Babeș-Bolyai University

The search for novel anticancer drugs with reduced side effects and innovative therapeutic approaches remains a significant challenge. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), known to inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX) - an enzyme overexpressed in certain tumors - offer a promising avenue for cancer therapy. Additionally, icosahedral carboranes are emerging as a class of compounds with significant potential in drug design. Combining these two moieties into a single molecule presents a compelling strategy to develop drugs with dual mode of action and enhanced efficacy. Here, we report nido-carborane-NSAID conjugates, linking NSAIDs (ibuprofen, flurbiprofen or fenoprofen) to 7,8-dicarba-nido-undecaborate(-1) via methylene, ethylene or propylene spacers, which were prepared from their corresponding closo-carborane-NSAID conjugates. An efficient method for converting closo-carborane-NSAID conjugates to their corresponding nido derivatives is using CsF, without compromising the sensitive ester groups present in the system. The synthesized conjugates were thoroughly characterized using multinuclear (1H, 11B, and 13C) NMR spectroscopy. The nido-carborane conjugates demonstrated significantly enhanced COX inhibition potency compared to their closo-carborane counterparts, exhibiting a higher selectivity towards human COX-2. Furthermore, the nido-carborane conjugates with ibuprofen, flurbiprofen or fenoprofen incorporating propylene spacers 3b, 6b, and 9b, respectively, displayed the most potent activity against A549 lung cancer cells and in comparison to other tested molecules exhibited better selectivity towards malignant cells, as evidenced by selectivity index values. The main mechanism of action of these NSAID conjugates includes caspase dependent apoptosis synchronized by inhibited cell division and hyperproduction of superoxide anions, hydrogen peroxide and peroxynitrites.

Europe is currently facing novel security threats in many different areas, reinforcing the need for a well prepared and protected health and care workforce to ensure health system resilience and service provision for the population under conditions of a poly-crisis. However, the health and care workforce is weakened by persisting shortages, competency gaps and mismatches, and poor working and mental health conditions. Health and care workers are not prepared for yet another crisis and a systematic strategy is lacking. This policy commentary argues for health and care workforce preparedness and protection as a structural pillar and integral part of an emerging EU health and security landscape, calling for a coherent European Union strategy and highlighting capacities for implementation and co-benefits for democratic societies and economies. Key policy recommendations include: developing a coordinated EU strategy that is capable to protect, prepare and retain health and care workers; closing the competencies gaps to align preparedness for military aggression, cyberattacks, climate change, and new infectious diseases; investing in research and data spaces to strengthen evidence-based information and policy; creating governance structures and building on existing EU programs and budgets to freeing resources for the health and care workforce.

Saxony was ruled by two cousins in 1544: John Frederick I (Elector of Saxony) and his cousin Maurice (Duke of Saxony). Both rulers' names appear on each side of the quarter thalers produced in this year. They were enemies involved in religious wars, although they were both Protestants. Two types of quarter thalers from 1544 occur: a pierced random find from Transylvania (Romania) with four shields on the reverse, heavily worn, and another one with three shields on the obverse side, found in the Głogów Hoard (Poland), which is well preserved. Why did they issue two types in the same year? Was it a matter of silver title or other historical factors? Nondestructive investigation methods were used: XRD revealed the phases within the alloy and patina layer; SEM-EDS revealed the morphological aspects and their elemental compositions, which were correlated with XRF results. The results show that both coins have closer silver amounts, from 91 to 96 wt.%. The EDS results were in good agreement with the XRF results. Lead traces indicated a difference between them: the four-shielded coin is lead-free, while the three-shielded coin has a moderate amount of lead, about 0.5 wt.%. The archeological data evidence that the four-shielded coin issued in 1544 is rarer than the three-shielded one because it was issued during specific historical conditions. Black patina is formed by a mixture rich in copper oxides mixed with silver oxides and Ag2S. The presence of silver sulfide in the patina layer confirms that the pierced coin was in prolonged contact with the skin surface. Also, the finest traces of minerals embedded in the patina layer (e.g., quartz, kaolinite, and calcite) suggest that they were embedded in the patina via prolonged exposure to particulate matter. The mineral inclusions in the patina would have been more numerous if they were formed underground. Thus, the pierced four-shielded coin was probably worn as jewelry by nomads, while the three-shielded coin was most likely treasured in a well-preserved hoard.

The lithium excess and selenium deficiency in the body can lead to thyroid disorders (goiter and hypothyroidism). We hypothesize that these elements can contribute to the persistence of thyroid pathology after the universal salt iodination introduced in 2002−2003 in Romania. The concentrations of lithium, selenium, and other micro- and macro-elements, as well as anions, were measured in the well waters used for drinking in the mountain village of Săcalu de Pădure, Upper Mureș Valley. Li concentrations (13 measures), ranging from 9.7 to 69 µg/L, generally exceeded the non-regulatory Health-Based Screening Level (HBSL) of 10 µg/L by 2 to 7 times, sustaining the contribution of Li excess to residual thyroid pathology. Additionally, these waters may be effective in treating mania, suicidal tendencies, Alzheimer's disease, and migraine. The selenium levels, measured in this and 5 surrounding localities (11 assays), were very low, under the detection limit. While the maximum limit for selenium content in drinking water is 20 µg/L (OG 7/2023), no lower limit has been established. Urinary iodine excretion, measured in 22 randomly selected residents, had normal values (100-350 µg/L) in most cases (90.9%), indicating an adequate iodine supply and excluding the iodine role in the residual thyroid pathology.

