Combined soda and enzyme-catalyzed extrusion pretreatment (bioextrusion) of barley straw was evaluated for bioethanol production. The effect of the enzyme dose on the bioextrudate was for the first ...time analyzed. The enzyme load (5–10 FPU/g DM) had a significant impact on the solubilization of sugars during bioextrusion and also affected the saccharification yield at long incubation times. The solids concentration (17–25% w/w) in the extended incubation of bioextrudates was also studied and its effect on the carbohydrate conversion and sugar release was evaluated. An enzyme dose of 10 FPU/g dry matter and a solids content of 20% (w/w) were selected as the best conditions to submit the bioextrudate to a liquefaction plus simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (LSSCF) process using a modified S. cerevisiae strain. At the end of the process, an ethanol concentration close to 38 g/l was obtained, corresponding to a production of 15.8 g ethanol/100 g raw barley straw.
•Combined alkali- and enzyme-extrusion is a suitable pretreatment for barley straw.•The effect of enzyme dose and solids content in sugar release was studied.•Fermentation was carried out with a co-fermenting S. cerevisiae strain.•High glucan and xylan conversions of 75% and 61% respectively were obtained.•Ethanol production reaches 15.8 g per 100 g of raw barley straw.
The English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae, is a cosmopolitan pest that feeds on cereals, provoking substantial yield losses by injuring plant tissue and by vectoring plant viruses. Here we report a ...highly complete, de novo draft genome of the grain aphid using long-read sequencing. We generated an assembly of 2740 contigs with a N50 of 450 kb. We compared this draft genome with that of other aphid species, inspecting gene family evolution, genome-wide positive selection, and searched for horizontal gene transfer events. In addition, we described a recent copy number variant expansion of gene families involving aconitase, ABC transporter, and esterase genes that could be associated with resistance to insecticides and plant chemical defenses. This S. avenae genome obtained from a predominant invasive genotype can provide a framework for studying the spatial-temporal success of these clonal lineages in invaded agroecosystems.
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•Sitobion avenae is a dangerous insect pest that has invaded several countries.•Genome sequencing reveal adaptations of this aphid compared with other species.•Genes related to detoxification of plant defenses are expanded in S. avenae.
Abstract Background Severity of PD is usually assessed by means of the motor and disability-based Hoehn and Yahr staging (HY), or clinician and patient global perceptions. Scores of more detailed ...assessments, as the MDS-UPDRS, have not been translated to a grading that allows assignment of score sections to severity levels. The objective of the present study is to determine cut-off points for PD severity levels based on the MDS-UPDRS. Methods International, observational study. Applied assessments were: HY, MDS-UPDRS, Clinical Impression for Severity Index, and Clinical and Patient Global Impression of Severity. The coincidence in severity level (mild, moderate, severe) of at least two clinical classifications plus the patient's gradation was considered “the criterion of severity”. Cut-off values for each MDS-UPDRS subscale was determined by triangulation of: 1) percentile 90 of the subscale total score; 2) receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis; and 3) ordinal logistic regression (OLR) model. Results Sample was composed of 452 consecutive PD patients without dementia, 55.3% males, age 65.1 ± 10.7 years and PD duration 8.7 ± 6.3 years. All HY stages were represented. The “criterion”, classified 275 patients (60.8% of the sample) as: mild PD, 149 (54.2%); moderate, 82 (29.8%); and severe, 44 (16%). The following MDS-UPDRS cut-off points between mild/moderate and moderate/severe levels were found: Part 1: 10/11 and 21/22; Part 2: 12/13 and 29/30; Part 3: 32/33 and 58/59; and Part 4: 4/5 and 12/13. Conclusion Cut-off points to classify PD patients as mild, moderate, or severe on the basis of their MDS-UPDRS scores are proposed.
Increasing awareness of resource sustainability and waste management has led to the search for solutions while promoting circular economy principles. Among all kinds of lignocellulosic biomass ...available, one with growing interest is municipal forestry and greening waste (MFGW). MFGW makes up an important part of waste streams of municipal solid waste and is a potential feedstock for biological conversion in a lignocellulosic biorefinery. This work studied the fermentable sugars production from MFGW after steam explosion (SE) pretreatment combined with other pretreatments such as dilute acid, organosolv, and metal salts. A range of pretreatment conditions was evaluated according to different parameters: sugars recovery, degradation product generation, and enzymatic hydrolysis yield. At selected pretreatment conditions (diluted acid plus SE, 195 °C, 10 min, and 60 mg H2SO4/g MFGW), 77% of potential sugars content in MFGW was obtained. The effect of solids loading and enzyme dose on glucose release and glucose yield on enzymatic hydrolysis were also determined. Up to 70% of the main sugars in the MFGW were recovered for the coupled pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis (45 FPU/g glucan enzyme loading and 20% dry matter solid consistency), resulting in 80 g/L glucose that could be further utilized for ethanol production.
