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The purpose of this work was to better understand Division III fall sport attendance through a game attendance model with motivations and constraints. Results indicated Achievement, Player Behavior, and Lack of Knowledge predicted attendance. There were also significant differences between the four sports on 7 of 17 variables, as field hockey predominantly differed from the other sports. The findings of this work indicated that there are both similarities and differences to past research of other levels and types of sports. These results should encourage the Division III sport managers from this study to develop a similar promotional strategy for the comparable sports (i.e. men's and women's soccer and volleyball) to retain and increase attendance while maximizing their limited resources. Theoretical implications are explored, and results indicated that attendance may not be a dichotomy, but certain variables may exist on a spectrum and act as motivators and constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current exploratory study determined the prevalence of the sport management academic degree being offered in top-ranked institutions as based on U.S. News & World Report rankings. A focus on the differences of bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees being offered, or not offered, was placed on national universities and liberal arts colleges because of the prevalence of these institution types and their educational settings. Additionally, the study aimed to determine if relevant indicators predicted a sport management degree being offered at a top-ranked national university and liberal arts college. Results indicated significant differences, with sport management degrees being offered at a higher frequency in national universities than liberal arts colleges. However, the sport management degree was largely not offered by the majority of top-ranked institutions. Notably, ranking, enrollment, and public/private institutional status did not predict sport management degree offerings at a liberal arts college. However, a national university had an increased likelihood of offering a sport management degree as enrollment increased and ranking increased (i.e., moved closer to 150). Altogether, the project highlighted that while the sport management academic discipline has certainly grown since its inception, growth has not really occurred at top-ranked higher education institutions, especially liberal arts colleges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past, platinum–copper catalysts have proven to be highly active for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), but transferring the high activities measured in thin-film rotating disk electrodes (TF-RDEs) to high-performing membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) has proven difficult due to stability issues during operation. High initial performance can be achieved. However, fast performance decay on a timescale of 24 h is induced by repeated voltage load steps with H2/air supplied. This performance decay is accelerated if high relative humidity (>60% RH) is set for a prolonged time and low voltages are applied during polarization. The reasons and possible solutions for this issue have been investigated by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and distribution of relaxation time analysis (EIS–DRT). The affected electrochemical sub-processes have been identified by comparing the PtCu electrocatalyst with commercial Pt/C benchmark materials in homemade catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs). The proton transport resistance (Rpt) increased by a factor of ~2 compared to the benchmark materials. These results provide important insight into the challenges encountered with the de-alloyed PtCu/KB electrocatalyst during cell break-in and operation. This provides a basis for improvements in the catalysts' design and break-in procedures for the highly attractive PtCu/KB catalyst system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method for measuring membrane degradation in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) is proposed. The method is based on the detection of fluoride ions in effluent water from the cathode- and anode outlet of the PEFC using photometry (PM). The fluoride emission rate (FER) is an indicator of the membrane's state of health (SoH) and can be used to measure the chemical membrane degradation. Commercial catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs) have been tested at 80 °C and 90 °C at 30% relative humidity (RH) to investigate the reliability of the developed method for fuel cell effluent samples. To verify the measurement, a mean-difference plot was created by measuring the same data with a fluorine selective electrode. The average difference was at ±0.13 nmol h−1 cm−2, which indicates good agreement between the two methods. These new findings imply that PM is a promising method for quick and simple assessment of membrane degradation in PEM technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) represent an efficient energy conversion device for sustainable ethanol fuel. In this study, a design with new structural parameters for the anodic flow field of the alkaline DEFC was modeled with the aid of computational fluid dynamics and was then actually constructed. Single-cell tests were performed to evaluate the impact of the developed design on fuel cell performance. The results show that fuel cell performance significantly increased when using the improved design in the low-temperature range. The higher the temperature in the cell, the lower the influence of the flow field structure on performance. In addition, the influence of external factors, such as the orientation