Are Facebook Brand Community Members Really Loyal to the Brand?

Although research into consumer participation in online brand communities has grown in recent years, still little is known about how membership in a Facebook brand community is related to brand loyalty. This study tests the direct and indirect effects of brand community engagement, electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) intention, and community promotion behavior on attitudinal loyalty, repurchase intention, and positive word-of-mouth. Partial least squares modeling is used to test the conceptual model on data from a survey of 1,936 Facebook brand community members. The results support most of the hypotheses and show that whereas brand community engagement and eWOM intention are strongly associated with all the aspects of brand loyalty, community promotion behavior only affects word-of-mouth. The results also reveal that user activity in the Facebook brand community has no effect on positive word-of-mouth

Dark chocolate and reduced snack consumption in mildly hypertensive adults : an intervention study

Background: Several studies have shown that cocoa and cocoa-containing foods have the potential to lower blood pressure and improve endothelial function. Most of the studies reporting the beneficial effects of dark chocolate on blood pressure have been short ( Design: This was a randomized, controlled, cross-over trial involving 22 adults (8 women, 14 men), aged 33-64 y, BMI 27.7 +/- 3.7 kg/m(2) with mild hypertension. During the intervention period (8-wks) the participants reduced the intake of habitual snacks and replaced them with dark chocolate (49 g/day). In the control period, they only reduced the snacks without any added chocolate. Data (blood lipid profile, glucose, insulin, 24 h blood pressure) was collected in the beginning and end of both periods (intervention and control), and some variables also in the run-in and run-out periods (weight, body fat percentage, blood pressure, arterial stiffness index, diet and physical activity). Results: Daily consumption of dark chocolate had no effects on 24 h blood pressure, resting blood pressure (mean +/- SD, pre 142 +/- 11.5/89 +/- 4 mmHg vs. post 142 +/- 14.2/88 +/- 9.4 mmHg in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively) or arterial stiffness (mean +/- SD, pre 7.68 +/- 0.88 vs. post 7.76 +/- 0.89). Weight was reduced by 1.0 +/- 2.2 kg during the control (reduced snack only) period, but was unchanged while eating chocolate (p <0.027 between the treatments). Conclusion: The data collected in this study indicates that inclusion of dark chocolate daily in the diet had no significant effects on blood pressure or other cardiovascular risk factors during a reduced snack period.Peer reviewe

Luonnontuotteiden kemialliset yhdisteet

Luonnontuotteiden kemialliset yhdisteet -raporttiin on koottu keskeinen tutkimustieto Suomessa käytetyimpien luonnontuotteiden bioaktiivista yhdisteistä sekä terveys- ja hyvinvointivaikutuksista. Raportissa lisäksi kuvataan esimerkkejä luonnontuotteiden ainesosien käyttömuodoista ja markkinoilla olevista tuotteista. Raportti on katsaus aihepiirin tutkimustiedosta, luonnontuotteiden tunnistetuista hyvinvointivaikutuksista sekä ominaisuuksien hyödyntämisestä yritystoiminnassa. Raportti tuo esille luonnontuotteiden vaikuttavien yhdisteiden määrällisen laajuuden sekä vaikutusten ja käyttömahdollisuuksien monipuolisuuden. Luonnontuotteita ja niiden ainesosia voidaan hyödyntää paitsi elintarvikkeissa myös muun muassa hyvinvointituotteissa, kosmetiikassa, lääkeaineina ja rohdoksina. Luonnonmarjoja, -sieniä ja -yrttejä sekä muita luonnontuotteita on perinteisestikin käytetty moniin eri käyttötarkoituksiin, mutta lisääntyvä tieto näiden raaka-aineiden ominaisuuksista ja vaikutuksista on edelleen kasvattamassa ja monipuolistamassa niiden käyttöä. Selvitys toteutettiin osana Luonnontuotealan innovaatioverkosto ja toimialan uudet mahdollisuudet (LT-INNO) -hanketta, jota rahoitetaan Manner-Suomen maaseudun kehittämisohjelmasta 2007–2013. Hanketta toteuttavat Helsingin yliopiston Ruralia-instituutti, Maa- ja elintarviketalouden tutkimuskeskus (MTT), Oulun Ammattikorkeakoulu Oy, Teknologiakeskus KETEK Oy, Foodwest Oy, Itä-Suomen yliopisto sekä Lapin ammattikorkeakoulu Oy. Selvitys vie osaltaan eteenpäin hankkeen keskeistä tavoitetta luoda luonnontuotealan toimintaohjelma suuntaamaan alan tutkimus- ja kehittämistyötä ja yrittäjyyttä

Asthma, allergies and respiratory symptoms in different activity groups of swimmers exercising in swimming halls

