Research In Romania Research Articles

Parents as Gatekeepers? An Indirect Account on the Image of Vocational Education in Historical Context

Vocational education and training (VET) is high on the European agenda. This article adds nuance to the policy ambition of “fixing” parents’ views on VET. It is based on extensive qualitative research in Romania, with over 250 young people. An unanticipated finding was the “absence” of parents from the young people’s accounts, along with a tendency by the teachers and employers to blame young people for having “unreasonable expectations.” This article explores the deeper structural reasons for the current state of “parental disengagement.” It links parents’ precarious working lives with young people’s sense of disillusionment and communist nostalgia.

Looking for Bauh: Negatives and Prints from the Romanian Peasant Museum Image Archive

The article discusses a number of Aurel Bauh prints and negatives from the collections of the Ethnological Archive of the Romanian Peasant Museum. The present study uncovers visual documentation relevant to the history of sociological research in Romania, while also proposing a new periodisation for some of the prints and negatives found in the Ethnological Archive collections. This research is at the core of a visual literacy and digital curation project developed by the Romanian Peasant Museum in 2018 entitled Reţelele Privirii. The project was imagined as a starting point for a program of digitization and publication that will make available to the wider public the entirety of the Ethnological Archive collections in the following years. In this context, the pilot project developed around Bauh’s work is representative not only for the type of artefacts amassed by the museum, but also for the manner in which this cultural heritage was handled throughout this institution’s history. Bauh’s work bridges several research fields that are relevant for recent cultural history in Romania. It also points to a number of instances and contexts that can shed light on the local history of photography. Furthermore, Aurel Bauh’s life and work make him an excellent case study for an artist tackling the ideological fluctuations that characterized the European cultural landscape in the first half of the twentieth century.

Comparison Between Characteristics of Products With Ecolabel and the Ones Without Ecolabel

The main objective of this paper is to analyze and compare the characteristics of eco-labeled products (energy consumption, CO2, annual operation cost, price difference, payback period) versus the unlabeled products from category electrical and electronic products. The work synthetically presented some of the relevant conclusions of an eco-marketing research in Romania. It is useful for producers and distributors in order to increase their market position and gain competitive advantages.

The Effect of Genotype, Climatic Conditions and Nitrogen Fertilization on Yield and Grain Protein Content of Spring Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Cultivation of spring wheat varieties has expanded into areas with abundant winters where winter wheat is not suitable. Due to lack of research in Romania regarding the influence of different factors on hard red spring wheat, the present study aimed at a better understanding of the influence of genotype, climatic conditions and nitrogen fertilization on the spring wheat yield and quality, and to analyse the correlations between grain yield and grain protein content. Experiences were conducted from 2015 to 2018 on two levels of N fertilization (50 and 100 kg ha-1) at Agricultural Research and Development Station Turda. Biological material consisted of 19 genotypes, four of local origin and fifteen of foreign origin, from three different varieties (ferrugineum, lutescens, erythrospermum). The results indicate that the three experimental years were more important in the interactions with the genotypes than was the N fertilization, for both yield and protein content. The most productive cultivars with good stability were ‘Feeling’ and ‘SG 5-01’, and the most valuable varieties regarding the protein content were ‘Pădureni’, ‘Corso’ and ‘GK Tavasz’. A high dose of N assured a high yield and good quality for all cultivars. Although negative correlations were found between production and protein content in HRSW, there were found cultivars that show positive regressions of protein content, such as ‘Pădureni’, ‘Feeling’ and ‘Lona’.

Reflections on Research in Romania

Abstract This is a biographical account of my work in Romania and the influence it had on my research that followed. I focus on the impact that my almost five years in Romania had on the framework and orientation of my anthropological practice that I employed in the United States. I suggest that anthropologists have a moral imperative we must carry out when we choose to conduct research among the most vulnerable in society. In doing so, we must also come to understand the conditions that have made them vulnerable in the first place (Nader 1969). I assert here that as anthropologists of the twenty-first century we no longer may stay on the sidelines, but we must engage our work as allies with the vulnerable, supporting them in their self-identified struggles for dignity, liberation, and sustainability as part of a unified global effort. This entails the transformation of participant observation into a participatory research approach.

