Superhydrophobic dyeing of orange fruit pigment on cotton knitted textile application

The pigment is the substance that changes the colour of light based on the result of selective colour absorption. Pigments are used for colouring paint, fabric, ink, food, cosmetic and other materials. The materials that chosen and developed by human for use as pigment must have special properties that make them ideal for make them colouring other materials. The pigment must be stable in solid form at ambient temperatures [1]. Pigments can be divided into two groups which is organic pigment and inorganic pigment. For inorganic pigments, the colour is comparatively less bright and these pigments are also seemed to be less rich than the organic pigments. Large amount of inorganic pigments are required to generate desired effects since these pigments have low tinting strength. The most important thing is inorganic pigment contains toxic substances that may be harm to our health and environment. The researchers are started to investigate and use organic pigment into textile application nowadays [2]

Retinal adaptation of Japanese common squid (Todarodes pacificus Steenstrup) to light changes

The response of retinae of the Japanese common squid (Todarodes pacificus Steenstrup) was recorded in relation to various light intensities. In the light-adapted eye of common squid, the black pigment ascends to the external limiting membrance of the retina. Conversely, in the dark-adapted eye the black pigment descends toward the center of the black pigment layer. To express the degree of adaptation, the authors give the ratio of the height (thickness) of the black pigment to the total height (thickness) of the retina as a percentage (%)

The function of photomechanical movements in the retina of the rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri)

1. The function of photomechanical movements in the retina of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) was investigated by determining both the effect of light on the level of extractable visual pigment, and the electroretinographic b-wave sensitivity, during various stages of photomechanical light and dark adaptation. 2. Dark-adapted fish, light-adapted fish, and dark-adapted fish exposed to ten minutes direct sunlight had on average visual pigment concentrations of 100, 82 and 36% respectively. 3. The intensity of illumination required to bleach a specified amount of visual pigment in the light-adapted retina was found to be 1.29 log units higher than that needed to bleach the same amount of visual pigment in a dark-adapted eye. 4. The level of extractable visual pigment was observed to be relatively constant over natural twilight periods. 5. A close temporal correlation was observed between the time course of electroretinographic adaptation, measured by the b-wave sensitivity, and photomechanical changes. 6. All these observations tend to support the hypothesis that photomechanical movements serve, at least in part, to protect the rod visual pigment from overstimulation in the light-adapted retina

Xanthurenic acid and its rôle in the trytophane metabolism of pyroxidine-deficient rats

In a previous publication (1) the isolation of a green pigment from the urine of pyridoxine-deficient rats was described. The green pigment was shown to be the product of a reaction between ferric ammonium sulfate or other ferric salts and a compound whose nature was unknown. This compound has now been isolated in crystalline form. It is a yellow pigment and has been identified as xanthurenic acid

Studies on the respiratory pigment of Urechis eggs

Experiments previously reported (1) have shown that the eggs of the Pacific marine worm, Urechis caupo, contain a reversible oxidation-reduction pigment. The pigment, called urechrome, is autoxidizable and changes color from red to yellow on oxidation. It is soluble in water (reduced form insoluble below pH 5) and in acidified methanol, but insoluble in ether, acetone, chloroform, and neutral alcohol. Evidence for participation of the pigment in cellular respiration has been previously given

Studies on the antioxidative activity of red pigments in Italian-type dry-cured ham

Aqueous phosphate buffer extracts and acetone/water extracts of pigments from Parma ham were assessed as antioxidants by (1) electron spin resonance spectroscopy using a spin probing technique to evaluate their efficiencies as scavengers of free radicals, and (2) by electrochemical measurement of oxygen depletion rate in an aqueous methyl linoleate emulsion to evaluate their efficiencies as chain-breaking antioxidant, and using both methods, compared with the effect of apomyoglobin and nitrosylmyoglobin. Aqueous phosphate extracts and acetone/water extracts of Parma ham pigment both scavenged a semi-stable nitroxide radical (Fremy's salt), and both extracts reduced the rate of oxygen consumption for lipid peroxidation (initiated by metmyoglobin) very efficiently. For apomyoglobin no antioxidative capacity was observed, and the heme moiety of the pigment(s) of Parma ham were concluded to have antioxidative properties. The more lipophilic pigment, as extracted by acetone/water, had the most significant effect, and its ability to inhibit lipid oxidation was further tested in a model food system based on cooked pork. The lipid oxidation was increasingly inhibited by increasing additions from 0.12 ppm to 0.24 ppm Parma ham pigment, and the pigment protected a-tocopherol against degradation in a concentration dependent manner

Spectral characterisation of red pigment in Italian-type dry-cured ham. Increasing lipophilicity druing processing and maturation

