Conceptualizing the Multispecies Triad: Towards a Multispecies Interesectionality

Feminist and multispecies anthropologies have decentered those most visible to appreciate the perspectives of those othered in society—but also to better understand society at large. This article goes beyond decentering the human toward decentering another analytical focus: the species dyad. Building on previous work on gender–species intersectionality and multispecies ethnography, as well as drawing on a set of five ethnographic and multispecies fieldwork studies involving gendered relations between humans, cattle, and horses on three continents, this article offers a conceptualization of the multispecies triad by outlining a multispecies intersectionality theory. This entails acknowledging the intersectionality of five sets of relations: (1) species as a power relation beyond biology; (2) intersecting power relations of humans (such as gender and ethnicity as well as local categories); (3) humans’ organization of nonhumans into intraspecies categories (by for example sex, breed, age as well as local categories); (4) nonhumans’ own intraspecies power relations; and (5) nonhumans’ relations to intraspecies groups of other species (including human subgroups). By situating a multispecies triad in this multispecies intersectionality, the article shows how relations of power intersect within and across species with consequences for individuals and groups of all species involved. Multispecies intersectionality can thus be of interest even to scholars primarily interested in humans

The major neutral proteinase of Entamoeba histolytica.

FPLC anion-exchange and chromatofocusing chromatography were used to purify the major neutral proteinase from secretions of axenically cultured Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites. HM-1 strain trophozoites, which were more proteolytically active than the less virulent HK-9 strain, were used for purification of the enzyme. It is a thiol proteinase with a subunit Mr of approximately 56,000, a neutral pH optimum, and a pI of 6. The importance of this enzyme in extraintestinal amoebiasis is suggested by its ability to degrade a model of connective tissue extracellular matrix as well as purified fibronectin, laminin, and type I collagen. The enzyme caused a loss of adhesion of mammalian cells in culture, probably because of its ability to degrade anchoring proteins. Experiments with a peptide substrate and inhibitors indicated that the proteinase preferentially binds peptides with arginine at P-1. It is also a plasminogen activator, and could thus potentiate host proteinase systems

A Comparative Study of the Role of Values in Reasoning about Socio-Hydrological Issues in Undergraduate Students from Developed and Developing Countries

In a world that is becoming increasingly connected and exploited, it is essential to understand how students’ values influence socio-scientific reasoning, particularly when dealing with complex, multifaceted, ever-connected water-related issues. This research strives to better understand stakeholder reasoning to provide teachers and decision-makers with ways to implement those stakeholders’ ideals into choices about complex socio-hydrological issues. Moreover, with 96% of research behavioral research being conducted on peoples from developed countries – who only represent 17% of the world’s population – this study strives to understand how peoples from developing countries – who represent 83% of the world’s population – reason. For this study, I asked questions focusing on the values undergraduate students from developed and developing countries identify with, how those values are used in socio-hydrological reasoning, and if the quality of reasoning differs between the two groups. Results show a significant difference between the two groups’ value identification, as well as the use of those values in their socio-hydrological reasoning. Additionally there was a statically significant difference in the overall quality of reasoning between the two groups. This study begins to shed light on how students use their values in reasoning about socio-hydrological issues. Advisor: Cory Forbe

Designing Cattle: The social practice of constructing breeds

This paper explores how cattle breeds are constructed through social practice—which we conceptually develop as “designing” cattle. We show how breed varieties are designed, informed by the social, material and moral embeddedness of cattle breeding associations’ visions of the future and how they draw on science and technology in their breeding strategies. Based on an analysis of the trade magazines of three different breeding associations, we illustrate how breeding associations are working to establish four different varieties of Swedish Mountain Cattle (SMC). We conclude that the concept of designing cattle enables us to unpack how breeds are socially constructed and institutionally stabilized through sociotechnical imaginaries

Safety Culture, Training, Understanding, Aviation Passion: The Impact on Manual Flight and Operational Performance

