Western Romanian Research Articles

Microbiological and Molecular Investigation of Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Western Romanian Dairy Farms: An Epidemiological Approach.

Antimicrobial therapy is the most frequently used medical intervention for bovine mastitis in the dairy industry. This study aims to monitor the extent of the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) problem in Staphylococcus aureus in the dairy industry in Western Romania. Twenty farms were selected by random sampling in a transverse epidemiological study conducted across four counties in Western Romania and divided into livestock units. This study assessed the association between the resistance genes to phenotypic expression of resistance and susceptibility. Isolates of S. aureus were identified and q-PCR reactions were used to detect antibiotic resistance genes. One hundred and fifty bovine and 20 human samples were positive for S. aureus. Twenty five percent of bovine isolates (30/120) and none(0/30) of the human isolates were methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). All isolates were susceptible to fosfomycin, ciprofloxacin, netilmicin, and resistant to ampicillin and penicillin. S. aureus isolates regarded as phenotypically resistant (R) were influenced by the origin of the samples (human versus bovine, χ2 = 36.510, p = 0.013), whether they were methicillin-resistant S. aureus (χ2 = 108.891, p < 0.000), the county (χ2 = 103.282, p < 0.000) and farm of isolation (χ2 = 740.841, p < 0.000), but not by the size of the farm (χ2 = 65.036, p = 0.306). The multiple antibiotic resistance index was calculated for each sample as the number regarded as phenotypically resistant (R)/total antibiotics tested (MARI = 0.590 ± 0.023) was significantly higher (p < 0.000) inmethicillin-resistant S. aureus (0.898 ± 0.019) than non-methicillin-resistant S. aureus (0.524 ± 0.024) isolates. For the antibiotics tested, the total penetrance (P%) of the resistance genes was 59%, 83% for blaZ, 56% for cfr, 50% for erm(B), 53% for erm(C), 57% for mecA and 32% for tet(K). Penetrance can be used as a parameter for guidance towards a more accurate targeting of chemotherapy. P% in S. aureus was strongly positively correlated with the multiple antibiotic resistance index (r = +0.878, p < 0.000) with the potential to use the same limit value as an antibiotic management decision criterion. Considering cow mastitis, the penetrance value combined with the multiple antibiotic resistance index suggests that penetrance could serve as a useful parameter for more precise targeting of chemotherapy for S. aureus.

A Retrospective Assessment of Sputum Samples and Antimicrobial Resistance in COVID-19 Patients.

Data on bacterial or fungal pathogens and their impact on the mortality rates of Western Romanian COVID-19 patients are scarce. As a result, the purpose of this research was to determine the prevalence of bacterial and fungal co- and superinfections in Western Romanian adults with COVID-19, hospitalized in in-ward settings during the second half of the pandemic, and its distribution according to sociodemographic and clinical conditions. The unicentric retrospective observational study was conducted on 407 eligible patients. Expectorate sputum was selected as the sampling technique followed by routine microbiological investigations. A total of 31.5% of samples tested positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, followed by 26.2% having co-infections with Klebsiella pneumoniae among patients admitted with COVID-19. The third most common Pathogenic bacteria identified in the sputum samples was Escherichia coli, followed by Acinetobacter baumannii in 9.3% of samples. Commensal human pathogens caused respiratory infections in 67 patients, the most prevalent being Streptococcus penumoniae, followed by methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. A total of 53.4% of sputum samples tested positive for Candida spp., followed by 41.1% of samples with Aspergillus spp. growth. The three groups with positive microbial growth on sputum cultures had an equally proportional distribution of patients admitted to the ICU, with an average of 30%, compared with only 17.3% among hospitalized COVID-19 patients with negative sputum cultures (p = 0.003). More than 80% of all positive samples showed multidrug resistance. The high prevalence of bacterial and fungal co-infections and superinfections in COVID-19 patients mandates for strict and effective antimicrobial stewardship and infection control policies.

Effect of Entomopathogenic Fungi, Beauveria bassiana (Cordycipitaceae), on the Bark Beetle, Ips typographus (L.), under Field Conditions.

