Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

[Purpose]: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. [Methods]: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015.Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years,65 to 80 years,and ≥ 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. [Results]: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 ≥ 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients ≥80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%,65 years; 20.5%,65-79 years; 31.3%,≥80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%,<65 years;30.1%,65-79 years;34.7%,≥80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%,≥80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age ≥ 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI ≥ 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88),and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared,the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. [Conclusion]: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age ≥ 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI),and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group

Isolation and Structural Characterization of Bioactive Molecules on Prostate Cancer from Mayan Traditional Medicinal Plants

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men around the world. It is a complex and heterogeneous disease in which androgens and their receptors play a crucial role in the progression and development. The current treatment for prostate cancer is a combination of surgery, hormone therapy, radiation and chemotherapy. Therapeutic agents commonly used in the clinic include steroidal and non-steroidal anti-androgens, such as cyproterone acetate, bicalutamide and enzalutamide. These few agents have multiple adverse effects and are not 100% effective. Several plant compounds and mixtures, including grape seed polyphenol extracts, lycopene and tomato preparations, soy isoflavones, and green tea extracts, have been shown to be effective against prostate cancer cell growth. In vivo activity of some isolated compounds like capsaicin and curcumin was reported in prostate cancer murine models. We prepared a library of plant extracts from traditional Mayan medicine. These plants were selected for their use in the contemporaneous Mayan communities for the treatment of different diseases. The extracts were assessed in a phenotypic screening using LNCaP prostate cancer androgen sensitive cell line, with a fixed dose of 25 &mu;g/mL. MTT assay identified seven out of ten plants with interesting anti-neoplastic activity. Extracts from these plants were subjected to a bioguided fractionation to study their major components. We identified three compounds with anti-neoplastic effects against LNCaP cells, one of which shows selectivity for neoplastic compared to benign cells

The Influence of Drying Temperatures on the Metabolic Profiles and Antioxidant Activity of Manilkara zapota Leaves

In the present study, the leaves of Manilkara zapota (L.) P. Royen (Sapotaceae), an evergreen tree recognized for its medicinal properties in Southern Mexico, were used as a model to study the effect of different drying temperatures on its metabolic profile and therefore, its antioxidant potential. For this purpose, a methanol extraction of leaves dried at room temperature (25 &deg;C) or by heat convection (50, 75 and 100 &deg;C) were compared in terms of drying efficiency, yield of extraction, total phenol content, 1H-NMR metabolic profile, and DPPH antioxidant activity. The drying curves enabled the fact to be uncovered that drying efficiency improves with increase of temperature, as does the level of total phenols and antioxidant activity. A metabolomics approach using principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) of the corresponding 1H-NMR profiles allowed the impact of the drying temperature on their metabolic profile to be documented and also, caffeic acid and epicatechin as main secondary metabolites contributing to the antioxidant activity of M. zapota to be identified

Phenotypic and Target-Directed Screening Yields New Acaricidal Alternatives for the Control of Ticks

Rhipicephalus microplus, the “common cattle tick”, is the most important ectoparasite in livestock worldwide due to the economic and health losses it produces. This tick is a vector for pathogens of several tick-borne diseases. In Latin American countries, damages reach approximately USD 500 million annually due to tick infections, as well as tick-borne diseases. Currently, resistant populations for every chemical group of acaricides have been reported, posing a serious problem for tick control. This study aims to find new alternatives for controlling resistant ticks with compounds derived from small synthetic organic molecules and natural origins. Using BME26 embryonic cells, we performed phenotypic screening of 44 natural extracts from 10 Mexican plants used in traditional medicine, and 33 compounds selected from our chemical collection. We found 10 extracts and 13 compounds that inhibited cell growth by 50% at 50 µg/mL and 100 µM, respectively; the dose-response profile of two of them was characterized, and these compounds were assayed in vitro against different life stages of Rhipicephalus microplus. We also performed a target-directed screening of the activity of triosephosphate isomerase, using 86 compounds selected from our chemical collection. In this collection, we found the most potent and selective inhibitor of tick triosephosphate isomerase reported until now. Two other compounds had a potent acaricidal effect in vitro using adults and larvae when compared with other acaricides such as ivermectin and Amitraz. Those compounds were also selective to the ticks compared with the cytotoxicity in mammalian cells like macrophages or bovine spermatozoids. They also had a good toxicological profile, resulting in promising acaricidal compounds for tick control in cattle raising

