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In the southeastern United States, the establishment of short‐rotation intensively cultured plantations of hybrid poplar has been hindered by its susceptibility to stem cankers. We evaluated the tradeoffs between biomass yield and disease tolerance in hybrid poplar genotypes belonging to P. deltoides × P. maximowiczii (DM), P. deltoides × P. nigra (DN), P. trichocarpa × P. maximowiczii (TM), and P. deltoides × P. deltoides (DD) taxa. We hypothesized that canker resistant genotypes will have thicker bark but bark thickness and biomass yield will be negatively correlated. After two growing seasons, the DD genotypes developed thicker bark compared to the genotypes of other taxa and bark thickness was not correlated with biomass yield in the DD genotypes (R2 = 0.002). However, in the TM, DM, and DN genotypes, bark thickness was negatively correlated with biomass yield (R2 = 0.33–0.77). Disease incidence studies revealed that the DM genotypes were most susceptible to canker whereas no disease was detected in DD genotypes. Furthermore, bark analysis conducted by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy coupled with multivariate analysis showed that that DD genotypes to be chemically separate from the three hybrid genotypes and that bark chemistry was correlated with canker disease incidence. Taken together, these results reveal that it is possible to generate hybrid poplar genotypes with thicker bark, disease resistance, and higher biomass yields. This insight should guide further efforts to develop genetically improved hybrid poplar genotypes, both in terms of biomass yield and disease tolerance, for cultivation in the southeastern United States. Hybrid poplar cultivation in southeastern United States is hindered by its susceptibility to stem cankers. We evaluated tradeoffs between yield and canker disease resistance in various hybrid poplar genotypes. After two growing seasons, the DD genotypes showed disease resistance and developed thicker bark that was chemically distinct from the other genotypes. Bark thickness was not correlated with yield in the DD genotypes but was negatively correlated with yield in the other genotypes. These results will guide the development of hybrid poplar genotypes that are both disease resistant and high yielding for cultivation in the southeastern United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crapemyrtle Bark Scale (Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae; CMBS) is an invasive pest species that primarily infest crapemyrtles (Lagerstroemia spp.) in the United States. Recent reports have revealed the dire threat of CMBS to attack not only crapemrytles but also the U.S. native species with expanded host plants such as American beautyberry (Callicarpa spp.) and Hypericum kalmianum L. (St. Johnswort). A better understanding of plant–insect interaction will provide better and environmental-friendly pest management strategies. In this study, we constructed the first comprehensive life table for CMBS to characterize its biological parameters, including developmental stages, reproductive behavior, and fecundity. The indirect effects of three plant nutrient conditions (water, 0.01MS, and 0.1MS) on CMBS populations were examined using the age-stage, two-sex life table. The demographic analyses revealed that the plant nutrient conditions had significantly altered CMBS development in terms of the intrinsic rate of increase (r), the finite rate of increase (λ), the net reproductive rate (R0), and mean generation time (T). Higher r, λ, and R0 were recorded under nutrient-deficient conditions (water), while CMBS reared on plants with healthier growing conditions (0.1MS) had the most prolonged T. Overall, CMBS shows better insect performance when reared on plants under nutrient-deficient conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formulations of entomopathogenic (insect-killing) fungi represent alternatives to synthetic insecticides in the management of forest and shade tree insects. We evaluated bark spray applications of the entomopathogen Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) strain GHA (BotaniGardES), permethrin insecticide (Astro), and water (control) on colonization of black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) (Fagales: Juglandaceae) bolts by the walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis Blackman) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), vector of the fungus that causes thousand cankers disease. Treated bolts were baited with a P. juglandis aggregation pheromone lure and deployed in infested walnut trees. Bark application of permethrin prevented P. juglandis colonization of the phloem. Although treatment of bolts with the B. bassiana suspension did not reduce P. juglandis colonization or short-term emergence relative to the control treatment, it increased the B. bassiana infection rate from 25 to 62% of emerged adults. Results suggest that commercial applications of B. bassiana strain GHA may help augment natural levels of infection by this entomopathogen in the eastern United States, and support continued exploration of entomopathogens for biological control of the walnut twig beetle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the global financial crisis, the Anglo-American banking sector has been hit by revelation after revelation of mis-selling, fraud, and collusion. In response, state managers in the US and the UK have leveled over £326bn in financial penalties. Authorities claimed that fines were aimed at de-incentivizing misconduct. Drawing on a critical political economy account however, this paper argues that the penalties had a rather different objective: they were part of a populist strategy by state managers, deflecting criticism away from the financialization of Anglo-America. First we show the questionable economic impact of the fines on the banks, before exploring the terms of the penalties themselves. Second, we show how state managers used the fines to respond to a legitimacy crisis, whilst the financialization of Anglo-America since the global financial crisis has only worsened. The article expands on existing explanations in the legal studies literature, and is one of the first political economy accounts of bank fines since the GFC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on copalchi, also known as hintonia latiflora, a tree whose bark has been used in Mexican traditional medicine. Topics discussed include information on use of copalchi as active ingredient of registered remedios herbolarios; isolation of a neoflavonoid glucoside from copalchi bark; and antidiabetic effect of the neoflavonoid coutareagenin from H. latiflora bark in streptozotocininduced diabetes in rats.

