Profiling the Sport Blogosphere

The purpose of this study is to provide primary research regarding how sports blogs utilize the social media and generate revenue for their blog. This study begins with a literature review of the blogging world with a special emphasis on the sports sector of the blogosphere. The literature review is followed by a discussion of the research method of content analysis, which was employed to examine the selected sports blogs. Furthermore, recommendations are made concerning sampling methods and how future statistical sampling of the sports blogosphere could proceed to improve the representativeness of samples and data collection in this research topic

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF EMERGING ONLINE BUSINESS MODELS: DEVELOPING A DIGITAL COMIC BOOK PROTOTYPE

Advancing online technologies have traditional legacy media scrambling to generate consistent revenue streams in the digital space. Even though online and mobile technologies encourage publishers to develop new content for the web there are inherent challenges to adapting tactile non digital formats into ones and zeros. Furthermore, the digital space has yet to define a specific business model applicable for all online media. Presenting current trends in digital publishing of comic books as well as traditional media, this document defines emerging online business models and case examples of consumer purchase incentives. The defined business models and literature provide a guided framework and are applied to the production of a comic book application prototype, the Choosie Book. The prototype is created as an interactive interface following conventions established in comic books and children’s picture books. The prototype’s intellectual property, Just James, was previously published in the popular anthology Reading With Pictures. The Just James narrative, graphic illustrations, and structure have been adapted from its original publication for the purposes of this prototype. It is intended as a proof of concept for digital publishers, producers, and developers

Antenatal Steroid Therapy for Fetal Lung Maturation and the Subsequent Risk of Childhood Asthma: A Longitudinal Analysis

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that fetal exposure to corticosteroids in the antenatal period is an independent risk factor for the development of asthma in early childhood with little or no effect in later childhood. A population-based cohort study of all pregnant women who resided in Nova Scotia, Canada, and gave birth to a singleton fetus between 1989 and 1998 was undertaken. After a priori specified exclusions, 80,448 infants were available for analysis. Using linked health care utilization records, incident asthma cases developed after 36 months of age were identified. Extended Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios while controlling for confounders. Exposure to corticosteroids during pregnancy was associated with a risk of asthma in childhood between 3–5 years of age: adjusted hazard ratio of 1.19 (95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.39), with no association noted after 5 years of age: adjusted hazard ratio for 5–7 years was 1.06 (95% confidence interval: 0.86, 1.30) and for 8 or greater years was 0.74 (95% confidence interval: 0.54, 1.03). Antenatal steroid therapy appears to be an independent risk factor for the development of asthma between 3 and 5 years of age

The Prevalence and Clinical Correlates of an Auscultatory Gap in Systemic Sclerosis Patients

Introduction. Accurate blood pressure (BP) measurement is essential to the diagnosis and management of hypertension in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) to help prevent renal and cardiovascular complications. The presence of an auscultatory gap during manual BP measurement—the temporary disappearance of the Korotkoff sounds during cuff deflation—leads to a potentially important underestimate of systolic BP if undetected. Objectives. Since the presence of an auscultatory gap is frequently associated with increased vascular stiffness, we investigated its presence and correlates in 50 consecutive SSc patients. Methods. For each patient, BP was measured sequentially using three different approaches performed in the same order. Results. Sixteen of 50 patients (32%) had an auscultatory gap which if undetected would have resulted in clinically important underestimates of systolic BP in 4 patients. The presence of an auscultatory gap was statistically associated with the presence of antibodies to RNA polymerase III (P<0.0068) and SSc diagnosis type (P<0.01). Conclusions. Our study demonstrates that auscultatory gaps are relatively common in SSc and correlate with markers for SSc vasculopathy. If undetected auscultatory gaps may result in clinically important underestimation of BP. Thus, electronic oscillometric BP may be preferred in SSc patients

Nitrate pharmacokinetics: taking note of the difference

Copyright © 2015 Elsevier. NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Nitric Oxide: Biology and Chemistry. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Nitric Oxide: Biology and Chemistry (2015), DOI: 10.1016/j.niox.2015.04.006It is now recognised that administration of oral nitrate (NO3(-)), in its various forms, increases the level of nitric oxide (NO) metabolites in the circulation of humans. Its application to modulate physiology and alleviate cardiovascular dysfunction in some patients is now recorded and shows particular promise in hypertension, in modifying platelet activation/aggregation, and in conditions where tissue ischemia prevails. The potential of oral NO3(-) to modify exercise/performance via elevation of plasma nitrite concentration ([NO2(-)]) has been applied across a range of human test systems. Herein we discuss how the choice of NO3(-) source, route of administration and resulting pharmacokinetics might influence the outcome of physiological measures and potentially contribute to discrepancies in performance trials. There are but a few examples of detailed pharmacokinetic data on which the majority of researchers base their test protocols in different cohorts/settings. We compare and contrast the results of key publications with the aim of highlighting a consensus of our current understanding and critical considerations for those entering the field

Biphasic responses of the brachial artery diameter following forearm occlusion: a blunted response in the elderly

