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Due to its impact on all human activity, the new virus has therefore aroused increased interest in research. A large number of medical papers related to COVID-19 have been published as a result of the scientific community response to this emerging infectious disease. All measures that combat the spread of the disease came at a cost and the people had to add one more hardship which contributed to the rise in social inequality. Moreover, the costs for internet access, proper equipment to support online education, private healthcare, facemasks, and disinfectants have become a burden for a segment of Romanian society. In this study, 18 Romanian universities a Medicine bachelor specialisation, both public and private, were analysed to determine the dataset query from Web of Science. Our research aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 papers written by authors affiliated with Romanian universities with a medicine specialisation, which are the factors that influence the likelihood of a paper being cited and how the number of citations varies by university type. The obtained results reveal that University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Carol Davila" from Bucharest records the highest number of published papers, while "APOL-LONIA" University of Iași has the highest number of citations in both WOS Core Collection and in all WOS Databases per research. Furthermore, there is a significant difference in the number of citations between papers with and without a PUB MED ID. Logistic models show that neither the type of university nor the property type of the university (public or private) are determinants of the likelihood of an article being cited in the WOS core collection or in all WOS databases. As a consequence, a research paper with PUB MED ID and a higher number of pages, has a higher chance to be cited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

These instructions give you guidelines for preparing the papers for Annals of the University of Craiova, Economic Sciences Series. These instructions are also formatted as a sample for your paper layout. No fulfillment of these instructions determines the Editorial Board to reject the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digitalization of public administration is a pertinent and significant subject matter at the European Union level, and by extension, at the national level in Romania. The primary goal of this study is to examine the process of digitalization in public administration and assess the implications generated by the adoption of e-government services on several macroeconomic variables, namely economic growth, quality of life and potential growth. In this perspective, we shall undertake an analysis of the advantages that digitalization confers, as well as the trajectory that digitalization follows within Romania's public administration. Also, the paper shows several models of best practices with varying levels of digitalization observed within public administration and public services at the European Union (EU) level, as a possible direction that Romanian policy makers can adopt, considering the current level of digitalization and the competitiveness environment al EU level when it comes to the future of IT&C. The paper concludes that countries that had a forward-looking perspective and adopted digitalization measures for public administration in the past will now use the Recovery and Resilience Funds to develop Internet 4.0 elements to solve problems and compute data, as a way of revolutionizing how governments operate and serve their citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital economy has become a key issue for both theoreticians and practitioners worldwide, especially in the last decade. It is based on various forms of technology, such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and blockchain. The aim of the paper is to briefly present and analyse the evolution of the digital economy in Romania in the period 2019-2022. In this respect, the authors used a qualitative research method. The results show that the period 2019-2022 witnessed a slight decrease in Romania's performance related to the Digital Economy and Society Index. The paper indicates that despite its efforts, Romania has scored well below the other EU countries. However, the adoption of several measures in favor of digitalisation proved its clear commitment to building a functional digital economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Colloquium of Social Sciences and Communication ACUM (NOW) took place in Brasov in between 17th and 19th of October 2019, over three sunny autumn days. The event was organized by the Faculty of Sociology and Communication of the University Transylvania and by the Society of Sociologists of Romania. The keynote speakers were: Bogdan Voicu (R.I.Q.L.) with a communication about migration as a double osmosis, Robbie Gilligan (University of Dublin), with a paper about working with vulnerable young people, Sylvie Huet, (University of Clermond), who investigated the "glass ceilings", and Mihai Burlacu, from the Bucharest Polytechnic, with a reconsideration of the anthropological space as heterotopia. The colloquium organized by SSR is already part of a local university tradition of national and international openness. Slowly but steadily, a real international character of scientific manifestations in Romania is formed, much less cosmopolitan than similar conferences in the global West, but with a constant presence of foreign guests and participants who bring a much needed diversity of perspectives and research themes. During the works, we received a very careful reception from colleagues in sessions that put together various contributions, from long-term individual research topics to recent exploratory research.The event was one that confirmed its success over the years, thus strengthening Brasov's place on the map of social sciences in Romania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The migration of medical staff results in the diminution of human resources in the health sector, undermining the capacity of developing countries' health systems to provide medical services equitably. Various factors, such as economic, professional, political, social, or personal considerations, contribute to the decision of health workers to emigrate. This paper's