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Reference points provide crucial spatial information for people with visual disabilities, and existing literature categorizes and describes their functions. However, these studies still adhere to a geographical pointillist logic that perceives points as fixed and stable entities and overlooks corporeal processes through which reference points are created. Utilizing concepts from Deleuze-Guattarian philosophy and drawing from sit-down and go-along interviews with visually disabled people, this article answers the question of how to conceptualize reference points from a non-pointillist perspective. By elucidating how reference points need to be actualized through affirmative bodily acts of complex spatio-temporal assemblages, it dismantles their seemingly disembodied and static nature. Consequently, the text explores reference points interwoven with diverse assemblages and examines scenarios in which suitable assemblages could not be assembled, nor could reference points, therefore, be actualized. Thus, the article departs from conceiving of points solely as nouns and presents them in verbal terms, effectively reconciling stability with dynamism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food and life are intimately entangled. To grasp the underlying complexity of this seemingly simple statement, this article first introduces the approach to food/eating as an assemblage enacted by various heterogeneous components, and further develops it by engaging with actor network theory and material semiotics. Thereafter the focus turns to 'entanglement', as inspired by quantum physics, to elicit the basic dynamics of the entanglement of food and more-than-human beings, conceived of as involving mutual and differential becomings within and among assemblages. The article illustrates these entangled becomings by drawing upon examples from Sri Lanka, which in an intercultural philosophical fashion serve to establish an articulation (in the sense of a connection) between the proposed abstract approach to food and some basic premises of Buddhism and Ayurveda, a South Asian health system. Overall, the article crafts a conceptual toolbox and performs ontological groundwork wherein food and human beings as entangled assemblages provide a productive, refined, and sensitive research apparatus for the intimate study of more-than-human life and organization while also spurring novel theorizations through food/eating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The influence of the International Baccalaureate (IB) has grown impressively on a global scale. In Latin America, the IB has been mainly introduced in private schools that cater for the most affluent sectors of society and, consequently, has been mostly interpreted as contributing to processes of social reproduction and the widening of inequalities However, since the mid-2000s the IB has been promoted in state schools in countries such as Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica and in the City of Buenos Aires in Argentina. This paper analyses the enactment of the IBDP in public schools in Costa Rica and Peru drawing on a mixed methods multiple case study. It shows how, in countries with significant socioeconomic disparities, the possibility of offering the IBDP to students at public schools was mostly justified as a matter of equity, understood as opening access to an educational programme that was only available to the most privileged sectors of society. By problematising the notions of privilege and eliteness, we discuss the complex relations between inequalities and educational opportunities and question the extent to which these programmes are affecting social structures in Costa Rica and Peru. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems (MCEs) represent unique ecological habitats that range from 30 to 150 m deep, harbouring phylogenetically distinct species and offering refuge for many taxa during times of environmental stress. Yet owing to inaccessibility of ecosystems at these depths, most MCEs remain unexplored, with quantifications of ecological communities in these habitats lacking across many regions. Here, using open- and closed-circuit technical diving, we quantified benthic and fish community composition at four mesophotic reef sites (45 m depth) in Grand Cayman. We show significant differences in benthic community composition over a small spatial scale driven by disparate coverage of sponges, crustose coralline algae, and sand/rubble, yet consistent patterns of macroalgal dominance representing >50% coverage at each site and low hard coral cover at an average of 2.4%. Reef fish species richness, biomass, and density was consistent across sites, however the relative contribution of individual species to community composition differed significantly. Macrocarnivores were found to be the dominant contributors to biomass, with invertivores the most speciose, and omnivores and planktivores at the highest densities, consistent with previous descriptions of mesophotic fish assemblages in other regions. Similarly, the low hard coral cover and high macroalgae and sponge cover of the benthic communities also appear ecologically similar to several described mesophotic reefs yet is not uniform across the Caribbean. The ecological organisation of Grand Cayman's MCEs may result from a variety of factors such as isolation from other major land masses, geology, local geography, and anthropogenic activity at both the local and global scale and highlight the importance of continued exploration and documentation of MCE communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions: Marine rocky outcrops are model systems of community assembly under harsh conditions. The prevailing environmental conditions that determine a coast–inland gradient of stress and disturbance impose a strong environmental filter on community assembly. However, the Atlantic rocky outcrops of Uruguay challenge this assumption as they exhibit high plant diversity at small spatial scales. We investigated this study system to answer: (1) which environmental factors determine diversity at the local scale; (2) and how does the regional pool influence species composition along the coast–inland gradient? Methods: We analyzed the local and regional determinants of plant community assembly in four rocky sites along the Uruguayan coast. Through a random sampling approach stratified by distance to the coast, we recorded species occurrences and microenvironmental conditions. Observed taxa were assigned into different species assemblages according to their typical vegetation type. Generalized Linear Model (GLM)–Poisson regression, quantile regressions and hierarchical cluster analyses were used to identify the factors underlying local richness and the spatial vegetation structure. Results: Nine different vegetation types generate a mass effect that enhances local diversity. Unexpectedly, 56% of the species are from non‐marine environments — e.g. grasslands or hydrophilous herblands. Species assemblages were spatially clustered, with a turnover of these clusters along the coast–inland gradient. Elevation, distance to the coast and vegetation cover promoted richness, likely due to an attenuation of marine filters. Meanwhile, substrate