Multifaceted functionality of L-arginine in modulating the emulsifying properties of pea protein isolate and the oxidation stability of its emulsions

The effects of L-arginine (Arg) at different concentrations (0%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5% and 1.0%) on the antioxidant activity, structure and emulsifying properties of pea protein isolate (PPI) were explored....

In Vitro Antibacterial Susceptibility of Different Pathogens to Thirty Nano-Polyoxometalates

Due to their unique properties, nano-polyoxometalates (POMs) can be alternative chemotherapeutic agents instrumental in designing new antibiotics. In this research, we synthesized and characterized “smart” nanocompounds and validated their antibacterial effects in order to formulate and implement potential new drugs. We characterized thirty POMs in terms of antibacterial activity–structure relationship. The antibacterial effects of these compounds are directly dependent upon their structure and the type of bacterial strain tested. We identified three POMs that presented sound antibacterial activity against S. aureus, B. cereus, E. coli, S. enteritidis and P. aeruginosa strains. A newly synthesized compound K6[(VO)SiMo2W9O39]·11H2O (POM 7) presented antibacterial activity only against S. aureus (ATCC 6538P). Twelve POMs exerted antibacterial effects against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. Only one POM (a cluster derivatized with organometallic fragments) exhibited a stronger effect compared to amoxicillin. New studies in terms of selectivity and specificity are required to clarify these extremely important aspects needed to be considered in drug design.

Insights into the Nature of the Active Sites of Pt-WOx/Al2O3 Catalysts for Glycerol Hydrogenolysis into 1,3-Propanediol

The chemo-selective hydrogenolysis of secondary hydroxyls is an important reaction for the production of biomass-derived α,ω-diols. This is the case for 1,3-propanediol production from glycerol. Supported Pt-WOx materials are effective catalysts for this transformation, and their activity is often related to the tungsten surface density and Brönsted acidity, although there are discrepancies in this regard. In this work, a series of Pt-WOx/γ-Al2O3 catalysts were prepared by modifying the pH of the solutions used in the active metal impregnation step. The activity–structure relationships, together with the results from the addition of in situ titrants, i.e., 2,6-di-tert-butyl-pyridine or pyridine, helped in elucidating the nature of the bifunctional active sites for the selective production of 1,3-propanediol.

Ask Your Students for a Change: Using Student Produced and Selected Materials (SPSMs) in Dialogic Pedagogy

While I have found several good textbooks to use in my university classes over the years, the defining quality of my classes always seems to have been the creation and use of texts that students themselves have produced from their own experiences. In this piece, I will describe seven types of activity structure teachers can use to stimulate the production of student texts and then loop them back into the classroom for further student use. I will also describe four principal results of adopting such materials through this methodology—student-centered teaching, level and content sensitive materials, socialization, and emic pedagogy—and explain their impact on students in terms of SLA, identity construction, and community formation. 私が大学で教鞭をとってきた中で、良い教科書はいくつかあったが、授業の質に決定的な影響を与えたのは、学生自身が文章を書き、それを教材として使用することである。本論では、学生が自らの経験を綴ることを手助けし、それをさらなる学びの教材として授業で循環させる七つの手法を紹介する。それらは、学習者中心の教授法、学習者に適したレベルと内容の教材の使用、学生同士の交流、（学習者の周辺環境や文化を包括した）イーミックな教授法（emic pedagogy）の活用であり、その手法による、主な四つの効果と第二言語学習、アイデンティティ構築、そしてコミュニティの育成構築に与えるインパクトについても言及する。