The Integrated Pest Management Educator Pilot Project in Boston Public Housing: Results and Recommendations

The German cockroach is the most common pest of urban, low-income housing in the United States and is associated with high pesticide use by residents. Cockroach allergen is implicated in asthma exacerbation and initiation and in the growing social and medical aspects of the disease. A safe and secure home environment is an environmental justice issue, and environmentally sound and effective models of cockroach control are needed in public and low-income multifamily housing. One model that offers potential is the integrated pest management (IPM) peer educator model (IPM Educator) in public housing as a component of IPM. A pre-post-analysis of an IPM Educator pilot programme in Boston public housing was undertaken. Thirty-four moderate- to high-infested units received baseline assessment and three applications of gel baits and IPM treatment by a pest control operator. Before the first pest control application, residents received written notice to prepare their units for treatment, a standard procedure. Before the second and third pest control treatments, an IPM Educator instructed residents in basic pest biology and habits, preparation for treatment, and the role of sanitation in pest control. Results showed a significant improvement in rate of preparation for pest control treatment after the IPM Educator intervention when compared with the preparation rate before the education intervention, and a significant reduction in cockroach populations by the third visit in units that were prepared and had improved sanitation, when compared with unprepared units and unclean units. The IPM peer educator is a promising, low-cost model of educating and engaging residents of urban, low-income, multifamily housing in environmentally sound pest control, thereby giving them some power and control over their living environment. It is also a potential source of professional training and jobs for public housing and other low-income housing residents.     

Review of the methods used for isolating pharmaceutical lead compounds from traditional medicinal plants

The possibility of finding new medicines from natural sources is one of the more commonly cited reasons for preserving biodiversity, and employing indigenous knowledge of traditional healing remedies greatly increases the likelihood of discovering these hidden medicinal compounds. The main difficulties in using natural products as a source for pharmaceutical lead compounds involve separating the plethora of compounds from the original extract, as well as the gamble of time and money invested in an activity that may not yield a novel compound. However, while these difficulties exist, the potential of natural products still far outweighs the limitations of the simple structures and known modes of action of synthetic lead compounds. As such, the production of novel medicines, particularly for cancer and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatments as well as the inhibition of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, now requires the utilization of natural products. This paper provides a review of the current methods used in elucidating pharmaceutical lead compounds from natural sources, focusing on plant samples in particular.     

Model testing using data on 137Cs from Chernobyl fallout in the Iput River catchment area of Russia

Data collected for 10 years following the Chernobyl accident in 1986 have provided a unique opportunity to test the reliability of computer models for contamination of terrestrial and aquatic environments. The Iput River scenario was used by the Dose Reconstruction Working Group of the BIOMASS (Biosphere Modelling and Assessment Methods) programme. The test area was one of the most highly contaminated areas in Russia following the accident, with an average contamination density of 137Cs of 800,000 Bq m-2 and localized contamination up to 1,500,000 Bq m-2, and a variety of countermeasures that were implemented in the test area had to be considered in the modelling exercise. Difficulties encountered during the exercise included averaging of data to account for uneven contamination of the test area, simulating the downward migration and changes in bioavailability of 137Cs in soil, and modelling the effectiveness of countermeasures. The accuracy of model predictions is dependent at least in part on the experience and judgment of the participant in interpretation of input information, selection of parameter values, and treatment of uncertainties.     

Review and assessment of models for predicting the migration of radionuclides from catchments

The present paper summarises the results of the review and assessment of models developed for predicting the migration of radionuclides from catchments to water bodies. The models were classified and evaluated according to their main methodological approaches. A retrospective analysis of the principles underpinning the model development in relation to experimental finding and results was carried out. It was demonstrated that most of the various conceptual approaches of different modellers can be integrated in a general, harmonised perspective supported by a variety of experimental evidences. Shortcomings and advantages of the models were discussed.     

Managing Urban Trees and Their Soil Envelopes in a Contiguously Developed City Environment

Urban Hong Kong is covered by high building, road, and population densities. Its urban morphology is inherently not conducive to extensive or high-grade greening. Recent renewal of old areas has squeezed out some limited interstitial plantable space, although in new development areas modest spaces have been earmarked for greenery. The study aims at evaluating the major constraints to urban trees and their companion urban soil envelopes and at providing specific recommendations to improve tree management in the city. The analysis covers the above-ground confinements that dampen tree performance, the less tangible but rather difficult institutional restrictions that impose a somewhat unnecessary lid on tree planting, the multiplicity of players and stakeholders involved in urban-tree management that militates against coordination and cooperation, the widespread occupation of underground space by utility lines often to the exclusion of trees, and the extremely poor quality of urban soils that are often used without amelioration to support tree growth. The management recommendations furnish practical suggestions and hints to improve the short- and long-term welfare of trees in terms of quality, quantity, and spatial distribution. The conclusion enumerates some concrete measures for consideration by decision-makers to upgrade the city's greenery to close the gap between science and policy.     

Environmental changes associated with mass urban tourism and nature tourism development in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's tourism is overwhelmingly urban-focused. There is a heavy concentration of tourist and ancillary facilities in a small core urban area. A well-defined tourist business district has evolved with imprints on urban morphology. Hotels and the travel industry have limited direct environmental impacts; recent efforts have reduced energy and water consumption and waste generation. Changing preferences and market diversification call for countryside and resort types of tourism. The mainly young visitors are increasingly interested in the scenic countryside with a well-established country-park system, the tourist potential of which has been neglected. Hitherto rural excursions have been confined to 'honeypots' with little penetration away from main roads. The varied possibilities of nature tourism with ecotourism ingredients can be tapped as an adjunct to the city-based counterpart. New tourist nodes such as scattered resorts and a resort island can bring visitors close to nature. The changing patterns of consumption and the increase in rural visitorship demand measures to forestall environmental degradation.     

Population dynamics of natural colonies of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aurelia</Emphasis> sp. scyphistomae in Tasmania,Australia

The aim of this study was to identify potential environmental controls of the asexual phases of reproduction by measuring the rates of asexual reproduction (budding and strobilation) and mortality in naturally occurring populations of Aurelia sp. scyphistomae at different spatial and temporal scales. The percentage cover, density of colonies of Aurelia sp. scyphistomae, and density of the population of two naturally occurring colonies of Aurelia sp. scyphistomae were examined over 2 years in southern Tasmania. Artificial substrates were also deployed to investigate colony dynamics when density dependent effects were reduced. Clear spatial and temporal differences in the population dynamics of the colonies were observed. Density dependent effects controlled budding and recruitment of new scyphistomae to the substrate when populations were dense and space limiting. In contrast, environmental controls of budding and strobilation were more apparent in a colony with significantly greater area of bare substrate and hence room for expansion. Water temperature and rainfall (as a proxy for salinity) were linked to changes in population size. Annual and seasonal differences in population dynamics were not observed in a colony limited by space but were apparent in a colony where space was not limited. When space was removed as a limiting factor by deploying artificial substrates, a seasonal environmental effect on the rate of growth of the colony was observed. These studies suggest that the growth, survival and reproduction of the sessile colonial phase of Aurelia sp. is regulated by a combination of density dependent factors and environmental conditions, which are consequently important to the formation of jellyfish blooms.