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This study examines the extent to which the motivation of university students of Italian in Melbourne (Australia) is influenced by the visibility of a local Italian community. The research relies on data collected by open-ended questions and two Likert items from a survey study (n?=?74) as well as in-depth interviews (n?=?5). The findings show that learners' motivation is influenced by their exposure to the L2 language and culture in the local context and by their engagement with a community that forms part of Australia's culturally and linguistically diverse population. Students' investment in the L2 can be interpreted in light of a new identity dimension, the community-engaged L2 self, which builds upon previous motivational variables (integrative orientation, ideal L2 self), as well as scholarly insights into the link between language, identity, and access to L2 resources. This self-characterizes both heritage and non-heritage learners' positioning through the L2 in the local socio-context and is expected to hold considerable pedagogical significance.

This study explores the effectiveness of podcasting as an approach to project-based and experiential learning implemented in an intermediate Italian studies unit at an Australian university. In the project, students are asked to write and record a podcast script on a topic related to their experience as university students or to events concerning Italian culture or the Italian community in Australia. The podcasts are then used in class as learning material and some are also made available to an Australian Italian language radio service. The findings of our mixed-method study on students' evaluation of the project show that the activity is effective in helping students develop, reflect on and gain more confidence in their L2 skills (particularly pronunciation), and it also fosters the acquisition of non-linguistic skills, such as time management, problem solving, interpersonal abilities and autonomy. The results offer some important insights for future implementations of the project and further confirm the benefits of project-based experiential learning, and of podcasting specifically, as a learning tool in language teaching.

In the English-dominated field of L2 motivation, there is a need for more research on learners of languages other than English. This is particularly important in English-speaking countries, where issues involving the recruitment and retention of language students are pressing. This study discusses the main qualitative findings of a study on the motivations and identity aspirations of university students of German in Australia. The findings obtained through a questionnaire (n = 86) are complemented by in-depth interviews conducted with a small sample of respondents (n = 5). The study shows that learners of German are instrumentally, integratively and intrinsically motivated and wish to shape identities as international professionals with unique linguistic skills ("Exotenmotiv," see Riemer 2006), tourists and anti-tourists, bilingual speakers in a monolingual Anglophone context and educated individuals ("Bildungs-Selbst," see Busse 2015). This research furthers our knowledge on this learner population in Australia and, more broadly, on Anglophone elective language learners, as well as students of German as a foreign language in other contexts. It also contributes to our understanding of the link between motivation and processes of identity creation and development.

This article presents the results of a mixed-method study that investigated the impact of an innovative project-based learning module, entitled "I am an author," on students' motivation and creativity, and also examined its positive and negative aspects emerging from students' evaluations. As part of this module, advanced learners of Italian are required to write and self-publish a short, fully illustrated children's story in Italian. The results suggest that while students encountered some problems during the activity, overall the project had a positive impact on their intrinsic motivation--linked to the opportunity to use the language to target a nonacademic audience and to their investment in a personally relevant and world relevant task--and also helped them develop their creative skills. This study adds to scholarship on the effectiveness of experiential learning through a targeted project-based activity and paves the way for future development of and research on the project.