Extension of the healthy life span is of primary importance for the aging society. Among exercise, healthy nutrition, and mental training, food supplements are widely used as preventive measures to postpone the diverse symptoms of aging. The extract from the bark of the French maritime pine, Pycnogenol, rich on flavonoids, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidative property, proven in in vivo studies. The extract reduces oxidative stress and improves endothelial health. Its antithrombotic properties are based on inhibition of platelet aggregation. In double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies, Pycnogenol shows diverse positive effects. With respect to cardiovascular symptoms, the extract has an antihypertensive effect, slows down the progression of atherosclerosis, and prevents venous thrombosis. As reported in studies in China and the United States, type 2 diabetes and diabetic retinopathy is improved with Pycnogenol. The extract restores mobility of seniors in case of patients suffering from osteoarthritis, Pycnogenol reduces pain and stiffness and use of analgesics. Furthermore, cognitive functions of elderly people, especially spatial memory, are significantly ameliorated. Climacteric symptoms are significantly alleviated by the pine bark extract. Urinary symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia are reduced by Pycnogenol. In combination with L-arginine, Pycnogenol restores erectile function in men with erectile dysfunction. The sum of these positive effects on relevant symptoms of aging suggests using Pycnogenol for a more extended period of healthy aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-native bark and ambrosia beetles represent a threat to forests worldwide. Their invasion patterns are, however, still unclear. Here we investigated first, if the spread of non-native bark and ambrosia beetles is a gradual or a discontinuous process; second, which are the main correlates of their community structure; third, whether those correlates correspond to those of native species. We used data on species distribution of non-native and native scolytines in the continental 48 USA states. These data were analyzed through a beta-diversity index, partitioned into species richness differences and species replacement, using Mantel correlograms and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination for identifying spatial patterns, and regression on distance matrices to test the association of climate (temperature, rainfall), forest (cover area, composition), geographical (distance), and human-related (import) variables with β-diversity components. For both non-native bark and ambrosia beetles, β-diversity was mainly composed of species richness difference than species replacement. For non-native bark beetles, a discontinuous invasion process composed of long distance jumps or multiple introduction events was apparent. Species richness differences were primarily correlated with differences in import values while temperature was the main correlate of species replacement. For non-native ambrosia beetles, a more continuous invasion process was apparent, with the pool of non-native species arriving in the coastal areas that tended to be filtered as they spread to interior portions of the continental USA. Species richness differences were mainly correlated with differences in rainfall among states, while rainfall and temperature were the main correlates of species replacement. Our study suggests that the different ecology of bark and ambrosia beetles influences their invasion process in new environments. The lower dependency that bark beetles have on climate allowed them to potentially colonize more areas within the USA, while non-native ambrosia beetles, being dependent on rainfall, are typically filtered by the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that American Botanical Council (ABC) has recognized the adoptions of Birch, Rhodiola, and Helichrysum from Actives Factory, Jiaherb Inc., and Nature's Gift Inc. respectively through the Adopt-an-Herb Program. Topics discussed include ABC expand its nonprofit educational mission and keep its unique HerbMedPro database updated with the latest scientific and clinical research, birch has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and rhodiola contain phenols.