availability reduced richness, likely due to competitive exclusion as a result of more resources and homogeneous microenvironmental conditions. Conclusions: The high local diversity along the marine rocky outcrops of Uruguay is best explained by a functionally diverse regional species pool, which interacts with local heterogeneity, and by conditions that enhance or attenuate the effect of marine stress. Effective conservation and management strategies are key to minimize the detrimental effects of urbanization, fragmentation, and non‐native plant invasions on these diverse habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Termites are considered as important pests of maize plantations in Republic of Benin. However, very little information is available on their assemblage composition, abundance, damages, and on the sensitivity of common maize varieties in Benin. This study aims to fill these gaps and provide baseline for the development of an integrated termite management in maize plantations. Therefore, 60 maize fields across 30 villages located in four agro-ecological zones of southern Benin were prospected using the standardized method of belt transects. In addition, the resistance of five maize varieties to termite attacks was evaluated on-farm during two consecutive seasons (2018 and 2019). Fifteen termite species belonging to 11 genera, 6 subfamilies and 3 families were collected in the prospected maize fields. Four species (Macrotermes subhyalinus Rambur, Coptotermes sjostedti Holmgren, Amitermes evuncifer Silvestri, and Trinevitermes germinatus Wasmann) were found in all agro-ecological zones with A. evuncifer as the most abundant species. High similarity indices of termite assemblages were found between the four agro-ecological zones. Wood-feeders group and species nesting in hypogeal nests were the mostly abundant in all agro-ecological zones. The attack rate of termites in maize fields was 16.9% and did not vary significantly between agro-ecological zones. A. evuncifer and C. sjostedti were significantly the most destructive species on the five evaluated varieties, although Trinevitermes oeconomus Trägardh was most abundant in leaf sheaths; M. subhyalinus and Macrotermes bellicossus Smeathman in the stem; Pseudacanthotermes militaris Hagen and Odontotermes sp. in the roots. Termite damage level to maize depended of the variety. Korga variety was classified as highly resistant to termite attacks; Agbadé kouin winiwini variety as resistant; Igbado tchakpa variety as moderately resistant. While, Elèkpèrè and Forkui varieties were classified as highly susceptible. The three maize varieties identified as resistant to termite attack should be included in the development of an integrated termite management program and in future breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate warming has triggered shifts in plant distributions, resulting in changes within communities, characterized by an increase in warm‐demanding species and a decrease in cold‐adapted species – referred to as thermophilization. Researchers conventionally rely on co‐occurrence data from vegetation assemblages to examine these community dynamics. Despite the increasing availability of presence‐only data in recent decades, their potential has largely remained unexplored due to concerns about their reliability. Our study aimed to determine whether climate‐induced changes in community dynamics, as inferred from presence‐only data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), corresponded with those derived from co‐occurrence plot data. To assess the differences between these datasets, we computed a community temperature index (CTI) using a transfer function, weighted‐averaging partial least squares regression (WA‐PLS). We calibrated the transfect function model based on the species–temperature relationship using data before recent climate warming. Then we assessed the differences in CTI and examined the temporal trend in thermophilization. In a preliminary analysis, we assessed the performance of this calibration using three datasets: 1) Norwegian co‐occurrence data, 2) presence‐only data from a broader European region organized into pseudo‐plots (potentially capturing a larger part of the species niches), and 3) a combined dataset merging 1) and 2). The transfer function including the combined dataset performed best. Subsequently, we compared the CTI for the co‐occurrence plots paired up spatially and temporally with presence‐only pseudo‐plots. The results demonstrated that presence‐only data can effectively evaluate species assemblage responses to climate warming, with consistent CTI and thermophilization values to what was found for the co‐occurrence data. Employing presence‐only data for evaluating community responses opens up better spatial and temporal resolution and much more detailed analyses of such responses. Our results therefore outline how a large amount of presence‐only data can be used to enhance our understanding of community dynamics in a warmer world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coral recruitment is a vital process for the maintenance and recovery of coral reefs, particularly due to their decline from global change. While it is well established that larval settlement cues significantly influence coral recruitment, the investigation of recruitment success associated with the surrounding community mainly focuses on algae. To investigate other factors controlling this process, we examined the impact of benthic invertebrate assemblages on coral recruitment using artificial reefs. Three types of artificial reefs (mono‐, bi‐, and tri‐species) with different assemblages of three common species, Pocillopora acuta, Acropora cytherea, and Tridacna maxima, were studied over 8 months. This study revealed that benthic assemblages play a significant role in coral recruitment and survival. High biodiversity was found to enhance coral recruitment and inhibit potential negative cues from A. cytherea. Our findings underscore the importance of preserving high biodiversity using not only hard coral but a wide range of phyla, including bivalves, in coral restoration efforts. Maintaining sustainable populations is an important goal to reach in the face of the multiple threats that impact coral reefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews more than 40 journal articles that describe the traits of phytoplankton functional groups (FGs) and their responses to biotic and abiotic factors in freshwater environments. Scholars have used different approaches with varying assumptions, making it necessary to subject the available information to a modest review. The paper sheds light on the potential responses of phytoplankton assemblages to biotic factors such as allelopathy, vertical migration, prey-predator interactions, macrophytes dominance, zooplankton grazing, and abiotic factors such as nutrient deficiency, turbulence and mixing processes, light, and temperature. It also highlights the status of studies on phytoplankton FGs in Ethiopian water bodies. While FGs have relevant applications in ecosystem assessment and monitoring, the difficulties faced are briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although rallies are essential to political communication campaigns, they have been little studied. Thus, this article presents an ethnographic observation of the Democratic campaign rallies during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Two research questions structure the paper: How do material things—including human bodies—and their transportation structure the production and reproduction of rallies as political communication systems? What kind of political communication assemblages constructs the materiality of rallies? The text presents three conclusions. 