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Type-I x-ray bursts can reveal the properties of an accreting neutron star system when compared with astrophysics model calculations. However, model results are sensitive to a handful of uncertain nuclear reaction rates, such as ^{22}Mg(α,p). We report the first direct measurement of ^{22}Mg(α,p), performed with the Active Target Time Projection Chamber. The corresponding astrophysical reaction rate is orders of magnitude larger than determined from a previous indirect measurement in a broad temperature range. Our new measurement suggests a less-compact neutron star in the source GS1826-24.

Type-I x-ray bursts can reveal the properties of an accreting neutron star system when compared with astrophysics model calculations. However, model results are sensitive to a handful of uncertain nuclear reaction rates, such as ^{22}Mg(α,p). We report the first direct measurement of ^{22}Mg(α,p), performed with the Active Target Time Projection Chamber. The corresponding astrophysical reaction rate is orders of magnitude larger than determined from a previous indirect measurement in a broad temperature range. Our new measurement suggests a less-compact neutron star in the source GS1826-24.

Background: In the late stages of stellar core collapse just prior to core bounce, electron captures on medium-heavy nuclei drive deleptonization. Therefore, simulations require the use of accurate reaction rates. Nuclei with neutron number near N=50 above atomic number Z=28 play an important role. Rates presently used in astrophysical simulations rely primarily on a relatively simple single-state approximation. In order to improve the accuracy of the astrophysical simulations, experimental data are needed to test the electron-capture rates and to guide the development of better theoretical models and astrophysical simulations. Purpose: The purpose of the present work was to measure the Gamow-Teller transition strength from Kr86 to Br86, to derive the stellar electron-capture rates based on the extracted strengths, and to compare the derived rates with rates based on shell-model and quasiparticle random-phase approximation (QRPA) Gamow-Teller strengths calculations, as well as the single-state approximation. An additional purpose was to test the impact of using improved electron-capture rates on the late evolution of core-collapse supernovae. Method: The Gamow-Teller strengths from Kr86 were extracted from the Kr86(t,He3+γ) charge-exchange reaction at 115MeV/u. The electron-capture rates were calculated as a function of stellar density and temperature. Besides the case of Kr86, the electron-capture rates based on the QRPA calculations were calculated for 78 additional isotopes near N=50 above Z=28. The impact of using these rates instead of those based on the single-state approximation is studied in a spherically symmetrical simulation of core collapse just prior to bounce. Results: The derived electron-capture rates on Kr86 from the experimental Gamow-Teller strength distribution are much smaller than the rates estimated based on the single-state approximation. Rates based on Gamow-Teller strengths estimated in shell-model and QRPA calculations are more accurate. The core-collapse supernova simulation with electron-capture rates based on the QRPA calculations indicate a significant reduction in the deleptonization during the collapse phase. Conclusions: It is important to utilize microscopic theoretical models that are tested by experimental data to constrain and estimate Gamow-Teller strengths and derived electron-capture rates for nuclei near N=50 that are inputs for astrophysical simulations of core-collapse supernovae and their multimessenger signals, such as the emission of neutrinos and gravitational waves.

Background: In the late stages of stellar core collapse just prior to core bounce, electron captures on medium-heavy nuclei drive deleptonization. Therefore, simulations require the use of accurate reaction rates. Nuclei with neutron number near N=50 above atomic number Z=28 play an important role. Rates presently used in astrophysical simulations rely primarily on a relatively simple single-state approximation. In order to improve the accuracy of the astrophysical simulations, experimental data are needed to test the electron-capture rates and to guide the development of better theoretical models and astrophysical simulations. Purpose: The purpose of the present work was to measure the Gamow-Teller transition strength from Kr86 to Br86, to derive the stellar electron-capture rates based on the extracted strengths, and to compare the derived rates with rates based on shell-model and quasiparticle random-phase approximation (QRPA) Gamow-Teller strengths calculations, as well as the single-state approximation. An additional purpose was to test the impact of using improved electron-capture rates on the late evolution of core-collapse supernovae. Method: The Gamow-Teller strengths from Kr86 were extracted from the Kr86(t,He3+γ) charge-exchange reaction at 115MeV/u. The electron-capture rates were calculated as a function of stellar density and temperature. Besides the case of Kr86, the electron-capture rates based on the QRPA calculations were calculated for 78 additional isotopes near N=50 above Z=28. The impact of using these rates instead of those based on the single-state approximation is studied in a spherically symmetrical simulation of core collapse just prior to bounce. Results: The derived electron-capture rates on Kr86 from the experimental Gamow-Teller strength distribution are much smaller than the rates estimated based on the single-state approximation. Rates based on Gamow-Teller strengths estimated in shell-model and QRPA calculations are more accurate. The core-collapse supernova simulation with electron-capture rates based on the QRPA calculations indicate a significant reduction in the deleptonization during the collapse phase. Conclusions: It is important to utilize microscopic theoretical models that are tested by experimental data to constrain and estimate Gamow-Teller strengths and derived electron-capture rates for nuclei near N=50 that are inputs for astrophysical simulations of core-collapse supernovae and their multimessenger signals, such as the emission of neutrinos and gravitational waves.

This paper reports the South American rust fungi Puccinia modiolae and P. platyspora (Pucciniales/Uredinales) as new alien species of the European rust funga. Puccinia modiolae is presently known from Switzerland and Germany, P. platyspora from Switzerland, Germany, and France. The records of P. platyspora are the first ones from outside South America. The specimens were identified by teliospore characters and sequences of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (internal transcribed spacer 2 and domains D1-D2 of the nuclear ribosomal large subunit) and the mitochondrial CO3 (cytochrome c oxidase III) gene. Puccinia modiolae and P. platyspora have been recorded so far in Europe on members of the genera Alcea , predominantly on Alcea rosea, Althaea , and Malva of the Malvaceae, subfam. Malvoideae. Alcea rosea is host of both species and shared also with the common mallow rust, P. malvacearum , allowing for mixed infections. The plant is commonly grown as an ornamental and may play a major role for the spread of the alien Malvaceae rust fungi. It was observed for the first time that P. platyspora can produce spermogonia and aecidium-type aecia, suggesting phenotypic plasticity regarding the formation of spore states. The observed spermogonia mainly remained closed and did not liberate spermatia. They produced telio- and aeciospores besides spermatia in their cavity and eventually converted entirely into telia or, rarely, into aecidium-like sori. Small clusters of aeciospores and peridial cells were commonly found hidden in the telial plectenchyma, and well-developed aecidium-type aecia provided with a peridium developed rarely in the center of mature telia. Spermogonia belonging to group V type 4 were found in P. malvacearum , which is generally supposed to lack spermogonia. Some spermogonia produced only spermatia in their cavity; others formed spermatia and teliospores, and some eventually converted into telia.