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the main cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and carries virulence and resistance factors often found in mobilizable genetic elements, such as plasmids ...or pathogenicity islands (PAIs). UPEC is part of the extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC), but hybrid strains possessing both diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) and ExPEC traits, termed “hypervirulent”, present a significant health threat. This study assessed the prevalence of UPEC PAIs, ExPEC sequence types (ST), DEC genes, carbapenemase and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) phenotypes, resistance genotypes, and plasmids in 40 clinical isolates of UPEC. Results showed that 72.5% of isolates had PAIs, mainly PAI IV536 (53%). ESBL phenotypes were found in 65% of β-lactam-resistant isolates, with 100% of carbapenem-resistant isolates producing carbapenemase. The predominant ESBL gene was blaCTX-M-2 (60%), and the most common resistance gene in fluoroquinolone and aminoglycoside-resistant isolates was aac(6′)Ib (93%). Plasmids were present in 57% of isolates, and 70% belonged to the ST131 clonal group. Molecular markers for DEC pathotypes were detected in 20 isolates, with 60% classified as hybrid pathotypes. These findings indicate significant pathogenic potential and the presence of hybrid pathotypes in E. coli UTI clinical isolates in the Mexican population.
A combination of alkaline thermal pretreatment followed by thermomechanical extrusion was studied as a novel sequential pretreatment process for an effective breakdown of the lignocellulosic ...structure of
wood (EW). The first step was studied by analysing the influence of two factors: the NaOH-to-dry biomass ratio or NaOH loading (NaOH/DM) and the liquid-to-solid ratio (L/S). Optimization of these two parameters provided good results in terms of enzymatic hydrolysis at 5% (w w
) solids loading, obtaining a total sugar concentration of 24.9 g L
and a total sugar production of 36.9 g 100 g
raw EW after pretreating the biomass at 20% NaOH/DM and L/S = 1/1. The second step of extrusion, when followed by a final washing step, provided a significant increase in glucose and xylose production when working at 10% NaOH/DM. For a soda loading of 20%, there was a clear improvement in sugars conversion yield after extrusion and washing: 71% for glucan conversion and 89% for xylan.
Background
It has been proposed that polyphenols can be used in the development of new therapies against COVID-19, given their ability to interfere with the adsorption and entrance processes of the ...virus, thus disrupting viral replication. Seeds from
Caesalpinia spinosa
, have been traditionally used for the treatment of inflammatory pathologies and respiratory diseases. Our team has obtained an extract called P2Et, rich in polyphenols derived from gallic acid with significant antioxidant activity, and the ability to induce complete autophagy in tumor cells and reduce the systemic inflammatory response in animal models.
Methods
In this work, a phase II multicenter randomized double-blind clinical trial on COVID-19 patients was designed to evaluate the impact of the P2Et treatment on the clinical outcome and the immunological parameters related to the evolution of the disease. The Trial was registered with the number No. NCT04410510
*
. A complementary study in an animal model of lung fibrosis was carried out to evaluate
in situ
lung changes after P2Et
in vivo
administration. The ability of P2Et to inhibit the viral load of murine and human coronaviruses in cellular models was also evaluated.
Results
Patients treated with P2Et were discharged on average after 7.4 days of admission vs. 9.6 days in the placebo group. Although a decrease in proinflammatory cytokines such as G-CSF, IL-15, IL-12, IL-6, IP10, MCP-1, MCP-2 and IL-18 was observed in both groups, P2Et decreased to a greater extent G-CSF, IL-6 and IL-18 among others, which are related to lower recovery of patients in the long term. The frequency of T lymphocytes (LT) CD3+, LT double negative (CD3+CD4-CD8-), NK cells increased in the P2Et group where the population of eosinophils was also significantly reduced. In the murine bleomycin model, P2Et also reduced lung inflammation and fibrosis. P2Et was able to reduce the viral replication of murine and human coronaviruses
in vitro
, showing its dual antiviral and anti-inflammatory role, key in disease control.
Conclusions
Taken together these results suggest that P2Et could be consider as a good co-adjuvant in the treatment of COVID-19.
Clinical trail registration
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04410510
, identifier: NCT04410510.