State surveillance has been extensively investigated in various contexts in relation to the use of technology, external threats and people’s attitudes and characteristics. However, the relationship between political attitudes and the public’s acceptance of state surveillance has been underexplored. Our article addresses this gap in the literature and aims to identify the effects of citizens’ political preferences regarding the acceptance of state surveillance in Hungary. We use individual-level data from a survey conducted in October 2022 on a national-level representative sample. We find that populist attitudes have no effect on the acceptance of surveillance, but also that support for a right-wing government, age and gender have strong explanatory power.

Two arithmetic operations are introduced and some of their properties are studied. It is proved that they can be operations of semi-groups, but not of monoids. It is shown that their reverse operations are not one-valued. Some connections between the new operations and the well-known arithmetic functions φ, Ψ, σ are shown.

Abstract Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, and its diagnosis relies primarily on symptoms that emerge long after irreversible neuronal damage. Early detection through reliable quantification of disease-associated protein biomarkers, particularly amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau species, remains a major unmet clinical need. Conventional immunoassays and imaging methods face significant limitations in sensitivity, cost, and suitability for large-scale decentralized screening, thus prompting interest toward nano-enabled spectroscopic biosensing approaches. This review critically examines nano-enabled spectroscopic approaches developed for the detection of Aβ and tau biomarkers, integrating biological context with technological innovation. We compare colloidal nanoparticle-based assays and solid-state nanostructured platforms, with emphasis on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and related plasmonic techniques, as well as by the possibility of employing biorecognition strategies. Although many systems achieve ultra-low limits of detection under controlled conditions, we argue that analytical sensitivity alone is insufficient to ensure clinical relevance. Key translational challenges include fabrication reproducibility, batch-to-batch variability, standardization of enhancement metrics, validation in real biological matrices, and the absence of large clinical studies. The increasing incorporation of artificial intelligence for spectral analysis offers opportunities for improved classification, yet introduces concerns regarding dataset size and regulatory validation. By situating nano-spectroscopic biosensing within the biological complexity of early diagnosis of AD biomarkers and the practical constraints of clinical deployment, this review outlines the technological advances achieved to date and the critical steps required for translation: it will depend less on pushing detection limits further and more on achieving reproducibility, manufacturability, cost-effectiveness, and integration into standardized diagnostic workflows. Graphical abstract

Understanding physical climate hazards, risks, and impacts should be integrated with socio-economic contexts and policy-governance frameworks to support effective climate resilience and decarbonisation pathways. Science-based decision-making across sectors and scales, combined with a participatory approach, is essential in the current European policy landscape.This work synthesises and integrates research outcomes from three Horizon Europe projects: CARMINE, CROSSEU, and OPTFOR-EU. These initiatives show the way multifaceted risk-vulnerability-impact assessments and extensive stakeholder engagement can inform regional planning for enhanced resilience, nature-based climate adaptation, and decarbonisation pathways.CARMINE focuses on local and regional adaptation planning, combining high-resolution climate projections with socio-economic vulnerability indicators, spatial planning data, and stakeholder knowledge. This integrated approach is designed to support cities and metropolitan regions in identifying locally specific risk profiles and prioritising adaptation measures for building climate resilience in various environmental and socio-economic contexts across Europe. CROSSEU addresses systemic and cross-sectoral dimensions of climate change impacts by analysing how climate risks cascade across socio-economic sectors (i.e., agriculture, transport, tourism, forestry, health, social justice), infrastructure, and land-use. The project explores how institutional fragmentation and policy misalignment can hinder coordinated adaptation actions, underlying the importance of cross-sectoral and multi-level governance. OPTFOR-EU translates vulnerability and risk insights into operational decision-support tools for decarbonization. Applying optimisation and robust decision-making approaches, the project explores adaptation and decarbonisation options, such as NBS, forest management strategies, and low-carbon development pathways, under deep climate and socio-economic uncertainty. Together, the three projects are implemented through a portfolio of case studies spanning multiple European climatic zones, socio-economic and governance contexts, and land-use systems, enabling comparative analysis and strengthening the robustness and transferability of the results.Across the three projects, there are several shared methodological and practical advances: (i) the integration of quantitative vulnerability assessment and risk metrics with qualitative and participatory inputs for a context-based decision-making, (ii) insights of policies and governance capacity for effective adaptation and decarbonisation planning, (iii) evaluation of social risks and equity between climate change impact and pressing need for action, and (iv) strong alignment between analytical science-based ouputs and EU climate ambitions and policy framework, including EU Adaptation Strategy, The European Green Deal, regional and urban planning strategies and risk management frameworks. All three initiatives provide perspectives on how research can better support actionable, equitable, and climate resilience strategies. Key lessons learned highlight the need to: move beyond sectoral-specific and hazard-oriented assessments toward more integrated, multi-level decision-oriented approaches that connect urban, regional, and forest systems; embed vulnerability analysis directly into policy and planning workflows; and design flexible, robust pathways that jointly address climate resilience and decarbonisation, urban adaptation and risk management objectives