bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sphingolipids in inflammatory hypoxia
Authors: Glaser Ulrike G. , Fandrey Joachim
Published: June 2018

Hypoxia due to rapid tumor growth with impaired neovascularization and inflammation resulting from immune cell activation are hallmarks of cancer. Hypoxia-inducible factors control transcriptional adaptation in response to low oxygen conditions, both in tumor and immune cells. In addition, sphingolipids become increasingly recognized as important cell mediators in tumor and inflammatory hypoxia. Recent studies have identified acid sphingomyelinase (ASM), a central enzyme in the sphingolipid metabolism, as a regulator of several types of stress stimuli pathways and an important player in the tumor microenvironment. Therefore, this review will address the connection between the hypoxic response and the ASM/ceramide system in the context of inflammatory hypoxia.
Sphingolipid metabolism – an ambiguous regulator of autophagy in the brain
Authors: van Echten-Deckert Gerhild , Alam Shah
Published: June 2018

In mammals, the brain exhibits the highest lipid content in the body next to adipose tissue. Complex sphingolipids are characteristic compounds of neuronal membranes. Vital neural functions including information flux and transduction occur along these membranes. It is therefore not surprising that neuronal function and survival is dependent on the metabolism of these lipids. Autophagy is a critical factor for the survival of post-mitotic neurons. On the one hand, it fulfils homeostatic and waste-recycling functions and on the other hand, it constitutes an effective strategy to eliminate harmful proteins that cause neuronal death. A growing number of experimental data indicate that several sphingolipids as well as enzymes catalyzing their metabolic transformations efficiently but very differently affect neuronal autophagy and hence survival. This review attempts to elucidate the roles and mechanisms of sphingolipid metabolism with regard to the regulation of autophagy and its consequences for brain physiology and pathology.
Ausgabenpolitik
Authors: Jaspers Anke
Published: June 2018

From a publishing perspective, a literary work is always manifested in a variety of issues. The article reconstructs the production history of the early editions of the East German author Angela Krauß in the West German Verlag at the time of the German division. It illustrates how the publishing house is involved in the configuration of a work in its processuality and unity. The article then explains the historical significance of West German issues for East German authors as means of extending their scope of action in the GDR. The focus on issues allows insights into concrete production processes of literature and their historical reception to be gained.
Theorieübersetzungen
Authors: Paul Morten
Published: June 2018

The article follows the trajectory of two books by French philosopher Jacques Derrida through the German publishing scene, from their early rejection to their eventual release with the now-famous Suhrkamp Verlag. In the process, it casts a light on the particular role foreign philosophy has played in the establishment of the Suhrkamp Verlag as a publishing house for the humanities. In turn, this enables new perspectives on the formation of the canon of what is today generally referred to as ‘theory’. Attention to translational practices in their extended sense becomes a central analytical tool for gaining insights into the concrete production processes of theory and their social, economic, and political conditions.
Core-shell Fe-SiO2-polyamine magnetic nanoparticles for metal recovery using a continuous flow pipeline reactor
Authors: Deluca Emile , Latterman Ryan , Rosenberg Edward
Published: June 2018

A series of core-shell magnetic nanomaterials have been synthesized with the intent of applying them for metal ion capture in a newly designed pipeline reactor. The synthetic chemistry is an extension of a previously developed family of materials based on amorphous silica gel, which has been used in the mining and remediation industries. The nanoparticles were characterized by infrared spectroscopy and TEM and SEM techniques. The size of the starting magnetite core was critical to the behavior of the particles under metal sequestering conditions. The capture kinetics of the resulting nanoagregates is 10 times faster than related micro composites. All of the tests performed point to the future successful development of a technology that circumvents the disadvantages associated with the use of column based microparticles.
The correct symmetry of the six-fold twin in β-Ca11B2Si4O22
Authors: Nespolo Massimo
Published: June 2018

A recently reported six-fold twin in β-Ca11B2Si4O22 was interpreted as a transformation twin obtained during cooling of a hypothetical hexagonal high temperature phase. The suggested dichromatic symmetry of the twin is incorrect because (1) a six-fold twin cannot be represented by a dichromatic twin point group but by a hexachromatic group; (2) the reported dichromatic group does not exist. The correct hexachromatic twin point group is reported here.
Critically important antimicrobial preparations for veterinary medicine
Authors: Stetsko T.I. , Muzyka V.P. , Hunchak V.M.
Published: June 2018

