This paper aims to measure the quality of all Romanian cities’ websites in 2019 and 2022, before and after the disruptive event of COVID-19. Since the official websites are the core instrument of e-governance, the changes in the quality of Romanian cities’ websites reflect the changes in the development of urban e-governance in Romania. The COVID-19 lockdowns and contact restrictions and the moving of most activities into the online environment had the potential to impact the performance of Romanian cities’ websites (...) significantly and catalyze the progress of local e-governance. The quality of Romanian cities’ official websites was measured using an adapted survey instrument proposed by Holzer and Kim and Manoharan, Melitski, and Holzer. The tool covers five critical criteria of website quality or performance: personal data security, usability, content, services, and citizen participation. The research results may seem contrary to expectations: the improvements of websites have been incremental rather than transformational. Although our research provides only a case study, we may assert that the reform of traditional administration remains a step-by-step process. Our study’s main contribution consists in showing that the progress of e-governance is an incremental process even in a situation of emergency that requires the moving of most activities into the online environment. (shrink)

Pensando a figura “folclórica” do Saci, a proposta deste texto visou dar forma a tantas ideias soltas, hipóteses formuladas ao longo de anos de suposições sobre a dinâmica de nossa identidade, brasileira, filtrada pelo saber popular, expressa pela indústria cultural. Também buscou-se explicar as transformações do personagem, visto como produto manipulado assumido pelo exercício de transposição de tradições transmitidas oralmente, mas que foram apropriadas como oficiais por meio de longo processo de filtragem de narrativas escritas e ilustradas, e assim, transformadas (...) em mercadorias hoje incorporadas no contexto nacional. Pesou ainda a consideração do sutil constructo da memória coletiva como atributo integrante da requalificação do novo perfil brasileiro, na era da globalização, colocando temas amplos acima de questões de: gênero, classe, credo e principalmente de condição social. (shrink)

Review of Mihaela Frunză, Tematizări în eticile aplicate. Perspective feministe (The- matizations in Applied Ethics. Feminist Perspectives), (Cluj-Napoca: Limes Publishing House, 2009), 168p.

In the first part of this text, the author includes a synthesis of Mircea Eliade and Ioan Petru Culianu’s thoughts regarding the actuality of ancient mythologies and their camouflaged presence within the cultural, political, social, and entertainment practices of the contemporary human being. The main idea of this text is that the Eliade-Culianu paradigm of the myths’ interpretations is of actuality because, in the first place, does not deceive the specific of mythology and explains myths through myths. The text then (...) presents the author’s ideas regarding the camouflaged presence of certain mythological phantasms within the games of the quotidian. Basically, these phantasms refer to the social mythologies reactivated in the world after September, 11, 2001, to mythological content of the neighborhood subcultures’ practices, as well as to the need of reinventing the “black sheep”. The author also mentions the mythological sequences disguised in a successful book - The Da Vinci Code - or in the extravagant car promotions in the contemporary Occident. (shrink)

Starting as a scientific presentation of the phenomenon of cloning, in which etymology, the definitions and some already classical examples are emphasized, this paper actually focuses on a less discussed perspective in nowadays debates on cloning. Thus, the paper aims at showing which are (if any) the mythical-religious structures of cloning, certainly without ignoring the social consequences, the advantages and disadvantages and the juridical effects of cloning. Discussing Mircea Eliadeís novella Les trois graces, the purpose of explaining the subtle reactivation (...) of ancient mythical-religious phantasms by the means of a contemporary scientific experiment such as cloning is reached. (shrink)

The paper attempts at analyzing the bases of interreligious dialogue in the West, as well as the forms of its successful or failed implementation in Romania. The author reviews the causes of the Western recent preoccupation towards the Oriental (especially Indian) religions. Then, he approaches the question of interreligious dialogue from the Romanian perspective, looking for the specific elements that transforms the framework. Thus, he firstly analyzes the failed forms of the interreligious dialogue (that are the stereotypical discourse, the missionary (...) and the proselytism), paying a special attention to the case study of MISA. Finally, he interprets Mircea Eliade’s writings on India as a successful and fruitful dialogue between two cultures and two religions. (shrink)

