CIELAB Color Values Research Articles

Leveraging multi-output modelling for CIELAB using colour difference formula towards sustainable textile dyeing

Textile dyeing requires optimizing combinations of ingredients and process parameters to achieve target colour properties. Modelling the complex relationships between these factors and the resulting colour is challenging. In this case, a physics-informed approach for multi-output regression to model CIELAB colour values from dyeing ingredient and process inputs is proposed. Leveraging attention mechanisms and multi-task learning, the model outperforms baseline methods at predicting multiple colour outputs jointly. Specifically, the Transformer model’s attention mechanism captures the complex interactions between dyeing ingredients and process parameters, while the multi-task learning framework exploits the intrinsic correlations among the L*, a*, and b* dimensions of the CIELAB colour space. In addition, the incorporation of physical knowledge through a physics-informed loss function integrates the CMC colour difference formula. This loss function, along with the attention mechanisms, enables the model to learn the nuanced relationships between the dyeing process variables and the final colour output, thereby improving the overall prediction accuracy. This reduces trial-and-error costs and resource waste, contributing to environmental sustainability by minimizing water and energy consumption and chemical emissions.

Evaluation of plant-derived biomaterials for the development of tissue-engineered corneal substitutes.

Corneal blindness affects over 10 million patients worldwide. Due to the limited supply of donor corneas and frequent graft failure, bioengineered alternatives are crucial. To overcome drawbacks associated with corneal substitutes from synthetic biomaterials, fabrication from plant-derived biomaterials is a potential alternative. Herein, soy protein and glutenin in combination with different crosslinkers were evaluated for fabrication of corneal substitutes. Optical, mechanical, and biochemical properties of fabricated constructs and control rabbit corneas were evaluated in vitro. Soy protein crosslinked with peroxidase/H202 possessed transparency and mechanical properties comparable to controls, although their water content and biocompatibility were inferior. In contrast, soy protein crosslinked with tannic acid showed similar water content, tensile strength, and biocompatibility as rabbit corneas; however, these constructs displayed significantly lower transparency and higher strain to failure. Finally, glutenin cross-linked using formaldehyde showed excellent transparency, strain to failure, and biocompatibility, however; they exhibited significantly lower water content and tensile strength than controls. This study is the first to establish CIELAB color values for the rabbit cornea, allowing quantitative optical evaluation of tissue-engineered substitutes. Thus, a crosslinking strategy utilizing plant-derived proteins for fabrication of constructs with properties comparable to rabbit corneas is a promising direction for development of tissue-engineered corneal substitutes.

Effects of incorporation of lupin flour on the quality attributes of beef burger

Lupin flour is known as an alternative high-ptlant protein for meat products due to its nutritional, health, and functional properties. A factorial experiment was performed to investigate the effect of lupin seed flour treatment (without, steaming, and roasting), meat substitution level with lupin seed flour (0, 5, 10, and 15%), and the interaction between them on the quality attributes of cooked beef burger by measuring CIELAB color, texture profile analysis (TPA), chemical composition (before and after cooking), and cooking properties (cooking loss, fat and moisture retention, and shrinkage). Based on the results of the factorial experiment, a completely randomized design was used to evaluate the sensory attributes of selected treatments. The different substitution levels mainly affected CIELAB color values, chemical composition, and cooking properties. On the other hand, the interaction effect between substitution level and treatment affected TPA. Considering all results, steaming treatment and a substitution level of 10% were selected as the best treatment to produce beef burgers. In comparison to the control burger, the developed burger had higher values of L* (increased by 21.26%), b* (increased by 32.94%), and moisture retention (increased by 37.85%); lower values of fat (decreased by 16.11%), protein (decreased by 6.37%), cooking loss (decreased by 43.22%), shrinkage (decreased 19.69%), and moisture content (decreased by 2.64%); and nonsignificantly different values with other tests performed. This study demonstrated that the incorporation of lupin flour in beef burgers could have the potential to substitute meat, create an alternative high-plant protein burger, and expand the application of lupin flour in the food industry.

