Sport Fan Team Identification Formation in Mid-Level Professional Sport

Team identification, the degree to which an individual feels psychologically linked to a team, has been a focal point in studies of sport fans and sport spectatorship (e.g. Fink et al., 2002; Jones, 1997; Wann & Branscombe, 1993; Wann & Dolan, 1994; Wann & Schrader, 1997). Although the development of team identification has been examined extensively in established sport markets, the purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between sport fan team identification and motivations for initially becoming a fan of a new mid-level professional sport in a new market. A convenience sample of spectators (N=351) at an American Arena Football League (AFL) game completed a survey designed to identify and measure this relationship. A simultaneous multiple regression analysis revealed significant and positive predictive value for team identification from the following reasons for becoming a fan: parents and/or family (β=.125, p\u3c .05), born and/or live in area (β=.210, p\u3c.001), players and/or coaches (β=.411, p=.001), and tailgating and party atmosphere (β=.123,

Underwater Application of Quantitative PCR on an Ocean Mooring

The Environmental Sample Processor (ESP) is a device that allows for the underwater, autonomous application of DNA and protein probe array technologies as a means to remotely identify and quantify, in situ, marine microorganisms and substances they produce. Here, we added functionality to the ESP through the development and incorporation of a module capable of solid-phase nucleic acid extraction and quantitative PCR (qPCR). Samples collected by the instrument were homogenized in a chaotropic buffer compatible with direct detection of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and nucleic acid purification. From a single sample, both an rRNA community profile and select gene abundances were ascertained. To illustrate this functionality, we focused on bacterioplankton commonly found along the central coast of California and that are known to vary in accordance with different oceanic conditions. DNA probe arrays targeting rRNA revealed the presence of 16S rRNA indicative of marine crenarchaea, SAR11 and marine cyanobacteria; in parallel, qPCR was used to detect 16S rRNA genes from the former two groups and the large subunit RuBisCo gene (rbcL) from Synecchococcus. The PCR-enabled ESP was deployed on a coastal mooring in Monterey Bay for 28 days during the spring-summer upwelling season. The distributions of the targeted bacterioplankon groups were as expected, with the exception of an increase in abundance of marine crenarchaea in anomalous nitrate-rich, low-salinity waters. The unexpected co-occurrence demonstrated the utility of the ESP in detecting novel events relative to previously described distributions of particular bacterioplankton groups. The ESP can easily be configured to detect and enumerate genes and gene products from a wide range of organisms. This study demonstrated for the first time that gene abundances could be assessed autonomously, underwater in near real-time and referenced against prevailing chemical, physical and bulk biological conditions

Crowdsourcing hypothesis tests: Making transparent how design choices shape research results

To what extent are research results influenced by subjective decisions that scientists make as they design studies? Fifteen research teams independently designed studies to answer fiveoriginal research questions related to moral judgments, negotiations, and implicit cognition. Participants from two separate large samples (total N > 15,000) were then randomly assigned to complete one version of each study. Effect sizes varied dramatically across different sets of materials designed to test the same hypothesis: materials from different teams renderedstatistically significant effects in opposite directions for four out of five hypotheses, with the narrowest range in estimates being d = -0.37 to +0.26. Meta-analysis and a Bayesian perspective on the results revealed overall support for two hypotheses, and a lack of support for three hypotheses. Overall, practically none of the variability in effect sizes was attributable to the skill of the research team in designing materials, while considerable variability was attributable to the hypothesis being tested. In a forecasting survey, predictions of other scientists were significantly correlated with study results, both across and within hypotheses. Crowdsourced testing of research hypotheses helps reveal the true consistency of empirical support for a scientific claim.</div

Practice Variation in the Evaluation and Disposition of Febrile Infants ≤60&nbsp;Days of Age

BackgroundFebrile infants commonly present to emergency departments for evaluation.ObjectiveWe describe the variation in diagnostic testing and hospitalization of febrile infants ≤60&nbsp;days of age presenting to the emergency departments in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network.MethodsWe enrolled a convenience sample of non-critically ill-appearing febrile infants (temperatures ≥38.0°C/100.4°F) ≤60&nbsp;days of age who were being evaluated with blood cultures in 26 Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network emergency departments between 2008 and 2013. Patients were divided into younger (0-28&nbsp;days of age) and older (29-60&nbsp;days of age) cohorts for analysis. We evaluated diagnostic testing and hospitalization rates by infant age&nbsp;group using chi-square tests and by site using analysis of variance.ResultsFour thousand seven hundred seventy-eight patients were eligible for analysis, of whom 1517 (32%) were 0-28&nbsp;days of age. Rates of lumbar puncture and hospitalization were high (&gt;90%) among infants ≤28&nbsp;days of age, with chest radiography (35.5%) and viral testing (66.2%) less commonly obtained. Among infants 29-60&nbsp;days of age, lumbar puncture (69.5%) and hospitalization (64.4%) rates were lower and declined with increasing age, with chest radiography (36.5%) use unchanged and viral testing (52.7%) slightly decreased. There was substantial variation between sites in the older cohort of infants, with lumbar puncture and hospitalization rates ranging from 40% to 90%.ConclusionsThe evaluation and disposition of febrile infants ≤60&nbsp;days of age is highly variable, particularly among infants who are 29-60&nbsp;days of age. This variation demonstrates an opportunity to modify diagnostic and management strategies based on current epidemiology to safely decrease invasive testing and hospitalization

Crowdsourcing hypothesis tests: making transparent how design choices shape research results

To what extent are research results influenced by subjective decisions that scientists make as they design studies? Fifteen research teams independently designed studies to answer five original research questions related to moral judgments, negotiations, and implicit cognition. Participants from two separate large samples (total N > 15,000) were then randomly assigned to complete one version of each study. Effect sizes varied dramatically across different sets of materials designed to test the same hypothesis: materials from different teams rendered statistically significant effects in opposite directions for four out of five hypotheses, with the narrowest range in estimates being d = -0.37 to +0.26. Meta-analysis and a Bayesian perspective on the results revealed overall support for two hypotheses, and a lack of support for three hypotheses. Overall, practically none of the variability in effect sizes was attributable to the skill of the research team in designing materials, while considerable variability was attributable to the hypothesis being tested. In a forecasting survey, predictions of other scientists were significantly correlated with study results, both across and within hypotheses. Crowdsourced testing of research hypotheses helps reveal the true consistency of empirical support for a scientific claim