polymorph photos on Flickr

Pseudombrophila porcina by Jacqueline Labrecque

30

Récolté par Jules Cimon

Date de récolte : 2012 / 04 / 29

Habitat : forêt mixte

Substrat : excréments de chien

Spores ellipsoïdes, lisses, à paroi modérément épaissie, avec bulle de Bary,

11-13 x 6,8-8,5 µm, 12 x 7,6 µm en moyenne, Q = 1,4-1,7

Asques à 8 spores unisériées, cylindriques, atténués vers la base, sans crochet basal, inamyloïdes, jusqu’à 185 µm de longueur

Paraphyses cylindriques, avec 1-3 ramifications et 3-4 septa, à contenu hyalin et petites guttules, 1,44 à 2,43 µm de diam., ne dépassant pas ou très peu les asques

Excipulum ectal en textura ± prismatica

Excipulum ental en textura globulosa/angularis gélifié, difficile à préciser

Medulla en textura intricata

Revêtement externe formé de cellules parfois caténulées, polymorphes, clavées, triangulaires, pigmentées brun olivâtre à brun roux

Identification: J. Labrecque et R. Labbé

www.flickr.com/photos/23151213@N03/6990193164/in/photostream

Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) juvenile (2 spot) by Brian Carruthers-Dublin-Eire

Measurements

spanwidth min.: 54 cm

spanwidth max.: 60 cm

size min.: 32 cm

size max.: 36 cm

Breeding

incubation min.: 11 days

incubation max.: 12 days

fledging min.: 17 days

fledging max.: 17 days

broods 15

eggs min.: 1

eggs max.: 25

Status: Widespread summer visitor to Ireland from April to August.

Conservation Concern: Green-listed in Ireland. The European population is currently evaluated as secure.

Identification: Despite its obvious song, relatively infrequently seen. In flight, can be mistaken for a bird of prey such as Sparrowhawk, but has rapid wingbeats below the horizontal plane - ie. the wings are not raised above the body. Adult male Cuckoos are a uniform grey on the head, neck, back, wings and tail. The underparts are white with black barring. Adult females can appear in one of two forms. The so-called grey-morph resembles the adult male plumage, but has throat and breast barred black and white with yellowish wash. The rufous-morph has the grey replaced by rufous, with strong black barring on the wings, back and tail. Juvenile Cuckoos resemble the female rufous-morph, but are darker brown above.

Similar Species: Sparrowhawk

Call: The song is probably one of the most recognisable and well-known of all Irish bird species. The male gives a distinctive “wuck-oo”, which is occasionally doubled “wuck-uck-ooo”. The female has a distinctive bubbling “pupupupu”. The song period is late April to late June.

Diet: Mainly caterpillars and other insects.

Breeding: Widespread in Ireland, favouring open areas which hold their main Irish host species – Meadow Pipit. Has a remarkable breeding biology unlike any other Irish breeding species.

Wintering: Cuckoos winter in central and southern Africa.

To minimise the chance of being recognised and thus attacked by the birds they are trying to parasitize, female cuckoos have evolved different guises.

The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) lays its eggs in the nests of other birds. On hatching, the young cuckoo ejects the host's eggs and chicks from the nest, so the hosts end up raising a cuckoo chick rather than a brood of their own. To fight back, reed warblers (a common host across Europe) have a first line of defence: they attack, or ‘mob’, the female cuckoo, which reduces the chance that their nest is parasitized.

To deter the warbler from attacking, the colouring of the grey cuckoo mimics sparrow hawks, a common predator of reed warblers. However, other females are bright rufous (brownish-red). The presence of alternate colour morphs in the same species is rare in birds, but frequent among the females of parasitic cuckoo species. The new research shows that this is another cuckoo trick: cuckoos combat reed warbler mobbing by coming in different guises.

In the study, the researchers manipulated local frequencies of the more common grey colour cuckoo and the less common (in the United Kingdom) rufous colour cuckoo by placing models of the birds at neighbouring nests. They then recorded how the experience of watching their neighbours mob changed reed warbler responses to both cuckoos and a sparrow hawk at their own nest.

They found that reed warblers increased their mobbing, but only to the cuckoo morph that their neighbours had mobbed. Therefore, as one cuckoo morph increases in frequency, local host populations will become alerted specifically to that morph. This means the alternate morph will be more likely to slip past host defences and lay undetected. This is the first time that ‘social learning’ has been documented in the evolution of mimicry as well as the evolution of different observable characteristics - such as colour - in the same species (called polymorphism).

From the University of Cambridge “When mimicry becomes less effective, evolving to look completely different can be a successful trick. Our research shows that individuals assess disguises not only from personal experience, but also by observing others. However, because their learning is so specific, this social learning then selects for alternative cuckoo disguises and the arms race continues.”.

“It’s well known that cuckoos have evolved various egg types which mimic those of their hosts in order to combat rejection. This research shows that cuckoos have also evolved alternate female morphs to sneak through the hosts' defenses. This explains why many species which use mimicry, such as the cuckoo, evolve different guises.”

news10503071 by 臺北榮民總醫院 Taipei Veterans General Hospital

臺北榮總暨國立陽明大學聯合記者會新聞稿

原發性痛經之基因學及腦造影研究於醫學與腦科學上的最新發現：

原發性痛經是腦疾病嗎?

主講人：謝仁俊主治醫師/教授

北榮醫研部臨床研究科/陽大腦科學研究所

原發性痛經(Primary Dysmenorrhea；以下簡稱PDM)是指沒有器官性骨盆腔問題的經痛，為女性最常見的婦科問題，約影響全球3/4比例的女性，卻也是最常被忽視的一項疼痛醫學的問題，在疼痛醫學與疼痛科學的領域中被歸類為慢性疼痛。PDM的真正機轉仍然未詳，但普遍被接受的理論是子宮內的發炎因子、子宮肌攣縮與血管收縮的共同作用所致。

在全球不同國家或地區所做的研究調查發現，少女四到九成有過PDM的經驗，其中有10%到20%的女性因為嚴重經痛而無法工作或上學，研究指出長期原發性痛經與焦慮、憂鬱等情緒失調有顯著關係。此外，臨床上中年以後才進入高峰期的諸多功能性疼痛疾病(functional pain disorder；指無明確的器官結構性異常致病原因)：如纖維肌痛症、腸燥症、偏頭痛、原因不明之下背痛、顳顎障礙症等，女性的罹病比例皆遠高於男性，若追蹤其病史，則女性患者有非常高的比例曾有過長期的原發性痛經。因此PDM極可能是女性中年以後發生慢性功能性疼痛疾病的重要前因之一。目前越來越多的腦科學的證據顯示慢性疼痛疾病伴隨有腦部的疼痛處理網路之顯著異常，因此了解PDM之中樞神經系統變化及經痛對身心的影響，對婦女健康實則意義重大。

榮陽疼痛研究團隊由陽明大學腦科學研究所特聘教授暨台北榮總醫學研究部主治醫師謝仁俊領導，主要由陽明大學腦科學研究所、台北榮總醫學研究部整合性腦功能研究小組(Integrated Brain Research Unit，簡稱IBRU)及台北榮總婦產部組成，並結合陽明大學公衛研究所及陽明大學腦科學研究中心一起進行研究。經由科技部、台北榮總及陽明大學腦科學研究中心的計畫與經費的支持，多年來針對此項常被忽略的年輕PDM女性進行為期數年的整合型多形式腦造影(multimodal brain imaging)研究，內容涵蓋基因學、行為、心理、荷爾蒙、疼痛知覺反應、臨床表徵、腦部正子斷層造影(Positron Emission Tomography，簡稱PET; 用來探討人腦的新陳代謝及神經元活性)、功能性與結構性腦磁振造影(functional- and structural-MRI; 用來研究人腦的神經網路及灰白質的結構)及腦磁圖(Magnetoencephalography，簡稱MEG ; 用來研究腦波)之研究。

