Collagenolytic proteases have attracted increasing attention due to their ability to hydrolyze collagen and their relevance in biotechnological processes. In this study, a collagenolytic protease produced by Mucor subtilissimus UCP 1262 was characterized through an integrated evaluation of its biochemical properties, thermal-inactivation thermodynamics, and conformational behavior. The enzyme was produced by solid-state fermentation using wheat bran and purified by DEAE-Sephadex A50 ion-exchange chromatography. Optimal collagenolytic activity was observed at pH 7 and 40 degrees C, and approximately 50% of the initial activity was retained after 24 h at 30-40 degrees C, indicating moderate thermal stability. Fluorescence spectroscopy revealed marked pH- and temperaturedependent changes in fluorescence intensity and emission maxima, with incomplete structural recovery after cooling. Thermodynamic analysis further supported the occurrence of temperature-dependent destabilization. Overall, the results provide new insight into the functional and conformational stability of the collagenolytic protease from M. subtilissimus UCP 1262 and support its further investigation for biotechnological applications under mild processing conditions.
This study asks whether quality-controlled 10 m station meteorology can support transparent short-term forecasting of a constructed 100 m wind-speed proxy in a data-limited region. Twelve INMET stations in Pernambuco are analysed with chronological splitting, a 24-record input window, recurrent neural networks, repeated particle-swarm hyperparameter search, Gaussian-mixture regimes, spatial diagnostics and turbine-equivalent conversion. The implemented task predicts the next available chronological record; it is not a 24-hour-ahead forecast. In the evaluation set, 91.5% of target transitions are one hour, but only 35.3% retain a completely contiguous 24-hour input window. Across all next-record targets, the GRU obtained RMSE = 1.339 m s- 1, MAE = 0.979 m s- 1 and R2 = 0.678; on the strictly contiguous subset (n = 398), GRU RMSE was 1.301 m s- 1. Stationspecific shear calibration reduced the external-reference bias from -2.32 m s-1 to -0.67 m s-1, but external R2 remained negative ( - 1.411), so the constructed target is not a substitute for LiDAR, mast or SCADA hub-height measurements. A source audit further showed that all 14,112 energy-system-aligned records were generated by the documented fallback proxy because no ONS series was successfully ingested. Accordingly, the paper reports meteorological and turbine-equivalent screening only and makes no claim of measured curtailment, reserve savings, unit-commitment cost reduction or operational deployment.
Agricultural systems face unprecedented threats from climate change-induced environmental stresses (e.g., drought, salinity, and heatwaves). These environmental stresses limit crop productivity, degrade soil health, and threaten global food security, highlighting the urgent need for innovative and sustainable solutions. Harnessing soil and plant-associated microbiomes offers transformative potential to enhance plant resilience and sustainability. However, translating lab-based plant-microbiome research into scalable agricultural applications remains a significant challenge. This review explores the dynamic interplay between plants and their associated microbiomes under abiotic stresses, focusing on the mechanisms by which plants recruit and modulate microbial communities in the rhizosphere, phyllosphere, and endosphere. We conceptualize how environmental abiotic stresses alter plant–microbe interactions and highlight microbiome-mediated strategies for stress mitigation. Finally, we evaluated practical interventions (e.g., synthetic microbial communities (SynComs), host-mediated microbiome engineering (HMS), and metabolites) for their potential to enhance agricultural resilience. Bridging lab-based discoveries with the success of field applications will require overcoming key scientific and translational challenges related to improving plant–microbe communication, microbial community stability, product performance, ecological risks, and interdisciplinary collaboration. We advocate for systems-based approaches that integrate plant and microbiome engineering, metabolic and genetic innovations, agronomic practices, and policy frameworks to accelerate the adoption of new and sustainable tools. We identified key research gaps, including long-term ecological impacts and optimization of microbiome-host compatibility. By integrating cutting-edge science with scalable, real-world solutions, plant-microbiome interactions can significantly contribute towards climate-smart agriculture, supporting ecosystem resilience in an era of global change.
Multiform glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary brain tumor, associated with high heterogeneity, treatment resistance, and poor survival. Temozolomide (TMZ), although the main chemotherapeutic agent used, shows limited efficacy due to low solubility, chemical instability, and acquired resistance. In this context, nanostructured systems can enhance their antitumor efficacy. This study aimed to develop and characterize chitosan-functionalized nanostructured lipid carriers loaded with Temozolomide (NLCTQ), as well as to assess their biological activity in human glioblastoma cells (U87-MG). Lipid nanoparticles functionalized with chitosan were prepared by hot emulsification and sonication. Physicochemical characterization included DLS, zeta potential, FTIR, and HPLC for drug quantification and encapsulation efficiency. Biological activity was evaluated in U87-MG cells using the cell viability assay MTT and trypan blue, the comet assay, the spheroid model, fluorescence cell death, and the CBMN assay. The formulation presented a homogeneous nanometric size and positive zeta potential, although with moderate encapsulation efficiency (39%). Biological assays demonstrated that NLCTQ significantly reduced cell viability, overcoming the U87-MG cell line's resistance to TMZ by achieving cytotoxicity at doses up to 20 times lower than free TMZ. Additionally, NLCTQ promoted the formation of biomarkers of chromosomal instability, such as micronuclei, bridges, and nuclear buds, which may explain the observed cytotoxic effects. Together, the results indicate that TMZ nanoencapsulation in NLCTQ enhances its antitumor efficacy, representing a promising strategy to overcome the limitations of conventional chemotherapy in glioblastoma treatment.
The application of Trichoderma species as biological control agents requires stable formulations capable of preserving viability and ensuring consistent field efficacy. This study aimed to assess the stability and bio-efficacy of sodium alginate capsules containing conidia of Trichoderma species native to the Cerrado region of Piauí, Brazil. Five encapsulated species were evaluated for conidial viability after 15 months of storage, release profiles under different pH conditions, in vitro antagonistic activity against Fusarium verticillioides, and in vivo growth performance in different substrates. The capsules maintained structural integrity and viability above 1 × 10⁷ CFU mL⁻¹ for all species, with Trichoderma sp. 1 and Trichoderma sp. 2 exhibiting significant increases in conidial concentration over time. Conidial release was influenced by pH and exposure time, with the highest release observed at pH 7.0 for T. longibrachiatum and T. koningiopsis, while Trichoderma sp. 1 performed best at pH 5.0. In the antagonism assays, all species inhibited the growth of F. verticillioides, with T. longibrachiatum showing the strongest effect (45.97
