RESUMEN
Air pollution is a serious problem in Romania, with the country ranking 13th among the most polluted countries in Europe in the 2021 World Air Quality Report. Despite the recognized impact of pollutants on health, there has been a lack of large-scale studies conducted in Romania. This study investigated the impact of air pollutants on patients with chronic respiratory, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, or metabolic diseases in Bucharest and its metropolitan area from 20 August 2018 to 1 June 2022. The daily limit values for particulate matter PM10 and PM2.5 were exceeded every month, especially during the cold season, with a decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. A significant statistical correlation was found between the monthly average values of PM2.5 and PM10 and hospitalizations for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. A 10 µg/m3 increase in monthly average values resulted in a 40–60% increase in admissions for each type of pathology, translating to more than 2000 admissions for each pathology for the study period. This study highlights the urgent need for national and local measures to ensure a cleaner environment and enhance public health in Romania according to international regulations. © 2023 by the authors.
RESUMEN
In the article, we will present the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the balance between personal life and work at home for 23 European countries. Working from home is the only way for employees to be safe in terms of physical health. Beyond physical health, emotional state is essential for work-life balance. The research aims to highlight the main factors that describe work from home in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data used are taken from the website of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, from the results of the survey, conducted in two stages, between April-May 2020, respectively June-July 2020. To identify the significant factors that describe life for employees working from home, the main component analysis was used based on the selected variables. The main components identified are used in a linear regression model to highlight the relationship between the overall satisfaction of working at home and its negative aspects. The results obtained indicate two levels of negative factors that influence work from home: the common problems that employees had when working from home and those that arose because of COVID-19 pandemic. Apparently, the satisfaction of working from home is negatively influenced by the common problems that employees have when conducting their professional activities in this system. Being a period with a greater psycho-emotional impact on employees, the difficulties they had before working from home were much more accentuated and more visible. Therefore, it is recommended that employers do not put even more pressure on employees, who are overwhelmed by the new way of working. © 2021, Bucharest University of Economic Studies. All rights reserved.
RESUMEN
The underground economy, named also the shadow or the informal economy, or the black market occurs all over the world and varies from state to state, depending on the jurisdiction laws and different tax systems or policies, being difficult to determine its existence and its magnitude in one economy. One sustainable development of an economy is made without the shadow economy. The aim of the article is to expose the dimension of this type of economy, although it is hard to estimate. The performance of public institution, the economic freedom or the GDP per capita represent important factors in order to establish its dimension. The research question is if the COVID-19 pandemic influences the shadow economy. Secondly, it will be exposed the reasons behind the shadow economy, the most relevant activities of this type of economy, like fraud, tax evasion, or illegal drugs or human trafficking. Also, it will be presented the consequences of these illegal activities in order to estimate the relative effects of this type of economy.
RESUMEN
The economic-financial crime is a complex phenomenon, with major impacts at the level of society, business environment, public institutions and it is evolving rapidly, being able to constantly adapt to current realities. The COVID-19 crisis has completely changed aspects of everyday life, but it has had effects on criminal financial behaviour, which seeks new ways to explore the current vulnerabilities of the business environment and institutions. International organizations are on the alert and are constantly looking for new tools to fight the crimes and to counteract the effects, for example Europol has constitute the European Financial and Economic Crime Center. The purpose of this article is to present the methods of financial economic crime that effects the society, the business environment and institutions such as: bribery, corruption, money laundering, fraud, cyber-attacks, the impact and the ways that the offenders adapt to the current realities and during the pandemic COVID-19.