A remarkable musk ox (Ovibos moschatus) assemblage was recovered at Cowshead Cave (Picos de Europa Mountains, NW Spain). This find is of special paleobiogeographic relevance since it involves the ...first occurrence of this species in NW Iberia and extends the boundary of its Eurasian distribution range to the SW.
Fossils correspond to at least two individuals: one young male about 20 months old, which includes an extraordinarily well-preserved skull, and one subadult of about 38–44 months. The bone deposit, dated to 34.9 ± 0.4 cal ka BP (MIS 3), accumulated in a karst cave that acted as a natural trap, agreeing with the geomorphology and the good preservation of the remains.
Considering that musk ox skulls of young individuals are extremely rare in the Pleistocene record, the detailed comparative study of the skull here presented provides new and relevant information. The skull from Cowshead is larger than modern specimens of similar individual age from Greenland; additionally, some remarkable morphological peculiarities in skull and teeth were identified.
One metacarpal of the subadult individual was compared to recent and Pleistocene specimens and was among the largest in the entire sample. Significant differences in morphology and size between fossil and recent metacarpals were detected.
Teeth microwear analysis suggests a browsing diet based on twigs and leaves at the time of death, which is consistent with a winter diet.
The cold and arid environment inferred from the presence of musk ox is consistent with the paleontological record, since cold-adapted mammals occurred at other contemporary assemblages from NW Iberia.
•The first occurrence of Ovibos moschatus fossils at NW Iberia is presented.•A new SW border of the Pleistocene O. moschatus Eurasian distribution is established.•Remains of two muskox individuals (a young and a subadult) include a complete skull.•A comparative study of the fossils provided relevant results on morphology and size.•This muskox find indicate cold and arid environment in NW Iberia at 34.9 cal ka BP.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) belong to the most common pathologies in Mexico and are mainly caused by Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). UPEC possesses a wide diversity of virulence factors ...that allow it to carry out its pathogenesis mechanism in the urinary tract (UT). The development of morphotypes in UT represents an important feature of UPEC because it is associated with complications in diagnosis of UTI. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of bacterial morphotypes, virulence genes, virulence phenotypes, antibiotic resistant, and phylogenetic groups in clinical isolates of UPEC obtained from women in Sonora, Mexico. Forty UPEC isolates were obtained, and urine morphotypes were observed in 65% of the urine samples from where E. coli was isolated. Phylogenetic group B2 was the most prevalent. The most frequent virulence genes were fimH (100%), fliCD (90%), and sfaD/focC (72%). Biofilm formation (100%) and motility (98%) were the most prevalent phenotypes. Clinical isolates showed high resistance to aminoglycosides and β-lactams antibiotics. These data suggest that the search for morphotypes in urine sediment must be incorporated in the urinalysis procedure and also that clinical isolates of UPEC in this study can cause upper, lower, and recurrent UTI.
In glaciated areas, the environmental evolution before MIS 2 is usually poorly constrained mainly due to the later glacial erosion during the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). However, in carbonate ...areas, karst caves can preserve records of pre-LGM paleoenvironment. We studied a cave (1350 m altitude) to establish the paleoenvironmental evolution of a glaciated karst area in Picos de Europa (SW Europe). For this objective, a glacial reconstruction, cave sedimentology analyses, and macro- and micromammal remains are com bined with ten U–Th, OSL and AMS 14C ages. The paleo-glacial reconstruction indicates glaciers descended down to 810–1040 m of altitude covering an area of 36.18 km2 in the surroundings of Covadonga Lakes during the glacial local maximum, with the equilibrium line altitude located at 1524 ± 36 m. The geomorphological study of the cave and the U–Th and OSL dates reveal the presence of three allochthonous alluvial sediment sequences at 132–135, 98–60 and ca. 36 ka. These last two sequences would come from the erosion of fluvioglacial sediments including teeth fragments of Pliomys coronensis (=P. lenki), an unusual species in high areas of NW Spain during the Upper Pleistocene. In addition, remains of chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica) dated in 37–33 cal ka BP constitutes the oldest evidence of chamois above 800 m asl in the region. All the presented data indicate the development of alpine glacier-free areas covered by fluvioglacial sediments at ca. 1450 m altitude at 98–60 and 37–33 ka, corresponding to glacial retreat stages.
•Paleoenvironmental evolution based on glacial, cave, fossils, U–Th, OSL and 14C data.•Cave and mammal fossils data constrain the timing of reconstructed glaciers.•Pliomys coronensis lived up to 1400 m in NW Spain during MIS 4.•The oldest evidence of Rupicapra pyrenaica above 1000 m asl of NW Spain.•Fossil remains indicate ice-free conditions around 98–60 and 37–33 ka at 1400 asl
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