Search Results (28)

Background/Objectives: The family environment exerts a significant influence on the development of weight-related behaviors among adolescents. However, the lack of motivation often leads to failure in sustaining health behaviors, particularly among adolescents with overweight and obesity. This study examined whether parental healthy behaviors are associated with proactive health behaviors among adolescents with overweight and obesity and investigated the mediating roles of adolescents’ self-efficacy and family cohesion in these relationships within Chinese families. Methods: We recruited 4932 adolescents with overweight and obesity aged 10 to 15 in Shandong Province between October and December 2024. Participants completed validated questionnaires assessing parental healthy behaviors, self-efficacy, family cohesion, and proactive health behaviors. We analyzed the data using multilevel regression models and mediation analysis, controlling for key sociodemographic factors. Subgroup analyses were conducted by gender and region level. Results: Both fathers’ (β = 0.442, 95% CI = 0.263, 0.620) and mothers’ (β = 0.525, 95% CI = 0.336, 0.714) healthy behaviors were positively associated with proactive health behaviors among adolescents with overweight and obesity in the adjusted model. Further mediation analysis revealed that adolescent self-efficacy and family cohesion significantly mediated these relationships. Conclusions: This work suggested that parental healthy behaviors were positively associated with proactive health behaviors among adolescents with overweight and obesity. Additionally, higher self-efficacy and family cohesion enhance these associations. The findings offered evidence-based recommendations for creating family-centered interventions targeting adolescents with overweight and obesity. Future research should employ longitudinal designs to understand these relationships better and improve the efficacy of family-based interventions for adolescents with overweight and obesity. Full article

This study examines the impact of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) coordinated development policy on the regional industrial network structure, with a focus on the significance of electricity consumption data in social network analysis (SNA). Utilizing a gravity model integrated with electricity consumption data, this research employs centrality analysis and Lambda analysis to compare changes in the steel industry network before and after policy implementation. The findings reveal that traditional models relying solely on indicators such as population and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fail to comprehensively capture regional economic linkages, whereas incorporating electricity consumption data enhances the model’s accuracy in identifying core nodes and latent connections. Post policy implementation, the centrality of Beijing and Tianjin increased significantly, reflecting their transition from production hubs to centers for research and development (R&D) and management, while Shijiazhuang’s pivotal role diminished. This study also uncovers a “core–periphery” structure in the BTH urban network, where core cities (Beijing, Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang) dominate resource allocation and information flow, while peripheral cities exhibit uneven development. These results provide a scientific basis for optimizing regional coordinated development policies and underscore the critical role of electricity consumption data in refining regional economic analysis. Incorporating electricity consumption data into the gravity model significantly enhances its explanatory power by capturing hidden economic ties and improving policy evaluation, offering a more accurate and dynamic assessment of regional industrial linkages. Full article

Biomimetic restorative protocols aim to preserve natural tooth structure while enhancing restoration longevity. This in vitro study aimed to evaluate the shear bond strength (SBS) in the repair of additively and subtractively manufactured CAD/CAM materials using bulk-fill resin composites and to assess the effect of thermocycling. Forty rectangular specimens (14.5 × 7 × 3 mm) were prepared from Grandio Blocs (GB, VOCO) and VarseoSmile Crown^Plus (VS, BEGO), and thermocycled (5000 cycles, 5–55 °C, 20 s dwell time). All surfaces were roughened with 50 μm Al₂O₃. Samples were repaired using VisCalor (VCB, VOCO) and Charisma Bulk Flow One (CBO, Kulzer) composites (n = 10 per group) with their respective adhesives. Each group was further divided into immediate and post-thermocycling subgroups. All specimens were tested under shear force until failure, and failure types were examined under a stereomicroscope. Representative samples were examined by SEM to evaluate filler morphology. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS v23 (p < 0.05). No statistically significant differences in SBS were found between groups (p > 0.05). Mean SBS values were highest in VS-CBO and lowest in GB-CBO. Cohesive failures were more frequent in immediate groups, while adhesive failures predominated after thermocycling. Bulk-fill composites did not influence the repair bond strength of indirect materials. Thermocycling affected the failure type, though not the SBS values. Full article