of the cell, the preheating of the fuel, and the direction of the two fuel flows relative to each other (co-current and counter-current), are shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims NT-proBNP-guided therapy results in intensification of medical heart failure (HF) therapy and is suggested to improve outcome. However, it is feared that an intensified, NT-proBNP-guided therapy carries a risk of adverse effects. Therefore, the safety and tolerability of NT-proBNP-guided therapy in the Trial of Intensified vs standard Medical therapy in Elderly patients with Congestive Heart Failure (TIME-CHF) was assessed. Methods and results A total of 495 chronic HF patients, aged ≥60, with an LVEF ≤45%, NYHA class ≥II, randomized to NT-proBNP-guided or symptom-guided therapy and ≥1 month follow-up were included in the present safety analysis. All adverse events (AEs) were recorded during the 18-month trial period. A total of 5212 AEs were noted, 433 of them serious. NT-proBNP-guided therapy led to a higher up-titration of HF medication and was well tolerated, with a dropout rate (12% vs. 11%, P = 1.0) and AE profile [number of AEs/patient-year 4.7 (2.8–9.4) vs. 5.4 (2.7–11.4), P = 0.69; number of severe AEs/patient-year 0.7 (0–2.7) vs. 1.3 (0–3.9), P = 0.21] similar to that of symptom-guided therapy, although most subjects in both treatment groups (96% vs. 95%, P = 0.55) experienced at least one AE. Age and number of co-morbidities were associated with AEs and interacted with the safety profile of NT-proBNP-guided therapy: positive effects were more frequent in younger and less co-morbid patients whereas potential negative effects—although small and related to non-severe AEs only—were only seen in the older and more co-morbid patients. Conclusions NT-proBNP-guided therapy is safe in elderly and highly co-morbid HF patients. Trial registration ISRCTN43596477 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is an important tool for fuel-cell analysis and monitoring. This study focuses on the low-AC frequencies (2–0.1 Hz) to show that the thickness of the catalyst layer significantly influences the overall resistance of the cell. By combining known models, a new equivalent circuit model was generated. The new model is able to simulate the impedance signal in the complete frequency spectrum of 105–10−2 Hz, usually used in experimental work on polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEMFCs). The model was compared with experimental data and to an older model from the literature for verification. The electrochemical impedance spectra recorded on different MEAs with cathode catalyst layer thicknesses of approx. 5 and 12 µm show the appearance of a third semicircle in the low-frequency region that scales with current density. It has been shown that the ohmic resistance contribution (Rmt) of this third semicircle increases with the catalyst layer's thickness. Furthermore, the electrolyte resistance is shown to decrease with increasing catalyst-layer thickness. The cause of this phenomenon was identified to be increased water retention by thicker catalyst layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) uses surface electrodes to detect arrhythmia before initiating a treatment sequence. However, it is also prone to inappropriate detection due to artefacts. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the alarm burden in patients and its impact on clinical outcomes. Methods: Patients from the nationwide Swiss WCD Registry were included. Clinical characteristics and data were obtained from the WCDs. Arrhythmia recordings ≥30 s in length were analysed and categorized as VT/VF, atrial fibrillation (AF), supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) or artefact. Results: A total of 10653 device alarms were documented in 324 of 456 patients (71.1%) over a mean WCD wear-time of 2.0 ± 1.6 months. Episode duration was 30 s or more in 2996 alarms (28.2%). One hundred and eleven (3.7%) were VT/VF episodes. The remaining recordings were inappropriate detections (2736 (91%) due to artefacts; 117 (3.7%) AF; 48 (1.6%) SVT). Two-hundred and seven patients (45%) had three or more alarms per month. Obesity was significantly associated with three or more alarms per month (p = 0.01, 27.7% vs. 15.9%). High alarm burden was not associated with a lower average daily wear time (20.8 h vs. 20.7 h, p = 0.785) or a decreased implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation rate after stopping WCD use (48% vs. 47.3%, p = 0.156). Conclusions: In patients using WCDs, alarms emitted by the device and impending inappropriate shocks were frequent and most commonly caused by artefacts. A high alarm burden was associated with obesity but did not lead to a decreased adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a research paper on intra-European migration during the past twenty years. The official concern and the sporadic outbreaks of violence have been caused by massive migratory movements of workers within Europe, which have assumed unprecedented magnitude and unexpected patterns during the past two decades. Given modern means of communication and transport and given the economic gap that separates the developed from the developing countries, it is not surprising that the countries of Western Europe with their higher standards of living and their policies of full employment, pursued fairly successfully over the last twenty years, have attracted millions of workers from other European countries with substantially lower standards of living and considerable unemployment or underemployment. It is a fact of fundamental significance that the Western European countries do not perceive themselves as immigration countries in the traditional sense but rather as importers of temporary manpower.

