Eco-Friendly Zn-Ag-In-Ga-S Quantum Dots: Amorphous Indium Sulfide Passivated Silver/Sulfur Vacancies Achieving Efficient Red Light-Emitting Diodes

I-III-VI quantum dots (QDs) and derivatives (I, III, and VI are Ag+/Cu+, Ga3+/In3+, and S2-/Se2-, respectively) are the ideal candidates to replace II-VI (e.g., CdSe) and perovskite QDs due to their nontoxicity, pure color, high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), and full visible coverage. However, the chaotic cation alignment in multielement systems can easily lead to the formation of multiple surface vacancies, highlighted as VI and VVI, leading to nonradiative recombination and nonequilibrium carrier distribution, which severely limit the performance improvement of materials and devices. Here, based on Zn-Ag-In-Ga-S QDs, we construct an ultrathin indium sulfide shell that can passivate electron vacancies and convert donor/acceptor level concentrations. The optimized In-rich 2-layer indium sulfide structure not only enhances the radiative recombination rate by preventing further VS formation but also achieves the typical DAP emission enhancement, achieving a significant increase in PLQY to 86.2% at 628 nm. Moreover, the optimized structure can mitigate the lattice distortion and make the carrier distribution in the interior of the QDs more balanced. On this basis, red QD light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) with the highest external quantum efficiency (EQE; 5.32%) to date were obtained, providing a novel scheme for improving I-III-VI QD-based QLED efficiency.

Red biases sex categorization of human bodies

Color is associated with gender information (e.g., red-female). However, little has been known on the effect of color on sex recognition of human bodies. This study aimed to investigate whether the color red could influence the categorization of human bodies by sex, and the effect of contextual information. Visual stimuli were created using body silhouettes varying along the waist-to-hip ratio from female to male shapes. These stimuli were presented in conjunction with red, green, and gray colors, which were used either as body color (Experiment 1) or background color (Experiment 2). Participants were instructed to categorize the sex of the body stimuli as either male or female by pressing labeled keys. The results showed that when red was used as a body color, it induced a bias toward feminine body perception, while when used as a background color, it induced a bias toward masculine body perception. Thus, the color red influenced the sex categorization of human bodies, which being modulated by contextual information. These findings provided novel insights into the effect of contextual color cues in sex recognition of human bodies.

Thermally activated delayed fluorescence and high-contrast mechanochromism of anthrone-based donor-acceptor systems

The development of materials that emit in the deep-red to near-infrared region of the spectrum has attracted significant attention due to their potential as optical sensing and imaging reagents in biology. Herein, we report the synthesis and optoelectronic characterization of four anthraquinone-based emitters, T-tBuCz-AQ, T-MeOCz-AQ, C-tBuCz-AQ, and C-MeOCz-AQ, and two pyrazoloanthrone-based emitters, tBuCz-PA and DMAC-PA. Depending on the donor, these compounds emit in the spectral range between 640 and 750 nm in the neat film, while the emission of the 10 wt% doped films in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is blue-shifted between 600 and 700 nm and has low photoluminescence quantum yields between 2.6% and 6.6%. Of these compounds, T-tBuCz-AQ, T-MeOCz-AQ, and C-tBuCz-AQ exhibited thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) in 10 wt% doped films in PMMA, while the crystals of T-tBuCz-AQ also showed TADF. Compound tBuCz-PA showed a high-contrast and reversible photoluminescence (PL) response upon mechanical grinding and hexane fuming.

Diagnostic performances of D-dimer, prothrombin time, and red blood cell distribution width for coronary artery lesion in children with acute stage Kawasaki disease

Aim

To evaluate the performances of D-dimer, prothrombin time (PT), and red blood cell distribution width (RDW) for the diagnosis of coronary artery lesion (CAL) in acute stage Kawasaki disease (KD).

Methods

Between January 2018 and January 2021, a total of 102 children with acute stage KD were included in this retrospective study. Among them, 36 KD children with CAL were divided into the CAL group, and 66 KD children without CAL were divided into the NCAL group. Independent predictors of CAL in acute stage KD were identified by using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Spearman correlations were used to evaluate the association between CAL in acute stage KD and different indicators. The diagnostic performance of different indicators for CAL in acute stage KD was analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results

Compared with the NCAL group, children in the CAL group had significantly higher white blood cell count, lymphocyte count, platelet count, D-dimer, and RDW levels, but lower PT levels (all p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that D-dimer (OR = 1.0, 95% CI: 1.004-1.012, p < 0.001), PT (OR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.8, p = 0.01), and RDW (OR = 7.0, 95% CI: 2.6-19.2, p < 0.001) were independent predictors of CAL in children with acute stage KD. CAL showed a positive correlation with D-dimer (r = 0.4, p < 0.001) and RDW (r = 0.5, p < 0.001), and had a negative association with PT (r = -0.2, p < 0.05). The ROC curve analysis showed that the combination of the three indicators had the highest diagnostic performance for CAL in acute stage KD with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.922 (sensitivity, 86.1%; specificity, 89.4%), compared with D-dimer (AUC = 0.736), PT (AUC = 0.640), and RDW (AUC = 0.819) alone.

Conclusion

A combination of D-dimer, PT, and RDW may help predict CAL in children with acute stage KD.

Lights for epilepsy: can photobiomodulation reduce seizures and offer neuroprotection?

Epilepsy is synonymous with individuals suffering repeated "fits" or seizures. The seizures are triggered by bursts of abnormal neuronal activity, across either the cerebral cortex and/or the hippocampus. In addition, the seizure sites are characterized by considerable neuronal death. Although the factors that generate this abnormal activity and death are not entirely clear, recent evidence indicates that mitochondrial dysfunction plays a central role. Current treatment options include drug therapy, which aims to suppress the abnormal neuronal activity, or surgical intervention, which involves the removal of the brain region generating the seizure activity. However, ~30% of patients are unresponsive to the drugs, while the surgery option is invasive and has a morbidity risk. Hence, there is a need for the development of an effective non-pharmacological and non-invasive treatment for this disorder, one that has few side effects. In this review, we consider the effectiveness of a potential new treatment for epilepsy, known as photobiomodulation, the use of red to near-infrared light on body tissues. Recent studies in animal models have shown that photobiomodulation reduces seizure-like activity and improves neuronal survival. Further, it has an excellent safety record, with little or no evidence of side effects, and it is non-invasive. Taken all together, this treatment appears to be an ideal treatment option for patients suffering from epilepsy, which is certainly worthy of further consideration.

Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Management of Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Pseudoepithelial Hyperplasia Secondary to Red Ink Tattoo: A Case Series and Review

The increasing popularity of tattooing has paralleled an increase in associated cutaneous reactions. Red ink is notorious for eliciting cutaneous reactions. A common reaction is pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia (PEH), which is a benign condition closely simulating squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Differentiating PEH from SCC is challenging for pathologists and clinicians alike. The exact pathogenesis of these lesions secondary to red ink is not known, and there are no sources outlining diagnostic and treatment options and their efficacy. We present four study cases with different pathologies associated to red ink tattoos including lichenoid reaction, granulomatous reaction, PEH, and an SCC. Additionally, an extensive review of 63 articles was performed to investigate pathogenesis, diagnostic approaches, and treatment options. Hypotheses surrounding pathogenesis include but are not limited to the carcinogenic components of pigments, their reaction with UV and the traumatic process of tattooing. Pathogenesis seems to be multifactorial. Full-thickness biopsies with follow-up is the recommended diagnostic approach. There is no evidence of a single universally successful treatment for PEH. Low-dose steroids are usually tried following a step up in lack of clinical response. For SCC lesions, full surgical excision is widely used. A focus on clinicians' awareness of adverse reactions is key for prevention. Regulation of the unmonitored tattoo industry remains an ongoing problem.

Photobiomodulation for Hypertension and Alzheimer's Disease

Although the cause(s) of Alzheimer's disease in the majority of cases remains elusive, it has long been associated with hypertension. In animal models of the disease, hypertension has been shown to exacerbate Alzheimer-like pathology and behavior, while in humans, hypertension during mid-life increases the risk of developing the disease later in life. Unfortunately, once individuals are diagnosed with the disease, there are few therapeutic options available. There is neither an effective symptomatic treatment, one that treats the debilitating cognitive and memory deficits, nor, more importantly, a neuroprotective treatment, one that stops the relentless progression of the pathology. Further, there is no specific preventative treatment that offsets the onset of the disease. A key factor or clue in this quest for an effective preventative and therapeutic treatment may lie in the contribution of hypertension to the disease. In this review, we explore the idea that photobiomodulation, the application of specific wavelengths of light onto body tissues, can reduce the neuropathology and behavioral deficits in Alzheimer's disease by controlling hypertension. We suggest that treatment with photobiomodulation can be an effective preventative and therapeutic option for this neurodegenerative disease.

Lights on for Autism: Exploring Photobiomodulation as an Effective Therapeutic Option

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that starts in childhood and continues into adulthood. The core characteristics include difficulties with social interaction and communication, together with restricted and repetitive behaviours. There are a number of key abnormalities of brain structure and function that trigger these behavioural patterns, including an imbalance of functional connectivity and synaptic transmission, neuronal death, gliosis and inflammation. In addition, autism has been linked to alterations in the gut microbiome. Unfortunately, as it stands, there are few treatment options available for patients. In this mini-review, we consider the effectiveness of a potential new treatment for autism, known as photobiomodulation, the therapeutic use of red to near infrared light on body tissues. This treatment has been shown in a range of pathological conditions-to improve the key changes that characterise autism, including the functional connectivity and survival patterns of neurones, the patterns of gliosis and inflammation and the composition of the microbiome. We highlight the idea that photobiomodulation may form an ideal treatment option for autism, one that is certainly worthy of further investigation.

Effects of Combined Visible and Infrared Light Rhinophototherapy in Patients With Allergic Rhinitis

BACKGROUND

Intranasal phototherapy offers an alternative treatment method for patients with allergic rhinitis who cannot benefit from intranasal corticosteroids and oral antihistamines. Different wavelengths have been tried with promising results.

OBJECTIVE

In this present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of visible light-infrared light phototherapy on clinical improvements together with its cytologic effects in patients with allergic rhinitis.

METHODS

Patients with confirmed allergic rhinitis were given a 4-week course of intranasal phototherapy treatment. Weekly symptom questionnaires were applied to monitor clinical effects. Nasal lavage specimens were obtained before the start and at the completion of the 4-week therapy. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analyses of CD16⁺, CD24⁺, and CD 45⁺ cells were performed. Statistical analyses are performed of weekly changes in symptoms and cell counts.

RESULTS

CD45⁺CD16^highCD24⁺ neutrophil count in nasal lavages decreased significantly whereas CD45⁺CD16^dim/-CD24⁺ eosinophil counts significantly increased and CD45⁺ granulocyte counts remained unchanged. Symptom scores including nasal itching, nasal discharge, nasal obstruction, sneezing, eye itching, throat itching, and ear itching all statistically decreased compared to baseline at the end of 4 weeks.

CONCLUSION

Four-week course of intranasal phototherapy with visible and infrared light leads to clinical improvement in allergic rhinitis patients.

The Relationship between the Color of Electronic Protectors and the Outcome in Taekwondo Matches: Is There Fairness in National Competitions?

Although research on the effect of color in taekwondo has involved several international competitions, no previous study has investigated the presence of this phenomenon in national-level competitions. The main objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between the color protectors and success in 1155 taekwondo matches of the Italian and Uzbekistan Senior Championships (ITA-SC and UZB-SC) (2019 and 2021). The results showed no relationship between the color protectors and the match outcome, in both ITA-SC and UZB-SC (p = 0.71, V = 0.01; p = 0.61, V = 0.02). Moreover, no relationship emerged between the color protectors and the match outcome in the four editions of the SC. Stratifying analyses by weight category and sex, males showed positive relationships between the color blue/red and winning the match in 3 and 1 of 16 weight categories, respectively. Contrary, females showed positive relationships between the color blue/red and winning the match in 1 and 3 of 16 weight categories, respectively. Analyzing the two national contexts found that, in both the Italian and Uzbek contexts, matches in 2 and 2 of 16 weight categories were won by athletes wearing blue and red protectors, respectively. Significant relationships emerged between the color blue and winning the match with small asymmetry in the men’s UZB-SC and between the color red and winning the match with large asymmetry in the female ITA-SC. The implementation of the electronic point recording system for the body and head has had a positive impact on fairness in national taekwondo competitions, did not detect any effect of color related to cultural context, and did not allow for the color red to tip the scales between losing and winning in matches between athletes of similar ability and strength.