The role of high-speed rail (HSR) in facilitating the spatial restructuring of regional and urban networks has long interested scholars and policymakers. This study explored HSR-facilitated city-network evolution in less-developed regions through the example of Jiangxi Province, China. Applying social network analysis methods, the study calculated indicators of network association strength, density, centrality, and cohesive subgroups using HSR passenger flow data from Jiangxi’s counties and cities for the years of 2009, 2014, 2019, and 2024. The quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) method was utilized to measure the factors that influence of HSR passenger flow network in Jiangxi Province. Research on the spatial network structure of HSR passenger flow and its influencing factors to promote the sustainable development of less-developed regions via HSR construction was explored. The main findings are as follows: Jiangxi’s city-network structure experienced a substantial increase from 2009 to 2024 in network properties, including the degree of association, network density, and the centrality of cities. The structure of the subgroups remained relatively stable, with a few exceptions. Cities in different subgroups form close and strong connections with each other resulting from HSR. HSR has effectively shortened the time and space distances and enhanced the spatial links between cities. Five factors, including population size, geographic distance, spatial proximity, economic development, and administrative hierarchy, demonstrated significant impacts on the HSR passenger flow network in Jiangxi Province. As HSR services continue to expand throughout the less-developed regions, optimizing HSR’s network effects should focus on strengthening the driving role of central HSR cities, promoting cross-regional coordination, and integrating HSR fully with other transportation modes. Full article

This study aimed to evaluate the shear bond strengths of six self-adhesive resin cements (SACs) on porcelain surfaces and to compare the effectiveness with and without silane application. One hundred and twenty feldspathic porcelain specimens were prepared, etched with 9.5% HF, and divided into two main groups: (i) without silane, and (ii) with silane application. Each main group was further divided into six subgroups, testing six various SACs. Shear bond strength was measured using a universal testing machine, and the de-bonded surfaces were examined with a stereomicroscope. The statistical analysis was tested with two-way ANOVA and post hoc with Tukey’s. The results showed that Panavia SA Luting Multi had the highest shear bond strength, especially with silane application, while G-Cem One exhibited the lowest in the absence of silane. The addition of silane application significantly improved the shear bond strengths of G-Cem One, Panavia SA Luting Multi, and RelyX Unicem compared to situations without silane application. The adhesive and mixed failure modes were found to depend on the brand of SACs. No cohesive failure was detected. The study concludes that Panavia SA Luting Multi achieves superior shear bond strength on feldspathic porcelain when used with a separate silane agent. The etched feldspathic porcelain surface primed with silane coupling agent is recommended for optimal bond strength when using with SACs such as G-Cem One, Panavia SA Luting Multi, or RelyX Unicem. Full article

This paper comprehensively utilizes the entropy-TOPSIS method, Lyapunov index, and kernel density estimation to measure the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of regional economic resilience in 52 African countries (regions) from 2008 to 2019. It also examines the spatial network characteristics of regional economic resilience in each country (region) through gravity models and social network analysis. The findings reveal that: (1) Although the resilience of African regional economies fluctuates, it generally shows an improving trend. Traditional economic powers and regional giants such as Libya, Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia demonstrate outstanding performance in economic resilience. (2) In terms of scale resilience, the countries along the North African Mediterranean coast exhibit particularly prominent advantages. However, the overall performance of Africa in fiscal resilience and openness resilience tends to be weak. Industrial resilience is influenced by colonial legacies and tends to stabilize. (3) The differences in economic resilience values and the fluctuation trajectories of economic resilience levels converge. North African economies exhibit resilience far higher than the mean and other regions, while East, West, and Central Africa consistently perform below the mean in the long term. Southern Africa’s gap from the mean is relatively small, leading to a stalemate. The fluctuation amplitude of differences within each region varies. (4) The overall level of resilience in African regional economies has steadily improved, displaying a trend of polarization. There is evident spatial polarization in West Africa, with Southern Africa demonstrating a trend of multipolarity transitioning towards bipolarity. Conversely, North Africa strengthens its features of bipolar differentiation, while East and Central Africa exhibit tendencies towards multipolarity. (5) Despite some fluctuations in the spatial network of regional economic resilience around 2016, connections among African countries have become increasingly tight, gradually forming three major spatial correlation network clusters: the North African Mediterranean coast, the West–Central African Pan-Gulf of Guinea region, and the East–South African Rift Valley region. Nigeria holds a prominent position as a regional core. Zambia, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic have played certain regional core roles at different times. Nigeria and South Africa also demonstrate significant intermediary roles, while Zambia, Cameroon, and Burkina Faso act as bridges in different periods of network connections. Based on the characteristics of spatial correlation networks, African regions gradually form four major cohesive subgroups and eight sub-subgroups. Full article

