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Coniferiporia, belonging to Hymenochaetaceae and now segregated from Phellinidium, is a wood-inhabiting fungal genus with three species, each having a specific geographic distribution and a strong host specificity as a forest pathogen of coniferous trees. In this study, the species diversity of Coniferiporia is further clarified with the aid of a wider sampling and multilocus-based phylogenetic analysis, which reveals a new species Coniferiporia uzbekistanensis. The molecular clock and ancestral geographic origin analyses indicate that the ancestor of Coniferiporia emerged in one of the Pinaceae and Cupressaceae, then jumped to the other plant family originated in eastern Eurasia 17.01 million years ago (Mya; 95% highest posterior density: 9.46 to 25.86 Mya), and later extended its distribution to western North America, Central Asia, and eastern Europe. Coniferiporia sulphurascens speciated on Pinaceae in eastern Eurasia 8.78 Mya (9.46 to 25.86 Mya) and then extended its distribution to western North America and eastern Europe. Coniferiporia qilianensis and C. uzbekistanensis speciated on Juniperus przewalskii in eastern Eurasia 3.67 Mya (0.36 to 8.02 Mya) and on Juniperus polycarpos in Central Asia 4.35 Mya (0.94 to 8.37 Mya), respectively. The speciation event of Coniferiporia weirii occurred 4.45 Mya (0.77 to 9.33 Mya) right after the emergence of its host, the endemic Cupressaceae species Thuja plicata, and soon after, this fungus evolved to also inhabit another endemic Cupressaceae species Calocedrus decurrens. In summary, this study for the first time unambiguously clarified and timed the adaptive evolutionary event of Coniferiporia in association with its biogeography and host plants.

Functionally distinct subtypes/clusters of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons may play different roles in nerve regeneration and pain. However, details about their transcriptomic changes under neuropathic pain conditions remain unclear. Chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve represents a well-established model of neuropathic pain, and we conducted single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) to characterize subtype-specific perturbations of transcriptomes in lumbar DRG neurons on day 7 post-CCI. By using PirtEGFPf mice that selectively express an enhanced green fluorescent protein in DRG neurons, we established a highly efficient purification process to enrich neurons for scRNA-seq. We observed the emergence of four prominent CCI-induced clusters and a loss of marker genes in injured neurons. Importantly, a portion of injured neurons from several clusters were spared from injury-induced identity loss, suggesting subtype-specific transcriptomic changes in injured neurons. Moreover, uninjured neurons, which are necessary for mediating the evoked pain, also demonstrated cell-type-specific transcriptomic perturbations in these clusters, but not in others. Notably, male and female mice showed differential transcriptomic changes in multiple neuronal clusters after CCI, suggesting transcriptomic sexual dimorphism in DRG neurons after nerve injury. Using Fgf3 as a proof-of-principle, RNAscope study provided further evidence of increased Fgf3 in injured neurons after CCI, supporting scRNA-seq analysis, and calcium imaging study unraveled a functional role of Fgf3 in neuronal excitability. These findings may contribute to the identification of new target genes and the development of DRG neuron cell-type-specific therapies for optimizing neuropathic pain treatment and nerve regeneration.

The amylolytic yeast Saccharomycopsis fibuligera is a predominant species in starters and the early fermentation stage of Chinese liquor (Baijiu). However, the genetic diversity of the species remains largely unknown. Here we sequenced the genomes of 97 S. fibuligera strains from different Chinese Baijiu companies. The genetic diversity and population structure of the strains were analyzed based on 1,133 orthologous genes and the whole genome single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Four main lineages were recognized. One lineage contains 60 Chinese strains which are exclusively homozygous with relatively small genome sizes (18.55-18.72 Mb) and low sequence diversity. The strains clustered in the other three lineages are heterozygous with larger genomes (21.85-23.72 Mb) and higher sequence diversity. The genomes of the homozygous strains showed nearly 100% coverage with the genome of the reference strain KPH12 and the sub-genome A of the hybrid strain KJJ81 at the above 98% sequence identity level. The genomes of the heterozygous strains showed nearly 80% coverage with both the sub-genome A and the whole genome of KJJ81, suggesting that the Chinese heterozygous strains are also hybrids with nearly 20% genomes from an unidentified source. Eighty-three genes were found to show significant copy number variation between different lineages. However, remarkable lineage specific variations in glucoamylase and α-amylase activities and growth profiles in different carbon sources and under different environmental conditions were not observed, though strains exhibiting relatively high glucoamylase activity were mainly found from the homozygous lineage.

