Sucrose enhances colour formation in dry sausages by up-regulating gene expression of nitric oxide synthase in Staphylococcus vitulinus

The effects of glucose and sucrose on the gene expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in Staphylococcus vitulinus and colour formation in dry sausages were investigated. The results showed that sucrose addition promoted nitric oxide (NO) production in media when compared with glucose. In addition, sucrose could up-regulate nos (encoding NOS) and katA (encoding catalase KatA) gene expression by enhancing oxidative stress levels. In the sausages inoculated with S. vitulinus, a*-values (indicating redness) of the sausages with added sucrose were higher than those of samples with added glucose (P < 0.05) but did not differ from those in the nitrite treatment group (P > 0.05). The UV-vis spectra results showed that nitrosylmyoglobin (NO-Mb) was formed in the sausages with either S. vitulinus or nitrite added. In the S. vitulinus-inoculated sausages, sucrose addition led to a higher NO-Mb content than that after glucose addition, which was attributed to up-regulation of the nos gene. This study provides a potential method to enhance NO yield in S. vitulinus and colour formation in dry sausages without nitrite addition.

The attentional guidance of individual colours in increasingly complex displays

The use of colours is a prevalent and effective tool for improving design. Understanding the effect of colours on attention is crucial for designers that wish to understand how their interfaces will be used. Previous research has consistently shown that attention is biased towards colour. However, despite previous evidence indicating that colours should be treated individually, it has thus far not been investigated whether this difference is reflected in individual effects on attention. To address this, a visual search experiment was conducted that tested the attentional guidance of six individual colours (red,blue, green, yellow, orange, purple) in increasingly complex displays. Results showed that the individual colours differed significantly in their level of guidance of attention, and that these differences increased as the visual complexity of the display increased. Implications for visual design and future research on applying colour in visual attention research and design are discussed.

Drinking through rosé-coloured glasses: Influence of wine colour on the perception of aroma and flavour in wine experts and novices

Wine colour carries a myriad of meanings regarding the provenance and expected sensory qualities of a wine. That meaning is presumably learnt through association, and part of a wine taster's skill comes from being able to decode information that can be discerned in subtle variations in the colour of the wine that they drink/evaluate. However, reliance on colour means that wine tasters, especially experts, often exhibit colour-induced olfactory biases. The present study assesses how wine colour - specifically the pink hue of rosé wines - can influence both the perceived aroma and flavour in a large sample of wine novices and experts. Participants (N = 168) tasted three wines - a white wine (W), a rosé wine (R), and the white wine dyed to match the rosé (Ŕ) - and freely selected three aroma and three flavour descriptors from a list. They also rated wine liking, flavour intensity, and description difficulty for each wine. Linguistic analysis demonstrated that those with wine tasting experience judged Ŕ to be much more similar to R than to W, even though Ŕ and W were the same. Moreover, red fruit descriptors were attributed to both R and Ŕ, especially in terms of flavour. Quantitative ratings revealed that Ŕ was liked less than W or R, and participants found it more difficult to describe Ŕ than R. These results demonstrate that while participants found the dyed rosé somehow different from the undyed wines, they nevertheless used the red fruit terms to describe its aroma and flavour. The implications of such results in terms of cognitive representations of wine and the role of sensory expectations are discussed.

The influence of spray drying parameters and carrier material on the physico-chemical properties and quality of chokeberry juice powder

Chokeberry juice is used in the food industry because of its antioxidant activity as well as anti-diabetes, anti-mutagenic, bacteriostatic, anti-inflammatory and anti-virus properties. However in a liquid form its active ingredients can be unstable, so conversion into powder form is required. To improve the quality of the final product and extend information about the properties of chokeberry powder the aim of the study was to examine the relationship of inlet air temperature (160 °C, 200 °C) and carrier type maltodextrin (MD) 10DE and 15.6DE, arabic gum (AG) and their mixtures (AG:MD10 and AG:MD15—1:1, 1:3, 3:1) with the amounts of anthocyanins and polyphenols and selected physical properties of powders obtained after spray drying. Moreover stability of anthocyanin was tested after storage Obtained powders were characterized by low water activity (< 0.26), high dry matter content (97–99%) and good hygroscopic properties. Saccharification level of maltodextrin had no impact on the amount of bioactive components enclosed inside the capsules. Moreover, the mixtures of carriers, AG:MD appeared to have a large potential to ensure a high quality of chokeberry powder with high content of anthocyanin (1694–2028 mg/100 g) and polyphenols (about 3000 mg/100 g d.m.). Storage temperature mostly has no statistically significant influence on content of active ingredients, but an increase in colour coefficents was observed. The contents of anthocyanins and polyphenols were higher in powders stored at 4 °C than at 25 °C.

