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As the continuation of Fungal Diversity Notes series, the current paper is the 16th contribution to this series. A total of 103 taxa from seven classes in Ascomycota and Basidiomycota are included here. Of these 101 taxa, four new genera, 89 new species, one new combination, one new name and six new records are described in detail along with information of hosts and geographic distributions. The four genera newly introduced are Ascoglobospora, Atheliella, Rufoboletus and Tenuimyces. Newly described species are Akanthomyces xixiuensis, Agaricus agharkarii, A. albostipitatus, Amphisphaeria guttulata, Ascoglobospora marina, Astrothelium peudostraminicolor, Athelia naviculispora, Atheliella conifericola, Athelopsis subglaucina, Aureoboletus minimus, A. nanlingensis, Autophagomyces incertus, Beltrania liliiferae, Beltraniella jiangxiensis, Botryobasidium coniferarum, Calocybella sribuabanensis, Calonarius caesiofulvus, C. nobilis, C. pacificus, C. pulcher, C. subcorrosus, Cortinarius flaureifolius, C. floridaensis, C. subiodes, Crustomyces juniperi, C. scytinostromoides, Cystostereum subsirmaurense, Dimorphomyces seemanii, Fulvoderma microporum, Ginnsia laricicola, Gomphus zamorinorum, Halobyssothecium sichuanense, Hemileccinum duriusculum, Henningsomyces hengduanensis, Hygronarius californicus, Kneiffiella pseudoabdita, K. pseudoalutacea, Laboulbenia bifida, L. tschirnhausii, L. tuberculata, Lambertella dipterocarpacearum, Laxitextum subrubrum, Lyomyces austro-occidentalis, L. crystallina, L. guttulatus, L. niveus, L. tasmanicus, Marasmius centrocinnamomeus, M. ferrugineodiscus, Megasporoporia tamilnaduensis, Meruliopsis crystallina, Metuloidea imbricata, Moniliophthora atlantica, Mystinarius ochrobrunneus, Neomycoleptodiscus alishanense, Nigrograna kunmingensis, Paracremonium aquaticum, Parahelicomyces dictyosporus, Peniophorella sidera, P. subreticulata, Phlegmacium fennicum, P. pallidocaeruleum, Pholiota betulicola, P. subcaespitosa, Pleurotheciella hyalospora, Pleurothecium aseptatum, Resupinatus porrigens, Russula chlorina, R. chrysea, R. cruenta, R. haematina, R. luteocarpa, R. sanguinolenta, Synnemellisia punensis, Tenuimyces bambusicola, Thaxterogaster americanoporphyropus, T. obscurovibratilis, Thermoascus endophyticus, Trechispora alba, T. perminispora, T. subfarinacea, T. tuberculata, Tremella sairandhriana, Tropicoporus natarajaniae, T. subramaniae, Usnea kriegeriana, Wolfiporiella macrospora and Xylodon muchuanensis. Rufoboletus hainanensis is newly transferred from Butyriboletus, while a new name Russula albocarpa is proposed for Russula leucocarpa G.J. Li & Chun Y. Deng an illegitimate later homonym of Russula leucocarpa (T. Lebel) T. Lebel. The new geographic distribution regions are recorded for Agaricus bambusetorum, Bipolaris heliconiae, Crinipellis trichialis, Leucocoprinus cretaceus, Halobyssothecium cangshanense and Parasola setulosa. Corresponding to morphological characters, phylogenetic evidence is also utilized to place the above-mentioned taxa in appropriate taxonomic positions. The current morphological and phylogenetic data is helpful for further clarification of species diversity and exploration of evolutionary relationships in the related fungal groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: The HIV epidemic continues to disproportionately burden marginalized populations despite the availability of effective preventive and therapeutic interventions. Transgender women are severely affected by HIV worldwide including in Brazil and other low- and middle-income countries, with evidence of increasing new infections among young people. There is an urgent need for youth-specific HIV prevention and care interventions for young transgender women in Brazil. Objective: This study aims to (1) address stigma in the Brazilian public health system and (2) reduce barriers to HIV care and prevention with systems navigation among young transgender women aged 18-24 years in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Methods: The Brilhar e Transcender (BeT) study is a status-neutral, peer-led, single-arm digital intervention study enrolling 150 young transgender women in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The intervention was pilot tested and refined using data from a formative phase. The BeT intervention takes place over 3 months, is delivered remotely via mobile phone and in person by peers, and comprises three components: (1) BeT sessions, (2) digital interactions, and (3) automated messages. Eligibility criteria include identifying as transgender women, being aged 18-24 years, speaking in Portuguese, and living in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area in Brazil. The primary outcomes are HIV incidence, pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake, linkage to HIV care, and