Drivers and barriers in the adoption of green supply chain management in construction projects: A case of Indonesia

The concept of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) is attracting attention to the construction industry to minimise adverse environmental effects. However, its application is not common in developing countries like Indonesia. Based on contractors’ and construction design consultants’ point of view, the current study attempts to identify the drivers and barriers to adopting GSCM in construction projects in Central Java Province, Indonesia. The research study used previous literature, observation, questionnaires, and in-depth interviews with experts on drivers and barriers to implementing Green Supply Chain Management in construction. Data were analysed using SPSS and evaluated by the ordinal regression analysis method. Based on testing in ordinal regression analysis, seven factors were identified as drivers or barriers to the adoption of GSCM in construction projects in Central Java Province, and four of them affect significantly. The driving factors that significantly affect the adoption of GSCM include government regulations on environmental protection and pressure from the supply chain stakeholders. On the other hand, the barrier factors include the shortage of suppliers who implement GSCM practices in the construction area and inadequate knowledge and awareness about the impact of construction activities on the environment. This work could give the policymakers’ insight into the barriers and drivers to GSCM, thus enabling them to develop strategies in implementing GSCM in the construction industry.

The Accuracy and Influencing Factors of Doppler Echocardiography in Estimating Pulmonary Artery Systolic Pressure: Comparison With Right Heart Catheterization : A Retrospective Cross-sectional Study

Background: Noninvasive assessment of pulmonary artery systolic pressure by Doppler echocardiography (sPAPECHO) has been widely adopted to screen for pulmonary hypertension (PH). But high proportion of overestimation or underestimation of sPAPECHO still remained. So we aimed to explore the accuracy and influencing factors of sPAPECHO with right heart catheterization (RHC) as reference. Methods: A total of 218 highly suspected pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients who underwent RHC and echocardiography within 7 days were included. The correlation and consistency between tricuspid regurgitation (TR) derived parameters and RHC results were tested by Pearson and Bland-Altaman methods. With mPAP ≥25mmHg measured by RHC as the standard diagnostic criteria of PH, ROC curve was used to compared the diagnostic efficacy of sPAPECHO with other TR related methods. The ratio of (sPAPECHO-sPAPRHC)/sPAPRHC was calculated and divided into three groups, namely, the underestimation group, accurate group and overestimation group by ±10% as the boundary. The influencing factors of sPAPECHO were analyzed by ordinal regression analysis.Results: sPAPECHO had the greatest correlation coefficient (r=0.781, P<0.001), best diagnostic efficiency (AUC=0.98) and lowest bias (mean bias= 0.07mmHg, 95% limits of agreement: -32.08 to +32.22mmHg) compared with other TR related methods. Ordinal regression analysis showed that TR signal quality, PAWP and sPAPRHC level affected the accuracy of sPAPECHO (P < 0.05). The OR value of PAWP was 0.94 (95%CI: 0.89, 0.99). Compared with high sPAPRHC level, the OR value of low and medium sPAPRHC level were 21.56 (95%CI: 9.57, 48.55) and 5.13 (95%CI: 2.55, 10.32) , respectively. Relative to the signal quality of type A, the OR value of type B and C signal quality were 0.26 (95%CI: 0.14, 0.48) and 0.23 (95%CI: 0.07, 0.73), respectively. While TR severity and right ventricular systolic function had no significant effect on the accuracy of sPAPECHO. Conclusions: sPAPECHO was superior to other TR-related methods in PH screening, and was often overestimated in patients with pre-capillary PH at low sPAPRHC level, even with good TR signal quality.Trial registration: This is a retrospectively registered study.

Age-Related Differences in Hamstring Flexibility in Prepubertal Soccer Players: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study

