Significant Positive Relationship Research Articles

Guardians of the seabed: Nature-inclusive design of scour protection in offshore wind farms enhances benthic diversity

In the past, a large part of the seabed of the southern North Sea was covered by hard substrates, including oyster beds, coarse peat banks, and glacial erratics. Human activities, particularly bottom trawl fisheries, led to the disappearance of most of these hard substrates, resulting in the loss of its associated diverse benthic life as well. However, the introduction of human-made structures such as offshore wind farms in the North Sea, offers a chance to provide habitat of similar functionality as the former hard substrates. The offshore wind farm infrastructure generally contains layers of rock material deployed at the base of the wind turbine foundations and cable crossings, so-called scour protection, aiming to prevent seabed erosion. The scour protection offers a unique habitat for rock-dwelling benthic organisms in an otherwise mostly soft-bottom environment. By designing the scour protection to be more nature-inclusive, the biodiversity of benthic life can be increased. In this study we examined the effect of substrate material and grading of the scour protection on the epibenthic biodiversity in situ. This was done by deploying research cages containing crates (n = 15) with different types of substrates (concrete, granite, and marble) on the scour protection within an offshore wind farm in the Dutch North Sea. The study revealed a significant (p < 0.05) positive relation between available substrate surface (pebble size) and taxonomic richness. Furthermore, a biological trait assessment of living habits (Tube dwelling, Burrowing, Free living, Crevice dwelling, Epi/endobiotic, and Attached) revealed variations in habit modes across substrate types, with marble and concrete samples showing greatest divergence. Marble samples contained a higher prevalence of tube dwelling organisms, whereas concrete samples contained a relatively higher prevalence of free living, epi/endobiotic and crevice dwelling organisms. The findings support the value of nature-inclusive scour protection designs, emphasizing that both taxonomic and functional diversity can be enhanced by increasing the available surface area of the scour protection and incorporating a variety of substrate types. By adopting these nature-inclusive design components, the coexistence of renewable energy production and a diverse marine benthic community can be further optimized.

ANALYSIS OF PERCEPTION AND THE LEVEL OF USE OF IMPROVED PROCESSING AND STORAGE FACILITIES AMONG RURAL WOMEN IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA.

This research was carried out to assess the perception and the level of use of improved processing and storage facilities among rural women in Kwara State. Specifically, the study described socio-economic characteristics of rural women, assessed the frequency of use and ascertained perception of women on the use of improved processing and storage facilities. A three stage sampling procedure was used to select 160 rural women from who data was collected using structured interview schedule. Data collected were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, mean and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). Findings revealed that 60.6% were aged above 50years, 79.4% were married, 48.8% had no formal education while 62.5% were non-member of cooperative society. PPMC analysis between socio-economic characteristics and the use of improved processing/storage facilities among rural women indicated that level of formal education (p=0.002, r=0.240) and membership of agricultural society (p=003, r=0.237) showed positive significant relationship while age (p=0.000, r=-0.299) and marital status (p=0.000, r=-0.308) showed negative significant relationship at p&lt;0.05 level of significance. The study concluded that women in the study area were low users of improved processing and storage facilities despite having favourable perception towards using them. It was therefore recommended that extension service should engage in training women and dissemination of affordable processing and storage technologies to the rural communities.

Corporate Sustainability and Financial Performance: Evidence from State-owned Enterprises in Indonesia

