and correlated with markers of inflammation and nitrooxidative stress. We aimed to evaluate the changes of serum chemerin six months after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and to asses if these changes are accompanied by variations of inflammatory and nitrooxidative stress markers. Material and Methods We investigated the levels of chemerin, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), nitrite and nitrate (NOx), total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant response (TAR), and oxidative stress index (OSI) in a group of 24 MO patients submitted to SG before and six months after surgery. The MO group was compared with 20 controls. Results hsCRP (p < 0.001), NOx (p < 0.001), TOS (p < 0.001), TAR (p = 0.007), and OSI (p = 0.001) were significantly different between the two groups. Six months after surgery, we noticed significant changes (42.28% decrease) of hsCRP (p = 0.044) and OSI (p = 0.041) (31.81% decrease), while no significant changes were observed for chemerin (p = 0.605), TNF-α (p = 0.287), NOx (p = 0.137), TOS (p = 0.158), and TAR (p = 0.563). Conclusions Our study showed no significant changes of chemerin, and except for hsCRP and OSI, no other inflammatory and nitrooxidative stress markers changed six months after surgery.

Metabolically Healthy versus Unhealthy Morbidly Obese: Chronic Inflammation, Nitro-Oxidative Stress, and Insulin Resistance

Metabolically heathy obesity is characterised by the presence of obesity in the absence of metabolic disturbances. The aim of our study was to analyse pro-inflammatory, nitro-oxidative stress, and insulin-resistance (IR) markers in metabolically healthy morbidly obese (MHMO) with respect to metabolically unhealthy morbidly obese (MUHMO) with metabolic syndrome (MS) and to identify the potential predictors of MS in the MHMO group. Two groups of MHMO and MUHMO with MS were analysed. We evaluated serum high sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), chemerin, nitrite and nitrate (NOx), total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant response (TAR), fasting blood glucose, insulin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR.) MHMO have similar hsCRP and TNF-α values as the MUHMO with MS, while chemerin was significantly lower in MHMO. NOx was higher in MUHMO with MS patients, while no difference regarding TOS and TAR was found between the two groups. HOMA-IR and insulin values were lower in MHMO as compared to the MUHMO with MS group. Insulin, HOMA-IR, and chemerin were identified predictors of MS in MHMO. In conclusion, MHMO and MUHMO display similarities and differences in terms of chronic inflammation, nitro-oxidative stress, and IR. Markers of IR and chemerin are possible predictors of MS in MHMO.

Mathematical Modeling of Feed Rations Using Solver Software

Animal nutrition is a very large area of study where mathematical modeling is a success, as in many areas. In addition to shaping the main physiological processes underlying the farm animals yielding, the objective function optimization issue (i.e. total expenditure on fodder) arises both in terms of protein and vitamin’s intake of nutrients and in terms of their cost. Optimising feed rations through mathematical modeling monitors the amount of food an animal needs throughout the day, so that the objective function (also called goal function of efficiency function) be minimum or maximum depending on the problem requirements. In order to solve mathematical model one needs fodder varieties that are part of the fodder basis and this feed (in kg) must be purchased or produced, and the solving method we use is the Solver tool of Microsoft Office Excel software . In order to optimize the objective function one should observe the following restrictions concerning the provisioning of total feed expressed in nutrients: provisioningof the necessary fodder by groups of fodder, observing proportions in fodder structure by groups of fodder, complying with fodderplants culture technologies and taking into account the availability of land designated for the forage and fodder crops. The mathematical model consists of three parts: the system of restrictions, non-negativity conditions and objective function. This paper shows the effectiveness of the Solver IT tools in dealing with many linear programming issues, including the establishment of feed rations as ensuring a good and well balanced food in terms of nutrition ensures both a good maintenance of the animals and an increased production.

FEATURES OF THE BERTALANFFY-RICHARDS GROWTH MODEL

One of the major problems of the environment is the landslide and the forest plays an important role in this problem. In our country in the latest years had place massif deforestation. One possible solution of this is the forestation and for the good results are necessary studies of the growth for the forest. We start to study this issue in the paper [1]. Soil erosion and landslide are some of the prevalent land degradation process on Romania. The land with slope greater than 5% represents 67% from the territory of Romania. The fast soil erosion is favoured by the geomorphologic and litological conditions. The decreasing of the areas covered by forest represents the most important factor for the soil degradation. The surface covered by forest represents 27% from the territory of Romania.