Phygitally Yours: Examination of Virtual Reality Experiences in Digital Sports and Recreational Games

The demand for, and investment in digital virtual reality (VR) games, both by companies and consumers, are increasing day by day. Accordingly, understanding the experiences created by VR within the scope of phygital marketing is important in terms of contributing to virtual experiential marketing, marketing communication, recreation and similar fields. The concept of phygital, expresses the integral wholeness of the digital and physical. And ‘Phygitally Yours’ refers to individuals who can live in their own phygital worlds in today's technologies. The aim of this study was to examine the experiences created by digital games involving sports and recreational content within the scope of phygital marketing. Eight individuals who did not have any prior VR experience played digital games with sports (Grand Turismo Sport) and recreational (VR Worlds) content using VR glasses. Subsequently, in-depth interviews were conducted. The data were analysed using the content analysis method, and thematic codes and concepts were revealed and interpreted. As a result of the research, it was determined that the participants' first VR experience of digital games involved the dimensions of sense, interaction, pleasure and flow, with the following codes emerging: perfect holistic effect, showroom feeling, understandable, competition, magic, gorgeous, dilemma, and place independent behaviour

Common Language of New Era in Sport Clubs: Emojis

Defined as an easy and automated way of expressing emotions in the digital age, emojis are emerging as a new language in the social media world and sports clubs also. For sports clubs, it is of vital importance to communicate and establish effective relations with fans or followers. Hence, almost all professional sports clubs use social media and shape their social media accounts to interact with fans/followers and effectively maintain marketing communication efforts. The aim of this study was to determine the content of emoji usage in tweets of Turkish sports clubs (Besiktas JK, Fenerbahce SK, Galatasaray SK, Istanbul Başakşehir FK, Trabzonspor SK). Since Twitter is one of the most heavily used social media networks of sports clubs, so in this study was preferred. Content analysis method was used to examine emojis used by sports clubs. The study found that sports clubs use emojis that create positive and neutral connotations. Emojis used are heavily determined to be visuals depicting the colors and symbols of sports clubs. The study is the first to examine sports clubs' emojis used. Hence, the study included important results for the management of communication and marketing strategies of sports clubs on social media

I Got My Eyes on You: Examination of Sports Celebrity Endorsement Effect on Viewer’s Visual Attention

Celebrity endorsement is a widely used method to gather customer visual attention to the advertised product. Viewers' visual attention to the products is clinical for advertisers. This is why advertisers keep their eyes on consumers to know where they're looking. The study was aimed to explore the visual attention of young sports consumers by gender with the help of an eye-tracking system. An experiment was conducted with twenty-eight university students by using Tobii Pro Glasses-2 eye tracker. Fixation durations, counts, and areas were measured to assess the effects of sports celebrity endorsement on visual attention. In major findings, although in the ad where a female sports celebrity was featured, men and women respondents were fixed in similar areas, the men respondents put the maximum focus on the female athlete herself, while the women respondents focus maximum on the product. The present study found that the visual attention of the young sports consumers visual attention to the printed advertisements with sports contents varied by gender. Young consumers can have different connections and associations with celebrities than older consumers. The study gives important information to understand the young sports consumers’ visual attention to the printed advertisements which use sport celebrity endorsements

WOMEN'S TOUCH ON SPORTS SCREEN: EXAMINING THE WOMEN SPORTS PRESENTER PERCEPTION ON TV FOOTBALL SHOWS

Women whose interest in sports and football increase day by day maintain their interest both as active and passive participants (Acosta and Kartepender, 2014). This interest has not been limited merely to watching sports. It has gone so far as women working professionally in the media (Performance Communications, 2016). Thus, it is believed that it will not be wrong to say that the male dominant structure in sports and the sports industry has begun to display differences with the professional participation of women in the sports media (reporter, presenter, author, editor etc.) The power of television is a fact that should be taken into consideration in the developing and changing world. Gender studies on sports media demonstrates that women sports are not taken seriously and does not get the respect it deserves in the media (Cooky, Mesner and Hextrum, 2013). Thus, the place of women in sports programmes and the perception this creates in Turkish society has become an important subject that should be studied. The aim of this study is to find out how female presenters in football programmes are perceived by viewers. For this purpose, the interview technique which is a qualitative research method has been used to get more detailed and in-depth data. The data from the interviews has been analyzed using the content analysis method and coded under appropriate themes. Research results are divided into two as positive and negative thoughts. The thoughts of the participants were evaluated in two categories as ‘the perception of women on screen and program content. The findings of the study show that the presence of women in football programmes is generally viewed positively. In addition, it can be said that women on football screen is perceived as ‘beneficial’, ‘necessary’ and ‘beautiful’.  Article visualizations