Opioid misuse and opioid-involved overdose deaths are a massive public health problem involving the intertwined misuse of prescription opioids for pain management with the emergence of extremely potent fentanyl derivatives, sold as standalone products or adulterants in counterfeit prescription opioids or heroin. The incidence of repeated opioid overdose events indicates a problematic use pattern consistent with the development of the medical condition of opioid use disorder ( OUD ). Prescription and illicit opioids reduce pain perception by activating µ-opioid receptors ( MOR ) localized to the central nervous system ( CNS ). Dysregulation of meso-corticolimbic circuitry that subserves reward and adaptive behaviors is fundamentally involved in the progressive behavioral changes that promote and are consequent to OUD. Although opioid-induced analgesia and the rewarding effects of abused opioids are primarily mediated through MOR activation, serotonin ( 5-HT ) is an important contributor to the pharmacology of opioid abused drugs (including heroin and prescription opioids) and OUD. There is a recent resurgence of interest into psychedelic compounds that act primarily through the 5-HT 2A receptor ( 5-HT 2A R ) as a new frontier in combatting such diseases (e.g., depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders). Emerging data suggest that the MOR and 5-HT 2A R crosstalk at the cellular level and within key nodes of OUD circuitry, highlighting a major opportunity for novel pharmacological intervention for OUD. There is an important gap in the preclinical profiling of psychedelic 5-HT 2A R agonists in OUD models. Further, as these molecules carry risks, additional analyses of the profiles of non-hallucinogenic 5-HT 2A R agonists and/or 5-HT 2A R positive allosteric modulators may provide a new pathway for 5-HT 2A R therapeutics. In this review, we discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with utilizing 5-HT 2A R agonists as therapeutics for OUD., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Salinsky, Merritt, Zamora, Giacomini, Anastasio and Cunningham.)

The Corynorhinus mexicanus bat is characterized by a specific form of reproductive asynchrony between males and females. After mating, some sperm remain in the male's epididymis, the organ where the sperm had matured. It has not yet been determined if apoptotic markers participate in the process of the maturation and/or elimination of these cells, so studying this topic is essential for our understanding of this species. Male bats were collected during three stages: Before mating; during the Mating phase; After mating and the final phase, which we call, Storage. Their epididymides were removed, weighed and measured. Sperm were extracted and the following sperm parameters were evaluated: active caspases, phosphatidylserine externalization, and mitochondrial membrane potential. Sperm from the testes enter the epididymis during Before mating, causing the organ to grow. During Mating phase, spermatozoa present a large amount of active caspases with externalization of phosphatidyl serine, even while still alive. This suggests that these two markers could participate in maturation and elimination, respectively., (© 2023 The Authors. Molecular Reproduction and Development published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The serotonin 5-HT 2A receptor (5-HT 2A R) and 5-HT 2C R localize to the brain and share overlapping signal transduction facets that contribute to their roles in cognition, mood, learning, and memory. Achieving selective targeting of these receptors is challenged by the similarity in their 5-HT orthosteric binding pockets. A fragment-based discovery approach was employed to design and synthesize novel oleamide analogues as selective 5-HT 2C R or dual 5-HT 2C R/5-HT 2A R positive allosteric modulators (PAMs). Compound 13 ( JPC0323 ) exhibited on-target properties, acceptable plasma exposure and brain penetration, as well as negligible displacement to orthosteric sites of ∼50 GPCRs and transporters. Furthermore, compound 13 suppressed novelty-induced locomotor activity in a 5-HT 2C R-dependent manner, suggesting 5-HT 2C R PAM, but not 5-HT 2A R, activity at the level of the whole organism at the employed doses of 13 . We discovered new selective 5-HT 2C R PAMs and first-in-class 5-HT 2C R/5-HT 2A R dual PAMs that broaden the pharmacological toolbox to explore the biology of these vital receptors.

For the first time, the (d,^{2}He) reaction was successfully used in inverse kinematics to extract the Gamow-Teller transition strength in the β^{+} direction from an unstable nucleus. The new technique was made possible by the use of an active-target time-projection chamber and a magnetic spectrometer, and opens a path to addressing a range of scientific challenges, including in astrophysics and neutrino physics. In this Letter, the nucleus studied was ^{14}O, and the Gamow-Teller transition strength to ^{14}N was extracted up to an excitation energy of 22 MeV. The data were compared to shell-model and state-of-the-art coupled-cluster calculations. Shell-model calculations reproduce the measured Gamow-Teller strength distribution up to about 15 MeV reasonably well, after the application of a phenomenological quenching factor. In a significant step forward to better understand this quenching, the coupled-cluster calculation reproduces the full strength distribution well without such quenching, owing to the large model space, the inclusion of strong correlations, and the coupling of the weak interaction to two nucleons through two-body currents.

The class Myxomycetes consists of free-living protists characterised by their complex life cycle, which includes both microscopic (amoebae, flagellates and cists) and macroscopic stages (spore-bearing fruiting bodies, sclerotia, and plasmodia). Within it, the order Physarales , with more than 450 recognised species, constitutes the largest group. Although previous studies have shown the polyphyly of some of the traditionally accepted genera, its internal phylogenetic relationships have remained uncertain so far, and together with the lack of data for some key species, it prevented any taxonomic and nomenclatural revisions. We have compiled a substantially expanded dataset in terms of both taxon sampling and molecular data, including most of the genera described to date and four unlinked DNA regions, for which we provide partial sequences: nSSU, EF-1α , α-Tub , and mtSSU, analysed through maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods. Our results confirm that the family Didymiaceae is paraphyletic to the rest of Physarales . Within Didymiaceae s.lat., the recent reinstatement of the genus Polyschismium for most species traditionally ascribed to Lepidoderma , except for the type (Ronikier et al. 2022), is further supported here, as well as the definite inclusion of the genus Mucilago in Didymium and Lepidoderma s.str. ( L. tigrinum ) in Diderma (Prikhodko et al. 2023). Additionally, the genus Diachea is redefined to include some species previously treated in Physaraceae ( Craterium spp. with true columella). Within the monophyletic family Physaraceae , most genera are recovered as polyphyletic, suggesting that they should be no longer accepted as currently defined. However, the lack of resolution of some relationships within Physaraceae prevents us from resuscitating or creating several new genera to mitigate polyphyly. Among the well-defined groups with clear molecular signatures, we propose two taxonomic and nomenclatural changes at generic level: 1) a new genus, Nannengaella , is proposed for a major clade containing Physarum globuliferum and other species with heavily calcified sporophores and, often, a true calcareous columella; 2) Lignydium is resurrected for the clade containing Fuligo muscorum . Additionally, Trichamphora is suggested as the correct name for the clade containing Physarum pezizoideum . The taxonomy and nomenclature of some provisional genera, currently synonymous with Fuligo and Physarum , are disentangled, and we provide a comprehensive and updated nomenclatural conspectus that can be used when better resolved phylogenies are obtained. In total, 22 new combinations are proposed in different genera. A provisional key to the genera of the order is also provided. Citation : García-Martín JM, Zamora JC, Lado C. 2023. Multigene phylogeny of the order Physarales (Myxomycetes, Amoebozoa): shedding light on the dark-spored clade. Persoonia 51: 89-124. doi: 10.3767/persoonia.2023.51.02., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2023 Naturalis Biodiversity Center & Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.)

