The Roma as a viability test for the EU social inclusion policy

The migration and Roma inclusion debate has gained a boost in visibility and publicity at the halfway mark af the Decade of Roma Inclusion, an initiative that select European governments, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizationsand Roma civil society began in 2005. This article debates the problems concerning the EU strategic initiative that seeks to improve the situation of Roma throughout Europe - partcuiarly in the areas of employment, education, housing and health - and to construct applied measures to accelerate Roma integration. Roma, the largest minority group in Europe, have lived throughout the continent for centuries and have long faced discrimination and high leveis of poverty. Romania and Bulgaria, which joined the European Union (EU) in 2007, have particutarty large Roma populations. In the last two years, Roma have come under new pressure in EU Member States such as Italy and France, which have emphasized expulsion as a means af addressing migration concerns. For Roma from Romania and Bulgaria who were living in France. the year 2010 witnessed an escalation af this pressure alongside an escalation of the accademic and political debate regarding Roma inclusion

The Relation between the Grain Size Composition of the Sediments from the NW Black Sea and their Total Organic Carbon (TOC) Content

Abstract: The relation between the grain size composition TOC (total organic carbon) concentration was examined by linear and non-linear regression analysis of analytical data for more than 500 sediment samples from the NW Black Sea. A significant dependency of the TOC concentration on the percentages of clay and especially the <16 μm fraction (clay plus fine and very fine silt) was identified, the model best fitting the analytical data being exponential. Three groups of sediment samples were identified using the K-means clustering technique, the deep sea sediment samples being clearly singled out

Trace element contamination in the arms of the Danube Delta (Romania/Ukraine): Current state of knowledge and future needs

This paper provides the first critical synopsis of contamination by selected trace elements in the whole Danube Delta (Romania/Ukraine) to: identify general patterns of contamination by trace elements across the Delta, provide recommendations to refine existing monitoring networks and discuss the potential toxicity of trace elements in the whole Delta. Sediment samples were collected between 2004 and 2007 in the three main branches of the Delta (Chilia, Sulina and Sfantu Gheorghe) and in the secondary delta of the Chilia branch. Samples were analyzed for trace elements (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) and TiO2, Fe2O3, MnO, CaCO3 and total organic carbon. Cluster analysis (CA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that levels of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn were influenced by anthropogenic activities. At the opposite, concentrations of Cr and Ni largely originated from the weathering of rocks located in the Romanian part of the Danube catchment and naturally rich in these elements. Data analysis using Self- Organizing Maps confirmed the conclusions of CA/PCA and further detected that the contamination tended to be higher in the Chilia and Sulina arms than in the Sfantu Gheorghe arm. The potential ecological risks due to trace element contamination in the Danube Delta could be identified as moderate and localized, provided that the presence of the natural sources of Cr and Ni was properly considered. The available results suggest that monitoring sediment quality at the mouths of Sulina and Sfantu Gheorghe arms is probably enough to get a picture of the sediment quality along their entire lengths. However, a larger network of monitoring points is necessary in the Chilia and secondary Chilia delta to account for the presence of local point sources and for the more complex hydrodynamic of this part of the Danube Delta

Late Holocene microfaunal and nannofloral assemblages of the NW Black Sea

Abstract. This study describes the fluctuation pattern in Late Holocene microfaunal (i.e. foraminifera and ostracods) and nannofloral assemblages of two cores collected from the Romanian Black Sea shelf, at a water depth of 28 and 66 m, respectively. The lithology of the cores is mainly characterised by blackish muds, alternating with thin, centimetres-thick sand and coquina layers. The microfaunas are dominated by brackish foraminiferal and ostracod assemblages that are still common in the actual Black Sea communities, living nowadays at water salinity lower than 18 ‰. In the shallower water Site EF 08-01, the abundance ratio between Caspian and Mediterranean ostracods is 0.7, while in the deeper water Site BS 08-055, the abundance ratio between Caspian and Mediterranean ostracods is 0.01. These data argue for the dominance of Mediterranean ostracod fauna with lower abundance in shallower environments of the Black Sea and with a very high abundance in the deeper parts of the internal shelf, i.e., at a water depth of 66 m. Based on the calcareous nannoplankton fluctuation, four Nannofloral Intervals were identified, which indicate a gradual salinity increase of the surface waters during the deposition of the Late Holocene Shallow Unit. In the same interval, the benthic microfaunas (ostracods and foraminifers) argue for a more stable salinity environment in the two studied cores from the Black Sea inner shelf

