Unusual Colors Research Articles

Ni-rich mineral nepouite explains the exceptional green color of speleothems

Speleothems are secondary mineral structures typically found in karstic caves and usually composed of calcite or aragonite. Despite being naturally white, some might exhibit unusual colors, such as blue, black, red, yellow or green. The causes of these exceptional colorations are poorly understood, especially for green speleothems, which are barely reported. Here we describe the occurrence of the green Ni-bearing serpentine nepouite in green aragonite and calcite speleothems, in the Aven du Marcou (Hérault, France). Nepouite is mainly found as flat lamellar crystals in the outer rim of green speleothems and crystallized alongside radially grown aragonite crystals. This supports nepouite beginning to crystallize recently, due to a change in the chemical composition of the water. Nepouite also exhibits extensive substitution between Ni, Mg and Zn. The various elements responsible for nepouite precipitation are thought to come from the weathering of pyrite crystals in the overlying rocks, which is consistent with the pH conditions of the cave and the Al-free composition of nepouite. This study explains the crystallization mechanisms and stability conditions of silicate minerals in colored caves.

PHARMACOGNOSTIC STUDY OF COSMOS BIPINNATUS CAV. (FAM. ASTERACEАE), CULTURED IN THE WESTERN CAUCASIAN REGION

The purpose of the work: to reveal the study of the morpho-anatomical composition and composition of biologically active groups – compounds, carboxylic acids and trace elements of the aerial part of various species of Cosmos bipinnatus Cav.: ‘Purity’, ‘Rosea’ and ‘Dazzler’.
 Materials and methods. The object of the study is the cultivation of three species of space plants in Europe, collected in the flowering phase at the beginning of 2020. Micropreparations were obtained using a Biomed-2 microscope (eyepiece 16x, objective 4x, 10x) in accordance with the procedures of the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation, XVI edition (SP XVI). Carbohydrate complexes are isolated from dried raw materials by the method of N.K. Kochetkov and M. Sinner. Quantify the content of each assessment gravimetrically. The monosaccharide composition is established after acid hydrolysis by paper chromatography. Identification of acid consumption is carried out using thin layer chromatography. The elemental and amino acid composition is examined by capillary electrophoresis.
 Results and discussion. Certain characteristic microscopic features of Cosmos bipinnatus Cav., Aster varieties ‘Rosea’, ‘Dazzler’, ‘Purity’ for various morphological parts of plants (leaves, flowers, inflorescence involucre, stem), revealing the identified signs of the alleged medicinal source as a source of biologically active connections. A comparative analysis of the composition of carbohydrates, carboxylic acids and carbohydrates of shoots (leaves and stems) showed that water-soluble polysaccharides are arabinose fructose, rhamnose and galactose, pectin monosaccharides are galacturonic acid, glucose and arabinose detection, and hemicelluloses A and B are xylose, glucose and galactose. In all known varieties, succinic acid is noted. A high content of proline and essential amino acids: leucine, methionine, valine, threonine, as well as the ability of all the studied sources to collect potassium, magnesium, iron and boron ions were noted.
 Conclusion. It has been established that the unusual colors of the flowers are predominantly the color of the stems. The anatomical features of different species are practically the same. It was revealed that the ‘Purity’ variety surpasses the objects in terms of the content of water-soluble polysaccharides, cellulose-hemi A and B, other essential amino acids, aliphatic amino acids, iron and boron. Variety ‘Dazzler’ is the richest in pectin doses and potassium ions. ‘Rosea’ variety contains the maximum amount of high content of amino acids.

Trooping the (School) Colour

Trooping the (School) Colour

CUBISM WITH ITS AESTHETIC PARADIGMS AS AN AVANT-GARDE CULTURALARTISTIC MOVEMENT AND AN ART PRINCIPLE FOR CREATING ANALOGUE FASHION SOLUTIONS