Early phylogenetic studies refuted most previous assumptions concerning the evolution of the morphological traits in the fruiting bodies of the order Trichiales and did not detect discernible evolutionary patterns, yet they were based on a limited number of species. We infer a new Trichiales phylogeny based on three independently inherited genetic regions (nuclear and mitochondrial), with a fair taxonomic sampling encompassing its broad diversity. Besides, we study the evolutionary history of some key morphological characters. According to the new phylogeny, most fruiting body traits in Trichiales systematics do not represent exclusive synapomorphies or autapomorphies for most monophyletic groups. Instead, the evolution of the features derived from the peridium, stalk, capillitium, and spores showed intricate patterns, and character state transitions occurred rather within- than between clades. Thus, we should consider other evolutionary scenarios instead of assuming the homology of some characters. According to these results, we propose a new classification of Trichiales, including the creation of a new genus, Gulielmina, the resurrection of the family Dictydiaethaliaceae and the genus Ophiotheca, and the proposal of 13 new combinations for species of the genera Arcyria (1), Hemitrichia (2), Ophiotheca (2), Oligonema (4), Gulielmina (3), and Perichaena (1)., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The genus Dendrodacrys is a monophyletic group that belongs to Dacrymycetes ( Agaricomycotina, Basidiomycota ) and accommodates species distinguished by strongly branched hyphidia in combination with 3-septate basidiospores. While the original circumscription mainly treated European taxa, here we shift the focus to tropical and sub-tropical material and uncover wider variation in morphology within Dendrodacrys. Still united by hyphidia shape and basidiospore septation, the genus is expanded with 10 taxa having pustulate, cerebriform, or stipitate basidiocarps of yellow to dark brown colours, cylindrical to ovoid basidiospores, and hyphal septa with or without clamps. Monophyly of the amended Dendrodacrys is confirmed with a phylogeny based on six markers (SSU, ITS, LSU, TEF1-α , RPB1 , and RPB2 ). As a result, we describe two new species ( De. laetum and De. rigoratum ), transfer three existing species to Dendrodacrys ( De. brasiliense, De. dendrocalami , and De. pezizoideum ), and raise one variety to the species level ( De. kennedyae ≡ Dacrymyces enatus var. macrosporus ). In addition, we provide descriptions for the earlier combined De. paraphysatum and four new informal taxa. Lastly, we present illustrations, a character table, and an identification key that addresses all known dacrymycetes with branched hyphidia. Citation: Savchenko A, Zamora JC, Alvarenga R, Kõljalg U, Miettinen O (2022). Additions to Dendrodacrys and outline of taxa with branched hyphidia in Dacrymycetes ( Basidiomycota ). Fungal Systematics and Evolution 10 : 103-126. doi: 10.3114/fuse.2022.10.04., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2022 Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.)

A narrow near-threshold proton-emitting resonance (E_{x}=11.4  MeV, J^{π}=1/2^{+}, and Γ_{p}=4.4  keV) was directly observed in ^{11}B via proton resonance scattering. This resonance was previously inferred in the β-delayed proton emission of the neutron halo nucleus ^{11}Be. The good agreement between both experimental results serves as a ground to confirm the existence of such exotic decay and the particular behavior of weakly bound nuclei coupled to the continuum. R-matrix analysis shows a sizable partial decay width for both, proton and α (Γ_{α}=11  keV) emission channels.

A new genus named Dendrodacrys is proposed for a monophyletic group in Dacrymycetaceae , containing species with pulvinate to depressed basidiocarps, distinctly branched hymenial hyphidia, and up to 3-septate mature basidiospores. Four taxa in this group, occurring in Europe, are proposed as new species, viz . De. ciprense , De. concrescens , De. ellipsosporum , and De. oblongisporum , based both on morphological and DNA data (nrDNA, RPB1 , RPB2 , TEF-1α , 12S). These new species are all described in detail, illustrated, and compared with other published taxa that with which they can be confounded. The new combination De. paraphysatum is proposed after revising the type material of Dacrymyces paraphysatus , but other combinations or potentially new non-European species descriptions are postponed pending further studies of additional specimens. Citation: Zamora JC, Savchenko A, González-Cruz Á, Prieto-García F, Olariaga I, Ekman S (2022). Dendrodacrys : a new genus for species with branched hyphidia in Dacrymyces s.l. , with the description of four new species. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 9 : 27-42. doi: 10.3114/fuse.2022.09.04., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2022 Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.)

Cerinomyces (Dacrymycetes , Basidiomycota ) is a genus traditionally defined by corticioid basidiocarps, in contrast to the rest of the class, which is characterized by gelatinous ones. In the traditional circumscription the genus is polyphyletic, and the monotypic family Cerinomycetaceae is paraphyletic. Aiming for a more concise delimitation, we revise Cerinomyces s.l. with a novel phylogeny based on sequences of nrDNA (SSU, ITS, LSU) and protein-coding genes (RPB1, RPB2, TEF1-α) . We establish that monophyletic Cerinomyces s.s. is best characterized not by the corticioid morphology, but by a combination of traits: hyphal clamps, predominantly aseptate thin-walled basidiospores, and low content of carotenoid pigments. In our updated definition, Cerinomyces s.s. encompasses five well-supported phylogenetic clades divided into two morphological groups: (i-iii) taxa with arid corticioid basidiocarps, including the generic type C. pallidus ; and (iv-v) newly introduced members with gelatinous basidiocarps, like Dacrymyces enatus and D. tortus . The remaining corticioid species of Cerinomyces s.l. are morphologically distinct and belong to the Dacrymycetaceae : our analysis places the carotenoid-rich Cerinomyces canadensis close to Femsjonia , and we transfer the clamps-lacking C. grandinioides group to Dacrymyces. In addition, we address genera related to Cerinomyces s.l. historically and morphologically, such as Ceracea , Dacryonaema and Unilacryma . Overall, we describe twenty-four new species and propose nine new combinations in both Cerinomycetaceae and Dacrymycetaceae ., (© 2021 Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute. Production and hosting by ELSEVIER B.V.)