The resistance of microorganisms, bacterial pathogens, to antimicrobials is a global problem in both healthcare and veterinary medicine. It is believed that the main reason for the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance in humans is the transfer of antibiotic resistant strains of microorganisms or genes, determinants of resistance, through products of animal origin from productive animals to humans. Thus, the main way of antimicrobial resistance containment is to restrain and minimize it through the prudent use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine, especially those that are critically important for productive animals. In addition, some classes of antibacterial substances and antibiotics, that are widely used in humane medicine, are used in veterinary medicine. The need to use and preserve these important therapeutic agents is relevant from the point of view of the concept «One Health». The article provides a list of all antibacterial substances used by productive animals for their importance in veterinary medicine, developed by a special group of experts of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Any antimicrobial agent authorized for use in veterinary medicine for productive animals, in accordance with the criteria for quality, safety and efficacy as defined in Section 6.9 of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code, is considered to be important for veterinary medicine. All the antimicrobial substances used for productive animals are divided in this list on critical, very important and important for veterinary medicine. Attention was also drawn to the peculiarities of the use of critical antimicrobial agents in veterinary medicine, especially those recognized as critical in humane medicine. These include aminoglycosides, cephalosporins of the 3rd and 4th generation, fluoroquinolones, glycopeptides, macrolides, some penicillins and polymyxins. The article also describes the classification of critical antimicrobials by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Panel of Experts on Antimicrobials (AMEG) of the WHO based on the risk profile for humans through the development of antimicrobial resistance after application to productive animals. Such an assessment will give veterinary practitioners an important justification when they make decisions about the clinical treatment of bacterial infections and the responsible appointment of antimicrobial therapy. This will help to reach the balance among the achievement of the effectiveness of antimicrobial therapy of productive animals, reducing of the selective pressure on the development of antibiotic resistance and ensuring of a high level of human health.
The resistance of isolated bacteria out of the dental plaque of dogs to antibiotics
Authors: Semaniuk N. , Semaniuk V. , Kukhtyn M.
Published: June 2018

The dental plaque may be defined as a biotope of the oral cavity, where the microflora exists in two versions: parietal and cavitary (planktonic). It represents a biofilm in which associations of microorganisms are gathered in microcolonies which are surrounded by a protective matrix and are attached to a biotic or abiotic surface. The water channels go through the biofilm and carry nutrients and products of microorganisms' vital functions are washed away by the flow of saliva. Microorganisms in a biofilm demonstrate high resistance to antimicrobial agents because of the fact that substances only with low molecular weight are allowed to pass through. Therefore, the aim of the research was to determine the resistance of planktonic and biofilm microflora isolated out of the dental plaque of dogs with chronic catarrhal gingivitis to antibiotics. Research materials include the washings out of the teeth selected by a sterile cotton swab, which was put into a 1cm3 test tube of the sterile solution with 0.5% mass fraction of sodium chloride. Primary sowings of the material for the detection of Micrococcus and Staphylococcus were carried out on MPA containing 7% sodium chloride and 5% of the blood of cattle, Streptococcus – on the Garro environment, Enterococcus – on Enterococagar, Corynebacterium – on MPA with 5% of the blood of cattle, Acinetobacter – on the King B environment for not fermented microorganisms and was grown at 37°C, Pseudomonas spp. – on the environment which contains 0.2% of N-cetylperdine chloride, E. coli – on the Endo environment. Identification of the selected microorganisms was carried out due to the determinant of bacteria Berge. Sensitivity of the selected microorganisms to antibiotics was researched by the Kirby Bauer Disk Diffusion Method, and its sensitivity to microorganisms in the biofilm by Stewart P.S. It was found that among the planktonic forms of the dental plaque microorganisms were sensitive to ampicillin + sulbactam – 91.0, enrofloxacin – 82.0, tylosin – 83.3, ceftiofur – 79.3, vancomycin – 75.2, gentamicin and doxycycline – 66.2, cefazolin – 64.6, ceftriaxone – 64.0, oxacillin – 63.5 and cefuroxime – 60.0% of cultures.Oxacillin, tylosin, cefazolin and enrofloxacin are recommended to reduce the risk of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in case of the detection of Staphylococcus spp. in dental plaques, ampicillin + sulbactam, ceftiofur – in case of the detection of Corynebacterium spp., cefuroxime and ceftriaxone in case of the detection of Streptococcus spp., gentamicin – Micrococcus spp., vancomycin – Enterococcus spp. and doxycycline – in case of the detection of Acinetobacter spp. in dental plaques.
Souza-Cardoso e Boccioni: movimentos analógicos em confronto
Authors: Pina Maria da Graça Gomes de
Published: June 2018

