The Impact of Resistance Training on Body Composition and Muscle Strength in Elderly Patients With Sarcopenia

Introduction: Sarcopenia is a progressive and widespread condition characterized by the loss of muscle mass and function, commonly seen among older adults. This condition leads to decreased functional capacity, a higher risk of falls, impaired independence in daily activities, and, implicitly, a significant decline in quality of life. Objective: This paper aims to show the effects of a resistance training program on body composition and muscle strength in elderly patients with sarcopenia. Material and Methods: This study involved 15 patients aged between 60 and 80, who were evaluated initially and after 3 months of training. We used body composition analysis by bioelectrical impedance (BIA), measured grip strength with manual dynamometry, and assessed patients\u27 functional independence using the "Time Up and Go" (TUG) test. The intervention consisted of a resistance exercise program conducted over 12 weeks, with two weekly sessions, tailored to each patient\u27s physical condition and specific needs. Results: After the training program, patients showed a significant increase in muscle mass measured by BIA, improved hand grip strength, and a notable decrease in execution time on the TUG test, demonstrating the intervention\u27s effectiveness. Conclusions: Resistance training significantly boosts muscle mass and strength in elderly sarcopenic patients. It also improves balance and mobility, which are vital for maintaining independence. Therefore, resistance training should be a core part of prevention and treatment plans for sarcopenic patients. Article history: Received 2025 October 29; Revised 2025 November 20; Accepted 2025 December 05;Available online 2026 January 30; Available print 2026 January 3

CZECHS AND SLOVAKS IN TRANSYLVANIA AND THE BANAT BETWEEN THE 18TH AND 21ST CENTURIES: A SOCIO-ONOMASTIC PERSPECTIVE

Czechs and Slovaks in Transylvania and the Banat between the 18th and 21st Centuries: A Socio-Onomastic Perspective. The paper proposes an analysis of the presence of the Czech and Slovak minorities in Transylvania and the Banat from the modern period until the present day, from the viewpoint of socio-onomastics. The authors specifically look at how micro-toponyms (names of streets and institutions) and macro-toponyms (settlement names) related to the Czechs and Slovaks play a twofold sociocultural role: 1) they confirm the importance of these communities in Romanian public space across the centuries; 2) they guarantee that the minorities are well-represented in Romania even after the emigration of certain members of the respective ethnic groups to their home countries (after WW2) or to Western Europe (beginning with 1990). The examples were collected from books/online sources documenting the history of Czechs and Slovaks in Romania and from Google Maps. Although the history of the contacts between the Czechs and Slovaks, on the one hand, and the Romanians, on the other, is centuries-long, the paper focuses on the period spanning the eighteenth and twenty-first centuries. At the 2021 census, less than 12,000 Czechs and Slovaks declared their belonging to these ethnic groups. Nevertheless, the legacy of the two ethnic minorities endures in names of settlements (Bigăr, Gernik, Svatá Helena), street names (Bratislava Street, Jan Hus Street) and names of institutions (“Jozef Gregor Tajovsky” Theoretical High School). These occur throughout Romania, even in parts of the country where Czechs and Slovaks did not establish significant communities. The presence of multi-ethnic names reveals the openness of the majority population and local authorities towards diversity, and their respect for cultural and scientific values, regardless of ethnic belonging. REZUMAT. Cehi și slovaci în Transilvania și Banat între veacul al XVIII-lea și secolul XXI: o perspectivă socioonomastică. Lucrarea de față propune o analiză socioonomastică a prezenței, din perioada modernă până în contemporaneitate, a minorităților cehe și slovace în arealul transilvănean și bănățean. Concret, autorii urmăresc să evidențieze funcția socioculturală dublă îndeplinită de microtoponimele (nume de străzi și de instituții) și macrotoponimele (nume de localități) care au legătură cu minoritatea cehă și slovacă. Pe de o parte, numele analizate atestă importanța comunității cehe/slovace în spațiul public românesc de-a lungul secolelor. Pe de altă parte, acestea dovedesc faptul că minoritățile investigate continuă să fie bine reprezentate în peisajul românesc, în ciuda repatrierii unor etnici după Al Doilea Război Mondial sau a emigrării în Occident, după 1990. Exemplele au fost culese din cărți/surse online care documentează istoria cehilor și a slovacilor din România și din platforma Google Maps. Deși contactele dintre cehi/slovaci și români datează de mai multe veacuri, în lucrarea de față ne-am oprit doar asupra perioadei cuprinse între secolele al XVIII-lea și XXI. La recensământul din 2021, sub 12.000 de persoane și-au declarat apartenența la aceste etnii. Totuși, moștenirea celor două minorități se păstrează în nume de localități (Bigăr, Gernik, Svatá Helena), străzi (Strada Bratislava, Strada Jan Hus) și instituții (Liceul Teoretic „Jozef Gregor Tajovsky”), care apar pe tot teritoriul românesc, chiar și în regiuni unde nu au existat comunități semnificative de cehi și slovaci. Prezența numelor multietnice demonstrează deschiderea către diversitate a populației majoritare și a autorităților locale, dar și respectul acestora pentru valori științifice și culturale, indiferent de apartenența etnică. Cuvinte-cheie: socioonomastică, minoritate etnică, comunitate, microtoponim, macrotoponim Article history: Received 16 August 2025; Revised 11 December 2025; Accepted 15 January 2026; Available online 30 March 2026; Available print 30 April 2026

