bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Insect food in space
Authors: Kok R. , van Huis A.
Published: January 2021

The question addressed here is how to produce palatable food on long-term space flights and during extended tenancy in space colonies. That will be done in closed ecosystems that must be stable, robust, resilient, and sustainable. In these, because of their size, insects will be an obvious food choice. A number of species have been proposed, their suitability based on characteristics such as their capacity to be reared at high densities, ability to convert organic waste, a short life cycle and a high feed conversion ratio, resistance to diseases, good nutrition and organoleptic qualities as well as being safe for human consumption. A shift to insects as food will require dietary adaptation, but will also provide many opportunities for innovation.
Visual and Refractive Outcomes With the Eyecryl Phakic Toric IOL Versus the Visian Toric Implantable Collamer Lens: Results of a 2-Year Prospective Comparative Study
Authors: Brar Sheetal , Gautam Megha , Sute Smith Snehal , Pereira Savio , Ganesh Sri
Published: January 2021

PURPOSE:

To compare the 2-year visual and refractive outcomes with the Eyecryl Phakic Toric IOL (EP TIOL) (Biotech Vision Care Pvt Ltd) and Visian Toric ICL (TICL) (STAAR Surgical) for correction of high myopic astigmatism.

METHODS:

This prospective, interventional, non-randomized comparison study included eligible patients who underwent toric phakic IOL surgery in one or both eyes with either the EP TIOL or TICL for myopic astigmatism. Two years postoperatively, both lenses were compared for their safety, efficacy, stability, and patient satisfaction. Vector analysis of astigmatism was performed using the Alpins method with the ASSORT software (ASSORT Party Ltd).

RESULTS:

A total of 50 eyes were included, of which 25 eyes received EP TIOL implantation and the remaining 25 received TICL implantation. Preoperative mean ± standard deviation of spherical equivalent (SE) and cylinder was −10.15 ± 4.04 and −2.08 ± 0.86 diopters (D) in the EP TIOL group and −10.21 ± 3.97 and −2.17 ± 0.95 D in the TICL group, respectively. At 2 years of follow-up, there was no significant difference between the mean uncorrected distance visual acuity, corrected distance visual acuity, spherical equivalent, and residual astigmatism between the two groups (
P
> .05 for all parameters). Ninety-two percent of eyes in the EP TIOL group and 88% of eyes in the TICL group were within ±0.50 D of refractive astigmatism. Vector analysis of astigmatism showed a comparable Correction Index of 0.98 in the EP TIOL group and 0.94 in the TICL group, signifying a mild undercorrection of 2% and 6%, respectively. Two eyes in the TICL group underwent exchange for high vault and one eye required realignment due to significant postoperative rotation.

CONCLUSIONS:

At least for the first 2 years postoperatively, both toric phakic IOLs were safe and effective in managing high myopic astigmatism with comparable visual results and patient satisfaction.

[
J Refract Surg
. 2021;37(1):7–15.]
Accuracy of Intraoperative Aberrometry, Barrett True-K With and Without Posterior Cornea Measurements, Shammas-PL, and Haigis-L Formulas After Myopic Refractive Surgery
Authors: Christopher Karen L. , Patnaik Jennifer L. , Miller D. Claire , Lynch Anne M. , Taravella Michael J. , Davidson Richard S.
Published: January 2021

PURPOSE:

To assess the accuracy of intraoperative aberrometry, the Barrett True-K No History (Barrett TKNH), Barrett TKNH with posterior corneal measurements (Barrett TKNH with PC), Shammas-PL, and Haigis-L formulas in patients with cataract who had prior myopic refractive surgery.

METHODS:

This was a retrospective consecutive case series of patients with prior myopic refractive surgery undergoing cataract extraction. Mean absolute error (MAE) and median absolute error (MedAE) of refraction prediction were compared for each formula. Interactions of each biometry measurement were modeled for each formula to evaluate those with the most significant impact on refraction prediction.

RESULTS:

One hundred sixteen eyes of 79 patients were analyzed. MAE was 0.40 ± 0.33 diopters (D) for intraoperative aberrometry and 0.42 ± 0.31 D for the Barrett TKNH, 0.38 ± 0.30 D for the Barrett TKNH with PC, 0.47 ± 0.38 D for the Shammas-PL, and 0.56 ± 0.39 D for the Haigis-L formulas. Comparisons between formulas were significant for Barrett TKNH versus Barrett TKNH with PC formulas (
P
= .046), Barrett TKNH with PC versus Shammas-PL formulas (
P
= .023), and for all comparisons with the Haigis-L formula (
P
< .001), and not significant for all other comparisons (
P
> .05). Eyes were within ±0.50 D of prediction 73%, 72%, 69%, 62%, and 52% of the time for intraoperative aberrometry, the Barrett TKNH with PC, Barrett TKNH, Shammas-PL, and Haigis-L formulas, respectively. Corneal asphericity (Q value) was significantly associated with prediction error for all five methods. Changes in anterior chamber depth had a significant impact on Shammas-PL prediction errors.

