Enzymatic Bioprospecting of Fungi Isolated from a Tropical Rainforest in Mexico

The humid tropical environment provides an ideal place for developing a high diversity of plants; this is why it is an interesting site for the enzymatic bioprospecting of fungi that are responsible for the recycling of organic matter in an efficient and accelerated way and whose enzymes could have multiple biotechnological applications. For this study, 1250 isolates of macroscopic and microscopic fungal morphotypes were collected from soil, leaf litter, and wood. One hundred and fifty strains (50 from each source) were selected for the enzymatic screening. From the first phase, 51 strains with positive activity for laccase, protease, amylase, xylanase, and lipase enzymes were evaluated, of which 20 were isolated from leaf litter, 18 from the soil, and 13 from wood. The 10 best strains were selected for the enzymatic quantification, considering the potency index and the production of at least two enzymes. High laccase activity was detected for Trametes villosa FE35 and Marasmius sp. CE25 (1179 and 710.66 U/mg, respectively), while Daedalea flavida PE47 showed laccase (521.85 U/mg) and protease activities (80.66 U/mg). Fusarium spp. PH79 and FS400 strains had amylase (14.0 U/mg, 49.23 U/mg) and xylanase activities (40.05 U/mg, 36.03 U/mg) respectively. These results confirm the enzymatic potential of fungi that inhabit little-explored tropical rainforests with applications in industry.

The Effects of Surrounding Vegetation, Building Construction and Human Factors on the Thermal Performance of Housing in a Tropical Environment

<p><b>Increasing energy consumption is having a detrimental effect on the environment. This issue combined with rising energy costs, is motivating people to reduce energy consumption. Moderating a building’s surrounding microclimate naturally through strategic landscaping has the potential to benefit the environment, save energy, save money and provide comfortable living environments.</b></p> <p>The urban heat island effect is a well documented phenomenon, which influences the climate of most of the major cities around the world. It occurs when the air temperature in densely built urban areas is higher by 2°C to 8°C compared to the temperature of the surrounding rural environment. This issue is of particular concern in tropical areas, which experience high temperatures and humidity all year round. In these areas, solar heat passes through a building’s envelope via glazed windows and the walls and roofs resulting in uncomfortable interior spaces. The increased purchasing power of the population has resulted in greater use of air-conditioners to create and maintain a comfortable indoor temperature. This study found that the average household uses up to 37% of their electricity consumption for cooling. Careful planning of exterior spaces can help reduce energy consumption for cooling by reducing the adverse impact of some climatic factors. Strategically placed vegetation around a building has long been recognised as a means of cooling. It can reduce temperatures and humidity through shading, evapotranspiration and wind channelling.</p> <p>The aim of this study was to examine and quantify the relationship between surrounding vegetation, and the thermal performance of housing in a hot-humid tropical environment. The primary objective was to determine the energy saving potential of vegetation for the tropical residence. The secondary objective was to investigate the effect of vegetation on modifying the outdoor temperature around a single-family house in a hot-humid climate.</p> <p>Monitoring of household electricity use in the two Malaysian cities, Shah Alam and Putrajaya, has shown that at night time, when families are at home, is when airconditioning is used the most. Building surfaces on the east and west side are most affected by the sun, gaining and storing heat throughout the day until night time, when it is released into the house as the outdoor temperatures cool. Planting the right species, size and shape of trees, shrubs, vines, groundcover, and turf in strategic positions around a garden can greatly reduce the temperature around buildings. This in turn reduces the energy used for air conditioning. This study found that strategic landscaping, which resulted in shading and encouraged evapotranspiration and wind channelling, could reduce electricity use and costs by as much as 20%. The physical characteristics of buildings including their construction, size and age, combined with their landscape designs were looked at in 50 private houses in Malaysia. Measurements were taken from several outdoor and indoor locations around the houses. The findings showed that strategic design of landscaping could reduce heat build-up in a house, by shading, evapotranspiration and wind channelling by as much as 4°C for the exterior and 3°C for the interior spaces.</p> <p>These results demonstrate how strategic landscaping can assist in creating a favourable microclimate in a house, which will help reduce energy consumption. Its effect can extend beyond the residential to have a positive influence on an area’s macroclimate and at a regional scale.</p>

The Effects of Surrounding Vegetation, Building Construction and Human Factors on the Thermal Performance of Housing in a Tropical Environment