Illuminating Music: Impact of Color Hue for Background Lighting on Emotional Arousal in Piano Performance Videos

This study sought to determine if hues overlayed on a video recording of a piano performance would systematically influence perception of its emotional arousal level. The hues were artificially added to a series of four short video excerpts of different performances using video editing software. Over two experiments 106 participants were sorted into 4 conditions, with each viewing different combinations of musical excerpts (two excerpts with nominally high arousal and two excerpts with nominally low arousal) and hue (red or blue) combinations. Participants rated the emotional arousal depicted by each excerpt. Results indicated that the overall arousal ratings were consistent with the nominal arousal of the selected excerpts. However, hues added to video produced no significant effect on arousal ratings, contrary to predictions. This could be due to the domination of the combined effects of other channels of information (e.g., the music and player movement) over the emotional effects of the hypothesized influence of hue on perceived performance (red expected to enhance and blue to reduce arousal of the performance). To our knowledge this is the first study to investigate the impact of these hues upon perceived arousal of music performance, and has implications for musical performers and stage lighting. Further research that investigates reactions during live performance and manipulation of a wider range of lighting hues, saturation and brightness levels, and editing techniques, is recommended to further scrutinize the veracity of the findings.

The Effect of Red and Blue on Gross and Fine Motor Tasks: Confirming the Inverted-U Hypothesis

Previous studies have shown that the color red can affect basic motor functioning. However, these studies utilized simple gross motor tasks rather than those assessing complex fine motor skills. Moreover, these empirical studies were theoretically based on the threat–behavior link in human and non-human animals, and neglected the relationship between arousal and motor performance. According to the Yerkes–Dodson law and the inverted-U hypothesis in sport psychology, for simple motor tasks, high arousal (associated with the color red) is more advantageous than low arousal (associated with the color blue); for complex motor tasks, low arousal (blue color) is more advantageous than high arousal (red color). The current research examined the effect of color on different kinds of motor skills (fine motor and gross motor) based on the inverted U-hypothesis. In Experiment 1, we examined the effect of red and blue on dart-throwing performance, whereas in Experiment 2, we examined the effect of red and blue on grip strength performance. The results showed that performance of fine motor skill (dart-throwing) in the blue condition was better than in the red condition, and performance of gross motor skill (handgrip) in the red context was better than in the blue context. These results indicate that the type of motor skill assessed moderates the influence of red and blue on motor performance.

When Taekwondo Referees See Red, but It Is an Electronic System That Gives the Points

Previous studies in taekwondo have considered the use of the manual scoring system or the electronic system with only the use of the electronic body protector. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between the color protectors and success in 1,327 taekwondo matches from six World Grand Prix Series of two 4-year Olympic periods when electronic body and head protectors are used. In the total sample, the results did not show a relationship between the match outcome and the color of the protectors (p = 0.97, C = 0.001). For the individual six editions, the results showed a positive and strong relationship between wearing blue protectors and winning matches and one between wearing red protectors and winning matches (p = 0.001, C = 0.19; p = 0.001; C = 0.19). Regarding the weight categories, 8 and 5 of 48 showed higher percentages of blue and red winners, respectively. Regarding sex, male competitors showed a positive relationship between blue color and winning the match in 6 of 24 weight categories, and wearing red and winning the match was shown in 2 of 24 weight categories. Female competitors showed a positive relationship between blue color and winning the match in 2 of 24 weight categories, and wearing red and winning the match was shown in 3 of 24 weight categories. When it comes to the influence of being a seeded athlete, the results did show a significant confounding effect on the color of the protectors worn by the winner of the match in 2 of 13 weight categories in which a color effect was observed (p = 0.02, C = 0.28; p = 0.02, C = 0.28). In conclusion, wearing red does not provide a higher chance of winning the match. It seems that seeing red has a stronger effect than wearing red, especially in male contenders. Moreover, being a seeded athlete does not explain the result of the match. It seems that the introduction of the electronic helmet protector, in addition to the electronic body protector, made the scoring system more objective, decreasing the advantage of wearing red in winning matches.

Is the Suppression Effect of the Color Red on Snack Food Consumption Reliable?

Two articles hypothesized that exposure to the color red would induce a state of avoidance motivation and reported that snack food consumption was decreased when the food was served on red plates, relative to white and blue plates. The current experiment combined their procedures and approximately tripled their group sizes. Participants were provided with pretzels on red, white, or blue plates in a mock sensory analysis task. The results indicated that more pretzels were consumed when presented on red plates, in direct contradiction of previous results. Alternative explanations, such as group differences in hunger or preference for pretzels, could not account for the results. The facilitation effect of red indicates that the color red does not always reduce snack food consumption and suggests that the reported inhibitory effect of red on snack consumption may not be reliable.

CNN-Based Spectral Super-Resolution of Panchromatic Night-Time Light Imagery: City-Size-Associated Neighborhood Effects

Data on artificial night-time light (NTL), emitted from the areas, and captured by satellites, are available at a global scale in panchromatic format. In the meantime, data on spectral properties of NTL give more information for further analysis. Such data, however, are available locally or on a commercial basis only. In our recent work, we examined several machine learning techniques, such as linear regression, kernel regression, random forest, and elastic map models, to convert the panchromatic NTL images into colored ones. We compared red, green, and blue light levels for eight geographical areas all over the world with panchromatic light intensities and characteristics of built-up extent from spatially corresponding pixels and their nearest neighbors. In the meantime, information from more distant neighboring pixels might improve the predictive power of models. In the present study, we explore this neighborhood effect using convolutional neural networks (CNN). The main outcome of our analysis is that the neighborhood effect goes in line with the geographical extent of metropolitan areas under analysis: For smaller areas, optimal input image size is smaller than for bigger ones. At that, for relatively large cities, the optimal input image size tends to differ for different colors, being on average higher for red and lower for blue lights. Compared to other machine learning techniques, CNN models emerged comparable in terms of Pearson’s correlation but showed performed better in terms of WMSE, especially for testing datasets.

