Breeding Beyond Bodies: Making and "Doing" Cattle

Dairy cows provide a spectacular example of what can be achieved with purposeful breeding of nonhuman animals in terms of increasing production and bodily adaptation to particular production systems. This implies that humans can make nonhuman bodies take whatever form they desire. However, the assumption that breeding outcomes are entirely shaped by humans has been criticized. This article contributes to ongoing discussions of breeds as socially constructed and applies a focus on cattle actions. Within a more-than-human biopower framework, cattle actions and ways of “doing” cattle are integral to both the notion and the future of the breed. This ethnography of breeding Swedish Mountain Cattle provides a detailed account of the mutual subjectification of cattle and farmers within an agricultural context, revealing the scope and limits of cattle agency and how “doing” cattle affects individuals and populations

A theoretical analysis of inertia-like switching in magnets: applications to a synthetic antiferromagnet

The magnetization dynamics of a synthetic antiferromagnet subject to a short magnetic field pulse, has been studied by using a combination of first-principles and atomistic spin dynamics simulations. We observe switching phenomena on the time scale of tens of picoseconds, and inertia-like behavior in the magnetization dynamics. We explain the latter in terms of a dynamic redistribution of magnetic energy from the applied field pulse to other possible energy terms, such as the exchange interaction and the magnetic anisotropy, without invoking concepts such as inertia of an antiferromagnetic vector. We also demonstrate that such dynamics can also be observed in a ferromagnetic material where the incident field pulse pumps energy to the magnetic anisotropy

Secondary school students' perspectives and use of three school grounds of varying size, content and design

School grounds can have multiple values, and especially sufficient size, green elements, variation, integrated design and participatory development have been described as positive qualities. However, many studies have focused on pre-school and primary school grounds, while less is known about school grounds for adolescents. This study explored how secondary school students experience and use school grounds of varying size, content and design. The study included one class in year 8 (aged 14-15) at each of three schools in southern Sweden. A questionnaire with mainly open questions was distributed, followed by both individual interviews and walking interviews with four students from each class. The results show that school grounds were appreciated, but also that many chose to stay indoors. Large surface area and varied content, with ball courts, greenery, seating and multifunctional equipment, were valued, but a school ground design with integrated and pleasant settings, allowing socialising and activities, particularly support use by secondary school students

