The Value of Having an Expert Sports Performance and Medicine Staff in the National Football League

An expert strength and conditioning coach can be an important component of a sports performance and medicine staff that will train their athletes to help them become more resilient to injury. Previous research in a variety of sports has shown that teams with players that have fewer games missed due to injury have achieved greater success. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between games missed due to injury by offensive and defensive starters on National Football League (NFL) rosters and a NFL team’s ability to win during the 2010-19 NFL seasons. A Spearman rank-order correlation analysis set at (p ≤ 0.01) level of significance indicated that fewer games missed by starters in the NFL is correlated with multiple variables associated with winning such as games won per season and playoff appearances. These results were obtained after analyzing all 32 NFL teams from the 2010-19 seasons. Descriptive statistics were also used to further analyze the data set and found that teams ranked in the top-five in terms of fewest injuries outperformed the remainder of the teams in the NFL according to multiple variables associated with winning. The data in this study supports that NFL organizations should look to reduce the games missed due to injury of their athletes, which may be accomplished through hiring expert sports performance and medicine staff members, such as a strength and conditioning. hire an expert strength and conditioning coach capable of reducing the risk of athletes getting injured in order to increase their team’s chances of winning.

Pregnant Women's Perception of the Effectiveness, Safety and Timeliness of Antenatal Services Provided by Midwives in Government-Owned Healthcare Facilities in South-South Nigeria

Background: Both non- and under-utilization of antenatal services can lead to poor materno-fetal outcomes. Perception of the effectiveness, safety and timeliness of the services by pregnant women may substantially affect the utilization. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine pregnant women’s perception of the effectiveness, safety and timeliness of the antenatal services provided by midwives, and the relationships between effectiveness, safety and timeliness of antenatal services at government-owned healthcare facilities in South-South Nigeria. Method: A cross-sectional research design was adopted for the study. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 30 primary, secondary and tertiary government-owned health facilities across the six States in South-South Nigeria from which 50 respondents were selected from each of the selected facilities. A total of 1,500 pregnant women were selected for the study. The instrument used for data collection was a self-developed Questionnaire on Pregnant Women’s Perception of the Effectiveness, Safety and Timeliness of Antenatal Services Provided by Midwives. The reliability of the instrument was established through the test-retest method using Cronbach’s alpha which yielded co-efficient of 0.715. Data collected were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, mean and Spearman Rank order correlation. Results: The result showed means of 4.27+0.68, 3.72+1.03, 3.23+1.17 respectively for pregnant women’s perceived effectiveness, safety and timeliness of antenatal services provided by midwives. Significant relationships also existed between safety and effectiveness (rho = 0.33, p < 0.001), as well as between timeliness and effectiveness (rho = 0.10, p < 0.001) of the antenatal services. Conclusion: Pregnant women in South-South Nigeria had a positive perception of effectiveness, safety and timeliness of the antenatal services provided by midwives. Midwives in government-owned healthcare facilities should conduct regular evaluations to get feedback from pregnant women regarding the quality of antenatal services they provide.

“When I Take Drugs, I Don’t Care”: Insights into the Operational Dynamics of Male Violent Offenders in a Correctional Centre

This study investigated the operational dynamics of male violent offenders incarcerated in Abakaliki custodial center, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey research design was adopted and purposive technique used to recruit 260 inmates charged with violent offenses. The data generated from structured questionnaire were analyzed using Predictive Analytic Software (PAS), with ordinary least regression, descriptive statistics and spearman rank order correlation techniques, employed in testing the variables explored. Findings revealed that this population use drugs to enhance criminal performance through being brutal; instilling fear in victims to secure their total compliance and submission; and suppressing regret for their criminal acts. Heroin, followed by, cocaine, cannabis, tramadol, and multiple drug use, were commonly used drugs in the population surveyed, with their offenses ranging from cultism, armed robbery, murder and burglary to kidnapping and assault and battery. Gaining insights into the changing operational knowledge, procedures and dynamics of violent offenders will (re)direct policy approach and action that are capable of increasing public and custodial safety. It will also orient and direct practical prison reforms for successful rehabilitation and reintegration of released inmates into the free world.

A Modified CRITIC Method to Estimate the Objective Weights of Decision Criteria

In this study, we developed a modified version of the CRiteria Importance Through Inter-criteria Correlation (CRITIC) method, namely the Distance Correlation-based CRITIC (D-CRITIC) method. The usage of the method was illustrated by evaluating the weights of five smartphone criteria. The same evaluation was repeated using four other objective weighting methods, including the original CRITIC method. The results from all the methods were further analyzed based on three different tests (i.e., the distance correlation test, the Spearman rank-order correlation test, and the symmetric mean absolute percentage error test) to validate D-CRITIC. The tests revealed that D-CRITIC could produce more valid criteria weights and ranks than the original CRITIC method since D-CRITIC yielded a higher average distance correlation, a higher average Spearman rank-order correlation, and a lower symmetric mean absolute percentage error. Besides, additional sensitivity analysis indicated that D-CRITIC has the tendency to deliver more stable criteria weights and ranks with a larger decision matrix. The research has contributed an alternative objective weighting method to the area of multi-criteria decision-making through a unique extension of distance correlation. This study is also the first to propose the idea of a distance correlation test to compare the performance of different criteria weighting methods.