Complications of tattoos and permanent makeup: overview and analysis of 308 cases

BACKGROUND

Worldwide 10-20% of the population is tattooed. However, tattoo complications can occur, such as allergic tattoo reactions, infections, and manifestations of autoimmune dermatoses. Despite the growing popularity of tattoos and changes in tattoo ink composition over the last decades, little is known about these complications, its clinical aspects, pathomechanism, and relative occurrence.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this article is to describe the types and clinical aspects of dermatological tattoo complications, its relative occurrence and underlying conditions.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study enrolling all patients with tattoo complications from the Tattoo Clinic. Tattoo complications were categorized into infections, inflammatory tattoo reactions, neoplasms, or miscellaneous reactions and correlated to clinical data.

RESULTS

Of the total of 326 patients, 301 patients were included with 308 complications. The majority of the complications were chronic: 91.9%. Allergic red tattoo reactions and chronic inflammatory black tattoo reactions (CIBTR) accounted for 50.2% and 18.2%, respectively, of all tattoo complications. Of these CIBTR reactions, extracutaneous involvement was found in 21.4%, including tattoo-associated uveitis (7.1%) and systemic sarcoidosis (14.2%). Of all black tattoo reactions, systemic sarcoidosis was found in 7.8%.

CONCLUSION

Tattoos can cause a wide range in complications that may start years after getting the tattoo. The most frequent tattoo reactions are allergic red tattoo reactions and chronic inflammatory black tattoo reactions, making these the most relevant for the dermatologist. CIBTR have a high percentage of multi-organ involvement, and therefore, screening for sarcoidosis, including ocular involvement, is advised.

Exploring the Implicit Link Between Red and Aggressiveness as Well as Blue and Agreeableness

Previous studies have found a link between red and aggressive behavior. For example, athletes who wear red uniforms in sports are considered to have a competitive advantage. So far, most previous studies have adopted self-report methods, which have low face validity and were easily influenced by the social expectations. Therefore, the study used two implicit methods to further explore the association between red and aggressiveness. A modified Stroop task was used in Experiment 1 to probe college students' differences between "congruent" tasks (i.e., red-aggressiveness and blue-agreeableness) and "incongruent" tasks (i.e., red-agreeableness and blue-aggressiveness). Result showed that participants responded more quickly to the congruent tasks than the incongruent tasks. Then, in order to adapt to the competitive context, Experiment 2 used an implicit association test with photos of athletes as the stimulus to college students and athletes to evaluate "congruent" tasks (i.e., red uniform photo-aggressiveness and blue uniform photo-agreeableness) as well as "incongruent" tasks (i.e., red uniform photo-agreeableness and blue uniform photo-aggressiveness), respectively. According to the results, both college students and athletes respond faster to congruent tasks than to incongruent tasks. Besides, athletes' reactions to the red-aggressiveness association are faster than college students, which may relate to the athletes' professional experience. The athletes may be more aggressive and impulsive. Overall, the study has attempted to examine the association between red and aggressiveness through implicit methods, but in the future, researches are need to find a deep association from brain mechanism aspect.

Effects of Coloring Food Images on the Propensity to Eat: A Placebo Approach With Color Suggestions

Background

Research findings on the appetite-enhancing effect of the color red and the appetite-reducing effect of blue have been inconsistent. The present study used a placebo approach and investigated whether verbal suggestions can enhance color-appetite effects.

Method

A total of 448 women participated in two experiments. They viewed images with differently colored sweet foods (original color, blue, red, colorless (black-and-white); experiment 1; n = 217) or sweet foods on blue, red, white, and gray backgrounds; experiment 2; n = 231). Before viewing the images, half of the participants received information about the effects of red and blue food color on appetite (color suggestion). The other half received no suggestion. For each of the experiments, the reported propensity to eat (food wanting) was compared between the conditions.

Results

All colored food items were associated with a lower propensity to eat compared to the food items in the original color. The color suggestion (compared to no suggestion) additionally decreased the propensity to eat blue and black-and-white food items. Colored backgrounds did not influence food wanting.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that red and blue coloring of visual food cues did not have the predicted effects on food wanting. However, the combination of specific food colors with specific color suggestions might be useful to change the willingness to eat sweet products.

Detecting anomalous growth of skin lesion using threshold-based segmentation algorithm and Fuzzy K-Nearest Neighbor classifier

Context

Skin cancer is a complex and life-threatening disease caused primarily by genetic instability and accumulation of multiple molecular alternations.

Aim

Currently, there is a great interest in the prospects of image processing to provide quantitative information about a skin lesion, that can be relevance for the clinical images and also used as a stand-alone cautioning tool.

Setting and Design

To accomplish a powerful approach to recognize skin cancer without performing any unnecessary skin biopsies, this article presents a new hybrid technique for the classification of skin images using Firefly with K-Nearest Neighbor algorithm (FKNN).

Materials and Methods

FKNN classifier is used to predict and classify skin cancer along with threshold-based segmentation and ABCD feature extraction. Image preprocessing and feature extraction techniques are mandatory for any image-based applications.

Statistical Analysis Used

Initially, it is essential to eliminate the illumination variation and the other unwanted shadow areas present in the skin image, which is done by homomorphic filtering called preprocessing.

Results

The comparison of our proposed method with other existing methods and a comprehensive discussion is explored based on the obtained results.

Conclusion

The proposed FKNN provides a quantitative information about a skin lesion through hybrid KNN and firefly optimization that helps for recognizing the skin cancer efficiently than other technique with low computational complexity and time.

Sweating the connection of uniform colours and success in sport: No evidence for the red win effect in elite women's NCAA basketball

Efforts to research the link between uniform colours and performance in sport have gained momentum in recent years demonstrating a red superiority effect. The current investigation identified a gender gap in participation between laboratory experimental studies of performance, which are dominated by women participants, and archival game analysis research, which is almost exclusively conducted in elite men's sports. To address this disparity, we conducted the first dedicated exploration of uniform colours with women's American collegiate basketball teams during the national annual tournament (NCAA) in a period spanning eight seasons (2012-19). In contrast to the evidence from experimental research, we failed to detect an effect and the results remained null when several colours were tested and ranking was considered. Based on the findings, we conclude with mounting confidence that uniform colours do not exert influence over winning in relatively long-duration, low aggression team sports with substantial physical contact. We discuss the results in relationship to the colour-in-context theory (Elliot, A. J., & Maier, M. A. (2012). Colour-in-context theory. In Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 45, pp. 61-125). Academic Press.) and highlight its shortcomings pertaining to sex as a moderator.