Analysis of Rock Mass Surface Colour using CIELAB and Munsell Chart

Rock mass surface colour is crucial for weathering assessment. CIELAB colour space and Munsell chart are methods to express the surface colour of rock masses. This study analysed the L*a*b* value from both approaches and examined the effectiveness and reliability of rock slope weathering assessment method. The Munsell Rock chart is a conventional method primarily used in practice. However, due to the constraint of individual vision and variation in the optical environment, errors and bias in rock surface colour can easily occur using the conventional method. The colourimeter was used to determine the CIELAB colour values of the samples, while the rock colour chart determined the colour coordinates and Munsell values. The Munsell hue and chroma were assigned using linear interpolation by Munsell conversion software CMC 2.1 to convert Munsell colour systems to L*a*b* value. A total of six granitic rock slopes were investigated. For quantitatively method, the Munsell optical system was less effective in assessing the rock mass surface colour. The positive correlation of a* and b* with R2=0.9407 demonstrated the efficiency of CIELAB system. The a*b* result of the rock slope indicated that most of the slopes were considered medium to strong with a moderately weathered surface. This result is strongly supported by a geomechanical test of Schmidt-UCS and index properties (Id2) with a range of 50-100 MPa and 2-4 MPa respectively. The finding verified mineralogical assessment which showed the correlation of rock mass surface colour to mineral composition. The study recommended any geotechnical and technical purpose in enhancing the method of weathering assessment by using the CIELAB colour space to rapidly and efficiently measure the rock surface colour.

Discoloration Investigations of Yellow Lantern Pepper Sauce (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) Fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum: Effect of Carotenoids and Physiochemical Indices.

Color is one of the important indicators affecting the quality of fermented pepper sauces, and it is closely related to carotenoid composition. This study systematically analyzed the changes in carotenoids and related physiochemical indices during the fermentation of yellow lantern pepper sauce. The CIELab color values indicated that L* and C* displayed a significant decreasing trend during fermentation. After 35 days of fermentation, the total carotenoid content significantly reduced from 3446.36 to 1556.50 μg/g DW (p < 0.05), and the degradation rate was 54.84%. Among them, the total content of carotene decreased by 56.03% during fermentation, whereas the degradation rate of xanthophylls and their esters was 44.47%. According to correlation analysis, violaxanthin myristate and lutein played a pivotal role in L*, a *, b *, chroma (C*), and yellowness index (YI). Moreover, PCA analysis indicated that lactic acid and acetic acid were the important qualities affecting the stability of pigment in fermented yellow lantern pepper sauce, which might also be the inducement of the color change. This work gives additional information concerning the discoloration of yellow lantern pepper sauce during fermentation and provides theory evidence regulating and improving the sensory qualities of yellow lantern pepper sauce.

The effect of prior exposure on the lightfastness of early synthetic dyes on textiles

Many studies have investigated light-induced damage to colourants in heritage collections using prepared samples of materials such as artist paints and dyed textiles. The body of research focuses primarily on the response of virgin materials, where colour change is assessed with respect to the original colour as light dose increases. From a practical perspective, most objects in museum collections have accumulated a significant light dose from illumination before acquisition, and subsequent years of exhibit lighting. When considering the risk of further degradation, it is often stated by heritage professionals that fugitive colourants with past light exposure are no longer as sensitive due to the slowing rate of visual damage. This is evident by studying ‘fading curves’, where the rate of colour change typically diminishes with increasing light dose. It remains unclear, however, to what degree the lightfastness of remaining colour changes with ongoing exposure. To address the issue, the light sensitivity of residual colour was investigated as a function of prior dose using a published dataset of colour measurements from textiles dyed with early synthetic colourants in the period of 1874–1905. The CIELAB colour values (D65/2°) for each material and dose increment were used to determine the future dose that causes a just-noticeable difference (JND), ΔE00 = 1.7, starting at different amounts of past exposure. This involved resetting the reference CIELAB values to that of the residual colour after each prior dose. The analysis provides an extension of our earlier work, where only the initial lightfastness was reported. A summary of the findings illustrates the shifting distribution of lightfastness, toward higher Blue Wool (BW) ratings with increasing exposure. As the dose progresses, dyes that start at BW1 sensitivity progress to BW2, then BW3 and so on. The findings from this work may assist with boundary approximations of object sensitivity when prior light exposure is known, or a reasonable estimate is available. An analysis of experimental data is summarised as a tool for this type of decision-making process.