This article proposes a two-finger-based micrograsping system with high compliant borosilicate 3.3 glass probes and the corresponding sensing and control algorithms, which enables the orientation manipulation of microparts in three-dimensional (3-D) space. Compared with the existing research, the novelty of this article relies on three aspects: 1) the end-effector of the microgripper is designed to be with high compliance so that the squeeze force exerted on microparts can be more accurately regulated and the proposed microgripper is capable of manipulating fragile microparts; 2) the micrograsping system is endowed the capability to fully manipulate microparts’ orientation without recurring to auxiliary probes or rotary stages; and 3) the vibration characteristic of the grasping arm is investigated as cantilever beam for gasping stability analysis and squeeze force maintaining. In specific, taking spherical microparts with dimensions in the range from tens to hundreds of micrometers as target, the grasping system configuration, and the contact model between the probe and the microparts are first presented. Afterward, kinematics-based motion control strategy for position adjustment and orientation manipulation of microparts is clarified. Then, squeeze force regulation strategy is proposed, including adhesive force evaluation, vision-based squeeze force estimation, and the micropart releasing method. Finally, the vibration characteristic of the grasping arm is investigated as cantilever beam for gasping stability analysis and the squeeze force maintaining. The reliability and availability of the proposed micrograsping system is validated by well-designed experiments. Note to Practitioners —This article is motivated to develop a micrograsping system which enables dexterous rotating manipulation of microparts. The core of the proposed system is the utility of two fistulous tampered borosilicate 3.3 glass probes, which show high compliance in the microdomain. The manifested compliance enables the stably grasping of spherical objects during dexterous rotating manipulation and the vision-based contact force evaluation and regulation. The proposed system can rotate objects about two independent axes so that the orientation of a micropart can be adjusted to the desired one. This is critically important for many practical applications, such as the assembly of microballon and microneedle and the beamed cell penetration.

Collecting water from the fog becomes a promising strategy to address the water shortage. In this work, the CoO nanoneedle hierarchical structure was designed and prepared on the surface of the copper mesh by hydrothermal synthesis. The number of nanoclusters on the CoO nanoneedle array was changed by adjusting the mass concentration of the precursor solution. CoO nanoneedle array and nanoclusters form a hierarchical structure, which is conducive to the binding of air and the aggregation of water droplets. The results show that the surface of CoO nanoneedle hierarchical structure with good orientation and moderate sparsity has weak adhesion and stronger air binding capacity. Compared with other CoO nanoneedle structures, the hierarchical structure can effectively maintain the Cassie state wetting model for a long time, which improves the fog harvesting efficiency. This research offers a new strategy to design nanostructures for efficient fog collection, which has important implications on water harvesting from the air.

SummaryCurrent clinical treatment for neurodegenerative diseases and neural injuries falls short of success, and one primary reason is that neurons in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) lose their regeneration ability as they mature. Previous studies indicated that the regeneration ability of neurons is governed by complex signaling networks involving many genes. Therefore, here we investigated the roles of Ezh2, a histone methyltransferase, in regulation of mammalian axon regeneration at the epigenetic level. We found that Ezh2 level was gradually downregulated in the mouse nervous system during maturation but significantly upregulated in mature sensory neurons during spontaneous axon regeneration in the peripheral nerve system (PNS), suggesting its role in supporting axon regeneration. Indeed, Ezh2 loss-of-function in sensory neurons impaired PNS axon regeneration in vitro and in vivo. In contrast, overexpression of Ezh2 in retinal ganglion cells in the CNS induced optic nerve regeneration after optic nerve injury in both methyltransferase-dependent and -independent manners. Mechanistic exploration with multiomics sequencing, together with functional analyses, revealed that Ezh2 supported axon regeneration by systematically silencing the transcription of genes regulating synaptic function and axon regeneration inhibitory signaling, while broadly activating factors promoting axon regeneration. Our study not only reveals that Ezh2 coordinates axon regeneration via epigenetically regulating multiple key regenerative pathways, but also suggests that modulating chromatin accessibility is a promising strategy to promote CNS axon regeneration.

