A new species of bird’s nest fungi: characterisation of Cyathus subglobisporus sp. nov. based on morphological and molecular data

Recent collections of bird’s nest fungi (i.e. Crucibulum, Cyathus, Mycocalia, Nidula, and Nidularia species) in northern Thailand resulted in the discovery of a new species of Cyathus, herein described as C. subglobisporus. This species is distinct by a combination of ivory-coloured fruiting bodies covered with shaggy hairs, plications on the inner surface of the peridium and subglobose basidiospores. Phylogenetic analyses based on ITS and LSU ribosomal DNA sequences using neighbour-joining, maximum likelihood and weighted maximum parsimony support Cyathus subglobisporus as a distinct species and sister to a clade containing C. annulatus, C. renweii and C. stercoreus in the Striatum group

Beliefs and Self-Efficacy of Parents of Young Children with Hearing Loss

The purpose of this study was to learn more about the beliefs and self-efficacy of parents of young children with hearing loss. Seventy-two parents completed the Scale of Parental Involvement and Self-Efficacy - Revised (SPISE-R), which queries parents about their child’s hearing device use and their perceptions of their own beliefs, knowledge, confidence, and actions pertaining to supporting their child’s auditory access and spoken language development. Two beliefs were identified that related to parents’ action scores and one belief was identified that related to children’s hearing device use. Knowledge and confidence scores were significantly correlated with action scores and children’s hearing device use, whereas only confidence scores were related to scores on a measure of children’s spoken language abilities. Results indicate the SPISE-R is a promising tool for use in early intervention to better understand parents’ strengths and needs pertaining to supporting their young child’s auditory access and spoken language development

Six simple guidelines for introducing new genera of fungi

We formulate five guidelines for introducing new genera, plus one recommendation how to publish the results of scientific research. We recommend that reviewers and editors adhere to these guidelines. We propose that the underlying research is solid, and that the results and the final solutions are properly discussed. The six criteria are: (1) all genera that are recognized should be monophyletic; (2) the coverage of the phylogenetic tree should be wide in number of species, geographic coverage, and type species of the genera under study; (3) the branching of the phylogenetic trees has to have sufficient statistical support; (4) different options for the translation of the phylogenetic tree into a formal classification should be discussed and the final decision justified; (5) the phylogenetic evidence should be based on more than one gene; and (6) all supporting evidence and background information should be included in the publication in which the new taxa are proposed, and this publication should be peer-reviewed

Cytological and transcript analyses reveal fat and lazy persister-like bacilli in tuberculous sputum

As nonreplicating tubercle bacilli are tolerant to the cidal action of antibiotics and resistant to multiple stresses, identification of this persister-like population of tubercle bacilli in sputum presents exciting and tractable new opportunities to investigate both responses to chemotherapy and the transmission of tuberculosis

