Environmental Light Conditions Research Articles

Elevated Serum Melatonin under Constant Darkness Enhances Neural Repair in Spinal Cord Injury through Regulation of Circadian Clock Proteins Expression.

We investigated the effects of environmental lighting conditions regulating endogenous melatonin production on neural repair, following experimental spinal cord injury (SCI). Rats were divided into three groups randomly: the SCI + L/D (12/12-h light/dark), SCI + LL (24-h constant light), and SCI + DD (24-h constant dark) groups. Controlled light/dark cycle was pre-applied 2 weeks before induction of spinal cord injury. There was a significant increase in motor recovery as well as body weight from postoperative day (POD) 7 under constant darkness. However, spontaneous elevation of endogenous melatonin in cerebrospinal fluid was seen at POD 3 in all of the SCI rats, which was enhanced in SCI + DD group. Augmented melatonin concentration under constant dark condition resulted in facilitation of neuronal differentiation as well as inhibition of primary cell death. In the rostrocaudal region, elevated endogenous melatonin concentration promoted neural remodeling in acute phase including oligodendrogenesis, excitatory synaptic formation, and axonal outgrowth. The changes were mediated via NAS-TrkB-AKT/ERK signal transduction co-regulated by the circadian clock mechanism, leading to rapid motor recovery. In contrast, exposure to constant light exacerbated the inflammatory responses and neuroglial loss. These results suggest that light/dark control in the acute phase might be a considerable environmental factor for a favorable prognosis after SCI.

Two-Level Attention Model Based Video Action Recognition Network

The complex environment background, lighting conditions, and other action-irrelevant visual information in the video frame bring a lot of redundancy and noise to the action spatial features, which seriously affects the accuracy of action recognition. Aiming at this point, we propose a recurrent region attention cell to capture the action-relevant regional visual information in the spatial feature, and according to the temporal sequential natures of the video, on the basis of the recurrent region attention cell, a Recurrent Region Attention model (RRA) is proposed. The recurrent region attention cell in the RRA iterates according to the temporal sequence of the video, so that the attention performance of the RRA is gradually improved. Secondly, we propose a Video Frame Attention model (VFA) that can highlight the more important frames in the whole action video sequence, so as to reduce the interference caused by the similarity between the heterogeneous action video sequences. Finally, we propose an end-to-end trainable network: Two-level Attention Model based video action recognition network (TAMNet). We experimented on two video action recognition benchmark datasets: UCF101 and HMDB51. Experiments show that our end-to-end TAMNet network can reliably focus on the more important video frames in the video sequence, and effectively capture the action-relevant regional visual information in the spatial features of each frame of the video sequence. Inspired by the two-stream structure, we construct a two-modalities TAMNet network. In the same training conditions, the two-modalities TAMNet network achieved optimal performance on both datasets.

Low light intensity in Pekin duck breeder barns has a greater impact on the fertility of drakes than hens

The Pekin duck is an excellent model for the study of seasonal reproduction. To more completely understand the lighting requirements for maximal fertility in duck breeder houses, we housed adult (45 week old) drakes and hens in the Hope College aviary as 5 drakes and 25 hens. Light conditions in each floor pen were normalized based upon quantal energy and divided into the following categories: (1) to simulate summer, 14.5h 65 lux with 9.5h 1 lux; (2) to simulate winter, 8h 65 lux with 16 h 1 lux; (3) winter augmented, 8h 65 lux with 16 h at 15 lux. The experiment was repeated with rotation of light treatments among 3 pens until a final N = 6 was obtained. Daily, total number of eggs laid was tallied, and a daily average of eggs laid was calculated throughout the study. Weekly, eggs were weighed and the perivitilline membrane was assayed for the number of sperm holes as an indirect measure of drake fertility. As expected, winter conditions caused a reduction in the percent of eggs laid and a reduction in the number of fertilized eggs compared to the summer light conditions. The augmented winter light conditions prevented the loss in the percent eggs laid and fertilized eggs. Surprisingly, even after 4 wk of the study, the winter conditions did not cause a complete loss of fertility in the Pekin ducks. At the end of the study, no differences in the relative expression in brain deep brain photoreceptors or gonadotropin inhibitory hormone mRNAs were observed among any light treatment. Although a minimum (1 lux) of light can support some fertility, our findings suggest commercial Pekin duck barns may benefit from increasing the augmented light to 15 lux to maintain optimal fertility during winter months. Furthermore, our data suggest that drakes may be more sensitive to environmental light conditions than hens.

