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This paper presents the results obtained from the analyses performed on seaweed and paper made with algal biomass addition using different analytical techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX) and the ion beam analysis (IBA) techniques Particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and gamma-ray emission (PIGE). The analyzed samples consisted of seaweed from the Ulva rigida C. Agardh 1823 species collected from the Black Sea coast, Romania, and filter papers with different mass addition (0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 8%) of seaweed. Seaweed introduced into the paper can dislodge some of the cellulose fibers, helping to reduce the amount of stranded seaweed that is currently not valorized in Romania. From the analysis of the results, it results that no potential toxic elements have been identified in the algae structure and the algal biomass could be used in the filter paper manufacture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A need for concerted efforts in devising a more profound socialist education for the younger generation, and a strengthening of ideological ties joining the socialist nations was revealed in conference papers on: (1) the conference's significance (K. Tmej); (2) inaugural address (J. Kuberski); (3) Marxism-Leninism on the task of schools and teachers in building-up communism (M. I. Kondakov); (4) the teacher's role in forming a socialist set of values for children and youth (J. Wolczyk); (5) the teacher's role in the communist education of school children in the German Democratic Republic (G. Neuner); (6) the teacher's task and preparation in the period of building-up socialism in Cuba (M. F. Aranjo); (7) the teacher's work and training in the Hungarian People's Republic (S. Miklosvari); (8) the training of teacher cadres in the period of building-up a mature socialist society (Z. Atanasov); (9) the teacher as the most important factor in educating a new man (N. van Le); (10) the training and further education of educational personnel in the Rumanian Socialist Republic (V. Radulian); (11) theoretical problems of teachers' and educational personnel's lifelong education (K. Cepicka); and (12) Mongolian teachers' struggles to educate man (B. Davaasuren). Short presentations were made on: (1) the school and the teacher's task in personality forming in an advanced socialist society (O. Balaz); (2) forms and methods of training and of further education of educational personnel in an advanced socialist society (J. Jelencik); (3) education towards the teachers' scientific world outlook in the spirit of Marxist-Leninist ideology (J. Matejcik); (4) problems of teachers' further education in Czechoslovakia (K. Tmej); (5) the functional unity of the ideological-political, educational, and professional components in the training and further education of teachers of vocational and practical subjects (M. Klimova); (6) the teacher as educator (M. Hargas); (7) the problems of methodology and methods of research on questions of teacher education in Czechoslovakia (O. Franc); and (8) the personality of the teacher and the profile of graduates trained to teach at the first stage of basic schools in Czechoslovakia (M. Korinek). (CJB)

Various eco-friendly and cost-effective hydrocarbons clean-up methods based on natural sorbents were developed and tested, in order to prevent the massive environmental damage due to the petroleum spills.Among these sorbents, natural zeolitic tuffs are easily available and have numerous adsorptive properties that make them appropriate for the removal of petroleum substances. This study aims to preliminary investigate the sorptioncapacity of natural zeolites from a deposit located atRacos, Brasov County, Romania for diesel oil sorption. Two different zeolitic materials having particles size <10 micronsand 1-3 mm, thermally activated at two different temperatures, were used in this study. Zeolite samples were characterized in terms of major elements and major oxides contents,using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), after acid digestion and also in terms of Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC). For the experiments, an amount of 3.5 g of each adsorbingmaterials was placed in crystallizing glass columns dish, then diesel oil was added until the saturation of the whole bed. Afterwards, the excess of diesel oil was removed using a filter paper. The sorption capacity (SC) was determined by weighing. The results showed SC ranging between0.19 –0.26 g/g, for zeolites with particles size of 1-3 mm and, much higher SC, in the range of 1.5 –1.6 g/g, for zeolites with particles size <10 microns. This study offersvaluable information for the use of Romanian natural zeolites in the clean-up of different media contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acknowledging the pervasive need for employees endowed with higer order (research) skills, this article presents the results of a large-scale case study undetaken by the authors to examine the ways in which Applied Modern Language students deepen their knowledge of both chosen languages and specialised fields by engaging in student research. The focus of our quantitative and qualitative corpus analysis is on Applied Modern Language students from the Faculty of International Business and Economics, Bucharest University of Economic Studies - ASE, Romania, and we shed light on research they conducted for the Annual Student Conferences between 2014-2021 and their Bachelor's theses between 2016-2021 (languages of submission, research topics etc.). Moreover, the article presents the results obtained when investigating the possible correlations between student research and their continuing education and professional paths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interest for higher quality in higher education targets and respects the ethical standards of writing and presenting academic papers by both teachers and students. In the context of public discussions over copyright over the last few years and a self-plagiarism, universities in Romania have made efforts to align with the standards of European universities for knowledge and enforcement in this area. Thus, specific procedures and work platforms have been created and developed (e.g. the webstudentase.ro platform, the use of the Semplag program at the University of Piteşti, accessing www.sistemantiplagiat.ro at the "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest). Although in the last years, in the course of seminars, laboratories, practical activities and courses on academic writing norms, according to the legal provisions in force, a study among the students of the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences reveals the insufficient understanding of the meaning of the term plagiarism, the incomplete knowledge of the modalities the plagiarism, the self-plagiarism, the possibilities of avoidance, as well as the sanctions for violation of the legislation. The study also shows a knowledge and use of plagiarism detection programs for a small number of surveyed students. Familiarizing with academic writing rules, author citation, use of translators in other languages for each first year of study, attention to compliance with these standards throughout the course of all faculty work, constant application of ethical rules to prevent plagiarism can prevent the risk of non-compliance with academic standards and the improvement of business activities in universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the social responsibility concept in Romania, with some historical references and key numbers of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity of the Romanian companies, including the associated results. At the same time, some key aspects of social responsibility of public institutions are taken into consideration, along with their outcomes. Using various case studies, the link between social responsibility and Romanian NGOs is then analyzed, emphasizing the advantages and disadvantages of the parties involved. The paper