New Species and New Records of Lichenicolous Fungus Pyrenidium from India

The present paper interprets a new species and a new record of the lichenicolous fungus Pyrenidium from India. The new species P. dimelaenae Y. Joshi was found on the thallus of saxicolous lichen species Dimelaena oreina (Ach.) Norman and is characterised by globose to subglobose black perithecia with light greenish blue tint in ostiolar channel. The new species shares many morphological characters with other Pyrenidium species but differs in its number of spores and hosts. In addition, two new records, i.e. Lichenostigma dimelaenae Calat. et Hafellner and P. borbonicum Huanraluek, Ertz et K. D. Hyde are also being reported from India for the first time.

The Genus Leccinum (Boletaceae, Boletales) from China Based on Morphological and Molecular Data

Leccinum is one of the most important groups of boletes. Most species in this genus are ectomycorrhizal symbionts of various plants, and some of them are well-known edible mushrooms, making it an exceptionally important group ecologically and economically. The scientific problems related to this genus include that the identification of species in this genus from China need to be verified, especially those referring to European or North American species, and knowledge of the phylogeny and diversity of the species from China is limited. In this study, we conducted multi-locus (nrLSU, tef1-α, rpb2) and single-locus (ITS) phylogenetic investigations and morphological observisions of Leccinum from China, Europe and North America. Nine Leccinum species from China, including three new species, namely L. album, L.parascabrum and L.pseudoborneense, were revealed and described. Leccinum album is morphologically characterized by the white basidioma, the white hymenophore staining indistinct greenish blue when injured, and the white context not changing color in pileus but staining distinct greenish blue in the base of the stipe when injured. Leccinumparascabrum is characterized by the initially reddish brown to chestnut-brown and then pale brownish to brown pileus, the white to pallid and then light brown hymenophore lacking color change when injured, and the white context lacking color change in pileus but staining greenish blue in the base of the stipe when injured. Leccinumpseudoborneense is characterized by the pale brown to dark brown pileus, the initially white and then brown hymenophore lacking color change when injured, and the white context in pileus and stipe lacking color change in pileus but staining blue in stipe when bruised. Color photos of fresh basidiomata, line drawings of microscopic features and detailed descriptions of the new species are presented.

Developing deep blue (CIEy < 0.08) and pure blue (CIEy < 0.11) OLEDs via molecular engineering of carbazole moiety

Recently, numerous efforts have been devoted to sky blue or greenish blue organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), nevertheless, the deep blue and pure blue OLEDs still remain a formidable challenge. Herein,...

To functional diagnostics of the liver

At one time, Roch proposed a test with methylene blue for this purpose: he injected the patients with the last peros in the amount of 2 mg. and watched the appearance of this paint in the urine; in people with a healthy liver, provided that the kidneys are intact, the blue is delayed, and the urine remains unstained, while with a diseased liver, the color of urine becomes more or less greenish-blue.

Mechanisms involved in the production of differently colored feathers in the structurally-colored Swallow Tanager (Tersina viridis; Aves: Thraupidae)

ABSTRACTNon-iridescent, structurally-based coloration in birds originates from the feather’s internal nanostructure (the keratin spongy matrix), but the presence of melanin and the characteristics of the barb’s cortex can affect the resulting color. Here we investigate how this nanostructure is regulated and combined with other elements in differently-colored plumage patches. To do so, we investigated the association between light reflectance and the morphology of feathers from the back and belly plumage patches of male Swallow Tanagers (Tersina viridis), which look greenish-blue and white, respectively. Both plumage patches have a reflectance peak around 550 nm, but the reflectance spectrum is much less saturated in the belly. The barbs of both types of feathers have similar spongy matrices at their tips which produce similar reflectance spectra. However, the color of the belly feather barbs changes from light green at the tip to white closer to the rachis. These barbs lack pigments and their morphology changes considerably: the spongy matrix is reduced, being almost hollow, and has a different shape towards the rachis. Instead, we observed deposition of melanin underneath the spongy matrix in the back feathers which had a much saturated coloration that was consistent along the barbs’ length. Overall, our results suggest that the color differences between the white and greenish-blue plumage are mostly due to the differential deposition of melanin and a reduction of the spongy matrix in some parts of the belly feather barbs, and not a result of changes in the periodicity of the spongy matrix.

Betta nuluhon, a new species of fighting fish from western Sabah, Malaysia (Teleostei: Osphronemidae)

Betta nuluhon, new species, is described from a hill stream habitat in western Sabah. This species is allied to both B. chini and B. balunga, and differs from rest of its congeners in the B. akarensis group in having the following combination of characters: yellow iris when live; mature males with greenish-blue iridescence on opercle when live; mature fish with distinct transverse bars on caudal fin; slender body (body depth 22.1–25.2 % SL); belly area with faint reticulate pattern (scales posteriorly rimmed with black); absence of tiny black spots on anal fin; lateral scales 29–31 (mode 30); predorsal scales 20–21 (mode 20). Notes on a fresh series of B. chini are also provided.

Lumsdenite, NaCa3Mg2(As3+V4+2V5+10As5+6O51)·45H2O, a new polyoxometalate mineral from the Packrat mine, Mesa County, Colorado, USA

ABSTRACT Lumsdenite (IMA 2018–092), ideally NaCa3Mg2(As3+V4+2V5+10As5+6O51)·45H2O, is a rare new polyoxometalate mineral from the Packrat mine, Gateway district, Mesa County, Colorado, USA. Crystals of lumsdenite occur as blades up to 0.2 mm in length, commonly growing in sprays. The crystals are dark green blue, with a green-blue streak. The mineral occurs on asphaltum, associated with montroseite- and corvusite-bearing sandstone. Other secondary minerals found in close association with lumsdenite are gypsum, huemulite, rösslerite, and at least two other potentially new minerals. Lumsdenite is optically biaxial (–), with α 1.617(2), β 1.651(5), and γ 1.675(5) in white light. The pleochroism scheme for lumsdenite is X = greenish yellow, Y = dark greenish blue, Z = greenish blue; X &lt;&lt; Z &lt; Y. The mineral is triclinic, , with a 10.3490(5), b 17.6263(9), c 23.2556(16) Å, α 82.208(6), β 88.351(6), γ 81.702(6)°, V 4158.8(4) Å3, and Z = 2. The strongest four powder diffraction lines for lumsdenite are [dobs Å(I)(hkl)]: , 14.86(80)(011), 17.30(44)(010), and 10.22(32)(100). The atomic arrangement of lumsdenite contains the novel polyoxometalate heteropolyanion [As3+V4+,5+12As5+6O51] structural unit in lumsdenite, [As3+V4+25+10As5+6O51]11−, which has previously been found in four other minerals from the Packrat mine. The charge of the structural unit is balanced by the charge of the [NaCa3Mg2(H2O)31·14H2O]11+ interstitial complex. The name lumsdenite is for the location of the mine at the head of Lumsden Canyon.