Skin Color Differences Research Articles

Sexual Dimorphism in Facial Contrast: A Case from Central Africa.

Apart from morphological differences, male and female faces also vary in color, especially in overall lightness and facial contrast, i.e., the contrast between the luminance and color of facial features (eyes, lips, or brows) and luminance and color of the surrounding skin. In many populations, it has been demonstrated that women tend to be lighter than men. Other differences were found in facial contrast: women have a higher contrast between the lightness of their eyes and lips and the surrounding skin. Manipulation of this contrast in an artificial genderless face can result in a masculine or feminine appearance. So far, however, this phenomenon has been studied mostly in Euro-American and East Asian samples, with little evidence from populations with darker facial tone. We explored natural sexual dimorphism in both facial contrast and lightness in an African, namely Cameroonian, sample, and compared it with results for a European, in particular Czech, population. Our findings showed that sexual differences in luminance contrast of eyes and brows were in both studied populations similar but in the Cameroonian sample, significant difference in lips contrast was absent. These results indicate that sex differences in facial contrast are a side effect of the sex differences in skin color and can be used as a proxy for skin color perception.

Application of a multilayer perceptron artificial neural network for identification of peach cultivars based on physical characteristics

In the fresh fruit industry, identification of fruit cultivars and fruit quality is of vital importance. In the current study, nine peach cultivars (Dixon, Early Grande, Flordaprince, Flordastar, Flordaglo, Florda 834, TropicSnow, Desertred, and Swelling) were evaluated for differences in skin color, firmness, and size. Additionally, a multilayer perceptron (MLP) artificial neural network was applied for identification of the cultivars according to these attributes. The MLP was trained with an input layer including six input nodes, a single hidden layer with six hidden nodes, and an output layer with nine output nodes. A hyperbolic tangent activation function was used in the hidden layer and the cross entropy error was given because the softmax activation function was functional to the output layer. Results showed that the cross entropy error was 0.165. The peach identification process was significantly affected by the following variables in order of contribution (normalized importance): polar diameter (100%),L∗(89.0),b∗(88.0%),a∗(78.5%), firmness (71.3%), and cross diameter (37.5.3%). The MLP was found to be a viable method of peach cultivar identification and classification because few identifying attributes were required and an overall classification accuracy of 100% was achieved in the testing phase. Measurements and quantitative discrimination of peach properties are provided in this research; these data may help enhance the processing efficiency and quality of processed peaches.

The Roles of Islamic Educational Institutions in Religious Moderation

Indonesia is a country which is rich in differences in ethnicity, race, skin color, and religion. Islamic education institutions, as part of many other institutions, must show their existence in dealing with differences through fostering religious moderation among students. This study aims at revealing the participation of Islamic education institutions in religious moderation and what Islamic educational institutions do to build religious moderation in Indonesia. This study uses a descriptive method with a library research approach. In so doing, this study is conducted by reading various references related to the discussed issues. The findings uncover that Islamic educational institutions have several roles in terms of religious moderation, namely: first, educational institutions have a role in formulating or revising educational goals; second, educational institutions have a role in providing guidance through educators; third, educational institutions have a role in synergizing religious moderation with materials/curriculum and learning processes; and fourth, educational institutions have a role in making students familiar with the applications of religious moderation through the school environment. The things that Islamic education institutions can do towards religious moderation are: first, formulating educational goals based on religious moderation; second, direct coaching through teachers; third, the integration of religious moderation in materials/curriculum in learning subjects; and fourth, synergizing all school members in habituating religious moderation behavior

Characterizing skin color before and after 100‐m sprinting

AbstractWe studied skin color in participants before and after a 100‐m sprint using a Konica Minolta CM‐2600d spectrophotometer. Four body positions (forehead, cheek, neck, and inner forearm) were measured for the approximately 30 students (non‐professional runners) who participated in the experiment. Skin reflectance was measured three times at each position before running and again soon afterward. Analysis of the data showed that average measurement repeatability (mean color difference from the mean [MCDM]) was 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, and 0.2 CIELAB units for forehead, cheek, neck, and inner forearm, respectively. However, average skin color differences produced by running were 1.8, 2.2, 2.0, and 1.7 CIELAB units for forehead, cheek, neck, and inner forearm positions, respectively, which are considerably higher than repeatability before or after running. Furthermore, appearance variation was analyzed in the CIELAB space, and it was found that sprinting for 100 m considerably changes the values of the red‐green a* coordinate, while the lightness L* and yellow‐blue b* coordinates remain almost constant. More specifically, on average, a* decreases after running for the forehead, cheek, and neck positions, while the opposite is true for the inner forearm position. The findings in this article may be useful to test previous physical models, achieve more realistic images of human skin after sprinting, and contribute to work of CIE TC 1‐92 on skin spectra database.