Repeated elevated plus maze trials as a measure for tracking within-subjects behavioral performance in rats (Rattus norvegicus).

The elevated plus maze (EPM) is routinely used in neuroscience research to evaluate emotional behavior in rodents by measuring general exploratory performance and avoidance of the aversive open arms of the maze. According to standard practice, behavior on the EPM is evaluated during a single trial to avoid the possibility of habituation to the apparatus that would result in lost sensitivity of key outcome measures. However, this possibility has not been systematically evaluated across repeated trials or across different environmental conditions. In the current study, we assessed within-subject behavior on the EPM in adult male rats over thirteen trials (tested twice weekly) repeated under identical conditions. We also assessed within-subject behavior on the EPM in adult male rats under dim (1 lux in the closed arm) and lit (246 lux in the closed arm) environmental conditions. We found that measures of general performance (basic movements and total distanced travelled throughout the maze) were stable across repeated trials and environmental conditions. We found that measures of open arm avoidance (distance travelled in, time spent in and entries in to the open arm) varied across trials and environmental conditions and were sensitive to the lighting conditions of the initial test. Though measures of open arm avoidance did show a linear trend indicative of habituation across repeated trials, this effect was variable across trials. Notably, preference for the open arm over the closed arm (measured as % of time spent in the open arm) assessed among individual animals occurred rarely and was never observed on the group level across the thirteen repeated trials. Together, these data demonstrate that measures of general performance such as basic movements and total distance traveled are robust to repeated testing and changing environmental lighting conditions. In contrast, measures of open arm avoidance show habituation with repeated testing and are sensitive to changing environmental lighting conditions. Based on these results, we suggest that within-subjects repeated testing on the EPM is valid in well-controlled studies that include an untreated control group to account for inter-trial variability and habituation.

Diverse light responses of cyanobacteria mediated by phytochrome superfamily photoreceptors.

Cyanobacteria are an evolutionarily and ecologically important group of prokaryotes. They exist in diverse habitats, ranging from hot springs and deserts to glaciers and the open ocean. The range of environments that they inhabit can be attributed in part to their ability to sense and respond to changing environmental conditions. As photosynthetic organisms, one of the most crucial parameters for cyanobacteria to monitor is light. Cyanobacteria can sense various wavelengths of light and many possess a range of bilin-binding photoreceptors belonging to the phytochrome superfamily. Vital cellular processes including growth, phototaxis, cell aggregation and photosynthesis are tuned to environmental light conditions by these photoreceptors. In this Review, we examine the physiological responses that are controlled by members of this diverse family of photoreceptors and discuss the signal transduction pathways through which these photoreceptors operate. We highlight specific examples where the activities of multiple photoreceptors function together to fine-tune light responses. We also discuss the potential application of these photosensing systems in optogenetics and synthetic biology.