Functionally distinct subtypes/clusters of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, which differ in soma size and neurochemical properties, may play different roles in nerve regeneration and pain. However, details about transcriptomic changes in different neuronal subtypes under maladaptive neuropathic pain conditions remain unclear. Chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve represents a well-established model of neuropathic pain that mimics the etiology of clinical conditions. Therefore, we conducted single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) to characterize subtype-specific perturbations of transcriptomes in lumbar DRG neurons 7 days after sciatic CCI. By using Pirt-EGFPf mice that selectively express enhanced green fluorescent protein in DRG neurons, we established a highly efficient purification process to enrich neurons for scRNA-seq. We observed a loss of marker genes in injured neurons of 12 standard neuronal clusters, and the emergence of four prominent CCI-induced clusters at this peak-maintenance phase of neuropathic pain. Importantly, a portion of injured neurons from a subset of the 12 standard clusters (NP1, PEP5, NF1, and NF2) were spared from injury-induced identity loss, suggesting subtype-specific transcriptomic changes in injured neurons. Moreover, uninjured neurons, which are necessary for mediating the evoked pain, also demonstrated subtype-specific transcriptomic perturbations in these clusters, but not others. Notably, male and female mice showed differential transcriptomic changes in multiple neuronal clusters after CCI, suggesting transcriptomic sexual dimorphism in primary sensory neurons after nerve injury. Collectively, these findings may contribute to the identification of new target genes and development of DRG neuron subtype-specific therapies for optimizing neuropathic pain treatment and nerve regeneration.

Neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) are terminally differentiated cells that gradually lose their ability to support regeneration during maturation due to changes in transcriptomic and chromatin landscape. Similar transcriptomic changes also occur during development when stem cells differentiate into different types of somatic cells. Importantly, differentiated cells can be reprogrammed back to induced pluripotent stems cells (iPSCs) via global epigenetic remodeling by combined overexpression of pluripotent reprogramming factors, including Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, c-Myc, Nanog, and/or Lin28. Moreover, recent findings showed that many proneural transcription factors were able to convert non-neural somatic cells into neurons bypassing the pluripotent stage via direct reprogramming. Interestingly, many of these factors have recently been identified as key regulators of CNS neural regeneration. Recent studies indicated that these factors could rejuvenate mature CNS neurons back to a younger state through cellular state reprogramming, thus favoring regeneration. Here we will review some recent findings regarding the roles of genetic cellular state reprogramming in regulation of neural regeneration and explore the potential underlying molecular mechanisms. Moreover, by using newly emerging techniques, such as multiomics sequencing with big data analysis and Crispr-based gene editing, we will discuss future research directions focusing on better revealing cellular state reprogramming-induced remodeling of chromatin landscape and potential translational application.

Abstract Auriculariales accommodates species with diverse basidiomes and hymenophores. From morphological and phylogenetic perspectives, we perform a taxonomic study on Heteroradulum, a recently validated genus within the Auriculariales. The genus Grammatus is merged into Heteroradulum, and thus its generic type G.labyrinthinus is combined with Heteroradulum and G.semis is reaccepted as a member of Heteroradulum. Heteroradulumaustraliense is newly described on the basis of three Australian specimens. Heteroradulumyunnanense is excluded from this genus and its taxonomic position at the generic level is considered uncertain. Accordingly, the circumscription of Heteroradulum is re-delimited and the concept of this genus is adjusted by including irpicoid to poroid hymenophores and a hyphal system with clamp connections or simple septa. A key to all nine accepted species of Heteroradulum is presented.

A new wood-inhabiting fungal species, Xylodon kunmingensis, is proposed based on morphological and molecular evidences. The species is characterized by an annual growth habit, resupinate basidiocarps with cream to buff hymenial, odontioid surface, a monomitic hyphal system with generative hyphae bearing clamp connections and oblong-ellipsoid, hyaline, thin-walled, smooth, inamyloid and indextrinoid, acyanophilous basidiospores, 5–5.8 × 2.8–3.5 μm. The phylogenetic analyses based on molecular data of ITS sequences showed that X. kunmingensis belongs to the genus Xylodon and formed a single group with a high support (100% BS, 100% BP, 1.00 BPP) and grouped with the related species X. astrocystidiatus, X. crystalliger and X. paradoxus. Both morphological and molecular evidences confirmed the placement of the new species in Xylodon.

