Romanian Academy Research Articles

Book Review of “Planificarea teritoriala integratã a unui sistem montan complex. Microregiunea Bazinul Dornelor” [Integrated Territorial Planning of a Complex Mountain System. Dornelor Basin Microregion], authored by Daniela Antonescu, LUMEN Publishing, 2024

The book titled “Planificarea teritoriala integrata a unui sistem montan complex. Microregiunea Bazinul Dornelor” [Integrated Territorial Planning of a Complex Mountain System. Dornelor Basin Microregion], published in April 2024, is the latest book by the author, Daniela Antonescu, scientific researcher II at the Mountain Economy Center of the Romanian Academy. With over 25 years of experience in academic research, the author follows the trajectory of the integrated territorial planning and development process in the Dornelor Basin Microregion, providing a complete, relevant and objective picture of the profile of this Romanian mountain area characterized by a special beauty and importance.

Insights into the Beginnings and Glory of Romanian Gerontology

Romanian medicine has made significant early contributions to modern gerontology and geriatrics. Understanding, integrating and combating old age was in keeping not only with ancient mythology and old Romanian fairy-tales, but also with the scientific approaches to the art of prolonging life, or macrobiotics, which emerged in the 19th century. In the 20th century, several Romanian doctors focused on gerontology and geriatrics, a research area directly related with the progress of neurology, endocrinology and physiology. Professors Gheorghe Marinescu, Constantin I. Parhon and Ana Aslan, along with Grigore Benetato, all members of the Romanian Academy, as well as Dr. Dimu Kotsovsky were among these scientists interested in age study and management. Institutes, publications and medico-social establishments were designed for this purpose. Today, Romania is striving to revitalise its rich tradition of gerontology and geriatrics in alignment with current international standards.

The effects of siRNA-mediated knockdown of AP-1 on pulmonary arterial and right ventricular dysfunction associated with cardiac and pulmonary fibrosis in cardiopulmonary disease

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, PNRR-III-C9-2022-I8, CF 93/15.11.2022, Financing Contract no. 760063/23.05.2023, and by the Romanian Academy Background Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a complex multifactorial vascular pathology characterized by an increased pulmonary arterial pressure, vasoconstriction, remodelling of the pulmonary vasculature, thrombosis in situ and inflammation associated with right-side heart failure. Purpose Herein, we explored the potential beneficial effects of treatment with siRNA AP-1 on pulmonary arterial and right ventricular dysfunction and perivascular and interstitial fibrosis in pulmonary artery (PA), right ventricle (RV) and lung in an experimental animal model of monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension. Methods Golden Syrian hamsters were divided into: (1) C group; (2) MCT group obtained by a single subcutaneous injection of 60 mg/kg MCT at the beginning of the experiment; (3) MCT- siRNA AP-1 group received a one-time subcutaneous dose of MCT and subcutaneous injections containing 100nM siRNA AP-1, every two weeks. All animal groups received water and standard chow ad libitum for 3 months. Results In comparison with the MCT group, siRNA AP-1 treatment had significant beneficial effects contributing to: (1) a reduction in TGF-β1/ET-1/IL-1β plasma concentrations; (2) a reduced level of cytosolic ROS production in PA, RV and lung, and ultrastructural improvements of these tissues; (3) a decrease of inflammatory and fibrotic marker expressions in PA (COL1A, Fibronectin, Vimentin, α-SMA, CTGF, Calponin, MMP-9), RV (COL1A, CTGF, Fibronectin, α-SMA, F-actin, OB-cadherin) and lung (COL1A, CTGF, Fibronectin, α-SMA, OB-cadherin), and an increase of endothelial marker expressions (CD31/VE-cadherin) in PA; (4) structural and functional recoveries of PA (reduced VTI/Vel, restored vascular response) and RV (enlarged internal cavity diameter in diastole, increased TAPSE/PRVOFs) associated with a decrease in systolic/diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate; (5) a reduced protein expression profile of AP-1S3/ pFAK/FAK/pERK/ERK and a significant decrease in the expression levels of miRNA-145, miRNA-210, miRNA-21, and miRNA-214 along with an increase of miRNA-124 and miRNA-204. Conclusion The siRNA AP-1-based therapy led to an improvement of pulmonary arterial and right ventricular function accompanied by a regression of perivascular and interstitial fibrosis in PA, RV and lung and a down-regulation of key inflammatory and fibrotic markers in MCT-treated hamsters.

