bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigations of the late Quaternary morphotectonic evolution of the Balkan Peninsula East Part
Authors: Tzankov Tzanko , Stankova Svetla , Iliev Rosen , Mitkov Ilia
Published: August 2020

The East Balkan Peninsula Area was a part from the Tethys Ocean until 72 000 000 years. The pre Maestrichtian geologic-tectonic pattern of cockle of the East Balkan Peninsula Area wasn’t built on the Europe Continental Massif. The modern East Balkan Peninsula Relief is forming during the Late Quaternary time. The East Balkan Peninsula Margin coincides with the border between the Bulgarian and Moesian Continental Microplates from the west and the Black Sea Oceanic Microplatte to the east. This border present the Neo Europe West Passive Continental Margin in the area of the last Tethys Oceanic Fragment – it Black Sea Oceanic Gulf.
Assessing the quality of life of dental students by using the WHOQOL-BREF scale
Authors: Cagri Burdurlu , Cabbar Fatih , Dagasan Volkan , Kulle Cinar , Ozdemir-Ozenen Didem , Ozcakir-Tomruk Ceyda
Published: August 2020

Background/Aim: The study aimed to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of dental students in a private dental school with the use of the WHOQOL-BREF scale. Material and Methods: The Turkish version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was used to assess the QOL of dental students in their first (n=73), second (n=58), third (n=55), fourth (n=47) and fifth (n=48) years with a mean age of 22,15 ± 1,89 between January and February 2019. The items were organized in four domains (physical and psychological health, social relations and the environment) with most response options on a five-point Likert-type scale. Descriptive statistics were computed and the P-value of <0,05 was set as statistically significant. Results: The sample was composed of 281 students, corresponding to an overall response rate of 90,6%. The overall QOL was rated good by the responding students. The difference between male and female respondents' answers was not statistically significant. Mean scores were lowest for the psychological domain and were highest for the physical health domain. The psychological domain of the first-year participants was significantly better than that of fourth-year participants. Furthermore, the overall quality of life was highest for first-year students' compared to all years. Conclusions: Although the overall QOL for students in the present study was generally acceptable, the psychological domain was the lowest in dental students. A positive relationship was observed between students' satisfaction with health and their QOL. Dental schools should focus on reorganizing the curriculum and provide support for dental students, especially for those in their fourth-year.
Takotsubo Syndrome: Is This a Common Occurrence in Elderly Females after Hip Fracture?
Authors: Rostagno Carlo , Polidori Gianluca , Ceccofiglio Alice , Cartei Alessandro , Boccaccini Alberto , Peris Adriano , Rubbieri Gaia , Civinini Roberto , Innocenti Massimo
Published: August 2020

Background

The prevalence of Takotsubo syndrome in hip fracture is not known.

Methods

Hip fracture patients were evaluated in a multidisciplinary unit. Patients with ECG abnormalities and increased troponin I values at the time of hospital admission were included in the study Follow-up was clinical at 30 days and by telephonic interview at one year.

Results

Between October 1st 2011 to September 30th 2016, 51 of 1506 patients had preoperative evidence of myocardial damage. Eight, all females, fulfilled the Mayo criteria for Takotsubo syndrome, six had no coronary lesions. Hip surgery was uneventful, and all eight were alive at thirty days, and seven of these were still alive after one year. Forty-three patients had myocardial infarction: mortality at thirty days and one year were 11% and 44% (p<0.0001, Student’s t-test; log-rank test).

Conclusion

At least 15% of patients with hip fracture and preoperative myocardial damage had Takotsubo syndrome. They were all elderly females. Contrary to myocardial infarction, Takotsubo syndrome has a favourable long term prognosis.
Opioid Use Is Associated with ICU Delirium in Mechanically Ventilated Children
Authors: Gupta Neha , Woolley Allison , Talathi Saurabh , Davlyatov Ganisher , Colston Candice , Hayes Leslie
Published: August 2020

Introduction

Pediatric delirium is a significant problem when encounterd in an intensive care unit (ICU). The pathophysiology of pediatric delirium is complex and the etiology is typically multifactorial. Even though various risk factors associated with pediatric delirium in a pediatric ICU have been identified, there is still a paucity of literature associated with the condition, especially in extremely critically ill children, sedated and mechanically ventilated.

Aim of the study

To identify factors associated with delirium in mechanically ventilated children in an ICU.

Material and Methods

This is a single-center study conducted at a tertiary care pediatric ICU. Patients admitted to the pediatric ICU requiring sedation and mechanical ventilation for >48 hours were included. Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium scale was used to screen patients with delirium. Baseline demographic and clinical factors as well as daily and cumulative doses of medications were compared between patients with and without delirium. Firth’s penalized maximum likelihood logistic regression was used on a priori set of variables to examine the association of potential factors with delirium. Two regression models were created to assess the effect of daily medication doses (Model 1) as well as cumulative medication doses (Model 2) of opioids and benzodiazepines.

