Moldovan Population Research Articles

Morphology and variability of the facial nerve trunk depending on the branching pattern, gender, anthropometric type and side of the head in Moldovan population.

Knowledge concerning variability of the facial nerve trunk (FNT) direction after its exit through the stylomastoid foramen is of a great clinical significance for maxillofacial surgeons, otorhinolaryngologists, oncologists, specialists in plastic and aesthetic surgery. The aim of our study was to establish the variation of the FNT direction and its peculiarities depending on the branching pattern, gender, anthropometric type and side of the head. The direction of the FNT and its branching pattern were studied on 75 dissected hemifaces of adult formalised cadavers (59 male/ /16 female), and the morphometry of the FNT length, width and bifurcation angle was carried out. Seven branching patterns of the facial nerve were established: type I - 18.7%, type II - 14.7%, type III - 20%, type IV - 14.6%, type V - 5.3%, type VI - 18.7%, and type NI - 8% (bizarre types). The FNT had a descending direction in 73.3% of cases; ascending FNT - 9.3% (including 5.3% of very short diffuse branching trunks and 1.3% of arch-shaped FNT); horizontal FNT - 10.7%; number variants - 6.7%. The male/female ratio of the descending FNT was 69.5%/87.4%; ascending - 10.2%/6.3%; horizontal - 11.9%/6.3%; number variants - 8.4% (only in male). The right/left ratio of the descending FNT was 62.9%/82.5%; ascending - 11.4%/7.5%; horizontal - 11.4%/10%; number variants - 14.3% (only on the right side). The ratio of the descending FNT in mesocephalic type (MCT)/brachycephalic type (BCT)/dolichocephalic type (DCT) was respectively 70.6%/100%/66.7%; ascending - 12.1%/0%/0%; horizontal - 12.1/0%/11.1%. Numerical variants in MCT - 5.2%, in DCT - 22.2%. The mean number of FNT in MCT/BCT/DCT was respectively 1.07/1.0/1.22. Three main directions are characteristic of the FNT: the descending, ascending and horizontal ones, which vary depending on the branching pattern, gender, shape and side of the head.

Hair concentrations of selenium in the Moldovan population

BACKGROUND: There is a substantial body of evidence indicating that the ecosystems in the Republic of Moldova contain a significant amount of selenium. However, little is known regarding the levels of this essential element in the hair of the country's population.
 AIM: To assess hair concentrations of selenium in the population of the Republic of Moldova.
 METHODS: A cross-sectional study. Hair samples were collected from 301 participants aged 194 years. The data were presented and analyzed by gender and across the following age-groups: under 18, 1844, 4559 and 60+ years old. Determination of hair selenium concentration was carried out by fluorimetric method using Fluorat 02-5M fluorimeter (Lumex, Russia). Hair sample GBW 09101b was used as a reference standard. The statistical software package SPSS 23.0 was used for data processing. Normal distribution of the continuous variables was tested using KolmogorovSmirnov tests with Lilliefors significance correction. MannWhitney tests were used for comparing selenium concentrations while Kruska-Wallis tests were used for selenium concentrations across age-groups.
 RESULTS: Selenium concentrations in the hair of the population of Moldova ranged between 148 and 5000 g/kg with arithmetic mean (М)=697 g/kg, 95% confidence interval CI: 636758 g/kg, standard deviation (SD)=538 g/kg, geometric mean (G)=598 g/kg, median (Me)=584 g/kg. The average values of selenium concentration in the hair of the women (M=659 g/kg, G=565 g/kg) were significantly lower than those among the men (M=769 g/kg, G=666 g/kg), p=0.004. Geometric means of selenium concentrations increased with age (540585601741 g/kg), p = 0.026.
 CONCLUSION: This is the first study providing the evidence on hair concentration of selenium among the residents of Moldova. The results are congruent with earlier findings from the neighboring Odesa region of Ukraine with similar biogeochemical conditions. Significant gender differences in the concentration of selenium were observed. Moreover, hair concentration of selenium increased with age.