concludes with presenting some concrete results for the final beneficiaries of social responsibility activities and ends with the final conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to study the effects and risks of climate change in Romania. The research methodology used is based on the analysis and synthesis of information from the climate change literature. The main research method used in the paper is content analysis. The authors of the paper find that climate change is already having many negative consequences on health, environmental and economic issues in Romania, affecting all regions. The importance of publishing this study is to increase and improve the content of the literature in the field. The authors' analysis found that, in general, the effects of climate change jeopardise economic development prospects, increase the risks of famine and thus potentiate conflict and forced displacement, and deepen existing vulnerabilities, socio-economic inequalities and gender discrimination. In recent decades, countries around the world, including Romania, have focused their efforts both on mitigating the impact of climate change through measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and on increasing their capacity to adapt to the effects of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the areas in Romania where the environment felt from human activities is Jiu Valley (Petrosani Depression), an area where the main activity was mining. This fact led to pollution of the area, pollution that affects both health of population and tourism, which is considered as a viable economic alternative. Investigation of environmental components, identification and analysis of impact sources on air and surface waters are the objective of this paper, which is a first step of a larger research, that will lead to establishing the pollution degree of the area under study. The paper presents pollution sources, methods of analyzing environmental indicators, as well as the impact of economic activities on the environment. The main conclusion of the scientific approach is that, in addition to mining activities that had and still have a negative impact on the environment, other economic activities carried out in the area, including household activities, also leave a negative impact on the environment. Which of these (quantitatively speaking) leave a larger or smaller footprint will be the subject of a future paper, that will quantify all air and water quality indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the possibility of floating photovoltaic farms on the reservoirs of the Olt river in Romania. For the analysis, a database with the solar irradiance evolution for one year in the four possible locations was created, using the PVGIS-SARAH2 database. The locations were chosen according to the surface area of the reservoir, geographical position, and possibility of connection to the national energy system. After the analysis, it was observed that during the cold season, the solar irradiance is higher in locations 1 and 2, while locations 3 and 4 show higher irradiance during the warm season. Simulations of electricity production were carried out for the location of solar farms, with an installed capacity of 1 MWh, with a southern positioning of the panels having different tilt angles of: 0, 15, 30 and 45 degrees. The paper continues with a statistical analysis of the monthly and annual electricity production when installing solar farms in the analysed locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The village of Șag has an area of 8,664 ha, of which 8,419 ha is agricultural land. The deterioration of soil quality has negative repercussions on either one or all soil functions. From a geomorphological point of view, the territory of the village is located in the Banat-Crișana Plain, part of the Western Plain of Romania, the eastern extremity of the Tisza Plain, in the Timiș-Bega interfluvium, a unit formed exclusively by the cumulative action of the Timiș River. The sustainable use of the soil involves measures to maintain the potential productivity of the resources and to follow their evolution based on parameters and indicators to monitor the changes produced on the quality of the soil. The agricultural land of the village with an area of 8,419 ha has the following uses: arable land 7,693 ha (91,4%), pastures 636 ha (7,5%), haymaking fields 39 ha (0,5%), orchards 1 ha, and vineyards 50 ha (0,6%). The most cultivated plants are winter wheat, barley, sunflower, soy, and alfalfa. The purpose of this paper is to present useful information in the design and implementation of policies that protect and maintain the sustainable use of the soil as well as the rational use of the financial resources of the village of șag, while allowing the soil to provide long-term goods and services. The objectives of the paper are to establish the values of the physical, hydro-physical, and chemical properties of the soils of șag, as well as their classification in quality classes. There are 7 types and subtypes of soil. The soils with the highest distribution are eutricambosols - 55,15% of the total area and the soils with the lowest distribution are solonetzes - 0,20% of the total area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of management practices lead to significant variations of the net C balance of agricultural soils, and in this paper is estimated the impact of long-term cultivation on the soil organic carbon stocks. This paper also evaluates the potential of carbon sequestration of mineral soils through management practices in temperate agricultural systems, under dry climate regime. For fulfilling of the objective of this study, the "stock-difference method" was used for estimating the soil organic carbon stocks between two points in time, t1 (2000) and t2 (2021). The results obtained showed that the evolution of SOC stocks during the 21 years period between 2000 and 2021 recorded significant increases in most of the investigated soils, with one exception where a decrease in SOC stock by aprox. 11 % was recorded. The highest increase in SOC stock was recorded in case of a Cambic Chernozem soil, where the SOC stock value from 2021 is 63% higher as compared with the SOC value from 2000. Also, this soil recorded the highest rate for annual change in carbon stock (1.4762 tC/ha), followed by Eutric Cambisol (1.4286 tC/ha), Chernozem (1.3810 tC/ha) and Fluvisol (1.0476 tC/ha). The presented results showed that the Cambic Chernozem has the highest potential for CO2 removal from the atmosphere with an annual rate of 5.41 tCO2/ha. Also, high potentials for CO2 sequestration with accumulation rates of 5.24 tCO2/ha and respectively 5.06 tCO2/ha have the Eutric Cambisol and Chernozem soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The western area of Romania, like the entire country, due to its geographical position - in the temperate zone, is exposed to a wide range of risk weather and climate phenomena with the potential to occur throughout the year. The purpose of this work is to identify some indicators that most correctly express the extreme nature of the manifestations of some meteorological parameters and their characterization over a four-year period. The paper analyzes the main meteorological parameters from the profile stations in the western part of the country, respectively from Timis and Arad counties, in order to have an overview of the weather-climate characteristics for the studied period. The more detailed analysis of certain phenomena was done to capture exceptions, special extreme situations or more significant meteorological elements. The location of Romania in a certain context of action of the main baric centers imprints the temperate character of the climate. The location of the analyzed territory in the western part of the country and the configuration of the relief nuance this character, imprinting sub-Mediterranean characteristics in the southern part of Timis county. The risk aspects provided by the weather stations in the two studied counties, in the interval of four years, highlight the specific climatic