Impact of Team Trust on Project Quality and Timeliness in Bayelsa State Civil Service, Nigeria

This study examines the extent to which team trust can bring about project quality and project timeliness in Bayelsa state civil service. A total of 14 ministries and parastatals were studied and 131 team members were our respondents. Spearman Rank order correlation was used for testing our stated null hypotheses. From our findings, we realized that both project and project timeliness were significantly influenced by team trust with positive correlation coefficients and p- values less than 0.05. Therefore, our null hypotheses were rejected. The study further concluded that team members should be supportive to their colleagues. This action will increase benevolence among members and ensures that projects delivered conformed to specification. Secondly, Ethical codes should be developed for team members. This will boost team trust and leads to timely completion of projects and lastly, Teams should be made up of competent individuals. This will help achieve project satisfaction. Keywords: Integrity, Quality, Timeliness, Project, Team, Ministries,

The Fisher Separation Theorem And Capital Budgeting Decisions Of Quoted Firms In Nigeria

This study explored the Fisher separation theorem and capital budgeting decisions of quoted firms on the Nigerian stock exchange. A sample of 60 questionnaires were filled and returned by staffs from particular sectors like manufacturing, health and agriculture. Descriptive statistics was employed to illustrate the data while the Spearman rank order correlation test was used to determine if a significant relationship exist among the variables. From the estimates, the Net Present Value and Modified Internal Rate of Return are regularly employed by firms in making capital budgeting decisions. Also, when firms employ capital budgeting tools, it creates wealth for both managers and shareholders, providing support for the Fisher’s separation theorem. Finally, a correlation coefficient of 0.827 reflect a positive and linear relationship between capital budgeting decision and Shareholders’ value creation. Thus, an increase in capital budgeting decisions result to an increase in value creation. This outcome is consistent with findings from other economies and previous studies. It thus recommends that firms in the Nigerian environment should ensure they play down on shareholders’ desire for dividends and instead redirect their funds to more investments by employing suitable capital budgeting decisions.

CASUALIZATION & EMPLOYEE MORALE IN THE OIL INDUSTRY: A CASE STUDY OF SHELL COMPANIES IN NIGERIA

This study empirically investigates the nexus between Casualization and Employee Morale in the Oil industry, using Shell Companies in Nigeria (SCiN) as a case study. The ‘Convenience Sampling Technique’ was used to assess the sample size of 200 employees. Data was analyzed via Spearman Rank Order Correlation Coefficient, with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 27. The Findings revealed that: Casualization is significantly related to Employee Morale. It was concluded that all dimensions of the exogenous variable should be encouraged. All of which is to achieve high employee morale. Thus, the study recommends that: Management should allow casual workers access to certain perks and benefits such as: health benefits, performance bonuses, transportation allowances, etc. and they also should be allowed to have a workers' union for collective bargaining, sustained compensation policies, work on reducing stigmatization and focus on improving work conditions in order to achieve ‘high’ employee morale.

Narcissism and Self-Esteem in Adolescents

Purpose: In a society where mental health is talked about frequently, the Cluster B personality disorder group has been neglected, presenting the need for further research concerning low self-esteem in adolescents & narcissistic tendencies. Hypothesis: Narcissism is related to low self-esteem in adolescents. Methods: Adolescents ages 13-18 took part in a Google Forms survey containing 34 questions. Questions were derived from the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Participants were asked about their age, gender, GPA, and ethnicity. The data was used to perform a Spearman rank-order correlation test. Results: NPI questions related to narcissistic tendencies were not correlated with RSES questions related to low self-esteem. Rather, NPI questions related to narcissistic tendencies were more closely related to RSES questions suggesting high self-esteem. Conclusion: Narcissism is not related to low self-esteem in adolescents. There needs to be more research done on narcissism and its relation to other factors. Self-esteem also needs to be factored into many issues concerning mental health and psychology.

Comparing nexus of ranking among mutual fund categories and families of performance measures at investment policy level

The aim of the study covers, at first, the rank comparison drawn among mutual funds at categorical and investment policy level and secondly, among the selected three families of performance measures against famous Sharpe ratio. The Spearman rank order correlation and mean rank order approach have been used for this purpose. The major findings of the study reveal that the most of the performance measures have shown a similar ranking order of mutual funds, at the investment policy level, against the standard measure i.e., Sharpe ratio. However, funds that have shown a non-normal trend, led to misspecification syndrome.

Analysis of Phonetic Balance in Standard English Passages

Purpose A common way of eliciting speech from individuals is by using passages of written language that are intended to be read aloud. Read passages afford the opportunity for increased control over the phonetic properties of elicited speech, of which phonetic balance is an often-noted example. No comprehensive analysis of the phonetic balance of read passages has been reported in the literature. The present article provides a quantitative comparison of the phonetic balance of widely used passages in English. Method Assessment of phonetic balance is carried out by comparing the distribution of phonemes in several passages to distributions consistent with typical spoken English. Data regarding the distribution of phonemes in spoken American English are aggregated from the published literature and large speech corpora. Phoneme distributions are compared using Spearman rank order correlation coefficient to quantify similarities of phoneme counts in those sources. Results Correlations between phoneme distributions in read passages and aggregated material representative of spoken American English ranged from .70 to .89. Correlations between phoneme counts from all passages, literature sources, and corpus sources ranged from .55 to .99. All correlations were statistically significant at the Bonferroni-adjusted level. Conclusions Passages considered in the present work provide high, but not ideal, phonetic balance. Space exists for the creation of new passages that more closely match the phoneme distributions observed in spoken American English. The Caterpillar provided the best phonetic balance, but phoneme distributions in all considered materials were highly similar to each other.