RESUMO Embora não estivesse afiliado direta e especificamente a nenhum dos movimentos de vanguarda que eclodiram durante a sua breve existência, a produção fértil e vasta de Souza-Cardoso, com a leveza e a beleza que a caracteriza, conseguiu de certo modo tocá-los a todos. Umberto Boccioni, ativíssimo pintor e escultor, muito mais próximo dos movimentos vanguardistas inflamando algumas áreas europeias, é, pelo contrário, um autor plenamente futurista. Pretendo analisar sucintamente a obra destes dois artistas, tendo especialmente em conta o fato de ambos terem o mesmo objetivo - a dinâmica do corpo humano -, mas também a sua convergência e divergência relativamente às indicações programáticas do manifesto futurista.
The frequency of gestational diabetes mellitus among pregnant mothers admitted in gynaecology/obstetrics ward of Sheikh Zayed Hospital Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan
Authors: Faisal Muhammad , Bakar Muhammad Abu , Hussain Zahid , Abbas Khizer
Published: June 2018

Background: The gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), defined as my degree of glucose intolerance with onset of first recognition during pregnancy, is poorly understood due to low socioeconomic dynamics among the pregnant mothers of Rahim Yar Khan. It results in many maternal and fetal complications. This study was carried out to determine the frequency and socio- demographic profile of pregnant mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus admitted in Gynecological Obstetrics wards of Sheikh Zayed Medical College Hospital Rahim Yar Khan.Methods: The data for this cross-sectional study was collected during the period from 30-01-2017 to 30-06-2017. The data was collected from labor room and wards of gynecology Sheikh Zayed Hospital Rahim Yar Khan. This study was conducted among the 160 pregnant mothers in Labor room and gynecological wards of Sheikh Zayed Hospital Rahim Yar Khan, admitted during the study period. A predesigned questionnaire was filled by interviewing these mother shaving variables of age, education, residence, working status, BMI, family monthly income, total numbers of children, knowledge of Gestational diabetes mellitus and family history of GDM.Results: The frequency of GDM in this study was significantly associated with reproductive age group 25-34 years (64%), Illiteracy in mothers (53.8 %) from rural area (>50%) housewives (83%), BMI (Mean = 22), Family Monthly income (> 10,000 Rs.), Average no. of Children (2-3), Diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (15.6%), Family history of D.M (>50%).Conclusions: It is concluded that the frequency of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus was high. Early detection, constant sup0ervision, delivery with intensive intra-partum monitoring, facilities of expert neonatologists, proper health care education to pregnant mothers can result in good maternal and fetal outcomes without much morbidity.
Editorial
Authors: Costa Eduardo Augusto
Published: June 2018

Editorial do Dossie História Urbana e Cultura Visual
Dreaming of a Different life: Steps Towards Democracy and Equality in Timor-Leste
Authors: Wigglesworth Ann
Published: June 2018

Customary gender roles in Timor-Leste have a profound effect on the respective life opportunities of young Timorese women and men, but since independence, there have been challenges to traditional gender roles. This article investigates how young Timorese women, due to their gender and age, face significant limits to their social and political participation and how young women in rural areas continue to be amongst the least heard members of the community. Drawing on interviews with Timorese women and youth, the article analyses the opportunities and limitations for young women to further their education and engage constructively in the development of their communities.
Plus ça change: (Post)Colonial Timor-Leste as a Return to (Pre)Colonial Realities in the Novels of Luís Cardoso
Authors: Soares Anthony
Published: June 2018

This article examines the novels of the East Timorese writer Luís Cardoso, and argues that their representations of a colonial past should not be simply interpreted as memorializations of Timor-Leste’s suffering at the hands of foreign aggressors. It proposes that underlying their revisiting of the past is a call for acknowledgement of the agency of East Timorese in the history of violent conflict that has troubled the nation, and that only this can guarantee true reconciliation, justice and national independence.
The Luso-Baroque Republic of Things and the Contingency of Contact
Authors: Mochizuki Mia M.
Published: June 2018

The Republic of Letters is an established concept in the early modern world, but the corresponding circulation of material things, from coins to all they could purchase, has been less recognized, despite its acute agency in the move from an intra-regional Europe to global systems of trade, politics and religion. By tracing the visual patois of a single subject, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, through its appearance in multiple media along the Portuguese eastern trade route (Antwerp, Lisbon, Goa, Nagasaki), this paper draws upon the tangible residue of engagement to consider how the active responses sparked by mimesis can pave the way for a hermeneutic of cultural exchange grounded in the contingency of contact zones.
Gracián e Vieira: o lugar do “mistério”
Authors: Pécora Alcir
Published: June 2018

O ensaio investiga a aplicação do tópos do mistério na obra de dois jesuítas do século XVII, o português Antonio Vieira (1608-1697) e o aragonês Baltasar Gracián (1601-1658). Propõe que o seu emprego, em ambos os autores, afirma tanto a racionalidade inscrita no mundo como a sua dimensão necessariamente sensível. Um e outro aspecto articulam-se de modo a evidenciar a presença palpável, conquanto invisível, de Deus na história humana, o qual não fica diminuído, mas dignificado nela. Por fim, propõe que o lugar espesso em que a presença infinita de Deus se manifesta na matéria finita solicita a primazia do lugar do intérprete da matéria do mundo na hermenêutica da palavra divina.
Exoticism, Cultural Hybridity, and Subaltern Identity in Three Macanese Novels
Authors: Suárez José
Published: June 2018