A Transylvanian Puzzle, Reconstructing Medieval Culture from Manuscript Fragments, Catalogue of an Exhibition Held at the Library of the Romanian Academy, Cluj-Napoca, by Adrian Papahagi, design by Angéla Kalló, Cl-Nap., Presa Universitară Clujeană, 2022

Földesi Ferencnek sok jó ötlete van. Egyik ilyen egy olyan fragmentum kiállítás, amelyik bemutatja, hogy különféle szakmák puzzle játékai miként jutnak el az egyes darabtól akár egy-egy téma elméleti szintű megközelítéséig. Nem csupán egyes dokumentumok maradtak ránk töredékesen, hanem akár egész intézmények történetének forrásanyaga. A téma különösen aktuális, hiszen a 21. század informatikai lehetőségei mentén világszinten is lehet folytatni a kirakós játékot, lásd az ékírásos emlékek összegyűjtésének mozgalmát, vagy éppen a nemzetközi Dunhuang-programot.Az ötletelés persze sokféleképpen folytatódhat, de az bizonyos, hogy a Magyar Királyság és Erdély könyvkultúrájának, könyves művelődésének története jelentős mértékben ráutalt a töredékek módszeres gyűjtésére, hosszú évtizedes kutatási programokra a keletkezett emlékek nagymérvű pusztulása miatt. Így nem véletlen, hogy Magyarországon 1974 óta zajlik a Fragmenta Codicum kutatócsoportban a szervezett kutatás, valamint a Zenei Fragmentológia Kutatócsoportban, ahol a Szendrey Janka által kiadott 1981-es kötet megjelenését követő szünet után 2015-tól dolgoznak egy adatbázis felépítésén. A módszer létjogosultságára pedig a határokon túl is felfigyeltek.

Multi-participant Decision-making Based on Digital Platforms: A Case Study for the Romanian Academy

The last decade culminating with the pandemic disrupted traditional business models in various industries and accelerated the digital transformation based on economy platforms. The main aim of this paper is to present the platform economy framework to facilitate peer-to-peer transactions for different business models and the basic aspects related to multi-participant/collaborative decision-making and evaluation of teleconference platforms and particularize the virtual meetings and conferences. The necessary steps for planning a teleconference and the results of the concept implementation have been extracted from Romanian Academy practical case study referring to multi-participant decision-making using teleconference platforms. A Seasonal Autoregressive Moving Average model (SARIMA) is employed to explain the number of participants in an online conference in the Romanian Academy between April 2020 to August 2023. This model has been used to make short-run dynamic and static forecasts on the horizon from September 2023 to December 2023.

Ms. rom. 4648 al Bibliotecii Academiei Române: predicile lui Ioanichie Haleatovski din coligatul ieromonahului Ștefan de la Mănăstirea Bistrița

This paper presents a detailed description of the Romanian Manuscript 4648, found in the Library of the Romanian Academy in Bucharest, which contains some of the Ioanykiy Halyatovsky’s homillies written in The Key to Understanding (Ключ розуміння). The manuscript we are describing contains a printed copy of the Romanian translation Cheia înțelesului (Bucharest, 1678) and a manuscript version of other Halyatovsky’s homillies. We explain how this colligate was composed and we reveal its connection with the original printed work.

Îndrumări pentru folosirea dicționarului

The article stems from the conclusion that in the first fascicle of the second edition of the Romanian Language Dictionary published in 2021, there is no chapter regarding any Guidelines for using dictionary, as it was the case in the first edition, as well as in other dictionaries published under the aegis of the Romanian Academy. To point out the importance and need of publishing such a chapter, there is a short history about the manner in which the indications and explanations referring to the structure of the dictionary items were worded and designated, as well as about the significance of conventional and special signs used in the four drafts of the Romanian Language Dictionary as well as in other dictionaries published by the Institute of Linguistics of Bucharest. Further on, the article presents in detail what the chapter about Guidelines for using dictionary from the new edition of the Romanian Language Dictionary should include, a chapter that must be published to make up for its absence.

VLF Signal Variations Seen in the Bucharest Observatory Recordings .

his paper presents a new instrument setup at the Bucharest Observatory of the Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy, as well as preliminary results using this setup. It consists of records of VLF (very low frequency) perturbations using a superSID instrument. During March and December 2022 various mounts and settings tests have been performed. Starting October we obtained satisfactory data. We report on detecting the signature of moderate to intense solar flares (M and X–class). In this configuration, the C–class solar flares are less distinguishable from the background noise.

