Use of Residual Lignocellulosic Biomass and Algal Biomass to Produce Biofuels.

Efforts are intensifying to identify new biofuel sources in response to the pressing need to mitigate environmental pollutants, such as greenhouse gases, which are key contributors to global warming and various worldwide calamities. Algae and microalgae present themselves as excellent alternatives for solid-gaseous fuel production, given their renewable nature and non-polluting characteristics. However, making biomass production from these organisms economically feasible remains a challenge. This article collates various studies on the use of lignocellulosic waste, transforming it from environmental waste to valuable organic supplements for algae and microalgae cultivation. The focus is on enhancing biomass production and the metabolites derived from these biomasses.

Potential Involvement of the South American Lungfish Intelectin-2 in Innate-Associated Immune Modulation.

Intelectins belong to a family of lectins with specific and transitory carbohydrate interaction capabilities. These interactions are related to the activity of agglutinating pathogens, as intelectins play a significant role in immunity. Despite the prominent immune defense function of intelectins, limited information about its structural characteristics and carbohydrate interaction properties is available. This study investigated an intelectin transcript identified in RNA-seq data obtained from the South American lungfish (Lepidosiren paradoxa), namely LpITLN2-B. The structural analyses predicted LpITLN2-B to be a homo-trimeric globular protein with the fibrinogen-like functional domain (FReD), exhibiting a molecular mass of 57 kDa. The quaternary structure is subdivided into three monomers, A, B, and C, and each domain comprises 11 ß-sheets: an anti-parallel ß-sheet, a ß-hairpin, and a disordered ß-sheet structure. Molecular docking demonstrates a significant interaction with disaccharides rather than monosaccharides. The preferential interaction with disaccharides highlights the potential interaction with pathogen molecules, such as LPS and Poly(I:C). The hemagglutination assay inhibited lectins activity, especially maltose and sucrose, highlighting lectin activity in L. paradoxa samples. Overall, our results show the potential relevance of LpITLN2-B in L. paradoxa immune defense against pathogens.

In Silico Analysis of a GH3 ß-Glucosidase from Microcystis aeruginosa CACIAM 03.

Cyanobacteria are rich sources of secondary metabolites and have the potential to be excellent industrial enzyme producers. ß-glucosidases are extensively employed in processing biomass degradation as they mediate the most crucial step of bioconversion of cellobiose (CBI), hence controlling the efficiency and global rate of biomass hydrolysis. However, the production and availability of these enzymes derived from cyanobacteria remains limited. In this study, we evaluated the ß-glucosidase from Microcystis aeruginosa CACIAM 03 (MaBgl3) and its potential for bioconversion of cellulosic biomass by analyzing primary/secondary structures, predicting physicochemical properties, homology modeling, molecular docking, and simulations of molecular dynamics (MD). The results showed that MaBgl3 derives from an N-terminal domain folded as a distorted ß-barrel, which contains the conserved His-Asp catalytic dyad often found in glycosylases of the GH3 family. The molecular docking results showed relevant interactions with Asp81, Ala271 and Arg444 residues that contribute to the binding process during MD simulation. Moreover, the MD simulation of the MaBgl3 was stable, shown by analyzing the root mean square deviation (RMSD) values and observing favorable binding free energy in both complexes. In addition, experimental data suggest that MaBgl3 could be a potential enzyme for cellobiose-hydrolyzing degradation.

Current Knowledge on Microviridin from Cyanobacteria.

Cyanobacteria are a rich source of secondary metabolites with a vast biotechnological potential. These compounds have intrigued the scientific community due their uniqueness and diversity, which is guaranteed by a rich enzymatic apparatus. The ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are among the most promising metabolite groups derived from cyanobacteria. They are interested in numerous biological and ecological processes, many of which are entirely unknown. Microviridins are among the most recognized class of ribosomal peptides formed by cyanobacteria. These oligopeptides are potent inhibitors of protease; thus, they can be used for drug development and the control of mosquitoes. They also play a key ecological role in the defense of cyanobacteria against microcrustaceans. The purpose of this review is to systematically identify the key characteristics of microviridins, including its chemical structure and biosynthesis, as well as its biotechnological and ecological significance.

[Scores to predict the number of hospitalization days in a general ward at a tertiary hospital]. / Score predictor de días de estancia para sala común.

UNLABELLED: Although most usual admissions to hospital are in rooms in general wards, there are not scores to predict the number of hospitalization days in this area. The patients are located based on diagnosis at admission. AIM: to make scores who predict the number of hospitalization days in the general wards. METHODS: We studied all the patients who were admitted to the Italiano Hospital from march of 2004 to may of 2005 in Cordoba city (Argentina). The inclusion criteria were: more than 18 years old patients who were admitted for more than 24 hours due to clinical or surgical conditions in general wards. We evaluated 53 variables including background, toxics, physiologic and demographic data, social reports, nutritional condition, out patients previous consultations at the admission day. Died patients were not included in this score analysis. RESULTS: The number of patients included was 1003. Short hospitalization was considered when the number of the days of the hospitalization was less than 4 days and long hospitalization was more than 5 day in a general ward. We made a score with 11 main variables according to physician clinical perception. The statistical analysis was not significant in each variable studied. When we analyzed the score with 11 of them as a whole, it showed statistical significance. We divided in categories and pointing according to statistic settlements. Minimum pointing: 11; maximum: 33. Showed R2: 0,77 ( p: 0,06) between pointing and the hospitalization days. CONCLUSION: The lower scores were related with a high chance of discharge before 5 days. This score may be a simple and feasible tool for the hospital administration and for the prediction of available beds in a general wards.