Simple SummaryThe effect of B. bassiana fungal treatment on spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus (L.), was tested under field conditions. Altogether, it was detected that the effect of B. bassiana preparations on bark beetle infestations in terms of possible environmental effects is minimal compared to the severe damage and hence yield loss caused by this insect species worldwide. Even if the relatively low effects on I. typographus stages, including adults, larvae, pupae and even next-generation young adults, were reported, it remains clear that the present novel approach using a natural biological control agent rather than toxic synthetic insecticides is timely and may be potentially beneficial to the forestry industry as a rational control approach to combat this pest.The spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus (L.), attack progression (adult and larval galleries) and parental and offspring mortality rate were assessed in managed forests of the Poiana Ruscă and Bihor Mountains, along with Western Romanian Carpathians using fungal (Beauveria bassiana) treatments. The results show that the effect of B. bassiana on adult (maternal) gallery length was similar to the untreated variant and was less effective than the synthetic insecticide lambda-cyhalothrin applied at a dose of 50 g/L. Additionally, its effect on the mean larval gallery number per maternal gallery was low. B. bassiana did not have a significant influence on the attack progression. Significant correlations between log diameter and I. typographus attack progression were detected; such differences were higher than the effect of any treatment. Altogether, abiotic (low humidity, high temperature) and biotic factors (log diameter) influenced the bark beetles’ attack progression and reduced the entomopathogenic fungal effects. Considering the efficacy of the B. bassiana treatment on logs infested with I. typographus, the results showed that parents and offspring were infected, but even if the fungal treatment was applied in high concentrations, the mortality rate remained relatively low. Further research is necessary to test if different B. bassiana strains and their commercially recommended concentrations might be more effective under dry and warm climate conditions, respectively.

Analysis of Sustainable Communication Patterns during the Telework Period in Western Romanian Corporations.

The research was conducted in a particular context, the recent pandemic. It is a comparative study of the methods and quality of communication in global companies between 2021 and 2022. The corporations involved in the research are important providers of flexible production, quality, and logistics solutions that cover customers’ real needs. They are active in the automotive industry and units involved in mass production in the electronics industry, household appliances, and cosmetics industries. In their case, it was noted that to achieve operational objectives such as developing employee skills, using advanced technologies, and exceeding customer expectations, it is important to use innovative methods and tools such as single platforms, which allow access to the most important information from a distance, anywhere, anytime. It is significant that, according to the research, the preferred method of communication by employees, regardless of the existing conditions, is face-to-face. Primarily, this method is chosen because it provides an open area of interpersonal interaction. The participants observe non-verbal attitudes or can perceive emotions and feelings. Their personality can be identified through unintentional contact to obtain constructive feedback through guidance and counseling. Moreover, it can be formed and develop productive, intentional connections. Stakeholders’ efficient and effective open dialogs are encouraged in this sense.

Mannose-binding lectin 2 gene polymorphisms and predisposition to allergic bronchial asthma in a western Romanian children population: an observational study.

ObjectivesTo analyse: (1) the associations between different mannose-binding lectin 2 (MBL2) genotypes and susceptibility to bronchial asthma (BA) in Romanian children; and (2) the correlations between several patient sociodemographic variables and MBL2 polymorphisms.MethodsThis prospective observational case–control study included paediatric patients with symptomatic BA and healthy controls. Participants were genotyped for two MBL2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): exon 1 codon 54 A/B variant rs1800450, and -550 promoter H/L variant rs11003125 (GenBank accession). Associations between MBL2 genotypes and susceptibility to BA were determined by calculated odds ratios, and Kendall Tau’s correlations were used to investigate the associations between sociodemographic variables and SNPs.ResultsAmong 59 patients with BA and 65 healthy controls, associations between MBL2 polymorphisms and susceptibility to BA were not found to be statistically significant. Statistically significant weak positive correlations were found between age at diagnosis and A/B genotype, and between the smoking status of biologically male and female parents. A statistically significant weak inverse association was found between male parent smoking status and family history of BA.ConclusionThese results may help guide future research into paediatric BA in Romania and Eastern Europe. Due to study limitations, the results require validation in future large-scale studies.