changes that occur in certain intervals. Knowing the weather-climate characteristics of the region is important for all areas of human activity and life, all extreme phenomena being grafted onto the main background of the aforementioned weather-climate characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is the morphological characterization as well as the establishment of soil quality classes in the commune of Dubova, Mehedinti County, Romania. Soil is a primary component for plant production, although it is often considered only as a physical support for plant growth. However, the concerns of mankind over the sustainability of agriculture have made it possible to consider that soil is a living, high-quality system and should, therefore, be preserved. This is the result of several interactions between biological components, including microbial communities, essential for physical-chemical operation. Agricultural crops are threatened by diseases transmitted through the soil, making them difficult to control because of the "hidden" character of pathogens and low efficiency of conventional treatments. These practices greatly affect the quality of the soil, which, in turn, affects the state of crop quality. One of the goals of this paper is to show that, despite the age of the concept of soil quality and the existence of numerous studies, the application of soil quality recommendations would play an important role in crops. However, there is a certain methodology for obtaining soil quality indices that could be suggested in this paper, a methodology based and developed on the basis of previously conducted research in the field. Under current conditions, highlighted by an intensification of globalization processes, sustainable development brings together the main economic and social factors to meet the present needs of mankind without compromising those of future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a detailed statistical analysis to study the concentrations of PM10 for the city of Vidin, Bulgaria. The town of Vidin is located in north-western Bulgaria, on the south bank of the river Danube – the north Bulgarian border with Romania. We use official PM10 concentration level measurements by Bulgarian Ministry of environment and water for the period 01.01.2010 – 30.04.2021. Appropriate methods were used - classical time series decomposition and stochastic Box- Jenkins ARIMA. Models with very good statistical indicators for training, fitting and forecasting of PM10 have been built. A declining trend has been established on an annual basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the current context in which, for the first time since 1945, a war is taking place in Europe between two states, right on the borders of NATO and Romania, it is very important that the specialized state institutions with military status, such as the Romanian Gendarmerie, to be efficient. The budgets allocated to the Romanian Gendarmerie exceed the amount of two billion lei annually. Analyzing the level of funding, the requirements of citizens from the Romanian Gendarmerie can be raised and they expect to benefit from a considerable level of security. The Gendarmerie has the legal obligation to make available to the citizens through the websites the information related to the financial statements. This is a strong proof of openness to the taxpayer, as he has the right to know the directions of action of public entities. The purpose of the paper is to present the importance of the Romanian Gendarmerie's transparency towards the citizens through the accounting information. The paper also examines the procedure by which interested parts have access to the financial statements and analyzes the particularities and differences between two strategic Gendarmerie units, located in Cluj-Napoca. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current context, in which the analysis of the failures by infrared thermography for the hydraulically operated machines is an increasingly widespread internationally method, starting from the year 2016, in Romania, at INOE 2000 - IHP Bucharest the first thermographic analyzes were laid made on hydraulic equipment. It is known that by maintaining normal limits of variation of the temperature and viscosity of the hydraulic oil in the actuation plants, are created the conditions of the productivity increase and the decrease of the energy losses. The authors of this paper have therefore welcomed to the "20-20-20" Program (http://arpee.org.ro/strategia-europa-2020-programul-20-20-20/) which refers to the 20% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 equivalent) compared to 1990, the final energy consumption reduction by 20% compared to 2005, by increasing the energy efficiency and increasing the share of renewable sources in the total energy mix to a minimum 20% until the year 2020. The method of infrared thermography, applied in predictive maintenance is a practical solution in the direction of the present requirements for reducing the CO2 mark and for protecting the environment because it is non-polluting, non-invasive and has a low energy consumption. In the paper, in the current state of researches, the authors gave as an example the application of the infrared thermography method to hydraulic pumps and cylinders on mobile or fixed machines. Using a special infrared thermal imaging camera, in general, it was possible to make correct assessments on the degree of wear and functionality on the analyzed volumetric machines, by studying the resulting thermal images, called thermograms. However, when measurement errors occurred, it was found, that these assessments became inadequates. For this reason, the authors of the paper are focused their researches towards the optimization of the above mentioned method, by developing of an innovative, non-polluting technology for thermographic investigations that aimed to eliminate these errors, based on a practical methodology for applying and accurate interpretation of the results thermograms, able to describe punctually the procedures to be followed by the maintenance activities involved staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an exploratory study that analysis the factors that influence the intention to use smart meters that measure electricity consumption. The authors used the technology acceptance model as a starting point for their research, taking into consideration other eight external variables: social influence, familiarity with smart meter technology, task-technology fit, compatibility, the level of trust in companies that supply electricity, price awareness, energy conservation intentions, and perception of the environmental problems. In this regard, it was developed a questionnaire that was applied to homeowners from a 5-year-old residential complex, from Bucharest, Romania, data being processed and analysed with SPSS statistical software. The results indicated that one of the most important factors that influence the intention to use smart meters is the compatibility with smart meter technology. Also, this study highlighted that price awareness and task-technology fit are also variables that strongly influence the attitude toward using a smart meter in the case of apartment owners from the residential complex. On the other hand, the intention to buy or attitude to use smart meters were not influenced by the level of trust in companies that supply electricity, and familiarity with smart meter technology, the homeowners being more concerned about energy conservation or environmental issues. Based on the results of this pilot study, at the end of the paper, the authors presented indications regarding the future research they will carry out to determine the most complete model of the factors that influence the use of smart meters in residential buildings in Romania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper describes a case study, on a 27 km-long section of the Moldova River in Romania, on which floods often occur. Floods are some of the most disastrous phenomena caused by combined factors: atmospheric and hydrological with significant