A Novel Image-Based Screening Method to Study Water-Deficit Response and Recovery of Barley Populations Using Canopy Dynamics Phenotyping and Simple Metabolite Profiling

Plant phenotyping platforms offer automated, fast scoring of traits that simplify the selection of varieties that are more competitive under stress conditions. However, indoor phenotyping methods are frequently based on the analysis of plant growth in individual pots. We present a reproducible indoor phenotyping method for screening young barley populations under water stress conditions and after subsequent rewatering. The method is based on a simple read-out of data using RGB imaging, projected canopy height, as a useful feature for indirectly following the kinetics of growth and water loss in a population of barley. A total of 47 variables including 15 traits and 32 biochemical metabolites measured (morphometric parameters, chlorophyll fluorescence imaging, quantification of stress-related metabolites; amino acids and polyamines, and enzymatic activities) were used to validate the method. The study allowed the identification of metabolites related to water stress response and recovery. Specifically, we found that cadaverine (Cad), 1,3-aminopropane (DAP), tryptamine (Tryp), and tyramine (Tyra) were the major contributors to the water stress response, whereas Cad, DAP, and Tyra, but not Tryp, remained at higher levels in the stressed plants even after rewatering. In this work, we designed, optimized and validated a non-invasive image-based method for automated screening of potential water stress tolerance genotypes in barley populations. We demonstrated the applicability of the method using transgenic barley lines with different sensitivity to drought stress showing that combining canopy height and the metabolite profile we can discriminate tolerant from sensitive genotypes. We showed that the projected canopy height a sensitive trait that truly reflects other invasively studied morphological, physiological, and metabolic traits and that our presented methodological setup can be easily applicable for large-scale screenings in low-cost systems equipped with a simple RGB camera. We believe that our approach will contribute to accelerate the study and understanding of the plant water stress response and recovery capacity in crops, such as barley.

Quantification of cutaneous allergic reactions using 3D optical imaging: A feasibility study

Background

User‐independent quantitative measures of cutaneous allergic reactions can help the physicians manage and evaluate the treatment of cutaneous allergic reactions. In this paper, we present and validate a method to quantify the elevation, volume and area of cutaneous allergic reactions to red tattoos.

Methods

The skin surface of allergic tattoo reactions was imaged using an optical 3D scanner. The in‐house developed analysis tool measured the elevation, volume and area of the lesions, compared to a reference surface. This reference surface was created by 3D interpolation of the skin after manual removal of the lesions. The error of the interpolation tool was validated using a digital arm model. The error of our optical scanner was determined using a 3D printed lesion phantom. The clinical feasibility of the method was tested in 83 lesions in 17 patients.

Results

The method showed clear potential to assess skin elevation, volume change and area of an allergic reaction. The validation measurements revealed that the error due to interpolation increases for larger interpolation areas and largely determined the error in the clinical measurements. Lesions with a width ≥4 mm and an elevation ≥0.4 mm could be measured with an error below 26%. Patient measurements showed that lesions up to 600 mm² could be measured accurately, and elevation and volume changes could be assessed at follow‐up.

Conclusion

Quantification of cutaneous allergic reactions to red tattoos using 3D optical scanning is feasible and may objectify skin elevation and improve management of the allergic reaction.

Looking Through "Rose-Tinted" Glasses: The Influence of Tint on Visual Affective Processing

The use of color-tinted lenses can introduce profound effects into how we process visual information at the early to late stages. Besides mediating harsh lighting conditions, some evidence suggests that color-tinted lenses can influence how humans respond to emotional events. In this study, we systematically evaluated how color-tinted lenses modified our participants' psychophysiological responses to emotion-inducing images. The participants passively viewed pleasant, neutral or unpleasant images from the International-Affective-Picture-System (IAPS), while wearing none, blue, red, yellow or green tinted-lenses that were controlled for luminance. Established neuroergonomic indices of arousal were measured on the autonomic level, namely Skin-Conductance-Response (SCR) and Heart-Rate-Variability (HRV), and on the cortical level, with electroencephalography (EEG) event-related potentials (ERPs). Phasic SCR responses were significantly enhanced for unpleasant images and both pleasant and unpleasant images induced significantly larger ERP amplitudes of the Late-Positive-Potential (LPP), with pleasant images having the greatest impact. Interestingly, a significant main effect was found for tint. Similar to viewing pleasant images, red-tinted lenses induced the largest LPPs. Taken together, these findings suggest that the autonomic response to affective images is modulated at the cortical level of processing, congruent with the use of red-tinted lenses.

Efficient Red Phosphorescent Polymers with Trap-Assisted Charge Balance: Molecular Design, Synthesis, and Electroluminescent Properties

Three classes of red phosphorescent polymers (PF-H- x, PF-DPO- x, and PF-DPA- x, where x denotes the mole content of Ir complex) have been designed and synthesized, where the C^∧N ligand of the tethered dopant bis(2,4-diphenylquinolyl)iridium(acetylacetonate) is substituted by hydrogen (H), diphenylphosphine oxide (DPO), and diphenylamine (DPA), respectively. It is found that the electron-withdrawing DPO group can lower the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) level of the phosphor, whereas the electron-donating DPA group leads to an upshifted highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level of the phosphor. Following a sequence of PF-DPA- x, PF-H- x, and PF-DPO- x, the electron trap depth between dopant and host is gradually up from 0.43 to 1.01 eV, and the hole trap depth is correspondingly down from 0.74 to 0.46 eV. As a result, PF-DPO- x achieves the most balanced charge transport in the emitting layer among these polymers, revealing a record-high luminous efficiency (LE) of 10.3 cd/A and Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.62, 0.33) on the basis of the simple single-layer device structure. Compared with PF-H- x (3.8 cd/A) and PF-DPA- x (1.2 cd/A) containing the same Ir content, the significantly improved performance indicates that trap-assisted charge balance is a promising strategy to optimize the device efficiency of red phosphorescent polymers.

