Contractor prequalification for green buildings—evidence from Turkey

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 1377-1400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asli Pelin Gurgun ◽  
Kerim Koc
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Evaluation Tool ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Practical Evaluation ◽  
Hierarchy Process

PurposeCompetent contractors are one of the critical stakeholders to achieve targeted sustainability objectives in green building (GB) projects. Prior to contractor selection, prequalification is an important step, which requires contractors with certain capabilities in addition to traditional features. This study aims to develop a systematic and practical model for prequalification in GB projects using a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach by adopting the analytical hierarchy process (AHP).Design/methodology/approachThe AHP model with 8 main criteria groups and 25 sub-criteria is structured based on literature review and professional opinions accompanied by a pilot study. Then, interviews with experts, who are experienced in the development and application phases of GB projects in Turkey, are arranged to collect judgements. The agreement levels between different groups of experts are analysed via Pearson's and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Model applicability is tested on six hypothetical contractors for practicality.FindingsThe results show that i) financial capabilities, ii) legal status and iii) sustainability groups are the top three main criteria, while i) compliance with schedule requirements of the client, ii) current legal status including suits, iii) negative litigation history records, iv) contractor's compliance capacity to client's sustainability checklist for the proposed project and v) sustainability with lower life cycle cost (durability, maintenance, constructability) are the top five sub-criteria.Originality/valueThere is a gap in the literature analysing contractor prequalification phase in GB projects. This study attempts to fill this lack provided with a practical evaluation tool.

Drivers of e-bidding implementation in the Saudi Arabian construction industry

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-27
Author(s):  
Ahmed M.Z. Sayed ◽  
Sadi Assaf ◽  
Adel S. Aldosary ◽  
Mohammad A. Hassanain ◽  
Abdullatif Abdallah
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Construction Costs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Key Drivers ◽  
Public Construction

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the key drivers for adopting electronic bidding (e-bidding) systems in public construction projects located in Saudi Arabia. Design/methodology/approach Literature review was undertaken to identify the drivers of e-bidding practices. Nine drivers, classified under four categories, were identified. A questionnaire survey was developed to assess the significance of the identified drivers. Responses were obtained from 20 large contractors, classified as Grade I and II contractors in Saudi Arabia, and 12 governmental authorities, representing owners of construction projects. The drivers were ranked according to their respective significance index (SI) values. Finally, a Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was employed to ascertain the extent to which the two parties agreed on the significance level of the drivers. Findings Analysis of the identified drivers revealed that the most significant driver was “reduction in the physical storage requirements of bidding paperwork.” Further, a consensus was observed with regards to the significance of the drivers. The findings of the present study highlight the strong potential of widespread e-bidding adoption in Saudi Arabia. It demonstrates the key drivers for the implementation of e-bidding through the perspective of professionals within the context of Saudi Arabia. Originality/value Prior to this study, no previous research has endeavored to assess the drivers of e-bidding adoption in Saudi Arabia. The adoption of e-bidding will benefit organizations through improved efficiencies, which could potentially lower construction costs, thereby contributing to economic growth and benefitting the society at large.

Resource allocation based on overall equipment effectiveness using cooperative game

Kybernetes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 819-834 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Hadi Mousavi-Nasab ◽  
Jalal Safari ◽  
Ashkan Hafezalkotob
Keyword(s):  
Resource Allocation ◽  
Optimal Allocation ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Nash Bargaining Solution ◽  
Nash Bargaining ◽  
Bargaining Solution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Topsis Technique

Purpose Resource allocation has always been a critical problem with significant economic relevance. Many industries allocate the resources based on classical methods such as overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and data envelopment analysis (DEA). The lack of OEE factors’ weight, how it is defined, analyzed, interpreted and compared in OEE and selection of unrealistic weights, self-appraisal and disability of complete ranking in DEA are challenges that are possible to occur. These defects may result in unfair allocation of the resources. This study aims to overcome the mentioned weaknesses. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, an approach using a set of various DEA models and Nash bargaining solution (NBS) is designed to solve the resource allocation problem based on OEE, among a set of comparable and uniform DMUs (decision-making units) in a fair way. Findings The results show that a unique Pareto optimal allocation solution is obtained by the proposed DEA–NBS model among the DMUs. This allocation is more acceptable for players, because the allocation results are commonly determined by all DMUs rather than a specific one. Furthermore, the rankings achieved by the utilized methods and TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution) are compared by Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient to validate the resource allocation plan. The findings indicate that the DEA–NBS method has the best correlation with the TOPSIS approach. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, no research has considered the use of DEA and NBS with OEE.

