The value in de-emphasizing structure in liquidity

In the set of commentaries on liquidity entitled “The continuing significance of social structure in liquid modernity,” three sets of authors set out to examine the relationship between liquidity and structure, value, and distinction. In doing so, they attempt to marry theories which argue against sociologist Zygmunt Bauman’s central thesis that societal structures are shifting with his seminal construct of liquidity, an exercise that has mixed results. All three sets of authors have engaged with Bauman’s conceptualization of liquid modernity as well as our conceptualization of liquid consumption and its consequences. In this response to the commentaries, we clarify how we understand Bauman and how we have used his ideas in our theorizing, engage with the three sets of author’s advocacy for emphasizing the continuing relevance of structure within liquidity, and, finally, sum up how de-emphasizing structure has and can continue to lead to important new insights in marketing theory

Culinary communication practices:The role of retail spaces in producing field-specific cultural capital

Purpose: This chapter explores the practices underpinning the production of field-specific cultural capital at festivals, understood here as retail spaces that gather a plethora of distinct market actors. Methodology/Approach: This research presents evidence from an ethnographic study employing an interpretative paradigm and multiple data collection processes. The empirical research has been undertaken in the context of food festivals associated with the foodie taste regime. Findings: Three categories of practices that play a role in the production of field-specific cultural capital, namely representational, exchange, and experiential practices, are presented. Practical Implications: Our chapter provides recommendations for food festival organizers and participants who need to improve their practices when facing challenges such as increasing international competition and costs or declining sponsorship. Research Limitations/Implications: This chapter contributes to the growing body of field-level market analysis by showing how practices enabled by complex retail spaces contribute to the production of field-specific cultural capital. However, this chapter is limited by its focus on food festivals. Originality/Value of the Paper: This chapter theorizes how practices enable the acceleration and diversification of field-specific capital exchange, as well as its integration with other forms of capital

The new work ethics of consumption and the paradox of mundane brand resistance

In terms of consumer resistance and marketplace ideologies, consumer researchers have called for a more nuanced conceptualization of consumption moralism in order to avoid the simplistic trope of inside/outside the marketplace (e.g. Arnould, 2007; Luedicke et al., 2010; Penaloza and Price, 1993; Thompson, 2004). With the aim of contributing to this quest, this article brings together two originally separate ethnographic studies on food consumption and brands in Scandinavia in order to provide new insights regarding the increasingly complex arena of consumer morality. Instead of focusing on highly pronounced consumer resistance - such as activist communities or specific brand antagonists or protagonists - we focus on ordinary Scandinavian consumers whose identities are not centered around resisting the marketplace. Through a pluri-methodological combination of field observations, interviews, symbol elicitation, photo diaries and artefact collections, we propose an empirically informed model illustrating the paradox of ordinary consumers' brand resistance: embracing myths of craftsmanship. We show how ordinary middle-class consumers bridge 'bad' with 'good' brand consumption in various ways to legitimize the former, and how they make the evaluations according to traditional work ethics rather than (post) modern consumption ethics

Endoleak following Endovascular Repair of Popliteal Artery Aneurysm: Clinical Outcomes and Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Detection

Background: Continued blood flow in the aneurysm sac after repair, also known as endoleak, can occur after both open and endovascular popliteal aneurysm repair (EPAR) with risk for aneurysm sac enlargement. Primary aims were to investigate aneurysm sac growth and the presence and classification of endoleak after EPAR using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).Methods: Cross-sectional study of patients receiving EPAR with expanded polytetrafluorethylene (ePTFE) covered stent-grafts between 1st of January 2009 and 1st of February 2019 at a tertiary referral endovascular center. Patients were re-invited in 2021 and 31 legs were examined for endoleak using CEUS. Endoleaks were classified by a core-lab consisting of three CEUS-experienced physicians.Results: Median follow-up was 57 months (range 33-143 months). Endoleak was detected in 16 PAA, and categorized as type I (N.=3), type II (N.=10), type III (N.=1) or indeterminate (N.=2). Median maximal PAA diameter was 24 mm (range 15-55 mm) at the time of EPAR compared to 17 mm (range 6-43 mm) at follow-up (PConclusions: CEUS was sensitive in endoleak detection after EPAR. Shrinkage of the PAA sac was found in both patients with and without endoleaks. CEUS appears useful for targeted examinations rather than routine surveillance after EPAR

High neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts acute allograft rejection in kidney transplantation: a retrospective study

Background/aim: Our research focused on the identification of easily available and sensitive markers for early prediction of acute kidney allograft rejection (AR). We aimed to investigate the association between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and AR in kidney transplant patients. Materials and methods: The medical records of 51 kidney transplant patients {[}12 female/39 male; median age of 32 (IQR: 24-44) years] were evaluated retrospectively. We considered a cut-off value of >2.5 as high NLR. Results: A total of 22 biopsy-proven AR patients and 29 controls were evaluated. The AR group had a higher NLR compared to the controls (P < 0.001). NLR levels over 2.5 {[}95\% CI: 54.88 (9.96-302.3), P < 0.001] were significantly associated with AR in univariate analysis. The NIA levels were the only significant factor associated with AR in multivariate models, in model 1 (adjusted by age and sex) {[}95\% CI: 114 (11.1-1175), P < 0.001], and in model 2 (adjusted by steroid dosage, uric acid, and NLR) 195\% CI: 4.60 (1.59-29.3), P = 0.004]. Conclusion: Our data showed that higher NLR values (>2.5) are associated with AR in kidney transplant patients, leading to the conclusion that NLR might be an easily available and useful marker option for detection of AR in this patient population