Inquiry skills in the Australian Curriculum v6 : a bird’s-eye view

This paper presents an analysis of inquiry skills in the Australian Curriculum version 6. It juxtaposes the inquiry skills strands in the scope and sequence of Science, History, Geography,Economics and Business,and Civics and Citizenship with the Critical and Creative Thinking and Information and Communication Technology general capabilities. In doing so, it reveals the extent of inquiry skills embedded in the Australian Curriculum and identifies some misalignments and omissions.

Paying the extinction debt: Woodland birds in the Mount Lofty Ranges, South Australia

Approximately 90% of the original woodlands of the Mount Lofty Ranges of South Australia has been cleared, modified or fragmented, most severely in the last 60 years, and affecting the avifauna dependent on native vegetation. This study identifies which woodland-dependent species are still declining in two different habitats, Pink GumBlue Gum woodland and Stringybark woodland. We analyse the Mount Lofty Ranges Woodland Bird Long-Term Monitoring Dataset for 1999-2007, to look for changes in abundance of 59 species. We use logistic regression of prevalence on lists in a Bayesian framework, and List Length Analysis to control for variation in detectability. Compared with Reporting Rate Analysis, a more traditional approach, List Length Analysis provides tighter confidence intervals by accounting for changing detectability. Several common species were declining significantly. Increasers were generally large-bodied generalists. Many birds have already disappeared from this modified and naturally isolated woodland island, and our results suggest that more specialist insectivores are likely to follow. The Mount Lofty Ranges can be regarded as a 'canary landscape' for temperate woodlands elsewhere in Australia without immediate action their bird communities are likely to follow the trajectory of the Mount Lofty Ranges avifauna. Alternatively, with extensive habitat restoration and management, we could avoid paying the extinction debt. © Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union 2011.

The garden of Australian dreams: The moral rights of landscape architects

This article considers the moral rights controversy over plans to redesign the landscape architecture of the National Museum of Australia. This dispute raises issues about the nature and scope of moral rights; the professional standing of landscape architects; and the culture wars taking place in Australia. Part 1 considers the introduction of the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000 (Cth), with its special regime for architecture and public sculpture. It focuses upon a number of controversies which have arisen in respect of copyright law and architecture - involving the National Gallery of Australia, the National Museum of Australia, the Pig ’n Whistle pub, the South Bank redevelopment, and the new Parliament House. Part 2 examines the dispute over the Garden of Australian Dreams. The controversy is a striking one - as the Australian Government sought to subvert the spirit of its own legislation, the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000 (Cth). Part 3 engages in a comparative study of how copyright law and architecture are dealt with in other jurisdictions. In particular, it considers the dual operation of the Architectural Works Copyright Act 1990 (US) and the Visual Artists Rights Act 1990 (US) and a number of controversies in the United States - over the Tilted Arc sculpture, a Los Angeles tower block that appeared in the film Batman Forever, a community garden mural, a sculpture park, and the Freedom Tower.

Archaeology of wings : Birds and people in the Baltic Sea region during the Stone Age

The prominent roles of birds, often mentioned in historical sources, are not well reflected in archaeological research. Absence or scarcity of bird bones in archaeological assemblages has been often seen as indication of a minor role of birds in the prehistoric economy or ideology, or explained by taphonomic loss. Few studies exist where birds form the basis for extensive archaeological interpretation. In this doctoral dissertation bird bone material from various Stone Age sites in the Baltic Sea region is investigated. The study period is approximately 7000-3400 BP, comprising mainly Neolithic cultures. The settlement material comes from Finland, Åland, Gotland, Saaremaa and Hiiumaa. Osteological materials are used for studying the economic and cultural importance of birds, fowling methods and principal fowling seasons. The bones were identified and earlier identifications partially checked with help of a reference material of modern skeletons. Fracture analysis was used in order to study the deposition history of bones at Ajvide settlement site. Birds in burials at two large cemeteries, Ajvide on Gotland and Zvejnieki in northern Latvia were investigated in order to study the roles of birds in burial practices. My study reveals that the economic importance of birds is at least seasonally often more prominent than usually thought, and varies greatly in different areas. Fowling has been most important in coastal areas, and especially during the breeding season. Waterbirds and grouse species were generally the most important groups in Finnish Stone Age economy. The identified species composition shows much resemblance to contemporary hunting with species such as the mallard and capercaillie commonly found. Burial materials and additional archaeological evidence from Gotland, Latvia and some other parts of northern Europe indicate that birds –e.g., jay, whooper swan, ducks – have been socially and ideologically important for the studied groups (indicating a place in the belief system, e.g. clan totemism). The burial finds indicate that some common ideas about waterbirds (perhaps as messengers or spirit helpers) might have existed in the northern European Stone Age.

