Using expectation to segment Taiwan professional baseball spectator

This thesis comprises two stages that empirically investigate and evaluate the perceptions and importance of service elements expectations of professional baseball spectator in Taiwan. Study I is designed to collect the perception of spectators service elements expectations focus groups meetings, which also help the research to develop an appropriate research instrument for the evaluation of the importance of service elements expectations to Taiwan professional baseball spectators. Study II collected 1020 questionnaire survey samples and used cluster analysis approach to segment TPB spectators into six meaningful groups by service elements expectations. The thesis concludes that, firstly, the successful use of expectation to segment spectators proves the potential of expectation as a typology with which to categorise customers. Secondly, TPB spectators with different levels of team identification failed to have great differences in their service expectations, even though two service factors ( subsidiary services and social and educational services ) were evaluated as less important by respondents, they were still evaluated that six service expectation factors are all important to them. Finally, this study provided a different angle for sports organisers to consider, and an outline for assisting managers design service packages that are highly responsive to the target market.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Dengue Virus Infects Primary Human Hair Follicle Dermal Papilla Cells

During the epidemic of the dengue virus (DENV) infection in Taiwan in 2014 and 2015, we observed an abnormally high frequency of increased scalp hair shedding in infected individuals that could not be explained by telogen effluvium. In this study, the mechanism of hair loss caused by DENV was explored. Human hair follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPCs) are essential for hair follicle morphogenesis and cycling. Thus, we established an in vitro DENV infection model in HFDPCs. On immunofluorescence analysis, HFDPCs that were susceptible to DENV infection responded to type I interferon (IFN) treatment, and the cells showed antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) effect. The expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), revealed an inflammatory response in DENV-infected HFDPCs. In particular, DENV infection impaired cell viability, and it activated caspase-associated cell death signaling in HFDPCs. In conclusion, our data indicate that direct infection with DENV causes inflammation and cell death in HFDPCs, which is involved in the mechanisms of hair loss after DENV infection. The knowledge of DENV infection in an immune-privileged tissue, such as hair follicles, may suggest their use for further studies on post-dengue fatigue syndrome (PDFS)

Xi Jin-Ping's world cup dreams: from a major sports country to a world sports power

Football is among the world’s most popular sports. It is also one which China has sought to develop in the field of global professional sport. Nevertheless, the professionalization of football in China has not to date actually improved China's Olympic achievement in the sport. In stark contrast to the glory of being the country that won most gold medals at the 2008 Olympics, China’s poor football performance has been troublesome for the country’s leader. In 2009, newly elected Xi Jin-Ping made a public statement about promoting elite football and expressed his personal hope that China would be capable of both qualifying for the final stages and winning the FIFA World Cup. With such concern on the part of the state leader, attention turned to football, with many private enterprises beginning to echo government policy by demonstrating a willingness to promote elite football. In addition, to accelerate football development, the Chinese government promised to take action on the separation of government and football associations. Research on this process was based on the theoretical framework of state corporatism derived from the work of Schmitter (1974). Semi-structured interviews were conducted as the method of data collection aimed at helping us understand how Chinese government either integrated or controlled relevant stakeholders such as NGOs and private enterprises, and further, to discuss the interactions between them

Testing Variation in Esports Spectators’ Motivations in Relation to Consumption Behaviour

This study aims to examine firstly the motivations of esports spectators driving them to engage in consumption behaviour, and secondly, two spectator groups (League of Legends, LOL; Hearthstone) to compare the findings of the independence model and the competing model. In recent decades, the concept of esports has emerged as a major component of the sports industry and, therefore, of the global economy. However, the basic functioning of this new sector is relatively poorly understood. This study considers consumer motivations as they relate to esports and aims to assess how selected motivations interact. The motivations chosen in five categories were adopted from the Uses and Gratifications Theory. The independence model (based on Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT)) and competing model (based on multiple theoretical perspectives) were applied to the LOL and Hearthstone spectator groups. Data (n = 574) were collected via online surveys with cross-validation measured and established between the two groups. The findings showed that social integrative motivations positively impacted consumption behaviour across game genres. Affective motivation partially mediated the relationship between social integrative motivation and consumption behaviour in LOL, and cognitive and personal integrative motivations positively influenced consumption behaviour in Hearthstone. The tension-release motivation had no significant association with consumption behaviour for spectators of either game. The findings can help the commercial interests of different esports game genres to predict why people consume particular esports and thus aid effective marketing strategies

Effect of Surface Geology on Ground Motions: The Case of Station TAP056 - Chutzuhu Site

In the Tatun mountain area of northern Taiwan are two strong motion stations approximately 2.5 km apart, TAP056 and TAP066 of the TSMIP network. The accelerometer at station TAP056 is often triggered by earthquakes, but that at TAP066 station is not. Comparisons of vertical and horizontal peak ground accelerations reveal PGA in the vertical, east-west, and north-south components at TAP056 station to be 3.89, 7.57, and 5.45 times those at station TAP066, respectively. The PGA ratio does not seem to be related to earthquake source or path. Fourier spectra of earthquake records at station TAP056 always have approximately the same dominant frequency; however, those at station TAP066 are different due to different sources and paths of different events. This shows that spectra at TAP056 station are mainly controlled by local site effects. The spectral ratios of TAP056/TAP066 show the S-wave is amplified at around 8 ~ 10 Hz. The horizontal/vertical spectral ratios of station TAP056 also show a dominant frequency at about 6 and 8 ~ 10 Hz. After dense microtremor surveying and the addition of one accelerometer just 20 meters away from the original observation station, we can confirm that the top soft soil layer upon which the observation station is constructed generates the local site response at station TAP056