primary objective is to analyze the prevailing trends in the migration flows and stocks of physicians and nurses, with a focus on identifying the principal pull factors of migration. The preferred destination countries for Romanian health professionals include the UK, Germany, France, and Italy. Notably, Germany stands out as a leader in health care professionals' migration flows, characterized by two distinct migration periods: the first featuring exceptionally high levels of physician migration and the second marked by increasing levels of nurses' migration. Through panel data regression analysis, we have established that the pull factors for physicians differ from those for nurses. For physicians, the presence of a Romanian community of health professionals in the destination countries is crucial, whereas for nurses, the development level of the destination country holds top importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studii de Ştiintă şi Cultură is the property of Studii de Stiinta si Cultura and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the present context, the consumption and saving patterns are subjected to change both locally and worldwide. The evidence on consumption reveals the importance of data handling and processing using the most relevant tools available. This research paper looks into official statistics data of Consumer Price Indexes (CPI) for milling and baking products and is based on seasonal adjustment. As such, JDemetra+ software is selected as officially recommended by Eurostat for seasonal adjustment. First section presents the official software recommended by Eurostat for seasonal adjustment, while section two discusses the characteristics and functionalities of the software. Furthermore, the following section presents the selected seasonal adjustment technique and describes the usage of monthly data. Section four analysing the results of all the seasonality tests for the selected series is followed next by a brief concluding remarks and observations section. Moreover, in terms of the conducted analysis, the paper examines to test JDemetra+ 3.0.0 pre-release version against JDemetra+ 2.2.4. Evidence favouring JDemetra+ 2.2.4 is obtained, the results showing that some new strategies might be needed in order to obtain better results on seasonal adjustment process using TRAMO-SEATS in JDemetra+ 3.0.0. Seasonal adjustment practitioners in official statistics should be aware and recognize the impact of statistical package selection. In this respect, optimal selection of analysis procedures is needed in the evaluation of a series and thus migrating from JDemetra+ 2.2.4 to JDemetra+ 3.0.0 is problematic without employing resources in developing appropriate strategies for improvement of the obtained results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes promotional and educational content published online by newly emerged parenting influencers in Romania to endorse parenting education programs, workshops, seminars, or books. The paper aims to investigate how these programs construct 'good parenting' practices at a discursive level, what (de)legitimation strategies they use to promote products or services, and how they shape power relations between experts and parents. The study uses a multidimensional thematic, critical, and pragmatic discourse analysis approach. The results show that, through discursive strategies, influencers portray 'good parenting' as an anxiety and value-driven process. This approach is rooted in a parental determinist view that emphasizes the influence of parental actions on children's health and well-being. On the other hand, parenting expert influencers depict the 'good parent' as a 'conscious parent' (a parent that is both child-conscious, and attentive to their own needs and emotions) who should reform old parenting practices to ensure a secure relationship with their children and correct old parenting mistakes. The paper contributes to the growing body of knowledge on the changing nature of parental culture in post-industrial countries, with a particular focus on Romania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the evolution and trends of agritourism in Romania in the year 2022, supported by statistical data. Agritourism, the fusion of agriculture and tourism, has been steadily growing in Romania, offering unique rural experiences to tourists and contributing to the development of rural communities. Using a rich dataset from 2022, this study employs statistical methods to uncover key insights into the current state of agritourism in Romania. In summary, this research paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of agritourism from a statistical perspective, revealing key trends and insights that can inform future strategies and decisions in the field of agritourism and rural tourism development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural intelligence (CQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ) represent key competencies of multicultural leadership in the new normal global business environment. This paper aims to present a comparative quantitative study concerning emotional and cultural intelligences in USA and Romania, backed by a brief geo-linked bibliometric literature review. The bibliometric analysis is performed with VOSviewer for the works focusing on these two variables published in USA and, respectively, in Romania. Inspired by the findings of this comparative analysis, it is performed a quantitative research based on 604 questionnaires distributed to managers in USA and in Romania, and on statistical processing using SPSS software. The statistical results show that both CQ and EQ constitute significant vectors in developing multicultural leadership and organizational performance in a multicultural business environment for both USA and Romania. The comparative study reveals a higher level of CQ and EQ in the Romanian business environment than in USA. The difference could be explained by the focus on rationality and profit maximization in the American business education. The contribution of the paper comes from these findings and they can help researchers and practitioners to stimulate their efforts in improving CQ and EQ competences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development represents a new paradigm about the functioning of society, an approach that involves peaceful societies where