Although the novels of Austin Coates, Henrique de Senna Fernandes, and Rodrigo Leal de Carvalho’s depict life in the former Portuguese colony of Macau, their individual perspectives reflect a contrast between literary colonialism and coloniality. A British public servant, Coates perceives Macanese reality through the competing biased eyes of an Englishman resenting Portuguese culture and administration in the colony; Leal de Carvalho, a Portuguese resident of Macau, romantically depicts the social nature of Portuguese colonialism; Senna Fernandes, a native Macanese educated in Portugal, orders his interpretation of the colony’s Eurasian inhabitants vis-à-vis its Chinese population. The aim of this article is to contrast the literary representation of three issues in Coates’s City of Broken Promises, Fernandes’s The Bewitching Braid, and Carvalho’s The Count and his Theree Wives: exoticism, cultural hybridity, and subaltern identity.
Testing Regionalism, Transnationalism, and the Construction of Brazil: An Interview with Luiz Ruffato
Authors: Raynor Cecily
Published: June 2018

Luiz Ruffato is one of the most prominent writers in contemporary Brazilian literature. Born in 1961 in Cataguases, Minas Gerais, Ruffato recently gained significant exposure through his opening speech at the Frankfurt International Book Fair in October of 2013, the focus of which was on Brazilian literature.
Daniel, G. Reginald. Machado de Assis: Multiracial Identity and the Brazilian Novelist
Authors: McNee Malcolm K.
Published: June 2018

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Vieira, Estela, Interiors and Narrative: The Spatial Poetics of Machado de Assis, Eça de Queirós, and Leopoldo Alas
Authors: Dixon Paul
Published: June 2018

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The Periphery Rises: Technology and Cultural Legitimization in Belém’s Tecnobrega
Authors: Bahia Marcio
Published: June 2018

In the mid-2000s, tecnobrega, a popular rhythm from the Amazon region of Brazil, rose to national prominence. This article provides a historical overview of the development of this industry and gives an inside perspective of the stigma tecnobrega has carried. It shows how cult of new technology plays a central role in the cultural legitimization of tecnobrega, and analyzes a particular case of partnership between mass media and academia that has been decisive in this process. Finally, it presents tecnobrega as an example of a larger phenomenon, pointing to the rise of a new Música Periférica Brasileira.
Making Space in Brasília: Cultural Texts from 2009 to 2014
Authors: Beal Sophia
Published: June 2018

In learning about Brasília, we learn about the power of place, not as deriving from some static, unchanging location, but from the dynamic negotiations that unfold there. Drawing on theory related to social space and cultural geography, particularly that of Henri Lefebvre and Doreen Massey, this study analyzes music, music videos, creative non-fiction, and poetry concerned with the negotiations that imbue the city with meaning. Five of Brasília’s contemporary cultural texts (created by Nicolas Behr, Ellen Oléria, Viela 17, Sexy Fi, and Augusto Rodrigues from 2009 to 2014) illustrate the spatial negotiations that shape the subjectivities of Brasília’s residents.
O conceito de 'retornado' e a representação da ex-metrópole em O Retorno e Os Pretos de Pousaflores
Authors: Ferreira Patrícia Martinho
Published: June 2018

Following the trajectories of the families featured in the novels O Retorno (2011), by Dulce Maria Cardoso, and Os Pretos de Pousaflores (2011), by Aida Gomes, this essay aims to problematize the meaning retornado and understand how the label evokes contradictory feelings and conceptions regarding the Portuguese colonial experience. I also reflect on the complex process of the integration of retornados into post-colonial Portuguese society. Finally, I analyze the text’s representation of the former metropole and its ambivalent role in the construction of identity undertaken by these narrators.
Finding the Exit: Ideology and Aperture in Graciliano Ramos
Authors: Jackson Holly
Published: June 2018

What ideological structures produce the linguistically austere worlds of Graciliano Ramos’s novels? What are the e ects of reading outside of these seemingly all-consuming structures? ese questions motivate this article’s discussion of two novels: São Bernardo and Vidas secas. In recuperating the complexity of expression in Graciliano’s writing, the article explores distinct modes of language as resistance to stereotypes about Brazilian Northeasterners—stereotypes that are o en reproduced in literary criticism. e article considers this resistance both within language, in misuse (circularity, lying, [mis]appropriation, the breakdown of narrative time), and to language, in the textual presence of silence.
My Memories of Russell Hamilton
Authors: Honwana Luís Bernardo
Published: June 2018

