Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai
Not a member yet
8263 research outputs found
Sort by
LEGITIMATION CRISIS OF CAPITALISM IN ROMANIA: SOCIAL DYNAMICS AND IDEOLOGIZED KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION
Full text linkThis paper aims to investigate the discrepancy between the disaffected public perception of capitalism in Romania, as it emerges from past and current sociological survey data, and the construction of Romanian society as a social totality within mass media, the political sphere, and the social sciences. My argument is that these three spaces of knowledge production function according to ideologized criteria meant to stabilize capitalism in Romania and generate a distorted framework of understanding past and current social dynamics[1].
[1] This text has been elaborated and presented within the Socialist Vision Group, a network of public intellectuals focusing on researching capitalist transformations in Romania and articulating critical insights into social, political and economic processes
GOLD NANOPARTICLES FUNCTIONALIZED WITH ANTICANCER BIOCOMPOUNDS: DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF Associated Professor MARIUS IULIU SĂLĂJAN (1952-2004)
No full textThe focus of this work is on the functionalization of gold nanoparticles, GNPs, with doxorubicin, D, an anticancer drug, both in the absence and in the presence of natural adjuvant biomolecules, like piperine, P, resveratrol, R, resveratrol-piperine, RP, complex, and icariin, I, which are therapeutic molecules with demonstrated anticancer and anti-inflammatory activity, to form highly stabilized colloidal dispersions. The green syntheses of GNPs, as cores, loading self-assemblies of various selected biomolecules, adsorbed on their surface, as shells, was confirmed by observing surface plasmon resonance at about 538 nm. Further, gold nanoparticles stabilized by resveratrol, GNP-R, are functionalized with various concentrations of selected biomolecules: D, P, R, RP, and I, resulting in different D/P/R/RP/I@GNPs-R composite nanoparticles for various compositions. Another series of stabilized colloidal dispersions is generated as GNP-R1, where the initial GNP-R is centrifuged and washed and then it is dispersed in aqueous solutions and further functionalized with said selected biomolecules. This study proves the functionalization of GNPs, as composite nanoparticles of high stability, in the presence of phosphate buffer saline, PBS, as confirmed by UV-Vis spectra of their colloidal aqueous dispersions
GREEN SYNTHESIS OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES USING „GALIUM VERUM” L. AQUEOUS EXTRACT AND EVALUATION OF ITS ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY
Full text linkThe development of cost-efficient and sustainable methods for the synthesis of nanomaterials still remains a scientific challenge. The aim of this study was to investigate the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using aqueous extract of Galium verum L. (GV) as a potential source of biomolecules able to reduce the silver ions and stabilize them. Reaction parameters such as concentrations of AgNO3, extract to AgNO3 ratio, temperature, pH, and reaction time were optimized. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles (GV-AgNPs) using different parameters was monitored by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results showed the presence of functional groups that act as reducing agents and stabilize the GV-AgNPs. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) confirmed that the particles were round-shaped with a diameter of about 25 nm. The GV-AgNPs show different antimicrobial activity depending on the type of sample and depending on the microbial strain tested
THE MOLECULAR AND SUPRAMOLECULAR STRUCTURE OF Mn(4,4’-DIAMINOBIPHENYL)₂ (NCS)₂ (EtOH)₂: DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF Professor RODICA MICU-SEMENIUC, whose contributions to science and education within the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of Babeş-Bolyai University were longstanding and far-reaching. She was, and still continues to be, an inspiration for all of us.