the benefits are accessible to all. In addition, this context promotes access to justice for all and the creation of effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels. Analyzing mainly the social dimension, the paper investigates the contribution of justice in the sustainable development approach, comparing from several perspectives the progress made by Romania in the context of joining the UN 2030 Agenda and supporting the implementation of the set of 17 SDGs. Starting from the consideration that ODD 16 is one of the most innovative aspects of the sustainable development framework, we propose an analysis of the efforts to improve the quality of judicial services in accordance with the National Strategy of Sustainable Development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Scarce Large Blue (Phengaris teleius) is a threatened butterfly throughout Europe due to its special life cycle and habitat loss. P. teleius butterflies tend to be very sedentary and move only a few hundred meters a day and rarely leave their home patches. In this paper, details are presented regarding the first mention of P. teleius in the region of Săcădat locality, Bihor County, Romania. This location meets all the environmental requirements of P. teleius (host plants for larvae and ants of the genus Myrmica). The area researched was about 3.16 ha, with about 25000 individuals of Sanguisorba officinalis L. flowers, on which we found an approximate number of 94 P. teleius butterflies. We hope that our initial study of P. teleius could have a positive impact on the conservation of this species in this new location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to investigate the interconnections between diasporic discourse, spatiality, and Jewish literature within an analysis of a certain movement from Interwar Jewish-Romanian literature, the socalled literature of the ghetto, represented by authors such as I. Peltz, Ury Benador and Ion Călugăru. Depicting the lives of Romanian Jews in shtetls or marginal neighbourhoods, this literary discourse features a close relationship between spatiality and identity at its core. Alongside the space of the ghetto, multiple topoi (such as America, Palestine, or Russia) appear in these writings. I call these projective spaces as they are included in the novels through the longing of the narrators, for which different political affinities play a key role, or by means of fragmented stories that, often altered, echo through the ghettos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate stress-related experiences and coping solutions for public relations (PR) professionals, as relevant dimensions related to their well-being, creativity, and outcomes. The framework of the study is linked to the state of the PR profession, its role, and potential developments. It is based on qualitative research, using in-depth semi-structured interviews with seventeen senior professionals in PR from companies in Romania. The thematic analysis revealed, from a top-level professionals' perspective, that Romanian PR activity is still a very fluid one and its role and value are not yet clearly integrated. This generates important levels of negative stress for PR professionals. Besides that, positive stress is associated to PR activity for enthusiastic PR professionals. The findings underline a series of seven stress factors and three categories of solutions for coping, involving the professionals but also academia, professional bodies, and, eventually, organizations. The authors of this study emphasize the importance of supporting the development of the profession as a premise for more positive working experiences of PR professionals. This can be achieved by precisely using PR tools, to establish a set of clear standards and increase PR literacy for non-PR people, both for the benefit of PR professionals and those who pay for their services. The lack of a coherent framework on the role of PR brings many challenges to the activity of PR professionals. The negative stress they perceive in daily activity is partially an extension of the fragmented and incomplete development of the PR profession, and the multivariate and disconnected pace regarding advances in theory and practice in the field. These must be considered and addressed equally within PR research, training and education, practice, and PR-dedicated associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper presents the experience and situation of third country nationals living in Timisoara, Romania. Their experience is relevant to the region of Banat, in the West of the country, but broadly speaking, also mirrors the situation of various types of migrants who come to Romania. Through both individual interviews and focus groups, we obtained information concerning 4 main topics that are relevant to integration: education, health, housing, and employment. The respondents were adults who came from a background that is diversified professionally, culturally, and geographically. Thus, the sample, consisting of a total of over 50 persons, is relevant to our purpose: finding out what the needs of the third country nationals are and how can both state institutions and civil society organizations better meet those needs. After having studied material stemming from previous research and after having analysed the discourse of those whom we have encountered, we conclude that, though the Romanian state has the legal basis and premises to ensure the successful integration of TCNs in Romania, there is still work to be done in the field of putting the theoretical framework into common practice on the ground, thus ensuring the fair access of the TCNs to the tools and support they need to successfully integrate in the Romanian society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The business digitization is a priority process these days both at the enterprise level and at the economic level. This digitization action is both an opportunity and a priority and must be completed quickly by businesses that want a quick efficiency of their activity but also a better positioning on the market in which they exist. At the same time, all the organizations that come into contact with the companies must in their turn be able to respond through their actions to a digitalized economic environment. This paper is the object of study of a project financed by "Constantin Brancusi" University of