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The purpose of this study is to expand the theoretical knowledge of consumer learning by testing both the single and sequential effects of indirect, direct, and virtual sport experiences on sport brand knowledge, attitudes, and choice behavior in two laboratory experiments. Experiment I shows that virtual experience is as effective as direct experience in consumer learning. In Experiment II, designed to explore the impact of sequential combinations of sport experiences on consumer learning, the sequential combination of direct and virtual experiences results in greater brand knowledge than the combination of indirect and direct experiences. Exposure to direct experience proceeding with virtual experience is more effective at influencing brand attitudes than the combination of indirect and direct experiences. The results indicate that sport consumers are more likely to select sport brands at choice contexts when exposed to virtual experience in combination with direct experience. Keywords: esports, consumer learning, virtual experience, sequential effects, integrated information response model, sport video games, With the development of three-dimensional (3D) visualization, audio technologies, and the increase in licensing arrangements, sport video games (SVG) have become more realistic and visually similar to sport images of [...]

There are numerous computational programs available for fire influence analysis; however, currently, there is no computational program in Korea specifically designed to aid Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) in fire protection inspections, taking into account promptness and portability. Hence, this study aims to develop a mobile application for fire influence analysis, prioritizing promptness and portability to improve the quality of fire protection inspections and to provide inspectors with insight into fire dynamics. This study outlines specific development directions for a mobile application as part of the conceptual design for the future development of the fire influence analysis mobile application. These directions aim to support fire protection inspection, and detailed development plans have been derived accordingly. The mobile application development plan derived from this study will serve as fundamental data for future mobile application development. In addition, the mobile application to be developed will specialize in supporting fire protection inspection at nuclear power plants in Korea. However, it is not limited to inspectors from AHJ, and is expected to be beneficial to all analysts conducting fire influence analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study suggests a structural validation procedure of Aaker (1997)'s brand personality scale (BPS) to evaluate the congruence effects of sport sponsorship. The purpose of this study is threefold: First, to examine whether the original BPS of Aaker (1997) is applicable to both commercial brands and sport properties; second, to investigate personality dimensions on which a sport event and its sponsor are psychometrically comparable and matched; and lastly, to examine change in sponsor brand personality before and after the sport event. Using a mall and street intercept sampling method, 778 Korean soccer fans were recruited before the World Cup. The results indicate that congruence between personality dimensions of a sporting event and its sponsors is required for change in sponsor brand personality dimensions. The findings also show that sponsorship activity reinforces brand images on the personality dimensions. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Plasma atomic layer etching (ALE) processes for SiO2 and Si3N4 and reactive ion etching (RIE) processes for SiO2 with hole patterns were developed using C4F8 and the low global warming potential gases of perfluoroisopropyl vinyl ether (PIPVE) and perfluoropropyl vinyl ether (PPVE). The ALE windows of SiO2 and Si3N4 were in the range of 50.0–57.5 V for all precursors. Etch per cycle of SiO2 was determined to be 5.5 Å/cycle (C4F8), 3.3 Å/cycle (PIPVE), and 5.4 Å/cycle (PPVE), all lower than that of Si3N4. PPVE reduced global warming emissions by 49%, demonstrating better vertical etch profiles in RIE compared to C4F8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plasma atomic layer etching (ALE) process for Ru was developed with surface fluorination and ion bombardment. We employed two methods for surface fluorination: (i) fluorocarbon deposition using CHF3 or C4F8 plasmas and (ii) chemisorption and diffusion with CF4 plasma. C4F8 plasma generated a more fluorine rich fluorocarbon layer on the Ru surface compared with CHF3 plasma, and a higher etch per cycle (EPC) of 1.5 nm/cycle was achieved with C4F8 plasma, in contrast to the 0.6 nm/cycle achieved with CHF3 plasma. Moreover, chemisorption and diffusion with CF4 plasma yielded an EPC of 1.2 nm/cycle. The ALE process using CHF3 plasma shows the lowest fluorine residue and lowest surface roughness compared with the ALE process using C4F8 and CF4 plasmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims Creeping fat [CF] is a poorly understood feature of Crohn's disease [CD], characterized by the wrapping of mesenteric adipose tissue [MAT] around the inflamed intestine. The aim of this study was to investigate the transcriptional profile and compositional features of CF. Methods We collected 59 MAT samples: 23 paired samples from patients with CD (CF [CD-CF] and MAT around the uninflamed intestine [CD-MAT]) and 13 MAT samples from non-CD patients [Con-MAT]. Differentially expressed gene [DEG], functional pathway, cell deconvolution, and gene co-expression network analyses were performed. Results By comparing three different MAT samples, we identified a total of 529 DEGs [|log2FoldChange| > 1.5; false discovery rate < 0.05]. Of these, 323 genes showed an incremental pattern from Con-MAT to CD-MAT, and to CD-CF, while 105 genes displayed a decremental pattern. Genes with an incremental pattern were related to immune cell responses, including B- and T-cell activation, while genes with a decremental pattern were involved in cell trafficking and migration. Cell deconvolution analysis revealed significant changes in cellular composition between the CD-CF and Con-MAT groups, with increased proportions of B-cells/plasma cells [ p  = 1.16 × 10−4], T-cells [ p  = 3.66 × 10−3], and mononuclear phagocytes [ p  = 3.53 × 10−2] in the CD-CF group. In contrast, only the B-cell/plasma cell component showed a significant increase [ p  = 1.62 × 10−2] in the CD-MAT group compared to Con-MAT. Conclusion The distinct transcriptional profiles and altered cellular components of each MAT found in our study provide insight into the mechanisms behind CF and highlight its possible role in the pathogenesis of CD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From a tourism perspective, this study examined the change in host countries' destination images before and after mega sporting events. The study developed and tested a conceptual model delineating the relationship among sport event involvement, designation images, attitude towards the host country, and visit intention. This study further examined if the model has the same pattern across different sporting events. For the purpose of this study, the 2015 International Association of Athletics Federations Championships and the 2014 Winter Olympic Games were selected. Using a mall and street intercept sampling method, a total of 572 participants were recruited in the United States. The results of a series of structural equation modeling tests showed positive change in Safety and Urban images before and after both events. This study showed that change in destination images varies across sporting events. These findings suggest the need for more holistic and integrated event marketing strategies to attract more tourists from foreign countries. Keywords: destination image, Winter Olympics, IAAF Championship, sport event involvement, attitude, visit intention, Introduction Over the last several decades, many countries/cities have been bidding to host mega sporting events such as the Olympics and the World Cups, with expectations that hosting such events [...]