No full textThe title compound was prepared from MnCl2 · 4 H2O in the presence of KSCN and 4,4’-diaminobiphenyl (DABPh), using ethanol as a solvent. The complex was thoroughly characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The coordination mode of the SCN⁻ anion (i.e. Mn – NCS vs. Mn – SCN) was investigated, and it was found that in the solid state the manganese(II) ion is coordinated by two SCN⁻ ligands N-bonded to the metallic center. The coordination sphere around the metal also contains two DABPh and two ethanol molecules. The supramolecular structure of the complex is held together by several O – H ··· N and N – H ··· S hydrogen bonds. These interactions build up a 3D grid with the Mn atoms positioned in the corners of an 8.548 Å x 13.809 Å x 14.622 Å parallelepiped
PHYTOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND BIOACTIVITY ASSESSMENT OF AETHIONEMA SCHISTOSUM WITH A FOCUS ON ENZYME INHIBITION AND ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL
Full text linkThe study examines the antioxidant, antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, and antiobesity properties of the 80% methanol extract prepared from the aerial parts of Aethionema schistosum, a plant widely distributed in certain regions. The extract was evaluated in vitro for its inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase (antidiabetic), α-amylase (antidiabetic), pancreatic lipase (antiobesity), and pancreatic cholesterol esterase (antihyperlipidemic) enzymes. It exhibited moderate α-glucosidase inhibition (99.15±0.04%) compared to acarbose (56.94±3.88%). The DPPH radical scavenging activity of the extract at a concentration of 2 mg/ml was measured at 80.50±1.23%. This value is considered close to the inhibitory effect of ascorbic acid, which was recorded at 90.60±0.29% at the same concentration. The extract\u27s total phenol (74.73±4.76 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid (42.80±2.25 mg QE/g) contents were measured, and chlorogenic acid was identified as a major compound via HPLC. This is the first study to analyze the phytochemical composition and enzyme inhibitory effects of A. schistosum. Further research is needed to isolate its bioactive compounds and assess its therapeutic potential through diverse in vitro and in vivo models, highlighting its potential in drug discovery efforts
Hospitality on a Leash: A Study of the Online Visibility, Availability and Distribution of Pet-friendly Accommodations in Romania
Full text linkHospitality on a Leash: a Study of the Online Visibility, Availability and Distribution of Pet-Friendly Accommodations in Romania. The present paper explores the growing phenomenon of pet travel within contemporary tourism, focusing on the preferences of dog owners and the operational implications for hospitality and destination management. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature and empirical data from Romania, the paper examines the emotional, logistical, and structural factors shaping pet-inclusive travel, emphasizing both opportunities and challenges. A central theme is the disconnect between increasing demand and the pet-friendly infrastructure in destinations. The study provides an analysis of the spatial distribution of pet-friendly accommodations across Romanian counties using publicly available data from major travel platforms. Uneven patterns are revealed: while urban centers and major tourist destinations dominate in absolute numbers, true inclusivity remains rather localized and fragmented. Four county typologies emerge based on the intersection of total accommodation numbers and promoted pet-friendliness, pointing to both strategic opportunities and infrastructural gaps. Despite Romania’s rising domestic pet travel demand, it still lags behind many EU countries in terms of online-listed pet-friendly options. The paper concludes by advocating for a systemic, ethical approach that balances economic potential with environmental sustainability and animal welfare, framing pet travel as part of broader cultural geographies of mobility, inclusion, and human-animal relations
THE CASE FOR ROMANIAN AUTOFICTION. LOVE & ANXIETY IN THE NEOLIBERAL WORLD IN RADU VANCU’S AND SAȘA ZARE’S NOVELS
Full text linkThe Case for Romanian Autofiction. Love & Anxiety in the Neoliberal World in Radu Vancu’s and Sașa Zare’s Novels. The origins of autofiction encapsulate this literary species in a postmodernist ethos. Nevertheless, the 2000s generation of Romanian writers developed an appetency for autofiction that exposed the questioning potentialities of self-narration towards the contemporary neoliberal status-quo. Being called a hybridization between metarealism and miserable realism (Mihai Iovănel) or an extension of the neoliberal novel (Adriana Stan), theories highlight its ambiguous, volatile, almost non-specific character. However, in the case of Romanian contemporary literature, two post-2000s novels engage in polemics regarding the way in which individuality, memory and trauma are revisited through autofiction, using metadiscourse, biography, and fictive discourse. Radu Vancu’s Transparența (Transparency) and Sașa Zare’s Dezrădăcinare (Uprooting) are exponential in understanding autofiction’s main strategies of narration. This paper examines how autofiction evolved after the 2000s generation of self-narrators, trying to question how this literary species fits or challenges the neoliberal political context. Being easy to portray a relative cause for autofiction’s focus on individual or social motifs, this paper will dwell into how the self and the interhuman erotic relationships are exposed in the prior mentioned novels. In the second part of the study, an in-depth analysis of Transparența will examine how sensibility, eroticism, and anxiety are handled in an introvert autofictional way (Florina Pîrjol), where the decentralisation of self is dealt with maximalist strategies. Finally, Sașa Zare’s autofictional innovations will portray how the extrovert side evolved in the neoliberal context, proposing a new form of authenticity, where the self and queer eroticism are expressed towards an integrated communitarian audience.
