Abstract During the process of caramelization, volatile and non-volatile flavor and color are generated via the degradation of carbohydrates. This research investigated the effect of the types and concentrations of salts including NaCl and KCl on the generation of volatile aromas and color during caramelization. The solid phase microextraction-gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) was used to measure the volatile compounds generated in caramelization. The results demonstrated that increasing content of salt (NaCl or KCl) could significantly improve (P<0.05) the generation of some essential volatile compounds during caramelization such as furfural, 5-methylfurfural, 5-hydroxymethyl-furfural (HMF), propionic acid and butyric acid. However, the ascending amount of salt (NaCl or KCl) had no significant impact (P<0.05) on the color generation of caramel. In conclusion, the usage of salt was beneficial to the generation of more aromatic compounds during caramelization.

Clinical studies have identified that an excessive exposure of UV light can cause oxidative stress (OS) and tyrosinase enzyme over-expression, which are associated with multiple diseases including atherosclerosis, cancers, diabetics, rheumatoid arthritis. In this study, we investigated the impact of grape seed proanthocyanidin (GSPE) on regulating OS and tyrosinase activity in human epidermal melanocytes. This study revealed that GSPE did not affect cell viability and protected cells from UV induced damage in a dose-dependent manner. 5-(-6)-Carboxy-2,7-di-chlorodihydro-fluorescein diacetate staining (i.e., a fluorescence staining for intracellular (OS)) indicated that GSPE reduced OS level caused by UV exposure. A similar trend was also confirmed by flow cytometry analysis, where GSPE down-regulated OS level. Tyrosinase analysis showed that GSPE treatment decreased tyrosinase activity. Taken all data together, GSPE may restore the cellular damage caused by excessive UV-exposure and promote skin health by reducing tyrosine generation. Clinically, GSPE could be potentially utilized for improving skin health against excessive UV exposure.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar as diferenças de aberrações de frente de onda, em diferentes condições pupilares: sob cicloplegia, escotópica e fotópica. MÉTODOS: Um total de 174 olhos de 105 pacientes foram avaliados utilizando o sensor de frente de onda (WaveScan® 3.62) em diferentes condições pupilares: sob cicloplegia 8,58 ± 0,54 mm (6.4 mm-9.5 mm), escotópica 7,53 ± 0,69 mm (5,7 mm - 9,1 mm) e fotópica 6,08 ± 1,14 mm (4,1 mm - 8,8 mm). Diâmetro da pupila, coeficientes de Zernike, RMS ("Root Mean Square") das aberrações de alta ordem e as aberrações dominantes foram comparados entre as condições sob cicloplegia e escotópica, e entre as condições escotópica e fotópica. RESULTADOS: O diâmetro da pupila foi 7,53 ± 0.69 mm sob a condição escotópica e atingiu a exigência de cerca de 6,5 mm de zona óptica na cirurgia baseada em análise de frentes de ondas, evitando erros de medição consequentes à mudança de centroide pupilar provocada por midriáticos. A dilatação farmacológica da pupila induziu aumento dos coeficientes de Zernike Z3-3, Z4(0) e Z5-5. As aberrações de mais alta ordem (terceira, quarta, quinta e sexta ordem) e a aberração esférica aumentaram de forma estatisticamente significativa, em comparação com a condição escotópica (P<0,010). Quando a condição escotópica se mudou para a condição fotópica, os coeficientes de Zernike Z4(0), Z4², Z6-4, Z6-2, Z6² e todas as aberrações de alta ordem diminuíram de forma estatisticamente significativa (P<0,010), demonstrando que a miose acomodativa pode significativamente melhorar a visão sob a condição fotópica. Sob as três condições, a aberração coma vertical apareceu mais frequentemente dentro das aberrações dominantes, sem influência significativa da variação do tamanho da pupila, e a proporção de aberração esférica diminuiu com a diminuição do tamanho da pupila. CONCLUSÕES: As aberrações de frente de onda são significativamente diferentes sob cicloplegia, condições escotópica e fotópica. O uso do sensor de frentes de onda (VISX WaveScan) para medir as aberrações de frente de onda escotópicas é uma opção viável para a cirurgia refrativa baseada em análise de frentes de onda.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the differences of wavefront aberrations under cycloplegic, scotopic and photopic conditions. METHODS: A total of 174 eyes of 105 patients were measured using the wavefront sensor (WaveScan® 3.62) under different pupil conditions: cycloplegic 8.58 ± 0.54 mm (6.4 mm - 9.5 mm), scotopic 7.53 ± 0.69 mm (5.7 mm - 9.1 mm) and photopic 6.08 ± 1.14 mm (4.1 mm - 8.8 mm). The pupil diameter, standard Zernike coefficients, root mean square of higher-order aberrations and dominant aberrations were compared between cycloplegic and scotopic conditions, and between scotopic and photopic conditions. RESULTS: The pupil diameter was 7.53 ± 0.69 mm under the scotopic condition, which reached the requirement of about 6.5 mm optical zone design in the wavefront-guided surgery and prevented measurement error due to the pupil centroid shift caused by mydriatics. Pharmacological pupil dilation induced increase of standard Zernike coefficients Z3-3, Z4(0) and Z5-5. The higher-order aberrations, third-order aberration, fourth-order aberration, fifth-order aberration, sixth-order aberration, and spherical aberration increased statistically significantly, compared to the scotopic condition (P<0.010). When the scotopic condition shifted to the photopic condition, the standard Zernike coefficients Z4(0), Z4², Z6-4, Z6-2, Z6² decreased and all the higher-order aberrations decreased statistically significantly (P<0.010), demonstrating that accommodative miosis can significantly improve vision under the photopic condition. Under the three conditions, the vertical coma aberration appears the most frequently within the dominant aberrations without significant effect by pupil size variance, and the proportion of spherical aberrations decreased with the decrease of the pupil size. CONCLUSIONS: The wavefront aberrations are significantly different under cycloplegic, scotopic and photopic conditions. Using the wavefront sensor (VISX WaveScan) to measure scotopic wavefront aberrations is feasible for the wavefront-guided refractive surgery.