CONCLUSIONS:

Newer technology using information from the posterior cornea modestly improved outcomes when compared to established methods for intraocular lens selection in eyes that had previous laser refractive surgery for myopia.

[
J Refract Surg
. 2021;37(1):60–68.]
An Online Investigation of Knowledge and Preventive Practices in Regard to COVID-19 in Iran
Authors: Heydari Mohammad Reza , Joulaei Hassan , Zarei Nooshin , Fararouei Mohammad , Gheibi Zahra
Published: January 2021

Background:

Until now, there was no available study on the knowledge and practice of the people of Iran with regard to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Objective:

This study aimed to investigate the knowledge and preventive practices of Iranians toward the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

This is a cross-sectional study of 925 people who completed an online questionnaire in March 2020. The study used 21 and 14 questions, respectively, to assess the knowledge and preventive practices of the population in regard to COVID-19. Cronbach's alpha was 0.75 for the knowledge scale and 0.71 for the practice scale. To determine the importance of each independent variable in explaining the participant's practice, a multiple regression model was applied.

Key Results:

The results indicated a moderate level of knowledge and preventive practices in regard to COVID-19 in most of the respondents (56.8% and 56.5%, respectively). According to the multiple regression analysis, knowledge showed the highest effect on the practice of the participants (β = 0.479). The determination coefficient for the model (
R
2
= 0.509) also showed approximately 51% of the variance in practice was explained by gender, occupational status, knowledge, cost of hand sanitizer, and the belief in the effectiveness of using such necessities.

Conclusions:

Acceptable rates of knowledge and practice were observed in most Iranians. However, approximately 10% of the participants were unaware of the effective measures for preventing the infection, which can cause active transmission of the virus. In addition to considering the importance of high community awareness in prevention and isolation measures, the government should provide disinfectants and other materials at a low price to reduce the transmission, as this may lead to effective practice to break the chain of transmission of COVID-19.

[
HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice
. 2021;5(1):e15–e23.]

Plain Language Summary:

This study sought to evaluate the knowledge and preventive practices of Iranians toward the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Findings of this research demonstrate acceptable rates of knowledge and practice in most Iranians; however, about 10% of them were unaware of the true prevention practices, which can cause active transmission of the virus.
Conversion calculation method of multivariate integrals
Authors: Ning Rong-jian ,   School of Mathematics, Hefei University of Technology, Tunxi Road, Hefei, China, Liu Xiao-yan , Liu Zhi ,   Department of Mathematics, University of La Verne, Third Steet, La Verne, USA
Published: January 2021

The new schemes of calculation of double integrals and triple integrals are proposed in this paper. The formulas in which the double integral is converted into a line integral with respect to the arc length, and the triple integral is converted into a surface integral with respect to the area or a line integral with respect to the arc length are given separately. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is verified by several examples. Under certain conditions, these methods become the normal iterated integrals in Cartesian coordinate system or polar coordinate system, and the commonly used triple iterated integrals in Cartesian coordinate system, Cylindrical coordinate system or Spherical coordinate system. The transformation calculation method promoted in this paper points out the intrinsic relationship among double integral, triple integral, line integral and surface integral, which further enriches the theories of multivariate integrals.
TEORIJSKI OKVIRI ZA PRIMJENU OSNAŽIVANJA U MEDIJACIJI RODITELJSKIH SUKOBA
Authors: Urbanc Kristina
Published: January 2021

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS FOR THE APPLICATION OF EMPOWERMENT IN THE MEDIATION OF PARENTAL CONFLICTS ABSTRACT Empowerment is a process which enables the mediation participants to gain or regain the control of their own lives and which includes the recognition of the sources of their inability and learning of the ways and methods to achieve the desired outcomes by activating the strengths and resources of the participants. Empowerment enables the establishment of the balance of power in the relationships and emphasises the role of the participants, their right to self-determination and their own decision-making, which is of key importance in the process of the mediation of parental conflicts. Even when an agreement was reached in the mediation of parental conflicts, it has been shown that its implementation is often very complex, especially if it was reached directively, since the needs of the family parent and children are more complex than that. Therefore the paper presents the concept of empowerment and the possibility of its implementation in mediation and some other theoretical concepts significant for understanding of the complex family and parental dynamics during and after the divorce. The understanding and application of these theoretical concepts in the family mediation practice is important for the mediators in order to empower the participants in a timely and effective manner to, even if they fail to reach an agreement, improve their level of readiness to reshape the conflicted relationship which, when the parents are in question, continues even after the termination of partner relationships. Key words: family mediation, parental conflicts, empowerment.
Instability of Centralized Markets
Authors: Peivandi Ahmad , Vohra Rakesh V.
Published: January 2021