Targu Jiu and aims to present some aspects related to the concept of digitization, the ways and opportunities of financing, the current state of digitization of the business environment in Romania and perspectives of digitization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial education is necessary for people of all ages, because every day they make decisions that can have financial implications. Thus, whether we talk about earning money, choosing savings solutions, investments, loans or simply about spending money, financial education is the basis for making appropriate decisions. Good financial education of the members of a society will lead to more responsible behaviour, better management of each household's financial resources and more economic stability. The complexity of today's economic life poses new challenges for the average citizen, who needs to keep up with technological progress on the one hand and understand the opportunities and challenges in the financial field on the other. Information sources today are diverse and information users need to be able to interpret the messages they receive in order to make the right choices and avoid falling victim to fraud. The impact of financial literacy and education on economic development is major because a person without even basic financial knowledge will make wrong choices that will affect their household's financial situation, with consequences for the national economy. This paper presents a number of aspects of the financial behaviour of Romanian citizens and includes a comparative presentation of the turnover of companies whose activity is "Gambling and betting activities" and the amounts spent by citizens on housing insurance and voluntary pensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a systematic review of the specialized literature related to tourism companies in Romania, which have implemented European funds. We used the bibliometric analysis with information from 70 articles published in the mentioned journals and magazines, taking into account the key terms established at the beginning of this article. Our article focused on highlighting the problems, influencing factors and specific consequences, according to the established terms. The limits of this article will be reduced in the future, when we will supplement the theoretical information in it with practical data, based on the answers to the questionnaires sent to the tourist service providers who have implemented projects with European funds and to the 8 Regional Development Agencies. The results of our research will help theorists and practitioners, as well as decision-makers in Romanian tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the accelerated globalization of digital commerce, Romania's integration into the international e-commerce ecosystem is a relevant case study. This paper explores the evolution, current state and future perspectives of Romania's e-commerce activities. We examine the main factors behind its success in this field, the challenges faced in the process and how technological innovations and strategic initiatives have been instrumental. We also analyze the wider implications of Romania's e-commerce growth on its economy and society. The research concludes by offering perspectives on future trends, highlighting the potential and opportunities ahead. This analysis serves as a basis for understanding how emerging economies can use e-commerce as a tool for global integration and economic advancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finance plays a major role in all economies by providing the necessary funds for economic activities and implicitly for all sustainable investments. Financing for sustainable development foregrounds directions for major investments in longer-term activities. In my opinion, one of the major problems of the sustainable development of the Romanian economy is closely related to the tendency and capacity to absorb European funds with a dominant investment and multiplier impact. The absorption rate of European funds can be an important factor in terms of economic growth. Effective use of these funds can stimulate investment, innovation and infrastructure development, which in turn can contribute to economic growth. These funds can also help create jobs and increase the economic competitiveness of a country or region. The study is based on the comparative analysis of Romania, as an emerging country of Central and Eastern Europe, with the other countries of the European Union in order to know the stage of sustainable development of our country and to emphasize the major role of European funds in this regard, in the countries of the Union European and we also used the theoretical research method and the method of reading the specialized bibliography, to outline the conceptual aspects addressed in the paper. This study emphasizes the fact that it is very important that the absorption of European funds is as high as possible to be a factor of economic growth and implicitly to support sustainable economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

These challenging economic times put most countries in a position to stimulate and strengthen economic growth through fiscal policy measures. We all know that fiscal policy aims to raise as much revenue as possible for the state budget in order to stimulate economic growth. As a result, Romania adopts fiscal policy measures such as: stimulating investments, stimulating consumption, controlling inflation, reducing the budget deficit, etc. Economists (Musgrave Richard & Musgrave Paggy, 1984) identified three functions of fiscal policy which are inter conditioned and related to the state economy: allocation, distribution and stabilization.