The Literature Published at Balta­ ­Tiraspol (1932–May 1937)

Between 1932–1937, books in Romanian language and Latin script were printed in Tiraspol and Balta, in the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova /the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (aSSRM). New literature emerged, mostly produced by radically left-wing émigré Romanian intellectuals, and by a young generation of writers from the villages with Moldovan population. Previously, during the tsarist period, there were no publications in Romanian or institutions operating in this language. In our opinion, the literature of the aSSRM belongs to no one. Most authors were tried and murdered during the cruel purges of 1937–1938 (S. Lehtțir, D. Milev, L. Madan, P. Chior, N. Cabac and many others whose actual names are unknown). Some of the most fortunate were able to flee, others survived either because they were tolerated by the regime or for other unknown reasons (I. Canna, I.D. Ciobanu, L. Cornfeld, V. Galit, M. Oprea).
 Literary activity was centered around the journal “Octeabriu” which became “Octombrie” (“October”) in 1932. The books issued were edited by employees of the State Publishing House of Moldova, which had two printing houses in Balta and Tiraspol (the latter gained most importance after 1936).

A book about the difficult fate of Bessarabia

The book in question examines the various aspects of the life of Bessarabia during the late 18th – early 20th centuries – “Russian time” in its history – through the eyes of Russian scientists and writers. Their focus was both on the individual events in the life of the Bessarabian multiethnic community and the peculiarities of its religion and culture. The rich factual material revealed a significant social distance between the national Moldavian intelligentsia and the illiterate, mainly rural Moldovan population. The process of forming a qualitatively new composition of the population of Bessarabia by the end of the 19th century is analyzed, which allows us to talk about the development of the multi-ethnic phenomenon of Bessarabism. The beginning of the 20th century is the time of development and strengthening of Moldavian national identity in a Russian cultural space. The authors state: the echoes of that time, as well as subsequent events of the 20th century, continue to influence modern ethno-social processes in the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Eastern Europe as a whole.

Republic of Moldova

Moldova’s economy is projected to stagnate in 2022 amid spillovers from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The war in Ukraine continues to weigh heavily on Moldova, although some initial pressures have subsided. Bank deposit net withdrawals came to an end and are now steadily being replenished. The leu depreciated by about 8 percent so far while pressures on foreign reserves have eased. About 550,000 refugees fleeing the war (representing more than 20 percent of the Moldovan population) have transited through Moldova, with about a fifth remaining in the country. Driven by rising food and energy prices, inflation accelerated further above the target band.

Geopolitical election of the Republic of Moldova. a study based on the example of the early parliamentary elections (2021)

For a long time, the key topic in the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova is the geopolitical choice between West and East, integration with the European Union or with the Russian Federation. This is reflected in the confrontation between political parties, the split of political elites and Moldovan society along geopolitical lines. Furthemore this problem had an outlet not only to the foreign policy of Moldova, but also reflected in the domestic policy of the country. Representatives of the state-forming ethnic group - Moldovans - were more often supporters of European integration, while representatives of ethnic minorities more often identified themselves with an orientation towards Russia. The purpose of this article is to analyze the geopolitical choice of the Republic of Moldova using the example of the early parliamentary elections on July 11, 2021. Taking into account the specifics of the elections, the study is focused on reflecting the problem of geopolitical choice in the electoral platforms of Moldovan electoral competitors. Based on the results of early parliamentary elections and sociological polls, the authors analyze the attitude of the Moldovan population to various geopolitical projects - integration with the European Union or the Eurasian Economic Union. The study showed that in the parliamentary (2021) elections in the Republic of Moldova, the problem of geopolitical choice was not a dominant topic. The idea of combating corruption, reforming justice, which was promoted by the winning Action and Solidarity Party and the President of the Republic of Moldova M. Sandu, became the main idea that determined the victory in the elections and united various ethnic groups. Moldovan public opinion indicates an increase in the number of supporters of integration into the European Union and, accordingly, a decrease in interest in the Customs Union, a Russian geopolitical project.

