Missed, not missing: phylogenomic evidence for the existence of Avian FoxP3

The Forkhead box transcription factor FoxP3 is pivotal to the development and function of regulatory T cells (Tregs), which make a major contribution to peripheral tolerance. FoxP3 is believed to perform a regulatory role in all the vertebrate species in which it has been detected. The prevailing view is that FoxP3 is absent in birds and that avian Tregs rely on alternative developmental and suppressive pathways. Prompted by the automated annotation of foxp3 in the ground tit (Parus humilis) genome, we have questioned this assumption. Our analysis of all available avian genomes has revealed that the foxp3 locus is missing, incomplete or of poor quality in the relevant genomic assemblies for nearly all avian species. Nevertheless, in two species, the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) and the saker falcon (F. cherrug), there is compelling evidence for the existence of exons showing synteny with foxp3 in the ground tit. A broader phylogenomic analysis has shown that FoxP3 sequences from these three species are similar to crocodilian sequences, the closest living relatives of birds. In both birds and crocodilians, we have also identified a highly proline-enriched region at the N terminus of FoxP3, a region previously identified only in mammals.

Colony dehydration and water collection by specialized caste in the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa

Social organization enables leaf-cutting ants to keep appropriate micro-ecological nest conditions for the fungus garden (their main food), eggs, larvae and adults. To maintain stability while facing changing conditions, individual ants must perceive destabilising factors and produce a proper behavioral response. We investigated behavioral responses to experimental dehydration in leaf-cutting ants to verify if task specialization exists, and to quantify the ability of ant sub-colonies for water management. Our setup consisted of fourteen sub-colonies, ten of which were randomly assigned to different levels of experimental dehydration with silica gel, whereas the remaining four were controls. The ten experimental sub-colonies were split into two groups, so that five of them had access to water. Diverse ant morphs searched for water in dehydrated colonies, but mainly a caste of small ants collected water after sources had been discovered. Size specialization for water collection was replicable in shorter experiments with three additional colonies. Ants of dehydrated colonies accumulated leaf-fragments on the nest entrance, and covering the fungus garden. Behaviors that may enhance humidity within the nests were common to all dehydration treatments. Water availability increased the life span of dehydrated colonies.

Evolutionary patterns in neotropical Helieae (Gentianaceae): evidence from morphology, chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequences

Parsimony-based phylogenetic analyses of the neotropical tribe Helieae (Gentianaceae) are presented, including 22 of the 23 genera and 60 species. This study is based on data from morphology, palynology, and seed micromorphology (127 structural characters), and DNA sequences (matK, trnL intron, ITS). Phylogenetic reconstructions based on ITS and morphology provided the greatest resolution, morphological data further helping to tentatively place several taxa for which DNA was not available (Celiantha, Lagenanthus, Rogersonanthus, Roraimaea, Senaea, Sipapoantha, Zonanthus). Celiantha, Prepusa and Senaea together appear as the sister clade to the rest of Helieae. The remainder of Helieae is largely divided into two large subclades, the Macrocarpaea subclade and the Symbolanthus subclade. The first subclade includes Macrocarpaea, sister to Chorisepalum, Tochia, and Zonanthus. Irlbachia and Neblinantha are placed as sisters to the Symbolanthus subclade, which includes Aripuana, Calolisianthus, Chelonanthus, Helia, Lagenanthus, Lehmanniella, Purdieanthus, Rogersonanthus, Roraimaea, Sipapoantha, and symbolanthus. Generic-level polyphyly is detected in Chelonanthus and Irlbachia. Evolution of morphological characters is discussed, and new pollen and seed characters are evaluated for the first time in a combined morphological-molecular phylogenetic analysis.