Corporate sustainability is a business approach to meet company needs and create stakeholders’ value in the long term. This is reflected in the company’s sustainable strategic planning and responsibility that is more inclusive and focuses on environmental, social, and corporate governance. This study aims to analyze whether corporate sustainability has an impact on the company’s financial performance. The sample studied consisted of 13 listed State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) in Indonesia for the period 2017–2021. To measure corporate sustainability, independent variables consist of the three pillars of environment, social, and governance or ESG (environment, social, governance). The environmental pillar consists of three categories, namely resource use, emissions, and innovation. While the social pillar consists of four categories, namely labor, human rights, community, and product responsibility. Finally, the governance pillar consists of management, shareholders, and social responsibility strategy. The company’s financial performance which is the dependent variable was measured using data on return on investment (ROI) and return on equity (ROE). Data analysis technique used is Automatic Linear Modeling using SPSS. The results of the study show a positive significant relationship between product responsibility (on the social pillar) with ROI and ROE. On the other hand, there is a negative significant relationship between management (on the governance pillar) to ROI and ROE. While other variables show no significant relationship to both ROI and ROE. The practical impact of this research will help academics, business entities, corporations, policymakers, regulatory authorities, and governments to better understand the relationship between sustainability and financial performance. It can also help companies to operate more effectively and efficiently in implementing corporate sustainability in state-owned enterprises in developing countries such as Indonesia. Keywords: corporate sustainability, ESG, financial performance

The Effect of Empowering Leadership Characteristics of School Principals According to Teachers' Perceptions on Teachers' Psychological Ownership and Work Engagement

This study examines the effect of school principals' empowering leadership according to teachers' perceptions of teachers' psychological ownership and work engagement. The study sample consists of 463 teachers. The relational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods, was used in the study. Empowering Leadership Scale, Psychological Ownership Scale and Work Engagement Scale were used to collect the data. As a result of the research, according to teachers' perceptions, the empowering leadership levels of school principals and teachers' psychological ownership and work engagement levels were found to be high. Teachers' psychological ownership and work engagement levels show significant differences according to age, seniority, and education level variables. A significant positive relationship was found between the empowering leadership of school principals and teachers' psychological ownership. A medium-level positive significant relationship was found between the empowering leadership of school principals and teachers' work engagement. Empowering leadership characteristics of school principals significantly positively affect teachers' psychological ownership and work engagement. The study emphasized the role of empowering leadership in understanding teachers' work engagement and psychological ownership. Based on the results, school principals are recommended to demonstrate empowerment leadership behaviors to build an understanding of teachers' work engagement and psychological ownership.

Sensory over-responsivity and orbitofrontal cortex connectivity in obsessive-compulsive disorder

BackgroundSensory over-responsivity (SOR) in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with illness severity and functional impairment. However, the neural substrates of SOR in OCD have not yet been directly probed. MethodsWe examined resting-state global functional connectivity markers of SOR in 119 adults with OCD utilizing the CONN-fMRI Functional Connectivity Toolbox for SPM (v21a). We quantified SOR with the sensory sensitivity and sensory avoiding subscales of the Adult and Adolescent Sensory Profile (AASP). We also measured: OCD severity, with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R); sensory phenomena with the Sensory Phenomena Scale (SPS); general anxiety, with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI); and depressive symptomatology, with Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms, Self-Report (QIDS-SR). ResultsThere was a significant positive relationship of SOR with global connectivity in anterior and medial OFC (Brodmann's area 11, k = 154, x = 14, y = 62, z = −18, whole-brain corrected at FWE p < 0.05). LimitationsFuture investigations should explore neural responses to sensory stimulation tasks in OCD and compare findings with those obtained in other conditions also characterized by high SOR, such as autism spectrum disorder. ConclusionsThis study implicates OFC functional connectivity as a neurobiological mechanism of SOR in OCD and suggests that the substrates of SOR in OCD may be dissociable from both that of other symptoms in OCD, and SOR in other disorders. With replication and extension, the finding may be leveraged to develop and refine treatments for OCD and investigate the pathophysiology of SOR in other conditions.

CORRELATION AND PATH COEFFICIENT ANALYSIS RELATIONSHIPS IN SAFFLOWER (CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS L.)

