Original Color Research Articles

JPEG Robust Invertible Grayscale.

Invertible grayscale is a special kind of grayscale from which the original color can be recovered. Given an input color image, this seminal work tries to hide the color information into its grayscale counterpart while making it hard to recognize any anomalies. This powerful functionality is enabled by training a hiding sub-network and restoring sub-network in an end-to-end way. Despite its expressive results, two key limitations exist: 1) The restored color image often suffers from some noticeable visual artifacts in the smooth regions. 2) It is very sensitive to JPEG compression, i.e., the original color information cannot be well recovered once the intermediate grayscale image is compressed by JPEG. To overcome these two limitations, this article introduces adversarial training and JPEG simulator respectively. Specifically, two auxiliary adversarial networks are incorporated to make the intermediate grayscale images and final restored color images indistinguishable from normal grayscale and color images. And the JPEG simulator is utilized to simulate real JPEG compression during the online training so that the hiding and restoring sub-networks can automatically learn to be JPEG robust. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed method is superior to the original invertible grayscale work both qualitatively and quantitatively while ensuring the JPEG robustness. We further show that the proposed framework can be applied under different types of grayscale constraints and achieve excellent results.

Construction of durable and original color constancy photochromic cotton fabrics by a facile esterification strategy

Cotton-based photochromic textiles have emerged as a representative smart textile, yet constrained by the complicated process, deep original color and limited durability in practical applications. Here, spiropyran (SP) with a simple carboxy linking group was directly covalently immobilized onto cotton fabric through a facile and effective esterification strategy. Benefit from the simple structure, this modification process does not affect the basic properties and color of the fabric. In addition, the SP-cotton fabrics exhibited excellent reversible photochromic properties from colorless to violet and allowed to print exquisite patterns with long-distance control by switching light resource and photomasks. Moreover, the stable ester covalent bond endowed these SP-cotton fabrics with appropriate washing fastness and photo fatigue resistance. This study not only added value to cotton, but also paved a rational and general approach for the construction of durable and original color constancy photochromic textiles, providing a potential candidate for brand protection, anti-counterfeiting, and fashion textiles. • A novel photochromic fabric was prepared by directly covalently immobilizing spiropyran (SP) contained carboxy linking group. • A simple and extensible immobilized strategy was proposed for constructing original color constancy photochromic textiles. • SP cotton with photochromic performance from colorless to violet and allowed to print patterns with long-distance control.

Effect of rosehip flour on the properties of wheat dough and bread

Introduction. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of rosehip flour on some properties of wheat dough and bread. Materials and methods. Bread was prepared from wheat flour with the addition of rosehip flour in the amount of 5, 10 and 15% to replace the equal amount of the wheat flour. The used methods are standardized and generally accepted for evaluation of bread. Results and discussion. It was found that the addition of different amounts of rosehip flour to wheat flour affected the intensity of gas formation, as the percentage of rosehip flour added had increased, the intensity of gas formation decreased. When adding 5% rosehip flour, there was no significant deterioration of gas formation. Incorporation of rosehip flour into wheat dough resulted in a decrease in water absorption and degree of softening and the lowest results were found in the sample with 15% rosehip flour added. In terms of dough development time and consistency, there were no significant differences between the samples. Dough stability was found to be higher in the samples containing rosehip flour, with the highest value reported for the sample with 5% rosehip flour. Dough and bread color characteristics decreased with increasing the rosehip flour quantity. Darker colour of rosehip flour enriched samples could be due to the original colour of rosehip fibre, which is rather brown and slightly reddish. The substitution of wheat flour with rosehip flour resulted in a decrease in volume, specific volume, height/diameter ratio and baking loss of the wheat bread. Some of the sensory parameters of bread (crust color, aroma and taste) in the rosehip flour supplemented samples were rated higher by the panelists compared to the control sample, regardless of the amount of rosehip flour added. Conclusions. The rosehip flour could be successfully used as an additive in wheat bread formulation. In the sensory assessment bread samples with rosehip flour in terms of some properties such as crust color, aroma and taste had higher scores than the control sample.