Zoonotic Diseases Identified by the State-Of-The-Art Zoe Project Research in Romania

The article is based on the ZOE project, Zoonoses Online Education, (2016-1-RO01-KA203-024732), funded by Erasmus+. The project aims to create open digital educational resources in the field of veterinary medicine based on developing innovative guidelines on zoonotic diseases.The article looks at the main findings of the project’s state-of-the-art research in Romania on the 5-10 most encountered and identified zoonoses in the last 10 years at national level.The project research has evaluated the medical literature on zoonotic diseases in the veterinary field and highlighted a variety of diseases that cover the spectrum of infectious agents and display a variety of transmission patterns in different environments, identifying ways of intervention in the local context. This article looks at the second most spread disease present in the-state of-the-art research, Leishmaniasis.The analysis will be incorporated into a guide and an open online course guide on main infectious diseases transmitted from non-human animals to humans, including videos capturing zoonoses bio-manipulation in simulation centres. It will also be part of a guide and an open online course on medical communication, including the zoonoses videos processed from a linguistic, cultural and communication point of view, available in six languages.

Treasure hunters in Romania at the end of nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth

Treasures hunters, antiques or ancient monuments, during the studied period are the subject of many files from the archives of the Ministry of Cults and Public Instruction, the prefect’s offices, city halls, The National Museum of Antiquities, etc. The analysis of the content of those documents has not been the subject of much research in Romanian historiography, an interpretive void which the present study seeks to fill. Firstly, I will analyse the types of discoveries invoked in the petitions addressed to the legally competent authorities to issue research authorisations, and secondly, I will analyse the discourse used in the discoverers’ applications including all the sensational elements that made a discovery spark the interest of the authorities. These initiatives underlie the development of the archaeological field in Romania, one of the author’s main research topic in the last years trying to decipher the conceptions, methods of archaeological research in Romania, and the development of the museum network, as well as the capitalisation of these discoveries.

Accounting research in Romania: state of affairs, possible causes and deviations

The paper aims to analyze the state of the accounting research in Romania, as compared to the other countries in Eastern Europe, as well as to identify the causes of the observed situation and its possible deviations in the research activity, respectively in the field of research evaluation. The Scimago database was used to carry out the research, which allowed the analysis of Romania's position in Eastern Europe in terms of the number of published articles, average number of article quotes and self-citations. The study of the specialized literature and the direct knowledge of some aspects specific to the Romanian academic life allowed to identify possible causes of the current situation, and also some behaviors, not always normal, generated by the enforcement of certain criteria for the occupation of didactic functions without a sufficient analysis of the Romanian realities, and even without any care to restore the traditional social role of the universities.

The Middle Palaeolithic research in Romania. Past and current issues

This paper presents some new results concerning the Middle Palaeolithic in Romania. Recent research on loess‐ paleosoil sequences and tephra deposits has provided an accurate picture on the geochronology of the Pleistocene. Reliable absolute ages indicate that some Middle Palaeolithic occupations are much older than previously assumed, namely they date back to the Middle Pleistocene. Lithic industries, both coming from old and recent excavations were (re) interpreted from new perspectives, other than cultural-historical ones. The study of fauna still leaves to be desired, as it needs to go beyond mere taxa identification. Many loci that have yielded surface collections of lithics that could belong to the Middle Palaeolithic indicate a great potential for discovering new sites in Romania.

Expanding Centers of Microwave Research in Romania [Around the Globe

Expanding Centers of Microwave Research in Romania [Around the Globe

Plant biotechnology research in Romania – Addressing the challenges for sustainable agriculture

Plant biotechnology research in Romania – Addressing the challenges for sustainable agriculture

Grand infrastructural projects and preventive archaeology in Romania

The author presents a brief history of preventive archaeological research in Romania, in particular the investigations which took place on large infrastructural projects after 2000. The state of research, the problems facing the preventive archaeological research in Romania and their causes are analysed.