Pre-Germinative Treatments and Morphophysiological Traits in Enterolobium cyclocarpum and Piscidia piscipula (Fabaceae) from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Enterolobium cyclocarpum and Piscidia piscipula are two important tree Fabaceae species distributed from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Our aims were focused on the E. cyclocarpum and P. piscipula seeds for: (1) to examine the seed permeability and imbibition rate, (2) to evaluate the effect of seed pre-germinative treatments, and (3) to characterize the structures involved on the presence of physical dormancy (PY). We used fresh seeds to determine seed permeability and imbibition rate, seed viability by means of tetrazolium test, furthermore, we applied mechanical scarification and boiler shocks for 5 s, 10 s and 15 s treatments. Morphological characterization of the seed coat was by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Seed viability in E. cyclocarpum and P. piscipula were 100% and 96%, respectively. Seed permeability and imbibition rate in E. cyclocarpum were low. The highest germination in E. cyclocarpum was in the mechanical scarification (92%), while in P. piscipula, this parameter was in the 10 s boiling water treatment (76.0%). The presence of PY was confirmed in both species because they showed low seed permeability, and imbibition rate; furthermore, exhibited macrosclereids cells. The present research seeks to promote the sustainable use of E. cyclocarpum and P. piscipula

Toward Tumor Fight and Tumor Microenvironment Remodeling: PBA Induces Cell Cycle Arrest and Reduces Tumor Hybrid Cells' Pluripotency in Bladder Cancer.

Bladder cancer (BC) is the second most frequent cancer of the genitourinary system. The most successful therapy since the 1970s has consisted of intravesical instillations of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) in which the tumor microenvironment (TME), including macrophages, plays an important role. However, some patients cannot be treated with this therapy due to comorbidities and severe inflammatory side effects. The overexpression of histone deacetylases (HDACs) in BC has been correlated with macrophage polarization together with higher tumor grades and poor prognosis. Herein we demonstrated that phenylbutyrate acid (PBA), a HDAC inhibitor, acts as an antitumoral compound and immunomodulator. In BC cell lines, PBA induced significant cell cycle arrest in G1, reduced stemness markers and increased PD-L1 expression with a corresponding reduction in histone 3 and 4 acetylation patterns. Concerning its role as an immunomodulator, we found that PBA reduced macrophage IL-6 and IL-10 production as well as CD14 downregulation and the upregulation of both PD-L1 and IL-1β. Along this line, PBA showed a reduction in IL-4-induced M2 polarization in human macrophages. In co-cultures of BC cell lines with human macrophages, a double-positive myeloid-tumoral hybrid population (CD11b+EPCAM+) was detected after 48 h, which indicates BC cell-macrophage fusions known as tumor hybrid cells (THC). These THC were characterized by high PD-L1 and stemness markers (SOX2, NANOG, miR-302) as compared with non-fused (CD11b-EPCAM+) cancer cells. Eventually, PBA reduced stemness markers along with BMP4 and IL-10. Our data indicate that PBA could have beneficial properties for BC management, affecting not only tumor cells but also the TME

Global variation in postoperative mortality and complications after cancer surgery: a multicentre, prospective cohort study in 82 countries

Background: 80% of individuals with cancer will require a surgical procedure, yet little comparative data exist on early outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared postoperative outcomes in breast, colorectal, and gastric cancer surgery in hospitals worldwide, focusing on the effect of disease stage and complications on postoperative mortality. Methods: This was a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients undergoing surgery for primary breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer requiring a skin incision done under general or neuraxial anaesthesia. The primary outcome was death or major complication within 30 days of surgery. Multilevel logistic regression determined relationships within three-level nested models of patients within hospitals and countries. Hospital-level infrastructure effects were explored with three-way mediation analyses. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03471494. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and Jan 31, 2019, we enrolled 15 958 patients from 428 hospitals in 82 countries (high income 9106 patients, 31 countries; upper-middle income 2721 patients, 23 countries; or lower-middle income 4131 patients, 28 countries). Patients in LMICs presented with more advanced disease compared with patients in high-income countries. 30-day mortality was higher for gastric cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 3·72, 95% CI 1·70–8·16) and for colorectal cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (4·59, 2·39–8·80) and upper-middle-income countries (2·06, 1·11–3·83). No difference in 30-day mortality was seen in breast cancer. The proportion of patients who died after a major complication was greatest in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (6·15, 3·26–11·59) and upper-middle-income countries (3·89, 2·08–7·29). Postoperative death after complications was partly explained by patient factors (60%) and partly by hospital or country (40%). The absence of consistently available postoperative care facilities was associated with seven to 10 more deaths per 100 major complications in LMICs. Cancer stage alone explained little of the early variation in mortality or postoperative complications. Interpretation: Higher levels of mortality after cancer surgery in LMICs was not fully explained by later presentation of disease. The capacity to rescue patients from surgical complications is a tangible opportunity for meaningful intervention. Early death after cancer surgery might be reduced by policies focusing on strengthening perioperative care systems to detect and intervene in common complications. Funding: National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit

Considerations and consequences of allowing DNA sequence data as types of fungal taxa

Nomenclatural type definitions are one of the most important concepts in biological nomenclature. Being physical objects that can be re-studied by other researchers, types permanently link taxonomy (an artificial agreement to classify biological diversity) with nomenclature (an artificial agreement to name biological diversity). Two proposals to amend the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN), allowing DNA sequences alone (of any region and extent) to serve as types of taxon names for voucherless fungi (mainly putative taxa from environmental DNA sequences), have been submitted to be voted on at the 11th International Mycological Congress (Puerto Rico, July 2018). We consider various genetic processes affecting the distribution of alleles among taxa and find that alleles may not consistently and uniquely represent the species within which they are contained. Should the proposals be accepted, the meaning of nomenclatural types would change in a fundamental way from physical objects as sources of data to the data themselves. Such changes are conducive to irreproducible science, the potential typification on artefactual data, and massive creation of names with low information content, ultimately causing nomenclatural instability and unnecessary work for future researchers that would stall future explorations of fungal diversity. We conclude that the acceptance of DNA sequences alone as types of names of taxa, under the terms used in the current proposals, is unnecessary and would not solve the problem of naming putative taxa known only from DNA sequences in a scientifically defensible way. As an alternative, we highlight the use of formulas for naming putative taxa (candidate taxa) that do not require any modification of the ICN.Peer reviewe

Considerations and consequences of allowing DNA sequence data as types of fungal taxa