Colour Prediction Method Developed from Digitized Korean Court Documentary Painting - Focused on the Paintings of King Jeongjo’s Procession to Suwon

Korean traditional colour painting artists work to revitalize chaesaek-hwa, paintings in brilliant colours, that reflect Korean people’s traditions and aesthetics and one of the important tasks is retrieving the original colours. The purpose of this study was to predict the colours that are used in a digitized court documentary painting, The Royal Procession to the Ancestral Tomb in Suwon, from 1795 Joseon Dynasty for accurate depiction and heritage colour preservation. The experiment was done with the colours extracted from the digital file of the painting and CIELAB. 17 colours were chosen to make the target colours. RGB values extracted from the colours were then converted to L*a*b* and L*, C* and hab were calculated. L*C* tone graph was made for each colour and discoloration tendency was examined with one of the four shapes of colour clusters. Newly calculated L*, C* and hab were then converted back to RGBs and the colours that are predicted to be close to the original were then created and displayed. The final look of the figures that are digitally restored with the target colours achieved from the experiment looked brighter, clearer, and more vivid compared to the colours that are extracted from the painting. Applying these predicted target colours to all the figures on the entire painting would give a great simulation of how the painting would have looked like when it was initially produced in the digital realm. This digitally restored court documentary painting would provide a useful colour data to not only Korean traditional colour painting artists who work to reproduce or reinterpret the work from the past, but also to those who explore to use the colours from the Joseon Dynasty in various fields.

Effectiveness of Teeth Whitening after Regenerative Endodontics Procedures: An In Vitro Study.

Discolouration resulting from regenerative endodontic procedures may have a negative impact on the quality of life of treated patients; therefore, it is recommended to minimize this risk by selecting appropriate scaffolds and barrier materials, and if discolouration occurs, the use of a simple, cost-effective and minimally invasive technique, such as whitening, should be considered. This in vitro study aimed to evaluate tooth discolouration after two- and single-visit regenerative endodontic procedures and the effectiveness of subsequent whitening procedures with carbamide peroxide. Two hundred bovine incisors were included in this study and divided into twenty groups based on the tested material combinations. Two groups were control groups, one with saline and the other group with blood. In the 12 groups, the experiment was designed to be consistent with the two-visit regenerative endodontic procedures. Triple antibiotic paste or calcium hydroxide were placed in the root canal, and then scaffolds (e.g., blood or platelet-rich fibrin) and barrier materials (Biodentine, OrthoMTA or MTA Repair HP) were applied after rinsing the disinfectant pastes. In the six groups that corresponded to the single-visit regenerative endodontic procedure, the use of a disinfectant paste was omitted. Subsequently, the specimens were bleached twice with carbamide peroxide at a 7-day interval. Colour change measurements were performed using a spectrophotometer (VITA Easyshade Compact 5.0, VITA Zahnfabrik, Bad Säckingen, Germany). Statistical analysis was performed with the Kruskal−Wallis H test, the independent t-test and t-test for related samples. Tooth discolouration was noticed after two- and single-visit regenerative endodontic procedures, except for the platelet-rich fibrin+MTA Repair HP group. After the first and second whitening procedures, all of the tested two- and single-visit regenerative endodontic procedures groups showed a change in the colour of the crown, which was noticeable to the naked eye (∆E > 3.3). When analysing the ∆E value between the first and second bleaching procedures, no changes in the colour of teeth were visually noticed in the calcium hydroxide and platelet-rich fibrin +MTA Repair HP groups (∆E < 3.3). Single-visit regenerative endodontic procedures are suggested if possible; however, if two-visit regenerative endodontic procedures are performed, it is recommended to use calcium hydroxide as the disinfectant paste because of the lower staining potential. In the context of discolouration, platelet-rich fibrin is advisable for use as a scaffold. The whitening procedure is worth considering, but does not guarantee a return to the original tooth colour, especially when triple antibiotic paste is used.

Stimulus-Responsive Lanthanide MOF Materials Encapsulated with Viologen Derivatives: Characterization, Photophysical Properties and Sensing on Nitrophenols.