Megaphylogeny resolves global patterns of mushroom evolution

Mushroom-forming fungi (Agaricomycetes) have the greatest morphological diversity and complexity of any group of fungi. They have radiated into most niches and fulfil diverse roles in the ecosystem, including wood decomposers, pathogens or mycorrhizal mutualists. Despite the importance of mushroom-forming fungi, large-scale patterns of their evolutionary history are poorly known, in part due to the lack of a comprehensive and dated molecular phylogeny. Here, using multigene and genome-based data, we assemble a 5,284-species phylogenetic tree and infer ages and broad patterns of speciation/extinction and morphological innovation in mushroom-forming fungi. Agaricomycetes started a rapid class-wide radiation in the Jurassic, coinciding with the spread of (sub)tropical coniferous forests and a warming climate. A possible mass extinction, several clade-specific adaptive radiations and morphological diversification of fruiting bodies followed during the Cretaceous and the Paleogene, convergently giving rise to the classic toadstool morphology, with a cap, stalk and gills (pileate-stipitate morphology). This morphology is associated with increased rates of lineage diversification, suggesting it represents a key innovation in the evolution of mushroom-forming fungi. The increase in mushroom diversity started during the Mesozoic-Cenozoic radiation event, an era of humid climate when terrestrial communities dominated by gymnosperms and reptiles were also expanding.Fil: Varga, Torda. Hungarian Academy Of Sciences; HungríaFil: Krizsán, Krisztina. Hungarian Academy Of Sciences; HungríaFil: Földi, Csenge. Hungarian Academy Of Sciences; HungríaFil: Dima, Bálint. Eötvös Loránd University; HungríaFil: Sánchez-García, Marisol. Clark University; Estados UnidosFil: Lechner, Bernardo Ernesto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Micología y Botánica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Micología y Botánica; ArgentinaFil: Sánchez-Ramírez, Santiago. University of Toronto; CanadáFil: Szöllosi, Gergely J.. Eötvös Loránd University; HungríaFil: Szarkándi, János G.. University Of Szeged; HungríaFil: Papp, Viktor. Szent István University; HungríaFil: Albert, László. Hungarian Mycological Society; HungríaFil: Andreopoulos, William. United States Department Of Energy. Joint Genome Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Angelini, Claudio. Jardin Botanico Nacional Ma. Moscoso; República DominicanaFil: Antonín, Vladimír. Moravian Museum; República ChecaFil: Barry, Kerrie W.. United States Department Of Energy. Joint Genome Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Bougher, Neale L.. Western Australian Herbarium; AustraliaFil: Buchanan, Peter. Manaaki Whenua-landcare Research; Nueva ZelandaFil: Buyck, Bart. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; FranciaFil: Bense, Viktória. Hungarian Academy Of Sciences; HungríaFil: Catcheside, Pam. State Herbarium Of South Australia; AustraliaFil: Chovatia, Mansi. United States Department Of Energy. Joint Genome Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Cooper, Jerry. Manaaki Whenua-landcare Research; Nueva ZelandaFil: Dämon, Wolfgang. Oberfeldstrasse 9; AustriaFil: Desjardin, Dennis. San Francisco State University; Estados UnidosFil: Finy, Péter. Zsombolyai U. 56.; HungríaFil: Geml, József. Naturalis Biodiversity Center; Países BajosFil: Haridas, Sajeet. United States Department Of Energy. Joint Genome Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Hughes, Karen. University of Tennessee; Estados UnidosFil: Justo, Alfredo. Clark University; Estados UnidosFil: Karasinski, Dariusz. Polish Academy of Sciences; Poloni

Circulating microRNAs in sera correlate with soluble biomarkers of immune activation but do not predict mortality in ART treated individuals with HIV-1 infection: A case control study

Introduction: The use of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has dramatically reduced HIV-1 associated morbidity and mortality. However, HIV-1 infected individuals have increased rates of morbidity and mortality compared to the non-HIV-1 infected population and this appears to be related to end-organ diseases collectively referred to as Serious Non-AIDS Events (SNAEs). Circulating miRNAs are reported as promising biomarkers for a number of human disease conditions including those that constitute SNAEs. Our study sought to investigate the potential of selected miRNAs in predicting mortality in HIV-1 infected ART treated individuals. Materials and Methods: A set of miRNAs was chosen based on published associations with human disease conditions that constitute SNAEs. This case: control study compared 126 cases (individuals who died whilst on therapy), and 247 matched controls (individuals who remained alive). Cases and controls were ART treated participants of two pivotal HIV-1 trials. The relative abundance of each miRNA in serum was measured, by RTqPCR. Associations with mortality (all-cause, cardiovascular and malignancy) were assessed by logistic regression analysis. Correlations between miRNAs and CD4+ T cell count, hs-CRP, IL-6 and D-dimer were also assessed. Results: None of the selected miRNAs was associated with all-cause, cardiovascular or malignancy mortality. The levels of three miRNAs (miRs -21, -122 and -200a) correlated with IL-6 while miR-21 also correlated with D-dimer. Additionally, the abundance of miRs -31, -150 and -223, correlated with baseline CD4+ T cell count while the same three miRNAs plus miR- 145 correlated with nadir CD4+ T cell count. Discussion: No associations with mortality were found with any circulating miRNA studied. These results cast doubt onto the effectiveness of circulating miRNA as early predictors of mortality or the major underlying diseases that contribute to mortality in participants treated for HIV-1 infection