viral suppression. Primary outcomes were assessed at baseline and quarterly for 12 months. Participants respond to interviewer-based surveys and receive tests for HIV and sexually transmitted infections. Results: The study has been approved by the Brazilian and the US local institutional review boards in accordance with all applicable regulations. Study recruitment began in February 2022 and was completed in early July 2022. Plans are to complete the follow-up assessment of study participants on July 2023, analyze the study data, and disseminate intervention results by December 2023. Conclusions: Interventions to engage a new generation of transgender women in HIV prevention and care are needed to curb the epidemic. The BeT study will evaluate a digital peer-led intervention for young transgender women in Brazil, which builds on ways young people engage in systems and uses peer-led support to empower transgender youth in self-care and health promotion. A promising evaluation of the BeT intervention may lead to the availability of this rapidly scalable status-neutral HIV intervention that can be translated throughout Brazil and other low- and middle-income countries for young transgender women at high risk of or living with HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to select endophytic fungi to produce L-asparaginase and partially optimising the production of the enzyme using cacti as substrate. Seventeen endophytes were assessed for intracellular enzymatic potential in modified Czapek Dox’s medium using L-proline as an inducer. The best producer was evaluated for intracellular and extracellular enzymatic activity in modified Czapek Dox’s medium using flours of Opuntia ficus-indica and Nopalea cochenillifera as substrate. The biomass and L-asparaginase production profile was analysed and the best conditions for enzyme production were verified using factorial design. Penicillium decaturense URM 7966, Diaporthe ueckerae URM 8321, and Colletotrichum annellatum URM 8538 produced 0.76 U g− 1, 0.87 U g− 1, and 0.74 U g− 1 L-asparaginase, respectively. Diaporthe ueckerae URM 8321 produced only intracellular L-asparaginase, using flours of N. cochenillifera (0.72 U g− 1) and O. ficus-indica (0.90 U g− 1) and the last was selected for the next steps. The ideal time for biomass and L-asparaginase production was 120 h. The best conditions for enzyme production (1.67 U g− 1) were initial pH 4.0, inoculum concentration 1% and cacti flour concentration 0.2%; where was observed an increase of 46.11% in compared to the initial production. Opuntia ficus-indica flour is indicated as an alternative low-cost substrate for the production of L-asparaginase by the endophytic fungus D. ueckerae URM 8321. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the dependence of strain sensitivity on cavity length in conventional Fabry–Perot (F‐P) sensors. A high number of F‐P sensors were required and to ensure their reproducibility, a manufacturing process was developed to obtain similar sensors but with different types of lengths. A hollow‐core silica tube was used to fabricate several F‐P cavities by fusion splicing it between two sections of SMF28 fiber. The fabricated F‐P has a varying length ranging from 15 to 2500 μm. The cavities were measured under a microscope and the reflected spectrum was acquired for each one. Strain measurements were performed for a maximum strain of 1000 με. The strain sensitivity showed a highly linear correlation with ∆λFSR. Small length variations for short cavities heavily affect the FSR value. The smallest and longest cavities present sensitivities of 8.71 and 2.68 pm/με, respectively. Thermal characterization for low‐ and high‐temperature regimes was also performed and is constant for tested sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of a representative range of pharmaceutical compounds (PhCs) in urban wastewaters was studied in two Portuguese water-scarce regions (Lisbon great area, and Faro – Algarve), involving 55 sampling campaigns during 2.5 years. The results show 16 PhCs (out of the 24 analysed) were quantified in all samples, with similar concentrations in both wastewaters. To understand to what extent seasonality affects PhC occurrence, a statistical analysis was conducted, and daily maximum air temperature was identified as a key factor, with a turning point of 20°C in Lisbon and 22°C in Faro. Some PhCs showed lower concentrations in colder (wet) months due to rainwater dilution (combined sewer systems), whereas others showed higher concentrations, reflecting an increased seasonal consumption and/or slower transformation under lower temperatures and/or shorter hydraulic retention times. Seasonal studies should therefore focus on temperature rather than on calendar seasons, increasingly uncertain due to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]