Opioid overdose is a leading cause of death in the United States. The only treatment available currently is the competitive antagonist, naloxone (Narcan ® ). Although naloxone is very effective and has saved many lives, as a competitive antagonist it has limitations. Due to the short half-life of naloxone, renarcotization can occur if the ingested opioid agonist remains in the body longer. Moreover, because antagonism by naloxone is surmountable, renarcotization can also occur in the presence of naloxone if a relatively larger dose of opioid agonist is taken. In such circumstances, a long-lasting, non-surmountable antagonist would offer an improvement in overdose treatment. Methocinnamox (MCAM) has been reported to have a long duration of antagonist action at mu opioid receptors in vivo. In HEK cells expressing the human mu opioid receptor, MCAM antagonism of mu agonist-inhibition of cAMP production was time-dependent, non-surmountable and non-reversible, consistent with (pseudo)-irreversible binding. In vivo, MCAM injected locally into the rat hindpaw antagonized mu agonist-mediated inhibition of thermal allodynia for up to 96 h. By contrast, antagonism by MCAM of delta or kappa agonists in HEK cells and in vivo was consistent with simple competitive antagonism. Surprisingly, MCAM also shifted the concentration-response curves of mu agonists in HEK cells in the absence of receptor reserve in a ligand-dependent manner. The shift in the [D-Ala 2 ,N-MePhe 4 ,Gly-ol 5 ]-enkephalin (DAMGO) concentration-response curve by MCAM was insensitive to naloxone, suggesting that in addition to (pseudo)-irreversible orthosteric antagonism, MCAM acts allosterically to alter the affinity and/or intrinsic efficacy of mu agonists., (© 2021 The Authors. Pharmacology Research & Perspectives published by British Pharmacological Society and American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Recent publications have argued that there are potentially serious consequences for researchers in recognising distinct genera in the terminal fusarioid clade of the family Nectriaceae . Thus, an alternate hypothesis, namely a very broad concept of the genus Fusarium was proposed. In doing so, however, a significant body of data that supports distinct genera in Nectriaceae based on morphology, biology, and phylogeny is disregarded. A DNA phylogeny based on 19 orthologous protein-coding genes was presented to support a very broad concept of Fusarium at the F1 node in Nectriaceae . Here, we demonstrate that re-analyses of this dataset show that all 19 genes support the F3 node that represents Fusarium sensu stricto as defined by F. sambucinum (sexual morph synonym Gibberella pulicaris ). The backbone of the phylogeny is resolved by the concatenated alignment, but only six of the 19 genes fully support the F1 node, representing the broad circumscription of Fusarium. Furthermore, a re-analysis of the concatenated dataset revealed alternate topologies in different phylogenetic algorithms, highlighting the deep divergence and unresolved placement of various Nectriaceae lineages proposed as members of Fusarium . Species of Fusarium s. str. are characterised by Gibberella sexual morphs, asexual morphs with thin- or thick-walled macroconidia that have variously shaped apical and basal cells, and trichothecene mycotoxin production, which separates them from other fusarioid genera. Here we show that the Wollenweber concept of Fusarium presently accounts for 20 segregate genera with clear-cut synapomorphic traits, and that fusarioid macroconidia represent a character that has been gained or lost multiple times throughout Nectriaceae . Thus, the very broad circumscription of Fusarium is blurry and without apparent synapomorphies, and does not include all genera with fusarium-like macroconidia, which are spread throughout Nectriaceae ( e.g. , Cosmosporella , Macroconia , Microcera ). In this study four new genera are introduced, along with 18 new species and 16 new combinations. These names convey information about relationships, morphology, and ecological preference that would otherwise be lost in a broader definition of Fusarium . To assist users to correctly identify fusarioid genera and species, we introduce a new online identification database, Fusarioid-ID, accessible at www.fusarium.org. The database comprises partial sequences from multiple genes commonly used to identify fusarioid taxa ( act1 , CaM , his3 , rpb1 , rpb2 , tef1 , tub2 , ITS, and LSU). In this paper, we also present a nomenclator of names that have been introduced in Fusarium up to January 2021 as well as their current status, types, and diagnostic DNA barcode data. In this study, researchers from 46 countries, representing taxonomists, plant pathologists, medical mycologists, quarantine officials, regulatory agencies, and students, strongly support the application and use of a more precisely delimited Fusarium (= Gibberella ) concept to accommodate taxa from the robust monophyletic node F3 on the basis of a well-defined and unique combination of morphological and biochemical features. This F3 node includes, among others, species of the F. fujikuroi, F. incarnatum-equiseti, F. oxysporum, and F. sambucinum species complexes, but not species of Bisifusarium [ F. dimerum species complex (SC)], Cyanonectria ( F. buxicola SC), Geejayessia ( F. staphyleae SC), Neocosmospora ( F. solani SC) or Rectifusarium ( F. ventricosum SC). The present study represents the first step to generating a new online monograph of Fusarium and allied fusarioid genera (www.fusarium.org)., (© 2021 Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute. Production and hosting by ELSEVIER B.V.)