Trees may survive fire through persistence of above or below ground structures. Investment in bark aids in above-ground survival while investment in carbohydrate storage aids in recovery through resprouting and is especially important following above-ground tissue loss. We investigated bark allocation and carbohydrate investment in eight common oak (Quercus) species of Sky Island mountain ranges in west Texas. We hypothesized that relative investment in bark and carbohydrates changes with tree age and with fire regime: We predicted delayed investment in bark (positive allometry) and early investment in carbohydrates (negative allometry) under lower frequency, high severity fire regimes found in wetter microclimates. Common oaks of the Texas Trans-Pecos region (Quercus emoryi, Q. gambelii, Q. gravesii, Q. grisea, Q. hypoleucoides, Q. muehlenbergii, and Q. pungens) were sampled in three mountain ranges with historically mixed fire regimes: the Chisos Mountains, the Davis Mountains and the Guadalupe Mountains. Bark thickness was measured on individuals representing the full span of sizes found. Carbohydrate concentration in taproots was measured after initial leaf flush. Bark thickness was compared to bole diameter and allometries were analyzed using major axis regression on log-transformed measurements. We found that bark allocation strategies varied among species that can co-occur but have different habitat preferences. Investment patterns in bark were related to soil moisture preference and drought tolerance and, by proxy, to expected fire regime. Dry site species had shallower allometries with allometric coefficients ranging from less than one (negative allometry) to near one (isometric investment). Wet site species, on the other hand, had larger allometric coefficients, indicating delayed investment to defense. Contrary to our expectation, root carbohydrate concentrations were similar across all species and sizes, suggesting that any differences in below ground storage are likely to be in total volume of storage tissue rather than in carbohydrate concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research on the temperatures inside bark of dead trees used for roosting by Myotis volans, also known as long-legged myotis bats, in forests located in Idaho and Oregon between June 2003 and 2006. It offers information on the results, revealing the oscillation of the temperature profiles beneath bark within the range of ambient temperature, and the impact of slope position on bark cavity temperature. The results also indicated that the theoretical lower critical temperature of such bat species was met or exceeded by the mean daily maximum temperatures beneath bark of dead white fir, western white pine, and grand fir.

Abstract: We examined the effects of cultural intensity (operational and intensive), planting density (741, 1483, 2224, 2965, 3706 and 4448 trees ha−1) and their interaction on aboveground biomass accumulation and allocation for 12-year-old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) trees in the Upper Coastal Plain and Piedmont of the southeastern United States. Cultural intensity significantly affected accumulation of stem, bark, dead-branch and total aboveground biomass and biomass allocation in the dead-branch component. Accumulation of total aboveground biomass and each component biomass and biomass allocation to each component were significantly affected by planting density. The only significant culture×density interaction was for dead-branch biomass accumulation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Bark thickness plays a critical role in protecting a tree's cambium from damage by fires. Does frequent surface fire stimulate bark production compared with a fire-suppressed control? Based on data from an ongoing, long-term prescribed fire study, we explored differences in bark thickness from 0 to 200 cm above the ground for longleaf pine ( P. Mill.) trees on burned and control sites. Biennial prescribed fires, applied between 1973 (stand age = 14 years) and 2006 (stand age = 47 years), significantly reduced diameter at breast height. After adjusting for differences in diameter at breast height, we found no difference in bark thickness of trees from the burn and control sites, except for bark thickness measured at 0 cm aboveground where control sites had significantly thicker bark than burned sites. Results suggest that frequent burning did not stimulate bark production in longleaf pine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of this study was to investigate the role of tree dimension and associated bark structures for high structural complexity and high natural biodiversity in forest ecosystems. Two-hundred and ninety-one Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii (Mirbel) Franco) trees in two regions of the US Pacific Northwest were investigated for the relationship between tree diameter and bark thickness (measured as bark fissure depth) and the relationships of both to bark microhabitats and signs of bark use. Our results emphasize the habitat function of tree bark of large-diameter Douglas-fir trees. Many bark microhabitat types and their total abundance significantly increased with increasing tree diameter and bark thickness. These were bark pockets with and without decaying substrate, bowls in the bark, and signs of bark use, e.g., small holes from woodpecker drillings and large insects, large bark excavations from woodpeckers, spider funnel webs, natural cavities at the stem