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This study investigates the metaphor of the wall in the Hebrew Bible as a complex theological and anthropological symbol, deeply rooted in the cultural framework of the ancient Near East. Walls are not merely defensive structures, but markers of sacred space, social identity, moral boundaries, and divine presence. Drawing on key biblical texts such as Joshua 6, Nehemiah 2-6, Isaiah 26, Ezekiel 13, and Zechariah 2, the paper explores how walls function both as instruments of divine protection and as expressions of ...

The rural landscape of Southern Italy is the result of centuries of interaction between natural resources and human practices. In the areas between Basilicata and Apulia, livestock farming was central from the Middle Ages until the early 20th century, shaping a territory organized around transhumance. This seasonal movement of herds across long distances required an articulated system of infrastructures, including tratturi (routes), masserie (farmhouses), and jazzi (sheepfolds). These elements formed a cultural an...

Land-art, as an art movement that started in the USA in the 1960s is also known as Earth art or environmental art. Is Land-art installation on golf courses more than just decoration of space? Is these Land-art returning to the ethos of protest? These questions are connected with purpose of this case study: A demonstration of how Land-art can be adapted for non-traditional spaces, such as golf courses. The methodological and practical issues surrounding the creation of new spaces for land art are demonstrated in th...

This paper presents an intersectional project where I, as an academic, connect transmission between a research project and my artistic pursuits—both as an academic and as an amateur artist. Over the past three years, I have been writing a book about the effects of maritime disasters on rural farming communities along Iceland’s Southeast Coast. Due to the lack of natural harbours an sandy coastline and lack of natural harbours, farmers relied on open rowboats for fishing under dangerous conditions, making these...

My study presents the theme of perceptions of adolescents regarding tobacco and alcohol use in Romania. I analyze the phenomenon nationally and internationally. The hypothesis of this study are related to the knowledge of the risks associated with consumption, combating stereotypes and myths associated with consumption and the degree of information on diseases that can occur as a result of consumption. The research is quantitative. The instrument used is the questionnaire. The results show that young people are ge...

In the era of digital interconnectedness, the proliferation of deep fake technology, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), has emerged as a pressing concern, particularly on social media platforms. This bibliometric review undertakes a comprehensive exploration of AI-generated deep fakes, drawing insights from an analysis of 99 articles sourced from the ISI Web of Science database. The study examines the challenges and complexities associated with the creation and dissemination of deepfakes. Moreover, the revie...

Alexis Preller’s mural Discovery (1959–62), commissioned in 1959 for the Nicol Conference Hall in central Pretoria, offers a visually striking interpretation of the historic discovery of the sea route around Africa in the late 15th century. This impressive oil painting skillfully combines historical narrative with symbolic artistry. It draws inspiration from the era of Portuguese navigators and explorers, such as Vasco da Gama, as well as the rich diversity of the African continent. This period marked a signif...

This paper offers a case study-based analysis of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) implemented in the museums located in the city of Brasov, Romania. Through direct, on-site observation conducted in several key cultural institutions within the city, the study examines the types of digital tools used in museum environments. The research focuses on how technologies such as interactive displays, digital kiosks, virtual tours, and mobile applications contribute to visitor accessibility, and educationa...

This paper addresses the interface between neuroscience and its prospective applications within the domain of human resources (HR). Given the escalating prominence of digital platforms in contemporary recruitment, comprehending how users perceive and process online job-related content is increasingly pivotal for optimising recruitment strategies. The present study aims to scrutinise the visual attention of prospective job applicants as they engage with employers' websites. This paper sets out the findings of a stu...

True crime has long been a subject of both public fascination and scholarly inquiry, particularly within the field of sociology, which has examined this phenomenon extensively over time. Despite its disturbing nature, true crime remains a highly relevant topic due to its increasing prevalence in contemporary society. Cases range widely—from instances of filicide (n. the killing of one’s son or daughter) committed by minors to crimes of passion driven by jealousy, and seemingly inexplicable acts of violence per...

This paper investigates the enarees, a group of Scythian diviners described by ancient authors as „effeminate” or androgynous men afflicted by a „female disease” sent by Aphrodite-Argimpasa. Drawing on Herodotus, Pseudo-Hippocrates, and other classical sources, as well as comparative evidence from Near Eastern and Indo-Iranian cults, the study examines the religious and symbolic significance of this phenomenon. Rather than a physiological condition, the enarees’ feminization is interpreted as a form of s...

This paper investigates the role and evolution of Anglicisms in Romanian intelligence discourse, focusing on their linguistic adaptation and operational significance. The research is grounded in a lexicographic project initiated with the publication of a bilingual English–Romanian intelligence dictionary and currently expanded through the development of a second, annotated dictionary offering semantic, contextual, and functional explanations. These resources serve as both corpus and analytical framework for iden...