The aim of this study is to comprehensively evaluate the economic network patterns and their influencing factors of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GHMGBA) in China, considering population scale, economic development level, and land-resource endowment. By employing a modified gravity model and a social-network method, we quantitatively analyzed urban agglomeration integrity indices, such as network density, edge–core structure, cohesive-subgroup index, and urban individual index (e.g., centrality degree) of this region, encompassing nine cities in Guangdong Province and two special administrative regions. The results revealed significant changes in the economic network patterns within the GHMGBA over time. Furthermore, the quadratic assignment procedure correlation analysis index was used to identify the various factors affecting the strength of the economic interaction. The findings demonstrated an annual increase in the strength of economic interaction between cities and regions within the GHMGBA over the past 20 years, along with the emergence of a polycentric economic development pattern. The results also suggest that the spatial location and level of economic development are key determinants influencing the strength of economic linkages in this area. This study supports the conclusion that deepening exchanges and cooperation among core cities, bolstering economic development in sub-core cities, and facilitating the construction of an integrated regional transportation network will expedite the process of economic integration. Full article

This study analyzed the dentin shear bond strength (SBS) of an etch-and-rinse (ER) or a self-etch (SE) adhesive incorporated with multifunctional polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (MA-POSS-8). An ER adhesive (Solobond Plus, VOCO GmbH, Cuxhaven, Germany) and a universal adhesive applied in SE mode (Scotchbond Universal, 3M, St. Paul, MN, USA) were infiltrated with MA-POSS-8 (Hybrid Plastics Inc., Hattiesburg, MS, USA) at 5 wt.% or 10 wt.%. Pure adhesives served as controls. Bovine dentin specimens were conditioned with one of the adhesives prior to the application of a nano-hybrid composite (Venus Diamond A3, Kulzer, Hanau, Germany). SBS and failure modes were determined after water storage for 24 h, 6 months, 12 months, or 24 months (each subgroup n = 20). Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVAs, Weibull statistics, and χ² tests (p < 0.05). SBSs for the control groups after 24 h were 17.4 ± 4.9 MPa for the ER adhesive and 19.1 ± 5.2 MPa for the universal adhesive. After 24 months, the SBS of the ER adhesive was significantly higher for 5 wt.% MA-POSS-8 (17.9 ± 5.1 MPa) than for the control group (14.6 ± 3.6 MPa) and 10 wt.% MA-POSS-8 (12.8 ± 4.1 MPa), and more cohesive failures were observed. The SBS of the universal adhesive increased during aging, irrespective of the MA-POSS-8 concentration. 5 wt.% MA-POSS-8 improves the SBS of the ER adhesive and does not impair the SBS of the SE adhesive. Full article

Tumor-stroma crosstalk promotes the adaptation of cancer cells to the local microenvironment and sustains their growth. We assessed the quantitative and qualitative impact of intralesional stroma on clinic-pathological features and the prognosis of poorly cohesive gastric cancer (PCGC) variants. Tissue microarrays including 75 PCGC specimens were immunostained for cytokeratin 8/18 and α-smooth muscle actin to assess the relative proportion of neoplastic cells versus stromal components and the cases were subsequently divided into stroma-rich (SR) and stroma-poor (SP) tumors. Stromal status is significantly associated with the depth of tumor invasion. Patient survival rate was found to be higher in the SP compared to the SR tumor group and, hence, abundant stroma was identified as a significant risk factor in univariable analysis but had no independent prognostic impact. We also investigated the mRNA levels of KRT8 and the associated transcriptional signatures using the molecular data of 82 PCGC cases divided into KRT8-high and KRT8-low groups. KRT8-high tumors were enriched in proteins localized in the extracellular compartment and their expression levels correlated with longer survival in the KRT8-high group and shorter overall survival in the KRT8-low group. Comprehensively, we find that relative intralesional stromal content is a marker of aggressiveness in PCGC tumors and that extracellular proteins characterize functionally and clinically different PCGC subgroups. Full article

