Blue Streak Research Articles

Single-Frame Lagrangian Tracking Of 3-D Acoustic Streaming Flows Using Digital Defocusing Micro Particle Streak Velocimetry

In this study, a single-frame particle streak velocimetry technique is applied to the classic DDPIV(Digital Defocusing Particle Image Velocimetry) concept to achieve a single-frame 3-D Lagrangian tracking of particles in microscopic flows. The shortcoming of images suffering low signal to noise ratio due to pinholes can be avoided. With the streak resolving algorithm, it allows extended exposure time when streak images are taken, and the single-frame approach also eliminates the need for high-cost and complicated synchronization hardware for double-pulse frame-straddling light sources. For each long-exposure, color-coded images received from each pinhole equipped with red, green or blue color filters, the streak-resolving algorithm is applied first to find each streak on the separate color channel, followed by an one-time triplet-matching process to group the red, green and blue streak projections. From the streak triplets, 3-D reconstruction can be done on all the resolved points on the streak, and trajectory fitting can then be applied to resolve the tracer particle trajectories in the field of view with temporal history. This procedure was applied for visualizing a microscale 3-D acoustic streaming flow pattern induced by a longitudinal spine-shaped fin oscillating at 12kHz. The height of the channel is 1mm with the spine of 0.3mm height and a 30 。 tip angle. Resolved flow fields show that the particle streak images can be resolved with the same level of accuracy to the particle tracking method, while the throughput of velocity vectors can be significantly higher due to multiple velocity vectors can be resolved from each streak triplet. The methodology has the potential to be applied to various applications that can capture long-exposure images and possible to resolve higher-order information such as acceleration and forces applied on the particles or the flow.

Effect of dietary protein reduction on growth performance and water quality of the blue streak hap Labidochromis caeruleus (Fryer, 1956) reared in a biofloc system

The 8-week study evaluated the effect of dietary protein reduction on growth performance and water quality of blue streak hap (Labidochromis caeruleus) using biofloc technology (BFT). Fish averaging 0.67 ± 0.13 g in weight were distributed into 15 polyester tanks, each with a water volume of 60 L within 100 L tanks, accommodating 15 fish per tank. Four isolipidic and isoenergetic diets were formulated with gradually decreasing protein levels (40%, 35%, 30%, and 25%). Four biofloc groups (40P + BF, 35P + BF, 30P + BF, and 25P + BF) and control (C) (40P + without BF) were fed twice daily (09:00 and 17:00) at a rate of 5% of their body weight. Molasses was added to the experimental tanks on a daily basis as an organic carbon source. This ensured that the biofloc tanks had a balanced carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio and facilitated control of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), nitrite-nitrogen (NO2-N), and nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) levels. The nutritional composition of the bioflocs obtained from the experimental groups revealed that the crude protein and crude lipid contents were 37.00–38.14% and 1.45–1.52%, respectively (P > 0.05). The best specific growth rate (SGR) (1.68%) and feed conversation ratio (FCR) (2.21) were determined in the 35P group. Based on the overall evaluation of the study’s data, it can be concluded that the dietary protein for the blue streak hap (L. caeruleus) can be reduced from 40 to 35% in a biofloc system without any negative effects on health. Improving water quality and providing additional food to fish through zero water exchange and organic carbon addition (BFT) can be considered a sustainable aquaculture technique that can be used in ornamental fish farming.

Behavior, site use and demographics of shortfin devil rays, Mobula kuhlii, at a newly-discovered cleaning area in South Africa

Many shark and ray species show affinity to specific sites, making these areas critical for their survival. These include cleaning stations: locations on reefs where cleaner fish remove parasites and clean wounds, which is important for maintaining health. Cleaning stations also function as social gathering sites, or resting points, where courtship and mating can occur. In this study, we identify an aggregation site for the shortfin devil ray, Mobula kuhlii (Family Mobulidae) within the Aliwal Shoal Marine Protected Area in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, and document their behavior. Remote underwater video was used to collect footage of M. kuhlii being cleaned by blue streak cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were used to assess environmental predictors of M. kuhlii presence on Aliwal Shoal. Mixed models were used to assess the same environmental predictors and their correlation with mean M. kuhlii cleaning duration and number of L. dimidiatus bites per second at the identified cleaning station site. M. kuhlii were present in 56% of observation days, with group numbers up to > 150 individuals. Sea surface temperature was a significant predictor for M. kuhlii presence, while a north to south current was significantly associated with longer mean cleaning durations. These results support findings of mobulid studies in KZN that show increased habitat use during summer temperatures (24–25 °C) and suggest these sites to be important for individual health and social interaction. We hope these findings can be used for development of location-specific management plans to safeguard this Endangered species.

