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Enzymatic hydrolysis is an environmentally friendly technology to produce sugars from pretreated biomass. Here, we show that the new Il-11 Irpex lacteus strain can synthesize cellulases in a high quantity. The peptone and filter paper contained in the medium significantly enhanced activity of endo-1,4-ß-D-glucanases (app. 50 IU/mL) and total cellulases (app. 9 IU/mL), whereas the medium with peptone and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose stimulated activity of exo-1,4-ß-D-glucanases (33 IU/mL). The expression of cellulases reached its maximum within 96-144 hours, and the optimum pH is 3,7. Thermal treatment at 30 °C for 60 minutes activated endo-1,4-ß-D-glucanases and total cellulases, while exo-1,4-ß-D-glucanases activity was enhanced following 40 °C treatment. In total, the cellulases complex (300 IU/g) saccharified untreated cellulose by 38 % in 48 hours. Concentrate with filter paper activity 100 IU/g is the more balanced enzyme-substrate ratio (2 %), which allows prolonging the saccharification process that will have a positive effect on the cost of the final product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying four species of red wood ants (Formica rufa, F. polyctena, F. aquilonia, F. lugubris), we examined nest morphometrics (height and diameter of anthills), spatial parameters (location of anthills of different sizes relative to each other), and the number of trails per colony in three regions of Ukraine and Russia: Kyiv region (877 anthills), the Urals (274 anthills) and Cis-Baikal (72 anthills). We have established a relationship between the number of anthills in the nest complex and the maximum parameters of the average height and diameter, as well as the average number of trails. Under optimal conditions, the infrastructure of the forage area of red wood ants becomes more complex - an increase in the average number of trails. We have shown that the morphometric parameters of anthills differ significantly in four species of red wood ants. In addition, it was confirmed that single anthills are on average smaller than colonial ones and have, on average, fewer trails per anthill. There is a pronounced spatial aggregation between the anthills of red wood ants of the same species (F. rufa, F. polyctena, Kyiv population) of all size classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]