Results

95 patient visits met the inclusion criteria. 19 patients (20%) were diagnosed with delirium. Older patients (>12 years) had higher odds of developing delirium. Every 1mg/kg/day increase in daily doses of opioids was associated with an increased risk of delirium (OR=1.977, p=0.017). Likewise, 1 mg/kg increase in the cumulative opioid dose was associated with a higher odds of developing delirium (OR=1.035, p=0.022). Duration of mechanical ventilation was associated with the development of delirium in Model 1 (p=0.007).

Conclusions

Age, daily and cumulative opioid dosage and the duration of mechanical ventilation are associated with the development of delirium in mechanically ventilated children.
Migrationsreduktion durch Entwicklungszusammenarbeit? Eine ökonomische Analyse am Beispiel Afrikas
Authors: Winter Jana Sievers und Simon
Published: August 2020

The so-called “migration hump” describes the inverted U-shaped relationship between development and migration. In relatively poor countries, development leads to increasing migration, as the budget constraint of potential migrants loosens. By contrast, in relatively rich countries, this relationship is reversed because the incentive to migrate is negligibly small. We discuss the implications of this empirical finding for development cooperation with African countries and conclude that further development would rather increase than reduce migration. As a consequence, the capture of development policy by a restrictive migration policy is not expedient, as they follow different normative rationales, and hampers the effectiveness of development policy.
Challenging Youth Unemployment Through International Mobility
Authors: Nienaber Birte , Manafi Ioana , Vysotskaya Volha , Roman Monica , Marinescu Daniela
Published: August 2020

Youth unemployment is a challenge in many European countries – especially since the financial crises. Young people face difficulties in the transition from education into employment. This article focuses on young mobile Europeans from six countries (Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Norway, Romania and Spain). The research question is whether and to which extent international mobility has an impact on employability and therefore reduces youth unemployment. By using a cluster analysis of personal adaptability, social and human capital and career identity, the importance of mobility experiences for employability is analysed in a recent dataset of 5,272 young (formerly) mobile respondents. Youth mobility is established as a strong characteristic for the employability cluster. Mobility is however not the long-term aim of most of the mobile young people, since most of the mobiles choose to return to their home countries after one or more stays abroad.
The Relationship Between Sustainable Development Goals and Migration. An EU-28 Perspective
Authors: Prada Elena-Maria
Published: August 2020

This study approaches migration from the perspective of an effect of the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals. In order to analyse this relationship, several indicators used to measure the SDGs attainment level were employed. These indicators are also the ones related to migration. The results show that most indicators that are used to measure the achievement of SDGs have an impact on the migration flow. Consequently, GDP per capita and unemployment rate, as main indicators used to measure the Goal 8 (Sustainable economic growth, productive employment and decent work for all), have significant impact on migration, being main factors of immigration.

The main conclusion is that there is a bilateral relationship between migration and SDGs. Not only that migration can influence the achievement of sustainable development, but, at the same time, it is itself influenced by how well the Sustainable Development Goals are attained.
The Characteristics of Migrant Physicians from Romania
Authors: Apostu Simona-Andreea , Vasile Valentina
Published: August 2020

An important part of migration represents the brain drain, especially the migration of physicians. Romania has a health system in continuous reform, facing for over 3 decades a shortage of employees. Moreover, employed specialists and young physicians migrated, the health care system registering a medium efficiency. The number of migrant physicians from Romania followed an ascending trend, and this had negative consequences on Romanian population health. The main objective of this paper is identifying the profile and the dynamics of the migrant physician from Romania. Other objective is highlighting the Romanian counties where most physicians migrated from and the preferred destination countries.
How are European Migrants from the MENA Countries Affected by COVID-19? Insights from an Online Survey
Authors: Cimpoeru Smaranda , Roman Monica , Kobeissi Amira , Mohammad Heba
Published: August 2020

COVID-19 pandemic has affected and still affects many countries in the world, reshaping many of the economic and social activities. Based on the results of an online survey, this paper highlights the perceptions of the way the pandemic has affected one of the most vulnerable categories in a society, migrants. We focus our research on the migrants and refugees from Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, living in Europe, as in the recent years and mostly after the migrant crisis in 2015, they are in large numbers in European countries. Using ANOVA models, our results show that unemployed migrants, students but also migrants who find it difficult on present income are most worried about the COVID-19 crisis and fell they will be greatly affected in terms of income and employment by this crisis. Also, women are more worried by COVID-19 than men with respect to the health aspect.
Animal coronaviruses in the light of COVID-19
Authors: Domańska-Blicharz Katarzyna , Woźniakowski Grzegorz , Konopka Bogdan , Niemczuk Krzysztof , Welz Mirosław , Rola Jerzy , Socha Wojciech , Orłowska Anna , Antas Marta , Śmietanka Krzysztof , Cuvelier-Mizak Beata
Published: August 2020