Eugen Simion – opinii privind editarea operei lui Panait Istrati

In the collection entitled Opere fundamentale (Fundamental Works), initiated and coordinated by Eugen Simion for more than two decades, two editions are dedicated to Panait Istrati: the first one, consisting of two volumes, entitled Povestiri, romane (Stories, Novels), published in 2003, was edited by Teodor Vârgolici; the second one, edited by Zamfir Bălan, is intended to have eight volumes, four of which have already been published (literature, I-II, 2019; III-IV, 2021), two are being prepared for print (journalistic writings), while the last two volumes (correspondence) are in progress. The Introduction signed by Eugen Simion (revisited and completed, for the 2019 edition) reiterates – even if the discussion may have seemed completed since the ‘60s – the issue of whether the writer who debuted, in 1924, with Kyra Kyralina in the Rieder collection Contemporary French Writers belongs to the Romanian literature or not. Since, right from his debut, many Romanian critics considered the docker of the Braila Port to be a French writer, Eugen Simion made from the editing of Panait Istrati’s work under the patronage of the Romanian Academy also a form of recognition, from the level of the most prestigious scientific and cultural institution, of Panait Istrati’s belonging to the Romanian literature. The present paper synthetizes the critic opinions of Eugen Simion as he wrote them down in the Introduction and sketches, in a comparative manner, the history of how Panait Istrati’s works were published in Romania, from 1935 till now.

Consideraţii referitoare la recentele ediții critice de text latinesc ale operelor lui Dimitrie Cantemir

This paper aims to emphasize the role of the late Professor Eugen Simion in stimulating research on the works of Dimitrie Cantemir, thus continuing the first project of the Romanian Academy. His project started in 2003, with the republication of the Romanian works of the Prince, and continued between 2014 and 2020, bringing to the public new editions and new translations. This paper will also underline some of the discoveries regarding Cantemir’s bibliography, such as the impact of the compilation Machumetis Saracenorum principis eiusque successorum vitae ac doctrina ipseque Alcoran (1543) or of the works by Petrus Berchorius, Petrus Galtruchius, Nicephoros Blemmidas etc. These critical editions could stimulate future research on Cantemir’s intense and diverse scientific works.

Un diplomat de tranziție. Grigore C. Moisil ambasador la Ankara (1946-1948)

"At the end of the Second World War, in search of a favorable image on international level, the Romanian Government appointed four renowned intellectuals as heads of mission in the capitals who had priority in Romania's foreign policy: Simion Stoilov in Paris, Mihai Ralea in Washington, Tudor Vianu in Belgrade, Iorgu Iordan in Moscow and Grigore C. Moisil in Ankara. In the case of all of them it was the only experience as an ambassador. In this work, Grigore C. Moisil's mandate as ambassador to the Republic of Turkey is analyzed. The analysis has three main objectives. Firstly, the goals of his mandate as ambassador are examined. Secondly, his position regarding the Romanian diplomats in Turkey that refused to accept the authority of the communist Government in Bucharest is examined. Finally, the effects of the different orientations of Romania and Turkey in the new post-war configuration and the way in which this reality influenced the position and behavior of the Romanian diplomat are explained. The article is based on unpublished archival documents, documents from Grigore C. Moisil's personal archive kept at the Romanian Academy Library and his partially published correspondence."

Istoriografia între politică și diplomație. Un studiu de caz

This study does not intend to change the perspective on the publication it refers to, namely Marx’s Notes about Romanians, published by the Romanian Academy Publishing-House, in which the famous author – quoting a 19th century French source – records the abuses suffered by the Romanian located within the extra-Carpathian principalities (due to the Tsarist interventionism), as well as in Transylvania (under the pressure of the Hungarian nobility). The publishing of these notes during strained times between the Romanian Labor Party and the other parties in the communist block- generated by the more and more apparent orientation of Romanian leaders towards a national politics – was seen, especially by the Soviet and Hungarian communists, as a gesture of defiance of the „friendly countries” and even of revisionism. Consequently, the diplomatic resonances became apparent. The Soviet and the Hungarian responses are the most renown, and both are worthy of the consideration that this study will give it.