以下為謝教授團隊針對年輕PDM女性國際首發研究結果系列報告：

1.PDM 女性的腦部有正常變異(normal variants)的比例數倍於同年齡無PDM的女性，目前原因與影響不明，有待腦神經科學及公共衛生醫學更深入的研究。

2.PDM女性腦部疼痛網路呈現灰白質結構性變化，並且隨著月經而有每個月的週期性改變。每月經痛所引起的短期性大腦灰質體積的變化，在長年累積下，就造成不隨週期性月經而改變的長期性大腦灰質體積的變化，灰質的變化意涵該腦區的功能有所改變。

3.PDM女性腦部疼痛調控系統(pain modulatory systems)呈現神經功能性連結(functional connectivity)的異常降低，尤其是以大腦導水管旁灰質(periaqueductal grey matter；簡稱PAG)為主的疼痛調控之神經連結。大腦導水管旁灰質PAG跟預設網路(Default Mode Network，簡稱DMN)相關腦區的功能連結降低，表示他們的對疼痛刺激的調控功能不足；而大腦導水管旁灰質與運動輔助區(supplementary motor area)內之內臟運動區(visceromotor area)的功能連結增加，是許多骨盆腔慢性疼痛疾病的異常表現。預設網路DMN主要由腹內側前額區(ventromedial prefrontal cortex)及後扣帶迴(posterior cingulate cortex)所組成，是人類心智功能的大腦神經樞紐，重度憂鬱症、思覺失調症(舊名為精神分裂症)、慢性疼痛疾病均伴隨著預設網路的異常。我們發現在年輕PDM女性中其預設網路已呈現不良的神經可塑性(maladaptive neuroplasticity)，正是諸多慢性疼痛疾病的共同腦部表徵。而慢性疼痛疾病經常伴隨著諸多腦部的異常以及多項心智功能的障礙，如專注力、記憶、憂鬱等，造成整體生活品質的下降。

4.腦源性神經滋養因子(Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor, BDNF)基因管控BDNF蛋白質的製造及分泌，此蛋白質與壓力及疼痛相關的情緒反應處理有關。腦源性神經滋養因子單核苷酸多態性(BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism)的基因亞型若帶有Met allele等位基因(尤其Met/Met 基因型) ，則會導致BDNF的分泌不足而功能低下。本研究發現台灣PDM女性族群帶有更多的Met 等位基因且有較高的焦慮情緒，換言之帶有Met等位基因(尤其Met/Met 基因型) 者發生痛經的風險較高。

5.基因腦造影學(imaging genetics或genetic neuroimaging)的研究顯示帶有BDNF Val66Met 單核苷酸多態性之Met/Met 基因型的PDM女性，其腦部疼痛調控神經網路具有較顯著的易感性(vulnerability)，未來出現對疼痛產生不良神經可塑性的機率較高，這對日後引發慢性疼痛將有機轉性的重要影響。

以上都是榮陽疼痛研究團隊領先國際的首要發現，我們認為PDM所引起的腦部變化是女性中年以後發生慢性功能性疼痛疾病的重要前因，而這些腦部變異則是諸多慢性功能性疼痛疾病其中樞神經功能失調之共同的前導性機轉。我們的研究更呈現一項重要的新觀念：慢性疼痛是一個腦中樞的疾病，我們必須積極的發展無痛(Pain Free)的臨床醫學與對疼痛的積極有效的治療。

本項研究之早期成果，於數年前曾由國際疼痛學會(International Association for the Study of Pain，IASP)之期刊PAIN®舉行正式國際記者會，向國際報導我們的研究發現而轟動國際，成果見諸國際性主要報紙與電視媒體醫療健康版之頭條。最新的研究成果則發表於2016年1月的PAIN®，並有專文評論(Editorial Commentary)報導我們的研究成果在疼痛醫學的重要貢獻與意義。我們的系列研究有部分成果已多篇發表在Pain®、Neuroimage、European Journal of Pain及PLOS ONE等重要國際醫學及腦科學學術期刊，而針對嚴重型疼痛之新的非侵襲性疼痛治療技術亦在發展進行中。我們希望透過本次記者會向國內社會大眾報告榮陽疼痛研究團隊在PDM最近的研究成果及相關醫療意義，更呼籲大家重視女性的痛經問題與對嚴重經痛的及時有效治療之必要性。

to shoot a trilobite by wheres_bruce

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Extinct since the end of the Permian, trilobites aren't as uncommon as you might suppose. Yet shooting one is about as weird as killing a mockingbird — I mean to photograph a trilobite.

Because they are from the past I have put together this rig with the intent of making images of trilobite fossils. No they aren't the kind of fossils you'd find in a museum or research collection. They are just fragmentary found objects. The subject of my first trilobite shoot wasn't formally described until a little over twenty years ago and the place where it was collected became both the type locality for the species and the strata in which it was preserved. It's now a protected location so it won't be pinned on my map!

Like the trilobite, this outfit comes from the past while being impeccably in the present. Both the bellows and the SMC Takumar M42 f1:1.4 50mm prime lens are out of the 1970s. They are fitted through an adapter to a venerable Canon 60D, 12 years old technology now but still getting the job done. It's shot in monochrome to make the point and not shot with an eye to modern ideas of "perfection".

This venerable old lens is interesting. It is said, though I've never been tempted to test the hypothesis, that the glass was doped with thorium oxide, ThO₂, and this gave it a performance up there with lens elements ground from fluorite, CaF₂ — something to do with increasing the refractive index and lowering the dispersion to minimise chromatic aberration, or so they say.

I have been told by someone whose job it was to micro thin section trilobite eyes for someone else to examine their optics that they were composed of aragonite, one of the polymorphs of CaCO₃. I guess that's how life goes and things evolve. Trilobites experimented with aragonite in their optics, Takumar doped theirs with thorium and now our material of choice is fluorite.

Banded snail - Polymorphism 3 by Ben Aviss

These beautiful snails have common names such as banded, grove or brown-lipped snails and despite looking very different in colour, they are all members of the same species - Cepaea nemoralis - and this is known as polymorphism.

I was busy trimming the ivy and these were just some of the different morphs I saved as I went about the gardening!

Obsidian & devitrified obsidian gravel (Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone, Wyoming, USA) 8 by James St. John

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Obsidian is a glassy-textured, extrusive igneous rock. Glassy-textured rocks have no crystals at all. They form by very rapid cooling of lava or by cooling of high-viscosity lava. Most obsidians form by the latter. Obsidian can be felsic, intermediate, mafic, or alkaline in chemistry. Most are felsic to intermediate.

A famous locality in North America is Obsidian Cliff at Yellowstone, Wyoming. It is a Pleistocene-aged lava flow with the chemistry of rhyolite (= a light-colored, felsic, aphanitic, extrusive igneous rock). The cliff itself shows columnar jointing. The rocks principally range from aphyric rhyolitic obsidian to partially devitrified rhyolitic obsidian. Lithophysae are sometimes present. Extremely small, microscopic crystals are present - they can be seen in thin sections. Some samples are reported to have small olivine phenocrysts. Small clusters of crystals, composed of plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene, and olivine, are sometimes present.

Many Obsidian Cliff rock samples have light-colored spots and bands - these are areas of devitrification. Glass is unstable on geologic times scales and it slowly crystallizes. The light-colored spots and bands are now non-glassy. Spotted, partially devitrified obsidian is known by the rockhound term "snowflake obsidian" (see: www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/16561606417). The spots are composed of silica (SiO2), but are not quartz. Rather, they are composed of a polymorph of quartz - cristobalite.