The Influence of Location along the Pseudostem on Enset Fiber Physio-Mechanical Properties: Application of Weibull Distribution Statistics

Enset bundle fibers were divided lengthwise into four sections from bottom to top and the sections’ physio-mechanical parameters were studied and compared. The four equal fiber sections from the bottom were 0–375 mm (EV-I), 375–750 mm (EV-II), 750 mm–1125 mm (EV-III), and 1125–1500 mm (EV-IV). The mass distribution, cross-sectional area, linear density, and diameter all decreased along the fiber sections from bottom to top. The CIE Lab-color values of each fiber section were also examined, and the L* value for EV-II fiber section was higher. In terms of mechanical properties, the Enset bundle fiber’s tensile strength and work of rupture were analyzed, and both increased by 25% from the lower fiber section to the second fiber section (EV-1 to EV-II) along the length before decreasing significantly at the top sections. The investigation indicated that a higher Weibull modulus and tensile strength characteristics for EV-II were recorded while a low Weibull modulus and low strength characteristics of the Enset bundle fiber section EV-IV were observed. The investigation of Weibull distribution variability in the EV-IV fiber location was also confirmed using one-way ANOVA. Overall, the present study investigates the impact of fiber position along the plant stem on the mechanical and physical properties of Enset bundle fibers which can be used as an input for the optimization of unidirectional composites.

Effect of grape (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Dimrit) seed extract powder on total phenolic content and antioxidant properties of ayran drink

Abstract In this study, the lyophilized extracts of grape (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Dimrit) seeds [0 (control), 4, 5 and 6 mg/100 mL)] were incorporated into ayran drinks, and the total solids, fat, pH, acidity (% lactic acid) and CIELAB color values, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity values, some microbiological and sensory properties of ayran drinks were determined during storage at 4±1 °C for 10 days. The addition of grape seed extract powder (GSEP) had an insignificant effect on the pH, acidity and L* values of ayran drinks (p &gt; 0.05), but the a* and b* color values of drinks increased as its concentration increased. The incorporation of GSEP into ayran drinks increased the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity values of samples significantly in comparison to control samples (p &lt; 0.05). Addition of GSEP to ayran drinks did not change the counts of lactobacilli and lactococci in ayran drinks during storage. Panelists in sensory evaluation liked the flavor and color properties of control and ayran drinks with 4 mg/100 mL GSEP more than other samples (p &lt; 0.05). Results indicated that GSEP might have a great potential to increase the antioxidant activity of ayran drinks, but its concentration is primarily limited by its bitter taste in drinks.

Durability of infiltrated resin application on white spot lesions after different challenges: An ex vivo study