Centralized markets reduce search for buyers and sellers. Their “thickness” increases the chance of order execution at nearly competitive prices. In spite of the incentives to consolidate, some markets, securities markets and on‐line advertising being the most notable, are fragmented into multiple trading venues. We argue that fragmentation is an inevitable feature of any centralized market except in special circumstances.
Policy Learning With Observational Data
Authors: Athey Susan , Wager Stefan
Published: January 2021

In many areas, practitioners seek to use observational data to learn a treatment assignment policy that satisfies application‐specific constraints, such as budget, fairness, simplicity, or other functional form constraints. For example, policies may be restricted to take the form of decision trees based on a limited set of easily observable individual characteristics. We propose a new approach to this problem motivated by the theory of semiparametrically efficient estimation. Our method can be used to optimize either binary treatments or infinitesimal nudges to continuous treatments, and can leverage observational data where causal effects are identified using a variety of strategies, including selection on observables and instrumental variables. Given a doubly robust estimator of the causal effect of assigning everyone to treatment, we develop an algorithm for choosing whom to treat, and establish strong guarantees for the asymptotic utilitarian regret of the resulting policy.
The Empirical Content of Binary Choice Models
Authors: Bhattacharya Debopam
Published: January 2021

An important goal of empirical demand analysis is choice and welfare prediction on counterfactual budget sets arising from potential policy interventions. Such predictions are more credible when made without arbitrary functional‐form/distributional assumptions, and instead based solely on economic rationality, that is, that choice is consistent with utility maximization by a heterogeneous population. This paper investigates nonparametric economic rationality in the empirically important context of binary choice. We show that under general unobserved heterogeneity, economic rationality is equivalent to a pair of Slutsky‐like shape restrictions on choice‐probability functions. The forms of these restrictions differ from Slutsky inequalities for continuous goods. Unlike McFadden–Richter's stochastic revealed preference, our shape restrictions (a) are global, that is, their forms do not depend on which and how many budget sets are observed, (b) are closed form, hence easy to impose on parametric/semi/nonparametric models in practical applications, and (c) provide computationally simple, theory‐consistent bounds on demand and welfare predictions on counterfactual budge sets.
Deep Neural Networks for Estimation and Inference
Authors: Farrell Max H. , Liang Tengyuan , Misra Sanjog
Published: January 2021

We study deep neural networks and their use in semiparametric inference. We establish novel nonasymptotic high probability bounds for deep feedforward neural nets. These deliver rates of convergence that are sufficiently fast (in some cases minimax optimal) to allow us to establish valid second‐step inference after first‐step estimation with deep learning, a result also new to the literature. Our nonasymptotic high probability bounds, and the subsequent semiparametric inference, treat the current standard architecture: fully connected feedforward neural networks (multilayer perceptrons), with the now‐common rectified linear unit activation function, unbounded weights, and a depth explicitly diverging with the sample size. We discuss other architectures as well, including fixed‐width, very deep networks. We establish the nonasymptotic bounds for these deep nets for a general class of nonparametric regression‐type loss functions, which includes as special cases least squares, logistic regression, and other generalized linear models. We then apply our theory to develop semiparametric inference, focusing on causal parameters for concreteness, and demonstrate the effectiveness of deep learning with an empirical application to direct mail marketing.
Equilibrium Allocations Under Alternative Waitlist Designs: Evidence From Deceased Donor Kidneys
Authors: Agarwal Nikhil , Ashlagi Itai , Rees Michael A. , Somaini Paulo , Waldinger Daniel
Published: January 2021

Waitlists are often used to ration scarce resources, but the trade‐offs in designing these mechanisms depend on agents' preferences. We study equilibrium allocations under alternative designs for the deceased donor kidney waitlist. We model the decision to accept an organ or wait for a preferable one as an optimal stopping problem and estimate preferences using administrative data from the New York City area. Our estimates show that while some kidney types are desirable for all patients, there is substantial match‐specific heterogeneity in values. We then develop methods to evaluate alternative mechanisms, comparing their effects on patient welfare to an equivalent change in donor supply. Past reforms to the kidney waitlist primarily resulted in redistribution, with similar welfare and organ discard rates to the benchmark first‐come, first‐served mechanism. These mechanisms and other commonly studied theoretical benchmarks remain far from optimal. We design a mechanism that increases patient welfare by the equivalent of an 18.2% increase in donor supply.
A Preferred‐Habitat Model of the Term Structure of Interest Rates
Authors: Vayanos Dimitri , Vila Jean-Luc
Published: January 2021

