Cyanobacterial mats and their associated microbiomes in saline and freshwater lakes from the Bolivian Altiplano.

The Bolivian Altiplano presents extreme environmental conditions, including high altitude, intense UV radiation, low precipitation, freezing temperatures, and saline to alkaline waters. Despite these harsh settings, cyanobacteria thrive in microbial mats, although their diversity remains poorly characterized. This study aimed to explore the morphological and molecular diversity of cyanobacterial mats and their associated microbiomes in saline and freshwater ecosystems of the Bolivian Altiplano.

Dihydrochalcone derivatives as promising antifoulants: synthesis, bioactivity evaluation and performance in coatings.

Marine biofouling presents a major challenge for the maritime industry and marine ecosystems, traditionally managed through biocide-based antifouling (AF) coatings. However, the environmental toxicity of these biocides has intensified the search for sustainable, environmentally friendly alternatives. In this study, a novel approach using flavonoid-based compounds as environmentally safe AF agents is presented.

Identifying key complex relations between education and healthcare in the Netherlands for future pandemic management.

Background: The effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and subsequent policies in the Netherlands extended beyond healthcare, impacting other societal systems such as education. This study aims to conceptualize a coupled education-healthcare system during a pandemic and identify key variables and relations that affect the accessibility of both systems. This is essential to address the interconnected nature of pandemic policymaking and design policies that account for possible unintended consequences that interventions in healthcare may have on education and vice versa.

Majority illusion drives the spontaneous emergence of alternative states in common-pool resource games with network-based information.

Common-pool resources (CPRs), including fisheries and the atmosphere, are critical for ecological, social, and economic sustainability but are easily overused. We use an agent-based model to investigate how social networks shape resource extraction outcomes. Networks with highly visible nodes can create a "majority illusion" in which most users believe high-intensity extraction is dominant, even if it is not.

Unveiling the Biotechnological Potential of Cyanobacteria from the Portuguese LEGE-CC Collection Through Lipidomics and Antioxidant and Lipid-Lowering Properties.

Cyanobacteria are gram-negative prokaryotic microorganisms composed of both broad morphological and phylogenetic diversity inherited from diverse ecosystems like aquatic, terrestrial, or extremophilic environments. In this study, three cyanobacteria strains from the Blue Biotechnology and Ecotoxicology Culture Collection (LEGE-CC) were obtained from different environments in Portugal. Polyphasic analysis was applied for taxonomic identification.

Measuring Health System Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic Using Dynamic Indicators of Resilience Based on Sick-Leave Data.

Background And Aims: Healthcare system resilience is generally understood as the capacity of a healthcare system to prepare, withstand, and adapt to disruptive health events while maintaining the continuity and quality of essential health services. So-called dynamic indicators of resilience (DIORs) allow us to examine resilience by analysing patterns of functioning of the healthcare system in time series data. The aim of this study was to examine whether DIORs can be estimated from time series data of the functioning of the Dutch healthcare system before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether these DIORs are indicative of the resilience of the Dutch healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Genetic Diversity in Commercial Danio rerio and Its Implications for Ecotoxicology.

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a widely used aquatic model organism. However, fish from confined groups may experience inbreeding and loss of heterozygosity, which could affect biological responses and research outcomes. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the genetic differences among zebrafish populations from different commercial suppliers and assess their influence on responses to copper exposure.

Spatial analysis of the potential impacts of contaminated areas in the Upper Tietê Basin (São Paulo, Brazil) on wells and aquifers.

The Upper Tietê is prominent for being the basin with the highest contaminated areas in São Paulo, Brazil, and these areas significantly compromise the quality of groundwater in the basin, directly affecting the resident population. Acknowledging the criticality of formulating indicators for effective aquifer management, we attempted to identify and assess the risk, vulnerability, and contamination degrees of aquifers and wells in the Upper Tietê Basin. To do this, we applied the aquifer vulnerability index (AVI) method to evaluate the aquifer vulnerability in the region; the delineation and identification of wellhead protection areas and at-risk wells, respectively; and the integrated risk index by integrating the data on social and aquifer vulnerabilities, hazards, and exposure.