A MSFD complementary approach for the assessment of pressures, knowledge and data gaps in Southern European Seas : the PERSEUS experience

PERSEUS project aims to identify the most relevant pressures exerted on the ecosystems of the Southern European Seas (SES), highlighting knowledge and data gaps that endanger the achievement of SES Good Environmental Status (GES) as mandated by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). A complementary approach has been adopted, by a meta-analysis of existing literature on pressure/impact/knowledge gaps summarized in tables related to the MSFD descriptors, discriminating open waters from coastal areas. A comparative assessment of the Initial Assessments (IAs) for five SES countries has been also independently performed. The comparison between meta-analysis results and IAs shows similarities for coastal areas only. Major knowledge gaps have been detected for the biodiversity, marine food web, marine litter and underwater noise descriptors. The meta-analysis also allowed the identification of additional research themes targeting research topics that are requested to the achievement of GES. 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license.peer-reviewe

Alice Parfitt - Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology (DClinPsych)

Critical Review of the Literature Objective: The aim of this narrative review was to identify and synthesise studies reporting on cultural adaptations to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) interventions for adult refugees and asylum seekers. Method: A comprehensive search of nine databases, including PsychINFO, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, ASSIA, Sociological Abstracts, PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science Core Collection, was conducted in October 2021 and updated in July 2022. Eligible studies were published in the English language, within the past 10 years, reporting on any adaptations to PTSD interventions. Inclusion criteria were limited to randomised control trials, feasibility, and longitudinal studies, conducted in both Western and non-Western countries. Unpublished dissertations, case studies, and case study series were not included. Results were synthesised using the cultural framework of Bernal & Saez-Santiago. Results: The search strategy identified 24 studies that met inclusion criteria, conducted in countries with various income levels. The most frequently adapted interventions were cognitive - based therapies and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR). Commonly reported adaptations were in the dimensions of language, treatment methods, and treatment context, while adaptations in the treatment goals dimension were the least reported. Conclusion: Studies varied in methodological quality, and the extent to which they adapted PTSD interventions for delivery in this population. Few studies provided comprehensive information regarding the adaptation process and only one study reported the framework used. This poses challenges for future research and for identifying the necessary adaptations required to increase cultural relevance, treatment acceptability, and effectiveness in refugee and asylum seeker populations. Service Improvement Project Objective: The current study aimed to evaluate the Oxfordshire Recovery College ORC and its stage of development from the students’ perspective. An additional aim was to evaluate the use of the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale as an outcome measure in this context. Research Design and Methods: The study used a cross-sectional research design. Thirty-seven participants (74% female) completed an online survey, that included questions on course attendance, goals, and outcomes for attending courses, and the RECOLLECT Checklist for Recovery Colleges Student Version. Results: Ratings on the RECOLLECT Checklist suggested that on the ‘Valuing equality’ and ‘Learning’ dimensions the ORC matches our best understanding of an ideal RC, while for ‘Community focus’ the ORC is early in its development. ‘Feeling more positive about myself’ was the most endorsed goal (78.4%) and 54.1% of the sample reported positive changes in relation to this goal following course attendance. ‘Learning in a supportive environment’ and ‘Feeling valued as a student’ were two of the most endorsed ORC-related factors contributing to positive changes. Finally, only a third of participants rated the WEMWBS as ‘moderately accurate’ in capturing improvement in wellbeing and progress towards personal goals. Conclusions: The findings contribute to the growing evidence base on Recovery Colleges, particularly the importance of establishing individual recovery goals and utilising adequate outcome measure to capture student progress and changes. Theoretically Driven Research Paper Objectives: Mental imagery has been shown to play a key role in the onset and maintenance of many psychological disorders and has become the target of imagery-based cognitive interventions for the treatment of several anxiety-related conditions. However, there are currently no transdiagnostic measures designed to assess aspects of mental imagery relevant to psychopathology. The present study reports on the development and validation of the Mental Imagery Questionnaire (MIQ), a new measure assessing experiences and appraisals of both positive and negative mental imagery. Methods: The initial item pool was generated based on a comprehensive literature review and interviews with subject-matter experts. A community sample (N = 345), recruited using an online survey platform, provided data for the exploratory factor analysis. Results: Two reliable measures were developed – one for positive (12 items) and one for negative mental imagery (16 items). The Positive Mental Imagery Questionnaire (MIQ-P) included three subscales (Intrusiveness, Realness, and Beliefs about Mental Imagery), while the Negative Mental Imagery Questionnaire (MIQ-N) included four subscales (Intrusiveness, Controllability, Beliefs about Mental Imagery, and Realness). The two measures demonstrated good to excellent reliability, and good divergent and discriminant validity. Convergent validity with the Spontaneous Use of Imagery Scale, however, was inadequate. Conclusions: The appraisals of mental imagery captured by the new measures are consistent with previous research on mental imagery and psychopathology. Future research will focus on confirming the factor structure of the measures using confirmatory factor analysis, prior to validation in a clinical sample. </p