Background Respiratory symptoms are common in competitive swimmers. However, among these and in swimmers at other activity levels the swimming distance, the total spent time in swimming halls and their medical background varies. Our objectives were, first, to assess their medical histories and the associations with respiratory symptoms among swimmers in different activity groups and then second, to study the pulmonary function findings and related medications in competitive swimmers who exercise in swimming hall environments the most. Methods First, 1118 participants consisting of 133 competitive-, 734 fitness- and 251 occasional swimmers answered questionnaires concerning their medical background, their respiratory symptoms in connection to swimming distance and their amount of time spent in swimming halls. Secondly, in 130 competitive swimmers, pulmonary function was tested by spirometry and a specific questionnaire was used to assess respiratory symptoms, medical histories and prescribed medication. Results Respiratory symptoms were reported by 18% of the studied swimmers. Competitive swimmers had significantly more symptoms than fitness- and occasional swimmers. Naturally competitive swimmers swum more than 2000 m and stayed by the pool more than 90 min, longer than the other activity groups of swimmers. Spirometry testing showed airway obstruction in 15 swimmers, which was 12% of the 130 competitive swimmers. 21 of them, had physician-diagnosed asthma and 16 of these individuals had prescribed medication for it. Conclusions Competitive swimmers had the highest swimming hall exposure and reported significantly more respiratory symptoms. A high prevalence of airway obstruction findings in competitive swimmers with asthma and allergies suggests a need for future recommendations for regular testing and special medical care for competitive swimmers.Peer reviewe

Exercise Prescription Enhances Maximal Oxygen Uptake and Anaerobic Threshold in Young Single Ventricle Patients with Fontan Circulation

Correction: Volume43, Issue4 Page: 922-922 DOI: 10.1007/s00246-022-02871-7 Published: APR 2022A modified Fontan procedure is performed to palliate single ventricle malformations. This hemodynamic arrangement sets systemic venous pressure unphysiologically high which predisposes the patient to severe long-term complications. As a means of self-care, exercise may ease transpulmonary flow. We investigated the effects of 6-month exercise prescription on pediatric Fontan patients. Eighteen stable Fontan patients (14 +/- 2.6 years, 160.4 +/- 11.3 cm, and 51.4 +/- 14.4 kg) were recruited. Baseline fitness was assessed by physical activity questionnaire, body composition, cardiorespiratory performance, and muscle fitness tests. Exercise prescription was individually tailored for a 6-month training period at home. At entrance to the study, Fontan patients had lower than normal maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) of 28. +/- 5.9 ml/kg/min (61 +/- 11% of normal). VO2max significantly correlated with weekly amount of habitual exercise and muscle mass of the lower limbs (p < 0.001 for both). After 6 months of training, the patients had improved their anaerobic threshold of 18 +/- 3.5 vs 20 +/- 4.8 ml/kg/min, p = 0.007, and workload tolerance of 119 +/- 39 vs 132.4 +/- 44 W, p = 0.001. At EUROFIT tests, the patient muscle fitness was below age-matched reference, but correlations existed between VO2max and lower limb muscle tests. Our patients with Fontan hemodynamics were able to positively respond to an exercise program by enhancing submaximal performance which should be beneficial for getting through daily activities. Future studies should correlate whether hemodynamic findings at Fontan completion influence physical activity and exercise reserves, and whether these predict predisposition to chronic complications.Peer reviewe

Altered expiratory flow dynamics at peak exercise in adult men with well-controlled type 1 diabetes.

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Alveolar gas exchange and tissue oxygenation during incremental treadmill exercise, and their associations with blood O(2) carrying capacity

The magnitude and timing of oxygenation responses in highly active leg muscle, less active arm muscle, and cerebral tissue, have not been studied with simultaneous alveolar gas exchange measurement during incremental treadmill exercise. Nor is it known, if blood O(2) carrying capacity affects the tissue-specific oxygenation responses. Thus, we investigated alveolar gas exchange and tissue (m. vastus lateralis, m. biceps brachii, cerebral cortex) oxygenation during incremental treadmill exercise until volitional fatigue, and their associations with blood O(2) carrying capacity in 22 healthy men. Alveolar gas exchange was measured, and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was used to monitor relative concentration changes in oxy- (Δ[O(2)Hb]), deoxy- (Δ[HHb]) and total hemoglobin (Δ[tHb]), and tissue saturation index (TSI). NIRS inflection points (NIP), reflecting changes in tissue-specific oxygenation, were determined and their coincidence with ventilatory thresholds [anaerobic threshold (AT), respiratory compensation point (RC); V-slope method] was examined. Blood O(2) carrying capacity [total hemoglobin mass (tHb-mass)] was determined with the CO-rebreathing method. In all tissues, NIPs coincided with AT, whereas RC was followed by NIPs. High tHb-mass associated with leg muscle deoxygenation at peak exercise (e.g., Δ[HHb] from baseline walking to peak exercise vs. tHb-mass: r = 0.64, p < 0.01), but not with arm muscle- or cerebral deoxygenation. In conclusion, regional tissue oxygenation was characterized by inflection points, and tissue oxygenation in relation to alveolar gas exchange during incremental treadmill exercise resembled previous findings made during incremental cycling. It was also found out, that O(2) delivery to less active m. biceps brachii may be limited by an accelerated increase in ventilation at high running intensities. In addition, high capacity for blood O(2) carrying was associated with a high level of m. vastus lateralis deoxygenation at peak exercise.Peer reviewe

Exercise intervention and health checks for middle-aged men with elevated cardiovascular risk : A randomized controlled trial

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