The Other Side of The Coin: Examining Mobile Games as a Leisure Constraints

The concept of recreation with its dynamic structure and the elements of recreational needs were heavily influenced by communication technology especially after the 2000s (Torkildsen, 2005; Torkildsen, 2012; Spracklen, 2015; Sintas, de Francisco, & Álvarez, 2015; Choi & Dattilo, 2017; Valtchanov & Parry, 2017). The game, one of the oldest known leisure activities (Spracklen, 2011), has been moved from offline to online and further into computers and mobile devices in the 21st century (Chen & Leung, 2016). The preference of mobile games, which have become one of the most popular entertainment tools due to the growing popularity of mobile devices and applications, has made the concept of leisure more digital than ever (Spracklen, 2015; Redhead, 2016; Pink, Hjorth, Horst, & Nettheim, 2017). There are great similarities and common points between the motivations of individuals to participate in leisure activities and the motivation to play mobile games. From this point forth; mobile games, which can be regarded as a recreational activity, can also be considered as leisure constraints from the point of leisure evaluation view (Crawford, Jackson, & Godbey, 1991; Tsai & Coleman, 1999). The aim of this study is to show the possibility of evaluating mobile games, having a very important place in the digital world and game market, as a leisure constraint in the with the help of literature review.

İÇ ISI DEĞİŞTİRİCİLİ İKİ KADEMELİ ARA SOĞUTMALI BİR TRANSKRİTİK SOĞUTMA ÇEVRİMİNİN TERMODİNAMİK ANALİZİ

Son yıllarda Ozon tabakasına zarar veren soğutkanların yerine alternatif soğutkan arayışı hız kazanmıştır ve CO2’e olan ilgi artmıştır. Diğer soğutkanlara oranla daha az çevre sorunlarına yol açma potansiyeline sahip olması ve uygun termofiziksel özellikleri sayesinde günümüzde CO2 uygulamaları yaygınlaşmaya başlamıştır. Bu çalışmada ara soğutmalı ve iç ısı değiştiricili iki kademeli transkritik çevrimin optimum çalışma parametrelerine, iç ısı değiştirici uygulamasının etkileri belirlenmeye çalışılmıştır. Sistemin çalışma basınçları ve sıcaklıkları değişken parametreler olarak belirlenmiştir. Belirlenen parametreler, bir bilgisayar programında (Engineering Equation Solver - EES) sayısallaştırılmıştır ve sistemin termodinamik analizi yapılmıştır. İç ısı değiştiricisi etkinliğinin sistem performansına önemli oranda etki ettiği belirlenmiştir. Sonuçlar grafikler ile sunulmuştur. Anahtar Kelimeler: CO2, iki kademeli transkritik çevrim, iç ısı değiştirici

Game in the Game: Examining In-App Advertising in Mobile Sports Games

The purpose of this study is to examine in-app advertisement within mobile games and the content of the advertisement. The universe of this study is sports game applications under games category in Apple Store. The sample is 32 sports games that were selected by random sampling method among popular games listed under sports category in Apple Store. Determined advertisements were analysed with the content analysis method. As a result of the research; it has been determined that sports games that are examined under mobile applications, primarily contain in-app advertisements for strategy, shopping, casino and bank applications, and games. Accordingly, more than half of the ads in evaluated mobile sports games were about mobile games and in-apps about mobile sports games were less. When in-app games were investigated in terms of appearance on screen, the great majority of mobile sport game ads were interstitial ads. As a conclusion; in spite of the changes in entertainment concept as a result of the developments in mobile technology, it has been determined that sport is used as direct or indirect marketing material as it is in the approach of traditional sports marketing. The implications from this research include a better understanding of how in-app advertising is being used to sports marketing and marketing communication.

Gilbert sendromlu hastalarda aort sertliğinin değerlendirilmesi: Artmış bilirubin düzeyinin koruyucu etkisi