Viologens (1,1'-disubstituted 4,4'-bipyridyls) possessing electron-deficient properties and redox activity are a class of suitable chromophores to assemble metal-organic hybrid photochromic materials. Thus, viologen-functionalized metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted much attention for their photochromic properties; however, the syntheses of lanthanide-viologen hybrid crystalline photochromic materials still face many challenges. For example, the structures and properties of the final products are difficult to predict and are limited by molecular configurations. In this work, host-guest composite-material Ln-NH2 BDC-pbpy MOFs were constructed by encapsulating viologen derivative pbpyCl2 . The pbpy2+ moieties are uniformly embed by their π-π conjugation in the pores of the 3D structure by electrostatic interactions. Due to the encapsulation of the chromophore pbpy2+ moieties, Ln-NH2 BDC-pbpy MOFs have reversible photochromic properties: they can change color after irradiation and can return to the original color after being protected from light or heating. Interestingly, the fluorescence intensity decreases with illumination time and recovers in the dark. As a result, Ln-NH2 BDC-pbpy MOFs show both photochromic and photomodulated fluorescence. Based on the outstanding fluorescence performance of the Ln-NH2 BDC-pbpy MOFs, they also show a wonderful effect for detecting nitrophenols, especially TNP.

Digital Restoration of Lost Art: Applying the Colorization Transformer to the Ghent Altarpiece Panels

In recent years, image processing has proven to be a great tool to help document, preserve, and restore art pieces, especially visual art. One example is using colorization techniques when the original color information of the image has been lost or is unavailable. To expand on that, we used Ghent Altarpiece as the study case. One of the panels of this polyptych has been lost, and only an archival photograph exists. Using the state-of-the-art colorization method, we want to digitally restore what has been lost in its original form. In this work, we proposed a pipeline that consists of a colorization transformer (ColTran) trained on the captured patch-based imaging data of the Ghent Altarpiece. We evaluated the proposed pipeline and addressed its strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, we presented planned future steps and improvements for this project.

Ühe sitsijaki lugu: koopia õmblemine umbsest Kihnu jakist / The story of a chintz jacket: making a copy of a Kihnu pullover (umbne) jacket

The article is an extension of the author’s MA thesis, “Cotton jackets in the tradition of wearing folk costumes in the mainland and islands of West Estonia at the end of the 19th century and the in the first half of the 20th century” (2022). The process of making a replica of a special umbne chintz jacket found in Kihnu was initiated during the author’s field work on the island. The owner of the jacket donated it to Kihnu Museum. As the original item was in a wretched condition, having been stuck between the logs of a wall as insulation material, the Kihnu Museum ordered a copy of it from the author of the present article. This process was supported by carrying out an inventory of the rest of the Kihnu chintz jackets, 14 items, from the same time period. The article addresses the problems that occurred over the course of making the patterns, choosing the material, and sewing the jacket. Alternatives are discussed and choices are explained.&#x0D; Typical Kihnu chintz jackets are simple in cut. Side and shoulder seams are shifted towards the back. Sleeve cuts consist of two details: sleeves are slightly bow-shaped and shortened in order to allow hassle-free performance of physical work. The lower-back edge of the jacket is elongated and arched, creating a tail (händ) that covers the back when the wearer bends over. As a rule, Kihnu chintz jackets have a buttoned front placket. The jacket under discussion is different as it has no buttoned opening in the front and the placket is located on a shoulder. No other similar jackets have been preserved, but there are oral recounts of making such items during the period of 1935–1945.&#x0D; Patterns were taken from the original jacket, but as its sleeves were heavily damaged, their patterns had to be re-created and modified according to the measures of the original jacket. In order to test out the feasibility of the pattern, two test jackets were sewn.&#x0D; As paisley-patterned fabric similar to the original was not available commercially, the author created a digital fabric pattern herself and ordered it to be printed on a suitable material. The original fabric was photographed and its pattern was digitally re-created. Cleaning and combining the elements of the pattern into a seamless surface was time-consuming work, but the final result was worth it.&#x0D; The experience in sewing the test jackets provided the author with the necessary confidence to cut up the valuable specially-produced fabric. The length of the machine stitches and the original black colour of the thread closely follow the original, as does the sequence of joining and finishing the details. A major difference from the original lies in the finishing of the hems and decorative collar folds, as the wide, white selvedge of the printed fabric could not be used in the same way Kihnu women would have used their fabrics when finishing the edges of the garment. The author also made the textile covered buttons herself.&#x0D; The replica of the jacket turned out well and it can be seen in the Kihnu Museum now.&#x0D; Keywords: chintz jacket, Kihnu, traditional costume, replica, reconstruction