repercussions on the environment, with great material damage and loss of life. According to this application, GIS technology is a remarkable solution that can solve rationally, intelligently and efficiently the increasingly difficult problems related to these phenomena, to the use of terrestrial resources. GIS facilitates the processing and analysis of both conventional and remote sensing spatial data, integrated in complex and heterogeneous databases. Our paper shows real-time flood modelling by applying established mathematical-hydrological models. The identification and mapping of flooded areas are represented by field data collection and the use of radar images taken at the time of the floods, in combination with satellite images, taken before or after the events. Field data collection is often done using mobile equipment, which allows direct real-time connection to a resource center and fast information exchange. The GIS application described in this paper shows that both field equipment use and subsequent data processing allow fast mapping of floodplains and identification of affected areas and enable one to make fast calculations to determine, for instance, the optimal path between points of interest, depending on the actual situation on the ground (inaccessible roads, damaged bridges, etc.). This study suggests a solution for managing flood emergencies, both by directly collecting updated field information and by calibrating flood patterns by quickly mapping floodplains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper highlights three real-life instances of discrimination against children in the pre-school and elementary school system in Romania that are more than twenty years apart. The paper then briefly surveys the official EU perspective on the fight against discrimination in education, alongside the current EU vision for an inclusive education. The final section focuses on the practice of fighting discrimination in the Romanian schooling system, thereby emphasizing the unbridged gap yet between the humanistic vision of inclusiveness, learner diversity and mutual enrichment on the one hand and the current inadequate materialization of inclusive educational policies in Romania on the other. Suggestions for addressing the problem conclude the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how youth is involved and influence the business environment through their actions and practices. Many young people and youth organizations are framing a mindset to their members about openness to entrepreneurship, innovation, on the business environment. While these youngsters are learning and making efforts to collaborate with similar structures from the EU, most of the companies in Romania are not paying much attention to them. The number of youth organizations had an increased trend in recent years, more and more youngsters acting and interacting with the business environment. Entrepreneurship playing an important role in the changes in the business environment. Some organizational changes are happening within the business environment at the EU level, echoing also in Romania. The level of interest in innovation and entrepreneurship is high for youngsters forming non-governmental organizations, eager to create hubs of knowledge using EU-funded grants. The importance of studying this topic is vital to identify common characteristics, skills, and mindset of the young people involved in the organizational structures. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how Romanian youngsters are enhancing and recognizing the innovation mindset within their organizations and how they can impact the local business environment. Also, another point is to determine the organizational change in the business environment in Romania, impacted by the youth organizations. The methodology is based on primary and secondary data, analysing youth activities outputs and the approaches bringing change in the business environment in recent years. And on the other hand, studying how the business environment, firms, and companies are interacting with youth activities directly or indirectly. The study contributes to the literature review by highlighting local best practices implemented by youth and youth organizations to bring improvement to the business environment together with youth awareness for the business environment transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By developing this paper, we wanted to identify the opportunities for the growth and development of the Faget area in Romania, based on the specific resources available. Geographical location, natural and anthropogenic sites, as well as existing accommodation structures provide this area a high tourist potential. Natural landscapes, recreational areas, hunting, fishing, historical monuments, wooden churches, and natural resources are the most important attractions of the Faget area that can be valorised. The authors try to highlight in this paper the evolution of the tourist reception units in the analyzed area. We try to highlight other very important aspects of the analyzed area such as the total capacity of tourist accommodation in operation, the arrivals of tourists in the structures of tourist reception, but also the situation of overnight stays in these structures. Through this paper we want to point out how much the pandemic has influenced the tourism activity in the Faget area, but also its influence on accommodation structures. For this study we had to visit the analyzed area to see the real situation. We talked to the residents and the owners of accommodation units who presented us the real situation. Due to the information and data received from them, we were able to present the situation in the area, both before the pandemic and during the pandemic years. The authors of the paper have come to the conclusion that the promotion of the Faget area through tourism will allow its economic development by increasing people's employment rate and incomes, which will lead to an increase in the quality of life of the inhabitants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is in the context of studies on the variability of atmospheric factors that highlight the fluctuations associated with climate changes. The acquisition of data for the concentration of NO, NO2 and NOx was collected from the national air quality monitoring system which includes 158 monitoring stations. the monitored national area was divided into 8 study areas to facilitate the calculations. In this paper we present the significant results for the Southeast of Romania for a period of 5 years - between 2017 and 2020. Distribution maps and results obtained by applying statistical tests demonstrated the existence of significant spatial and temporal variability. The study is of particular importance. In recent years, climate change in many countries around the world has been associated with food insecurity, especially in developing countries, especially in the current context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of meteorological-climatic phenomena, especially of extreme phenomena that have become more and more frequent, has gained greater significance, given the increasing awareness of the importance of preventing material damage. Thus, monitoring and analysis of atmospheric risk phenomena helps local and national authorities whose duty is to protect the population and property of any kind, and early warning regarding the occurrence of such phenomena is useful to each individual. The western and north-western part of Romania, like the whole country, due to its geographical position, in the temperate area, is exposed to a wide range of risky meteorological climatic phenomena which may potentially occur throughout the year. The present paper aims to identify certain meteorological aspects, which most correctly express the extreme character of the manifestations of some meteorological parameters. The data provided by the Banat Crisana and Northern Transylvania Meteorological Centers highlighted the evolution of certain risk parameters from two representative meteorological stations in these