Coronaviruses are extremely susceptible to genetic changes due to the characteristic features of the genome structure, life cycle and environmental pressure. Their remarkable variability means that they can infect many different species of animals and cause different disease symptoms. Moreover, in some situations, coronaviruses might be transmitted across species. Although they are commonly found in farm, companion and wild animals, causing clinical and sometimes serious signs resulting in significant economic losses, not all of them have been classified by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) as hazardous and included on the list of notifiable diseases. Currently, only three diseases caused by coronaviruses are on the OIE list of notifiable terrestrial and aquatic animal diseases. However, none of these three entails any administrative measures. The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 infections that have caused the COVID-19 pandemic in humans has proved that the occurrence and variability of coronaviruses is highly underestimated in the animal reservoir and reminded us of the critical importance of the One Health approach. Therefore, domestic and wild animals should be intensively monitored, both to broaden our knowledge of the viruses circulating among them and to understand the mechanisms of the emergence of viruses of relevance to animal and human health.
UTCI field measurements in an urban park in Florence (Italy)
Authors: Petralli Martina , Massetti Luciano , Pearlmutter David , Brandani Giada , Messeri Alessandro , Orlandini Simone
Published: August 2020

The aim of this study is to evaluate human thermal comfort in different green area settings in the city of Florence by using the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). Field measurements of air temperature, solar radiation, relative humidity, wind speed and black globe thermometer were collected during hot summer days in various parts of Cascine Park, the biggest urban park in Florence (Italy). UTCI was evaluated over different surfaces (asphalt, gravel and grass) completely exposed to the sun or shaded by a large lime tree (Tilia × europaea). The results showed strong differences in UTCI values depending on the exposure to tree shade, while no significant difference was found among ground-cover materials when all surfaces were equally exposed to solar radiation. Future studies are needed to investigate the microclimatic effects of different tree species on UTCI.
Swing-Up Problem of an Inverted Pendulum – Energy Space Approach
Authors: Balcerzak Marek
Published: August 2020

This paper describes a novel, energy space based approach to the swing-up of an inverted pendulum. The details of the swing-up problem have been described. Equations of the velocity-controlled have been presented. Design of the controller based on energy space notion has been elaborated. The control algorithm takes into account state constraints and control signal constraints. Parameters of the controller have been optimized by means of the Differential Evolution method. A numerical simulation of the inverted pendulum driven by the proposed controller has been conducted, its results have been presented and elaborated. The paper confirms that the proposed method results in a simple and effective swing-up algorithm for a velocity-controlled inverted pendulum with state constraints and control signal constraints.
Numerical Studies for Solving a Free Convection Boundary–Layer Flow Over a Vertical Plate
Authors: Othman Mohamed I. A. , Mahdy A. M. S.
Published: August 2020

In this paper, The aim of this study is to present a reliable combination of the shifted Legendre collocation method to approximate of the problem of free convection boundary-layer flow over a vertical plate as produced by a body force about a flat plate in the direction of the generating body force. The proposed method is based on replacement of the unknown function by truncated series of well known shifted Legendre expansion of functions. An approximate formula of the integer derivative is introduced. Special attention is given to study the convergence analysis and derive an upper bound of the error of the presented approximate formula. The introduced method converts the proposed equation by means of collocation points to a system of algebraic equations with shift Legendre coefficients. Thus, by solving this system of equations, the shifted Legendre coefficients are obtained. Boundary conditions in an unbounded domain, i.e. boundary condition at infinity, pose a problem in general for the numerical solution methods. The obtained results are in good agreement with those provided previously by the iterative numerical method. As a result, without taking or estimating missing boundary conditions, the shifted Legendre collocation method provides a simple, non-iterative and effective way for determining the solutions of nonlinear free convection boundary layer problems possessing the boundary conditions at infinity.
Vibration of Skew Plate with Circular Variation in Thickness and Poisson’s Ratio
Authors: Sharma Amit
Published: August 2020

The present study analyzes the natural vibration of non homogeneous visco elastic skew plate (parallelogram plate) with non uniform thickness under temperature field. Here non homogeneity in the plate’s material arises due to circular variation in Poisson’s ratio. Also the circular variation in thickness causes non uniformity in the shape of the plate. Bi linear temperature variation on the plate along both the axes is being viewed. The equation of motion related to frequency modes are solved by Rayleigh Ritz method. The findings of the present analysis are presented with the help of tables.
Design and Analysis of Ejection in Sub Wheel Assembly
Authors: Rajendran S. , Abish S. M. , Sakthivel M. , Sandeep P. , Rahul Krishna S.
Published: August 2020