Colour associations in children and adults

A growing body of research has investigated how we associate colours and social traits. Specifically, studies have explored the links between red and perceptions of qualities like attractiveness and anger. Although less is known about other colours, the prevailing framework suggests that the specific context plays a significant role in determining how a particular colour might affect our perceptions of a person or item. Importantly, this factor has yet to be considered for children's colour associations, where researchers focused on links between colours and emotions, rather than social traits. Here, we consider whether context-specific colour associations are demonstrated by 5- to 10-year-old children and compare these associations with adult data collected on the same task. We asked participants to rank order sets of six identical images (e.g., a boy completing a test), which varied only in the colour of a single item (his T-shirt). Each question was tailored to the image set to address a specific context, for example, "Which boy do you think looks the most likely to cheat on a test?" Our findings revealed several colour associations shared by children, and many of these were also present in adults, although some had strengthened or weakened by this stage of life. Taken together, our results demonstrate the presence of both stable and changing context-specific colour associations during development, revealing a new area of study for further exploration.

The Color Red Is Implicitly Associated With Social Status in the United Kingdom and China

Research and theorizing on human societies have shown that the color red plays a large role in human psychological functioning. The aim of the present study was to test the association between red and high-status symbols across cultural contexts. Using the Implicit Association Test (IAT) paradigm, across seven experiments (N = 357), we demonstrated that participants exhibited a faster association of red color and logos of high-status stimuli compared to red color and logos of low-status stimuli. The effect was shown among both males and females, with two different types of status symbols (car logos and university logos), and with four different contrast colors (white, gray, green, blue). Moreover, this association was observed in both United Kingdom and China. These findings provide compelling evidence for the implicit association between the color red and high social status across two different cultural contexts.

Color Processing in Zebrafish Retina

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a model organism for vertebrate developmental processes and, through a variety of mutant and transgenic lines, various diseases and their complications. Some of these diseases relate to proper function of the visual system. In the US, the National Eye Institute indicates >140 million people over the age of 40 have some form of visual impairment. The causes of the impairments range from refractive error to cataract, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma, plus heritable diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and color vision deficits. Most impairments directly affect the retina, the nervous tissue at the back of the eye. Zebrafish with long or short-wavelength color blindness, altered retinal anatomy due to hyperglycemia, high intraocular pressure, and reduced pigment epithelium are all used, and directly applicable, to study how these symptoms affect visual function. However, many published reports describe only molecular/anatomical/structural changes or behavioral deficits. Recent work in zebrafish has documented physiological responses of the different cell types to colored (spectral) light stimuli, indicating a complex level of information processing and color vision in this species. The purpose of this review article is to consolidate published morphological and physiological data from different cells to describe how zebrafish retina is capable of complex visual processing. This information is compared to findings in other vertebrates and relevance to disorders affecting color processing is discussed.

Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Red on Perceived Attractiveness

We conducted meta-analyses of studies that test the red-romance hypothesis, which is that the color red enhances heterosexual attraction in romantic contexts. For men rating women, we found a small, statistically significant effect ( d = 0.26 [0.12, 0.40], p = .0004, N = 2,961), with substantial heterogeneity, Q(44) = 172.5, pQ < .0001, I2 = 89% [82, 94], and equivocal results regarding the possibility of upward bias in the estimate. For women rating men, we found a very small effect ( d = 0.13 [0.01, 0.25], p = .03, N = 2,739), with substantial heterogeneity, Q(35) = 73.0, pQ = .0002, I2 = 53% [33, 80], and evidence of upward bias in the estimate. Moderator analyses suggest effect sizes may have declined over time (both genders), may be largest when an original shade of red is used (men only), and may be smaller in preregistered studies (women only). We present contrasting interpretations and suggestions for future research.

Displaying Red and Black on a First Date: A Field Study Using the "First Dates" Television Series

Previous research has shown that displaying the color red can increase attractiveness. As a result, women display red more often when expecting to meet more attractive men in a laboratory context. Here, we carried out a field study by analyzing 546 daters from the "First Dates" television series. Each participant was filmed in a pre-date interview and during a real first date, allowing direct comparison of the clothing worn by each person in these two contexts. Analysis of ratings of the amount of red displayed showed that both men and women wore more red clothing during their dates. This pattern was even stronger for black clothing, while the amount of blue clothing did not differ across the two contexts. Our results provide the first real-world demonstration that people display more red and black clothing when meeting a possible mate for the first time, perhaps seeking to increase their attractiveness and/or reveal their intentions to potential partners.

The Effect of Color on the Use of Electronic Body Protectors in Taekwondo Matches

This study investigated the relationship between the color protector and success in taekwondo combats in the qualification championships, when electronic body protectors were used. Moreover, it analyzed the confounding effect of a participant being a top-ranked athlete in the 2012 London Olympic Games, in a sample of 462 matches. Results from the entire sample showed a non-significant relationship between the combat outcome and the winner's color electronic protector. At the level of the tournament, the results showed a significant relationship between wearing a red electronic protector and winning the combat in the Asian and the European qualification tournaments. For gender and weight categories, there was no clear color effect. A significant association was, however, found between wearing red and winning the match in the female featherweight category. The inclusion of electronic body protectors and a counterbalanced seed-condition seem to be effective for controlling the effect of the protector's color on the outcomes of combats.

Red Dot Basal Cell Carcinoma: Report of Cases and Review of This Unique Presentation of Basal Cell Carcinoma