Abstract Nomenclatural type definitions are one of the most important concepts in biological nomenclature. Being physical objects that can be re-studied by other researchers, types permanently link taxonomy (an artificial agreement to classify biological diversity) with nomenclature (an artificial agreement to name biological diversity). Two proposals to amend the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN), allowing DNA sequences alone (of any region and extent) to serve as types of taxon names for voucherless fungi (mainly putative taxa from environmental DNA sequences), have been submitted to be voted on at the 11th International Mycological Congress (Puerto Rico, July 2018). We consider various genetic processes affecting the distribution of alleles among taxa and find that alleles may not consistently and uniquely represent the species within which they are contained. Should the proposals be accepted, the meaning of nomenclatural types would change in a fundamental way from physical objects as sources of data to the data themselves. Such changes are conducive to irreproducible science, the potential typification on artefactual data, and massive creation of names with low information content, ultimately causing nomenclatural instability and unnecessary work for future researchers that would stall future explorations of fungal diversity. We conclude that the acceptance of DNA sequences alone as types of names of taxa, under the terms used in the current proposals, is unnecessary and would not solve the problem of naming putative taxa known only from DNA sequences in a scientifically defensible way. As an alternative, we highlight the use of formulas for naming putative taxa (candidate taxa) that do not require any modification of the ICN.Publisher’s Note A first version of this text was prepared by the first eight authors and the last one, given here. The other listed co-authors in the article PDF support the content, and their actual contributions varied from only support to additions that substantially improved the content. The full details of all co-authors, with their affiliations, are included in Supplementary Table 1 after p.175 of the article for reasons of clarity and space. Slavomír Adamčík Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 23 Bratislava, Slovakia Teuvo Ahti Finnish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 7, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland M. Catherine Aime Purdue University, 915 W. State St., West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, U.S.A. A. Martyn Ainsworth Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AB, United Kingdom László Albert Hungarian Mycological Society, 1087 Könyves Kálmán krt. 40, Budapest, Hungary Edgardo Albertó Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús, Universidad Nacional de San Martin-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina Alberto Altés García Facultad de Biología, Ciencias Ambientales y Química, Universidad de Alcalá, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain Dmitry Ageev SIGNATEC Ltd., 630090, Novosibirsk, Akademgorodok (Novosibirsk Scientific Center), Inzhenernaya str., 22, Russia Reinhard Agerer Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Menzinger Str. 67, 80638 München, Germany Begona Aguirre-Hudson Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AB, United Kingdom Joe Ammirati University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1800, U.S.A. Harry Andersson Eichhahnweg 29a, 38108 Braunschweig, Germany Claudio Angelini Jardín Botánico Nacional Dr. Rafael Ma. Moscoso, Apartado 21-9, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Vladimír Antonín Moravian Museum, Zeny trh 6, 659 37 Brno, Czech Republic Takayuki Aoki Genetic Resources Center, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, 2-1-2 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8602, Japan André Aptroot ABL Herbarium, G.v.d.Veenstraat 107, 3762 XK Soest, The Netherlands Didier Argaud 40 rue du Justemont, 57290 Fameck, France Blanca Imelda Arguello Sosa Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Victoria, Tecnológico Nacional de México, Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico Arne Aronsen Torødveien 54, 3135 Torød, Norway Ulf Arup Biological Museum, Lund University, Box 117, 221 00 Lund, Sweden Bita Asgari Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran Boris Assyov Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Str., 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria Violeta Atienza Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universitat de València, C/Dr Moliner 50, 46100, Burjasot, Valencia, Spain Ditte Bandini Panoramastr 47, 69257 Wiesenbach, Germany João Luís Baptista-Ferreira Instituto de Biossistemas e Ciências Integrativas, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal Hans-Otto Baral Blaihofstr. 42, 72074 Tübingen, Germany Tim Baroni The State University of New York, 340 Bowers Hall, P.O. Box 2000, Cortland, New York 13045, U.S.A. Robert Weingart Barreto Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-000, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil Henry Beker (1) Royal Holloway, University of London, United Kingdom; (2) Botanic Garden Meise, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise, Belgium Ann Bell 45 Gurney Road, Lower Hutt, New Zealand Jean-Michel Bellanger CEFE UMR5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, EPHE, INSERM, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cédex 5, France Francesco Bellù Naturmusem of Bolzano, CP 104, 39100, Bolzano, Italy Martin Bemmann Kleingemünderstraße 111, 69118 Heidelberg, Germany Mika Bendiksby NTNU, University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway Egil Bendiksen Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Gaustadalleen 21, 0349 Oslo, Norway Katriina Bendiksen Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1172 Blindern, 0318 Oslo, Norway Lajos Benedek Szent Istvan University, Hungary Anna Bérešová-Guttová Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 23 Bratislava, Slovakia Franz Berger University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria Reinhard Berndt Herbaria Z+ZT, ETH Zürich, CHN D37, Universitätstr. 