Dark Eyes Research Articles

Two new reports of leucistic birds from Mexico

We present two new records of leucism in two bird species from two locations in Mexico. First, we report one leucistic Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica); the individual was a nestling observed between 15 July and 6 August 2010, in a suburban area of central Jalisco, showing gray-whitish coloration and dark eyes. We also report of one leucistic Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) spotted during the afternoon of 4 November 2014, flying overhead while migrating in the city of José Cardel, Veracruz; the individual showed white primary feathers interspersed with dark secondaries, white primary coverts, white neck, and chest feathers. Our records represent the first Mexican report of leucism in the Barn Swallow, and the first published report of a leucistic vulture migrating across central Veracruz, respectively. Our observations also show that both leucistic individuals were accomplishing regular life-cycle activities, enriching the available knowledge of chromatic abnormalities in Mexican birds.

Evaluation of the effects of carboxytherapy in the treatment of periorbital dark circles.

Dark eye circle (DEC) is one of the most common cosmetic problems. It has a great impact on the patients' quality of life. Carboxytherapy is a cosmetic technique using pure carbon dioxide for different uses in different areas of the body. The goal of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of carboxytherapy in the cosmetic correction of DECs. This study was conducted on 27 patients requesting the correction of DEC. The treatment was performed using a carboxy device in medical grade. The gas injection was performed intradermal after local anesthesia, with a pressure of one tenth bar and a speed of 20 cc/min, 1 cc in each upper and lower eyelid. The treatment sessions were done every 2 weeks for four sessions. The mean physicians' score of DECs before and after treatment was 8.7 ± 0.81 and 4.6 ± 1.1, respectively. The mean patients' score before and after treatment was 9.2 ± 0.5 versus 5.41 ± 1.37. The mean scores showed a significant reduction of skin discoloration without major side effects (p < 0.00001). Carboxytherapy seems to be an effective treatment option for dark circles around the eyes with a good safety profile and patient satisfaction.

You Code It! Answers: Stage 2 Hypertension, Hematuria, and Edema

In this You Code It! challenge, a nephrologist is consulted by a hospitalist to provide advice on diagnosis and management of a patient presenting with symptoms of dark urine, fatigue, and eye swelling. Did you assign the correct codes?

You Code It! Stage 2 Hypertension, Hematuria, and Edema

This challenge scenario involves a nephrology consultation with a 9-year-old boy who presented to the emergency department (ED) with dark urine, fatigue, and eye swelling. Can you assign the appropriate diagnosis and procedure codes for the consultation?

Illuminating the shadows: an insight into periorbital hyperpigmentation

Periorbital hyperpigmentation (POH), also referred to as periorbital melanosis or dark eye circles, is a common dermatological concern characterized by darkening of the skin around the eyes. This review article aims to comprehensively analyze the current understanding of POH, encompassing its epidemiology, etiopathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and available treatment modalities, and focusing on patients’ skin color. The review also consolidates a grading system for POH and emphasizes the importance of accurate diagnosis using clinical examination, assessment scores, Wood’s lamp, ultrasonography, and dermoscopy. Treatment modalities range from non-pharmacological measures to topical agents, including kojic acid, alpha-arbutin, vitamin C, vitamin E, niacinamide, retinoids, and hydrating agents. The manuscript explores the efficacy of various skin-lightening agents, such as hydroquinone, and introduces emerging treatments like caffeine, carotenoids, lactic acid, curcumin, and vitamin K. Additionally, it delves into procedural treatments like chemical peels, lasers, blepharopigmentation, mesotherapy, platelet-rich plasma therapy, fillers, autologous fat transplantation, and surgical interventions. The comprehensive approach to understanding and managing POH presented in this review aims to provide clinicians with valuable insights into the diverse therapeutic options available for this challenging cosmetic concern.

Lower Eyelid Dark Circles (Tear Trough and Lid-Cheek Junction): A Stepwise Assessment Framework.

Despite increasing popularity, the use of hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers for the correction of dark under-eye shadows remains challenging. Specific guidance on patient assessment is limited. The aim of this study was to develop a stepwise assessment framework for lower eyelid dark shadows to help practitioners classify patients based on their underlying problems and facilitate a more strategic approach to treatment. Literature review and peer collaboration informed the current availability of educational material for use by experienced injectors when assessing patients presenting with dark circles. A practitioner survey provided insight into current practices. A focus group convened to review the survey results and discuss best practice approaches to patient assessment. Surveyed practitioners (n = 39) reported patient concern about under-eye hollows (91%), dark eye circles (80%), and looking tired (60%). All (100%) agreed that midcheek volume was critical when treating tear-trough depression, and only 26% reported use of a tear-trough classification system. The focus group developed a framework for assessing tear-trough depression and the lid-cheek junction in patients presenting with dark circles. Key factors within this framework included the importance of appropriate lighting when conducting a visual inspection, regional inspection of the cheek and tear trough, palpation of the orbital rim and soft tissues, determination of the orbital vector, and assessment of lower eyelid pigmentation and skin quality. Careful step-by-step assessment can reduce the challenges of treating dark circles by identifying patients in whom dark eye circles may be improved without the need to directly inject filler into the tear trough.

