Search Results (9,291)

Background/Objective: Problems associated with eating and weight in childhood are complex and have a multifactorial etiology. In recent years, childhood obesity has become a global public health problem with short- and long-term physical, psychological, and social health consequences. This is a cross-sectional study that evaluates the relationship between parenting styles, eating styles, and parents’ body mass index (BMI) and their children’s body mass index (BMI) and disordered eating behaviors (DEBs). Method: A sample of 372 dyads of mothers or fathers (mean age = 38 (SD = 8.8)) and boys or girls (mean age = 8.9 years (SD = 0.31)) was used. Results: Path analysis found that an authoritarian parenting style had a significant positive relationship with food approach (β = 0.36, p < 0.001) and food avoidance factors (β = 0.23, p < 0.001). Parental depression was positively associated with food approach (β = 0.20, p < 0.001) and food avoidance factors (β = 0.19, p < 0.001). Food approach factors significantly predicted compensatory behaviors (β = 0.14, p < 0.001). Lastly, both binge eating (β = 0.10, p < 0.05) and compensatory behaviors (β = 0.31, p < 0.001) showed significant positive relationships with children’s BMI. Conclusions: A clearer understanding of the relationships among these factors could facilitate earlier and more effective interventions targeting nutrition- and weight-related issues. Full article

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is advancing rapidly and is increasingly integrated into educational settings. How to effectively leverage GenAI to support instructional design has thus become a critical issue in teacher education. While existing studies have validated the technical potential and functional value of GenAI in instructional design, there remains a notable gap in qualitative investigations into pre-service teachers’ subjective willingness to adopt GenAI and its underlying influencing factors. To address this gap, this present study employed grounded theory to explore the factors that shape pre-service teachers’ intention to use GenAI for instructional design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 pre-service teachers from Shaanxi Normal University, and the data were analyzed through open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. A theoretical model comprising four major dimensions was developed as follows: (1) technical factors (relative advantage and ease of use), (2) environmental factors (social impact, opinion leader, and facilitating conditions), (3) usage characteristics (purpose of use and method of use), and (4) psychological factors (trust, perceived risk, and a professional self-concept). The findings reveal that pre-service teachers’ intention to use GenAI is not shaped by a single factor but is instead the result of dynamic and interrelated interactions among the four dimensions. This study extends current technology acceptance theories and offers practical insights for the effective integration and promotion of GenAI in instructional design. Full article

Currently, environmental issues negatively affect both firm performance and economic development, prompting society to expect enterprises to address these issues more effectively. In response, organizations, particularly manufacturing enterprises, have begun to adopt green innovation. This study examines how humble leadership in enterprise management affects organizational green innovation performance. Additionally, this study explores the mediating role of the organizational caring ethical climate and the moderating roles of the organizational structure and unabsorbed organizational resource slack. This study involved top managers from 357 manufacturing enterprises in Zhejiang Province, yielding 306 valid questionnaires. The Hierarchical regression technique is used to analyze the survey data. An analysis of the data shows that humble leadership positively affects organizational green innovation performance, with the organizational caring ethical climate serving as a mediator. Furthermore, the organizational structure and organizational resource slack positively moderate the effect of the organizational caring ethical climate on green innovation performance. This study validates and enriches social learning theory; social exchange theory; conservation of resource theory; and ability, motivation, and opportunity theory. It also provides new insights into the relationship between humble leadership and green innovation performance and expands research on the moderators of the relationship between the organizational caring ethical climate and green innovation performance. The findings suggest that managers of manufacturing enterprises should adopt humble leadership, promote a caring ethical climate, and enhance cooperation with stakeholders. Full article

Global climate change has intensified urban heat exposure risks due to extreme heat events, posing significant health threats, particularly to socially vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children. However, the spatial allocation of urban public cooling resources exhibits heterogeneity, leading to insufficient or mismatched provision of cooling facilities in high heat exposure areas. Taking the central urban area of Guangzhou, China as an example, we employ the hazard–exposure–vulnerability (HEV) framework to evaluate a composite heat risk index (HRI). Using a coupling coordination degree and development coordination coefficient, we identify the matching status and temporal dynamic between heat risk and facility supply across 2010 and 2020. The results indicate that (1) HRI generally exhibits high-value clustering in the core areas of the old city, while peripheral areas show relatively lower levels; (2) the coupling coordination degree (CCD) exhibits clear spatial clustering characteristics, and highly coordinated streets are mostly concentrated in old city areas, whereas newly developed and peripheral districts generally show low coordination; and (3) from 2010 to 2020, cooling facility development in old city districts was generally proactive, while newly developed and peripheral areas exhibited slower progress relative to increasing heat risk. This study highlights the issue of adaptive imbalance in the allocation of cooling resources concerning vulnerable populations, providing guidance for future urban planning. Full article