The Interplay of Environment and Biota in Assessing the Freshwater Quality in Karst

Karst aquifers are both a valuable resource for humankind and a habitat for unique biota. The quality of freshwater sources may be easily affected by natural (e.g., geology, climate, and vegetation) and anthropogenic (e.g., agriculture, livestock, and tourism) changes, particularly in karst landscapes with highly vulnerable groundwater reservoirs. We seasonally monitored nine representative freshwater sources (i.e., six springs, a well, a surface stream, and a cave stream resurgence) in the karst system of the Runcuri Plateau (KSRP) (Western Romanian Carpathians) during seven sampling campaigns in 2019–2021. We assessed how these natural and anthropogenic factors influenced the water quality based on the European and national standards for drinking water. The geological structure (i.e., tectonics and lithology) of the KSRP was reassessed, and the environmental variables of the freshwater sites were investigated in order to evaluate their impact on the physicochemical profile, the microbial contamination, and on the meiofauna presence. Multivariate statistics were performed to gain insights into the interplay among all these factors and to evaluate the self-purification capacity of the KSRP for chemical and microbial pollutants. The most relevant drivers shaping the microbial content of the freshwater sources were the altitude of the sampling sites, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and air temperature, followed by the physicochemical profile of the waters (i.e., calcium hardness, magnesium hardness, nitrites, nitrates, conductivity, phosphates, total dissolved solids, and iron concentrations). The meiofauna presence was influenced mostly by precipitation, air temperature, and NDVI. Our results reflected the effect of the geological structure and environment on water chemistry and biota assemblages. A pollutant attenuation trend was observed in discharging waters, even though the self-purification capacity of the studied karst system was not statistically supported. More investigations are needed to comprehend the processes developed in the black box of the KSRP.

Juniper communis L. Essential Oils from Western Romanian Carpathians: Bio-Structure and Effective Antibacterial Activity

The antibacterial activity of four bacterial standard strains that are naturally encountered in humans and animals was investigated by using bioactive compounds from commercial essential oils of Juniperus communis that were collected from the Western Romanian Carpathians. The Juniper communis essential oils, volatile compounds, were recognized through the GC–MS methodology by comparing identified spectra with those held in the NIST 02, Wiley 275 library. The ratio of each component was calculated based on the peak areas of the GC, without utilizing correction factors. The CLSI standardized micro-dilution was used to determine antimicrobial activity, employing 10−3 dilutions of fresh culture, with inoculums equivalent to a standard of 0.5 McFarland being prepared for testing. Four bacterial strains, Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), and Streptococcus pyogenes (ATCC 19615), were investigated, using 96-well micro-dilution plates. Over each micro-dilution well, the essential oils were poured, introducing gradually 2, 4, 8, and 10 µL/well, respectively. The results were expressed as ±SEM and analyzed by one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni’s multiple comparison test, considering the differences statistically provided when p &lt; 0.05 or lower. The juniper essential oil originating from the Western Romanian Carpathians is rich in four main volatile compounds: β-pinene (34.02%), 1α-pinene (30.43%), p-cymol (20.25%), and β-myrcene (10.20%). The juniper communis essential oil reduced bacterial density for all four strains tested, but compared to Gram-negative bacteria, in our case; a considerably higher antibacterial effectiveness was detected for Gram-positives, with peak reduction of Staphylococcus aureus, recommending the Romanian essential oil as a beneficial antibacterial resource.