The objective of this study was to understand pilots’ proclivity toward automation usage by identifying the relationship among pilot training, aircraft and systems understanding, safety culture, manual flight behavior, and aviation passion. A survey instrument titled Manual Flight Inventory (MFI) was designed to gather and assess self-reported variables of manual flight behavior, aviation passion, safety culture perception, pilot training, and pilot understanding. Demographic data and automation opinion-based questions were also asked to fully understand pilots’ thoughts on automation, safety culture, policies, procedures, training methodologies and assessment measures, levels of understanding, and study techniques. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was utilized to identify underlying factors from the data, followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to confirm the factor structure. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was utilized to test the relationships between the variables. All hypotheses were significant; however, four of the thirteen hypotheses were not supported due to a negative relationship. The significant predictors of manual flight were identified to be pilot understanding, pilot training, aviation passion, and safety culture. Pilots’ understanding of the aircraft operating systems was determined to have the greatest influence over a pilot’s decision to manually fly. Aviation passion was identified as the second largest influencing factor. Pilot training had the greatest influence over pilot understanding, and safety culture presented the greatest influence over pilot training. Results identified that safety culture was negatively impacting pilot training, and pilot training had a negative influence over pilots’ decision to manually fly. The contributions of this research have identified the significance of safety culture as associated with Safety Management Systems (SMS) as an influencing factor over pilot training and resultant operational performance. Pilot understanding is a direct result of pilot training, and current training practices are negatively influencing the decision for manual flight. Therefore, a solution to the industry problem—operational confusion (understanding), as well as guidance versus control (Abbott, 2015), and the lack of hand flying skills and monitoring ability (OIG, 2016)—can now be addressed by improving training practices. Future research and recommendations were provided

The experiences of clinical social workers in diagnosing bipolar disorder in children and adolescents

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a diagnosis that an increasing number of individuals under the age of 18 are being given, despite the fact that the DSM-IV has no description or criteria of what BD in this age group looks like. The purpose of this exploratory study was to look at the experiences of clinical social workers who have diagnosed BD in children and adolescents. To do so, eleven social workers who have a Master\u27s of Social Work were interviewed using a standardized open-ended interview guide. The major findings of this study follow. Participants reported having diagnosed significantly more adolescents with BD than children. Participants looked for a wide range of different symptoms when making this diagnosis, such as: changes in sleep, changes in mood, agitation and irritability, risky behavior, and other symptoms of mania and depression. Participants found the following things helpful in making this diagnosis: collaborating with other providers and family members, observing the youth\u27s behavior, and longitudinal information about the youth. Participants reported struggling with the following things while making this diagnosis: fear of labeling, access to services, and differentiating BD from other disorders. Most participants reported that after the diagnosis was made, it did have some positive influence on their understanding of and ability to appropriately treat these children and adolescents

Effects of magnification and visual accommodation on aimpoint estimation in simulated landings with real and virtual image displays

Twenty professional pilots observed a computer-generated airport scene during simulated autopilot-coupled night landing approaches and at two points (20 sec and 10 sec before touchdown) judged whether the airplane would undershoot or overshoot the aimpoint. Visual accommodation was continuously measured using an automatic infrared optometer. Experimental variables included approach slope angle, display magnification, visual focus demand (using ophthalmic lenses), and presentation of the display as either a real (direct view) or a virtual (collimated) image. Aimpoint judgments shifted predictably with actual approach slope and display magnification. Both pilot judgments and measured accommodation interacted with focus demand with real-image displays but not with virtual-image displays. With either type of display, measured accommodation lagged far behind focus demand and was reliably less responsive to the virtual images. Pilot judgments shifted dramatically from an overwhelming perceived-overshoot bias 20 sec before touchdown to a reliable undershoot bias 10 sec later

Women and Cattle

Cattle form an integral part of lives, livelihoods, and landscapes in Botswana. They offer people socio-cultural and politico-economic means through which to participate in society as respected and supported citizens. When asked what it means to have cattle, many of our study respondents stated: “I feel like a person” or “cattle are life.” At the same time, people shape the circumstances and experiences of cattle. Human connections to cattle within subsistence and commercially-oriented realms generate practices of ownership, rearing, and (re)producing of this particular species that influence their value, role, and use. Human-cattle relations emerge and evolve through historically-situated social relations of power based on gender, ethnicity, and class. In turn, these relations present people with different political and economic opportunities associated with cattle production, and present cattle with different opportunities for eating, drinking, moving, and breeding. Ultimately, intersectional human-cattle relations make both humans and cattle who they are in terms of societal positionality, economic opportunities, and political clout. Humans and cattle are “becoming-with” – using Donna Haraway’s concept — in Botswana with implications for humans, cattle, and the broader context

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