Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad

Early socio-emotional development in children is significantly influenced by the quality of the attachment relationship and by the way parents manage children’s negative emotions. The present study aims to analyze the relationship between parents’ attachment styles and their ability to respond to the negative emotions of preschool-aged children. The research has a non-experimental, cross-sectional design and was conducted on a sample of 48 parents of children aged between 3 and 6 years, recruited from preschool educational institutions in the municipality of Lugoj. Data were collected through an online questionnaire using two psychometric instruments: the Adult Attachment Scale (AAS), used to assess attachment styles, and the Coping with Children’s Negative Emotions Scale (CCNES), used to evaluate parental responses to children’s negative emotions. The results of the Pearson correlation analyses indicate the existence of statistically significant relationships between attachment styles and parental responses. Secure attachment was negatively correlated with punitive reactions, suggesting a lower likelihood of using punishment-based strategies in managing children’s emotions. In contrast, the anxious–ambivalent attachment style was positively associated with punitive reactions and with the minimization of negative emotions. In addition, parental distress reactions were strongly correlated with punitive and minimizing reactions, indicating that parents’ emotional regulation difficulties may influence their response strategies to children’s emotions. On the other hand, encouraging emotional expression was associated with parental responses focused on emotion and on problem-solving. The results highlight the importance of parental attachment style in the development of children’s emotional regulation competencies and support the need for educational interventions and parental counseling programs aimed at promoting secure attachment.

Socio-emotional development represents an essential dimension of contemporary education, while non-formal education provides valuable contexts for fostering these competencies. This study investigates parents’ perceptions regarding the role of non-formal activities in supporting the socio-emotional development of primary school students. The research is based on a quantitative approach and involved the administration of a structured questionnaire to a sample of 53 parents whose children participate in various non-formal educational activities. The results indicate that, according to parents’ perceptions, participation in non-formal education is associated with improvements in social interaction, cooperation, emotional expression, and self-confidence. At the same time, the perceived impact varies depending on the type and frequency of activities as well as the child’s individual characteristics. Overall, the findings highlight the potential of non-formal education to complement formal learning and to support the holistic development of students.

Drawing on digital agency theory, expectancy-value frameworks, and self-regulated learning perspectives, this study proposes and tests a moderated mediation model explaining students' intentions to use AI. Using data from 673 university students, we examined whether sense of positive agency (SOPA) predicts intention to use AI indirectly through perceived value and perceived benefits of AI, and whether these pathways are conditionally shaped by sense of negative agency (SONA). Conditional process analysis (PROCESS Model 59) showed that SOPA had no direct effect on intention to use AI (b = 0.013, p = 0.882). Instead, its influence was fully indirect and conditional. SOPA predicted perceived value and perceived benefits of AI only at moderate to high levels of SONA, with significant SOPA × SONA interactions for both mediators (p = 0.040). Perceived value strongly predicted intention to use AI (b = 0.385, p < 0.001), and this relationship was amplified at higher levels of negative agency (b = 0.138, p = 0.002). In contrast, the effect of perceived benefits on intention weakened as SONA increased (b = -0.125, p = 0.005), becoming non-significant at higher levels of negative agency (Johnson-Neyman point ≈ 2.99). The final model explained 50.4% of the variance in intention to use AI. Overall, the findings indicate a conditional appraisal mechanism: as negative agency increases, perceived value becomes a stronger predictor of intention, whereas the motivational contribution of perceived benefits weakens and becomes non-significant beyond the Johnson-Neyman threshold. These results support an agency-aware account of AI adoption focused on how cognitive appraisals relate to intention under different perceived agency orientations, without implying ethical reasoning or moral deliberation processes not measured in this study.

Background/Objectives: Adequate hydration is essential for health; however, water consumption behaviors are influenced not only by physiological needs but also by hydration knowledge and perceptions of drinking water quality. Empirical evidence examining these factors in Eastern European populations remains limited. This study aimed to assess hydration knowledge, water consumption patterns, and attitudes toward drinking water quality among adults in Romania, and to examine their associations with daily water intake and water source preferences. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2024 and November 2025 among adults residing in Romania. Data were collected from 165 participants using an anonymous, self-developed, paper-based questionnaire administered in person to adult patients attending routine visits in four primary care clinics in Arad, Romania, using a convenience sampling approach. The questionnaire assessed sociodemographic characteristics, hydration knowledge, water consumption behaviors, and attitudes toward drinking water quality. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, correlation analyses, and multivariable linear and logistic regression models were applied to identify factors associated with daily water intake, adequate hydration (≥2 L/day), and bottled water consumption. Results: Hydration knowledge was moderate overall and was significantly associated with education level and gender. Higher hydration knowledge was positively correlated with daily water intake (r = 0.21, p = 0.006) and was independently associated with higher intake and adequate hydration (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.10–1.49; p = 0.002). Greater trust in tap water was also positively associated with daily intake (r = 0.27, p = 0.001) and adequate hydration (OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.12–1.54; p < 0.001). Lower trust in tap water and stronger beliefs regarding bottled water were significant predictors of bottled water use as the primary drinking water source. Education level emerged as a consistent predictor across multiple hydration-related outcomes. Conclusions: Hydration knowledge and perceptions of drinking water quality are key, modifiable factors associated with water consumption behaviors. Educational strategies integrated into primary care and transparent communication regarding tap water safety may support adequate and sustainable hydration among adults.