We model the term structure of interest rates that results from the interaction between investors with preferences for specific maturities and risk‐averse arbitrageurs. Shocks to the short rate are transmitted to long rates through arbitrageurs' carry trades. Arbitrageurs earn rents from transmitting the shocks through bond risk premia that relate positively to the slope of the term structure. When the short rate is the only risk factor, changes in investor demand have the same relative effect on interest rates across maturities regardless of the maturities where they originate. When investor demand is also stochastic, demand effects become more localized. A calibration indicates that long rates underreact to forward‐guidance announcements about short rates. Large‐scale asset purchases can be more effective in moving long rates, especially if they are concentrated at long maturities.
The “New” Economics of Trade Agreements: From Trade Liberalization to Regulatory Convergence?
Authors: Grossman Gene M. , McCalman Phillip , Staiger Robert W.
Published: January 2021

What incentives do governments have to negotiate trade agreements that constrain their domestic regulatory policies? We study a model in which firms design products to appeal to local consumer tastes, but their fixed costs increase with the difference between versions of their product destined for different markets. In this setting, firms' profit‐maximizing choices of product attributes are globally optimal in the absence of consumption externalities, but national governments have unilateral incentives to invoke regulatory protectionism to induce firm delocation. An efficient trade agreement requires commitments not to engage in such opportunistic behavior. A rule requiring mutual recognition of standards can be used to achieve efficiency, but one that requires only national treatment falls short. When product attributes confer local consumption externalities, an efficient trade agreement must coordinate the fine details of countries' regulatory policies.
Nonparametric Analysis of Random Utility Models: Computational Tools for Statistical Testing
Authors: Smeulders Bart , Cherchye Laurens , De Rock Bram
Published: January 2021

Kitamura and Stoye (2018) recently proposed a nonparametric statistical test for random utility models of consumer behavior. The test is formulated in terms of linear inequality constraints and a quadratic objective function. While the nonparametric test is conceptually appealing, its practical implementation is computationally challenging. In this paper, we develop a column generation approach to operationalize the test. These novel computational tools generate considerable computational gains in practice, which substantially increases the empirical usefulness of Kitamura and Stoye's statistical test.
The perception-prodution link and linguistic theory
Authors: Hale Mark , Kissock Madelyn
Published: January 2021

Recent trends in infant (and adult) speech perception studies, especially in the psychological literature where much of the speech perception work is being and has been done, shows a growing focus on more integrated perception-production-sensorimotor (PPS) bases for perception (Werker & Gervain 2013). We look here at whether the results of such studies are significant for theoretical linguistics – specifically for the fundamental question of how the linguistic system is acquired. We examine a selection of recent experimental results, using Bruderer, Danielson, Kandhadai & Werker (2015) as the focal point.
Designing and Developing e-Assessment Delivery System Under IMS QTI ver.2.2 Specification
Authors: Boussakuk Mohammed , Bouchboua Ahmed , El Ghazi Mohammed , El Bekkali Moulhime , Fattah Mohammed
Published: January 2021

Using technology to create online examination is important, more than that, exploring the recent research in the area of standardization of the learning and the assessment content is of paramount. However, there is still a lack of reusable, interoperable and exchangeable learning resources that afford much motivation to instructors. Assessing acquired knowledge is the primary task of any Learning Management Systems (LMS). Consequent-ly, sharing evaluation contents is a major challenge for software engineering. In this paper, we present the “CleverTesting” assessment authoring tool, focusing on its architecture and its conformance to the Question and Test Interoperability (QTI) specification proposed by IMS Global Learning Consortium. We adopt the QTI specification to create reusable, interoperable and sharable assessment content. Our system has three important components: The first component is “CleverTesting” a quiz authoring tool that allows building sharable question items. The second represents a question bank. The latest component is a player for interpreting and parsing QTI XML documents.
Mobile Learning Application for Helping Pupils in Learning Chemistry
Authors: Ewais Ahmad , Hodrob Rami , Maree Mohammad , Jaradat Sirien
Published: January 2021

Elementary school pupils can face different difficulties to learn different topics. Among the different topics, learning chemical elements and their different properties and interactions. A way to make the learning process easier and effective is using mobile learning. Mobile learning can contribute a new method to educate pupils different topics. Also, mobile learning has different advantages over classical learning materials. Among the different advantages of using mobile learning is the fact that it enables pupils to interact with learning materials, visualize different learning concepts, and learning anytime and anywhere. This article presents an exploration study related to investigating the possible use of educational mobile App to learn chemistry course in elementary school. The article presents also a qualitative research methodology implemented by including 7 pupils. � The findings of this research show that mobile learning technology can be adopted for learning chemistry course in order to enable pupils to understand periodic table, chemical elements properties and their chemical interaction. Also, this study has shown that the proposed mobile application can be integrated in learning chemistry course for elementary school pupils.
Les dés sont jetés !
Authors: Dollfus Pascale
Published: January 2021

