59 research outputs found
Becoming with a police dog : training technologies for bonding
To develop and illustrate the potential for visual methodologies in conducting multispecies ethnography, we present a case study of generalâpurpose police dog training in the UK. Our argument is twoâfold: first, we draw on STS approaches and insights for looking at training activities as material and socioâcultural devices that, we argue, constitute a training technology. Here we have been influenced by the work of Cussins and adopted her concept of âontological choreographiesâ for addressing the development of the police dogâpolice officer bond and ability to communicate for working together. Second, we argue that visual data capture presents valuable opportunities for âless humanâcentredâ and more symmetrical methods to approach nonâhuman/more than human research subjects. We illustrate how photo diaries and video clips enabled us to remain attentive to the material and embodied practices of dog training, bringing to the fore the dogsâ actions, tools, and devices and thus enlivening the materialâcultural choreographies of the training activities. In conclusion, we elucidate how this ontoâepistemological approach enabled us to investigate the material and corporeal construction of the general purpose (GP) police dog
Arthropod Phylogenetics in Light of Three Novel Millipede (Myriapoda: Diplopoda) Mitochondrial Genomes with Comments on the Appropriateness of Mitochondrial Genome Sequence Data for Inferring Deep Level Relationships
Background
Arthropods are the most diverse group of eukaryotic organisms, but their phylogenetic relationships are poorly understood. Herein, we describe three mitochondrial genomes representing orders of millipedes for which complete genomes had not been characterized. Newly sequenced genomes are combined with existing data to characterize the protein coding regions of myriapods and to attempt to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships within the Myriapoda and Arthropoda.
Results
The newly sequenced genomes are similar to previously characterized millipede sequences in terms of synteny and length. Unique translocations occurred within the newly sequenced taxa, including one half of the Appalachioria falcifera genome, which is inverted with respect to other millipede genomes. Across myriapods, amino acid conservation levels are highly dependent on the gene region. Additionally, individual loci varied in the level of amino acid conservation. Overall, most gene regions showed low levels of conservation at many sites. Attempts to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships suffered from questionable relationships and low support values. Analyses of phylogenetic informativeness show the lack of signal deep in the trees (i.e., genes evolve too quickly). As a result, the myriapod tree resembles previously published results but lacks convincing support, and, within the arthropod tree, well established groups were recovered as polyphyletic.
Conclusions
The novel genome sequences described herein provide useful genomic information concerning millipede groups that had not been investigated. Taken together with existing sequences, the variety of compositions and evolution of myriapod mitochondrial genomes are shown to be more complex than previously thought. Unfortunately, the use of mitochondrial protein-coding regions in deep arthropod phylogenetics appears problematic, a result consistent with previously published studies. Lack of phylogenetic signal renders the resulting tree topologies as suspect. As such, these data are likely inappropriate for investigating such ancient relationships
Correlates of Isolated Nocturnal Hypertension and Target Organ Damage in a Population-Based Cohort of African Americans: The Jackson Heart Study
Evaluation of the impact of pharmaceutical care service on hospitalized patients with chronic kidney disease in Jordan
Identifying Carcinogens: The Tobacco Industry and Regulatory Politics in the United States
Transition Outcomes of Young Adults with Disabilities in Rural Areas: A Research Synthesis
Periodontal Disease Status in Gullah African Americans With Type 2 Diabetes Living in South Carolina
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