Rhaetian (Late Triassic) ostracods (Crustacea, Ostracoda) from the offshore prolongation of the North Dobrogean Orogen into the Romanian Black Sea shelf

The present study evaluates the significance of Triassic ostracods from the Romanian Black Sea shelf as part of a project for the understanding of the palaeoceanographical evolution of the offshore extension of the North Dobrogean Orogen. The drill core CM31, sampled from the borehole 817 Lebăda Vest drilled on the western Romanian portion of the Black Sea shelf, contains sediments of Rhaetian, Late Triassic age. The taxonomy of ostracods obtained is discussed and adds to the scientific understanding of marine ostracods during the Rhaetian stage. We document 72 species, of which seven are new: Histriabairdia pontuseuxinusensis Forel gen. et sp. nov., Bairdiacypris argonautaii Forel sp. nov., Ceratobairdia? akhilleusi Forel sp. nov., Isobythocypris atalantella Forel sp. nov., Petasobairdia amazonella Forel sp. nov., Paracypris ovidi Forel sp. nov. and Pseudomacrocypris? kerabani Forel sp. nov. Histriabairdia Forel gen. nov. is introduced to accommodate species of the Triassic–Jurassic interval previously attributed to the modern genus Anchistrocheles. These assemblages point to an outer shelf environmental with relatively normal marine oxygenation. The oldest occurrence of Pokornyopsis, found in this material, indicates that this forerunner of modern troglobitic ostracods may not have been troglobitic in the Triassic.

Microclimatic Tipping Points at the Beech–Oak Ecotone in the Western Romanian Carpathians

European beech (Fagus sylvatica) is a drought-sensitive species that likely will retreat from its xeric distribution edges in the course of climate warming. Physiological measurements indicate that the species may not only be sensitive to soil water deficits, but also to high temperatures and elevated atmospheric vapor pressure deficits (vpd). Through microclimatological measurements in the stand interior across near-natural beech forest–oak forest ecotones, we searched for microclimatic tipping points in the contact zone with the aim to define the thermic and hydrometeorological limits of beech more precisely. In three transects in the foothills of the Romanian western Carpathians, we measured in mid-summer 2019 air temperature, relative air humidity, and vpd at 2 m height in the stand interior across the ecotone from pure oak to pure beech forests, and compared the readings to the microclimate in forest gaps. Mean daytime temperature (T) and vpd were by 2 K and 2 hPa, respectively, higher in the oak forests than the beech forests; the extremes differed even more. Especially in the second half of the day, the oak forests heated up and were more xeric than the beech forests. Part of the differences is explained by the elevation difference between oak and beech forests (200–300 m), but species differences in canopy structure, leaf area, and canopy transmissivity enhance the microclimatic contrast. Our T and vpd data point to thresholds at about 30 °C and 25 hPa as maxima tolerated by beech in the lowermost shade canopy for extended periods. In conclusion, the rather sharp stand microclimatic gradient demonstrated here for the xeric distribution limit of beech may well be the decisive factor that hinders the spread of beech into the warmer oak forests.

Upper Extremity Fractures in Children-Comparison between Worldwide, Romanian and Western Romanian Region Incidence.

(1) Background: Fractures represent a significant part of all pediatric injuries, with distal forearm fracture being the most common fracture type in children. (2) Methods: In this comparative, epidemiological study we collected fracture incidence data from the scientific literature and compared it to real-world data extracted from the Romanian national and regional hospital database. In order to collect information on the epidemiology of upper extremity fractures in children, we conducted a systematic literature review on Medline, via PubMed. Extracted incidence data were stratified by fracture location, age or age interval and gender. Nationwide and Western Region incidence values were calculated for different fracture locations of the upper extremity using data extracted from a centralized hospital database. Incidence values were calculated using the mid-2018 census data. The search was restricted to the pediatric population. (3) Results: Incidence values for upper arm fractures nationwide and for Western Region were 54.83/100,000 person-years and 64.79/100,000 person-years, respectively. Forearm fractures had an incidence of 139.77/100,000 person-years and 139.56/100,000 person-years, respectively. The overall incidence of upper extremity fractures nationwide and for the Romanian Western Region were 206.02/100,000 person-years and 220.14/100,000 person-years, respectively. (4) Conclusions: Incidence of upper extremity fractures in the pediatric population varies according to the analyzed data. The calculated incidence depends on the site of fractures, assessed population (worldwide, Romanian population or regional-Western part of Romania) or patients’ age.

Identification of Resveratrol as Bioactive Compound of Propolis from Western Romania and Characterization of Phenolic Profile and Antioxidant Activity of Ethanolic Extracts.

