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In tandem with the burgeoning popularity of social media research in the field of sport communication and marketing, we are witnessing a concomitant rise in its epistemological sophistication. Despite this growth, the field has given less attention to methodological issues and implications. In light of the development of machine learning, the overarching goal of the current research was to answer the call for innovative methodological approaches to advance knowledge in the area of social media research. Specifically, we (a) assess the current state of sport social media research from a methodological perspective, with a particular focus on machine learning; (b) present an empirical illustration to demonstrate how sport scholars can benefit from the advancement in natural language processing and the derivative topic modeling techniques; (c) discuss how machine learning could enhance the rigor of social media research and improve theory development; and (d) offer potential opportunities and directions for the future sport social media research that utilizes machine learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Big data and innovative research methods are two rapidly evolving trends that are transforming how we conduct research in sport management. Considering the natural relationship between social media, which is widely recognized as a major big-data source, and sport, this commentary centers on contemporary research method applied to social media data. In doing so, it discusses contemporary innovative techniques for social media data, focusing on exploring ways to access social media data, the natural language-processing techniques used, the challenges they address, the strengths and limitations of different techniques, and the ethical and privacy considerations associated with their use. Furthermore, the commentary demonstrates that using sentiment-analysis tools (e.g., Syuzhet, Bing, and AFFIN) is appropriate and efficient in analyzing sport's social media data. Thus, a rigorous application of contemporary innovative techniques can significantly shape the future of sport management research. However, researchers must exercise caution when considering the source and preprocessing of the data prior to applying advanced analytical techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the burgeoning research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) indicates the importance of tracking the interest of external stakeholders to obtain societal goals, insight into what types of CSR activities contribute to social outcomes remain scarce. As such, the purpose of this study was to identify the relevant dimensions of CSR that can enhance the social outcomes of one specific group of external stakeholders (i.e., sport fans). Data were collected from US sports fans (n = 312) over the course of two weeks. The present research indicates that fans gain more excitement and happiness as well as increased their social cohesion if sport organization CSR initiatives are concentrating on sport governance, environmental management and sustainability, and philanthropy issues. Assessing the impact of CSR from micro-level approach would be one way to strengthen the relationship between existing fans and sport organizations to make positive social impact. Keywords: corporate social responsibility, philanthropy, community relations, environmental management and sustainability, diversity and equity, social outcomes, A great deal of research has examined corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the potential value it has for a sport organization and its stakeholders (Babiak & Wolfe, 2009; Inoue & [...]

This study aimed to retrospectively assess the cost-effectiveness of various COVID-19 vaccination strategies in Ethiopia. It involved healthcare workers (HCWs) and community participants; and was conducted through interviews and serological tests. Local SARS-CoV-2 variants and seroprevalence rates, as well as national COVID-19 reports and vaccination status were also analyzed. A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed to determine the most economical vaccination strategies in settings with limited vaccine access and high SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence. Before the arrival of the vaccines, 65% of HCWs had antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, indicating prior exposure to the virus. Individuals with prior infection exhibited a greater antibody response to COVID-19 vaccines and experienced fewer new infections compared to those without prior infection, regardless of vaccination status (5% vs. 24%, p < 0.001 for vaccinated; 3% vs. 48%, p < 0.001 for unvaccinated). The cost-effectiveness analysis indicated that a single-dose vaccination strategy is optimal in settings with high underlying seroprevalence and limited vaccine availability. This study underscores the need for pragmatic vaccination strategies tailored to local contexts, particularly in high-seroprevalence regions, to maximize vaccine impact and minimize the spread of COVID-19. Implementing a targeted approach based on local seroprevalence information could have helped Ethiopia achieve higher vaccination rates and prevent subsequent outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing how tourists respond to ongoing crises is essential but is a barely explored research topic. Drawing from Chaos–complexity theory, this research examines sentiment changes amidst crises and analyses factors influencing tourist sentiments during crises. Sentiment analysis was conducted to identify travelers' positive and negative opinions extracted from the tweeter. The sentiment of each tweet was detected through a lexicon-based classification approach. Unlike previous arguments concerning the ongoing crisis, the current findings indicate a positive sentiment toward the destination even in the face of multiple crises. Implications and directions for future research are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether it is a season-ticket holder, a person holding membership, a sport participant, or just a continually returning patron, customer retention is critical to any sport organization s survival. Several studies have demonstrated that customers of sport organizations perceiving higher levels of service quality also report higher satisfaction, yet we know little about which antecedents of quality have the most influence on customers 'satisfaction as well as intentions. The purposes of this research are to examine which targets of quality have the most behavioral influence on sport participants 'satisfaction and repeat intentions, as well as investigate participants' commitment to sport and determine the influence it may have on assessing quality. This study is framed within research in the area of the Sport Commitment Model (Scanlan, Carpenter, Simons, Schmidt, & Keeler, 1993), as well as Targets and Standards of Service Quality (Chelladurai & Chang, 2000). Using hierarchical regression, the results indicate several selection variables (facility, other participants, staff, management, core service) accounted for 49.6% of the variance in customer satisfaction and satisfaction predicted 46.5% of the variance in behavioral intention, which in this case means satisfied customers are more likely to return to the sport. Results also indicated that sport commitment was significantly influenced by the core service, staff, management, facility, and other participants., Today's consumer climate is full websites, social media, and mobile applications dedicated to reviewing products, restaurants, hotels, cars, and many types of service or experience. With this type of instant [...]

