Valahia University of Targoviste

The Cândești necropolis is currently the largest excavated Bronze Age necropolis in Romania, with approximately 800 graves. Notably, one grave from an earlier phase of the Monteoru culture (c. 2200–1850 BC) contained a remarkable necklace composed of 22 perforated gastropod shells and a metal pendant. Our investigation adopted an integrated approach, including taxonomic identification, taphonomic, technological and functional analyses, experimental studies, and physico-chemical investigations (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy) of the pigment traces present on the shells’s surface. For the metal pendant, X-Ray Fluorescence analysis was conducted to ascertain its elemental composition. The combined analysis yielded unexpected insights: the shells, belonging to the genus Conus, originated from the Mediterranean region. The perforations were not the result of anthropic intervention; rather, they were the result of natural processes, indicating that the shells were collected from thanatocoenoses. The shells were assembled into the necklace using a thread colored with a red pigment. The perforations show signs of prolonged use, suggesting that the necklace was not only a funerary offering. In conclusion, our study indicated that these exotic shells were collected post-mortem already perforated through a rubbing process in the seashore sediments, transported to the site from a distance, and prior to the death of the owner, had been previously worn as personal adornment before being deposited as grave goods.

This paper examines how educational management can support and sustain the teaching vocation in contemporary schools. Building on established motivational theories, including those of Maslow, Herzberg, and Deci and Ryan, together with recent Romanian research, the study argues that vocation should be understood not only as a personal trait, but also as a valuable organizational resource. When teachers experience trust, recognition, and appropriate working conditions, their intrinsic motivation becomes more stable and more visible in daily practice. The paper proposes a simple theoretical model that links two central dimensions: the teacher’s internal motivation—expressed through autonomy, competence, and perceived meaning—and the external environment shaped by school leadership. Supportive, fair, and inspirational management strengthens these internal drivers, encouraging teachers to remain engaged, resilient, and professionally fulfilled. In contrast, a lack of managerial support can gradually weaken the sense of vocation, leading to lower motivation, reduced involvement, and declining educational quality. The paper concludes that leadership focused on collaboration, respect, and continuous development creates a climate in which teachers can grow and maintain their commitment to the profession. Future research should investigate how different managerial practices influence teacher motivation, vocational identity, and overall school performance

In the context of accelerated digital transformation, organizations increasingly operate as complex systems in which strategic decision-making is challenged by uncertainty, data heterogeneity, and bounded rationality. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into organizational processes is therefore redefining how decisions are supported and enacted. This study develops and validates an integrated conceptual model that explains how trust in AI-based decision support systems (AI-DSSs), data transparency and quality, perceived usefulness, and ease of use influence decision-making efficiency and the intention to adopt AI-DSS in complex organizational contexts. The empirical analysis is based on a questionnaire survey administered to 324 respondents from Romanian organizations operating in IT, services, industry, and public administration. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) implemented in SmartPLS 4. The results show that data transparency and quality strongly enhance trust in AI-DSS (β = 0.784, p < 0.001). Trust positively influences both perceived usefulness (β = 0.229, p < 0.01) and perceived ease of use (β = 0.482, p < 0.001), confirming its role as a key psychological enabler of favorable technology perceptions. Furthermore, perceived ease of use significantly affects perceived usefulness (β = 0.597, p < 0.001). Regarding adoption-related attitudes, perceived usefulness (β = 0.352, p < 0.001), trust (β = 0.311, p < 0.001), and perceived ease of use (β = 0.135, p < 0.05) exert significant positive effects on the intention to adopt AI-DSS, which in turn demonstrates a strong association with decision-making efficiency (β = 0.544, p < 0.001). By extending traditional technology acceptance models (TAM) with AI-specific dimensions—namely transparency, data quality, and trust—this study contributes to the literature on decision-making in complex systems and offers practical insights for organizations seeking to improve decision effectiveness through AI-based support.