A Review of Kinetic Energy Dissipation Systems in Automotive Crashes

This paper provides an overview of kinetic energy management in road safety. The various elements considered by engineers are analyzed to understand how and why the absorption of kinetic energy generated by a moving vehicle has become a major road safety issue. We examine the corrective measures designed by automotive engineers, which fall into two categories: internal vehicle measures, such as airbags, seat belts, and headrests; and external protective measures, including guardrails and impact attenuators. Impact analysis quantifies the sliding of the guardrails along the rails after an impact, thus absorbing the kinetic energy generated by the vehicle. The results indicate that progressive deformation and adjusted stiffness gradients increase impulse duration and reduce peak deceleration. The dampers primarily manage kinetic energy by redirecting it, with limited energy absorption. Design implications include optimizing post spacing and anchoring rails to the ground to guide the system’s pads as they slide backward upon impact

On the Dynamics of 3D-printed Gears with Lattice Structure

The research investigates the integration of different lattice structures into gear design by applying them to the infill zone, which is located between the hub and rim of the gear. 3D models of the gears with varying lattice structures were created, and these gears were then constrained to a shaft for simulation purposes. Using the SolidWorks simulation module, a study was conducted to determine the interactions of natural frequencies, and the results were investigated. Gear variants V1-4 presented a good balance between mass reduction and higher stiffness, displaying higher natural frequencies overall, where these deformations manifest, in comparison to the original structure V0

PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS, ANTIOXIDANT, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND IMMUNOMODULATORY EFFECTS OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF JUNIPERUS PHOENICEA

This work aims to evaluate the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of Juniperus phoenicea extract. Polyphenol and flavonoid contents were estimated using colorimetric methods. The antioxidant potential was assessed using 2, 2-diphenyl-l-picrylhy- drazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, iron chelation, and anti-hemolytic assays. Croton oil-induced ear edema and carrageenan-induced paw edema models were used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity. Furthermore, the hemagglutination test was used to assess the immunomodulatory activity. The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents in this extract were 138.15 ± 11.87 µg GAE/mg and 27.5 ± 1.2 µg QE/mg of dry extract, respectively. The methanolic extract exhibited a strong scavenging activity against DPPH radical (IC50 = 0.051 ± 0.002 mg/mL), while in iron chelation it presented low activity (EC50 = 3.61 ± 0.46 mg/mL) compared to the standard EDTA. The results showed that J. phoenicea extract exhibited high protection of erythrocytes in 2, 2′,-azobis (2 amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH)-induced hemolysis. Treatment with J. phoenicea extract (200 and 400 mg/kg) exhibited significant anti-edematogenic in both inflammatory models induced by croton oil and carrageenan. However, these doses did not show any significant increase/decrease on the antibody titer. This study indicates that J. phoenicea extract possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, confirming the use of this plant in folk medicine

ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY AND DFT STUDIES OF ETHYL 2-(2-((6-METHYL-4-OXO-4H-CHROMEN-3-YL) METHYLENE)HYDRAZINYL)THIAZOLE-4-CARBOXYLATE

  ABSTRACT. The microwave-assisted improved synthesis of ethyl 2-(2-((6-methyl-4-oxo-4H-chromen-3-yl)methylene)hydrazinyl)thiazole-4-carboxylate is described. The antioxidant potential of the target compound was evaluated using spectrophotometric methods, including the DPPH• and ABTS•⁺ radical scavenging assays, as well as three additional electron-transfer assays employing metal-based oxidizing agents. The title compound exhibited good antioxidant activity compared to reference antioxidants. For the title compound theoretical quantum chemical (DFT) calculations were performed