Lednevite, Cu[PO<SUB>3</SUB> (OH)]·H<SUB>2</SUB>O, a new mineral from Murzinskoe Au deposit, Altai Krai, Russia

Lednevite, ideally Cu[PO3(OH)]·H2O, is a new mineral discovered at the 255 m level of the Murzinskoe Au deposit, Krasnoshchyokovskiy District, Altai Krai, Western Siberia, Russia. It forms spherulites up to 0.1 mm in diameter, composed of very thin fibers and grouped in aggregates up to 1.5 mm across. Lednevite overgrows philipsburgite crystals on a matrix of epidote-andradite skarn and quartz and associates with malachite, chrysocolla, kaolinite, goethite and P-bearing cornubite. The new mineral is transparent, has sky blue color, very pale blue streak and vitreous lustre. Cleavage is not observed. The Mohs’ hardness is ~3. Dmeas = 3.18(2) g cm–3, Dcalc = 3.196 g cm–3. The chemical composition of lednevite is (electron microprobe, wt.%; H2O by stoichiometry): CuO 40.20, ZnO 3.92, P2O5 36.29, As2O5 4.80, H2O 14.98, total 100.15. The empirical formula calculated on the basis of 3 H and 5 O apfu is (Cu0.91Zn0.09)Σ1.00[(P0.92As0.08)Σ1.00O3(OH)]·H2O. The crystal structure was refined by the Rietveld method to Rp = 0.0042, Rwp = 0.0061, Robs = 0.0354. Lednevite is monoclinic, space group P21/a, with a = 8.6459(6), b = 6.3951(4), c = 6.8210(5) A, β = 93.866(2)°, V = 376.28(4) A3 and Z = 4. The strongest lines of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [d, A (I, %) (hkl)] are: 5.135 (100) (110), 4.648 (33) (011), 3.241 (28) (21-1), 3.095 (49) (211), 2.891 (27) (11-2), 2.775 (53) (112), 2.568 (29) (220). The new mineral is isotypic to the synthetic CuHPO4·H2O. Some optical and spectroscopic data, which could not be obtained on natural sample, were obtained from the synthesized material. The crystal structure of the synthetic analogue of lednevite was solved from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data and refined to R1 = 0.0173 for 1159 independent reflections with I 2σ(I). All positions of H atoms were determined. Lednevite is named for Vladimir Sergeevich Lednev, amateur mineralogist from Barnaul (Altai Krai) who collected the sample with the new mineral.

Franksousaite, PbCu(Se6+O4)(OH)2, the Se6+ analogue of linarite, a new mineral from the El Dragón mine, Potosí, Bolivia

