Roles of microalgae and bacteria in hydrogen production as one of the renewable energy resources

Hydrogen gas is considered to be one of the most desired alternate sources of the limited fossil energy resources of today. It shows great promise as a non-polluting fuel, but to reduce carbon dioxide releases hydrogen gas will need to be produced from renewable sources. The limited fossil fuel prompts the prospecting of various unconventional energy sources to take over the traditional fossil fuel energy source. Photosynthetic microbes can produce hydrogen using the nature plentiful resources, sunlight, the included greens, and blue-green algae [Cyanobacteria], either via direct or indirect biophotolysis. In addition, Cyanobacteria produced hydrogen through decomposing the organic compounds [Photodecomposition]. The hydrogen production by green algae could be considered as an economical and sustainable method, water utilization as a renewable resource and recycling CO[2], a greenhouse gas. Rates of hydrogen production by photoheterotrophic bacteria are higher in the case of immobilized cells than that of the suspended cells. Cyanobacteria are highly promising microorganism for hydrogen production. Cyanobacterial hydrogen production is commercially viable, in comparison to the traditional ways of hydrogen production [chemical, photoelectrical]. The present review shows the basic biology of microalgae and bacterial hydrogen production and its future prospects. While integrating the existing knowledge and technology, much future improvement and progress is to be done before hydrogen is accepted as a commercial primary energy source

Myocardial affection in mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni: histopathologic and immunofluorescent observations

20 Swiss albino mice were exposed to cercarial infection of Schistosoma mansoni shedded from Biomphalaria Alexandrina snails. A group of non-infected mice were used as negative controls. An animal was sacrificed every 2 weeks from the 8[th] week following infection till the 46[th] week. Hearts of both groups were removed and specimens were sent for light microscopic and direct immunofluorescent examination. Histopathologic study revealed granulomatous schistosomatic myocarditis in 3 mice. There were no muscle fibre degeneration or attenuation, no interstitial fibrosis or mononuclear cell infiltration [apart from the schistosomal granulomas] and no endocardial affection. Vascular immunofluorescence for schistosomal egg antigen [SEA] was observed in 6 mice. The reaction was linear involving one or more layers of the coating wall. Positive immunofluorescence for SEA appeared also within the granulomatous reaction in the hearts of the 3 affected mice. No specific immunofluorescent deposits were detected over the myofibers in the infected group at any stage of infection. Thus, myocardial affection in mice infected with schistosoma mansoni was minimal. The relevance of these results to other studies and to observations in schistosomal patients was discussed

Endomyocardial biopsy in schistosomiasis: an immunological and histopathological study

To study left ventricular affection in schistosomiasis, left ventricular endomyocardial biopsies from 24 patients with schistosomal hepatic fibrosis - half of them had schistosomal cor pulmonale - were examined under light microscopy for histopathologic alteration and under fluorescent microscopy for the presence of immunofluorescence for Schistosoma mansoni egg antigen, IgG and complement C3. Serologic tests for the quantitation of IgG, IgM and complement C3 and ELISA test for antischistosoma mansoni antibodies were done. The endomyocardial biopsies revealed increased endocardial thickness and endocardial smooth muscle cell content, myocardial fiber hypertrophy, variable degrees of interstitial fibrosis and signs of myocardial fiber damage. Statistical analysis confirmed that these pathologic alterations correlated well with both cardiac immunofluorescence and serologic data. The level of pulmonary artery pressure had no relation to any of these abnormalities in patients with schistosomal cor pulmonale