Ableism in Romanian Universities. An Exploratory Study

This study explores the concepts of able body and able mind in the Romanian academia. Ableism is present and hidden in universities and it is unacknowledged, hence the need to open a discussion around this topic. Teaching and research staff participated voluntarily in the first qualitative study on academic ableism in Romania, upon our knowledge. The results of our reflexive thematic analysis point to the perception of able body and able mind as related to the functional, performative body and mind. This is reflected in the three main themes, as evident in the current Romanian university context: (1) A healthy, functional, and autonomous body, (2) A functional and adaptive set of cognitive, executive, communicational and socio-emotional skills, and (3) Values, attitudes, knowledge, skills and resilience at work. The results of this study are aligned with the current research on academic ableism in other parts of the world

The Protection of Human Rights at the European Level. A Comparative Study: Council of Europe – European Union. – A Review of the Human Rights Problem in the Context of Europe of 2025

The work of Mihaela Gavrilă (Morar), following the concept of human rights in The protection of human rights at the European level. A comparative study: Council of Europe – European Union, represents an excellent incursion in the problematic chosen which is of essential meaning to every European citizen. It is a very complete thesis, following the concept chosen by the author and also the various institutions in Europe that help protect human rights. What is necessary to be done now is to see if this work which was published in 2009 is still not only of interest today, but if it is still enough in the context of the recent conflicts of the world. While reading the book I kept on thinking about the question whether Europe, through its institutions has become the power that it was supposed to be, if Europe can still manage the conflicts inside and outside of it as it wanted to do, and if it can protect the human rights of the European citizens

Evaluating the Behavior of Football Coaches in the U15 Category Through the Eyes of Players – An Intercultural Approach

Leadership in sport, especially at the children’s and junior levels, involves a complex process of influencing attitudes, emotions, and relationships within a team. This study aims to investigate differences in perception between coaches and players from different countries to determine the extent to which cultural and national environments influence perceptions of coaches’ leadership behavior. We used the Multidimensional Scale of Leadership in Sport (MSLS) to compare players’ perceptions of their coach’s behavior before and after competition, to find differences determined by competitive experience and cultural context. 82 players and 4 head coaches participated. The data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by Dunn-Bonferroni post-hoc tests. The results highlighted significant intercultural differences across nine dimensions of leadership: vision, inspiration, instruction, individualization, support, positive and negative feedback, active management, and passive management. Coaches in Romania and Ireland were evaluated more positively regarding supportive and transformational behaviors, while the Montenegro coach exhibited a more authoritarian style. The conclusions suggest that cultural values influence how young athletes perceive their coaches’ leadership behaviors, highlighting the importance of critical reflection and cultural adaptability in football. Article history: Received 2025 December 03; Revised 2026 January 30; Accepted 2026 February 05; Available online 2026 March 30; Available print 2026 April 30. AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONSAll authors contributed to the design, data collection, statistical analysis, and writing of the manuscript. All authors approved the final version of the paper.  ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe authors would like to thank all participating players, coaches, and national federations for their collaboration and support.  CONFLICT OF INTERESTThe authors report there are no competing interests to declare

INTRODUCTION

Eugenio Coseriu is recognized as a central figure in 20th-century linguistics and is widely regarded as the most prominent linguist of Romanian origin. His work was at the forefront of the discipline, contributing to the development of the science of language through his exploration of all areas of theoretical linguistics. Eugenio Coseriu established himself as a leading figure in international linguistics during his time in Uruguay (1951-1963), with several fundamental and pioneering studies. Thus, in Sistema, norma y habla (1952) and Sincronía, diacronía e historia (1958), he advanced viable theoretical solutions for overcoming F. de Saussure’s dichotomies. In Determinación y entorno (1956), which “contributed to Coseriu’s worldwide fame” (Kabatek 2020, 75), he defined the three levels of language and their related disciplines: a linguistics of speech in general, a linguistics of particular languages, and a linguistics of texts. On the other hand, Coseriu did not limit himself to criticizing and amplifying the structuralist conception. In fact, he elaborated what would later be called Integral Linguistics: “a linguistics whose first task was to configure its own identity by first establishing fundamental distinctions in order to circumscribe, within this edifice, the place that each particular linguistic problem should hold” (cf. Kabatek 2020, 75). Much later, Coseriu would acknowledge that the distinction between the three levels of language organization (the universal level of speech in general, the historical level of languages, and the individual level of texts), in its three aspects (activity, competence and product) represents his most important contribution to the field of international linguistics (Coseriu 1985, xxv-xxxv). After moving to Germany, Coseriu would further develop the conceptual coordinates of his theory in landmark studies (2006, 2007, 2015a, 2015b), thus firmly laying out the foundations of Integral Linguistics