Secondary students perspective on the schoolyard

Idealet om den kompakta staden har lett till att grönytor i allt större utsträckning tas i anspråk till förmån för ny bebyggelse. För barn och unga som växer upp i urbana samhällen innebär detta att tillgång till ytor för lek och vistelse begränsas. Konkurrensen om marken har även lett till att skolgårdarna utvecklats ofördelaktigt. Skolgårdarnas storlek krymper och idag finns skolor som helt saknar egen skolgård. Enligt lagstiftningen ska det finnas tillräckligt stor friyta för lek och vistelse i eller i närheten av byggnader som innehåller skola, förskola eller fritidshem. Formuleringen innebär dock att olika kommuner arbetar på olika sätt, då det är de själva som ska fastställa riktlinjerna. Då skolgården visat sig kunna utgöra en hälsopotential för barn och unga är den negativa utvecklingen anmärkningsvärd. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka högstadieelevers egna perspektiv på skolgården. Inriktningen på högstadieelever föregås av att det finns begränsat med studier kring äldre barns skolgårdsmiljö och hur denna uppfattas av eleverna. Studien ämnar därför undersöka hur högstadieelever upplever och använder sin skolgård, samt vilka utvecklingsmöjligheter eleverna ser att skolgården har utifrån sina behov och intressen. Med avstamp i den kompakta staden ämnar studien även att undersöka huruvida skolgårdens yta och mängd grönska kan inverka på elevernas upplevelser, användning och önskemål. Därtill undersöks även vilken betydelse skolgården kan ha för högstadieelever. Tre åttondeklasser från tre olika skolor i Skåne har deltagit i studien. Skolornas respektive skolgårdar skiljer sig åt avseende yta och mängd grönska för att kunna undersöka potentiella skillnader i hur eleverna upplever och använder sin skolgård. Resultatet visar att elevernas upplevelser av skolgården ofta härleds till skolgårdens fysiska utformning. Skolgården upplevs och används utifrån de förutsättningar som ges för socialt umgänge och fysisk aktivitet. Studien har också kunnat visa att många elever väljer att stanna inomhus beroende på vädret och att skolgårdsmiljön sällan tillgodoser elevernas behov eller intressen i den mån som önskas. Det har därtill visat sig att pojkar och flickor använder och upplever skolgården på olika sätt och att pojkarna ges bättre förutsättningar att kunna utföra de aktiviteter de önskar än flickorna. Skolgårdens yta och mängd grönska behöver förstås i ett större sammanhang och är som enskilda variabler ingen garanti för en skolgård av hög kvalitet. För att kunna möta alla elevers behov och intressen efterfrågar eleverna en mer sammansatt skolgård, där gröna miljöer i större utsträckning integreras med möjligheter till socialt umgänge och fysisk aktivitet. Skolgården har en viktig roll i elevernas vardagsliv, inte minst genom att verka som en plats för trygghet och rätt till självbestämmande. Då tillgång till friytor minskat diskuteras även skolgårdens potential att utvecklas till att bli mer mångfunktionell, exempelvis genom ökat samutnyttjande, grönstruktur och lärande. Genom att betona skolgårdens potentiella betydelse även i ett större sammanhang är det möjligt att lyfta skolgårdens relevans i planeringen.As cities grow, the utilization of green areas increases. For children growing up in urban communities, this has a direct impact on their access to areas for play and leisure. Furthermore, the densification of cities has led to an unfavorable development of schoolyards, as schools today can be built without their own schoolyard. This study examines secondary students’ perspective on the schoolyard. The study is preceded by a limited amount of studies of adolescents and their use and experiences of the schoolyard. Based on the ideal of the compact city the study explores whether the size and the amount of greenery on the schoolyard have an impact on the students’ experiences, use and preferences. Furthermore, the study examines the significance of the schoolyard according to the students. A total of 71 eighth graders from three different schools have participated in the study. To be able to examine potential differences between the students’ experiences and use in relation to their schoolyards, each schoolyard differs in regard to size and amount of greenery. The results show that secondary students’ experiences often are derived to the physical design of the schoolyard. The experiences and use of the schoolyards are therefore based on the conditions for social interaction and physical activity given. The study has also been able to show that the majority of the participating students choose to stay indoors during recess, which generally depends on perceived barriers such as bad weather and lack of facilities for play and activity. Furthermore, it has been found that boys and girls are using and experiencing their schoolyards in different ways, which may have to do with the fact that most schools are favoring the boys’ play. In terms of size and amount of greenery, these characteristics have to be understood in a broader sense and are, as individual variables, no guarantee for a high-quality schoolyard. However, a more coherent schoolyard, which combines green areas and opportunities for social and physical activities, could increase the usability. For the secondary students participating in this study, the schoolyard has shown to be an essential place for self-determination and security. Therefore, the schoolyard plays an important part in the students’ everyday life. As access to open spaces has decreased, this master thesis also discusses the potential of developing the schoolyard to be more multifunctional, e.g. by joint use and by functioning as a place for learning for both students and urban dwellers. By addressing the significance of schoolyards in a wider context, it is thus possible to highlight its relevance to urban planning

Magnon softening in a ferromagnetic monolayer: a first-principles spin dynamics study

We study the Fe/W(110) monolayer system through a combination of first principles calculations and atomistic spin dynamics simulations. We focus on the dispersion of the spin waves parallel to the [001] direction. Our results compare favorably with the experimental data of Prokop et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 177206], and correctly capture a drastic softening of the magnon spectrum, with respect to bulk bcc Fe. The suggested shortcoming of the itinerant electron model, in particular that given by density functional theory, is refuted. We also demonstrate that finite temperature effects are significant, and that atomistic spin dynamics simulations represent a powerful tool with which to include these.Comment: v1: 11 pages, 3 figures. v2: double column, 5 pages, 3 figures, typos corrected, references adde

A Case Study of Three Swedish Hospitals’ Strategies for Implementing Lean Production

