University of Bucharest

Using as example the [Fe(bpca)(μ‐bpca)Gd(NO3)4]×4CH3NO2×CH3OH system, where Hbpca=bis(2‐pyridilcarbonyl)amine), we perform the analysis of bonding components inside the d and f coordination units and between molecular entities from crystal. Aside the nominal long‐range interactions between molecular components of the crystal, we considered that the bonding inside the coordination units is also not a covalent regime. We performed Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, with plane‐waves (PW), in band‐structure mode, and with atom‐centred bases, by molecular procedures. Observing that the PW‐DFT frame is free of basis set superposition errors, which is an important methodological hint underlined here, we estimated various non‐covalent terms. E.g. the interaction between inversion‐related FeGd units amounts −394.47 kcal/mol, only about −37 kcal/mol being due to Coulomb effects, the remainder being assignable to dispersion forces. One FeGd binuclear interacts with the closest methanol molecule by −9.30 kcal/mol and by −36.57 kcal/mol with the set of four nitromethane molecules. The energy decomposition analysis of molecular calculations showed, aside the expected ionic character (about 82 % of the total cohesion energy of lanthanide ion in molecule), the important role of empty 5d orbitals. The d virtuals are contributing with 68.4 kcal/mol, out of 97.15 kcal/mol quantity estimated as ligand‐to‐metal donor‐acceptor effects.

Recently, all-oxide ferroelectric tunnel junctions, with single or composite potential barriers based on SrRuO3/BaTiO3/SrTiO3 (SRO/BTO/STO) perovskites, have drawn a particular interest for high density low power applications, due to their highly tunable transport properties and device scaling down possibility to atomic size. Here, using first principles calculations and the non-equilibrium Green’s functions formalism, we explore the electronic structure and tunneling transport properties in magnetoelectric SRO/BTO/mSTO/SRO interfaces, (m = 0, 2, or 4 unit cells), considering both the RuO6 octahedra tilts and magnetic SRO electrodes. Our main results may be summarized as follows: (i) the band alignment schemes predict that polarization direction may determine both Schottky barrier or Ohmic contacts for m(STO) = 0, but only Schottky contacts for m(STO) = 2 and 4 junctions; (ii) the tunnel electroresistance and tunnel magnetoresistance ratios are evaluated at 0 and 300 K; (iii) the most magnetoelectric responsive interfaces are obtained for the m(STO) = 2 heterostructure, this system also showing co-existent giant tunnel electroresistance and tunnel magnetoresistance effects; (iv) the interfacial magnetoelectric coupling is not strong enough to control the tunnel magnetoresistance by polarization switching, in spite of significant SRO ferromagnetism.

Often understood as a dissolution of the ego, mental illness implies a process of deconstruction where the psychotic faces the most frightening limits one can encounter: the limits of perception, the limits of understanding, the limits of vulnerability, and above all, the limits of intersubjectivity. The present paper aims to explore mental illness phenomenologically, taking it as both a limited and an unlimited experience of intersubjectivity. On the one hand, mental illness is widely regarded as a limited experience of intersubjectivity, for it alters and hence limits access to the Other. But on the other hand, it can equally be taken as an unlimited experience of intersubjectivity, because it opens up a new world to the psychotic that can be transposed into and improved through artistic expression. The present article will bring together these two dimensions in order to reflect on the limits of experience in general. To do so, I will first address the clinical studies of the analyst Marguerite Sechehaye and of Rosemarie Samaritter. By retracing Marguerite Sechehaye’s deconstruction of the ego in a case of schizophrenia that she successfully treated, I attempt to circumscribe three distinctive experiential layers that have been disturbed by her patient’s mental illness: (1) the affective layer, (2) the symbolic layer, and (3) the kinesthetic layer, which is indicative of the fact that our spatial presence and body movements are constitutive elements of our sense of self and of our being in the world. Second, I will focus on the relationship between art and schizophrenia, and subsequently on the limits of experience that a psychotic transcends when undergoing his/her illness.

This paper aims to clear up the epistemology of learning morality from artificial moral advisors (AMAs). We start with a brief consideration of what counts as moral enhancement and consider the risk of deskilling raised by machines that offer moral advice. We then shift focus to the epistemology of moral advice and show when and under what conditions moral advice can lead to enhancement. We argue that people’s motivational dispositions are enhanced by inspiring people to act morally, instead of merely telling them how to act. Drawing upon these insights, we claim that if AMAs are to genuinely enhance people morally, they should be designed as inspiration and not authority machines. In the final section, we evaluate existing AMA models to shed light on which holds the most promise for helping to make users better moral agents.