Physicochemical properties of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) filet treated with high-voltage electrostatic field under different storage temperatures

The post-mortem rigid of farmed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) affects the texture of the meat and might even be risky for microorganisms, undermining the popularity of frozen filets among consumers. This study investigated the importance of different conditions (0°C, 4°C, and 25°C for 0–4 days) and physicochemical characteristics of rainbow trout filet storage on fish’s characteristics, freshness, quality, and shelf-life. Results showed that the fish easily underwent rigor mortis and resolution of rigor mortis when stored at 25°C. However, rigor mortis was more likely to occur under storage at 0°C than at 4°C [with 100 kV/m high voltage electrostatic fields (HVEF)] due to low-temperature stimulation, but resolution of rigor mortis began to appear after 24 h of storage at either temperature. The protein solubility and gel strength of fish stored at 25°C continued to decrease due to thermal denaturation, and those of fish stored at 4°C and 0°C also showed a decrease owing to rigor mortis and then an increase when rigor mortis disappeared. The K values increased rapidly at 25°C and reached 61% at 14 h. Under storage at 4°C and 0°C, the K values only slightly increased before resolution of rigor mortis. However, the K-values did not exceed 40% for 4 days post-resolution of rigor mortis. Differential Scanning Calorimetry analysis and tissue sectioning showed that protein denaturation and separation between muscle fibers persisted during storage at various temperatures, most notably at 25°C. It is important to note that storing at 0°C for 96 h did not result in any significant changes in the molecular protein composition. Moreover, the muscle tissue remained in excellent condition compared to storage at 25°C and 4°C. Additionally, there was no significant difference in the total viable count (TVC) and psychrophilic bacteria between storage at 0°C and 4°C, considered safe for food consumption. These promising findings are conveyed in a circular economy based on the food industry, particularly adequate raw materials, stable prices, measures to reduce food loss and waste, and contributing to developing efficient, diverse, and sustainable food processing systems

HbA1C Variability Is Strongly Associated With the Severity of Peripheral Neuropathy in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Variability in HbA1c is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and microvascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes. The present study evaluated the severity of somatic nerve dysfunction at different stages of chronic glycemic impairment, and its correlation with different cardio-metabolic parameters. The study was conducted on 223 patients with type 2 diabetes. We calculated the intrapersonal mean, standard deviation (SD), and coefficient of variation of HbA1c for each patient using all measurements obtained for 3 years prior to the study. Patients were divided into quartiles according to the SD of HbA1c, and we constructed composite scores of nerve conduction as the severity of peripheral neuropathy. Linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of independent variables on mean composite scores. Those with higher SD-HbA1c had a higher body mass index, mean and index HbA1c, triglyceride and uric acid level, urinary albumin excretion and albumin-creatinine ratio, proportion of insulin therapy, and prevalence of hypertension as the underlying diseases, but lower estimate glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). In addition, those with higher SD-HbA1c showed lower amplitudes and reduced motor nerve conduction velocity in tested nerves, and lower sensory nerve conduction velocity in the sural nerve. Furthermore, those with higher SD-HbA1c had higher composite scores of low extremities. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that diabetes duration, SD-HbA1c, and eGFR were independently associated with mean composite scores. Based on our results, HbA1c variability plus chronic glycemic impairment is strongly associated with the severity of peripheral neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes. Aggressively control blood glucose to an acceptable range and avoid blood glucose fluctuations by individualized treatment to prevent further nerve damage

Factors Influencing the Competency of Head Nurses When Assisting With Inhospital Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

AbstractObjectiveHead nurses in a hospital setting work to maintain the quality of nursing care and ensure that staff nursing skills are up-to-date. Although cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CFR) is most often performed by physicians in a hospital, nurses play crucial assistance roles, including the administration of medication, record-keeping, obtaining intravenous access, and helping with intubation. Patient outcome is therefore related to nurses' skill level in CFR. We hypothesized that the more senior head nurses would be more skillful at assisting with CFR.Materials and MethodsWe conducted an observational study of 55 head nurses, who were asked to perform a 4-minute simulation in which they assisted with CFR using a resuscitation manikin. We collected demographic data, including age and years since becoming a nurse and becoming a head nurse, together with a stress score, which assessed the stress felt by the nurses while taking the test. These measures were analyzed along with the accuracy of the nurses' skills while performing CFR.ResultsTwenty-two skills were evaluated, with each skill graded as either a pass or fail. Only 30/55 (54.5%) of the head nurses passed all 22 skills. There was a significant difference in the numbers of skills with a pass rating (p = 0.043) in relation to the units where the head nurses were employed. Their performance also showed a strong negative correlation with age (p = 0.001), work experience (p = 0.028), and time since becoming head nurse (p<0.001). However, there was no significant difference between the numbers of skills with a pass rating and pre-test stress score (p = 0.129).ConclusionIn our study, the head nurses of surgical wards, medical wards, and intensive care units had better scores than the head nurses of pediatric, obstetrics-gynecology, and other units. In contrast with our original hypothesis, we found that the more senior head nurses' skills when assisting with CFR were poorer than those of their more junior colleagues. This suggests that senior head nurses should undergo frequent refresher courses, not only to help maintain their life-saving abilities, but also so that they can better mentor less experienced nurses in situations requiring CFR