Crowded kitchens: The 'democratisation' of domesticity?

Building on previous work concerning the gendered nature of domestic space, this article focuses on the kitchen as a key site in which gendered roles and responsibilities are experienced and contested. As men have begun to engage more frequently in cooking and other domestic practices (albeit selectively and often on their own terms), this article argues that kitchens have become ‘crowded’ spaces for women. Drawing on evidence from focus groups, interviews and ethnographic observation of kitchen practices in South Yorkshire (UK), we suggest that men's entry into the kitchen has facilitated the expression of a more diverse range of masculine subjectivities, while also creating new anxieties for women. Specifically, our evidence suggests that family meals may be experienced as a site of domestic conflict as well as a celebration of family life; that convenience and shortcuts can be embraced by women without incurring feelings of guilt and imperfection; that cooking is being embraced as a lifestyle choice by an increasing numbers of men who use it as an opportunity to demonstrate competence and skill, while women are more pragmatic; and that kitchens may be experienced as ‘uncanny’ spaces by women as men increasingly assert their presence in this domain. Our analysis confirms that while the relationship between domestic practices and gendered subjectivities is changing, this does not amount to a fundamental ‘democratisation’ of domesticity with significantly greater equality between men and women

Reconceptualizing power and gendered subjectivities in domestic cooking spaces

Drawing on evidence from the Global North and South, this paper explores the power dynamics of domestic kitchens in different geographical contexts. Noting the gendered nature of domesticity, it contrasts those perspectives which regard women’s primary responsibility for foodwork as inherently oppressive, with others which see kitchens and associated domestic spaces as sites of potential empowerment for women. The paper explores the complex, spatially-distributed, character of power surrounding domestic foodwork, decentring Anglo-American understandings of the relationship between gender, power and domestic space by foregrounding the experiences of a range of women from across the globe. The paper also examines the increasing role of men in domestic settings, particularly in the Global North, assessing the extent to which their engagement in cooking and other domestic practices may be challenging conventional understandings of the relationship between gender, power and space. Focusing on the spatial dynamics of the domestic kitchen, this paper advances a more nuanced understanding of the co-constitutive nature of the relationship between gender and power, including the instabilities and slippages that occur in the performance of various domestic foodwork tasks. The paper advocates future research on the boundaries of home, work and leisure, focusing on their significance in the constitution and transformation of male and female subjectivities

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)

In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. For example, a key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process versus those that measure fl ux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process including the amount and rate of cargo sequestered and degraded). In particular, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation must be differentiated from stimuli that increase autophagic activity, defi ned as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (inmost higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium ) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the fi eld understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. It is worth emphasizing here that lysosomal digestion is a stage of autophagy and evaluating its competence is a crucial part of the evaluation of autophagic flux, or complete autophagy. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. Along these lines, because of the potential for pleiotropic effects due to blocking autophagy through genetic manipulation it is imperative to delete or knock down more than one autophagy-related gene. In addition, some individual Atg proteins, or groups of proteins, are involved in other cellular pathways so not all Atg proteins can be used as a specific marker for an autophagic process. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field

Characterization of 17 microsatellite loci for use in population genetic and mating system studies of the endangered North American passerine, loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)

Seventeen polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers were isolated from the loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) using individuals from two geographically distinct populations (Ontario and mainland California). The number of alleles per locus ranged from 6 to 20 and expected heterozygosity varied from 0.639 to 0.902. All loci were heterozygous and private alleles were found for most. Combined non-exclusion probability of identity ranged from 0.047 to 0.122 in the Ontario population and 0.011-0.060 in the California population. Our results indicate that these markers will be useful for studies of genetic population structure, parentage and pedigree analysis.This study was funded by the United States Navy Region Southwest (grant to BW) and Environment Canada (Canadian Wildlife Service—Ontario Region) (grant to SCL) and the Natural Sciences and Research Council of Canada (grant to SCL).Peer Reviewe

FcγRIII Mediates Neutrophil Recruitment to Immune Complexes A Mechanism for Neutrophil Accumulation in Immune-Mediated Inflammation

AbstractNeutrophil accumulation is a hallmark of immune complex-mediated inflammatory disorders. Current models of neutrophil recruitment envision the capture of circulating neutrophils by activated endothelial cells. We now demonstrate that immobilized immune complexes alone support the rapid attachment of neutrophils, under physiologic flow conditions. Initial cell tethering requires the low-affinity Fcγ receptor IIIB (FcγRIIIB), and the β2 integrins are additionally required for the subsequent shear-resistant adhesion. The attachment function of FcγRIIIB may be facilitated by its observed presentation on neutrophil microvilli. In vivo, in a model of acute antiglomerular basement membrane nephritis in which immune complexes are accessible to circulating neutrophils, FcγRIII-deficient mice had a significant reduction in neutrophil recruitment. Thus, the interaction of immune complexes with FcγRIII may mediate early neutrophil recruitment in immune complex-mediated inflammation

Antitumor activity of motesanib alone and in combination with cisplatin or docetaxel in multiple human non–small-cell lung cancer xenograft models

Abstract Background Non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is categorized into various histologic subtypes that play an important role in prognosis and treatment outcome. We investigated the antitumor activity of motesanib, a selective antagonist of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFR) 1, 2, and 3, platelet-derived growth factor receptor, and Kit, alone and combined with chemotherapy in five human NSCLC xenograft models (A549, Calu-6, NCI-H358, NCI-H1299, and NCI-H1650) containing diverse genetic mutations. Results Motesanib as a single agent dose-dependently inhibited tumor xenograft growth compared with vehicle in all five of the models (P P P P  Conclusions These data demonstrate that motesanib had antitumor activity against five different human NSCLC xenograft models containing diverse genetic mutations, and that it had enhanced activity when combined with cisplatin or docetaxel. These effects appeared to be mediated primarily by antiangiogenic mechanisms.</p

Community-led non-invasive polar bear monitoring in the Eeyou Marine Region of James Bay, Canada: insights on distribution and body condition during the ice-free season

Wildlife conservation is informed by detailed understanding of species demographics, habitat use, and interactions with environmental drivers. Challenges to collecting this information, particularly in remote places and on widely ranging species, can contribute to data deficiencies that detract from conservation status assessment and the effectiveness of management actions. Polar bears in James Bay face rapidly changing environmental conditions at the southern edge of their global range, but studying their ecology has been limited by community concerns about the methods typically used in polar bear research. Using a community-led and non-invasive approach, we deployed hair snare and camera trap sampling stations across 400 km of the Eeyou Marine Region in eastern James Bay. Stations collected >100 hair samples and thousands of photographs in one eight-week period that allowed for a novel investigation of this population’s distribution and body condition during the ice-free season. Polar bears were in average to above average body condition, and model selection of detections at stations revealed distance to mainland as a significant predictor of polar bear presence. Given its high potential, we suggest community-based monitoring using this method become a standard protocol to expand the scope and local leadership of polar bear research across the North