1) A substantial part of the materiality of these rallies was composed of human bodies and many other things that were transported to a specific space to have copresent interactions with other bodies. 2) The production of these rallies required creating an infrastructural space built upon transporting a myriad of material objects to a specific place. These objects constituted the material bases for developing these rallies as a set of political communication practices. 3) These rallies can be conceptualised as mobile and itinerant assemblages for transportation and communication. These rallies were a means of transportation that moved the candidate's body across a vast territory and a (political) media of communication designed to transcend the time and space in which these events were produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

My paper wishes to delve into concepts such as assemblage and sympoiesis and examine them within the framework of my ethnographic fieldwork on beekeeping in the Western chain of the Italian Alps. I believe that the implications of notions such as sympoiesis and assemblage can be seen to surface in the context of beekeeping and bee culture, as they emerge as multispecies activities where everything and everyone involved can be regarded as a social actor. In this respect, the most relevant issues I would like to tackle are referred to knowledge production and know-how among beekeepers who keep their apiaries in the plains for most part of the year and move them to mountain areas for the summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses commuting by elderly Ukrainian passengers on tramways and trolleybuses as a symbiosis between human bodies and public electric vehicles. First, aging is presented as an important part of the socio-material order of Ukrainian cities. Then, using ethnographic methods, the research traces how elderly, mostly female, bodies and aging vehicles are singled out as a symbiotic assemblage formed under rigid social assistance policies. Mutual dependencies between bodies and vehicles help them both remain in the city. In the discussion, this symbiotic assemblage is connected to the larger policy and political context of Ukraine in terms of Europeanization. Using assemblage thinking and the notion of symbiosis allows us to see elderly commuters on Ukrainian tram and trolleybuses not as mere end-users of the city but as co-creators of urban space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to the understanding of incentives for peacekeeping contribution from non-democratic countries through the largely unexplored case of peacekeeping under authoritarian rule in The Gambia. It argues that President Yahya Jammeh (1994–2017) aimed to use peacekeeping to help keep himself in power, fitting a broader global pattern of peacekeeping for regime maintenance. However, the research also demonstrates that leadership's aims for peacekeeping can be misaligned with the experiences of soldiers. Rather than draw soldiers closer to the regime, the peacekeeping experience involved a distancing from the forces for Gambian soldiers when they returned home. The findings draw on interviews with returned peacekeepers and military decision makers in The Gambia, as well as publications from the armed forces and new public sources of information made available after the 2017 political transition. The article proposes that viewing the deployment experience as a global peacekeeping assemblage helps to understand the more subtle, yet significant, ways in which soldiers' views can shift following peacekeeping deployments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distinct origin and hydrological characteristics of reservoirs, shaped by fluctuating water levels and seasonal variations, play a crucial role in determining aquatic species assemblages across diverse limnological zones. This study aimed to analyze fish and crayfish assemblages in the nearshore area of a canyon-shaped Mediterranean reservoir, seeking to identify seasonal and spatial convergent patterns and infer the factors influencing them. Samplings were conducted at five stations along the longitudinal profile of the reservoir at depths around 7 m using gillnets and hoops nets. A seasonal pattern emerged regarding species abundance and biomass, with higher values recorded during the warmer period. Additionally, a spatial trend was observed, indicating higher species abundance in the middle part of the reservoir and lower abundance near the dam, particularly during the colder period. Water transparency, temperature, and the distance from the dam were identified as the most significant factors affecting species assemblages in terms of abundance and biomass. This research provides valuable insights into the intricate interplay between environmental factors, seasonal changes, and the assemblages of aquatic species in a Mediterranean reservoir, contributing to our understanding of its ecological dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the impacts of climate change unfold, coastal cities are beginning to adapt to the emerging physical and financial risks. In our case study of climate adaptation in Boston, we advance the concept of hegemonic performativity, which shows how political pressures lead an assemblage – a network of human and nonhuman actors, including models, algorithms, instruments, market devices, and experts – to converge on a consensus in ways that privilege particular goals, actors, interests, and forms of knowledge. Our findings show how an assemblage is performative in building consensus around a particular climate response that tames uncertainty by excluding extreme risks and incorporating more palatable scenarios and parameters so that adaptation appears manageable and compatible with business-as-(almost)-usual. The mechanism of silencing facilitates consensus by downplaying community voices, equity concerns, and more extreme climate scenarios. Our study highlights how the operation of an assemblage is performative in shaping adaptation plans, physical interventions in urban infrastructure, and associated financial mechanisms with considerable effects on who and what is protected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In The Machine in the Garden ( 1964), Leo Marx set American studies on a search for "a distinctively American theory of society" (4). Demonstrating how an image of mechanistic modernity first occurred then recurred throughout cultural depictions of a predominantly rural landscape, Marx examines the impact of industrialization on American society. This essay argues that contemporary southern fiction is displaying a similarly recurring motif of its own, a motif representative of a new perception of place for the region. Place, according