In a fluviokarst region, three rarely used natural tracers, SiO2, Na and Ba, were considered for tracking the allogenic, silicate-derived water contribution to cave streams and to final karst outflows. The concerned allogenic recharge originates in watersheds that consist of metamorphic formations intruded by magmatic rocks, for which available whole rock chemistry data indicate rather uniform contents of SiO2 and Na but contrasting (up to one order of magnitude) contents of Ba. All three considered natural tracers proved to behave conservatively along karst flow-paths and indicated binary mixing between allogenic and autogenic inputs. However, only the dissolved Ba concentrations enabled chemical distinction between two adjacent karst catchments: one with allogenic inputs presumably derived mainly from the weathering of Ba-rich rocks (essentially granites), and the other with allogenic recharge originating mostly from the weathering of Ba-poor formations. In contrast, if only the SiO2 and Na concentrations of the sampled waters had been considered, it would have been virtually impossible to establish whether the two adjacent karst catchments were distinct - or not - from each other. When considering each of the two karst catchments separately, the concentrations distribution of each of the three natural tracers, SiO2, Na and Ba, consistently indicated that between a swallet and a connected cave stream, then further between cave streams and final karst outflows, the allogenic water relative contribution gradually diminished to the benefit of autogenic water.

In the present study, the bacterial symbionts of two species of oak aphid, Thelaxes dryophila and Tuberculatus annulatus were tested as indicators between naturally and artificially regenerated oak forests. In total, 195 bacterial taxa were identified using the Ion Torrent PGM system. Here, we report for the first time differences in bacterial symbiont diversity between oak forests natural and artificial regeneration sites, and aphid species. Differences in the abundance of the primary obligate endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola were also detected between the two study aphid species. In the ant attended Thelaxes dryophila, the species was found to harbour a higher density of the facultative symbionts Serratia symbiotica and Wolbachia, while in the non-ant attended Tuberculatus annulatus, the dominant facultative symbionts were Hamiltonella and Rickettsia. In addition, we report the presence of Serratia marcescens and Enterobacter cloacae as symbionts of Thelaxes dryophila and Shigella boydii as a symbiont of Tuberculatus annulatus. We conclude that the two aphid species harbour different facultative symbionts between oak forest regeneration types; these results might have importance in oak forest pest management via aphid adaptation through their endosymbions.

Research on smoking behaviour has primarily focused on adolescents, with less attention given to middle-aged and older adults in rural settings. This study examines the influence of personal networks and sociodemographic factors on smoking behaviour in a rural Romanian community. We analysed data from 76 participants, collected through face-to-face interviews, including smoking status (non-smokers, current and former smokers), social ties and demographic details. Multilevel regression models were used to predict smoking status. The results indicate that social networks are essential in shaping smoking habits. Current smokers were more likely to have smoking family members, reinforcing smoking within familial networks, while non-smokers were typically embedded in non-smoking environments. Gender and age patterns show that women were less likely to smoke, and older adults were more likely to have quit smoking. These findings suggest that targeted interventions should focus not only on individuals but also on their social networks. In rural areas, family-based approaches may be particularly effective due to the strong influence of familial ties. Additionally, encouraging connections with non-smokers and former smokers could help disrupt smoking clusters, supporting smoking cessation efforts.

In the literature on emigration, the challenges of integration at the destination are largely discussed. How do those who become immigrants change or not and what is the impact of their inclusion in the arrival communities? It is less discussed what happens in the communities of emigration, in the country of origin. For the communities from which emigrants have gone abroad, research has been done especially on the causes of emigration. The consequences of emigration were seen especially at the level of the families leaving, on the children and elderly left behind. Community consequences as a result of emigration, are either neglected, treated through case studies or approached piecemeal, with a focus on ageing, etc. But what if we are interested in all the communities of origin, comparing those with many, few or no emigrants? This last question and its approach are of major interest in this article. The four hypotheses of the research relate the intensity of emigration from the locality and the option of emigration destinations (Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Great Britain) with different facets of development processes in the communities of origin, about seven years after emigration. The facets are given by the intensity of polarised poverty-development phenomena and their components (state of health, material capital in the community and socio-human capital). A whole series of phenomena are estimated and introduced into the analysis to contextualise the relations between emigration and poverty-development levels of origin communities (previous development, urban accessibility, residence environment, community involvement in temporary internal emigration processes, etc.). What is the impact of emigration on the well-being or levels of poverty development in origin communities? The answers and the statistical validations, to this question are, in my intentions, the original contribution of this article. A draft form of the article, in Romanian, is available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373254518_Cum_sunt_locurile_de_plecare_a_emigrantilor