En écho aux écrits publiés sur le jeu et les jeux par Philippe Sagant, cet article propose de mettre en lumière le lancer de dés (et son double langage), tel qu’il est pratiqué aujourd’hui chez les pasteurs nomades du Ladakh, aux confins du plateau tibétain. Lancer les dés, un geste qui s’accompagne toujours de phrases équivoques, susurrées ou criées à pleine voix, n’est pas seulement sur ces hautes terres une méthode de divination, un divertissement et un jeu d’argent, mais aussi le moyen par lequel sont prises toutes les décisions relatives à la bonne marche de la communauté : élection du chef et de ses adjoints, répartition des pâturages, choix des hommes envoyés chercher les animaux égarés, etc. Ce jeu, ouvert à tous les hommes quels qu’en soient l’âge et le statut (laïc ou religieux, marié ou célibataire), est interdit aux femmes, lesquelles ont en revanche l’exclusivité de reproduire le dessin de dés sur les tapis de laine et les couvertures qu’elles tissent, une illustration du proverbe « homme du dehors, femme du dedans » qui régit la société.
Des bâtisseurs de rizières aux migrations de travail : apports des thèses de Philippe Sagant
Authors: Aubriot Olivia
Published: January 2021

Cette brève note se focalise sur deux aspects du travail de Philippe Sagant relatifs à l’histoire des populations au Népal : la conquête avant tout technique des Indo-Népalais, bâtisseurs de rizières, et l’expansion du capitalisme britannique comme explication des premières migrations de travail à l’étranger (en Inde en l’occurrence).
Management and Leadership
Authors: Burgess Carl T. , Adkins Joan , Suniga Nooren
Published: January 2021

Organizations today need to be competitive and focused on the upcoming technology when dealing in the current industrial revolution. This chapter will look at the psychological and organizational culture, as it relates to ethical behavior, that encompasses the individual's emotions and moods, initiated by managers and leaders in today's multidisciplinary-psychological environment. The researchers have undertaken this proposal to gain insight on management theory and practice related to the concept organizational culture and its management. The culture is the benchmark in nearly all the companies; it will measure sales, profit, market position, employee retention, safety, and loyally. Healthy organizational cultures provide an environment that may inspire, motivate, meet, and exceed strategic goals and deliver team results. Individuals working in a toxic organizational cultures will find it difficult to sustain organizational success and strategic goals.
Trust and Organizational Leadership
Authors: Wickramasinghe Amanda S.
Published: January 2021

Trust is a fundamental part of life. It also remains an essential exchange that fosters a relationship between a leader and employees and between other leaders. Without trust, it is nearly impossible for an organization to be successful. Organizational leaders must facilitate an environment based on trust to navigate the organization successfully. Without trust, organizations tend to derail from their vision and future possibilities. The world begins and ends with leadership, as John Maxwell once said, and leadership begins and ends on trust. Trust requires years of building and nurturing. Without trust, it is nearly impossible for organizations to build relationships or work successfully across cultures and borders. Working in the global economy we know we must act with the understanding that trust is an intricate ingredient when working effectively with global organizations, global teams, and international clients.
Mastering Diversity and Gaining a Competitive Advantage on University Campuses
Authors: Gates Denise
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this chapter is to examine the salient classroom and university interactions between students and instructors of different cultural backgrounds and to offer insight as to how educators and other leaders on campus might maximize effectiveness with diverse groups, gaining a competitive advantage. Inspired by the lived experiences of an African-American graduate student in a department staffed predominately of Caucasian-American faculty members, this chapter calls instructors and other leaders at educational institutions to cultivate healthy professional relationships with students and to create environments conducive to learning by employing pedagogical strategies which acknowledge the unique learning styles of learners.
The Marketing Implications of Up-and-Coming Sports and of Official International Sports Rating Systems
Authors: Stefani Raymond T.
Published: January 2021

To effectively market the major international sports, those sports are identified along with their special characteristics. Further, widely available official ranking information about the best nations and individuals at those sports are located so that the special features of each ranking system can be creatively used to arouse spectator and sponsor interest. The three primary sources of recognition are identified: the International Olympic Committee, which recognizes 122 sports; SportAccord (also known as GAISF), which recognizes those plus another 21 sports; while Wikipedia lists those plus another 26 widely played sports for a total of 169. The immense popularity of the up-and-coming e-sports (electronic sports) strongly suggest opportunities for marketing. The 108 sports with ratings systems are covered in the sequence—36 object sports, 59 independent sports, 9 combat sports, and 4 mind sports—followed by the special implications that present themselves for effective marketing. Marketing guidance is then presented for the 61 sports without a rating system. Links to all 169 sports are identified, providing a wealth of individual and team information along with the official ratings. References, internet links, and definitions of all key terms are listed at the end of this chapter.
Effect of Brand Familiarity on Sponsor Recall
Authors: Leng Ho Keat , Wu Xinran , Zhong Deping
Published: January 2021