[13] The paper aims to address in a suggestive manner the impact of fiscal policy on economic growth, and the main objective of the article is to highlight the evolution of economic growth in Romania in the last 10 years as a result of the application and implementation of fiscal policy measures in order to maximize the positive impact on economic growth. Fiscal policy is the basis for a state's economic actions, interacting with all other policies, i.e. monetary policy, social policy, development policy, budgetary policy, etc. This interaction must be translated into a set of economic growth measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use and implementation of digital technologies related to the current economy will allow to the professionals in the financial and accounting field to become creators of added value, through the quality services provided. However, the digital revolution brings important changes in the work of the specialist in this field, forcing him to continuously improve his skills. Taking into account the implications and consequences of the digitization of the accounting profession, this paper actually represents a case study regarding the perception of accounting professionals regarding the future of the accounting profession in the digital economy. Its final conclusions highlight the fact that the accounting profession is not dominated by information technology, but is influenced by the level of digitization of the economic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present an empirical analysis of unemployment spells and exit states of the Roma population living in Romania. A dataset of unemployment spells of Roma individuals with ISCED4, ISCED5 and ISCED7 level of education, registered as unemployed at the National Agency of Employment Romania, during January 1st 2014 until 31st December 2017 is analysed. Personal characteristics such as age, gender, education, urban/rural area of living, county and region, previous work experience, reason for leaving unemployment are analysed in association with unemployment duration and exit destinations. The obtained results can be useful for policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The goal of the paper was to analyze data from a short loop supply chain (supplier - manufacturer - customer), seek the reasons for the presence of the bullwhip effect (or a reverse bullwhip effect) and quantify its intensity within a practical case study from an automotive industry company based in Western Romania. Methodology: Data for this research were gathered over 27 weeks for the case of the most important 50 supplier-customer pairings of the manufacturing plant. The collected data were then analyzed using Holt-Winters exponential smoothing (level, trend and seasonality) and the methods of descriptive statistics: dispersion (range, variance, and standard deviation) and frequency distribution (count, percent, and frequency). Results: Our results confirm the existence of both the bullwhip effect (BE) and the reverse bullwhip effect (RBE) within the supply chain of the production site, as there are 54% of cases where order variation between the group of analyzed suppliers and customers is surprisingly greater for the latter, with only 12% of cases being the source of the classic bullwhip effect. Conclusion: According to our research, both effects are present, with a higher prevalence of the RBE, but the intensity of both effects can be significantly reduced by improving planning schedules, internal performance and logistics metrics, whilst also increasing the integration of suppliers and manufacturers in the upstream and downstream supply chain material and information flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studii de Ştiintă şi Cultură is the property of Studii de Stiinta si Cultura and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Waste is a major environmental, social, and economic issue. Consumption growth and economic development continue to create significant volumes of trash, requiring further measures to reduce and avoid. A thorough understanding and description of the characteristics of polluting spots, particularly those outside the waste management system, is essential in order to take action to eradicate these deposits. Despite the fact that there are legislative laws in Romania regarding the disposal of domestic garbage, it remains a continuous environmental concern. In this paper we want to establish general and specific objectives regarding the evaluation of the quality of environmental components in areas located in the vicinity of landfills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental engineering is one of the key areas of sustainable development. However, at some universities in Romania there is a decrease in the number of students in this field, respectively in the interest of high school graduates for it. This is also the situation of the Engineering and Environmental Protection in Industry specialization at the Faculty of Engineering of the "Lucian Blaga" University in Sibiu. The most important objectives of the paper were: centralizing the opinions of the students from the analyzed specialization regarding the elements that make it attractive or less attractive, collecting their suggestions for improvement and confirming the fact that young Romanians consider this specialization of great importance for the future of the planet. The replicated research method was extremely useful for the research carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational accreditation guarantees the quality of the educational processes, products and services. Both the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (NEAA) in Bulgaria and Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ARACIS) in Romania are members of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education ENQA). They follow strict professional standards, methodologies, procedures, and criteria. It is common that the quality management systems in universities are based on ISO 9001. The specific standard for educational organizations such as universities and research institutes ISO 21001 is far less popular than ISO 9001. The purpose of this paper is to highlight opportunities for improvement of the internal quality management systems of educational organizations based on international standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the paper was to study the effects of the Russian -Ukrainian conflict on Romanian inflation using the energy shock's pass-through effect to inflation in Europe after the invasion. A monthly time series dataset is used for econometric analysis, and the data was collected from EUROSTAT, IMF and BNR databases. Using a Cochrane-Orcutt AR (1) regression with iterated estimates that control for autocorrelated error terms, we measured how variations in the price of coal, gas, and oil affected the harmonized consumer price index (HCPI). Our results suggest that oil price increases will lead to an increase in HIPC in Romania. Gas prices had an inverse relationship