Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai
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Existence of periodic solutions to fractional p(z)-Laplacian parabolic problems
Get PDFWe consider a class of nonlinear parabolic initial boundary value problems having the fractional p(z)-Laplacian operator. By combining variable exponent fractional Sobolev spaces with topological degree theory, we establish theexistence of a time-periodic non-trivial weak solution.
Mathematics Subject Classification (2010): 35B10, 35K55, 47H11, 35R11.
Received 02 January 2024; Accepted 20 March 2024
Existence results for a coupled system of higher-order nonlinear differential equations with integral-multipoint boundary conditions
Get PDFIn this paper, we establish the existence and uniqueness criteria for solutions of an integral-multipoint coupled boundary value problem involving a system of nonlinear higher-order ordinary differential equations. We apply the Leray-Schauder’s alternative to prove an existence result for the given problem, while the uniqueness of its solutions is accomplished with the aid of Banach’s fixed point theorem. Examples are constructed for illustrating the obtained results.
Mathematics Subject Classification (2010): 34A34, 34B10, 34B15.
Received 13 October 2024; Accepted 10 January 2025
Fumed silica-coated magnetic particles: DNA extraction application
Get PDFTetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) is widely used for preparing magnetic particles in DNA extraction kits, but it poses toxicity and safety concerns. To address this issue, we developed magnetic particles using fumed silica as a safer alternative to TEOS for magnetite particle preparation for DNA extraction. The method effectively extracts DNA from various biological matrices, including urine, serum, saliva, sputum, whole blood, and plasma, without detectable inhibitors. The extracted DNA is suitable for downstream molecular applications such as qPCR and sequencing. The proposed magnetic particles with fumed silica not only reduce chemical hazards but also provide a safer, efficient, and reliable method for routine DNA extraction in molecular biology laboratories.
Article history: Received 15 January 2025; Revised 03 March 2025;Accepted 11 March 2025; Available online 25 June 202
Editorial: Body as a Performing Experiment: Steps Towards Practical Knowledge as a Philosophical Issue
Get PDFThis thematic dossier contains a selection of lectures given by teaching participants at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj during the Blended Intensive Program “Practical Knowledge in Philosophy: Affectivity, Skills, and Knowing-How,” which took place in April and May 2023 and 2024.
The program aimed to highlight a kind of philosophy that, beyond its theoretical impulses, is born out of the need to respond to immediate problems before reflecting on complex structures of reality; it prefers to describe concrete relations to things and everyday activities before theorizing about the validity of some universal laws. Practical knowledge is nonetheless a type of knowledge that can account for its foundation and relate to theoretical discourse. But at its core, practical knowledge remains a mystery of the body situated in the world. The irreducibility of practical knowledge situates the agent in the world, illuminating its embodied dimensions and coordinates. Understanding practical knowledge requires combining different approaches: phenomenological, analytical, and historical-philosophical
Paul Ricœur’s Recovery of Affectivity: Feeling at the Crossroads of Carnal Imagination and the Corporeal Condition
Get PDFThis article examines Paul Ricœur’s conception of the relationship between the affective dimension of experience and imagination’s reproductive force. Specifically, it focuses on Ricœur’s recovery of the affective aspects of human being’s incarnate existence and imagination modeled on representation of absent things based on our previous sensory experiences of the world, as dimensions playing a fundamental role in the generation of actions. Regarding Ricœur’s early phenomenological analysis of the embodied nature of affectivity and imagination, developed in his work entitled Freedom and Nature: The Voluntary and the Involuntary (1950/1960), I will first discuss his understanding of the unity of feeling, imagining, and thinking. More precisely, affectivity, imagination, and thought are mediated through the body’s spontaneous experience as situated in time and space and as exercising a particular point of view about the world. Stemming from Ricœur’s rejection of the naturalistic explanation of volition, these reflections will lead us to consider affectivity and imagination as inseparable from the corporeal limiting factors shaping our decisions. Therefore, the second part of this article will consider the affective and the imaginative components of our experience in the affirming spontaneity of the body in decision-making as involving the necessity to satisfy needs, the apprehension of motives, and the evaluation of objects in the world. The analysis of Ricœur’s phenomenological account of affectivity and imagination will be enriched through the consideration of the resonances of his early ideas in his theory of imagination as presented in his recently published work Lectures on Imagination (1975/2024). Subjected to the rhythm of passivity and activity, closeness and openness, vulnerability and capability, affectivity and imagination configure the framework for our projects and actions, allowing us to foresee future possibilities.
 
La femme dans l’univers de Bernanos : entre tentation et rédemption
Get PDFThe Woman in the World of Bernanos: Between Temptation and Redemption. The article offers an in-depth analysis of the role of female figures in Bernanos’ work, highlighting their ambivalence as symbols of suffering, temptation, and redemption. Tormented by evil and sin, they embody the tragic image of an era marked by major existential and spiritual crises. However, far from being reduced to the demonic or mere agents of evil, they also represent figures of resilience and spiritual regeneration in a world on the path of secularization. Deeply influenced by Catholicism and Carmelite mysticism, Bernanos emphasizes the salvific dimension of women, focusing on the crucial role of suffering and sacrifice as privileged paths to salvation. Oscillating between spiritual aspiration and the failings of the human soul, Bernanos’ characters transcend classical stereotypes and the expectations of a patriarchal society, thus opening a broad field of reflection on the human condition, as well as on the notions of redemption and salvation. Through a poignant style that merges the real and the imaginary, Bernanos provides a complex vision of the feminine condition, denouncing the gradual loss of faith in a world subjected to historical optimism and prevailing materialism.