Radiology, a field continually evolving is currently experiencing transformative advancements. This paper explores the present state and future projections of the radiology market, emphasizing the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR). With the proliferation of diagnostic equipment and increasing examination numbers, the radiology market demonstrates substantial growth potential. Projections indicate a surpassing of $12 billion for the MRI market by 2030. AI, particularly through machine le...

This practice-led, design-based research presents the development and early evaluation of "Anya and a Thousand Fish," a bilingual (Russian-English) picture book with a digital and printable resource ecosystem. The research explores how a bilingual picture-book ecosystem may create conditions supportive of cultural sustainability and socio-emotional engagement within bilingual family contexts. Art, narrative, and digital scaffolding support cross-language literacy and facilitate reflective dialogue. Methods include...

Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen-AI) is redefining both the creation of art and the interpretation of cultural heritage. In this paper, we conceptualise AI in a dual role: (1) Art Historian, using AI to reconstruct, reimagine, and annotate historical artworks; and (2) Artist, using AI to produce novel machine-native aesthetics that challenge traditional notions of style and authorship. We review recent advances in diffusion models, neural style transfer, and vision–language systems that enable these capab...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a central strategic factor in contemporary international relations, influencing both cooperation mechanisms and the dynamics of hybrid conflicts. This article analyzes the dual role of AI—as a conflict prevention tool and an information weapon—based on the hypothesis that algorithmic technologies constitute a new form of geopolitical power, capable of offering actors who control digital infrastructures significant advantages in shaping the global information environment...

This study evaluates the use of CalcPad, a free and open source computational tool, in civil engineering education. The aim was to examine its influence on students’ understanding of engineering concepts and their problem-solving efficiency. CalcPad provides transparent symbolic and numerical calculations, automatic formatting, and professional report generation, making it suitable for courses that require structured mathematical reasoning. A survey was conducted among 35 undergraduate and graduate students who ...

The article examines ecological competence as an integrated ability that combines knowledge about living nature, practical skills, a value-based attitude towards the environment, and is aimed at solving environmental problems and promoting sustainable development ideas in society. The methodological basis of the study is grounded in a combination of several approaches: a systemic approach, which provided a holistic analysis of the interrelationships between the components of the educational process and project act...

The article analyses the importance, content and impact of social workers' assistance to families of convicted persons on family well-being, especially when the family faces emotional, social, economic and interpersonal challenges during the period of imprisonment. The main forms of assistance are discussed – informational, emotional, mediation and reintegration – and their significance in ensuring family functioning and strengthening internal resources. The theoretical basis is the model of family systems, cr...

This paper explores the profound and enduring influence of the Bible in the development of modern phraseology in the German, English, and Macedonian languages. As one of the most translated and influential texts in human history, the Bible has shaped not only religious and moral thought but also the idiomatic and metaphorical structures of European languages. Through comparative linguistic and cultural analysis, the study identifies and interprets biblical idioms and phraseological units that remain present in con...

The Icelandic art community is a small, interconnected group that often presents challenges for newcomers, especially those lacking formal training, established contacts, or family ties in the field. This paper adopts an autoethnographic approach to explore how an emerging artist in rural Iceland constructs her identity and develops her brand. Although the findings may not be broadly generalizable, they provide a detailed case study illustrating how an enthusiastic amateur artist shapes her identity. Storytelling ...

The aim of this study is to offer some psychological reflections on the work of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, physician and renowned writer, one of the leading figures in European theatre at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Our work will, which draws on the Fusco method, focus in particular on the short story Fat and Thin, first published in 1883 and followed by a second version published in 1886, analysing how the themes of loneliness and alienation, recurrent throughout Chekhov’s work, reflect the human and...

This paper explores the dynamic and evolving relationship between capital and artistic composition, revealing how shifts in economic structures have historically influenced the creation, distribution, and perception of art. Drawing from interdisciplinary research in economics, cultural theory, sociology, and art studies, the article traces the transformation of art from a symbolically autonomous practice to a financially integrated mechanism within capitalist systems. Through historical analysis, spanning from the...

The aim of this paper is to explore the theoretical foundations of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), as a digital variant of traditional existing money. We present the characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of Central Bank Digital Currencies in the current context of financial digitalization. We also distinguish them from cryptocurrencies, which are virtual currencies issued in a decentralized manner by private entities. In addition, we examine how different countries are approaching CBDC implementat...

This paper presents the issue of ceramics created in Lubycza KrГіlewska, Siedliska and Potylicz (ukr. Potelych), three towns located on the current Polish-Ukrainian borderland. It mainly discusses the history of the establishment and further fate of the manufactory in Lubycza KrГіlewska, which is the most documented of those three places. It operated at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and brought to life one of the most interesting examples of pottery in this part of the modern day Poland. This article sh...