Statement of problemInfiltrated resin has been widely used as a minimally invasive approach to masking white spot lesions and reinforcing demineralized enamel. Recent evidence confirms its satisfactory effect in the short term, but studies focusing on its long-term performance are lacking. PurposeThe purpose of this ex vivo study was to evaluate the durability of infiltrated resin on white spot lesions after pH cycling and long-term thermocycling, staining, and toothbrushing. Material and methodsFour axial surfaces of 25 extracted human molars were sectioned and fabricated as specimens. The enamel surface of each specimen was prepared in 3 areas: sound enamel, demineralized enamel (white spot lesions), and demineralized enamel treated by infiltrated resin. Then, 4 specimens of each molar were allocated to different challenges simulating a 10-year follow-up: pH cycling, thermocycling, staining, and toothbrushing. The surface roughness, microhardness, and CIELab color values were measured before and after different treatments. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to observe representative specimens. Linear mixed models were used to evaluate the effect of different treatments on microhardness, roughness, and color differences (ΔE) (α=.05). ResultsResin infiltration reduced the surface roughness and increased the microhardness of demineralized lesions, (P<.001) but the values of sound enamel at baseline were not reached. The pH cycling led to the greatest roughness values (515.6 ±56.9 nm) on resin-infiltrated lesions, followed by thermocycling (450.7 ±64.7 nm), toothbrushing (291.2 ±43.5 nm), and staining (183.6 ±49.3 nm) (all P<.001). Only pH cycling significantly decreased the microhardness of resin-infiltrated lesions (81.6 ±14.8 HV 0.2) after progressive demineralization (P<.001). No clinically identified differences were found between resin-infiltrated white spot lesions and sound enamel (ΔE=3.4 ±2.0) at baseline. However, resin-infiltrated lesions demonstrated significantly greater discoloration after pH cycling (ΔE=8.0 ±4.5, P<.001), thermocycling (ΔE=5.4 ±2.0, P=.014), and staining treatments (ΔE=10.4 ±3.2, P<.001) than sound enamel. ConclusionsInfiltrated resin application reduced surface roughness, improved microhardness, and masked white spot lesions immediately. However, it could not reestablish the characteristics of sound enamel completely and resist chemical and mechanical challenges over time.

Effect of layer thickness and printing orientation on the color stability and stainability of a 3D-printed resin material

Statement of problemAlthough 3-dimensional (3D)–printed resin prostheses are widely used, studies on the effects of the manufacturing parameters of 3D printing on the color stability and stainability of these prostheses are lacking. PurposeThe purpose of this in vitro study was to investigate the effects of layer thickness and printing orientation on the color stability and stainability of a 3D-printed resin. In addition, the influence of roughness and water contact angle was evaluated. Material and methodsColor changes (ΔE00) in tooth-colored resin specimens produced by 3D printing with 2 different layer thicknesses and 3 different printing orientations and immersed in 3 types of aging media (distilled water, coffee solution, and wine) were evaluated (n=10). The CIELab color values were measured with a spectrophotometer at baseline and different time points (1, 3, 7, 15, and 30 days). The surface roughness (Ra) of resin specimens was measured at various time points (baseline, 7, 15, and 30 days) by confocal laser scanning microscopy after immersion in coffee solution (n=15). The water contact angle was determined by using the sessile drop method (n=10). The ΔE00 values were analyzed by using the 3-way repeated measures ANOVA followed by the Bonferroni test and Dunnett T3 test (α=.05). Ra values were analyzed by 3-way repeated measures ANOVA (α=.05). The water contact angle data were analyzed by 2-way ANOVA (α=.05). ResultsThe 3-way repeated measures ANOVA showed that layer thickness, printing orientation, and storage time significantly influenced the ΔE00 values of the 3D-printed resin specimens in each aging medium (P<.001). The ΔE00 values in the 0-degree subgroups were significantly lower than those in the 45- and 90-degree subgroups (P<.05). The ΔE00 values in the 25-μm thick groups were significantly higher than those in the 100-μm thick groups (P<.05). The ΔE00 values demonstrated an increase up to 15 days in all aging media. In distilled water, the ΔE00 values of the specimens increased or decreased depending on the groups, whereas in the coffee solution, the values decreased after 15 days (P<.001); in red wine, the values demonstrated a continuous increase up to 30 days in all groups (P<.001). The 3-way repeated measures ANOVA showed that the Ra values did not change significantly with immersion time (P=.444). The 2-way ANOVA showed that the water contact angle was not significantly affected by layer thickness (P=.921) or printing orientation (P=.062). ConclusionsLayer thickness and printing orientation affected the color stability and stainability of the 3D-printed resin. The discoloration of the 3D-printed resin differed with time, depending on the type of aging media used.