We present a multilocus phylogeny of the class Dacrymycetes , based on data from the 18S, ITS, 28S, RPB1 , RPB2 , TEF-1α , 12S, and ATP6 DNA regions, with c. 90 species including the types of most currently accepted genera. A variety of methodological approaches was used to infer phylogenetic relationships among the Dacrymycetes , from a supermatrix strategy using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference on a concatenated dataset, to coalescence-based calculations, such as quartet-based summary methods of independent single-locus trees, and Bayesian integration of single-locus trees into a species tree under the multispecies coalescent. We evaluate for the first time the taxonomic usefulness of some cytological phenotypic characters, i.e., vacuolar contents (vacuolar bodies and lipid bodies), number of nuclei of recently discharged basidiospores, and pigments, with especial emphasis on carotenoids. These characters, along with several others traditionally used for the taxonomy of this group (basidium shape, presence and morphology of clamp connections, morphology of the terminal cells of cortical/marginal hyphae, presence and degree of ramification of the hyphidia), are mapped on the resulting phylogenies and their evolution through the class Dacrymycetes discussed. Our analyses reveal five lineages that putatively represent five different families, four of which are accepted and named. Three out of these four lineages correspond to previously circumscribed and published families ( Cerinomycetaceae , Dacrymycetaceae , and Unilacrymaceae ), and one is proposed as the new family Dacryonaemataceae . Provisionally, only a single order, Dacrymycetales , is accepted within the class. Furthermore, the systematics of the two smallest families, Dacryonaemataceae and Unilacrymaceae , are investigated to the species level, using coalescence-based species delimitation on multilocus DNA data, and a detailed morphological study including morphometric analyses of the basidiospores. Three species are accepted in Dacryonaema , the type, Da. rufum , the newly combined Da. macnabbii (basionym Dacrymyces macnabbii ), and a new species named Da. macrosporum . Two species are accepted in Unilacryma , the new U. bispora , and the type, U. unispora , the latter treated in a broad sense pending improved sampling across the Holarctic., (© 2020 Naturalis Biodiversity Center & Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.)

The nuclear small subunit rRNA gene (SSU or 18S) is a marker frequently used in phylogenetic and barcoding studies in Amoebozoa, including Myxomycetes. Despite its common usage and the confirmed existence of divergent copies of ribosomal genes in other protists, the potential presence of intra-individual SSU variability in Myxomycetes has never been studied before. Here we investigated the pattern of nucleotide polymorphism in the 5' end fragment of SSU by cloning and sequencing a total of 238 variants from eight specimens, each representing a species of the dark-spored orders Stemonitidales and Physarales. After excluding singletons, a relatively low SSU intra-individual variability was found but our data indicate that this might be a widely distributed phenomenon in Myxomycetes as all samples analyzed possessed various ribotypes. To determine if the occurrence of multiple SSU variants within a single specimen has a negative effect on the circumscription of species boundaries, we conducted phylogenetic analyses that revealed that clone variation may be detrimental for inferring phylogenetic relationships among some of the specimens analyzed. Despite that intra-individual variability should be assessed in additional taxa, our results indicate that special care should be taken for species identification when working with closely related species., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

The ^{23}Al(p,γ)^{24}Si reaction is among the most important reactions driving the energy generation in type-I x-ray bursts. However, the present reaction-rate uncertainty limits constraints on neutron star properties that can be achieved with burst model-observation comparisons. Here, we present a novel technique for constraining this important reaction by combining the GRETINA array with the neutron detector LENDA coupled to the S800 spectrograph at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. The ^{23}Al(d,n) reaction was used to populate the astrophysically important states in ^{24}Si. This enables a measurement in complete kinematics for extracting all relevant inputs necessary to calculate the reaction rate. For the first time, a predicted close-lying doublet of a 2_{2}^{+} and (4_{1}^{+},0_{2}^{+}) state in ^{24}Si was disentangled, finally resolving conflicting results from two previous measurements. Moreover, it was possible to extract spectroscopic factors using GRETINA and LENDA simultaneously. This new technique may be used to constrain other important reaction rates for various astrophysical scenarios.

Although targeted therapies have proven effective and even curative in human leukaemia, resistance often ensues. IDH enzymes are mutated in ~20% of human AML, with targeted therapies under clinical evaluation. We here characterize leukaemia evolution from mutant IDH2 (mIDH2)-dependence to independence identifying key targetable vulnerabilities of mIDH2 leukaemia that are retained during evolution and progression from early to late stages. Mechanistically, we find that mIDH2 leukaemia are metastable and vulnerable at two distinct levels. On the one hand, they are characterized by oxidative and genotoxic stress, in spite of increased 1-carbon metabolism and glutathione levels. On the other hand, mIDH2 leukaemia display inhibition of LSD1 and a resulting transcriptional signature of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) sensitization, in spite of a state of suppressed ATRA signalling due to increased levels of PIN1. We further identify GSH/ROS and PIN1/LSD1 as critical nodes for leukaemia maintenance and the combination of ATRA and arsenic trioxide (ATO) as a key therapeutic modality to target these vulnerabilities. Strikingly, we demonstrate that the combination of ATRA and ATO proves to be a powerfully synergistic and effective therapy in a number of mouse and human mIDH1/2 leukemic models. Thus, our findings pave the way towards the treatment of a sizable fraction of human AMLs through targeted APL-like combinatorial therapies.

Receptor heteromers often display distinct pharmacological and functional properties compared to the individual receptor constituents. In this study, we compared the properties of the DOP-KOP heteromer agonist, 6'-guanidinonaltrindole (6'-GNTI), with agonists for DOP ([D-Pen2,5]-enkephalin [DPDPE]) and KOP (U50488) in peripheral sensory neurons in culture and in vivo. In primary cultures, all three agonists inhibited PGE 2 -stimulated cAMP accumulation as well as activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK) with similar efficacy. ERK activation by U50488 was Gi-protein mediated but that by DPDPE or 6'-GNTI was Gi-protein independent (i.e., pertussis toxin insensitive). Brief pretreatment with DPDPE or U50488 resulted in loss of cAMP signaling, however, no desensitization occurred with 6'-GNTI pretreatment. In vivo, following intraplantar injection, all three agonists reduced thermal nociception. The dose-response curves for DPDPE and 6'-GNTI were monotonic whereas the curve for U50488 was an inverted U-shape. Inhibition of ERK blocked the downward phase and shifted the curve for U50488 to the right. Following intraplantar injection of carrageenan, antinociceptive responses to either DPDPE or U50488 were transient but could be prolonged with inhibitors of 12/15-lipoxgenases (LOX). By contrast, responsiveness to 6'-GNTI remained for a prolonged time in the absence of LOX inhibitors. Further, pretreatment with the 12/15-LOX metabolites, 12- and 15- hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, abolished responses to U50488 and DPDPE but had no effect on 6'-GNTI-mediated responses either in cultures or in vivo. Overall, these results suggest that DOP-KOP heteromers exhibit unique signaling and functional regulation in peripheral sensory neurons and may be a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of pain., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In many lichen-forming fungi, molecular phylogenetic analyses lead to the discovery of cryptic species within traditional morphospecies. However, in some cases, molecular sequence data also questions the separation of phenotypically characterised species. Here we apply an integrative taxonomy approach - including morphological, chemical, molecular, and distributional characters - to re-assess species boundaries in a traditionally speciose group of hair lichens, Bryoria sect. Implexae . We sampled multilocus sequence and microsatellite data from 142 specimens from a broad intercontinental distribution. Molecular data included DNA sequences of the standard fungal markers ITS, IGS, GAPDH , two newly tested loci (FRBi15 and FRBi16), and SSR frequencies from 18 microsatellite markers. Datasets were analysed with Bayesian and maximum likelihood phylogenetic reconstruction, phenogram reconstruction, STRUCTURE Bayesian clustering, principal coordinate analysis, haplotype network, and several different species delimitation analyses (ABGD, PTP, GMYC, and DISSECT). Additionally, past population demography and divergence times are estimated. The different approaches to species recognition do not support the monophyly of the 11 currently accepted morphospecies, and rather suggest the reduction of these to four phylogenetic species. Moreover, three of these are relatively recent in origin and cryptic, including phenotypically and chemically variable specimens. Issues regarding the integration of an evolutionary perspective into taxonomic conclusions in species complexes, which have undergone recent diversification, are discussed. The four accepted species, all epitypified by sequenced material, are Bryoria fuscescens , B. glabra , B. kockiana , and B. pseudofuscescens . Ten species rank names are reduced to synonymy. In the absence of molecular data, they can be recorded as the B. fuscescens complex. Intraspecific phenotype plasticity and factors affecting the speciation of different morphospecies in this group of Bryoria are outlined.