Red dot basal cell carcinoma is a unique variant of basal cell carcinoma. Including the three patients described in this report, red dot basal cell carcinoma has only been described in seven individuals. This paper describes the features of two males and one female with red dot basal cell carcinoma and reviews the characteristics of other patients with this clinical subtype of basal cell carcinoma. A 70-year-old male developed a pearly-colored papule with a red dot in the center on his nasal tip. A 71-year-old male developed a red dot surrounded by a flesh-colored papule on his left nostril. Lastly, a 74-year-old female developed a red dot within an area of erythema on her left mid back. Biopsy of the lesions all showed nodular and/or superficial basal cell carcinoma. Correlation of the clinical presentation and pathology established the diagnosis of red dot basal cell carcinoma. The tumors were treated by excision using the Mohs surgical technique. Pubmed was searched with the keyword: basal, cell, cancer, carcinoma, dot, red, and skin. The papers generated by the search and their references were reviewed. Red dot basal cell carcinoma has been described in three females and two males; the gender was not reported in two patients. The tumor was located on the nose (five patients), back (one patient) and thigh (one patient). Cancer presented as a solitary small red macule or papule; often, the carcinoma was surrounded by erythema or a flesh-colored papule. Although basal cell carcinomas usually do not blanch after a glass microscope slide is pressed against them, the red dot basal cell carcinoma blanched after diascopy in two of the patients, resulting in a delay of diagnosis in one of these individuals. Dermoscopy may be a useful non-invasive modality for evaluating skin lesions when the diagnosis of red dot basal cell carcinoma is considered. Mohs surgery is the treatment of choice; in some of the patients, the ratio of the area of the postoperative wound to that of the preoperative cancer was greater than 12:1, demonstrating a significant lateral spread of the tumor beyond the observed clinical margins of the neoplasm. In conclusion, in a patient with a personal history of actinic keratosis or nonmelanoma skin cancer, the appearance of a new red dot in a sun-exposed site should prompt additional evaluation of the skin lesion to exclude or establish the diagnosis of red dot basal cell carcinoma.

Emotionality of Colors: An Implicit Link between Red and Dominance

The color red has been shown to alter emotions, physiology, psychology, and behavior. Research has suggested that these alterations could possibly be due to a link between red and perceived dominance. In this study we examined if the color red is implicitly associated to the concept of dominance. In addition, we similarly hypothesized that blue is implicitly linked to rest. A modified Stroop word evaluation task was used in which 30 participants (23.07 ± 4.42 years) were asked to classify words shown in either red, blue, or gray (control condition), as being either dominant- or rest-related. The responses were recorded and analyzed for latency time and accuracy. The results revealed a significant word type × color interaction effect for both latency times, F(2,56) = 5.09, p = 0.009, ηp2 = 0.15, and accuracy, F(1.614,45.193) = 8.57, p = 0.001, ηp2 = 0.23. On average participants showed significantly shorter latency times and made less errors when categorizing dominance words shown in red, compared to blue and gray. The measured effects show strong evidence for an implicit red-dominance association and a partial red-rest disassociation. It is discussed that this association can possibly affect emotionality, with the presentation of red eliciting a dominant emotional and behavioral response.

The Red Power(less) Tie

Research has demonstrated that wearing red can have significant effects on perceptions of the wearer. However, these findings are based on impressions formed while viewing static images. Here, I focus on perceptions of political leaders and show participants short videos in order to investigate color effects in stimuli with increased ecological validity. Viewers watched videos of politicians and made judgments regarding how dominant, how good a leader, and how believable the politicians appeared to be. The colors of the politicians’ ties were digitally manipulated to be red or blue. Whether the politician was familiar (Study 1) or unfamiliar to viewers (Study 2), tie color had no effect on perceptions. Even when the sound was muted in order to increase the influence of visual cues (Study 3), I found no clothing color effect. Finally, when only presented with a static image (Study 4), wearing red still had no effect on judgments. These results suggest that, at least in a political setting, wearing red has no effect on perceptions. Therefore, real-world applications associated with red clothing may be limited.

Exploring the Effect of Red and Blue on Cognitive Task Performances

Previous studies on the effect of color on cognitive task performances and have led to two different views. Some researchers think that the influence of red and blue on cognitive tasks is modulated by the difficulty of the task, and other researchers suggest that the influence mainly depends on the type of task. The current study combined these factors to investigate the effect of color on cognitive task performance. In Experiment 1, we manipulated the difficulty of the task to investigate the effect of red and blue on detail-oriented task performance (the proofreading task), whereas in Experiment 2 we manipulated task difficulty to explore the effect of red and blue on creative task performance (the Remote Associates Test). The results showed that red enhanced the performance on a simple detail-oriented task. However, blue improved the performance on a difficult detail-oriented task as well as on both simple and difficult creative tasks. The results of the current study indicate that the type and difficulty of the task together modulate the effect of color on cognitive performances.

Aged ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) reduces blood glucose levels and improves lipid metabolism in high fat diet-fed mice

Aged ginseng is unpeeled ginseng root that has been dried and heat-treated in an oven at 80°C for 14 days. The effects of aged ginseng, in comparison with white and red ginseng, on the lipid and glucose metabolism in high fat-fed mice were investigated. C57BL/6N mice were randomly divided into six dietary groups of normal control, high fat, and high fat supplemented with white, red, aged four-year old, and aged five-year old ginseng. After 8 weeks, ginseng counteracted high fat dietinduced body weight gain, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia via a mechanism involving modulation of hepatic lipogenesis, adipokine production, and glucose-regulating enzyme activities. Aged ginseng showed greater antihyperlipidemic and antihyperglycemic activities than white ginseng and exhibited physiological effects similar to red ginseng, perhaps due to a relatively high ginsenoside content. Aged ginseng can be beneficial as a functional food.

Red clothing increases perceived dominance, aggression and anger

The presence and intensity of red coloration correlate with male dominance and testosterone in a variety of animal species, and even artificial red stimuli can influence dominance interactions. In humans, red stimuli are perceived as more threatening and dominant than other colours, and wearing red increases the probability of winning sporting contests. We investigated whether red clothing biases the perception of aggression and dominance outside of competitive settings, and whether red influences decoding of emotional expressions. Participants rated digitally manipulated images of men for aggression and dominance and categorized the emotional state of these stimuli. Men were rated as more aggressive and more dominant when presented in red than when presented in either blue or grey. The effect on perceived aggression was found for male and female raters, but only male raters were sensitive to red as a signal of dominance. In a categorization test, images were significantly more often categorized as 'angry' when presented in the red condition, demonstrating that colour stimuli affect perceptions of emotions. This suggests that the colour red may be a cue used to predict propensity for dominance and aggression in human males.

Qualitative assessment of red blood cell parameters for signs of anemia in patients with chronic periodontitis

Aim:

Anemia of chronic disease is defined as anemia occurring in chronic infections and inflammatory conditions that is not caused by marrow deficiencies or other diseases and in the presence of adequate iron stores and vitamins. The present case control study was aimed to assess the red blood cell parameters for signs of anemia in patients with mild, moderate, and severe chronic periodontitis.