Effect of Amaranthus leaf powder addition on the nutritional composition, physical quality and consumer acceptability of instant noodles

Noodles are a popular starchy food among youth and children. However, they are not nutritionally adequate as a single meal. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of Amaranthus leaf powder (ALP) addition on the nutritional composition, physical quality and consumer acceptability of instant noodles. Instant noodle samples were developed by partially substituting wheat flour used in a common noodle recipe with 1, 2 and 3% (w/w) of ALP. The samples were analyzed for nutritional composition using AOAC methods. Physical quality was evaluated in terms of color (CIELAB color values) and texture (g cutting force). Consumer acceptability was evaluated by 60 panelists using a 9-point hedonic scale. Increasing ALP from 0% to 3% had a non-significant effect on the total glycemic carbohydrate, protein, fiber and mineral contents of the noodles. However, the fat content significantly increased (from 1.55% to 4.57%) with the inclusion of ALP, leading to a higher energy value. ALP-fortified noodle samples were significantly softer in texture (271.39 g) than standard noodles (control) (609.08 g), and a significantly greener color was observed with ALP addition. All noodle samples were as acceptable as the control, which suggests that ALP could be used to improve the nutritional value of instant noodles.

Chitosan – a non-invasive approach for the preservation of historical textiles

Old textiles represent important samples of the mobile cultural heritage, having implications on the social and spirituallife of each population. In order to keep them in the best condition, it is necessary to implement methods to preventdamages, but also to rehabilitate and clean the already affected fabrics. In the case of textiles that need to be treated,a fundamental thing is the unaltered preservation of the initial characteristics of the materials, even after theinterventions. The aim of our study is to test the feasibility of a non-invasive alternative to usual chemicals for cleaningtextiles; Chitosan’s antimicrobial and cleaning effects on a pair of Romanian traditional cotton trousers, from Maramuresarea was analyzed. A few images were taken from SEM of untreated and treated fabric with Chitosan solution usingdifferent magnifications, in order to check the changes on the fabric surface. The purpose was to observe if there aresome color changes after Chitosan treatment, so the CIELAB color values (L, a, b) of untreated and treated sampleswere analyzed. The analysis of the treated samples revealed strong antimicrobial effects of Chitosan

Chitosan – a non-invasive approach for the preservation of historical textiles

Old textiles represent important samples of the mobile cultural heritage, having implications on the social and spirituallife of each population. In order to keep them in the best condition, it is necessary to implement methods to preventdamages, but also to rehabilitate and clean the already affected fabrics. In the case of textiles that need to be treated,a fundamental thing is the unaltered preservation of the initial characteristics of the materials, even after theinterventions. The aim of our study is to test the feasibility of a non-invasive alternative to usual chemicals for cleaningtextiles; Chitosan’s antimicrobial and cleaning effects on a pair of Romanian traditional cotton trousers, from Maramuresarea was analyzed. A few images were taken from SEM of untreated and treated fabric with Chitosan solution usingdifferent magnifications, in order to check the changes on the fabric surface. The purpose was to observe if there aresome color changes after Chitosan treatment, so the CIELAB color values (L, a, b) of untreated and treated sampleswere analyzed. The analysis of the treated samples revealed strong antimicrobial effects of Chitosan

Carcass yields and physiochemical meat quality characteristics of Namibian gemsbok (Oryx gazella) as influenced by muscle, gender and age

The carcass yields and physiochemical meat quality characteristics of six different muscles (biceps femoris, infraspinatus, longissimus thoracis et lumborum, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, supraspinatus) for different sex and age groups of gemsbok antelope were determined. No live weight nor dressing percentage differences were observed for the different sex groups. While muscles, age and sex had an influence on the physiochemical parameters investigated, these differences were minor. The CIE Lab colour values for all muscles, age and sexes were in line with those deemed acceptable for game meat, while mean crude protein (20.7%) and fat (1.6%) levels were typical of game species. Discriminant analysis revealed no differentiation among the muscle groups for the variables measured. Thus, at similar live weights, male and female (sub-adult) gemsbok can be considered of equivalent meat quality and marketed accordingly.