Amaç: Gilbert sendromu (GS) indirekt bilirubin artışıyla karakterize otozomal resesif bir hastalıktır. Gilbert sendromunda aterosklerotik kalp hastalığı insidansı azalmıştır. Biz bu çalışmada GS’nin varlığı ve nabız dalga hızı (NDH) arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemeyi amaçladık. Yöntemler: Bu çalışmaya hastanemiz iç hastalıkları kliniğine başvuran 32 kadın (yaş: 27.12±7.27) ve 26 erkek (yaş: 26.63±5.84) olmak üzere toplam 58 GS’li hasta alındı. Kontrol grubu olarak benzer yaş grubunda olan 35 kadın (yaş: 27.33±8.06, p=0.716) ve 23 erkek (yaş: 27.38±6.91, p=0.923) olmak üzere 58 sağlıklı katılımcı çalışmaya dahil edildi. Her iki grubun NDH’si sağ karotis ve femoral arterlerden ölçüldü. Bulgular: Gilbert sendromu grubunun yaş ortalaması 26.03±8.22 yıl ve sağlıklı grubun yaş ortalaması 26.60±5.84 yıl idi. Gilbert sendromu grubunun diyastolik kan basıncı (67.76±8.59 mmHg) ve NDH’si (5.63±1.12 m/s) kontrol grubundan (71.72±7.28 mmHg, p=0.008; 6.18±1.22 m/s, p=0.014) anlamlı olarak daha düşüktü. Gilbert sendromu gru- bunun yüksek yoğunluklu lipoprotein düzeyi (1.4±0.3 mmol/L) kontrol grubundan (1.2±0.3 mmol/L mmol/L, p=0.029) anlamlı şekilde daha yüksekti. Sonuç: Biz bu çalışmada, GS’li hastaların NDH değerlerini sigara içmeyen, yaş uyumlu sağlıklı bireylerden düşük bulduk.Objective: Gilbert’s syndrome (GS) is an autosomal reces- sive disease that is characterized by an increase in indirect bilirubin (IB). The incidence of atherosclerotic heart disease is decreased in GS. This study aimed to investigate the relation between pulse wave velocity (PWV) and the presence of GS. Methods: The study included 58 GS patients (32 females, age; 27.12±7.27 years, 26 males, age; 26.63±5.84 years) admitted to the internal medicine clinic of the hospital. The control group included 58 healthy individuals (35 females [27.33±8.06 years old, p=0.716] and 23 males [27.38±6.91 years old, p=0.923]). PWV of both groups was measured from the right carotid and femoral arteries. Results: Mean age of the GS group was 26.03±8.22 years, while that of the healthy group was 26.60±5.84 years. The GS group’s diastolic blood pressure and PWV were significantly lower than those of the control group: 67.76±8.59 mmHg vs 71.72±7.28 mmHg; p=0.008, and 5.63±1.12 m/s vs 6.18±1.22 m/s; p=0.014 respectively. The GS group’s high density lipo- protein (HDL) level was significantly higher than that of the control group: 1.4±0.3 mmol/L vs 1.2±0.3 mmol/L, p=0.029. Conclusion: This study found PWV among GS patients to be lower than that among non-smoking and aged-matched healthy controls

“Oh, My God! My Season Is Over!” COVID-19 and Regulation of the Psychological Response in Spanish High-Performance Athletes

[EN] Background: In an unprecedented situation of interruption of the sporting dynamics, the world of sport is going through a series of adaptations necessary to continue functioning despite coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). More than ever, athletes are facing a different challenge, a source of discomfort and uncertainty, and one that absolutely alters not only sports calendars, but also trajectories, progressions, and approaches to sports life. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the levels of psychological vulnerability that may have been generated in the athletes, because of the coexistence with dysfunctional responses during the COVID-19 experience, and which directly influence the decrease of their mental health. Methods: With a descriptive and transversal design, the study aims to identify the state of the dysfunctional psychological response of a sample of Spanish athletes (N = 284). The DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale), Toronto-20 (alexithymia), and Distress Tolerance Scale questionnaires were administered to a sample of high-level Spanish athletes in Olympic programs. Results: The results suggest that the analyzed athletes indicate high levels of dysfunctional response (e.g., anxiety, stress, depression, and alexithymia) when their tolerance is low. In addition, the variables show less relational strength, when the capacity of tolerance to distress is worse and age is lower. At the same time, the greater the anxiety and uncertainty are, leading to more catastrophic and negative thoughts, the younger the athletes are. Conclusions: It is clear that both age and tolerance to distress are considered adequate protective factors for psychological vulnerability in general and for associated dysfunctional responses in particular. Moreover, the psychological resources offered by more experienced athletes are also a guarantee of protection against negativity and catastrophismS

Oh, My God! My Season Is Over! COVID-19 and Regulation of the Psychological Response in Spanish High-Performance Athletes

The datasets presented in this article are not readily available because the data taken and recorded for this study are kept under the strictest care of the confidentiality of our institution and collaborating institutions. If you wish to review or use them, the authors must be expressly requested, under specific arguments, to obtain the relevant approvals. Requests to access the datasets should be directed to [email protected] studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by University of Granada. ID: 1494/2020. The patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.Background: In an unprecedented situation of interruption of the sporting dynamics, the world of sport is going through a series of adaptations necessary to continue functioning despite coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). More than ever, athletes are facing a different challenge, a source of discomfort and uncertainty, and one that absolutely alters not only sports calendars, but also trajectories, progressions, and approaches to sports life. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the levels of psychological vulnerability that may have been generated in the athletes, because of the coexistence with dysfunctional responses during the COVID-19 experience, and which directly influence the decrease of their mental health. Methods: With a descriptive and transversal design, the study aims to identify the state of the dysfunctional psychological response of a sample of Spanish athletes (N = 284). The DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale), Toronto-20 (alexithymia), and Distress Tolerance Scale questionnaires were administered to a sample of high-level Spanish athletes in Olympic programs. Results: The results suggest that the analyzed athletes indicate high levels of dysfunctional response (e.g., anxiety, stress, depression, and alexithymia) when their tolerance is low. In addition, the variables show less relational strength, when the capacity of tolerance to distress is worse and age is lower. At the same time, the greater the anxiety and uncertainty are, leading to more catastrophic and negative thoughts, the younger the athletes are. Conclusions: It is clear that both age and tolerance to distress are considered adequate protective factors for psychological vulnerability in general and for associated dysfunctional responses in particular. Moreover, the psychological resources offered by more experienced athletes are also a guarantee of protection against negativity and catastrophism