In this text, the problem of tolerance is discussed in the light of recent works of Umberto Eco and Stefan Afloroaei. The author argues that in the case of tolerance, the success lies not in tolerating the other, (not even in the weaker sense of the word), but rather in accepting him. The acceptance of the Other is the complete and powerful meaning of tolerance. Accep- tance ends where the very presence of the concept of tolerance is undermined and compromised (...) by its history of colonialism and exploitation. Therefore, the primary solution to understand and apply tolerance is the recognition of alterity, in an inner and outer meaning alike. (shrink)

An analysis of the Delos capital makes it possible to outline a method of argumentation (based on the traces preserved on the surface of the eye) in favour of hypotheses about the methods of tracing the external and internal spirals. Based on these methods, an attempt has also been made to identify the Vitruvian indications. We have analysed the integration of the spiral in the composition of the whole facade of several Hellenistic Ionic capitals (from Halicarnassus, Priene, Magnesia on the (...) Meander, Didymes, Sardis and Delos) and a fortiori of the capital described by Vitruvius, having in view the width (D), the height of the volute (G), the height of the interior tangent of the volute (N) and the secondary diagonal (Ds). The constant, so to speak, utilisation was established of pentagons as important elements of the geometrical support in the architectural composition. Thus, the presence of a "common denominator" in the internal geometry of these capitals argues strongly in favour of a research procedure on the internal — geometrical — support of the composition of Ionic capitals. (shrink)

MPZL3 is a nuclear‐encoded, mitochondrially localized, immunoglobulin‐like V‐type protein that functions as a key regulator of epithelial cell differentiation, lipid metabolism, ROS production, glycemic control, and energy expenditure. Recently, MPZL3 has surfaced as an important modulator of sebaceous gland function and of hair follicle cycling, an organ transformation process that is also governed by peripheral clock gene activity and PPARγ. Given the phenotype similarities and differences between Mpzl3 and Pparγ knockout mice, we propose that MPZL3 serves as a signaling hub (...) that is regulated by core clock gene products and/or PPARγ to translate signals from these nuclear transcription factors to the mitochondria to modulate circadian and metabolic regulation. Conservation between murine and human MPZL3 suggests that human MPZL3 may have similarly complex functions in health and disease. We summarize current knowledge and discuss future directions to elucidate the full spectrum of MPZL3 functions in mammalian physiology. (shrink)

Background As Korean neonatal nurses frequently experience the deaths of infants, moral distress occurs when they provide end-of-life care to the infants and their families. Although they need to care for the patients’ deaths and consequently experience burnout and turnover due to moral distress from the situation, there is a lack of a support for nurses. Moreover, not much information is available on the moral distress of neonatal nurses. There is a need to better understand Korean neonatal nurses’ moral distress (...) to develop and implement appropriate supports. Objective This study aimed to describe nurses’ experience of moral distress when they provide end-of-life care to infants and their families in neonatal intensive care units. Research design This is a secondary analysis qualitative study. Content analysis was performed based on Corley’s theory of moral distress to develop a codebook and identify themes regarding moral distress among the nurses. Participants and research context Qualitative data were collected from 20 nurses working in two NICUs in Seoul, South Korea. Ethical considerations The original study obtained permission from a university’s institutional review board (IRB). This secondary analysis study obtained the exemption from another university’s IRB. Nurses’ participation was voluntary and confidential. Findings The nurses’ moral distress was derived when they faced moral constraints and/or moral conflicts. Two distinct categories of moral constraints and four distinct categories of moral conflicts were identified among the neonatal nurses. In addition, impacts of moral distress on patients and nurses were identified. Conclusions This study identified occasions neonatal nurses experience moral distress, and thus can guide in developing and implementing effective interventions to decrease their moral distress and improve their resilience in end-of-life care by providing insight into neonatal nurses’ needs for support in end-of-life care. (shrink)

Nicu Gavrilutã, Miscãri religioase orientale. O perspectivã socio-antropologicã asupra globalizãrii practicilor yoga Ed. Provopress, Cluj-Napoca, 2006.

Nicu Gavriluţă, România în Starea Bardo: publicistică şi dialoguri culturale (Romania in the Bardo State: Journalistic Writings and Cultural Dialogs) Provopress, Cluj-Napoca, 2006.

Nicu Gavrilta - Hermeneutica simbolismului religios. Studii si eseuri Editura Fundatiei AXIS, Iasi, 2003.

Editura Polirom, Iasi, 2000, prefata de Moshe Idel, pp. 188.