<p><b>Increasing energy consumption is having a detrimental effect on the environment. This issue combined with rising energy costs, is motivating people to reduce energy consumption. Moderating a building’s surrounding microclimate naturally through strategic landscaping has the potential to benefit the environment, save energy, save money and provide comfortable living environments.</b></p> <p>The urban heat island effect is a well documented phenomenon, which influences the climate of most of the major cities around the world. It occurs when the air temperature in densely built urban areas is higher by 2°C to 8°C compared to the temperature of the surrounding rural environment. This issue is of particular concern in tropical areas, which experience high temperatures and humidity all year round. In these areas, solar heat passes through a building’s envelope via glazed windows and the walls and roofs resulting in uncomfortable interior spaces. The increased purchasing power of the population has resulted in greater use of air-conditioners to create and maintain a comfortable indoor temperature. This study found that the average household uses up to 37% of their electricity consumption for cooling. Careful planning of exterior spaces can help reduce energy consumption for cooling by reducing the adverse impact of some climatic factors. Strategically placed vegetation around a building has long been recognised as a means of cooling. It can reduce temperatures and humidity through shading, evapotranspiration and wind channelling.</p> <p>The aim of this study was to examine and quantify the relationship between surrounding vegetation, and the thermal performance of housing in a hot-humid tropical environment. The primary objective was to determine the energy saving potential of vegetation for the tropical residence. The secondary objective was to investigate the effect of vegetation on modifying the outdoor temperature around a single-family house in a hot-humid climate.</p> <p>Monitoring of household electricity use in the two Malaysian cities, Shah Alam and Putrajaya, has shown that at night time, when families are at home, is when airconditioning is used the most. Building surfaces on the east and west side are most affected by the sun, gaining and storing heat throughout the day until night time, when it is released into the house as the outdoor temperatures cool. Planting the right species, size and shape of trees, shrubs, vines, groundcover, and turf in strategic positions around a garden can greatly reduce the temperature around buildings. This in turn reduces the energy used for air conditioning. This study found that strategic landscaping, which resulted in shading and encouraged evapotranspiration and wind channelling, could reduce electricity use and costs by as much as 20%. The physical characteristics of buildings including their construction, size and age, combined with their landscape designs were looked at in 50 private houses in Malaysia. Measurements were taken from several outdoor and indoor locations around the houses. The findings showed that strategic design of landscaping could reduce heat build-up in a house, by shading, evapotranspiration and wind channelling by as much as 4°C for the exterior and 3°C for the interior spaces.</p> <p>These results demonstrate how strategic landscaping can assist in creating a favourable microclimate in a house, which will help reduce energy consumption. Its effect can extend beyond the residential to have a positive influence on an area’s macroclimate and at a regional scale.</p>

Preface

The 1st of International Conference on Livestock in Tropical Environment (ICLiTE-1) 1-2 September 2021, Surakarta, Indonesia https://iclite.id/ Proudly present by: Master Program of Animal Science Universitas Sebelas Maret In collaboration with Indonesian Society of Animal Science Preface First, it is our time to thank all the participants at the 1st International Conference on Livestock in Tropical Environment (ICLiTE-1) on September 1-2, 2021. This conference is proudly organized by the Master Program of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sebelas Maret, in collaboration with the Indonesian Society of Animal Science, commonly known as PB-ISPI. At this conference, we invite talks from academicians, professionals, and industries. We consider the current conditions where we are still in a COVID-19 pandemic to hold this conference virtually. Though it is in a pandemic situation, science must go forward, especially in animal science, which is believed to have good prospects during and later after the pandemic. This conference is held to identify ideas, practices, and policies that constitute our concept of livestock production in the tropical environment. For that, we insist on holding the conference online to be a platform between scientists and industry to have a recent view of research during the pandemic situation. The livestock industry in tropical areas is continuously facing complicated challenges due to harsh environmental conditions. These challenges exposed the livestock to both direct and indirect effects. The direct impacts of the tropical environment are related to health, physiology, production, and reproduction. In contrast, indirect effects involved the quality and availability of feed and water resources and the impact on housing design and rearing systems. On the other hand, the livestock industry also contributes to environmental issues related to land space, waste, and greenhouse effects. In addition, tropical areas are the location for most of the developing countries. This part of the world has less investment in the industry and research in livestock as the contributor for animal-based food, while the issues related to food resilience and safety still prevail. The 1st International Conference on Livestock in Tropical Environment is conducted to address the two-way issues regarding the environmental challenges faced by the livestock industry and the impact of the livestock industry on the environment in tropical areas. We also invite some influential distinguished speakers to share their valuable information and knowledge for the plenary session at this conference. List of Conference photographs gallery, Sponsor or funding acknowledgements, List of committees are available in this pdf.