Traveling in remote areas at nights is very risky and tire getting puncture at that time is dangerous. To avoid any of this complications a sub wheel system is installed in the vehicle. Sub wheels helps to go to required destination and change the puncture wheel. The tires used in this system are mold tires so they don’t get affected by the road conditions. The sub wheel is operated by means of a hydraulic system. Power for this sub wheel is provided from the engine placed in the back of the vehicle. This is system is very useful heavy weight vehicle which travel in difficult terrain (army vehicles). The height of the car is increased so that Sub wheels won’t affect the chassis or the engine. This type of system is used in le24race but they only use hydraulic system to lift the car. The advantage of this system is its user friendly and effective to use. By pressing a button required sub wheel comes down and start to function. By using CATIA a diagram of this system is drawn to check it’s various forces acting on it.
Applying CFD for Studying the Dynamic and Thermal Behavior of an Indirect Solar Dryer: Paramertric Analysis
Authors: Khaldi S. , Korti A. N. , Abboudi S.
Published: August 2020

In this work, an indirect solar dryer integrated thermal storage for drying figs. (Ficuscarica) is studied numerically. Unsteady turbulent airflow and heat transfer through a two-dimensional model is carried out for a typical day of August under the climatic conditions of Tlemcen (Algeria). Effects of air inlet size and thickness of the packed bed on the dynamic and thermal behaviors of the dryer with and without packed bed have been discussed. The study shows that: (1) Increase the inlet size from 0.04 m to 0.10 m can accelerate the extraction of air by about 13% and reduce the maximum crops temperature by about 14%. (2) The packed bed can reduce the mass flow rate extracted by 22% and the fluctuations of air temperature by 1.3%. (3) A packed bed with a thickness of 0.15 m can extend the operating time of the dryer up to 23%.
Synthesis of Metal Matrix Composites through Stir Casting Process – a Review
Authors: Sakthivelu S. , Sethusundaram P. P. , Meignanamoorthy M. , Ravichandran M.
Published: August 2020

Metal is the one of the important material in engineering materials because of their high strength to weight ratio. However the pure metals cannot be used as engineering materials due to their ductile property. So, to improve their mechanical properties, some of the high strength materials (not metals) were added as reinforcement to improve the mechanical properties of pure metals and the newly developed material is called as metal matrix composites. At present, Aluminium, Copper, Magnesium, Titanium and Iron have been used as matrix materials and materials like TiC, SiC, B4C, WC, Cr3C, TiO2, ZrO2, Gr, MoS2and Si3N4have been used as reinforcements. There are many processing techniques to fabricate metal matrix composites namely stir casting, ultra-sonic assisted casting, compo-casting, rheo casting, powder metallurgy technique, etc,. Among these, stir casting process is the most suitable and economical method to fabricate the metal matrix composites. In this article, an effort has been made to review the work of various researchers to fabricate metal matrix composites through stir casting process.
Petrographic and Chemical Research on Furnace Wastes From Individual Heating Furnaces and Boilers – Method for Identification of Co-Burning Municipal Waste
Authors: Szulik Wojciech , Jelonek Iwona
Published: August 2020

Numerous varieties of solid fuels have been employed for the production of heat in buildings and during cooking by utilizing furnaces and boilers. The most commonly used energy carriers include hard and brown coal, coke, and wood-based solid biofuels in the form of various types of pellets, briquettes, and chips. Notably, furnace and boiler users can combine these fuels in any way by changing their proportions. Generally, users of furnaces and boilers are known to co-burn solid fuels and various types of municipal waste. However, the municipal waste contains a number of organic compounds and toxic metals that can be released into the atmosphere during the combustion process; this poses a threat to the health of the environment and public. Herein, chemical and petrographic tests were performed to study the sources of furnace wastes. This research facilitates the identification of unacceptable substances such as plastics, metal filings, and glass.
One-Day Prognoses of Methane Concentrations for the 102 Longwall in the 325/1 Seam in the “W” Coal Mine Operating in a Continuous System
Authors: Grodzicka Aneta , Badura Henryk , Shaidurova Natalia , Sentyakov Kirill , Sviatskii Vladislav
Published: August 2020

The first part of the paper concerns the natural deposition conditions of the 325/1 seam in the “W” coal mine, in the 102 longwall mining panel. It also presents the most important technical conditions regarding the exploitation at this longwall. To characterize the methane hazard in the longwall area, the parameters of ventilation and total methane concentrations as well as the volumetric flowrate of methane captured by the methane removal system, have been presented graphically. A significant part of the methane flow in the longwall area was released to the air flowing to the longwall. The most significant part of the article is the presentation and analysis of the results of prognoses of mean methane concentrations at the exhaust of the longwall area. The accuracy of the prognoses of methane concentration was verified using two methods: while not considering the release of methane to the air flowing to the longwall and while considering the total flowrate of methane to the ventilation air in the area of the 102 longwall. The method of forecast presented in the article has so far been checked for a 5-day and 6-day work day, as well as for walls operating in a non-regular mode. The article refers to the wall operating in a continuous mode, which required adaptation of the proposed method to this mode. The application of the one-day forecast proposed in the article allows for undertaking temporary methane prevention measures enabling safe use of the wall.
Benefits of Installing a Photovoltaic Power-Generation System for a Warehouse Facility
Authors: Grebski Michalene , Maryniak Anna
Published: August 2020

Sustainability and eco-friendliness of the chain of supply is a subject of interest among many researchers. New eco-friendly solutions are being implemented in production, storage, and transportation of the entire chain of supply. This study focuses on pro-environmental solutions related to warehouse management. The publication describes a project of installing a solar photovoltaic (PV) system to generate electric power at the H&W Warehouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The purpose of this publication is to demonstrate the financial and environmental benefits of using sustainable forms of energy. The environmental benefits were calculated from the perspective of lowering the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere. The financial benefits were determined by calculating the net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR) and profitability index (PI) as well as regular and discounted payback. A computer simulation was being used as the research method. Calculations included in the publication have proven that the project being considered is beneficial from the financial and environmental perspectives.
Rating of the Activities of Urban Transport Policy in the Context of Sustainable Development
Authors: Nordin Victor , Kharitoshkin Nikolai , Czerwińska-Lubszczyk Agnieszka
Published: August 2020

The growing number of cars cities is worsening the quality of life of our citizens, aggravating their problems with mobility, social inequality, health and ecology. The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals implies carrying out measures aimed at reducing the impact of urban transport systems in three interrelated directions. The aim of this chapter is describe the conditions and measures to reduce the negative impact of these problems combined into transport policy measures in two ways. The method of expert assessments allowed to rank these activities in order to establish the sequence of their implementation in cities in order to bring their state closer to the “livable city”.
When Art is Religion and Vice Versa. Six Perspectives on the Relationship between Art and Religion
Authors: Bosman Frank G.
Published: August 2020

In the discussion of religion and art, it is quite difficult to exactly define what makes art ‘religious’. In this article, the author suggest six different perspectives in which a work of art—any work of art—could be interpreted as ‘religious’, as an embodiment of the complex relationship between art and religion. These perspectives are not mutually exclusive: one and the same art work could be approached on multiple levels at once. Nor do they disqualify other methodologies of studying art and religion. These perspectives provide conceptual windows to understand what people (could) mean when they discuss religious art. The six perspectives are: (1) material, (2) contextual, (3) referential, (4) reflexive, (5) ritual, and (6) existential. They vary from the more or less objective to the more subjective, and as such from artist-intended to viewer/listener-perceived (with or without help of clues provided by the artist and/or the object itself). The author illustrates who these different perspectives can vary in defining certain pieces of art as religious by using three very different case studies: the Isenheimer Altarpiece, one of Hugo Ball’s famous sound poems, and the digital game Child of Light.
Holy Crisis. On the Problem that Espouses Modern Art to Modern Spirituality
Authors: De Kesel Marc
Published: August 2020

Visual art owes its modernity from the crisis it fell into in the midst of the nineteenth century. Courbet’s call for realism questioned the foundation of the art of his time. The incapacity of the series of ‘-isms’ that followed to answer Courbet’s call, pointed to a crisis not only in art, but in the then emerging non-artistic visual culture in general. In fact, Courbet’s call questioned the image paradigm that was in force since the Renaissance: the one of ‘representation’. The crisis of art laid bare the crisis of the representation paradigm. Modern art’s complex relation to religion and spirituality must be understood in the context of this paradigm crisis. Although generally anti-religious, modern art often keeps on being fascinated by religion, spirituality, and mysticism. The ‘religious’, the ‘holy’, the ‘sanctity’ modern art is inclined to, is linked to the crisis it originates from. Does this reference to the religious and the spiritual, then, constitute the answer to that crisis? I defend the thesis that it rather affirms this very crisis. If there is something ‘holy’ in art, it is not the answer to which it makes people long, but it is art’s inherent crisis itself. If art has a ‘holy’ mission, it is to keep that crisis on the agenda of modernity.
Insights on the impact of telecommunication companies on the environment
Authors: Tătaru Ioana-Miruna , Fleacă Elena , Fleacă Bogdan
Published: August 2020