Design in applied art is a process of creating and developing a plan for an aesthetic and functional object,which requires appropriate research, thinking, modeling, adaptation and creation. Aesthetics today appears invarious forms of art. Therefore, when we talk about something that creates an aesthetic experience, we are usuallytalking about some form of art. The focus of aesthetics is not limited but directed towards aesthetic ideas, ideals andsublime appearance. Cubism as an artistic movement is a new way of representing the world. We could associate thebeauty of Cubism with the unconventional value, because its aesthetic paradigms penetrate the elements thatsurround our environment. The works are deformed, illogical, irrational, broken down into small details. Still lifeand portraiture are like a set of geometric shapes that interact with each other. This direction with aestheticparadigms turns into a special form of the avant-garde, where sharp angles, straight lines and neutral colors play adominant role. Artistic pictures - still life, portrait – do not have to look real, they are like a puzzle that the viewerhas to mentally put together, while the consumer has to feel fashion and always need change, because it itselfchanges daily in direction of something new and different. The very idea of designing analog fashion solutions onthe theme of “Cubism“ is derived from the feeling and perception that Cubism is an artistic movement, which findsthe most ordinary spatial patterns and configurations of things, phenomena that represent all the complexity anddiversity of life. At its core, Cubism perceives the world through geometric forms. It can be seen that the works aredominated by the concept of geometric simplification of the forms of the human body. All these aspects combineinto a simple and unique form or symbol, but each of them provides a key to interpretation, each offering a distinct“reading“ of the image. A person's abilities and imaginations are sometimes simply amazing, because they developand express their creativity in different ways. From such a concept came the cubist style, a style of somethingextraordinary and interesting. Cubism as a cultural artistic movement, with its artistic principles, shows free forms,bizarre construction of figures and objects, as if light currents passed through the objects and tried to show the objectfrom different angles. Thanks to the created creations on the theme of cubism, the world is introduced to the style offlat forms without perspective with completely new and unusual colors, which communicate with each other. Thisartistic movement, possessing all these aesthetic paradigms and artistic principles, still manages to influence thecreation of absolutely unconventional analog fashion solutions today.

Identification of treated Baltic amber by FTIR and FT-Raman – A feasibility study

Heat-treated succinite modified under air, oxygen or inert gas atmosphere to improve its colour and clarity, was studied with Fourier-Transform Infrared and Raman spectroscopy, and referenced to variously altered untreated samples. For treated amber, the macroscopic observations revealed diagnostic features such as (1) the presence of discoidal “ sun sparkles” inside the crumbs; (2) unusual colours (e.g. dark red) for transparent specimens; (3) mottled colour patches in “beeswax” and “dragon’s blood” amber; (4) luminescence quenching; and (5) significant reduction of pine-tree resinous smell. On FTIR spectra the heat treatment of succinite is mainly marked by: (1) the intensity decrease of 2932 cm−1 band (>CH2 and –CH3), followed by the intensity increase of line at 1732 cm−1; (2) the shifts of the band from ν(C = O) towards lower wavenumbers (from 1735 cm−1 to 1714 cm−1); (3) the decrease of intensity of the band at 888 cm−1 ((=CH2 or –CH = CH–); (4) some slight distortion of “Baltic shoulder” in the region 1100–1300 cm−1. The Principal Component Analysis applied to FTIR spectra enabled to distinguish not only untreated amber from treated one, but also recognize the modifications made under oxygen conditions from the ones in an inert gas. On RS spectra of the treated Baltic amber, the heat modifications are indicated by: (1) slight value increase of the relative intensity ratio I1650/1445 compared to untreated succinite; (2) the shift of bands near 1650 (C = C) and 1445 cm−1 (CH2, CH3) towards higher wavenumbers.

As rare as hen’s teeth: aberrantly coloured eggs of the northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) and the interface between oology and ornithology

The majority of birds lay eggs of a colour and maculation “typical” of their species, but very occasionally individual females produce eggs of unusual colours. In the past, such eggs were often the target of egg collectors. Four trays of unusually coloured northern lapwing Vanellus vanellus eggs originally accumulated by two notable collectors, F.C.R. Jourdain and J. M. Goodall in the late 1800s and early 1900s, were recovered from the home of David Wilson after his death in 2020. Wilson had acquired this lapwing material, comprising 91 clutches and 347 eggs in total, from the avid collector and millionaire, Captain Vivian Hewitt after Hewitt’s death in 1965. The lapwing clutches are unusual both in terms of their colours, ranging from pale blue with almost no maculation (“cyanic”), through to red (“erythristic”), but also in terms of the completeness of their accompanying data. During the 1800s and early 1900s, hundreds of thousands of lapwing eggs were collected annually in Britain and the Netherlands for human consumption, providing egg collectors, like Goodall and Jourdain, the opportunity to screen large numbers of clutches and acquire rare types. The occurrence of rare egg types in museum egg collections have the potential to provide opportunities to better understand the normal physiological and genetic bases of avian egg colour.

