Search

Betting on the various codes of football in Australia accounts for the majority of sports betting, with Australian rules football (AFL) by far the most popular sport in Australia. Several studies have revealed the heavy presence of gambling advertising during AFL broadcasts, and a frequently used advertising strategy involves the use of well-known AFL commentators outlining their tips and betting suggestions. To date, no research has examined the hypotheses that skill may help in predicting AFL matches and monetary outcomes from AFL betting. Rather than merely discounting such ideas, it is important to test them empirically. The aims of this study were therefore, to examine if (1) expert AFL tipsters made better predictions than random picks, (2) expert AFL tipsters gained greater monetary reward than random selection, and (3) expert tipsters' prediction accuracy improved with betting experience. To this end, six seasons of AFL matches, odds data, and expert tipster data were analysed retrospectively, totalling 1141 matches. Random selections were calculated for each match using an inbuilt random number generator within Microsoft Excel and a $2 simulated wager was applied for each AFL match. The results of mixed-effects modelling showed that experts picked more correct outcomes than random selection; experts' correct predictions were partially mediated by home-game selections; no difference in monetary outcome was observed for experts compared to random selection; experts' predictions did not improve over time. The results of this study may be used to inform both psychological interventions that target gamblers' illusions of control, and public health gambling harm prevention messaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been increasing interest in the study of Blastocystis in the last two decades. Many studies have been carried out in human and animal hosts including environmental sources, but there is little or no information on the occurrence of Blastocystis in water sources worldwide. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing the occurrence of Blastocystis in water sources across the world from 2005 to 2022, noting the method of detection and the distribution of the subtypes from various water sources. A literature search was performed on internet-based databases including Google search, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Upon application of the criteria for inclusion, 25 articles revealing the occurrence of Blastocystis in water sources in 15 countries were included in the review. Blastocystis occurrence varies across water sources ranging from 0% in a drinking water source in Venezuela to 100% in rivers; well water, stored water, and fishpond in Nepal and Malaysia; and fountain water, irrigation water, and rainwater in Italy, Spain, and Thailand. The occurrence of the parasite was significantly associated with the coliform count, temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, total dissolved solids, and chemical oxygen demand. A total of 11 Blastocystis subtypes were identified in water sources worldwide, namely, ST1–ST8, ST10, ST23, and ST26 in which ST1 and ST3 were the most prevalent subtypes. Considering the importance of Blastocystis as a waterborne parasite, the subtype distribution and morphological distinction in water sources need to be carried out using molecular and electron microscopic techniques. Existing studies have covered only about 10% of the world's countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomimetic superhydrophobic (SH) coatings have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone rubber coatings for improving the flashover strength of insulators. However, organic contamination occurs in outdoor applications and thus a superamphiphobic (SAP) surface is more desirable but not yet reported for improving flashover performance. Herein, we developed a novel anti-flashover technique by fabricating robust SAP coating with unique gradient and micro-nanoscale hierarchical architecture. The SAP coating was fabricated by sequentially spray-depositing a resin-based primer and a silica-based topcoat on substrates (i.e., glass slides and insulators). The primer not only functions as an adhesive offering strong adhesion to the substrate but also offers a micromastoid-like structure facilitating the subsequent formation of hierarchical micro-nanostructure. The appropriate spraying pressure leads to a diffusion of the fluorocarbon-modified silica nanoparticles into the primer to form a unique gradient structure, by analogy to inserting bullets into a wood. These features render the SAP coating excellent robustness with strong abrasive resistance, excellent ultraviolet (UV) resistance, and excellent chemical and thermal stability. Pollution flashover property of the SAP coating was explored and compared with that of SH and RTV specimens, from which a novel organic-contamination model to evaluate the flashover performance was proposed. The coated SAP glass insulator demonstrated 42.9% pollution flashover voltage improvement than RTV-coated insulator. These stated unique features reveal the convincing potential of the present SAP coatings to be applied for not only outdoor transmission line insulators for anti-flashover but also other fields for self-cleaning, anti-fouling, and anti-icing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of International Business Studies is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This research examined the relationships of social network sites (SNS) intensity, parasocial interaction (PSI), and the propensity to imitate idols or celebrities. Conceptual model that depicts the indirect effect of the measured PSI on the relationship of SNS usage and the tendency to imitate idols was tested. 194 undergraduate students were recruited to complete the Celebrity-Persona Parasocial Interaction Scales, the modified Facebook Intensity Scale, and a set of five items that reflect on the inclination to imitate idols. Results revealed the significant indirect effect of the measured PSI, supporting that SNS intensity facilitate parasocial experience, which in turn, induce the tendency to impersonate idols. Findings supported one of the theorems of the uncertainty reduction theory, which posited the facilitative effect of perceived intimacy on similarity. Theorem that posited the importance of engagement level in inducing similarity was negated by the obtained results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]