An experiment was conducted on 40 genotypes of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) at the Experimental Farm of College of Agriculture, Latur, to examine genetic diversity and connections among characteristics. In Rabi 2020–2021, the experimental design was a complete randomized block design with two replications. The presence of considerable genetic diversity in the experimental materials was confirmed by analysis of variance results for 10 quantitative characters, which showed significant differences for all traits. The phenotypic and genotypic correlation among the traits and their path analysis were calculated. Plant height, number of branches per plant, number of effective capitulum per plant, number of seed per capitulum, and test weight were found to have a strong positive significant relationship with seed yield. This character had a strong and positive relationship toward seed yield. As a result, these characteristics could be considered important for improving safflower seed yield. The character number of branches per plant, plant height, number of effective capsules per plant, number of seed per capitulum, and test weight showed higher direct positive effects and indirect effects through other components traits. Number of seeds per capitulum had the greatest direct positive effect on seed yield per plant, followed by number of branches per plant and number of capsules per plant. As a result, these characteristics must be considered because they are directly relevant to seed yield. Characters like as days to maturity and oil content showed negative direct effects.

Friendship Quality and Its Relationship to School Engagement and Academic Achievement among High School Students in Jordan

This study aimed to explore the relationship between friendship quality and school engagement, and academic achievement and their levels among high school students for academic year 2020- 2021 in Amman. The sample of the study consisted of (300) male and female students, whose schools were chosen randomly. The results showed: highest level of friendship qualities was for help dimension (mean 3.98), followed by closeness (mean 3.94), highest level of school engagement was for behavioral (mean 3.93), cognitive engagement was second (3.46), and lowest level was for emotional (mean 3.40), level of academic achievement was very good (mean 81.57). Moreover, a positive significant correlation between companionship, security, closeness with behavioral engagement, while a significant negative correlation between conflict and behavioral engagement. A positive significant correlational relationship was found between all dimensions of friendship qualities except for conflict dimension. And all friendship dimensions correlated positively with cognitive engagement. As for academic achievement, it correlated with three dimensions of friendship (closeness, help, security).

READINESS OF HALAL MANAGEMENT STUDENTS FOR EMPLOYABILITY

The students readiness for employability is a growing concern for Higher Education Institutions as it directly impacts the institutions mission, reputation, relationships with stakeholders and its broader contribution to the economy and society. This paper aims to analyse the correlation and effect of personal attributes and basic Halal-related skills on the readiness of final-year Halal Management students for employability. The study was conducted quantitatively through a survey method with 211 final-year Halal Management students from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam, Malaysia and Universiti Islam Selangor (UIS), Malaysia. The data analysis techniques employed are Correlation Analysis and Multiple Linear Regression Analysis using the IBM Statistical for Product and Service Solution (SPSS) version 28 program. The results indicated there were moderately positive significant relationships between Personal Attributes (r=.614, p&lt;0.01) and highly positive significance between Basic Halal-Related Skills (r=.718, p&lt;0.01) with Readiness for Employability. Moreover, the study also indicated that the two independent variables Personal Attributes (X1) and Basic Halal-related Skills (X2) affect the dependent variable Readiness for Employability (Y). The correlation coefficient (R) = 0.758 indicates a positive and strong relationship between Personal Attributes and Basic Halal-Related Skills on Readiness for Employability among final-year Halal students at UiTM Shah Alam and UIS. The coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.574 indicates the independent variable to predict the dependent variable by 57%, while the remaining 43% is influenced by other factors. This study accentuates the pivotal role of students personal attributes and basic Halal-related skills in fostering students readiness for employability. The research underscores the importance of these factors in equipping students with the necessary competencies to meet the job markets needs for better graduate employability.

Study Habit among Higher Secondary School Students in Relation to Their Academic Achievement

This study intended to explore the study habit of higher secondary school students in relation to their academic achievement in the Mayurbhanj District of Baripada. The sample of the study selected through simple random sampling technique. The sample comprised of 100 higher secondary school students. The results of the study revealed that there is no significant difference in academic achievement means scores between boys and girls and there is a significant positive relation between study habit and academic achievement of higher secondary school students as whole and dimension wise.