This photo shows obsidian and devitrified obsidian gravel that has eroded from Obsidian Cliff itself, and the large boulders along its base.

Stratigraphy: Roaring Mountain Member, Plateau Rhyolite, Upper Pleistocene, ~59 ka

Locality: near the base of Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone National Park, northwestern Wyoming, USA

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Age & some lithologic info. from:

Wooton (2010) - Age and Petrogenesis of the Roaring Mountain Rhyolites, Yellowstone Volcanic Field, Wyoming. M.S. thesis. University of Nevada at Las Vegas. 296 pp.

Columnar-jointed rhyolitic obsidian lava flow (Roaring Mountain Member, Plateau Rhyolite, Upper Pleistocene, ~59 ka; Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone, Wyoming, USA) 26 by James St. John

Obsidian in the Pleistocene of Wyoming, USA.

Obsidian is a glassy-textured, extrusive igneous rock. Glassy-textured rocks have no crystals at all. They form by very rapid cooling of lava or by cooling of high-viscosity lava. Most obsidians form by the latter. Obsidian can be felsic, intermediate, mafic, or alkaline in chemistry. Most are felsic to intermediate.

A famous locality in North America is Obsidian Cliff at Yellowstone, Wyoming. It is a Pleistocene-aged lava flow with the chemistry of rhyolite (= a light-colored, felsic, aphanitic, extrusive igneous rock). The cliff itself shows columnar jointing, which formed by cooling and contraction. The rocks principally range from black-colored, aphyric rhyolitic obsidian to partially devitrified rhyolitic obsidian. Lithophysae are sometimes present. Extremely small, microscopic crystals are present - they can be seen in thin sections. Some samples are reported to have small olivine phenocrysts. Small clusters of crystals, composed of plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene, and olivine, are sometimes present.

Many of the whitish-colored spots and bands running through most Obsidian Cliff rock samples are areas of devitrification. Glass is unstable on geologic times scales and it slowly crystallizes. The light-colored spots and bands are now non-glassy. Spotted, partially devitrified obsidian is known by the rockhound term "snowflake obsidian" (see: www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/16561606417). The spots are composed of silica (SiO2), but are not quartz. Rather, they are composed of a polymorph of quartz - cristobalite.

Why does Obsidian Cliff here not look black and glassy? The rocks are weathered, partially devitrified, and considerably lichen-covered. Classic, black, glassy obsidian can be seen in some of the boulders along the road.

Stratigraphy: Roaring Mountain Member, Plateau Rhyolite, Upper Pleistocene, ~59 ka

Locality: Obsidian Cliff, eastern edge of Obsidian Creek Valley, Yellowstone National Park, northwestern Wyoming, USA

----------------------

Age & some lithologic info. from:

Wooton (2010) - Age and Petrogenesis of the Roaring Mountain Rhyolites, Yellowstone Volcanic Field, Wyoming. M.S. thesis. University of Nevada at Las Vegas. 296 pp.

Virtual Polymorph. by anubis.anpu.inpw

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WORMOD Art 292 : The virtual element can assume, crystallizing, different structures.

Rear View of an Arizona Common Desert Centipede (Scolopendra polymorpha) by Orland Park Birdie Girl

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"Centipedes (from the New Latin prefix centi-, "hundred", and the Latin word pes, pedis, "foot") are predatory arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda of the subphylum Myriapoda, an arthropod group which also includes millipedes and other multi-legged creatures. Centipedes are elongated metameric creatures with one pair of legs per body segment. Most centipedes are generally venomous and could inflict a painful bite, injecting their venom through pincer-like appendage known as forcipules. Despite the name, centipedes can have a varying number of legs, ranging from 30 to 354. Centipedes always have an odd number of pairs of legs.[1][2][3] Therefore, no centipede has exactly 100 legs. Similar to spiders and scorpions, centipedes are predominantly carnivorous." (Wikipedia)

Aragonite-lined vug (Vinton Member, Logan Formation, Lower Mississippian; Mohawk Dam spillway, western Coshocton County, Ohio, USA) 2 by James St. John

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Aragonite-lined vug in the Mississippian of Ohio, USA.

A mineral is a naturally-occurring, solid, inorganic, crystalline substance having a fairly definite chemical composition and having fairly definite physical properties. At its simplest, a mineral is a naturally-occurring solid chemical. Currently, there are over 5500 named and described minerals - about 200 of them are common and about 20 of them are very common. Mineral classification is based on anion chemistry. Major categories of minerals are: elements, sulfides, oxides, halides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, and silicates.

The carbonate minerals all contain one or more carbonate (CO3-2) anions.

Aragonite has the same chemistry as calcite - it is calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Why is it a different mineral? Aragonite has a different molecular structure - the atoms are packed differently. Different minerals having the same chemical formula are called polymorphs (another good example is graphite & diamond - both C).

The difference in atomic-level packing between calcite and aragonite can be seen at the level of mineral hand samples. Aragonite forms crystals in the orthorhombic class. Many aragonite crystals are acicular (needle-like). Many aragonites form pseudohexagonal crystals, the result of 6 orthorhombic prisms growing parallel to each other.

Like calcite, aragonite is moderately soft (H=3), is often clearish to whitish to yellowish, and easily bubbles in acid. Aragonite is a little bit heavier than calcite, due to closer packing of atoms.

Most modern seashells & coral skeletons are composed of the aragonite. Whitish-colored lime sand beaches in the world are aragonitic. Occasionally, "whitings" are seen in shallow, warm ocean environments. Whitings (cloudy, milky seawater) turn out to be loaded with tiny hair-like needles of aragonite.

In the rock record, aragonitic or aragonite-rich sediments convert to calcite over time. Cenozoic-aged carbonate sedimentary rocks are often aragonitic. Mesozoic- and Paleozoic-aged carbonates are almost always calcitic. Many ancient fossils have had their aragonitic shells dissolved away. Ancient shells that were originally calcitic are often still well preserved.

The sample shown above is an irregularly shaped cavity lined with aragonite crystals. It is hosted in the siliciclastics-dominated Vinton Member of the Logan Formation. The Vinton is mostly siltstone, but sandstone and shale also occur. Some carbonate horizons and concretions are also present, which are the likely ultimate source for the calcium carbonate making up the crystals in this vug.

Host rock: Vinton Member, upper Logan Formation, Osagean Stage, upper Lower Mississippian

Locality: Mohawk Dam emergency spillway, northwest of the town of Nellie, western Coshocton County, eastern Ohio, USA (vicinity of 40º 21' 26.42" North latitude, 82º 04' 57.97" West longitude)

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Photo gallery of aragonite:

www.mindat.org/gallery.php?min=307

Columnar-jointed rhyolitic obsidian lava flow (Roaring Mountain Member, Plateau Rhyolite, Upper Pleistocene, ~59 ka; Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone, Wyoming, USA) 24 by James St. John

Obsidian in the Pleistocene of Wyoming, USA.

Obsidian is a glassy-textured, extrusive igneous rock. Glassy-textured rocks have no crystals at all. They form by very rapid cooling of lava or by cooling of high-viscosity lava. Most obsidians form by the latter. Obsidian can be felsic, intermediate, mafic, or alkaline in chemistry. Most are felsic to intermediate.

A famous locality in North America is Obsidian Cliff at Yellowstone, Wyoming. It is a Pleistocene-aged lava flow with the chemistry of rhyolite (= a light-colored, felsic, aphanitic, extrusive igneous rock). The cliff itself shows columnar jointing, which formed by cooling and contraction. The rocks principally range from black-colored, aphyric rhyolitic obsidian to partially devitrified rhyolitic obsidian. Lithophysae are sometimes present. Extremely small, microscopic crystals are present - they can be seen in thin sections. Some samples are reported to have small olivine phenocrysts. Small clusters of crystals, composed of plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene, and olivine, are sometimes present.