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Antarctica , Apenidiella antarctica from permafrost, Cladosporium fildesense from an unidentified marine sponge. Argentina , Geastrum wrightii on humus in mixed forest. Australia , Golovinomyces glandulariae on Glandularia aristigera, Neoanungitea eucalyptorum on leaves of Eucalyptus grandis, Teratosphaeria corymbiicola on leaves of Corymbia ficifolia, Xylaria eucalypti on leaves of Eucalyptus radiata. Brazil , Bovista psammophila on soil, Fusarium awaxy on rotten stalks of Zea mays, Geastrum lanuginosum on leaf litter covered soil, Hermetothecium mikaniae-micranthae (incl. Hermetothecium gen. nov.) on Mikania micrantha, Penicillium reconvexovelosoi in soil, Stagonosporopsis vannaccii from pod of Glycine max. British Virgin Isles , Lactifluus guanensis on soil. Canada , Sorocybe oblongispora on resin of Picea rubens. Chile , Colletotrichum roseum on leaves of Lapageria rosea. China , Setophoma caverna from carbonatite in Karst cave. Colombia , Lareunionomyces eucalypticola on leaves of Eucalyptus grandis. Costa Rica , Psathyrella pivae on wood. Cyprus , Clavulina iris on calcareous substrate. France , Chromosera ambigua and Clavulina iris var. occidentalis on soil. French West Indies , Helminthosphaeria hispidissima on dead wood. Guatemala , Talaromyces guatemalensis in soil. Malaysia , Neotracylla pini (incl. Tracyllales ord. nov. and Neotracylla gen. nov.) and Vermiculariopsiella pini on needles of Pinus tecunumanii. New Zealand , Neoconiothyrium viticola on stems of Vitis vinifera, Parafenestella pittospori on Pittosporum tenuifolium, Pilidium novae-zelandiae on Phoenix sp. Pakistan , Russula quercus-floribundae on forest floor. Portugal , Trichoderma aestuarinum from saline water. Russia , Pluteus liliputianus on fallen branch of deciduous tree, Pluteus spurius on decaying deciduous wood or soil. South Africa , Alloconiothyrium encephalarti, Phyllosticta encephalarticola and Neothyrostroma encephalarti (incl. Neothyrostroma gen. nov.) on leaves of Encephalartos sp., Chalara eucalypticola on leaf spots of Eucalyptus grandis × urophylla, Clypeosphaeria oleae on leaves of Olea capensis, Cylindrocladiella postalofficium on leaf litter of Sideroxylon inerme , Cylindromonium eugeniicola (incl. Cylindromonium gen. nov.) on leaf litter of Eugenia capensis , Cyphellophora goniomatis on leaves of Gonioma kamassi , Nothodactylaria nephrolepidis (incl. Nothodactylaria gen. nov. and Nothodactylariaceae fam. nov.) on leaves of Nephrolepis exaltata , Falcocladium eucalypti and Gyrothrix eucalypti on leaves of Eucalyptus sp., Gyrothrix oleae on leaves of Olea capensis subsp. macrocarpa , Harzia metrosideri on leaf litter of Metrosideros sp., Hippo pota myces phragmitis (incl. Hippo pota myces gen. nov.) on leaves of Phragmites australis , Lectera philenopterae on Philenoptera violacea , Leptosillia mayteni on leaves of Maytenus heterophylla , Lithohypha aloicola and Neoplatysporoides aloes on leaves of Aloe sp., Millesimomyces rhoicissi (incl. Millesimomyces gen. nov.) on leaves of Rhoicissus digitata , Neodevriesia strelitziicola on leaf litter of Strelitzia nicolai , Neokirramyces syzygii (incl. Neokirramyces gen. nov.) on leaf spots of Syzygium sp., Nothoramichloridium perseae (incl. Nothoramichloridium gen. nov. and Anungitiomycetaceae fam. nov.) on leaves of Persea americana , Paramycosphaerella watsoniae on leaf spots of Watsonia sp., Penicillium cuddlyae from dog food, Podocarpomyces knysnanus (incl. Podocarpomyces gen. nov.) on leaves of Podocarpus falcatus , Pseudocercospora heteropyxidicola on leaf spots of Heteropyxis natalensis , Pseudopenidiella podocarpi, Scolecobasidium podocarpi and Ceramothyrium podocarpicola on leaves of Podocarpus latifolius , Scolecobasidium blechni on leaves of Blechnum capense , Stomiopeltis syzygii on leaves of Syzygium chordatum , Strelitziomyces knysnanus (incl. Strelitziomyces gen. nov.) on leaves of Strelitzia alba , Talaromyces clemensii from rotting wood in goldmine, Verrucocladosporium visseri on Carpobrotus edulis. Spain , Boletopsis mediterraneensis on soil, Calycina cortegadensisi on a living twig of Castanea sativa , Emmonsiellopsis tuberculata in fluvial sediments, Mollisia cortegadensis on dead attached twig of Quercus robur , Psathyrella ovispora on soil, Pseudobeltrania lauri on leaf litter of Laurus azorica , Terfezia dunensis in soil, Tuber lucentum in soil, Venturia submersa on submerged plant debris. Thailand , Cordyceps jakajanicola on cicada nymph, Cordyceps kuiburiensis on spider, Distoseptispora caricis on leaves of Carex sp., Ophiocordyceps khonkaenensis on cicada nymph. USA , Cytosporella juncicola and Davidiellomyces juncicola on culms of Juncus effusus , Monochaetia massachusettsianum from air sample, Neohelicomyces melaleucae and Periconia neobrittanica on leaves of Melaleuca styphelioides × lanceolata , Pseudocamarosporium eucalypti on leaves of Eucalyptus sp . , Pseudogymnoascus lindneri from sediment in a mine, Pseudogymnoascus turneri from sediment in a railroad tunnel, Pulchroboletus sclerotiorum on soil, Zygosporium pseudomasonii on leaf of Serenoa repens. Vietnam , Boletus candidissimus and Veloporphyrellus vulpinus on soil. Morphological and culture characteristics are supported by DNA barcodes., (© 2019 Naturalis Biodiversity Center & Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.)