with HIPC in the analyzed period. The data however did not suggest a relation between coal price and inflation, in the studied period. The energy shock that occurred in Europe accounted in higher prices for gasoline, heating, and electricity on the short run, but there is no evidence that this inflationary pressure will affect long run household inflation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an empirical analysis of e-commerce data obtained through Google Analytics (GA) from two small businesses' perspectives: an IT components company and a tourism agency website located within the same county in Romania. The objective of our study is to examine the enduring effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and seasonal variations over the last four years. The data collection spanned from January 2019, predating the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, until mid-February 2023. To facilitate our analysis, we categorize the GA metrics into groups that encompassed website performance, site accessibility, and user behavior for the IT company. As for the tourism agency, we focus on website accessibility, user behavior, and marketing campaigns. Our goal is to empirically group or associate GA metrics according to their intrinsic meaning and check if each group reflects a certain latent concept (such as user behavior or site accessibility). Furthermore, our study aims to formulate and test five hypotheses regarding the immediate and long-lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the operations of small businesses. Our contribution consists of formulating and verifying the five hypotheses by providing descriptive data from the results of the Pearson correlation test, empirically grouping the GA metrics and verifying whether they reflect certain latent factors or topics, interpreting the results from the application of the ANOVA technique and Scarpello's adaptation of the one factor test, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increasing interest in modern solutions for energy performance improvement in residential sector, a gap persists between literature development and current implementation practices on domestic heating and cooling through heat pumps technology. Homeowners are encouraged to manage their energy-related issues in a systematic manner to ensure continual improvement of energy efficiency. This paper attempts to explore the drivers and obstacles to the use of heat pumps system for domestic heating, cooling, and hot water production in the residential sector, in order to improve dwellings' energy performance and reduce the carbon footprint. The study uses a regression model with a sample of 389 participants from Romania and shows that the availability of energy plans, voluntary association in an energy community, and mixed funding exert a positive influence, whereas bureaucracy, poor energy efficiency-related information, and fiscal incentives exert a negative influence on the intention of adopting heat pumps technology by homeowners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work aims to identify the main features of the family events’ organizing behavious in Romania, from a comparative perspective between the urban and rural area. The theoretical presentation, from a historical-anthropological point of view, of the role of these events in the life of individuals and the community they are part of, as well as of their way of organization and development, is followed by a secondary analysis of statistical data regarding the current situation of family events in Romania, before, during and after the pandemic, including the effects of the pandemic on the event organization field. Subsequently, the paper focuses on the applied approach, based on a qualitative research carried out through interviews with both event organizers and with people who have been the main actors in family events in the last three years (2020−2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bram Stoker gave breath to Count Dracula in his Gothic, connecting historical correlation to his creative approach. An account of mystery and realism imbibed within an epistolary novel that dates back to a specific historical context of fifteenth-century Romania. This paper focuses on the revelation of facts and fiction regarding how a prince was souled in the soulless Count, and how Stoker sew traits in common with differences as a medium of suspense thriller, developing a diary of a moving historical figure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

THIS PAPER EXAMINES THE GREAT ECONOMIC DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF GDP EVOLUTION IN ROMANIA SINCE 1989, WHEN THE COMMUNIST REGIME COLLAPSED, WITH THE AIM TO ANSWER THE RESEARCH QUESTION RELATED TO THIS GREAT ECONOMIC DIFFERENCE. IN 1989 ROMANIA HAD A GDP OF $41.45 BLN. COMPARED WITH $301.26 BLN. IN 2022, WHILE THE AIM OF THIS PAPER IS TO ANSWER THE QUESTION OF "WHY IS SUCH A DIFFERENCE?" BASED ON THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK PROVIDED BY THE NEW INSTITUTIONAL ECONOMICS, IN THE PERSPECTIVE DELIVERED BY DARON ACEMOGLU AND JAMES A. ROBINSON, MY ANSWER TO THE RESEARCH QUESTION, WHICH REPRESENTS THE PAPER HYPOTHESIS, IS THAT THE POST 1989 DEVELOPMENT OF ROMANIA WAS DRIVEN BY ADOPTING INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tens of thousands of Romanian migrants work in the German construction sector. Their work is often characterized by unpaid wages, long workdays and by the withholding of sick or holiday payments. The risky and exploitative nature of the conditions under which Romanian migrants work on German construction sites is reflected in their negative evaluation of their engagements as “slave labor” by Romanian workers. Starting from such a clearly negative evaluation, the paper asks how Romanian construction workers in Germany classify their work and what role such classifications have within the context of labor exploitation. Based on qualitative interviews with and participant observation among Romanian construction site workers in Germany and in Romania, the article reconstructs four work classifications. Work may be interpreted as the fulfillment of obligations or as necessary for economic revenue; hard work itself can be a symbolic contribution to one’s own sense of identity or it can have the meaning of being part of everyday normalcy. Each of the work classifications offers a different reason to make hard work plausible in the eyes of the workers and employers actively turn such interpretations into a mechanism of vulnerability. Without direct physical coercion, these ideas motivate workers to take on work that they themselves criticize as ‘slave labor.’ The paper concludes by arguing that the recognition of such classifications and their social effects are crucial for an understanding of labor exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romania has been, for the past decade, not only the country with the highest in-work poverty among the European member states, but - unlike most European member states - also a country with a steadily growing welfare polarization of the working force. The paper aims to explain why, after more than a decade of fine-tuning of labor market, fiscal and social policies, Romania still finds itself in this situation. Despite constant improvements over the past 12 years in the welfare indicators of the overall employed population, the gap between employees and self-employed widened. The paper documents the increasing differences in exposure to poverty and social exclusion between the two segments of the employed population and points out to the mix of factors responsible for this development. Unlike most of the European countries, where a certain gap between employees and non-employees is the result of the flexibilization of the labour market, thus of the increase in atypical and non-standard employment forms, in Romania this appears to be rather the result of a mix between a unique inherited structure of employment and an inadequate package of social and fiscal measures, which kept and further pushed self-employed into informality. Thus, contrary to other European countries, which face the problem of how to better protect workers in new forms of employment, Romania is still searching for a policy solution that would allow for both the existing self-employed to become ‘visible’ in a formal economy and the diversification of employment forms. Finally, the paper explores the possibilities to reverse the current trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studii de Ştiintă şi Cultură is the property of Studii de Stiinta si Cultura and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

THE HEALTH STATUS OF THE ROMANIAN POPULATION AND THE HEALTH SYSTEM RESOURCES ARE BEHIND THE EU AVERAGES, SITUATION WHICH COULD BE SIMILAR TO OTHER MEMBER STATES FROM CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE, BUT MORE DETRIMENTAL IN SOME AREAS. A HEALTH SISTEM PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT (HSPA) HAS NOT ROUTINELY PERFORMED IN ROMANIA AT PRESENT. THIS PAPER AIMED TO DESCRIBE THE EVOLUTION OF THE CONCEPTS AND METHODS USED GLOBALLY FOR THE HEALTH SYSTEMS’ PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT AND TO EXPLORE THE COUNTRY CONTEXT FOR CREATING A NATIONAL FRAMEWORK IN THIS SENSE. WE PERFORMED A LITERATURE REVIEW OF THE INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC PAPERS AND GREY LITERATURE RELEVANT FOR THE TOPIC AND ALSO AN EXPLORATION OF THE NATIONAL LEGISLATION ON HEALTH AND HEALTH SYSTEM AND OF THE NATIONAL DATABASES INCLUDING HEALTH DATA. WE FOUND THAT HSPA IS A TOPIC OF HUGE INTEREST AT INTERNATIONAL LEVEL AND IN EU, WITH MANY EXAMPLES OF FRAMEWORKS FOR HSPA DEVELOPED DURING THE LAST TWO DECADES. MANY COUNTRIES ARE PERFORMING HSPA AT PRESENT, BUT WITH WIDE HETEROGENEITY. ONE TOPIC INCLUDED RECENTLY IN HSPA IS HEALTH SYSTEM’S RESILIENCE. IN ROMANIA, DESPTE A WELL STATED PROCESS OF QUALITY ASSESSMENT, ESPECIALLY FOR THE HOSPITAL LEVEL, THE HSPA PROCESS IS IN AN EARLY STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT. THERE IS NOW AN EXTREMELY FAVORABLE MOMENTUM TO DEVELOP A NATIONAL HSPA FRAMEWORK DUE TO THE POLITICAL COMMITMENT FOR IMPROVING HEALTH SYSTEM RESILIENCE AND PERFORMANCE. AND ALSO DUE TO THE EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITIES TO FINANCE THE REFORM OF THE HEALTH SYSTEM AND ITS DIGITALIZATION THROUGH DIFFERENT EU FUNDED PROGRAMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IN THE LAST DECADE MANY INTELLIGENCE SERVICES INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY IN THEIR DAYTO-DAY WORK WHILE THE CITIZEN THAT NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED USES TECHNOLOGY IN ALMOST EVERY ASPECT OF THEIR LIFE. SURVEILLANCE AND ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE HAVE BECOME A SUBJECT OF GREAT INTEREST FOR CITIZENS OR OTHER NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS BECAUSE OF MEDIA ATTENTION. MUCH SCHOLARLY ATTENTION IS PAID TO THE WAY INTELLIGENCE SERVICES ARE USING TECHNOLOGY TO PERFORM THIS ACTIVITY OR THE INTRUSIVE CHARACTER OF THIS PHENOMENON. HOWEVER, WE KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS AT CITIZENS’ END, HOW CITIZENS PERCEIVE THIS ACTIVITY. THIS PAPER ADDRESSES THIS GAP IN LITERATURE AND ANALYZES WHAT ARE YOUNG CITIZENS LEGAL CONCERNS ABOUT ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE. THE STUDY USES ROMANIA AS A SINGLECASE STUDY AND SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED IN MARCH – APRIL 2022 WITH YOUNG CITIZENS OF DIFFERENT SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE. THE PAPER SEEKS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE MAIN FEARS RELATED TO THE LEGAL ASPECTS OF THIS PHENOMENON, MORE EXACTLY THE RIGHTS THAT YOUNG CITIZENS SEE AS VIOLATED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