The purpose of this study is to identify the prominent athletic donor motives in an NCAA Division II athletic program, employing the scale of Athletic Donor Motivation (Ko, Rhee, Walker, & Lee, 2014), and to assess the impact of the identified motives on giving behavior. A total of two hundred and thirty two actual donors housed in an NCAA Division II university were used for analysis. To test the psychometric properties of the measurement and examine the relationship between donation motives and actual donation behavior, a confirmatory factor analysis and a structural equation modeling were employed, respectively. Results of this study indicated that vicarious achievement, philanthropy, commitment, and power are the four primary motivational factors, while tangible benefits, which was consistently found as an important motive in prior studies was found low. Such findings highlight key differences and suggest different salient motivations exist requiring particular attention in NCAA Division II context. Keywords: motivation, giving to athletics, NCAA Division II, Introduction Along with tuition and fees, historically, federal and state funding have been one of the major sources of revenue for public colleges and universities. However, as a result of [...]

The fruit flesh of watermelons differs depending on the distinct carotenoid composition. Orange-colored flesh relates to the accumulation of β-carotene, which is beneficial to human health. Canary-yellow-fleshed OTO-DAH and orange-β-fleshed (orange-fleshed with high β-carotene) NB-DAH near-isogenic lines (NILs) were used to determine the genetic mechanism attributed to orange watermelon flesh. For genetic mapping, an F2 population was developed by crossing the two NILs. The segregation ratio of flesh color in the F2 population indicated that the orange-β flesh of the NB-DAH NIL was controlled by a single incompletely dominant gene. Through a comparative analysis of the whole-genome sequences of the parent lines and NILs, a major introgression region unique to the NB-DAH NIL was detected on Chr. 1; this was considered a candidate region for harboring genes that distinguish orange from canary-yellow and red flesh. Among the 13 genes involved in the carotenoid metabolic pathway in watermelons, only ClPSY1 (ClCG01G008470), which encodes phytoene synthase 1, was located within the introgression region. The genotyping of F2 plants using a cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence marker developed from a non-synonymous SNP in ClPSY1 revealed its relationship with orange-β flesh. The insights gained in this study can be applied to marker-assisted breeding for this desirable trait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]