areas, Timisoara and Satu Mare, over a period of forty years. The study of meteorological-climatic phenomena, especially of extreme phenomena that have become more and more frequent, has gained greater significance, given the increasing awareness of the importance of preventing material damage. Thus, monitoring and analysis of atmospheric risk phenomena helps local and national authorities whose duty is to protect the population and property of any kind, and early warning regarding the occurrence of such phenomena is useful to each individual. The western and north-western part of Romania, like the whole country, due to its geographical position, in the temperate area, is exposed to a wide range of risky meteorological-climatic phenomena which may potentially occur throughout the year. The present paper aims to identify certain meteorological aspects, which most correctly express the extreme character of the manifestations of some meteorological parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The largest aluminum factory in Eastern Europe is located near Slatina. Before Romania acceded to the EU in 2007, many environmental protection rules were omitted in this area. The paper analyzes the water table pollution along the Olt River for about 15 km. There are considered the tributary flows on the river, the concentration of discharged pollutants, and the pumping regime from the catchment front. It is built at about 500 m from the river, on the left bank, parallel to the river, and consists of 44 wells, of which only 34 are functional today. The flow from the phreatic aquifer is analyzed for a measured hydraulic conductivity of 35 m/day and transmissivity 350 m²/day. The main directions of pollutant flow and transmission were determined. The mathematical and numerical modeling of the water pollution in the water table is illustrated and compared with the experimental results obtained based on the measurements of the flow rates and concentration of pollutants on the Olt River during one year. The results are presented in 3 variants: tributary flow on the river at average values with pollutant concentrations below 10 mg/l and continuous pollutions, average flow on the river with higher pollutant concentrations between 15-35 mg/l and continuous pollution, and the variant with concentrated pollution, step type of 100-150 mg/l, for 8 hours. Finally, some conclusions are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate changes represent an important problem in today's society. Our study refers to the West Region of Romania, formed by the counties of Arad, Timis, Caras-Severin, Hunedoara, and it shows that there are significant differences regarding the climate changes between these counties. In our paper, we analyze the evolution of annual, respectively seasonal precipitations, and of the minimal, maximal and medium air temperatures in the considered region in the time frame 1991-2021. The statistical analysis of data shows an increase of the medium annual air temperatures, the observed changes being more pronounced in summer and winter. Beside the increase tendency of the air temperature in winter, one could observe also that the time of heat waves has become significantly longer in the West of Romania, such that the number of hot days is larger. An increase of the maximum length of the periods without precipitation has been observed over the last decades in the west during summer, as well as monthly anomalies of temperatures and precipitations. Annual estimates of the Climate Altering Land Cover Index are presented for the analyzed period and we observe that there is a positive correlation between these indices and the mean air temperature. In conditions of the climate changes, the mean summer precipitations will reduce in the coming decades, which will affect the management of water resources and the agriculture, which leads to the necessity of adjustment to the climate changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrient-poor, sandy, sterile material from the post-mining sterile dumps such as those in the Maramures region (Romania) presents a challenge for plants. Sterile dumps are considered extreme environments for plants due to their unfavorable physicochemical properties. Phytoremediation has great potential to remove heavy metals from sterile dumps, and Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) seems to be a possible candidate species for this purpose. The potential of Brassica juncea seeds to germinate in a medium contaminated with high concentrations of Cu, Pb and Cd was assessed using germination tests on Indian mustard seeds in the presence of various liquid mixtures made from fertilizer and sterile material collected from three different mining sterile dumps in Maramures county, Romania. The experiment results showed that adding fertilizers did not enhance the germination process of Brassica juncea seeds and that the optimal pH for Brassica juncea to sprout extremely well is 5.5. The results suggest that Brassica juncea could be used in efficient phytoremediation of the sterile dumps. This paper's objective consists of observing the germination of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) in the presence of high concentrations of heavy metals from sterile mining dumps with the purpose of the phytoremediation of the studied polluted areas from Maramures county (Romania). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we intended to analyze non-native plant species that spread uncontrollably and have a visible and quantifiable impact in the analyzed area. The analyzed plant species demonstrate a strong invasive character, overwhelming the native plant species. This fact leads to a loss of biodiversity at the local level, but especially to production loss of the useful biomass on the invaded land surfaces. The aim of this paper is to show a practical method of analysis and evaluation of economic losses at the local level caused by invasive plant species. At the same time, the paper wants to explain the factors that favor the spread of these invasive species on the territory of the investigated area. The most important factors contributing to the spread of these species are also noted. These are represented in particular by change in land use, climate change and uncontrolled, irresponsible growth in the gardens of these plant species. Invasive plant species such as Reynoutria japonica Houtt, Impatiens glandulifera Royle, Solidago canadensis L., are discussed. The populations of these species have a visible and quantifiable impact that can be found in the biomass production of the surfaces on which they grow. The uncontrolled spread of the populations made of these plant species leads to the damage of useful lands traditionally used for grazing or harvesting fodder for farm animals. In this paper, a method is outlined for the assessment of harvest losses on the surfaces affected by the populations of these plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 21st century is witnessing a growing movement of people from one corner of the world to another, either for business or personal reasons, like never before. These people will be bringing with them their own differences, values, beliefs, and communication styles. Cultures will clash at the workplace, at a party, in the supermarket, in the subway, when dealing with the authorities, and the list can go on. That is why, this paper aims at providing students (i.e. future employees or managers, who will undoubtedly come into contact with different cultures in their future careers) with notions related to intercultural communication, mainly non-verbal communication. The paper also posits that one way of acquiring the intercultural communication competence in the classroom is by providing real-life examples of what such communication means, i.e. through accounts and stories told by expats, who are people who travel and decide to relocate to another country (embracing or not the new culture) mainly for business-related reasons. [For "NORDSCI International Conference Proceedings (Online, October 12-14, 2020). Book 1. Volume 3," see ED616185.]