The article focuses on the contribution of sociological and psychological research methods to economic analysis. The specific problems with which this article is concerned refer to certain aspects of co-operation between the discipline of economics on the one hand and the disciplines of sociology and psychology on the other hand. Economics is not only the most advanced of the social sciences, it has also for a long time exhibited the greatest reluctance to make any use of the research work of other social sciences. The traditional reputation of economics rests upon the exposition of laws of free exchange worked out by the classical writers of economic theory. They stated the law of demand and supply in an exact form, thereby establishing a body of theory which is the envy of the other social sciences and the possession of which indeed distinguishes economics from its sister disciplines. It is very important to realize clearly, however, that the laws of exchange which make up classical economic theory embody explicitly or implicitly certain sociological and psychological assumptions.

The article analyzes the significance of the postwar flow of Swiss immigration and to assess its effects on the demographic and social structure of the country's population. Although the number of foreign nationals in Switzerland today is higher than ever before, the presence of foreigners in their midst is not a new experience for the Swiss. Immigrants have come to Switzerland during all ages; the central geographical location and the close cultural connections with the neighboring countries have always facilitated a certain amount of immigration. After the end of the First World War, Switzerland again admitted immigrants but required work permits which were regulated on the basis of labor market fluctuations. Although aliens who had been permanently settled in the country before 1914 were allowed to come back, very few of the foreigners who entered the country for the first time after the war were granted the right of permanent establishment. In 1963 the Swiss government began to adopt step-by-step a series of measures intended to halt the influx of additional foreign workers.

Special census tabulations have been obtained for the Providence-Pawtucket Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area which permit the evaluation of status differences in the commuting patterns of different categories of migrants in the central cities and in the suburban parts of the Metropolitan Area. The analysis shows that among central city residents, status differences in commuting patterns are least pronounced among nonmovers and are sharpest among persons moving to the central cities from the suburbs. Among workers living in the suburbs, status differences characterize nonmovers, intrasuburban movers, and movers from the central cities to the suburbs, but these differences are sharpest for the last group. Commuting has made it possible for members of all status groups to become suburban residents while retaining their old jobs in the city, but this is particularly true of the high status groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a paper submitted to the Sixth World Congress of Sociology, Pierre de Bie submits the following working hypothesis: Internal tensions or conflict between ethnic and cultural subgroups inside a country will have a profound effect on that country's international relations. Indeed, many foreign observers have been impressed by the stable and harmonious unity of the different linguistic and religious groups which constitute the Swiss nation. As de Bie recognizes, the harmonious cultural pluralism of Switzerland is the hard-won result of a long and often very stormy historical process. Yet it is not always recognized that the cultural and political equilibrium of Switzerland has rested on an underlying balance of demographic factors which remained practically undisturbed for well over 100 years. Although the language groups were unequal in size-the French-, Italian-, and Romansh- speaking Swiss being outnumbered by the German-speaking Swiss almost three to one no major changes occurred in the relative position of each of the four national languages between 1850 and 1950.

Special census tabulations obtained for Rhode Island permit analysis of tile interrelation between residence, commuting, and migration. Although the central cities provide job opportunities for persons living well beyond their boundaries, most people in the suburbs and the outlying areas live fairly close to their place of work. Moreover, within the respective zones, purely local migration takes place independent of changes in job location. For those migrating greater distances, the greater distance moved, the less strong is the tendency to retain jobs in the area of origin. Nevertheless, a substantial number of people migrate a considerable distance without changing job location. Although this tendency is most pronounced in the case of city to suburb migration, it operates at greater distances and in reverse direction as well. By making residential mobility possible without concomitant change in job location, this commuting pattern results in an increased volume of migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the extent to which traditional beliefs in business opportunity still reflect reality among contemporary economic conditions in the U.S. The concept of opportunity is a cultural symbol which conveys an extremely vague meaning and thus lends itself for convenient manipulation by various interest groups engaged in the struggle for power. The desire for business ownership has long been an essential part of the U.S. dream. The opportunity to go into business for oneself has always been considered an integral element of the U.S. way of life. The traditional concept of opportunity has carried, and still carries, a heavy emphasis on freedom, on being on one's own, being one's own boss and working for oneself. To be sure, business ownership has never been the only kind of opportunity in this society; the concept has included, of course, the opportunity of farmers on the farm, of labor within the promotional hierarchy of the factory, of the salaried employee on the staff of the large corporation, of the professional, independent or salaried. Business ownership is only a part, but one that lies closer to the full traditional meaning of opportunity than does simply making money by working for others, regardless in what form.

