Studies in Canarium urceus (Linnaeus, 1758) Part 6: A new Canarium species from the Andaman Sea (Gastropoda: Strombidae) and discussion on related species

This part of the Canarium (Canarium) urceus-complex (Linnaeus, 1758) review after Abbott’s revision (Abbott, 1960) revision examines material from the Andaman Sea. At present, material from that region has been synonymised under the name Canarium (Canarium) urceus (Linnaeus, 1758). Canarium (Canarium) andamanense new species is known from the Andamanian Subprovince, a semi enclosed basin that is centered on the Andaman Sea and enclosed by the west coasts of Myanmar and Thailand and the Mergui Archipelago in the east, to the northern Malacca Strait in the south, and to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the west. This species is recognized and differentiated by solid, sturdy shells with a triangular body whorl, large knobs on the shoulder and bright orange aperture. This study further confirms that there is a high degree of bioregionalisation within the Canarium complex.

Investigations of Thermal Stability and Spectroscopic Features of Sm3+ Doped Strontium Aluminate Glasses

In the present work, a series of Sm3+ doped transparent strontium aluminate glasses with the composition Al2O3-(3-x)SrO: xSm3+ (x = 0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.06, 0.1, 0.2) were fabricated by a containerless process using an aerodynamic levitation furnace. The structural characteristics, density, Vicker’s hardness, and thermal and spectroscopic behaviors of these glasses were investigated. All the glasses exhibit excellent thermal stabilities (Tg ≥ 792 °C) and the glass-forming ability is enhanced with the increasing content of Sm3+. The emission spectra recorded under an excitation of 404 nm show four emission transitions as a result of 4G5/2 translated to the lower states of 6H5/2, 6H7/2, 6H9/2, and 6H11/2, and a bright orange-reddish luminescence can be observed in Al2O3-(3-x)SrO: xSm3+ glasses. The high thermal stability, good glass-forming ability and excellent hardness provide new options for the development of visible orange-reddish lasers and smart photoluminescent glass coating materials.

Macroglossia reveals multiple myeloma

We present an eighty-year old man with a one year history of progressive macroglossia, dysphagia and loss of weight. He had a medical history of arterial hypertension and prostatic hypertrophy which he had under good therapeutic control. The entire tongue was swollen, had hard solidity and was slightly painful upon palpation. A tongue biopsy revealed an amyloid deposition as it coloured bright orange-red on Congo Red staining and lead us subsequently to the diagnosis of amyloidosis; then a bone marrow biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of multiple myeloma. The case was further evaluated by a multidisciplinary team who considered it appropriate to start a lowdose melphalan treatment combined with supportive care. When macroglossia in the tongue is confirmed to be amyloidosis the differential diagnosis should include systemic amyloidosis deposition and multiple myeloma.

An unusual roosting habit of a painted bat (Kerivoula picta) from Sri Lanka

The painted bat, Kerivoula picta (Pallas, 1767) is considered one of the most aesthetically appealing bats in Sri Lanka with bright orange fur and black wings. However, very little information is available with regard to the ecology of this species in both local and global contexts. Of its roosting habits, Phillips (1980) reports that in Sri Lanka the bat is usually found roosting among banana leaves while it has been observed utilising tall grass species and even an abandoned nest of a Baya Weaver (Plocius philippinus) for this purpose. Here we report an observation of the species using a man-made artefact for roosting during the day.

Sexual dimorphism and biology of the large deepwater mastigoteuthid squid Idioteuthis cordiformis (Cephalopoda, Mastigoteuthidae) off Tasmania, Australia

This study provided biological information on 146 specimens of the poorly known deepwater mastigoteuthid squid Idioteuthis cordiformis. Mantle length ranged from 200–500 mm for males and 270–702 mm for females. The largest female weighed just under 12 kg. The majority of males were mature and all females were immature. The fins were larger and thicker than the mantle. Mantle weight of males and females was 44.8% and 55.2% of fin weight, respectively, and were significantly different. There was a significant sex effect on mantle length, total weight, mantle weight and fin weight, with females having greater values in all categories. There was a small season effect for mantle weight and fin weight. There was little ingested prey material except fluid and oil in the caecum that was typically bright orange or red. Total fluid volume ranged from 23–230 ml and 20–550 ml for males and females, respectively. The per cent oil component of total fluids in the caecum ranged from 6.9–50% and 10.8–50% for males and females, respectively, with no significant difference in per cent oil between males and females. There was a significant positive relationship between total weight and oil volume for females, and for males and females combined. The function of the oil is uncertain. While this study provided information on sex differences in the body size, sexual dimorphism and caecum oil content, information is still incomplete regarding reproduction due to the lack of any mature females captured in this study.

How does the pH of a solvent influence the solubility of turmeric in it?

Turmeric is a culinary spice used in many meals particularly in traditional Indian cuisine. Turmeric has a bright orange colour that is due to the presence of curcumin within it. Because of it’s bright colour, it is important to be able to easily remove turmeric stains from clothing. In my research I attempted to find the ideal conditions for removing turmeric stains and found that no investigation had been made into the impact the pH of the cleaning agent on its effectiveness. In this investigation the solubility of turmeric in 5 different solutions was found using colorimetry. Colorimetry is a scientific technique that is used to determine the concentration of coloured solutions by the application of the Beer-Lambert law. This method allowed the solubility of turmeric to be determined, in a range of different solvents with good accuracy and precision. The experimental results showed that turmeric was more soluble in solutions with higher pH levels as the solubility in 0.2M sodium hydroxide was 17.6mg/mL and in pure ethanol was 10.1mg/mL, while the solubility in hydrochloric acid was only 0.034mg/mL. Ultimately, this investigation shows that turmeric is more soluble in basic solutions and hence basic solvents are more effective removers of turmeric stains. A claim which was shown to be true by washing turmeric stained clothes with the solvents and comparing the cleaned clothes. This investigation also shows that turmeric could be used as a pH indicator as it has a different colour in different pH solutions.

Chroesthes (Acanthaceae) in Peninsular Malaysia, including a new species from Kelantan and a new record from Terengganu

Chroesthes is a small genus that includes three species from Peninsular Malaysia: Chroesthes faizaltahiriana Siti-Munirah sp. nov., C. lanceolata (T. Anderson) B.Hansen and C. longifolia (Wight) B.Hansen. Chroesthes faizaltahiriana, recently discovered in the State of Kelantan, is described and illustrated. This species is similar to the common species C. longifolia, but is distinguished mainly by its inflorescence type, calyx shape and its flowers being bright orange instead of dark purple internally. Chroesthes lanceolata is a new record for Peninsular Malaysia and has only been collected once. Following the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, these three species are assessed (national scale assessment) as Critically Endangered (C. faizaltahiriana and C. lanceolata) and Least Concern (C. longifolia).