base without decay, and the occurrence of herb vegetation at the tree base. In forest monitoring, tree diameter may be a good indicator of the number of bark microhabitats and of bark thickness because it is strongly related to both of these variables. However, because of the high variability of bark thickness in large-diameter trees, we suggest monitoring bark fissure depth if an ecological evaluation of Douglas-fir forests is needed. Cette étude porte principalement sur le rôle que jouent la taille des arbres et les structures de leur écorce dans la grande complexité structurale et la grande biodiversité naturelle des écosystèmes forestiers. La relation entre le diamètre des arbres et l'épaisseur de l'écorce (mesurée par la profondeur des fissures de l'écorce), ainsi que les relations de l'un et l'autre avec les microhabitats de l'écorce et les signes d'utilisation de l'écorce, ont été étudiées chez 291 tiges de douglas de Menzies (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii (Mirbel) Franco) dans deux régions du Pacific Northwest, aux tats-Unis. Nos résultats font ressortir la fonction d'habitat de l'écorce des tiges de douglas de Menzies de fort diamètre. Plusieurs types de microhabitats de l'écorce et leur abondance totale augmentent significativement avec le diamètre des arbres et l'épaisseur de l'écorce. Il s'agissait d'écorce incluse avec ou sans substrat en décomposition, de creux dans l'écorce et de signes d'utilisation de l'écorce comme de petits trous d'alimentation creusés par les pics et de gros insectes, d'importantes cavités creusées par les pics, des toiles d'araignée en forme d'entonnoir, des cavités naturelles exemptes de carie à la base du tronc et la présence de végétation herbacée à la base du tronc. Pour la surveillance des forêts, le diamètre des arbres peut être un bon indicateur du nombre de microhabitats de l'écorce et de l'épaisseur de l'écorce parce qu'il est étroitement relié à ces deux variables. Cependant, étant donné la grande variabilité de l'épaisseur de l'écorce, nous recommandons d'examiner la profondeur des fissures de l'écorce si une évaluation écologique des forêts de douglas de Menzies est nécessaire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Certain species of myxomycetes (plasmodial slime molds) are regularly present with mosses, lichens, and algae. Corticolous myxomycetes were previously studied in the tree canopy, and observations suggested that species occurrence is patchy and species abundance may increase with the presence of bryophytes and lichens. The purpose of this study was to quantify the association of corticolous myxomycete species with percent cover of epiphytes and with bark characteristics, such as water absorption, bark thickness, and bark pH. Study sites were located in three temperate forests in the southeastern USA. The doubled rope climbing method was used to collect bark from trees and grapevines in a vertical transect up to 15 m above ground level. Moist chambers (374) were used to culture myxomycetes for 32 d. The percent cover of lichens, bryophytes, myxobacteria, and filamentous fungi were estimated in five 2 cm × 2 cm quadrats for 187 sample sites. Results showed no association between percent cover of epiphytes and myxomycetes. Bark pH was the major factor influencing the occurrence of corticolous myxomycete species, and the patchy distribution of myxomycetes was attributed to the small plasmodium characteristic of most corticolous species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An examination of oviposition choices by the lesser peachtree borer, Synanthedon pictipes (Grote and Robinson) (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae), showed that wounded peach, Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, bark was attractive to females for oviposition. Females responded to bark that was injured mechanically (e.g., hammer blows, knife cuts, pruning wounds), infested by lesser peachtree borer larvae or injured by disease. In fact, there was no difference in female oviposition response to knife cut wounds and knife cut wounds infested with lesser peachtree borer larvae. Oviposition on wounded bark from three different high chill peach cultivars was similar and strongly suggests that the narrow genetic base of high chill peach cultivars grown in the southeastern United States has little inherent resistance to the lesser peachtree borer. In stark contrast, when provided different Prunus spp., i.e., exotic peach and the native species P. angustifolia and P. serotina, the exotic peach was highly preferred for oviposition by the native lesser peachtree borer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stem blight, caused by the fungus Botryosphaeria dothidea, is a destructive disease of rabbiteye (Vaccinium ashei Reade) and high-bush (V. corymbosum L.) blueberries in the southeastern United States. The susceptibility of 20 southern highbush, two rabbiteye, and two highbush cultivars were compared using a detached stem assay. Fresh isolates of B. dothidea obtained from infected southern highbush blueberry plants were used as inoculum in this study. Succulent, partially-hardened stems were surface disinfected, rinsed in sterile distilled water, wounded by scraping away a section of bark, and inoculated by covering the wound with a mycelial agar block of B. dothedia and securing with parafilm wrap. The base of each stem was inserted into moistened, sterilized sand in a 150 mm × 25 mm tissue culture tube and incubated at 25°C, 