The subculture of the Lurker : participatory non-participation in digital subculture.

This thesis develops a new theorisation of subculture in digital gaming culture. I propose that online streaming services and online interaction about games have created an under-theorized subculture of those who engage in the gaming subculture without playing games themselves. Existing theorisations of subculture in relation to online gaming tend to limit their accounts to those who are actively engaged in online gaming. However, based on a grounded analysis of ethnographic observation, surveys, and interviews with the fans for web series Critical Role, where famous voice actors play Dungeons & Dragons, I found that reasons for and forms of engagement, include what I have called participatory non-participation. This form of engagement, while not incorporated into current theorisations of digital subculture, clearly shares key elements of subculture activity that include a sense of belonging, requirements for group membership, shared history and symbols. As existing theories are based solely on active game playing that excludes the crucial element of digital participatory non-participation, it is appropriate to extend current theorisations to resolve this lacunae and is offered here as a distinctly new theory of digital subculture: the subculture of the lurker

Neuromotor control during stair ambulation in individuals with patellofemoral osteoarthritis compared to asymptomatic controls

Patellofemoral OA is characterized by PF pain during activities that load a flexed knee. Stair stepping ability is frequently impaired, yet little is known of the muscular recruitment strategies utilized during this task. Altered recruitment strategies may provide targets for clinical interventions. We aimed to determine if people with PFOA ascend and descend stairs with different muscular recruitment strategies compared to similar aged healthy individuals.Twenty-two people with PFOA and 20 controls were recruited. Electromyographic recordings from gluteus maximus and medius, medial and lateral hamstrings, vastus medialis and lateralis, medial and lateral gastrocnemius and soleus were acquired during stair ascent and descent. Force plate data was acquired to determine timing of foot placements and characterize dynamic stability.Seventeen people with PFOA (59 ± 10 years, 73 ± 13 kg, 167 ± 9 cm) and 15 controls (57 ± 10 years, 73 ± 16 kg, 171 ± 11 cm) had complete data. People with PFOA demonstrated: longer vastii activation duration during descent (lateralis: p = 0.01; medialis: p = 0.02); earlier onset of vastus lateralis for ascent (p

How useful is a single measurement of patellar mobility in the assessment of patients with patellofemoral pain?

Introduction: Patellar mobility is often routinely assessed in people with patellofemoral pain (PFP) in clinical practice. This study assessed the stability of the data when measuring patellar mobility using the total medial-lateral patellar glide test across multiple repetitions. It also compared patellar mobility of people with healthy knees to people with PFP and within subgroups of PFP. Methods: Twenty-two people without knee problems underwent five repetitions of the total medial-lateral patellar glide test. Differences in mean value for each repetition and the intra-class correlations (ICC) between the first assessment and the average values of additional repetitions were calculated. Mean patellar mobility was compared with 127 participants with PFP who took part in a previously published subgrouping study. Differences between the healthy knee group and PFP subgroups were also explored using a one-way ANOVA with pairwise comparisons. Results: The mean patellar mobility in healthy individuals was 16.4 mm (SD 5.3), difference in mean patellar mobility across repetitions was minimal and the ICC ranged between 0.93 and 0.95. People with PFP had significantly lower patellar mobility than the healthy knee group. Two of three PFP subgroups had statistically significantly lower mean patellar mobility (difference in mean -5.6mm and -6.5mm; P<0.001). Discussion: A single medial-lateral patellar glide test appears as informative as repeated tests in practice. One off measures of patellar mobility using the total medial-lateral patellar glide test may identify subgroups of PFP to help guide treatment in clinical practice. Further work is needed to assess other reliability parameters for this measure

Knee problems are common in young adults and associated with physical activity and not obesity: the findings of a cross-sectional survey in a university cohort

Background: Obesity and sedentary behaviour, risk factors for knee osteoarthritis in middle-age, are increasing in younger adults. The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of knee problems in young adults, to characterise these problems and explore the relationship with physical activity, physical inactivity and obesity. Methods: Presence of knee problems was collected through self-report questionnaire from staff and students of one university aged 18-39; direct measurement of weight and height was taken and activity measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Twelve-month prevalence of knee problems was estimated. Logistic regression was used to investigate the relationship between knee problems and physical activity levels, sitting time and body mass index. Results: The prevalence of knee problems was high (31.8% [95% CI 26.9% to 37.2%]) among the 314 participants; knee pain was the most common dominant symptom (65%). Only high physical activity levels (OR 2.6 [95% CI 1.4-4.9]) and mental distress (OR 2.3 [95% CI 1.2-4.6]) were independent risk factors for knee problems. Conclusions: Knee problems were common among young adults, who were staff and students of a university. With increasing obesity prevalence, populations are being encouraged to become more active. More attention may need to be paid towards prevention of knee problems in such programmes, and further research is warranted

Leveraging the macro-level environment to balance work and life: an analysis of female entrepreneurs' job satisfaction

This study investigates the interactive effect of female entrepreneurs’ experience of work–life imbalance and gender-egalitarian macro-level conditions on their job satisfaction, with the prediction that the negative linear relationship between work–life imbalance and job satisfaction may be buffered by the presence of women-friendly action resources, emancipative values, and civic entitlements. Data pertaining to 7,392 female entrepreneurs from 44 countries offer empirical support for these predictions. Female entrepreneurs who are preoccupied with their ability to fulfill both work and life responsibilities are more likely to maintain a certain level of job satisfaction, even if they experience significant work–life imbalances, to the extent that they operate in supportive macro-level environments

A gendered approach to democratic development theory

This comparative, cross-national study investigated the role of women in the democratic development over the last thirty years in 180 countries. The main findings were that improvements in female empowerment and gender equality had a positive and causal effect on democratic development over and above modernisation. Therefore, investing in girls’ education and tackling the social structures that keep women’s status low must be considered as core priorities in advancing democracy in the future

Female empowerment as a core driver of democratic development: a dynamic panel model from 1980 to 2005

We investigated the causal effects of female empowerment (female educational attainment, female labor force participation, and total fertility rates) on democratic development for 97 countries from 1980 to 2005. Using Polity IV as an indicator of levels of democracy, our results show that female empowerment was strongly associated with democratic development over this period. The effect of female education increased with lags of 5 and 10 years, suggesting that democracy is more likely to occur in nations with a history of educating girls and a longer experience of the social and economic conditions that have occurred because of this investment