Nutrition Literacy Measurement Tool With Multiple Features for Chinese Adults

Background: Nutrition literacy is an emerging term which is increasingly used in policy and research. Progression is limited by the lack of an accepted method to measure nutrition literacy in Chinese adult, even research in this area is growing. Objective: The objective of this study is to develop a valid instrument to assess nutrition literacy in Chinese adults. Methods: The process involved 2 steps: constructed nutrition literacy conceptual framework, and developed potential items of scale based on literature review; and conducted 2 rounds of Delphi consultation to select items of the preliminary questionnaire. Results: In Delphi survey, the content validity index for each domain, level, and dimension of nutrition literacy was 1.0, coefficient of variation was less than 0.10, and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance was greater than 0.83. All of the 2 domains, 3 levels, and 6 dimensions initially formulated by our research team were reserved in the conceptual framework of nutrition literacy. Furthermore, a 43-item nutrition literacy measurement scale was established. Each item kept in the final scale reaches a high degree of concentration and a high degree of coordination, with the mean of importance ranging from 4.38 to 5.00. Conclusions: A nutrition literacy measurement scale with multiple features was established for Chinese adults, providing an operationalized tool to assess comprehensively nutrition literacy for research and practice in the field of nutrition, diet, and health.

Religious Institutions and Poverty Reduction: Evidence from Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

In spite of the numerous poverty reduction policies and programs of successive administrations in Nigeria, the generality of the populace are still in a web of deprivation and hunger. It is apparent that government is unable to stem the tide of poverty and thus the need for surrogate stakeholders to lift the poor out of poverty. Therefore, an empirical study was conducted to estimate the factors influencing the willingness of religious institutions to undertake poverty reduction programs for it members and the constraints limiting their ability to initiate programs that will ameliorate the suffering of poor members in the congregation. A total of 60 churches were sampled through the multistage sampling procedure and information were elicited using questionnaire. Data were analyzed using probit model and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance. Result revealed that the most critical factors influencing the willingness of churches to undertake programs that will lift poor members of the congregation out of poverty were age and educational level of the church leaders, size of congregation, church income and age of the church. Result of Kendall’s coefficient of concordance indicated that there was 54 percent (moderate agreement) between the ranking of constraints associated with the willingness of churches to undertake programs that will lessen the pains of poverty among its members. Findings further showed that the top five most limiting constraints were lack of finance, lack of trained personnel, inadequate knowledge about the programs, unfavorable government policies and low membership strength.

Perceptions on the role of practical and simulated learning in promoting successful entrepreneurship

Practical work-based learning (WBL) or simulated learning has been widely recognized as essential for developing desirable cognitive and behavioral qualities among university learners. Despite this recognition, most practical and simulated learning experiences have been directed to facilitate learners’ employability rather than to promote entrepreneurship. The study aimed to examine the perception of students on the usage of WBL to foster entrepreneurial intention at higher education institutions in South Africa. The study employed mixed research methods. The results show that opportunity recognition, desire to exploit entrepreneurial opportunities, increasing knowledge and skills, desire to be involved in starting a business, desire to own or manage a new business, desire to own or manage an old business, attitude towards entrepreneurship, motivation to be an entrepreneur, and fascination with entrepreneurship were key impacts of WBL among entrepreneurship students. Friedman test was carried out to compare the mean ranks of the nine impacts and test whether there were any significant differences in agreeableness to their impact. The test result was significant, and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance of 0.023 indicated no significant differences among the nine impact factors, which are not different in their strength as a key result of WBL. The study recommends the adoption of WBL strategies in entrepreneurial programs at universities.

Households’ Decision to Participate in Cooperative Organizations: Evidence from Farmers in Akwa Ibom State, Southern Nigeria

