Preliminary Ecological Assessment of Waller Creek

This report assesses the ecological character of Waller Creek. This includes a general description, its physical setting, vegetation and habitat descriptions, ecological value indexes, and other ecological metrics.Waller Creek Working Grou

Larvicidal effects of Chinaberry (Melia azederach) powder on Anopheles arabiensis in Ethiopia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Synthetic insecticides are employed in the widely-used currently favored malaria control techniques involving indoor residual spraying and treated bednets. These methods have repeatedly proven to be highly effective at reducing malaria incidence and prevalence. However, rapidly emerging mosquito resistance to the chemicals and logistical problems in transporting supplies to remote locations threaten the long-term sustainability of these techniques. Chinaberry (<it>Melia azederach</it>) extracts have been shown to be effective growth-inhibiting larvicides against several insects. Because several active chemicals in the trees' seeds have insecticidal properties, the emergence of resistance is unlikely. Here, we investigate the feasibility of Chinaberry as a locally available, low-cost sustainable insecticide that can aid in controlling malaria. Chinaberry fruits were collected from Asendabo, Ethiopia. The seeds were removed from the fruits, dried and crushed into a powder. From developmental habitats in the same village, <it>Anopheles arabiensis </it>larvae were collected and placed into laboratory containers. Chinaberry seed powder was added to the larval containers at three treatment levels: 5 g m^-2, 10 g m^-2and 20 g m^-2, with 100 individual larvae in each treatment level and a control. The containers were monitored daily and larvae, pupae and adult mosquitoes were counted. This experimental procedure was replicated three times.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Chinaberry seed powder caused an inhibition of emergence of 93% at the 5 g m^-2treatment level, and 100% inhibition of emergence at the two higher treatment levels. The Chinaberry had a highly statistically significant larvicidal effect at all treatment levels (χ²= 184, 184, and 155 for 5 g m^-2, 10 g m^-2and 20 g m^-2, respectively; p < 0.0001 in all cases). In addition, estimates suggest that sufficient Chinaberry seed exists in Asendabo to treat developmental habitat for the duration of the rainy season and support a field trial.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Chinaberry seed is a very potent growth-inhibiting larvicide against the major African malaria vector <it>An. arabiensis</it>. The seed could provide a sustainable additional malaria vector control tool that can be used where the tree is abundant and where <it>An. arabiensis </it>is a dominant vector. Based on these results, a future village-scale field trial using the technique is warranted.</p

The phytochemical composition of Melia volkensii and its potential for insect pest management

Due to potential health and environmental risks of synthetic pesticides, coupled with their non-selectivity and pest resistance, there has been increasing demand for safer and biodegradable alternatives for insect pest management. Botanical pesticides have emerged as a promising alternative due to their non-persistence, high selectivity, and low mammalian toxicity. Six Meliaceae plant species, Azadirachta indica, Azadirachta excelsa, Azadirachta siamens, Melia azedarach, Melia toosendan, and Melia volkensii, have been subject to botanical pesticide evaluation. This review focuses on Melia volkensii, which has not been intensively studied. M. volkensii, a dryland tree species native to East Africa, has shown activity towards a broad range of insect orders, including dipterans, lepidopterans and coleopterans. Its extracts have been reported to have growth inhibiting and antifeedant properties against Schistocerca gregaria, Trichoplusia ni, Pseudaletia unipuncta, Epilachna varivestis, Nezara viridula, several Spodoptera species and other insect pests. Mortality in mosquitoes has also been reported. Several limonoids with a wide range of biological activities have been isolated from the plant, including volkensin, salannin, toosendanin, trichilin-class limonoids, volkendousin, kulactone among others. This paper presents a concise review of published information on the phytochemical composition and potential of M. volkensii for application in insect pest management

The in-vitro Antioxidant Properties of Crude Drugs Traditionally Used for Diabetes Management in Northern Banyumas

Chinaberry (Melia azedarach L.) leaves, Malayan cherry (Muntingia calabura L.) fruits, and Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius (Poepp.) H.Rob.) leaves are used for traditional diabetes treatment by Banyumas (Central Java, Indonesia) people. This study characterized selected quality parameters, evaluated the in-vitro antioxidant activity as the preliminary assay for its antidiabetic activity, and calculated the total flavonoid content (TFC) and total phenolic content (TPC) of those crude drugs. The plant materials of each species were collected from three different areas in Banyumas and dried into crude drugs. The quality parameters were determined according to the standard method in the Indonesian Herbal Pharmacopeia (IHP) 2017. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by the standard 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays, while TFC and TPC were analyzed following standard methods in IHP 2017. The correlations between antioxidant activities and the TFC-TPC were analyzed by Pearson's correlation test. The values for acid-insoluble ash, loss on drying, total ash, ethanol extractable, and water-extractable of all crude drugs were quantified, with TPC and TFC proposed as the chemical content parameter for Malayan cherry fruits and Yacon leaves. Yacon leaves and Malayan cherry fruits contained the highest TFC and TPC at 8.01±0.72 mg Quercetin equivalent (QE)/g dry weight (DW) and 11.54±1.44 mg Gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g DW, respectively. Malayan cherry fruits exerted the strongest DPPH scavenging activity (366.13±17.65 mM Trolox equivalent (TE)/g DW) and FRAP (1025.33±50.47 mM TE/g DW). Moderate to strong correlations were observed between DPPH radical scavenging activity – FRAP and TFC-TPC of Malayan cherry fruits and Yacon leaves. Hence, flavonoids and phenolic compounds of both crude drugs contributed to their antioxidant activity