AbstractA new mineral species, franksousaite (IMA2021-096), ideally PbCu(Se6+O4)(OH)2, has been found from the El Dragón mine, Antonio Quijarro Province, Potosí Department, Bolivia. It occurs as short prismatic crystals included in colourless anglesite. Associated minerals are Co-bearing krut'aite–penroseite, chalcomenite, schmiederite, olsacherite, phosgenite, anglesite and cerussite. Franksousaite is blue in transmitted light, transparent with very pale blue streak and has a vitreous lustre. It is brittle and has a Mohs hardness of 2–2½. Cleavage is perfect on {100}. The calculated density is 5.64 g/cm3. An electron microprobe analysis yielded an empirical formula (based on 6 O apfu) of Pb1.02Cu0.98[(Se0.84S0.17)Σ1.01O4)](OH)2, which is simplified to PbCu[(Se,S)O4)](OH)2.Franksousaite is the Se6+ analogue of linarite, PbCu(SO4)(OH)2. It is monoclinic, with space group P21/m and unit-cell parameters a = 9.8208(3), b = 5.7340(2), c = 4.74980(10) Å, β = 102.683(2)°, V = 260.947(13) Å3 and Z = 2. The crystal structure of franksousaite consists of Jahn-Teller-distorted Cu2+O6 square bipyramids, which form chains along b by sharing trans edges across their square planes. The chains are decorated by SeO4 tetrahedra and linked to one another by hydrogen bonds to form layers parallel to (100). These layers are bound together by double layers of PbO8 and SeO4 polyhedra. The PbO8 polyhedron exhibits one-sided coordination typical of Pb2+ with a stereochemically active 6s2 lone-electron-pair. The major structural difference between franksousaite and linarite lies in the <Se–O> vs. <S–O> bond distances (1.615 vs. 1.482 Å), accounting for the larger unit-cell volume for franksousaite. A comparison of Raman spectra for the four minerals in the linarite group (linarite, franksousaite, munakataite and schmiederite) reveals the obvious differences among them, especially in the range from 700 to 1000 cm–1, indicative of the presence or absence of (Se4+O3)2–, (Se6+O4)2–, and/or (SO4)2– groups.

Grandviewite redefinition, new formula Cu3Al2(SO4)(OH)10⋅H2O, and crystal-structure determination

AbstractGrandviewite is redefined on the basis of a reinvestigation of the holotype specimen from the Grandview mine, Arizona, USA, and additional specimens found in the Restauradora vein at the Capillitas mine, northwestern Argentina. Grandviewite from the Capillitas mine forms globular masses up to a couple of millimetres in diameter, formed by very thin platy to acicular lath-like crystals, greenish-pale blue in colour, pleochroic (X = colourless, Y = very pale blue and Z = greenish-pale blue), with pale blue streak and silky to a satiny lustre. Results of an electron-microprobe study and crystal-structure determination lead to the new ideal formula Cu3Al2(SO4)(OH)10⋅H2O, which requires (in wt.%) CuO 45.13, Al2O3 19.28, SO3 15.14, and H2O 20.45, total 100.00. Its empirical formulas are (Cu2.96Mn0.01)Σ2.97Al2.03(SO4)0.97(SiO4)0.03(AsO4)0.01(OH)9.97Cl0.01⋅H2O (Grandview mine) and Cu2.97(Al2.03Fe0.01)Σ2.04(SO4)0.95(SiO4)0.03(AsO4)0.01(PO4)0.01(OH)9.97Cl0.01⋅H2O (Capillitas mine). Grandviewite is triclinic, P$\bar{1}$, with unit-cell parameters refined from powder X-ray diffraction data: a = 5.713(2), b = 10.1374(8), c = 10.9791(9) Å, α = 72.240(6)°, β = 82.79(2)°, γ = 86.07(2)°, V = 600.5(3) Å3 and Z = 2 (Grandview mine); and a = 5.749(3), b = 10.1388(13), c = 10.9656(16) Å, α = 72.344(1)°, β = 82.83(4)°, γ = 86.77(3)°, V = 604.2(3) Å3 and Z = 2 (Capillitas mine). The crystal structure of grandviewite from the Capillitas mine was solved by 3-dimensional electron diffraction analysis (R(obs)/wR(obs) = 0.1304/0.1316 for 6401/31007 observed reflections with I ≥ 3σ(I). Grandviewite contains infinite AlO6–Cu1–AlO6 slabs along a connected on both ends to Cu2 [4 + 1]–SO4 chains. The SO4 tetrahedra form a disordered chain along a connected to the Cu2 pyramids on one side and are otherwise stabilised by strong hydrogen bonds to surrounding units. The Raman and infrared spectra for samples from both occurrences are identical. The redefinition (new chemical formula and triclinic symmetry) has been approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (number 21-K).