Молдавская Автономная Советская Социалистическая Республика в составе УССР 1924-1940 гг.: историография

The article aims to study and characterize the scientific works of domestic and foreign historians dedicated to the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic - a nation-state entity that existed as part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic during 1924-1940. The research methodology is based on the general research principles of historicism, objectivity, scientificity, and special historical methods of historiographical, logical, and source analysis, as well as narrative and problem-chronological. The scientific novelty of the work is that it conducted a comprehensive study of the scientific achievements of Ukrainian and Moldovan scientists’ problems related to the formation, features of socio-economic and ethno-national development, as well as the liquidation of the Autonomous Republic of Moldova. Conclusions. The historiography of the chosen problem can be divided into several main periods. The first of them is the work of Soviet researchers. Based on the methodological principles they used, it can be noted that the subject of their research was the historical preconditions for the formation of the Republic and its success in socialist construction. Considerable attention in their works is paid to national and cultural construction, development of education, and culture. The second period covers the works of modern Ukrainian scientists. In the early 1990s, favourable conditions were created for an objective study of the previously unknown and hidden pages of the history of MASSR. This applies primarily to the study of the real reasons for its creation, ethnic composition, mass repressions of the interwar period, as well as foreign policy preconditions for the liquidation of the Autonomous Republic in 1940. The third stage includes the scientific work of historians of Moldova. Its characteristic feature is the study of state-building processes that took place in the Republic and their impact on the formation of the national consciousness of the Moldovan population. To the fourth, we tend to include the works of researchers of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. They actively study the local lore problems of the history of MASSR and the history of individual settlements in the region. The methodological principles they use give grounds to consider them part of pro-Russian and openly anti-Moldovan historiography.

Spatial disparities in mortality by causes of death in the Republic of Moldova

Background: Previous studies have shown long-term unfavourable changes in mortality in the Republic of Moldova accompanied by recent improvements. Little is known about the regional mortality differentiation which is an important tool for evidence-based public health policy. The aim of the study is to assess the current geographical disparities of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in Moldova and to identify evidence-based modalities to reduce them. Material and methods: This cross-sectional study is based on the corrected results of the 2014 census and individual death records for the 2012-2016 period provided by the National Agency for Public Health. Global Moran’s index and local indicators of spatial autocorrelation were computed based on contiguity matrix. Results: All-cause mortality gradient between the northern and central regions was found for males (Moran’s index=0.47, p<0.001) and females (Moran’s index=0.44, p<0.001). Digestive and cardiovascular diseases for both sexes and external causes of death for males had a statistically significant influence on the inter-regional mortality differentiation. Liver cirrhosis contributed the most to the geographical difference between the North and the Centre (Moran’s index=0.59, p<0.001), especially for females. Conclusions: The results of this study point to the existence of different drinking habits of the Moldovan population between the northern and central regions. The central regions that form the cluster of “high-high” mortality from liver cirrhosis should be considered as primarily targets for antialcohol policies

On the Creation of One Paleoanthropological Collection (Abridged version of the manuscript «Moldovan Memories»)

The article outlines the complex ways of collecting a unique paleo-anthropological collection from the territory of the Prut-Dniester interfluve, which is stored in the Cabinet of Anthropology of the CPA IEA RAS. The essay describes individual episodes of the development of Moldavian archeology events that began more than half a century ago and lasted for 25 years. The content of the essay is made up of vivid everyday details of work in archaeological expeditions and the results of paleoanthropological studies that depict the formation of the anthropological characteristics of the Moldovan population, as well as how the data obtained reflects ethnogenetic processes.

