Microwave-assisted extraction and characterization of pectin from citrus fruit wastes for commercial application

Pectin is an essential hydrocolloid widely used as a gelling, thickening, and stabilizing agent in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industry. In the present study, an effort has been made to extract pectin from Pomelo (Citrus maxima), Kinnow mandarin (Citrus reticulata) and Citron (Citrus medica) peels with microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) technique using organic citric acid. Pectin extracted with MAE was characterized in terms of yield, ash content, pH, solubility, equivalent weight, methoxyl content, anhydrouronic acid content, and degree of esterification. The extraction conditions had significant effects on physicochemical properties. The results showed that the highest amount of pectin (24.19±0.26%) was obtained from Citrus maxima. Based on DE value all pectins were categorized as low methoxy pectin (LMF). Extracted pectins were highly pure based on AUA content. Structural characterization of extracted pectin from three fruit peels by Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy revealed that pectin has functional groups within the 1740–800 cm-1 spectral region. However, pectin extracted in this study can be used in the manufacturing of low sugar foods such as diet jams and jellies.

877 The Transobturator Male Sling: Does It Stand the Test of Time?

Introduction

The commonest cause of stress urinary incontinence in men is radical prostatectomy. We aimed to determine the efficacy, complication rate and need for salvage surgery in the medium-long term for male sling insertion.

Method

Retrospective review of all patients undergoing male sling insertion at one centre between 2009-2018. Data was collected on complications, patient satisfaction and need for further surgery. Preoperative severity was categorized as mild, moderate, or severe. We assessed ICIQ score, 24h-pad usage, patient satisfaction and identified risk factors for treatment success/failure.

Results

91 men had slings inserted (median age- 67.3). Three months success rates in mild, moderate and severe SUI groups were 96%, 86% and 80% respectively which dropped to 65%, 62% and 47% in the medium term. The rate of AUS implantation was 6%, 15% and 33% respectively. Complications included pain, infection, retention and OAB. Patient satisfaction at 5-years was 57%. Only factor predicting success or failure was pre-operative ICIQ-UI(SF) score.

Conclusions

Male sling success rates deteriorate over time. 15% will have an AUS. The risk of complications is low and transient. A pre-operative ICIQ-UI(SF) score of > 18 is a predictor of failure. Sling insertion remains a reasonable treatment option for male patients suffering with SUI.

Effect of foaming agent concentration and drying temperature on biochemical properties of foam mat dried tomato powder

The purpose of the study was to optimize the effective drying conditions and different foaming agent concentrations on the biochemical properties of foam mat dried tomato powder. Foaming was achieved by using egg albumin as foaming agent and sodium salt of Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) as foam stabilizer with different concentrations. Drying was achieved by using different drying temperatures. The changes in different physicochemical properties of foam mat dried powder viz. total soluble solid (TSS), pH, ascorbic acid, titratable acidity, β-Carotene, DPPH radical scavenging activity were observed. Foams were prepared from different concentrations of egg albumin (3-7% w/w) and sodium salt of Carboxymethyl Cellulose (1%, 0.5%). The drying temperatures were varied from 60°C to 70°C. The drying time changes with different drying temperatures. It was found that the drying time decreased with the increased foaming agent concentrations as well as with higher drying temperature. It takes almost 13 hrs for drying at 70°C. TSS and pH content was increased with the increase of foaming agent concentrations and foam stabilizer’s concentrations but decreased with the increasing temperatures. Ascorbic acid decreased with the increase of foaming agent concentrations and temperatures but increased with CMC concentration. Titratable acidity content of foam mat dried tomato powder was decreased with the increasing foaming agent concentrations but increased with the higher temperatures and decreased CMC concentration. β-Carotene contents increased with the increase of foaming agent concentrations but decreased with the increase of temperatures and foam stabilizer concentration. DPPH free radical scavenging activity increased with the increase of foaming agent, foam stabilizer and temperatures. Based on the maximum retention of physicochemical properties, the optimum treatment of foaming agent was found to be 7% egg white + 1% CMC at 60°C.

Mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in suspended core tellurite microstructured optical fibers

We report the fabrication of a tellurite optical fiber with a suspended core design, formed on a 220-nm-wide filament of glass. The fiber was pumped at two different wavelengths (1500 and 2400 nm) using femtosecond pulses generated from an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) in order to produce mid-infrared supercontinuum (SC). We observed that SC spectra extending to 3 μm were readily generated. To further optimize the design, detailed numerical study was performed, which revealed how the fiber structural characteristics dramatically influence the spectral broadening because of the changes in the dispersion profile and in turn, the interplay of nonlinear effects that give rise to SC generation. We found that an accurate control of the core shape can be employed to contain the generated SC spectra within well-defined spectral regions or to provide a broad extension of the continuum to beyond 4 μm.

