Plant stem cells: The only constant thing is change

AbstractRecent studies in Arabidopsis have uncovered a negative feedback loop that couples the antagonistic functions of the WUSCHEL and CLAVATA loci to control stem cell fate in the shoot apical meristem. Abundance of the CLAVATA3 protein limits signaling through this pathway

Plant Meristems: The Fiendish SU DOKU of Stem-Cell Maintenance

Three recent studies have uncovered effector mechanisms and novel pathways in the regulation of the dynamic changes to cell behaviour that occur in plant meristems. The results show how exquisite regulation of cell-cycle mechanisms is central to root stem cell homeostasis

Faith vs. The Environment: The Ecological Impact of the Amarnath Yatara Pilgrimage

The armed conflict in Kashmir has caused tremendous environmental, human, economic, and social damage. Kashmir is situated in one of the world’s most resource rich and biologically diverse regions. It is home to a number of critically endangered species, melt-water that from glaciers that feed South Asia’s largest rivers, and major historic and religious sites. The Shir Amarnath Yatara is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage in Kashmir. The pilgrimage route goes through the Muslim town of Pahalgam, and ends at a holy shrine to Shiva Lingam. This arduous 30-mile journey, going through sub-zero temperatures in the high mountains of the Himalayas is only accessible for a few months out of the year. Until recently, very few pilgrims braved this five-day journey. However, in recent years, the Indian government has taken strides to make the pilgrimage more accessible, and hundreds of thousands have taken advantage of this. The sheer magnitude of pilgrims attracted to the site has had a major impact on the ecology of this area. To date, no research has been conducted on the specific impacts of this pilgrimage on such a fragile environment, but the need for such investigation is evident. The residents of Pahalgam are dependent on the local environment for their livelihood, and the pilgrimage puts this in jeopardy. This paper shows how this pilgrimage has impacted the land and demonstrates the need for further investigation of the overall ecological impact of the Shir Amarnath Yatara on Kashmir

Romanticism and Ruralism: Changing Nineteenth Century American Perceptions of the Natural World

This research focuses on the ways in which European Romantic art, literature, and ideology profoundly impacted 19th-century American perceptions of the natural landscape. The transmission of Romantic ideologies altered American art forms, (particularly landscape painting), landscape design (as it pertains to the Rural Cemetery Movement), institutional reform (in terms of the sanitarium movement), and architecture (referencing specifically the work of Victorian Cottage Architect Andrew Jackson Downing). At the heart of the research is the question: just how did 19th-Century Americans come to hold the belief that the natural world could be a source of healing (both figuratively and literally), and how was this belief imposed upon the natural world through artistic media? Here is a link to Paige\u27s digitized project: http://paigedoerner.wordpress.com/romanticism-and-ruralism-2

Romanticism and Ruralism: Changing 19th-Century American Perceptions of the Natural World

This is a digital public history research initiative that examines the correlation between European Romantic art and literature and 19th century American culture, particularly in regards to perspectives the natural world, landscape painting, landscape design and institutional reform. Romantic ideology was transplanted into American culture through the mediums of art and design. The creation of visual representations of the natural world through landscape art and architecture provided the American populace with a means of understanding and appreciating the natural world, and of seeing themselves as a viable part of it. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the presentation utilizes art history, cultural anthropology and material culture history as a means of understanding the growing sensitivity between the individual and the natural world in 19th century America