Orange Hues Research Articles

Wing Color of Monarch Butterflies (Danaus plexippus) in Eastern North America across Life Stages: Migrants Are “Redder” than Breeding and Overwintering Stages

Monarch butterflies are famous among insects for their unique migration in eastern North America to overwinter sites in Mexico and their bright orange wing color, which has an aposematic function. While capturing migrating monarchs in northeast Georgia, USA, I noticed that many appeared to have unusually deep orange wings. I initiated the current study to compare wing hues (obtained using image analysis of scanned wings) of migrants (captured in 2005 and 2008) to samples of breeding and overwintering monarchs. Consistent with initial observations, migrants had significantly lower orange hues (reflecting deeper, redder orange colors) than breeding and overwintering monarchs. There was also a difference in hue between sexes and a relationship with wing size, such that larger monarchs had deeper, redder hues. The reasons for the color difference of migrants are not apparent, but one possibility is that the longer-lived migrant generation has denser scalation to allow for scale loss over their lifespan. Alternatively, this effect could be confined to the subpopulation of monarchs in the Southeastern United States, which may not be well represented at the Mexican overwintering sites. In any case, this discovery highlights the many questions emerging on the significance of wing color variation in this species.

Contributions of pterin and carotenoid pigments to dewlap coloration in two anole species

Animals can acquire bright coloration using a variety of pigmentary and microstructural mechanisms. Reptiles and amphibians are known to use two types of pigments—pterins and carotenoids—to generate their spectrum of colorful red, orange, and yellow hues. Because both pigment classes can confer all of these hues, the relative importance of pterins versus carotenoids in creating these different colors is not always apparent. We studied the carotenoid and pterin content of red and yellow dewlap regions in two neotropical anole species—the brown anole ( Norops sagrei) and the ground anole ( N. humilis). Pterins (likely drosopterins) and carotenoids (likely xanthophylls) were present in all tissues from all individuals. Pterins were more enriched in the lateral (red) region, and carotenoids more enriched in the midline (yellow) region in N. humilis, but pterins and carotenoids were found in similar concentrations among lateral and midline regions in N. sagrei. These patterns indicate that both carotenoid and pterin pigments are responsible for producing color in the dichromatic dewlaps of these two species, and that in these two species the two pigments interact differently to produce the observed colors.

(246) Is High Carotenoid Content Enough? Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) As a Breeding Tool: A High Throughput Strategy and Methodology Validation

Carotenoids are important phytochemical components of our diet and have gained recent attention as important nutritive compounds found mainly in fruits and vegetables with red, orange, and yellow hues. Lycopene is often cited as being inversely correlated with the occurrence of various cancers, in lowering rates of cardiovascular disease, and improving other various other immune responses. Antioxidant activity, specifically oxidative radical quenching power, is the putative rationale for carotenoids' involvement in disease risk reduction. It is unlikely, however, that carotenoid content and antioxidant capacity are directly correlated in the whole food since there are other antioxidants present in watermelon, such as various free amino acids. A total measure of antioxidant potential may prove to be a useful tool for measuring watermelon nutritional value and implementing pursuant breeding goals. One assay that has gained recent popularity is the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. ORAC includes two assays that separate lipophylic and hydrophilic antioxidants. Currently, most ORAC protocols use isolated compounds or freeze-dried fruit or vegetable samples. Here, the application of a standard hexane-type extraction method, which is more amenable to whole food carotenoid-containing samples, was investigated as a candidate extraction method for the ORAC assay. Variants of this method as well as of the standard ORAC extraction were compared for extraction efficiency. Finally, ORAC values were correlated with carotenoid content and shown to hold a loose negative correlation. Possible reasons for this are considered and discussed.