Karakter Mutu Simplisia dan Ekstrak Tumbuhan Antidiabetes Lokal dari Banyumas

Daun mindi (Melia azedarach L.), buah kersen (Muntingia calabura L.), serta daun dan bunga tapakdara (Catharanthus roseus (L.) G.Don) digunakan masyarakat Baturraden dan Sumbang (Banyumas) untuk pengobatan tradisional diabetes. Penelitian ini mengkarakterisasi beberapa parameter mutu simplisia dan ekstrak ketiga tumbuhan tersebut.  Simplisia dibuat dari bahan tumbuhan yang dikumpulkan dari tiga desa di wilayah kecamata Baturraden dan Sumbang. Morfologi makroskopik dan mikroskopik, profil kromatografi lapis tipis (KLT), kadar fenolik total, dan kadar flavonoid total simplisia, serta kadar air, kadar abu total, dan kadar abu tidak larut asam ekstrak dianalisis dengan metode standar dalam Farmakope Herbal Indonesia (FHI) 2017. Karakter makroskopik, fragmen diagnostik, dan profil KLT dari simplisia hasil penelitian ini diusulkan untuk menjadi standar dalam memastikan kebenaran identitas simplisia. Kadar fenolik total dan kadar flavonoid total simplisia daun mindi, buah kersen, serta daun dan bunga tapakdara masing-masing sebesar 0,74±0,07 dan 0,99±0,31; 1,62±0,36 dan 1,39±0,11; dan 0,94±0,02 dan 1,98±0,04%. Nilai tersebut diusulkan sebagai standar untuk aspek kandungan masing-masing simplisia. Data kadar air, kadar abu total, dan kadar abu tidak larut asam diusulkan sebagai standar aspek kemurnian dari masing-masing ekstrak

TREE PROVISION ACHIEVING KID’S THERMAL COMFORT THROUGH FINISHING MATERIAL PERFORMANCE IN SUBTROPICAL OUTDOOR PLAYGROUNDS. COMPARISON BETWEEN KING FAHED AND AL BIAA GARDEN IN TRIPOLI, LEBANON

Outdoor playgrounds are one of the most spaces needed for kids to make different types of activities, and enhancing thermal comfort in such space consist a critical value due to its impact on kids’ health. Unfortunately, the acceleration of urban heat island (UHI) in outdoor spaces, caused by the presence built-up area has affected the temperature of outdoor spaces especially playgrounds. Many researches highlighted the importance of studying outdoor playground materials to achieve kid’s thermal comfort. Nevertheless, analyzing the impact of providing trees on material performance consist a new research perspective. This research highlight on the importance of using trees as natural element to decrease temperature in outdoor playgrounds to achieve kid’s thermal comfort. The aim of this research is to achieve kid’s thermal comfort by enhancing the performance of outdoor playgrounds finishing materials through providing trees. The study will focus on the variation of playground surfaces temperature through simulating different scenario applied in Malek Fahed and Al Biaa garden in Tripoli, Lebanon. The simulation will be applied in subtropical climate using Envi-Met software. The present study provides an overview of outdoor playgrounds finishing materials and its relations with kid’s thermal comfort. Research findings define the performance level of each playground finishing material in chinaberry shading during summer. Results demonstrate that natural surfaces such as sand, grass and stone enhance kids’ thermal comfort more than artificial ones like concrete during summer days

Book Review: Chinaberry

Review of the book Chinaberry, by James Still and Silas House. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2011

Vegetation Diversity And Intensity Of Plant Pests And Diseases In Two Polyculture Systems In Tanggamus District

Vegetation diversity and intensity of plant pests and diseases in two polyculture systems in Tanggamus District. The vegetable crop management cannot be separated from infestation of plant pest and disease which influences the quality and quantity of crop yield. The pest organism development is influenced by agroecosystem. The objective of this research was to analyze vegetation diversity and intensity of pest and disease in Tanggamus District. Methods used in this research were analysis of vegetation diversity based on Shannon index, percentage of pests damage and diseases incidence. The results showed that the vegetation diversity in polyculture of agriculture typology were 11 plant species with diversity index of 0.64; while in polyculture of agroforestry typology there were 11 plant species with diversity index of 0.74 and both of these indices were less than 1 (H\u27 < 1). The percentage of pests damage in the polyculture of agriculture larger than polyculture of agroforestry typology ranging from 7.20% to 81.67% and 3.04% to 26.67% respectively. While the incidence of disease in polyculture of agriculture ranging from 0.65% up to 100% and polyculture of agroforestry typology 0.65% up to 68.00%

The Harlem Renaissance\u27s Hidden Figure

This project will seek to look at the Harlem Renaissance’s hidden figure, Jessie Fauset. Jessie Fauset was born to an A.M.E. minister and his wife as one of ten children in Camden County New Jersey and raised in Philadelphia. From there she got her college degree and began teaching all over the country. She has written four novels, There is Confusion, Plum Bun, The Chinaberry Tree, and Comedy: American Style, all of which I have read this summer. Each novel focuses on the early twentieth century black family. I will be analyzing these novels under the four themes of passing, acceptance, romance, and Paris/escape. I will also be mapping the characters in the novel on a QGIS system in order to indicate where the majority of the novel takes place and to see if certain characters have more movement than others. I will finally map Jessie Fauset’s life in order to see if her life parallels with the lives of her characters. Mapping consists of a close reading of the novel, identifying locations in the book, creating an excel spreadsheet, and plotting the spreadsheet onto an online map on QGIS