Visual Color Difference between Colored-Yarn Mixed Woven Fabrics and Their Instrumentally Measured Colors: the Effects of Individual Yarn Colors and Texture

The study investigated the differences between perceived and instrumentally measured colors of woven fabrics in which different colored yarns are woven together such that they are perceived as solid colors. Cyan, magenta, and yellow yarns were woven together to produce 63 fabrics in a wide range of colors, the values of which were measured spectrophotometrically. The measured colors were generated as solid color images on a calibrated cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor. Then the fabrics were scanned and their scanned images were displayed beside their corresponding solid color images on the CRT monitor to evaluate the visual color difference between them. The results showed that the individual yarn colors and their interlacement on the fabric surface influenced the overall color appearance. Although the woven and solid colors in each pair had identical CIELAB color values, the perceived color difference was as large as 5.68 ΔE*ab,10 on average. Fabrics composed of various colors of yarn were found to have larger visual color differences from their measured colors than those composed of single colors of yarn. The visual color difference varied according to texture, but texture strength, which has been widely reported as a strong parametric factor in visual color difference evaluation, was not shown to have had a consistent effect. This study also examined how the overall color attributes, including the lightness, chroma, and hue, of fabrics affected the visual color difference and developed a predictive model of those effects.

Farklı Karışım Oranlarına Sahip Mikro/Makro Silikon Yumuşatıcı Uygulamasının Kumaş Performansı Üzerindeki Etkisi

The softening has enormous importance in the textile finishing process, and a great majority of the fabrics (white or colored) leave the textile mill by including softener agents. The macro and micro particle sized silicone softeners have been common usage within the softeners, recently. Though, generally the micro and macro silicone softeners use individually, their mixtures are sometimes suggested to use in some processes (such as wrinkle recovery). In view of that fact, in this study, it was investigated that how to effect of the mechanic and physical performances of the fabric samples when different ratios of the micro and macro silicone softeners are used. For this purpose, the application solutions including micro and macro silicone softeners at the different ratios were applied to the 50% cotton-50% polyester woven fabrics with padding method. After applications, the performance properties of the fabric samples were investigated through bending rigidity, stiffness, tearing strength, and breaking strength. Besides, the CIELab color values, as well as the whiteness values of the samples were also measured. The one-way variance analysis was carried out to the obtained results in order to research statistically the significance of the different ratios on the performance values.

The color appearance shifts of woven fabrics induced by the optical blending of colored yarns

This study investigated the effect of individual yarn colors and their blending on the color appearance of woven fabrics by comparing them with solid colors. Woven fabrics often obtain their colors through blends of different colored yarns. When the blends are seen from far enough away, the individual yarn colors are optically mixed in our eyes and perceived as a new solid color that is not actually present. To examine this optical color mixing effect, red, yellow, green, and blue yarns were woven together to produce 36 fabrics in a wide range of colors, the values of which were measured spectrophotometrically. The spectrophotometric values were generated as solid color images on a calibrated cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor. Then the fabrics were scanned and the scanned images were displayed beside their corresponding solid color images on the CRT monitor to assess their differences in lightness, colorfulness, and hue. The results showed that, although the fabrics and their corresponding solid colors had identical CIELAB color values, they appeared significantly different in terms of all lightness, colorfulness, and hue. It was found that the lightness differences of fabrics from solid colors vary with the overall L*, C*, and h° of the fabrics, the colorfulness differences vary with the L*, C*, and h°, and the number of yarn colors in the fabrics and the hue differences vary with the h°. Based on these effects, color appearance models to predict the perceived lightness, colorfulness, and hue of woven fabrics were developed.

The Alteration of Physicochemical and Thermal Characteristics of Peanut by Salting-Roasting Process