Scientific research support in developing sustainable transport in Romania

The aims of this study are to reveal the present level of scientific research in Romania, to identify the obstacles that have caused low support research and development for sustainable transport development in Romania, as well as, to bring into discussion the measures that have been suggested for improving the existing situation, particularly the production and use of biofuels which are considered an important chapter in greening of transport. The study investigated, first the targets, mechanisms and supporting tools for transport scientific research by comparing the situation in Romania with those in some other EU member states, as well as, provided an analysis of the intensity of scientific research in Romania and the requirements for improving the quality and volume of transport using 1990 as the reference year for changing of the national economic system before presenting a set of recommendations for improvement of the transport.

Doctoral and post-doctoral research - a priority of the Romanian postgraduate education system.

November 12th 2014: the opening conference for the project “Doctoral and post-doctoral research – a priority of the Romanian postgraduate education system (Doc-Postdoc)” took place in Bucharest, Romania. The project aims to support doctoral and post-doctoral research in Romania, and is cofinanced by the European Social Fund through the Sectoral Operational Programme for Human Resources Development 2007-2013; priority axis 1. “Education and training in support for growth and development of a knowledge based society“; key area of intervention: 1.5. “Doctoral and post-doctoral programs in support of research”; contract code: POSDRU/159/1.5/S/137390. The Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest is the project beneficiary, partnering with two other major universities in Romania: The University “Politehnica” of Bucharest, and the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Târgu Mures. The conference presented the aims and objectives of the project, but it was also packed with scientific sessions where young PhD candidates and post-doctoral researchers had the opportunity to present the studies they are conducting within this project. The topics discussed spanned through the interdisciplinary fields of biomedicine and bioengineering. Of particular interest to the readers of the Journal GERMS, Dr. Catalin Tiliscan presented data on adipocyte dysfunction in HIV-positive patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy, his study showing that almost half of patients had hyporesistinemia, and resistin was correlated with the inflammatory profile. Also, an unfavorable immune status appeared to be inversely proportional to the values of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 MCP-1, while leptin values were not correlated with CD4 cell count or virologic status, but rather with HDL-cholesterol and waist circumference. Dr. Ramona Popescu presented an interdisciplinary study protocol for determining the incidence of intercurrent and opportunistic infections in rheumatologic patients undergoing treatment with biologic agents. Dr. Oana Sandulescu presented the preliminary results of a study aimed to determine the capacity of staphylococcal species to adhere to and internalize in eukaryotic cells. By comparing two different types of bacterial strains, collected from patients with clinically-relevant infections and from asymptomatic nasal carriage, the study showed that despite a similar rate of internalization, staphylococci from the two groups displayed statistically significant differences regarding intracellular growth after internalization. Dr. Daniela Talapan presented significant data on the emergence of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae, with Klebsiella spp. ranking first among bacteria with resistance to carbapenems, followed by E. coli, E. cloacae, and E. aerogenes, leaving a considerably low number of active antibiotics in play, namely colistin, tigecycline and fosfomycin. Based on the preliminary data presented at the conference, the research conducted within this project is bound to generate information with a significant clinical impact, leading to a better understanding of medical issues currently understudied, with the potential to reshape clinical practice.

Breast tumor bank: an important resource for developing translational cancer research in Romania.

The development of a breast tumor bank facilitates translational research. Easy access to biological specimens allows scientists to translate the outcomes of basic science into clinically useful knowledge. The breast tumor bank is particularly useful for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) that is sporadic but exhibits the worst prognosis. It serves as a national resource that includes biological samples of paraffin-embedded and frozen tumor tissue with corresponding pathological and clinical data. During the first two years, the bank has accrued data and samples from more than 254 breast cancer cases. Based on this information, we observed a higher number of samples with ER (estrogen receptor) and PR (progesterone receptor) positive and negative for Her2. Also, 30% of the total number of cases was defined as TNBC. The use of tumor banks in research and diagnosis allows for the design of different studies that can bring reliable results that may improve the lives of patients, especially those diagnosed with TNBC.