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland Annarosa Bernicchia Via A. Guidotti 39, 40134 Bologna, Italy Alona Yu. Biketova Institute of Biochemistry, BRC-HAS, 6726 Szeged, Temesvari krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary Enrico Bizio Società Veneziana di Micologia, Società Veneziana di Scienze Naturali, Fontego dei Turchi, Santa Croce 1730, 30135 Venice, Italy Curtis Bjork UBC Herbarium, Beaty Biodiversity Museum, University of British Columbia, Canada Teun Boekhout (1) Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, P.O. Box 85167, 3508 AD, Utrecht, The Netherlands; (2) Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands David Boertmann Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark Tanja Böhning AG Geobotanik Schleswig-Holstein &amp; Hamburg, c/o University of Kiel, Olshausenstraße 75, 24098 Kiel, Germany Florent Boittin Ascomycete.org, 36 rue de la Garde, 69005 Lyon, France Carlos G. Boluda Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève, 1292 Genève, Switzerland Menno W. Boomsluiter T.v.Lohuizenstraat 34, 8172xl, Vaassen, The Netherlands Jan Borovička Institute of Geology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojova 269, 165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic Tor Erik Brandrud Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Gaustadalleen 21, 0349 Oslo, Norway Uwe Braun Martin-Luther-Universität, Institut für Biologie, Bereich Geobotanik, und Botanischer Garten, Herbarium, Neuwerk 21, 06099 Halle, Germany Irwin Brodo Canadian Museum of Nature, 240 McLeod Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Tatiana Bulyonkova A.P. Ershov Institute of Informatics Systems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, 6 Acad. Lavrentjev pr., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia Harold H. Burdsall Jr. Fungal &amp; Decay Diagnostics, LLC, 9350 Union Valley Road, Black Earth, Wisconsin 53515, U.S.A. Bart Buyck Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CP 39, ISYEB, UMR 7205 CNRS MNHN UPMC EPHE, 12 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France Ana Rosa Burgaz Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain Vicent Calatayud Fundación CEAM, c/ Charles R. Darwin, 14, Parque Tecnológico, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain Philippe Callac INRA, MycSA, CS 20032, 33882 Villenave d’Ornon, France Emanuele Campo Associazione Micologica Bresadola, Via Alessandro Volta 46, 38123 Trento, Italy Massimo Candusso Via Ottone Primo 90, 17021, Alassio, Savona, Italy Brigitte Capoen Queffioec, rue de Saint Gonval, 22710 Penvenan, France Joaquim Carbó Roser, 60, 17257 Torroella de Montgrí, Girona, Spain Matteo Carbone Via Don Luigi Sturzo 173 16148 Genova, Italy Rafael F. Castañeda-Ruiz Instituto de Investigaciones Fundamentales en Agricultura, Tropical ‘Alejandro de Humboldt’, OSDE, Grupo Agrícola, Calle 1 Esq. 2, Santiago de Las Vegas, C. Habana 17200, Cuba Michael A. Castellano USDA, Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Corvallis, Oregon 97330, U.S.A. Jie Chen Mae Fah Luang University, Chang Wat Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand Philippe Clerc Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève, 1292 Genève, Switzerland Giovanni Consiglio Via C. Ronzani 61, 40033 Casalecchio Bologna, Italy Gilles Corriol National Botanical Conservatory for Pyrenees and Midi-Pyrénées Region of France and BBF Herbarium, Vallon de Salut. B.P. 315. 65203 Bagnères-de-Bigorre, France Régis Courtecuisse Université Lille, Fac. Pharma. Lille, EA4483 IMPECS, 59000 Lille, France Ana Crespo Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain Cathy Cripps Plant Sciences &amp; Plant Pathology, 119 Plant Biosciences Building, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, U.S.A. Pedro W. Crous Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, P.O. Box 85167, 3508 AD, Utrecht, The Netherlands Gladstone Alves da Silva Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Centro de Biociências, Avenida da Engenharia, S/N, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil Meiriele da Silva Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-000, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil Marjo Dam Hooischelf 13, 6581 SL Malden, The Netherlands Nico Dam Hooischelf 13, 6581 SL Malden, The Netherlands Frank Dämmrich The Bavarian Natural History Collections (SNSB Munich), Menzinger Strasse 71, 80638, München, Germany Kanad Das Botanical Survey of India, Cryptogamic Unit, P.O. Botanic Garden, Howrah 711103, W.B., India Linda Davies Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom Eske De Crop Ghent University K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium Andre De Kesel Botanic Garden Meise, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise, Belgium Ruben De Lange Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium Bárbara De Madrignac Bonzi Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste, Universidad Nacional de Nordeste-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Sargento Cabral 2131, CC 209, Corrientes Capital, Argentina Thomas