Many of the whitish-colored spots and bands running through most Obsidian Cliff rock samples are areas of devitrification. Glass is unstable on geologic times scales and it slowly crystallizes. The light-colored spots and bands are now non-glassy. Spotted, partially devitrified obsidian is known by the rockhound term "snowflake obsidian" (see: www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/16561606417). The spots are composed of silica (SiO2), but are not quartz. Rather, they are composed of a polymorph of quartz - cristobalite.

Why does Obsidian Cliff here not look black and glassy? The rocks are weathered, partially devitrified, and considerably lichen-covered. Classic, black, glassy obsidian can be seen in some of the boulders along the road.

Stratigraphy: Roaring Mountain Member, Plateau Rhyolite, Upper Pleistocene, ~59 ka

Locality: Obsidian Cliff, eastern edge of Obsidian Creek Valley, Yellowstone National Park, northwestern Wyoming, USA

----------------------

Age & some lithologic info. from:

Wooton (2010) - Age and Petrogenesis of the Roaring Mountain Rhyolites, Yellowstone Volcanic Field, Wyoming. M.S. thesis. University of Nevada at Las Vegas. 296 pp.

polymorphic creature by Ashley Russell

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2016, graphite on sketch paper

Les Sources Occultes 003/999 - lso003-020 by thierry ehrmann

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Les Sources Occultes 003/999

Un film de Laurent Courau, d'après un scénario de Thierry Ehrmann.

Comédienne : Yôko Higashi

Décors : Alisha Henry

Maquillage : Alisha Henry

Lumières : Marquis

Musiques : La Science des Fous - Urgence Disk

Entre effroi et merveilles, une zone mouvante aux portes du futur et des enfers...

Les Sources Occultes vous entraînent au coeur d'un univers polymorphe dont les clés et les motifs se révéleront au fur et à mesure des épisodes de cette série de fictions. En attendant un final apocalyptique, au sens premier du terme, qui révélera la structure générale sous la forme d'un long-métrage...

Les Sources Occultes offrent aussi une nouvelle porte d'entrée dans le labyrinthe multidimensionnel de la Demeure du Chaos à celles et ceux qui postulent à notre casting, une occasion unique de pénétrer les arcanes de l'esprit de la Salamandre.

Secrets revealed of the Abode of Chaos (112 pages, adult only) >>>

Diadem by Chris Trollen

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The Diadem is a widespread species of nymphalid butterfly. It is well known for polymorphism and mimicry. They are found across Africa, Asia, and Australia.

Taken at RHS Wisley Butterflies in the Glasshouse 2018

Anthodites (Skyline Caverns, Front Royal, Virginia, USA) 13 by James St. John

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Anthodites in a cave in Virginia, USA.

"Cave formations" in caves are technically called speleothem. Most speleothem is composed of travertine, a crystalline-textured chemical sedimentary rock composed of calcite (CaCO3). Travertine forms in most caves and at some springs by precipitation of crystals from water. Travertine speleothem occurs in a wide variety of forms. The most common variety of travertine speleothem is dripstone, which forms by the action of dripping water. The second-most common type of travertine speleothem is flowstone, which forms by precipitation of crystals from relatively thin films of flowing water. Flowstone typically has the appearance of a frozen waterfalls.

Shown above are anthodites, a scarce variety of speleothem that was first described from this very cave - Skyline Caverns in Virginia. Anthodites are radiating clusters of quill-like to slightly vermiform structures. Individual anthodite quills are hollow. Mineral analysis by White (1994) has shown that they are composed of aragonite (CaCO3), which is a polymorph of calcite. Some have recrystallized to calcite. The anthodites of Skyline Caverns were originally in sealed chambers in a mostly-sediment filled cave passage. During tourist trail construction, workers dug out sediments and encountered small chambers having common anthodites. They were subsequently named and described in the literature in 1949. The anthodite-bearing chambers were unusual in having near-vacuum conditions. Upon opening one chamber, a worker's hat was sucked in by the low air pressure.

When pure calcium carbonate, anthodites are white-colored. The yellows and browns seen above are from iron oxides.

Skyline Caverns is developed in structurally tilted carbonates (mixed dolostones and limestones) of the Rockdale Run Formation (Beekmantown Group, Lower Ordovician).

Locality: Skyline Caverns, Front Royal, central Warren County, northern Virginia, USA

-------------------

Reference cited:

White (1994) - The anthodites from Skyline Caverns, Virginia: the type locality. National Speleological Society Bulletin (Journal of Caves and Karst Studies) 56: 23-26.

Diamonds (South Africa) 1 by James St. John

Diamonds from South Africa. (specimen at upper right is 1.4 centimeters across at its widest)

----------------------------------------

A mineral is a naturally-occurring, solid, inorganic, crystalline substance having a fairly definite chemical composition and having fairly definite physical properties. At its simplest, a mineral is a naturally-occurring solid chemical. Currently, there are over 5600 named and described minerals - about 200 of them are common and about 20 of them are very common. Mineral classification is based on anion chemistry. Major categories of minerals are: elements, sulfides, oxides, halides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, and silicates.

Elements are fundamental substances of matter - matter that is composed of the same types of atoms. At present, 118 elements are known. Of these, 98 occur naturally on Earth (hydrogen to californium). Most of these occur in rocks & minerals, although some occur in very small, trace amounts. Only some elements occur in their native elemental state as minerals.

To find a native element in nature, it must be relatively non-reactive and there must be some concentration process. Metallic, semimetallic (metalloid), and nonmetallic elements are known in their native state.

The element carbon occurs principally in its native state as graphite (C) and diamond (C). Graphite is the common & far less valuable polymorph of carbon. A scarce polymorph of carbon is diamond. The physical properties of diamond and graphite couldn’t be more different, considering they have the same chemistry. Diamond has a nonmetallic, adamantine luster, typically occurs in cubic or octahedral (double-pyramid) crystals, or subspherical to irregularly-shaped masses, and is extremely hard (H≡10). Diamonds can be almost any color, but are typically clearish, grayish, or yellowish. Many diamonds are noticeably fluorescent under black light (ultraviolet light), but the color and intensity of fluorescence varies. Some diamonds are phosphorescent - under certain conditions, they glow for a short interval on their own.

These five rough diamond masses total 19.62 carats in weight. They resemble framesite diamondites (= diamond rocks), but I don't think they are.

Locality: unrecorded/undisclosed locality in South Africa

Banded snails - Polymorphism 2 by Ben Aviss

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These beautiful snails have common names such as banded, grove or brown-lipped snails and despite looking very different in colour, they are all members of the same species - Cepaea nemoralis - and this is known as polymorphism.

I was busy trimming the ivy and these were just some of the different morphs I saved as I went about the gardening!

Escambia Map Turtle (Graptemys ernsti) by Pierson Hill

Male Escambia Map Turtles exhibit color polymorphism; they can either have green ears or orange ears. The orange morph seems to occur at lower frequencies on Florida's rivers than the green morph. This duo was photographed on the Yellow River, FL.

Nine-spotted moth (Syntomis phegea) by bayucca

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Nine-spotted moth (Amata phegea or Syntomis phegea), Weissfleckwidderchen, Visegrad (Plintenburg), Hungary

Interesting fact: Although is looks like a Zygaenidae sp. there is no relationship between the two, beside that this day-active moth is mimicrying the poisenous (for birds) Zygaena ephialtes, which shows an extremely variable polymorphism. Key issue for differencial diagnosis would be: Syntomis phegea has only white spots on the forewing!

