Praziquantel (PZQ) remains the only drug of choice for the treatment of schistosomiasis, caused by parasitic flatworms. The widespread use of PZQ in schistosomiasis endemic areas for about four decades raises concerns about the emergence of resistance of Schistosoma spp. to PZQ under drug selection pressure. This reinforces the urgency in finding alternative therapeutic options that could replace or complement PZQ. We explored the potential of medicinal plants commonly used by indigenes in Kenya for the treatment of various ailments including malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhoea for their antischistosomal properties. Employing the Soxhlet extraction method with different solvents, seven medicinal plants Artemisia annua, Ajuga remota, Bredilia micranta, Cordia africana, Physalis peruviana, Prunus africana and Senna didymobotrya were extracted. Qualitative phytochemical screening was performed to determine the presence of various phytochemicals in the plant extracts. Extracts were tested against Schistosoma mansoni newly transformed schistosomula (NTS) and adult worms and the schistosomicidal activity was determined by using the adenosine triphosphate quantitation assay. Phytochemical analysis of the extracts showed different classes of compounds such as alkaloids, tannins, terpenes, etc., in plant extracts active against S. mansoni worms. Seven extracts out of 22 resulted in <20% viability against NTS in 24 h at 100 μg/ml. Five of the extracts with inhibitory activity against NTS showed >69.7% and ≥72.4% reduction in viability against adult worms after exposure for 24 and 48 h, respectively. This study provides encouraging preliminary evidence that extracts of Kenyan medicinal plants deserve further study as potential alternative therapeutics that may form the basis for the development of the new treatments for schistosomiasis.

From 2014 to 2020, we compiled radiocarbon ages from the lower 48 states, creating a database of more than 100,000 archaeological, geological, and paleontological ages that will be freely available to researchers through the Canadian Archaeological Radiocarbon Database. Here, we discuss the process used to compile ages, general characteristics of the database, and lessons learned from this exercise in “big data” compilation.

Wild chervil is an invasive biennial or short-lived perennial weed introduced into North America that negatively impacts forage production and degrades habitat for native plant species. A 2-yr study using prebloom mowing followed by combinations of herbicide, tillage, and grass seeding was conducted in the Pacific Northwest to identify an effective integrated weed management strategy for this species. By 2 mo after herbicide treatment (MAHT), wild chervil control with glyphosate + ammonium sulfate (AMS) and clopyralid was 83 and 73%, respectively. Tillage with or without herbicide pretreatment resulted in 92 to 98% wild chervil control at 2 MAHT, whereas herbicide without tillage gave only 45% control across all treatments. Tillage with or without subsequent grass seeding reduced wild chervil density four-fold compared to herbicide alone at 9 MAHT. Herbicide + tillage + grass seeding resulted in similar wild chervil cover (1 to 5% cover) as herbicide + tillage (1 to 6% cover) without subsequent grass seeding. Wild chervil biomass at 1 yr after herbicide treatment (YAHT) was reduced to 487 kg ha−1 (439 lb ac−1) with herbicide + tillage compared to 4,256 kg ha−1 for herbicide treatment alone. Herbicide + tillage + grass seeding increased grass dry weight at 1 YAHT from 201 kg ha−1 for herbicide + tillage to 1,575 kg ha−1, compared to 351 kg ha−1 in herbicide-only plots.

Autoradiography is a radioisotope-based technique that allows absorbed and translocated herbicide to be visualized. Autoradiographs are traditionally produced with X-ray film and exposure times of several weeks. Phosphorescence imaging (PI) was investigated as an alternative autoradiography procedure. Smallflower morningglory plants were root-exposed to a series of 14C-atrazine concentrations, producing a series of increasing foliar radioactivity concentrations (i.e., dosage) that ranged from marginal to excessive with respect to autoradiography. Autoradiographs were subsequently produced from these 14C-atrazine-dosed plants using both the X-ray film and the PI technique. Autoradiographs from both techniques were of excellent quality and nearly identical when the dosage was ∼20 to 70 Bq/mg. However, PI produces an acceptable image in dosages either above or below this optimum range. A 1-d exposure time was sufficient with PI, and longer exposure times were not detrimental to image quality. In contrast, a 3-wk exposure time was required with X-ray film. Autoradiographs of selected herbicides are presented to further demonstrate the utility of PI.

There is increasing demand for the implementation of effects-based monitoring and surveillance (EBMS) approaches in the Great Lakes Basin to complement traditional chemical monitoring. Herein, we describe an ongoing multiagency effort to develop and implement EBMS tools, particularly with regard to monitoring potentially toxic chemicals and assessing Areas of Concern (AOCs), as envisioned by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). Our strategy includes use of both targeted and open-ended/discovery techniques, as appropriate to the amount of information available, to guide a priori end point and/or assay selection. Specifically, a combination of in vivo and in vitro tools is employed by using both wild and caged fish (in vivo), and a variety of receptor- and cell-based assays (in vitro). We employ a work flow that progressively emphasizes in vitro tools for long-term or high-intensity monitoring because of their greater practicality (e.g., lower cost, labor) and relying on in vivo assays for initial surveillance and verification. Our strategy takes advantage of the strengths of a diversity of tools, balancing the depth, breadth, and specificity of information they provide against their costs, transferability, and practicality. Finally, a series of illustrative scenarios is examined that align EBMS options with management goals to illustrate the adaptability and scaling of EBMS approaches and how they can be used in management decisions.

Environmental Practice 15:409–426 (2013)

We describe the case of a young man aged 19 years with a double inlet left ventricle associated with transposition of the great arteries, and a mechanical aortic valve requiring anticoagulation, who presented with massive haemoptysis. At cardiac catheterisation, there were multiple feeder vessels to a bleeding leash surrounding and communicating with his left main bronchus. Despite occlusion of the larger feeder vessels, he continued to have massive haemoptysis. We describe a novel surgical strategy of denuding the peribronchial vessels through a left lateral thoracotomy. This successfully stopped his bleeding.