REZUMAT. Cazul autoficțiunii românești. Iubire & anxietate în lumea neoliberală în romanele lui Radu Vancu și al Sașei Zare. Originile autoficțiunii prezintă această specie literară ca parte a unui ethos postmodernist. Cu toate acestea, generația 2000-istă de scriitori români a dezvoltat o apetență pentru autoficțiune care a pus la îndoială potențialitățile narațiunii de sine față de un status-quo contemporan, neoliberal. Numită drept o hibridizare între metarealism și realism mizerabilist (Mihai Iovănel) sau o extensie a romanului neoliberal (Adriana Stan), teoriile sale emergente au punctat caracterul ambiguu, volatil și lipsit de specificitate al autoficțiunii. Pe de altă parte, in cazul literaturii române contemporane, două romane post-2000-iste construiesc o polemică referitoare la modul în care individualitate, memoria și trauma sunt revizitate prin autoficțiune, folosind metadiscurs, discurs biografic și fictiv. Transparența de Radu Vancu și Dezrădăcinare de Sașa Zare sunt exponențiale pentru înțelegerea strategiilor autoficționare de narare. Această lucrare examinează evoluția autoficțiunii după generația 2000-istă, încercând să chestioneze modul în care această specie literară se mulează ori provoacă cadrul politic neoliberal. Fiind ușor de construit o cauză relativă pentru care autoficțiunea se concentrează pe motive individualiste sau sociale, această lucrare va investiga cum sinele și relațiile erotice interumane sunt expuse în romanele menționate. În cea de-a doua parte a studiului meu, o analiză mai îndeaproape a romanului Transparența va examina cum sensibilitatea, eroticul și anxietatea sunt jonglate la nivel introvertit (Florina Pîrjol), acolo unde descentralizarea sinelui este redată prin strategii manieriste. În sfârșit, inovațiile autoficționale ale Sașei Zare vor portretiza cum latura extrovertită a evoluat într-un cadru neoliberal, propunând o nouă formă de autenticism, unde sinele și erotica queer sunt exprimate către un public integrat narativ.
Cuvinte-cheie: autoficțiune, roman neoliberal, ficțiune biografică, roman post-2000-ist, erotică, autobiografie.
Article history: Received 24 June 2025; Revised 11 August 2025; Accepted 31 August 2025; Available online 24 September 2025; Available print 30 September 202
L’UTILISATION DE L’EKPHRASIS DANS LA CONSTRUCTION DU PORTRAIT DE L’ARTISTE. VINCENT QU’ON ASSASSINE (MARIANNE JAEGLÉ)
Full text linkThe Use of Ekphrasis in the Construction of the Artist’s Figure. Vincent qu’on assassine (Marianne Jaeglé). The following study focuses on the use of the ekphrasis in the portrayal of the main character and in the construction of the narrative structure in the case of the novel Vincent qu’on assassine by Marianne Jaeglé. The main hypothesis is that the ekphrasis goes beyond its canonical function, as descriptive element, and serves other roles. We focus on its narrative and chronotopic purposes as the element that creates the frame of the story, the space of virtual dialogue between characters and the background needed for the artistic vision of Vincent Van Gogh. One by one, we analyze the situation in which the Greek concept shapes the space of conflict, of ideas exchange, of death and of an imaginary, subjective reality. As a methodological approach, we use the concept of intermediality to prove that there is a strong connection between literature and the transposition of visual arts in the narrative structure. The main conclusion of the study is that Marianne Jaeglé’s book is fundamentally based on the use of ekphrasis and the character cannot be separated from the novelistic depiction of his canvases because that is the central element, the one that gives coherence to the entire plot.