Agricultural Research in Romania: Rival Institutional Dependencies on Private Companies

In Romania, agricultural researchers are enlisted to promote the agrochemical industry and large-scale intensive agriculture. This role can be made intelligible through notion of a scientific field, highlighting rivalries between the Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the University sector. The former has lost its public funding but maintains its responsibilities within bodies devising and leading agricultural policy. The latter gives primacy to peer recognition and integration within international networks, but lacks co-financing required for being effectively included in international research projects. Each academic institution tries to devalue the rival's strong points and gain recognition for the superior value of its own assets. The funding provided by the private agrochemical industry adapts to the scientific field's structure: leading multinational firms take advantage of rivalries between academic institutions and fuel them at the same time. They consolidate current orientation taken by members of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, especially when seeking their support for authorization for seeds and plant-protection products. Industry funds also create new rewards for University staff, emphasizing international connections but disconnecting them from purely academic achievements. Meanwhile Romanian agronomists tend to defend the type of agriculture promising the most significant business opportunities for the agrochemical industry. Thus, it uses institutional rivalries for its agenda, though without directly influencing the direction of research.

Eneolithic zoomorphic vessels from Wallachian Subcarpathians

In Eneolithic settlements some vessels considered special were discovered, including those shaped like animals – zoomorphic vessels, and those imitating the human body – anthropomorphic vessels. Archaeological research in Romania has provided a number of zoomorphic vessels, included in a poor typological diversity. The eneolithic discoveries in northern Wallachia follow a similar pattern. In this study we aim to discuss several aspects that may be considered relevant to the functionality and role of this category of vessels. Along with the descriptive and typological analysis, we will make some correlations concerning the relationship between the primary context of discovery and the sparseness of these pieces, between the identified fauna and the executed model, the artistic quality and how representative it is of the typology of artefacts specific to this community. We will also reconsider certain findings, even though a critical analysis doesn’t represent the central object of this study.

BIG-FIVE and the problem of students’ orientation towards a didactic career

The necessity of the hereby study results from the fact that today, in Romania, the didactic profession/career is one of the least motivating for young graduates with Bachelor or Master studies. This situation generates serious questions regarding the value of the options, the significances and the quality of the preliminary evaluation of competences when entering the initial preparation/ training system for a didactic career. As concerns the hereby situation, we take into consideration the theoretical and practical curriculum of the training programs for students - future teachers – in the field of education sciences, especially for pre-primary and primary education. From the methodological perspective, the research develops ideas and practices regarding the value of the useful character of one of the most interesting questionnaires, namely the BIG FIVE, a research instrument less frequently applied in educational research in Romania, on student patterns – future candidates for the didactic profession. The empirical investigation data will offer us a minimum set of criteria destined for the validation of the vocational potential and for the application of personality landmarks that make up the basic and cross professional competences integrated to the teacher's status-roles. The approach perspective is a (neo) constructivist, functional one, correlative to other values obtained by using other applied psycho-pedagogical research techniques and instruments.

Highlights of Marketing Research in Romania

Being in direct dependence with markets development - namely, with economic development level, intensity of competition and consumers demands - domestic marketing research market registered up to the year 2008 a sustained increased. More and more players have come at this market, as represented of both world famous organizations, and locally operating companies. Revenues from marketing research services showed significant annual increases for most market operators. So as expected, the economic crisis spread at this level too, the year 2009 marking the beginning of earnings decline in marketing research services. On the activity distribution point of view the research marketing market in Romania is a concentrated one, mainly dominated by a relatively small number of multinational companies.

Considerations about medical research in Romanian universities

The study aims to present a series of results related to the medical research in Romania, taking into account the data obtained by the application of a statistical survey to the medical staff with higher education in Bucharest. Based on the data series resulting from the application of this questionnaire we obtained information related to the medical staff opinion on issues regarding the following: the organization of research at the universities, the quality of the documentation sources available to medical personnel that work in the medical research, the quality of the national and international academic, the endowment of medical research laboratories with equipment to enable support of the medical research, the quality of the databases that support the development of quantitative medical studies.