Edison E. dela Cruz University of Santo Tomas, Espana 1008 Manila, Philippines Lynn Delgat Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium Vincent Demoulin Institut de Botanique, B.22, Université de Liège, 4000 Liège I, Belgium Dennis E. Desjardin HD Thiers Herbarium (SFSU), San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, California 94132, U.S.A. Paul Diederich Musée national d’histoire naturelle, 25 rue Münster, 2160 Luxembourg, Luxembourg Bálint Dima (1) Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/c, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (2) Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, 00014 Helsinki, Finland Maria Martha Dios Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Catamarca, Av Belgrano 300, 4700 San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, Argentina Pradeep Kumar Divakar Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain Clovis Douanla-Meli Julius Kühn-Institut, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for National and International Plant Health, Messeweg 11-12, 38104 Braunschweig, Germany Brian Douglas Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AB, United Kingdom Elisandro Ricardo Drechsler-Santos Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Universitário Reitor João David Ferreira Lima, Trindade, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina CEP 88040-900, Brazil Paul S. Dyer School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom Ursula Eberhardt Abt. Botanik, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart, Rosenstein 1, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany Damien Ertz Botanic Garden Meise, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise, Belgium Fernando Esteve-Raventós Facultad de Biología, Ciencias Ambientales y Química, Universidad de Alcalá, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain Javier Angel Etayo Salazar Navarro Villoslada 16, 3º dcha., 31003 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain Vera Evenson Sam Mitchel Herbarium of Fungi, Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York Street, Denver, Colorado 80206, U.S.A. Guillaume Eyssartier Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Jardin des plantes, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France Edit Farkas Institute of Ecology and Botany, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, 2163 Vácrátót, Hungary Alain Favre Fédération Mycologique et Botanique Dauphiné Savoie, Le Prieuré, 144 Place de l’Eglise, 74320 Sevrier, France Anna G. Fedosova Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2 Prof. Popov Street, St. Petersburg, 197376, Russia Mario Filippa Regione Monsarinero 36, 14041 Agliano Terme, Italy Péter Finy 8000 Székesfehérvár, Zsombolyai u. 56, Hungary Adam Flakus W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, 31-512 Krakow, Poland Simón Fos Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universitat de València, C/Dr Moliner 50, 46100, Burjasot, Valencia, Spain Jacques Fournier Las Muros, F. 09420 Rimont, France André Fraiture Botanic Garden Meise, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise, Belgium Paolo Franchi Associazione Micologica Bresadola, Via Alessandro Volta 46, 38123 Trento, Italy Ana Esperanza Franco Molano Escuela de Microbiología, Universidad de Antioquia, AA1226, Fundación Biodiversa Colombia, Medellín, Colombia Gernot Friebes Centre of Natural History, Botany &amp; Mycology, Universalmuseum Joanneum, Weinzöttlstraße 16, 8045 Graz, Austria Andreas Frisch NTNU, University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway Alan Fryday Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, U.S.A. Giuliana Furci The Fungi Foundation, Paseo Bulnes 79 of. 112A, Santiago, Chile Ricardo Galán Márquez Facultad de Biología, Ciencias Ambientales y Química, Universidad de Alcalá, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain Matteo Garbelotto University of California, 130 Mulford Hall #3114 Berkeley, California 94720, U.S.A. Joaquina Maria Garcia-Martin Real Jardín Botánico-CSIC, Plaza de Murillo 2, 28014, Madrid, Spain Mónica A. García Otálora Herbaria Z+ZT, ETH Zürich, CHN D37, Universitätstr. 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland Dania García Sánchez Universitat Rovira i Virgili, C/ Sant Llorenç 21, 43201 Reus, Tarragona, Spain Alain Gardiennet 14 rue Roulette, 21260 Véronnes, France Sigisfredo Garnica Instituto de Bioquímica y Microbiología, Universidad Austral de Chile, Isla Teja Campus, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile Isaac Garrido Benavent Real Jardín Botánico-CSIC, Plaza de Murillo 2, 28014, Madrid, Spain Genevieve Gates Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, Private Bag 54, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia Alice da Cruz Lima Gerlach Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques de la ville de Genève, Genève, Switzerland Masoomeh Ghobad-Nejhad Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology, P.O. Box 15815-3538, Tehran 15819, Iran Tatiana B. Gibertoni Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Centro de Biociências, Avenida da Engenharia, S/N, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil Tine Grebenc Slovenian Forestry Institute, Vecna pot 2, 100 Ljubljana, Slovenia Irmgard Greilhuber University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austria Bella Grishkan Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Aba Khoushi Ave. 199, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel Johannes Z. Groenewald Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, P.O. Box 85167, 3508 AD, Utrecht, The Netherlands Martin