The present study aimed to assess the phenolic content of eight ethanolic propolis samples (P1–P8) harvested from different regions of Western Romania and their antioxidant activity. The mean value of total phenolic content was 214 ± 48 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g propolis. All extracts contained kaempferol (514.02 ± 114.80 μg/mL), quercetin (124.64 ± 95.86 μg/mL), rosmarinic acid (58.03 ± 20.08 μg/mL), and resveratrol (48.59 ± 59.52 μg/mL) assessed by LC-MS. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using 2 methods: (i) DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay using ascorbic acid as standard antioxidant and (ii) FOX (Ferrous iron xylenol orange OXidation) assay using catalase as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) scavenger. The DPPH radical scavenging activity was determined for all samples applied in 6 concentrations (10, 5, 3, 1.5, 0.5 and 0.3 mg/mL). IC50 varied from 0.0700 to 0.9320 mg/mL (IC50 of ascorbic acid = 0.0757 mg/mL). The % of H2O2 inhibition in FOX assay was assessed for P1, P2, P3, P4 and P8 applied in 2 concentrations (5 and 0.5 mg/mL). A significant H2O2% inhibition was obtained for these samples for the lowest concentration. We firstly report the presence of resveratrol as bioactive compound in Western Romanian propolis. The principal component analysis revealed clustering of the propolis samples according to the polyphenolic profile similarity.

Racialized housing unevenness in Cluj-Napoca under capitalist redevelopment

The Western Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca is among the few Central and East European non-capital cities in economic recovery following the dismantlement of actually existing socialism. Privatization-led housing politics and capital accumulation-driven real estate development, together with racialization and urban branding, (re)produce uneven development and housing unevenness in the neoliberal city. As the class focused political economy framework is insufficient to comprehend such a complex phenomenon, we explored it at the intersection of class, spatialization and racialization. Employing a whole range of data extracted from interviews, statistics and official documents, the article examines the conditions of possibility for the formation of the two extreme housing arrangements at local level: Cantonului colony, close to the Pata Rât landfill; and the luxurious real estate Maurer Panoramic placed at the heart of the city. Together, they illustrate racialized housing unevenness. Our contribution to urban studies consists in arguing for the central role of housing in the production of spatialized and racialized divisions in the capitalist cities.

Association of Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphisms with Chronic Periodontitis in a Population in Western Romania.

Recent data indicate that gene polymorphisms, e.g. those of vitamin D-receptor (VDR), are associated with an increased susceptibility to chronic periodontitis (CP). This study investigated whether VDR gene polymorphism is associated with chronic periodontitis in a population in Western Romania, by determining the prevalence of the BsmI (rs1544410), ApaI (rs7975232), TaqI (rs731236) and FokI (rs2228570) genotypes and comparing the CP group with a periodontally healthy group. This case-control study included 53 patients with CP and 47 healthy patients. VDR polymorphisms were genotyped using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The associations between VDR polymorphisms and CP were determined using logistic regression models, adjusted for patient age and serum level of Vitamin D. We found a statistically significant association between the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2228570 (FokI) and CP. Compared with subjects having the Thymine-Thymine (TT) genotype, those with the Cytosine-Cytosine (CC) variant were 19 times more likely to have the disease (adjusted odd ratio [OR]: 19.58; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.67 - 198.92) and with the Thymine-Cytosine (TC) variant, 8 times more likely (adjusted OR: 7.86; 95% CI: 1.29 - 61.56). Also, for the SNP rs1544410 (BsmI), compared with the Adenine-Adenine (AA) genotype, the Adenine-Guanine (AG) variant had an increased risk of periodontal disease (crude OR: 3.76; 95% CI: 1.15 - 13.80). This case-control study of a Western Romanian population shows an association between vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphisms (FokI and BsmI) and CP susceptibility.

A review of European studies on pollination networks and pollen limitation, and a case study designed to fill in a gap.

