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A Crossover Study Comparing the Effect of a Processed vs. Unprocessed Diet on the Spatial Learning Ability of Zebrafish

Banga et al. | Sep 18, 2022

A Crossover Study Comparing the Effect of a Processed vs. Unprocessed Diet on the Spatial Learning Ability of Zebrafish

The authors compared the short-term effects of processed versus unprocessed food on spatial learning and survival in zebrafish, given the large public concern regarding processed foods. By randomly assigning zebrafish to a diet of brine shrimp flakes (processed) or live brine shrimp (unprocessed), the authors show while there is no immediate effect on a fish's decision process between the two diets, there are significant correlations between improved learning and stress response with the unprocessed diet.

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Spectroscopic Kinetic Monitoring and Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Biocatalytic Ester Hydrolysis in Non-Aqueous Solvent

Chen et al. | Dec 20, 2020

Spectroscopic Kinetic Monitoring and Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Biocatalytic Ester Hydrolysis in Non-Aqueous Solvent

Lipases are a common class of enzymes that catalyze the breakdown of lipids. Here the authors characterize the the activity of pancreatic lipase in different organic solvents using a choloremetric assay, as well as using molecular dynamic simulations. They report that the activity of pancreatic lipase in 5% methanol is more than 25% higher than in water, despite enzyme stability being comparable in both solvents. This suggests that, for industrial applications, using pancreatic lipase in 5% methanol solution might increase yield, compared to just water.

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Investigating the Role of Biotic Factors in Host Responses to Rhizobia in the System Medicago truncatula

Rathod et al. | Jan 22, 2019

Investigating the Role of Biotic Factors in Host Responses to Rhizobia in the System Medicago truncatula

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria, such as the legume mutualist rhizobia, convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form that is usable by living organisms. Leguminous plants, like the model species Medicago truncatula, directly benefit from this process by forming a symbiotic relationship with rhizobia. Here, Rathod and Rowe investigate how M. truncatula responds to non-rhizobial bacterial partners.

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AeroPurify: Autonomous air filtration UAV using real-time 3-D Monte Carlo gradient search

Kadakia et al. | Sep 01, 2025

AeroPurify: Autonomous air filtration UAV using real-time 3-D Monte Carlo gradient search
Image credit: Ian Usher

Here the authors present an autonomous drone air filtration system that uses a novel algorithm, the gradient ascent ML particle filter (GA/MLPF), to efficiently locate and mitigate outdoor air pollution. They demonstrate that their GA/MLPF algorithm is significantly more efficient than the conventional gradient ascent algorithm, reducing both the time and number of waypoints needed to find the source of pollution.

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Synthesis of sodium alginate composite bioplastic films

Kim et al. | Sep 17, 2024

Synthesis of sodium alginate composite bioplastic films

The authors looked at the development of biodegradable bioplastic and its features compared to PET packaging films. They were able to develop a biodegradable plastic with sodium alginate that dissolved in water and degrade in microbial conditions while also being transparent and flexible similar to current plastic films.

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