Altmetrics and their relationship with citation counts: a case of journal articles in physics

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rishabh Shrivastava ◽  
Preeti Mahajan
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Research Evaluation ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Low Coverage ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The first purpose of the present study is to investigate the coverage of journal articles in Physics in various sources of altmetrics. Secondly, the study investigates the relationship between altmetrics and citations. Finally, the study also investigates whether the relationship between citations and altmetrics was stronger or weaker for those articles that had been mentioned at least once in the sources of altmetrics. Design/methodology/approach The journal articles in Physics having at least one author from an Indian Institution and published during 2014–2018 in sources of altmetrics have been investigated. Altmetric.com was used for collecting altmetrics data. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (ρ) has been used as the data found to be skewed. Findings The highest coverage was found on Twitter (22.68%), followed by Facebook (3.62%) and blogs (2.18%). The coverage in the rest of the sources was less than 1%. The average Twitter mentions for journal articles tweeted at least once was found to be 4 (3.99) and for Facebook mentions, it was found to be 1.48. Correlations between Twitter mentions–citations and Facebook mentions–citation were found to be statistically significant but low to weak positive. Research limitations/implications The study concludes that due to the low coverage of journal articles, altmetrics should be used cautiously for research evaluation keeping in mind the disciplinary differences. The study also suggests that altmetrics can function as complementary to citation-based metrics. Originality/value The study is one of the first large scale altmetrics studies dealing with research in Physics. Also, Indian research has not been attended to in the altmetrics literature and the present study shall fill that void.

scholarly journals ContrastingEx VivoEfficacies of “Reversed Chloroquine” Compounds in Chloroquine-Resistant Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax Isolates

2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (9) ◽  
pp. 5721-5726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grennady Wirjanata ◽  
Boni F. Sebayang ◽  
Ferryanto Chalfein ◽  
Prayoga ◽  
Irene Handayuni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reversal Agents ◽  
Field Isolates ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Potential Use

ABSTRACTChloroquine (CQ) has been the mainstay of malaria treatment for more than 60 years. However, the emergence and spread of CQ resistance now restrict its use to only a few areas where malaria is endemic. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether a novel combination of a CQ-like moiety and an imipramine-like pharmacophore can reverse CQ resistanceex vivo. Between March to October 2011 and January to September 2013, two “reversed chloroquine” (RCQ) compounds (PL69 and PL106) were tested against multidrug-resistant field isolates ofPlasmodium falciparum(n= 41) andPlasmodium vivax(n= 45) in Papua, Indonesia, using a modifiedex vivoschizont maturation assay. The RCQ compounds showed high efficacy against both CQ-resistantP. falciparumandP. vivaxfield isolates. ForP. falciparum, the median 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) were 23.2 nM for PL69 and 26.6 nM for PL106, compared to 79.4 nM for unmodified CQ (P< 0.001 andP= 0.036, respectively). The corresponding values forP. vivaxwere 19.0, 60.0, and 60.9 nM (P< 0.001 andP= 0.018, respectively). There was a significant correlation between IC50s of CQ and PL69 (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient [rs] = 0.727,P< 0.001) and PL106 (rs= 0.830,P< 0.001) inP. vivaxbut not inP. falciparum. Both RCQs were equally active against the ring and trophozoite stages ofP. falciparum, but inP. vivax, PL69 and PL106 showed less potent activity against trophozoite stages (median IC50s, 130.2 and 172.5 nM) compared to ring stages (median IC50s, 17.6 and 91.3 nM). RCQ compounds have enhancedex vivoactivity against CQ-resistant clinical isolates ofP. falciparumandP. vivax, suggesting the potential use of reversal agents in antimalarial drug development. Interspecies differences in RCQ compound activity may indicate differences in CQ pharmacokinetics between the twoPlasmodiumspecies.

The reliability, use and evaluation of sources of information on foodstuffs

2017 ◽  
Vol 119 (3) ◽  
pp. 442-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julita Szlachciuk ◽  
Irena Ozimek
Keyword(s):  
Food Packaging ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how young Polish consumers perceive the selected sources of information on foodstuffs. The authors have also taken into account the consumers’ comprehension, hierarchy of importance and use of labels on food products. Design/methodology/approach The survey sample consisted of a group of respondents aged 16-24. The participants were students of secondary schools and universities located in Poland, on the territory of Mazovian Voivodeship. The questionnaires were distributed among the respondents: the χ2 test was used to show the impact of demographic variables, while the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was applied to examine the relationship between the respondents’ attentiveness to the information contained on the food packaging and its legibility and comprehensibility. Findings The study ascertained the existence of differences in the perception of the reliability of sources of information on foodstuffs and the declared frequency of using them. In the respondents’ opinion, the most reliable information can be obtained from nutrition consultants, family members, physicians or pharmacists. Furthermore, the analysis of the frequency of use of individual sources of information by the respondents proved that most often they relied on the recommendations from their family members, the information contained in the label and advice offered by their acquaintances. Originality/value The research findings indicate that the key action should be to carry out further educational activities aimed at young consumers in order to enable them to execute their rights to fair information and education, in the foodstuffs market, as well as to increase their consumer activity.

