489 research outputs found
The color of support: The effect of sponsor–team visual congruence on sponsorship performance
© American Marketing Association 2019. Brand sponsorship connects brands with large, passionate audiences. The sponsorship literature emphasizes the importance of brand sponsor–team congruence; however, prior research has largely focused on the relevance of the brand to the sport or geographic area. This article offers the first real-world empirical investigation of the effects of visual congruence through color matching on sponsorship performance. A wide-scale study of 703 Major League Baseball fans’ evaluations of their team’s sponsors, merged with real stadium signage data, offers evidence of the benefits of visual congruence. Two experiments in the contexts of product packaging and online advertising provide converging evidence of the positive effects of created visual congruence on attitudes toward the sponsorship, brand attitudes, and intentions. Brands without an inherent match to a team can enjoy enhanced sponsorship benefits with little additional costs simply by adopting the team’s colors in visual displays. However, the viewer’s motivation (fan status), opportunity (fan exposure), and ability (lack of color blindness) to process visual congruence moderates its effectiveness. By using the proposed framework, managers can maximize the value of their sponsorship rights
Small-scale stellar haloes: detecting low surface brightness features in the outskirts of Milky Way dwarf satellites
Dwarf galaxies are valuable laboratories for dynamical studies related to
dark matter and galaxy evolution, yet it is currently unknown just how
physically extended their stellar components are. Satellites orbiting the
Galaxy's potential may undergo tidal stripping by the host, or alternatively,
may themselves have accreted smaller systems whose debris populates the dwarf's
own stellar halo. Evidence of these past interactions, if present, is best
searched for in the outskirts of the satellite. However, foreground
contamination dominates the signal at these large radial distances, making
observation of stars in these regions difficult. In this work, we introduce an
updated algorithm for application to Gaia data that identifies candidate member
stars of dwarf galaxies, based on spatial, color-magnitude and proper motion
information, and which allows for an outer component to the stellar
distribution. Our method shows excellent consistency with spectroscopically
confirmed members from the literature despite having no requirement for radial
velocity information. We apply the algorithm to all 60 Milky Way dwarf
galaxy satellites, and we find 9 dwarfs (Bo\"otes 1, Bo\"otes 3, Draco 2, Grus
2, Segue 1, Sculptor, Tucana 2, Tucana 3, and Ursa Minor) that exhibit evidence
for a secondary, low-density outer profile. We identify many member stars which
are located beyond 5 half-light radii (and in some cases, beyond 10). We argue
these distant stars are likely tracers of dwarf stellar haloes or tidal
streams, though ongoing spectroscopic follow-up will be required to determine
the origin of these extended stellar populations.Comment: 24 pages, 13 figures, 4 tables, submitted to MNRA
Is salivary cortisol moderating the relationship between salivary testosterone and hand-grip strength in healthy men?
This study examined the moderating effect of cortisol (C) on the relationship between testosterone (T) and hand-grip strength (HGS) in healthy young men. Sixty-five males were monitored for salivary T, C and HGS before and 15 min after a short bout (5 × 6-s trials) of sprint cycling exercise. Sprint exercise promoted (p < .05) positive changes in T (6.1 ± 24.9%) and HGS (3.4 ± 7.5%), but a negative C response (−14.4 ± 33.1%). The T and C measures did not independently predict HGS, but a significant T × C interaction was found in relation to these outcomes. Further testing revealed that pre-test T and HGS were negatively associated (p < .05), but only in men with high C levels. The exercise changes in T and HGS were also negatively related in men with low C levels (p < .05), but no relationship was seen in men with high C levels. In summary, complex relationships between T and HGS emerged when considering C as a moderating variable. The pre-test combination of high C and low T levels favoured absolute HGS, whereas low pre-test C levels and a smaller T change were linked to larger HGS changes. These associations suggest that, in the current format, T is not necessarily anabolic to muscle strength in healthy young men. Such complexities could also explain some of the inconsistent T relationships with physical performance in lesser trained male populations
Stars on the edge: Galactic tides and the outskirts of the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal
Stars far beyond the half-light radius of a galaxy suggest the existence of a
mechanism able to move stars out of the region where most star formation has
taken place. The formation of these "stellar halos" are usually ascribed to the
effects of early mergers or Galactic tides, although fluctuations in the
gravitational potential due to stellar feedback is also a possible candidate
mechanism. A Bayesian algorithm is used to find new candidate members in the
extreme outskirts of the Sculptor dwarf galaxy. Precise metallicities and
radial velocities for two distant stars are measured from their spectra taken
with the Gemini South GMOS spectrograph. The radial velocity, proper motion and
metallicity of these targets are consistent with Sculptor membership. As a
result, the known boundary of the Sculptor dwarf extends now out to an
elliptical distance of half-light radii, which corresponds to a
projected physical distance of kpc. As reported in earlier work, the
overall distribution of radial velocities and metallicities indicate the
presence of a more spatially and kinematically dispersed metal-poor population
that surrounds the more concentrated and colder metal-rich stars. Sculptor's
density profile shows a "kink" in its logarithmic slope at a projected distance
of arcmin (620 pc), which we interpret as evidence that Galactic tides
have helped to populate the distant outskirts of the dwarf. We discuss further
ways to test and validate this tidal interpretation for the origin of these
distant stars.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, submitted to MNRA
Drift Macroalgal Distribution In Northern Gulf of Mexico Seagrass Meadows
