Abstract The effect of Maillard reaction browning factors on the color enhancement of membrane clarification non-centrifugal cane sugar (M-NCS) in storage was explored. During storage, the color of M-NCS gradually browned and blackened. pH, the contents of glucose, fructose, protein, total amino acids and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) decreased significantly. Meanwhile, the moisture content, relative percentages of volatile Maillard reaction products (MRPs) and the content of 3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG) increased during storage. The sucrose content remained stable. Correlation analysis shows all browning factors were significantly correlated with color. Multivariate data analysis results demonstrated that the compound effects of volatile MRPs, 3-DG, pH, glucose and total amino acids led to the color change of stored M-NCS. The order of effect on the color change of stored M-NCS was volatile MRPs > 3-DG > pH > glucose > total amino acids.

The objective of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of 0.2% hyaluronic acid (HA) topical gel and dexamethasone topical ointment in the treatment of recurrent aphthous ulcers (RAU) in children. This retrospective observational study included 104 patients who had more than two episodes of oral aphthous ulcers per year and were treated with HA (n=52) or dexamethasone (n=52) from August 15, 2014 to September 3, 2018. Therapy efficacy was evaluated based on the ulcer size and pain score before versus 7 days after either therapy. The paired t-test, chi-squared test, and independent t-test were utilized for statistical analyses. There was no significant difference in ulcer size or pain score between the HA and dexamethasone groups, on day 1 or day 7. Both treatments were tolerated well and no side effects were reported. No significant differences in body temperature, respiration rate, pulse, or systolic/diastolic blood pressure were observed between the start (day 1) and end of treatment (day 7), for either treatment. HA and dexamethasone showed similar efficacy in reducing ulcer size and pain scores, and were tolerated equally well in children with RAU. Future high-quality studies with larger numbers of patients are needed to confirm our findings.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the effects of serum from patients with ankylosing spondylitis on the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway and to assess whether the serum has an osteogenic effect in MG63 cells. METHODS: MG63 cells were cultured with serum from 45 ankylosing spondylitis patients, 30 healthy controls, or 45 rheumatoid arthritis patients. The relative PPARD, fra-1, MMP7, OPG and RANKL mRNA levels were measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Associations between gene expression and patient demographics and clinical assessments were then analyzed. RESULTS: MG63 cells treated with serum from ankylosing spondylitis patients had higher PPARD, fra-1, MMP7 and OPG gene expression than did cells treated with serum from controls or rheumatoid arthritis patients (all p<0.05). RANKL expression was higher in MG63 cells treated with serum from patients with ankylosing spondylitis or rheumatoid arthritis than in those treated with serum from controls (both p<0.05). The OPG/RANKL ratio was also higher in MG63 cells treated with serum from ankylosing spondylitis patients than in those treated with serum from controls (p<0.05). No associations were found between the expression of the five genes and the patient demographics and clinical assessments (all p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS : Serum from ankylosing spondylitis patients increases PPARD, fra-1, MMP7, OPG and RANKL expression and the OPG/RANKL ratio in MG63 cells; these effects may be due to the stimulatory effect of the serum on the Wnt pathway.

Raman spectroscopy was applied to different-impurities-doped 6H-SiC crystals. It had been found that the first-order Raman spectra of N-, Al- and B-doped 6H-SiC were shifted to higher frequency when comparing with undoped samples. However, the first-order Raman spectra of V-doped sample was shifted to lower frequency, revealing that there existed low free carrier concentration, which might be induced by the deep energy level effect of V impurity. Meanwhile, the second-order Raman spectra are independent of polytype and impurity type.