The application of unconventional technologies as pulsed electric field, ultrasound and microwave-vacuum drying in the production of dried cranberry snacks

A lot of effort is put to decrease the energy consumption of drying. This effect might be achieved by shift of a drying technology e.g. from a hot-air to a microwave-vacuum method. Moreover, an unconventional pre-treatment such as ultrasound or pulsed electric field may modify a cellular tissue, what influences drying kinetics of plant tissue. The aim of the study was to analyse the quality of microwave-vacuum dried, osmodehydrated (OD) cranberries processed by the means of blanching and ultrasound (US) or blanching followed by pulsed electric field and sonication (PEF + US) in comparison to traditionally treated material. Physical, chemical and sensorial properties of cranberry fruits were assessed. What is more, the impact of aforementioned unconventional treatments on the kinetics of microwave-vacuum dried cranberries was studied. Microwave-vacuum drying process was very short (25-38 min) in comparison to convective drying, which lasted several hours (13.2 h). Most of the samples subjected to US and PEF + US treatments before OD and drying were characterized by similar or a higher amount of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, anthocyanins and flavonoids, and better colour and taste, as compared to cut osmodehydrated cranberry fruits subjected to convective drying (reference samples).

Application of infrared-assisted steam blanching to improve enzymatic inactivation and quality retention of Chrysanthemum indicum L. flower

The effects of innovative infrared-steam blanching (ISB) on the peroxidase (POD) inactivation, POD inactivation kinetics, characteristic component (phenolics, carotenoids and flavonoids) content, colour and regeneration of POD activity during storage of Chrysanthemum indicum L. flowers were comparatively studied following steam blanching (SB) and infrared blanching (IB). ISB and SB allowed a stable surface temperature of the flowers at approximately 100 °C, and IB caused the temperature rose up to a high value of 129.2 °C. POD was inactivated to 5.7% of its residual activity after ISB for 90 s, 5.8% after SB for 180 s and 5.3% after IB for 270 s. In all processes, the POD inactivation kinetics followed a first-order model (R ² varied from 0.932 to 0.957) and ISB achieved lower T _1/2, E _a and D values and a higher k value than SB and IB. The sample blanched with ISB maintained more characteristic components and colour retention than those blanched with SB and IB. Moreover, ISB allowed the brightest colour and prevented the regeneration of POD activity in dried C. indicum flowers during storage. Therefore, ISB for 90 s at 100 °C is recommended as a more suitable method for blanching C. indicum flowers. The findings in the current work provide a new blanching method for natural plant products.

Changes in stability and shelf-life of ultra-high temperature treated milk during long term storage at different temperatures

In the ultra-high temperature (UHT) process, milk is subject to temperatures above 135 °C for few seconds giving a product with a shelf-life of several months. The raw milk quality, UHT process and storage conditions affect the stability. In this study, the stability of UHT milk produced in an indirect system was evaluated by studying changes in taste, colour, fat separation, fat adhesion to the package, sedimentation, gelation, heat coagulation time, pH and ethanol stability during storage for up to one year at different temperatures. UHT milk stored at 4 and 20 °C had the longest shelf-life of 34-36 weeks, limited by sediment formation. Storage at 30 and 37 °C considerably decreased the shelf-life of UHT milk to 16-20 weeks, whereby changes in sediment formation, taste and colour were the limiting factors. Our results suggest that the changes observed at the different storage temperatures can be explained by different known mechanisms.

Fruit Physical Features, Phenolic Compounds Profile and Inhibition Activities of Cranberry Cultivars (Vaccinium macrocarpon) Compared to Wild-Grown Cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccus)

This study analysed fruits of cranberry cultivars: Ben Lear, Bergman, Early Richard, Pilgrim and Stevens and compared them with wild-grown cranberry fruits. The fruits were characterised in terms of dimensions, colour, content of total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins, and hydroxyl radical and trypsin inhibition activities. It was shown that the wild-grown cranberry fruits were characterised by much smaller dimensions and redder colour than fruits of the cranberry cultivars. The most phenolic compounds were found in the Early Richard fruits (357.6 mg/100 g fw), and they showed the highest antitrypsin activity. The highest anthocyanin content (60.6 mg/100 g fw) was determined in the Pilgrim fruits, while the Ben Lear fruits were the richest source of proanthocyanidins (27.9 mg/100 g fw). The antioxidant activity was correlated with the content of phenolic compounds, flavonoids and proanthocyanidins, while the antitrypsin activity was correlated with phenolic compounds and anthocyanin contents.

