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The carbon-burning process in massive stars mainly occurs via the 12C +12 C. However, at temperatures higher than 109K and considering the increased abundance of 16O produced during the later stages of the heliumburning,the 12C+16O fusion can also become relevant. Moreover, 12C+16O also plays a role in the scenario of explosive carbon burning. Thus, the astrophysical energy region of interest ranges from 3 to 7.2 MeV in the center-of-mass frame. However, the various measurements of the cross-section available in the literature stop around 4 MeV, making extrapolation necessary. To solve this uncertainty and corroborate direct measurement we applied the Trojan Horse Method to three-body processes 16O(14N, α24Mg)2H and 16O(14N, p27Al)2H to study the 12C(16O, α)24Mg and 12C(16O, p)27Al reactions in their entire energy region of astrophysical interest. In this contribution, after briefly describing the method used, the experiment and the preliminary phases of the data analysis will be presented and discussed.

Probiotics are defined as essential live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. Survival and stability in the gastrointestinal tract are being debated by scientists. To overcome these limitations, microencapsulation techniques are receiving considerable attention. Microencapsulation is a physicochemical or mechanical process to entrap a substance in material to produce particles with diameters of a few micrometers to a few millimeters. In the present investigation, an indigenous probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus MTCC 5462 was microencapsulated through the extrusion process using chitosan and ĸ- carrageenan as coating polymers. Based on cell viability and bead size, the microencapsulation process was optimized. Probiotic L. rhamnosus MTCC 5462 was activated in MRS broth, harvested and the biomass was adjusted to 1011 to 1012 cfu/ml in sterile saline and then cell concentrate was added to sodium alginate and encapsulation was done by spraying in calcium chloride solution. The extrusion process with concentration (1, 2, and 3 %) of chitosan or ĸ-carrageenan showed a significant effect on cell viability and bead size. The chitosan as coating material gave maximum cell viability and minimum bead size.