This study aimed to investigate the hamstring flexibility rate among prepubertal soccer players from U8 to U12 and the role of age and soccer years of practice on the course of hamstring flexibility. Six hundred eleven young Italian soccer players from a local soccer school in Turin were recruited for this research and assigned to each group according to their chronological age (U8 = 124 players; U9 = 130 players; U10 = 151 players; U11 = 89 players; and U12 = 120 players). Hamstring flexibility was measured using the Sit and Reach Test (SAR), while data analysis was run using a one-way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA). Furthermore, Tuckey’s post hoc was used to determine differences among the classes of age. Finally, a bivariate ordinal regression analysis was used to evaluate a potential association between age categories and hamstrings flexibility. In addition, multivariable ordinal regression was used to analyze this relationship adjusted for the Body Mass Index (BMI). The one-way ANOVA showed significant differences in flexibility among groups (F = 32.76, P &lt; 0.0001). Tuckey’s post hoc identified significant differences between U8 and U10 (p &lt; 0.01; −2,39 cm of hamstring stretching), U8 and U11 (p &lt; 0.05; −2.19 cm), U8 and U12 (p &lt; 0.0001; −5.90), U9 and U12 (p &lt; 0.0001; −4.98 cm), U10 and U12 (p &lt; 0.0001; −3.5 cm), U11 and U12 (p &lt; 0,001; −3.70 cm). In the bivariate ordinal regression analysis, there was a negative association between the age categories and hamstrings flexibility (R2 = 0.137; p &lt; 0.0001). The association persisted in multivariable ordinal regression analysis adjusted for BMI (R2 = 0.138; p &lt; 0.0001). This study underlines changes in hamstring flexibility across different age groups of prepubertal soccer players. The older and more experienced in soccer are less flexible than the younger, considering the hamstring muscles. Thus, appropriate stretching protocols should be included in prepubertal soccer training to avoid the risk of lead players to excess hamstring tightness.

Value of a Core Research Module in the Medical Curriculum

Introduction: Application of research methods to medical research is a key skill that students should acquire during medical school. The value of a mandatory research module for students in terms of their understanding of medical research and the academic outputs that arise from the module are yet to be evaluated, especially compared to research undertaken through different avenues. Method: Sheffield Medical Students were invited to complete a questionnaire on their thoughts of the research module, any academic outputs that arose from the module and any further research that they had undertaken outside the module. Ordinal regression analysis was used to assess for differences between groups’ answers to the Likert scales. Results: 101 students answered the questionnaire. 72.3% of students agreed that the module increased their knowledge of medical research, while fewer students agreed that it increased their interest in research and desire to undertake further research. Undergraduates agreed that the module increased their knowledge more than postgraduates (p = 0.048). There were no differences between the type of research project undertaken and students’ opinions of the module. Students gained more academic outputs, i.e. journal submissions and conference presentations, from research undertaken outside of the module. Discussion: This research found that students’ main benefit from the module was increased knowledge of medical research, in agreement with previous studies. Limitations of the study included gaining no information on respondents’ age and previous research experience, which may have had an impact on their opinion of the research module.

Prediction of topsoil stoniness using soil type information and airborne gamma-ray data

The stoniness of topsoil can have a significant impact on the cost-effectiveness and quality of work in mechanized forest operations. The operations and their models should be selected on a stand-specific basis, considering the physical properties of the soil, including stoniness, in order to achieve maximum efficiency and to minimize the damage caused by heavy forest machinery. The aim of this study was to examine whether the stoniness of the topsoil can be predicted using the gamma-ray values available from low-flying geophysical data and soil type information. Stoniness was measured at several sites with varying soil types, which were then divided into stoniness index classes (SIC) for further analysis by ordinal regression analysis using gamma-ray and soil type data. The SIC classification resulted in 52% accurate prediction performance and 79% acceptable prediction performance (-/+ 1 class from the correct class), with Kappa values of 0.55 and 0.72, respectively. The SIC prediction results were promising and showed the potential of gamma-ray and soil type data for the estimation of topsoil stoniness.

Bureaucratic Leadership Style and Teachers' Professionalism: A Case Study of Public Sector Universities

This research aims at examining the role of bureaucratic leadership style on teachers' professionalism in public sector universities and the difference between bureaucracy and professionalism, with a special reference to legal-rational authority. A validated self-structured closed-ended questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale was designed for data collection from a sample of 40 teachers of Public Sector Universities. An Ordinal Regression Analysis (ORA) was used to analyze the data. The findings of the study show no significant difference between the role of bureaucratic leadership and teachers' professionalism in university as they are interrelated, having a direct link of professionalism with individuals' approaches, behaviors and performance. The results also revealed that the Bureaucratic Leadership style is a more suitable style that enables individuals to work with more dedication and honesty. Bureaucratic leadership is more effective than many others styles of leadership. Hence, the study recommends that it is practised that every style of leadership is not suitable for every organization or institution so, leaders must be competent enough to use the best style according to the situation.