100% RH for 30 days. Lesion length was measured after 15 days incubation. Cultivars with the shortest mean lesion length were classified as relatively resistant and included ‘Pearl River’, ‘Emerald’, ‘Star’, ‘Sharpblue’, ‘Elliott’, ‘Misty’, ‘Bluecrisp’, ‘Darrow’, ‘Southmoon’, ‘Ozarkblue’, ‘Sapphire’, and ‘Brightwell’. Cultivars with the longest lesions at 15 days were classified as relatively susceptible and included ‘Legacy’, ‘Gulf Coast’, ‘Cooper’, ‘Georgiagem’, ‘O'Neal’, ‘Reveille’, ‘Jubilee’, and ‘Magnolia’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxaphene was a highly chlorinated pesticide that was used in the United States from the 1950s until its restriction and ban in the 1980s. It was primarily used on cotton in the southern United States, and perhaps as a result, toxaphene is found in high concentrations in the southern United States. Toxaphene has also been detected at remote locations, such as in the high Canadian Arctic. However, these and other studies focused on selected regions of the United States and Canada, which only allowed for a limited interpretation of these data. We report here the concentrations of toxaphene measured in 46 tree bark samples collected in the United States and Canada. Concentrations were found to be greatest in the Mississippi River Valley along the borders of southern Missouri and Arkansas. We created a simple model based on radial dilution from a central location in the south central United States to describe toxaphene concentrations in tree bark and in air throughout the United States and Canada. The toxaphene concentrations were successfully described by this inverse square distance model. A bark-atmosphere partition coefficient for toxaphene was also calculated that was similar to literaturederived octanol-air partition coefficients. High concentrations of toxaphene still exist in areas where it was heavily used but decline rapidly with distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Estimated bark beetle-caused tree mortality in the western US from aerial surveys. • A range of results from different methods indicates some uncertainty. • Annual Westwide tree mortality continued to be high in recent years. • Multiple severe outbreaks in different locations contributed to mortality. Bark beetle (Curculionidae, Scolytinae) outbreaks have been extensive and severe across the western United States in recent decades, and assessments of tree mortality are critical for documenting patterns and increasing understanding of drivers and impacts. Aerial surveys have produced a rich data set that includes damage severity, year and location of damage, and beetle and tree species. Here we update a data set of bark beetle-caused tree mortality for the western United States to include five additional years (now 1997–2018) and use these data to characterize recent outbreaks and compare with earlier tree mortality. We estimated "mortality area" (MA), the canopy area of beetle-killed trees and a more accurate representation of outbreak impacts than "affected area", as well as the number of killed trees. Recently, the US Forest Service changed survey approaches, creating challenges for linking observations from the old and new approaches. We compared four methods to harmonize these approaches to produce consistent time series of tree mortality. General similarity of MA occurred in several methods; however, the range of results indicated some uncertainty. Based on limited analyses and a desire to be conservative in damage estimates, we suggest that the FHP R1-R4 method, which produced intermediate mortality among the methods, is most realistic for representing tree mortality from bark beetles. Using this recommended method, we found that bark beetles caused 4.3 Mha of MA and 3.8x109 killed trees when summed across space, time, and bark beetle/host combination (range among methods: 1.5–7.4 Mha and 1.2–6.3 x 109 killed trees). This total mortality area was 4.7% of forest area in the western United States; 28% of this mortality occurred in 2013–2018. Annual tree mortality remained high recently, with values comparable to earlier years, and was a result of combinations of outbreaks of different beetle species in different regions with different timing. Bark beetles continue to be agents of significant forest disturbance in the western United States. Given a range of mortality area results from the different methods, we encourage further evaluation of estimates using independent observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS; Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae) is an exotic pest species that causes aesthetic and economic damage to crapemyrtles and poses potential threats to other horticultural crops in the United States. Although previous studies reported the infestation of CMBS on several alternative hosts across multiple families in Asia, its potential threats to other documented alternative hosts remain elusive and yet to be confirmed. In this study, feeding preference studies of CMBS were conducted on forty-nine plant species and cultivars in 2016 and 2019, in order to gain insight into the expansion of CMBS distribution in the United States, as well as other regions of the world. The infestations of CMBS were confirmed on apple (Malus domestica), Chaenomeles speciosa, Disopyros rhombifolia, Heimia salicifolia, Lagerstroemia 'Spiced Plum', M. angustifolia, and twelve out of thirty-five pomegranate cultivars. However, the levels of CMBS infestation on these test plant hosts in this study is very low compared to Lagerstroemia, and may not cause significant damage. No sign of CMBS infestation was observed on Rubus 'Arapaho', R. 