Search

In the context of our rapidly evolving word, where pressing issues like anthropogenic climate change and accelerating urbanization demand innovative solutions, a critical evaluation of the potential and impact of digital technologies is necessary. Climate-neutral governance entails the implementation of governmental instruments and tools designed and used to harmonize short-term policy actions with a long-term vision of achieving a climate-neutral state. This fact aims to facilitate evidence-based decision-making, foster inter-sectoral coordination, enhance transparency, and cultivate public legitimacy for climate mitigation and adaptation measures. This paper presents a focused analysis of SmartCities projects and their implementation across diverse urban centers and nations. Our objective is to provide a comprehensive overview, highlighting recent advancements in the realm of smart and climate-neutral city governance. Furthermore, we conduct a comprehensive inquiry into Romania's legislative framework, encompassing the regulations and strategies pertaining to energy, climate change, and urban development. This analysis is complemented by an exploration of the evolving perspectives and legislative proposals that are likely to shape the future course of action in these domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although leisure constraints that individuals have to cope with can negatively affect their social inclusion and satisfaction with life, little research has addressed the link between these variables. Therefore, the current paper examined the moderator role of leisure constraints on the relationship between satisfaction with life and leisure constraints among adults living in five different European countries. The respondents were 1,382 women and 877 men adults. The findings of analysis revealed that all factors used in the study accounted for 15% of the variance in satisfaction with life and social inclusion had a significant and positive impact on satisfaction with life. As a result, it can be said that leisure constraints had a moderating effect on the relationship between satisfaction with life and social inclusion. The present research study recommends that social inclusion should be encouraged through decreasing to leisure constraints to increase the life satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immigrant minority (IM) languages have a significant presence in certain European regions. Nonetheless, these languages are not usually included in the school curriculum. This paper aims to analyse the studies published between 2010 and 2020 considering IM languages in multilingual European education contexts. The method included a search of academic papers published in the databases ERIC, Web of Science and Scopus, which yielded 42 studies. The studies were analysed by considering: (1) the demographic characteristics of the countries where the studies were conducted, (2) the sociolinguistic or psycholinguistic focus of the papers in relation to the European country, and (3) the characteristics of the bi-multilingual education programme including IM languages. The results indicate that: (1) the demographic characteristics of the country are not strictly related to the number of studies published, (2) most studies have a sociolinguistic approach even though many studies analyse both sociolinguistic and psycholinguistic factors, and (3) only seven multilingual education programmes including IM languages were described in these papers. We conclude that there is a lack of research focusing on IM languages in educational settings and discuss how addressing these gaps could create opportunities for building equitable multilingual communities in Europe.

Fallopia japonica (FJ), commonly known as Japanese knotweed, is now recognized as one of the most invasive plants in Europe and globally. Despite its widespread presence in Europe and its significant nectar production, there is currently limited scientific data on the unique unifloral honey derived from it. This study examines the physicochemical composition of Fallopia japonica honey (FJH) samples collected from various regions in Romania. Additionally, the nutritional and antioxidant profiles of FJH were assessed. The sensory analysis revealed a honey with a brown-caramel color and an intense flavor, characterized by fine, consistent crystals during crystallization. The results indicated that FJH has a high carbohydrate content (fructose: 35.12–40.65 g/100 g; glucose: 28.06–37.79 g/100 g); elevated electrical conductivity (387–692 µS/cm), diastase activity (9.11–17.01 DN), and acidity (21.61–42.89 meq/kg); and substantial total phenolic (89.87–120.08 mg/100 g) and flavonoid (18.13–39.38 mg/g) contents. These findings highlight FJH's favorable nutritional properties, aligning with the standard codex for honey. The antioxidant profile of FJH demonstrated strong DPPH and ferric reduction antioxidant power (FRAP) activities, comparable to those of buckwheat honey, underscoring its potential health benefits and commercial value. These results provide new insights into how this invasive plant can be harnessed as a valuable resource for sustainable beekeeping practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]