To perform their business operations, telecommunication companies need to consume energy. This paper aims to analyze and compare the energy consumption and their greenhouse gas emissions for there of the biggest telecommunication companies: Vodafone, Orange and Telekom. Although the scientific literature proposed some analysis on the environmental measures that the telecommunication companies have to take, there is a shortage of researchers focused on GRI reporting data and the pairwise comparison method. The authors compared these telecommunication companies’ emissions under the following criteria: energy consumption (GRI 302-1), scope 1 (GRI 305-1), scope 2 (GRI 305-2) and scope 3 (GRI 305-3) greenhouse gas emissions, reduction of emissions (GRI 305-5), using the pairwise comparison method. To reduce their emissions, companies developed a sustainability strategy. This paper will further emphasize what are the plans to reduce emissions for the company which, following the analysis, pollutes the most. To provide an overview of the future of the company which, by the analysis, pollutes the most, the authors have identified and analyzed what are the main actions that the company should take to reduce their impact on the environment. To do so, the authors firstly analyze the causes of the pollution produced by the telecommunication company using Ishikawa diagram. Then, it identifies what are the main organizational processes that can be improved using APQC standardization, to show that the improvement can be made if the organization adjusts their organizational processes. This paper is an enhancement to the studies form the field because it provides a comparative analysis on three of the most competitive telecommunication companies in the world, uses GRI criteria and pairwise comparison method and gives an overview on the next steps for the telecommunication company to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Organizational performance – theoretical and practical approaches; study on students’ perceptions
Authors: Conţu Eleonora Gabriela
Published: August 2020

Organizational performance depends on leaders’ mastery to create a cooperative working climate and on their ability to lead a team. Effective results require emotional engagement and empathy from participants in terms of activities performed within a team in order to provide solutions to issues that need to be resolved as professionally as possible. Organizational performance refers to the degree to which the organization, with some informational, financial, and human resources, positions itself effectively on the business market. Individual performance can influence the performance of the entire organization in the short, medium or long term in a positive or negative direction. The main objectives of the study are: 1)defining the firm’s performance; 2) presenting leadership characteristics as a managerial and organizational process; 3) analysing the leadership importance on organization performance; 4)presenting the research results regarding students’ perceptions on the recognition of organizational performance. The research approach used is a combination of literature review and answers to a questionnaire. Respondents are third year students in the bachelor programme at a Business School from Romania. The research scope is to identify young people’s perceptions regarding the recognition of organizational performance. The success factors that contribute to finding the first job after they graduate are also listed. According to respondents’ answers, the main characteristics of successful students will be specified, as well as their main priorities and values in life.
Efficient institution in the context of environmental policies
Authors: Dan Mihaela-Cornelia , Pena Emanuel , Bacsis Ana Maria
Published: August 2020

In the context of new environmental paradigms for the efficient customization of both traditional and renewable energy systems, the international regulations aim to be effective sources of alignment. The control practices in a big state-owned enterprise are the concepts implemented in this paper into a multi-criteria decision-making model for understanding, observing and accommodate the personnel for reaching high service quality. The best practices for effective policy design are alternatives in an Analytic Network Processes model designed and estimated by the staff in the audit department of the Romanian Regulatory Authority for Energy (RRAE). This model integrates all the national and international regulations at which the Romanian Regulatory Authority for Energy adhered and it determines what is the practical measures need to be taken at the level of each and every employee, in terms of individual forms of evaluation, so that principles regarding the implementation of the energy efficient systems produce tangible effects. The conceptual instrument considered for the effective alignment is the internal marketing. Internal marketing as a method built the foundation of a multi-criteria decision-making model whose alternatives are employees” evaluations forms. The model designed and estimated by staff in the audit department of the Romanian Regulatory Authority for Energy is developed using the analytic network processes theory (ANP) and the SuperDecisions software.
Impediments in cluster development: the case of Târnave valley
Authors: Tancelov Liane , Cojanu Valentin
Published: August 2020

Many years after the fall of communism, the Romanian wine industry has been still struggling to overcome lot of challenges such as erratic weather, unfair competition, lack of investments or the need for a clear vision of the future path of growth. The industry has reached eventually a level of maturity although there is still much to be done in terms of, among others, network-oriented management skills and the acknowledgement of the importance of the role of location for upgrading competitive advantages. Cluster development initiatives have become lately an important direction of economic policy, building on earlier macroeconomic stabilization efforts, opening up markets and reducing business costs. Companies that operate within a cluster, as opposed to those that are not integrated in such agglomerations, benefit from externalities thanks to their location, have better access to specialized suppliers, technological improvements and skilled labor, as well as direct connections to specialized knowledge flows. Is cluster formation and development a driver for the revival of the Romanian wine industry? What are the impediments that delay further progress? To answer these questions, a qualitative research was conducted with support of statistical data collected mainly from the Global Competitiveness Report, the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the National Institute of Statistics, and the International Organization of Vine and Wine. The paper focuses on the case of the vine and wine region of the Târnave Valley to understand the impediments for cluster development.
Considerations regarding the effectiveness of Risk Management for Internal Managerial Control System
Authors: Filip Cosmin
Published: August 2020