Professional sports teams have established a major presence around the world and support a number of corporate social responsibility programs (CSR). While many factors may influence fans' expectations and preferences pertaining to CSR-related activities, to date, no systematic attempt has been made to determine whether fans' perceptions vary according to their cultural orientations. Thus, we conducted research to investigate similarities and differences in fans' perceptions of CSR-related activities (i.e., the six pillars of CSR in professional sports organizations) across three countries, using Hofstede's individualism‒collectivism dimension. A significant difference was found between fans from the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), and India pertaining to perceived philanthropy and environmental management and sustainability. These findings have important implications for professional sports organizations that operate in a diverse global market, indicating they should pay attention to cultural congruence between CSR strategies and fans' cultural backgrounds to enhance the overall effect of such initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of interactive social media platforms has expanded how disability is communicated or shared with the public. Despite the potential of social media to challenge and educate nondisabled people's understanding of disability, little empirical research has been conducted in this area. In this study, we analyzed comments from a YouTube video from a seminal TED Talk by the late Australian disability rights activist, educator, and comedian Stella Young. The video titled "I'm not your inspiration, thank you very much | Stella Young" had accumulated 1,374,878 views, 22,000 likes, and 975 interactions (comments and responses) at the time of the analysis. Our findings suggest that most individuals who left public comments on the video viewed it favorably. They identified as being connected to, in agreement with, or being (un)ironically inspired by Young's talk. However, approximately 14% explicitly disagreed with Young's ideas during her TED Talk, and 7% directly criticized her ideas or appearance. Comments like these reproduce and perpetuate the same types of oppression and marginalization that occur in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of mentoring in the development of individual careers is noted in the business and higher education literature. However, prior research has given little attention to the development of mentoring relationships between junior and senior sport management faculty members. In addition to providing context-specific information, mentorship studies of sport management faculty provide insight on an emerging and gender-imbalanced discipline in the academy. This study reviews the literature on mentorship, and presents a hybrid framework on the mentor–protégé relationships established in the academic field of sport management. Specifically, the study identifies aspects of the relationships likely to yield positive perceptual outcomes, such as relationship effectiveness, trust, and job satisfaction. Data were collected from 161 sport management faculty members in the United States and Canada. The results provide support for the new hybrid framework and highlight mentoring as a valuable mechanism to support sport management faculty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African American males experience far fewer opportunities in management positions within sports organizations. Evidence shows the racial divide within the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) of America's membership may be even more pronounced than in other sport organizations. Currently, African Americans comprise less than one percent of golf professionals that hold a membership with the PGA. The present study explores the experiences and facilitators of African American males' journeys as PGA Members. Data were collected for this study using a qualitative approach with (N = 25) African American male PGA Members. This study utilizes the conceptual lens of Social Cognitive Career Theory to guide the analysis from the experiences of African American male PGA Members racial discrimination in the golf industry. The analysis yielded two facilitators as themes, family and social, for participants that gained membership in the PGA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Regardless of the type of sport organization, an understanding of the advent of technology is critical for the exploration and exploitation of knowledge. Given that sport lies at the junction of continued advancement in media technologies, data-rich environments, and unique environmental and organizational features, expert intuiting of big data is the key to organizational learning. By applying an organizational learning perspective, the present study aims to discuss the specific ways in which sport organizations should bear on the topic of big data and its reciprocal impact on the field. More specifically, a greater understanding of the relationships among the unique features of sport in social media interactions, communication channels, and emerging technology can help improve domain operations. Our paper contributes to the sport management literature by highlighting the effects of organizational and environmental contexts on the learning processes of intuiting, interpreting, integrating, and institutionalizing big data in the sport domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Due to increasing drug resistance, artemisinin-based combination chemotherapy (ACT) has become the first-line treatment of falciparum malaria in many endemic countries. However, irreversible ototoxicity associated with artemether/lumefantrine (AL) has been reported recently and suggested to be a