Microfade Testing of Fourteen Natural Dyes on Wool: A Comparison of Five Mordants

ABSTRACT Microfade testing (MFT) was used to examine standardized wool samples dyed with 14 natural historic dyes, each prepared with five different mordants, to determine whether the lightfastness and colourimetric properties of these dyes vary as a function of the mordant. The addition of mordants changed the original colour of the dyes as well as potential patterns corresponding to ΔL*, Δa*, and Δb* such that the variation of lightfastness ranges from 0.25–0.70 units of Blue Wool Equivalence (BWE). Disregarding the effect of mordants, MFT showed that all dyes have lightfastness equivalent to BW3, indicating that they belong in the category of ‘high sensitivity to light’. All dye-mordant combinations vary in lightfastness, such that even the least lightfast dye will have a mordant combination that is more lightfast than the most lightfast dye combined with a mordant that renders it less lightfast. The effect of mordants varies by dye: while one dye may demonstrate a difference in lightfastness of 0.56 units of BWE between the least and most lightfast mordant combination, another may show little or no difference (as low as 0.07 units of BWE). Overall, alum based mordants tend to produce the least lightfast combinations, followed by tin and iron, with copper and chromium producing the most lightfast combinations. This paper shows that there are no simplistic patterns of lightfastness between mordant-dye combinations with these 14 natural dyes. Identifying both dye and mordant is useful to better estimate the lightfastness of a dyed textile.

Phytochemical properties and health benefits of pregelatinized Tartary buckwheat flour under different extrusion conditions.

This work investigated the phytochemical properties and health benefits of Tartary buckwheat flour obtained with different extrusion conditions including high, medium, and low temperature. Extrusion significantly decreased the fat content and changed the original color of Tartary buckwheat flour. The contents of protein, total flavonoids, and D-chiro-inositol were affected by the extrusion temperature and moisture. Extrusion significantly decreased the total flavonoids and flavonoid glycosides contents, while it significantly increased aglycones. Compared to native Tartary buckwheat flour and pregelatinization Tartary buckwheat flour obtained with traditional extrusion processing technology, the pregelatinization Tartary buckwheat flour obtained with improved extrusion processing technology contained higher aglycones and lower flavonoid glycosides, which had stronger antioxidant capacity, α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and relatively mild α-amylase inhibitory activity. Correlation analysis proved that the aglycone content was positively correlated with antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. These findings indicate that the pregelatinization Tartary buckwheat flour obtained with improved extrusion processing technology could be used as an ideal functional food resource with antioxidant and anti-diabetic potential.

Process and Anti-Mildew Properties of Tea Polyphenol-Modified Citral-Treated Bamboo.

In order to reduce the oxidative degradation of citral, our research group modified citral with the natural antioxidant from tea polyphenols and applied it to bamboo processing to enhance the anti-mold effect of bamboo, but its application to the bamboo treatment process and the anti-mold effect is still not clear. For this reason, in this paper, the tea polyphenol-modified citral anti-mildew treatment of bamboo as well as the anti-mildew properties of bamboo were explored using the orthogonal testing method and a UV-vis spectrophotometer. The results showed that when the concentration of tea polyphenol-modified citral reached 175 mg mL-1 and above, the efficacy of the anti-mildew treated bamboo against common molds reached 100%; the improved anti-mildew treatment process parameters for bamboo were as follows: impregnation pressure 0.6 MPa, impregnation time 150 min, and tea polyphenol-modified citral concentration 200 mg mL-1. Following the tea polyphenol-modified citral anti-mildew treatment of bamboo, not only did it improve the anti-mildew properties of the bamboo materials, but it also added a fresh lemon fragrance without altering the original colour, microstructure, and chemical properties of the bamboo materials.