Spectroscopic studies of Parma ham during processing revealed a gradual transformation of muscle myoglobin, initiated by salting and continuing during ageing. Electron spin resonance spectra did, however, conclusively show that the pigment in dry-cured Parma ham at no stage is a nitrosyl complex of ferrous myoglobin as found in brine-cured ham and Spanish Serrano hams. Both near-infra red reflectance spectra of sliced ham and UV/visible absorption spectra of extract of hams, obtained with aqueous buffer or acetone, showed the presence of different red pigments at varying processing stages for both solvents. Especially, the pigment extracted with aqueous buffer exhibited unique spectral features different from those of well-known myoglobin derivatives. At the end of processing, the pigment(s) becomes less water extractable, while the fraction of red pigment(s) extractable with acetone/water (75%/25%) increases throughout the processing time up to full maturation at 18 months. The chemical identity of the 6th ligand of myoglobin could not be conclusively established, but possible candidates are discussed. The partition of the pigment(s) between pentane and acetone/water showed a strong preference for pentane, suggesting that only the heme moiety is present in the acetone/water extract, and that Parma ham pigment is gradually transformed from a myoglobin derivative into a non-protein heme complex, which was found to be thermally stable in acetone/water solutio

Functional Imaging of the Outer Retinal Complex using High Fidelity Imaging Retinal Densitometry

We describe a new technique, high fidelity Imaging Retinal Densitometry (IRD), which probes the functional integrity of the outer retinal complex. We demonstrate the ability of the technique to map visual pigment optical density and synthesis rates in eyes with and without macular disease. A multispectral retinal imaging device obtained precise measurements of retinal reflectance over space and time. Data obtained from healthy controls and 5 patients with intermediate AMD, before and after photopigment bleaching, were used to quantify visual pigment metrics. Heat maps were plotted to summarise the topography of rod and cone pigment kinetics and descriptive statistics conducted to highlight differences between those with and without AMD. Rod and cone visual pigment synthesis rates in those with AMD (v = 0.043 SD 0.019 min-1 and v = 0.119 SD 0.046 min-1, respectively) were approximately half those observed in healthy controls (v = 0.079 SD 0.024 min-1 for rods and v = 0.206 SD 0.069 min-1 for cones). By mapping visual pigment kinetics across the central retina, high fidelity IRD provides a unique insight into outer retinal complex function. This new technique will improve the phenotypic characterisation, diagnosis and treatment monitoring of various ocular pathologies, including AMD

Improved thermal paint formulation

Potassium silicate-treated zinc oxide paint stabilizes pigment against ultraviolet-induced, bleachable degradation in infrared region, and permits use of ZnO as pigment in ultraviolet-stable coatings based upon polymethyl siloxane elastomers and resins. Material has low absorptance/emittance ratio

Serratia marcescens, the “Flame” Strain: The Genesis of a New Variant A Newly Described Strain with Prolific Pigment Produced at High Temperature

Serratia marcescens, a Gram-negative, rod-shaped, facultative anaerobe (Fig. 1), is ubiquitous in water, soil, and natural settings. It is easily grown in the lab and may serve as an ideal model for adaptation studies because of the natural color variation of S. marcescens (Gillen 2008). In this paper, we describe a new variant with prolific pigment (prodigiosin) production at high temperatures. In the wild and in buildings, S. marcescens is noted for the production of a bright red pigment called prodigiosin (Williams 1973). We have found a new strain that appears to have adapted to a relatively new pond system called Liberty Library Lake. It produces pigment up to 40°C without any enrichment to media. Most wild-type strains, like NIMA, produce pigment normally up to 30°C, but with extensive enrichment, wild-type strains can produce pigment up to 40°C. This new strain, called the “Flame” strain, not only produces prodigiosin to 39–40°C but also in higher abundance at 35°C and at a brighter hue. NIMA strains can produce pigment at 39–40°C with Serratia Synergy Agar (glycerol, peptone, agar) but not on TSA nor any common agar. It takes significant enhancement for any other Serratia marcescens strains to produce pigment even at 35°C. The Flame strain’s brief appearance in a local, small lake appears to be a phenotypic diversification and adaptation to an environmental perturbation this past school year. The environmental stress prior to its appearance was an autumn drought. Eventually, heavy rainfall occurred and the new strain was discovered. Its appearance coincided with an unusually high abundance of coliforms, avian Giardia, and Cryptosporidium, along with chemical treatment of the lake. The unusual conditions seem to favor a rapid phenotypic diversification and adaptation. The new strain still retains the pigment production at nearly 10°C higher for “normal” prodigiosin production by wild-type Serratia marcescens. This genesis of this new strain seems to have occurred as special conditions favored this new variant. It may be closer to a “proto-type” (ancestral) strain than to more common wild-type strains, like NIMA and BS303. It appears that most wild-type strains, like NIMA and BS303, may have lost this information over time since added enrichment is necessary to produce pigment at 39–40°C. The unusual conditions may have selected for this newly adapted strain to be common for a short time. Also as conditions returned to “normal,” a common wild-type strain reappeared at the local lake, and the Flame strain was no longer found. The objective of this article is to explain the mysterious origin of a new strain of Serratia marcescens that produces prodigiosin up to 40°C without any enrichment to media. This strain can naturally produce prolific pigment that is a bright, flame-red. Since Serratia marcescens offers protection from other microbes, UV light, and drought, it is a wonderful example of intelligent design commonly seen in the microbial world