Suchergebnisse

"In this study the antibacterial potential of ten essential oils (EOs) and their main compounds against the development and quorum sensing (QS) mechanisms of the opportunistic bacterium Serratia marcescens was determined. The growth and QS inhibitory effect was evaluated by paper disc diffusion assay. The effect of EOs and components on QS-regulated prodigiosin biosynthesis was also studied. The results of our study indicated that some of the investigated EOs influenced the development and the QS-based activity of S. marcescens. Oregano and thyme oils showed the most pronounced antibacterial effect and had the strongest anti-QS potential. From the main oil compounds the phenolics, eugenol, carvacrol and thymol, proved to be efficient growth inhibitors. While eugenol and carvacrol had also a strong negative influence on AHL-mediated QS-systems in low concentrations, thymol was not effective in QS inhibition. Keywords: essential oils, quorum-sensing, prodigiosin."

As of 2022, there has been little research done on the Romanian examples of participatory budgeting. This paper aims to provide an overview of the evolution of participatory budgeting in Romania, focusing on a descriptive analysis of how this particular form of participatory politics has been implemented in the country. To this end, we look at the 11 Romanian cities where participatory budgeting programs have been put in place, how these programs are financed compared to local budgets, and what instruments of interfacing with and involving the wider public were used in each case. This analysis is done using data collected from each city's participatory budgeting platform.

Assessing the attractivity and accessibility of the Romanian airports. The research examines the changing dynamics of Romanian airports within the framework of European air transport deregulation and the subsequent "open skies" policy. A basic accessibility assessment method was applied, which involved weighting destinations according to their relative significance. The results highlight the dominance of certain airports and the limited competition for global hubs. The study concludes by emphasizing the need for detailed airport analysis to develop an attractiveness model specific to Eastern-Central Europe, incorporating economic, geographic, demographic, political, and infrastructure factors.
Keywords: accessibility, weighting, ranking, competition, airport.

"The purpose of this research is to examine the cognitive schemas activated in sexual situations as mediating factors in the relationship between endometriosis symptoms and sexual distress. N=173 women diagnosed with endometriosis, who had a sexually active status during data collection, took part in the research. The survey consisted of a demographic data sheet, the ENDOPAIN-4D, the Questionnaire of Cognitive Schema Activation in Sexual Context and the Female Sexual Distress Scale - Desire/Arousal/Orgasm questionnaires. The results of the Structural Equation Modeling technique indicate that the mediation model does not show a good model fit with our data. We do not see this explanatory power regarding the relationship between pelvic pain and sexual distress sexual, or between bowel pain and sexual distress. Based on the complex indirect effect, maladaptive cognitive schemas mediate the relationship between pain during sexual intercourse and sexual distress, as well as the relationship between other symptoms of endometriosis and sexual distress. Keywords: endometriosis symptoms, maladaptive cognitive schemas, sexual distress, structural equation modeling"

"The Evolution of Cluj Fortress from Extramuros Area and the Imprint of the Geosite in the Geographical Landscape of Cluj-Napoca City. Cluj Fortress was built by the military garrison of the Habsburg Empire to have a defensive role in tragic periods. The site of its location was chosen possibly due to morphology, the presence of landforms developed on sandstones and conglomerates which led provided conditions for living and development in that place. The evolution of the area from extramuros to intramuros was shaped by the living necessities that the military garrison had to satisfy. By entering the area beyond the walls, "the world down there", they had access to the means of satisfying their needs, to the necessary substance and energy exchange. The emergence of miserable households, mere holes in the slope, was possible due to the geological structure. They had a negative impact on the geographical landscape, due to the negative look of the slope, but also because of the precarious living conditions of the inhabitants of that area. The development of communities including disfavoured people determined miserable living conditions, while they tried to survive in different manners. By means of the used methodology, the paper highlights the evolution of Cluj Fortress since ancient times until today, and to emphasize the importance of the Fortress site from a scientific and anthropogenic point of view, by means of the geomorphosite inventory list. Keywords: evolution, Fortress, extramuros / intramuros, sandstones and conglomerates, geosite, geographical landscape, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. "

"Introduction: Previous research investigating the relationship between social support and depression in the LGBT+ community yielded mixed results. Considering that the LGBT+ population has a high prevalence of mental disorders and is frequently victim of discrimination, it would be essential to know if social support is related to the depressive symptoms its representatives face. The main purpose of this meta-analysis was to clarify whether there is a correlation between social support and depression in the LGBT+ population and to identify moderators of this relationship. Methods: EBSCO, PubMed, and PsychNET databases were searched. Studies that reported statistical indicators for the relationship between social support and depression in an LGBT+ sample were included in this meta-analysis. Results: 48 studies were eligible for the meta-analysis. Our results show that there is a significant negative moderate relationship between social support and depression in the LGBT+ community. The heterogeneity of the results in the literature is partially explained by the way social support was defined and measured, by gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicity. Limitations and implications of the current study are discussed. Discussion: Practical implications of these results include promoting social support, and acceptance at individual and social levels, with more emphasis on policies and practices that foster well-being and a positive climate, that encourage information sharing, and offering support related to LGBT+ issues. It is also important to create safe spaces for sexual minority youth. Considering the LGBT+ adults, all these aspects can be implemented as well in work contexts, to promote safe spaces and accepting attitudes in the workspace. Keywords: LGBT+, depression, depressive symptoms, social support, meta-analysis."

"The Norwegian Cabin in Christian Valeur's Steffen tar sin del av ansvaret. The purpose of this article is to provide an analysis of the representation of the hytte or the Norwegian cabin in Christian Valeur's 2009 novel Steffen tar sin del av ansvaret ("Steffen Takes His Share of the Responsibility"). Discussing the topos of the hytte, I seek to show how the novel offers a commentary on the Norwegian cabin tradition in the context of the climate crisis in particular and, more generally, on the paradoxical ideas of closeness to nature through consumerism. Drawing on Ellen Rees's study about cabins in Norwegian literature (2014) and understanding this locus as a heterotopia (Foucault 1986), I discuss how the cabin ironically loses its value of being an "environmentally friendly" form of dwelling, and therefore cannot accomplish its potential role as a heterotopia of compensation. On the other hand, the cabin becomes a place of refuge and self-reflection for the narrator and therefore functions as a heterotopia of crisis. Finally, I suggest we can read the novel in relation to the hyttebok ("cabin book") conventions, underlining the satirical and subversive nature of the novel towards ecological attitudes in Norwegian society. In this way, I aim to propose a new interpretation of the novel as a work of climate fiction. Keywords: Norwegian cabin, heterotopia, Christian Valeur, hyttebok, climate fiction."