Thermal analysis of pigments based on Bi2O3

The synthesis of new pigments based on Bi2O3 is investigated because they give interesting orange hues and can substitute the pigments problematic from the environmental point of view. Chemical compounds of the Bi2–xZr3x/4O3 type were synthesized. The host lattice of these pigments is Bi2O3 that is doped by Zr4+ ions. The area of ZrO2 solubility in Bi2O3 at 800°C forming solid solution of both oxides was studied. The incorporation of doped ions provides interesting colours and contributes to a growth of the thermal stability of these compounds. The simultaneous TG-DTA measurements were used for determination of the temperature region of the pigment formation and thermal stability of pigments.

Changes in the detailed pigment composition of red wine during maturity and ageing: A comprehensive study

The qualitative and quantitative changes produced, during maturation and ageing, in the pigment composition of a red wine made from Vitis vinifera cv Tempranillo grapes have been studied. In order to determine the detailed composition of the main pigment families involved in the colour changes, a fractionation of the samples has been carried out. One-hundred and twenty-nine different compounds have been identified and their evolutions with wine age have also been established. The data obtained in the analyses of the fractions by high performance liquid chromatography–diode array detection coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC–DAD–MS) have been used in pigment identification. In order to confirm the identity of some of these compounds, their syntheses have also been carried out. As far as we know, compounds originated by acylation of the monoglucosides of the anthocyanins with lactic acid as well as 3,7-diglucosides of anthocyanins have, among others, been reported here for the first time. The moments of appearance and disappearance of all the detected compounds have also been established as well as the changes in the levels of the different pigment families and subfamilies originated as a consequence of maturation and ageing of the wine in barrels or in bottles. As wine became older, the percentages of anthocyanins decreased slightly, whereas that of the anthocyanin-derived pigments increased and, above all, compounds providing the wine with orange hues (pyranoanthocyanins). In the last sample, they represented 70% of the anthocyanin-derived pigments. On the contrary, the percentage of compounds providing bluish hues to the wine, direct and acetaldehyde-mediated flavanol–anthocyanin condensation products, decreased. This change in the nature of the anthocyanin-derived pigment would explain the colour change observed in the samples, from purple towards orange hues.

Medicine and Art

We all know not to ask ‘What is art?’. But then ‘What is medicine?’. Begging the pardon of the writer of the foreword of Alan and Marica Emery's eagerly awaited contribution to the genre, medicine can and does exist independently of doctors. (From the BMJ's view of its journalistic role, medicine encompasses ‘the clinical, scientific, social, political and economic factors affecting health’.) In art as in life, the clinical encounter between doctor and patient is of the essence. Here we see trust (misguided or otherwise), dedication, venality, and the power of the doctor to reassure or to scare but all too rarely to heal. We see the doctor as hero, as charlatan, as teacher, as custodian, as agent of the state, as man of property, as saint and sinner, as scientist and as fool. Among the familiar images regularly seen in art and medicine books, there are some interesting pictures with which readers will be less familiar. In one such, The Healing of a Lunatic Boy by the contemporary Scottish painter Stephen Conroy, there is no medical presence. The painting provides an image of fanaticism, with male figures in bow tie and sunglasses, all too evocative of Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. The ‘lunatic boy’ is nude and corpse-like, adding a bizarre sexual tension to the picture (Figure 1). Nonetheless Conroy's picture is in the long tradition of images of the healing qualities of faith. Other examples in this book are Crespi's St Francis with a Leper and Lorenzetti's St Humility Healing a Sick Nun (and doing a far better job of it than the physician who has given up on the case). There is a more even balance between the caring and the science of doctoring in Picasso's youthful painting of the bedside of a sick woman. The book's cover uses a 1910 painting of the doctor as hero—Laennec with his monaural stethoscope listening to the chest of a patient. The patient is far beyond such contemporary high tech and the attendant nun-nurse will certainly be of more help to him. Figure 1 The Healing of a Lunatic Boy (1986) by Stephen Conroy (Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh) The authors have selected images largely to ‘reflect the physician's role in society’ and in this they have succeeded. It must be said, however, that what we see is the artist's perception in his own times as to what the physician is up to. The comments on physicians from Hogarth, Rowlandson and Daumier have to be seen in the context of the personalities of these geniuses and their anti-establishment views of contemporary society as a whole. For each illustration the authors provide an eclectic commentary on aspects of the artist, of the picture and of the medical topic illustrated. I found these readable and informative. The authors have, however, been less than ideally served by the publishers in the quality of some of the illustrations. Several seem to have had the orange hues accentuated, which inter alia gives Dr Arrieta, seen with his patient Goya, an uncanny resemblance to Kirk Douglas as Van Gogh. I congratulate Alan and Marcia Emery on their book, which will give pleasure to many.