The 1979 report of a working group of the World Health Organization (WHO) in cooperation with the West German government, on the design of training in health planning and management in the European region is presented. The working group consisted of 15 temporary advisers from 11 countries, in addition to WHO staff and a consultant. The group was asked to: review experiences gained in a number of European training programs in health planning and management; determine training objectives for specific target groups; discuss training methods and curriculum development as related to each specific objective; and formulate recommendations for action at national and international levels. European countries in general are faced with the problem of how to make the best use of limited resources for their health services. The problems of developing health planning and management in two European countries, the United Kingdom and Romania, were reviewed, along with WHO activities at the global level and in the European Region. Attention was directed to identifying qualities of health managers who administered services as well as those of policy-makers and higher-level administrators, and the needs of the primary care general practitioner and the nurse at the first level of nursing management. Teacher training was considered in light of national program development and a national commitment to health management training, and a strategy that could be applied nationally and internationally was developed. Four working papers that served as background to the working group's discussions are appended. (SW)

Family farming plays an important role in food security and sustainable rural development, in both developed and developing countries. If in recent history, Western Europe was based on a strong sector of family farming, for Romania and other former communist countries, it reappeared in the debate after the changes that occurred in the 1990s. (the collapse of the communist regimes). Due to the complexity and heterogeneity of farms all over the world, there is currently no consensus on the definition of family farming: how the family farm is defined varies by country and context. The objective of this paper is to identify family farms in Romania based on accessible parameters, easy to measure. The approached topic required the use of an appropriate methodology, which included both methods of documentary and statistical analysis. The emerged conclusion was that proposing a definition and selecting specific parameters has a significant importance in characterizing and evaluating the importance of family farms, an important step in proposing and implementing dedicated policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benefiting from pedoclimatic conditions favorable to grain cultivation, Romania was an important player in international trades. In the context of the current geopolitical changes, the paper aims to identify the position occupied by Romania in the global trade of maize and wheat in the period 2017-2021. For this purpose, exports and imports of maize and wheat by quantity and value were analysed on the basis of statistical data available on speciality sites such as ITC. Thus, we note that in 2021, Romania ranked 5th in the ranking of corn exporters, in terms of quantity and 9th in terms of wheat exporters. The quantities and values recorded for the imports of maize and wheat indicated that Romania was not in the top positions in the world rankings, although there was an increasing trend in these indicators during the period under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic theory has it that education, under all of its forms, produces positive externalities, with markets providing less than is socially desirable. In such a context, this paper aims at discussing the specific case of e-funding for e-learning: on the one hand, the paper investigates the demand side for donations via crowdfunding platforms, which comes from individuals or entrepreneurs seeking to finance ELearning projects, and on the other hand, it analyses the responsiveness and openness of the supply-side for donations via Internet for ELearning projects in Romania. Crowdfunding has emerged as a viable alternative funding source to traditional bank financing, especially in fields where projects or entrepreneurs have limited access to resources and where the output or outcome of the project creates positive affective reactions. This paper will only consider the cases of reward-based crowdfunding and donation of the four existing models (reward-based crowdfunding, donation, equity crowdfunding or debt crowdfunding), mostly because the Romanian laws in force do not distinguish between all four types (equity and debt crowdfunding are not legislated). The more general case of educational projects financed via crowdfunding platforms is also discussed in order to draw valuable conclusions insofar as the specific case of ELearning is concerned. The analysis is based on a thorough study of all active crowdfunding platforms operating in Romania (a total of eight being identified), with an in-depth discussion of the particular types of projects that require financing. The originality of the paper stems from the fact that there is very little research done in the field of crowdfunding in Romania, and also stands in the fact that the current international literature investigating the topic of crowdfunding does not include analyses of ELearning projects financed via such platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The university admission test comes after the high school graduation exam - the baccalaureate. The baccalaureate results of each candidate must be known by the university admissions committee. They provide information on the degree of intelligence, the skills acquired up to this date, but also the presence of inclinations and skills indispensable to the fulfillment of professional aspirations. The university entrance exam should not be focused only on quantity and quality of knowledge. Besides that, one of the objectives of this exam must be to test the interest in completing the studies through the university level for which he opts, but also the candidate's skills that "offer" him the productive and satisfying course of the entire cycle of higher education, even the perspective of future achievements. To realize that three psychological investigation tools of candidates (tests) can be used, necessary to highlight: (1) personality profile of the candidate; (2) interest profile, motivational; and (3) aptitude profile. The paper proposes a new admission methodology: the data collected through the proposed tests and correlated with the high school graduation data can accept the candidates, as admitted to the profile they opted for, or can redirect them to choose the right path. [For the full proceedings, see ED630948.]

PhD students are a valuable asset for universities as they are able to perform a varied number of activities. Moving on from their basic role of students, their main focus becomes researching on their theses' topics, however a PhD student life does not happen only between the walls of a library. Sometimes, PhD students perform in a benevolent or mandatory way teaching activities within their universities, which upgrades their status to collaborators of the university. However, this sort of activities bring along serious responsibilities which might require the diminishing of time dedicated for the thesis' writing. This paper's aim is to investigate which are the factors that contribute to the engagement PhD students feel for their work as teachers. According to the found driving elements, we intend to define the levels of engagement teachers-PhD students show and to layer them down in a structured way. As the research work is a complex enough work by itself, adding an activity such as the teaching one in the life of a PhD student might affect the well-run of the PhD program. Hence, a second objective of this paper is to determine if the teaching experience helps the students to cope better with the PhD requirements. Overall, the contributions of this paper can be of important value firstly for the PhD students that want to seek academic career opportunities during their PhD degree. Secondly, the paper can as well as benefit the universities that would like to manage better their PhD students and learn how to integrate them in their organizational teaching charts. Learning about their engagement drivers can lead to designing fitted win-win partnerships between the university and the PhD students that could bring added value for both sides. [For "NORDSCI International Conference Proceedings: Education and Language Edition (Athens, Greece, August 19, 2019). Book 1. Volume 2," see ED603411.]