THIS PAPER IS DEVOTED TO A NEOINSTITUTIONALIST ANALYSIS OF THE POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS FROM THE INTERWAR ROMANIA, MORE EXACTLY BETWEEN 1918 AND 1938. EVEN THOGH ROMANIA HAD AN INCLUSIVE INSTITUTIONAL SETTING IN FORMAL TERMS, THE POLITICAL PRACTICE OF THE ROMANIAN POLITICAL ELITES WAS NOT DEMOCRATIC. THE QUESTION OF THE PAPER IS THAT: GIVEN THE FORMAL DEMOCRATIC CHARACTER, DO THE ROMANIAN POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS FROM 1918-1938 PASS THE TEST OF INCLUSIVENESS? IN FACT, THE HYPOTHESIS OF THE PAPER IS THAT THE ROMANIAN POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS BETWEEN 1918-1938 DO NOT PASS THE TEST OF DEMOCRATIC CHARACTER, BECAUSE THEY HAD AN EXTRACTIVE CHARACTER. THE THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE ADOPTED IN THIS PAPER COMES FROM DARON ACEMOGLU AND JAMES A. ROBINSON, AS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NEW INSTITUTIONAL ECONOMICS. THE CONCLUSION OF THIS PAPER IS THAT THE ROMANIAN POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS FROM THE INTERWAR PERIOD WERE DEMOCRATIC (INCLUSIVE) AT A FORMAL LEVEL, BUT EXTRACTIVE AT AN INFORMAL LEVEL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of the tax authorities is to collect sufficient revenue to cover expenditure and to ensure that all taxpayers contribute to the government's funds in accordance with the provisions of the Tax Code. The aim of this paper is oriented towards a comprehensive and comparative assessment of the tax administration in Romania and that of Bulgaria, Poland and Hungary, as well as the positioning of Romania within the European Union in terms of the effects of tax policies. The present analysis is largely based on statistical data made public by eurostate.com. Regarding our country, in the medium and long term, a greater fiscal/budgetary adjustment is needed to ensure fiscal/budgetary sustainability and to face new challenges. It is clear that a large share of this large adjustment must come through measures that generate tax and budget revenue growth, with budget expenditure on an upward trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes Romania's level of economic development nationally and regionally. The Gross Domestic Product is the most representative indicator of the results achieved. Therefore, we made a comparison on how this indicator evolved in the eight development regions of Romania, showing the positive or less positive aspects specific to each region. The most relevant indicator that expresses the level of economic development of a region is certainly the regional Gross Domestic Product per inhabitant, but we also analyzed other aspects regarding the economic situation in a territorial profile given the national or European context. We also presented other statistical data significant for this study. The analysis of the evolution of the regional Gross Domestic Product compared to the national and European average represents another direction through which we highlighted the way regional disparities have evolved in Romania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

THE PRESENT PAPER AIMS AT DEMONSTRATING THAT COVID-19 PANDEMIC, WHICH IMPACTED THE WORLDWIDE IN ALL ITS ASPECTS, WAS, IN FACT "AN UMBRELLA", WHICH THE CORRUPTION FOUND "FERTILE SOIL" TO FLOURISH. THIS WAS THE CASE, MAINLY OF THE CORRUPTION IN THE HEALTH SYSTEM, WHICH THROUGH THE ACQUISITIONS OF SO-CALLED COVID-19 MEDICAL PRODUCTS FOR PRICES WAY BEYOND USUAL LED TO ENRICHING SOME AND IMPOVERISHING OTHERS. THUS, THE AUTHORS BRING TO THE READERS' ATTENTION, THROUGH SOME OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS, A REPORT OF TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL, AN AGENCY INTENDED TO FIGHT CORRUPTION. AFTER DOING RESEARCH ON THE OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS, ON BOTH GOOD PRACTICES, ASSESSING THE RISKS OF CORRUPTION AND THE INVESTIGATION JOURNALISM, WE REACHED THE CONCLUSION THAT THE EMERGENCY DECLARED IN MARCH 2020 FACILITATED THE CORRUPTION, BOTH THE CORRUPTION AT POLITICAL LEVEL AS WELL AS THE PETTY CORRUPTION. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores an important issue regarding the state of digitization of public administration in Romania compared to its level at the European level. In this paper, we analyze the level of digitization of public administration services in Romania, which aims at improving the interaction between the state and citizens, in the sense of increasing the quality of the offered services following the dynamics of society. Also, digitization aims at simplifying citizens' lives, facilitating the interaction between them and public administration institutions, but also increasing citizens' trust in the administration, which will ultimately lead to the economic development of communities and increase living standards. We have also analyzed the degree of digitization of Romania compared to other European states, a level reflected by a series of indicators used at the European level. We found that there is a direct link between the level of digitization and the development of a country. That is precisely why Romania should be concerned with accelerating the digitization process of public administration and reducing the existing gap in this field compared to other European states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we set out to understand the housing pathways of older people who live in precarious prosperity in rural Romania. The stratum of precarious prosperity (Budowski et al. 2010) is a rather invisible and heterogenous social category whose household strategies and biographies are particularly understudied. Our purpose is to describe and explain micro-events in the housing histories of older Romanians belonging to this stratum and to understand agency in housing strategies in time and space. The data we use comes from a qualitative panel study conducted in a rural community in Romania. The results show that the housing pathways available to older people in the village studied are strongly embedded in family ties, intergenerational support, and co-residence housing strategies, as well as in housing policies that provide inadequate institutional support for meeting housing standards and increasing the quality of housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Among numerous capabilities, social media platforms have also enabled users to remix and repurpose analog videos through their features. This remediated media is further propelled by the platforms' algorithmic systems, thus enhancing their visibility among users who, as affective publics, can interact with it and further remediate it. This paper discusses how the nostalgic discourse takes shape on Instagram and TikTok around remediated analog videos of parties and celebrations during the 1990s in Romania and how the platform affordances and the algorithmic imaginary of the affective publics influence the nostalgic discourse. The exploratory study utilizes a mixed method - combining digital ethnography, discourse analysis, and digital humanities - the research identifies a double-folded nostalgia, which is impacted by the interplay between each platform's specific affordances and the imagined rules and styles of the platforms, imagined by their users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]