Grube Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Holteiasse 6, 8010 Graz, Austria Gérald Gruhn Office National des Forêts, 2 Avenue de Saint-Mandé, 75570 Paris Cedex 12, France Cécile Gueidan CSIRO — Australian National Herbarium, Clunies Ross Street, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia Gro Gulden Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1172 Blindern, 0318 Oslo, Norway Luis FP Gusmão Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Av. Transnordestina, s/n, Bairro Novo Horizonte, CEP:44036-900, Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil Josef Hafellner Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Holteiasse 6, 8010 Graz, Austria Michel Hairaud 2 Impasse des Marronniers, 79360 Poivendre de Marigny, France Marek Halama Museum of Natural History, Wrocław University, ul. H. Sienkiewicza 5, 50-335 Wrocław, Poland Nils Hallenberg University of Gothenburg, Box 461, 40530 Göteborg, Sweden Roy E. Halling Institute of Systematic Botany, New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, New York 10458-5126, U.S.A. Karen Hansen Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 50007, 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden Christoffer Bugge Harder Texas Tech University, Box 42122, Lubbock, Texas 79409, U.S.A. Jacob Heilmann-Clausen Natural History Museum of Denmark, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 København, Denmark Stip Helleman Sweelinck 78, 5831KT Boxmeer, The Netherlands Alain Henriot Mycological Society of France, 20 rue Rottembourg, 12th arrondissement, Paris, France Margarita Hernandez-Restrepo Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, P.O. Box 85167, 3508 AD, Utrecht, The Netherlands Raphaël Herve 24 rue des Fougères, 86550 Mignaloux-Beauvoir, France Caroline Hobart 84 Stafford Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S2 2SF, United Kingdom Mascha Hoffmeister Julius Kühn-Institut, Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Braunschweig, Germany Klaus Høiland University of Oslo, P.O.Box 1066, Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway Jan Holec National Museum, Herbarium PRM, Cirkusová 1740, 193 00 Praha 9, Czech Republic Håkon Holien Faculty of Bioscience and Aquaculture, NORD University, P.O. Box 2501, 7729 Steinkjer, Norway Karen Hughes University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, U.S.A. Vit Hubka Faculty of Science, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 01 Praha 2, Czech Republic Seppo Huhtinen Herbarium TUR, Biodiversity Unit, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland Boris Ivančević Natural History Museum, Njegoševa 51, P.O. Box 401, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia Marian Jagers Reelaan 13, 7522 LR Enschede, The Netherlands Walter Jaklitsch Institute of Forest Entomology, Forest Pathology and Forest Protection, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria AnnaElise Jansen Stationsstraat 10, 6701 AM Wageningen, the Netherlands Ruvishika S. Jayawardena Mae Fah Luang University, Chang Wat Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand Thomas Stjernegaard Jeppesen Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 København Ø, Denmark Mikael Jeppson Lilla Håjumsgatan 4, 46135 Trollhättan, Sweden Peter Johnston Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Private Bag 92170, Auckland 1072, New Zealand Per Magnus Jørgensen University of Bergen, Allégaten 41, P.O. Box 7800, 5020 Bergen, Norway Ingvar Kärnefelt Biological Museum, Lund University, Box 117, 221 00 Lund, Sweden Liudmila B. Kalinina Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2 Prof. Popov Street, St. Petersburg, 197376, Russia Gintaras Kantvilas Tasmanian Herbarium (HO), Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, P.O. Box 5058, UTAS LP.O., Sandy Bay, Tasmania 7005, Australia Mitko Karadelev Institute of Biology, Faculty of Natural Science and Mathematics, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Arhimedova 5, 1000 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia Taiga Kasuya Faculty of Risk and Crisis Management, Chiba Institute of Science, 3 Shiomi-cho, Choshi, Chiba 288-0025, Japan Ivona Kautmanová Natural History Museum, Slovak National Museum, Bratislava, Slovakia Richard W. Kerrigan RWK Research, Kittanning, Pennsylvania 16201, U.S.A. Martin Kirchmair Institut für Mikrobiologie, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Anna Kiyashko Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2 Prof. Popov Street, St. Petersburg, 197376, Russia Dániel G. Knapp Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/c, 1117 Budapest, Hungary Henning Knudsen Natural History Museum of Denmark, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 København, Denmark Kerry Knudsen Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Life Sciences at Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Tommy Knutsson Nedra Västerstad 111, 380 62 Mörbylånga, Sweden Miroslav Kolařík Institute of Microbiology ASCR, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic Urmas Kõljalg Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, 40 Lai Street, Tartu 51005, Estonia Alica Košuthová Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 50007, 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden Attila Koszka Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Kaposvar University, 7400 Kaposvar, Hungary Heikki Kotiranta Finnish Environment Institute, P.O. Box 140, 00251 Helsinki, Finland Vera Kotkova Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2 Prof. Popov Street, St. Petersburg, 197376, Russia Ondřej Koukol Faculty of Science, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 01 Praha 2,