serious limitation in the use of ACT. The aim of the study was to compare ototoxicity, tolerability, and efficacy of ACT with that of quinine and atovaquone/proguanil in the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria. Methods Ninety-seven patients in south-west Ethiopia with slide-confirmed malaria were randomly assigned to receive either artemether/lumefantrine or quinine or atovaquone/proguanil and followed-up for 90 days. Comprehensive audiovestibular testing by pure tone audiometry (PTA), transitory evoked (TE) and distortion product (DP) otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and brain stem evoked response audiometry (BERA) was done before enrolment and after seven, 28 and 90 days. Results PTA and DP-OAE levels revealed transient significant cochlear hearing loss in patients treated with quinine but not in those treated with artemether/lumefantrine or atovaquone/proguanil. TE-OAE could be elicited in all examinations, except for three patients in the Q group on day 7, who suffered a transient hearing loss greater than 30 dB. There was no evidence of drug-induced brain stem lesions by BERA measurements. Conclusion There was no detrimental effect of a standard oral regimen of artemether/lumefantrine on peripheral hearing or brainstem auditory pathways in patients with uncomplicated falciparum malaria. In contrast, transient hearing loss is common after quinine therapy and due to temporary outer hair cell dysfunction.

The purpose of the present review serves to provide information about the viability and utility of research centers for sport management faculty. To achieve this objective, the present paper begins with a discussion on the evolution of research centers in the United States. Second, the need for research centers in the contemporary university setting is established and the benefits of research centers to both society and science (i.e. sport management) are identified, along with existing challenges and barriers. Third, the present examination explains specific heuristic categories of research centers developed by Ikenberry and Friedman (1972) through the frame of leadership, resources (e.g. standard, adaptive, shadow), and relationships (e.g. university-industry, programmed/corporate alliance, for-profit spin-offs, technology transfer, etc.) that sport management faculty should understand before creating their own center. Fourth, we describe research center evaluation methods and identify general but necessary points of emphasis to develop a proposal for universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether it is a season-ticket holder, a person holding membership, a sport participant, or just a continually returning patron, customer retention is critical to any sport organization's survival. Several studies have demonstrated that customers of sport organizations perceiving higher levels of service quality also report higher satisfaction, yet we know little about which antecedents of quality have the most influence on customers' satisfaction as well as intentions. The purposes of this research are to examine which targets of quality have the most behavioral influence on sport participants' satisfaction and repeat intentions, as well as investigate participants' commitment to sport and determine the influence it may have on assessing quality. This study is framed within research in the area of the Sport Commitment Model (Scanlan, Carpenter, Simons, Schmidt, & Keeler, 1993), as well as Targets and Standards of Service Quality (Chelladurai & Chang, 2000). Using hierarchical regression, the results indicate several selection variables (facility, other participants, staff, management, core service) accounted for 49.6% of the variance in customer satisfaction and satisfaction predicted 46.5% of the variance in behavioral intention, which in this case means satisfied customers are more likely to return to the sport. Results also indicated that sport commitment was significantly influenced by the core service, staff, management, facility, and other participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The biochemical reference ranges currently used in developing countries are derived from data collected from populations living in developed countries. However, it is a fact that there is considerable variation in biochemical reference intervals by several variables. Moreover, reference ranges provided by different laboratory manuals and books do not also solve this problem. Biochemical profile at population level is scanty in the Ethiopian situation. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the biochemical profiles for general population in community settings. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Gilgel Gibe Field Research Center (GGFRC) from late September 2008 to end of January 2009. The study setting included both rural (majority) and urban dwellers. A total of 1,965 (955 men and 1010 women) individuals aged 15-64 years were included. Fasting blood glucose was determined immediately at field. Blood sample was collected by vacutainer tube without anticoagulant and transported to Jimma University Specialized Hospital laboratory for determination of total cholesterol, triglycerides, total serum protein, blood urea nitrogen, creatnine, uric acid, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase. Data were entered into EpiData and analyzed using SPSS for Windows version 16.0 and STATA 11. RESULTS: The mean total cholesterol value for both sexes was 141.0 mg/dl with higher values for women at different age strata. The mean FBS level of the study population was 96 mg/dl. The mean values for blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and uric acid were 14.1 mg/dl, 0.86 mg/dl and 4.4 mg/dl. The mean level of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase of the study population were 27.2 U/L and 31.2 U/L, respectively. CONCLUSION: All biochemical values in this study except for blood urea nitrogen were not different from values in other reports. Even though our finding showed similar ranges with reported values, there might be a variation in values across the country. Therefore, we recommend conducting similar nationally representative study to validate the current finding. . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Chronic Non-communicable Diseases are increasingly becoming more prevalent and burden to the health care system in developing countries including Ethiopia. However, evidences showing the magnitude of the problem in those countries are scarce particularly in a community setting. The objective of this study was to determine the magnitude of chronic non communicable diseases in a community. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Gilgel Gibe Field Research Center from late September 2008 to end of January 2009. A random sample of 4,469 individuals aged 15-64 years was studied. Data on characteristics and chronic symptom inventories were collected by interviewing study participants. Blood pressure was taken three times from each individual and blood sugar and lipid levels were determined after an overnight fasting. Data were analyzed using SPSS for Windows version 16.0 and STATA 11. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of CNCD was 8.9% (7.8% men and 9.8% women). The specific observed prevalence were 0.5% for diabetes mellitus (DM), 2.6% for hypertension, 3.0% for cardiovascular diseases, 1.5% for asthma and 2.7% for mental illness. In addition 3.1% and 9.3% of the study population had been informed to have DM and hypertension respectively. CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of CNCD among the study population indicating an immediate need for preventive action and also warrant further nationally representative study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The burden of chronic non-communicable diseases is on the rise in middle and low income countries on top of the existing infectious diseases. Moreover, the distributions of the specific risk factors are not systematically identified in those countries hampering the designing of appropriate preventive and control strategies. The objective of this component of the study was to describe the distribution of risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases. METHODS: The cross sectional study was conducted from September 2008 to January 2009 at Gilgel Gibe Field Research Center of Jimma University. Data were collected using WHO steps instruments translated into the local languages. Individuals for the study were selected by stratified random sampling for interviewing, physical examination and biochemical tests from the study base. Data were analyzed using SPSS for Windows version 16.0 and STATA 11. RESULTS: The distribution of the various categories of risk factors is identified. Among the behavioral risk factors, the prevalence of smoking is 9.3%, alcohol consumption 7.3%, consumption of fruits and vegetables below adequate level 27.0%, low level physical activity (16.9%) and khat chewing (38.6%). The prevalence of physical risk factors is 9.3% for hypertension, 2.6% for overweight and 33.3% central obesity. The prevalence of metabolic disorders is 10.7% for high total cholesterol and 7.7% for raised triglyceride. Overall, 80.0% of the population had at least one of the risk factors. CONCLUSION: The magnitude of risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases is considerably high in the study population. Appropriate preventive measure and should be designed to prevent and control these risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Physical measurement reference values are helpful to manage patients, conduct surveillances and monitor and evaluate interventional activities. Such valuable data at a community level however, are almost non-existent in Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to determine anthropometrics and blood pressure in "apparently healthy individuals" in community settings. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional survey was conducted from September 2008 to January 2009 at Gilgel Gibe Field Research Center, Southwest Ethiopia. Blood pressure, height and weight were measured using Automatic Blood Pressure monitor, stadiometers and digital weight scales respectively. Waist and hip circumferences were measured using measuring tapes. BMI was computed as weight in kg divided by square of height in meter of individual (kg/m²). Waist to hip circumference ratio (WHR) was calculated by dividing the waist circumference to hip in centimeter. Data were entered into Epidata and analyzed using SPSS for Windows version 16.0 and STATA 11. RESULTS: The mean systolic/diastolic blood pressures for men and women were 115.8/73.4 and 112.6/72.9 mmHg respectively. The mean BP values showed increasing trend with age for both sexes. The mean heart rate for men and women were 78.6 and 84.7 beats per minute, respectively. The mean weight and height values in all age groups, waist circumference value in 35 years and above were significantly higher (p < 0.001) for men, while the mean values for hip circumference in under 35 years and body mass index in under 45 year age groups were significantly higher (p < 0.025) for women. The mean body mass index for age group 15-24 (18.1 kg/m²) was significantly lower (p < 0.001) than the other age groups in men; whereas in women those 55+ years had significantly (p < 0.001) lower mean body mass index compared to the other age groups. The Waist to Hip circumference (WHC) ratio increased from 0.87 for age 15-24 years to 0.92 for those age 55 years and above. Comparison with findings in other parts of the world showed that Ethiopians (both sex) had low mean weight, waist and hip circumferences, but high body mass index. CONCLUSION: The study showed that the physical measurement values are different from the other regions of the world. The use of other reference values in evidence based practices may result in under detection of risk groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Health and disease can only be distinguished by accurate and reliable reference values of a particular laboratory test. In interpreting laboratory test results, usually the reported values are compared with established reference values from developed countries. Now it is a fact that there is considerable variation in hematology reference intervals by several variables. However, such data at a population level are scanty in the Ethiopian situation. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the hematological and immunological values in a community setting. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Gilgel Gibe Field Research Center (GGFRC) from late September 2008 to end of January 2009. A tsample of 1,965 individuals was included in the study. Blood sample was collected by vacutainer tube and transported to Jimma University Specialized Hospital laboratory. Data were entered in to EpiData and analyzed using SPSS for Windows version 16.0 and STATA 11. RESULTS: A total of 1965 (955 men and 1010 women) individuals were studied. The mean red blood cell count for men and women was 4.55 x 1012/L and 4.34 x 1012/L (95 percentile range between 2.9 and 5.7 x 1012/L) and 4.34 x 1012/L (95 percentile range between 2.8 and 5.2 x 1012/L), respectively. On the other hand, the red blood cell count of 95% of the men and women lied between 2.9-5.7 x 1012 cells/L and 2.8- 5.2 x 1012 cells /L, respectively. The mean hemoglobin value for men was 13.6 gm/dl and for women 12.7 gm/dl. The mean corpuscular volume for men and women was 90.2 fl and 90.8 fl, respectively. The mean platelet value for men was 229.1 x 109 cells/L and for women 241.3 x 109 cells/L. The mean white blood cells count for men and women was 6.08 x 109 cells/L and 6.12 x 109 cells/L, respectively. The mean CD4 value was 809 cell/µl for men and 868 cell/µl for women. Forty two percent of the study participants had O blood group. CONCLUSION: the hematologic and immunologic profile of the studied population in Southwest Ethiopia is different from the reports from other countries and the standards described in western literature. We recommend conducting similar nationwide study to determine the immunological and hematological reference values of the Ethiopian population as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Federal Ministry of Health, Ethiopia, recognised the potential of the Practical Approach to Care Kit (PACK) programme to promote integrated, comprehensive and evidence-informed primary care as a means to achieving universal health coverage. Localisation of the PACK guide to become the 'Ethiopian Primary Health Care Clinical Guidelines' (PHCG) was spearheaded by a core team of Ethiopian policy and technical experts, mentored by the Knowledge Translation Unit, University of Cape Town. A research collaboration, ASSET (he A lth S ystems S tr E ng T hening in sub-Saharan Africa), has brought together policy-makers from the Ministry of Health and health systems researchers from Ethiopia (Addis Ababa University) and overseas partners for the PACK localisation process, and will develop, implement and evaluate health systems strengthening interventions needed for a successful scale-up of the Ethiopian PHCG. Localisation of PACK for Ethiopia included expanding the guide to include a wider range of infectious diseases and an expanded age range (from 5 to 15 years). Early feedback from front-line primary healthcare (PHC) workers is positive: the guide gives them greater confidence and is easy to understand and use. A training cascade has been initiated, with a view to implementing in 400 PHC facilities in phase 1, followed by scale-up to all 3724 health centres in Ethiopia during 2019. Monitoring and evaluation of the Ministry of Health implementation at scale will be complemented by indepth evaluation by ASSET in demonstration districts. Anticipated challenges include availability of essential medications and laboratory investigations and the need for additional training and supervisory support to deliver care for non-communicable diseases and mental health. The strong leadership from the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia combined with a productive collaboration with health systems research partners can help to ensure that Ethiopian PHCG achieves standardisation of clinical practice at the primary care level and quality healthcare for all., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors have read and understood the BMJ policy on declaration of interests and declare that AA, CJR, RVC, LF, SCP, CW and LA are employees of the KTU. TE is a contractor for both KTU and BMJ, London, UK. Since August 2015 KTU and BMJ have been engaged in a non-profit strategic partnership to provide continuous evidence updates for PACK, expand PACK-related supported services to countries and organisations as requested, and where appropriate licence PACK content. KTU and BMJ cofund core positions, including a PACK Global Development Director (TE), and receive no profits from the partnership. TD is an employee of the South African Medical Research Council. PACK receives no funding from the pharmaceutical industry. This paper forms part of a collection on PACK sponsored by the BMJ to profile the contribution of PACK across several countries towards the realisation of comprehensive primary healthcare as envisaged in the Declaration of Alma Ata, during its 40th anniversary.