Non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) is a significant and pervasive public health issue in contemporary society. Despite the widespread prevalence of NSLBP, our understanding of its underlying causes, as well as our capacity to provide effective treatments, remains limited due to the high diversity in the population that does not respond to generic treatments. Clustering the NSLBP population based on shared characteristics offers a potential solution for developing personalized interventions. However, the complexity of NSLBP and the reliance on subjective categorical data in previous attempts present challenges in achieving reliable and clinically meaningful clusters. This study aims to explore the influence and importance of objective, continuous variables related to NSLBP and how to use these variables effectively to facilitate the clustering of NSLBP patients into meaningful subgroups. Data were acquired from 46 subjects who performed six simple movement tasks (back extension, back flexion, lateral trunk flexion right, lateral trunk flexion left, trunk rotation right, and trunk rotation left) at two different speeds (maximum and preferred). High-density electromyography (HD EMG) data from the lower back region were acquired, jointly with motion capture data, using passive reflective markers on the subject’s body and clusters of markers on the subject’s spine. An exploratory analysis was conducted using a deep neural network and factor analysis. Based on selected variables, various models were trained to classify individuals as healthy or having NSLBP in order to assess the importance of different variables. The models were trained using different subsets of data, including all variables, only anthropometric data (e.g., age, BMI, height, weight, and sex), only biomechanical data (e.g., shoulder and lower back movement), only neuromuscular data (e.g., HD EMG activity), or only balance-related data. The models achieved high accuracy in categorizing individuals as healthy or having NSLBP (full model: 93.30%, anthropometric model: 94.40%, biomechanical model: 84.47%, neuromuscular model: 88.07%, and balance model: 74.73%). Factor analysis revealed that individuals with NSLBP exhibited different movement patterns to healthy individuals, characterized by slower and more rigid movements. Anthropometric variables (age, sex, and BMI) were significantly correlated with NSLBP components. In conclusion, different data types, such as body measurements, movement patterns, and neuromuscular activity, can provide valuable information for identifying individuals with NSLBP. To gain a comprehensive understanding of NSLBP, it is crucial to investigate the main domains influencing its prognosis as a cohesive unit rather than studying them in isolation. Simplifying the conditions for acquiring dynamic data is recommended to reduce data complexity, and using back flexion and trunk rotation as effective options should be further explored. Full article

The service and knowledge economy has emerged as the primary drivers of national economic growth, with the tertiary industry leading the way. To promote growth in the central plain region and achieve structural convergence of industries for sustainable, rapid, and healthy economic development, conducting a spatial structural analysis of the evolution of the industrial structure is essential. However, traditional statistical analysis needs to keep pace with the dynamic and non-linear relationships within and outside industries. In this paper, we propose a novel spatial analysis method based on the gravity model to examine the tertiary industry in China’s central plains economic region (CPER). By analyzing statistical data from 2018 to 2022, our results reveal that the economic linkage intensity (F-value) of the tertiary industry in CPER has increased over the years. Specifically, F-values for the high-end, general, and other service industries are 2815, 9882, and 14,826, respectively. The network density (D-value) indicates a single-core structure, with D-values of 0.71, 0.74, and 0.82 for high-end, general, and other service industries. Our findings suggest that the economic linkage network of the tertiary industry in CPER has matured, with solid industry integration and convergence of the regional financial industry structure. There is a high correlation (p < 0.01) among various network structures in the service industry, and a stable and cohesive subgroup with multicentre characteristics is beginning to emerge. These findings provide valuable insights for the development of the tertiary industry in CPER during the later stage of the 14th Five-Year Plan in China. Full article