to the southern studies conception as a region of constancy capable of informing our identities, no longer exists. The posthumanist subject instead inhabits a shared space suitable for their symbiotic coexistence, and contemporary authors are starting to depict this element of posthuman existence. Marx's machines recur anew, their rusting carcasses re-purposed by the coexisting elements around them. Rather than a shocking intrusion into the rural landscape, the rusting shells of the symbols of modern society are representative of the non-exceptionalism of the posthuman. Using Jesmyn Ward ' s Where the Line Bleeds, Salvage the Bones, and Sing, Unburied, Sing, this essay will consider how such imagery indicates a shift in the presentation of place in southern fiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I present my methodological approach to researching the sex practices of trans people developed during my PhD project How we Fuck. Using my body as both a fertile site of knowledge production (Bain and Nash, 2006), and an instrument for intimate analysis, I articulate an approach to 'intimacy-as-method' within an assemblage framework (Deleuze and Guattari, 1987) to provide new ways of engaging in empirical sex research. Intimacy-as-method draws attention to how senses, bodies, affects, human and more-than-human agents ('things') coalesce to produce both trans sex, and trans sex research(ers) (Fox and Alldred, 2015). If ontologically unstable 'things' gain their stability by assembling relationally, then how can we create the conditions that liberate both trans sex from dominant narratives of suffering, and (trans) sex research from its conventions of squeamishness? I argue that considering the dynamic and mutable ways in which trans sex (and trans sex research) is produced expands the capacities and limitations of what trans bodies can 'do', making space for novel assemblages, new embodied knowledges, and expansive possibilities of How we Fuck. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article critically examines the construction of the artistic identity and career of Ai-Da, 'the world's first ultra-realistic humanoid robot artist'. Engaging with scholarship on posthumanism and creative assemblages, and creative work, identity and expertise, this article conceptualises Ai-Da's distinctive positioning and focuses on the practices used to construct a creative worker identity and career. The article uses qualitative content analysis to examine journalistic coverage, promotional and presentation activities, exhibitions and performances, and social media postings over a four-year period from Ai-Da's first launch to international visibility. The analysis shows how Ai-Da is positioned as a high-profile, border crossing artist, engaging in debates about Artificial Intelligence (AI), art, and the environment. It considers the creative assemblage of Ai-Da as a humanoid robot artist, the creator Aidan Meller and the team working with him, and the wider contextual factors of aesthetic expertise, networks and knowledge of art worlds which have shaped Ai-Da's artistic identity and career trajectory. The focus on how Ai-Da signals expertise on social media helps to frame the specific techniques used to speak about and for Ai-Da on social media platforms and wider media coverage. This includes articulating inspiration, showcasing artistic processes and cultivating audience relationships. In concluding, the implications of connecting critical perspectives on creative work with developments in art, AI and robot artists are explored: firstly, for understanding how the practices for constructing an artistic identity shape the development of robot artists; secondly, for understanding how developments in art and AI can frame reflections on artistic identity and careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nPoints of interestBlindness (in)directly affects all aspects of daily life and participation in society. Living with a visual impairment can be mapped in terms of the intra-actions between blindness and an individual’s networks. This study conceptualised visual impairment in the context of James and his different networks across his lifespan in an attempt to understand the contextualised and complex meaning of his disability. The lived experiences of James and his networks were unravelled, and their perspectives revealed two main encounters: decisions and processes on (inclusive) education and connecting with others. James and his networks discussed how he succeeded in regular education and how he adhered to higher educational norms. The narratives highlighted the pressure to ‘pass’, to have a space to belong in social spheres, and to function within social networks. The concept of ‘assemblage’, the entangled gathering of embodiment and relationalities, was helpful in unravelling the complex and contextual conceptualisations of blindness in James’ lived experiences.This article presents a personal narrative of the experiences of James, his family, and his friends in relation to blindness.This study’s perspective fundamentally assumes that everyone, including people with disabilities, is embedded in several networks of human and non-human elements.Disability is not an individual condition; rather, it is something relational and contextual. We want to understand the complexities of the participants’ experiences.In James’ networks, educational development in regular education is identified as a life goal that requires the input of everyone and everything.For living blindness, James and his networks also identified the relevance of being socially embedded and bonding with peers and friends.This article presents a personal narrative of the experiences of James, his family, and his friends in relation to blindness.This study’s perspective fundamentally assumes that everyone, including people with disabilities, is embedded in several networks of human and non-human elements.Disability is not an individual condition; rather, it is something relational and contextual. We want to understand the complexities of the participants’ experiences.In James’ networks, educational development in regular education is identified as a life goal that requires the input of everyone and everything.For living blindness, James and his networks also identified the relevance of being socially embedded and bonding with peers and friends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article develops an empirically grounded frame for analysing varieties of alternativeness, using the case of such collaborative housing groups in Vienna (so-called Baugruppen) which aim to overcome the commodification of housing as well as the standardisation in social housing provision. Through experimenting with alternative ways of organising and living together they strive for social and political change. Taking inspiration from literature on commoning and alternative spaces, the article draws on French pragmatist sociology as well as post-actor-network theory (ANT) and assemblage approaches to focus on relational practices and different kinds of commonality as a basis for collective action. It analyses varieties of alternativeness as relational constellations by tracing how different groups compose commonality amongst each