Identification Of Changes In Magnetic Clay Mineral Lattice Due To Batik Fabric Dyeing Process Using X-Ray Diffraction

&lt;p class="AbstractText"&gt;&lt;span lang="EN-AU"&gt;Clay in West Sumatra has been developed as an industrial material, one of which is a natural dye for batik. The use of clay as a natural dye was previously known to have magnetic minerals contained in clay so as to produce color and resistance to fabrics. Currently, no one has investigated the types of magnetic minerals found in clay and their effect on color resistance in batik cloth, so this study aims to determine the types of magnetic minerals in clay and their effect on color resistance in batik cloth. Clay samples were taken from two areas in West Sumatra, namely Pesisir Selatan and Sijunjung. Samples were characterized from the extraction of clay using X-Ray Diffraction, where measurements were taken before and after the dyeing process on the fabric. The results showed that the types of magnetic minerals found in the clay before and after dyeing the fabric were Maghemite. In addition, the non-magnetic mineral found in clay is Quartz. The color resistance test on the CL-SPPS-210314-2 fabric sample did not change color, on the contrary, the CL-PSBSJJ-210421 fabric sample experienced quite a change from the original color of the fabric or before washing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="AbstractText"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;

Ethno-Cultural Codes of the Ukrainian Traditional Costume in the Reflection of the World of High Fashion

The purpose of the work is to find out the variability of the reflection of the ethno-cultural codes of the traditional Ukrainian costume in the couture creations of the world of high fashion. The research methodology is based on the application of a systemic approach, as well as a set of such scientific methods as analytical, comparative, cultural, art history, and semiotic, which makes it possible to comprehensively consider the given issue and formulate well-founded conclusions. Scientific novelty is characterised by a systematic generalisation of the problem of the interaction of ethnic components of culture (at the level of ethno-cultural codes and semantic series) with modern cultural and artistic visions in the dimension of the world of high fashion. It has been found that the specificity of the interaction of fashion and ethnic culture is manifested in the borrowing of folk symbols by fashion, but their embodiment is subject to the sign-symbolic code of modernity, this process actually takes place along the local-global line. Conclusions. Summarising, we note that fashion as a socio-cultural phenomenon is a formed semiosphere, which is a moving structure mediated both by the general cultural trends of its time, and by the ideals and values of society, its preferences. The art of high fashion Haute couture embodies author's samples-concepts, which are endowed with a number of meanings and connotations, relaying them in general. Fashion acts as an open system of cultural interpretations, citations, variability, forming a new semiotic space. The use of ethnic components and ethnocultural codes in high fashion works not only adds to them "depth of sound” and polystylism, but is also included in the artistic postmodern game and exchange of meanings, signs in the symbolic/imaginary/real system, forming new cultural texts. Ukrainian ethno-cultural codes in the practice of high fashion were repeatedly included in the creation of collections of world fashion trends, giving the samples original variability and color. At the same time, the world of high fashion actualises the levels of cultural perception of ethnicity, tradition, updating and expanding the artistic language of modern culture.&#x0D; Key words: ethnocultural codes, high fashion, couture products, Ukrainian traditional costume, ethnic culture, global, local.

Sun Block Technique In Indigosol Dyeing For Textile Artwork

Indigosol is one of the chemical color substances widely used in textile coloring through coletan (brushing) or celupan ( dipping ) to result in bright color. The coloring process requires the sun's ultraviolet rays. Early observations about the process of coloring fabric with indigosol indicate the importance of us ing the gap in the heating process with the sun as a new technique in decorating the fabric. It is assumed that when the radiation process occurs, if there is something attached to the fabric exposed to the sun, then the indigosol dye can not appear because it is blocked by an object so that the part attached to an object maintains the original color. The process of heating with the sun in indigosol dyeing technique is a diversification technique or transfer of function in fabric decoration . T his study employs the library and observation methods to collect data. The practice-led research method is used to create and reflect on new work. The method focuses on the practice of scientifically written creation processes. Experimental methods are carried out mainly on the indigosol dyeing process combine d with remazol and batik techniques. Improvisation is made in cultivation to find new ideas to create works. In appl y i ng indigosol, the coloring techniques will be done with blocks using such unique and artistic objects as flora, especially leaves and flowers, and such material s as brocade, tule, or terawang woven combined with remazol color. In addition, dyes will also be involved in batik techniques. The w orks are all function al and made in silk and cotton sheets . S ix types of works are made with engineering techniques obtained from the results of experiments .