Late Quaternary Inland Dunes of Southern Louisiana and Arid Climate Phases in the Gulf Coast Region

Thirty-five sand hills that form six scattered groups rise abruptly from the flat late Pleistocene coastal plain in southeastern Louisiana. New studies confirm their eolian origin. For the first time, several late Wisconsin to early Holocene episodes of arid climate conditions have been recognized and dated in this currently humid warm-temperate subtropical region. Periods of dune formation and reactivation (28,800 to 7900 yr B.P.) were determined by the thermoluminescence method. The onset of the current climate in this Gulf coastal region postdates early Holocene time. The textural and structural homogeneity of the ridge lithosomes, good sorting of their sand fraction, and the dominantly orange hues of the dune sediments contrast with the underlying yellowish–brown to light-brown sandy silts and the well-stratified, occasionally gravelly sands of the underlying alluvial Prairie Formation. Sharply defined, unconformable ridge bases; symmetrical, oval, occasionally parabolic mound shapes; and steep slopes confirm the dune origins. The dominant orientations of ridges and ridge chains clearly reflect paleowind directions. Age comparison with dunes of the lower Mississippi Valley, the northeastern–eastern Gulf of Mexico coast, and south Atlantic coastal areas confirms the existence of at least seasonally dry climate conditions from early Wisconsin to middle Holocene times. The onset of the modern humid-subtropical climate phase in this region thus dates back only to the middle Holocene.

Dust in the Wind: Long Range Transport of Dust in the Atmosphere and Its Implications for Global Public and Ecosystem Health

Movement of soil particles in atmospheres is a normal planetary process. Images of Martian dust devils (wind-spouts) and dust storms captured by NASA's Pathfinder have demonstrated the significant role that storm activity plays in creating the red atmospheric haze of Mars. On Earth, desert soils moving in the atmosphere are responsible for the orange hues in brilliant sunrises and sunsets. In severe dust storm events, millions of tons of soil may be moved across great expanses of land and ocean. An emerging scientific interest in the process of soil transport in the Earth's atmosphere is in the field of public and ecosystem health. This article will address the benefits and the potential hazards associated with exposure to particle fallout as clouds of desert dust traverse the globe.