Seeing Halos: Spatial and Consumer-Resource Constraints to Landscapes of Fear.

AbstractVegetation-free space, or "halos," surrounding habitat patches are visually striking spatial phenomena observed in various ecosystems. These halos are linked to the landscape of fear hypothesis, where risk-averse herbivores concentrate grazing near safe shelters within their habitat. We develop theory demonstrating how habitat distribution shapes trophic interactions, leading to alternative stable states in spatial patterns.

Decoding Lusichelins A-E: An In-Depth Look at the Metallophores of LEGE 07167-Structure, Production, and Functionality.

Essential trace metals are vital for cellular processes, such as respiration, DNA replication, and photosynthesis. Cyanobacteria must tightly regulate metal homeostasis to prevent deficiency or toxicity, yet their metallophores remain overlooked. Here, we report lusichelins A-E (-), new metallophores isolated from the marine cyanobacterium LEGE 07167.

Pandemic Performance Measures of Resilience for Healthcare and Education in the Netherlands.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers focused on improving health outcomes and safeguarding healthcare availability, which have led to negative consequences for other societal systems that persist today. The impact of these policies on health and non-healthcare systems depends on the resilience of these systems, that is, the capability of a system to maintain functioning during crises by using its adaptive capacity and transformative response. Policymaking during the COVID-19 pandemic might have benefitted from considering the resilience of non-healthcare societal systems and the impact of policy choices on these systems.

First report of potentially microcystin-producing Microcystis in the Dominican Republic.

When the amount of nutrients in water bodies increases, cyanobacteria tend to proliferate rapidly in freshwater lakes and reservoirs, which can trigger cyanobacterial blooms. This increases the risk of cyanotoxin generation in water sources intended for human consumption, crop irrigation, and livestock. This study focused on identifying the presence of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in the Valdesia reservoir, which supplies drinking water to approximately 4 million people in Santo Domingo, Azua, San Cristóbal, San José de Ocoa, and Peravia in the Dominican Republic.

Insights on microalgae-based technologies with potential impact on global methane budget - Perspectives for industrial applications.

The European Union's Methane Action Plan outlined policies and targets supporting the Global Methane Pledge to cut CH emissions by 30% by 2030, yet urgent implementation is needed to treat medium and diluted CH streams. Microalgae-based technologies offer a groundbreaking solution, merging CH mitigation with biomass valorization to drive sustainable industrial practices. This review examines three key applications: photosynthetic biogas upgrading, a viable alternative to physical/chemical methods, producing biomethane and valuable algal biomass; microalgae-methanotroph co-cultivation, a promising but underdeveloped method for diluted CH streams; and CH-producing microalgae, unveiling a novel route for biomethane production.

Heterogeneous update processes shape information cascades in social networks.

A common assumption in the literature on information diffusion is that populations are homogeneous regarding individuals' information acquisition and propagation process: Individuals update their informed and actively communicating state either through imitation (simple contagion) or peer influence (complex contagion). Here, we study the impact of the mixing and placement of individuals with different update processes on how information cascades in social networks. We consider Simple Spreaders, which take information from a random neighbor and communicate it, and Threshold-based Spreaders, which require a threshold number of active neighbors to change their state to active communication.

Income inequality in the uptake of environmentally friendly products.

The uptake of environmentally friendly products is unequal and income-dependent. Whether solar panels or electric vehicles, lower income groups are often locked out of the benefits they offer. Worse, policies encouraging the adoption of environmentally friendly products have replicated or even exacerbated inequalities.

Isolation and Biosynthesis of Hyellamide, a Glycosylated N-Acyltyrosine Derivative, from the Cyanobacterium LEGE 07179.

Recent analyses of genome data indicate that members of the cyanobacterial order Pleurocapsales show tremendous potential for natural product discovery. However, only a few compounds have been reported from this order. Here, we report the isolation of hyellamide (), a glycosylated N-acyl tyrosine-derived eneamide, from the pleurocapsalean cyanobacterium LEGE 07179.