Colour Memory Analysis for Selected Associative Colours

Colours are one of the most important factors in everyday life. The exact number of existing colours is not yet fully known. Nevertheless, people are known for having poor colour memory. The ability to remember colours depends both on the characteristics of an individual and the situation in which the colour needs to be recalled. The field of colour memory (perception and memory of unusual colours) has been very poorly researched. The aim of this study was to analyse long-term colour memory for selected associative colours, comparing it with short-term colour memory. The research approach was based on observation, with observers observing for a period of time a particular colour, image, or a descriptively given reference colour. Colour was treated separately from associations in the first part, and related to associations in the second and third parts. The first part contained all the reference colours shown independently of associations, the second part contained grayscale images of brands, and the third part comprised descriptively given colours. The result analysis showed that people remember colours very poorly. Observers generally performed better in testing short-term memory. Moreover, the way the template was presented had a noticeable effect on the long-term colour memory. When the image was given in grey, the results were better. The descriptive rendering of reference colours shown did not contribute to better results. The gender of observers did not significantly affect the results.

M\xf6ssbauer and Raman characterization of ash produced by burning ancient buried Japanese cedar and investigation for its unusual color tone

Mössbauer and Raman spectroscopic characterization of colored ash samples made by combustion of ancient buried Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) was carried out, and the factors governing the color tones were investigated mainly in terms of the chemical species of Fe. The ash samples displayed various unusual colors, depending clearly on the individual ancient tree and the part of it. Some of Mössbauer spectra of the ash samples showed magnetic hyperfine splittings due to internal magnetic fields. The Mössbauer and Raman spectra suggested that the primary Fe-containing species in all the ash samples was calcium ferrite, Ca2Fe2O5.

Functional and Emotional Features Studies on Traditional Indonesian Instant Food Packaging

Food technology and packaging create opportunities for Indonesian SMEs to sell traditional dishes for instant cooking. Such products require a fitting packaging design. The purpose of this study was to find out verbal and visual design elements that have functional and emotional appeal that are suitable for the packaging of instant traditional Indonesian food. This study used a combined qualitative and quantitative method, measuring the respondents’ opinions using a 5-point Likert scale. According to the results, the packaging of instant traditional Indonesian food brands is mostly functional but not unique. To make the appearance of the products stand out more and have more emotional appeal, three things can be applied to the packaging design: firstly, unusual colors and shapes to create a unique impression; secondly, a conventional image rather than a modern image; and thirdly, visual and verbal icons referring to the origin of the traditional dish that are still popular to create a familiar image.

Whole genome sequencing for mutation discovery in a single case of lysosomal storage disease (MPS type 1) in the dog

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) is a metabolic storage disorder caused by the deficiency of any lysosomal enzyme required for the breakdown of glycosaminoglycans. A 15-month-old Boston Terrier presented with clinical signs consistent with lysosomal storage disease including corneal opacities, multifocal central nervous system disease and progressively worsening clinical course. Diagnosis was confirmed at necropsy based on histopathologic evaluation of multiple organs demonstrating accumulation of mucopolysaccharides. Whole genome sequencing was used to uncover a frame-shift insertion affecting the alpha-L-iduronidase (IDUA) gene (c.19_20insCGGCCCCC), a mutation confirmed in another Boston Terrier presented 2 years later with a similar clinical picture. Both dogs were homozygous for the IDUA mutation and shared coat colors not recognized as normal for the breed by the American Kennel Club. In contrast, the mutation was not detected in 120 unrelated Boston Terriers as well as 202 dogs from other breeds. Recent inbreeding to select for recessive and unusual coat colors may have concentrated this relatively rare allele in the breed. The identification of the variant enables ante-mortem diagnosis of similar cases and selective breeding to avoid the spread of this disease in the breed. Boston Terriers carrying this variant represent a promising model for MPS I with neurological abnormalities in humans.