The performance of any economy is based on scientific knowledge and technological innovation. Consequently, a highly motivated workforce with skills in science and engineering is key to any prosperous economy. Science education has a critical role in providing scientific literacy to students, as well as in training young people to choose careers linked to STEM education. Understanding the science concepts and their application is nowadays challenging for students, due to lack of interest and motivation. "Science is not for me" is, unfortunately, a frequent phrase heard when discussing with young people. It is clear that the way science is taught must be adapted to the student's profile and needs. In this respect, in Romania, the CONNECT project comes to meet this gap by designing and implementing four structured scenarios, embracing the format of Science actions. In order to evaluate the impact of each Science action in terms of students' perceptions and attitudes concerning science, an instrument based on a 5-point Likert scale was developed in the frame of the project partnership. The feedback of 83 students who participated in the Rewilding Science action was collected, being emphasized that students are feeling more confident to solve problems in science and consider that learning science is enjoyable, even learning science is not easy. Although the majority of the respondents would like to do projects with others using science to improve the world, they -- in the same ratio -- would not like to be seen as experts in science. [For the full proceedings, see ED629086.]

Science actions represent specific initiatives and demarches that involve investigation, experimentation, and even research, for raising the interest of the young generation in science, through particular approaches of STEM education. Important topics are promoted to students in various approaches, addressing nowadays problems, answering scientific questions, or trying to make them aware of sensible issues. In this respect, the topic of plastics biodegradability embraced the clothes of a Science action, a format based on the Care-Know-Do model, proposed in the frame of the CONNECT project. Having the view to evaluating the students' interest in science after the implementation of the project-designed science actions, the partnership proposed a 5-point Likert scale instrument. In Romania, 373 students who participated in the Biodegradable Plastics action expressed their feedback, underlining--in an important proportion--their strong confidence in science, being ready to participate in collaborative science projects or benefit from their family support who consider that understanding and knowing science is useful for the entire life. Moreover, the students offered positive feedback related to teachers' ability to emphasize the importance of science for their life and future, but also in society, in general. [For the full proceedings, see ED629086.]

Using an integrated approach to evaluate the quality of the reservoir and the potential of production is getting more and more important in petroleum geology. This integrated approach was used to analyse the quality of an old Miocene reservoir in the Moesian Platform, Romania. While this paper goes through all the main components of an integrated study (seismic, petrophysics, reservoir engineering), the main focus was on well data. This research focused on modelling the structure using mainly well data. The reservoir is associated with an alluvial cone structure and a canal system NNW-SSE, with the lithological traps in the southern part [1]. The reservoir pressure and the behaviour during production indicates a gas expansion is the main displacement mechanism, alongside a low influx of water. The results of this paper show that the performance of the reservoir is influenced not only by the available energy (the elastic gas expansion and a low influx of water), but also by the spatial distribution of different facieses in relation to the well locations. Gas production started in 1962 and continues to this day. However, the Miocene reservoir was chosen for gas storage (UGS-Underground Gas Storage) due to his relatively large thickness, good porosity and large surface area [2]. The purpose of a reservoir characterisation is to incorporate existing data from geological, petrophysics, geophysics and reservoir engineering, so that the results obtained by the multidisciplinary team can be used to create a reservoir model which will improve economic results. The methodology and the results for each phase are summarized in the following sections: seismic, petrophysics and reservoir engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the scientific community, as well as practitioners around the world, have gradually turned their attention towards the matter of life quality, both from an ecological, as well as from a socio-economic point of view – particularly in relation to the realities of the urban environment. Within contemporary cities, collective housing neighborhoods concentrate the highest densities of housing units, thus offering shelter to a large percentage of the population. These developments therefore have the largest impact on the quality of life within the urban environment and are thus increasingly studied by specialists across the world. However, while scholars concentrate fully on aspects such as accessibility and connectivity, resource and waste management, public facilities or even the physical configuration of the neighborhood and of the public space itself, the housing stock and the living conditions that the apartment buildings offer to their inhabitants are all too often ignored by the specialized literature – even though these aspects significantly influence the quality of life for individuals, whom they bear upon on a daily basis. This paper therefore proposes a theoretical study in regard to this subject, identifying the physical characteristics of the housing stock which have the greatest impact on the quality of life, as well as analyzing the way in which these aspects influence the overall well-being of individuals. Moreover, in order to further substantiate this research, the paper focuses on the study of positive examples from around the world regarding interventions on collective housing buildings and neighborhoods, identifying possible implementable measures in order to improve the existing situation. Finally, the research concentrates on the collective housing neighborhoods within the city of Timisoara, Romania, analyzing the situation of the housing stock within these developments, as well as proposing certain strategies that could, in time, lead to an increased overall level of life quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between economic growth and unemployment has been a topic of interest in academia for almost 60 years but with a special focus on developed countries and only recent papers present results at the regional level. This paper analyzes the regional Okun’s Law in two emerging countries, namely Bulgaria and Romania applying original data. To best achieve the research objective, we consider the widely valued specification of Okun’s Law, that investigates the relationship between the cyclical components of output and unemployment. Moreover, we favour the Hodrick-Prescott (HP) filter for a better comparison with the literature. We discover important regional heterogeneities of Okun’s, as in some Bulgarian and Romanian Regions the Okun’s coefficients are not statistically significant. Furthermore, we present an analysis of the economic drivers that explain why the Okun Law is significant only in some regions. Lastly, we highlight the importance of the regional characteristic in the design of fiscal policies by discussing some policy implication, since demand-side policies are effective in unemployment reductions only in regions where the Okun’s Law is significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic theory has it that education, under all of its forms, produces positive externalities, with markets providing less than is socially desirable. In such a context, this paper aims at discussing the specific case of e-funding for e-learning: on the one hand, the paper investigates the demand side for donations via crowdfunding platforms, which comes from individuals or entrepreneurs seeking to finance ELearning projects, and on the other hand, it analyses the responsiveness and openness of the supply-side for donations via Internet for ELearning projects in Romania. Crowdfunding has emerged as a viable alternative funding source to traditional bank financing, especially in fields where projects or entrepreneurs have limited access to resources and where the output or outcome of the project creates positive affective reactions. This paper will only consider the cases of reward-based crowdfunding and donation