Data ofheavymetalsbiosorptiononto Sargassum oligocystum collectedfromthenortherncoast of PersianGulf

This dataarticlepresentsasimplemethodforprovidingabio- sorbent from Sargassum oligocystum harvestedfromthenorthern coast ofPersianGulf,Bushehr,Iran.Thecharacterizationdataof Sargassum oligocystum biochar (SOB)wereanalyzedusingvarious instrumental techniques(FTIRandXPS).Thekinetics,isotherms, and thermodynamicsdataofHg2þ, Cd2þ, andCu2þ ions ontoSOB werepresented.ThemaximumbiosorptioncapacityofSOBto uptake Hg2þ, Cd2þ, andCu2þ ions fromaqueoussolutionwas obtained 60.25,153.85,and45.25mg/g,respectively.Theexperi- mental datashowedthatbiocharpreparedfrom Sargassum oligo- cystum is anefficient andpromisingbiosorbentforthetreatment of heavymetals-bearingwastewaters

On the presence of humpback whales in the Persian Gulf: rare or rarely documented? Report of the IWC Scientific Committee Meeting SC/67A/CMP/14, Bled, Slovenia, May 2017

We critically review the evidence for humpback whale presence in the Persian Gulf. Five specimen records, assumed to belong to the endangered Arabian Sea population, are confirmed in the period 1883- 2017: Bassore Bay, Iraq; Doha, Qatar; Kuwait Inner harbour, Kuwait; Qeshm Island, Iran; and Akhtar, Bushehr Province, Iran. The two Iranian cases, both juveniles, are newly recorded. With accumulating reports, an alternate hypothesis to 'rare stragglers' deserves consideration, one in which Arabian Sea humpback whales may enter the Persian Gulf with some regularity, perhaps as normal visitors, if not permanent residents. Deficiency of records may reflect a general sparsity of whale research effort in the Persian Gulf. The historical description of Megaptera indica Gervais, 1883 is translated from French

The moderating effect of fan engagement on the relationship between fan knowledge and fan co-creation in social media

International audiencePurpose Social media has enhanced the ability of fans to interact with each other. Whilst previous research investigates fan co-creation, few studies focus on the interactive effects within the co-creation process. The authors develop a model for synthesizing the interactive concepts related to fan co-creation in social media, which leads to team identification. Design/methodology/approach Participants ( N = 483) were recruited from fans of clubs in the Persian Gulf Pro League of Iran. Structural equation modelling was applied to test the research model. Findings The results showed that fan knowledge facilitates fan co-creation, which in turn leads to team identification. Additionally, fan engagement had a moderating effect on the mediating role of fan co-creation in the association between fan knowledge and team identification. Research limitations/implications The findings suggest that fan knowledge is an important antecedent of fan co-creation and highlight the significance of fan co-creation in promoting team identification in highly engaged fans at football clubs. Originality/value The current study contributes to the field of fan co-creation and provides significant implications for sport fan marketers

The impact of consumer knowledge on profitable consumer loyalty through perceived service quality and psychological involvement in non-profit sport clubs

Purpose The purpose of this research was to test the influence of consumer knowledge management on attitudinal and behavioral loyalty through service quality and psychological involvement. Design/methodology/approach – The participants (N = 396) were recruited through a convenience sampling technique from non-profit sport clubs in Iran. Data were analyzed with the Structural Equation Modelling using Mplus 7.4. Findings – The results revealed that the effects of service quality on psychological involvement were dependent on consumer knowledge management. Furthermore, there were the mediating effects of service quality and psychological involvement in the relationships between the consumer knowledge management and loyalty. Practical implications – The research findings provide valuable insights for non-profit sport club managers seeking to better attract and retain their consumers by demonstrating the importance of investing in consumer knowledge management initiatives. Managers should thus integrate knowledge orientation into their marketing and relationship management strategies and apply the strategy into consumer knowledge within club services. Originality/value – This study empirically highlights the important role of knowledge from, for, and about the consumer on perceived service quality and loyalty building among the non-profit consumer base