Boosting healthy food choices by meal colour variety: results from two experiments and a just-in-time Ecological Momentary Intervention

BACKGROUND

Dietary guidelines typically specify rather complex goals and indicators for healthy food choices, such as nutrient and energy content patterns. However, translating these complex goals into practice in real life is often a major obstacle for many people. The present studies propose an intervention strategy for boosting healthy food choices by prompting consumers at a meaningful moment with a simple behavioural trigger, that is to eat a colourful lunch. Effectivity and feasibility of this intervention strategy were tested in two laboratory experiments and one real-life, smartphone-based Ecological Momentary Intervention.

METHODS

In Studies 1 and 2, 83 / 42 participants self-served four meals (colourful, typical, healthy, and low-calorie) / three meals (colourful, typical, and varied) from a Fake Food Buffet. In Study 3, 80 participants recorded images of 1,210 lunch meals over a period of 3 weeks using mobile visual food recording. In the second week, participants additionally received a daily smartphone prompt to eat a colourful lunch. In all studies, participants were asked to rate the prompts' feasibility.

RESULTS

Prompting participants to eat a colourful meal increased the proportion of healthy foods consumed compared to typical meals in all three studies. In Studies 1 and 2, colourful meals contained more fruit and vegetables, while in Study 3 the prompt increased vegetable consumption. Furthermore, participants evaluated colourful meals to be the tastiest (Study 1) and most pleasant, and reported that the prompt was easy to follow and act upon.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that prompting individuals to eat colourful meals is a promising strategy to facilitate healthy food choices in daily life.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00017552 (Study 3; retrospectively registered on 24th June 2019).

Enhanced stability of C-phycocyanin colorant by extrusion encapsulation

C-phycocyanin (C-PC) a blue color phycobiliproteins used as a food colorant, therapeutics, medicines, health food and biomarkers. In the present study, morphological property of encapsulated C-PC and its stability under various conditions like temperature, pH conditions are discussed. Microencapsulated droplets formed by extrusion found to be spherical with average size 1.2 ± 0.1 mm. SEM micrographs of freeze dried encapsulate confirmed the spherical shape. The effect of droplet formation with varying alginate percentage (1.5%, 2.0% and 2.5% w/v) was studied. In the stability test at 70 °C and 80 °C relative concentration (C_R  %) was found to be 86.89 and 88.19%, respectively. The encapsulated C-PC showed a slow degradation at higher temperature compared to without encapsulated C-PC which was confirmed by UV-visible absorbance. At 45 °C and 55 °C temperatures the stability was studied at various pH conditions (pH 4.5, 5.5, 6.5, and 7.0) and reported. Aggregation of C-PC protein will not change during encapsulation was confirmed by SDS-PAGE. FTIR analysis of encapsulate and the alginate depicted similar characteristics of the compound compared to that of native C-phycocyanin colorant. Microencapsulation improves the stability and increases the shelf life of colorant.

Changes in quality of life induced by tooth whitening are not influenced by global self-esteem: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial

The purpose of this paper is to investigate which elements of tooth colour are most influenced by whitening and to identify the short-term changes in satisfaction with smile aesthetics and quality of life induced by tooth whitening and the role of global self-esteem. Sixty participants were randomly assigned to a treated or a placebo group (each group N = 30). Their anterior teeth were bleached with a photo-activated whitening gel, or subjected to a placebo. Lightness, chroma and the translucency of teeth were assessed before and 1 week after the procedure using a spectrophotometer. The Self-Esteem Scale, Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire, the Orofacial Aesthetic Scale and the Oral Health Impact Profile were administered to subjects. Changes in colour and chroma were greater in the treated than the placebo group (3.8 ± 1.5 vs. 1.7 ± 1.5 and - 3.2 ± 1.5 vs. 0.0 ± 1.1; p < 0.001). The treated group reported increased satisfaction with appearance and a decrease in psychological and social impacts (p < 0.05). In the placebo group there was no objective change in colour but the subjects reported an increase in satisfaction and dental self-confidence, as well as a decrease in psychological impact (p < 0.05). Self-esteem did not have a moderation nor a mediation effect. In conclusion, patients are not able to accurately detect the colour change induced by tooth whitening after 1 week, but they are also largely suggestible when evaluating the changes in quality of life. Changes in quality of life induced by tooth whitening are not influenced by global self-esteem.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT03380702.