Association Between Eye Color and Postoperative Pain in Female Patients With Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis in Mandibular Molars: A Prospective, Parallel-Group, Observational Study.

Background: Current evidence indicates that some phenotypic characteristics, such as eye or hair color, might be associated with the experience of pain. We, therefore, compared the anesthetic success rate of inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) and postoperative pain scores between light eyes and dark eyes in female patients who experienced symptomatic irreversible pulpitis (SIP) in a mandibular molar. Methods: This prospective, parallel-group, observational study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06206304). A total of 110 adult female patients who experienced moderate or severe pain with SIP participated in this study. All patients received IANB with 4% articaine with 1:100.000 epinephrine. Endodontic access cavity preparation was initiated after confirmation of IANB. Pain during treatment was recorded by using a Visual Analog Scale. Anesthetic success was recorded as "none" or "mild" pain. Root canal treatment was performed, with standardized protocols. Postoperative pain scores were also recorded at 24, 48, and 72 h and 7 days after treatment. Statistical analyses of the data were performed using the independent t-test, repeated measures ANOVA test, and Pearson's chi-square test. The statistical significance level was set at 0.05. Results: No significant differences were found in the success rate of IANB and postoperative pain scores between light- and dark-eyed patients at any time point (p > 0.05). The success rate of IANB was 72.73% and 67.27% for light- and dark-eyed patients, respectively. Conclusion: Pain scores decreased significantly after RCT in both groups on all days (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in the success rate of IANB and postop pain scores between light- and dark-eyed female patients who experienced SIP in a mandibular molar. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06206304.

Two calcium-based metal organic frameworks with long afterglow as anticounterfeiting materials

Calcium-based metal–organic frameworks (Ca-MOFs) with room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) properties are promising for applications. Herein, two 3D Ca-MOFs with robust RTP have been successfully synthesized with scaled-up production. The afterglows of these two Ca-MOFs are visible to the naked eye in darkness that lasts for approximately 13 s once they are excited with 365 nm UV light. It is mainly attributed to the rigid and dense structures of 3D Ca-MOFs via 4,5-Imidazole dicarboxylic acid tugging Ca2+ elucidated by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction and density functional theory (DFT). Furthermore, a program was designed for dynamic anti-counterfeiting based on the long afterglow properties of Ca-MOFs, which can be extended for all kinds of material with long afterglow.

Are dark-eyed dogs favoured by humans? Domestication as a potential driver of iris colour difference between dogs and wolves.

Comparative studies have shown that the eye morphology of primates has been shaped by a variety of selection pressures (e.g. communication, environmental factors). To comprehensively elucidate the complex links between ocular morphology and its evolutionary drive, attention should be paid to other phylogenetic groups. Here, we address a new question regarding the evolution of eye colour patterns in the oldest domesticated animal, namely, the domestic dog (Canis familiaris). In this study, we conducted an image analysis of dogs and their closest relatives, grey wolves (Canis lupus), to compare the colours of their irises, with the aim of assessing whether eye colours of dogs affect how humans perceived dogs. We found that the irises of dogs were significantly darker than those of wolves. We also found that facial images of dark-eyed dogs were perceived as more friendly and immature, potentially eliciting caregiving responses from humans. Our findings are consistent with our expectation that humans favour dark-eyed dogs over light-eyed ones and provide an updated hypothesis that dogs with dark eyes may have evolved by acquiring a facial trait that sends a non-threatening gaze signal to humans.