Analysis of Multilevel Otsu Thresholding for Corrosion Rate of Anodised AZ91D Magnesium Alloy ​

Magnesium and its alloy are renowned for their high strength-to-weight ratio, excellent machinability and good castability, making it a favourable material for manufacturing various automotive parts. But when exposed to the environment, magnesium and its alloy have a weak ability to resist corrosion. AZ91D magnesium alloy was anodised and immersed in a salt solution to accelerate deterioration. The image of the corroded surface resulting from the immersion test was analysed by quantising the corroded regions. This paper studies the feasibility of an image processing approach using the multilevel Otsu thresholding method by quantising the corroded region on the AZ91D magnesium alloy. This method converts the original colour image to a greyscale image and then converts it to a binary image and RGB image for the multilevel thresholding. The pixel distributions from the multilevel Otsu thresholding display a trend that, with a higher corrosion rate, the pixel’s frequency of occurrence shifted more to the darker regions. This conforms with the Otsu thresholding, where the darker region is identified as the corroded area of the AZ91D magnesium alloy. By implementing the negative image, the binary image is segmented into non-corroded and corroded areas and labelled as 0 (black) and 1 (white,) respectively. As for multilevel Otsu thresholding, the RGB image is assigned in three colours representing different corrosion severity regions. The regions of the corrosion severity are categorised into severe corrosion, moderate corrosion and low corrosion, coloured in dark blue, light blue, and yellow, respectively. Thus, the trend of the corrosion activity can be seen by implementing the multilevel Otsu thresholding and correlating it with the corrosion rate value. Furthermore, obtaining data on corrosion attack severity can provide helpful information in predicting a component’s failure and future maintenance planning.

Chromaticism differentiations: How variegated homogeneous stones used in buildings can gain diversified aesthetic appeal

This manuscript presents the results of a research about the change in colour of five different dimension stones, which are worldwide used for cladding and paving, whenever undergoing different surface processings. Substantial changes of the surface features, such as roughness and gloss were measured and correlated with CIE colour parameters. A spectrophotometer has been used in this research to measure the colour coordinates in CIE L*a*b* and CIE L*C*h colour spaces of the stone samples, which have been surface-finished by using traditional methods (i.e. polishing and bush-hammering), advanced technologies (pure water-jet) and diamond-disc sawing. The results show that the variability of L*a*b* coordinates and chroma (C*), is much higher in some stone (Orosei Marble and Rosa Portogallo Venato) than in others (Bianco Carrara D, Verde Guatemala and Sardinian Basalt), as a result of different surface finishing. Hue (h) shows significant variation especially when Verde Guatemala is tested. Bush-hammering brings all the tested rocks to higher lightness (L*) values. When the total colour difference (ΔE*) is recorded, pure water-jetting preserves the original colour of stones similarly to the polishing with the exception of Orosei Marble. A direct correlation between ΔE* and mean average roughness (Ra) has been found. On the contrary, an inverse correlation between specular gloss values and Ra has been acknowledged. How the results can be used in practice is also explained.

Creation of Variation through In-vitro Mutagenesis using Gamma radiation in Rose (Rosa hybrida L.) Variety ‘Lửa’

Rosa hybrida L. var. Lửa has been one of the most important roses for a long time and is most often used for ornamental purposes in Sadec city, Dong Thap province. The study aimed to induce variation through in-vitro gamma-ray irradiation in the rose variety ‘Lửa’ for further improvement in rose breeding. In-vitro single node cuttings (25 in-vitro cuttings per treatment with four replications) were irradiated with different doses of γ-rays (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 Gy) using a 60Co source (India) at Da Lat Nuclear Research Institute. The γ-irradiated explants were then cultured aseptically on Murashige and Skoog’s basal medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/L BAP to induce multiple shoots, shoot proliferation, and acclimatization at Division of Vegetables, Flowers and Landscaping of Southern Horticultural Research Institute (SOFRI). The LD50 dose was determined at 20 - 25 Gy treatments and these doses affected the multiplication rate, growth in-vitro, and ex-vitro survival rate. Three types of mutants with altered or novel flower color in comparison to the original flower color were isolated, such as Type 1 with orange-pink (Red 52C), Type 2 with pink (Red 54B), and Type 3 with Red 45AB with Red 54B bicolor.