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Street Dust of Bushehr City, Iran: Status, Source, and Human Health Risk Assessment

<p>This study identified concentrations, molecular distributions, toxicities, and sources of polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in street dust from different land use of Bushehr city in southwest of Iran. For this purpose, 19 street dust samples were collected from different land use of the city and analyzed using GC–MS. Σ16PAHs (16 USEPA priority PAHs) concentrations ranged between 73.6 and 9491 µg kg⁻¹, with a mean of 1116.02 µg kg⁻¹. The high-molecular-weight (HMW) PAHs (4–6 rings), that make 65.22% of the total, were the dominant in almost all dust samples. In the northern part of the city, the concentration of PAHs especially HMW is high, reflecting high traffic density. PAH sources were identified statistically. It is demonstrated that the PAHs in Bushehr street dust are mainly petrogenic derived from traffic emission. A significant positive correlation coefficient also exists between the ∑PAH concentration and toxic equivalency concentration (TEQ). Estimated incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) results indicated that Bushehr residents are potentially exposed to a high cancer risk, especially via dust ingestion and dermal contact.</p

The impact of unlearning context on organizational performance through knowledge management: A case of community sport clubs in Iran

The authors examined the effect of unlearning context on organizational performance of community sport clubs (CSCs) via knowledge management. The board of directors of CSCs in Iran were invited to participate in this study. The research employed the multidimensional constructs of unlearning context, knowledge management, and organizational performance. The findings indicated that unlearning context had positive effects on knowledge management and organizational performance. Knowledge management played a role of partial mediator in the relationship between unlearning context and organizational performance. Non-profit sport organizations need to take advantage of promoting unlearning context to facilitate acquisition, creation, sharing, storage, and application of new knowledge among members, which in turn, could help them perform better. The study provides both theoretical and managerial implications that promote sport clubs to apply unlearning context and knowledge management processes to increase both financial and non-financial aspects of their organizational performance

Testing the impact of athlete brand image attributes on fan loyalty

AbstractPurpose - Athlete brand image management has become a popular topic among sport marketing scholars. The present study aimed to test the impacts the attributes of athlete brand image on fan loyalty.Methodology – 500 questionnaires were delivered to university students and 472 completed questionnaires were returned. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to test the psychometric properties of the measures, and structural equation modeling was carried out to test the hypotheses.Findings - Findings of this study show that three attributes of athlete brand image (e.g., marketable lifestyle, athletic performance, and attractive appearance) positively influenced fan loyalty. Implications - To increase the loyalty of fans, effective marketing strategies could be designed to create positive images of athletes with both athletes’ on-field (e.g., athletic skills, competition style, and excellence in sport) and off-field performance (e.g., engagement with fans, community involvement, public relation, and charity activities).Originality - This paper provides valuable insights into the measurement of athlete brand image and fan loyalty and offers a foundation for future research on athlete brand management.</div

Analyzing the influence of employee values on knowledge management in sport organizations

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between employee values and knowledge management in sport organizations. Methodology: Data (N = 234) were collected online through a structured questionnaire from employees of 33 sport organizations in Iran. In order to test the hypotheses, Pearson correlation test and a regression analysis was conducted. Findings: The results from the study revealed that there were significant relationships between employee values and knowledge management. Both instrumental and terminal values significantly influenced knowledge management. Research limitations/implication: One limitation of this study is related to the generalizability of the results. Therefore, the current study is required to be replicated with other sport organizations in various sectors (public or private) to improve external validity of the results. Practical implications: Based on this study, employees of sport organizations in developing countries tend to store knowledge more than sharing and applying it. The findings can be used by human resources and knowledge management practitioners who are interested in developing organizational knowledge through employees’ values. Originality: Through this study, the positive roles of employee instrumental and terminal values, as the key drivers in determining intangible assets in organizations, were found