Validation of a Smartphone Pupillometry Application in Diagnosing Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

The pupillary light reflex (PLR) is an important biomarker for the detection and management of traumatic brain injury (TBI). We investigated the performance of PupilScreen, a smartphone-based pupillometry app, in classifying healthy control subjects and subjects with severe TBI in comparison to the current gold standard NeurOptics pupillometer (NPi-200 model with proprietary Neurological Pupil Index [NPi] TBI severity score). A total of 230 PLR video recordings taken using both the PupilScreen smartphone pupillometer and NeurOptics handheld device (NPi-200) pupillometer were collected from 33 subjects with severe TBI (sTBI) and 132 subjects who were healthy without self-reported neurological disease. Severe TBI status was determined by Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) at the time of recording. The proprietary NPi score was collected from the NPi-200 pupillometer for each subject. Seven PLR curve morphological parameters were collected from the PupilScreen app for each subject. A comparison via t-test and via binary classification algorithm performance using NPi scores from the NPi-200 and PLR parameter data from the PupilScreen app was completed. This was used to determine how the frequently used NPi-200 proprietary NPi TBI severity score compares to the PupilScreen app in ability to distinguish between healthy and sTBI subjects. Binary classification models for this task were trained for the diagnosis of healthy or severe TBI using logistic regression, k-nearest neighbors, support vector machine, and random forest machine learning classification models. Overall classification accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve, and F1 score values were calculated. Median GCS was 15 for the healthy cohort and 6 (interquartile range 2) for the severe TBI cohort. Smartphone app PLR parameters as well as NPi from the digital infrared pupillometer were significantly different between healthy and severe TBI cohorts; 33% of the study cohort had dark eye colors defined as brown eyes of varying shades. Across all classification models, the top performing PLR parameter combination for classifying subjects as healthy or sTBI for PupilScreen was maximum diameter, constriction velocity, maximum constriction velocity, and dilation velocity with accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC), and F1 score of 87%, 85.9%, 88%, 0.869, and 0.85, respectively, in a random forest model. The proprietary NPi TBI severity score demonstrated greatest AUC value, F1 score, and sensitivity of 0.648, 0.567, and 50.9% respectively using a random forest classifier and greatest overall accuracy and specificity of 67.4% and 92.4% using a logistic regression model in the same classification task on the same dataset. The PupilScreen smartphone pupillometry app demonstrated binary healthy versus severe TBI classification ability greater than that of the NPi-200 proprietary NPi TBI severity score. These results may indicate the potential benefit of future study of this PupilScreen smartphone pupillometry application in comparison to the NPi-200 digital infrared pupillometer across the broader TBI spectrum, as well as in other neurological diseases.

Association of iris pigmentation with hearing disorders in patients presenting at a tertiary care hospital of Punjab, Pakistan.

Objective: Hearing disorders are very common these days due to increasing noise pollution. Iris color is due to that melanin pigment. As in Pakistan, people having dark eye colors are common. Melanin is involved in the hearing because cochlear melanocytes are involved in generating endo cochlear potential that helps in hearing. Hence eye color may be associated with hearing loss due to melanin pigment. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Department of Physiology, Sahiwal Medical College, Sahiwal. Period: 11 June to 16 July 2022. Material &amp; Methods: Convenient sampling technique was used. Patients with hearing disorders at OPD of Sahiwal teaching hospital were included in our research. Results: During the study period, 86 patients visited the STH as cases valid for this study. Majority of the patients (93.02%) had a darker iris and only a small number of them (4.65%) had a fair iris color. The middle ear disorders were the most common in the patients prevailing in 47.67% of the patients flowed by outer ear issues in 45.35% patients and the inner ear issues were less prevalent fount in only 6.98% patients. In 39.53% patients have issues in there both ears simultaneously. Though the statistical significance was not found between iris color and hearing disorder (p=0.904), yet it (iris color) was statistically significant with the age groups of the study population (p=0.004). Conclusion: There is no association between Iris color and hearing disorders.

Study of Serological and Morphogenetic Variability among Students in Federal Polytechnic, Ile-Oluji, Ondo State

Background: Human beings, like all living organisms, are characterized by the presence of genetically inherited physical and/or physiological characters which made them to be genetically distinct from each other. These traits, known as morphogenetic traits, are transmitted in autosomal dominant or recessive fashion. This study strives to determine the distribution, association and inheritance pattern of morphogenetic characters among students of Federal Polytechnic Ile-Oluji, Ondo State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A random sample of four hundred (male 219 and female 181) students were evaluated for two serological (blood group and rhesus factor) and ten morphogenetic traits including, earlobe attachment, bent little finger, widow’s peak, hitchhiker’s thumb, tongue rolling, tongue flipping, cleft chin, mid-phalangeal hair, eye colour and polydactyly. The data obtained were expressed in simple percentages. Chi- square analysis was used to test for statistically significant associations between observed allelic and genotypic frequency at 5% level of significance. Results and Discussions: The study revealed Blood group O as the most prevalent (47%) followed by A (22.75%), B (18.5%) while the least was AB (11.75%). Over 91% of these population were Rh (D) positive while over 8% were Rh (D) negative. The other genetic traits were observed in frequencies; attached earlobe (57.25%), bent little finger (27.5%), widow’s peak (34.25%), hitchhiker’s thumb (65.75%), tongue rolling (54.25%), tongue flipping (23%), cleft chin (24%), mid-digital hair (42%), dark eye colour (31%) and polydactyly (26.75%). Association analysis showed the presence of association between gender and all the traits excepting widow’s peak (χ2 = 19.7, p = 0.000), cleft chin (χ2 = 11.5, p = 0.000) and polydactyl (χ2 = 12.2, p = 0.000). Conclusion: Recessive traits were much more prevalent in the sampled population. The results obtained established baseline data for this population, and it can be used for medically, legally and also for anthropological studies.