Alichondrichlorin, a Novel Chlorohydrin-Containing Natural Product With Tumoral Cytotoxic Activity Isolated From the Planctomycetota Bacterium Alienimonas chondri LzC2.

To address the on-going need for chemical novelty and the limited information on Planctomycetota secondary metabolism, we focused on exploring the recently isolated marine planctomycetal strain Alienimonas chondri LzC2 to uncover its potential production of novel compounds. This work contemplates the description of a large-scale cultivation study of strain LzC2, followed by metabolite extraction and compound isolation using chromatographic approaches, which resulted in the isolation of a novel molecule designated as alichondrichlorin. Structural elucidation of this new molecule was accomplished by a combination of high-resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance.

The Description of the Extremophile gen. et sp. nov. (Microcoleaceae, Cyanobacteria) and the Review of the Phylogenetic Status of the Genus Based on the 16S rRNA Gene.

This article describes a new genus and species of cyanobacteria isolated from Laguna Pastos Grandes in the Bolivian Altiplano. This discovery marks the first described species of this phylum from this extreme environment. Additionally, the phylogenetic status of the genus is reassessed.

Diversity of Cyanobacterial Genera Present in Cabo Verde Marine Environments and the Description of sp. nov.

The aim of this study was to document the biodiversity of cyanobacteria genera isolated from intertidal and subtidal zones in Cabo Verde. The identification of the strains was conducted using a polyphasic study, comprising 16S rRNA gene maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference phylogeny, 16S rRNA identity (-distance), 16S-23S ITS secondary structure, morphological, and habitat analyses. A total of 51 strains were isolated by micromanipulation and by streaking biomass onto Petri dishes with a solid medium.

Phenotypic screening in zebrafish larvae identifies promising cyanobacterial strains and pheophorbide a as insulin mimetics.

Diabetes is a pandemic disease that causes the loss of control of glucose regulation in the organism, in consequence of dysfunction of insulin production or functionality. In this work, the antidiabetic bioactivity of 182 fractions from 19 cyanobacteria strains derived from the LEGE Culture Collection were analysed using the 2-NBDG assay in zebrafish larvae. From this initial screening, two fractions (57 (06104_D) and 107 (03283_B)) were identified as promising insulin mimetics.

Revealing the Potential of Linnaeus for Cosmetic Purposes: Chemical Profile and Biological Activities of Commercial and Wild Samples.

The natural products industry is gaining increasing interest, not only due to modern lifestyles becoming more aware of environmental and sustainability issues but also because of the loss of efficacy and undesirable side effects of synthetic ingredients. This pioneering study provides a comprehensive comparison between extracts obtained from wild and commercial samples of Linnaeus, highlighting their multifaceted benefits in cosmetic applications. The antiaging potential of acetone (70 and 90%) and ethanol 60% extracts from wild and commercial samples of , focusing on their application in cosmetics, was explored.

Spatial pattern of congenital toxoplasmosis incidence and its relationship with vulnerability and national health indicators in Brazil.

There is a gap in evidence regarding spatial clusters of the congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) and its association with social and health indicators in the Brazilian territory. Thus, we aimed herein to identify CT risk areas in Brazil and its association with social vulnerability and health indicators. An ecological and population-based study was conducted.

Machine Learning-Driven Discovery and Database of Cyanobacteria Bioactive Compounds: A Resource for Therapeutics and Bioremediation.

Cyanobacteria strains have the potential to produce bioactive compounds that can be used in therapeutics and bioremediation. Therefore, compiling all information about these compounds to consider their value as bioresources for industrial and research applications is essential. In this study, a searchable, updated, curated, and downloadable database of cyanobacteria bioactive compounds was designed, along with a machine-learning model to predict the compounds' targets of newly discovered molecules.

In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Volatile Compounds from the Lichen (L.) Zopf. Against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria and Fish Pathogens.

Lichens are symbiotic organisms with unique secondary metabolism. Various metabolites from lichens have shown antimicrobial activity. Nevertheless, very few studies have investigated the antimicrobial potential of the volatile compounds they produce.