REZUMAT. Utilizarea ekphrasis-ului în construcția portretului artistului. Vincent qu’on assassine (Marianne Jaeglé). Prezentul studiu se concentrează asupra utilizării ekphrasis-ului în construcția portretului personajului principal și în cea a structurii narative în cazul romanului Vincent qu’on assassine de Marianne Jaeglé. Ipoteza principală este aceea că ekphrasis-ul își depășește funcția sa canonică, de element descriptiv, îndeplinind și alte roluri. Ne concentrăm asupra utilizărilor sale narative și cronotopice, devenind astfel un element ce conturează cadrul romanului, spațiul de dialog virtual între personaje și fundalul necesar expunerii viziunii artistice a personajului-pictor Vincent Van Gogh. Rând pe rând analizăm exemple în care conceptul grec modelează spațiul conflictual, cel al schimbului de idei, al morții și al unei realități imaginare, subiective. Ca demers metodologic, folosim intermedialitatea pentru a dovedi că există o strânsă legătură între literatură și transpunerea artelor vizuale în structura narativă. Principala concluzie a studiului este aceea că volumul autoarei franceze este construit în jurul ekphrasis-ului, iar personajul nu poate fi separat de reprezentarea romanescă a picturilor sale, deoarece aceasta este elementul central, cel care dă coerență universului ficțional.
Cuvinte-cheie: ekphrasis, intermedialitate, roman ekphrastic, construcție personaj, funcție narativă.
Article history: Received 5 April 2024; Revised 15 July 2025; Accepted 20 August 2025; Available online 24 September 2025; Available print 30 September 202
Considerations Regarding Vocal Technique and Style in Various Treatises from the 17th Century
Full text linkThe early 17th century witnessed the establishment of Italian vocal art, that would become a reference point for other vocal idioms and the source of bel canto. Italian singers and their art were considered examples worthy of imitation, numerous German or French sources referring to the vocal mastery of the Italians. The present study aims to present several European treatises of the 17th century — Italian, Spanish, German, and French — gradually revealing the evolution of European vocal art, from the early Baroque and its seconda prattica, to the final decades of the century, marked by the growing dispute between the Italian and French style and vocal technique. Throughout the study, similarities and differences are pointed out, revealing that the requirements regarding vocal technique are rather similar for all the singing idioms. What distinguishes the various schools of singing are aspects related to the particularities of the language, that also leads to the adjustment of certain technical demands. Secondly, questions regarding style or the execution of ornaments seem to set the Italian and French vocal idioms apart. The present article represents the first part of a research that is dedicated to the analysis of various historical sources of the 17th and 18th centuries — as valuable milestones for the establishment of the great 19th century singing methods. Historically informed performances require the singer to become acquainted with the historical period to which a particular composition belongs, its treatises and other theoretical sources of the period, eventually arriving to a better understanding of the score and a more accurate construction and delivery of the vocal discourse. Finally, the authors wish to emphasize that the historical sources referred to in the current study represent only a small portion of the theoretical writings of the period, and that the chosen works were considered representative for the current research — but not necessarily the most important
THE VIOLIN MINIATURE ON THE BORDER OF THE 20TH-21ST CENTURIES: ON THE PROBLEM OF CYCLIZATION
Full text linkThe miniature is a conceptual genre of musical culture that performs its cultural-forming and socio-cultural functions within a small form. At the turn of the centuries, the tendency to combine miniatures into cycles is spreading, and therefore the problem of studying the principles of cyclization and stylistic features of violin miniature cycles becomes relevant. The aim of the research is to consider the principles of cyclization of violin miniatures at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries on the example of creative work by Ukrainian composers. The cyclic compositions by Yuriy Ishchenko, Yevhen Stankovych, Valentyn Sylvestrov, Lyudmyla Shukailo, and Oleksandr Stanko have been analyzed. As the result of the research, the miniatures cycles classification, stipulated by their content, has been proposed: 1) the cycles with signs of program nature, which does not limit the composer’s imagination to a specific direction of images; 2) the genre sketches with specification of images in the title; 3) the composer’s musical diary – the author’s own thoughts and impressions; 4) the cycles of compositions generalized as a “school of playing” – with artistic and methodological functions