Media Resources' Utilisation and Productivity of Lecturers’ in Public Polytechnics, South-west, Nigeria

The study was carried out with a view to investigating the influence of the utilisation of media resources on the productivity of public polytechnic lecturers in South-west, Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was adopted while close-ended questionnaire was used for data collection. A total of 735 copies of questionnaire were administered to the lecturers, while 711 (96.7%) were returned and considered appropriate for data analysis. The data collected was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings from the study revealed availability of media resources to the lecturers and that printed and non-print resources topped the list of resources available to the respondents. Also, the study established regular use of media resources by the lecturers. They made use of media resources on regular basis and majorly for the purposes of preparing lecture notes, research and publications, obtaining general knowledge, paper presentation and proposals. High level of productivity, likewise positive significant relationship between media resource utilisation and job productivity of the respondents were established. The study recommended that modern and relevant media resources be provided for the lecturers to improve academic productivity, and that the lecturers should put in more efforts in attending and participating in seminars, workshops and conferences by presenting more papers and writing more journal articles to enhance productivity level.

Investigating the relationship between compassion fatigue and moral injury in nurses.

Background: Compassion fatigue and professional quality of life are important in health and professional ethics. Aim: This study aimed to determine the relationship between compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, and moral injury in nurses. Research design: This research is a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study. The research community of this research was all the nurses of the teaching hospitals of Ardabil city. Three questionnaires on demographic characteristics, the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL), and the Moral Injury Events Scale were used to collect data. SPSS (version 22) software was used for data analysis. Participants and research context: The study recruited 297 nurses randomly selected from five teaching hospitals in Ardabil city. Ethical considerations: Ethical approval was obtained from the Ardabil University of Medical Sciences ethics committee (with the code of ethics IR.ARUMS.REC.1401.198). Informed consent was obtained from the participants. Results: The results showed that the mean compassion satisfaction score of this study's participants was 37.61 ± 8.86, the mean compassion fatigue score of this study's participants was 28.73 ± 7.04, and the mean secondary traumatic stress score of this study's participants was 29.95 ± 7.84. The mean score of moral injury among nurses was 31.19 ± 8.54. The results showed a negative significant relationship between compassion satisfaction and moral injury (p < 0.001). Also, there is a positive significant relationship between compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress with moral injury (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The results of this study show a negative relationship between compassion satisfaction and moral injury. According to the results of the present study, nurse managers should implement educational interventions, create ethical processes, and clear ethical guidelines to reduce moral injury and increase compassion satisfaction.

Evaluation of the Performance of Operations Management in the Industrial Sector at the National Gas and Industrialization Company (GASCO), headquartered in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia

Operations play a major role in the LPG industry where the business involves suppliers, some of who are the business owners and customers. Organizations in the LPG industry are faced with challenges in their quest to deliver their products to consumers while concurrently ensuring profitability. Thus, they have to tailor their business operations practices to fit the market. This scientific research aims to see to what extent operations management practices are being undertaken in the National Gas and Industrialization Co. (GASCO) headquarter in Riyadh city that also it owns seven (7) filling stations and a transportation and distribution fleet in Saudi Arabia by studying their supply chain and their process to determine how they impact on the operational performance of the factories. The target population in this study was the National Gas and Industrialization Co. (GASCO) headquarter in Riyadh city that also it owns seven (7) filling stations and a transportation and distribution fleet in Saudi Arabia. Primary data on the project implementation was collected using a questionnaire. Secondary data was obtained from relevant publications and literature review from the different organizations. Data was presented using tables, and pie charts to make them reader friendly and this study conducted a multiple regression analysis. Multiple regression analysis was used to establish the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. The study found that there is a positive significant relationship between supply chain, lean management, value stream mapping, machine maintenance and operational performance. However, the study found a negative relationship between constraints and operational performance of an organization. The study recommends that factories should be urged to adopt all the practices under supply chain management, adoption of communication channels enhancement among all the staff working in various departments to improve value stream mapping. The study further, recommends that National Gas and Industrialization Co. (GASCO) headquartered in Riyadh city that also it owns seven (7) filling stations and a transportation and distribution fleet in Saudi Arabia should have a skilled LPG manpower to handle issues on machine maintenance and replacement as this will lead to continued production.

