Difference between the cell wall roughnesses of mothers and daughters of Saccharomyces cerevisiae subjected to high pressure stress.

High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) stress generates cellular responses similar to those to other stresses that yeasts endure in fermentation tanks. Structural and spatial compaction of molecules, as well as weakening and stretching of plasma membranes and cell walls, are often observed and have a significant influence on the fermentative process. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) yields accurate data on the morphological characteristics of yeast cell walls, providing important insights for the development of more productive yeast strains. Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall assessment using AFM in the intermittent contact reading mode using a silicon cantilever, before and after application of a pressure of 100 MPa for 30 min, demonstrated that mother and daughter cells have different responses. Daughter cells were more sensitive to the effects of HHP, presenting lower average Ra (arithmetic roughness), Rz (ten-point average roughness), and Rq (root-mean-square roughness) after exposure to high pressure. Better adaptation to stress in mother cells leads to higher cell wall resistance and, therefore, to better protection.

Second-Generation Bioethanol from Coconut Husk.

Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) is an important commercial crop in many tropical countries, but its industry generates large amounts of residue. One way to address this problem is to use this residue, coconut husk, to produce second-generation (2G) ethanol. The aim of this review is to describe the methods that have been used to produce bioethanol from coconut husk and to suggest ways to improve different steps of the process. The analysis performed in this review determined that alkaline pretreatment is the best choice for its delignification potential. It was also observed that although most reported studies use enzymes to perform hydrolysis, acid hydrolysis is a good alternative. Finally, ethanol production using different microorganisms and fermentation strategies is discussed and the possibility of obtaining other added-value products from coconut husk components by using a biorefinery scheme is addressed.

Martensitic transformation of austenitic stainless steel orthodontic wires during intraoral exposure.

INTRODUCTION: Our purpose was to study the mechanical properties and phase transformations of orthodontic wires submitted to in-vivo exposure in the mouth for different periods of time. METHODS: Stainless steel wires were tied to fixed orthodontic appliances of 30 patients from the orthodontics clinic of Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro School of Dentistry in Brazil. According to the duration of the clinical treatment, the patients were divided into 3 groups. After in-vivo exposure, the samples were studied by mechanical testing (torsion) and ferromagnetic resonance. Statistical analyses were carried out to evaluate the correlation between time of exposure, mechanical properties, and austenite-to-martensite transformation among the groups. RESULTS: The results were compared with as-received control samples. The torque values increased as time in the mouth increased. The increase in torque resistance showed high correlations with time of exposure (P = 0.005) and austenite-martensite phase transformation. CONCLUSIONS: The resistance of stainless steel orthodontic wires increases as the time in the mouth increases; this effect is attributed to the austenite-to-martensite transformation.