The problem of the protest movement development in the Pridnestrovian Region of the Moldavian SSR (late 1980s)

The subject of the study is an analysis of the causes for the protest movement development in the Pridnestrovian Region of the Moldavian SSR in 1988-1989. Particular attention is paid to the language issue, which became the main reason for the creation of the Pridnestrovian protest movement. The paper describes the socio-political situation in the Moldavian SSR in the late 1980s, which contributed to the creation of the main acting forces of civil conflict in the republic, namely, nationalist organizations and the internationalist protest movement. The novelty of the study is the analysis of the process of creating a protest movement in the Pridnestrovian Region of Moldova. This problem has not been studied in the historiography of Pridnestrovie and the Republic of Moldova yet. The author comes to the conclusion that the nationalist-minded part of the republican leadership, with the direct support of the Popular Front and the inaction of the Central Committee of the CPM, contributed to the politicization of the language issue, while taking the course toward secession from the USSR and the subsequent entry into the state of Romania. In this historical situation, the Russian-speaking multinational population, together with the Moldovan population of the Pridnestrovian Region, was forced to create a protest movement in order to protect its civil and constitutional rights, as well as preserve the territory of its region within the Soviet state.

Moldovan population of Ukraine in the light of post-war censuses

The article deals with the resettlement and number of the Moldovan population of the USSR in the postwar years according to the census data.
 It is mentioned that in the post-war period Moldovans lived in Ukraine in traditional regions of their compact and dispersed resettlement. These were Odesa and Chernivtsi regions.
 The most populated region with representatives of the Moldovan nationality in the post-war years was Odesa region. In 1959 their number was 125 thousand people. In Chernivtsi region, according to the latest post-war population censuses, the total number of Moldovans was increasing mainly due to natural growth. In 1959, according to the results of the All-Union Census, there were 71.6 thousand people. In particular, the most populated area with representatives of the Moldovan nationality was Novoseletsky district, namely – 64.7% of the total population of the district.
 In general, when the resettlement and number of Moldovans in other regions of Ukraine are considered, it should be noted that their percentage is much smaller than in the above-mentioned areas. According to the statistics the share of Moldovans in the Transcarpathian region was 2% of the total population of the region at the time of the 1959 census.
 The number of Moldovans in the USSR as of January 15, 1970, according to the census results was 266 thousand people.
 According to the census of 1979, the number of people who identified themselves as Moldovans was 293.5 thousand people. The most populated regions, in accordance with the survey results, were Odesa and Chernivtsi regions with indicators of 143 109 and 85 027 people. However, the specific gravity of the Moldovan population in Chernivtsi region decreased slightly from 9.3% in 1959 to 9.2% in 1979. As far as Odesa region is concerned, similar ethno-demographic processes were also taking place there. In 1979, the Moldovan population was 5.7% or 143.1 thousand people, and mostly lived in its right-bank areas.
 At the general republican and regional levels Moldovans remained one of the least urbanized ethnic groups during the 60-80s. In 1970, cities were home to less than 30% of their total, and in the regions of their concentrated residence, and in particular, in Odessa region, – to even less: only 20.3%. It allows, using the existing methods, to attribute Moldovans to predominantly agrarian ethnos. Based on the sources, the statistics are analyzed and presented in the article, the most populated by Moldovans regions of Ukraine are defined and some migration processes of the Moldovan population in Ukraine are highlighted. The perspectives for further research on the topic are given.

Children of migration: Hopes and tensions over border-crossing in Moldova

Moldova is one of the smallest and poorest European countries, with one of the highest migration rates in the world. While actual migration figures are difficult to obtain, due to the fluctuating and often illegal nature of Moldovan migration, it is an ever-present fact of life in Moldova with about, according to some estimates, a third of the adult population working abroad, often ‘leaving behind’ children in the care of relatives, neighbours or in orphanages. This paper investigates how such high migration rates affect Moldovan family life and personal definitions of identity and success. It highlights the personal quests of the young Moldovan population, particularly college students, and pays particular attention to the young adults who are children of migration themselves, with many of them having grown up with one or both parents working abroad during part or all of their childhood and adolescence.