Integrated analysis of mRNA-seq and microRNA-seq depicts the potential roles of miRNA-mRNA networks in pigmentation of Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis)

The Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) is one of the most important freshwater aquaculture reptiles in East and Southeast Asia. In contrast to the other strains of this species, the Qingxi black turtle has black skin. In this study, three Qingxi black turtles (WBF) and three Dongting Lake turtles (DTF) were investigated to compare and analyze their differences in skin color by mRNA sequencing and miRNA sequencing. Total of 1,772 differentially expressed mRNAs were identified including 1,079 upregulated and 693 downregulated in WBF. Through miRNA sequencing, 1,071 miRNAs were identified. Three- hundred nineteen miRNAs were differentially expressed, including 187 upregulated and 132 downregulated, which corresponded to 38,563 target mRNAs. Nine differentially expressed mRNAs and twelve differentially expressed miRNAs were validated by qRT-PCR. Integrated analysis of the profiles of differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs predicted 2,262 miRNA-mRNA interaction sites. Several mRNAs (such as tyr, mitf, gpnmb and kit) and miRNAs (such as miR-138, miR-383-3p, miR-1388b-5p and miR-18a-3p-3) involved in turtle skin pigmentation were identified. The results obtained in this study concerning mRNA-miRNA regulatory networks may help to establish a foundation for future research on the mechanisms underlying pigmentation in P. sinensis.

제이콥스 젠킨스의 『혼혈아』에 구현된 나뉨/배제의 빗장풀기

This study explores Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s An Octoroon (2015) in terms of passing, blackness, and a theatrical technique. Protagonist Zoe is an octoroon, who draws the intertextuality with a black woman represented in Dion Boucicault’s The Octoroon (1859). This play provides as melodramatic elements such as triangular conflict with Zoe between good white man George and bad white M’Closky. In particular, M’Closky’s intense desire to own Zoe leads to Zoe’s degradation to a slave as well as her inescapable identity crisis. Unknown who she is, Zoe realizes the significance of one drop of blood from her ancestors. According to Jim Crow Law, marriage between white man and an octoroon woman is not allowed so that George and Zoe are not free from it. This is originated from the racial code institutionalized on the basis of the whites’ racial discriminative ideology and superiority. In particular, division and seclusion functions as a racial ideology in terms of the differences in skin color. The social hierarchy serves miscegenation as an unlawful mechanism, thus making it intensified in building black women’s identities. In the end, Zoe is sold as a slave since she is an octoroon. Situated in an identity crisis, suicide is Zoe’s last resort. This play requires us to examine the racial ideology, which is deeply rooted on skin color and one drop of black blood. Terrebonne plantation is symbolized as this historical prejudice on slavery.

Effects of double layer membrane loading eugenol on postharvest quality of cucumber

We prepared double layer membranes containing eugenol (0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 g/100 g) using electrospinning technology and investigated their effects on the postharvest quality of cucumbers. The poly (lactic acid) (PLA) membrane was attached to the collector, and the nanofibers were prepared using an electrospinning device and deposited on the surface of the PLA membrane to form double layer membrane. The results informed that the shelf life of cucumbers packaged with double layer membranes increased from 15 days to 21 days at 4 °C. The double layer membrane containing 0.3 g/100 g eugenol had greater effects on delaying the spoilage process and prolonging the shelf life of cucumber fruits than other membrane. Compared with unpackaged samples, packaged samples had higher hardness values, Peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) enzyme activities, and protein and proline content; and they had lower weight loss, skin color differences values, stickiness values, microbial growth, and malondialdehyde (MDA) and total soluble sugar content. Our results suggest that double layer membranes may be used to extend the shelf life of cucumbers at 4 °C.