The monotypic genus Leifia was previously considered to be a later synonym of Odonticium. With the morphological and phylogenetic evidence provided by an additional four East Asian specimens, we propose to reinstate Leifia as an independent genus in Hymenochaetales. Leifia morphologically differs from Odonticium by its grandinioid hymenophore with hyphal strands, numerous thick-walled cystidia with an invaginated apical end and narrowly and thick-walled basidia. The phylogeny generated from the current data set of ITS and 28S regions indicates that Leifia forms a sister clade to Odonticium. Besides the generic type Leifiaflabelliradiata in the Leifia clade, two specimens, collected from Hubei, Central China, are newly introduced as Leifiabrevispora. This new species is the second species of Leifia and differs from the generic type by its shorter basidiospores and distribution in warm-temperate to subtropical areas in East Asia. The additional two specimens, collected from Da Lat, Viet Nam, differ morphologically, both from each other and from known species of Leifia, but more samples need to be examined before further taxonomic decisions can be made.

Hyphodontia sensu lato, belonging to Hymenochaetales, accommodates corticioid wood-inhabiting basidiomycetous fungi with resupinate basidiocarps and diverse hymenophoral characters. Species diversity of Hyphodontia sensu lato has been extensively explored worldwide, but in previous studies the six accepted genera in Hyphodontia sensu lato, viz. Fasciodontia, Hastodontia, Hyphodontia, Kneiffiella, Lyomyces and Xylodon were not all strongly supported from a phylogenetic perspective. Moreover, the relationships among these six genera in Hyphodontia sensu lato and other lineages within Hymenochaetales are not clear. In this study, we performed comprehensive phylogenetic analyses on the basis of multiple loci. For the first time, the independence of each of the six genera receives strong phylogenetic support. The six genera are separated in four clades within Hymenochaetales: Fasciodontia, Lyomyces and Xylodon are accepted as members of a previously known family Schizoporaceae, Kneiffiella and Hyphodontia are, respectively, placed in two monotypic families, viz. a previous name Chaetoporellaceae and a newly introduced name Hyphodontiaceae, and Hastodontia is considered to be a genus with an uncertain taxonomic position at the family rank within Hymenochaetales. The three families emerged between 61.51 and 195.87 million years ago. Compared to other families in the Hymenochaetales, these ages are more or less similar to those of Coltriciaceae, Hymenochaetaceae and Oxyporaceae, but much older than those of the two families Neoantrodiellaceae and Nigrofomitaceae. In regard to species, two, one, three and 10 species are newly described from Hyphodontia, Kneiffiella, Lyomyces and Xylodon, respectively. The taxonomic status of additional 30 species names from these four genera is briefly discussed, an epitype is designated for X. australis. The resupinate habit and poroid hymenophoral configuration were evaluated as the ancestral state of basidiocarps within Hymenochaetales. The resupinate habit mainly remains, while the hymenophoral configuration mainly evolves to the grandinioid-odontioid state and also back to the poroid state at the family level. Generally, a taxonomic framework for Hymenochaetales with an emphasis on members belonging to Hyphodontia sensu lato is constructed, and trait evolution of basidiocarps within Hymenochaetales is revealed accordingly.