Wild leucistic Risso’s dolphins (Grampus griseus) in the Azores

Leucism has been reported in at least 14 cetacean species, including Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus). Risso’s dolphins with abnormal pigmentation were sighted and photographed north of Faial Island, Azores Archipelago, in 6 separate events between 2020 and 2023. In 2020, a calf and a juvenile/subadult were observed within a group of over 100 individuals. A leucistic calf with pale skin and dark eyes was observed in 2021, 2022, and 2023 in the same area followed by the same adult within a pod of about 12 individuals, including 3 juveniles, all with normal coloration. This is the first report of wild leucistic Risso’s dolphins in the Atlantic, which could be of interest in future local population and hypopigmentation studies on a dolphin species known to become completely white with age.

Italy through Russian eyes: Italy’s evolving imagined geography in Russian cinema

Italy has long been a source of fascination and inspiration for Russian writers, artists and filmmakers due to its extensive cultural heritage. Russian filmmakers have played with how Russians view Italy, and they offer viewers the opportunity to see Italy through Russian eyes. Whether in collaboration with Italian filmmakers or on their own, Russian directors have sought to explore Italy: both its real geography and its imagined one. Imagined geography gives us a new way to examine Russian–Italian film collaboration. By examining the imagined geography of Italy in Ryazanov’s Unbelievable Adventures of Italians in Russia (1974), Tarkovsky’s Nostalghia (1983), Mikhailkov’s Dark Eyes (1987), Kravchuk’s The Italian (2005) and Konchalovsky’s Sin (2021), this article proposes that Russian directors map similarity and inspiration onto Italy to establish an affinity towards Italy that exists beyond the boundaries of the film collaborations.

Perception, understanding, and association between psychological stress and skin aging: Quantitative surveys of Asian women aged 18-34 years, dermatologists, and psychologists in China and Japan.

Skin aging involves a variety of structural and functional changes, under the influence of various factors. Preaging skin is a relatively new concept describing self-perceived signs of skin aging that appear in the early 20s-30s and may be triggered by psychological stress. However, it is unclear how young women and healthcare professionals (HCP) understand the association between stress and skin aging. We sought to explore the perceptions of stress-related skin aging among young women and HCPs. We performed online surveys of 403 young women (18-34 years), 60 dermatologists, and 60 psychologists residing in major cities in China and Japan. Questions covered skin signs, understanding/perceptions of stress-aging connection, and demographics. Young women also completed DASS-21 to assess their stress level, which was dichotomized as normal or mild-extremely severe. The stress level was normal in 52.6% or mild-extremely severe in 47.4% of young women. Greater proportions of women in the mild-extremely severe stress group reported skin manifestations associated with preaging, the top three being "rough skin" (39.3% vs. 24.1%), "slow metabolic rate" (28.8% vs. 14.2%), and "dull skin" (43.5% vs. 29.2%). The top three skin manifestations showing the strongest perceived associations with stress were: "dark eye circles," "slow metabolic rate," and "dull skin" (among young women); "acne," "dry skin," and "skin rash" (among HCPs). Young women frequently report high levels of psychological stress and signs of skin aging. Perceptions of stress-skin aging association differ between young women and HCPs.

Using the IrisPlex System for Eye Color Prediction on Skeletal Remaining from the Past 30 Years

Abstract One of the first tasks following humanitarian disasters is to identify the victims. DNA analysis of ancient skeletal remains is also important in forensic science. Recently, externally visible characteristics (EVCs) based polymorphism profile has provided forensic studies with greater speed and accuracy. In this study, eye color prediction based on IrisPlex single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on skeletal samples was evaluated. IrisPlex predictor SNPs (HERC2 – rs12913832, OCA2 – rs1800407, SLC45A2 – rs16891982, TYR – rs1393350, SLC24A4 – rs12896399, and IRF4 – rs12203592) of 12 forensic samples were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis (SNaPshot method). Our primary results showed that eye color prediction was accurate (8 dark, 3 blue, and 1 intermediate). The prediction of dark and blue eye colors could be suitable from ancient DNA provided from remain skeletal samples using only IrisPlex system, based on our results, IrisPlex system is a suitable method for the prediction of dark and blue eye color. All dark and blue eye color samples were fairly correctly predicted (sensitivity: 95% and specificity: 90%), however, intermediate eye color prediction needed a more informative SNP assay to predict all variations of eye colors. Finally, we concluded that the use of EVCs to identify eye color using skeletal remains is a suitable method and could be recommended for future forensic research.