Oil and Food Price Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria: A Non-Linear ARDL Approach

Abstract This paper analyzes the relationship between food and oil prices in Nigeria before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, using monthly data from January 2018 to December 2021. The ARDL and NARDL models are applied to estimate the symmetry and asymmetric relationship that exists in food price behavior. The NARDL confirms the presence of asymmetries, and the bound test affirms the co-integration and long-run relationship among the variables. In the long run, there is a significant positive relation between oil price increases and food prices, but the long-run impact of oil price reductions on food prices is not significant. In the short run, only increases in oil prices exert a significant influence on food prices, while decreases in oil prices do not. Furthermore, the COVID-19 period exerts a positive and significant impact on food prices, while COVID-19 cases do not influence food prices in Nigeria.

An Empirical Analysis of the Relationship between Project Planning Management and Performance of Selected Mega-dam Projects in Kenya

The main objective of this paper was to determine the relationship between project planning management and the performance of mega-dam projects in Kenya. This study was guided by positivist research philosophy. A descriptive cross-sectional survey research design was adopted. In this study, the unit of analysis was 18 mega-dam projects launched and completed across Kenya as listed under the Ministry of Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation (MoWSI) while the unit of observation was the respective three officials (project manager, project engineer, geospatial engineer) in the MoWSI. A Census of all mega-dams completed in Kenya was conducted. In addition, the study purposively interviewed 5 key stakeholders including the cabinet secretary, permanent secretary from the MWSI, donor, contractor, and one randomly selected beneficiary from the community with the target mega-dam. This formed a total sample size of 180 respondents. Primary data was collected using the semi-structured questionnaires as well as the Key Informant Interview (KII) guide. The combination of quantitative and qualitative data from multiple sources and perspectives provided a more comprehensive and robust understanding. Pretesting was done by way of pilot testing to ascertain the validity and reliability of the tools. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarize and describe the key characteristics of the data, as well as draw conclusions and make inferences. Correlation snalysis found that project planning management had a positive significant relationship with the performance of selected mega-dam projects in Kenya (r= 0.869, p&lt;0.05). Furthermore, regression found that the project planning management coefficient is 0.497, suggesting that a one-unit improvement in project planning management corresponds to a 0.497 improvement in the performance of these mega-dam projects. Based on the findings, the study concluded that project planning management positively and significantly influences the performance of selected mega-dam projects in Kenya. This study therefore recommends that project managers should give priority to project planning management

Flipped Classroom: Effect on the Academic Performance and Motivation of Grade 8 Students in Mathematics

Teachers nowadays are being challenged due to continuous decrease in the analytical and numerical ability of the students. Strategies were continuously studied by teachers to address such concern answering also questions such as how students perceived flipped classroom setting as an aid to the teaching learning process. This study utilized descriptive quasi-experimental design through 189 Grade 8 students where it had found out that in terms of the Pre-Assessment results, most of the students are in the “did not meet expectation” category but still are motivated in terms of Performance Task Making, Problem Solving, Classroom Participation and Examination. In terms of the post-assessment results, most of the students are in the “satisfactory” category and are highly motivated in terms of Performance Task Making, and motivated in Problem Solving, Classroom Participation and Examination. There is a significant improvement in the academic performance of the students where post-assessment results showed higher mean score than the pre-assessment results. There is a positive significant relationship between Performance and Level of Motivation. The main issues and concerns of the students in the implementation of flipped classroom is the slow internet connection at school and at home. Thus, concludes that indeed Flipped Classroom Learning is a way to better improve education identifying the effect on the academic performance and motivation of students in mathematics noting also that internet connection plays a crucial role in this type of learning setting.