In this article, I imagine a scene in Plato’s cave where Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari encounter Pinocchio, the most famous puppet. I want to examine the forms of resistance created by the expressions of the Body Without Organs during the process of Pinocchio’s formation and bring together the elements that undermine the pedagogical causality established between telling a lie and the elongation of the nose to show that a different reading of The Adventures of Pinocchio is possible. I hope (...) to achieve this reading by demonstrating the constant conflict of the two logics in The Adventures of Pinocchio: the logic of punishment and the logic of symptoms. This research can also be read as preparing a possible strategic escape plan for Pinocchio, Deleuze and Guattari for a permanent escape from Plato’s cave. (shrink)

Over the past several decades in which access to abortion has become increasingly restricted, parents' autonomy in medical decision‐making in the realms of fetal care and neonatal intensive care has expanded. Today, parents can decide against invasive medical interventions at gestational ages where abortions are forbidden, even in cases where neonates are expected to be seriously ill. Although a declared state interest in protecting the lives of fetuses and newborns contributes to justifications for restricting women's autonomy with regards to abortion, (...) it does not fully explain this discrepancy. We believe that social portrayals of women as complying with or shirking their reproductive function play a major role in explaining it. The growing divide between a woman's rights as a reproductive being and as a parent suggest that abortion restriction is rooted in a historical societal desire for women to serve as reproducers and in the corresponding fear of them abandoning this allotted role in pursuit of social equality. The Dobbs v. Jackson (2022) decision is not based in a view of abortion as a medical act occurring between a doctor and patient, as Roe v. Wade (1973) did, but decision‐making about fetal therapy or NICU care is still viewed as occurring between a doctor and patient or surrogate because in this act a woman is seen as fulfilling her role as mother. (shrink)

Članak se bavi etičkim značajem prihvaćanja transcendencije svake osobe. Autor zagovara sljedeće teze: transcendentna antropologija je pozitivan čimbenik personalizma; povreda solidarnosti je fundamentalno zlo; apofatička antropologija je realistički nazor; trebamo izbjegavati ekstremne pozicije po pitanju identiteta: nihilističke ili neutralističke s jedne, te nekritičko prihvaćanje i njihovo okoštavanje s druge strane; ispravan pristup identitetima je kritički realizam i dijaloški univerzalizam; princip dubljeg identiteta je duh; transcendentna antropologija je pozitivan čimbenik solidarnog stava. Autor zaključuje da stav transcendentne antropologije nudi dobru pozadinu za (...) otvorenost prema drugome, za odnosni i solidarni stav, kao i za živuće tradicije. Nadalje, nudi također i dobre temelje za kulturnu i intelektualnu razmjenu, za odgovornu toleranciju radikalno drukčijeg i za osjećaj potrebe za bivanjem izloženim utjecaju drugih. (shrink)

Rashad Rehman, Nipa Chauhan and Rebecca Greenberg argue that beneficent paternalism should be integrated into shared decision-making in the NICU to maximize the patient’s best interests.

In 2015, the ATS/AACN/ACCP/ESICM/SCCM published an official policy statement about responding to requests for potentially inappropriate treatments in intensive care units. The Multiorganization Statement aims to provide guidance for clinicians to prevent and manage disputes about patients with advanced critical illness. Recommendations 2 and 3 focus on terminology and suggest an alternative set of words to define and to help manage medical futility. Recommendations 1 and 4 focus on conflict resolution strategies and the development of new policies or legislation about (...) when life-prolonging technologies should not be used. Schneiderman and colleagues have written an... (shrink)

Sandu Frunzã, Nicu Gavrilutã and Michael S. Jones (Eds.) The Challenges of Multiculturalism in Central and Eastern Europe. Provopress, Cluj Napoca, 2005.

V tomto článku analyzuji virální video Přemluv bábu, které mělo ambice zasáhnout do voleb do Poslanecké sněmovny Parlamentu České republiky v roce 2010. Ke klipu přistupuji z pozice kritické diskurzivní analýzy (CDA), pracuji především s předpoklady, koncepty a analytickými nástroji Normana Fairclougha, který pomáhal CDA rozvíjet a v akademickém poli prosadit. Tvrdím, že klip Přemluv bábu těží z pružnosti, respektive uhýbavosti postmoderního diskurzu, což mohlo smysl jeho výpovědi i její naléhavost spíše oslabit a znečitelnit než podepřít. Demonstruji na příkladech a (...) snažím se identifikovaným ambivalencím porozumět s ohledem na kontext intertextový, interdiskurzivní, situační a socio-politický. (shrink)

-- kn. 2. Materinskai͡a ėtika-nasha edinstvennai͡a nadezhda -- kn. 4, ch. 2. Ėnergeticheskai͡a diagnostika materialisticheskikh znaniĭ -- kn. 5. Ėnergogenez (ėnergetizm,, neproblema zhizni) -- kn. 6, ch. 1-2; ch. 4. Zametki ėnergetista o religii materializma -- kn. 8, ch. 1. Zhivitelʹnyi̐ rodnik ėnergetizma.