First demonstration of a 2μm few-mode TDFA for mode division multiplexing

We report the first demonstration of an inline few-mode thulium doped fiber amplifier (TDFA) operating at 2μm for mode division multiplexed transmission. Similar gain and noise figure performance for both the LP(01) and LP(11) modes are obtained in a cladding pumped 2-mode group TDFA. A maximum gain of 18.3dB was measured at 1970nm with a 3dB gain bandwidth of 75nm while the average noise figure was measured to be between 7 and 8dB for wavelengths longer than 1970nm.

Bladder exstrophy combined with uterovaginal prolapse and its surgical management: case report and literature review

We describe a case of a postmenopausal woman with a corrected bladder exstrophy (BE) who presented with a uterovaginal prolapse complicated by calcified fibroids and discuss its surgical management. A 51-year-old woman presented with a uterovaginal prolapse. She had previously had one full term delivery by caesarean section 20 years ago. She had an ileal conduit performed for her BE at birth. A computed tomography scan revealed significant pelvic anomaly and the uterus contained multiple calcified fibroids. Due to the complexity of her condition the surgical management was planned in two stages: initial examination under anaesthetic in conjunction with a consultant urologist and then the definitive planned reconstructive surgery. This case describes the need for careful evaluation and planning of complex surgery and the successful surgical management option for correction of uterovaginal prolapse in patients with BE. A vaginal approach seemed to be a most sensible route to correct the prolapse in view of her previous multiple abdominal surgeries.

Erbium-doped multi-element fiber amplifiers for space-division multiplexing operations

Erbium-doped multi-element fiber (MEF) amplifiers have been fabricated to simultaneously amplify multiple transmission channels. MEF devices comprise of multiple single-core fibers (elements) combined in a common coating, with each element working as a single fiber in isolation. MEFs containing 3-elements and 7-elements have been fabricated and characterized. Each element of the fabricated MEFs provides nearly 32 dB of gain with a noise figure of <5 dB for an input signal level of -23 dBm at 1530 nm. Different permutations of element pairs within the MEFs were checked for crosstalk and none was detected, confirming the simultaneous multi-channel amplification capabilities of MEFs.

Compact optical microfiber phase modulator

A compact optical microfiber phase modulator with MHz bandwidth is presented. A micrometer-diameter microfiber is wound on a millimeter-diameter piezoelectric ceramic rod with two electrodes. When a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric ceramic, the rod is strained, leading to a phase change along the microfiber; because of the small size, the optical microfiber phase modulator can have as high as a few MHz bandwidth response.

A 5 cm spatial resolution temperature compensated distributed strain sensor evaluated using a temperature controlled strain rig

Sensing rigs used for Brillouin scattering based distributed strain and temperature measurements so far have comprised separate sections of sensing fiber subjected to either temperature or strain influences. We demonstrate a scheme that allows for temperature corrected distributed strain measurements under environments involving simultaneous application of strain and temperature, with enhanced spatial resolution of 5 cm. Strain and temperature resolution of 63 με and 2 °C are reported. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest spatial resolution temperature compensated distributed strain sensor result so far.

Optical fiber microwire current sensor

We demonstrate a compact optical fiber microwire current sensor based on the Faraday effect with gigahertz frequency of current sensing capabilities.

Three conserved transcriptional repressor domains are a defining feature of the TIEG subfamily of Sp1-like zinc finger proteins

Sp1-like transcription factors are characterized by three highly homologous C-terminal zinc finger motifs that bind GC-rich sequences. These proteins behave as either activators or repressors and have begun to be classified into different subfamilies based upon the presence of conserved motifs outside the zinc finger domain. This classification predicts that different Sp1-like subfamilies share certain functional properties. TIEG1 and TIEG2 constitute a new subfamily of transforming growth factor-beta-inducible Sp1-like proteins whose zinc finger motifs also bind GC-rich sequences. However, regions outside of the DNA-binding domain that differ in structure from other Sp1-like family members remain poorly characterized. Here, we have used extensive mutagenesis and GAL4-based transcriptional assays to identify three repression domains within TIEG1 and TIEG2 that we call R1, R2, and R3. R1 is 10 amino acids, R2 is 12 amino acids, and R3 is approximately 80 amino acids long. None of these domains share homology with previously described transcriptional regulatory motifs, but they share strong sequence homology and are functionally conserved between TIEG1 and TIEG2. Together, these data demonstrate that TIEG proteins are capable of repressing transcription, define domains critical for this function, and further support the idea that different subfamilies of Sp1-like proteins have evolved to mediate distinct transcriptional functions.

Organic contaminates in water

The carbon adsorption method was used for separating organic matter from large samples of drainage, river and tap water. The carbon chloroform extract (CCE) was separated into different solubility fractions and the neutral fraction was separated into aliphatic, aromatic and oxy-compounds using column chromatography. The aromatic fraction was subjected to TLC, IR and UV analysis. The pesticide endrin was present in both river and tap water at concentrations of 0.7 and 1.5 ppb, respectively.