The transition of young people from the child protection system to adult life represents an especially vulnerable stage, marked by significant social, economic, and psychological challenges. The absence of family support networks, limited access to housing, restricted integration into the labor market, and persistent social stigma are among the most frequent difficulties encountered during this process of gaining independence. This study aims to explore these challenges and to identify and analyze best practices i...

This paper examines how chaos and order interact across evolutionary and cellular biology and the visual arts, proposing that creativity in both natural and artistic systems emerges from their dynamic tension. It presents a collaborative project in which a robotic drawing machine and a human painter co-created artworks, representing structured and unpredictable processes respectively. By comparing biological mechanisms such as mutation and repair with compositional strategies in visual art, the study positions cha...

This paper investigates the potential of character design in digital games as a medium for the preservation and reinterpretation of cultural heritage, using Slavic mythology as a case study. Despite its rich symbolic meaning and narrative complexity, Slavic mythology remains underrepresented in the global video game industry. By engaging with mythological deities, heroes and supernatural creatures from Croatian traditions, this research demonstrates how digital art practices can revitalize neglected cultural narra...

Contemporary society, marked by axiological instability, cultural conformity and growing social pressures, needs a repositioning on the moral values axis, in which character education is an essential factor of moral and personal resilience of the young people of generations Z and Alpha, born in the era of digital technology, high-speed internet, artificial intelligence, digital assistants and augmented reality. The article analyzes the formative role of character in young people's ability to resist the destructive...

The research aims at offering insight into the meaning of institutionalization from the perspective of users of accommodation in a home for adults with mental disabilities. The users were prompted to offer an opinion about their life in the institution and about the advantages and disadvantages of living in a home for them. The research uses a qualitative methodology of the semi-structured interview. 23 participants participated in the research. The interviews were transcribed and processed by means of thematic an...

Our study analyses the representation of childhood in the works of art by Marc Chagall, Jean Dubuffet and Gian Carlo Riccardi, highlighting how, despite their different styles and approaches, all three artists used this theme for a profound iconographic and psychological exploration. This theme is present in the expressive research of numerous artists who have captured the immediacy, nostalgia and carefreeness of the world of childhood. The methodology is based on the principles of Art and Literature Psychology, w...

Public open spaces (POS) in Serbia’s inherited multi-family housing estates, largely built during the socialist period, are often degraded and fail to meet residents’ needs in the transformed urban environment of post-socialist cities. Although planning laws mandate public hearings, citizen participation remains largely procedural and limited to the planning stage. This study examines four examples from cities of varying sizes and institutional capacities - Belgrade, Niš, and Bor, to explore how citizen engag...

A profound transformation of practice has taken place due to a systematic work to develop information management of the client data in Finnish social welfare for over two decades. The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare has coordinated the work in terms of the requirements for the data systems utilized in the field to be interoperable with the National Kanta Services. Kanta Services are a set of digital services that store citizens' social welfare and health care data. The basis of Kanta Services was created ...

This article explores collective adaptation strategies and emerging forms of social resilience among Ukrainian refugees settled in Bra?ov, Romania. In the context of the war in Ukraine and the resulting humanitarian crisis, the study adopts a real-time sociological approach, focusing on how displaced individuals self-organize, support one another, and develop informal networks of solidarity. Through a mixed-method design, data was collected via structured questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and focus group...

This study examines the educational and technological competencies of societies across European Union countries, aiming to understand their role in supporting socio-economic development in a rapidly changing world. The analysis draws on a comprehensive set of variables that go beyond traditional indicators, incorporating aspects particularly relevant in today’s fast-evolving, digitally driven world—such as lifelong learning, digital skills, and knowledge of foreign languages. Using multidimensional statistical...

This paper analyses the representation of Slovak women in Czech cinema from the interwar period to the present, with a particular focus on transformations after the 1993 dissolution of Czechoslovakia. Combining comparative imagology with feminist film theory and postcolonial perspectives, the study traces recurring imagotypes - from the folklorized, natural girl of the 1930s and the implicitly “Slovak” heroines of the New Wave, through the eroticized figures of the Normalization era, to the explicitly Slovak m...

This study examines the diversity and significance of counseling approaches within the context of early childhood education, emphasizing their role in supporting children, parents, and educators in both preventive and developmental dimensions. The research highlights several forms of counseling—psychological, psycho-pedagogical, educational, informational, supportive, vocational, curricular, crisis, and spiritual—each addressing specific needs and challenges in early learning environments. The main problematic...