of the four existing models (reward-based crowdfunding, donation, equity crowdfunding or debt crowdfunding), mostly because the Romanian laws in force do not distinguish between all four types (equity and debt crowdfunding are not legislated). The more general case of educational projects financed via crowdfunding platforms is also discussed in order to draw valuable conclusions insofar as the specific case of ELearning is concerned. The analysis is based on a thorough study of all active crowdfunding platforms operating in Romania (a total of eight being identified), with an in-depth discussion of the particular types of projects that require financing. The originality of the paper stems from the fact that there is very little research done in the field of crowdfunding in Romania, and also stands in the fact that the current international literature investigating the topic of crowdfunding does not include analyses of ELearning projects financed via such platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planning, programming, budgeting, and evaluation/execution are the result of the normal existence of economic phenomena and processes valid in any structure. In Romania, PPBES has been adopted and applied in order to be able to manage public money as efficiently as possible. This paper presents the policies, responsibilities, objectives, purpose and organization of the PPBE system, as a constituent part of the process of Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Evaluation (PPBE) of the defense resources of the Ministry of National Defense (MoND), by studying this process within the Naval Logistics Base Headquarter "Pontica"(NLBH). The main objectives of the annual PPBE process of the MoND are to establish, justify and procure the fiscal and labor resources necessary to fulfill and execute the missions assigned to the army and to give the combatant command the best mix of armed forces, equipment and labor, also obtaining the support of other indirect resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of the paper is to present the use of multicriterial decision methods to assure the transparency of public acquisitions in the context of regional economic growth. Based on multiple criteria algorithms and using adequate methods to determine the importance of each criterion, a computer program was created to assist the decision maker. The software was created by the department of Mathematics and Computer Science of “Aurel Vlaicu” University of Arad and implements the procedure for public tenders. The application is designed both for Electre and Topsis models, without limitations in the number of alternatives or criteria. Besides describing the algorithm and the software, the paper deals with a case study: a public procurement in the field of road construction. In Romania, the financial support for road construction is provided by the administrative budget of the counties, using various funds: local taxes, public or private funds, EU financing. The contract is assigned to one of the applicant companies through a public acquisition process. The decision considers a set of criteria, in order to obtain the best quality to price ratio and applies the Electre multi-criteria decision-making model. Input data is obtained from the tenderers’ files handed in by each applicant. Before running the algorithm, a careful financial background check of the applicant is conducted. In this case study, seven tenderers passed the eligibility check and were admitted to the final phase. A number of eight criteria were considered and weighted by the experienced staff of the county administration. The computer application was used for ranking the alternatives and to designate the winner of the tender through an independent and transparent acquisition process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exodus of young people from rural areas in Romania, corroborated with the decrease of the population at national level is a major problem of the country. The Common Agricultural Policy integrates this issue, finding several forms of support both in Pillar I, on direct payments, and in Pillar II, on rural development. This paper proposes the analysis of support for young farmers in the second pillar. Thus, the measures related to the support of young farmers through the National Rural Development Program will be analyzed, both from the first programming period and from the second period. Following the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the number of funded projects and their value Analyzes will be performed mainly in Tulcea County, this being a special one, including the Danube Delta nature reserve, and access to the measures in this area were more intense. Testing the hypotheses will determine whether the average level of projects in this area differs, statistically significantly, from the national average. Finally, certain hypotheses will be tested regarding the effects that these investments, by accessing the support measures for young farmers, may have on the development of the Danube Delta area and Tulcea County in Romania. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the measures to rejuvenate the generations of farmers, through the national rural development program in Tulcea County, Romania, starting from the research hypothesis that in this area, which includes the Danube Delta nature reserve, access measures was more intense due to conditions in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bistrita River was the first river harnessed for hydropower purposes in Romania, starting with 1960. Currently, on this river, 29 hydropower plants with different capacities are functioning, producing about 10% of the entire Romanian electric energy from hydro. Many of them were realized in series, in cascade. In the present paper, the area of Pangarati, Vaduri, Batca Doamnei, and Reconstructia hydropower lakes was analyzed. Of these, three are Nature Reservations, Nature 2000, RAMSAR sites. The lakes being realized in series, their clogging has appeared quite quickly, favoring the excess development of the aquatic vegetation. At the beginning of the paper, some local conditions are studied, based on the performed measurements for three years, being also analyzed the main species of appeared vegetation. Under these conditions, in the last two decades a systematic campaign of combat the excess developed vegetation has began. In the beginning, some methods that should have been completely banned in this area were applied, because these lakes are used also to supply water in many localities. Subsequently, other methods were tested, but without significant results. The paper briefly mentions these methods applied and tested previously. The purpose of the paper is to present an ecological method, with low cost, easy to implement, being tested in Lake Pangarati for three years. By this method, in places where it was placed, almost the total destruction of the existing vegetation is achieved, but also a reduction by over 40% of the vegetation developed in the following years, and with beneficial effects for the next lakes on the Bistrita River. Finally, some conclusions and references are also mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the whole society had to adapt its operating principles. The academic environment had to adapt quickly to the new situation. Starting from the analysis of available resources and from the experience of working in the online environment, Romanian universities have switched to the E-learning system since March 16, 2020. This paper describes the particularities of the way of working in higher education institutions in Romania. The case study is conducted at Transilvania University of Brasov. The different academic profile of the authors allows the description of the academic activities both for the technical and humanities fields. The paper analyzes the efficiency of the activity carried out in the second semester of the academic year 2019-2020 and presents the perspectives for the first semester of the academic year 2020-2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will build upon my previous smart cultural landscapes research, by offering a technical overview of the planning processes that the policies are based on. In this respect, I will discuss, in an analytic manner, how the argumentation process should take place from a cultural landscape study. This will take into consideration the proficiencies of a planning professional, the smart characteristics of a cultural landscape policy or study and the relevant steps that should be taken to effectively solve the local rural or urban cultural landscape specific issues. The anticipated results would be to establish a well-known place of cultural landscape studies amongst the local rural and urban development processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]