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of brand familiarity on sponsor recall. 196 respondents in China and Singapore were exposed to video clips from the 14th FINA World Championships held in Shanghai, China in 2011, and the 28th South East Asian (SEA) Games held in Singapore in 2015. It was found that respondents were more likely to recall familiar brands. The findings provided empirical evidence that commercial organisations should first consider the level of brand familiarity in the target market before embarking on sports sponsorship. This is because sports sponsorship is more effective when the brand is familiar with the target spectators. In addition, this study suggests that it may be more effective for commercial organisations that are not established internationally to consider sponsoring events that targets spectators from regions that they are already operating in. This will allow their sponsorship to be more effective.
The Impact of Team's Identification Congruence Between Football Celebrities and Fans on Celebrities Credibility, Advertising, and Brand
Authors: Abdelkader Ali Ahmed , Ahmed Hussein Moselhy Syead
Published: January 2021

This research aims to find out and analyze the impact of team's identification congruence between football celebrity and fans on fans' attitudes towards credibility of the celebrity, advertising, and brand in a sample of four major fans groups via social media. A quantitative approach was applied through a questionnaire of 377 football fans in an Egyptian league that was distributed, collected and statistically analyzed. The findings revealed that the fans' attitudes towards credibility of the spokesperson, advertising, and brand are statistically and significantly affected by team's identification congruence between football celebrity and fans. The most vital recommendation of this research is that: team's identification congruence between football celebrity and fans should be taken into consideration before designing the advertising.
Analysis of the Approach to Online Advertising of Leading Sportswear Brands
Authors: Jiménez Sánchez Álvaro , Vayas Ruiz Eliza Carolina , Guachimbosa Villalba Víctor Hugo , Frontera Sánchez María Rosa
Published: January 2021

Brands like Nike or Adidas are predominant in almost every country. One of the keys of their success is due to the investment in advertisement and to their different strategies of promotion. This research analyzed 117 ads of five important sports brands (Nike, Adidas, Puma, Reebok, and Converse) with the higher number of views in YouTube. Within the numerous variables, the study of the main important characters, the duration of the advertising, the year or decade of creation, the presence of violence, the context or environment where they were developed, the gender that is predominant (masculine or feminine), or the character's age stand out. The results showed that women still have a secondary role in sport advertisement and that younger and celebrities have the leading role, especially in the football scope, in the majority of the observed videos. It is concluded that brands are increasingly stand up for the feminine public and gradually are spreading out in the search of new market niches in order to keep innovation in promoting youth trends with this sport brands as promoters.
“The Leaver” and “The Left”
Authors: Rodriguez Nathan John
Published: January 2021

The study of parasocial relationships has surged in recent years, as fans use new media to access even more information about various media personae. Most work involving sports fans has examined behavior at a particular time rather than over time. This article investigates how Kansas basketball fans reacted to the departure of former head coach Roy Williams over a period of nine years. Opinions were culled from reader responses to articles mentioning Williams on KUsports.com. Each comment was analyzed thematically and then coded by an expressed grief state using the Kubler-Ross (1969) model. The notion of parasocial divorce is introduced to describe the depth of parasocial relationships for highly motivated fans. The findings reveal an ebb and flow of affection and antipathy toward Williams over time. Results demonstrate how quickly fans may grow to loathe a former group member, but also how rapidly and under what conditions that parasocial relationship may be repaired.
Enhancing the Brain and the Ethics of Sport
Authors: Perez-Trivino Jose-Luis
Published: January 2021

Doping, or in more morally neutral terms, enhancement, has always been present in sport practice and not only at the present time, which is marked by professionalism and competitiveness. The latest development in doping seems linked to biotechnological advances, and one of the techniques that will apparently be particularly important in the near future is neuroscience, notably through pharmacological enhancers and transcranial stimulators. These devices promise to improve not only physiological aspects in sport performance, but also mental and emotional ones. On the other hand, they can seriously affect sport ethics insofar as they can be economically accessible to professional and amateur athletes. This chapter explores these issues.
An International Perspective
Authors: Younes Shima
Published: January 2021

Historically, Palestinian girls and women have faced many obstacles that barred them from sport, which has had negative consequences. This chapter is intended to address the empowerment of girls and women and to help them to achieve gender equity in sport in Palestine. The author focuses first on the cultural and religious obstacles that girls and women face in sport in Palestine. Second, the author discusses occupation practices and discrimination Palestinians girls and women have faced in sport. Finally, the author concludes with recommendations on how to use education and policy to achieve gender equity in sport in Palestine. These recommendations could also be applied to help Muslim women and girls to engage more in sport worldwide.
Identifying Stressors and Coping Strategies of Elite Esports Competitors
Authors: Smith Matthew J. , Birch Phil D.J. , Bright Dave
Published: January 2021

