Phytophthora ramorum is an alien and invasive plant pathogen threatening forest ecosystems in Western North America, where it can cause both lethal and non-lethal diseases. While the mechanisms underlying the establishment and spread of P. ramorum have been elucidated, this is the first attempt to investigate the environmental factors driving the recovery of bay laurel, the main transmissive ho...

Fragrances are widely used in topical formulations and can cause photoallergic or phototoxic reactions. To identify phototoxic effects, 43 fragrances were evaluated in vitro with a photohaemolysis test using suspensions of human erythrocytes exposed to radiation sources rich in ultraviolet (UV) A or B in the presence of the test compounds. Haemolysis was measured by reading the absorbance value...

Fine mesh screen was used to create a physical barrier to prevent redbay ambrosia beetles,Xyleborus glabratusEichhoff (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), from accessing various parts of the boles of redbay trees, Persea borbonia (L.) Sprengel, and infecting them with the laurel wilt fungus, Raffaelea lauricola (T.C. Harrington, Fraedrich, & Aghayeva). Screen barriers prevented beetles from...

Smart home or the home of the future: A notion which is often used when describing the connection of electronic home devices, the exchange of information between actors and sensors via home bus protocols. In her book "Computers As a Theatre", Brenda Laurel put forward the question: "Why don't all the great electronic and micro-processor-based gadgets we have or might have in our home talk to ea...

Variation in virulence was examined among isolates of Phytophthora ramorum from epidemiologically important or infectious (non-oak) and transmissive dead-end (oak) hosts from North America. Twelve isolates representative of the genetic, geographic and host range of P. ramorum in the western United States were inoculated on leaves of Umbellularia californica (bay laurel or bay) and stems of Quer...

Factors that influence fungal communities in ambrosia beetle mycangia are poorly understood. The beetle that is responsible for spreading laurel wilt in SE USA, Xyleborus glabratrus, was examined at three sites along a 500 km N-S transect in Florida, each populated by host trees in the Lauraceae. Fungal phenotypes were quantified in mycangia of individual females that were collected from a site...

This essay examines how ballad song was appropriated to present the demise of Rump Parliament and commemorate restoration monarchy. Songs not only provide a tune through which words can be performed but also weave together disparate texts memory past utterances performances. The "Cook Laurel" establishes mnemonic connection between parliamentarian figures ubiquitous rascals in Elizabethan folkl...

The Macedonian Kings and the Two Wreaths of Zeus This paper aims to investigate reasons why, since reign Philip II, “national” Zeus, venerated on Olympus Dion characterized by oak crown, was abandoned in favor Olympian Elis, olive/oleaster wreath. We notice that while members royal family display, life death, an wreath as insignia their kingship, at same time also a symbol highest divinity, kin...

The in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activities of different extracts of laurel leaves were studied. Free radical scavenging capacity (RSC) was evaluated measuring the scavenging activity on the DPPH, NO, O(2)(.-) and OH radicals. The effects on lipid peroxidation (LP) were also evaluated. Experimental results indicate that ethyl acetate extract of leaves has exhibited the largest RSC capacity ...

A survey of homopteran species (Auchenorryncha) was conducted in coffee plantations with no shade (C), and in those with shade of either poró (Erythrina poeppigiana) (CP) or poró plus laurel (Cordia alliodora) (CPL), in Turrialba, Costa Rica. A total of 130 species in ten families were collected, dominated by Cicadellidae (82 species). Species richness was highest in the CP system (88), followe...