scholarly journals Deregulation of lncRNA HIST1H2AG-6 and AIM1-3 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells is associated with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Jiang ◽  
Peian Lou ◽  
Xiaoluo Chen ◽  
Chenguang Wu ◽  
Shihe Shao
Keyword(s):  
Roc Curve ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation Coefficient

Abstract Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is mainly affected by genetic and environmental factors; however, the correlation of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) with T2DM remains largely unknown. Methods Microarray analysis was performed to identify the differentially expressed lncRNAs and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in patients with T2DM and healthy controls, and the expression of two candidate lncRNAs (lnc-HIST1H2AG-6 and lnc-AIM1-3) were further validated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to measure the degree of association between the two candidate lncRNAs and differentially expressed mRNAs. Furthermore, the KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway and GO (Gene Ontology) enrichment analysis were used to reveal the biological functions of the two candidate lncRNAs. Additionally, multivariate logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were performed. Results The microarray analysis revealed that there were 55 lncRNAs and 36 mRNAs differentially expressed in patients with T2DM compared with healthy controls. Notably, lnc-HIST1H2AG-6 was significantly upregulated and lnc-AIM1-3 was significantly downregulated in patients with T2DM, which was validated in a large-scale qRT-PCR examination (90 controls and 100 patients with T2DM). Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient revealed that both lncRNAs were correlated with 36 differentially expressed mRNAs. Furthermore, functional enrichment (KEGG and GO) analysis demonstrated that the two lncRNA-related mRNAs might be involved in multiple biological functions, including cell programmed death, negative regulation of insulin receptor signal, and starch and sucrose metabolism. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that lnc-HIST1H2AG-6 and lnc-AIM1-3 were significantly correlated with T2DM (OR = 5.791 and 0.071, respectively, both P = 0.000). Furthermore, the ROC curve showed that the expression of lnc-HIST1H2AG-6 and lnc-AIM1-3 might be used to differentiate patients with T2DM from healthy controls (area under the ROC curve = 0.664 and 0.769, respectively). Conclusion The profiles of lncRNA and mRNA were significantly changed in patients with T2DM. The expression levels of lnc-HIST1H2AG-6 and lnc-AIM1-3 genes were significantly correlated with some features of T2DM, which may be used to distinguish patients with T2DM from healthy controls and may serve as potential novel biomarkers for diagnosis in the future.

scholarly journals Association between Endoscopic Milk-White Mucosa, Epithelial Intracellular Lipid Droplets, and Histological Grade of Superficial Non-Ampullary Duodenal Epithelial Tumors

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 769
Author(s):  
Yuko Hara ◽  
Kenichi Goda ◽  
Shinichi Hirooka ◽  
Takehiro Mitsuishi ◽  
Masahiro Ikegami ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Droplets ◽  
Histological Grade ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Intraepithelial Neoplasia ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Intracellular Lipid ◽  
En Bloc ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Positive Rate

We previously reported that superficial non-ampullary duodenal tumors (SNADETs) commonly had a whitish mucosal surface, named milk-white mucosa (MWM). The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of MWM with epithelial intracellular lipid droplets (immunohistochemically stained by adipose differentiation-related protein (ADRP)) and histological tumor grades. We reviewed endoscopic images and the histopathology of SNADETs resected en bloc endoscopically. We analyzed the correlation between the positive rates of endoscopic MWM in preoperative endoscopy and resected specimens, and ADRP-positive rates in the resected specimens. Associations between the MWM-positive rates and tumor grades, high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGIN)/intramucosal carcinoma (IC), and low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN) were analyzed. All the 92 SNADETs analyzed were <20 mm and histologically classified into 39 HGIN/IC and 53 LGIN. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient showed a significant correlation between MWM-positive and ADRP-positive rates (p < 0.001). MWM-positive rates were significantly lower in the HGIN/IC than in the LGIN in preoperative endoscopy (p < 0.001) and resected specimens (p = 0.02). Our results suggest that endoscopic MWM is closely associated with epithelial intracellular lipid droplets and that the MWM-positive rate may be a predictor of histological grade in small SNADETs.

scholarly journals Correlation between nasopharyngoscopy and cephalometry in the diagnosis of hyperplasia of the pharyngeal tonsils

