The relative drying rate of samples (RDR), which is the ratio of the drying rate of pretreated samples to that of untreated ones, might be used as a tool to investigate the damage to cells of agroproducts induced by high-pressure treatment. Damage to cells induced by high pressure was estimated by comparing the RDR after high-pressure pretreatment with the RDR after chloroform-vapor, heat, and ...

At equilibrium, colloidal particles in a subcritical liquid suspension are surrounded by a drying layer if the colloid has solvophobic interaction. Using Brownian dynamics computer simulations, we investigate the nonequilibrium response of this layer to a strong external driving force. We find that the driven colloidal particle dresses itself with more particles than in the equilibrium drying l...

Changes in catalase (CAT) activity and in CAT isoform pattern and expression were investigated in developing sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seeds during desiccation on the mother plant and after artificial drying on the flowerheads. Seeds regularly desiccated during their development on the mother plant and reached mass maturity at c. 42 d after flowering (DAF). Freshly harvested seeds did no...

To demonstrate the adaptation of lactic acid bacteria to environmental stresses can improve cell viability during freeze-drying, Lactobacillus plantarum VAL6 strain was cultured under different stress conditions, including temperature, pH, and increase in CO2 concentration. The results densitometry analysis showed that able survive harsh conditions such as at pH 2.5, temperature 47oC, anaerobic...

BACKGROUND Drought stress is one of the most important abiotic stresses and the main constraint to rice agriculture. MicroRNA-mediated post-transcriptional gene regulation is one of the ways to establish drought stress tolerance in plants. MiRNAs are 20-24-nt regulatory RNAs that play an important role in regulating plant gene expression upon exposure to biotic and abiotic stresses. METHODOLO...

Sodium chloride and other osmotically active molecules are often applied to microbial cultures or soils to describe microbial responses and adaptation to desiccation in soils. However, salts and other osmolytes may have different effects on microorganisms than matric deficits caused by soil drying. It was thus hypothesized that low matric and osmotic potentials would have different effects on s...

This paper presents the results of an experimental study dealing with the influence of water/cement (w/c) ratio and curing temperature on the autogenous deformations and self-induced stresses in early-age concrete. Two concrete mixes, w/c ratio 0.33 and 0.37, were cured isothermally at 10, 20, 30 and 40°C. The linear deformations of a free specimen and the self-induced stresses of a fully restr...

Unsaturated soils are commonly widespread around the world, especially at shallow depths from the surface. The mechanical behavior of this near surface soil is influenced by the seasonal variations such as rainfall or drought, which in turn may have a detrimental effect on many structures (e.g. retaining walls, shallow foundations, mechanically stabilized earth walls, soil slopes, and pavements...