The Romanian tourism industry has yet to prove that it is a resilient economic sector that can adapt to global crises. This study provides a contextual analysis of the sector's performance during two international crises – the global financial crisis (GFC) and the COVID-19 pandemic (C19). The main question is: How do tourism demand and accommodation supply in the Romanian tourism sector respond to global shocks, and what patterns of resilience or vulnerability do these crises reveal? Previous studies have focussed on tourist satisfaction and the differential impact of tourism activities after EU integration, but have rarely examined the resilience of the sector in the midst of two different global crises. The need for this research stems from its comparative nature — assessing the pre- and post-crisis periods of the GFC and C19 — thus contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the sector's dynamics. This work fills a gap in the existing literature and applies a longitudinal approach to assess Romanian tourism resilience, market confidence and response to economic and health-related shocks. The study applies a quantitative methodological framework and uses time series data from 2002-2022, with descriptive statistics, comparisons and trend analyses serving as the main pillars for interpreting the evolution of tourism demand, accommodation supply and occupancy rates. The analysis shows that the Romanian tourism sector has proven to be resilient, as operational capacity exceeded pre-crisis levels after the COVID-19 crisis, although demand fell sharply and has not fully recovered to date. Occupancy rates fell significantly during both crises and have only partially recovered.

The design of model-based robot controllers or simulators requires the use of adequate approaches for selecting the models that fit their functions and intended behavior. In this paper, we propose a methodology based on a test-driven method for designing robot controller simulators that use enzymatic numerical P system models. By applying this methodology, different instances of the model are obtained by tuning different aspects, such as the structure, functions, and parameters of the model based on a set of testing scenarios. Another set of tests is used to validate the model instances obtained. The paper, through the methodology proposed, provides an effective way of combining modeling, simulation, and testing in conjunction with a set of tools associated with them.

This research delves into the emerging paradigm of biocultural systems, focusing on the intricate social-ecological dynamics which created and maintained an ancient farming system, the European wood-pastures. Innovatively conceptualizing wood-pastures as biocultural systems, this study employs a network approach to unravel the complex interactions between human activities and the natural particularities within these environments. By using field surveys and interviews conducted in Transylvania, Romania, this research reconstructs the traditional social-ecological drivers behind the preservation of ancient wood-pastures and their Nature’s Contributions to People (NCP). It identifies key variables and their centrality within the biocultural network, emphasizing that the rich natural values of wood-pastures are inextricably linked to management features. We employ RLQ and fourth corner analyses to investigate the interconnections among biophysical context, biocultural features (i.e. human made and natural features), and NCP, revealing significant correlations and gradients between the broad biophysical setting and the wood-pasture NCP. The findings underscore the importance of maintaining traditional management practices and stewardship to conserve the biodiversity and cultural heritage of wood-pastures. We contribute to a deeper comprehension of biocultural systems and offer insights for effective management and governance of traditional farming landscapes in Europe and beyond.

Background and Aims Colony‐stimulating factor 1 (CSF1) is a growth factor secreted by dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons important for DRG macrophages and spinal cord (SC) microglia injury‐induced proliferation and activation, specifically released after spared nerve injury (SNI). In this study, we investigated if SNI‐induced CSF1 expression and perineuronal rings of macrophages around mouse DRG neurons vary between L3‐L5 DRG and with the neuronal type, and if the CSF1 ⁺ neuronal projections at the SC dorsal horns were associated with an increased microglial number in the corresponding laminae. Methods Seven days after surgery, L3‐L5 DRG as well as their corresponding segments at the SC level were collected, frozen, and cut. DRG sections were double‐immunostained using antibodies against CSF1 and NF200, CGRP or IB4, while SC sections were immunostained using a fluorescent Nissl Stain and analyzed for CX3CR1‐GFP microglia number and distribution by an in‐house ImageJ Plug‐in. Results Our results showed that SNI‐induced CSF1 expression was common for all subtypes of mouse DRG neurons, being responsible for attracting more resident macrophages around them in a DRG‐dependent manner, with L4 showing the stronger response and CSF1 ⁺ /NF200 ⁺ neurons showing the highest incidence. Even though the total number of microglia in the SC ipsilateral dorsal horns increased after SNI, the increase at their specific laminar projection sites did not mirror the incidence of DRG neuronal subtypes among CSF1 ⁺ neurons. Interpretation Taken together, these results contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the connection between CSF1 and macrophage/microglia response after SNI and emphasize the importance of considering L3‐L5 DRG individually when investigating SNI‐neuropathic pain pathogenesis in mice.