Farmer organizations are effective mechanisms for increasing agricultural production, darners income and reducing poverty. Regrettably, farmers have not taken advantage of the lofty benefits accruable to those who voluntarily join these organizations. The study estimated the factors influencing households decision to participate in cooperative organizations and also tested the level of agreement among identified constraints linked with participation. Multistage sampling procedure was employed to select 120 farmers for the study. Primary data were obtained using questionnaires. Data were analyzed using Probit model and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance. Results of analyses revealed that the mean age, years of educational attainment household size and years of farming experience were 32, 15, 5 and 7 respectively. Result of probit analysis further indicate that age of the farmer, farm income, household size, participation in meeting, major decision maker, distance of farm to the nearest road and farmers social status were the most critical factors influencing households decision to participate in cooperative organizations. Result of Kendall’s coefficient of concordance revealed that there was 0.42 (moderate agreement) between the ranking of constraints associated with farmers' participation in cooperative organizations. Furthermore, findings showed that the top five factors limiting households’ decision to participate in cooperative organizations were inadequate capital accumulation, high embezzlement of funds, poor leadership, recurring internal crises and lack of initiative. Policies to provide good and accessible roads, increase farmers incomes and encourage youths are rational options that will enhance effective participation in cooperative organizations.

Aberrant Resting-State Regional Activity in Patients with Postpartum Depression

The aim of this study is to investigate the alterations of individual local connectivity by regional homogeneity (ReHo) in patients with postpartum depression (PPD) during resting state, and their potential correlations with clinical severity. Thirty patients with PPD and twenty-nine matched healthy postpartum women within 4 weeks after delivery were recruited and performed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans. The ReHo value was computed as Kendall’s coefficient of concordance (KCC) in the present study, and intergroup differences in the voxel manner were analyzed. Correlations between ReHo values and clinical variables were also analyzed. Compared with healthy postpartum women, patients with PPD exhibited significantly higher ReHo in left precuneus and right hippocampus. ReHo was significantly lower in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and right insula. Furthermore, ReHo values within the dlPFC negatively correlated with the Edinburgh postpartum depression scale (EPDS) score. The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of the above four brain regions are all over 0.7. This study provided evidences of aberrant regional functional activity within brain regions involved in the maternal care network in PPD, and may contribute to the further understanding of neurobiology underlying PPD.

Conceptual framework of value management adoption in the Nigerian construction industry

Purpose The Nigerian construction industry is bedeviled with poor project performance and outcomes which value management (VM) could address if applied. The application of VM on Nigerian construction projects is very minimal due to certain obstacles, namely, lack of VM experts, paucity of knowledge on the techniques, etc., which inhibits the adoption into the construction industry. Therefore, this study aims to develop a conceptual framework of the adoption of VM on construction projects in a typical developing economy. Design/methodology/approach This study engaged 15 selected VM experts in two rounds of Delphi survey to develop a conceptual framework of VM adoption. The method of data analysis includes mean score, standard deviation, Kendall’s coefficient of concordance, chi-square (χ2) test, interrater agreement analysis and significant level analysis. The developed conceptual framework was sent to a team of local and international VM experts for validation. Findings This study reveals that the adoption of VM requires the collective effort of relevant stakeholders in the construction industry. The framework developed presents individual and collective activities to be undertaken by the stakeholders. The activities include training, legislation, government-funded research, etc. Thus, the adoption of innovative management methodology like VM requires the collaboration of academics, construction professional bodies and government parastatals. This will assist in the judicious use of limited construction resources and boost the relevance of the Nigerian construction industry among developing nations and in the global construction market. Originality/value This study used the opinions of few construction professionals that can be regarded as VM experts in Nigeria, as against engaging a pool of construction professionals who may not be knowledgeable in VM process. Engaging the few VM experts in the Nigerian construction industry is important to have a valid basis for drawing conclusion, as large questionnaire survey could be possibly filled by inexperienced or unqualified respondents if stringent criteria are not considered at the outset of this study.

Diagnosis of pre investment phase in Holguin. A process approach

The objective of this article is to perform a diagnostic study with a focus on preinvestment phase processes in the province of Holguín, Cuba, comparing it with other pre investment sub processes in Latin America. For this, methods and techniques such as Kendall's coefficient of concordance, the SWOT analysis and the House of Quality were used. The main results were the current status of the quality o f the pre investment subprocess in the Holguin context, as well as the competitive profile with respect to other preinvestment subprocesses in the region. It is concluded that the pre investment sub process in Holguín has as its main deficiency the low quality of the pre investment studies, an aspect that in turn constitutes the most representative characteristic in the design of this sub process.

