Academic literature on the topic 'Brumbies'

To date, the work of Aboriginal early childhood educators in the mid-twentieth century has not been widely acknowledged. Nancy Barnes, nee Brumbie (1927–2012), exemplifies the strength and tenacity of Aboriginal Australians who had to negotiate their lives and work in white institutions and a society which denied them fundamental human rights. Nancy graduated from the Adelaide Kindergarten Training College in December 1956 as the first qualified Aboriginal kindergarten director in South Australia. Following on, she was the foundation director of Ida Standley Preschool in Alice Springs (1959–1962) then the first ‘regional director’ in the Kindergarten Union of South Australia. Based on traditional archival research and analysis of public documents and Barnes’ autobiography, the article begins with her childhood and youth as a domestic servant and then explores her career, political activism, experiences of racism and lifelong commitment to addressing inequalities between Aboriginal and white Australians through education.

BackgroundOpportunistic invasive fungal infections (IFI) are a major threat to immunocompromised populations such as patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients(1,2). Specifically, Aspergillus fumigatus (AF) is responsible for high morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. As antifungal therapy has limited efficacy in immunocompromised patients, we sought to develop fungus-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells as a novel immune augmentation strategy to treat IFIs including invasive aspergillosis. To target fungal pathogens, we fused the pattern-recognition receptor Dectin-1 to activate T cells via chimeric CD28 and CD3-ζ domains upon binding to β-1,3-glucan carbohydrates in the fungal cell wall(3). The generated Dectin-1 CAR+ T cells showed high specificity for β-1,3-gucan and inhibited the growth and branching of AF germlings in an in-vitro co-culture assay. However, we found poor efficacy of Dectin-1 CAR+ T cells against mature AF hyphae, likely due to changes in the fungal cell wall that hamper T-cellular binding to β-1,3-glucan carbohydrates. To overcome this limitation, we have recently developed an AF-specific CAR (AF-CAR) based on a monoclonal antibody which recognizes a surface epitope of mature AF hyphae.MethodsLentiviral vectors were used to generate AF-CAR expressing T cells from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Heat killed AF-293 hyphae was used for co-culture studies with No DNA T cells, and AF-CAR expressing T cells. Cell clusters, binding with AF hyphae were noticed in AF-CAR incubated wells whereas no such cell cluster were observed in NoDNA T cells incubated wells.ResultsWhen co-incubated with AF hyphae, AF-CAR+ T cells efficiently targeted mature hyphae and formed lytic synapses with hyphal filaments. The released cytolytic granules damage hyphae and controls branch node formation. Furthermore, exposure to AF hyphae stimulated significant upregulation of activation markers CD69 and CD154 on AF-CAR+ T cells. The activated CAR T cell secretes proinflammatory cytokines which can boost innate immune system to fight against IFI.ConclusionsIn summary, these results indicate that we have successfully generated a novel anti-Aspergillus CAR construct with good in-vitro targeting efficacy against mature AF hyphae. After thorough evaluation of fungicidal activity, cytokine response patterns, and release of cytotoxic mediators, we plan to embark on preclinical tolerability and efficacy studies in a murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Thus, we report the production of Aspergillus specific CAR T cells to provide long term protection to immunocompromised patients, such as AML patients and HSCT recipients, from invasive Aspergillus infections.AcknowledgementsThis study was supported by NIAID-R33 AI127381.Ethics ApprovalThis study was approved by IBC committee, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 77030.ReferencesPappas PG, Alexander BD, Andes DR, Hadley S, Kauffman CA, Freifeld A, Anaissie EJ, Brumble LM, Herwaldt L, Ito J, Kontoyiannis DP, Lyon GM, Marr KA, Morrison VA, Park BJ, Patterson TF, Perl TM, Oster RA, Schuster MG, Walker R, Walsh TJ, Wannemuehler KA, Chiller TM. Invasive fungal infections among organ transplant recipients: results of the transplant-associated infection surveillance network (TRANSNET). Clin Infect Dis 2010;50(8):1101–11.Bhatt VR, Viola GM, Ferrajoli A. Invasive fungal infections in acute leukemia. Ther Adv Hematol 2011;2(4):231–47.Kumaresan PR, Manuri PR, Albert ND, Maiti S, Singh H, Mi T, Roszik J, Rabinovich B, Olivares S, Krishnamurthy J, Zhang L, Najjar AM, Huls MH, Lee DA, Champlin RE, Kontoyiannis DP, Cooper LJ, Bioengineering T cells to target carbohydrate to treat opportunistic fungal infection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014;111(29):10660–5.

