The effects of corruption, political stability and state institutions on foreign direct investments in Romania

The article examines the consequences of corruption, political stability and state institutions on foreign direct investments in Romania as a result of the development of financial instruments and technological means. The paper examines the concepts found in the literature referring to the impact of corruptions on foreign direct investment and the power of the authorities to maintain the quality of their governance through the degree of economic liberalization. In this study, statistical data on corruption, foreign direct investments and governmental efficiency have been interpreted. The purpose of writing this article was to present the effects of corruption on foreign direct investments in Romania in order to generate new information on this topic that is not developed in the literature

Manipulation and persuasion in social influence of the Romanian media

The present society has a high degree of vulnerability. Vulnerable are the persons, the communities, the companies and people as a whole. Romania, in this long and painful transition has a very fragile balance, undermined by the prolonged economic crisis and the accumulation in all spheres of social disruption. This paper aims to investigate the level of knowledge regarding the Media manipulation. In terms of the variable label “sex”, we see that in this study participated 42 women and 38 men, a total of 80 subjects. In terms of education, after the study conducted it was found that of the 80 subjects who responded to questions only 38 of them have higher education, remaining 42 with secondary education. Regarding the area of ​​origin, it was found that only 16 of the 80 subjects come from rural areas and 63 in urban areas. In terms of the variable labeled "old" we see that it covers a wide range from 16 to 79 years. In terms of marital status revealed that 41 of the subjects who participated in the study are married, 37 unmarried and only 2 are from “other circumstances”

Biopolymers as Coating Additives for Engineered Wood Products

Engineered wood products are used as a construction material due to enhance performance, faster and higher construction of buildings, durability, and less impact on the environment. However, its flammability and resistance to mold, insects and water limits its use in construction, and especially in exterior use. Thus, the necessity of developing wood coating formulations that reduce the impact of the environment and increases the durability of engineered wood products. Biopolymers have attracted considerable interest as alternatives in coating applications for engineered wood products due to their availability, environmentally friendly and compatibility with the main wood components. The focus of this book chapter is to give an overview of the treatment methods and bio-based coating of the engineered wood, with special emphasis on lignin-based coating. Lignin/lignin nanoparticles, due to the presence of functional groups, is a promising polymer for coating formulations and applications. Lignin can produce a significant quantity of char when heated at high temperatures. This is important combustion characteristic when lignin is to be used as coating additive for wood. As such, lignin-based fire retardant and antibacterial action of lignin are important properties when lignin-based coating formulations are developed, and they are discussed in this chapter

From Outbreak to Recovery: An Observational Analysis of the Romanian Government's Online Communication during and post-COVID-19

Introduction: The expanding digital era has transformed government communication, especially during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the digital communication strategies of the Romanian Government during the pandemic and its aftermath, emphasizing the importance of effective communication in times of crisis. Methodology: For this comprehensive analysis, quantitative and qualitative techniques were combined. Data were collected from Facebook using FanPageKarma.com and processed in RStudio. Key aspects were examined, including the categorization of communication phases, posting frequency, metrics of public interaction (comments and actions), and the analysis of the overall sentiment tone. Results: The findings reveal that during the COVID-19 crisis, the Romanian Government dedicated 42.3% of its 3,465 Facebook posts to the virus. This percentage significantly decreased to 1.46% after the crisis, indicating a thematic shift in government communication. Public engagement also decreased post-pandemic, with a shift towards global narratives, especially tension between Ukraine and Russia. The sentiment analysis shows an overwhelmingly positive language aimed at inspiring trust and hope. Conclusions: This study highlights that, following the COVID-19 crisis, the Romanian Government adapted its digital communication, experiencing lower public engagement but maintaining a positive tone. This underscores the importance of effective government communication during and after crises, a critical element for ensuring public trust and social cohesion. These findings offer valuable lessons for government communication management in times of uncertainty and emphasize the need for continuous adaptation in a constantly evolving digital world

Leadership Challenges In Today’s Academia

Starting from the anecdotic hypothesis that “leading academics is like trying to herd cats”, the paper reviews the main challenges and barriers to present academic leadership. The context is that of the on-going Bologna transformation of the university, and of the renewed quest for competitiveness. The method employed is that of the individual case-study, with a single-embedded design. The case study is exploratory, as we don’t know from sure which the effects of leadership in the university are, and to what degree are they alike, across sub-units of study. The case study is also intrinsic, as its main outcome is not theory-building, but understanding the particularities of a phenomenon strongly tied to its context. Our unit of study is the largest business university in the country, with its faculties and departments. The main data sources are short structured interviews with members of the academic staff. The analysis implies both explanation-building and cross-case synthesis. The results of the study give insights on the context of leadership, enablers and barriers, as well as on the content of leadership, in the particular setting of the academia. Conclusions connect our research with similar endeavours, outlining the particularities and patterns of educational transition in a transition country.academic leadership, structural equation model of academic leadership, Romanian academia

Gracilis myocutaneous flap for perineal defect reconstruction after left hemivulvectomy for locally invasive vulvar cancer – A case report and a literature review