The Role of Strategic Planning and Productivity in Predicting Competitive Advantage

Studies have been conducted to determine the nature of the relationship between strategic planning and competitive advantage, with some studies presenting that strategic planning has an impact on the organisation's competitive advantage, while other studies present that strategic planning has no impact on competitive advantage. Therefore, this research was conducted to settle this existing inconclusive debate by including a contingency variable as a mediator of this relationship using data collected from management employees of TAZARA. The research study contributes to the literature by determining the mediating effect of productivity on the relationship between strategic planning (SP) and competitive advantage. Reliability, model fit and validity were tested using factor analysis, principal component analysis and regression analysis using Jamovi software. The results of the study show that there is a positive significant relationship between strategic planning (SP) and competitive advantage, and also between productivity and competitive advantage. Productivity was found to partially mediate the relationship between strategic planning and competitive advantage. The results of this study would help decision makers to focus more on productivity when implementing strategic planning in order to survive this tense, fierce competition of the 21st century. Replication of this study in other industries is recommended. Future studies should also include other moderating and/or mediating variables.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Deposit Money Bank’s Financial Performance

The study examined the effect of corporate social responsibility on the financial performance of deposit money banks in Nigeria. Primary data were adopted for this study through the administration of some copies of questionnaire. The OLS regression was used to analyse the data and it was found out that the there is a positive significant relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and the return on assets of commercial banks in Nigeria. It was suggested that the deposit money banks should ensure they embark on more structured and well planned Corporate Social Responsibility.

Work stress and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in nurses and office workers: a comparative study

Objectives. This study aims to compare the work stress and obsessive-compulsive symptoms of nurses and office workers and to determine the relationship between work stress and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Methods. A total of 127 nurses and 127 office workers participated in the cross-sectional study and comparative study. Data were collected using the perceived work stress scale and the Maudsley obsessive-compulsive inventory. Results. Nurses had higher work stress scores (p = 0.003) in general than office workers. In particular, nurses with a low (p < 0.039) and average (p < 0.007) economic status, nurses who had been employed for 1–10 years (p < 0.001) and nurses working 40 h per week (p < 0.042) had higher work stress scores than office workers. There was no difference (p > 0.05) between obsessive-compulsive symptom scores. There was a positive significant relationship (p < 0.001) between work stress and obsessive-compulsive symptom scores of nurses and office workers. Work stress explains 6.1% of the obsessive-compulsive symptoms in nurses and 12.4% in office workers. Conclusion. The results of this study concluded that work stress of nurses is higher than that of office workers and work stress affects the obsessive-compulsive symptoms in both groups.

E-Collaboration and Academic Performance of Lecturers

Electronic collaboration is increasingly becoming more popular among both the practitioners and the academics; however, the practitioners have taken more advantage of it than the academics. Despite the importance of e-collaboration to the education sector over the years, there appears to have been a dearth in literature. Academic literature is yet to be explored more deeply. Only a few studies on e-collaboration are still considered a crucial feature in collaboration research in the academic domain. The correlation analysis result revealed that e-collaboration has positive strongly correlation with both teaching and research performance at p&gt;0.01. Also, the hypothesis testing result revealed that there is a significant relationship between e-collaboration and teaching performance, and between e-collaboration and research performance at p&lt;0.05 respectively. Based on this, the study therefore concluded that e-collaboration has a positive significant relationship with both teaching and research performance. The study offered limitations and suggestions for future studies.

The Relationship Between Preparedness for Caregiving and Spiritual Well-Being in the Carers of Stroke Patients: A Case Study in Türkiye

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between preparedness for caregiving and spiritual well-being in the carers of stroke patients. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 130 primary carers of patients hospitalized with the diagnosis of stroke at the neurology clinic of a hospital. It was determined that the participants had moderate levels of preparedness for caregiving, they had high levels of spiritual well-being, and there was a positive significant relationship between these two variables. According to the regression analysis results, the spiritual well-being level of the participants was a predictor of their preparedness for caregiving (B: 0.144, p < 0.001). The results of this study demonstrated that the spiritual well-being of the carers of stroke patients is important in increasing preparedness for caregiving. In this context, to ensure that the carers of all stroke patients feel prepared for the caregiving process, it is recommended to evaluate their preparedness levels, support them in their preparation for their caregiving roles, and identify their spiritual needs.