Measuring population health in Moldova: health expectancies

Health measures are decisive for the development and implementation of population health policies. Monitoring health indicators can lead to improvements in health and decrease in the inequalities among subpopulations. The life expectancy at birth for the Moldovan population did not increase considerably during the last decades, due to the social and economic crisis which led to high mortality and poor health. In Moldova, no aggregated health indicators are utilized for health monitoring. Therefore, the authors calculated health indicators to assess the population health and argue their importance. Mortality and subjective data on self-perceived health and self-rated morbidity from the Household Budget Survey was used for constructing period morbidity-mortality tables. Thus, the authors applied Sullivan’s method to calculate the life expectancy in very good/good/fair health and the life expectancy without chronic morbidity for the period 2006–2015. The life expectancies in very good/good/fair health showed a compression of morbidity in the older ages for both sexes, and for rural and urban types of residence. The life expectancies without chronic morbidity for males and for urban dwellers demonstrated an expansion of morbidity. Although the life expectancy is slowly increasing, the trends in population health are contradictory, depending on the applied measures. The health expectancy indicators, based on self-perceived health, depict the actual situation in the population health. These indicators are becoming more essential with the ageing process and can be used for the tailoring of social and health policies and services to the real needs of the population.

Moldovan Perception of Greece as a Tourism Destination

Purpose: This research study analyzes Moldovans' intentions to visit Greece, and their perceptions of Greece's image as a tourism destination, according to the following dimensions: (1) environmental beauty and convenience, (2) country's citizens, (3) place and architectural structure, (4) shopping and tourist accommodation and (5) similarity of the local culture and cuisine with the Moldovan one. The goal is split into four objectives. Design/methodology/approach: For attaining the goal, a self-administered questionnaire was delivered. The empirical study was conducted in the capital of Moldova. The findings are based upon a sample of 139 respondents. Findings: The findings reveal that, overall, Greece's image as a tourist destination among Moldovan consumers is partially positive. The perceptions of the tourism dimensions were evaluated in the descending order as follows: place and architectural structure, shopping and tourist accommodation, environmental beauty and convenience, country's citizens and similarity of the local culture and cuisine with the Moldovan one. Research limitations/implications: As it was undertaken only in the capital of Republic of Moldova and because most respondents are young people and females, the findings of this investigation do not absolutely reflect the perceptions of all Moldovans. Also, because the number of respondents is small, it is not representative of the whole Moldovan population. Hence, the results might not be very realistic and accurate. Originality/value: This study provides insightful theoretical implications and practical recommendations in creating marketing strategies that would help in managing and improving Greece's image as a destination among Moldovan tourists. Also, no study, at least to the researcher's knowledge, has evaluated Greece's image as a destination among Moldovan consumers. Finally, due to the increasing number of Moldovan tourists in Greece, it is important that Greece grasps this opportunity and positively influences the intentions of the visiting Moldovans via a positive destination image.

Epidemiology of hepatitis C in the Republic of Moldova: achievements and remaining challenges in prevention and control.

Viral hepatitis, especially those with parenteral and sexual transmission, still remain a major problem of public health, both globally and for the Republic of Moldova, due to wide spreading, endemicity, increased morbidity and mortality and high rate of invalidity following the chronization of infection, but usually neglected by population and public health authorities. This paper describes the epidemiology and preventive and control measures of hepatitis C in Moldova. Epidemiological analysis of the surveillance data on hepatitis C incidence in the Republic of Moldova was conducted. The data were obtained from the national reporting system of infectious diseases and serosurvey studies. Epidemiological particularities of acute and chronic hepatitis C in general Moldovan population and specific risk groups were evaluated. National hepatitis policies for prevention and control were analyzed. Only consolidation of all the actions stipulated in the national and international normative documents on the prevention and control of hepatitis, will help to reduce the morbidity of viral hepatitis C and probably to eliminate the new cases of disease in some regions.