Differential Effects of Serum Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A2 on Periventricular and Deep Subcortical White Matter Hyperintensity in Brain

Background and Purpose: Serum level of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) was associated with white matter hyperintensity (WMH). There were differences in the anatomical structure and pathophysiological mechanism between periventricular WMH (PVWMH) and deep subcortical WMH (DSWMH). In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of serum Lp-PLA2 on the PVWMH and DSWMH.Methods: In total, 711 Chinese adults aged ≥45 years with cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were recruited in this cross-sectional study, who had received physical examinations in the Department of Neurology, the Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University due to dizziness and headaches between January 2016 and July 2019. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was utilized to determine the serum Lp-PLA2. Fazekas scale was used to measure the severity of PVWMH (grade 0–3) and DSWMH (grade 0–3) on MRI scans. Ordinal regression analysis was carried out to investigate the relationship between serum Lp-PLA2 and PVWMH or DSWMH.Results: Finally, 567 cases were included in this study. The average level of serum Lp-PLA2 was 213.35±59.34 ng/ml. There were statistical differences in the age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, lacunar infarction, Lp-PLA2 grade, creatinine, Hcy, and H-CRP (P &lt; 0.05) in PVWMH groups. Ordinal regression analysis indicated that there was a lower risk of PVWMH in the patients with normal and moderately elevated serum Lp-PLA2 compared with those with significantly elevated serum Lp-PLA2 after adjusting age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, lacunar infarction, Cr, Hcy, and H-CRP. In addition, PVWMH was correlated to advanced age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and lacunar infarction. After adjusting for confounding factors, DSWMH was correlated to advanced age and lacunar infarction. There was no correlation between serum Lp-PLA2 and DSWMH.Conclusions: Serum Lp-PLA2 was closely associated with the pathogenesis of PVWMH rather than DSWMH. There might be different pathological mechanisms between PVWMH and DSWMH.

Attitude and practice toward physical restraint among psychiatric nurses in Guangdong, China: a cross-sectional survey†

Objective To explore the correlation between nurses’ attitude and practice toward physical restraint (PR) in psychiatric settings and identify the factors that influence the use of PR. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted. A self-designed questionnaire containing a PR scale was used to assess the attitude and practice of registered psychiatric nurses in Guangdong, China, from November 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018. Descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney U test, the Kruskal–Wallis test, and ordinal regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Results The response rate was 74.6%. The nurses’ responses showed neutral attitude and a moderate level of practice regarding the use of PR. Factors such as age, gender, marital status, professional position, nightshift, and the frequency of training programs on PR showed a significant association with nurses’ attitude and practice concerning PR (P < 0.05). In addition to these factors, this study found that the practice of PR was associated with nurses’ attitude toward it (P < 0.05). Our results showed that nurses with a largely negative attitude toward PR were more likely to use it (OR = 1.91, P < 0.001). Conclusions Clinically, psychiatric nurses with negative attitude are more likely to practice PR. Training and education programs are highly recommended for nursing managers to change the nursing staff’s attitude, since their attitude may have an impact on the PR what they practice.

An Analysis of the Extension Workers Empowerment in Pidie Jaya Regency

This study aims to determine the factors that affect the level of empowerment of extension workers in Pidie Jaya. The data used are primary data obtained from the results of filling out a questionnaire of 112 extension workers in Pidie Jaya. The analytical method used is using Ordinal Regression. Ordinal regression analysis is a statistical method that describes the relationship between a response variable and more than one predictor variable where the response variable is more than two categories and the measurement scale is level. The results of the study concluded that the level of empowerment of the extension workers in Pidie Jaya was significantly influenced by the socio-cultural support and supporting factors.

Cultural Capital, Gender and Intergenerational Educational Mobility in Post-Communist Space

Post-communist transition in Eastern Europe has affected social stratification and mobility. There is an argument that transition undermined the role of parental cultural capital and increased the importance of parental economic capital in determining the educational mobility of children. In this paper, we examine whether the parental cultural capital has played a role in educational mobility of cohorts born in 1970–1984 and what has been the contribution of the different states of cultural capital. We also consider the gender heterogeneity in the transmission of educational advantage. The study focuses on one country of Eastern Europe—Lithuania, which underwent the transition to a radical neo-liberal form of capitalism. Using data from the Families and Inequalities Survey of 2019, we apply the descriptive and ordinal regression analysis. The results indicate intergenerational educational upward mobility for women. All states of parental cultural capital (objectified, embodied, institutionalized) are relevant for the educational attainment of the transitional cohort. The effects are more pronounced for women, at least in relation to some states of parental cultural capital. On a more general level, the findings imply that the intergenerational reproduction of educational attainment was not substantially altered by the transition, at least during its initial decades.