Si amanece, nos vamos for solo guitar: Using multiphonics in a new way

The technique of guitar multiphonics is an unconventional performing technique that gives rise to sounds of unusual colours, in which it is easier to perceive multiple pitches. In most compositions that employ the technique, this is done conventionally – there is hardly any variation in the beginning and/or end of the sounds. The piece presented in this article uses multiphonics in a new way. This was arrived at by the author unintentionally when conducting artistic research during the compositional process of the third piece in which she used guitar multiphonics. With the new form of usage of this technique there is variation in both the beginning and end of the sounds, as these gradually arise from, and vanish into the continuous sound of an open string. In the piece, this is used as a pedal tone that sounds insistently most of the time.

Impact of boosting saturation on automatic human detection in imagery acquired by unmanned aerial vehicles

We aim to investigate a potential impact of boosting saturation of aerial imagery on the performance of unsupervised human detection algorithms. The study is empirical since it is based on processing photographs taken during a full year experiment in the Izerskie Mountains (southwestern Poland) by a consumer-grade Canon S110 camera mounted onboard eBee, a fixed-wing micro-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). In the preliminary analysis, we used a few basic color adjustments (sharpening, hue–saturation–luminance, contrast, saturation, and vibrance) to process UAV-taken photographs prior to the automated human detection with the nested k -means algorithm. We found that saturation boost is an image preprocessing method that may potentially improve the performance of human detection. In the actual analysis, we investigate only the saturation effect by employing four saturation modification schemes (two versions of enhancements of unusual colors, additive boost of saturation, and multiplicative boost of saturation) and three human detection algorithms [three-dimensional (3-D) nested k -means on RGB, two-dimensional nested k -means on hue–saturation–value, morphological operations of erosion, and dilation with thresholding]. All the studied saturation boost techniques increase detection rates of the 3-D nested k -means on RGB, with particularly meaningful improvement for images acquired in the spring. Morphological operations of erosion and dilation are not found to be skillful in detecting persons. However, their performance is improved after the initial preprocessing by the original or modified enhancement of unusual colors.

(Invited) Efficient Dyes with Unexpected Colors for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

We herein report three organic dyes with unusual colors for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) indoor or outdoor applications. The AN-11 dye is an anthracene-based dye. With a relatively simple chemical structure, AN-11 absorbs light at 528 nm and its solution appears red. Surprisingly, DSSCs sensitized with AN-11 show a very black color. We addressed this interesting phenomenon. For indoor applications, we examined a large module (active area = 26.8 cm2) sensitized with the AN-11 dye, along with the Z907 dye for comparison. Our study shows that overall efficiency (η) of the AN-11 module is superior to that of the Z907 counterpart, approaching 12% under 1000 Lux of T5 light. The LS-01 and LS-11 dyes are air-stable bacteriochlorins with a push-pull chemical design. Photovoltaic measurements of our first generation bacteriochlorin dyes show that LS-01 (η = 4.67 %) and LS-11 (η = 5.36 %) significantly outperform the reference porphyrin dye, H2PE1, (η = 2.06 %) under one-sun irradiation. Intriguingly, the anodes sensitized with the LS-01 and LS-11 dyes give rise to pink and blue colors, respectively.

A Multiply-Imaged z ∼ 6.3 Lyman Alpha Emitter candidate behind Abell 2261

While the Lyman-$\alpha$ ($\mathrm{Ly}\alpha$) emission line serves as an important tool in the study of galaxies at $z\lesssim 6$, finding Ly$\alpha$ emitters (LAE) at significantly higher redshifts has been more challenging, probably because of the increasing neutrality of the intergalactic medium above $z\sim6$. Galaxies with extremely high rest-frame Ly$\alpha$ equivalent widths, EW(Ly$\alpha$) $\gtrsim 150$ \AA{}, at $z>6$ are good candidates for Ly$\alpha$ follow-up observations, and can stand out in multiband imaging surveys because of their unusual colors. We have conducted a photometric search for such objects in the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH), and report here the identification of three likely gravitationally-lensed images of a single LAE candidate at $z\sim6.3$, behind the galaxy cluster Abell 2261($z = 0.225$). In the process, we also measured with Keck/MOSFIRE the first spectroscopic redshift of a multiply-imaged galaxy behind Abell 2261, at $z = 3.337$. This allows us to calibrate the lensing model, which in turn is used to study the properties of the candidate LAE. Population III galaxy spectral energy distribution (SED) model fits to the CLASH broadband photometry of the possible LAE provide a slightly better fit than Population I/II models. The best fitted model suggests intrinsic EW(Ly$\alpha$) $\approx 160$ \AA{} after absorption in the interstellar and intergalactic medium. Future spectroscopic observations will examine this prediction as well as shed more light on the morphology of this object, which indicates it may be a merger of two smaller galaxies.