A dinuclear complex [Dy(m-MBA)3phen]2-H2O was prepared by the reaction of DyCl3-6H2O, m-methylbenzoic acid and 1,10-phenanthroline in a 1:3:1 molar ratio, where m-MBA = m-methylbenzoate and phen = 1,10-phenanthroline. The complex was structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, UV and IR spectroscopy, molar conductance and TG-DTG techniques. It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group Cc with a =15.962(16), b = 18.505(18), c = 22.547(2) Ǻ; a = 90 °, β = 97.9820(10) °, y = 90°; z = 4. The unit cell contains a dinuclear molecule of the title compound. Each Dy(III) ion is eight-coordinated to one 1,10-phenanthroline molecule, one bidentate carboxylate group and four bridging carboxylate groups. The carboxylate groups are bonded to the dysprosium ions in two modes: chelating bidentate and bridging bidentate. The thermal decomposition process of [Dy(m-MBA)3phen]2-H2O has been followed by thermal analysis.

O complexo [Sm(oClBA)3phen]2 (oClBA= o-clorobenzoato; phen= 1,10-fenantrolina) foi preparado pela reação de SmCl3·6H2O com ácido o-clorobenzóico e 1,10-fenantrolina. O complexo foi caracterizado por um estudo de difração de raios-X, análise elementar, espectroscopia no infravermelho e técnicas TG-DTG. O cristal é triclínico, grupo espacial P I com a = 13,157(3) Å, b = 14,139(4) Å, c = 17,397(4) Å, alfa = 83,755(3)º, beta = 84,064(3)º, gama = 73,434(3)º, Z=2, Dc=1,722 Mg/m³, F(000)=1572. Contém duas unidades cristalograficamente distintas de Sm(o-ClC6H4COO)3(C12H 8N2), formando dois tipos de moléculas binucleares. Cada Sm3+ encontra-se coordenado a dois átomos de oxigênio de um grupo carboxilato bidentado quelante, cinco átomos de oxigênio de dois grupos carboxilatos bidentados ligados em ponte e de três grupos carboxilatos tridentados quelantes e ligados em ponte, e a dois átomos de nitrogênio de uma molécula de 1,10-fenantrolina, completando uma geometria monoencampuzada antiprismática quadrada. A decomposição térmica deste composto foi estudada por técnicas TG-DTG, e os parâmetros cinéticos da primeira etapa da decomposição foram determinados pelos métodos de Kissinger e Ozawa-Doyle. A equação de meia vida após 10% de perda de peso, lntau= 26,8166+20319,94/T, foi deduzida por análise termogravimétrica da isoterma.

The title complex [Sm(oClBA)3phen]2 (oClBA= o-chlorobenzoate; phen= 1,10-phenanthroline) was prepared by the reaction of SmCl3·6H2O, o-chlorobenzoic acid and 1,10-phenanthroline. The complex was characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, IR spectra and TG-DTG techniques. The results show that the crystal is triclinic, space group P I with a = 13.157(3) Å, b = 14.139(4) Å, c = 17.397(4) Å, alpha = 83.755(3)º, beta = 84.064(3)º, gamma =73.434(3)º, Z=2, Dc=1.722 Mg/m³, F(000)=1572. The crystal contains two crystallographically distinct Sm(o-ClC6H4COO)3(C12H 8N2) units, forming two types of binuclear molecule. Each Sm3+ is coordinated to two O atoms of one bidentate chelating carboxylate group, five O atoms of two bidentate bridging and two tridentate chelating-bridging carboxylate groups, and two N atoms of one 1,10-phenanthroline molecule to complete a distorted mono-capped square antiprism geometry. Its thermal decomposition mechanism was determined by TG-DTG techniques, and kinetic parameters have been studied on the first-step decomposition of [Sm(oClBA)3phen]2 by means of Kissinger's method and Ozawa-Doyle's method. The lifetime equation at weight-loss of 10% was deduced as lntau= 26.8166+20319.94/T by isothermal thermogravimetric analysis.