The paper presents a systemic analysis of the key factors of risk management for the internal managerial control (IMC) system for public entities in Romania. The risk management approach offers a broad view regarding the necessary tasks for having a rigorous, efficient, effective and transparent use of public funds. The necessity of taking a managerial decision on a current matter has its own peculiarities and effects, involving the actual way and manner in which the entity in question will go further. The effects of this kind of decisions can affect the entity in some precise moments. In this point, risk management should be present, according to the applicable approaches, in order to evaluate, among other things, the vulnerability of the system which is exposed to the effects of a decision that has been taken into account. Developing an internal control system is perceived as a process that involves improving performance and governance, rather than introducing a new, additional system. The paper is presenting some considerations regarding the effectiveness of risk management approach used in Romanian public entities, based on the latest reports published. There are also pointed out some principal causes for this implementation level of Risk management Standard, along with some selective proposals for improving the results of this risk based approach
The history of economics and the Constructal Theory
Authors: Isaic Radu , Păun Cristian
Published: August 2020

The signs of a new crisis appear. Some countries are moving towards real assets (gold, oil); the real estate market froze, as did the credit market; sales are on a global decline. The world has become accustomed to economic cycles and crises. At the theoretical level, efforts are aimed at finding practical methods of prevention and especially of combating the negative effects on economic cycles. The market of theories regarding the internal causes and mechanisms of economic cycles has stabilized. The theoretical barricades were formed and strengthened and now the projectiles are thrown from one side to another. Demand theories and supply theories give partial explanations, but with claims of total theories. Is it possible to see something new at the theoretical level about the causes and mechanisms of economic cycles? We think so. We believe that the Constructal Theory of Professor Adrian Bejan has an explanatory power over the present theories about the causes of the economic cycles. The perspective offered by this theory is new and offers explanations for aspects that are difficult to understand in other theories. Through this article we want a rewriting of economic history, from the perspective and through the lens of this theory. We believe that we offer a broader and deeper explanation of the causes of economic cycles using a theoretical tool borrowed from other sciences, but with great explanatory powers in the social sciences. We will rewrite the economic history by discussing: S-evolution of economic stages; overlapping economic flow systems; systems evolving from one another; increased resource consumption and increased resource efficiency. The results of this study indicate that abusive interventions in the economic system create problems. The economic system, which is essentially a flow system, like any other system, must be allowed to evolve freely.
An ANP approach to estimate the market shares of the car industry companies in Romania
Authors: Busu Mihail , Stamule Stere
Published: August 2020

Car industry is one of the most important sectors in Romania with a significant impact on country’s GDP. This paper presents the construction and the evaluation of an Analytical Network Process (ANP) market share model, which emerged from extended in-depth interviews with top managers of the main Romanian car industry producers. ANP model was used to estimate the market share and compare the results with the actual values, expressed by Saaty’s compatibility index, then validate this model and offer comparative numerical weights of importance car industry in Romania. The conclusions of the article are in line with the research in the field and show that the automotive market shares in Romania estimated by the ANP model are confirming the companies’ calculations. The software we have used in our analysis was Super Decision 3.2 software.
Considerations Regarding Work from Home and Telework
Authors: Teleoacă Vartolomei Brîndușa Oana
Published: August 2020

In the current pandemic conditions that have covered the whole world between individual contracts of special type, the contract with work at home has acquired a priority place. Likewise, telework, regulated in Romania since 2018 and considered a new form of work organization, has also proved its effectiveness. In this context, however, it is necessary to identify the advantages and disadvantages of working in the form of work at home or telework and to draw guidelines for future legislative changes in this area.
The Concept of Urban Agriculture – Historical Development and Tendencies
Authors: Dobele Madara , Zvirbule Andra
Published: August 2020