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (02) ◽  
pp. 209-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luana Berwig ◽  
Ana da Silva ◽  
Eliane Corrêa ◽  
Eliane Serpa ◽  
Rodrigo Ritzel
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Study ◽  
Fiber Optic ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Accurate Diagnosis ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Tonsil Hyperplasia ◽  
Pharyngeal Tonsil

Summary Introduction: Hyperplasia of the pharyngeal tonsil is one of the main causes of mouth breathing, and accurate diagnosis of this alteration is important for proper therapeutic planning. Therefore, studies have been conducted in order to provide information regarding the procedures that can be used for the diagnosis of pharyngeal obstruction. Objective: To verify the correlation between nasopharyngoscopy and cephalometric examinations in the diagnosis of pharyngeal tonsil hyperplasia. Method: This was a cross-sectional, clinical, experimental, and quantitative study. Fifty-five children took part in this study, 30 girls and 25 boys, aged between 7 and 11 years. The children underwent nasofibropharyngoscopic and cephalometric evaluation to determine the grade of nasopharyngeal obstruction. The Spearman's rank correlation coefficient at the 5% significance level was used to verify the correlation between these exams. Results: In the nasopharyngoscopy evaluation, most children showed grade 2 and 3 hyperplasia of the pharyngeal tonsil, which was followed by grade 1. In the cephalometry assessment, most children showed grade 1 hyperplasia of the pharyngeal tonsil, which was followed by grade 2. A statistically significant regular positive correlation was observed between the exams. Conclusion: It was concluded that the evaluation of the pharyngeal tonsil hyperplasia could be carried out by fiber optic nasopharyngoscopy and cephalometry, as these examinations were regularly correlated. However, it was found that cephalometry tended to underestimate the size of the pharyngeal tonsil relative to nasopharyngoscopy.

Dentists’ knowledge of fluoride cariostatic mechanisms

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Urszula Kaczmarek ◽  
Wojciech Kowalczyk ◽  
Dariusz Gozdowski ◽  
Dorota Olczak-Kowalczyk
Keyword(s):  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Bone Fragility ◽  
Caries Prevention ◽  
Water Fluoridation ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Almost All

Introduction. The use of age- and risk-adjusted caries prevention requires up-to-date knowledge on the cariostatic effects of fluoride, as well as the methods and safety of fluoride prophylaxis. Aim. The aim of the study was to assess dentists’ knowledge of the safety and mechanism of anticaries effects of fluoride. Material and methods. An anonymous questionnaire was conducted among 212 dentists participating in dental training. The questions included in the questionnaire related to knowledge about water fluoridation, fluoride cariostatic mechanisms and the safety of fluoride prophylaxis. The chi-square test and the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient were used for statistical analysis. A significance level of 0.05 was used. Results. Incorrect knowledge about water fluoridation was demonstrated by 26.9% of respondents in the country and 16.0% of respondents in Europe. Most respondents (80.7%) reported higher efficacy of exogenous vs endogenous anticaries approaches, and more than half of respondents (59.0%) considered the processes of remineralisation and demineralisation as the most important anticaries activity. Almost all respondents (95.7%) agreed that the use of fluoride for caries prevention is controversial, mainly due to its dose-dependent therapeutic or toxic effects (85.4%). According to about 20% of respondents, cariostatic fluoride doses have adverse effects on the general health, mainly in the form of bone fragility (10.4%). Conclusions. Lack of correct knowledge about the dominant cariostatic effects of fluoride may result in the choice of an inappropriate preventive method or avoiding local application of fluoride preparations for fear of adverse systemic effects, which may in turn lead to increased caries prevalence in a given population.

scholarly journals Evaluation Method for Green Ecological Airports in China Based on Combination Weighting

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-428
Author(s):  
Danwen Bao ◽  
Xiaoling Zhang ◽  
Jiayu Gu
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Resource Conservation ◽  
Evaluation Index System ◽  
Weighting Method ◽  
Environmental Friendliness ◽  
International Airport ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation Coefficient ◽  
The Status

To scientifically and accurately evaluate the status of the development of green airports in China, evaluation methods of green, ecological airports are established in this paper. To address the shortcomings in subjective and objective weighting methods, we propose a combination weighting method based on Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and evaluation grades based on interval approximation. At the same time, by taking into account resource conservation, environmental friendliness, operation efficiency, and people-oriented service, we propose an evaluation index system and an interval number for each index. Lastly, the theory is applied to five large airports in different regions of China. Analysis of the evaluation results shows that Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) have the highest scores for the resource conservation and environmental friendliness indexes, thus indicating that the development of a green ecological airport is closely related to its passenger transportation scale and economic strength. All considered airports showed the need for upgrading public  service facilities and constructing intelligent equipment. The method proposed in this paper is reasonable  and reliable; therefore, it can provide guidance for the evaluation and construction of green, ecological  airports.

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