Bridgesite-(Ce), a new rare earth element sulfate, with a unique crystal structure, from Tynebottom Mine, Cumbria, United Kingdom

AbstractBridgesite-(Ce), (IMA2019-034), was discovered at Tynebottom Mine, Cumbria, UK. It occurs as thin (1–2 μm) translucent blue crystals with a lath-like to acicular habit, aggregated into thin crusts and is associated mainly with brochantite, malachite, serpierite, devilline, gypsum, aragonite, jarosite, pyrite, lanthanite-(Ce) and undifferentiated iron oxyhydroxides, it is often intergrown with these other minerals. The lustre, hardness, cleavage and parting could not be determined, nor could density be measured due to crystal size. It has a pale blue streak and is brittle with a splintery fracture. Bridgesite-(Ce) is biaxial (–), shows no pleochroism and has refractive indices (white light): α = 1.526(2), β = 1.564(2), γ = 1.572(2) and 2V(calc) = 48.3°. The empirical formula calculated on the basis of 44 negative charges is Ca0.86REEΣ1.99Al0.07Cu5.95(SO4)3.99(SiO4)0.05(PO4)0.02(OH)11.52⋅8H2O. The idealised formula is CaCe2Cu6(SO4)4(OH)12⋅8H2O, requiring (wt.%): 3.91 CaO, 22.89 Ce2O3, 33.28 CuO, 22.33 SO3 and 17.59 H2O. Bridgesite-(Ce) is monoclinic, space group C2/m, a = 24.801(5), b = 6.3520(13), c = 11.245(2) Å, β = 114.51(3)°, V = 1611.9(6) Å and Z = 2. The five most intense X-ray diffraction peaks in the measured pattern are [d in Å (I, %) (hkl)]: 11.3 (100) (200), 6.391 (15) (201), 2.770 (8) (420), 3.194 (6) (402) and 4.858 (5) (310). The crystal structure was solved using single crystal data and refined to an R1 index of 5.86%. Bridgesite-(Ce) contains three distinct Cu sites containing Cu2+, two are coordinated octahedrally and one is square pyramidal. The octahedra form chains through edge sharing parallel to the b-axis which are linked by the square pyramid to form sheets oriented parallel to {100}. Sulfate tetrahedra decorate the sheets which are held together by interstitial REE3+, Ca2+ and hydrogen bonding. The structure is unique. Despite apparent similarity in chemical formula, bridgesite-(Ce) is not closely related to any other natural Cu-sulfate mineral. An FTIR absorption spectra is presented for reference purposes.

Use of purslane (Portulacasp.) extract as a potential feed additive on growth parameter and skin pigmentation for blue streak hap,Labidochromis caeruleus(Fryer, 1956)

Purslane (Portulaca sp.) is a widely available succulent which could be used as an additive in fish feed owing to its nutritious nature and rich pigment content. In the present study, the effects of inclusion of purslane extract in fish feed was investigated on growth and pigmentation of blue streak hap (Labidochromis caeruleus Fryer, 1956). Fish were fed on diets containing 0 (control/T0), 3 (T3), 6 (T6) and 9 g kg−1 (T9) of purslane extract for 60 days. Positive results in terms of weight gain (0.51 g), specific growth rate (1.23%.day−1) and survival rate (83.33%) were observed in the group fed with 9 g kg−1 of purslane extract for 60 days. Furthermore, it was determined that the purslane extract had positive effects on pigmentation of blue streak hap, a prominent ornamental fish. The best coloration was achieved in blue streak hap of group T6, whose Hue (Hab°) angle values varied between 83.61 ± 1.15 and 78.10 ± 1.35. This study is the first to include purslane extract into blue streak hap diets for its effect on growth and pigmentation. Findings from this study clearly demonstrate that using purslane extracts in diet has a positive effect on growth (T9), survival rate (T6, T9) and pigmentation (T6) of blue streak hap.

Two new species of Moraea Mill. (Iridaceae: Iridoideae) from the southern African winter rainfall area

Moraea atromontana Goldblatt & J.C.Manning and M. cistiflora Goldblatt & J.C.Manning (Iridaceae: Iridoideae: Irideae) are two recently discovered species of this African and Eurasian genus of some 233 species. Both are members of subg. Vieusseuxia, and narrow endemics of the southern African winter rainfall zone in the Western Cape, South Africa. Moraea atromontana from the Swartberg near Calitzdorp, with a solitary leaf and derived, 3-lobed inner tepals, is morphologically similar to M. algoensis Goldblatt and M. unguicularis Ker Gawl. but differs in its larger, white flowers with a distinctive dark blue streak on the tepal claws, inner tepal limbs with a laxly spreading central cusp and short, downcurved lateral lobes, and much longer filament column; and M. cistiflora from the middle slopes of the Waaihoek Mtns near Wolseley, stands out in the section in its bowl-shaped flowers with subequal inner and outer tepals, white perianth with dark central eye, relatively long filament column with broad, spreading style branches and crests, and long capsules.