Background We aimed to assess the safety and immunogenicity of an inactivated vaccine against COVID-19 in Chinese adults aged ≥18 years. Methods This is an ongoing randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 1/2 clinical trial among healthy adults aged ≥18 years in Henan Province, China. Participants (n = 336 in 18–59 age group and n = 336 in ≥60 age group) were enrolled between April 12 and May 17 2020, and were equally randomized to receive vaccine or placebo (aluminum hydroxide adjuvant) in a three-dose schedule of 2·5, 5, or 10 µg on days 0, 28, and 56. Another 448 adults aged 18–59 years were equally allocated to four groups (a one-dose schedule of 10 µg, and two-dose schedules of 5 µg on days 0 and 14/21/28) and received vaccine or placebo (ratio 3:1 within each group). The primary outcomes were 7-day post-injection adverse reactions and neutralizing antibody titres on days 28 and 90 after the whole-course vaccination. Trial registration: www.chictr.org.cn #ChiCTR2000031809. Findings The 7-day adverse reactions occurred in 4·8% to 32·1% of the participants in various groups, and most adverse reactions were mild, transient, and self-limiting. Twenty participants reported 68 serious adverse events which were judged to be unrelated to the vaccine. The 90-day post-injection geometric mean titres of neutralizing antibody ranged between 87 (95% CI: 61–125) and 129 (99–169) for three-dose schedule among younger and older adults; 20 (14–27), 53 (38–75), and 44 (32–61) in 5 µg days 0 and 14/21/28 groups, respectively, and 7 (6–9) in one-dose 10 µg group. There were no detectable antibody responses in all placebo groups. Interpretation The inactivated vaccine against COVID-19 was well tolerated and immunogenic in both younger and older adults. The two-dose schedule of 5 µg on days 0 and 21/28 and three-dose schedules on days 0, 28, and 56 could be further evaluated for long-term safety and efficacy in the phase 3 trials. Funding The study was funded by the National Program on Key Research Project of China (2020YFC0842100) and Major Science and Technology Project of the National New Drug Development of China (2018ZX09734-004).

“Diversity-enhanced extracts” is an effective method of producing chemical libraries for the purpose of drug discovery. Three rare new cytochalasan derivative chaetoglobosins B1-B3 (1–3) were obtained from chemically engineered crude broth extracts of Chaetomium madrasense 375 prepared by reacting with hydrazine monohydrate and four known metabolite chaetoglobosins (4–7) were also identified from the fungus. The structures were identified by NMR and MS analysis and electronic circular dichroism simulation. In addition, the antiproliferative activities of these compounds were also evaluated, and the drug-resistant activities of cytochalasans were evaluated for the first time. Compound 6 possessed potent activity against four human cancer cells (A549, HCC827, SW620, and MDA-MB-231), and two drug-resistant HCC827 cells (Gefitinib-resistant, Osimertinib-resistant) compared with the positive controls.

Background Extramammary Paget disease (EMPD) is an uncommon malignancy affecting apocrine gland–bearing skin, such as vulvar, perianal, axillary and penoscrotal areas. Paget cells are sometimes detected outside clinical border in a phenomenon called subclinical extension. Satellite is one of the patterns of subclinical extension which is likely to be invisible. The standard management strategy for EMPD without distant metastasis is a complete surgical removal, sometimes called wide local excision. However, there is no consensus regarding surgical margin width to decrease the high recurrence rate. Here we describe the first macroscopically visible satellite of axillary EMPD and wide local excision of both main lesion and the satellite lesion with only 0.5 cm margin, succeeded by a short review of the literature. Case presentation A 48-year-old female with a red macule in the right axilla was presented to our clinic. A well-demarcated 4 cm × 3 cm erythematous plaque was observed in the right axilla, and a similar lesion measuring 0.5 cm × 0.3 cm was found 3.5 cm away from the primary site. Breast and axillary node examination was unremarkable. Biopsy of the large plaque revealed Paget disease, then we performed a local extended excision of both lesions with a 0.5 cm margin, all margins negative indicated, by frozen pathology. Pathology revealed the nature of the satellite beside the main lesion also as Paget disease. The patient is currently followed-up for 20 months and has shown no signs of recurrence, with normal shoulder motor function. Conclusion We have report the first visible satellite of extramammary Paget disease, indicating the necessity of an extended local resection of both the main leision and the satellite lesion. Considering the anatomical structure of axillary Paget disease, a 0.5 cm negative surgical margin indicated by frozen pathology might be sufficient to sustain the shoulder motor function.

The patterning and ossification of the mammalian skeleton requires the coordinated actions of both intrinsic bone morphogens and extrinsic neurovascular signals, which function in a temporal and spatial fashion to control mesenchymal progenitor cell (MPC) fate. Here, we show the genetic inhibition of tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA) sensory nerve innervation of the developing cranium results in premature calvarial suture closure, associated with a decrease in suture MPC proliferation and increased mineralization. In vitro, axons from peripheral afferent neurons derived from dorsal root ganglions (DRGs) of wild-type mice induce MPC proliferation in a spatially restricted manner via a soluble factor when cocultured in microfluidic chambers. Comparative spatial transcriptomic analysis of the cranial sutures in vivo confirmed a positive association between sensory axons and proliferative MPCs. SpatialTime analysis across the developing suture revealed regional-specific alterations in bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and TGF-β signaling pathway transcripts in response to TrkA inhibition. RNA sequencing of DRG cell bodies, following direct, axonal coculture with MPCs, confirmed the alterations in BMP/TGF-β signaling pathway transcripts. Among these, the BMP inhibitor follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1) replicated key features of the neural-to-bone influence, including mitogenic and anti-osteogenic effects via the inhibition of BMP/TGF-β signaling. Taken together, our results demonstrate that sensory nerve-derived signals, including FSTL1, function to coordinate cranial bone patterning by regulating MPC proliferation and differentiation in the suture mesenchyme.

