Studies on Understanding Loyalty Formation in the Sporting Event Context: Identity-based Perspectives

This cross-disciplinary study examines fan loyalty, motivation, and relationships with university athletic teams via a literature review and three separate SEM-based hypothesis-testing models, each of which includes theoretical investigations and action-oriented conclusions. The studies posit that identity orientations such as social in-groups on campus are drivers of fandom. Being in-group situates potential fans as individuals who can most easily overcome constraints to leisure activities involved in fandom experiences. The overcoming of such constraints leads to enhanced in-group activities and experiences and eventually loyalty formation. The outlier constraints that could lead to a lack of fandom are primarily intrapersonal (e.g. certain demographic groups) and structural constraints (e.g. a lack of funds or physical ability). The study is action-oriented in that recommendations include that university athletics can leverage the results to increase fandom on campus by removing primary structural and intrapersonal constraints as possible for specific demographic groups

Studies on Understanding Loyalty Formation in the Sporting Event Context: Identity-based Perspectives

This cross-disciplinary study examines fan loyalty, motivation, and relationships with university athletic teams via a literature review and three separate SEM-based hypothesis-testing models, each of which includes theoretical investigations and action-oriented conclusions. The studies posit that identity orientations such as social in-groups on campus are drivers of fandom. Being in-group situates potential fans as individuals who can most easily overcome constraints to leisure activities involved in fandom experiences. The overcoming of such constraints leads to enhanced in-group activities and experiences and eventually loyalty formation. The outlier constraints that could lead to a lack of fandom are primarily intrapersonal (e.g. certain demographic groups) and structural constraints (e.g. a lack of funds or physical ability). The study is action-oriented in that recommendations include that university athletics can leverage the results to increase fandom on campus by removing primary structural and intrapersonal constraints as possible for specific demographic groups

Thyroid Isthmus Length and Iodine Turnover as Predictors of Successful Radioactive Iodine Therapy in Patients with Graves’ Disease

Radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy is an effective treatment option for Graves’ disease. However, predicting treatment failures after RAI therapy remains controversial. The objective of this study was to investigate the factors associated with the success rate of RAI therapy for treatment of Graves’ hyperthyroidism. Thyroid functional outcome, pre-RAI ultrasonographic features, and clinical parameters were evaluated retrospectively in 98 patients followed up for at least 12 months after RAI (mean RAI dose was 11.7 ± 1.8 mCi). Hypothyroidism was achieved in 59 patients (60.2%), and euthyroidism in 16 patients (16.3%), while 23 patients (23.5%) remained hyperthyroid. Age, sex, body mass index, pre-RAI thyroid function, or thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin levels were not associated with treatment outcome. Length of thyroid isthmus (p=0.028) and 2- to 24-hour iodine uptake ratios (p=0.002) were significantly associated with treatment failure, which was defined as a persistent hyperthyroid status after RAI therapy. Patients with a longer isthmus had a higher risk of remaining hyperthyroid, with a threshold for isthmus length of 5.2 mm, with a sensitivity of 69.6% and specificity of 70.3% for treatment success. Measuring the length of the thyroid isthmus can be a simple and useful way to predict RAI treatment outcome

Clinical implications of correlation between peripheral eosinophil count and serum levels of IL-5 and tryptase in acute eosinophilic pneumonia

SummaryBackgroundThe peripheral eosinophil count (PEC) tends to increase during the course of acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP), and an initially elevated PEC is associated with milder disease. However, there is a lack of data regarding these phenomena and inflammatory process of AEP.MethodsWe prospectively evaluated serial changes in serum interleukin (IL)-5 levels and the correlation between the initial level of IL-5 and the PEC to investigate whether the initial PEC indicates a resolving state of inflammation. We also evaluated serum tryptase levels to investigate the possibility of involvement of mast cell activity in AEP.ResultsTwenty-one AEP patients were included, and all patients improved within 10 days after corticosteroid treatment. The median initial serum IL-5 level among all patients was 561.0 pg/mL, which decreased to zero at 10 days of follow-up (n = 15, P < 0.001). The median initial serum tryptase level (detectable in 20 of 21 patients) was 3.7 ng/mL and decreased to a median of 1.1 ng/mL at 10 days of follow-up (n = 15, P < 0.001). The initial serum IL-5 and C-reactive protein levels were positively correlated (P = 0.009, r = 0.556), and the initial serum IL-5 level was inversely correlated with the initial PEC (P = 0.004, r = −0.603).ConclusionsOur data suggest that IL-5 is an important cytokine involved in the recruitment of eosinophils from peripheral blood into the lungs, that an initially elevated PEC is associated with a resolving state of inflammation, and that mast cells are potentially involved in the inflammatory process of AEP

Analysis of the predictive role and new proposal for surgical strategies based on the modified Tomita and Tokuhashi scoring systems for spinal metastasis