The gynoecium of male Anchietea pyrifolia (Violaceae): Preserved structure with a new function

Structure of inflorescences and flowers and flowering behaviour are reported for the woody liana Anchietea pyrifolia (Violaceae) from Brazil. The specimen studied is grown for some decades now in the greenhouses of Halle Botanical Garden and turned out unisexually male, which adds a further example of dioecism to the family Violaceae, in which this type of sex distribution is rarely encountered. The flowers are exceptional also for the strongly asymmetric anterior petal, which represents a rare case of a species with enantiomorphic flowers pollinated by Lepidoptera. They have a fully developed gynoecium with a complicated architecture comparable to the pistil of bisexual Violaceae flowers, though without ovules. The style head is capable to release viscose liquid on tactile stimulation or pressure, which is known to act as pollen-gathering mechanism in bisexual Violaceae species with usually dry pollen and buzz-pollination. This function has switched in male A. pyrifolia to a mechanism for efficient pollen release mediated by insect pollinators from its short-lived flowers. (C) 2009 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Characterization of organic matter from composting of different residues by physicochemical and spectroscopic methods

Chemical and spectroscopic methods were used to characterize organic matter transformations during the composting process. Four different residue mixtures were studied: P1 - garden trimmings (GT) only, P2 - GT plus fresh cattle manure, P3 - GT plus orange pomace and P4 - GT plus filter cake. The thermophilic phase was not reached in PI compost, but the P2, P3 and P4 composts showed all three typical process phases. The thermophilic phase and CEC/C ratio stabilized after 90 days, while C/N ratio and the ash content stabilized after 60 days. The increasing E(4)/E(6) ratio indicated oxidation reactions occurring during the process in the material from P2, P3 and P4. The (13)C NMR and FTIR results suggested extraction of both pectin and lignin in the HA-like fraction. The CEC/C ratio, temperature and E(4)/E(6) ratio showed that within 90 days P2, P3 and P4 composts were humified. However, material from P1 did not show characteristics of humified compost. From these data, it is apparent that C/N ratio and ash content are not reliable methods for monitoring the composting process. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identifiering och kartläggning av buller i centrala Falun

Ett problem i dagens moderna samhälle är att bullernivåerna är för höga. Dessa höga bullernivåer är en hälsorisk och kan ge människan permanenta skador. Buller är något som inte får försummas. Syftet med examensarbetet är att identifiera och kartlägga bullret på Holmgatan i centrala Falun. Syftet är också att analysera resultatet och sätta det i förhållande till myndigheternas krav och riktlinjer avseende bullernivåer. Examensarbetet avgränsas till bullermätning och kartläggning på delar av Holmgatan i centrala Falun, som bedömts vara extra utsatta för buller. Bullermätningarna utfördes under fyra vardagar och under tider från det att de flesta affärer öppnar till att de stänger, kl. 10-18. Metoden bestod utav bullermätningar som utfördes med en timmes intervall längs den utvalda delen av Holmgatan. Dagarna då dessa mätningar utfördes var 2/12 till 5/12-2013. Resultatet redovisas som medelvärdet per timme av alla dagar då bullermätningarna utfördes. Resultatet varierade, det lägsta bullermedelvärdet var 57 dB och det högsta bullermedelvärdet var 83 dB. Det syns tydligt att de högre värdena ligger närmare en gata som används av bussar och andra transportfordon. De lägre värdena låg oftast i närheten av Geislerka parken, som är en stor och öppen yta mitt i Holmgatan. Över lag så låg bullermedelvärdena mellan 60-65 dB. Slutsatsen tyder på att bullernivån på Holmgatan överskrider inte myndigheternas krav på vad som anses som skadligt men ligger strax under riktlinjerna för maximalnivån för utomhusbuller (70 dB). Åtgärder såsom att plantera vegitation på fasader och omleda trafiken skulle kunna vidtas för att minska bullernivån på Holmgatan.

