A grounded theory of football fan community identity and co-production: Consumer roles in brand culture, meaning, and value co-creation in virtual communities

This study theorizes why and how consumers consume. Using a combined methodology, drawing upon Netnography and Grounded Theory, to study an online fan forum called RedAndWhiteKop, this thesis considers brand culture/meaning and value co-creation. The research site is a VC containing football fans who are views as stakeholders of the organisation Liverpool Football Club. Following emergent fit with woven in literature streams found in managerial marketing as Service-Dominant Logic and the consumer research field known as Consumer Culture Theory (CCT), analysis is conducted on fan consumer behaviours leading to submission of a Typology of Seven Consumer Community Cultural Co-creative Roles. The author reflects on existing theoretical consumer responses to market offerings of exit, voice, loyalty, and twist, found in literature; adopting these as four co-creative roles. This study contributes three new consumer co-creative roles of entry, re-entry, and non-entry. This study's findings are intended to follow an interpretive cultural anthropological axiology, attempting to provide context and time bounded interpretations of this setting rather than immutable laws or truths. Managerial implications of the typology are discussed. A key challenge for managers and marketers is awareness of these roles. This is potentially achievable through listening to online VCs, seeking ways to enhance brand value and service provision. This study finds that fans are continuously co-creating/co-producing Liverpool FC brand community culture together on places like the VC RedAndWhiteKop (RAWK). This appears to be occurring largely in separation from the brand company itself and is referred to in this study as 'Coincidental Co-creation'. However, this study finds agreement with much CCT and SDL which encourages greater interaction and dialogical relations between suppliers and consumers. This is possible through better online engagement or virtual engagement, with stakeholders such as consumers, pursuing the management-role of 'Collaborative Co-creation.

MRI changes in psoriatic dactylitisextent of pathology, relationship to tenderness and correlation with clinical indices

Objectives. To quantify the extent of inflammation in psoriatic dactylitis and to examine the relationship between clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data in both tender and non-tender dactylitis. Methods. Seventeen patients with psoriatic dactylitis underwent clinical assessment for 6 months after change of treatment, usually to methotrexate. Measures of dactylitis included the Leeds Dactylitis Index, the assessment tool used in the Infliximab in Psoriatic Arthritis Clinical Trial (IMPACT), a simple count of tender dactlylitic digits and a count of all dactylitic digits, both tender and non-tender. MRI scans of the affected hand or foot were performed before and after treatment using a 1.5T Siemens scanner pre- and post-contrast. Results. All patients improved clinically, as did their respective dactylitis scores and MRI images. The findings on MRI in both dactylitic and non-dactylitic digits were profound and widespread. The difference between tender and non-tender dactylitis was quantitative rather than qualitative. Synovitis and soft-tissue oedema were the most frequent abnormalities being present in 69 of tender dactylitic digits but bone oedema and flexor tenosynovitis were also frequently seen. Soft-tissue oedema was circumferential and enhancing and not limited to association with the flexor or extensor tendons. None of the clinical indices of dactylitis showed a close relationship to the extent of MRI abnormalities. Conclusions. MRI images demonstrate widespread abnormalities in digits of people with psoriatic arthritis. Tender dactylitic digits have more abnormalities than other digits but the relationship between clinical and MRI scores is not strong

Adolescents' and parents' views of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Ireland

Aim: To explore adolescents’ and parents’ experiences of CAMHS in relation to accessibility, approachability, and appropriateness. Methods: Using a descriptive qualitative design, a combination of focus group and single interviews were conducted with adolescents (n=15) and parents (n=32) from three mental health clinics. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Accessing mental health services was a challenging experience due to knowledge deficit, lack of information and limited availability of specialist services. Participants desired more information, involvement in decision-making, single and shared consultations, flexible scheduling of appointments, continuity with clinicians, school support and parent support groups. Participants seem to be generally satisfied, however adolescents felt less involved in decision making than they would have liked. Frequent staff changes was problematic as it disrupted continuity of care and hindered the formation of a trusting relationship. Implications for practice: Parents and adolescents expressed similar views of the positive and negative aspects of mental health services. Their need for more information-sharing and involvement in decision-making underline the importance of collaborative practice. Clinician continuity contributed to trusting therapeutic relationships and was valued. These are key principles that with attention, could lead to quality service provision for adolescents and families

The fatigue behavior of materials for the supersonic transport

Crack propagation behavior, residual static strength, and base fatigue strength of supersonic transport skin materia

Acoustic characterization of crack damage evolution in sandstone deformed under conventional and true triaxial loading

We thank the Associate Editor, Michelle Cooke, and the reviewers, Ze'ev Reches and Yves Guéguen, for useful comments which helped to improve the manuscript. We thank J.G. Van Munster for providing access to the true triaxial apparatus at KSEPL and for technical support during the experimental program. We thank R. Pricci for assistance with technical drawings of the apparatus. This work was partly funded by NERC award NE/N002938/1 and by a NERC Doctoral Studentship, which we gratefully acknowledge. Supporting data are included in a supporting information file; any additional data may be obtained from J.B. (e-mail: [email protected]).Peer reviewedPublisher PD