Grain grinding size of cereals in complete pelleted diets for growing lambs: Effects on animal performance, carcass and meat quality traits

The main goal of the present study was to clarify the effects of different grinding particle size of grains (2-mm vs. 6-mm) included in complete pelleted diets (CPD) for fattening lambs on animal performance, carcass and meat quality. Twenty male merino lambs (14.8 kg; n = 10 per group) were fed the corresponding diet ad libitum and slaughtered when they reached 27 kg. No differences were observed in the feed conversion ratio or carcass characteristics. However, lambs fed coarser diets (6 mm) were more efficient with less residual feed intake (-14.0 vs. 15.4 g DM/animal/d; P < .05) than lambs fed the 2 mm CPD. Lambs fed the 6-mm CPD showed higher levels of intramuscular fat and saturated fatty acids. Consequently, increasing the particle size of the grains included in CPD allows for improving feed efficiency and intramuscular fat in fattening lambs.

In vitro study of effects of aging and processing conditions on colour change in maxillofacial silicone elastomers

Background

The inherent colour change in maxillofacial silicone elastomers becomes perceptible 6–12 months after fabrication. Determining the factors that accelerate the degradation of the prosthesis can help the clinicians increase its life span. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the effect of time passage, processing temperature, and molding-stone colour on the colour change of maxillofacial silicone elastomers after darkroom storage for 6000 h.

Methods

A total of ten study molds, each incorporating ten specimen gaps were fabricated using five different colors of dental stones. The gaps were filled with coloured Cosmesil M511 maxillofacial silicone elastomer. Five of the study molds, one of each stone color, were processed at room temperature (25 °C) for 24 h while the remainder were vulcanized at 100 °C for 1 h. Two stainless-steel molds were also fabricated to obtain a total of twenty control-group specimens of the same dimensions that were processed under the same conditions as the study molds. Colour measurements of the vulcanized silicone samples were performed using a Konica Minolta spectrophotometer. Initial measurements were obtained after the blocks were removed from the molds and the final measurements were recorded 6000 h after storage in the dark at 25 °C and 40% relative humidity. The CIEDE2000 colour-difference formula was used to measure the changes in the colour. One-way and two-way ANOVA, and an independent-sample t-test were used for statistical assessments.

Results

For every group, the colour change exceeded the perceptible thresholds. Thus, either the vulcanization temperature or the colour of the molding stone has a significant effect on the colour change over time. Those samples vulcanized in green and white molding stones at 100 °C exhibited a significantly higher ∆L*, ∆a*, and ∆b* values relative to the samples vulcanized at room temperature.

Conclusion

The molding-stone colour and vulcanization temperature both affect the degree of colour change after storage in a dark environment. The L*, a*, and b* values for the maxillofacial silicone elastomers are influenced by the direction of the increase or decrease according to the selected colour. This effect varies as the temperature increases.

Effect of Incorporating White, Red or Black Quinoa Flours on Free and Bound Polyphenol Content, Antioxidant Activity and Colour of Bread

Interest in quinoa as a functional food ingredient is currently emerging. The flours from white, red and black quinoa seeds were analysed in terms of total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity. They were incorporated at 25% on flour basis into the bread dough formula to evaluate their potential to improve the functional properties of wheat breads. The contribution of extractable polyphenols (soluble forms) and the largely unexplored hydrolysable polyphenols (bound forms that can be found in the residues of the former) were taken into account to reflect a realistic health-promoting potential of breads. The red and black quinoa varieties stood out compared to wheat flour, with about double the polyphenol content and up to 4.7-fold increments in antioxidant activity when considering the sum of extractable and hydrolysable polyphenols. The red and black flours were equally effective in intensifying the antioxidant properties of bread despite the baking process (between 2- and 3-fold). They produced significant changes in the parameters that describe crust and crumb colour (L*, a*, b*). A clear darkening was observed compared to the control bread, an appealing attribute for lovers of unconventional and natural products. According to our results, the flours from the coloured quinoa seeds could be considered interesting antioxidant sources and be applied as natural ingredients in bread-making; new, promising and valuable unconventional products for consumers and producers could be developed.

The time course of colour congruency effects in picture naming

In our interactions with people and objects in the world around us, as well as in communicating our thoughts, we rely on the use of conceptual knowledge stored in long-term memory. From a frame-theoretic point of view, a concept is represented by a central node and recursive attribute-value structures further specifying the concept. The present study explores whether and how the activation of an attribute within a frame might influence access to the concept's name in language production, focussing on the colour attribute. Colour has been shown to contribute to object recognition, naming, and memory retrieval, and there is evidence that colour plays a different role in naming objects that have a typical colour (high colour-diagnostic objects such as tomatoes) than in naming objects without a typical colour (low colour-diagnostic objects such as bicycles). We report two behavioural experiments designed to reveal potential effects of the activation of an object's typical colour on naming the object in a picture-word interference paradigm. This paradigm was used to investigate whether naming is facilitated when typical colours are presented alongside the to-be-named picture (e.g., the word "red" superimposed on the picture of a tomato), compared to atypical colours (such as "brown"), unrelated adjectives (such as "fast"), or random letter strings. To further explore the time course of these potential effects, the words were presented at different time points relative to the to-be-named picture (Exp. 1: -400 ms, Exp. 2: -200 ms, 0 ms, and + 200 ms). By including both high and low colour-diagnostic objects, it was possible to explore whether the activation of a colour differentially affects naming of objects that have a strong association with a typical colour. The results showed that (pre-)activation of the appropriate colour attribute facilitated naming compared to an inappropriate colour. This was only the case for objects closely connected with a typical colour. Consequences of these findings for frame-theoretic accounts of conceptual representation are discussed.

Trial-to-trial carryover effects on spatial attentional bias

Visual Probe Tasks (VPTs) have been extensively used to measure spatial attentional biases, but as usually analysed, VPTs do not consider trial-to-trial carryover effects of probe location: Does responding to a probe on, e.g., the location of a threat cue affect the bias on the subsequent trial? The aim of the current study was to confirm whether this kind of carryover exists, using a novel task version, the diagonalized VPT, designed to focus on such trial-to-trial interactions. Two versions of the task were performed by a sample of college students. In one version cues were coloured squares; in the other, cues were threat-related and neutral images. Both versions included partially random positive or negative response feedback and varying Cue-Probe Intervals (200 or 600 ms). Carryover effects were found in both versions. Responding to a probe at the location of a cue of a given colour induced an attentional bias on the subsequent trial in the direction of that colour. Responding to a threat-related cue induced an attentional bias towards threat on the subsequent trial. The results provide evidence that trial-to-trial carryover effects on spatial attentional bias indeed exist. A methodological implication is that previous probe location could be considered in analyses or re-analyses of spatial visual attention tasks.

The pain colour of children with toothache in Turkish population

Background

Toothache is a common consequence of untreated caries, predisposed by poor oral hygiene and high caries risk. Most children expressed their pain through their parents or carers. The aim of this study was to determine the colour of pain presence and absence.

Methods

Patients aged between 4 and 14 and referred to a dentist for the first time due to toothache had a short-term pain of 1 month caused by deep cavities. The children chose paintings from the box of 24 standard colours (Crayola, Spain) and the circles were painted. Pain was rated by children on the Visual Analoge Scale. Normality and variance were tested using the one-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Associations were performed by using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Analyses were completed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) version 20.0 program.

Results

A total of 147 patients including 78 girls (53.1%) and 69 boys (46.9%) were included in the study. The principal component analysis showed that red has the highest factor loading in children with pain, whereas yellow was the other highest one in children without pain.

Conclusion

The presence of pain was mainly associated with red, and the absence of pain was associated with yellow in Turkish population. Description of pain with colour can be useful tool to recognize the children and to improve dentist-patient or dentist-parents communication.