Anthropogenic environmental change disrupts interactions between plants and their animal pollinators. To assess the importance of different drivers, baseline information is needed on interaction networks and plant reproductive success around the world. We conducted a systematic literature review to determine the state of our knowledge on plant–pollinator interactions and the ecosystem services they provide for European ecosystems. We focussed on studies that published information on plant–pollinator networks, as a community-level assessment of plant–pollinator interactions and pollen limitation, which assesses the degree to which plant reproduction is limited by pollinator services. We found that the majority of our knowledge comes from Western Europe, and thus there is a need for baseline assessments in the traditional landscapes of Eastern Europe. To address this data gap, we quantified plant–pollinator interactions and conducted breeding system and pollen supplementation experiments in a traditionally managed mountain meadow in the Western Romanian Carpathians. We found the Romanian meadow to be highly diverse, with a healthy plant–pollinator network. Despite the presence of many pollinator-dependent plant species, there was no evidence of pollen limitation. Our study is the first to provide baseline information for a healthy meadow at the community level on both plant–pollinator interactions and their relationship with ecosystem function (e.g. plant reproduction) in an Eastern European country. Alongside the baseline data, we also provide recommendations for future research, and the methodological information needed for the continued monitoring and management of Eastern European meadows.

Midfacial fractures: A retrospective etiological study over a 10-year period in Western Romanian population.

Midfacial fractures are extremely important oral and maxillofacial problems because they take varied forms and are frequently accompanied by major long-term esthetic or functional complications. Their etiology and epidemiology vary significantly in the literature, and the main causes are varied by population. The aim of this study is to identify the main traumatic etiology of midfacial fractures, along with the main categories of affected patients in our geographical area, in order to establish the need for measures that can prevent fractures in the future. We conducted a retrospective study over a 10-year period in 379 patients. Data were extracted from the patients' charts, and the following variables were taken into consideration: sex, age, environment of origin, education level, and traumatic etiology. Midfacial fractures most frequently affected the 20-29 years age group (31.93%), male sex (n = 333, 87.86%, M:F = 7.23:1), patients from urban areas (n = 206, 54.35%), and patients without education (46.70%). The most frequent etiology was interpersonal violence (44.85%), followed by fall trauma (16.62%) and road traffic accidents (15.30%). Statistical correlations evidenced that urban environment favors midfacial fractures caused by interpersonal violence and road traffic accidents or sports injuries, while in rural areas, domestic accidents and animal attacks are predominant (P = 0.000). The overwhelming incidence of interpersonal violence in our population is currently a major public health problem. Implementing laws and initiating national programs for the prevention of interpersonal violence would lead to a considerable reduction of midfacial fractures in the Western Romanian population.

Juncus Squarrosus (Juncaceae) in Romania: Its First Certain Occurrence and a New Plant Association for the Romanian Vegetation

Abstract This study confirms the first certain occurrence of Juncus squarrosus L., an Atlantic species, in the Romanian native flora. Characteristic plant communities with J. squarrosus occur in the Apuseni Mts (Western Romanian Carpathians). At these sites J. squarrosus has the southeastern limit of its European distribution. The identified plant communities with J. squarrosus in Romania are devoid of some Atlantic species present in Western and Central European communities and therefore are assigned to the Nardo-Juncetum squarrosi (Nordh. 1920) Bük. 1942 association. This plant community is a new syntaxon for the Romanian vegetation.

Low-altitude permafrost research in an overcooled talus slope–rock glacier system in the Romanian Carpathians (Detunata Goală, Apuseni Mountains)