Methodological and Methodical Support for the Organization of an Inclusive Educational and Training Process for Athletes with Disabilities in Karate

The purpose of the study: to determine the key principles of methodological and systematic support for the organization of an inclusive educational and training process for athletes with disabilities in karate. Materials and methods. The experts in the field of physical culture and sports participated in the study, namely: honored coach of Ukraine, honored worker of physical culture and sports of Ukraine, chairman of the Sports Committee for People with Disabilities of the Ukrainian Karate Federation, athletes with disabilities who have the status of world champions and Deaflympics champions, etc. All experts had sports (professional) experience from 5 to 20 years. To achieve the purpose of the study, the following methods were used: analysis and generalization of scientific and methodological literature, the method of expert evaluation, questionnaire surveys. Statistical analysis was performed using the methods of mathematical statistics. Expert evaluation was performed by the ranking method. The degree of agreement of the experts was determined using the Kendall’s coefficient of concordance. Results. In the course of the study, the methodological and systematic aspects of the organization of the inclusive educational and training process for athletes with disabilities in karate were determined. One of the main features in the organization of karate training sessions among people with disabilities is their nosological group. The further selection of means and methods of educational and training work depends on the nosological group. During inclusive training sessions, the greatest attention is paid to correctional and compensatory (14.6%), recreational and health (13.6%), and preventive (13.4%) work. At the same time, no less important is the solution of such a problem as the socialization of people with disabilities through sports, as a system of relationships in society. Conclusions. Properly selected methodological and systematic support affects the effectiveness of the organization of the inclusive educational and training process. This support has its own characteristics, which, firstly, depend on the nosological group, secondly, are characterized by the correct choice of means, methods, principles and functions implemented during classes, and thirdly, are aimed at the socialization of people with disabilities.

A Survey of Factors on Design for Manufacture of Chemical Fertilizer Granulating Machine

The design for manufacturing of granulating machines to produce fertilizer granules in small scale using locally available materials is often challenging and this results in low fertilizer usage among Nigerian farmers when compared with the world’s average usage. A lot of factors are associated with chemical fertilizer granulating machine, and it is necessary to examine and understand the interplay among these factors. This study weighs up a number of variables that relates with the design and usage of chemical fertilizer granulating machine and offers increased insight and awareness about their insidiousness. The study employed a survey approach, using the Rensis Likert’s attitudinal scale, to generate respondents’ data matrix that was analyzed with Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and which was facilitated by statistiXL software. Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance (KCC) was used to rank the thirty two (32) identified variables and PCA was thereafter deployed to ascertain the degree of interplay among the variables. Results obtained by KCC suggested that judges ranking were consistent as there was sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis Also, PCA was indicating parsimony in data reduction from 32 variables to mere five. The result established five principal factors creatively labeled Miscellany Components, Technical Considerations, Granulation Efficiency, Agricultural National policy and Biophysical Elements. The most influential variable by its factor loading of 0.894 is Agricultural National policy. A gamut of variables which seem to affect chemical fertilizer granulating machine has been examined. This has helped in discerning similarities in dissimilarities.

Endocytoscopy Is Useful for the Diagnosis of Superficial Nonampullary Duodenal Epithelial Tumors

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Endoscopic criteria for the diagnosis of superficial nonampullary duodenal epithelial tumors (SNADETs) are lacking. The aim of this study was to explore the usefulness of endocytoscopy (ECS) in the duodenum. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A total of 77 ECS images stained by methylene blue and 58 images with double staining of methylene blue and crystal violet were obtained from 20 patients. Images were classified into 3 grades based on nuclear and villi atypia: EC A, B, and C. Diagnostic performance of ECS classification to predict histology and interobserver agreement was evaluated. The performance was compared between staining methods and ×520 or ×936 zoom. <b><i>Results:</i></b> With methylene blue staining, high rates of accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) over 90% were achieved for tumor and nontumor diagnosis as assessed by EC A versus EC B. High rates of accuracy, sensitivity, PPV, and negative predictive value over 90% were achieved for the differentiation between the diagnosis of the Vienna category 3 and 4/5 as assessed by EC B versus C. The accuracy rate of interpreting ECS images with ×936 zoom among 10 endoscopists was 82%, and the interobserver agreement rate was 0.803 (Kendall’s coefficient of concordance). In the ×936 zoom group, methylene blue staining was significantly associated with higher accuracy rate (odds ratio 1.76 [1.06–2.92], <i>p</i> value 0.0297). No benefit was observed by double staining. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> ECS diagnosis with methylene blue provides a high accuracy rate and good interobserver agreement to predict histology of SNADETs.