Multimedia tool as a predictor for social media advertising- a YouTube way

Multimedia has embraced the marketing industry with its innovative tools. Advertising as a part of marketing is not an exception. Social media is one of its tools which is growing with an accelerating speed and facilitating meaningful participation. YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google and is considered to leverage its features to provide nothing but the best to its users. Marketers of beauty products have also realized its potential and are using YouTube as a powerful marketing tool. The paper attempts to evaluate importance of YouTube as a multimedia tool. Content analysis of hundred YouTube advertisements of the beauty segment has been done to identify their critical success factors like Audio content (sound saturation, background music, loud and fast music, sound effects), Visual Category (No. of cuts, visual effects, intense imagery, slow motion, bold/ unusual colours), Content category (acted out, unexpected format, surprise ending), Message Appeals (Rational, Fear, Social, Youth, Statistics, Bandwagon and Celebrity Appeal) and viewers' response through the number of views and likes. Accordingly, a framework has been proposed that may be useful for the managers who develop promotional strategies for the organizations. AIDA model has been used to validate the framework.

‘I cried for my lost sight.’ Vision and diabetes

‘I cried for my lost sight.’ Vision and diabetes

Redstart Bird (Passeriformes, Muscicapidae) with Non-Typical Plumage — Interspecific Hybrid or Eastern Subspecies in Fauna of Ukraine

Abstract A redstart male in plumage resembling that of the Common Redstart, Phoenicurus phoenicurus (Linnaeus, 1758), but with black throat extending downwards the central part of the breast was recorded in Dnipro City (Central Prydniprovia, i. e. Central Ukraine) in April, 2014. Song, calls and behavior of the male were typical of the Black Redstart, Phoenicurus ochruros (Gmelin 1774). The male was breeding with the Black Redstart female and successfully reared two nestlings. Both adults were captured and examined. The male with unusual colors of plumage exhibited strong resemblance to phenotype of males from the subspecies phoenicuroides of Black Redstart. Examination of specimens belonging to the subspecies in collection of Zoological Museum (NMHH of NAS of Ukraine) revealed that according to wingtip formula, the non-typical male is also similar to those of that race, in particular ones from Tyva (situated on border between the Upper Yenisei region and Mongolia). However, some plumage characters (signs of white color on emargination of outer web on some tertials and secondaries as trait of the subspecies gibraltariensis of the Black Redstart, as well as whitish belly and paler rufous color on lower breast and underparts as peculiarities of the Common Redstart) seem to indicate hybrid origin of the recorded male. The redstart male exhibiting both traits of the Common Redstart and Black Redstart was found for the first time in all period of expansion of gibraltariensis subspecies from west border of Ukraine eastwards and southwards.

A SEARCH FOR POPULATION III GALAXIES IN CLASH. I. SINGLY IMAGED CANDIDATES AT HIGH REDSHIFT

Population III galaxies are predicted to exist at high redshifts and may be rendered sufficiently bright for detection with current telescopes when gravitationally lensed by a foreground galaxy cluster. Population III galaxies that exhibit strong Lya emission should furthermore be identifiable from broadband photometry because of their unusual colors. Here, we report on a search for such objects at z > 6 in the imaging data from the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH), covering 25 galaxy clusters in 16 filters. Our selection algorithm returns five singly-imaged candidates with Lya-like color signatures, for which ground-based spectroscopy with current 8-10 m class telescopes should be able to test the predicted strength of the Lya line. None of these five objects have been included in previous CLASH compilations of high-redshift galaxy candidates. However, when large grids of spectral synthesis models are applied to the study of these objects, we find that only two of these candidates are significantly better fitted by Population III models than by more mundane, low-metallicity stellar populations.