Performing Trauma in Central Africa: Shadows of Empire by Laura Edmondson

Reviewed by: Performing Trauma in Central Africa: Shadows of Empire by Laura Edmondson Karin Waidley Performing Trauma in Central Africa: Shadows of Empire. By Laura Edmondson. Indiana University Press, 2018. Cloth $90.00, Paper $42.00, eBook $9.99. 308 pages. 15 illustrations. I begin this review at the book’s end. Chapter 6, “Confessions of a Failed Theatre Activist,” of Laura Edmondson’s Performing Trauma in Central Africa: Shadows of Empire provoked a disquieting blue streak of recognition. I too have felt the urge to rush headlong into a situation in East Africa where I believe I know the answer to “what can I do?” But Edmonson warns readers that there are no simple questions in regions that have “a dense regional history of colonial and post-colonial violence” (5). Her book is a sweeping “sideways glance” (20) at the voracious appetites for consuming representations of trauma through performative means. Thus, her final chapter’s call-out is an unsettling one: take heed of your role on the “trauma stage” (3). Better to practice a “radical passivity,” to dwell in the discomfort of mere presence and to resist impulses of “headlong (Western) activist manifest destiny” (279). In a time when many can relate to the debilitating fatigue of inaction, this is the book’s most applicable and timely lesson. Performing Trauma in Central Africa surveys an increasing tendency toward cliched representations of mass trauma and its effects on the people of Sub-Saharan Africa. Edmonson measures ways in which the powers of empire collate complex horrors into a banal predictability of content and approach to performance in Central Africa. Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) share externally-mapped and fraught boundaries and people whose histories are deeply entrenched and inextricably intertwined. Edmondson interrogates how the “white savior industrial complex” is fast at creative work in Uganda, how culpable governments brandishing “genocide credits” (111) in Rwanda keep the 1994 travesty well within the performance frame, and how well-intentioned NGO endeavors in the DRC, some championed by well-known playwrights Eve Ensler and Lynn Nottage, shape testimony from tactically-resistant survivors of the region’s violence into victim myopia. Trauma-laden dramaturgy is performed by insiders and outsiders, not only for emotional catharsis but for financial gain. Without sentimentality, Edmondson exposes how, when resources are limited and playing fields far from level, stakeholders get mired in an “epistemic murk” or “‘the unstable interplay of truth and illusion’ that characterizes cultures of terror” (26). The Introduction combines humanitarianism, sovereignty, and empire with an “aesthetics of murk” (26) to explore taut relationships and the means through which trauma and performance are mostly marketed and sometimes resisted. Edmondson conducted two decades of extensive fieldwork, resulting in a deep perspective on the profiteering of hardship in an area where access to theatre scholarship is scant. The author foregrounds her own outsider/insider position as suspect, one that [End Page 219] readers should be wary of when reading her analyses of the “murky” performances that follow. The author’s transparency calls attention to the burden of empire she both carries and casts off whenever possible. From this position, Edmondson tasks readers: if “we” will not choose to “stay home” (271) then be two things at once: both radical and passive. She demonstrates this necessary paradox by virtue of the (failed) activist performance models set out incisively in each of her following chapters. In chapter 1, “Competitive Memory in the Great Lakes,” Edmondson deftly explicates the interwoven pasts of the three nation-states that figure in later chapters. These are the formal landscapes of performative trauma displayed through music, dance, and drama (MDD) and on the informal “stages” of museums, memorials, and NGO-sponsored sites. More historiographic than performance analysis, this chapter introduces readers to the interconnectedness of the Lake Victoria region in a jaw-dropping portrayal of colonial pasts with a dizzying cast of characters. She demonstrates how histories are forcibly flattened into three singular narratives, one per country (genocide in Rwanda, child abductions in Uganda, and weaponized rape in DRC), with “a curious predictability” that “insistently cuts across representations of violence” (5). But like the “shadows of empire,” simplified narratives...

