New localities of rare species of the genus Microbotryum

Microbotryum bistortum, M. dianthorum, M. superbum and M. langerheimii, rare species of smut fungi are reported from new localities in Poland, mostly in protected areas. Dianthus superbus subsp. superbus is a new host for M. superbum observed. Taxonomical status of M. carthusianorum and M. superbum is discussed in the paper

Low-temperature behavior of the O(N)O(N) models below two dimensions

We investigate the critical behavior and the nature of the low-temperature phase of the $O(N)$ models treating the number of field components $N$ and the dimension $d$ as continuous variables with a focus on the $d\leq 2$ and $N\leq 2$ quadrant of the $(d,N)$ plane. We precisely chart a region of the $(d,N)$ plane where the low-temperature phase is characterized by an algebraic correlation function decay similar to that of the Kosterlitz-Thouless phase but with a temperature-independent anomalous dimension $\eta$. We revisit the Cardy-Hamber analysis leading to a prediction concerning the nonanalytic behavior of the $O(N)$ models' critical exponents and emphasize the previously not broadly appreciated consequences of this approach in $d<2$. In particular, we discuss how this framework leads to destabilization of the long-range order in favour of the quasi long-range order in systems with $d<2$ and $N<2$. Subsequently, within a scheme of the nonperturbative renormalization group we identify the low-temperature fixed points controlling the quasi long-range ordered phase and demonstrate a collision between the critical and the low-temperature fixed points upon approaching the lower critical dimension. We evaluate the critical exponents $\eta(d,N)$ and $\nu^{-1}(d,N)$ and demonstrate a very good agreement between the predictions of the Cardy-Hamber type analysis and the nonperturbative renormalization group in $d<2$.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, 1 tabl

Zasmidium cellare in Poland

orphology and Polish localities of Zasmidium cellare (Pers.) Fr. are presented. The appropriate name of the fungus is discussed

Too young for tinder? The palaeoecological context and possible function of subfossil fungi (basidiomes) found in the settlement from the Early Iron Age in Podłęże, S Poland

Two well-preserved fungal remains (basidiomes of polypores Fomes fomentarius and Fomitopsis pinicola) were found in a fossil peatbog in Podłę ̇ze, near Krak ́ow (S Poland), in the context of culture layers dated to the Early Iron Age (mid-1st millennium BCE). Their context, age, and the cause of their occurrence in peat, which is exceptional, are discussed. Due to the location on the outskirts of an inhabited prehistoric settlement and because of the traces of detachment of the upper part in the Fomes fomentarius basidiocarp, we argue for their deposition in the peat layer via a human action. The host trees, however, could have grown in situ, since a drainage episode enabled the peatbog to be overgrown by sparse riparian forest at the onset of the Subatlantic. The possible use of the F. fomentarius fragment as tinder is discussed against the limited evidence of such use from later European prehistory

Timber transported to Antarctica : a potential and undesirable carrier for alien fungi and insects

Antarctica's severe climate and its geographical isolation are the factors that hinder the arrival of non-native species by natural means. However, the movement of people and cargo associated with national scientific programs and tourism render Antarctica much more accessible to exotic organisms. Both the transport routes and carriers are varied. The wide range of uses to which timber is put means that it is readily freighted to Antarctic stations. However, it can harbor numerous alien organisms. All the timber materials transported to the "Arctowski" station for the 32nd Polish Antarctic Expedition in the 2007/2008 season were scanned as a potential vector for alien species. This study focuses on the non-lichenized fungi and insects which were found on the timber. Four species of perithecia-forming Ascomycota, five species of corticioid and polyporoid Basidiomycota, four unidentified basidiomycetes taxa in form of sterile mycelia, and two insects belonging to Cerambycidae, were detected. Most of these "hitch-hikers" were connected with the untreated parts of the timber. Their enduring survival in harsh Antarctic conditions is regarded as highly improbable. Nevertheless, some ascocarps frequently contained vital spores, and live insect larvae and imago were found in hibernation. The results also emphasize that such organisms can be accidentally transported to Antarctica and that the elementary rules for the eventual safe transport of non-infected goods should be obeyed and respected

Microfungi of Carpinus betulus from Poland. I. Annotated list of microfungi

The compiled microfungi list comprises 115 taxons noted in Poland, of them, 28 parasitic. 10 species of microfungi were host specialized (exclusive, or partially exclusive for hornbeam)

Halotolerance (ionic NaCl) and chaotolerance (ionic MgCl2) of the human pathogen Wallemia mellicola isolated, for the first time, from indoor air in Poland

We isolated the human pathogen Wallemia mellicola from the class Wallemiomycetes for the first time in Poland. The fungus was isolated from indoor dust in Cracow. The strain belonged to the genus Wallemia, as confirmed by molecular methods (i.e., ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 nrDNA sequencing). We compared the halotolerance and chaotolerance of W. mellicola to other those of halotolerant fungi (Talaromyces diversus and Aureobasidium pullulans) isolated from an anchialine cave. The W. mellicola strain tolerated up to 20% NaCl and up to 15% MgCl2. As the concentration of NaCl in the culture medium increased, the colony diameter of W. mellicola decreased slightly. Dose–response curves for the two reference fungi T. diversus and A. pullulans revealed much lower tolerance of these fungi to increasing concentrations of NaCl. Our results indicated that W. mellicola is an advanced kosmotrope that is distinctly adapted to saline environments

Z4\mathbb{Z}_4-symmetric perturbations to the XY model from functional renormalization

We employ the second order of the derivative expansion of the nonperturbative renormalization group to study cubic ($\mathbb{Z}_4$-symmetric) perturbations to the classical $XY$ model in dimensionality $d\in [2,4]$. In $d=3$ we provide accurate estimates of the eigenvalue $y_4$ corresponding to the leading irrelevant perturbation and follow the evolution of the physical picture upon reducing spatial dimensionality from $d=3$ towards $d=2$, where we approximately recover the onset of the Kosterlitz-Thouless physics. We analyze the interplay between the leading irrelevant eigenvalues related to $O(2)$-symmetric and $\mathbb{Z}_4$-symmetric perturbations and their approximate collapse for $d\to 2$. We compare and discuss different implementations of the derivative expansion in cases involving one and two invariants of the corresponding symmetry group.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure