Lipid composition of different parts of Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) fruit and valorization of seed and peel waste

The consumption of Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) fruit (CG), fresh or processed, is gaining popularity worldwide, due to its nutritional and medicinal benefits. This study was based on the analysis of the lipid fraction of different parts of CG fruit and on further valorization of the resulting CG waste. The content of glyceride oil in CG seeds, peels and seed/peel waste, as well as the individual fatty acid, sterol and tocopherol composition of the oils was determined. CG seeds and seed/peel waste were a rich source of oil (up to 22.93%), which is suitable for nutritional application, due to its high proportions of unsaturated fatty acids (up to 83.77%), sterols (campesterol, Δ5-аvenasterol, β-sitosterol) and tocopherols (β-, δ- and γ-tocopherols). Seed/peel waste and the extracted seed cakes contained macro- and microminerals (K, Mg, Na, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu) which are important for human and animal nutrition. Seed cakes had relatively high protein (24.32%) and cellulose (42.94%) contents, and an interesting amino acid profile. The results from the study contribute to a deeper understanding of the composition of CG fruit, and might be of practical relevance in the development of functional foods and feeds.

The role of speciation of Ni2+ and its interaction with the support for selectivity and stability in the conversion of ethylene to propene

Highly dispersed Ni²⁺ anchored on Al sites of silica–alumina by grafting presents outstanding selectivity in ethylene conversion to propene.

Should I stay or should I go? Mobility and migration among psychiatric trainees in Europe – EFPT Brain Drain Survey

Introduction

Workforce migration of mental health professionals seems to have a significant impact on mental health services, both in the donor and host countries. Nevertheless, information on migration in junior doctors within Europe is very limited. Therefore, the European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees (EFPT) has conducted the Brain Drain Survey.

Objectives

To identify, in junior doctors training in psychiatry, the impact of international short-term mobility experiences, towards a future workforce migration across countries, exploring its patterns and reasons.

Methods

In this cross-sectional international study, data were collected from 2281 psychiatric trainees in 33 countries. All participants answered to the EFPT Brain Drain Survey reporting their attitudes and experiences on mobility and migration.

Results

Only one-third of the trainees had a short-mobility experience in their lifetime, being education the main purpose for these experiences. Interestingly, the main predictors for future migratory tendency were not only the having a income and being dissatisfied with this income, but having a short-mobility experience. In fact, people that had short-mobility experiences were two times more likely to express a migratory tendency. Trainees that went abroad were predominantly satisfied with their experiences, reporting that these influenced their attitudes towards migration, positively.

Conclusions

These findings show that short-term mobility has a positive impact into future long-term migration, increasing its probability.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

[SLOW RELEASED LOCAL PROBIOTICS]

The probiotics are live microorganisms which embedded in adequate quantities have a healthy influence on the recipient. The current local probiotics get on medical practice at the beginning of the last decade and quickly become part of the current therapy of vaginal disbacteriosis and infections. A lot of studies show their microbiological and clinic effectiveness in prevention and treatment of the most met vaginal pathogens, usually together with on after pathogenetic or ethiological treatment. Slow release probiotics are the newest generation of probiotic products. Due to their limited and complicated pharmaceutical production, there are very few clinical trials on their microbiological and clinical effectiveness in the treatment of vaginal disbacteriosis and infections. Our expections for their useful application remain high, because of the already achieved good results.

Catalytic oxidation of cyanides in an aqueous phase over individual and manganese-modified cobalt oxide systems

The possibility for purification of wastewaters containing free cyanides by applying of a new method based on cyanides catalytic oxidation with air to CO(2) and N(2) at low temperature and atmospheric pressure was investigated. On this purpose, individual and modified with manganese Co-oxide systems as active phase of environmental catalysts were synthesized. The applied method of synthesis favours the preparation of oxide catalytic systems with high active oxygen content (total-O* and surface-O*(s)) possessing high mobility, and the metal ions being in a high oxidation state and in an octahedral coordination-factors determining high activity in reactions of complete oxidation. The catalysts employed were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, Infrared spectroscopy, and chemical analysis. The effect of pH of the medium and catalyst loading on the effectiveness of the cyanide oxidation process, expressed by the degree of conversion (alpha, %), by the rate constant (k, min(-1)), and COD was studied. The results obtained reveal that using catalysts investigated a high cyanide removal efficiency could be achieved even in strong alkaline medium. The higher activity of the manganese promoted catalytic sample could be explained on the basis of higher total active oxygen content and its higher mobility both depending on the conditions, under which the synthesis of catalyst is being carried out.

Catalytic degradation of CH2O and C6H5CH2OH in wastewaters

The heterogeneous oxidation of benzyl alcohol and formaldehyde in aqueous medium has been investigated. The catalytic oxidation of these compounds is carried out in the presence of Ni-oxide system at ambient temperature. The results show that under studied conditions, a 90% conversion of CH2O to CO2 and a complete oxidation of C6H5CH2OH to C6H5COOH is achieved. Addition of H2SO4 to adjust pH to 2 further precipitates benzoic acid. The precipitate is filtered and the resulting filtrate is free of organic substances (COD is below 10 mg O2 dm(-3)). Based on the results obtained, a technology for purification of wastewaters containing benzyl alcohol as well as a catalytic method for degradation of CH2O in aqueous solutions have been developed.

Degradation of phenolic waste waters over Ni-oxide

The low-temperature oxidation of phenol in an aqueous phase in the presence of Ni-oxide system has been studied. The effects of pH, temperature and the catalyst amount on the efficiency of the oxidation process have been investigated. The results obtained show that phenol is completely oxidized to harmless products--carboxylic acids and CO2 at ambient temperature and pH 6.0-7.0. The simple scheme for this synthesis of the Ni-oxide system and its regeneration is a prerequisite for its application to the purification of waste waters containing toxic compounds.