In this thesis I examine the population ecology of wild horses (Equus caballus) in the Australian Alps. Wild horses were first introduced into the Alps over 150 years ago. Paradoxically, they are a feral animal impacting on the environment, but are also a cultural icon. Managing wild horse populations is contentious and needs to be founded on knowledge of their population ecology. This is the first study of its kind in the Australian Alps and therefore has a broad focus. Four general areas were addressed: distribution, estimation of abundance and density, population dynamics and the influence of brumby-running. The study was conducted between 1999 and 2002 inclusive in the Australian Alps national parks, which form a contiguous protected area in south-eastern Australia from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) in the north, through New South Wales (NSW) and into Victoria in the south. The current distribution of wild horses in the Australian Alps national parks is patchy. There are five major discrete populations in NSW and Victoria with the northern most population in Kosciuszko National Park (NSW) bordering on the ACT. A review of published material and oral history reveals historic influences on distribution. The presence of each population is associated with introductions by people. The distribution of some populations expanded after introductions and many have fluctuated over time. Distributions have been contained or reduced through control by people, natural events such as snow and drought and by geographical barriers. Park managers eliminated a population of wild horses in the ACT in the 1980s. Distributions have expanded in areas without active management (notably northern Kosciuszko National Park) and are likely to continue expanding under a policy of no management. In February and March 2001, abundance and density of wild horses were estimated by helicopter aerial survey in areas where the mapping showed horses to occur. This was the first time that these parameters have been estimated empirically. I compared three different aerial survey techniques (strip, mark-recapture and line transect) based on relative accuracy and precision and found that line transect analysis gave the highest, most precise estimate. Given that aerial surveys usually underestimate abundance, this method was also likely to be the most accurate. Mark-recapture over a 50m wide strip gave a similar result but lacked precision. Strip and mark-recapture techniques performed poorly over 200m strips because animals were missed. Numbers observed dropped off dramatically beyond the 50m strip. Line transect analysis (for both observers combined) gave an estimate of 5010 (+/- 1408SE) horses while mark recapture over 50 metres gave an estimate of 4915 (+/-2733SE). These estimates correspond to a density of 1.8 horses km-2 over the area surveyed (2789km2). The results suggest that aerial surveys of large mammals using a wide strip width (200m) and mark recapture analysis may seriously underestimate population density. The population dynamics and demography of wild horses were estimated at three sites, Big Boggy, Cowombat and Currango, every spring and autumn over 3 years. The sites were spread widely across the Alps with the aim of obtaining a broad understanding of population dynamics. The survey used Pollock�s robust design and natural markings were used to identify individuals. There was a seasonal spring peak in population size at Big Boggy with no clear seasonal trend at the other two sites. Mean wild horse densities determined at Big Boggy (2.01km-2) and Currango (2.13km-2) were not significantly (p<0.5) different to the density calculated in the aerial survey, whereas density was significantly higher at Cowombat (6.4 km-2). Census techniques were of limited use in estimating annual population growth rate because of low precision. Demographic analysis showed that none of the populations were increasing at the maximum intrinsic rate (l = 1.2), and the Big Boggy and Cowombat populations may be stable (l = 1.0/yr). There was an apparent trend of food limitation across the sites. Body condition was positively related (p<0.01) to pasture biomass. The Currango population was increasing (l = 0.09) associated with higher recruitment, body condition and pasture biomass than in the other two populations studied. The Cowombat population had the lowest annual finite rate of increase (l = 1.03), and horses at this site were in the poorest condition and pasture biomass was lowest. The Big Boggy population was intermediate between the two. Annual adult survival was constant in all populations at 0.91. Survival in the first three years of life was more variable with the average at each site ranging from 0.63/yr to 0.76/yr. An average of 0.26 female foals was born per adult female per year. Sensitivity analysis showed that population growth rate is most sensitive to changes in adult survival, followed by fecundity and then survival in the first three years of life. The dynamics observed at each site was representative of the demography of wild horses in other parts of the world and is typical for large mammalian herbivores. Brumby-running is a form of harvesting that is currently being used to control wild horses in the Alpine National Park (Victoria) and is soon to be trialled in Kosciuszko National Park (NSW). The effectiveness of brumby-running has not been assessed prior to this study. Data collected by the Alpine Brumby Management Association and predictive modelling were used to examine the influence of brumby-running on the wild horse population in Alpine National Park. Brumby-runners remove about 200 horses per year with a preference for young animals and adult females. More horses are caught in autumn (61/yr) and least in summer (30/yr) (p<0.05). Brumby-runners do not appear (p>0.05) to target horses in poor condition. One skilled brumby-runner caught an average of 1.16 horses/day, while his companions caught an average of 0.55 horses/day. Brumby-runners show behaviour analogous to social carnivores. Predictive modelling suggests that brumby-runners could suppress the population of wild horses in Alpine National Park similar to the effects of predators, or human harvesting of other large mammals. Selecting young animals in the harvest reduces the impact of harvesting on the population compared to unselective harvesting, while selecting adult females increases the predicted impact. There are several management recommendations based on the findings of this thesis that address concerns for both environmental impact and the cultural value of wild horses. The distribution of wild horses should not be allowed to expand further, and the size of the wild horse population should be prevented from increasing further. Other management recommendations that are more complex involve reducing some populations so that the level of environmental impact they are causing is acceptable. This requires a definition of �acceptable impact.� Finally managers should consider eradicating smaller populations.

Before Australia was taken over by humans more than 55 000 years BP, the landscapes were shaped through animal agency. Extinct prehistoric fauna and megafauna had social ecological systems and actively organized ecosystems and landscapes that reflected patterns of herbivory, soil foraging, nutrient cycling and predation. Surviving species continued as agents in the ecosystem functions of the EM-R region until the beginning of European colonization in the 1860’s. The settlers used the inherent biological traits of their domesticated animals, including horses, as an agency of colonization. Horses (Equus ferus caballus) who escaped to become wild are known as Brumbies in the Australian vernacular. They adapted to the local environments and prospered. This chapter analyzes the ways Brumbies have adapted to and made the land their own. It shows how they became intimately engaged with landscape details and resources which are reflected through their creation of cultural horsetrails as they moved purposefully throughout their homelands.