Color Acquisition Research Articles

Change in anthocyanin concentrations in red apricot fruits during ripening

Here we report on accumulation patterns of anthocyanins and of β-carotene during fruit maturation, between 82 and 125 days after flowering, of two apricot ( Prunus armeniaca L.) cultivars, A3576 and A3751. Both cultivars displayed an intense red colour of the skin but differed in their genetic background. The pigments were extracted from skin and flesh, separately, and analysed using HPLC–DAD–MS. Out of three anthocyanins detected here, the major compound, cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside was present at 75%. The two minor compounds were cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and peonidin-3-O-rutinoside. This is the first time that peonidin-3-O-rutinoside has been detected in apricot fruit. During maturation, A3751 accumulated anthocyanins in both skin and flesh, whereas anthocyanins were present only in the skin of A3576. The skin anthocyanin content was higher in A3751 (296 mg kg −1) than in A3576 (41 mg kg −1). Maximum anthocyanin levels were attained after 108 and 118 days of flowering in A3751 and A3576, respectively, in conjunction with loss of firmness and red colour acquisition on the un-blushed side of the fruit. At the end of ripening, the β-carotene flesh concentration reached 5 mg kg −1 in A3576 and 15 mg kg −1 in A3751. A significant effect of environment was observed on the anthocyanin content in the two cultivars.

Development of a Camera System for the Acquisition of High-Fidelity Colors

A set of three optical filters was designed and a camera system was developed using these filters in order to capture high-fidelity colors within the gamut of vision. Photographs of a number of highly saturated colors and a combination of the Macbeth chart and 18 pieces of clothing samples of various colors were taken. A 3 x 9 matrix was used to convert the camera output signals into XYZ tristimulus data. The tristimulus values of the colors were compared with those of the images captured by the camera. The average color difference, ΔE, for these samples were found to be 2.16 and 1.18, respectively.

Taking the task seriously: Reflections on measures of color acquisition

The experiments described in the lead articles by Kowalski and Zimiles and by O’Hanlon and Roberson examine factors that lead to color term acquisition. These experiments touch on the debate regarding the relative contributions of language and concepts in word learning. In this reflection, we examine how conclusions concerning the debate depend deeply on the particular task presented to children, and we propose an alternative approach to studying color term acquisition.

Carotenoids of Different Types and Concentrations in Commercial Formulated Fish Diets Affect Color and Its Development in the Skin of the Red Oranda Variety of Goldfish

AbstractThe skin color of an orange–red hue in the Red Oranda variety of goldfish Carassius auratus is identified as a desirable and essential sales factor by hobbyists and commercial producers. This study used six different commercial diets (Arkat, BioKyowa, Silver Cup, Southern States, VibraGro, and Zeigler Tropical) to demonstrate the highly variable effect commercial diets could have on the skin coloration, survival, and growth of juvenile Red Oranda goldfish. Diets were selected based on their popular use in the tropical fish industry, the manufacturers' guaranteed nutritional analysis, and advertised color‐enhancing ability. Goldfish were raised for 20 weeks in well water or pond water. Goldfish exhibited the best orange–red skin coloration when fed the VibraGro, Silver Cup, and Zeigler Tropical diets. BioKyowa feed imparted greenish‐yellow skin coloration, and fish exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) faster growth. The Arkat and Southern States feeds produced light olive to greenish‐yellow skin coloration, and fish exhibited poor survival and growth. Skin color acquisition was faster in pond‐water‐reared fish than those reared in well water. The carotenoid content in the commercial diets was determined by spectrophotometry and high‐performance liquid chromatography. Although the carotenoid types in the different diets were similar, their concentration levels varied widely.

Computing the Success Factors in Consistent Acquisition and Recognition of Objects in Color Digital Images by Explicit Preconditioning

The paper studies the factors influencing the consistent acquisition and recognition of object's color and border features in digital imaging. The proposed image acquisition process is utilized by a computer supported imaging system implementing the acquisition and analysis of skin lesion images supporting medical diagnosis. in addition the same approach may be used for several problems requiring reliable color measurement and object identification. Two methodologies are adopted: The Bayesian Networks, which provide an efficient way of reasoning under uncertainty and are used to incorporate the expert judgement into the estimation of the probability of successful operation, and a Markov chain approach, which is generally used for the dynamic modeling of the system behavior. The Markov chain model requires asymptotically the solution of sparse linear systems. Explicit preconditioned methods are used for the efficient solution of the derived sparse linear system, and the parallel implementation of the dominant computational part is exploited.