RESUMÉ : L’article propose une analyse approfondie du rôle des figures féminines dans l’œuvre de Bernanos, mettant en lumière leur ambivalence en tant que symboles de souffrance, de tentation et de rédemption. Tourmentées par le Mal et le péché, elles incarnent l’image tragique d’une époque marquée par des crises existentielles et spirituelles majeures. Toutefois, loin de se réduire au démoniaque ou à de simples agents du mal, elles constituent également des figures de résilience de régénération spirituelle dans un monde en voie de sécularisation. Profondément imprégné par le catholicisme et la mystique carmélitaine, Bernanos valorise la dimension salvatrice de la femme, mettant l’accent sur le rôle crucial de la souffrance et du sacrifice comme voies privilégiées pour accéder au salut. Oscillant entre aspiration spirituelle et défaillances de l’âme humaine, les personnages bernanosiens transcendent les stéréotypes classiques et les attentes d’une société patriarcale, ouvrant ainsi un vaste champ de réflexion sur la condition humaine, ainsi que sur les notions de rédemption et de salut. À travers un style poignant, fusionnant le réel et l’imaginaire, Bernanos offre une vision complexe de la condition féminine, dénonçant la perte progressive de la foi dans un monde soumis à l’optimisme historique et au matérialisme ambiant.
Mots-clés : sainteté, spiritualité, démonisme, tentation, rédemption, bien, ma
Self-deception Beyond Speculation: A Narrative Review of the Empirical Research on Motivated False Beliefs
Get PDFThis narrative review explores the concept of self-deception, departing from its theoretical foundations in philosophy and psychology, and focusing on the pioneering empirical methods used to study it. We first outline key philosophical debates surrounding intentionality and paradoxes surrounding the concept of self-deception and then discuss influential psychological theories. The review covers major paradigms for measuring self-deception, such as the retrospective and forward-looking paradigms for situational self-deception and approaches focused on self-deception as a response bias, trait, or disposition. Our primary aim is to present the outcomes of the limited body of empirical research investigating motivational factors in self-deception, rather than theoretical speculations. We examine studies on both internal motivations (e.g., maintaining self-concept) and external motivations (e.g., deceiving others), highlighting how different motivational contexts influence the likelihood and extent of self-deception. Finally, we examine potential limitations, explore future research directions, and consider the broader implications of focusing on this particular aspect of self-deception, the motivational reasoning
KINETIC MODELING APPROACH TO IN VIVO INTERACTIONS OF CURCUMIN AND CURCUMINOID-PIPERINE MIXTURE WITH QUETIAPINE
Get PDFThis study aimed to develop kinetic models that describe the preclinical drug interaction data between quetiapine, an atypical antipsychotic, and bioactive compounds derived from turmeric rhizome. The potential risk of interaction between these substances could alter the disposition of quetiapine and impact its efficacy. During the development of the kinetic models, first-order kinetic processes were assumed, and several hypotheses were evaluated, including the number of compartments for distribution, the presence of lag time in quetiapine absorption, the presystemic formation of its metabolite, and the relative bioavailability between the study groups. The most accurate models suggest that interactions between quetiapine and curcumin occur primarily at the intestinal level, as the systemic metabolism constant remained unaltered. Conversely, coadministration with curcuminoids and piperine markedly affected systemic metabolism, likely due to hepatic enzyme inhibition, resulting in a 59.6% increase in the relative bioavailability of quetiapine. The developed models successfully integrated data for quetiapine and norquetiapine, both as standalone administration and in combination with curcumin or curcuminoid-piperine bioactive compounds, capturing their disposition within the framework of pharmacokinetic interactions
CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND DETERGENT POTENTIAL OF CHELIDONIUM MAJUS EXTRACTS
Get PDFThe present study investigates the impact of different extraction methods—accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), and maceration on the yield, phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial potential of Chelidonium majus extracts. ASE demonstrated the highest extraction yield (85.7%) and alkaloid content (5.4 mg AE/ml), correlating with enhanced antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans (lowest MIC values: 3.12%, 2.50%, and 6.25%, respectively). UAE resulted in the highest polyphenol content (15.2 mg GAE/ml) and antioxidant capacity (12.8 ± 1.5 µmol Trolox/ml), suggesting its effectiveness in preserving antioxidant compounds. Maceration produced the lowest bioactive compound yield and biological activity. These findings indicate that ASE is optimal for antimicrobial applications, while UAE is preferable for antioxidant-enriched extracts. The results provide valuable insights for optimizing C. majus extraction in pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic formulations
Identity perspectives regarding Israeli-Arab youth participating in voluntary national service in Israel
Get PDFThis article examines the perspective of Israeli-Arab youth regarding their participation in Voluntary National Service (VNS) within the context of Israel\u27s political landscape. VNS is an alternative to mandatory military service to foster social integration and civic responsibility. However, for Israeli-Arab youth, VNS often leads to significant identity conflict, shaped by Israel\u27s characterization as a Jewish and democratic state and ongoing regional tensions. The article identifies various factors contributing to this identity conflict through a comprehensive literature review. The finding offers insights for policymakers seeking to foster a more inclusive environment for Israeli-Arab citizens