The study investigates young Romanians' perception of the international trend known as food porn, based on the hypothesis that, in a predominantly Christian Orthodox cultural context, the term is rejected or avoided, despite intense exposure to digital content of this type. While in socio-economically developed and culturally open countries, the term “food porn” has undergone a process of democratization and normalization, becoming a natural part of visual culture and consumer behaviour, in Romania it continue...

The paper examines the spread of the extensive trade margin of the three Baltic countries: Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. We use the gravity modelling technique including 3 countries of origin, more than 150 countries of destination and a large number of products to empirically estimate which factors were the most important for the spread of the number of export markets in these countries. For our econometric analyzes we take the main gravity model variables, suc...

This scientific publication explores in detail the possibilities of the interdisciplinary approach in geography and history education for the targeted development of key competencies in students. In the modern educational context, where the emphasis is mainly on the acquisition of skills necessary for successful personal and professional development, the integration of knowledge and skills from different subject areas is gaining increasing importance. The presented scientific work analyzes the main theoretical sta...

The European DigCompEdu framework defines teachers’ digital competence across 22 competencies applicable to all school subjects. To determine whether a subject-specific adaptation is necessary for social studies teachers in Bulgarian schools, 32 teachers took part in semi-structured interviews. Their selection followed the methodological framework of a nationally representative study currently conducted in Bulgaria under the SUMMIT project BG-RRP-2.004-0008, funded by the EU through NextGenerationEU. For each of...

This study explores the role of digital upskilling in enhancing SMEs competitiveness in the Eastern Partnership countries, focusing on Moldova and Armenia. Based on 616 adult learner and 106 SME survey responses, the research highlights a major digital skills gap. While over 70% of SME respondents report difficulty hiring staff with practical digital competencies (digital marketing, digital content creation, graphic design, e-project management, digital learning, digital development and literacy), many adult learn...

Culture, art, faith, and popular tradition come together every year on July 2nd in the extraordinary setting of Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Southern Italy. The Feast of the Madonna della Bruna, the Patroness of the city, is a centuries-old celebration that exemplifies both tangible and intangible heritage. Central to the event is the grand Triumphal Cart: an elaborate machine in papier-mache that carries in procession the statue of the Madonna. Each year, this baroque work of art is newly created by lo...

This paper investigates the concept of digital trust within the broader context of public administration’s ongoing digitization, which calls for a critical reassessment of traditional legal frameworks. It examines the legal implications of digital trust, particularly in relation to emerging digital assets such as cryptocurrencies, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), and virtual properties. The study highlights the limitations and gaps in Romanian legislation, offering a comparative analysis with jurisdictions that have ...

Romania's gastronomic heritage reflects a remarkable cultural diversity, rooted in local identities, community history, and the relationship between people, the environment, and seasonal cycles. In the context of globalization and rapid digital transformation, oral transmission and traditional documentation are no longer sufficient for long-term preservation. This article analyses the opportunities and challenges of digitizing Romania's gastronomic heritage, focusing on interdisciplinary, participatory, and sustai...

The purpose for this paper is to present a status of the perception of the Oil and Gas Master Program students, about digitalization (AI) and soft competences, before the pandemic situation and after the pandemic, when the war started near the Romanian border. EU migration, global economic situation, crises and climate change, IT new challenges (global networks), robotics and the new way of human being interaction contribute to a new society, to a new business approach. The question is if our next generation are e...

This article examines the directions and nature of economic cooperation between the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Hungarian People's Republic during the Soviet period, with a particular focus on regional ties and the broader implications of economic relations within the socialist bloc. While operating under the constraints of Soviet ideological control, both countries developed meaningful channels of collaboration that contributed to their internal economic development. This study analyzes archival ev...

Discrimination in the school environment is a major problem with profound implications on the personal and educational development of students. It can take various forms, including racial, gender, ethnic, religious, social, and ability-based discrimination. In this paper, we will analyze in detail the types of discrimination encountered in schools, their causes and consequences, as well as the measures and policies implemented to combat them.In education, it could be said that a student has been deprived of an edu...

Terror Management Theory (TMT) research demonstrates that exposure to mortality salient (MS) content—reminders of death—can influence consumers to prefer high-status brands and effects of MS occur even when MS content is only peripherally present. Peripheral information in Web shopping may have a similar effect: people exposed to MS banner ads should choose high-status brands more often than people who are exposed to non-MS banner ads, especially when they are "banner blind" (i.e., when they do not consciously...

In recent years, Romania has become an increasingly attractive destination for migrant workers from various parts of Asia, particularly countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Nepal, India and Bangladesh. This emerging trend, shaped by global labour mobility and internal demographic shifts, has introduced new dimensions to the local socio-economic and cultural landscape. The presence of Asian workers across multiple sectors, most notably construction, manufacturing, and services, has brought about a dynamic sp...