VÝVOJ ZAHRADNÍHO UMĚNÍ 18. STOLETÍ V SANKT PETĚRBURGU A SROVNÁNÍ S HLAVNÍMI EVROPSKÝMI VZORY

The 18th century was the period when the Russian empire started to open to the western culture. The economic and cultural development of this country started after the reforms of the emperor Petr I. Large number of the imperial palaces where built after the foundation of Santk Petersburg in 1703. Peter I was a big admirer of the western culture, his knowledge about it increased during two visits through Europe. Therefore, the formal gardens and baroque palaces built during the reign of Peter the Great are called Peter’s baroque.Until 1715 were all Russian gardens influenced by the Holland pattern like the palaces built by William of Orange in Holland – Het Loo and in England part of the Hampton Court. The first garden laid out in formal style in Sankt Petersburg was the Summer Garden – located in the architectural heart of the city. Gardens of this period were characteristic by small closed ground plan surrounded by water canals, an absence of using terrace as a symbol of majesty and highest point of view and finally by modest architecture. After the second visit of Peter I to Europe, he started to use all principles of the French formal gardens based on Andre Le Notre work. Palaces like Petrodvorets, Strelna and residence of first minister Alexander Menshikov in Oranienbaum were laid out on a natural terrace overlooking the Gulf of Finland. During the reign Elizabeth Petrovna started a huge expansion of palaces Petrodvorets, Hermitage and Tsarskoe Selo by the Italian architect Francisco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, whose combinations of rich ornaments, soft unusual colours and white columns are symbol of Russian baroque of the middle of 18th century. Moreover, F. B. Rastrelli also rebuilt some garden pavilions giving a new dimension of composition between buildings and garden. His sense of buildings soft colours in contras to the dark colours of north nature was very important and helped to improve Russian garden design of this time.After the start of reign Catherine II in 1761 begun new period of architectural style – Classicism and English Landscape School. At first was rebuilt a part of the formal gardens in Tsarskoe Selo for which was used the composition of the famous Stowe Park as a pattern. Others built landscape parks were Pavlovsk, Gatchina and Alexandrowski Park. In the process of creating those imperial residences were used principles of the work of William Kent, with antique temples, also Lancelot Brown’s famous nature scenery. Moreover, the compositions of landscape parks are good examples of oriental and neo-gothic pavilions. Russian formal gardens and landscape parks are inseparable part of European art in 17th and 18th century. They composition content basic characteristic of French baroque and English landscape school together with different elements originated as a adaptation to the specific climatic conditions of this region.

Towards Overcoming the Guitar's Color Research Gap

Most (classical) guitar music comes from guitarist-composers. Yet according to guitarists who collaborate with composers, color research on this instrument is better achieved by those who do not play the instrument. Thus the guitar lags behind many instruments in regard to color research. Various reasons can be faulted for the tendency of non-guitarist composers to avoid the instrument. Examples of such reasons may be: the difficulty to write for the instrument, and its weak projection and lack of sustain, all of which are intrinsic to the guitar. This is, however, not the case of the paradigmatic sound for which the instrument is also dismissed, which is rather the legacy of the conservative guitarist Andrés Segovia, who was one of the main promoters of the guitar in the twentieth century. When composers dismiss the guitar for being difficult to write for, collaboration with guitarists has proven fruitful. Given that Segovia's conservatism still prevails among many guitarists, if the sonorous possibilities of the instrument are to be expanded, it is essential that the guitarist is adventurous and has a good arsenal of techniques. New color-research results could entice composers dismissing the guitar for its limitations or its paradigmatic sound to reconsider composing for the instrument. The amplification of sounds with low intensity can be a useful tool to obtain new colors. However, sounds arising from conventional instruments require some caution. It is important to introduce novelty in order to avoid connotation with their respective non-amplified instrument. The technique of multiphonics, which produces sounds of unusual colors, is believed to be a suitable tool when the guitar is amplified with close microphone placement. Through making audible the sounds' components of a lower intensity, this situation would reveal to the audience colors otherwise only heard by the guitarist.