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“Somehow, Iger Returned”: Brand Fandom, Cultural Intermediaries, and the Contested Authorship of Disney’s Celebrity CEOs
Full text linkThis paper examines the concept of celebrity in crisis through the figure of the celebrity CEO. Focusing on the example of two recent CEOs of the Walt Disney Company, Bob Chapek and Bob Iger, the paper extends analysis of their discursive construction to include the contributions of brand fans as a specific form of ‘cultural intermediary’. The paper argues that fan reactions to both Iger and Chapek highlight specific moments of crisis in the brand/fan relationship and that these often map onto fan perceptions of adherence to the appropriate Disney ‘brand story’. Reactions often contrast Chapek’s overt focus on profit and corporate synergy, lack of understanding and respect for the Parks’ history, and derision towards their guests, with Iger’s construction as more sympathetic to the parks’ legacy, respectful of fan viewpoints and as a reliable steward of the Disney company. Secondly, the paper examines the challenges to their legitimacy as celebrity CEOs, primarily via Disney’s political conflicts with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. It, thus, argues that celebrity CEOs’ positions can offer insight into moments of celebrity and crisis since they are contingent and mutable, and subject to the reactions of cultural intermediaries, including ‘anti-fans’.</p
Healthcare professionals' experiences in preparing patients for elective alcohol detoxification - a service-level qualitative case-study
Full text linkBACKGROUND: Services for individuals severely physically dependent on alcohol, wishing to undergo detoxification are limited. This is partly due to a lack of evidence surrounding safe alcohol reduction advice.OBJECTIVES: To summarize the practices from an elective alcohol detoxification service provided by Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust (SWB) (Birmingham, United Kingdom) aimed at preparing high-risk individuals for detoxification.METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals working at the SWB elective detoxification service, representing a collective experience of 50+ years in the management of alcohol related presentations. A descriptive qualitative analysis approach was adopted.RESULTS: Four categories of discourse were observed: 1) establishing a motivation to change, 2) the importance of an in-depth alcohol history, and 3) an individualized approach to patients, and 4) the role that readiness to change attitudes play in preparedness for detoxification. Practical advice relating to alcohol reduction included: consolidation of multiple beverages to fewer, 'measure and discard' techniques, and spacing out consumption/diluting beverages.CONCLUSIONS: Core components to elective detoxification preparation were: 1) safety, 2) the requirement of an individualized approach and 3) a willingness to take ownership of recovery. The approaches discussed may help improve translation of alcohol detoxification services to those considered high-risk. The Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research framework was applied throughout.</p
The wildlife strikes back: determining the secondary strike risk associated with a mammal-aircraft collision
Full text linkWildlife–aircraft collisions are becoming increasingly common and pose a serious threat to the global aviation industry. While wildlife strike mitigation is a well-researched area, often focusing on a specific species or taxonomic group, secondary strike risk with scavenger or predatory species is rarely considered within the literature. Dublin Airport is the largest civil airport in the Republic of Ireland, reporting an average of 23.9 (±12.8 SD) strikes with native Irish hares (Lepus timidus hibernicus) annually. We employed motion-activated camera traps to identify the species attracted to simulated hare-strike events and to record the time to initial carcass detection. We used commercially available rat carcasses as a proxy for hare carcasses to assess the secondary strike risk associated with such events. We recorded 542 detections within 24 hours of carcass deployment from 82 trials. Hooded crows (Corvus cornix) were the most frequently detected species, involved in 86% of interactions. Initial carcass detection took an average of 4 hours and 54 minutes for avian species, with birds spending an average of 5 minutes and 29 seconds with a carcass. In comparison, it took mammal species an average of 9 hours and 32 minutes to detect the carcass in the first instance. Mammals remained with the carcass for an average of 2 minutes and 35 seconds. These data indicate that current clean-up practices at Dublin Airport (i.e., immediate clean-up and closing of the runway to facilitate clean-up operations) are adequate for reducing the likelihood of a secondary strike event.</p
Walking football: a scoping review
Full text linkWalking football is a modified form of the sport designed to increase accessibility, particularly for older adults, and is gaining global popularity. This review synthesizes current research on walking football, examining study methodologies, key findings, limitations, and recommendations for future investigation. Despite methodological diversity, studies consistently report positive outcomes across physical, mental, and social health domains for participants. However, much of the existing research is limited in scale, scope, or participant diversity. This highlights a need for more rigorous, longitudinal studies to better understand the broader implications of walking football, especially in relation to ageing populations and underrepresented groups. The findings also suggest potential for exploring similar walking-based adaptations in other sports. Overall, walking football shows promise as a community-based intervention to promote health and wellbeing, warranting further research
College Based Higher Education: a staff perspective