First insight into the heritable variation and potential response to selection of phototaxis and locomotion behavior associated to the light/dark stimuli in the abalone Haliotis discus hannai

Abalones are especially susceptible to environmental lighting conditions. This factor greatly affects crucial biological process such as feeding rates, energy balance, physiological stress status, and consequently, growth and survival of farmed abalone. Most of these effects have been studied in the economically valuable abalone Haliotis discus hannai. The use of specific photoperiods, and/or light qualities and intensities, have been proposed as managing strategies to increase its production; however, for extensive off-shore or in intensive land-based farming systems, lighting conditions are not likely to be easily managed. Despite the great importance of the biological responses to the light/dark stimuli for abalone farming production, to the best of our knowledge the genetic control upon the variation associated behavioral traits have not been studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the heritable variation and potential responses to selection for the phototaxis [i.e., displacement towards (positive) or against (negative) the light source] and locomotion behaviors associated to the intensity of the response (i.e., crawling speed and displacement distance) to the light/dark stimuli in juvenile H. discus hannai. Genetic and phenotypic correlations between these traits were also estimated. Results showed moderate but significant heritable variations for phototaxis (h2 = 0.15) and locomotion responses (h2 = 0.18–0.37); and significant positive genetic correlations among them. Expected gain responses to selection per generation (with a selection intensity of 2.06, i.e., selecting 5% of the individuals from a population) were moderate for phototaxis variation (16%) and high for locomotion responses variation (33–67 or 36–73%, depending on the model used for the estimations). As a consequence, the potential for reducing (or incrementing, depending on the breeding goal) the reactivity or the sensibility to the light stimulus by selective breeding is good, and can be an attractive way of indirectly improving growth, survival and general welfare of farmed H. discus hannai.

Two molecular species of phytochrome A with distinct modes of action.

Adaptation of plants to environmental light conditions is achieved via operation of a highly complex photoreceptor apparatus. It includes the phytochrome system comprising phytochromes A and B (phyA and phyB) as the major components. phyA differs from phyB by several properties, including its ability to mediate all three photoresponse modes - the very low and low fluence responses (VLFR and LFR respectively) and the high irradiance responses (HIR), whereas phyB is responsible for LFR. This review discusses the uniqueness of phyA in terms of its structural and functional heterogeneity. The photoreceptor is presented in monocots and dicots by two native molecular species, phyA' and phyA'', differing by spectroscopic, photochemical and phenomenological properties. phyA differentiation into substates includes post-translational phosphorylation of a serine residue(s) at the N-terminal extension of the molecule with phyA' being the phosphorylated species and phyA'', dephosphorylated. They differ also by their mode of action, which depends on the cellular context. The current working hypothesis is that phyA' mediates VLFR and phyA'', HIR and LFR. The content and functional activity of the two pools are regulated by light and by phosphatase/kinase equilibrium and pH in darkness, what contributes to the fine-tuning of the phytochrome system. Detection of the native pools of the cryptogamic plant fern Adiantum capillus-veneris phy1 (phy1' and phy1'') similar to those of phyA suggests that the structural and functional heterogeneity of phyA is not a unique phenomenon and may have arisen earlier in the molecular evolution of the phytochrome system than the appearance of the angiosperm phytochromes.

Vascular plant species richness and bioindication predict multi‐taxon species richness

Abstract Plants regulate soils and microclimate, provide substrate for heterotrophic taxa, are easy to observe and identify and have a stable taxonomy, which strongly justifies their use as indicators in monitoring and conservation. However, there is no consensus as to whether plants are strong predictors of total multi‐taxon species richness. In this study, we investigate if general terrestrial species richness can be predicted by vascular plant richness and bioindication. To answer this question, we collected an extensive dataset on species richness of vascular plants, bryophytes, macrofungi, lichens, plant‐galling arthropods, gastropods, spiders, carabid beetles, hoverflies, and genetic richness (operational taxonomic units = OTUs) from environmental DNA metabarcoding. We also constructed a Conservation Index based on threatened red list species. Besides using richness of vascular plants for prediction of other taxonomic groups, we also used plant‐derived calibration of the abiotic environment (moisture, soil fertility and light conditions) as well as the degree of anthropogenic impact. Bivariate relationships between plant species richness and other species groups showed no consistent pattern. After taking environmental calibration by bioindication into account, we found a consistent, and for most groups significant, positive effect of plant richness. Plant species richness was also important for richness of fungal OTUs, Malaise OTUs and for the Conservation Index. Our multiple regression analyses revealed (a) a consistently positive effect of plant richness on other taxa, (b) prediction of 12%–55% of variation in other taxa and 48% of variation in the total species richness when bioindication and plant richness were used as predictors. Our results justify that vascular plants are strong indicators of total biodiversity across environmental gradients and broad taxonomic realms and therefore a natural first choice for biodiversity monitoring and conservation planning.

Calanus finmarchicus diel and seasonal rhythmicity in relation to endogenous timing under extreme polar photoperiods

Changing environmental conditions cause poleward distribution shifts in many marine organisms including the northern Atlantic key zooplankton species Calanus finmarchicus. The copepod has diel cycles of vertical migration and feeding, a seasonal life cycle with diapause in winter and a functioning circadian clock. Endogenous clock mechanisms control various aspects of rhythmic life and are heavily influenced by environmental light conditions. Here we explore how the extreme seasonal change in photoperiod (day length) in a high Arctic fjord affects circadian clock functioning as well as diel and seasonal cycles in C. finmarchicus. Expression of clock genes was measured in the active life phase at the end of midnight sun, in early diapause when photoperiod was ~12 h, and in late diapause during the polar night. While the clock maintained diel rhythmicity under extremely long photoperiods, it became arrhythmic during diapause. This was probably not due to a lack of light but was related to the physiological state of diapause. Seasonal expression analyses of 35 genes show distinct patterns for each investigated life phase. C. finmarchicus is able to maintain diel clock rhythmicity at photoperiods close to 24 h, and it is discussed how this may be related to the nature of the marine environment. The work also evaluates the potential negative consequences of rigid clock-based seasonal timing in a polar environment exposed to climate change and with high interannual variability.

Alteration in glucose homeostasis and persistence of the pancreatic clock in aged mPer2Luc mice

The physiological function of the pancreas is controlled by the circadian clock. The aim of this study was to determine whether aging-induced changes in glucose homeostasis affect properties of the circadian clock in the pancreas and/or its sensitivity to disturbances in environmental lighting conditions. mPer2Luc mice aged 24–26 months developed hyperinsulinemic hypoglycaemia, which was likely due to the Pclo-mediated insulin hyper-secretion and Slc2a2-mediated glucose transport impairment in the pancreas, and due to the alterations in Pp1r3c-related glycogen storage and Sgk1-related glucose transport in the liver. In the pancreatic tissue, aging affected clock gene expression only marginally, it upregulated Bmal1 and downregulated Clock expression. Whereas aging significantly impaired the circadian clock in lung explants, which were used as a control tissue, the properties of the pancreatic clock in vitro were not affected. The data suggest a non-circadian role of Bmal1 in changes of pancreatic function that occur during aging. Additionally, the pancreatic clock was more sensitive to exposure of animals to constant light conditions. These findings provide an explanation for the previously demonstrated relationship between disturbances in the circadian system and disordered glucose homeostasis, including diabetes mellitus type 2, in subjects exposed to long-term shift work.

Intelligent Lighting System and Garbage Monitoring System

This paper aims at designing a system that focusses on two major societal issues in India i.e. improper garbage management and loss of energy from existing street lighting systems. We designed an intelligent lighting system Using embedded systems and machine learning algorithm we predict the environmental lighting conditions and accordingly change the behavior of the street lights. The present street lighting systems use timer or manual interaction to turn on and off the lights. But these methods are not energy efficient. In our model, we used Light Dependent Resistor LDR and algorithm to eliminate those drawbacks. In Garbage monitoring system, alerting the concerned authorities about the level of garbage collected was the most important aspect. In this system, an Ultrasonic sensor along with machine learning algorithm was used to solve the above situation.