This study examines how sustainability accounting practices are integrated into a Romanian medium-sized enterprise in the context of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), addressing the lack of applied evidence from Central and Eastern Europe. The research uses a qualitative single-case study design based on internal documents, ESG and financial reports, carbon accounting data, and six semi-structured interviews with key organizational actors. The methodological framework includes mapping ESG data flows within accounting systems, applying an extended Return on Investment (eROI) model, and using an internal carbon price to assess the environmental benefits of energy-efficiency investments. The results show a structural transformation of the accounting function, including expanded sustainability-related roles, integration of ESG indicators into budgeting and reporting cycles, and improved transparency in evaluating investment projects. The use of analytical tools strengthened decision-making, increasing the assessed return of the investment portfolio when environmental and operational co-benefits were incorporated. The analysis also identifies key barriers—fragmented data systems, limited ESG expertise, and partial digitalization—and enabling factors such as CFO leadership and cross-functional collaboration. The study concludes that accountants play a strategic role in operationalizing CSRD requirements and demonstrates how SMEs can integrate financial, environmental, and operational metrics to support sustainability-oriented decisions. The findings provide theoretical contributions and practical guidance for organizations seeking to improve sustainability accounting in line with EU regulations.

Abstract Medical tourism is attracting increasing interest, particularly from wealthier countries, as certain destinations offer high-quality healthcare services at significantly lower costs. Defined as a combination of leisure travel and medical treatment, this field is being transformed by digitization. This study explores how health systems function in this context, the evolution of medical tourism, the benefits of digital platforms, and highlights successful examples of platform implementation.

Abstract The Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), standardized in IEEE 802.1D, has served as the foundational loop-prevention mechanism in bridged Ethernet networks for over three decades. Despite its widespread adoption, STP exhibits significant limitations with respect to convergence time, bandwidth utilization, and scalability that are increasingly incompatible with the demands of modern enterprise and data center networks. This paper presents a structured comparative analysis of five major Layer 2 protocols in the STP lineage: STP (IEEE 802.1D), Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP, IEEE 802.1w), Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP, IEEE 802.1s), Shortest Path Bridging (SPB, IEEE 802.1aq), and Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL, RFC 6325). The analysis is conducted along four primary dimensions: convergence time, scalability, operational complexity, and security considerations. Drawing exclusively on peer-reviewed literature, IETF/IEEE standards, and published operational benchmarks, the paper concludes with a structured evaluation of the relevance of these protocols in Software-Defined Networking (SDN) environments and modern Ethernet fabric architectures, proposing a conceptual decision framework for protocol selection.

Abstract The broomcorn millet grains ( Panicum miliaceum ) analysed in this study, recovered from Morteni tell (Romania), represent one of Europe’s largest archaeological millet deposits (150 kg). Originally attributed to the Chalcolithic period (Gumelniţa culture), radiocarbon dating revealed a significantly later context (361 cal BC – 61 cal AD (95.4%)), placing the grains in the Late Iron Age - Latène, when millet was an established staple in the region. The uncharred, desiccated grains exhibited uneven preservation: while some retained isotopic values akin to fresh millet, others showed evidence of nitrogen loss due to diagenesis. High δ 15 N values point to intensive manuring, highlighting millet’s agricultural significance during the Iron Age. Combining isotopic data with FTIR-ATR analysis allowed the detection of diagenetic impacts and underscored the importance of cross-disciplinary approaches in archaeobotanical studies. These findings demonstrate the necessity of radiocarbon dating and integrated analyses to avoid misinterpretations based on stratigraphy alone and to enhance the reliability of data on ancient crop use and significance.

This community-engagement program aimed to strengthen the Selulung Jagaditha Livestock Group in Selulung Village (Kintamani, Bangli) by introducing manure-fermentation techniques for chickens and cattle and by training members to calculate production costs. The widespread use of raw manure as fertilizer has led to environmental nuisances—large fly populations and unpleasant odors—and can reduce soil quality due to elevated ammonia levels. The project applied a participatory approach combining lectures, step-by-step tutorials, hands-on practice, and group discussions. Field results indicate that fermenting 100 kg of chicken manure yielded about 85 kg of organic fertilizer at a total production cost of IDR 224,626, or IDR 2,643 per kilogram. Beyond producing higher-quality organic fertilizer and mitigating environmental impacts, the program improved farmers' ability to compute production costs and set appropriate selling prices. The intervention contributes to sustainable farming practices and aligns with ESG targets, notably Responsible Consumption and Production (ESG 12) and Life on Land (ESG 15). Keywords: Chicken Manure, Fermentation, Production Cost, Sustainable Agriculture, ESG.