other, and how they relate to various actors. In doing so, it contributes to a situated understanding of the relations and relational practices that sustain alternatives, as well as the possibilities of scaling and transformation that specific variations of alternative housing hold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calanoid copepods (CC) are key contributors to the biological carbon pump and pelagic trophic dynamics. The deep-water regions of Perdido and the Bay of Campeche in the western and southern Gulf of Mexico (GM), respectively, differ in hydrography and productivity, leading to potential differences in copepod biomass and community structure. Zooplankton (0-200 m) were collected from the shelf edge to the deep-water region during the winter and summer autumn 2016. Calanoids contributed 38-60% of total zooplankton biomass and 55-70% of overall copepod abundance. The Bay of Campeche had the highest total zooplankton biovolume (287±120 ml 1000 m−3) and total mean copepod abundance (CC and non-calanoids ~146,000 ind. 1000 m−3) during summer-autumn, likely resulting from cross-shelf nutrient transport fueling local productivity. Adult females dominated calanoid numerical abundance (43-50%), thus suggesting a high reproductive potential. Cluster analysis showed differences between seasons (~40% dissimilarity) but not regions. Environmental conditions explained 22% of the variability in community composition; the winter assemblage was significantly related to oxygen concentrations, whereas the summer-autumn community was related to warmer conditions and higher integrated chlorophyll- a concentrations. The CC community responded to seasonal changes more than regionally related hydrographic differences, with likely implications for organic matter cycling and export. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Are the many crises of higher education real, or are they in the eye of the beholder? They are evidently something of both: The crises to which we are characteristically alerted are manifestations in the real of the world and indicate much about our scholars' perceptions and even their values. To say this, however, invites the question: can we sort the wheat from the chaff? Might there be a way of validating any effort to identify a crisis that lies in the world, independently of claims made about it? There is straightaway a fundamental difficulty after all; namely, that the very concept of crisis is fact and value, both pointing to a phenomenon in the world and making a judgement about it. It seems then that, in the language of crisis, we may be conflating ontology with epistemology and ethics. When we hear talk of crisis, we may be being told more about the claim‐maker than the feature of the world that is in question. However, I suggest that, if we deploy the artifice of ecosystem, and so adopt an ecological approach to the matter, we can move on two planes at once: We can point to phenomena of crises in higher education that are in the world and that also warrant our evaluative judgements of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the mechanisms of parasite community assembly can be confounded by phylogenetic distance among host species. Addressing this requires focusing on parasite communities within closely related taxa. Thus, we took a macroecological approach to examining parasite community structure within Killifish species in the genus Fundulus to disentangle the effects of host phylogeny and ecological variables. We constructed a database of parasite communities within Fundulus species from 15 published and unpublished surveys covering the Atlantic coast of the US and Canada. The database was expanded by sampling sites in underrepresented provinces and states, totaling 10 Fundulus species from 57 unique geographic sites. Univariate analysis of observed parasite species richness among Fundulus populations in the dataset found that latitude, climate type, and salinity were the dominant factors determining parasite species richness. Multivariate analysis found that host species and landscape type were the most important factors in determining the similarity of parasite assemblages. Unexpectedly, parasite species richness decreased in low latitudes, and host phylogenetic distance was not found to be a significant factor in the similarity of parasite communities. These results indicate that commonly reported large-scale drivers of parasite community structure, such as latitude and phylogeny, could have diminished significance at the host genus level relative to host ecology, biogeography, and local landscape factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the conceptual-methodological framework of assembling urbanism, the paper sheds light on the strategies, actors and labors of mobilization of the integrated approach to urban development in Ukraine in the late 2000s, its further consolidation after the Euromaidan Revolution of 2013–2014 and transformation into a dominant policy assemblage with discursive and normative power for strategic socio-spatial changes at the national and municipal levels. The research findings deepen the understanding of the complexity of mobilization––assembling––translation processes, revealing the dynamic and affective dimension of relations between heterogeneous actors and underscoring the role of political and politics in assembling urbanism studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Giardia duodenalis is a common parasitic protozoan causing gastrointestinal illness in humans worldwide. The genetic diversity of G. duodenalis is reflected through the identification of different assemblages. In this study, we aimed to determine the assemblages of G. duodenalis in eastern Iran using nested-PCR and high-resolution melting (HRM) real-time PCR methods. Methods: A total of 58 positive G. duodenalis, which were isolated from 1800 subjects, referred to medical center laboratories in South Khorasan province, eastern Iran, from April 2020 to March 2022, were included in this study. DNA was extracted and HRM real-time PCR was performed for assemblage characterization. Results: HRM real-time PCR successfully characterized all samples. Accordingly, out of 58 positive samples, 53 (91.36%) and 5 (8.62%) were identified as assemblage A and B, respectively. Conclusions: Our findings showed that HRM real-time PCR was able to characterize the assemblages of G. duodenalis. In addition, our results suggest high prevalence of assemblage A in eastern region of Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID‐19 crisis in the UK precipitated a sharp rise in the use of remote technologies to provide therapy during the lockdown. With mental health care services migrating to devices and video‐conferencing platforms, nearly all forms of therapy had become 'teletherapy'. Drawing on interviews with UK‐based practitioners, this paper explores how existing ideas of intimacy and presence are challenged when care is practiced at a distance. Against the background of concerns that remote technologies erode intimacy and degrade physical presence, the argument is made that presence, distance, intimacy and control are reconfigured within mediated therapy. Analysis of practitioners' experiences of teletherapy examines the material and