BACKGROUND: We sought to identify preoperative factors significantly correlated with survival. We also aimed to evaluate the validity of the prognostic scores in the Tomita and Tokuhashi systems and discuss several aspects to improve the predictive accuracy of these systems. Moreover, we suggest modified criteria for selecting treatment strategies. METHODS: In total, the outcomes of 112 patients with spinal metastasis who underwent surgery between January 2006 and June 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. The validity of the prognostic scores was assessed on the basis of their correlation with survival. For various primary malignancies, new scoring criteria were applied in each system according to the survival results obtained in this study. Each revised scoring system was adjusted with a similar principle of scoring as described previously. Patient survival according to each preoperative factor was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. The predictive value of each scoring system was evaluated by the log-rank test and Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: The interval from the diagnosis of the primary malignancy to that of spinal metastasis (p = 0.023) and the interval from the diagnosis of spinal metastasis to surgery (p = 0.039) were significantly correlated with survival. Regarding Tokuhashi scores, the correlation coefficient was 0.790 before adjustment (p = 0.001) and 0.853 after adjustment (p < 0.001). For Tomita scores, the correlation coefficient was -0.994 (p < 0.001) both before and after adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Tomita scores more accurately predicted survival than Tokuhashi scores. It is helpful to evaluate both scoring systems with adjustment for primary malignancy depending on the clinical setting. Patients with Tomita scores less than or equal to 8 and Tokuhashi scores greater than or equal to 6 are recommended to undergo surgical management

A STUDY OF THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EFFECTS OF THE ETHYL ACETATE FRACTION OF THE METHANOL EXTRACT OF FORSYTHIAE FRUCTUS

Background: The dried fruit of Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl. (Oleaceae) are better known by their herbal name Forsythiae Fructus, and have a bitter taste, slightly pungent smell, and cold habit. FF has been widely used to treat symptoms associated with the lung, heart, and small intestine. Recently, bioactive compounds isolated from hydrophobic solvent fractions of FF have been reported to have anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-cancer effects. Traditionally, almost all herbal medicines are water extracts, and thus, extraction methods should be developed to optimize the practical efficacies of herbal medicines. Materials and Methods: In this study, the anti-inflammatory effects of the ethyl acetate fraction of the methanol extract of FF (FFE) were assessed by measuring NO and PGE2 production byand intracellular ROS and protein levels of iNOS and COX-2in RAW 264.7 cells. Results: FFE inhibited COX-2 expression in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Conclusion: In summary, FFE effectively reduced intracellular ROS and NO levels and inhibited PGE2 production by down- regulating COX-2 levels

Proliferative Activity of Pituitary Mammotrophs in Culture : a Morphological Study on DNA Synthesis Using In Vitro Bromodeoxyuridine Labeling Method

The present study was designed to investigate the proliferative activity of mammotroph in the long-term monolayer cultures of male rat pituitaries by use of bromodeoxyuridineflsrdl.ll-labeltnq technique combined with double immunohistochemical staining. Rat anterior pituitary cells were exposed to 100 uM BrdU for 4 hrs at 4, 7, 12, 15, 20, 25 and 30 days in the primary cultures. After fixation with modified Camoy's fixative, double immunohistochemical staining with anti-BrdU and antiprolactin antibody was performed. It was shown that the ratio of BrdU-Iabeled mammotrophs per 100 mammotrophs(BrdU Labeling Index) was 8.2% at 4 day and 8. 0% at 7 day in our cultures. Thereafter, it decreased until 30 days(1.7%). These results demonstrated that the increase in the proportion of mammotrophs observed in our previous monolayer cultures is caused, at least in part, by the cell division of mammortrophs

Function of COP9 Signalosome in Regulation of Mouse Oocytes Meiosis by Regulating MPF Activity and Securing Degradation

The COP9 (constitutive photomorphogenic) signalosome (CSN), composed of eight subunits, is a highly conserved protein complex that regulates processes such as cell cycle progression and kinase signalling. Previously, we found the expression of the COP9 constitutive photomorphogenic homolog subunit 3 (CSN3) and subunit 5 (CSN5) changes as oocytes mature for the first time, and there is no report regarding roles of COP9 in the mammalian oocytes. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the effects of RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated transient knockdown of each subunit on the meiotic cell cycle in mice oocytes. Following knockdown of either CSN3 or CSN5, oocytes failed to complete meiosis I. These arrested oocytes exhibited a disrupted meiotic spindle and misarranged chromosomes. Moreover, down-regulation of each subunit disrupted the activity of maturation-promoting factor (MPF) and concurrently reduced degradation of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) substrates Cyclin B1 and Securin. Our data suggest that the CSN3 and CSN5 are involved in oocyte meiosis by regulating degradation of Cyclin B1 and Securin via APC/C