Re-thinking on the role of business in biodiversity conservation

Today we face the challenge of building biodiversity business. There is a need to develop new business models and market mechanisms for biodiversity conservation, while also raising awareness and persuading the public and policy-makers that biodiversity can be conserved on a commercial basis. In this context the present paper is analyzing the arise of a new economic concept ‘business biodiversity’, focusing on the strategic importance of biodiversity for business and also presenting some business biodiversity models which have already began to have success in the global economy.sustainable development, biodiversity, business biodiversity, economics of biodiversity

STRUCTURAL FUNDS AND OVERCOMING THE ECONOMIC CRISIS Emilian M. Dobrescu, Romanian Academy and Spiru Haret University Cristina Barna, Spiru Haret University Bucharest

The European Commission is the authority that supervises the EuropeanUnion structural funds, which are meant to finance the measures of structural aid at thecommunity level, aiming to promote the regions lagging behind in development, toreconvert the areas affected by industrial decline, to fight against the long-termunemployment, to help the youth professional insertion or to promote the ruraldevelopment. Besides the Structural Funds, other financial instruments are in use,namely the Cohesion Fund. Between 2007 and 2013, Romania will benefit fromstructural funds in the amount of 32 billion Euros, granted by the European Union. Suchfunds need to be effectively managed and they have to reach where development is animperative; otherwise, they are in danger of being forfeited. The paper herein aims togive a general presentation of the structural funds, a highlight of the dissimilaritiesbetween them and the pre-accession funds, the explanation of the criteria for granting thestructural funds, as well as an in-depth analysis of the National Strategic ReferenceFramework 2007-2013. At the same time, beyond the absorption obstacles(documentation, evaluation, bank credits), the structural and the cohesion funds arepresented as solution to overcome the current economic crisis.structural funds, operational program, cohesion policy, economic crisis

Current Socio-Economic Challenges. Approaching Sustainability and Social Economy. Guest Editor’s Note

Starting with 2015, The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (United Nations, 2015), the global new plan of action for people, planet, and prosperity has raised debates in the academic and research environments, and not only. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a broad and universal policy agenda, with 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with 169 associated targets that are integrated and indivisible. Building on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the 2030 Agenda seeks to guide the Member States to transform their approach to achieve inclusive, people-centered, and sustainable development with no one left behind. This Agenda is recognizing that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the most significant global challenge and a requirement for sustainable development.We are still facing and debating on many economic, social, and environmental challenges. For example, in 2020, at the end of the Europe 2020 strategy, we still discuss in Europe about some dimensions of the Horizon 2020 societal challenges such as health, demographic change, and wellbeing; sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy; secure, clean and efficient energy; smart, green and integrated transport; climate action, environment, resource efficiency, and raw materials; Europe in a changing world - inclusive, innovative and reflective societies, or secure societies… Trying to respond to such challenges and not only, Europe is implementing Circular Economy Package, and at the same time is strengthening the social economy sector, which can have a substantial contribution to economic development, social inclusion, as well as green and digital transitions.Consequently, approaching Sustainability, Sustainable Development concept, and (or) Social Economy and various types of social economy entities, is becoming more and more imperative and frequently met in academia. This Special Issue of the Management Dynamics and Knowledge Economy journal on the topic of "Current socio-economic challenges. Approaching Sustainability and Social Economy” provides a venue for high-quality research works of academics and researchers in these actual challenging topics

POST-ACCESSION PRIORITIES: ROMANIAN NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR DEVELOPMENT 2007-2013

Since January 1st, 2007, Romania has entered a new era of progress where thefocus is on the economic convergence with the other European Union member states. TheNational Plan for Development 2007-2013 represents the strategic and financial multi-yearlyplanning document that directs the sustainable economic-social development of Romania instep with the Cohesion Policy of the European Union. This paper examines the issue ofabsorption funds as main determinant of Romania’s success during the post-accession period.Considering the global objective and also the specific objectives of the Strategy ofDevelopment 2007 ââ¬â 2013, we analyze the absorption of the community funds on the sixpriorities of the National Plan for Development - competitiveness, transport infrastructure,environment, human resources, rural development and regional development, presenting amulti-yearly comparative analysis of the financial programming 2007 ââ¬â 2013.post-accession, national plan for development, national strategy of development,structural funds, structural funds absorption rate

Innovation, research and development in Romanian enterprises

The European Union declared the year 2009 – The Year of Creativity and Innovation. Creativity and innovation can move society forward toward prosperity. In this context, we analyzed in our paper the innovation, research & development potential and performance of the Romanian enterprises. After presenting the conceptual framework and statistical sources in EU for innovation and a general overview of Europe seen as a place for research activities, we examined in details the Romania case: a country still in the group of catching-up countries, but one of the growth leaders among this group. In the last part of the paper we focused on research and development data analysis for the 2003-2008 interval, at enterprise level, also with commentaries about the economic and financial crisis impact.

