In this article, we present a case study of an experimental set up of a microalgae-based wastewater treatment prototype in an ecovillage requiring many maintenance operations to function. Taking... Show moreIn this article, we present a case study of an experimental set up of a microalgae-based wastewater treatment prototype in an ecovillage requiring many maintenance operations to function. Taking our cue from maintenance and repair studies, we focus on the embodied engagements by which caring for wastewater unfolds. We examine how aquatic ecologists, environmental engineers and villagers use their senses as instruments of inquiry when handling wastewater, as they observe its colour and smell its occupants, and manually check the connections between tubes and pumps. A multispecies body of microbial wastewater figures prominently, as the metabolism of three species of microalgae dwelling in the wastewater is key to the functioning of the prototype. Turning to insights from multispecies ethnographies of laboratory studies, we expand our focus on embodied engagements across the species barrier while maintenance unfolds. We show how ecologists, engineers and villagers engage in ‘knowing with microalgae’ as the algal community invokes and adapts its metabolism in surprising ways to the interferences stirred by their human caretakers. By juxtaposing three ethnographic stories about knowing (1) with hungry, (2) with stressed, and (3) with dying microalgae, we show how algal bodies are both object and instrument of inquiry. Unexpectedly, they also become, tools of repair, liaising with their human caretakers, with other microorganisms and with added chemicals in the wastewater, as well as natural forces such as heat, sunshine, and frost. Considering the maintenance of and by living matter such as microalgae, we raise questions about life and death as the object of maintenance shifts. In so doing, we urge for a multispecies perspective on maintenance that acknowledges that ‘the inclusion of nonhuman others from the animal/organic world produces a different set of ethical concerns than the engagement with technological entities’ (Puig de la Bellacasa 210, 159). This is needed as societies advance towards ecologically sustainable modes of living in which humans will progressively cohabitate with a wide variety of species as well as the technologies that house and facilitate them. Show less
Background As maintenance of lifestyle change and risk factor modification following completion of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has been shown to be notoriously difficult, we developed a brief self... Show moreBackground As maintenance of lifestyle change and risk factor modification following completion of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has been shown to be notoriously difficult, we developed a brief self-regulation lifestyle program for post-CR patients. Design Randomized-controlled trial. Method Following completion of CR 210 patients were randomized to receive either a lifestyle maintenance program (n=112) or standard care (n=98). The program was based on self-regulation principles and consisted of a motivational interview, 7 group sessions and home assignments. Risk factors and health behaviors were assessed at baseline (end of CR), and 6 and 15 months thereafter. Results ANCOVAs showed a significant effect of the lifestyle program after 6 months on blood pressure, waist circumference and exercise behavior, only the latter of which remained significant at follow-up (15 months). Mediation analysis demonstrated that the treatment effect on exercise behavior could be explained by an effect on self-regulation skills. Furthermore, the lifestyle intervention program was associated with a 12% reduction in self-reported cardiac hospital admission rates. In addition, patients in the intervention group had significantly fewer uncontrolled risk factors as compared to the control group. However, there was only a long-term beneficial intervention effect on obesity and physical inactivity, but not on other individual risk factors (increased waist circumference, raised blood pressure, raised TC/HDLC-ratio and smoking). Conclusion This trial indicates that a relatively brief, theory-based lifestyle program is capable of inciting and maintaining improvements in exercise adherence. It is suggested that patients may need ongoing attention and guidance, for example in the form of (internet-based) booster sessions, as long-term consolidation of changes is arduous. Show less