Performing radical surgery for locally advanced vulvar cancer is usually associated with the occurrence of large perineal defects. In order to provide a better healing process of the perineal wound, different reconstructive techniques have been proposed. We present the case of a 63-year-old female patient diagnosed with locally advanced vulvar cancer for which a left hemivulvectomy with bilateral inguinal lymph node dissection was performed. After completion of the resection phase, the reconstruction with gracilis myocutaneous flap was performed. The patient developed a non-union of the flap. However, it slowly healed without any surgical re-intervention. Gracilis myocutaneous flap seems to be an effective and feasible method of perineal reconstruction after extended perineal resection for gynecological malignancies, including vulvar cancer. The method appears effective even in pre-irradiated patients with larger perineal wounds resulting after total pelvic exenteration for locally advanced gynecological malignancies

Lignin: A Biopolymer from Forestry Biomass for Biocomposites and 3D Printing

Biopolymers from forestry biomass are promising for the sustainable development of new biobased materials. As such, lignin and fiber-based biocomposites are plausible renewable alternatives to petrochemical-based products. In this study, we have obtained lignin from Spruce biomass through a soda pulping process. The lignin was used for manufacturing biocomposite filaments containing 20% and 40% lignin and using polylactic acid (PLA) as matrix material. Dogbones for mechanical testing were 3D printed by fused deposition modelling. The lignin and the corresponding biocomposites were characterized in detail, including thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), antioxidant capacity, mechanical properties, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Although lignin led to a reduction of the tensile strength and modulus, the reduction could be counteracted to some extent by adjusting the 3D printing temperature. The results showed that lignin acted as a nucleating agent and thus led to further crystallization of PLA. The radical scavenging activity of the biocomposites increased to roughly 50% antioxidant potential/cm2, for the biocomposite containing 40 wt % lignin. The results demonstrate the potential of lignin as a component in biocomposite materials, which we show are adequate for 3D printing operations

Exposure assessment using biomonitoring

Complex studies were performed combining macroscopic and biochemical analyzes of selected biomonitors, exposed in exposure systems outdoor with mixtures of pollutants as well as controlled exposure with certain concentrations of pollutants in fumigation chambers. In this study, the following plant species were used as bioindicators: Nicotiana tabacum, Petunia hybrida, Ricinus comunis, Trifolium pretense. The exposure plant samples were compared with control samples of biomonitors maintained under standardized conditions in the climate chamber. Classical methods of biochemistry combined with those of exposure biomonitoring have led to the completion of knowledge about the ways of action of plants to pollution. The analysis of some of the antioxidant compounds that are representing a structural class of chemicals (enzymes) with a wide range of biological functions, with the role of free radical inhibition, was performed. Many of the constituent compounds in certain cell types, also called active compounds, in this case polyphenols are present in the body of some plant species. Polyphenol's presence in organisms, that are not usually present or are in normal quantities, is caused by stress, (pollution being a stress factor). Large amounts of polyphenols in plants are also given by the presence of pollutants in the environment. Through these extensive combined studies, it has been demonstrated that pollution can be a degenerative factor at the biochemical and physiological level, at the plant tissue level, with irreversible effects

Analysis of the online communication strategy of world political leaders during the War in Ukraine (February 24, 2022 - January 23, 2023)

This paper studies the online communication strategies of world leaders during the war in Ukraine from February 24, 2022, to January 23, 2023. To analyze the collected data, various qualitative and quantitative methods such as content and sentiment analysis were used. The findings indicate that the majority of world leaders communicate via Twitter, and their tweets are mainly positive in tone. The most active communication strategies involve using hashtags related to the issues of the war, retweeting messages from other leaders, and issuing statements about the conflict. The results suggest that the participating leaders position themselves as the voice of the nation and emphasize the importance of international solidarity in achieving peace. Furthermore, the study reveals that the leaders are highly engaged in bidirectional communication, with the majority of messages focused on people's safety and the need for a diplomatic solution. The findings of this study could help policymakers understand how online communication plays a role in international conflict resolution as well as how world leaders can effectively use online communication to engage with their public

An update: Prevalence of rabies in animalsbetween 2010 and 2017in north-eastern Romania

In order to obtain an overview of the situation of rabies positive cases, but also to establish a true prevalence of the disease among domestic and wild animals, an epidemiological survey was conducted in the north east of the country, targeting the 8 counties of Moldova region,over a period of eight years, between 2010 and 2017. A total of 2306 brain samples coming from animals with suspicion of rabies were received at the laboratories, from which 851 (36,90 %) were represented by domestic animals and 1455 (63,10 %) by wild animals. Following the implementation of the referenced techniques in rabies diagnosis, out of 2306tested samples, 492 (21,36%) were confirmed positive and 1814 negative (78,66%). Out of 1455 samples coming from wild animals, 303 (20,82 %) were confirmed positive, with a total prevalence of 21,32 %, while in the case of domestic animals out of 851 samples, 189 were positive, with a total prevalence of 22,20 %