Ferroptosis is a cell death mechanism based on extensive cellular membrane peroxidation, implicated in neurodegenerative and other diseases. The essential oil component γ‐terpinene, a natural monoterpene with a unique highly oxidizable pro‐aromatic 1,4‐cyclohexadiene skeleton, inhibits peroxidation of polyunsaturated lipid in model heterogeneous systems (micelles and liposomes). Upon H‐atom abstraction, an unstable γ‐terpinene‐derived peroxyl radical is formed, that aromatizes to p‐cymene generating HOO⋅ radicals. As HOO⋅ are small and hydrophilic radicals, they quickly diffuse outside the lipid core, blocking the radical chain propagation of polyunsaturated lipids. This unprecedented antioxidant "slingshot" mechanism explains why γ‐terpinene shows a protective activity against ferroptosis, being effective at submicromolar concentrations in human neuroblastoma (SH‐SY5Y) cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The instrumental motivations of learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) have been examined in detail, but there is a lack of studies exploring how they compare to those of learners of other languages (LOTEs). To address this gap, this study draws on a questionnaire (N = 312) and on semi-structured interviews (n = 20) and focuses on university students of English studies in Italy and Germany and of Italian and German studies in Australia. The findings show that work-related motivations were generally more relevant to EFL learners, whose answers were mostly reflective of societal discourses on the role that English plays as a tool for social and professional mobility and of its necessity in the job market, but also held weigh for LOTE learners (and particularly learners of German), who often emphasised how proficiency in another language could represent an 'exotic' add-on skill that could make them stand out in the job market. The study also suggests that although the mastery of English still carries social capital, its widespread teaching will gradually make it a commonplace skill and, as a consequence, less popular languages may gain in instrumental appeal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rate constants for the reaction of hydroperoxyl (or perhydroxyl) radical HOO˙ with fifteen phenols and ascorbyl palmitate were measured in acetonitrile at 37 °C by evaluating the effect that the antioxidants had on the rate of autoxidation of γ-terpinene. The HOO˙ radical represents an important reactive species that can be formed by protonation of superoxide anions (O2˙−) or by fragmentation of alkylperoxyl radicals (ROO˙) formed during the autoxidation of pro-aromatic derivatives like γ-terpinene. The phenols investigated in this study include natural compounds like phenolic acids (protocatechuic, caffeic and dihydrocaffeic acids), flavonoids (3-hydroxyflavone, pinobanksin, galangin, catechin, luteolin, quercetin, 6-methoxyluteolin), 4-methylcatechol and antioxidant additives ascorbyl palmitate and the a-tocopherol analogue 2,2,5,7,8-pentamethyl-6-chromanol. The rate constants for the reaction of HOO˙ with the above compounds (kinh) spanned from 1 × 103 M−1 s−1 for the unsubstituted phenol, to 7 × 104 and 9 × 104 M−1 s−1 for 4-methylcatechol and ascorbyl palmitate, respectively. As in a typical Evans–Polanyi plot, the log(kinh) was found to be inversely proportional to the bond dissociation enthalpy of the reactive OH. The comparison of the results with the data reported in the literature shows an unusual kinetic solvent effect that enlightens the unique behavior of HOO˙ and provides a rationale for the superior radical trapping ability of catechols and ascorbyl palmitate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Language-specific (i.e. the ideal L2 self) and plurilingual selves are now at the forefront of scholarly inquiry in L2 motivation research. Yet, there is a lack of empirical studies examining how language learners reframe their sense of self as speakers of an L2. This study draws on a questionnaire (N = 162) and on semi-structured interviews (N = 10) and explores the ways in which university students of Italian and German describe their proficiency-related motivations. In particular, it examines their bilingual and plurilingual aspirations in relation to broader discourses on the value of L2 learning in their socio-context of learning, where the ability to speak a second language is not the norm. The findings show that learners' motivation display both language-specific and non-language-specific features. While many students viewed the acquisition of fluency in the L2 as their end goal, others connected L2 learning to the attainment of non-language-specific bilingual and plurilingual identities, regardless of the L2 being learnt. L2 proficiency enabled the respondents in this study to position themselves in their local English-dominant socio-context as educated, open-minded, cultivated and more globally connected individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the implicit disincentive that the native knowledge of a global language poses to the learning of other languages, improvement in student recruitment in language studies is a key priority for educational institutions in English-speaking countries. This paper explores how a major Australian tertiary institution markets five European languages, by focusing on which characteristics of L2 learning are incorporated in the persuasive discourse of a university brochure and on how these are reflective, more or less deliberately, both of L2 motivation theories and of marketing strategies in higher education. It shows that the brochure creates future L2 visions for prospective students through the description of the cultural and instrumental benefits associated with L2 proficiency, and details how to turn this L2 vision into action, by providing a glimpse into L2 learning experiences and by presenting the University as a reputable and trustworthy institution. The study offers a multifaceted theoretical framework which can be utilised in future investigations on a bigger sample of universities and suggests that re-thinking marketing material for language learning in terms of the creation and operationalisation of future L2 Selves could be a fruitful avenue of research with significant implications for student recruitment.

This study introduces a kinetic model that significantly improves the interpretation of the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. Our model accurately simulates and fits the bleaching kinetics of fluorescein in the presence of various antioxidants, achieving high correlation values (R2 > 0.99) with the experimental data. The fit to the experimental data is achieved by optimizing two rate constants, k5 and k6. The k5 value reflects the reactivity of antioxidants toward scavenging peroxyl radicals, whereas k6 measures the ability of antioxidants to regenerate oxidized fluorescein. These parameters (1) allow the detailed classification of cinnamic acids based on their structure–activity relationships, (2) provide insights into the interaction of alkoxyl radicals with fluorescein, and (3) account for the regeneration of fluorescein radicals by antioxidants. The application of the model to different antioxidants and fruit extracts reveals significant deviations from the results of traditional ORAC tests based on the area under the curve (AUC) approach. For example, lemon juice, rich in 'fast' antioxidants such as ascorbic acid, shows a high k5 value, in contrast to its low AUC values. This finding underscores the limitations of the AUC approach and highlights the advantages of our kinetic model in understanding antioxidative dynamics in food systems. This study presents a comprehensive, quantitative, mechanism-oriented approach to assessing antioxidant reactivity, demonstrating a significant improvement in ORAC assay applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the 'global English bias' in the field of L2 motivation, many motivational constructs have been primarily investigated in relation to learners of English. One of these, international posture, has been recently found to hold some relevance to LOTE students. Despite this, no research has examined comparatively similarities and differences in the relevance of a global community to the motivations of EFL and LOTE learners. This study fills this research gap, by focusing, as a case in point, on data collected via a questionnaire and interviews with university students of English studies in Italy and in Germany, and of students of Italian and German studies in Australia. The findings confirm the relevance of this construct to both learner groups and show that it can co-exist with integrative motives. While EFL respondents viewed the affiliation with a global community as dependent on the mastery of English, most LOTE respondents associated it with the language learning process itself and with their new positioning as second language learners and speakers in their monolingual environment. This study advances our understanding of the range of reference of international posture and contributes to reducing the gap in scholarship between EFL and LOTE learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]