Effects of marigold (Tagetes erecta) and synthetic carotenoid on growth performance and skin coloration of blue streak hap (Labidochromis caeruleus) and pindani (Pseudotropheus socolofi) fry (Cichlidae)

This study was designed to determine the ideal dosages of marigold (Tagetes erecta) and synthetic carotenoid in blue streak hap (Labidochromis caeruleus) and pindani (Pseudotropheus socolofi) fry (Cichlidae), and to compare effects on the growth and skin coloration. In the first experiment, the blue streak hap and pindani fry fed with different levels of water-soluble marigold flower meal (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12%) were tested for 30 days to find the optimum skin coloration and growth parameters. Then, in the experiment, the most effective doses of water-soluble marigold flower meal (2, 4, 8%) which obtained from the first experiment were compared with the different synthetic carotenoid dosages (50, 100 and 150 mg kg-1) for 30 days. At the end of the first experiment, weight gain and the skin coloration degrees for both fish species were increased significantly by supplementation of 4% water-soluble marigold flower meal supplemented diet (P<0.05). In the second experiment, 50 and 100 mg kg-1 of synthetic carotenoid and 4% water-soluble marigold flower meal supplementation showed better performances concerning growth and skin coloration (P<0.05). This study showed that the 4% water-soluble marigold flower meal could be used as an alternative and useful pigmentation source for blue streak hap and pindani.

Unsafe Haven

When Angie answers a knock at our door, this girl, Molly, starts talking a blue streak, each word rendering Angie smaller and more pale until I finally understand what Angie must have from the beginning: this girl is her daughter, a daughter I know nothing about, an entire daughter Angie never once mentioned to me in our decade together. Since we get closer to sharing everything than any other couple I know, I would turn this girl away in disbelief, but she has Angie's eyes and chin and voice,[…]

Growth and Flowering Characteristics of 20 &lt;i&gt;Veronica&lt;/i&gt; Species

The ornamental performance of 20 Veronica species was evaluated. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse at the division of plant resources, Korea National Arboretum, for two years using 20 Veronica species. Veronica species have a variety of characteristics, with different growth and flowering patterns. Twenty Veronica species were classified into four groups based on plant form and height. V. armena and V. repens were classified as running (< 10 cm), 4 species, including V. gentianoides ‘Little Blues’, were classified as ascending-short (10 cm - 29 cm), 7 species, including V. gentianoides ‘Blue Streak’, were classified as ascending-middle (30 cm - 60 cm), and 7 species, including V. incana, were classified as ascending-long (60 cm <). Almost all the leaves were green; however, the leaves of V. incana and V. incana ‘Silbersee’ had white hair. The number of floral axes ranged from 5.3 to 80.7, while the number of inflorescences ranged from 4.5 to 67.3. The f lowers bloomed f rom early March to mid-June. The inflorescence types included receme, spike, and cyme. The inflorescence colors were purple (13 species, including V. armena), pink (V. longifolia ‘Pink Shades’ and V. spicata ‘Pink Goblin’), and white (5 species, including V. gentianoides ‘Blue Streak’). V. longifolia ‘Blue Shades’, V. spicata ‘Blue Bouquet’, and V. subsessilis ‘Blue Pyramid’ all bloomed in 2017. V. armena, V. gentianoides ‘Little Blues’, V. longifolia ‘Alba’, V. prostrata ‘Nestor’, V. spicata, V. spicata ‘Alba’, and V. spicata ‘Sightseeing’ only partially bloomed. V. gentianoides ‘Blue Streak’, V. incana, V. incana ‘Silbersee’, V. longifolia ‘Pink Shades’, V. orchidea ‘Blue Fingers’, V. repens, V. schmidtiana, V. spicata f. Nana ‘Blue Carpet’, V. spicata ‘Pink Goblin’, and V. teucrium ‘Roy al B lue’ d id not bloom. However, all plants bloomed in 2018.