Drift macroalgae, often found in clumps or mats adjacent to or within seagrass beds, can increase the value of seagrass beds as habitat for nekton via added food resources and structural complexity. But, as algal biomass increases, it can also decrease light availability, inhibit faunal movements, smother benthic communities, and contribute to hypoxia, all of which can reduce nekton abundance. We quantified the abundance and distribution of drift macroalgae within seagrass meadows dominated by turtle grass Thalassia testudinum across the northern Gulf of Mexico and compared seagrass characteristics to macroalgal biomass and distribution. Drift macroalgae were most abundant in areas with higher seagrass shoot densities and intermediate canopy heights. We did not find significant relationships between algal biomass and point measures of salinity, temperature, or depth. The macroalgal genera Laurencia and Gracilaria were present across the study region, Agardhiella and Digenia were collected in the western Gulf of Mexico, and Acanthophora was collected in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Our survey revealed drift algae to be abundant and widespread throughout seagrass meadows in the northern Gulf of Mexico, which likely influences the habitat value of seagrass ecosystems
Discovery of a new Local Group Dwarf Galaxy Candidate in UNIONS: Bo\"otes V
We present the discovery of Bo\"otes V, a new ultra-faint dwarf galaxy
candidate. This satellite is detected as a resolved overdensity of stars during
an ongoing search for new Local Group dwarf galaxy candidates in the UNIONS
photometric dataset. It has a physical half-light radius of
26.9 pc, a -band magnitude of 4.5 0.4 mag, and
resides at a heliocentric distance of approximately 100 kpc. We use Gaia DR3
astrometry to identify member stars, characterize the systemic proper motion,
and confirm the reality of this faint stellar system. The brightest star in
this system was followed up using Gemini GMOS-N long-slit spectroscopy and is
measured to have a metallicity of [Fe/H] 2.85 0.10 dex and a
heliocentric radial velocity of = 5.1 13.4 km s. Bo\"otes V
is larger (in terms of scale radius), more distant, and more metal-poor than
the vast majority of globular clusters. It is likely that Bo\"otes V is an
ultra-faint dwarf galaxy, though future spectroscopic studies will be necessary
to definitively classify this object.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for publication in the AAS
Journals. Please note that this paper was submitted in coordination with the
work of William Cerny et al. 2022. These authors independently discovered
this same satellite so our two research groups have coordinated the
submission of these discovery paper
The discovery of the faintest known Milky Way satellite using UNIONS
We present the discovery of Ursa Major III/UNIONS 1, the least luminous known
satellite of the Milky Way, which is estimated to have an absolute V-band
magnitude of mag, equivalent to a total stellar mass of
16 M. Ursa Major III/UNIONS 1 was uncovered in the deep,
wide-field Ultraviolet Near Infrared Optical Northern Survey (UNIONS) and is
consistent with an old ( Gyr), metal-poor ([Fe/H] )
stellar population at a heliocentric distance of 10 kpc. Despite being
compact ( pc) and composed of so few stars, we confirm
the reality of Ursa Major III/UNIONS 1 with Keck II/DEIMOS follow-up
spectroscopy and identify 11 radial velocity members, 8 of which have full
astrometric data from and are co-moving based on their proper motions.
Based on these 11 radial velocity members, we derive an intrinsic velocity
dispersion of km s but some caveats preclude this
value from being interpreted as a direct indicator of the underlying
gravitational potential at this time. Primarily, the exclusion of the largest
velocity outlier from the member list drops the velocity dispersion to
km s, and the subsequent removal of an additional
outlier star produces an unresolved velocity dispersion. While the presence of
binary stars may be inflating the measurement, the possibility of a significant
velocity dispersion makes Ursa Major III/UNIONS 1 a high priority candidate for
multi-epoch spectroscopic follow-ups to deduce to true nature of this
incredibly faint satellite.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables; Accepted for publication in Ap
Case management for the treatment of patients with major depression in general practices – rationale, design and conduct of a cluster randomized controlled trial – PRoMPT (Primary care Monitoring for depressive Patient's Trial) [ISRCTN66386086] – Study protocol
BACKGROUND: Depression is a disorder with high prevalence in primary health care and a significant burden of illness. The delivery of health care for depression, as well as other chronic illnesses, has been criticized for several reasons and new strategies to address the needs of these illnesses have been advocated. Case management is a patient-centered approach which has shown efficacy in the treatment of depression in highly organized Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) settings and which might also be effective in other, less structured settings. METHODS/DESIGN: PRoMPT (PRimary care Monitoring for depressive Patients Trial) is a cluster randomised controlled trial with General Practice (GP) as the unit of randomisation. The aim of the study is to evaluate a GP applied case-management for patients with major depressive disorder. 70 GPs were randomised either to intervention group or to control group with the control group delivering usual care. Each GP will include 10 patients suffering from major depressive disorder according to the DSM-IV criteria. The intervention group will receive treatment based on standardized guidelines and monthly telephone monitoring from a trained practice nurse. The nurse investigates the patient's status concerning the MDD criteria, his adherence to GPs prescriptions, possible side effects of medication, and treatment goal attainment. The control group receives usual care – including recommended guidelines. Main outcome measure is the cumulative score of the section depressive disorders (PHQ-9) from the German version of the Prime MD Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-D). Secondary outcome measures are the Beck-Depression-Inventory, self-reported adherence (adapted from Moriskey) and the SF-36. In addition, data are collected about patients' satisfaction (EUROPEP-tool), medication, health care utilization, comorbidity, suicide attempts and days out of work. The study comprises three assessment times: baseline (T0) , follow-up after 6 months (T1) and follow-up after 12 months (T2). DISCUSSION: Depression is now recognized as a disorder with a high prevalence in primary care but with insufficient treatment response. Case management seems to be a promising intervention which has the potential to bridge the gap of the usually time-limited and fragmented provision of care. Case management has been proven to be effective in several studies but its application in the private general medical practice setting remains unclear
Genomic breeding value prediction using three Bayesian methods and application to reduced density marker panels
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