Teapotty on display in a cabinet at the V&A by Rain Rabbit

Teapotty! is an interactive electronic teapot I've constructed for the Chi-TEK tech tea party event at the V&A in Sept 11. Before and after the tea party, it will sit quietly on display in a cabinet for 3 months. www.mztek.org/programs/chi-tek/

Teapotty! is a teapot sitting on a servo which takes readings from a magnetometer which is influenced by neodymium magnets in a cup. The magnetometer takes the reading from the north position, plays a bit of something similar to the Tetley Tea tune and then moves to a new position - where the teacup moves to. BlinkM RGB LEDs indicate the new position of the teapot by changing colour based on the teapot's new position from 0-180 degrees. I made some polymorph diffuser covers for them & also added heart confetti to emphasise the feeling of heartwarming happiness a cup of tea can bring :-)

My videos & blog post are here: rainycatz.wordpress.com/2011/09/17/teapotty-electronic-te...

news10503072 by 臺北榮民總醫院 Taipei Veterans General Hospital

臺北榮總暨國立陽明大學聯合記者會新聞稿

原發性痛經之基因學及腦造影研究於醫學與腦科學上的最新發現：

原發性痛經是腦疾病嗎?

主講人：謝仁俊主治醫師/教授

北榮醫研部臨床研究科/陽大腦科學研究所

原發性痛經(Primary Dysmenorrhea；以下簡稱PDM)是指沒有器官性骨盆腔問題的經痛，為女性最常見的婦科問題，約影響全球3/4比例的女性，卻也是最常被忽視的一項疼痛醫學的問題，在疼痛醫學與疼痛科學的領域中被歸類為慢性疼痛。PDM的真正機轉仍然未詳，但普遍被接受的理論是子宮內的發炎因子、子宮肌攣縮與血管收縮的共同作用所致。

在全球不同國家或地區所做的研究調查發現，少女四到九成有過PDM的經驗，其中有10%到20%的女性因為嚴重經痛而無法工作或上學，研究指出長期原發性痛經與焦慮、憂鬱等情緒失調有顯著關係。此外，臨床上中年以後才進入高峰期的諸多功能性疼痛疾病(functional pain disorder；指無明確的器官結構性異常致病原因)：如纖維肌痛症、腸燥症、偏頭痛、原因不明之下背痛、顳顎障礙症等，女性的罹病比例皆遠高於男性，若追蹤其病史，則女性患者有非常高的比例曾有過長期的原發性痛經。因此PDM極可能是女性中年以後發生慢性功能性疼痛疾病的重要前因之一。目前越來越多的腦科學的證據顯示慢性疼痛疾病伴隨有腦部的疼痛處理網路之顯著異常，因此了解PDM之中樞神經系統變化及經痛對身心的影響，對婦女健康實則意義重大。

榮陽疼痛研究團隊由陽明大學腦科學研究所特聘教授暨台北榮總醫學研究部主治醫師謝仁俊領導，主要由陽明大學腦科學研究所、台北榮總醫學研究部整合性腦功能研究小組(Integrated Brain Research Unit，簡稱IBRU)及台北榮總婦產部組成，並結合陽明大學公衛研究所及陽明大學腦科學研究中心一起進行研究。經由科技部、台北榮總及陽明大學腦科學研究中心的計畫與經費的支持，多年來針對此項常被忽略的年輕PDM女性進行為期數年的整合型多形式腦造影(multimodal brain imaging)研究，內容涵蓋基因學、行為、心理、荷爾蒙、疼痛知覺反應、臨床表徵、腦部正子斷層造影(Positron Emission Tomography，簡稱PET; 用來探討人腦的新陳代謝及神經元活性)、功能性與結構性腦磁振造影(functional- and structural-MRI; 用來研究人腦的神經網路及灰白質的結構)及腦磁圖(Magnetoencephalography，簡稱MEG ; 用來研究腦波)之研究。

以下為謝教授團隊針對年輕PDM女性國際首發研究結果系列報告：

1.PDM 女性的腦部有正常變異(normal variants)的比例數倍於同年齡無PDM的女性，目前原因與影響不明，有待腦神經科學及公共衛生醫學更深入的研究。

2.PDM女性腦部疼痛網路呈現灰白質結構性變化，並且隨著月經而有每個月的週期性改變。每月經痛所引起的短期性大腦灰質體積的變化，在長年累積下，就造成不隨週期性月經而改變的長期性大腦灰質體積的變化，灰質的變化意涵該腦區的功能有所改變。

3.PDM女性腦部疼痛調控系統(pain modulatory systems)呈現神經功能性連結(functional connectivity)的異常降低，尤其是以大腦導水管旁灰質(periaqueductal grey matter；簡稱PAG)為主的疼痛調控之神經連結。大腦導水管旁灰質PAG跟預設網路(Default Mode Network，簡稱DMN)相關腦區的功能連結降低，表示他們的對疼痛刺激的調控功能不足；而大腦導水管旁灰質與運動輔助區(supplementary motor area)內之內臟運動區(visceromotor area)的功能連結增加，是許多骨盆腔慢性疼痛疾病的異常表現。預設網路DMN主要由腹內側前額區(ventromedial prefrontal cortex)及後扣帶迴(posterior cingulate cortex)所組成，是人類心智功能的大腦神經樞紐，重度憂鬱症、思覺失調症(舊名為精神分裂症)、慢性疼痛疾病均伴隨著預設網路的異常。我們發現在年輕PDM女性中其預設網路已呈現不良的神經可塑性(maladaptive neuroplasticity)，正是諸多慢性疼痛疾病的共同腦部表徵。而慢性疼痛疾病經常伴隨著諸多腦部的異常以及多項心智功能的障礙，如專注力、記憶、憂鬱等，造成整體生活品質的下降。

4.腦源性神經滋養因子(Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor, BDNF)基因管控BDNF蛋白質的製造及分泌，此蛋白質與壓力及疼痛相關的情緒反應處理有關。腦源性神經滋養因子單核苷酸多態性(BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism)的基因亞型若帶有Met allele等位基因(尤其Met/Met 基因型) ，則會導致BDNF的分泌不足而功能低下。本研究發現台灣PDM女性族群帶有更多的Met 等位基因且有較高的焦慮情緒，換言之帶有Met等位基因(尤其Met/Met 基因型) 者發生痛經的風險較高。

5.基因腦造影學(imaging genetics或genetic neuroimaging)的研究顯示帶有BDNF Val66Met 單核苷酸多態性之Met/Met 基因型的PDM女性，其腦部疼痛調控神經網路具有較顯著的易感性(vulnerability)，未來出現對疼痛產生不良神經可塑性的機率較高，這對日後引發慢性疼痛將有機轉性的重要影響。

以上都是榮陽疼痛研究團隊領先國際的首要發現，我們認為PDM所引起的腦部變化是女性中年以後發生慢性功能性疼痛疾病的重要前因，而這些腦部變異則是諸多慢性功能性疼痛疾病其中樞神經功能失調之共同的前導性機轉。我們的研究更呈現一項重要的新觀念：慢性疼痛是一個腦中樞的疾病，我們必須積極的發展無痛(Pain Free)的臨床醫學與對疼痛的積極有效的治療。

本項研究之早期成果，於數年前曾由國際疼痛學會(International Association for the Study of Pain，IASP)之期刊PAIN®舉行正式國際記者會，向國際報導我們的研究發現而轟動國際，成果見諸國際性主要報紙與電視媒體醫療健康版之頭條。最新的研究成果則發表於2016年1月的PAIN®，並有專文評論(Editorial Commentary)報導我們的研究成果在疼痛醫學的重要貢獻與意義。我們的系列研究有部分成果已多篇發表在Pain®、Neuroimage、European Journal of Pain及PLOS ONE等重要國際醫學及腦科學學術期刊，而針對嚴重型疼痛之新的非侵襲性疼痛治療技術亦在發展進行中。我們希望透過本次記者會向國內社會大眾報告榮陽疼痛研究團隊在PDM最近的研究成果及相關醫療意義，更呼籲大家重視女性的痛經問題與對嚴重經痛的及時有效治療之必要性。

IOF Regionals Kuala Lumpur '12: 3rd Asia-Pacific Osteoporosis Meeting by iofbonehealth

R990G Polymorphism of Calcium Sensing Receptor (CaSR) Gene is Associated with Parathyroid Hormone and Calcium Levels in Subjects with Vitamin D Deficiency

- H Majid

Rhyolitic obsidian (Roaring Mountain Member, Plateau Rhyolite, Upper Pleistocene, ~59 ka; Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone, Wyoming, USA) 1 by James St. John

Obsidian in the Pleistocene of Wyoming, USA.