Many hospitals have recently implemented the management concept lean production. The aim of this study was to learn how and why three Swedish hospitals selected and developed their hospitalwide lean production strategies. Although previous research shows that the concept is implemented in various ways, there is limited research on how and why different hospitals choose different implementation strategies and if the chosen strategies contribute to sustainable participation in organizational development. A case study of three different Swedish hospitals implementing lean production was thus performed. We studied the content of the hospitals’ selected implementation strategies, conditions and rationales behind their strategy selection, and how different organizational actors participated in the implementation. Qualitative interviews with 54 key actors at the studied hospitals were performed. In addition, a self-administered survey questionnaire to employees was answered at T1 (2012, n = 557), T2 (2013, n = 554), and T3 (2014, n = 366). The three studied hospitals chose different strategies for implementing lean production due to different contextual conditions and for different reasons. The hospital-wide implementation strategies were related to employees’ interest and participation in lean production. The results show that many different actors at different organizational levels need to participate in lean production in order to sustain and diffuse change processes. Furthermore, broad motives including quality of care seem to be needed for engaging different professional groups

Climatic windows for human migration out of Africa in the past 300,000 years.

Whilst an African origin of modern humans is well established, the timings and routes of their expansions into Eurasia are the subject of heated debate, due to the scarcity of fossils and the lack of suitably old ancient DNA. Here, we use high-resolution palaeoclimate reconstructions to estimate how difficult it would have been for humans in terms of rainfall availability to leave the African continent in the past 300k years. We then combine these results with an anthropologically and ecologically motivated estimate of the minimum level of rainfall required by hunter-gatherers to survive, allowing us to reconstruct when, and along which geographic paths, expansions out of Africa would have been climatically feasible. The estimated timings and routes of potential contact with Eurasia are compatible with archaeological and genetic evidence of human expansions out of Africa, highlighting the key role of palaeoclimate variability for modern human dispersals

Managerial Practices that Support Lean and Socially Sustainable Working Conditions

Despite decades of using lean, there is little knowledge of how lean managerial practices affect working conditions. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate in what ways managerial practices support socially sustainable working conditions (SSWCs) during a lean transformation. A mixed methods approach was used in this multiyear case study in a midsize Swedish manufacturing company. Assessment of work characteristics was combined with employee questionnaires and interviews with managers. Four practices were identified as instrumental for SSWCs: 1) a coherent lean approach with clear direction, 2) a value-creating leadership style comprising a participatorypromoting and caring leadership approach with joint focus on production and well-being, 3) conscious involvement of employees in a stepwise fashion, and 4) a focus on promoting meaningful jobs and health, aided by work environment management. Thus, managerial practices actively supporting important job resources as an integral part of the lean system seemed to support SSWCs

JJ-factors for self-interacting dark matter in 20 dwarf spheroidal galaxies

Dwarf spheroidal galaxies are among the most promising targets for indirect dark matter (DM) searches in $\gamma$-rays. The $\gamma$-ray flux from DM annihilation in a dwarf spheroidal galaxy is proportional to the $J$-factor of the source. The $J$-factor of a dwarf spheroidal galaxy is the line-of-sight integral of the DM mass density squared times $\langle \sigma_{\rm ann} v_{\rm rel} \rangle/(\sigma_{\rm ann} v_{\rm rel})_0$, where $\sigma_{\rm ann} v_{\rm rel}$ is the DM annihilation cross-section times relative velocity $v_{\rm rel}=|{\bf v}_{\rm rel}|$, angle brackets denote average over ${\bf v}_{\rm rel}$, and $(\sigma_{\rm ann} v_{\rm rel})_0$ is the $v_{\rm rel}$-independent part of $\sigma_{\rm ann} v_{\rm rel}$. If $\sigma_{\rm ann} v_{\rm rel}$ is constant in $v_{\rm rel}$, $J$-factors only depend on the DM space distribution in the source. However, if $\sigma_{\rm ann} v_{\rm rel}$ varies with $v_{\rm rel}$, as in the presence of DM self-interactions, $J$-factors also depend on the DM velocity distribution, and on the strength and range of the DM self-interaction. Models for self-interacting DM are increasingly important in the study of the small scale clustering of DM, and are compatible with current cosmological observations. Here we derive the $J$-factor of 20 dwarf spheroidal galaxies from stellar kinematic data under the assumption of Yukawa DM self-interactions. $J$-factors are derived through a profile Likelihood approach, assuming either NFW or cored DM profiles. We also compare our results with $J$-factors derived assuming the same velocity for all DM particles in the target galaxy. We find that this common approximation overestimates the $J$-factors by up to one order of magnitude. $J$-factors for a sample of DM particle masses, self-interaction coupling constants and density profiles are provided electronically, ready to be used in other projects.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures and 2 table