The present work sought to broaden the repertoire of proteolytic biocatalyst formulations by producing, purifying, characterizing, and identifying suitable immobilization carriers for an extracellular protease from the filamentous fungi Periconia byssoides. Enzyme production was carried out through submerged fermentation using two different growth media. The peptone-containing medium proved to be the most suitable for producing extracellular protease. The crude enzyme was partially purified by 70% ethanol precipitation to enable subsequent biochemical characterization and formulation studies. A Doehlert-type design of experiments was used to determine the optimal pH and temperature of the enzyme, resulting in a pH of 6.4 and a temperature of 70 degrees C. To evaluate the influence of salts on enzyme activity, various salts were tested at concentrations of 0.1 and 0.01 m. At 0.1 m, CaCl2, MgCl2 and NH4Cl inactivated the enzyme. At 0.01 m, BaCl2 increased the catalytic activity by 6% whereas CaCl2 and NH4Cl inactivated the enzyme. The kinetic parameters of the enzyme were estimated using the Michaelis-Menten equation, with casein as the substrate, at various concentrations. K m and V max were determined to be 0.23 mg mL-1 and 1.26 U mg-1 protein, respectively. A preliminary screening to identify the most efficient carrier for protease immobilization was performed using eight commercial carriers: silica gel, celite 545, chitosan, MAT 540, CPC 27709, Purolite Lifetech ECR8806F, ECR8204F, and ECR1090F. Among these, MAT 540 exhibited 49.93% immobilization yield and 90% protein retention. Overall, this work not only characterizes an extracellular P. byssoides protease but also identifies a promising carrier for its immobilization, supporting the development of an active and stable biocatalyst for future biotechnological applications.
In recent years, neotropical forest cover has been experiencing significant losses and alterations due to agricultural expansion, threatening many natural areas of the Brazilian Cerrado and Caatinga. Our study aimed to investigate how land use affects the structure, taxonomic diversity, and spatial structure of diversity and individuals in tree and shrub communities with different regeneration times in the Cerrado-Caatinga ecotone. We sampled vegetation 10 and 25 years after the onset of agricultural land use, as well as unmanaged vegetation. The greatest variation in vegetation structure (abundance, basal area, and regrowth) occurred in regenerating communities. In contrast, unmanaged communities exhibited greater differentiation in the spatial structure of individuals. Taxonomic and spatial diversity was higher in regenerating communities (10 years after the onset of agricultural use) and in unmanaged ones, with the latter presenting greater diversity. Thus, we demonstrate that land use in Cerrado-Caatinga ecotone areas affects the recovery of structure, as well as taxonomic and spatial diversity, evidencing that these communities do not follow the same regeneration pattern. Some communities and sites showed slower recovery trajectories, which may have been influenced by the intensity of prior land use and intraspecific competition.
Pre-dispersal seed predation reduces the numbers of viable seeds produced by plants and their populations. Hancornia speciosa Gomes (Apocynaceae), popularly known as mangabeira, is native to Brazil and widely distributed in savannas, open sandy landscapes, and coastal restinga vegetation formations. Its edible fruits generate income for thousands of families. We recorded attacks by Asphondylia hancorniae, a specialist endoparasitic gall midge, on immature H. speciosa fruits on trees in the Chapada Diamantina mountains and in the coastal zone, Northeastern Brazil, for 24 months. We also investigated the influence of environmental variables on this process. Asphondylia hancorniae attacks cause the withering of immature fruits before seed formation and dispersal. We suggest the use of the Fournier Intensity Index as a quantitative tool to assess the intensity of seed predation and plant disease occurrence in a standardized and comparable manner. Predation intensity reached 47.22
Prostate cancer is the most common male malignancy, and although robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is widely used, urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction remain significant issues. NeuroSAFE, an intraoperative frozen section technique aimed at optimizing nerve preservation without compromising cancer control, is increasingly used, but its overall impact on outcomes remains unclear.To systematically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the NeuroSAFE technique during RARP, comparing functional recovery and oncologic outcomes with non-NeuroSAFE approaches.This systematic review and meta-analysis followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251032774). A comprehensive search of Embase, MEDLINE, and ClinicalTrials.gov (March, 2026) identified studies reporting oncologic and/or functional outcomes in men undergoing RARP with NeuroSAFE. Two reviewer teams independently conducted study selection, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment using ROBINS-I tool. Random-effects meta-analyses estimated pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95
Vertical stratification and climatic seasonality influence the structuring of butterfly communities in tropical forests. This study assessed how vertical stratification (canopy vs. understory) and seasonal variation affect fruit-feeding butterfly (Nymphalidae) assemblages in a Brazilian tropical dry forest (TDF), and how these patterns relate to climatic variables and food resource availability. Sampling was conducted monthly over one year in the northern Espinhaço Range, within the Caatinga domain. Twenty 25 × 4 m plots were established, each with two Van Someren-Rydon traps (understory at 1 m and canopy at ≥ 6 m). Monthly measurements included temperature, humidity, light, precipitation, and zoochoric fruit availability. We recorded 2,166 individuals from 51 species, with Biblidinae and Satyrini representing over 70