To quantitatively analyze the effects of direct and indirect stimuli on the contraction of gastrocnemiusAll specimens were divided into four groups: indirect stimuli on specimen in vivo group (① For in vivo specimen, compared with direct stimuli, effects of indirect stimuli were as follows: the threshold intensity, half-intensity and maximal intensity of the specimen were smaller (There is no significant difference in the features of single contraction between in vivo and in vitro specimen with either direct or indirect stimuli. However, indirect stimuli can trigger gastrocnemius to produce single contraction more easily than direct stimuli, and the amplitude is larger than that of direct stimuli.目的: 自编程定量分析不同电刺激方式对在体和离体蛙腓肠肌单收缩的影响。方法: 实验分为四个组:间接刺激在体标本组(

Importance A vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is urgently needed. Objective To evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of an investigational inactivated whole-virus COVID-19 vaccine in China. Interventions In the phase 1 trial, 96 participants were assigned to 1 of the 3 dose groups (2.5, 5, and 10 μg/dose) and an aluminum hydroxide (alum) adjuvant-only group (n = 24 in each group), and received 3 intramuscular injections at days 0, 28, and 56. In the phase 2 trial, 224 adults were randomized to 5 μg/dose in 2 schedule groups (injections on days 0 and 14 [n = 84] vs alum only [n = 28], and days 0 and 21 [n = 84] vs alum only [n = 28]). Design, setting, and participants Interim analysis of ongoing randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 1 and 2 clinical trials to assess an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine. The trials were conducted in Henan Province, China, among 96 (phase 1) and 224 (phase 2) healthy adults aged between 18 and 59 years. Study enrollment began on April 12, 2020. The interim analysis was conducted on June 16, 2020, and updated on July 27, 2020. Main outcomes and measures The primary safety outcome was the combined adverse reactions 7 days after each injection, and the primary immunogenicity outcome was neutralizing antibody response 14 days after the whole-course vaccination, which was measured by a 50% plaque reduction neutralization test against live severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Results Among 320 patients who were randomized (mean age, 42.8 years; 200 women [62.5%]), all completed the trial up to 28 days after the whole-course vaccination. The 7-day adverse reactions occurred in 3 (12.5%), 5 (20.8%), 4 (16.7%), and 6 (25.0%) patients in the alum only, low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose groups, respectively, in the phase 1 trial; and in 5 (6.0%) and 4 (14.3%) patients who received injections on days 0 and 14 for vaccine and alum only, and 16 (19.0%) and 5 (17.9%) patients who received injections on days 0 and 21 for vaccine and alum only, respectively, in the phase 2 trial. The most common adverse reaction was injection site pain, followed by fever, which were mild and self-limiting; no serious adverse reactions were noted. The geometric mean titers of neutralizing antibodies in the low-, medium-, and high-dose groups at day 14 after 3 injections were 316 (95% CI, 218-457), 206 (95% CI, 123-343), and 297 (95% CI, 208-424), respectively, in the phase 1 trial, and were 121 (95% CI, 95-154) and 247 (95% CI, 176-345) at day 14 after 2 injections in participants receiving vaccine on days 0 and 14 and on days 0 and 21, respectively, in the phase 2 trial. There were no detectable antibody responses in all alum-only groups. Conclusions and relevance In this interim report of the phase 1 and phase 2 trials of an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine, patients had a low rate of adverse reactions and demonstrated immunogenicity; the study is ongoing. Efficacy and longer-term adverse event assessment will require phase 3 trials. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Identifier: ChiCTR2000031809.