Multisensory environments for leisure: promoting well-being in nursing home residents with dementia

Multisensory environments such as Snoezelen^® rooms are becoming increasingly popular in health care facilities for older individuals. There is limited reliable evidence of the benefits of such innovations, and the effect they have on residents, caregivers, and visitors in these facilities. This two-stage project examined how effective two types of multisensory environments were in improving the well-being of older individuals with dementia. The two multisensory environments were a Snoezelen room and a landscaped garden. These environments were compared to the experience of the normal living environment. The observed response of 24 residents with dementia in a nursing home was measured during time spent in the Snoezelen room, in the garden, and in the living room. In the second part of the project, face-to-face interviews were conducted with six caregivers and six visitors to obtain their responses to the multisensory environments. These interviews identified the components of the environments most used and enjoyed by residents and the ways in which they could be improved to maximize well-being.

Linking future ecosystem services and future human well-being

Ecosystem services are necessary, yet not sufficient for human well-being (however defined). Insufficient access to the ecosystem provisioning service of food is a particularly important factor in the loss of human well-being, but all ecosystem services contribute in some way to well-being. Although perhaps long obvious to ecologists, the links between ecosystems and aspects of human well-being, including health, have been less well understood among the social science community. This situation may now be starting to change, thanks in part to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA). Causality between ecosystem services and well-being is bidirectional; it is increasingly clear that functioning societies can protect or enhance ecosystem services, and accordingly, that societies with impaired well-being (best documented in the case of chronic diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS) can also experience a related decline in ecosystem services.

The future state of human well-being and of ecosystem services is more than the co-evolution of these two fundamental elements. Human well-being also depends, critically, upon the human institutions that govern relationships between human individuals and groups, and also between humans and ecosystem services.

The scenarios working group of the MA found that human well-being is highest in the Global Orchestration scenario, which assumes the fastest evolution of beneficial institutions, and is lowest in the Order from Strength scenario. Human well-being was found to be intermediate in the other two scenarios (Adapting Mosaic and Techno-Garden) even though these scenarios share a much greater recognition of the importance of ecosystem services to human well-being.

Review of greywater reuse practices in Victoria

Greywater reuse has become popular in rural and urban communities of Australia. In recent years, the Barwon region of Victoria has been affected by drought and as a result, water restrictions were imposed at different stages. While a water conservation by-law was introduced in February 2003 with overwhelming community support, greywater reuse is still debated among householders, Environment Protection Authority (EPA), local councils, and the water authorities. Higher levels of greywater reuse are needed due to low average rainfall in the region and high water consumption per capita. This paper looks at the position of the different parties that govern greywater reuse and presents the factors that restrain uniform reuse practices. Factors considered include quantity and quality of greywater generated in the Barwon region, current regulatory controls as reviewed through a series of surveys of local councils and water authorities. While the water restrictions resulted in an increased demand for alternative means of watering garden areas, the regulatory conditions were found to be unsettled about greywater reuse, with a wide range of concerns making these authorities unwilling to encourage it.

Portals of the mind

The idea of a gateway or portal to another world is common in myth and fantasy, and, obviously, far older than the use of the same notion in computing. While computing portals take researchers to other domains of data, the use of portals in myths is often far more complex. In creation myths, the passing of portals has immense consequences for humankind, as in Adam and Eve's expulsion from their carefree existence in the Garden of Eden (unleashing the world's woes upon their descendants), and in the carrying away of Persephone by Pluto into the Underworld (leaving a legacy of cold and sunless months each year). In other types of myths, and in the fantastic tales they have bequeathed, portals provide heroes with strange and wonderful adventures, and with experiences that leave heroes irrevocably changed. This article will now explore these types of portals in more detail.The idea of a gateway or portal to another world is common in myth and fantasy, and, obviously, far older than the use of the same notion in computing. While computing portals take researchers to other domains of data, the use of portals in myths is often far more complex. In creation myths, the passing of portals has immense consequences for humankind, as in Adam and Eve's expulsion from their carefree existence in the Garden of Eden (unleashing the world's woes upon their descendants), and in the carrying away of Persephone by Pluto into the Underworld (leaving a legacy of cold and sunless months each year). In other types of myths, and in the fantastic tales they have bequeathed, portals provide heroes with strange and wonderful adventures, and with experiences that leave heroes irrevocably changed. This article will now explore these types of portals in more detail.