Obsidian is a glassy-textured, extrusive igneous rock. Glassy-textured rocks have no crystals at all. They form by very rapid cooling of lava or by cooling of high-viscosity lava. Most obsidians form by the latter. Obsidian can be felsic, intermediate, mafic, or alkaline in chemistry. Most are felsic to intermediate.

A famous locality in North America is Obsidian Cliff at Yellowstone, Wyoming. It is a Pleistocene-aged lava flow with the chemistry of rhyolite (= a light-colored, felsic, aphanitic, extrusive igneous rock). The cliff itself shows columnar jointing. The rocks principally range from aphyric rhyolitic obsidian to partially devitrified rhyolitic obsidian. Lithophysae are sometimes present. Extremely small, microscopic crystals are present - they can be seen in thin sections. Some samples are reported to have small olivine phenocrysts. Small clusters of crystals, composed of plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene, and olivine, are sometimes present.

Many of the whitish-colored spots and bands running through most Obsidian Cliff rock samples are areas of devitrification. Glass is unstable on geologic times scales and it slowly crystallizes. The light-colored spots and bands are now non-glassy. Spotted, partially devitrified obsidian is known by the rockhound term "snowflake obsidian" (see: www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/16561606417). The spots are composed of silica (SiO2), but are not quartz. Rather, they are composed of a polymorph of quartz - cristobalite.

Stratigraphy: Roaring Mountain Member, Plateau Rhyolite, Upper Pleistocene, ~59 ka

Locality: loose boulder near the base of Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone National Park, northwestern Wyoming, USA

----------------------

Age & some lithologic info. from:

Wooton (2010) - Age and Petrogenesis of the Roaring Mountain Rhyolites, Yellowstone Volcanic Field, Wyoming. M.S. thesis. University of Nevada at Las Vegas. 296 pp.

- vigigoin011 by thierry ehrmann

1

Les Sources Occultes 005/999

Un film de Laurent Courau, d'après un scénario de Thierry Ehrmann.

Comédiens : Vigi Lust, Yvan

Entre effroi et merveilles, une zone mouvante aux portes du futur et des enfers...

Les Sources Occultes vous entraînent au coeur d'un univers polymorphe dont les clés et les motifs se révéleront au fur et à mesure des épisodes de cette série de fictions. En attendant un final apocalyptique, au sens premier du terme, qui révélera la structure générale sous la forme d'un long-métrage...

Les Sources Occultes offrent aussi une nouvelle porte d'entrée dans le labyrinthe multidimensionnel de la Demeure du Chaos à celles et ceux qui postulent à notre casting, une occasion unique de pénétrer les arcanes de l'esprit de la Salamandre.

Secrets revealed of the Abode of Chaos (112 pages, adult only) >>>

No. 30/56: Peace Love & Morph by Matthew Wells

1

The 56 Full Sized Morphs Are:

The 23 Mini Morphs Are:

Myrmecia brevinoda 03 by Tim Keppens

3 4

A big worker of the biggest ant species in the world (slightly bigger than Camponotus gigas).

Note: there are different sizes of ants in this colony, very small workers who care for the brood and the large workers who hunt for prey.

But you can't speak of polymorphism (different castes, like minor and major workers) in this case because the heads are not in proportion with the bodies making the large workers just bigger versions of the smaller ones.

Mollisia melaleuca by Jacqueline Labrecque

7

Récolteur: Jules Cimon

Substrat : écorce de branche de pin

Spores étroitement ellipsoïdes, parfois un peu courbes, parfois à un septum central difficile à observer, avec 3-4 petites guttules centrales au début, 7-12 x 2-3 µm, 9,1 x 2,4 µm (13 spores), Q = 3,79

Asques à 8 spores bisériées, avec crochet à la base et appareil apical amyloïde, 42-56 x 5-6 µm

Paraphyses cylindriques, progressivement et légèrement élargies vers l'apex, ramifiées à la base, avec 2-3 septa au-dessus de cette ramification, à plusieurs guttules de diamètre différent, souvent plus grosses au tiers inférieur, petites au tiers supérieur, à contenu non jaune en KOH, 61-68 x 2,5-3,5 µm, dépassant les asques d'environ 10 µm

Excipulum ectal en textura globulosa, formé de cellules globuleuses, à paroi épaissie, brunes, jusqu’à 20 µm de diam.

Excipulum ental en textura intricata, formé d’hyphes et de cellules ± polymorphes, hyalines

Hyphes du subiculum cylindriques, parfois ramifiées, septées, à paroi légèrement épaissie, brunes, 3 µm de diam. en moyenne.

Poils marginaux cylindriques, parfois un peu élargis à l’apex, septés, brunâtres, progressivement clavés à globuleux et brun foncé vers la base sur la face externe de l’excipulum, jusqu’à 50 x 4-5 µm

Test au KOH sur hyménophore : réaction jaune à jaune olive.

NB. Le test en KOH a été fait sur spécimen séché réhydraté

Microscopie et identification: J. Labrecque

Confirmation de l'identification et recherche: R. Labbé

www.flickr.com/photos/23151213@N03/3573096345/

Metrosideros polymorpha growing next to Cocos nucifera by J. B. Friday

Lower Puna is one of the only places you can see ‘ōhi‘a growing right next to coconut trees at sea level. Hawaii Island, Hawaii.

Columnar-jointed rhyolitic obsidian lava flow (Roaring Mountain Member, Plateau Rhyolite, Upper Pleistocene, ~59 ka; Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone, Wyoming, USA) 7 by James St. John

Obsidian in the Pleistocene of Wyoming, USA.

Obsidian is a glassy-textured, extrusive igneous rock. Glassy-textured rocks have no crystals at all. They form by very rapid cooling of lava or by cooling of high-viscosity lava. Most obsidians form by the latter. Obsidian can be felsic, intermediate, mafic, or alkaline in chemistry. Most are felsic to intermediate.

A famous locality in North America is Obsidian Cliff at Yellowstone, Wyoming. It is a Pleistocene-aged lava flow with the chemistry of rhyolite (= a light-colored, felsic, aphanitic, extrusive igneous rock). The cliff itself shows columnar jointing, which formed by cooling and contraction. The rocks principally range from black-colored, aphyric rhyolitic obsidian to partially devitrified rhyolitic obsidian. Lithophysae are sometimes present. Extremely small, microscopic crystals are present - they can be seen in thin sections. Some samples are reported to have small olivine phenocrysts. Small clusters of crystals, composed of plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene, and olivine, are sometimes present.

Many of the whitish-colored spots and bands running through most Obsidian Cliff rock samples are areas of devitrification. Glass is unstable on geologic times scales and it slowly crystallizes. The light-colored spots and bands are now non-glassy. Spotted, partially devitrified obsidian is known by the rockhound term "snowflake obsidian" (see: www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/16561606417). The spots are composed of silica (SiO2), but are not quartz. Rather, they are composed of a polymorph of quartz - cristobalite.