To achieve the sustainable development of nature reserves, the public welfare associated with these areas has been assessed based on ecological supply and social demand. The Public Welfare Index comprehensively incorporates ecological factors, such as landforms, resource endowment, and ecological quality, as well as socio-economic factors, including travel costs, economic base, and population distribution. This index reflects both the ecological supply capacity of nature reserves and the equity with which they provide welfare to different groups. The findings indicate that the Public Welfare Index is an effective measure of the rationality of welfare distribution. Currently, the public welfare of nature reserves in China exhibits a spatial pattern of high welfare in the west and low welfare in the east. This issue of welfare inequality in nature reserves is highly pronounced. The primary objective of this research is to identify the characteristics of welfare distribution and to offer novel perspectives and strategies for optimizing the spatial layout of nature reserves and informing policy decisions. Full article

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered instruction approach focused on skills development in problem-solving, interaction, autonomy, and critical thinking to learn and act to co-create new knowledge and solutions. Rarely, but authors sometimes identify the benefits of PBL for educators, for example, by allocating instructional time more flexibly for monitoring student performance and discussing issues. However, in the era where collaboration among universities and industries is emphasized, the authors pay little attention to contextualizing PBL in a broader context, such as bringing benefits for relationship management with the industry and alumni, promoting regional development, corporate and social responsibility, marketing of educational organizations, and talent development to create a mutual benefit-based ecosystem. Academic discussions about PBL planning and implementation also neglect the needs and motivation of industry stakeholders to get involved, thus narrowing not only the possibilities for cooperation between both parties but also negatively affecting student learning outcomes, which also directly depend on industry partners. Full article

In this article, I explore the experiences of queer high school students in the context of Teaching Mathematics for Social Justice (TMSJ) regarding the injustices of bullying and harassment queer individuals go through in society. Specifically, I aim to investigate queer students’ perceptions of mathematics and their mathematical subjectivity in the context of TMSJ. Drawing on interviews with ten queer high school students, the interpretations of their experiences reveal that traditional mathematics instruction is often perceived as procedural and disconnected from real-world issues, contributing to queer students’ lack of interest in and sense of irrelevance regarding mathematics. However, TMSJ provided an opportunity for students to engage with mathematics through issues important to them, fostering positive discourses about their experiences in mathematics through TMSJ. Students highlighted the significance of connecting mathematics to their lived experiences and subjectivity, which enhanced their engagement and partially reshaped their mathematical subjectivity. In this paper, I underscore the importance of bringing arts, history, discussions, and non-European mathematics among other things to make mathematics a space of social relevance to queer subjectivity. In addition, I discuss the importance of bringing intersectional approaches that integrate queer perspectives into mathematics education to create inclusive learning environments. I end this article by calling for further research into how other aspects of identity, such as race, class, and ability, intersect with queer students’ experiences in mathematics. These interpretations contribute to the growing body of work advocating for transformative, equity-oriented mathematics education, especially concerning queer students. Full article

Digital heritage (DH) research serves as a bridge between technological applications and broader cultural, social, and policy issues. A comprehensive understanding of DH requires the integration of multiple fields. To address this, this work applies a socio-technical systems (STS) perspective to DH as a strategy to bridge the technological and social aspects. It first examines how DH functions as STSs, analyses the dynamic interactions between technological and social subsystems, and explains the need to achieve joint optimisation to tackle the complexity of DH research. Second, a comparative analysis of six STS models is conducted, using the Venice Time Machine project as a representative case, to explore both the potential and limitations of STSs as a theoretical framework for DH. Third, STS theory is applied to emphasise that the approach needs to incorporate cultural expression, technological feasibility, diverse stakeholder interests, and long-term adaptability in order to address the complexity of current DH challenges. Finally, an STS-DH framework is proposed to guide the design, implementation and evaluation of DH projects using the elements identified through the present analysis. This work extends STS theory applications to cultural heritage digitisation; provides stakeholders with new practical tools; recognises the lack of empirical research in this field and highlights the need for further research. Full article