I met Russell Hamilton shortly after I arrived in Lisbon in the early 1970s. This was my first voyage outside of Africa.
Medeiros, Paulo de. Pessoa’s Geometry of the Abyss: Modernity and the Book of Disquiet. Oxford: Legenda, 2013. Print.
Authors: Oliveira Sílvia
Published: June 2018

The title of Paulo de Medeiros’s book cryptically points to a reconsideration of traditional interpretations of the work of Fernando Pessoa. Beyond this, it urges the international academic and lectoral community to update the transnational modernist canon with Pessoa’s work, namely with Bernardo Soares’s Book of Disquiet—for Medeiros, “still one of the least studied works of Pessoa” (4).
Moraes, Anita Martins Rodrigues de. Para além das palavras: representação e realidade em Antonio Candido. São Paulo: Unesp, 2015. Print.
Authors: Ricotta Lúcia
Published: June 2018

Este livro é resultado de uma leitura concentrada nos cruzamentos da teoria e da crítica literária com as ciências sociais na obra de Antonio Candido. Conjugando e contrastando a interpretação estética da literatura brasileira com os pontos de vista sobre a singular cultura do homem caipira paulista n’Os parceiros do rio Bonito, os comentários cerrados da autora configuram um pensamento candidiano a respeito das formas culturais da vida e da sua representação no Brasil, inseparáveis de suas particulares dinâmicas históricas e identitárias.
Como e por que entrar em árvores
Authors: Medeiros Sérgio
Published: June 2018

Native American Literature shows women having sexual relationswith trees. An animal (bird or monkey) can help the partners to interact withone another. This paper discusses three myths that speak of women who gavebirth to children after being seduced by a vegetal being.
Interspecies Literature: Clarice Lispector's Zoophytographia
Authors: Vieira Patrícia
Published: June 2018

This essay analyzes the role plants and animals play in Clarice Lispector’s work. I argue that Lispector often stages a face-to-face encounter with non-humans to trigger a process of defamiliarization, whereby our anthropocentric values and norms come undone. I discuss exemples of this encounter in short stories from Laços de Família and in the novel A Paixão segundo G.H. In these works, Lispector reflects upon concepts we usually take for granted, such as reason or language, a process that results in a profound transformation and extension of these concepts to our non-human others.
Monteiro, George. The Pessoa Chronicles: Poems, 1980-2016. Bricktop, 2016.
Authors: Vale de Gato Margarida
Published: June 2018

There is something deeply poignant in the imagination of the poem that springs both from rigor and out of defiance of the norm—as the Luso-American scholar of English Studies, triggered by encounters with Portuguese (translation with Jorge de Sena, comparative literature with Pessoa) sets aside the highly codified, often mystifying display of academic learning and scribbles poetic lines that etch an affectionate conviviality.
Physical Activity Trend eXtraction: A Framework for Extracting Moderate-Vigorous Physical Activity Trends From Wearable Fitness Tracker Data (Preprint)
Authors: Faust Louis , Wang Cheng , Hachen David , Lizardo Omar , Chawla Nitesh V
Published: June 2018

BACKGROUND

Moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) offers extensive health benefits but is neglected by many. As a result, a wide body of research investigating physical activity behavior change has been conducted. As many of these studies transition from paper-based methods of MVPA data collection to fitness trackers, a series of challenges arise in extracting insights from these new data.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this research was to develop a framework for preprocessing and extracting MVPA trends from wearable fitness tracker data to support MVPA behavior change studies.

METHODS

Using heart rate data collected from fitness trackers, we propose Physical Activity Trend eXtraction (PATX), a framework that imputes missing data, recalculates personalized target heart zones, and extracts MVPA trends. We tested our framework on a dataset of 123 college study participants observed across 2 academic years (18 months) using Fitbit Charge HRs. To demonstrate the value of our frameworks’ output in supporting MVPA behavior change studies, we applied it to 2 case studies.

RESULTS

Among the 123 participants analyzed, PATX labeled 41 participants as experiencing a significant increase in MVPA and 44 participants who experienced a significant decrease in MVPA, with significance defined as P<.05. Our first case study was consistent with previous works investigating the associations between MVPA and mental health. Whereas the second, exploring how individuals perceive their own levels of MVPA relative to their friends, led to a novel observation that individuals were less likely to notice changes in their own MVPA when close ties in their social network mimicked their changes.