Unexpected observation of blue streak cleaner wrasse (Labroidesdimidiatus) on a deep-water reef off Southern Africa

Unexpected observation of blue streak cleaner wrasse (Labroidesdimidiatus) on a deep-water reef off Southern Africa

Epifanovite, NaCaCu5(PO4)4[AsO2(OH)2] · 7H2O: a New Mineral from the Kester Deposit, Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, Russia

Epifanovite, NaCaCu5(PO4)4[AsO2(OH)2] · 7H2O, a new natural copper, sodium and calcium arsenate–phosphate, has been found in a quartz–phosphate pocket within greisenized cassiterite-bearing granodiorite of the Kester tin deposit, Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, Russia. The mineral occurs as crusts of tabular pseudotetragonal crystals up to 50 μm across and 10 μm thick. Associated minerals are fluorapatite, pseudomalachite, malachite, a Na-analogue of batagayite, tobermorite, libethenite, arsenolite, native copper and unknown Mg–Zn phosphate. Epifanovite is turquoise-blue with pale blue streak, vitreous luster (dull in crusts), and a Mohs hardness of 3. The mineral is brittle. Cleavage is perfect on (001) and good on (100) and (010). Density measured in the Clerici solution is 3.65(3) g/cm3; the calculated density is 3.73 g/cm3. Epifanovite is optically biaxial (–), α = 1.708(5), β = 1.730(5), γ = 1.735(5). 2Vobs = 40°–45°, 2Vcalc = 50°. Optical orientation: X = a, Y = b. The empirical formula calculated on the basis of P + As = 5 is (Na0.94K0.06)Σ1.00(Ca0.82Na0.08)Σ0.90(Cu5.04Zn0.06)Σ5.10(PO4)4[(As0.81P0.19)Σ1.00(O1.92OH2.06Cl0.02)Σ4.00] · 7.37H2O. The idealized formula is NaCaCu5(PO4)4[AsO2(OH)2] · 7H2O. The Raman spectrum contains the following bands, cm–1: 293, 359 (ν1–2, CuO5); 455, 556, 594, 640, 921, 962, 1002, 1086, 1153 (ν1–4, PO4), 77, 121, 161, 183, 730, 828, 858 (ν1–3, AsO4), 2900, 3200, 3410 (ν1, OH). The mineral is monoclinic, P21/m, a = 9.6912(9), b = 9.7440(9), c = 9.9561(9) A, β = 102.23 (1)°, V = 918.7(1) A3, Z = 2. The strongest reflections in the powder X-ray diffraction pattern are, I–dA–hkl: 100–9.73–001, 35–6.79–110, 12–4.355–021, 43–3.072–130, 24–3.061–221, 24–3.003–\(\bar 222\), 11–2.698–023, 10–1.6775–504. The mineral was named in honor of the Russian geologist Porphyry Prokop’evich Epifanov, who discovered the Ege-Khaya and Kester tin deposits. Epifanovite is structurally close to the lavendulan-group minerals and related species: andyrobertsite, calcioandyrobertsite, mahnertite and richelsdorfite.

Middlebackite, a new Cu oxalate mineral from Iron Monarch, South Australia: Description and crystal structure

AbstractMiddlebackite is a new supergene mineral formed in the upper levels of the Iron Monarch quarry, South Australia. It occurs as aggregates of blue, prismatic crystals up to 0.3 mm across comprising individual crystals up to 0.05 mm in length associated with atacamite and mottramite. Crystals are translucent with a vitreous lustre and have a pale blue streak. Middlebackite is brittle with one perfect cleavage and uneven fracture. Mohs hardness is ~2. The calculated density is 3.64 g cm–3. Crystals are biaxial (+) with α = 1.663(4), β = 1.748(4) and γ = 1.861(4) (measured in white light). The calculated 2V is 86.7°. Pleochroism isX= colourless,Y= very pale blue andZ= dark sky blue;Z&amp;gt;Y&amp;gt;X. The empirical formula unit, based on six oxygen atoms per formula unit is Cu2.00(C2O4)Cl0.02(OH)1.98. Middlebackite is monoclinic, space groupP21/c witha= 7.2597(15),b= 5.7145(11),c= 5.6624(11) Å, β = 104.20(3)°,V= 227.73(8) Å3andZ= 2. The five strongest lines in the powder X-ray diffraction pattern are [d(Å), (I), (hkl)]: 7.070 (16) (100), 3.739 (100) (11$\bar{1}$), 2.860 (18) (020), 2.481 (12) (12$\bar{1}$) and 2.350 (9) (300). The crystal structure was refined from synchrotron single-crystal X-ray diffraction data toR1= 0.0341 for 596 observed reflections withF0&amp;gt; 4σ(F0). The structure is based on sheets of edge- and corner-sharing octahedra parallel to thebcplane. Sheets link in theadirection via oxalate anions.