Researchers have examined some of the psychological aspects of competing at a high level in esports. The present study aims to build on this literature by examining the various stressors faced and the associated coping strategies employed by seven esports competitors. The interviews were inductively analysed, and the findings illustrated a range of internal (e.g., communication issues, lack of shared team goals) and external (e.g., event audience, media interviews) stressors that the participants faced. Following this, the coping strategies used to deal with these stressors were deductively analysed. A number of emotion- (e.g., breathing, relaxation), problem- (e.g., intra-team communication after matches), and approach- (e.g., team camps, delegating roles) coping strategies were described by participants. Avoidance coping strategies were predominantly highlighted as being used during games. Results are considered in line with how applied practitioners might support players to develop strategies to deal with stressors, which might in turn lead to performance enhancements.
Well-Being, Motives and Experiences in Live and Online Game Settings
Authors: Brkljačić Tihana , Lučić Lana , Sučić Ines
Published: January 2021

Traditional mind sports are extremely suitable for online environment, so various specialized platforms, were developed for this purpose. Although online games are technically superior and popular, many players argue that online play lacks “the game spirit”. The aim of this article was to compare motives and experiences of live and online games of Bridge. The authors conducted ten semi-structured online interviews with bridge players. All participants confirmed that Bridge significantly improved their quality of life. The participants reported benefits in accordance with Major (2001) serious leisure benefits and partially in accordance with the DRAMMA model of five factors related to leisure activities (Newman, Tay and Diener, 2014). Results showed that online bridge was generally perceived as less challenging and demanding, but appropriate for training purposes. The most important difference in motivation is related to boredom – frequent motive of online bridge, while not existent in live settings.
Innovative Aspects of Virtual Reality and Kinetic Sensors for Significant Improvement Using Fireworks Algorithm in a Wii Game of a Collaborative Sport
Authors: Ochoa-Zezzatti Alberto , Mejia José , González Saúl , Rodríguez Ismael , Peinado Jose , Bahena Jesús , Zezatti Víctor
Published: January 2021

A new report on childhood obesity is published every so often. The bad habits of food and the increasingly sedentary life of children in a border society has caused an alarming increase in the cases of children who are overweight or obese. Formerly, it seemed to be a problem of countries with unhealthy eating habits, such as the United States or Mexico in Latin America, where junk food is part of the diet in childhood. However, obesity is a problem that we already have around the corner and that is not so difficult to fight in children. In the present research the development of an application that reduces the problem of the lack of movement in the childhood of a smart city is considered a future problem which it is the main contribution, coupled with achieving an innovative way of looking for an Olympic sport without the complexity of physically moving to a space with high maintenance costs and considering the adverse weather conditions.
The Influence of Gamification and Platform Affordances on User Engagement in Online Learning
Authors: Veryaeva Kseniya , Solovyeva Olga
Published: January 2021

Gamification becomes an important and widely used instrument in online learning, and it affects users' experience. However, recent research on the interaction between a user and technology, in the online learning platform, tends to study gamification separately. This paper aims to overcome the research gap, exploring the relationships between user engagement, platform affordances, and gamification in online learning. An online survey was conducted among the participants (N=375) studying with Skyeng (commercial online platform for learning English). The data was analysed with factor and regression analysis. The results demonstrated four major platform affordances: technology credibility and usability, adaptability of course tasks, phasing and intermittence and external reward. Among the four, technology credibility and usability was found to be the most influential predictor of user engagement in online learning. External reward, as an affordance, drawn from gamification elements, has the smallest contribution to user engagement. However, the study proves the suitability of perceiving gamified elements as affordances by platform users. The research provides conceptual and empirical grounds for studying gamification elements as one of the affordances in online learning and outlines further directions to explore these connections.
A Dashboard to Monitor Self-Regulated Learning Behaviours in Online Professional Development
Authors: Manganello Flavio , Pozzi Francesca , Passarelli Marcello , Persico Donatella , Dagnino Francesca Maria
Published: January 2021

This paper reports on usage and impact on learning achievements of a dashboard developed to help monitor self-regulated learning behaviours in an online professional development path. The design of the path as well as of the dashboard were grounded on a pre-existing conceptual framework distinguishing between four different types of self-regulated learning behaviours taking place in professional learning networks and underpinning professional practice sharing. One of the objectives of the path was to promote such behaviours among participants, and the dashboard was designed to support their self-monitoring. Data were collected through usage log files analysis, a survey, and pretest and posttest. The results shed light on participants' actual usage of the dashboard, their opinion regarding its usefulness in relation of its capability to measure and support their SRL processes, and the dashboard's actual impact on their learning achievements. Moreover, some limitations in the current configuration of the dashboard emerged, which can guide further development.
Masculinity and Gender
Authors: Kurebwa Jeffrey
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this study is to provide interventions to end gender-based violence (GBV). Most of the GBV interventions that have been used are mainly reactive and focused on survivors of GBV. It therefore argues that there is a need to also focus on masculinity-focused interventions as an alternative to the traditional GBV interventions in order to reduce GBV cases. The study firstly provides definitions of GBV and masculinity. Secondly, it provides a critique of the various types of masculinity. Thirdly, it focuses on traditional GBV interventions, and masculinity-focused interventions.
Use of a novel diagnostic test in diagnosing an atypical presentation of pulmonary tuberculosis
Authors: Sivakajani B. , Ghetheeswaran S.
Published: January 2021