CONCLUSIONS

By providing meaningful and flexible outputs, PATX alleviates data concerns common with fitness trackers to support MVPA behavior change studies as they shift to more objective assessments of MVPA.
Urban Planning Terminology in Albanian and Foreign Languages
Authors: Papamihali Eva
Published: June 2018

The following article aims to introduce a scientific work undertaken with the aim of producing an Urban Planning terminology Dictionary in Albanian, accompanied by French and English. The study and exposure of urban planning terminology will be treated in two works, part of one another: *The theory platform for the analyses of linguistic problems represented by this terminology. *The draft of a dictionary with the main urban planning terminology (Albanian - French - English). To accomplish these two works, a preparatory work has been done in the first stage as it follows: 1. A great quantity of urban planning terms has been taken from this branch’s literature (schoolbooks; books published by urban planners about the various urban problems; this branch’s periodical magazines; urban laws throughout the years alongside with the relevant regulations; etc) what makes up the factual material. 2. The theory material has been collected and studied and it includes monographs, articles, references and other editions which have dealt with Albanian terminology problems, obviously by Albanian authors. We have also used foreign literature about terminology problems, mainly in French. On this theory and factual bases and by following the scientific criteria which have been applied to draft the terminology dictionaries (Albanian - Foreign languages) by the terminology section of the Albanian language and literature Institute, we have launched the preliminary wordy of the dictionary and partially completed its equivalent in French. While working with this dictionary, we have begun dealing with one terminology problem which is used in this branch, the one of the meaning phenomena. During this whole process, there urged the need to complete the factual material and naturally to deeply exploit the theory literature.
Particularities of occupational health and safety management in the police environment
Authors: Achim Adrian-Constantin
Published: June 2018

To other professions, in law enforcement, due to the diversity and complexity of police activity, policemen are daily exposed to various dangers resulting from the risky nature of their working environment. Thus, police work must be carried out in the most aggravating circumstances, often with limited staff and only having a few seconds to make critical decisions: whenever using the legal means, specific equipment, intercepting or immobilizing offenders, acting against various violations of the law, police officers are exposed to a very high number of occupational risks, compared to other civil professions. Despite the fact that public security environment risks are constantly evaluated by specialized workers and dedicated tools, compared to the policeman, this activity almost does not happen and it is mostly evasive taking into consideration that this area is within the competence of the high level manager and it is conducted by the human resources structures in the police units. Although this approach is totally wrong, these entities are the only ones in charge of controlling, mitigating or eliminating work related risks generated by police activity. This paper makes a brief assessment of the risks associated with the police operational work, taking into account the indicators taken and analyzed from the existing statistics of the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs, while offering new solutions in mitigating risks concerning the physical security of police workers.
The significance and managerial challenges of virtual teamworking
Authors: Al Zain Nora-Labiba , Vasilache Simona , Incze Cynthia Bianka
Published: June 2018

Living in a world where technology has evolved in an alarming pace, the working structures have become more diverse adapting to this trend, and giving birth to virtual teams, thanks to the ITC tools that have broken the physical boundaries, allowing coworkers to connect from all corners of the world and construct together. The aim of the article is to enrich the effectiveness of virtual teams but also acknowledge the difficulties they may run into throughout their project completions. Mixed methodology was chosen for the study case, having the Romanian Tourism Heritage Federation members as the sample of the survey. The quantitative method was used to quantify the data offered by the surveyed candidates and offer a deeper insight, by collecting data regarding certain aspects of the candidate such as: age, education and experience level, online “literacy”, size and role of the team member etc. and presented in a well-structured figure table. Whereas, the qualitative method concentrated on obtaining beneficial data regarding aspects as: cultural and technological barriers, trust and team commitment barriers along with social interaction ones, as well as leadership and team dynamics perspective. The findings of the research were gathered, interpreted and presented briefly, giving a comprehensive image of the “virtual team” nowadays, facing both fruitful and challenging traces in their working style.
A theoretical review on the structural convergence issue and the relation to economic development in integration areas
Authors: Alexoaei Alina Petronela , Robu Raluca Georgiana
Published: June 2018

The aim of the paper is to provide a consistent literature review on the importance of structural convergence for the countries within the same economic area focusing on two main topics: the structural similarity problem of countries within an integration area and the evolution and development of the union itself (in line with Chenery and Singer’s approach). We aim to synthesize the most referential findings of the literature and project them on the most recent events in the European Union pointing out the relevance of structural convergence and of the continuation of the process under a reassessed form. The relevance of studying the structural convergence process lies in the medium and long term implications related to the synchronization of business cycles, long-run development patterns and of the dynamics of specialization. Moreover, the topic is of high interest both in the context of the future evolution of the European Union and in the decision making process of adopting the Euro in Romania’s case. On the side of theoretical papers, there is a rich literature on structural change that generally recommends that economic structures and the differences between them should be the starting point for analysis and development of theories of economic development. We believe that the preoccupations for this topic should be recalled in the context of the European events and new facets should be explored. Along with the views expressed in the European Commission White Paper, that the form will follow the function, we emphasize the importance of designing the proper institutions at European Union and Eurozone level, but also at national level with taking into consideration the goal of advancing towards structural convergence.
Analysis of social models in Central and Eastern Europe - A focus on poverty and social exclusion
Authors: Argatu Ruxandra
Published: June 2018

