title: Removal of flatulence causing sugars in soymilk

authors: Rajan, Anila

subjects: Alpha -galactosidase

abstract: The enzyme, alpha-galactosidase was extracted from peanuts using various buffers
and solvents. The specific activity of soluble preparation of peanut ranged from
0.0083 to 0.0606 U/mg. Phosphate buffer extract showed the maximum specific
activity of 0.0606 U/mg. The soluble alpha-galactosidase was immobilised in calcium
alginate beads and the specific activity of the immobilized enzyme was found to
be 0.0808 U/mg. Activity yield was 33%. The immobilised enzyme showed
increase in activity compared with the soluble enzyme above 35 C. The thermal
stability of the immobilised alpha-galactosidase was significantly improved in
comparison to the soluble form. The effect of different pH depicts that at acidic
pH the activity of the immobilised alpha-galactosidase was higher than that of the
soluble enzyme. The Km and Vmax for immobilised enzyme was higher when
compared with the soluble enzyme. Immobilised alpha-galactosidase retained 20%
activity after 7 repeated uses. The immobilised enzyme exhibited high storage
stability. The immobilised enzyme was used in batch and continuous packed bed
reactors for the hydrolysis of stachyose and raffinose in soymilk. Flatulence
causing raffinose and stachyose, after hydrolysis, was removed to a remarkable
extent. Hydrolysis of flatulence causing oligosaccharides of soymilk in a
continuous packed bed reactor has not been attempted previously.

text: Removal of flatulence causing sugars in soymilk The enzyme, alpha-galactosidase was extracted from peanuts using various buffers
and solvents. The specific activity of soluble preparation of peanut ranged from
0.0083 to 0.0606 U/mg. Phosphate buffer extract showed the maximum specific
activity of 0.0606 U/mg. The soluble alpha-galactosidase was immobilised in calcium
alginate beads and the specific activity of the immobilized enzyme was found to
be 0.0808 U/mg. Activity yield was 33%. The immobilised enzyme showed
increase in activity compared with the soluble enzyme above 35 C. The thermal
stability of the immobilised alpha-galactosidase was significantly improved in
comparison to the soluble form. The effect of different pH depicts that at acidic
pH the activity of the immobilised alpha-galactosidase was higher than that of the
soluble enzyme. The Km and Vmax for immobilised enzyme was higher when
compared with the soluble enzyme. Immobilised alpha-galactosidase retained 20%
activity after 7 repeated uses. The immobilised enzyme exhibited high storage
stability. The immobilised enzyme was used in batch and continuous packed bed
reactors for the hydrolysis of stachyose and raffinose in soymilk. Flatulence
causing raffinose and stachyose, after hydrolysis, was removed to a remarkable
extent. Hydrolysis of flatulence causing oligosaccharides of soymilk in a
continuous packed bed reactor has not been attempted previously.

year: 2009

title: Protein dynamics and stability: The distribution of atomic fluctuations in thermophilic and mesophilic dihydrofolate reductase derived using elastic incoherent neutron scattering

authors: Meinhold, Lars

abstract: The temperature dependence of the dynamics of mesophilic and thermophilic dihydrofolate reductase is examined using elastic incoherent neutron scattering. It is demonstrated that the distribution of atomic displacement amplitudes can be derived from the elastic scattering data by assuming a (Weibull) functional form that resembles distributions seen in molecular dynamics simulations. The thermophilic enzyme has a significantly broader distribution than its mesophilic counterpart. Furthermore, although the rate of increase with temperature of the atomic mean-square displacements extracted from the dynamic structure factor is found to be comparable for both enzymes, the amplitudes are found to be slightly larger for the thermophilic enzyme. Therefore, these results imply that the thermophilic enzyme is the more flexible of the two.

text: Protein dynamics and stability: The distribution of atomic fluctuations in thermophilic and mesophilic dihydrofolate reductase derived using elastic incoherent neutron scattering The temperature dependence of the dynamics of mesophilic and thermophilic dihydrofolate reductase is examined using elastic incoherent neutron scattering. It is demonstrated that the distribution of atomic displacement amplitudes can be derived from the elastic scattering data by assuming a (Weibull) functional form that resembles distributions seen in molecular dynamics simulations. The thermophilic enzyme has a significantly broader distribution than its mesophilic counterpart. Furthermore, although the rate of increase with temperature of the atomic mean-square displacements extracted from the dynamic structure factor is found to be comparable for both enzymes, the amplitudes are found to be slightly larger for the thermophilic enzyme. Therefore, these results imply that the thermophilic enzyme is the more flexible of the two.

year: 2008-02

title: Teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the Whānau Rūmaki teacher education programme, 1990-1992

authors: Kana, Fred

subjects: Maori Language

abstract: In 1990 the School of Education, the University of Waikato, initiated a special option within its regular pre-service teacher training programmes, an option designed to prepare teachers to deliver the New Zealand curriculum in bilingual and total immersion schools through the medium of te reo Māori. This alternative programmed, designated Whānau Rūmaki, was experimental and evolutionary. Inevitably particular elements of it had to be varied with each year's operation as its architects attempted 'to get the mix right'. It is difficult, however, when engaged in the day to day running of a programme, to stand back and review with any degree of objectivity its strengths and weaknesses. This study, therefore, in retrospect attempts to do three things: one, to follow the initial Whānau Rūmaki student cohort through its three or four year training cycle noting especially the difficulties confronting individual students some of whom dropped out of the programme; two, to gather information from as many as possible of the graduates who graduated about how well they felt they had been prepared for the rigours of classroom teaching; three, to be able, after analysing the data gathered, to recommend ways of improving the on-going Whānau Rūmaki programme.

text: Teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the Whānau Rūmaki teacher education programme, 1990-1992 In 1990 the School of Education, the University of Waikato, initiated a special option within its regular pre-service teacher training programmes, an option designed to prepare teachers to deliver the New Zealand curriculum in bilingual and total immersion schools through the medium of te reo Māori. This alternative programmed, designated Whānau Rūmaki, was experimental and evolutionary. Inevitably particular elements of it had to be varied with each year's operation as its architects attempted 'to get the mix right'. It is difficult, however, when engaged in the day to day running of a programme, to stand back and review with any degree of objectivity its strengths and weaknesses. This study, therefore, in retrospect attempts to do three things: one, to follow the initial Whānau Rūmaki student cohort through its three or four year training cycle noting especially the difficulties confronting individual students some of whom dropped out of the programme; two, to gather information from as many as possible of the graduates who graduated about how well they felt they had been prepared for the rigours of classroom teaching; three, to be able, after analysing the data gathered, to recommend ways of improving the on-going Whānau Rūmaki programme.

year: 1997