Phylogenetic relationships of unclassified, satellitic Pasteurellaceae obtained from different species of birds as demonstrated by 16S rRNA gene sequence comparison

Avian haemophili demonstrating in vitro satellitic growth, also referred to as the V-factor or NAD requirement, have mainly been classified with Avibacterium paragallinarum (Haemophilus paragallinarum), Avibacterium avium (Pasteurella avium), Avibacterium volantium (Pasteurella volantium) and Avibacterium sp. A (Pasteurella species A). The aim of the present study was to assess the taxonomic position of 18 V-factor-requiring isolates of unclassified Haemophilus-like organisms isolated from galliforme, anseriforme, columbiforme and gruiforme birds as well as kestrels and psittacine birds including budgerigars by conventional phenotypic tests and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. All isolates shared phenotypical characteristics which allowed classification with Pasteurellaceae. Haemolysis of bovine red blood cells was negative. Haemin (X-factor) was not required for growth. Maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analysis including bootstrap analysis showed that six isolates were related to the avian 16S rRNA group and were classified as Avibacterium according to 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Surprisingly, the other 12 isolates were unrelated to Avibacterium. Two isolates were unrelated to any of the known 16S rRNA groups of Pasteurellaceae. Two isolates were related to Volucribacter of the avian 16S rRNA group. Seven isolates belonged to the Testudinis 16S rRNA group and out of these, two isolates were closely related to taxa 14 and 32 of Bisgaard, whereas four other isolates were found to form a genus-like group distantly related to taxon 40 and one isolated remained distantly related to other members of the Testudinis group. One isolate was closely related to taxon 26 (a member of Actinobacillus sensu stricto). The study documented major genetic diversity among V-factor-requiring avian isolates beyond the traditional interpretation that they only belong to Avibacterium, underlining the limited value of satellitic growth for identification of avian members of Pasteurellaceae. Our study also emphasized that these organisms will never be isolated without the use of special media satisfying the V-factor requirement.

Breeding Ananas for the cut-flower and garden markets

Only small quantities of Ananas have been marketed as cut flowers or as potted plants for garden use in Australia. Worldwide there have, until very recent times, been no breeding programs to develop ornamental characteristics and hence the choice of cultivars has been limited mainly to semi-domesticated selections or those developed by amateur enthusiasts. Interest in developing Ananas selections specifically for the ornamental market is now increasing. A small program has operated in Australia since 1995. In this program, a total of 4,700 seedlings were generated over three generations using various parental combinations of Ananas comosus var. comosus, A. comosus var. bracteatus, A. comosus var. ananassoides 'FRF223', A. comosus var. erectifolious 'Selvagem 6' and Ananas macrodontes 'I.26-803'. Several selections have been developed for the garden and or cut-flower market. Characteristics represented include a pink or red syncarp, dark red-brown foliage and a dwarf, clumping growth habit. While a surprising display of ornamental diversity exists within Ananas, the genus is limited in comparison to the other bromeliad genera. Opportunity might exist however to introgress characteristics such as additional foliage colours, plant morphology and syncarp colours from other genera into Ananas.

Garden gate to Daijas' father's house Architecture; Residences; Exterior

Verso: Das Gartentor zu Daijas Vaterhaus Georg lebete um die Ecke

Exterior of the A. Godshaw Jewelry Store; Welwyn Garden City.

The store moved to larger quarters in the 1990s.

Exterior of the A. Godshaw Jewelry Store; Welwyn Garden City.

The store moved to larger quarters in the 1990s.

Henriette Gottschalk nee Rothschild in her garden with needlework; Hannover, Germany.

Henriette Gottschalk in her garden, Marienstrasse, Hannover, Germany.

Portrait of the six Gottschalk children Walter, Ursula, Freddy, Hal, Elizabeth and Kurt in garden; Hannover, Germany. Portraits Children

Front row from left to right: Walter, Ursula, and Freddy; back row from left to right: Hal, Elizabeth, and Kurt Godshaw; picture was probably taken in their backyard on Seelhorststrasse in Hannover, Germany

Portrait of the six Gottschalk children Walter, Ursula, Freddy, Hal, Elizabeth and Kurt in garden; Hannover, Germany. Portraits children

Front row from left to right: Walter, Ursula, and Freddy; back row from left to right: Hal, Elizabeth, and Kurt Godshaw; picture was probably taken in their backyard on Seelhorststrasse in Hannover, Germany

Portrait of Walter, Kurt, Freddy and Hal Gottschalk (Godsaw) in the garden wearing suits; Hannover, Germany. Portraits Children

From left to right: Walter, Kurt, Freddy and Hal Gottschalk (Godsaw)

Characterization of the antibody response in birds following infection with wild-type and attenuated strains of Eimeria tenella and Eimeria necatrix.

Live vaccines containing attenuated parasite strains are increasingly used to control chicken coccidiosis. In this paper antibody responses elicited by infections with wild-type and attenuated strains of Eimeria tenella and E.necatrix were characterized by immunoblotting and ELISA with homologous and heterologous antisera. Few differences between antisera from birds infected with wild and attenuated strains of E. tenella were evident in immunoblots conducted with merozoite antigen preparations from both E. tenella strains, however the reactivity of sera raised in birds infected with the wild-type strain was noticeably more intense. In ELISAs conducted with merozoite antigen preparations, antisera from birds infected with the wild-type strains of E. tenella and E. necatrix consistently produced a significantly higher (P < 0.05) antibody response than antisera from birds infected with the attenuated strains. Likewise, avidity ELISAs conducted with the E. tenella strains demonstrated that antibodies in birds infected with the wild-type strain were of significantly higher avidity (P < 0.05) than antibodies in birds infected with the attenuated strain. The differences in the antibody responses are probably due to changes in the attenuated strain as a result of selection for precocious development and the less severe tissue damage and inflammation of the intestine resulting from infection with the attenuated strain.