In the present context, defined by a variety of social changes, social advancement is a key point that needs to be sheltered and ensured both in Romania as well as at the level of the European Union, in order to have a coherent European space, to reach and maintain a high level of social and economic welfare. The improvement of the social domain can be triggered by using the principles of the European Social Model, which incorporates values and institutions specially established to protect the integrity of people who are socially disadvantaged. Thus, the paper aims, on one hand, to analyze literature review aspects of the European Social Model as being a social development one and to identify the criteria according to which progress is established in relationship with this model. On the other hand, another goal of the paper is to make a comparative analysis between Romania's performance in the context of Central and Eastern European countries' situation. The purpose of the analysis is to diagnose the progress recorded and the social area in which it took place, as well as the differences between countries. The focus of the analysis will be placed on poverty and social exclusion, as dimensions of the European Social Model. The methodology that will help in undertaking the research comprises two elements: literature review and document analysis. The literature review component involves pinpointing information obtained from scientific articles about the European Social Model and aspects associated with it, available in online databases. The second part of the methodology refers to document analysis, which supposes the assessment of reports issued by organizations that provide such statistical data (Eurostat, World Bank, Social Progress Imperative).
The coin of morality
Authors: Bucatariu Mihaela , Florescu Ioana Cristina
Published: June 2018

Looking for an idealization of the business environment, we notice that private businesses which have set ethic goals in business achieved a much higher profit growth rate than similar businesses that have not set business ethic codes. Of course, entrepreneurs decide their own interests and do not consider that the action of social responsibility has to be mechanical. In fact, if we consider a free-market capitalist system, the entrepreneur should have an ethical behavior in business or to choose a moral voluntary attitude. The present paper is looking to see if, in a material, rational and a no-matter-what profit oriented attitude world, a moral capitalism is possible to exist. By the more significant phenomena of globalization, entrepreneurs can be considered selfish people, performing immoral actions, with a predisposition of owning everything, without thinking at the old ideals. Nowadays, the entrepreneurs act only in the direction of getting the profit and very few of them have a moral motivation. The man in the modern capitalist world is looking only for his own interest in order to satisfy his desires and aspirations at a level as high as possible. A normal and natural thing, in fact. Therefore, no matter the role of the entrepreneur, there is the possibility to create cultural ways to solve ethical and social problems, and also methods that make moral capitalism principles to be functional, and, thus, a convergence between the free market and entrepreneurial ethics to be possible.
Globalization on the Romanian insurance market in terms of competition
Authors: Dina Aurora Elena
Published: June 2018

This article proposes an analysis of the globalization process impact on the Romanian insurance industry in the last decade, after accession of Romania to the European Union, in terms of competition. One of the main lines of change caused by globalization includes changes in the legislative framework, which are considered to be forced by globalization. The introduction of Solvency II directive to the beginning of 2016 year to ensure for all European insurers, the integration, globalization and the unitary functioning on the same insurance market and the recent measures taken by several Romanian insurance undertakings to strengthen their financial position could be consider a major step to further encourage the improvement of market competition and better policyholder protection. In the last ten years, the Romanian insurance sector has been faced with changes such as mergers & acquisitions and bankruptcies that have modified the local landscape of the industry, so the majority of active companies in the market are now owned by the biggest financial groups worldwide. The results of the research reveal that the Romanian insurance market is characterised by a high concentration and competition level and in spite of the present risks, it is still attractive for foreign investors.
The economic impact of the French language
Authors: Dincă Violeta Mihaela , Bogdan Anca , Zottu-Z Monica , Floricel Teodora
Published: June 2018

Thanks to the French language, 77 member and observer States and governments of the International Organization of La Francophonie of all continents, with levels of development at the two extremes of the wealth scale, can maintain a regular dialogue. These states where French is an official language, often alongside other languages have a significant impact on the global economy, particularly in cultural sectors. Several studies revealed that speaking French is a professional asset and that, the mastery of many languages, including one for international communication such as French, is a decisive asset in the international competition and the globalized economies. In the same time the intensity of trade in goods and capital between the countries which share the French language as an official language allow the hypothesis of a "linguistic preference" as one of the components favorable to the economic relations between the territories. The scope of this paper is to investigate the current place of the French language in the field of business or finance, its economic weight in the cultural sector and the current need to master French to be competitive on the global labor market. The results have the mission to show the growing importance of the francophone economic space and the necessity of a bigger Romanian implication within its projects and initiatives. The contribution brought by the paper to the field of Francophone studies is significant especially for the Romanian academic environment since less attention has been given in the last decade to the French language and its inputs for the economy.
Innovation and entrepreneurship in Romania’s cultural and creative industries
Authors: Istudor Laura Gabriela
Published: June 2018