Optimization of Conditions for a Freeze-Dried Restructured Strawberry Block by Adding Guar Gum, Pectin and Gelatin.

With its high moisture content and tender texture, fresh strawberry is very susceptible to mechanical damage and microbial infection. Drying is one of the most frequently employed methods to extend its shelf life, and freeze-dried restructured strawberry block (FRSB) is an emerging popular food. Here, in order to enhance the quality of FRSB, edible gums of guar gum, pectin, and gelatin were added and the combination was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) with chewiness, hardness, and organoleptic evaluations of the dried sample as the response indicators. The results showed that the combination addition of 0.10% guar gum, 0.22% pectin, and 0.30% gelatin contributed to the highest comprehensive quality of the dried sample. Compared with the untreated sample, the optimal combination addition of the three edible gums resulted in a higher moisture content for the dried sample (increased by 0.8%), and increased the chewiness, hardness, and porosity by 82.04%, 27.09%, and 3.01%, respectively, while maintaining more original color and forming a denser porous microstructure. The findings in the current work will be useful for the application of edible gums in freeze-dried restructured fruits and vegetables.

Virtual reconstruction of the painting process and original colors of a color-changed Northern Wei Dynasty mural in Cave 254 of the Mogao Grottoes

The Northern Wei Dynasty (386–534 CE) murals of Cave 254 in the Mogao Grottoes, China, have been extensively affected by pigment color changes and fading. These issues severely hinder efforts to correctly understand the value and painting process of murals from this historic period. The virtual reconstruction of the faded murals reflects the analysis results of the pigments applied during the painting process and provides a new direction for conservation and art research. However, simple virtual reconstructions may not be accurate owing to deficiencies in our understanding of the color-changed pigments and fading of image lines. In this study, multi-band imaging (MSI) was performed to obtain infrared-reflected false color, ultraviolet-reflected false color, and ultraviolet luminescence images of the mural. A portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, portable digital microscope, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer, liquid chromatography–mass spectrometer, and confocal Raman microscope were used. Non-invasive and minimally invasive analyses of local portions of different color areas were performed to identify their pigments and map the strata, and a hue–saturation–brightness palette was constructed for these pigments. Finally, the pigment analysis results were combined with the multi-band image features to determine the pigment distribution of the mural, which was then used to virtually reconstruct the original color and appearance of the faded mural under ideal conditions. This study is the first to use a virtual reconstruction based on objective analyses to simulate the original color, painting processes, and pigment stratigraphy of a mural from the Northern Wei Dynasty. A preliminary discussion of the relationship between the painting processes of the mural and color changes in its pigments was also performed. The findings of this study will provide new perspectives on the study of Northern Wei Dynasty murals.

Fast and Reversibly Humidity-Responsive Fluorescence Based on AIEgen Proton Transfer.

The construction of humidity-responsive fluorescent materials with reversibility, specificity, and sensitivity is of great importance for the development of information encryption, fluorescence patterning, and sensors. Nevertheless, to date, the application of these materials has been limited by their slow response rate and nonspecificity. Herein, a humidity-responsive fluorescence system was designed and assembled to achieve a rapid, reversible, and specific moisture response. The system comprised tetra-(4-pyridylphenyl)ethylene (TPE-4Py) as a fluorescent proton acceptor with an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) as a proton donor with an efficient moisture-capturing ability. The fluorescence color and intensity rapidly changed with increasing relative humidity (RH) because of TPE-4Py protonation, and TPE-4Py deprotonation resulted in recovery of the original fluorescence color in low-humidity environments. The proton transfer between the pyridyl group in TPE-4Py and the carboxyl group in PAA was reversible and chemically stable, and the humidity-responsive fluorescence system showed a high response/recovery speed, an obvious color change, good reversibility, and an outstanding specific moisture response. Because of these advantages, diverse applications of this humidity-responsive fluorescence system in transient fluorescent patterning and the encryption of information were also developed and demonstrated.