Re-thinking on the role of business in biodiversity conservation

Today we face the challenge of building biodiversity business. There is a need to develop new business models and market mechanisms for biodiversity conservation, while also raising awareness and persuading the public and policy-makers that biodiversity can be conserved on a commercial basis. In this context the present paper is analyzing the arise of a new economic concept ‘business biodiversity’, focusing on the strategic importance of biodiversity for business and also presenting some business biodiversity models which have already began to have success in the global economy

Re-thinking on the role of business in biodiversity conservation

Today we face the challenge of building biodiversity business. There is a need to develop new business models and market mechanisms for biodiversity conservation, while also raising awareness and persuading the public and policy-makers that biodiversity can be conserved on a commercial basis. In this context the present paper is analyzing the arise of a new economic concept ‘business biodiversity’, focusing on the strategic importance of biodiversity for business and also presenting some business biodiversity models which have already began to have success in the global economy

SKI LEARNING DIFFICULTIES OF DIFFERENT SPORT ATHLETES

Skiing is one of the difficult winter sports, which requires a lot of motoric skills as strength of the lower limbs, good balance, determination and courage as well. In this study we aim to observe the learning skills differences between students or adults who competed in different sports, or practiced them just as leisure activities. We are interested that in case of them it is easier or more difficult to learn the skiing skills. As method we established a pointing system from 0 to 2 to make the difference between the subjects, 0 means that they have learning difficulties and they don’t succeed to have any skiing skill, 1 is for medium skills and 2 is for those whom realized a good skiing technique, considered that they are beginners. In this study take part a number of 60 subjects, between 20 – 26 ages, and 50 of them practiced in their life sport in competition. REZUMAT. Dificultățile de învățare a schiului la diferiţi sportivi. Skiul este un sport de iarnă dificil, ce necesită o serie de calități motrice cum ar fi forța trenului inferior, un bun echilibru, determinare și nu în ultimul rând, curaj. În acest studiu dorim să observăm diferența dificultății de învățare la studenți și adulți, care în viața lor au practicat sport de performanță sau doar de hobby. Am fost interesați să observăm dacă le este mai ușor sau mai greu să însușească taina schiatului. Ca metodă am stabilit un sistem de punctaj de la 0 la 2 pentru a evidenția diferența dintre subiecți, 0 însemnând că nu au reușit să însușească tehnica elementară a schiului, 1 am acordat pentru cunoștințe medii, iar 2 pentru cei care au reușit să execute cerințele tehnice corecte la nivel de începător. În acest studiu au fost analizați 60 de subiecți, cu vârste cuprinse între 20 – 26 de ani și 50 dintre ei au practicat sport de performanță. Cuvinte cheie: schi, învățarea schiului, alte sporturi, dificultate

A stressz rendszer szerepe az ópiát függőség kialakulásában: idegi, sejtszintű és molekuláris mechanizmusok = Involvement of brain stress system in opiate addiction: neuronal substrates, cellular and molecular mechanisms

1. A morfium függőség és megvonás aktiválja a neuroendokrin és az agyi stresszrendszert. 2. A hipotalamusz paravntrikuláris magjában illetve az ""extended"" amigdalában expresszálódó kortikotropin-releasing hormon (CRH) különböző módon szabályozza a morfium addikciót és megvonást kísérő hormonális, élettani és magatartási (érzelmi) reakciókat. 3. Sejtszinten a cAMP-reponse element binding protein (CREB) és a hozzá csatlakozó ko-regulátor fehérjék, mint pl a foszforilált TORC fontos szerepet játszanak a drogmegvonás kapcsán aktiválódó CRH gén szabályozásában mind a hipotalamuszban, mind az ""extended"" amigdalában. 4. A hipotalamikus és extrahipotalamikus területeket beidegző felszálló noradrenerg és orexinerg pályák különböző mechanizmussal vesznek részt a drogfüggőséggel és a drogmegvonással járó megvonási tünetek kialakításában. 5. A morfium függőséggel és a naloxonnal történő morfium megvonás okozta anyagcsere változások a hipotalamuszban eltérő módon befolyásolják a stresszel és a metabolikus szabályozássaél kapcsolatos neuropaptid gének expresszióját. | 1. Morphine dependence and naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal results in activation of the neuroendocrine and brain stress systems in the rat brain. 2. Corticotropin-releasing hormone expressed in the hypophyseotropic cells of the hypothalamus as well as in the extended amygdala plays a differential role in the development of hormonal, physiological, emotional and behavioral changes in addicted animals. 3. cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) and its co-activators (such as pTORC) play a critical role in activation of corticotropin-releasing hormone gene expression both in the hypothalamus and in the extended amygdala. 4. Ascending noradrenergic and orexinergic pathways innervating hypothalamic and extrahypothalamic sites differentially regulate the development of hormonal, somatic and psychological symptoms of morphine withdrawal. 5. Metabolic changes associated by drug dependence and withdrawal result in differential changes of metabolic and stress-related neuropeptides in the hypothalamus

Identification and functional characterisation of CRK12:CYC9, a novel cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)-cyclin complex in Trypanosoma brucei

The protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma brucei, is spread by the tsetse fly and causes trypanosomiasis in humans and animals. Both the life cycle and cell cycle of the parasite are complex. Trypanosomes have eleven cdc2-related kinases (CRKs) and ten cyclins, an unusually large number for a single celled organism. To date, relatively little is known about the function of many of the CRKs and cyclins, and only CRK3 has previously been shown to be cyclin-dependent in vivo. Here we report the identification of a previously uncharacterised CRK:cyclin complex between CRK12 and the putative transcriptional cyclin, CYC9. CRK12:CYC9 interact to form an active protein kinase complex in procyclic and bloodstream T. brucei. Both CRK12 and CYC9 are essential for the proliferation of bloodstream trypanosomes in vitro, and we show that CRK12 is also essential for survival of T. brucei in a mouse model, providing genetic validation of CRK12:CYC9 as a novel drug target for trypanosomiasis. Further, functional characterisation of CRK12 and CYC9 using RNA interference reveals roles for these proteins in endocytosis and cytokinesis, respectively