Alice Parfitt - Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology (DClinPsych)

Critical Review of the Literature Objective: The aim of this narrative review was to identify and synthesise studies reporting on cultural adaptations to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) interventions for adult refugees and asylum seekers. Method: A comprehensive search of nine databases, including PsychINFO, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, ASSIA, Sociological Abstracts, PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science Core Collection, was conducted in October 2021 and updated in July 2022. Eligible studies were published in the English language, within the past 10 years, reporting on any adaptations to PTSD interventions. Inclusion criteria were limited to randomised control trials, feasibility, and longitudinal studies, conducted in both Western and non-Western countries. Unpublished dissertations, case studies, and case study series were not included. Results were synthesised using the cultural framework of Bernal & Saez-Santiago. Results: The search strategy identified 24 studies that met inclusion criteria, conducted in countries with various income levels. The most frequently adapted interventions were cognitive - based therapies and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR). Commonly reported adaptations were in the dimensions of language, treatment methods, and treatment context, while adaptations in the treatment goals dimension were the least reported. Conclusion: Studies varied in methodological quality, and the extent to which they adapted PTSD interventions for delivery in this population. Few studies provided comprehensive information regarding the adaptation process and only one study reported the framework used. This poses challenges for future research and for identifying the necessary adaptations required to increase cultural relevance, treatment acceptability, and effectiveness in refugee and asylum seeker populations. Service Improvement Project Objective: The current study aimed to evaluate the Oxfordshire Recovery College ORC and its stage of development from the students’ perspective. An additional aim was to evaluate the use of the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale as an outcome measure in this context. Research Design and Methods: The study used a cross-sectional research design. Thirty-seven participants (74% female) completed an online survey, that included questions on course attendance, goals, and outcomes for attending courses, and the RECOLLECT Checklist for Recovery Colleges Student Version. Results: Ratings on the RECOLLECT Checklist suggested that on the ‘Valuing equality’ and ‘Learning’ dimensions the ORC matches our best understanding of an ideal RC, while for ‘Community focus’ the ORC is early in its development. ‘Feeling more positive about myself’ was the most endorsed goal (78.4%) and 54.1% of the sample reported positive changes in relation to this goal following course attendance. ‘Learning in a supportive environment’ and ‘Feeling valued as a student’ were two of the most endorsed ORC-related factors contributing to positive changes. Finally, only a third of participants rated the WEMWBS as ‘moderately accurate’ in capturing improvement in wellbeing and progress towards personal goals. Conclusions: The findings contribute to the growing evidence base on Recovery Colleges, particularly the importance of establishing individual recovery goals and utilising adequate outcome measure to capture student progress and changes. Theoretically Driven Research Paper Objectives: Mental imagery has been shown to play a key role in the onset and maintenance of many psychological disorders and has become the target of imagery-based cognitive interventions for the treatment of several anxiety-related conditions. However, there are currently no transdiagnostic measures designed to assess aspects of mental imagery relevant to psychopathology. The present study reports on the development and validation of the Mental Imagery Questionnaire (MIQ), a new measure assessing experiences and appraisals of both positive and negative mental imagery. Methods: The initial item pool was generated based on a comprehensive literature review and interviews with subject-matter experts. A community sample (N = 345), recruited using an online survey platform, provided data for the exploratory factor analysis. Results: Two reliable measures were developed – one for positive (12 items) and one for negative mental imagery (16 items). The Positive Mental Imagery Questionnaire (MIQ-P) included three subscales (Intrusiveness, Realness, and Beliefs about Mental Imagery), while the Negative Mental Imagery Questionnaire (MIQ-N) included four subscales (Intrusiveness, Controllability, Beliefs about Mental Imagery, and Realness). The two measures demonstrated good to excellent reliability, and good divergent and discriminant validity. Convergent validity with the Spontaneous Use of Imagery Scale, however, was inadequate. Conclusions: The appraisals of mental imagery captured by the new measures are consistent with previous research on mental imagery and psychopathology. Future research will focus on confirming the factor structure of the measures using confirmatory factor analysis, prior to validation in a clinical sample

