Factors Affecting the Growth and Production of Milk-Clotting Enzyme by Amylomyces rouxii in Rice Liquid Medium

Amylomyces rouxii is one of the main fungi usually coexisting with yeasts in Chinese yeast ball, the starter of chiu-niang, a traditional Chinese fermented product from rice. In the present study, growth and production of milk-clotting enzyme (MCE) in gelatinous rice liquid culture of A. rouxii as influenced by waxy (gelatinous) rice content in the medium (5–20 %), temperature (25–40 °C), cultivation time (1–6 days), shaking speeds (0–150 rpm) and metal ions (Na+, K+, Zn2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Cu2+, Ca2+, Fe3+ and Al3+) were investigated. Results revealed that rice content in the medium, shaking speed, temperature and cultivation time all affected the mycelial propagation and the production of milk-clotting enzyme by A. rouxii in the rice liquid culture. The maximum milk-clotting enzyme activity of ca. 1.22 unit/mL of medium was observed in the 3-day static culture of test organism grown at 30 °C in the medium containing 20 % of gelatinous rice, while mycelial propagation increased with the increase of cultivation time and shaking speed. Furthermore, a significant increase (p<0.05) in the milk-clotting enzyme activity of ca. 1.90 unit/mL of medium, which was about 1.55-fold of the control, was observed when Al3+ was added to the rice liquid medium

Developing a teaching chatbot for learning tools and equipment in technology classrooms

Using and applying tools and equipment for designing and building projects has always been indispensable in living technology classrooms. However, students must be aware of their proper use to avoid mistakes and safety concerns. In recent years, chatbots have been widely used in various fields, offering instant, interactive responses, and their application in educational contexts has also increased rapidly. Therefore, this study developed a chatbot for LINE, a popular messaging app in Asia, for teaching standard hand tools and equipment in living technology classrooms at secondary schools. This chatbot covered (1) measuring tools, (2) hand tools, (3) power tools and equipment, and others. A total of 49 tools and pieces of equipment were included. The instructional content for each consisted of (1) instructions, (2) operating procedures and skills, and (3) troubleshooting and maintenance. The user interface adopted point-and-click forms and graphical menus to quickly guide users searching for specific information. In addition, users can enter relevant keywords and the chatbot will answer the corresponding content. The chatbot is expected to solve student questions more efficiently and assist teachers, improving the effectiveness and convenience of these hands-on lessons