Volcanogenic Sulfur on Earth and Io: Composition and Spectroscopy

The causes of Io's variegated surface, especially the roles of sulfur, and the geochemical history of sulfur compounds on Io are not well understood. Suspecting that minor impurities in sulfur might be important, we have investigated the major and trace element chemistry and spectroscopic reflectance of natural sulfur from a variety of terrestrial volcanic–hydrothermal environments. Evidence suggests that Io may be substantially coated with impure sulfur. On Earth, a few tenths of a percent to a few percent of chalcophile trace elements (e.g., As and Se) comonly occur in sulfur and appear to stabilize material of yellow, brown, orange, and red hues, which may persist even at low temperatures. Percentage levels of chalcophile impurities are reasonably expected to occur on Io in vapor sublimate deposits and flows derived from such deposits. Such impurities join a host of other mechanisms that might explain Io's reds and yellows. Two-tenths to two percent opaque crystalline impurities, particularly pyrite (FeS 2), commonly produces green, gray, and black volcanic sulfur on Earth and might explain areas of Io having deposits of these colors. Pyrite produces a broad absorption near 1 μm that gradually diminishes out to 1.6 μm—similar but not identical to the spectrum of Io seen in Galileo NIMS data. Percentage amounts of carbonaceous impurities and tens of percent SiO 2 (as silicates) also strongly affect the spectral properties of Earth's sulfur. Io's broad absorption between 0.52 and 0.64 μm remains unexplained by these data but could be due to sodium sulfides, as suggested previously by others, or to As, Se, or other impurities. These impurities and others, such as P and Cl (which could exist on Io's surface in amounts over 1% that of sulfur), greatly alter the molecular structure of molten and solid sulfur. Minor impurities could impact Io's geology, such as the morphology of sulfur lava flows and the ability of sulfur to sustain high relief. We have not found any natural sulfur containing significant Na beyond that attributable to silicate inclusions. In sum, the unique physical–chemical properties of S-rich systems and the strong affinity of certain elements for S may have broad implications for the appearance, spectroscopic interpretation, and geologic processes of Io. Identification of impurities in sulfur may be helpful in tracing the geochemical evolution of surface deposits on Io. Perhaps foretelling of new areas of investigation, Cl has recently been reported in the Io torus (M. Kueppers and N. M. Schneider 1999, Eos Trans. 80, 5207), suggesting the presence on Io of either salts, such as halite, or sulfur chlorides. Further evidence of minor iogenic impurities should be sought in Io's neutral cloud and plasma torus as well as in further scrutiny of Io's reflectance spectra.

Spectral Responsiveness of Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) Determined by Trap Catches in Greenhouses

The response of western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), to color was determined by varying the hue, intensity, and saturation of 84 sticky traps in cucumber greenhouses. Male and female thrips alighted preferentially on traps of bright blue, violet, yellow, and white, whereas green, orange, and UV-reflecting white hues were not attractive. Reducing the reflectance intensity of the attractive hues resulted in a linear reduction in the number of thrips trapped, but reducing the reflectance intensity of the nonattractive colors had no effect. Sufficiently desaturating the attractive hues with white or UV-reflecting white paint resulted in a decreased response, which was attributed to interactions between key wavelengths reflected at 350 nm (UV), 440 nm (blue), and 550 nm (yellow). The addition of yellow wavelengths alone or in combination with UV to a blue hue had negative effects, and the addition of blue wavelengths alone or in combination with UV to a yellow hue also had negative effects. From these data. regression models were developed to predict the response of F. occidentalis to traps with dominant wavelengths between 400–650 nm, with or without UV reflectance.

7H‐pyrazolo[5, 1‐a]benz[d,e]isoquinolin‐7‐ones: Yellow to orange dyes for synthetic‐polymer fibres

AbstractN‐Amino‐1,8‐naphthalimides were condensed with ketones containing an α‐methylene group and the resulting hydrazones ring closed to afford derivatives of 7H‐pyrazolo(5,1‐a)benz(d,e)isoquinolin‐7‐one. These compounds coloured synthetic‐polymer fibres, particularly polyester, in brilliant fluorescent greenish‐yellow to orange hues of good fastness to light and sublimation. The colour of the dyes is discussed with respect to substituent effects in the pyrazole and naphthalene rings, and in relation to analogous 7H‐benzimidazo(2,1‐a)benz(d,e)isoquinolin‐7‐ones.

Benzo[k, l], xanthene–3, 4–dicarboximides and benzimidazoxanthenoisoquinolinones – yellow and orange dyes for synthetic–polymer fibres

Condensation of 4–chloro–l, 8–naphthalic anhydride with 2–nitrophenol afforded 4–(2–nitrophenoxy)–l, 8–naphthalic anhydride, which on reduction followed by Pschorr intramolecular cyclisation gave benzo[k, l]xanthene–3, 4–dicarboxylic acid anhydride. The identity of the product was confirmed by its alternative synthesis from 5–amino–4–phenoxy–l, 8–naphthalic anhydride. Benzo[k, l]xanthene–3, 4–dicarbox–ylic acid anhydride condensed with alkylamines or arylamines and with o–phenylenediamines to yield the corresponding imides and imidazole derivatives, which coloured polyester in fluorescent greenish–yellow to orange hues, respectively, of good fastness to light and sublimation. The colour of the dyes is discussed with respect to analogous ring–closed sulphur– containing heterocycles.