Turbidity affects stomatopod contest behaviours and response to UV cues

Environmental conditions change the effectiveness of animal signals by affecting the contrast between the signal and the background. In aquatic environments, fluctuations in water clarity likely drive the evolution of signalling systems by affecting signal conspicuousness. However, the effects of turbidity on signalling in many aquatic organisms remain largely unstudied. Stomatopods (mantis shrimp) are marine crustaceans known to use chromatic and achromatic signals during territorial contests over refuges. Here, we investigate how turbidity affects Neogonodactylus oerstedii contest behaviours and response to visual cues. We manipulated water clarity by adding bentonite clay, and altered visual cues by painting refuges with UV reflective (UV+) or non-UV reflective (UV-) paint. In turbid conditions, intruder stomatopods won contests less frequently. In UV+ treatments, intruders increased their rate of coils, a behaviour where the stomatopod curls so that the hard telson (tail) is facing the opponent. This result supports previous research suggesting that UV reflectance is a component of stomatopod threat displays. Intruders also increased their rate of offensive behaviours in response to UV, but only in the turbid treatment. Although this result contradicts our prediction that turbidity would reduce stomatopod response to UV cues, it suggests that turbidity does affect the transmission and perception of chromatic cues. Our results indicate that turbidity can impact assessment of visual cues and contest outcomes in aquatic organisms. To our knowledge, this study is the first to assess the effect of environmental light conditions on stomatopod communication as well as the effect of turbidity on intraspecific contest behaviours generally.

Role of GABA in the regulation of the central circadian clock of the suprachiasmatic nucleus.

In mammals, circadian rhythms, such as sleep/wake cycles, are regulated by the central circadian clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. The SCN consists of thousands of individual neurons, which exhibit circadian rhythms. They synchronize with each other and produce robust and stable oscillations. Although several neurotransmitters are expressed in the SCN, almost all SCN neurons are γ-amino butyric acid (GABA)-ergic. Several studies have attempted to understand the roles of GABA in the SCN; however, precise mechanisms of the action of GABA in the SCN are still unclear. GABA exhibits excitatory and/or inhibitory characteristics depending on the circadian phase or region in the SCN. It can both synchronize and destabilize cellular circadian rhythms in individual SCN cells. Differing environmental light conditions, such as a long photoperiod, result in the decoupling of circadian oscillators of the dorsal and ventral SCN. This is due to high intracellular chloride concentrations in the dorsal SCN. Because mice with functional GABA deficiency, such as vesicular GABA transporter- and glutamate decarboxylase-deficient mice, are neonatal lethal, research has been limited to pharmacological approaches. Furthermore, different recording methods have been used to understand the roles of GABA in the SCN. The excitability of GABAergic neurons also changes during the postnatal period. Although there are technical difficulties in understanding the functions of GABA in the SCN, technical developments may help uncover new roles of GABA in circadian physiology and behavior.

Analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana Growth Behavior in Different Light Qualities.

Plant biologists often need to observe the growth behavior of their chosen species. To this end, the plants need constant environmental and stable light conditions, which are preferably variable in quantity and quality so that studies under different setups can be conducted. These requirements are met by climatic chambers featuring light emitting diodes (LED) lights, which can – in contrast to fluorescent lights – be set to different wavelengths. LEDs are energy conserving and emit virtually no heat even at light intensities, which often constitutes a problem with other light sources. The presented protocol provides a step-by-step guidance of how to program a climatic chamber equipped with variable LED lights as well as describing several approaches for in depth analysis of growth phenotypes. Depending on the experimental set-up various characteristics of the growing plants can be observed and analyzed. Here we describe how to determine fresh weight, leaf area, photosynthetic activity, and stomatal density. We demonstrate that in order to obtain reliable data and draw valid conclusions it is mandatory to use a sufficient number of individuals for statistical evaluation. Taking too few plants for this kind of analysis results in high statistical errors and consequently in less clear interpretations of the data.