Inheritance and Expression of Koi Color Dominant Mutations in Koi × Goldfish Hybrids

AbstractThe purpose of the study was to investigate the inheritance and expression of the koi color dominant mutations “design” and “red eyes” in koi × Goldfish hybrids (koi Cyprinus carpio × Goldfish Carassius auratus). The mutation “design” manifests as a yellow stripe along the dorsal fin and a specific ornament on the head; this trait is controlled by a dominant allele of one gene (D/d). In four progenies that were obtained by crosses of koi females having the “design” trait with Goldfish males, the segregations of so‐called "ghost fish," having a melanin‐pigmented body with the “design” pattern, and fish having wild‐type color, without the “design” pattern, were close to the Mendelian 1:1 ratio. This indicates that koi females with the “design” trait that are used for the production of these progenies had the genotype Dd, whereas the Goldfish males had the genotype dd. In one progeny that was obtained by crossing a koi female having the “design” trait with a Goldfish male, 420 ghost fish (99.8%) and one fish with wild‐type color (0.2%) were recorded. The koi female from which this progeny originated was apparently homozygous for the dominant allele (genotype DD). Earlier, it was shown that the appearance of red eyes in koi is caused not by the albino mutation, but by another dominant demelanization mutation (R). In three progenies that were obtained by crossing koi females having red eyes with Goldfish males, the segregations of the larvae with unpigmented bodies and light eye lenses and those with dark bodies and black eye lenses were close to 1:1. Later, three types of body color were observed in the juveniles of these progenies: yellow, brown, and wild‐type; all of the juveniles had black eyes. The segregations of colored (yellow + brown) and wild‐type‐color juveniles were close to 1:1. This shows that that the red‐eyed koi females that were used in the crosses were heterozygous (genotype Rr), whereas the Goldfish males had genotype rr. The described colored forms of koi × Goldfish hybrids can be used for weed control.

Race, Politics, and Nation in Albion W. Tourgée's American Historical Novels Series: The Example of Hot Plowshares

Race, Politics, and Nation in Albion W. Tourgée's American Historical Novels Series: The Example of <i>Hot Plowshares</i>

Test effects of Ethanol Jatropha gossypifolia L extract against Diabetic Nephropathy

Background: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus patients in Central Sulawesi is 2.2%. Diabetes mellitus in the long term with uncontrolled glucose levels can cause various complications, one of which is diabetic nephropathy. Diabetic nephropathy is a complication of DM in the kidneys that occurs due to a decrease in the glomerular filtration rate and can end in kidney failure. Objective: The purpose of the study is suggested evaluate (Jatropha gossypifolia L) ethanol extract of diabetic nephropathy on male white rats (Rattus norvegicus) induced by streptozotocin 40mg/kg BW intraperitoneally with dose variations of 300mg/kg BW, 400mg/kg BW and a dose of 500mg/kg BW. Method: This study used 30 male white rats divided into 6 groups, namely group I as normal control, group II as positive control (glibenclamide), group III as negative control (Na-CMC 0.5%), group IV, V and VI as control. the test group was given ethanol extract of red jatropha leaves with each dose of 300mg/kgBW, 400mg/kgBB, 500mg/kgBW. The data were analyzed using the one way ANOVA test at the 95% confidence level, and continued with the LSD post hoc test. Result: The results of this study indicate that the ethanol extract of red jatropha leaves contains secondary metabolites, namely flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, saponins, tannins and can reduce blood glucose levels with a value of 108.0mg/dl, urea 18.2 mg/dl, creatinine 0, 23mg/dl and has an effect on the regeneration of renal tubular cells with a damage value of 1 out of a maximum of 2. Conclusion: This research only took place in on the 21st day and surgery was performed because the condition of the test animals showed toxic characteristics with foam in the mouth, dark eyes, limp, not aggressive and not moving due to the toxic effects of ricin poison which is a compound of toxalbumin, so this research has no potential as therapy. diabetic nephropathy.

Sculpting Time: Sara Rudner in Her Studio

Sculpting Time: Sara Rudner in Her Studio