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 11 th 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.

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia : Apiognomonia lasiopetali on Lasiopetalum sp., Blastacervulus eucalyptorum on Eucalyptus adesmophloia , Bullanockia australis (incl. Bullanockia gen. nov.) on Kingia australis , Caliciopsis eucalypti on Eucalyptus marginata , Celerioriella petrophiles on Petrophile teretifolia , Coleophoma xanthosiae on Xanthosia rotundifolia , Coniothyrium hakeae on Hakea sp., Diatrypella banksiae on Banksia formosa , Disculoides corymbiae on Corymbia calophylla , Elsinoë eelemani on Melaleuca alternifolia , Elsinoë eucalyptigena on Eucalyptus kingsmillii , Elsinoë preissianae on Eucalyptus preissiana , Eucasphaeria rustici on Eucalyptus creta , Hyweljonesia queenslandica (incl. Hyweljonesia gen. nov.) on the cocoon of an unidentified microlepidoptera, Mycodiella eucalypti (incl. Mycodiella gen. nov.) on Eucalyptus diversicolor , Myrtapenidiella sporadicae on Eucalyptus sporadica , Neocrinula xanthorrhoeae (incl. Neocrinula gen. nov.) on Xanthorrhoea sp., Ophiocordyceps nooreniae on dead ant, Phaeosphaeriopsis agavacearum on Agave sp., Phlogicylindrium mokarei on Eucalyptus sp., Phyllosticta acaciigena on Acacia suaveolens , Pleurophoma acaciae on Acacia glaucoptera , Pyrenochaeta hakeae on Hakea sp., Readeriella lehmannii on Eucalyptus lehmannii , Saccharata banksiae on Banksia grandis , Saccharata daviesiae on Daviesia pachyphylla , Saccharata eucalyptorum on Eucalyptus bigalerita , Saccharata hakeae on Hakea baxteri , Saccharata hakeicola on Hakea victoria , Saccharata lambertiae on Lambertia ericifolia , Saccharata petrophiles on Petrophile sp., Saccharata petrophilicola on Petrophile fastigiata , Sphaerellopsis hakeae on Hakea sp., and Teichospora kingiae on Kingia australis. Brazil : Adautomilanezia caesalpiniae (incl . Adautomilanezia gen. nov.) on Caesalpina echinata , Arthrophiala arthrospora (incl. Arthrophiala gen. nov.) on Sagittaria montevidensis , Diaporthe caatingaensis (endophyte from Tacinga inamoena ), Geastrum ishikawae on sandy soil, Geastrum pusillipilosum on soil, Gymnopus pygmaeus on dead leaves and sticks, Inonotus hymenonitens on decayed angiosperm trunk, Pyricularia urashimae on Urochloa brizantha , and Synnemellisia aurantia on Passiflora edulis . Chile : Tubulicrinis australis on Lophosoria quadripinnata. France : Cercophora squamulosa from submerged wood, and Scedosporium cereisporum from fluids of a wastewater treatment plant. Hawaii : Beltraniella acaciae , Dactylaria acaciae , Rhexodenticula acaciae , Rubikia evansii and Torula acaciae (all on Acacia koa ) . India : Lepidoderma echinosporum on dead semi-woody stems, and Rhodocybe rubrobrunnea from soil. Iran : Talaromyces kabodanensis from hypersaline soil. La Réunion : Neocordana musarum from leaves of Musa sp. Malaysia : Anungitea eucalyptigena on Eucalyptus grandis × pellita , Camptomeriphila leucaenae (incl. Camptomeriphila gen. nov.) on Leucaena leucocephala , Castanediella communis on Eucalyptus pellita , Eucalyptostroma eucalypti (incl. Eucalyptostroma gen. nov.) on Eucalyptus pellita , Melanconiella syzygii on Syzygium sp., Mycophilomyces periconiae (incl. Mycophilomyces gen. nov.) as hyperparasite on Periconia on leaves of Albizia falcataria , Synnemadiella eucalypti (incl. Synnemadiella gen. nov.) on Eucalyptus pellita , and Teichospora nephelii on Nephelium lappaceum. Mexico : Aspergillus bicephalus from soil. New Zealand : Aplosporella sophorae on Sophora microphylla , Libertasomyces platani on Platanus sp., Neothyronectria sophorae (incl. Neothyronectria gen. nov.) on Sophora microphylla , Parastagonospora phoenicicola on Phoenix canariensis , Phaeoacremonium pseudopanacis on Pseudopanax crassifolius , Phlyctema phoenicis on Phoenix canariensis , and Pseudoascochyta novae-zelandiae on Cordyline australis. Panama : Chalara panamensis from needle litter of Pinus cf. caribaea . South Africa : Exophiala eucalypti on leaves of Eucalyptus sp., Fantasmomyces hyalinus (incl. Fantasmomyces gen. nov.) on Acacia exuvialis , Paracladophialophora carceris (incl. Paracladophialophora gen. nov.) on Aloe sp., and Umthunziomyces hagahagensis (incl. Umthunziomyces gen. nov.) on Mimusops caffra. Spain : Clavaria griseobrunnea on bare ground in Pteridium aquilinum field, Cyathus ibericus on small fallen branches of Pinus halepensis , Gyroporus pseudolacteus in humus of Pinus pinaster , and Pseudoascochyta pratensis (incl. Pseudoascochyta gen. nov.) from soil. Thailand : Neoascochyta adenii on Adenium obesum , and Ochroconis capsici on Capsicum annuum . UK : Fusicolla melogrammae from dead stromata of Melogramma campylosporum on bark of Carpinus betulus . Uruguay : Myrmecridium pulvericola from house dust. USA : Neoscolecobasidium agapanthi (incl. Neoscolecobasidium gen. nov.) on Agapanthus sp . , Polyscytalum purgamentum on leaf litter, Pseudopithomyces diversisporus from human toenail, Saksenaea trapezispora from knee wound of a soldier, and Sirococcus quercus from Quercus sp . Morphological and culture characteristics along with DNA barcodes are provided.