Comparisons in perception of facial skin brightness, as influenced by differences in skin color: Asian observers

AbstractHuman skin color is one of the most common colors that we see and perceive in everyday life. Previous research on skin color distribution in young Japanese women has revealed that yellowish skin has higher lightness than reddish skin. Furthermore, reddish skin appears brighter than yellowish skin when both have the same lightness (Yoshikawa et al., 2012). Despite these findings, it is unclear how brightness perception of facial skin color is influenced by the diversity of skin colors and observers. The present study investigated the perception of facial skin color among observers in three Asian countries. A young Japanese female face was used, and test faces of four skin color shades were prepared, corresponding to the average skin colors of Japanese, Thai, Caucasian, and African individuals. A test image (with constant lightness but different hue angles) and a scale image (with the original hue but varying lightness) were presented side‐by‐side on a color‐calibrated tablet display, and observers adjusted the brightness of the facial skin of the scale image to match that of the test image. The findings indicated that Japanese observers showed a trend in which reddish skin was perceived as brighter than yellowish skin; however, Thai and Chinese observers did not show this trend. This implies the potential influence of ethnicities or environments on brightness perception of facial skin.

Critical Analysis of Identity Crisis in Hanif Kurieshi's Novel “The Buddha of Suburbia”

This paper critically analyzes the dilemma of identity crisis and its impact on immigrants concerning the Hanif Kurieggidentity crisis into its texts because of the rule of colonial power and its impacts on the colonized. Under the impact of this colonial power, the crisis of identity has been originated in western countries on social, economic, political, religious, and cultural grounds. Postcolonial theoretical ideas i.e, hybridity, mimicry, assimilation, and ambivalence by Homi K. Bhabha are applied into the text of this research paper to examine the dilemma of identity crisis more clearly. Karim Amir, the protagonist of the novel faces an identity crisis in tormenting and perturbing the social order of England. Such a tormenting and disturbing condition of England is a threat both to Karim and immigrants. The quest for an identity for Karim Amir is very complicated and alarming which sets a dilemma for the whole world to look at this global issue seriously. The Whites think about immigrants as they are the lower creature of God due to differences in skin color, religion, ethnicity, and culture. On the contrary, the immigrant trying to imitate the cultural values, language, habits, and manners of the white men to assimilate with them but in consequence, this mimicry never fetched the desired effects and simply, the outcome is ambivalent for them. Although they always try to assimilate with the British culture, yet they feel hesitant either to adopt Western culture or the culture of their homeland. The Buddha of Suburbia (1989) depicts the darker side of suburban life as well as the congested life of London city with references to other characters too.

Case report: Subcutaneous fungal cyst resembling as benign tumor

Background: Subcutaneous fungal infections are caused by penetration of the causative fungi into the subcutaneous layer and usually localized. Phaeohyphomycosis is mycotic infection, which can caused by different fungal organism and commonly presenting as subcutaneous cysts. The diagnosis can obly be made by histopathological examination, and the entity should be considered in the clinical differential diagnosis of every cystic lesion in the skin. Case description: Subcutaneous fungal infections are caused by penetration of the causative fungi into the subcutaneous layer and usually localized. We report a 65 years old woman with chief complaint of mass at gluteal sinistra with tenderness pain since 4 month before admission and come to the oncology surgery department. Physical exam are single nodule at gluteal sinistra, tenderness pain, no difference in skin color. Laboratory findings are normal hemoglobin and leucocyte. CT scan with contrast showed enhancing solid mass 2.06 × 4.95 cm at gluteal sinistra. Biopsy excision of the mass, pathological finding are atypical and pleomorphic cell, hyperchromatic, eosinophilic cytoplasm, foamy macrophage, hyphae and microspore separated until mature fat tissue and muscle, also found giant cell and xanthoma cell. After that we confirmed with Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) stain. So, the patient come to Tropic Infection department. A diagnosis of phaeohypomycotic cyst was made. Discussion:The term of phaeohypomycotic was described by Allejo et al. in 1974. The most common lesion are cutaneous and subcutaneous cyst resembling as benign tumor, sebaceous or abscess. It saprophytes and occurring in soil, decaying in wood, and vegetation. Phialopora are the most common isolated fungi. Infection is usually as a result of traumatic implantation. In this case there is no history of trauma, but the trauma could be so trivial and not noticed. Surgical procedure is the only way to remove the subcutaneous cyst. But, it should be followed with antifungal therapy. In this case we give 6 months treatment with itraconazole 200mg b.i.d. and give significant outcome and no recurrence. Conclusion: This case emphasizes the importance of considering subcutaneous fungal cysts in the differential diagnosis of subcutaneous cystic nodules, especially on the extremities.