expressive components of 'assemblages' characterised by their stable and fluid properties. Two assemblages are identified and discussed: emergency care assemblages and assemblages of intimacy, both of which are aligned with specific sectors of mental health care. Evidence that therapeutic encounters are constrained by technologies are considered alongside the material conditions and inequalities of vulnerable groups, while assemblages with relatively stable properties are generative of new ways of relating to clients online. These findings highlight the material and expressive components of human and nonhuman assemblages that create new kinds of affective relations in distanced care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precision agriculture is often seen as disembodied and placeless, promised to either bring about a fourth agricultural revolution or as the start of dystopian rural futures, where farmers and their knowledge will be replaced by machines. A growing body of literature shows more nuanced ways of working with precision agriculture. This illustrates the need to investigate how, and under which conditions, precision agriculture is integrated and internalised by farmers. Based on 25 in‐depth interviews with male Dutch crop farmers, contractors, researchers, and ag‐tech developers, we develop the concept of the cyborg farmer, who embodies the use of precision technology while maintaining an intimate relationship with agro‐ecological context. This approach challenges the mind–body dichotomy in that the cognitive is not understood as primary, as emotions and the materiality of the body are taken seriously. This perspective emphasises the importance of embodied knowledge in how farmers interpret precision agriculture data. Our findings highlight the productive tension between data‐driven elements of precision agriculture and the embodied and intuitive understanding of agro‐ecological context. This productive tension consists of the successful integration of different forms of knowledge by the cyborg farmer, where embodied sense‐making and precision agriculture data are integrated into the formation of useable knowledge. The cyborg farmer maintains farmer agency and resists the dominance of algorithmic rationality over other forms of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We aimed to investigate the molecular genotyping of Giardia duodenalis in Humans in the Yazd County, Central, Iran. Methods: Total of 35 fecal samples were collected from patients referred to Yazd Central Laboratory, Yazd, Iran from February to July 2022. All the samples were included in this study after microscopic observation of G. duodenalis. DNA samples were extracted using related kit and were analyzed by Nano Drop. The molecular assessment was carried out using semi-nested PCR using the target gene of gdh. All amplified samples were sequenced using Sanger method. BLAST analyzed the sequences for assemblage identification. Results: Out of 35 samples, 24 (68.57%) and 11 (31.43%) were male and female, respectively. All included samples were amplified using the specific gdh primer pair. The molecular analysis showed 17 isolates (48.57%) as assemblage BIV, 8 isolates (22.86%) as assemblage BIII, 6 isolates (17.14%) as assemblage AII and 4 isolates (11.43%) as assemblage AIII (P<0.05). Conclusion: Assemblages A and B are the most prevalent in Central Iran. The molecular identification of G. duodenalis isolates from animals and implementing control programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In current scenario the whole world facing a big problem for the collection and assemblages the heavy metal in Agriculture land or crop soil-fertility. The heavy metal contamination (HMC) is very harmful for our beautiful earth planet as well as human health issue. Due to the collection and assemblages of heavy metals in earth crust the soil -fertility will be reduced day by day, it is directly or indirectly affected the whole ecosystem and our environment. There are the many innovative methods or technique to analysis and determination for the assemblages and collection the heavy metal pollution or contaminated soil-fertility in Agriculture land, but they have some basic problem like high cost issue is a big problem, time taking process or method and technique, sophistication or complication issues of processes, some problem in planning and strategy issues. The main heavy metals are generally found in earth crust is Zn, Cd, Hg, Pb, Cr, Cu and As. The soil-fertility of farming crop depends on the contamination of heavy metals. These heavy metals will be isolate from the crop soil by some innovative methods, technique or research approaches like- phytochemical, phtyoremediation, phytodegradation processes. My research and analysis work on the assemblages or collection of common heavy metals (Cd, Cr, As, Pb, Hg, Cu, and Zn) in paddy crop soil atmosphere. The corn pickup and acquired the heavy metals in compare then paddy was very prone, it is commonly found. The descending order of assemblages and collection in paddy grains - (Cd > Cu > Cr > Pb > Hg > Zn).

In cities around the world, skateboarders repair surfaces and objects for the purposes of play using techniques to fill, smooth, and fabricate. Research in social and cultural geography focuses on the ways citizens repair and care for material objects using do‐it‐yourself (DIY) practices. Despite continuities, repair work by skateboarders does not strive to improve neglected, absent, or dysfunctional infrastructure for the common good, as in cases from literature on DIY urbanism, nor to subvert objects, texts, and surfaces to make political statements, as in cases from literature on tactical urbanism. Skateboarders do repair and care work to prepare surfaces for playful damage benefitting other skaters and onlookers enjoying the spectacle. By exploring these widespread but under‐researched acts of repair and care and the circuits of knowledge that reproduce them, this paper makes four arguments. First, skateboarders do repair and care work to generate 'spots' for skateboarding from assemblages of objects and surfaces intended for other purposes. Transforming spots brings otherwise mundane patches of the city to life through thousands of tiny acts of repair and care. Second, repair and care work by skateboarders is most effective when barely visible to people outside the culture. However, repaired surfaces make their way to large audiences, often millions of viewers, through skateboard photography and video, giving some of them an outsized life across time and space. Third, knowledge about techniques of repair and care are considered an important part of skate culture to be learned and shared. Protocols of care shape acceptable degrees of modification to surfaces and objects, and as skateboarding globalises so too do these protocols. Fourth, acts of repair and care have no guarantees of longevity. Hours of labour can be destroyed by direct acts to stop skateboarding and by indirect acts emanating from dynamics of urban change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When responding to an incident, Norwegian rescue services in the Arctic have to consider weather conditions, surface features, infrastructure scarcity, and technological availability. To