電子内視鏡システムを用いた咽喉頭の観察

Electronic videoendoscopy of the pharynx and larynx allows lesions to be visualized with precision. The images obtained using a charge-coupled device (CCD) chip are converted into electric signals and transmitted to the video system center. Clear, dynamic color images are reproduced on a color video monitor through a video system center. The basic components of an electronic videoendoscope system are a flexible endoscope, a video system center, a light source and a color video monitor.There are two methods of capturing and reproducing dynamic color images in electronic videoendoscopy; the single-plate simultaneous color CCD chip method and the single-plate red, green, and blue (RGB) surface scanning method. In the former method, a color CCD chip built into the distal tip of the endoscope contains multiple color pixels and can simultaneously capture different color wavelength of light. In the latter method, the tip of the endoscope incorporates a monochrome CCD chip that can only provide black and white signals. The color CCD chip simplifies color acquisition but is considerably larger than the monochrome CCD chip, requiring a wider diameter than the distal tip of the endoscope. This is one of the reasons why the single-plate RGB surface scanning method is preferred in a rhinolaryngeal electronic videoendoscope system.Digital image processing of lesions can be performed by electronic videoendoscopy. The enhanced color images are superior in quality.Laryngostroboscopy is the most practical method of determining the vibratory pattern of the vocal folds during phonation. However, the laryngostroboscope cannot connect with the electronic videoendoscope system using a single-plate RGB scanning method because of the presence of a rotating wheel filter between the light source and glass fiber bundle of the light guide. To obtain stroboscopic images with an electronic videoendoscope system, a single-plate simultaneous color CCD chip method is necessary.Recent advances in electronic technology enables production of the electronic videoendoscope system that can connect with a laryngostroboscope. The clear stroboscopic images of vocal fold vibration obtained by this system are described here.Literature reviews of the history and development of electronic videoendoscopy were also performed from the perspective of diagnostic usefulness.

A condition dependent link between testosterone and disease resistance in the house finch.

Testosterone has recently been proposed as a link between male quality and health and the expression of sexual traits. We investigated the relationship between testosterone and measures of the individual condition and health of males in a natural population of house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus). We also conducted a captive experiment in order to test for the effects of testosterone on resistance to coccidia, which is a common parasite of house finches. Free-living males in better condition had higher testosterone levels and lower corticosterone levels than free-living males in poor condition. In our captive experiment, increased testosterone accelerated the rate of coccidial infection as compared with sham-implanted or gonadectomized males. Although the differences were not significant, free-living males infected with coccidia had lower levels of testosterone and higher levels of corticosterone than males that were not infected. Thus, experimentally elevating testosterone levels in captive males resulted in a higher percentage of infected males, while free-living males with coccidial infection had low testosterone levels. This apparent discrepancy between captive and free-living males in the association of testosterone and disease may be explained by the condition dependence of testosterone. These results suggest that the testosterone-dependent sexual traits reliably indicate male overall condition and health and, thus, females could benefit from assessing potential mates based on these traits.

Differential effects of two NMDA receptor antagonists on cognitive–behavioral performance in young nonhuman primates II

The present experiment examined the effects of chronic exposure to remacemide (an NMDA antagonist that also blocks fast sodium channels) or MK-801 (which blocks NMDA receptors more selectively) on the acquisition of color and position discrimination and short-term memory behavior in juvenile rhesus monkeys. Throughout the 2-year dosing period, a conditioned position responding (CPR) task was used to assess color and position discrimination and a delayed matching-to-sample (DMTS) task was used to assess memory. Chronic exposure to high doses of either drug delayed the acquisition of accurate color and position discrimination without altering response rates. In the case of MK-801, these effects abated within 6 months of the start of treatment. In the case of remacemide, the effects persisted for 17 months of dosing. Neither compound significantly altered performance of the short-term memory task at any time point or at any dose tested. The fact that the effects of remacemide on behavioral performance were more persistent than those seen for MK-801 suggests that tolerance may develop to the behavioral effects of MK-801, which does not develop to the effects of remacemide. Alternatively, these results may suggest that the concurrent antagonism of NMDA receptors and fast sodium channels may have more profound consequences for behavior than does the antagonism of NMDA receptors alone.