Finger blood flow after the cold challenge with primary Raynaud's syndrome: a case report.

Background Raynaud’s syndrome is a commonly encountered disorder. The relationship between the grade of Raynaud’s phenomenon and severity of vasoconstriction is unclear. Recently, various methods including colour Doppler ultrasonography have been used for assessment of vascularity of the extremities including fingers.Case summary A 53-year-old man had a 6-year history of Raynaud’s phenomenon with typical tri-coloured changes proceeding from white, blue to red and slight pain and slight paresthaesia in the fingers of both hands when his fingers were exposed to cold. He was diagnosed with primary Raynaud’s syndrome. After treatment with the calcium channel blocker amlodipine (5 mg once daily), a cold challenge did not induce Raynaud’s phenomenon on the fingers in the present patient. After the cold challenge, colour Doppler ultrasonography showed that vascularity was markedly decreased or was absent, whereas there was little difference in skin colour of the fingers.Discussion In Raynaud's phenomenon, vasospasm may occur even if the symptoms are well-controlled with a calcium channel blocker. It is unlikely that clinical symptoms in patients with Raynaud’s syndrome always reflect the severity of vasoconstriction in their fingers.

KELOMPOK SOSIAL DALAM MASYARAKAT PERSPEKTIF QS. AL-MAIDAH AYAT 2

Social groups are things that are commonly known in the community both anciently and now. As a result, things like this lead to conflicts in society due to differences in the meaning of social groups themselves, even though in Islamic teachings there are differences in gender, differences in skin color, race, ethnicity, nation and customs which are unique in themselves so that in God's eyes the noble man is human who have a piety and pious personality and are good with fellow humans.

Diskriminasi Terhadap Etnik Tionghoa Dalam Novel Entrok Karya Okky Madasari

This research was written with the aim of describing the state discrimination against ethnic Tinghoa in the Entrok novel and describing the purpose of the State's domination of the Chinese ethnic group. The focus of this research is firstly the state's domination of the Chinese by force, secondly the purpose of the state's domination of the ethnic Chinese. This research uses Antonio Gramsci's perspective hegemony theory. The data collection method in this research uses literature study, the researcher collects and reads a number of libraries that are related to the theory and the objects used, namely Entrok novels and the study of hegemony theory with the approach of literary sociology. In general discrimination is a difference in attitude or treatment of fellow citizens based on differences in ethnicity, class, economy, skin color and religion. The existence of discrimination against ethnic Tioghoa is based on several reasons. The validity of the assimilation during the new order became an obstacle to the ethnic Chinese to live a free life, because anything was restricted in politics, economy and culture.

The Use of Collagen-Glycosaminoglycan Biodegradable Matrix (Integra®) in the Management of Neck Postburn Hypertrophic Scars and Contractures

Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) is a chain-like disaccharide that is linked to a polypeptide core to connect two collagen fibrils/fibers and provide the intermolecular force in a Collagen-GAG matrix which can be a valuable treatment of post-burn contractures and hypertrophic scars, which remain a challenge to reconstructive surgery. The face and neck contractures are the most difficult sites to treat. This article is meant to discuss our clinical experience in using collagen-glycosaminoglycan biodegradable matrix (Integra® Integra Lifesciences Corporation, Plainsboro, NJ, USA) to reconstruct defects created by excision of contracted areas from the neck and lower face areas. Between 2009 and 2011, we had 11 patients that underwent Integra reconstructive procedures. The mean follow-up period was 18 months. For all the patients, the intake of the Integra dermal regeneration template was 100%, even if one patient developed a minor infection treated with appropriate antibiotics. The patients are very satisfied with the result. A minor problem was a small difference in skin color, but this inconvenience was compensated by good skin elasticity.