some extent, safe navigation is based on the use of digital maps. In this article, I analyze how maps are assembled for their role as navigation tools and how this interlinks with the capacity for timely incident response in the Arctic context. My study is based on new materialism, which pays attention to interactions. I investigate maps as processes, focusing on how they are constituted through practices. Therefore, I follow heterogeneous entanglements of more-than-human actors. In this article, I focus on localities related to the Svalbard archipelago, including incident response on land, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, and information support services. I explore the assemblages of maps through three aspects: institutional mapping of Svalbard, avalanche observations around Longyearbyen, and mapping practices of the local rescue services on land. I argue that safe navigation, and consequently a timely incident response, is embedded in more-than-human networks and depends on their flexibility and durability. Divergence of mapping practices between those in Svalbard and on the mainland further highlights the need for an analysis of socio-technological entanglements in the Arctic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study summarizes 17-year results of teriological research of small mammal fauna in Košice Zoo (near the village of Kavečany, 48°47'10.04"N, 21°12'3.26"E, 380 – 420 m a.s.l.). The small mammals evaluated in this study were obtained by trapping in three periods (1992 – 1994, 2000 – 2001, 2003 – 2004) and were the results of three diploma theses. In total, 688 small mammals belonging to 13 species of four families Soricidae, Gliridae, Cricetidae and Muridae were recorded by trapping during the study period. Rodents significantly dominated with 8 species, 583 ex. (84.7%) compared to insectivores represented by 5 species, 105 ex. (15.3%). A gradual diversity decline of small mammal fauna was recorded, with only four mammal species confirmed in 2003 – 2004. This marked difference over the last 17 years was probably the result of anthropic modifications of the Zoo area, mainly the cutting of trees and shrubs of the alluvium, technical modifications of the streambeds as well as the deratization of the building areas and animal enclosures. The assemblage's structure of captured small mammals could also be influenced by other factors, such as the predominant type of traps used, or the number of exposed traps in the vegetation and non-vegetation periods of the year. The obtained results are also a suitable basis and source of information for comprehensive and long-term monitoring in this area, given the epidemiological importance of this group of animals and the possibility of contact with exotic animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Ecological Observation Network (NEON) is a thirty-year, open-source, continental-scale ecological observation platform. The objective of the NEON project is to provide data to facilitate the understanding and forecasting of the ecological impacts of anthropogenic change at a continental scale. Fish are sentinel taxa in freshwater systems, and the NEON has been sampling and collecting fish assemblage data at wadable stream sites for six years. One to two NEON wadable stream sites are located in sixteen domains from Alaska to Puerto Rico. The goal of site selection was that sites represent local conditions but with the intention that site data be analyzed at a continental observatory level. Site selection did not include fish assemblage criteria. Without using fish assemblage criteria, anomalies in fish assemblages at the site level may skew the expected spatial patterns of North American stream fish assemblages, thereby hindering change detection in subsequent years. However, if NEON stream sites are representative of the current spatial distributions of North American stream fish assemblages, we could expect to find the most diverse sites in Atlantic drainages and the most depauperate sites in Pacific drainages. Therefore, we calculated the alpha and regional (beta) diversities of wadable stream sites to highlight spatial patterns. As expected, NEON sites followed predictable spatial diversity patterns, which could facilitate future change detection and attribution to changes in environmental drivers, if any. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital literacies are critical for adults from migrant and refugee backgrounds as they settle in a new country. However, institutions, leaders, and teachers often feel uncertain about how to teach digital literacies. Using the notions of digital literacy practices and assemblages, this article reports on a qualitative case study and explores how 30 adults from migrant and refugee backgrounds navigated challenging digital literacy practices related to settlement in Australia. This research found that to deal with challenges, the participants brought together different personal, social, material, symbolic, temporal, and spatial resources. However, sometimes the required resources were not available, which constrained the participants' practices. Some participants were aware of the need to find new solutions but they often did not know how this might be done. In contrast, some participants were reluctant to take a risk. The article concludes with implications for EAL practice by suggesting strengths-based pedagogies for digital literacies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The works collected here are made up of individual parts of debris found in the artist's studio and through his daily movings in the Bahamian landscape. The artist keeps a sketchbook, but in recent years has also depended more heavily on the juxtapositions of these very simple found elements that make up both his public and personal environments. The works are musings, experimentation, and play, used to consider not only the spaces he is in but also the influences these spaces have on him and, in turn, he on them. This is a defining partnership in Schmid's works, works that he calls "a hymn to home." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis, enteric protozoan pathogens affecting humans and animals, elicit substantial global public concern. This study conducted in Taiwan sought to determine the prevalence and co-infection rates of Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis in dogs and cats. The investigation encompassed an analysis of infection rates and associated risk factors within the surveyed population. Predominantly identified species were C. canis and C. felis, aligning with canine-specific assemblages C and D. In contrast, the infrequent presence of human-specific assemblage A was noted in Giardia-positive samples. Phylogenetic analysis alluded to the potential for zoonotic transmission originating from domesticated animals. This underscores the role of pets as possible reservoirs for the transmission of cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis to humans in Taiwan. Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis are enteric protozoan pathogens in humans. and animals. Companion animals infected with zoonotic species/assemblages are a matter of major public concern around the world. The objectives of the present study were to determine the prevalences of Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis infections and their co-infection statuses in dogs and cats living in Taiwan and to identify the species and assemblages. Fecal samples were collected from local animal shelters (n = 285) and a veterinary hospital (n = 108). Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed using the SSU-rRNA, β-giardin, and glutamate dehydrogenase genes for Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis, respectively. Results showed that the overall prevalences of Cryptosporidium and G. duodenalis were 7.38% (29/393) and 10.69% (42/393). In addition, co-infection was detected in 1.02% (4/393) of all samples. Sample source, clinical sign, and breed may be risk factors that influence the infection rate. In Cryptosporidium-positive samples, C. canis and C. felis were detected most frequently. Although the canine-specific assemblages C and D (37/42) were dominant, the zoonotic human-specific assemblage A (1/42) was also found in Giardia-positive samples. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that most positive samples belonged to host-specific subtypes/assemblages, while some Cryptosporidium or Giardia-positive samples could be zoonotic. The findings suggested that pet animals could be a cause of zoonotic transmission, causing human cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zooplankton is the main food source for higher trophic levels in marine environments. In the Southern Ocean, the distribution of zooplankton is related to the physical gradient of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) fronts. Our objective was to determinate the distribution of mesozooplankton in relation to the ACC fronts in the Drake Passage. Samples were collected with the Continuous Plankton Recorder in two transects. Mesozooplankton was associated with environmental variables. High mesozooplankton abundances were recorded in the Subantarctic Front in 2017 and in the Antarctic Zone in 2016. A total of 81 taxa and 23 species in 2016 and 31 in 2017 were identified. Copepoda was the most abundant group (89%), and Centropages brachiatus (3 872 ind. m−3) and Oithona spp. (2 916 ind. m−3) were the most abundant copepod taxa. Mesozooplankton abundance and composition were influenced by front variability. Taxa were contracted northward on 2016 and displaced southward in 2017 and linked to chlorophyll a (Chl a) values recorded in the coastal shelf of South America. Chl a values registered close to Antarctic Peninsula were not linked to mesozooplankton abundance. Changes in abundances of certain taxa may reflect distinct climate events. These changes may impact the availability of prey for higher trophic levels, either through displacement for food or food availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birds are considered sensitive indicators of ecosystem health and functionality in freshwater wetlands. Assessment of bird assemblages in wetland habitats is, therefore, emphasised from a sustainable management perspective. Bird surveys were conducted from October 2020 to September 2022. These surveys aimed to assess the community composition and status of avifauna in Dighal wetlands, an important bird area in the Jhajjar District of Haryana, India. Data collection employed point counts and opportunistic encounter methods. A total of 154 bird species belonging to 108 genera, 47 families, and 18 orders were recorded. Of these, 75 species were residents, 60 were winter migrants, and 10 were summer migrants. The greatest species richness was observed for the order Passeriformes (54), followed by Charadriiformes (22), Anseriformes (17), and the rest of the 15 orders. Anatidae was the most dominant family with 17 species, constituting 11% of the bird community in the study area. Data on local abundance revealed that 10 species were common, 23 were fairly common, 83 were uncommon, and 38 were rare in the study area. Among the recorded avifauna, one species is classified as Endangered, three as Vulnerable, and eight as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species; 17 species are listed in the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); and 11 are included in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. These wetlands also support 40 species of birds, which have a declining population trend globally. The occurrence of migrants and species of global conservation priority underscores the importance of these wetlands as a conservation site and wintering ground for avifauna due to the extensive food resources and rich biodiversity they support. The present study provides baseline information for future research on monitoring bird assemblages and proper management of the Dighal wetlands of Haryana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article engages with TPC scholarship that calls for increased attention to agency as distributed and interdependent. This study analyzes 320 postings in one online health forum to better understand how patients come together to collaborate with one another, distribute information, and make health decisions. I argue that viewing crowdsourced forums as agentive assemblages may help researchers explain both the agency of individual actors as well as the collective agency of groups over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate Molecular Genotyping of Giardia duodenalis in Humans in the Yazd County, Central of Iran. Methods: Total of 35 fecal samples were collected from patients referred to Yazd central laboratory from February to July 2022. All the samples were included in this study after microscopic observation of G duodenalis. DNA samples were extracted using related kit and were analyzed by Nano Drop. The molecular assessment was carried out using semi-nested PCR using the target gene of gdh. All amplified samples were sequenced using Sanger method. The sequences were analyzed by BLAST for assemblage identification. Results: Out of 35 samples, 24 (68.57%) and 11 (31.43%) were male and female, respectively. All included samples were amplified using the specific gdh primer pair. The molecular analysis showed 17 isolates (48.57%) as assemblage BIV, 8 isolates (22.86%) as assemblage BIII, 6 isolates (17.14%) as assemblage AII and 4 isolates (11.43%) as assemblage AIII (p

The concept of urban borderlands helps us to understand how divisions take place in the city. Urban borderlands expand territorially beyond the mere linear border, drawing together what exists in or across both sides of the divide. In that they are not merely physical, but of course always socially, culturally, and experientially densely charged, the notion of the urban borderland offers itself as a useful analytic in the study of urban conditions that are marked by contiguity and coexistence. Contributions in this issue explore the potential of urban borderline studies across global cities, spanning various scales and employing theoretical frameworks such as borderlands, liminality, and multiple identities. This issue emphasizes the importance of considering bordering processes in urban planning and design and shows that urban borderlands are sites of contestation, negotiation, and coexistence, offering valuable lessons for the future of urban research and practice.