Příspěvek je zamyšlením nad proměnami sebepojetí logiky v závislosti na proměnách obrazu světa a kosmologii. Pro Platóna jde o uspořádání bludných cest v nitru, přičemž vzorem jsou zde dokonalé dráhy planet – mikrokosmos se má uspořádat podle vzoru makrokosmu. Jistým vrcholem tohoto pojetí je Aristotelés, pro něhož je zákon vyloučeného třetího základním principem vůbec a platí tedy nejen pro dokonalý nadměsíční, ale je východiskem i pro zkoumání podměsíčního světa. Proměny sebepojetí logiky v novověku lze chápat i na základě toho, že (...) kosmos je od Descarta chápán především jako res extensa a pro zkoumání takového kosmu se „hodí“ spíše matematika. Na druhé straně zde velmi vlivně působí Kantův kopernikánský obrat, který bychom metaforicky mohli shrnout tak, že dráhy planet se řídí podle drah našeho myšlení. Po zpochybnění kantovské představy o jednotnosti a univerzálnosti racionality je tak ve 20. století legitimována stále se rozrůstají pluralita logických systémů. (shrink)

Příspěvek je zamyšlením nad proměnami sebepojetí logiky v závislosti na proměnách obrazu světa a kosmologii. Pro Platóna jde o uspořádání bludných cest v nitru, přičemž vzorem jsou zde dokonalé dráhy planet – mikrokosmos se má uspořádat podle vzoru makrokosmu. Jistým vrcholem tohoto pojetí je Aristotelés, pro něhož je zákon vyloučeného třetího základním principem vůbec a platí tedy nejen pro dokonalý nadměsíční, ale je východiskem i pro zkoumání podměsíčního světa. Proměny sebepojetí logiky v novověku lze chápat i na základě toho, že (...) kosmos je od Descarta chápán především jako res extensa a pro zkoumání takového kosmu se „hodí“ spíše matematika. Na druhé straně zde velmi vlivně působí Kantův kopernikánský obrat, který bychom metaforicky mohli shrnout tak, že dráhy planet se řídí podle drah našeho myšlení. Po zpochybnění kantovské představy o jednotnosti a univerzálnosti racionality je tak ve 20. století legitimována stále se rozrůstají pluralita logických systémů. (shrink)

The doctors were frustrated. They could see only two options. Neither was very desirable. They could stop the ventilator and let the baby die. Or they could do a tracheostomy and start preparations to discharge him on a ventilator. The parents wanted a third option. They kept hoping that their baby would get better. The doctors were pretty sure that that wasn't going to happen.

We describe a case of parents refusing a tracheostomy for an otherwise healthy newborn. The refusal was not honored because permitting the refusal would have violated state law, which required a child to have a qualifying condition (e.g. a terminal diagnosis, permanent unconsciousness, incurable condition with severe suffering) to remove or withhold life-sustaining treatment. However, this case strained the relationship between the parents and medical staff, who worried about sending the newborn home with a tracheostomy where she was not wanted. (...) While many ethical issues arise in treatment refusal cases like this, we focus on the opportunity for ethicists to help the medical staff reflect on the technological alienation of the parents, which may help foster empathy, reduce moral distress, and strengthen the quality of the doctor-parent-patient triad. (shrink)

Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and medical intensive care units (MICUs) are both very expensive. The cost-effectiveness of NICUs has been extensively evaluated, as has the long-term outcomes of subpopulations of NICU patients. NICU treatment is among the most cost-effective of high-tech interventions. And most patients do well. There are fewer evaluations of cost-effectiveness in the MICU and almost no long-term outcome studies. Policymakers who scrutinize expensive high-tech interventions would do well to study the examples found in the (...) NICU. (shrink)