With the continuous promotion of the rural revitalisation strategy, the planning and organisation of individual villages can hardly adapt to the current development needs of rural areas, causing synergistic development among villages to become a critical goal in promoting the sustainable development of rural areas. Reconstructing the development space of traditional village clusters can reduce their development gaps and promote coordinated development. Understanding the connections between traditional village units can support adaptive reconstructions of village spatial network structures and offer scientific and reasonable development planning strategies. Based on geographical and economic data publicly released in 2022, this study takes the traditional villages of the Fuchun River Basin in China as an example and uses village development quality and the shortest traffic time crawled in real time by Python to construct a spatial connection model of traditional villages in the Fuchun River Basin. The study also uses social network analysis to analyse the characteristics of the spatial network structure. The results show that (1) the intensity of spatial connections in these traditional villages is severely polarised and imbalanced. (2) The spatial network structure is in the development stage; few villages act as intermediaries, and the networks have poor connectivity and integrity. (3) The connection density within cohesive subgroups varies considerably. No complete transmission path exists among the subgroups, and the path of collaborative development is imperfect. These findings can optimise and reconstruct the selected spatial network of traditional villages to integrate and upgrade their development. The framework system also holds reference significance for other similar rural traditional villages. Full article

Element flow has gradually become an important method for studying urban spatial structure. This study examined 11 prefectural cities in the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration; constructed a measurement model for information, traffic, migration, and composite networks; and analyzed the spatial structure of the urban network of the urban agglomeration through social network analysis and spatial visualization. The spatial structure of the composite flow network had Xi’an as the center and Xianyang, Baoji, Weinan and Tianshui as important nodes; Yuncheng, Linfen and Qingyang were the secondary nodes, radiating to the surrounding three cities. Element flow connection strength was unbalanced, and only three city pairs were in the first level of the composite flow network. Network density was low-middle, and the network connection was weak. Xi’an was the primary central city of the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration with the strongest agglomeration and radiation capabilities; it could communicate with other cities without intermediate cities and was a bridge for other cities. Tongchuan, Pingliang, Shangluo, and Qingyang were at the edge of the urban agglomeration and had weak agglomeration, radiation, and intermediary capabilities. The inner cities of cohesive subgroups were closely related with weak connections between subgroups. The single-polarization of the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration was serious, and the single-core spatial structure centered on Xi’an had limited impact on the urban agglomeration. Development of small and medium-sized cities should be strengthened in the future. Full article

Hierarchical structures and organizational models highly affect the sustainable operation of the spatial network of tourism destinations. This paper adopted the modified tourism gravity model and social network analysis method to reveal the spatial characteristics of the tourism network on the Tibetan Plateau based on tourism flow data in 2019. The results are as follows: (1) the spatial organization of tourism flows was unbalanced, showing the characteristics of “high in the east and low in the west”; (2) The county tourism flow formed a multidimensional system of spatial hierarchy with Chengguan District of Lhasa, Golmud City, and Pengzhou City as the top nodes, the spatial polarization characteristics, and zonal distribution differences were evident; (3) The inter-county tourism linkage conformed to the law of distance decay, and the multiple network structure hierarchy features highlighted the complex linkage pattern; (4) The tourism network had a more distinctive dominant flow and was influenced by county-level administrative divisions; (5) The tourism linkage network formed eight subgroups with significant geographical characteristics. This study provides recommendations for optimizing the spatial structure of the Tibetan Plateau county tourism network for the government. Full article

The metropolitan circle is the basic unit of regional competition. Enhancing the connection between cities in the metropolitan circle and optimizing the spatial layout of the metropolitan circle is one of the goals of regional high-quality development in the new era. Therefore, it is of great significance to analyze the spatial network structure of the metropolitan circle. Taking Hangzhou metropolitan circle as an example, this study used web crawler technology to obtain data in multiple Internet big data platforms; used centrality analysis, flow data model, and social network analysis to construct the network connection matrix of human flow, goods flow, capital flow, information flow, and traffic flow; and explored the spatial network structure of the metropolitan circle. The results showed that the node intensity of the metropolitan circle presented a distribution pattern of strong in the east and weak in the west. The network connections of each county under the action of different element flows were different, and the skeleton of the integrated flow network connections showed a starfish-shaped feature. Hangzhou, Jiaxing, Huzhou, and Shaoxing cities had strong group effects in goods flow and traffic flow, while Quzhou and Huangshan cities had relatively independent cohesive subgroups in human flow and information flow. This study can provide useful references for regional development and spatial planning implementation. Full article