No abstract available
Bladder stone on non-absorbable sutures twenty years after a female sterilization
Authors: Thirukumar M.
Published: January 2021

Foreign body in the urinary bladder causes recurrent infection and stone formation. This is an unusual case report of a bladder stone formed on a non-absorbable suture 20 years after a female sterilization. It was detected with ultrasound and pelvic X-Ray. Laparotomy was done for its completed removal as cystoscopy failed to remove it. This case highlights that abdominal- pelvic scan and pelvic x-ray in addition to a urine test, should be included in the early part of the investigation in the management of recurrent urinary tract infection to exclude the possibility of the bladder stone.
Sadness along with happiness: depression and satisfaction with life among postpartum women in Faisalabad
Authors: Yaqoob Nazia , Arshid Mahira , Nisa Zaib un , Jabbar Zanib , Fatima Konain
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between demographic variables, Postpartum Depression (PPD) and Satisfaction With Life (SWL) in postpartum women of Faisalabad district. This is the first time that a study on postpartum women has been conducted in Faisalabad. In this cross-sectional study sample of 120 postpartum women (age range 20-40) has been collected from Saint Raphael Hospital Faisalabad by using convenience sample technique. Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Satisfaction with life Scale were used to measure PPD and SWL among postpartum women. A demographic form used to obtain demographic characteristics of the sample. Results show significant negative relationship between PPD and SWL among postpartum women of Faisalabad at r=0.659 and 0.868, respectively. Results also show significant positive relationship of age and language with postpartum depression at r=0.236 and 0.316, respectively, and significant negative relationship of economic status, residence, hospital, and checkup pattern with postpartum depression with r= -0.365, -0.284, -0.192, & -0.206. Moreover, there is a non-significant relationship between SWL and any demographic variable. Results indicated that PPD and SWL are inversely linked in postpartum women at Faisalabad. And demographic variables are also linked with postpartum depression. Implications are also discussed in the conclusions.
Depression, anxiety and stress and their associated social determinants in the Saudi college students
Authors: Mohammad Shamim , Almakran Ibrahim Waleed , Al-Montashri Ahmad Saleh , Mursi Ammar Mohammed , Alharbi Saleh Mohammed , Pasha Tariq Sultan , Khalid Ismail
Published: January 2021

Globally, students suffer from stress, anxiety, and depression in higher education and seek counselling since education process has negative impacts on mental health of some students. This study was aimed at measuring the depression, stress, and anxiety and their associated social determinants like (income, education, residence, marital status, and educational difficulties) in undergraduate students of Umm Al-Qura University (UQU). Arabic version of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) validated from the original English version instrument by Lovibond and Lovibond (1995) was used; A sample of 373 respondents through clustered sampling was drawn from the five randomly chosen faculties of the University. Data was analyzed by running ANOVA and t-test procedures in SPSS software. The study found that the prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression in the students was 30%, 60%, and 50% respectively. A statistically significant difference was found in the stress levels of students of different colleges (p=0.000). Students’ stress levels were significantly higher (p=0.000) in the Applied Medical Sciences and in the final year students (p=0.015). Significantly high levels of depression (p=0.000), anxiety (p=0.000), and stress (p=0.000) were found in the students belonging to the poor economic strata. Depression (p=0.038), Anxiety (p=0.022), and stress (p=0.001) were statistically high in the students whose father had a low level of education. Statistically high level (p=0.028) of stress was also found in the students whose mothers had a low level of education. Students who reported educational difficulties had significantly (p=0.001) high levels depression. However, the results of stress, anxiety, and depression in married students and the location of the students’ variables were not found statistically significant. The findings may be useful for informed policymaking in the higher learning institutions and initiation of counseling provisions in the concerned faculties for the distressed students with a view to enhancing their educational outcomes.
Well-being and harm reduction, the consolidated reality of electronic cigarettes ten years later from this emerging phenomenon: A narrative review
Authors: Caponnetto Pasquale
Published: January 2021

Tobacco use is the greatest threat to public health worldwide, killing more than seven million people annually. This paper, about 10 years after the first review on electronic cigarettes, analyses the evolution that this tool has had in these years. It concludes with comments on the significance of the research and why it constitutes an original contribution. We searched PubMed (National Library of Medicine), and PsycINFO (Ovid) (2006-2020) for studies on e-cigarettes (harms and benefits, e-cigarette use, craving and smoking cessation) and smoking cessation treatment (smoking cessation treatment or varenicline or tobacco cessation or reduction or bupropion or NRT or behavioral treatment or ecigarette) and evidence suggests that they may effective as smoking cessation tool and may be less harmful alternatives to combustible cigarette smoking. Consequently, e-cigarettes could be considered as an applicable instrument for Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) and smoking cessation.