Knowledge regarding the enzymatic machinery of fungi is decisive to understand their ecological role. The species of the genus Geastrum are known to grow extremely slowly in pure culture, which makes it difficult to evaluate physiological parameters such as enzyme activity. Qualitative assays were performed on isolates of four species of this genus, showing evidence of laccase, cellulase, pectinase, amylase and lipase activity and suggesting that a wide range of carbon sources can be exploited by these species. For the first time in this genus, quantitative assays verified manganese peroxidase activity (up to 0.6mU/g) in 30-day old cultures, as well as laccase, β-glycosidase and β-xylosidase activities., (Copyright © 2016 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Four new lichenicolous Tremella species are described and characterized morphologically and molecularly. Tremella celata grows on Ramalina fraxinea, inducing the formation of inconspicuous galls, and having hyphae with incomplete clamps. Tremella endosporogena develops intrahymenially in the apothecia of Lecanora carpinea, having single-celled basidia and clampless hyphae. Tremella diederichiana is the name proposed for a species micromorphologically close to T. christiansenii but inducing the formation of small, pale galls on the thallus and apothecia of Lecidea aff. erythrophaea Tremella variae grows on Lecanora varia thallus, instead of on the apothecia, as do the other known Tremella species parasitizing Lecanora s.l. Phylogenetic relationships and host specificity of these species are investigated and compared with other taxa that show morphological resemblances, phylogenetic affinities or similar hosts. The formation of mitotic conidia inside old basidia (endospores), which is a poorly known reproductive strategy in the Basidiomycota, is also a distinctive character of Tremella endosporogena A discussion on the reproductive role and systematic implications of endospores is included., (© 2016 by The Mycological Society of America.)

Novel species of fungi described in the present study include the following from Australia: Neoseptorioides eucalypti gen. & sp. nov. from Eucalyptus radiata leaves, Phytophthora gondwanensis from soil, Diaporthe tulliensis from rotted stem ends of Theobroma cacao fruit, Diaporthe vawdreyi from fruit rot of Psidium guajava, Magnaporthiopsis agrostidis from rotted roots of Agrostis stolonifera and Semifissispora natalis from Eucalyptus leaf litter. Furthermore, Neopestalotiopsis egyptiaca is described from Mangifera indica leaves (Egypt), Roussoella mexicana from Coffea arabica leaves (Mexico), Calonectria monticola from soil (Thailand), Hygrocybe jackmanii from littoral sand dunes (Canada), Lindgomyces madisonensis from submerged decorticated wood (USA), Neofabraea brasiliensis from Malus domestica (Brazil), Geastrum diosiae from litter (Argentina), Ganoderma wiiroense on angiosperms (Ghana), Arthrinium gutiae from the gut of a grasshopper (India), Pyrenochaeta telephoni from the screen of a mobile phone (India) and Xenoleptographium phialoconidium gen. & sp. nov. on exposed xylem tissues of Gmelina arborea (Indonesia). Several novelties are introduced from Spain, namely Psathyrella complutensis on loamy soil, Chlorophyllum lusitanicum on nitrified grasslands (incl. Chlorophyllum arizonicum comb. nov.), Aspergillus citocrescens from cave sediment and Lotinia verna gen. & sp. nov. from muddy soil. Novel foliicolous taxa from South Africa include Phyllosticta carissicola from Carissa macrocarpa, Pseudopyricularia hagahagae from Cyperaceae and Zeloasperisporium searsiae from Searsia chirindensis. Furthermore, Neophaeococcomyces is introduced as a novel genus, with two new combinations, N. aloes and N. catenatus. Several foliicolous novelties are recorded from La Réunion, France, namely Ochroconis pandanicola from Pandanus utilis, Neosulcatispora agaves gen. & sp. nov. from Agave vera-cruz, Pilidium eucalyptorum from Eucalyptus robusta, Strelitziana syzygii from Syzygium jambos (incl. Strelitzianaceae fam. nov.) and Pseudobeltrania ocoteae from Ocotea obtusata (Beltraniaceae emend.). Morphological and culture characteristics along with ITS DNA barcodes are provided for all taxa.

A revision of the classification of Geastrum sect. Geastrum is presented on the basis of an integrative taxonomic approach, which involves the study of morphological, molecular, ecological, and chorological data. Four DNA regions are analysed: the ITS and LSU nrDNA, rpb1, and atp6. Phylogenetic reconstructions include 95 ingroup samples and show five main clades, which are considered as five subsections, one of them proposed as new (G. subsect. Hungarica), and a total of 27 lineages recognizable at species level. Discriminant function analyses, ANOVAs and Tukey's HSD tests on more than 500 basidiomata reveal the utility of several quantitative morphological characters for species delimitation. As a result of the combination of the different sources of taxonomic information, a revised taxonomy is presented and seven new species, viz., G. austrominimum, G. benitoi, G. britannicum, G. kuharii, G. meridionale, G. papinuttii, and G. thanatophilum, are proposed.

Systematics of the recently proposed Geastrum sect. Schmidelia are addressed through statistical analyses of quantitative morphological variables and phylogenetic reconstructions based on a multilocus approach. Emphasis is given to the taxonomic placement of G. schmidelii var. parvisporum. This variety is found to be not phylogenetically close to G. schmidelii var. schmidelii, the type species of G. sect. Schmidelia, and it therefore is excluded from this section, taxonomically raised to species rank (as G. parvisporum) and included as a member of G. sect. Hariotia. A second species in G. sect. Schmidelia is recognized and formally described as G. senoretiae. It is characterized by small basidiomata, non-hygrometric exoperidium, subsessile endoperidium and finely plicate, indistinctly delimited peristome, so far known only from Spain. Photographs and drawings are included, along with a comparison of morphologically close taxa. The presence of sclerified basidia in the mature gleba, previously not reported in the genus, is commented on., (© 2014 by The Mycological Society of America.)