Analysis of <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em> Growth Behavior in Different Light Qualities

Plant biologists often need to observe the growth behavior of their chosen species. To this end, the plants need constant environmental and stable light conditions, which are preferably variable in quantity and quality so that studies under different setups can be conducted. These requirements are met by climatic chambers featuring light emitting diodes (LED) lights, which can – in contrast to fluorescent lights – be set to different wavelengths. LEDs are energy conserving and emit virtually no heat even at light intensities, which often constitutes a problem with other light sources. The presented protocol provides a step-by-step guidance of how to program a climatic chamber equipped with variable LED lights as well as describing several approaches for in depth analysis of growth phenotypes. Depending on the experimental set-up various characteristics of the growing plants can be observed and analyzed. Here we describe how to determine fresh weight, leaf area, photosynthetic activity, and stomatal density. We demonstrate that in order to obtain reliable data and draw valid conclusions it is mandatory to use a sufficient number of individuals for statistical evaluation. Taking too few plants for this kind of analysis results in high statistical errors and consequently in less clear interpretations of the data.

Visual Experience Facilitates BDNF-Dependent Adaptive Recruitment of New Neurons in the Postembryonic Optic Tectum.

Postembryonic brain development is sensitive to environmental input and sensory experience, but the mechanisms underlying healthy adaptive brain growth are poorly understood. Here, we tested the importance of visual experience on larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) postembryonic development of the optic tectum (OT), a midbrain structure involved in visually guided behavior. We first characterized postembryonic neurogenic growth in OT, in which new neurons are generated along the caudal tectal surface and contribute appositionally to anatomical growth. Restricting visual experience during development by rearing larvae in dim light impaired OT anatomical and neurogenic growth, specifically by reducing the survival of new neurons in the medial periventricular gray zone. Neuronal survival in the OT was reduced only when visual experience was restricted for the first 5 d following new neuron generation, suggesting that tectal neurons exhibit an early sensitive period in which visual experience protects these cells from subsequent neuronal loss. The effect of dim rearing on neuronal survival was mimicked by treatment with an NMDA receptor antagonist early, but not later, in a new neuron's life. Both dim rearing and antagonist treatment reduced BDNF production in the OT, and supplementing larvae with exogenous BDNF during dim rearing prevented neuronal loss, suggesting that visual experience protects new tectal neurons through neural activity-dependent BDNF expression. Collectively, we present evidence for a sensitive period of neurogenic adaptive growth in the larval zebrafish OT that relies on visual experience-dependent mechanisms.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Early brain development is shaped by environmental factors via sensory input; however, this form of experience-dependent neuroplasticity is traditionally studied as structural and functional changes within preexisting neurons. Here, we found that restricting visual experience affects development of the larval zebrafish optic tectum, a midbrain structure involved in visually guided behavior, by limiting the survival of newly generated neurons. We found that new tectal neurons exhibit a sensitive period soon after cell birth in which adequate visual experience, likely mediated by neuronal activity driving BDNF production within the tectum, would protect them from subsequent neuronal loss over the following week. Collectively, we present evidence for neurogenic adaptive tectal growth under different environmental lighting conditions.

Short term colour vision plasticity on the reef: Changes in opsin expression under varying light conditions differ between ecologically distinct reef fish species