The article discusses the impact of metropolitanization on demographic and social processes. The illegitimacy ratio, i.e., the number of illegitimate live births per 1,000 total live births, is the measure of illegitimacy. The value of the illegitimacy ratio as an analytic tool is some what limited because it is based on the total number of live births, which in turn largely reflects the fertility of married women. Its use here is dictated by the lack of statistics for census tracts giving the marital status of the female population by age, which would permit the calculation of illegitimacy rates, i.e., the number of illegitimate births per 1,000 single women in a given age group. The census tract is also the basis for measuring the relation between illegitimacy and socio economic status. In the absence of direct data on the socio economic characteristics of the mothers of illegitimate children, socio economic status is measured by classifying the census tract of residence of mother according to the index of social rank.

Previous research has shown that during 1940-1950 some disassociation occurred between socio-economic status and other demographic variables in a number of American cities. Since the population of Providence, R.I., declined at a faster pace during 1950-1960 than during 1940-1950, it was hypothesized that the disassociation would continue even more sharply. Using the 36 census tracts of Providence, a series of demographic and housing variables were subjected to correlation analysis. The hypothesis is only partially supported by the data. Despite Losses of population and extensive intra-urban mobility, status differences similar to 1950 clearly persist. Whatever narrowing of ecological differentials occurs is more likely the consequence of the general diminution of class differences in American society, rather than primarily the result of migration and changes in population size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses cultural pluralism and national equilibrium in Switzerland. It states that the Swiss have learnt to blend their cultural heterogeneity into national unity and political stability. Ethnic linguisim of the Swiss population is stated to be an important ingredient of their cultural pluralism. Switzerland's national languages are German, French, Italian, and Romansh, which are recognized equally in their Federal Constitution. The linguistic equilibrium is stated to be manifested in the multilingual principle, which is of recent historical origin. The article concludes that the country's linguistic equilibrium originated at time before language was made a symbol of rampant nationalism and that it is an integrating influence of Swiss democracy.

The detrimental effects of the catalyst degradation on the overall envisaged lifetime of low-temperature proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (LT-PEMFCs) represent a significant challenge towards further lowering platinum loadings and simultaneously achieving a long cycle life. The elaborated physically based modeling of the degradation processes is thus an invaluable step in elucidating causal interaction between fuel cell design, its operating conditions, and degradation phenomena. However, many parameters need to be determined based on experimental data to ensure plausible simulation results of the catalyst degradation models, which proves to be challenging with the in situ measurements. To fill this knowledge gap, this paper demonstrates the application of a mechanistically based PEMFC modeling framework, comprising real-time capable fuel cell performance, and platinum and carbon support degradation models, to model transient CO2 release rates in the LT-PEMFCs with the consistent calibration of reaction rate parameters under multiple different accelerated stress tests at once. The results confirm the credibility of the physical and chemical modeling basis of the proposed modeling framework, as well as its prediction and extrapolation capabilities. This is confirmed by an increase of only 29% of root mean square deviations values when using a model calibrated on all three data sets at once in comparison to a model calibrated on only one data set. Furthermore, the unique identifiability and interconnection of individual model calibration parameters are determined via Fisher information matrix analysis. This analysis enables optimal reduction of the set of calibration parameters, which results in the speed up of both the calibration process and the general simulation time while retaining the full extrapolation capabilities of the framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the case of a successful completely epicardial implantation of a cardiac resynchronization defibrillator using a minimal invasive approach in a 55-year-old patient with dilated cardiomyopathy and a history of three cardiac surgical procedures of the aortic root, the ascending aorta and the aortic arch. Due to a chronic Q fever the patient was regarded unsuitable for a transvenous implantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In discussing their analysis of the relation among socio-economic status, mobility and population growth, researcher Beverly Duncan maintains that the author's took "a long step" in assuming an out-migration stream from the city heavily weighted with high-status persons and an in-migrant stream heavily weighted with low-status persons, leading to an increasingly homogeneous, low-status city population. Of course, alternative interpretations are possible. Assumptions by the authors in the 1959 article were based on materials with which they were working at the time and these have demonstrated the validity of their earlier assumptions. They cited these findings in the 1964 article, but Duncan did not see fit to take note of this evidence. Instead she criticizes authors for failing to test the hypothesis that out-migration leads to homogeneity within the city. data. According to them, as the 1959 study focused on vital statistics and social disorganization indices, they could not interpret it as a direct test of the hypothesis suggested by the work of other researchers.