Dimitrie Voinov (1867-1951) and his achievements in biology

Dimitrie Voinov (1867-1951) was one of the most important and valuable Romanian biologists. He dedicated his life to his passion for biology and he was a great professor, biologist, zoologist, histologist and cytologist. Also, Voinov was a professor at the Faculty of Science, University of Bucharest, where he made his passion for biology into a career. He studied formation and evolution of sex cells, oogenesis, and spermatogenesis in invertebrates. These studies provide essential contributions about invertebrate chromosomes. He also did a lot of research on cytoplasmic elements, such as mitochondria and Golgi complex. Voinov was the first researcher that discovered a case of aneuploidy in the Animalia Kingdom. Some of his research articles are considered the basis of classical cytogenetics and he is known as one of the founders of the Cytogenetics School in Romania. Dimitre Voinov was a member of the Romanian Academy. This article is a tribute to his impressive career and highlights his human and professional development, as well as his scientific contributions and discoveries.

DIMITRIE CANTEMIR ŞI CHIRURGIA

One of the most important works left by Dimitrie Cantemir, among his rich writings, was "INCREMENTORVM ET DECREMENTORVM AVLAE OTHOMANICAE SIVE ALIOTHMANICAE HISTORIAE A PRIMA GENTIS ORIGINE AD NOSTRA VSQVE TEMPORA DEDVCTATE LIBRI TRES", translated nowadays under the title "HISTORY OF THE INCREASE AND THE DECAY OF THE OTTHMAN OR ALIOTHMAN COURT (FROM THE BEGINNINGS OF THE NATION TO OUR TIME), IN THREE BOOKS". Among other information, it also contains a description of the land and the city of Avlonia - i.e. Vlora (dominated then by the Sublime Porta), as well as the Albanians from that region who had several qualities: fierce fighters, builders of aqueducts (without formal education) and healers of hernia by surgical operation. The surgery part has a special significance. In 1734 ”Incrementorum...” was translated into English by pastor Tindal, historian and translator. He used a manuscript in Latin given to him by Antioch Cantemir, son of Dimitrie Cantemir. The English text was translated into French by Fr. de Joncquieres. In 1745, a German translation appeared in the city of Hamburg, also using the English edition. In 1876, the Romanian Academy, published Iosif Hodoş first Romanian translation of the German edition. Fragments adapted from this edition were then used by Romanian researchers, including historians of medicine, such as Pompei Samarian, Dr. Vasile Sârbu. The original Latin manuscript of Dimitrie Cantemir's text was to be found not earlier than 1984 by Virgil Cândea at the Houghton Library in the USA. The Latinist Dan Sluşanschi published the manuscript and made its first translation from Latin into Romanian. The surgeon Dr. A. E. Nicolau published fragments of this translation, namely the passage regarding the surgical cure. În 2015, years after Dan Sluşanschi passing, the Romanian Academy published the text of the transcribed Latin manuscript and a translation version. In parallel, another academic and surgeon, Mircea Beuran, highlighted Cantemir's text, in a different form, exposing in the Floreasca Hospital on large, colorful, how inguinal hernia was operated in the 17th-18th centuries.

Strategic management of scientific research. Mega Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca, 2021. Meda Gâlea

The strategic scientific management of cultural and research institution is put under scrutiny in the paper The strategic management of scientific research [Managementul cercetării științifice] by the author Meda Gâlea. To better improve the strategic scientific management, the author dives into the history of an important Romanian research institute, the Romanian Academy, and into its management style in relation to the research developed. To substantiate the results, and to support the development of the formula that underpins the decision-making process in the management of a scientific institution, the author uses actual scientific literature, corelated with the research carried out among the research and technical staff of the Romanian Academy in Iași. The most important takeaway of this scientific paper is the PRA-nX formula used to facilitate decision making in terms of economic management for better scientific performance.

Romania's policy for managing the Covid-19 pandemic. Romanian Academy Publishing House, Bucharest, 2022. Otovescu Maria Cristina

Through this book, university professor Cristina Otovescu presents scientific evidence (administrative, legislative documents and reports issued by institutions, studies and opinion polls), but in a language accessible to the public, how the authorities in Romania managed, to what extent it affected and how the population of the country reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Материали към каталожното описание на ръкописи, ексцерпирани за Bibliotheca Homiletica Balcano-Slavica (BHomBS). Уточнения към състава на два триодни панигирика (BAR152 и НБКМ1049)