The change in the concept of urban agriculture has been driven by social, political and economic factors, changing the role of agriculture in the urban environment. From the second half of 20th century topicality and practices of urban agriculture are growing widely not only in social initiatives but also in scientific research (the number of articles in scientific databases has increased 18-30 times since 2000). Growing interest has identified various variations and tendencies in the interpretation of the concept of urban agriculture, having regard to the current United Nations definition that is broad, but in research works and case studies researchers adapt the definitions to the local characteristics and aim of the study, thus creating a number of risks in the interpretation of the concept, including limited possibilities for quantitative comparisons between studies. The aim of the article is to identify the historical development stages of the concept of urban agriculture and to determine the main research tendencies in its application. To achieve this aim, the method of monographic and descriptive analysis was used for theoretical discussion, analysis, synthesis and deduction - for information gathering, logical systematization and classification. As a result of the study, it was identified that the concept of urban agriculture is developed in three different stages - originally associated with the technical solutions of urban planning for providing food for city dwellers, it is currently developing in tendencies of different directions: analysis of agriculture’s role in urban areas (including mitigating climate change risks), classification of types of urban agriculture, opportunities for adapting innovations and technological solutions to urban agriculture, the place and context of urban agriculture for sustainable development in the circumstances of urbanization. Such in-depth research of the experience and impact of urban agriculture on sustainable development could increase dynamically due to environmental considerations, aspect of the circular economy, and new paradigms in planning urban and peri-urban areas.
Backwardness of Central and Eastern Europe as a Heritage of the Soviet Period
Authors: Ancans Sandris
Published: August 2020

The economy of Latvia lags behind economically developed nations approximately fourfold in terms of labour productivity in the tradable sector, which is the key constituent of a modern economy, thereby affecting future sustainable development in the entire country, including the rural areas. The economic backwardness is characteristic of the entire Central and Eastern Europe. This is the heritage of a communist regime that lasted for about half a century and the economic system termed a (centrally) planned economy or a command economy. However, such a term for the communist-period economy is not correct, as it does not represent the purpose it was created for. Accordingly, the paper aims to assess the effect of the communism period on the economic backwardness of the Central and Eastern European region of the EU. A planned economy that existed in all communist countries, with the exception of Yugoslavia, was not introduced to contribute to prosperity. It was intended for confrontation or even warfare by the communist countries under the guidance of the USSR against other countries where no communism regime existed, mostly Western world nations with their market economies. For this reason, it is not correct to term it a (centrally) planned economy or a command economy; the right term is a mobilised (war) economy. An extrapolation of a geometric progression for GDP revealed that during the half a century, Latvia as part of the USSR was forced to spend on confrontation with the West not less than EUR 17 bln. (2011 prices) or approximately one gross domestic product of 2011. The research aim of the paper is to assess the effect of the communism period on the economic backwardness of the Central and Eastern European region of the EU.
Civil Engineering Inspection for Real Estate Evaluation with the Use of Artificial Learning Algorithms and Fuzzy Logic
Authors: Surgelas Vladimir , Arhipova Irina , Pukite Vivita
Published: August 2020

The technical inspection of a building carried out by an expert in civil engineering can identify and classify the physical conditions of the real estate; this generates relevant information for the protection and safety of users. Given the real conditions of the property, and for the real estate valuation universe, using artificial intelligence and fuzzy logic, it is possible to obtain the market price associated with the physical conditions of the building. The objective of this experiment is to develop a property evaluation model using a civil engineering inspection form associated with artificial intelligence, and fuzzy logic, and also compare with market value to verify the applicability of this inspection form. Therefore, the methodology used is based on technical inspection of civil engineering regarding the state of conservation of properties according to the model used in Portugal and adapted to the reality of Latvia. Artificial intelligence is applied after obtaining data from that report. From this, association rules are obtained, which are used in the diffuse logic to obtain the price of the apartment per square meter, and for comparison with the market value. For this purpose, 48 samples of residential apartments located in the city of Jelgava in Latvia are used, with an inspection carried out from October to December 2019. The main result is the 9% error metric, which demonstrates the possibility of applying the method proposed in this experiment. Thus, for each apartment sample consulted, it resulted in the state of conservation and a market value associated.
Efficacy of breast shielding during head computed tomography examination
Authors: Zalokar Nika , Mekis Nejc
Published: August 2020

Background

Female breasts are exposed to scattered radiation regardless of not being included in the primary field during head CT. This study aimed to investigate whether the use of lead shielding is beneficial in dose reduction to the breasts during head CT.

Patients and methods

The study was performed in two different hospitals on two different CT units and included 120 patients. Half of the measurements (n = 60) was conducted without the use of lead shielding and the other half (n = 60) with the use of lead shielding of 0.5 mm equivalent thickness.

Results

Significant skin dose reduction to the breasts during head CT in both hospitals with the use of lead shielding was discovered; 81% (338.2 ± 43.7 μGy to 64.3 ± 18.8 μGy) in Hospital A and 74% (from 253.1 ± 35.1 μGy to 65.3 ± 16.9 μGy) in Hospital B.

Conclusions

Considering the assumed carcinogenic effect of low doses of radiation, high frequency of the head CT scans and the significant reduction of radiation doses to the highly radiosensitive breasts, the use of lead shielding is highly recommendable.