Human Reader: A Paradigm for a Multimedia-Based Human Interface

A paradigm for better human interface called Human Reader is introduced with references to computer vision (CV) and computer graphics (CG) research projects on human images at NTT Human Interface Laboratories. CV and CG are regarded as dual problems of visual information processing. Our research includes the recognition of face, detection of head direction and head motion, lip motion analysis, facial expressions analysis, detection of hand or finger positions and movements, 3D head model generation, synchronized acquisition of shape and color, and rendering realistic face images having various facial expressions with complex components such as hair.

多数の光源を用いるカラースキャナとその最適色彩設計法

This paper determines the optimum color design for color image scanners that use multiple light sources, when the number of light sources is greater than three. Since it is difficult to control light source spectrum characteristics, additional, commercially available light sources are introduced. To obtain ideal color acquisition, a method is developed to minimize the sum of the square errors between the overall characteristics of the scanner and the color matching functions. Using ten different light sources, the average colorimetric error, ΔE, is 1.48. Eliminating the non-significant light sources raises ΔE to 1.89, which is still within acceptable limits for a Class A colorimeter, which has a specified tolerance of ΔE≤2.5. A total of 47 different color chips are tested to evaluate the optimally designed color scanner. The average color differences, ΔE*ab, is approximately unity.

Coloration in African Cichlids: Diversity and Constraints in Lake Malawi Endemics

Male breeding coloration is an obvious and often diagnostic character for species identification among mbuna, the rock-dwelling haplochromine fishes of Lake Malawi. Colour diversification has figured prominently in most models of cichlid speciation, though considerations of colour diversity have been limited. We describe coloration for common species of mbuna by digital colour acquisition techniques and use these data to characterize coloration of the fauna. The range of colour diversity in the mbuna is great; however, patterns of diversity appear somewhat limited. A number of taxa are similar in coloration, and several areas of available colour space are under-represented relative to random expectations. Colour diversification does not appear to be phylogenetically constrained, at least within species complexes. However, weakly significant associations between coloration and ecological characteristics exist. We discuss our results in terms of potential forces acting to influence mbuna coloration, such as phylogenetic or developmental constraints and natural or sexual selection.

Electronic endoscopy--the latest technology.

At present, video endoscopic systems (VE) are available from four companies. We have had an opportunity to test these instruments in clinical practice. In principle, all the VE's are similar in that they employ charge coupling devices (CCD-chips) as image sensors, but they differ significantly in CCD chip technology and in the color acquisition technique. The basic aspects of CCD chip and transmission technology of relevance to the endoscopist are discussed. The mechanical properties of the endoscopes are listed. Finally, we provide an outlook on the determinants of the optical performance of VE's. The optical performance of a VE can be characterized by its resolution and color performance.

Recall after a short delay and acquisition in learning disabled and nondisabled children.

In Experiment 1, serial recall of supraspan digit sequences after a short delay and acquisition of a repeated digit sequence were compared in learning disabled and nondisabled children. The results showed that short-term recall and acquisition rate were lower in learning disabled than in nondisabled children, and shortterm recall and acquisition rate were positively correlated. In Experiment 2, serial recall of supraspan color sequences and acquisition of this type of information were compared in learning disabled and nondisabled children. Shortterm recall and acquisition rate were positively correlated. In Experiment 3, the sequence length presented to each child exceeded the number that each child could recall perfectly after a short delay. Results of this experiment showed that acquisition in learning disabled and nondisabled children was more similar than when all children acquired the same amount of information. The present findings are consistent with previous suggestions that those processes such as attention and memory that are responsible for low recall in learning acquisition in these children.