Why does Obsidian Cliff here not look black and glassy? The rocks are weathered, partially devitrified, and considerably lichen-covered. Classic, black, glassy obsidian can be seen in some of the boulders along the road.

Stratigraphy: Roaring Mountain Member, Plateau Rhyolite, Upper Pleistocene, ~59 ka

Locality: Obsidian Cliff, eastern edge of Obsidian Creek Valley, Yellowstone National Park, northwestern Wyoming, USA

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Age & some lithologic info. from:

Wooton (2010) - Age and Petrogenesis of the Roaring Mountain Rhyolites, Yellowstone Volcanic Field, Wyoming. M.S. thesis. University of Nevada at Las Vegas. 296 pp.

What is friendly plastic by Jamie Malden

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for wooden blocks go to www.colouricious.com

Colouricious is a source of textile art ideas, and inspirations. To learn more, go to

www.colouricious.com

Moon dust from Hupe collection by Mark Mathosian

From the famous Hupe meteorite collection. Purchased on eBay March 4, 2017. 1 oz.

About This World Record Setting Meteorite From The Moon:

Northwest Africa 5000 is the largest meteorite from the ancient Lunar Highlands ever found. Originally weighing in at 25 lbs 6.6 ounces (11,528 grams), it was massive. Although the weight is very impressive, its presence is tremendous.

When trying to portray Northwest Africa 5000, one may be at a loss for words -- it is simply too beautiful to properly describe. It is the most handsome meteorite from the moon ever found -- the contrast is incredible. The matrix looks like a black and white intaglio print of the universe rendered by a spirited yet masterful artist.

This stone contains breccias within breccias, and the preferential orientation of clasts lends a unique 3-D appearance to flat surfaces. Generous amounts of shiny metal are present in almost every piece, adding yet another impressive element to nature’s artwork.

Northwest Africa 5000 is by far the most spectacular meteorite from the Moon, and has become legendary, establishing new benchmarks for excellence!

From the eBay website:

Northwest Africa 5000 is not only from the Moon, it actually takes on the appearance of our nearest celestial neighbor unlike any other lunar meteorite in existence. There can only be one, number one and Northwest Africa 5000 is it.

This celestial masterpiece lay undisturbed for millennia in the world’s largest and hottest desert, the Sahara, until it was liberated by some very fortunate hunters of treasure in July of 2007. After lengthy, emotional and expensive negotiations, it was acquired by The Hupe Planetary Collection in October of the same year.

Northwest Africa 5000

Morocco

Find: July 2007

Achondrite (lunar, feldspathic breccia)

History: Found in July 2007 in southern Morocco and provided to Adam Hupé in October 2007.

Physical characteristics: A single, large cuboidal stone (11.528 kg) with approximate dimensions 27 cm × 24 cm × 20 cm. One side (which appears to have been embedded downward in light brown mud) has preserved regmaglypts and is partially covered by translucent, pale greenish fusion crust with fine contraction cracks.

Abundant large beige to white, coarse-grained clasts up to 8 cm across (some of which have been eroded out on exterior surfaces of the stone, likely by eolian sand blasting) and sparse black, vitreous clasts up to 2 cm across (containing irregular small white inclusions) are set in a dark gray to black, partially glassy breccia matrix.

One partially eroded clast exposed on an exterior surface contains both the coarse grained beige lithology and the more resistant black, vitreous lithology in sharp contact.

Petrography: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS) Almost monomict fragmental breccia dominated by Mg-suite olivine gabbro clasts consisting predominantly of coarse-grained (0.5-2 mm) calcic plagioclase, pigeonite (some with fine exsolution lamellae), and olivine with accessory merrillite, Mg-bearing ilmenite, Ti-bearing chromite, baddeleyite, rare zirconolite, silica polymorph, K-feldspar, kamacite, and troilite.

Some gabbro clasts have shock injection veins composed mostly of glass containing myriad fine troilite blebs and engulfed mineral fragments. Black, vitreous impact melt clasts consist of sporadic, small angular fragments (apparently surviving relics) of gabbro and related mineral phases in a very fine grained, non-vesicular, ophitic-textured matrix of pigeonite laths (up to 20 microns long × 2 microns wide) and interstitial plagioclase with tiny spherical grains of kamacite, irregular grains of schreibersite and rare troilite.

Geochemistry: Gabbro clasts: plagioclase (An96.1-98.0Or<0.1), pigeonite (Fs32.0-64.5Wo6.7-13.1; FeO/MnO = 51.1-62.0), olivine in different clasts range from Fa23.9-24.2, Fa40.4 to Fa58.8 (with FeO/MnO = 81-100), chromite [(Cr/(Cr + Al) = 0.737, Mg/(Mg + Fe) = 0.231, TiO2 = 5.9 wt%], ilmenite (4.1 wt% MgO). Bulk composition: (R. Korotev, WUSL) INAA of 6 subsamples gave mean values of 5.3 wt% FeO and 0.4 ppm Th.

Classification: Achondrite (lunar, feldspathic breccia). Specimens: A total of 40.2 g of sample, two polished mounts and one large polished thin section are on deposit at UWS. AHupé hold the main mass.

Submitted by: A. Irving, UWS.

Sewing my Hondahack components together to make Don't Break My Heart by Rain Rabbit

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My hack: a wearable proximity sensor, which allows traffic travelling behind cyclists to see via pulsating red/amber/green pulsating heart if they're travelling to close to the cyclist. I had to hurry to finish the functionality, so it's not so pretty - but I'm going to tidy it up. All told I made it in a evening and an afternoon, so that's not long to design, code and build an electronic wearable!

At hondahack weekend at the Guardian - hacks are all here: hacks.rewiredstate.org/events/power-of-minds

FF_Polymorph by Eye magazine

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Design by Stefanie Schwarz. See blog.eyemagazine.com/?p=70

伊藤氏原始觀音座蓮 Angiopteris itoi (W.C. Shieh) J.M. Camus by Jin-Yao Ong

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Angiopteris itoi (W.C. Shieh) J.M. Camus, Proc. Int. Symp. Pterid. (1988) 35. 1988 [1989].

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Synonyms:

Archangiopteris itoi W.C. Shieh, J. Jap. Bot. 45(6): 165, f. 2-3. 1970.

family Marattiaceae 合囊蕨科リュウビンタイ科

Chinese name: 伊藤氏原始觀音座蓮

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Endemic in Taiwan. Critically endangered species, very rare. Habitat in broadleaf forest (Knapp, 2011).

Distributed in Wulai (烏來) in New Taipei City, and Lianhuachi (or Lianhwachi, 蓮華池) in Nantou county. However, the Lianhuachi population was extinct, and the Wulai population only have about 18 individuals (Hsu et al., 2000).

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An cultivated individual at Yun Hsien Resort, Wulai area, New Taipei City, Taiwan. There is also the place which the native population has been found.

攝於台灣新北市烏來區雲仙樂園。

2013/07/29

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References:

1. Hsu, T.W., S.J. Moore, and T.Y Chiang (2000) Low RAPD polymorphism in Archangiopteris itoi, a rare and endemic fern in Taiwan. Bot. Bull. Acad. Sin. 41: 15-18.

2. Knapp,R. (2011) Ferns and fern allies of Taiwan. KBCC press and Yuan-Liou publishing, Taipei, Taiwan.

3. 郭城孟 (2001) 蕨類圖鑒1基礎常見篇. 遠流出版事業股份有限公司, 台北.