Anesthetic potential of geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) oil for two cichlid species, Sciaenochromis fryeri and Labidochromis caeruleus

The anesthetic potential of geranium oil (Pelargonium graveolens L.) was evaluated in two freshwater aquarium fish species, the electric blue hap (Sciaenochromis fryeri, 2.00 ± 0.61 g) and blue streak hap (Labidochromis caeruleus, 2.31 ± 0.52 g). Fish were exposed to nine concentrations of anesthetic (25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 200, 250, 300 μl L−1). The induction time generally decreased significantly with increasing concentration of geranium oil for both of the fish species. The recovery time increased with the enhancing geranium oil concentration. Deep anesthesia took between 61.19 ± 7.25 s and 165.43 ± 6.78 s for S. fryeri and between 73.32 ± 8.92 s and 171.12 ± 10.74 s for L. caeruleus. Recovery occurred after 96 ± 6.87 s (L. caeruleus), with the longest being 291.45 ± 8.31 s (S. fryeri). The minimal effective concentration was 75 μl L−1 for deep anesthesia for both two species, and 50 μl L−1 was found as the minimal sedative concentration at the stage of loss of equilibrium. These findings suggested that geranium oil is a new potential anesthetic for two ornamental fish species.

New Mineral NamesAntipiniteAnzaite-(Ce)BettertoniteBobshannoniteCalcinaksiteKhvoroviteLeguerniteLukkulaisvaaraiteMinjiangiteMöhniteMoraskoiteNickelpicromeritePilawite-(Ce)RalphcannoniteYeomanite

This New Mineral Names has entries for 15 new minerals, including antipinite, anzaite-(Ce), bettertonite, bobshannonite, calcinaksite, khvorovite, leguernite, lukkulaisvaaraite, minjiangite, mohnite, moraskoite, nickelpicromerite, pilawite-(Ce), ralphcannonite, and yeomanite. # Antipinite* {#article-title-2} N.V. Chukanov, S.M. Aksenov, R.K. Rastsvetaeva, K.A. Lysenko, D.I. Belakovskiy, G. Farber, G. Mohn and K.V. Van (2015) Antipinite, KNa3Cu2(C2O4)4, a new mineral species from a guano deposit at Pabellon de Pica, Chile. Mineralogical Magazine, 79(5), 1111–1121. Antipinite (IMA 2014-027), ideally KNa3Cu2(C2O4)4, was discovered in the guano deposit at the lower part of the northern slope of Pabellon de Pica Mountain, Tarapaca Region, Chile. The new mineral honors Mikhail Yuvenal’evich Antipin (1951–2013), a Russian specialist in the crystallography and crystal chemistry of organometallic and coordination compounds. Antipinite occurs in association with halite, salammoniac, chanabayaite, and joanneumite. The host gabbro consists of amphibole, plagioclase, minor clinochlore, and accessory chalcopyrite. Antipinite forms isometric and short prismatic crystals up to 0.1×0.1×0.15 mm, and random aggregates up to 0.6 mm across. The new mineral is blue, translucent, with pale blue streak and a vitreous luster. It is brittle, with a Mohs hardness ~2. The cleavage is medium in three directions, which were not determined. D meas = 2.53(3) and D calc = 2.549 g/cm3. Antipinite does not fluoresce under UV radiation. It is optically biaxial (+), α = 1.432(2), β = 1.530(2), and γ = 1.698(5) (λ = 589 nm); 2 V meas …

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