Full text linkAn exploratory study was conducted to encapsulate the views of staff involved in the development and delivery of College Based Higher Education (CBHE) in a Further Education College in South Wales. Key themes included the benefits of vocationally based courses raising the skill set of local communities; accessibility of settings appealing to learners with employment and caring responsibilities; and smaller class sizes providing enhanced tutor support, particularly for learners lacking in confidence with academic abilities. The study also highlighted the challenges of delivery, with FE college lecturers often feeling they do not have the skills or time to undertake their own research and engage in scholarly activity. Despite this, it is vital not to lose sight of the potential benefits to learners this provision offers. With the current challenges facing education, exacerbated by the impact of the increased cost of living, now is an opportune time to review the role of CBHE in increasing accessibility to Higher Education
Theorising intention to buy second-hand wedding dresses: a ZMET study
Full text linkThis study contributes to the limited literature on second-hand purchasing in the bridalwear context by examining the emotionally charged, high-involvement nature of wedding dress shopping. Despite environmental benefits and lower costs, many brides remain hesitant to choose second-hand options. Using the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) with 18 UK brides, we identify how sustainability orientation, second-hand market knowledge, bridal identity, and shopping experience shape purchase intentions. While sustainability plays a role, the symbolic and emotional significance of the dress, alongside expectations around convenience, service, presentation, and sensory experience, emerge as central influences. Our findings highlight the importance of emotional and experiential alignment in sustainable consumption and suggest that second-hand bridalwear retailers should offer boutique-style experiences to meet expectations and enhance the appeal of second-hand options
Psychometric evaluation of the cardiac rehabilitation adherence scale in patients with coronary heart disease: an observational study
Full text linkBackgroundCardiac rehabilitation has showed the potential to improve health outcomes of patients with coronary heart disease. However, the adherence of patients participating in cardiac rehabilitation is unsatisfactory due to some barriers. The quantitative instrument for measuring cardiac rehabilitation adherence is scarce. Hence, the purpose of this study was to develop a scientific tool and assess its psychometric properties in patients with coronary heart disease.Material and methodsThe psychometric properties of the revised scale were tested with 509 patients. Item analysis was conducted to evaluate the discrimination and homogeneity of the scale. Content validity was evaluated by content validity index and Exploratory factor analyses and confirmatory factor analyses were used to examine the factor structure of the scale. Reliability was evaluated by Cronbach's coefficients and split-half reliability coefficients.ResultsA scale covering five dimensions and thirty-three items was developed for evaluating cardiac rehabilitation adherence. The content validity index of the scale was 0.96. In exploratory factor analysis, a five-factor structure model was confirmed, explaining 71.255% of the total variation. In confirmatory factor analysis, the five- factor structure was supported by appropriate fitting indexes. In terms of reliability, the Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale was 0.909 and the spilt-half reliability coefficient of the scale was 0.765.ConclusionThe newly developed self-completion scale is reliable and valid. It appears to be a sound instrument for nurses and a broader range of healthcare professionals to effectively evaluate the cardiac rehabilitation adherence
Enjoyment of physical education during transition to secondary school: links with attitudes, activity, and self-concept in Welsh adolescents
Full text linkThis study investigated enjoyment levels in physical education (PE) among adolescent students in their first year of secondary school in Wales (UK), examining associations with attitudes toward PE, physical self-perceptions, enjoyment of physical activity (PA), and PA behaviours. Participants were 192 Year 7 pupils (102 boys, 90 girls; M age = 12.31 years) from three secondary schools in South-East Wales. Students completed validated questionnaires assessing PE enjoyment (FIPE), PA enjoyment (PACES), PA behaviour (PAQ-A), physical self-perceptions (CY-PSPP), and attitudes toward PE (PEAAS). A one-way MANOVA revealed significant gender differences across measures, Wilks’ Λ =.86, F(10, 181) = 2.93, p =.002, with a large effect size (η 2 =.14). Boys scored higher on sports competence and PE attitudes. Correlational analyses showed moderate associations between PE enjoyment and PA enjoyment, behaviour, and self-perceptions, with distinct gender patterns. Regression analyses identified key predictors of PE enjoyment, accounting for 21% of the variance in boys and 33% in girls, highlighting the role of activity enjoyment, self-worth, and perceived competence. These findings highlight opportunities to enhance PE strategies within the revised Welsh curriculum, promoting greater enjoyment, health, and PA participation among early adolescents.</p
Swelling Behaviour of Sulfate Soil Treated with Lime–Metakaolin at Different Curing Ages
Full text linkSulfate soil stabilisation, while offering technical benefits for infrastructure, is a challenging process, complicated by the nucleation of ettringite, an expansive mineral that can cause soil deterioration. This study was undertaken to elucidate the synergistic effect of lime and metakaolin on the physico-mechanical performance of high-sulfate-bearing soil. The binder content in the stabilised specimens was fixed at 20 wt%, and metakaolin was used to partially substitute lime at different substitution levels. The physico-mechanical investigation revealed that supplementation of lime with metakaolin had a promotional effect on the unconfined compressive strength and swelling potential. The threshold of this effect was obtained by a binary blend of 7.5L–12.5MK, where the UCS was increased fourfold, while the swelling potential was reduced to a near-zero magnitude of 0.33%. This superior performance is due to the fineness and high reactivity of metakaolin, as both limit the nucleation of ettringite and promote the neoformation of further hydrated compounds, thus yielding a denser interlocked system and increasing its resistance to water soaking