4. Flora of Taiwan, 2nd ed.: tai2.ntu.edu.tw/ebook/ebookpage.php?volume=1&book=Fl....

5. Plants of Taiwan: tai2.ntu.edu.tw/PlantInfo/species-name.php?code=107%20002...

6. Tropicos: www.tropicos.org/Name/50050352

Columnar-jointed rhyolitic obsidian lava flow (Roaring Mountain Member, Plateau Rhyolite, Upper Pleistocene, ~59 ka; Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone, Wyoming, USA) 22 by James St. John

Obsidian in the Pleistocene of Wyoming, USA.

Obsidian is a glassy-textured, extrusive igneous rock. Glassy-textured rocks have no crystals at all. They form by very rapid cooling of lava or by cooling of high-viscosity lava. Most obsidians form by the latter. Obsidian can be felsic, intermediate, mafic, or alkaline in chemistry. Most are felsic to intermediate.

A famous locality in North America is Obsidian Cliff at Yellowstone, Wyoming. It is a Pleistocene-aged lava flow with the chemistry of rhyolite (= a light-colored, felsic, aphanitic, extrusive igneous rock). The cliff itself shows columnar jointing, which formed by cooling and contraction. The rocks principally range from black-colored, aphyric rhyolitic obsidian to partially devitrified rhyolitic obsidian. Lithophysae are sometimes present. Extremely small, microscopic crystals are present - they can be seen in thin sections. Some samples are reported to have small olivine phenocrysts. Small clusters of crystals, composed of plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene, and olivine, are sometimes present.

Many of the whitish-colored spots and bands running through most Obsidian Cliff rock samples are areas of devitrification. Glass is unstable on geologic times scales and it slowly crystallizes. The light-colored spots and bands are now non-glassy. Spotted, partially devitrified obsidian is known by the rockhound term "snowflake obsidian" (see: www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/16561606417). The spots are composed of silica (SiO2), but are not quartz. Rather, they are composed of a polymorph of quartz - cristobalite.

Why does Obsidian Cliff here not look black and glassy? The rocks are weathered, partially devitrified, and considerably lichen-covered. Classic, black, glassy obsidian can be seen in some of the boulders along the road.

Stratigraphy: Roaring Mountain Member, Plateau Rhyolite, Upper Pleistocene, ~59 ka

Locality: Obsidian Cliff, eastern edge of Obsidian Creek Valley, Yellowstone National Park, northwestern Wyoming, USA

----------------------

Age & some lithologic info. from:

Wooton (2010) - Age and Petrogenesis of the Roaring Mountain Rhyolites, Yellowstone Volcanic Field, Wyoming. M.S. thesis. University of Nevada at Las Vegas. 296 pp.

Kythyrallas of Clan Grunalf by Eric Kesler

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Elf Lady 1,205,000 XP

Kythyrallas of Clan Grunalf was banished from the Kingdom of Alfheim for attempting to assassinate General Gilfronden Erendyl, Alfheim's supreme military leader. She has her reasons

Considered paranoid by other elves, Kyth, as her friends call her, recalls how the Shadow Elves once corrupted her beloved Canolbarth Forest, creating the nightmare that was Aengmor. She was part of the Army of Elven Exiles that invaded the Southern Continent. Only by restoring the first Tree of Life were the elves able to undue the evil enchantment. While a party of adventurers accomplished this mission, the Army of Elven Exiles conquered the forces of Moorkroft.

Once the Canolbarth Forest was magically restored to its former glory, the Army of Elven Exiles, assisted by the Legions of the Republic of Darokin, drove out the Elves of Shadow. This is when Kythrallas Grunalf met Sargent Castor Copperman and the Order of the Red Axe.

Since then, Kythyrallas has vigilantly thwarted a number of plots involving the followers of Rafiel. This was before her exile.

AC -8 vs first 2 H /-5 (chain mail +4, shield +4) or -3 vs first 2 H/ -1 (chain mail +4)*; E10 attack rank E; hp 60; #AT 1 elven blade (bastard sword) or spell; D P=1d8+10, S=1d6+9 or P=1d10+10, S=1d8+9** Move 120' (40'); Save E10**; ML 10; AL N; S 16; I 13; W 10; D 13; C 10; Ch 10; THAC0 3 with elven blade vs H/ 5 with elven blade vs M/ 9***

*AC changes when Kythyrallas opts to wield her elven blade with two hands. Dexterity Bonus is included.

**Damage changes when Kythyrallas opts to wield her elven blade with two hands. Strength Bonus is included.

***Weapon Mastery and Strength Bonus is included.

Fighter Combat Options

Multiple Attacks: In melee combat, if this character can hit an opponent with an attack roll of 2 (modified by all bonuses), they can make two attacks per round against that target.

Smash: With this hand-to-hand maneuver, the character automatically loses initiative and takes -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, the character adds his Strength bonus, magic bonuses, and his entire Strength score to his weapon's normal damage.

Parry: With this maneuver, the character does not make any attack roll. Instead, he blocks incoming attacks for the entire combat round; all enemies attacking him suffer a -4 penalty to hit him with melee and thrown weapons.

Disarm: With this hand-to-hand maneuver, the character gets his normal Strength and magic adjustments to his attack roll. If the attack hits, no damage is inflicted. Instead, the victim rolls 1d20, minus his Dexterity bonuses, plus his attacker's Dexterity bonuses. If the final roll is greater than the victim's Dexterity score, the victim drops his weapon.

Weapon Mastery

Elven Blade, Used 1 Hand [P=H]

Level: M; Range: n/a; Damage: P=1d8+8, S=1d6+7; Defense: H: -3 AC/2; Special Effect: Deflect (1)

Elven Blade, Used 2 Hand [P=H]

Level: M; Range: -/-/5; Damage: P=1d10+8, S=1d8+7; Defense: H: -2 AC/2; Special Effect: Deflect (2)

The Elven Blade, Used 2 Hand is a two-handed weapon. Per house rule, roll 1d4 for personal initiative.

General Skills

Alertness, Detect Secret Doors, Hide (forest/jungle), Nature Lore, Riding (Land Based), Spot Concealed Items, Survival (forest/jungle), Tracking, Tree Walking

Detect Secret Doors: This skill is taught in dwarven communities, but is only really common amongst elves. All characters have a base 1 in 6 chance of locating a secret door. This skill indicates that the character is aware of the telltale signs to look for. A turn spent searching and a successful skill check will reveal to the character if any secret doors are located within a 10’ area.

Spot Concealed Items: A turn spent searching and a successful skill check will reveal to the character if an item is concealed within a 10’ area. This skill may be used to spot a thief attempting to hide in shadows. For every 5 percentiles the thief made their hide in shadows roll, penalize the spot concealed item roll by - 1. If attempting to spot a character concealed by an elven cloak, the skill check is penalized by -5.

Tree walking: This skill is available only in elven communities. This is the skill of staying aloft in trees, transferring from one closely set tree to another at normal movement rates, and working and fighting from a tree branch.

The skill roll is only necessary if the tree is storm tossed, or the character is fighting or performing some other complex task while trying to move on a tree limb. (GAZ #5)

Languages

Alphatian, Thyatian, Elf, Gnoll, Goblin, Orc

Elf Abilities

Elves have infravision in addition to normal vision and can see 60' in the dark.

All elves are naturally immune to the paralyzingly attack of ghouls.

Spells Memorized

First Level - Charm Person, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Magic Missile x2

Second Level - ESP, Invisibility, Phantasmal Force, Web

Third Level - Fly, Haste, Hold Person

Fourth Level - Polymorph Self, Wizard Eye

Fifth Level - Teleport

No. 1/56: Blaze a Trail by Matthew Wells

The 56 Full Sized Morphs Are:

The 23 Mini Morphs Are:

Moon dust - from NWA 5000 Meteorite by Mark Mathosian

Moon dust from Hupe collection