Effect of pulsed electric fields (PEF) on physico-chemical properties, β-carotene and antioxidant activity of air-dried apricots

Fresh apricots pre-treated by pulsed electric fields at different intensities [LPEF, 0.65 kV/cm, 100 Hz, 20 µs and total treatment time 30 s; HPEF1, 1.25 kV/cm, 100 Hz, 20 µs and total treatment time 30 s; HPEF2, 1.25 kV/cm, 100 Hz, 20 µs and total treatment time 60 s], along with controls [non-treated, non-treated and sulphite treated, and heat pre-treatment at 80 °C, for 10 min (HC)] and soaked in 0.2% sodium sulphite solution for 1 h and then were subject to hot air drying. The changes in drying rate, polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, and β-carotene contents as well as antioxidant activity and colour in pre-treatment and hot air-dried apricot samples were investigated. PEF and heat treatments increased the drying rate of apricots. PEF treatments had no effect on the PPO activity and decreased the POD activity (p < 0.05). HPEF2 treatment retained more β-carotene, higher antioxidant activity and suffered less browning during processing. Overall, the results indicate that combining sulphite treatment with PEF produces dried apricots with more β-carotene and antioxidant activity, and better colour.

Spatial changes in leaf biochemical profile of two tea cultivars following cold storage under two different vapour pressure deficit (VPD) conditions

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Cold withering emphasised temporal changes in caffeine and theobromine content.

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Spatial variations in catechin content observed between bud, large leaf and stem.

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Vapour pressure deficit (VPD) conditions differentially affected caffeine levels.

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Implications of mechanically harvested tea on final quality are discussed.

Withering is considered a crucial stage of black tea processing. In this study, tea shoots from two cultivars (cvs. Yabukita and Clone 2) were stored at 5 °C, in either a low or high vapour pressure deficit (VPD) environment, to determine the impact of different withering rates on physiology (viz. respiration rate [RR], colour and moisture loss) and biochemical profile (viz. individual catechins, methylxanthines) of tea shoots (Camellia sinensis). Low VPD and high VPD conditions during withering increased caffeine levels in Clone 2 and Yabukita, respectively (p < 0.05). Caffeine levels steadily increased over time in both cultivars (p < 0.05), coinciding with a rapid decline in theobromine (TB). Furthermore, stems contained lower epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and caffeine (ca. 75 and 56%, respectively) compared to bud and larger leaf (LL) (p < 0.05). Overall, the results of this study highlight factors such as mechanical harvesting, and hard or soft withering, which could affect final tea beverage quality.

Effects of PSE meat and salt concentration on the technological and sensory characteristics of restructured cooked hams

The effects of the use of normal and pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) meat on the technological and sensorial quality of restructured cooked hams elaborated with different salt contents (0.8, 1.2, 1.6, 2.0, and 2.4%) were investigated. A low salt content implied (P < .05) high cooking loss (6.27 vs 3.25%), expressive moisture and C* values and low hardness. Products elaborated with PSE meat had (P < .05) lower cohesiveness, energy to fracture and hue tone colour and higher springiness than did samples elaborated with normal meat. Salty taste perception was slightly higher for the PSE meat-based products, which were also preferred by the assessors when salt contents lower than 1.6% were used. It was concluded that when PSE meat was used, the addition of 1.2% salt was sufficient to maintain the technological and sensory characteristics of the restructured cooked hams.

Improving the storage quality of Tahitian limes (Citrus latifolia) by pre-storage UV-C irradiation

UV-C (180-280 nm) has been shown to extend the postharvest shelf-life of many horticulture crops. In this study, Tahitian limes (Citrus latifolia) were exposed to 0, 3.4, 7.2 and 10.5 kJ m^-2 UV-C then stored for 28 days in air at 10 °C and 80% RH. Weight loss, peel colour, calyx abscission, ethylene production, respiration rate, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA) and acceptability index were assessed. The results showed that UV-C treatment maintained lime peel green colour and retained calyx attachment after 28 days storage. UV-C treatment also affected endogenous ethylene production and respiration rate, where the highest UV-C treatment (10.5 kJ m^-2) maintained low ethylene production and low respiration rates after 28 days storage with no differences between the different UV-C intensities. In terms of fruit acceptability, limes were exposed to 10.5 kJ m^-2 UV-C had a 60% acceptability index after 28 days storage, while untreated control fruit retained acceptability of 39%. In general, the pre-storage UV-C treatments did not affect fruit weight loss, TSS or TA contents during storage.

The Effects of Different Spectrophotometric Modes on Colour Measurement of Resin Composite and Porcelain Materials

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the influence of a number of controlled modes on the spectrophotometric analysis of the colour of resin composite and porcelain materials.

METHODS

A total of 20 samples of commercially available resin composite, and 20 samples of commercially available porcelain materials in four different shades were produced (five samples for each shade). Colour was measured using a spectrophotometer (CM2600-d, Minolta Konica) set with different colour measuring modes namely, small aperture size (SAV) or large aperture size (MAV); specular component included (SCI), or excluded (SCE); 0% (UV-) or 100% UV illumination (UV+). Colour data were then compared using paired T-test.