This study examined the factorial composition and cultural invariance of the online learning readiness self-check (OLRSC) survey across Turkish (N = 212), Romanian (N = 207), and Polish (N = 235) college students. The results of confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) in individual samples supported the six-dimensional structure of online learning readiness while measurement invariance testing in a multi-group setting supported the metric and partial scalar invariance of the OLRSC survey. The latent means for the dimensions of online learning preparedness across the three groups were also examined in this study, revealing substantial differences. The results supported that the OLRSC is a psychometrically sound scale that can contribute to the scientific investigation of college students’ online learning readiness in the three nations. The findings not only extend the applicability of the OLRSC survey beyond its original U.S. context and atypical learners but also provide valuable insights for educators and policymakers striving to enhance online teaching and learning practices globally.

In this paper, I explore the bodily constitution of violence from a phenomenological perspective, contrasting the directly lived experience of violence with imagistic violence. The analysis involves examining one’s own embodiment from the first-person perspective in two distinct situations: as the agent of violence, anchored in one’s own “I can”, and as a passive victim, marked by vulnerability and helplessness. Each situation reveals specific particularities of the other’s adversity. The final section transitions to the imagistic experience of violence, discussing how bodily markers are modified in this context. Using Kubrick’s iconic film A Clockwork Orange as an example, I illustrate the shift in bodily structures and the implications of imagistic violence.

The primary aim of this study was to synthesize and characterize polyurethane (PUR) foams derived from the depolymerization products of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and MXenes (Nb2AlC). The depolymerized PET products were produced through a zinc acetate-catalyzed glycolysis process using diethylene glycol (DEG) as solvent. These glycolysis products were then reacted with 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), commercial polyols, and MXenes to produce the PUR foams. The resulting materials were characterized using FT-IR, SEM, EDX mapping, mechanical testing, thermal analysis, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding assessments. The analysis revealed that specimens with a higher concentration of the filler (3.55%) exhibited superior mechanical properties, while the thermal behavior remained relatively unchanged. The sample containing 2.56% of MXenes showed significant potential as an effective EMI shielding material in the 8–9 GHz frequency range, while the blank sample provided the best performance between 9–13 GHz, mostly due to a bigger high-frequency absorption in the upper part of the X band. Regarding mechanical performance, the compression force increased slightly from 1013.31 N to 1013.71 N as the Mxenes concentration increased from 2.56% to 3.55%.

The paper studies the possible interplay between matter and geometry in scalar tensor theories of gravitation where the energy–momentum tensor is directly coupled with the Einstein tensor. After obtaining the scalar tensor representation of the $f(R, G_{\mu \nu }T^{\mu \nu })$ f ( R , G μ ν T μ ν ) gravity, the analysis continue with an approach based on the thermodynamics of irreversible processes in open systems. To this regard, various thermodynamic properties are directly obtained in this manner, like the matter creation (annihilation) rate and the corresponding creation (annihilation) pressure. In the case of the Roberson–Walker metric several analytic and numerical solutions are found in the asymptotic regime. In the last part of the manuscript a specific parametrization for the Hubble rate is constrained using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithms in the case of cosmic chronometers (CC) and BAO observations, obtaining an approximate numerical solution which can describe the cosmological model. For this model, we have obtained by fine-tuning some numerical solutions which exhibit creation mechanisms in different specific regimes.

Social exclusion (SE) and its detrimental health outcomes are a key concern in European policies. This study investigates whether childless older adults face a higher risk of SE compared to those with children, how these potential differences have evolved, and whether SE among childless older men differs from that experienced by childless older women. Children are perceived in most cultures as an insurance of social integration in old age. Delayed childbearing and falling birth rates in Western countries have raised concerns about the old age of those who remain childless and reach the last decades of their lives more socially excluded. The exclusionary risks of not having children may be gendered and different across time, but research on this topic is underdeveloped. The analysis utilizes data from the first (2002) and ninth (2018) rounds of the European Social Survey (ESS), focusing on participants aged between 65 and 74. The study reveals that childless older adults have fewer social meetings and engage in fewer social activities than parents. Findings are robust concerning time and gender, as the disadvantage of not having children compared to those with children is similar over time and for men and women. The results highlight that childless older adults face an elevated risk of SE.