Eight diketopiperazines including five previously unreported derivatives were isolated from an endophytic fungus cultured from the medicinal plant Globularia alypum collected in Algeria. The strain was characterised by means of morphological studies and molecular phylogenetic methods and was found to represent a species of a new genus in the Chaetomiaceae, for which we propose the name Batnamyces globulariicola. The taxonomic position of the new genus, which appears phylogenetically related to Stolonocarpus and Madurella, was evaluated by a multi-locus genealogy and by morphological studies in comparison to DNA sequence data reported in the recent monographs of the family. The culture remained sterile on several culture media despite repeated attempts to induce sporulation, and only some chlamydospores were formed. After fermentation in submerged culture and extraction of the cultures with organic solvents, the major secondary metabolites of B. globulariicola were isolated and their chemical structures were elucidated by extensive spectral analysis including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, high-resolution electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (HRESIMS), and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) measurements. The isolated compounds were tested for their biological activities against various bacteria, fungi, and two mammalian cell lines, but only three of them exhibited weak cytotoxicity against KB3.1 cells, but no antimicrobial effects were observed.

SmMn2O5 has been reported to be a promising alternative to substitute the current commercial Pt-based catalysts for NO oxidation. In this work, single-crystalline orthorhombic SmMn2O5 nanorods and nanoparticles are successfully synthesized through a tunable hydrothermal route. The pH value of the precursor solution is a decisive factor for morphology control of SmMn2O5 nanocrystals, with decreasing pH value the morphology of SmMn2O5 nanocrystals converts from nanoparticles to nanorods. The nanoparticles exhibit a better catalytic activity for NO oxidation than the nanorods, because they can efficiently convert NO at lower temperature. By the analysis of X-ray photoelectron spectrum and high-resolution transmission electron microscope, the oxidation activity is found to be dependent on the high specific surface area and surface crystal planes of SmMn2O5 nanocrystals, which widens and deepens the oxygen chemistry and NO oxidation mechanism on the surfaces of SmMn2O5. This work could not only provide new insights into the morphology control of SmMn2O5 nanocrystals, but also pave a new way for the crystal planes modification of SmMn2O5 nanocrystals as NO oxidation catalyst to achieve an enhanced performance for environmental applications.

Phylloporia, in the Hymenochaetaceae, is a polypore genus with a worldwide distribution. The new taxon Phylloporia lonicerae is introduced, which is the first Phylloporia species to originate from Japan. This species grows exclusively on living Lonicera japonica and is distinguished by annual, sessile basidiocarps that occur in clusters, pileal surface of narrow, concentrically sulcate zones, 6–8 pores per mm, duplex context separated by a black zone, dimitic hyphal system and broadly ellipsoid basidiospores, 3.2–4 × 2.3–3.1 µm. Phylogenetically, P. lonicerae is nested within the Phylloporia clade as a distinct terminal lineage with full statistical supports and sister to the clade of P. minutispora, P. cf. pulla and P. terrestris with weak supports. Besides Phylloporia bibulosa, P. chrysites and P. spathulata, P. lonicerae is the fourth species of Phylloporia recorded from Japan. An identification key to all accepted 48 species of Phylloporia is provided.

In this work, SmMn2O5 nanostructures with different morphologies (particles, flower-like, mixed-structure) were effectively synthesized through a hydrothermal method. The differences of the counter anions (CH3COO−, NO3−, and Cl−) in Mn precursors make the periphery of crystal nucleus have different concentrations of ions during the formation of SmMn2O5 nanostructures, which have been used to explain the evolution of morphology. Compared with Pt/Al2O3, the catalytic performance of NO oxidation for three morphologies shows higher maximum efficiency. The 50% conversion temperature is lower (230 °C vs. 275 °C) and the maximum conversion efficiency is higher (81% at 282 °C vs. 68% at 314 °C) for SmMn2O5 with flower-like by comparison with SmMn2O5 with particles and mixture shapes. The specific surface area is in the order of flower-like > mixed-structures > particles, which is the same as the order of performance for NO oxidation of SmMn2O5 nanostructures. The results of XPS and H2-TPR indicate that the superior catalytic performance of SmMn2O5 with flower-like arises from the existence of more amount of Mn4+/ Mn3+, which can act as the surface active sites. This work offers a promising way for the morphological control of SmMn2O5 with Mn precursors to improve the catalytic performance of NO oxidation.