RESULTS

Colour coordinates measured with spectrophotometric modes set as 2° observation angle, SAV, SCI, and UV- were significantly different from those measured with 10° observation angle, MAV, SCE, and UV+ respectively in most cases for both materials.

CONCLUSION

Different spectrophotometric modes (2 or 10 degrees observation angle, SAV or MAV aperture size, 0% or 100% UV, and SCI or SCE) significantly influenced the absolute colour measurements of resin composite and porcelain samples.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Measuring modes should be taken into consideration when comparing the results of absolute colour measurements of resin composite and dental porcelain materials.

Should We Genetically Select for the Beauty Norm of Fair Skin?

Fair skin is often regarded as a beauty ideal in many parts of the world. Genetic selection for non-disease traits may allow reproducers to select fair skin for the purposes of beauty, and may be justified under various procreative principles. In this paper I assess the ethics of genetic selection for fair skin as a beauty feature. In particular, I explore the discriminatory aspects and demands of such selection. Using race and colour hierarchies that many would find objectionable, I argue that selection for beauty that is underpinned by such hierarchies is not a trivial selection. Given this, I claim that we should not make such selections.

Colourimetric plastic film indicator for the detection of the volatile basic nitrogen compounds associated with fish spoilage

The first example of an extruded polymer film containing the pH sensitive dye bromophenol blue (BPB) is described in which the polymer encapsulated dye changes colour from yellow to blue upon exposure to basic volatile nitrogen compounds, such as those given off by fish as it spoils. The latter include: trimethylamine (TMA), dimethylamine (DMA) and ammonia (NH₃), and are collectively known as total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N). The films' colourimetric response to specific levels of TMA, as measured using absorbance spectroscopy and digital photography coupled with RGB colour analysis, is reported. The indicator is then used as a fish spoilage indicator at 22 and 4 °C, whilst at the same time a microbiological study is carried out, and in both cases the results reveal a strong correlation between the change in colour of the indicator with the concentration of bacterial colony forming units on the fish; the latter is often used as a measure of fish freshness. The correlation arises because the increase in TVB-N in head space of the package is due to the gradual bacteria-induced decomposition of the fish. The colourimetric TVB-N plastic film indicator's potential as a spoilage indicator for packaged fresh fish is discussed briefly.

The influence of kinesiology tape colour on performance and corticomotor activity in healthy adults: a randomised crossover controlled trial

Background

There exists conflicting evidence regarding the impact of kinesiology tape on performance and muscle function. One variable that may account for disparities in the findings of previous studies is the colour of the tape applied. Colour is hypothesised to influence sporting performance through modulation of arousal and aggression. However, few studies have investigated the influence of colour on products designed specifically to enhance athletic performance. Further, no studies have investigated the potential influence of colour on other drivers of performance, such as corticomotor activity and neuromuscular function. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of kinesiology tape colour on athletic performance, knee extensor torque, and quadriceps neuromuscular function.

Methods

Thirty two healthy participants were assessed under five conditions, applied in random order: (1) no kinesiology tape (control), (2) beige-coloured kinesiology tape applied with tension (sham A), (3) beige-coloured kinesiology tape applied with no tension (sham B), (4) red-coloured kinesiology tape applied with tension, and (5) blue-coloured kinesiology tape applied with tension. Athletic performance was assessed using a previously validated hop test, knee extensor torque was measured using an isokinetic dynamometer, and transcranial magnetic stimulation was utilised to provide insight into the neuromuscular functioning of the quadriceps musculature.

Results

Kinesiology tape had no beneficial impact on lower limb performance or muscle strength in healthy adults. The colour of the tape did not influence athletic performance (F (4, 120) = 0.593, p = 0.669), quadriceps strength (F (4, 120) = 0.787, p = 0.536), or neuromuscular function (rectus femoris: F (2.661, 79.827) = 1.237, p = 0.301).

Conclusion

This study found that kinesiology tape does not alter lower limb performance or muscle function in healthy adults, irrespective of the colour of the tape applied. Future research should seek to confirm these findings beyond the research setting, across a range of sports, and at a range of skill levels.

Trial registration

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry. ACTRN12616001506482. Prospectively registered on 01/11/2016.