The evolution of entrepreneurship in the cultural and creative sectors leads to social innovation by creating new jobs intended for the creative class and by building a long-run smart, sustainable and inclusive local development. Innovation and sustainability are concepts that can be applied to many industries, and they can involve numerous improvements related but not limited to processes, products, services, logistics. This paper supports the idea that the creative and cultural sectors can develop through innovative entrepreneurship, by introducing new methods of production, optimizing existing processes, improving the delivery methods or by developing new products or services, while also relying on the help of the government and smart organizations such as clusters. Since innovation involves improving the way of doing business, this paper will focus on identifying the available innovative methods that can be applied to the businesses activating in the cultural and creative sectors of the economy in Romania, together with the main challenges and opportunities that might arise by applying them. The perspectives of intellectual capital, creative economy and knowledge-based society in relation to the impact of innovation and entrepreneurship towards the development of the cultural and creative sectors in Romania will also be considered. The paper will also tackle a series of best practice examples of innovative businesses in the creative sectors, as well as a comparative analysis of the successfully implemented innovative ideas in this field of activity and their impact on the customer satisfaction and on the development of the local economy.
Achieving strategic agility through business model innovation. The case of telecom industry
Authors: Lungu Miruna Florina
Published: June 2018

As we are part of a dynamic world oriented towards change and flexibility, the society becomes more eager to be connected and updated to the latest news. Within this context, the purpose of the current paper is to focus on the tactics the companies use in order to achieve strategic agility in the telecom industry. The study aims to seek and analyzes which are the reasons which support the telecom industry to remain innovative and competitive on the market Therefore in order to align to the exponential trend of the market for innovation, we should have an overview picture of internal capabilities of the organization like human resource, technological advances or innovation. Further on, the literature review strengthens the significance companies place on decisions which keep alive their sustainability. Many studies claim that in order to deliver top results, an organization must be aware and fully exploit its major drivers of success. The paper will bridge the literature review with a realcase analysis. We will use a survey based on a sample of companies operating with the telecom market which will be shared at different levels of the business from stakeholders to top management. The results are meant to lead to a set of findings which influence the companies in being agile on the market. The outcome might serve as a reference point for the ones interested to set up a company within this industry or who are conducting research on this subject.
Bancassurance in a digital era
Authors: Marzai Elda
Published: June 2018

The implementation of bancassurance activity in the banking field contributes to the strengthening of the competitive environment, the development of new products in insurance and the higher satisfaction of the consumer's needs. The strategic priorities of banks are to increase business protection by adding new products to their portfolios, according customer's needs. The distribution of insurance in the bancassurance system is a future solution and will continue to develop on the Romanian market as well. Bancassurance is the main distribution channel in many countries, accounting for more than 50% of life insurance products (eg France, Italy, Spain, Austria), in Portugal the share goes up to 80% and in Romania is around 30%. Among the aspects needed to develop this service, bank representatives propose both the diversification of types of insurance sold through banks, as well as the growth of consumer financial education development and digitalization. This paper aims to highlight different perspectives to relaunch bancassurance activity according to changes from customer behavior and the identification of factors which contributing to the sustainability of bancassurance in digital environment. In addition, will be presented a comparison of the internet penetration rate in the world, the categories of clients using online banking services.
Linking the triple helix (university-industry-government) to the quadruple helix of university-industry-government – civil society in the field of international business and economics
Authors: Miron Dumitru , Gherasim Ioan Alexandru
Published: June 2018

Current educational systems and processes need to anticipate the challenges of the new millennium and lay the foundations for the future in the economic, social, technological, cultural and relational context. New educational programs must seriously consider a number of conditions such as: entirely new ways of serving existing needs and significantly disrupt existing industry value chains; growing transparency, consumer engagement, and new patterns of consumer behavior; the development of technology-enabled platforms that combine both demand and supply to disrupt existing industry structures, such as those we see within the “sharing” or “on demand” economy. In this paper I`ve started from the assumption that in the specific conditions of a creativity-based economy is necessary to rethink the components of the matrix partnership crossing from `triple helix` to `quadruple helix` logic. This new model becomes necessary because under current regional and international circumstances Mode 3 of knowledge production has become generalized. In this paper I`ve opted for the concept that adds civil society proposing reformulate the analytical model so as to place in balance integration with differentiation to produce suitability for a societal design defined by the self-organization of the sense communication process with respect to the analytical axes of complex systems. The basic idea of the research is to identify the way in which the challenges of internationalization of education, the transformations required by the emergence of this process, and the most relevant redefining that must take place at the level of curricular architectures and learning methods are understood. Based on the research I have made, I recommended few ways to cope with sensitive challenges educational systems are confronted with such as: better connecting theory and practice, teaching a more useful economics, designing the future based on the understanding of the past, minimizing the rhetorical component and maximizing the factual one, testing conformity of different ideas in advance.