Wrestling is a physically and mentally demanding combat sport that requires discipline, focus, and emotional control. Although its physiological effects are well documented, its psychological benefits in adolescents remain underexplored. This study aimed to examine whether a short-term, non-competitive wrestling program could enhance psychological well-being, reduce sport anxiety, and strengthen resilience in adolescent boys. Thirty sedentary male adolescents (aged 12–15 years) were randomly assigned to a wrestling training group (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). The intervention consisted of six weeks of supervised wrestling sessions performed three times per week. Psychological well-being (WHO-5), sport anxiety (SAS-2), and resilience (BPRS) were assessed before and after the intervention using the validated Turkish versions of the scales. Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA was used to analyze group × time interactions. Participants in the wrestling group demonstrated significant improvements in well-being (p < 0.001) and resilience (p < 0.001), alongside marked reductions in total sport anxiety and its subdimensions (p < 0.001), compared with the control group. All effects were large (ηp² = 0.52–0.94). A structured six-week wrestling program produced meaningful psychological benefits in adolescent boys. Regular participation in non-competitive wrestling may serve as an effective approach to promote well-being, emotional stability, and adaptive coping skills during early adolescence, supporting the preventive and developmental role of combat sports in youth mental health. Effects of wrestling training on psychological well-being, anxiety, and Resilience in Adolescent Boys. NCT07193121, Date: 12-09-2025.

The acceptance of, perceived advantages to, and skepticism toward the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in undergraduate education is investigated in this paper. In this study, a total of 675 students from six Romanian universities answered a self-administered online questionnaire evaluating three main aspects: AI acceptance, AI benefits, and AI skepticism. While AI skepticism has a modest but substantial negative influence (β = −0.113, p = 0.001), results show that AI benefits favorably predict AI acceptance (β = 0.541, p = 0.001). Whereas AI skepticism negatively correlates with AI acceptance (r = −0.124, p = 0.001), correlational analysis reveals a high positive association between AI acceptance and AI benefits (r = 0.544, p = 0.001). Despite concerns about its limitations, the regression model suggests that students’ willingness to embrace AI in education is mostly driven by its perceived advantages. This explains 30.8% of the variance in AI acceptance (R2 = 0.308, F(2, 641) = 142.909, p &lt; 0.001). These results highlight the importance of techniques that improve perceived benefits while addressing uncertainty since they offer insightful analysis of student attitudes regarding artificial intelligence integration in higher education. By guiding policy decisions and educational activities meant to maximize AI-driven learning environments, this study adds to the current conversation on artificial intelligence adoption in education.

Efficient Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) techniques play a vital role in optimizing energy extraction from photovoltaic (PV) systems, primarily due to the high sensitivity of photovoltaic panel (PVP) characteristics to varying environmental parameters, including ambient temperature and solar irradiance. Conventional MPPT methods generally depend on identifying and following reference points, which are extracted from variables closely related to the Maximum Power Point (MPP) on the external current-voltage characteristics of PVP. In response to the limitations inherent to traditional approaches, this study proposes an advanced lookup table strategy to generate highly accurate reference values explicitly as functions of measured ambient temperature and solar irradiance. Initially, this research employs the two-diodes electrical circuit model to rigorously define the foundational relationships between ambient temperature, irradiance, and photovoltaic panel performance. Subsequently, contemporary advanced extraction methods based on recent academic literature were applied, enabling accurate identification of the MPP coordinates. Creating an effective lookup table requires comprehensive and detailed experimental datasets, which are often insufficient or unevenly distributed in practical scenarios. To address this challenge, the Shepard global interpolation method was integrated into the model development process, effectively mitigating datasets limitations through accurate interpolation of missing data points. This approach significantly elevates the precision and robustness of MPPT models. A comprehensive case study, conducted with real-world experimental datasets, rigorously validated the accuracy and reliability of the proposed interpolation-based lookup table. The results confirm substantial enhancements in MPPT accuracy, facilitating greater energy extraction efficiency and improved overall performance in practical photovoltaic applications. DOI: 10.61416/ceai.v27i4.9541