'Navaho', R. idaeus 'Dorman Red', R. fruticosus, B. microphylla var. koreana × B. sempervirens, B. harlandii, or D. virginiana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infection of American and European chestnuts with the chestnut blight fungus Cryphonectria parasitica results in the formation of cankers, lesions caused by the growth of mycelia within bark tissue of the host plant. Infection of the fungus with Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 (CHV‐1) results in conversion of the mycelial phenotype from virulent to hypovirulent, thus allowing production of callus around cankers as a reaction by infected trees, rendering active into inactive cankers. In this study, we sampled one USA and six European chestnut stands and assessed frequency of hypovirulent C. parasitica and diversity of vegetative compatibility (vc) types present in calluses and randomly sampled cankers. Callused cankers on C. dentata at West Salem in the USA yielded significantly more hypovirulent C. parasitica isolates compared with four sampled populations on C. sativa, while all six sampled European populations did not show any statistically significant differences among themselves. We observed no correlation between hypovirulence frequencies in randomly sampled cankers and calluses, as well as no correlation of C. parasitica vc type diversity in calluses and residential populations of the fungus. Furthermore, even though we have observed calluses with more than one vc type, they do not occur regularly. Even when present in C. parasitica populations with high vc type diversity, no more than three different vc types were observed in a single callus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eighty-one unialgal isolates comprising 10 geneva (Chlorophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Xanthophyceae) were cultured from samples of tree bark scrapings removed from 5 species of trees on the campus of Tennessee Wesleyan College in Athens, Tennessee, U.S.A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lyme disease is the most common vector borne-disease in the United States (US). While the majority of the Lyme disease patients can be cured with 2–4 weeks antibiotic treatment, about 10–20% of patients continue to suffer from persisting symptoms. While the cause of this condition is unclear, persistent infection was proposed as one possibility. It has recently been shown that B. burgdorferi develops dormant persisters in stationary phase cultures that are not killed by the current Lyme antibiotics, and there is interest in identifying novel drug candidates that more effectively kill such forms. We previously identified some highly active essential oils with excellent activity against biofilm and stationary phase B. burgdorferi. Here, we screened another 35 essential oils and found 10 essential oils (Allium sativum L. bulbs, Pimenta officinalis Lindl. berries, Cuminum cyminum L. seeds, Cymbopogon martini var. motia Bruno grass, Commiphora myrrha (T. Nees) Engl. resin, Hedychium spicatum Buch.-Ham. ex Sm. flowers, Amyris balsamifera L. wood, Thymus vulgaris L. leaves, Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. fruits, Eucalyptus citriodora Hook. leaves) and the active component of cinnamon bark cinnamaldehyde (CA) at a low concentration of 0.1% have strong activity against stationary phase B. burgdorferi. At a lower concentration of 0.05%, essential oils of Allium sativum L. bulbs, Pimenta officinalis Lindl. berries, Cymbopogon martini var. motia Bruno grass and CA still exhibited strong activity against the stationary phase B. burgdorferi. CA also showed strong activity against replicating B. burgdorferi, with a MIC of 0.02% (or 0.2 μg/mL). In subculture studies, the top five essential oil hits Allium sativum L. bulbs, Pimenta officinalis Lindl. berries, Commiphora myrrha (T. Nees) Engl. resin, Hedychium spicatum Buch.-Ham. ex Sm. flowers, and Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. fruits completely eradicated all B. burgdorferi stationary phase cells at 0.1%, while Cymbopogon martini var. motia Bruno grass, Eucalyptus citriodora Hook. leaves, Amyris balsamifera L. wood, Cuminum cyminum L. seeds, and Thymus vulgaris L. leaves failed to do so as shown by visible spirochetal growth after 21-day subculture. At concentration of 0.05%, only Allium sativum L. bulbs essential oil and CA sterilized the B. burgdorferi stationary phase culture, as shown by no regrowth during subculture, while Pimenta officinalis Lindl. berries, Commiphora myrrha (T. Nees) Engl. resin, Hedychium spicatum Buch.-Ham. ex Sm. flowers and Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. fruits essential oils all had visible growth during subculture. Future studies are needed to determine if these highly active essential oils could eradicate persistent B. burgdorferi infection in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the Burmese cultural practice of wearing a traditional decorative makeup called "thanakha" which is derived from this tree's bark and also on the elevated blood lead levels found in Burmese refugee children in Indiana. The article notes the children's blood lead levels were 10 times higher than that of other children. It also notes New York's health department found lead in a brand of thanakha sold there. The Burmese digestive remedy "aw tway" is mentioned.