Acute radiation-induced skin toxicity in hypofractionated vs. conventional whole-breast irradiation: An objective, randomized multicenter assessment using spectrophotometry

PurposeRadiation dermatitis represents one of the most frequent side effects in breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant whole-breast irradiation (WBI). Whether hypofractionated WBI induces comparable or less acute radiation-induced skin reactions than conventional WBI is still not fully clarified, as randomized evidence and objective assessments are limited. The aim of this study was to objectively determine frequency and severity of acute radiation-induced skin reactions during hypofractionated vs. conventionally fractionated adjuvant WBI. MethodsIn this randomized multicenter study, a total of 140 breast cancer patients underwent either hypofractionated or conventional WBI following breast-preserving surgery. Maximum radiation dermatitis severity was assessed at completion and during follow-up by physician-assessed CTCAE v4.03 and the patient-reported RISRAS scale. Additionally, photospectrometric skin readings were performed to objectify skin color differences between both treatment arms. ResultsRadiation dermatitis severity was significantly lower in patients receiving hypofractionation compared with conventional fractionation (mean 1.05 vs. 1.43, p = .024). Grade 0 radiation dermatitis occurred in 21.43% vs. 4.28%, grade ≥2 in 27.14% vs. 42.91% and grade ≥3 in 0% vs. 4.34% of patients following hypofractionated and conventional WBI, respectively. Objective photospectrometric measurements (n = 4200) showed both decreased erythema severity (p = .008) and hyperpigmentation (p = .002) in the hypofractionation arm. Patients allocated to hypofractionated WBI also reported less pain (p = .006), less hyperpigmentation (p = <0.001) and less limitations of day-to-day activities (p = <0.001). ConclusionPhysician and patient-assessed toxicity scorings as well as objective photospectrometric skin measurements revealed that hypofractionated WBI yielded lower rates and severity of acute radiation-induced skin toxicity.

Effects of photoperiod on growth performance and melanogenesis pathway for skin pigmentation of Malaysian red tilapia

Farming of red tilapia is increasing rapidly. However, its commercial farming development is challenged by lack of clear information on genetic basis for skin colour and pigmentation differences due to environmental changes. This study investigated the effects of photoperiod (light:dark, L:D) on the growth and skin colour variation of Malaysian red tilapia. A total of 180 fish weighing 150.48 ± 0.44 g were reared under natural photoperiod (13L:11D, control), prolonged lightness (24L:0D) and prolonged darkness (0L:24D) in three replicates for 78 days. The weight gain of fish cultured under both prolonged light and darkness were significantly higher than fish under natural photoperiod. The tyrosinase level in ventral skin was significantly higher for fish cultured under prolonged darkness condition than in the other two photoperiod regimes. Contrary, the cysteine level in the dorsal skin was significantly higher in the fish cultured under natural photoperiod than in prolonged light and darkness. The relative mRNA expressions of SRY‐related HMG‐Box 10 (sox 10), tyrosine (tyr), tyrosine‐related protein 1 (tyrp‐1) and solute carrier family 7 member 11 (slc7a11) genes were significantly higher in ventral skin of fish under prolonged darkness than the other two photoperiods. This study demonstrates that photoperiod has an impact on melanogenesis and growth of red tilapia. Understanding the effects of photoperiod on genetic basis of red tilapia will help in selective breeding programme of the important economic traits for the development of commercial red tilapia farming.

How skin color, class status, and gender intersect in the labor market: Evidence from a field experiment

This article examines skin color discrimination in two Brazilian labor markets using a field experimental approach. Fictitious resumes including photographs of job candidates were randomly assigned one skin color category via photo manipulation and submitted to entry-level job openings. In addition to assessing the extent of skin color discrimination, this article adopts an intersectional framework to examine how the effect of skin color in employment is moderated by class status and varies by gender. I found mixed results about the role of skin color in predicting the employment outcomes at the initial stages of the hiring process. Results from logistic regression and Linear Probability Models show that skin color is a weak predictor of hiring outcomes (e.g. receiving a callback from employers) among male applicants and for female applicants with brown skin. However, I find strong evidence that having dark skin is causally associated with hiring outcomes among female applicants. I also found that having a higher-class status erases skin color differences, thus identifying a potential mechanism that mitigates the effects of skin color in hiring.