Progress in increasing affordability of medicines for non-communicable diseases since the introduction of mandatory health insurance in the Republic of Moldova.

Background: To assess progress in improving affordability of medicines since the introduction of mandatory health insurance in the Republic of Moldova.Method: Using data from national health insurance, we estimate affordability of partially reimbursed medicines for the treatment of non-communicable diseases, and analyse which factors contributed to changes in affordability.Results: Affordability of subsidized medicines improved over time. In 2013, it took a median of 0.84 days of income for the lowest income quintile (ranging from 0 to 3.32 days) to purchase 1 month of treatment for cardiovascular conditions in comparison to 1.85 days in 2006. This improvement however was mainly driven by higher incomes rather than deeper coverage through the reimbursement list.Conclusion: If mandatory health insurance is to improve affordability of medicines for the Moldovan population, more funds need to be (re-)allocated to enable higher percentage coverage of essential medicines and efficiencies need to be generated within the health system. These should include a budget reallocation between secondary and primary care, strengthening primary care to manage chronic conditions and raise population awareness, implementation of evidence-based selection and quality use of medicines in both outpatient and inpatient settings, improving monitoring and regulation of prices and the supply chain; and alignment of national treatment guidelines and clinical practice with international best practices and evidence-based medicine.

Karyological divergence of a Moldovan population of Rana dalmatina Bonaparte, 1838

AbstractA karyological study conducted by both conventional and banding staining methods (Ag-NOR-, CMA3, and C-banding) evidenced a peculiar heterochromatin pattern on chromosomes of Moldovan specimens of the agile frog, Rana dalmatina. As is normal for all agile frogs, the Moldovan population presented 2n = 26 chromosomes, with NOR loci on the short arms of the third chromosome pair, but differed in showing heavy centromeric, CMA3 positive C-bands on the seventh chromosome pair, and light centromeric, DAPI positive C-bands on five chromosome pairs. In contrast, Moldovan specimens showed no significant difference in two segments of the 16S mitochondrial rRNA gene and in the S1 satellite DNA sequence and organization, in comparison with the GenBank deposited 16S rDNA and S1 DNA satellite sequences of R. dalmatina. Molecular similarity and chromosomal differences between agile frogs from Moldovan and extra-Moldovan populations are discussed.

Molecular genetic characteristics of Duchenne-Becker muscular dystrophy in the Republic of Moldova

Solution to some problems of clinical genealogical and molecular genetic study of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in the Republic of Moldova and prenatal diagnosis aimed at preventing the birth of infants with this disease is proposed. An integrated clinical and molecular genetic study of families with a high risk of DMD has allowed its specific characteristics in the Moldovan population to be identified. The spectrum of mutations at the gene level in DMD patients and their role in prenatal and clinical diagnosis have been determined. RFLP analysis and PCR have been used to estimate the informativeness of families with a high DMD risk; prenatal diagnosis has been performed in some of them. Population analysis of the frequencies of polymorphic restriction sites have been carried out for loci pERT87-8/Tag1, pERT87-15/BamH1, and 16intron/Tag1. The results of analysis of deletion frequencies in the dystrophin gene and the frequencies of the pERT87-8, pERT87-15, and 16intron intragenic polymorphic loci have served as a basis for a strategy of molecular diagnosis. The new strategy allows the informativeness to be evaluated and, hence, clinical, preclinical, and prenatal diagnosis to be performed in approximately 94% of cases. A modified PCR method (MPCR) using the system of primers pERT87-8/Tag1 and 16intron/Tag1 has been developed for direct search for deletions. The method makes it possible to avoid diagnostic errors and decrease both the duration and the cost of the analysis.