Panel data from 30 provinces in China spanning the years from 2007 to 2022 were selected. Regional virtual water flows were calculated based on the principle of social equity, and agricultural production efficiency was measured using the Super-SBM model, which overcomes the issue of being unable to measure efficiency values when they exceed 1 for decision-making units. Based on the aforementioned estimation results, methods such as ArcGis and kernel density estimation were employed to illustrate the changing trends of virtual water flows and agricultural production efficiency in key years. Additionally, a fixed-effects model was used to explore the relationship between the two. The following conclusions are drawn: (1) The overall pattern of virtual water trade in grain exhibits a “north-to-south grain transportation” flow, with the volume of transfers increasing annually, which is contrary to the spatial distribution of water resources. Regions with a net outflow of virtual water in grain are mostly concentrated in major grain-producing areas such as the northeast, while provinces with a net inflow are mainly concentrated in economically developed regions such as South China, Southeast China, and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. (2) The average agricultural production efficiency shows a fluctuating upward trend, with an overall “S”-shaped pattern in a horizontal view, and the overall differences in production efficiency among provinces have widened. (3) Agricultural production efficiency exhibits an inverted “U”-shaped trend with the increase in virtual water flows, a conclusion that remains valid after a series of robustness tests. Therefore, corresponding suggestions are proposed based on the above conclusions, including formulating a scientific virtual water trade strategy and improving agricultural production efficiency. Full article

Utilising Arendt’s ‘right to have rights’ thesis not only as an observation on citizenship but as an intrinsic eligibility and political opportunity for the stateless, this paper outlines how the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 and Illegal Migration Act 2023 do not merely continue the general trend of criminalising migrants but take the further step of socially distancing the securitised migrant object. The recent legislation provides that those who arrive in the UK via ‘irregular means’ (i.e., small boats) will likely have their asylum claims deemed ‘inadmissible’. The lack of a ‘negotiated settlement’ in the asylum complex has been well noted; however, the systematic prejudgement and consequent bureaucratic social distancing inherent in the new legislation now threatens to remove even the prospect of negotiation. The means of arrival instantly proving decisive precludes the possibility for asylum seekers to present evidence that they are genuine refugees, and, with it, the politico-legal space and opportunity for the ‘irregular’ person to generally make themselves seen and heard is maliciously obstructed. The result is not just the denial of humanity and concomitant human dues (rights), but a distinct move towards denial of even the possibility of humanity (the right to have rights). Such works to distance system administrators from issues of vulnerability, assuredly direful consequences, and humanness itself, as is essential for the expansion of a system where basic human rights are so lacking. Full article

With the rapid development of online social networks, issues related to information security and public opinion control have increasingly attracted widespread attention. Therefore, this study establishes a constrained optimal control framework for information diffusion in online social networks, based on the $S_i{S}_{a}EIR$ (Susceptible Inactive–Susceptible Active–Exposed–Informed–Recovered) information diffusion model on social hypernetworks. This framework incorporates both cost and triggering constraints, with the goal of optimally regulating the information diffusion process through dynamic intervention strategies. The existence and uniqueness of the optimal solution are theoretically proven, and the corresponding optimal control strategy is derived. The effectiveness and generality of the model are demonstrated through experiments, and the impact of different combinations of control strategies on system performance enhancement is investigated. The results indicate that the proposed control framework can significantly improve system control effectiveness while satisfying all imposed constraints and exhibits strong generalizability. Not only does this study enrich the theoretical foundation of information diffusion control, but it also provides practical theoretical support for addressing real-world issues such as public opinion guidance and commercial marketing in online social networks. Full article