Climatic variation and breeding in the Australian magpie (Gymnorhina Tibicen) : a case study using existing data

To anticipate the effects of climate change on Australia’s avifauna, it is first necessary to understand the current effects of climate (including climate variability) on life histories, and to examine the scope and nature of existing data that may provide the necessary historical context to anticipate the effects of climate change. This study examines naturally occurring geographical gradients (altitude, latitude) and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) as integrated measures of climate. These are then compared with the timing and ‘amount’ of breeding recorded for the Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) using data from Birds Australia’s Nest Record Scheme and Atlas of Australian Birds, the NSW Bird Atlassers Inc.’s NSW Bird Atlas, and the Canberra Ornitholgists Group’s Garden Bird Survey. For this common, easily identified species, these data suggest links between Australian Magpie breeding and all three environmental variables. Breeding became later as altitude increased, the proportion of breeding records increased from north to south, and years of high SOI corresponded to more (and earlier) breeding in this species. That annual climatic fluctuations have a direct, immediate and substantial effect on breeding in the Australian Magpie, particularly on the amount of breeding that occurs, implies that longer term changes in climate will have substantial impacts on populations. Results were not solely temperature-driven, which makes predicting climate change impacts difficult. For rainfall, predictions are far less precise and regional variation is higher. The results also highlight the potential and limitations of current survey techniques for documenting the impacts of climate change on birds; in particular, the Nest Record Scheme does not measure the amount of breeding that occurs, but a useful index of this can be derived from bird atlassing data

The rise and fall of the internal reserve

The 'internal reserve' distinguished world's best practice for the early garden suburb movement. These 'hidden' spaces were designed for a variety of reasons: to encourage the formation of community, promote safe play for children, offer sites for small-scale agricultural pursuits, address  topographic and drainage constraints, and facilitate conservation of natural features. They were a feature of progressive plans for British icon developments such as Hampstead Garden Suburb. As these plans travelled globally, however, the purpose of the internal reserve was less clear than their spatial form, and most languished as undistinguished, left-over spaces. The historical origins, development and demise of the internal reserve are surveyed, with a focus on the Australian experience against an Anglo-American backdrop.

'Dig in' to social capital : community gardens as mechanisms for growing urban social connectedness

This article reports on research undertaken with members of a Melbourne urban community garden to explore the extent to which such a natural amenity provides opportunities for enhancing social capital. It is apparent even from this small qualitative study that membership of 'Dig In' community garden offers many benefits to its members. These benefits include increased social cohesion (the sharing of values enabling identification of common aims and the sharing of codes of behaviour governing relationships), social support (having people to turn to in times of crisis) and social connections (the development of social bonds and networks). However, the study indicates that, at least in the early stages of development, such benefits do not necessarily extend beyond the garden setting. This raises a question about the time required to develop high levels of social capital, and points to the need for further research into 'time' and 'space' aspects of community gardens.

Editorial

This issue of Papers presents four essays canvassing a diverse range of theoretical and textual interests. Beverley Pennell’s ‘Ozzie Kids Flee the Garden of Delight: Reconfigurations of Childhood in Australian Children’s Fictions’ tracks shifts in how childhood is conceptualised in contemporary Australian fiction for children, using as focus texts Joanne Horniman’s Sand Monkeys and Odo Hirsch’s trilogy of ‘Hazel Green’ books. This essay argues that cultural discourses around children and childhood have shifted from an emphasis on adulthood and childhood as distinct and separate domains of experience, and from the idealisation of childhood as it manifested in Romantic textuality, to a blurring of boundaries between children and adults. In Australian texts, Pennell sees this shift as incorporating an increasing democratisation of power relations between adults and children, and an appreciation of the diversity of child populations. This essay invites comparative studies which explore the extent to which representations of childhood in Australian texts are similar to those evident in other national literatures for children.