Phenanthrene toxicity during early development of the neotropical tree frog Dendropsophus branneri.

Phenanthrene is considered a priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon due to its ubiquitous presence in aquatic and terrestrial environments and its toxic potential. Tadpoles are sensitive ecotoxicological models that provide important information regarding effects of contaminants in amphibian species. The goal of the present study was to generate information regarding the acute and chronic toxicity of phenanthrene to the neotropical tree frog Dendropsophus branneri early life stages.

Effect of fructooligosaccharides in full-hydrated lactic acid bacteria membrane models during thermal stress: A molecular simulation study.

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are a promising choice for cryoprotection of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). However, the mechanism by which this protection takes place is not well understood. Molecular simulation is a key tool for gathering insights into complex physicochemical problems like this.

Bench scale Layer-by-Layer microencapasulation of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum WCFS1.

Layer-by-Layer (LbL) self-assembly encapsulation is a promising technology for the protection and delivery of lactic acid bacteria. However, laboratory-scale encapsulation is often time-consuming, involves intensive protocols tailored for small-scale operations, requires substantial amounts of energy and water, and results in a low yield of encapsulated biomass. Scaling-up this process to a bench-bioreactor scale is not simply a matter of increasing culture volume as different key parameters (not particularly relevant at lab scale) become critical, including biomass production, the number of polymer layers, and the biomass-to-polymer mass ratio.

Hot Uniaxial Pressing and Pressureless Sintering of AlCrCuFeMnNi Complex Concentrated Alloy-A Comparative Study.

External pressure is often applied during sintering to obtain materials with improved properties. For complex concentrated alloys (CCAs), this processing step is commonly performed in vacuum. However, this can promote the evaporation of elements and increase the oxide content, thereby degrading the properties of the alloy.