Four different biomedical patches were bioprinted using nanocomposite hydrogels of sodium alginate/gelatin, sodium alginate/gelatin/indocyanine green freely dispersed, sodium alginate/gelatin/empty liposomes and sodium alginate/gelatin/indocyanine green loaded liposomes. Quasi-static and dynamic nanoindentations of the patch surfaces were performed to examine the effect of the single component on the mechanical response. The combination of results suggests that the mechanical structure of the gels is strongly influenced by crosslinking and the liposomes incorporating dye. Indeed, the non-crosslinked samples exhibit lower G^' and G^'' values, with more visco-elastic behavior. The absence of a marked increase in G^' after crosslinking, both in samples with free dye and those with dye encapsulated in liposomes, indicates that strong interactions between dye, liposomes, and ionic calcium exist. Indeed, phosphatidylcholine and indocyanine green react electrostatically with calcium cations, sequestering crosslinkers. Crosslinking with Ca⁺² improves matrix stiffness, but its effectiveness depends on the composition of the system. All results were validated with comprehensive statistical analysis among the different patches and their crosslinked counterparts.

Recent studies have shown that the use of non-Saccharomyces yeasts, either alone or in co-fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, can enhance the development of specialty beers with distinctive compositional characteristics. This study aimed to evaluate the main compositional and sensory differences between American Pale Ale (APA) beers produced using the commercial strain S. cerevisiae US-05 as a single starter (Test 1), and those produced through sequential inoculation with Metschnikowia pulcherrima 62 followed by S. cerevisiae US-05 (Test 2). Analyses focused on key chemical parameters and volatile compounds at the end of primary fermentation (F1) and after 20 days of refermentation at 20 °C (F2). After F1, Test 2 samples showed higher concentrations of glycerol and higher alcohols (isoamyl alcohol, benzeneethanol) and lower concentrations of esters (isoamyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate) compared to Test 1. After F2, the differences in higher alcohol content became less significant, whereas ester concentrations, particularly ethyl acetate and ethyl octanoate, were significantly higher in Test 2. Sensory evaluation revealed that beers from Test 2 exhibited more pronounced floral and fruity notes and achieved higher overall scores in the panel assessment. These findings indicate that sequential inoculation with M. pulcherrima 62 followed by S. cerevisiae enhances both the chemical complexity and sensory appeal of APA beers, highlighting the strain’s potential as a valuable tool for developing specialty beers with unique aromatic profiles.

Polylactic acid (PLA)-based cylindrical membranes for the controlled release of fluorescein sodium salt (FS) were prepared by bioprinting on systems with an initial FS concentration of 0.003763 gdm⁻³ and 37.63 gdm⁻³, and the drug release process was monitored in a bath at 37 °C. Photographs, acquired at regular intervals during the process, revealed marked osmotic swelling of the polymer. Osmotic swelling consists in the enlargement of the polymer structure and due to the influx of water molecules across the membrane. The cylindrical PLA membrane starts to significantly swell once a certain threshold range is crossed. Important amounts of FS can dissolve under these radically changed circumstances, and the dissolved FS molecules are mobile enough to diffuse out of the cylinder, thus allowing drug release. As a matter of fact, in this investigation, we ascertained that polymer swelling promotes the mass transport phenomenon by altering the conditions for drug dissolution and diffusion, hence facilitating FS release after a specific lag time. Furthermore, in order to compare the release kinetics, the half-release time, $t_{0.5}$, was taken into consideration. The data of this study evidence that, while increasing the initial concentration of FS by three orders of magnitude, the time parameter, $t_{0.5}$, is only reduced by 5/6. In addition, the yield of the release process is drastically reduced due to the strong aggregation ability of the dye. Finally, it is demonstrated that a compressed exponential kinetic model fits the experimental data well despite the varying physical conditions.