Roads are important infrastructure for a country’s economic and social development. The stability of subgrade slopes, as one of the most prominent engineering issues in roads, is of great significance for the assessment and analysis of the stability and prevention of subgrade slopes. In order to further promote the development of roadbed slope stability and prevention engineering, improve the design level of road engineering slope engineering disaster management projects, and reduce the cost of engineering investment, this paper starts from the category of roadbed slope damage form, respectively, for the research method of slope stability, slope stability influencing factors, and slope damage prevention and control measures to carry out a review, based on the current status of the research and the future direction of research. It was found that the damage forms of roadbed slopes are roughly divided into four categories: landslide, avalanche, slump, and spalling. A field test is the most accurate and practical means of evaluating slope stability research. The current analysis of the factors affecting slope stability is too independent, and there is a need to analyze the coupling relationship between the various influencing factors as a whole. Furthermore, the paper outlines a range of preventive measures and control strategies, including slope reinforcement techniques, vegetation cover, and drainage management, which have proven effective in reducing slope failure risks. These results provide critical insights into the design of more resilient roadbed slopes, with potential implications for reducing engineering costs and improving the safety and sustainability of road infrastructure. Full article

Objectives: Social isolation is an important public health issue that is becoming increasingly prevalent among adolescents today. Recognizing the risk of social isolation in children and adolescents during their developmental years can contribute to the prevention of depression and anxiety disorders, as well as risky behaviors such as suicide and substance abuse. Valid and reliable measurement tools are needed to assess social isolation in adolescents. There is a lack of surveys to identify gaps in social isolation among Turkish adolescents. This study aims to adapt the Social Isolation Questionnaire (QIS) scale, which was developed for adolescents, to Turkish culture and to evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods: This descriptive and methodological study was conducted between July and November 2024 with 1922 adolescents. Data were collected using an introductory information form, the QIS, and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. In the evaluation of the data, explanatory and confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach’s alpha, split-half, item–total score correlation, and test–retest analysis were used. Results: The average age of the adolescents was 13.97 ± 1.67 years (min = 12, max = 17). A total of 50.6% of the adolescents were male and 49.4% were female. A total of 81.2% of the adolescents had a nuclear family structure. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure explaining 55.97% of the variance. The factor loadings were greater than 0.30, and all fit indices were greater than 0.90. The total Cronbach’s α value of the scale was 0.83, while the values for the subdimensions ranged from 0.73 to 0.75. Conclusions: The Turkish version of the QIS is a valid and reliable measurement tool for assessing social isolation in adolescents. This questionnaire can be used by health professionals and researchers to identify adolescents at risk of social isolation and plan appropriate mental health interventions. This questionnaire can be used in studies focusing on adolescent mental health and well-being, contributing to the development and implementation of strategies in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. Full article

One of the major social issues worldwide is tobacco dependency and cigarette smoking (CS) abuse. Given the significant impact of cigarette smoking on human health and diseases, extensive tobacco use and cigarette smoking abuse are certainly a form of drug addiction and should be considered a serious threat to human health. Notably, healthcare spending attributable to cigarette smoking is very high. In this regard, a significant number of biomolecules of natural origin have been described as capable of mitigating the adverse effects of cigarette smoking. In this review, (a) we discuss the impact that the habit of smoking tobacco has on human health and (b) we describe products of natural origin capable of mitigating the effects of cigarette smoke. The conclusion of this review article is that the available information strongly indicates a possible use of the anti-inflammatory aged garlic extract (AGE) and its bioactive components for mitigating the detrimental effects of cigarette smoke on human tissues. The key reasons for proposing this application are that AGE and its key components S-allyl-cysteine and S1-propenyl-cysteine are potent anti-inflammatory agents, bind to Toll-like Receptor-4, inhibit Nuclear Factor-κB, inhibit the expression of pro-inflammatory genes, revert apoptosis induced by cigarette smoke in several cellular model systems and are strong inhibitors of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) formation. Full article

Rumors have become a serious issue in today’s modern era, particularly in view of increased activity in social and online platforms. False information can go viral almost instantaneously through social networks, which immediately affect society and people’s minds. The form of rumor it develops within, whether fabricated intentionally or not, impacts public perspectives through manipulation of emotion and cognition. We propose and analyze a mathematical model describing how rumors can spread through an online social media (OSM) platform. Our model focuses on two coexisting rumors (two strains). The results provide some conditions under which rumors die out or become persistent, and they show the influence of delays, skepticism levels, and incidence rates on the dynamics of information spread. We combine analytical tools (Routh–Hurwitz tests and delay-induced stability switches) with MATLAB/Python simulations to validate the theoretical predictions. Full article