BACKGROUND: The purpose was to examine the temporal response of the brachial artery diameter following 5 minutes of forearm occlusion in young men. A secondary objective was to compare the main features of the temporal pattern between young and old. METHODS: Sixteen young (28 ± 8 yrs) and fifteen older (85 ± 8 yrs) men underwent high-resolution ultrasonography of the brachial artery before and after five minutes of forearm occlusion. RESULTS: Following release of the pressure cuff the brachial artery diameter exhibits a temporal biphasic response. Initially, there is a significant reduction in brachial diameter (NIL) compared to baseline (BASE), followed by a rapid increase to a PEAK at 41 sec post release. When comparing the magnitude of the decrease in diameter and the Brachial Artery Flow Mediated Dilation (BAFMD) between Young and Old, older subjects demonstrated a blunted response (Magnitude of Decrease: Young: 2.0%; Old: 0.4%, p = 0.015, and BAFMD: Young: 7.7%; Old: 2.3%, p = 0.001). Finally, a significant relationship was noted between the magnitude of decrease and BAFMD (r = -0.44, p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Examination of the temporal response of the brachial artery diameter following 5 minutes of forearm occlusion reveals a biphasic pattern in all participants. Specific features of this pattern are blunted in older adults compared with younger subjects. Finally, the magnitude of the drop in diameter following forearm occlusion correlates with the magnitude of the BAFMD

Quantify the monthly to decadal variability of climate effects on the lower trophic levelse of shelf sea ecosystems

ECOOP WP10, Deliverable no: D10.1.2.1This report describes three studies using multi-decadal simulations of regional coupled hydrodynamics ecosystem models. These models are used to investigate the relationship between lower trophic level marine ecosystems and biogeochemistry, and the physical environment. The models considered here: POLCOMS-ERSEM Atlantic Margin Model run from 1960 to 2003 (NERC and PML) NORWECOM North Sea Model run from 1985-2006 (IMR) ECOSMO (UiB-GFI) North sea and Baltic Sea run 1980-2004 (UiB-GFI) The POLCOMS-ERSEM model is validated using in-situ data from the world ocean data centre and analysed to investigate the potential long term changes in primary production across the period 1960-2004, in the context of model open boundary conditions and drift. The model experiments demonstrate a strong sensitivity of the on-shelf primary production to the oceanic nutrient boundary conditions, suggesting cross-shelf edge nutrient fluxes provide a significant source of variability. The relationship between the model results and the North Atlantic Oscillation are also considered, demonstrating a r~0.65 correlation with on-shelf nutrients and the NAO The NORWECOM model is validated here using time series data from the Dutch coast. Correlations between model variables in a selection of ICES boxes are compared with a number of driving factors. River loads are shown to dominate coastal boxes. The relationships in open-shelf boxes are more ambiguous, although the southerly inflow is demonstrated to have an important role. The validation of the POLCOMS-ERSEM and NORWECOM models both conclude that the simulations have better skill for nutrients than chlorophyll and in open-shelf seas away from the coast. The validation of ECOSMO presented here focuses on zooplankton and comparison with data from the continuous plankton recorder, investigating six different approaches to matching CPR records with model data. Across the North Sea the mean annual cycle shows good agreement between model and CPR. There is also good correlation with along-track variability. EOF and correlation analysis is used to relate the primary production in the North Sea to atmospheric forcing parameters. The EOF patterns tend to match the distribution of summer time stratification, while the wind speed is shows the highest correlation, particularly during the onset and breakdown of stratification. This indicates the strength of cross-thermocline mixing is an important control on primary production variability. The ECOSMO model has been further developed for use in the Baltic by inclusion of nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria. These studies each demonstrate significant control of the inter-annual variability of shelf sea ecosystems through a range of external forcing vectors: oceanic through cross-shelf edge nutrient flux, terrestrial through variations in river nutrient loading, and atmospheric via the wind control of vertical mixing. Each of these vectors potentially mediates climatic variability and climate change

Blood Pressure-Lowering Mechanisms of the DASH Dietary Pattern

Potential blood pressure- (BP-) lowering mechanisms of the DASH dietary pattern were measured in 20 unmedicated hypertensive adults in a controlled feeding study. At screening, participants averaged 44.3 ± 7.8 years, BMI 33.9 ± 6.6 Kg/m2, and BP 144.2 ± 9.38/88.5 ± 6.03 mmHg. All consumed a control diet for one week, then were randomized to control or DASH for another two weeks (week one and two). With DASH, but not controls, SBP fell by 10.65 ± 12.89 (P = 0.023) and 9.60 ± 11.23 (P = 0.039) mmHg and DBP by 5.95 ± 8.01 (P = 0.069) and 8.60 ± 9.13 mmHg (P = 0.011) at the end of week one and two, respectively. Univariate regressions showed that changes in urinary sodium/potassium ratio (β = 1.99) and plasma renin activity (β = −15.78) and percent change in plasma nitrite after hyperemia were associated with SBP changes at week one (all P < 0.05). Plasma nitrite following hyperemia showed a treatment effect (P = 0.014) and increased at week two (P = 0.001). Pulse wave velocity decreased over time with DASH (trend P = 0.019), and reached significance at week two (P = 0.026). This response may be mediated by an improvement in upregulation of nitric oxide bioavailability. Early natriuresis and reductions in oxidative stress cannot be ruled out. Future studies are needed to verify these findings, assess the possibility of earlier effects, and examine other potential mediators