RACIAL DISCRIMINATION REFLECTED IN SERIES DRAMA TENNOUNORYOURIBAN (THE EMPEROR’S COOK)

This paper discussed the discrimination that occurs in the life of Asian immigrants. Yellow Peril phenomenon occurs in 1882 in Europe and America which resulted in racial discrimination toward immigrants from China and Japan. In this study, the author uses data sources from a series drama entitled Tenno No Ryouriban (2015). This series drama showed the life of two immigrants from Japan named Tokuzo Akiyama and Shintaro Matsui who migrated to France. In their daily life, Tokuzo and Shintaro would frequently receive discrimination from white people. This study uses literal sociology. To obtain descriptions regarding discrimination, the author would analyze data in the form of scenes and dialogue excerpts are taken from the series drama Tenno No Ryouriban. Furthermore, there was also support theory Mise-En-Scene to help to explain the reason why a scene was shown in a particular manner by the film director. Result of this study showed that there were several scenes and dialogues excerpt which describe discrimination in various forms, such as Explicit Discrimination and Implicit Discrimination, and Institutional Discrimination and Cultural Discrimination. The author found the cause of discrimination described in the series drama Tenno No Ryouriban, which related to race differences such as differences in skin color, the nation of origin, and body height.

Epigenetics and Environmental Roles: The Reality of Igbo-Jewish Link

This paper aims to examine the Igbo-Jewish link which has received scant attention in scholarly discourse. Among the few major critical submissions is that Igbos of the South Eastern part of Nigeria, originated from Israel in one way or the other. Prominent among these claims is that Igbos are one of the lost tribes of Israel’ and the ‘Hametic race saga’. Epigenetic and Mythological theories will be useful in helping to explain the Igbo history, origin, migration and colour change. Findings show that proponents of Igbo-Jewish link have not to the best of the researchers’ knowledge, given a satisfactory explanation for the difference in the Igbo-Israeli skin colour, neither have they addressed in what period of history that the Jews migrated to Igbo land. The paper, therefore, attempts to change the old narratives which support the erroneous claim that Igbos originated from Israel by briefly tracing their correct origin with a view to lay to rest, the myths and speculations surrounding their identity. Much of what drives man to develop self and leave a significant mark in his society is the quest to identify with his true origin and in Africa today, the idea of westernization have affected the art of storytelling and indigenous documentation which has been an ageless tradition. Some Africans, based on their understanding view this as waste of time or impacting orchestrated stories in the minds of indigenes’ hence, they prefer westernized format of aligning with the Eurocentric view about the origin of the Igbos. The study concludes that if any one group came from the other, it would be the Jews who migrated from the much older Igbo race and not the other way around.

Transcript profiling for regulation of sweet potato skin color in Sushu8 and its mutant Zhengshu20

Sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] (2n = 6x = 90) is an economic important autopolyploid species and its varieties differ regarding storage root skin and flesh colors. Two sweet potato genetic lines, Sushu8 (with red skin) and its mutant Zhengshu20, which produced different colored storage roots, were used in this study. The total flavonoid, carotenoid, and anthocyanin contents of the two lines were analyzed and revealed that anthocyanin was primarily responsible for the skin color difference. In addition, the early storage root expanding stage was the key period for anthocyanin accumulation in Sushu8. A total of 24 samples, including the skins of the fibrous root and the storage root at the early and middle expanding stages as well as the flesh of the storage root at the middle expanding stage, were analyzed based on differentially expressed genes identified by transcriptome sequencing and a weighted gene co-expression network analysis. Two gene modules highly related with the regulation of sweet potato skin color through stress responses as well as starch synthesis and glucose metabolism were identified. Furthermore, the WRKY75 transcription factor gene, fructose-bisphosphate aldolase 2 gene, and other DEGs highly related to the regulation of anthocyanin metabolism were enriched in the brown and green modules.