Categorical color perception: Influence of cultural factors on the differentiation of primary and derived basic color terms in color naming by Japanese children

Color naming tests with Japanese children (age 12–15) in Yonezawa, Tokyo and Düsseldorf (Germany) demonstrate that the primary basic color terms based on Hering's opponent color scheme are not influenced by the increasing Western cultural influence from Yonezawa to Tokyo and to Düsseldorf. The derived color terms for brown, orange and pink hues do appear to be influenced, however. The results support and extend the findings of Uchikawa and Boynton (1987). They verify the hypothesis that the psycholinguistics of color naming are based on a universal neurobiology of human color vision.

New Intermediates and Dyes for Synthetic‐polymer Fibres. Benzimidazothioxanthenoisoquinolinone Dioxides and Sulphones of 7H‐Benzimidazo (2, 1‐a) benz(d, e) isoquinolin‐7‐one

Condensation of benzo(k,i)thioxanthene‐3, 4‐dicarboxylic acid‐7, 7‐dioxide with o‐phenylenediamine gives a mixture of the new heterocycles benzimidazo(1, 2‐b) thioxantheno(2, 1, 9‐d, e, f) isoquinoline‐7‐one‐16, 16‐dioxide and benzimidazo(2, 1‐a) thioxantheno(2, 1, 9‐d, e, f) isoquinolin‐8‐one‐5, 5‐dioxide. Separation of these isomers is reported, together with their characterisation by unambiguous synthesis. Similar reaction with substituted o‐phenylenediamines affords other isomer mixes of the above. These new dyes colour polyester fibres in orange hues of excellent fastness to light and sublimation. Comparison of the dyes is made with the uncyclised sulphone derivatives of 7H‐benzimidazo(2, 1‐a) benz(d, e) isoquinoline‐7‐one, which are novel bright yellow dyes of good coloration and fastness properties on polyester.

The appearance and origin of colours in muddy marine sediments around New Zealand

Abstract Muddy marine sediments in the New Zealand region show a considerable range of colour. Thirty-five representative samples were selected, and divided by the writer into seven groups, lettered A to G. Simple chemical tests were applied to these samples in order to obtain information regarding the nature of the chemical compounds which control the colour of these sediments. The colour of the sediments appears to be controlled mainly by adsorbed compounds of various types. These compounds include: (a) a particular type of organic matter, which gives rise to an olive hue; (b) certain iron compounds (probably silicates) which contain exchangeable ferric iron, and are sometimes partly responsible for an olive hue; (c) ferric oxide or hydroxide, which gives rise to orange, yellowish brown or yellow hues; and (d) manganese dioxide, which also gives rise to orange or yellowish brown hues, but which produces considerably darker sediments than ferric oxide or hydroxide.

Alighting of Aphids on Colored Cards m a Flight Chamber

Color preferences of the cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae (L.); the green peach aphid, Myzus perslcae (Sulzer); and the garden nasturtium aphid, Aphis Sp., were observed under controlled conditions in a flight chamber. The aphids were tested with colored 15.2 × 22.9.cm paper cards. In replicated tests the flying insects were presented with a horizontal row of 3 or 5 colored cards. In each replicate the position of the cards in the row was changed. The 3 species of aphids alighted more frequently on yellow cards than on those where yellow was mixed with orange or green. Orange or green hues presented alone were unattractive. All other hues tested were unattractive as were several shades of gray. Some tints were as attractive or more attractive to the garden nasturtium aphid than their hue or base colors. The possible relationship of the responses observed to color vision of the aphid and to the buildup of aphids following use of some pesticides is discussed.