Upper Holocene Calcareous Nannoplankton of the NW Black Sea.

Abstract. The investigations focused on two profiles from the Black Sea, placed in front of the Portiţa Mouth and in the south-eastern part of the Sahalin Island. Up to 40 m water depth, the samples from the Portiţa profile contain only reworked Mesozoic and Cenozoic calcareous nannoplankton taxa. In the same profile, the bloom of the calcareous nannoplankton species Emiliania huxleyi, together with abundant benthic foraminiferal taxa, were recorded in the first 11 cm of sediments, at below 40 m water depth. All the samples collected in the SE of Sahalin Island contain only Mesozoic and Cenozoic reworked calcareous nannoplankton taxa; no marine assemblages in situ were remarked

The National Institute of Research and Development for Marine Geology and Geoecology – GeoEcoMar: Twenty years of scientific activity

The National Institute of Research and Developmentfor Marine Geology and Geoecology – GeoEcoMar was created in 1996 according to the Governmental Decision 1315/25.11.1996, by reorganizing the Romanian Centre for Marine Geology and Geo-ecology CRGGM (founded in 1993). Presently the National Institute of Marine Geology and Geoecology - GeoEcoMar is the Romanian pole of excellence for research in marine, coastal and fluvial geology, geophysics and geo-ecology, as well as an international reference centre for Marine and Earth Sciences in the Black Sea region. In the last twenty years, GeoEcoMar has experienced a continuous scientific and financial growth, both at national and international levels. Since 1996 an “institute of national interest” due to its technical potential and scientific performances, GeoEcoMar`s main objective is to perform complex and multidisciplinary researches of sea – delta – river macro-systems, having as key focus the Black Sea – Danube Delta – Danube River system

Maps of the topography of water surface levels in the Danube Delta, between the main branches

Within the project “Hydrological Monitoring of Wetland Areas Using SAR Techniques (Hydro-SAR)”, concluded by the TERRASIGNA (Romania) with the European Space Agency (ESA), the task of GeoEcoMar was to track and check the correlation of data provided by InSAR techniques with ground observations and measurements in the Danube Delta. Activities in the field and laboratory enabled elaboration of maps of vector fields for the water flow directions on the Danube Delta territory, based on the relief of the water surface levels at 450, 400, 350, 300, 250, 200, 150, 100, 50 and 0 cm, measured at Tulcea hydrologic station. In order to elaborate the maps of water surface levels, the altimetric stability of hydrometric gauges from the Danube Delta territorry was checked by establishing the Earth crust subsidence in each gauge location. Interpretation of recorded data shows a relative low subsidence rate for the location of the hydrometric gauge in Tulcea (observations recorded for the period 1858-2013) selected as hydrometric reference point, with the origin of the zero of the gauge situated at 0.57 m altitude relative to the Black Sea – Sulina reference system. The paper presents isoline maps of the water surface levels on the surface of the Danube Delta between the main distributaries (Chilia – Sulina – Sf. Gheorghe), for the above mentioned water surface levels