Trapelia calyciformis sp. nov. from China

Trapelia calyciformis is described from China as a new species. The lichen is characterized by its gray-white thallus, zeorine apothecium with black disc and cracked excipulum, narrow paraphyses branched near the tip, 8-spored asci, aseptate ascospores with one vacuole, and the presence of gyrophoric acid. The specimens examined were deposited in LCUF. A key to the species of Trapelia reported in China is presented.

A new species of Ophthalmoblysis Scoble, 1995 (Geometridae: Ennominae) from México with ‘sleepy’ eyespots

A new species of Ophthalmoblysis Scoble, 1995 from Mexico is described and illustrated: O. ibarrai Garzón-Orduña, sp.n. The species is known only from Los Tuxtlas (Veracruz, Mexico), and is distinguished by the shape and pattern of the hindwing eyespot. Unlike the eyespot of other species in Ophthalmoblysis, that of O. ibarrai has a smaller and not fully circular inner black disc. In addition, O. ibarrai can be distinguished from a similar, undescribed species from Costa Rica by the presence of a sclerotized extension at the tip of the male valva and by the shape of the cornutus in the vesica. Ophthalmoblysis ibarrai represents the northernmost member of the genus.

Seeing is Predicting: Water Clarity-Based Nowcast Models for E. coli Prediction in Surface Water

Given the 24–48 h turn-around time of conventional surveillance approaches, methods are needed that improve the timeliness and accuracy of recreational water quality risk assessments. Although one useful approach is to combine existing monitoring programmes with predictive faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) models, these models are largely ‘top-down’ in their approach to safeguarding public health. Beyond being simply ‘advised when to avoid swimming’, there is an increasing awareness amongst the general public regarding the role they can play in water quality monitoring. Using quantile, maximum value and optimized incremental modelling approaches, this study reports on the possibility of developing intuitive, public-friendly models that are based on the physical appearance of water (clarity), to estimate 8103 nation-wide E. coli concentrations in rivers, and to assess whether water is safe to swim in. If swimmers were to avoid river waters with <1.1 m black disc visibility during autumn and summer, and river waters with values <0.5 m black disc visibility during spring and winter, they would also avoid microbial hazards that are associated with exceedances of the 540 CFU/100 mL single sample bathing water standard. Regardless of the climatic season, stream order classification, catchment land cover or geology of streams considered, the clarity-based E. coli models performed well as they presented with sensitivity, specificity and accuracy values of at least 72%. The developed models offer the benefit of providing a faster method for estimating E. coli concentration, potentially engaging the public in water monitoring, and allowing them to make informed decisions on whether it is safe to swim.

Highest energy proton–nucleus cross-sections

The description of very high energy proton–proton cross-sections in terms of a “black disc” with an “edge” allows a simple generalization to highest energy proton–nucleus cross-sections. This results in a leading ln2W term and a ln W term whose coefficient depends linearly on the radius of the nucleus (W the c.m. energy). The necessary parameters are determined from the fits to p–p data. Since the coefficient of the ln W term is rather large, it is doubtful that the regime of ln2W dominance can be reached with available energies in accelerators or cosmic rays. However, the ln W term can be relevant for highest energy cosmic rays in the atmosphere, where a large increase for the cross-section on nitrogen is expected. Tests of the theory should be possible by studying the coefficient of ln W at p-nucleus colliders.

Behavior of very high energy hadronic cross-sections

Analysis of the data for proton and antiproton scattering leads to a simple picture for very high energy hadronic cross-sections. There is, asymptotically, a simple “black disc” with a smooth “edge”. The radius of the “disc” is expanding logarithmically with energy, while the “edge” is constant. These conclusions follow from extensive fits to accelerator and cosmic ray data, combined with the observation that a certain combination of elastic and total cross-sections allows extraction of the “edge”. An interesting feature of the results is that the “edge” is rather large compared to the “disc”. This explains the slow approach to “asymptopia” where the “disc” finally dominates.