HighlightsWhat are the main findings?Male sex, older age, higher daily screen time, prior attempts to quit, and using the internet mainly for gaming were independent predictors of problematic internet use among Romanian adolescents.The model explained 43% of the variance in Internet Addiction Test (IAT) scores, highlighting distinct high-risk profiles.What are the implications of the main findings?School-based screening and targeted interventions should prioritize older male students, heavy users, and those primarily engaged in gaming.Findings provide culturally specific evidence from Eastern Europe to inform adolescent digital-health policies and preventive programs.Background: Problematic internet use among adolescents is linked to poorer mental health, academic performance, and social functioning, yet evidence from Eastern Europe remains limited. Methods: We conducted a school-based cross-sectional study at a Romanian high school (Arad County) including 308 students aged 15–18 years (154 males, 154 females). Students completed a demographic/behavioral questionnaire and the 20-item Internet Addiction Test (IAT), a widely used measure of problematic internet use. The prespecified primary analysis was a multivariable linear regression of IAT score on sex, age group, residence, daily screen time, prior attempts to reduce use, and main internet purpose; supporting analyses included t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation (α = 0.05). Results: In bivariable comparisons, males, older adolescents (17–18 years), and urban residents reported higher IAT scores; screen time correlated with IAT (r = 0.460, p < 0.001), and prior reduction attempts were associated with higher scores (Cohen’s d = 0.80). In the adjusted model, male sex (β = 4.97), older age (β = 5.36), greater daily screen time (β = 1.67 per hour), prior attempts to reduce use (β = 4.13), and primarily using the internet for gaming (β = 5.71) remained significant predictors (all p ≤ 0.045); urban residence was not retained (p = 0.218). The model explained 43% of IAT variance (R2 = 0.43). Conclusions: Demographic and behavioral factors independently predict adolescent problematic internet use, highlighting high-risk profiles (older males, heavy screen time, gaming focus, prior reduction attempts). These findings support school-based screening and targeted digital-health interventions in underrepresented contexts.

¿Podría resumir su trayectoria personal, ante todo la académica? Nací en Arad, una ciudad del oeste de Rumanía, el 5 de diciembre de 1973. Nunca investigué si las estrellas me eran o no favorables, aunque estuve tentado de hacerlo en varias ocasiones, recordando el inicio del Dichtung und Wahrheit de Goethe: “La constelación era feliz: el Sol en el cenit estaba bajo el signo de Virgo, Júpiter y Venus lo miraban amistosamente, Mercurio no se oponía; Saturno y Marte eran indiferentes; solo la Luna, que precisamente estaba llena, ejercía el poder de su reflejo, tanto más cuando había llegado su hora planetaria. Por esta razón se opuso a mi nacimiento, que solo pudo producirse después de que hubiese pasado esa hora”. Acceder a la entrevista completa

The increasing proliferation of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) in civilian, commercial, and potentially malicious contexts highlights the urgent need for practical, low-cost, and environmentally sustainable counter-drone solutions. Current technologies, such as radio-frequency jamming, directed energy weapons, mechanical nets, or kinetic projectiles, each provide partial responses but face significant limitations when confronted with drone swarms, cost constraints, or ecological impact. This study introduces a conceptual model based on the controlled dispersion of a cloud of biodegradable sticky microfibers designed to entangle UAV propellers and halt flight. The proposed approach emphasizes scalability—addressing multiple drones simultaneously—together with sustainability, by employing cellulose-based or biodegradable polymeric fibres coated with natural adhesive compounds. A theoretical multi-layer fibre system is outlined, adapted for different altitude ranges, from lightweight fibres for low-altitude drones to denser micro-ribbons for higher-altitude scenarios. Comparative analysis suggests that this eco-friendly method could complement existing counter-drone technologies by offering a low-cost and swarm-capable alternative. However, limitations are acknowledged, particularly regarding meteorological sensitivity, effective dispersion at high altitudes, and safety concerns related to civilian environments. Future research directions include experimental testing of candidate materials, optimization of fibre properties, and integration into broader civil airspace security systems. This work does not present an engineering prototype but rather seeks to stimulate academic discussion by opening an original research direction in sustainable counter-drone defence.