Ground and air temperature monitoring, geophysical soundings and dendrological investigations were applied to a basaltic talus slope–rock glacier system from Detunata site in the Apuseni Mountains (Western Romanian Carpathians) to verify the presence of sporadic permafrost at 1020–1110masl, well below the regional limit of mountain permafrost. The near 0°C mean annual ground surface temperatures imposed by the large negative annual thermal anomalies of the ground (up to 7.4°C), together with the high resistivity values and the occurrence of trees with severe growth anomalies, support the presence of permafrost at this location. Temperature measurements and ground air circulation experiments proved that the so-called “chimney effect” is the main process favoring the ground overcooling and allowed for the construction of a model of ground air circulation in complex morphology deposits. The texture and porosity of the debris were quantified along with the local morphology in order to evaluate their role upon the chimney circulation. The debris porosity was found to be very high promoting intense ground overcooling during the cold season, including the periods of high snow cover due to the development of snow funnels. It efficiently reduces the heat transfer during summer thus contributing essentially to permafrost preservation. In compound morphologies, the depressed and low-lying features are the cold zones subjected to winter overcooling and summer chill, while the high-positioned and convex-up landforms become warm air evacuation features with positive thermal anomalies. Tree-ring measurements showed that the growth of cold-affected trees is higher during colder intervals (years to decades) probably as a consequence of the weakened katabatic air outflow during cooler summers. The dendrological analysis of multi-centennial spruces and their growth rates also provided palaeoclimatic inferences for the last 200years.

37. Doda Pilii, Apuseni Mountains (Romania)

Doda Pilii (46° 38ʹ 32.6″ N, 22° 51ʹ 34.1″ E; 1100 m above sea level) is a small doline located in the Apuseni Natural Park (ANP), the Apuseni Mountains (Western Romanian Carpathians). The site cov...

Three climatic cycles recorded in a loess-palaeosol sequence at Semlac (Romania) – Implications for dust accumulation in south-eastern Europe

Recent inve\stigations of the Semlac loess section in the south-eastern Carpathian Basin, which is situated at an undercut slope position on the right bank of the Mures River in its lower reaches (Banat region, western Romanian), are presented and discussed. Dating back to marine isotope stage (MIS) 10, the more than 10 m thick loess sequence includes four fossil soil-complexes developed in homogenous and relatively fine silty loess. Because of the good preservation of the sediment, Semlac is regarded as a key section for the Carpathian Basin, which offers possibilities to a) improve the understanding of the type and composition (loess homogeneity and pedogenic alteration) of the lowland loess sequences in the Carpathian Basin also beyond the last interglacial palaoesol complex, b) to reconstruct the temporal evolution of the local loess-palaoesol successions, c) gain better insight into the regional paleoenvironments of the last 300ka and d) to compare the loess of the region to loess-sequences in adjacent areas and to dust proxy data in the northern hemisphere. An integrated age model based on correlation to reference records and luminescence dating is compiled. Applying this age model we compare climate proxy data from Semlac to both global data and to data from the very southeast of the Carpathian Basin (Vojvodina, Serbia). The obtained results provide new insight into the dust accumulation regime for the eastern Carpathian Basin and offer new palaeoenvironmental information for the region and are an important step towards establishing a catena from the thin loess-like sediments of the Banat foothills in the East towards the thicker and seemingly more complete loess sections of the south-eastern and central Carpathian Basin. Disentangling grain size data from soil formation proxies is used to investigate patterns of non-local dust. Patterns of non-pedogenetic fine material are similar to grain size proxies from China and other parts of the northern hemisphere, suggesting western and eastern Eurasian loess to have (at least partly) similar mechanistic/climatic origins. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Three climatic cycles recorded in a loess-palaeosol sequence at Semlac (Romania) - implications for dust accumulation in the Carpathian Basin and the northern Hemisphere

Semlac is regarded as a key section for the Carpathian Basin because of the good preservation of the fine silt. The site is situated at the Mures River in its lower reaches (Banat region, western Romanian). The more than 10 m thick loess sequence includes four fossil sol-complexes developed in homogenous relatively fine silty loess and dates back to marine isotope stage (MIS) 10. This setting offers possibilities to a) improve the understanding of the type and composition of the lowland loess sequences in the Carpathian Basin for the last interglacial palaeosol complex and beyond, b) reconstruct the temporal evolution of the local loess-palaeosol successions and c) compare the loess of the region to loess-sequences in adjacent areas (Carpathian Basin, Lower Danube) and to dust proxy data in the northern hemisphere. A strikingly sinusoidal course of physical property data in depth and time point to relatively homogenous, quasi-continuous background sedimentation of dust, which are interpreted as resulting from long-range transport. This is in contrast to a commonly observed more glacial-interglacial pattern with sharp boundaries of paleosols