Peanut as nutritious food containing high protein, high fat, carbohydrate, and bioactive substance is usually processed in order to enhance palatability and consumer preference. One of the thermal processes, a traditional salting-roasting process used by BIMARAM SME in Gunungkidul to add the value of peanut, was predicted to be able to alter the properties of peanut, i.e., physicochemical and thermal characteristics. This research investigated the alteration, and the comparison of salted-roasted peanut and raw peanut properties was essentially needed to be conducted. Physicochemical characteristics were represented by parameters such as moisture content, ash content, fat content, protein content, antioxidant activity, color, mean geometric peanut kernel diameter, kernel size distribution, hardness, and fracture parameter. Meanwhile, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) result described thermal characteristic. The salting-roasting process produced the decreasing of moisture, protein, fat, antioxidant activity expressed by antiradical power, and CIE Lab color values (lightness (L*), redness (a*), and yellowness (b*)), compared with that of raw peanut. Meanwhile, the ash content of the peanut was increased by the process. All of the changes were significant (p<0.05) statistically. The process reduced the mean geometric peanut kernel diameter (p<0.05) and yielded a narrower kernel size distribution. According to TGA result, the roasted peanut was more stable thermally, which was shown by the shifting of endothermic peak to the higher temperature. The enhancing of palatability of peanut by salting-roasting was proven by hardness decreasing (p<0.05), although the fracture was insignificantly increased (p>0.05).

Color change of airborne particle–abraded acrylic resin surfaces: A palatography method

Statement of problemA palatogram aids prosthodontists and speech pathologists in evaluating the precise prosthetic treatment needed and the effectiveness of such treatment to improve speech intelligibility. Powder is commonly used to visualize tongue-palate contact, where wetted areas of powder in the oral cavity reveal such contact during palatography. However, discomfort and the risk of aspiration are among the shortcomings of this method, and an improved method is needed. PurposeThe purpose of this in vitro study was to examine the feasibility of a new method of palatography that uses airborne-particle–abraded acrylic resin so that wet areas can be easily distinguished from dry areas. Material and methodsSeventy-two specimens of heat-polymerized acrylic resin were prepared in 6 different resin colors. After the specimens had been airborne-particle abraded, CIELab color values for each specimen were measured using a colorimeter under dry and wet conditions and recorded. Color difference (ΔE) was then computed, and a paired Student t test, 1-way analysis of variance, and multiple comparison using the Tukey post hoc analysis were applied (α=.05). ResultsA significant color difference was found between the 2 conditions in all acrylic resin specimens examined. Mean ΔE ranged from 5.58 to 6.76. ConclusionsThe results indicated that an airborne-particle–abraded acrylic resin surface can show color differences made by wetting on palatograms.

Influence of innovative coatings on salami ripening assessed by near infrared spectroscopy and aquaphotomics

Coatings play an important role in preserving the quality of meat products by reducing weight loss, improving appearance and integrity. The aim of this work was to study the effect of an innovative coating on the ripening of “Salame Piacentino”. Sixty samples were collected after 40 days of aging: 30 samples were treated with a water-soluble complex based on a cellulose polymer and 30 samples were used as control. All samples were measured after 8, 21, 36, 63 and 78 days of ripening at 11℃ by NIR spectroscopy and were analyzed for weight loss, mechanical properties, colour of outer casing and of the meat, volatile profile (by electronic nose) and sensory characteristics (firmness, meat colour uniformity, fat color, odor). Treated salami showed lower weight loss, firmness and stiffness, were perceived less firm than control samples and had lower CIELab colour values of casing L* and a* and higher values of meat L*. During ripening, weight loss, mechanical and sensory firmness increased while outer casing a*, meat L* and meat color uniformity decreased. As for sensory analysis, panelists were able to distinguish coated salami from control ones only at 78 days of ripening, when also volatile patterns were significantly different. Partial least squares – discriminant analysis of NIR spectra was able to discriminate coated and control salami and identify high variable importance in the projection (VIP) scores in the region 1398–1518 nm, which is within the wavelength range of the water first overtone, suggesting the suitability of the aquaphotomics approach. Comparing aquagrams, coated salami showed higher absorbance values at 1382, 1398 and 1410 nm and lower values in the 1438–1492 nm range than control ones, indicating a higher presence of free water molecules, while hydrogen-bonded water was predominant in control salami. Weight loss, firmness and stiffness were successfully predicted by PLS regression analysis showing R2CVof 0.95, 0.90, 0.83 and RMECV of 1.31, 5.28 and 3.88, respectively.