The article is part of a series of publications preceding the final formation of the BHomBS manual. The series is devoted to some primary sources included in BHomBS if they require a preliminary investigation. The article presents two calendar collections which need further analysis because for various reasons their bookblock integrity was damaged. The first manuscript is from the collection of the Library of the Romanian Academy in Bucharest No. 152 (BAR152), and it was neither filmed nor digitized. The primary composition, the place of the later additions and the omissions in the manuscript are identified, as well as the fact that by its genre type it is a Menaion and Triodion Panegyric from the end of the fourteenth century with additions from the fifteenth century. It is one of the early no-yus brief-composition panegyrics structured by the new Jerusalem typicon and originally included selected texts for the most important feasts of the entire triodion period – from the beginning of the preparatory Sundays to the Sunday of All Saints. Most of it has been preserved to this day. The contents of the triodion part in BAR152 is compared with the full Jerusalem typicon Athonite-Tarnovo triodion panegyrics and it was ascertained that its texts belong to the same translations. There is an interesting exception: for the Sunday of the Myrrhbearers was included a work by John of Thessalonica (CPG, III, 7922), which has not received distribution as part of the triodion panegyrics neither in Byzantium nor in Bulgaria. The study of BAR152 is followed by an annex with a new description of its contents. The second manuscript is from the collection of the National Library “St. Cyril and Methodius”, No.1049 (NBKM1049). The codex was in very poor condition with losses and folia damaged by dampness and fire, of which only small fragments remain. Described in 1963 by Hr. Kodov, it was later restored. The purpose of the present study is to specify the contents of NBKM1049 after its restoration. The fragments containing 156 little text are identified, the incorrectly restored folia are pointed at, and its contents are found to include 6 more works which were previously not listed in the inventory. The preserved parts of NBKM1049 are compared with the Athonite-Tarnovo triodion panegyrics structured after the Jerusalem typicon. It is established that NBKM1049 is a Triodion festal panegyric structured after the Jerusalem typicon for the period from the Wednesday of the fifth week after the Resurrection, written in the first decade of the seventeenth century.

DEX - Istorie și continuitate (II)

This article presents a documented and thorough overview of Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române (The Explanatory Dictionary of the Romanian Language), better known by the abbreviation DEX, representing the most popular and used one-volume dictionary, published by “Iorgu Iordan — Al. Rosetti” Institute of Linguistics of the Romanian Academy of Bucharest. With a history of more than half a century, DEX has had successive publications and print runs that have enriched its quality and scientific prestige. The article focuses on the review and description of the latest version from 2019, the fruit of the joint efforts of the Institute of Linguistics and Oxford University Press under a licence agreement that contributed to the update of the information contained in DEX. The 2019 version captures the three types of updates (additions, deletions, changes/corrections), according to the provisions of the agreement.

Constantin C. Arion – Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Marghiloman Government

The biography of the vice-president of the Council of Ministers, the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Marghiloman Government – Constantin C. Arion, presents us with a dignitary who comes from a family that has held political positions for six generations. The honor of the Arions is proven by the deeds of great political and historical importance achieved by the representatives of this family, being generals, magistrates, ministers, prime-presidents. Constantin C. Arion was the first president of the Bucharest Court of Appeal, starting his career as an excellent professor, then an honorary member and one of the founders of the Romanian Athenaeum, he presided over the “Critical Review of Law, Legislation and Jurisprudence” and was elected member of the Romanian Academy. His influence is recorded in various correspondences, which note the impact that C.C. Arion had on the careers of various dignitaries and scholars. Along with P. Carp and Al. Marghiloman, then together with T. Maiorescu, determined the course of major events that increased Romania’s international status. Many political combinations were projected around C. C. Arion, which determined the formation of a contradictory range of opinions on his personality.

General Constantin Hârjeu – A Close Collaborator of Alexandru Marghiloman

General Constantin Hârjeu, a distinguished personality of the military elite, was appointed minister of war in the governments of Titu Maiorescu and Alexandru Marghiloman. As Minister of War, he was involved in the reorganization and modernization of the army, initiated legislative measures, and his entire military career was rewarded with high orders and medals. General Constantin Hârjeu also stood out through his work as a military theorist; compiled the first monograph of the Romanian Army, together with General Constantin Brătianu and Lieutenant-Colonel G. Aronovici, published in French. He was elected a corresponding member of the Romanian Academy on May 27, 1909. He participated at a major event from our history – the union of Basarabia with the Kingdom of Romania, as a first step in the realization of the dream of a Great Romania.