Vision mediates important behavioural tasks such as mate choice, escape from predators and foraging. In fish, photoreceptors are generally tuned to specific visual tasks and/or to their light environment, according to depth or water colour to ensure optimal performance. Evolutionary mechanisms acting on genes encoding opsin, the protein component of the photopigment, can influence the spectral sensitivity of photoreceptors. Opsin genes are known to respond to environmental conditions on a number of time scales, including short time frames due to seasonal variation, or through longer-term evolutionary tuning. There is also evidence for 'on-the-fly' adaptations in adult fish in response to rapidly changing environmental conditions; however, results are contradictory. Here, we investigated the ability of three reef fish species that belong to two ecologically distinct families, yellow-striped cardinalfish (Ostorhinchus cyanosoma), Ambon damselfish (Pomacentrus amboinensis) and lemon damselfish (Pomacentrus moluccensis), to alter opsin gene expression as an adaptation to short-term (weeks to months) changes of environmental light conditions, and attempted to characterize the underlying expression regulation principles. We report the ability for all species to alter opsin gene expression within months and even a few weeks, suggesting that opsin expression in adult reef fish is not static. Furthermore, we found that changes in opsin expression in single cones generally occurred more rapidly than in double cones, and identified different responses of RH2 opsin gene expression between the ecologically distinct reef fish families. Quantum catch correlation analysis suggested different regulation mechanisms for opsin expression dependent on gene class.

Mobile mapping of night-time road environment lighting conditions

The measurement of 3D geometry for road environments is one of the main applications of mobile mapping systems (MMS). We present mobile mapping applied to a night-time road environment. We integrate the measurement of luminances into a georeferenced 3D point cloud. The luminance measurement and the 3D point cloud acquired with an MMS are used in assessing road environment lighting conditions. Luminance (cd/m2) was measured with a luminance-calibrated panoramic camera system, and point cloud was produced by laser scanners. The relative orientation between the GNSS, IMU, camera, and laser scanner sensors was solved in order to integrate the data sets into the same coordinate system. Hence, the georeferenced luminance values are transferable into geographic information systems (GIS). The method provides promising results for future road lighting assessment. In addition, this article demonstrates the night-time mobile mapping principle applied to a road section in Helsinki, Finland. Finally, we discuss the future applications of mobile-mapped luminance point clouds.

A novel methodology to realistically monitor office occupant reactions and environmental conditions using a living lab

Indoor environmental conditions, including acoustic, lighting, and thermal conditions, can impact the experience of occupants. How should these conditions be combined to optimize indoor environments for occupants? Living labs, in which study participants occupy a simulated real-world environment for an extended period, offer a new way to test the interactive effects of environmental conditions. In a proof-of-concept study, we tested whether varying combinations of environmental conditions in a simulated open-office environment would affect the experience of its occupants. Six different environmental “scenes”–combinations of acoustic, lighting, and thermal conditions—were varied weekly over 18 weeks. One scene had environmental conditions commonly found in offices, including participants' previous office, and served as the baseline against which the other scenes were compared. We tested the effects of office environmental conditions on occupants' satisfaction and workday experience in the environment. Further, we tested whether the influence of the environment would extend outside of the time spent at work to affect occupants' feelings and health behaviors. Changes in office environmental conditions affected occupants' environmental satisfaction and their workday experience. Outside of the office, environmental conditions affected people's feelings (e.g., happiness) and health behaviors (reported sleep problems). These findings demonstrate that living labs offer a powerful methodology to test the interactive effects of environmental conditions on occupants' experience, both inside and outside the lab.

Regression analysis for LED color detection of visual-MIMO system

Color detection from a light emitting diode (LED) array using a smartphone camera is very difficult in a visual multiple-input multiple-output (visual-MIMO) system. In this paper, we propose a method to determine the LED color using a smartphone camera by applying regression analysis. We employ a multivariate regression model to identify the LED color. After taking a picture of an LED array, we select the LED array region, and detect the LED using an image processing algorithm. We then apply the k-means clustering algorithm to determine the number of potential colors for feature extraction of each LED. Finally, we apply the multivariate regression model to predict the color of the transmitted LEDs. In this paper, we show our results for three types of environmental light condition: room environmental light, low environmental light (560 lux), and strong environmental light (2450 lux). We compare the results of our proposed algorithm from the analysis of training and test R-Square (%) values, percentage of closeness of transmitted and predicted colors, and we also mention about the number of distorted test data points from the analysis of distortion bar graph in CIE1931 color space.