Materials and Methods:

A simple random sampling method was used to select 80 healthy male patients, who were divided into four groups based on full mouth periodontal examination as follows: group I patients comprised the control group (n = 20), which included patients with a clinically healthy periodontium, group II patients (n = 20) were diagnosed with mild chronic periodontitis, group III (n = 20) included moderate chronic periodontitis patients, and patients with severe chronic periodontitis formed group IV (n = 20). Laboratory blood investigations included total number of erythrocytes, hemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration.

Results:

Data analysis showed a statistically significant decrease in red blood cell parameters with increase in different grades of periodontitis.

Conclusion:

Results of the present study show a substantial decrease in red blood cell parameters with increase in the severity of periodontal destruction.

Differential binding of colors to objects in memory: red and yellow stick better than blue and green

Both evolutionary considerations and recent research suggest that the color red serves as a signal indicating an object’s importance. However, until now, there is no evidence that this signaling function of red is also reflected in human memory. To examine the effect of red on memory, we conducted four experiments in which we presented objects colored in four different colors (red, green, blue, and yellow) and measured later memory for the presence of an object and for the color of an object. Across experiments, we varied the type of objects (words vs. pictures), task complexity (single objects vs. multiple objects in visual scenes), and intentionality of encoding (intentional vs. incidental learning). Memory for the presence of an object was not influenced by color. However, in all four experiments, memory for the color of an object depended on color type and was particularly high for red and yellow-colored objects and particularly low for green-colored objects, indicating that the binding of colors into object memory representations varies as a function of color type. Analyzing the observers’ confidence in their color memories revealed that color not only influenced objective memory performance but also subjective confidence. Subjective confidence judgments differentiated well between correct and incorrect color memories for red-colored objects, but poorly for green-colored objects. Our findings reveal a previously unknown color effect which may be of considerable interest for both basic color research and applied settings like eyewitness testimony in which memory for color features is relevant. Furthermore, our results indicate that feature binding in memory is not a uniform process by which any attended feature is automatically bound into unitary memory representations. Rather, memory binding seems to vary across different subtypes of features, a finding that supports recent research showing that object features are stored in memory rather independently from each other.

Extraneous color affects female macaques' gaze preference for photographs of male conspecifics

Humans find members of the opposite sex more attractive when their image is spatially associated with the color red. This effect even occurs when the red color is not on the skin or clothing (i.e. is extraneous). We hypothesize that this extraneous color effect could be at least partially explained by a low-level and biologically innate generalization process, and so similar extraneous color effects should be observed in non-humans. To test this possibility, we examined the influence of extraneous color in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Across two experiments, we determined the influence of extraneous red on viewing preferences (assessed by looking time) in free-ranging rhesus monkeys. We presented male and female monkeys with black and white photographs of the hindquarters of same and opposite sex conspecifics on either a red (experimental condition) or blue (control condition) background. As a secondary control, we also presented neutral stimuli (photographs of seashells) on red and blue backgrounds. We found that female monkeys looked longer at a picture of a male scrotum, but not a seashell, on a red background (Experiment 1), while males showed no bias. Neither male nor female monkeys showed an effect of color on looking time for female hindquarters or seashells (Experiment 2). The finding for females viewing males suggests that extraneous color affects preferences among rhesus macaques. Further, it raises the possibility that evolutionary processes gave rise to extraneous color effects during human evolution.

Red and romantic rivalry: viewing another woman in red increases perceptions of sexual receptivity, derogation, and intentions to mate-guard

Research has shown that men perceive women wearing red, relative to other colors, as more attractive and more sexually receptive; women's perceptions of other women wearing red have scarcely been investigated. We hypothesized that women would also interpret female red as a sexual receptivity cue, and that this perception would be accompanied by rival derogation and intentions to mate-guard. Experiment 1 demonstrated that women perceive another woman in a red, relative to white, dress as sexually receptive. Experiment 2 demonstrated that women are more likely to derogate the sexual fidelity of a woman in red, relative to white. Experiment 3 revealed that women are more likely to intend to guard their romantic partner from a woman wearing a red, relative to a green, shirt. These results suggest that some color signals are interpreted similarly across sex, albeit with associated reactions that are sex-specific.

Enhancing the productivity of grasses under high-density planting by engineering light responses: from model systems to feedstocks

The successful commercialization of bioenergy grasses as lignocellulosic feedstocks requires that they be produced, processed, and transported efficiently. Intensive breeding for higher yields in food crops has resulted in varieties that perform optimally under high-density planting but often with high input costs. This is particularly true of maize, where most yield gains in the past have come through increased planting densities and an abundance of fertilizer. For lignocellulosic feedstocks, biomass rather than grain yield and digestibility of cell walls are two of the major targets for improvement. Breeding for high-density performance of lignocellulosic crops has been much less intense and thus provides an opportunity for improving the feedstock potential of these grasses. In this review, we discuss the role of vegetative shade on growth and development and suggest targets for manipulating this response to increase harvestable biomass under high-density planting. To engineer grass architecture and modify biomass properties at increasing planting densities, we argue that new model systems are needed and recommend Setaria viridis, a panicoid grass, closely related to major fuel and bioenergy grasses as a model genetic system.

Is red the colour of danger? Testing an implicit red-danger association

Research using participant's self-reports has documented a link between red and danger. In this research, we used two different variants of a Stroop word evaluation task to test for the possibility of an implicit red-danger association using carefully controlled colour stimuli (equated on lightness and chroma). Experiment 1, using words as stimuli, yielded strong evidence of a link between red and danger, and weaker evidence of a green-safety association. Experiment 2, using symbols as stimuli, again yielded strong evidence of a link between red and danger; no green effects were observed. The findings were discussed in terms of the power and promise of red in signal communication.

The effectiveness of red light cameras in the United States-a literature review

OBJECTIVE

To examine the available scientific evidence based on peer-reviewed publications concerning the effectiveness of red light cameras (RLCs) within the U.S. traffic system.

METHODS

Relevant literature published prior to December 2012 was retrieved from the PubMed, Medline, and Engineering Index databases using free-text term queries. Jurisdictions with either a fixed number of RLCs studied or area wide programs within the United States were included. RLC studies with additional interventions were excluded. Nine RLC studies were extracted and grouped into 3 categories based on outcome measures: violations, crashes, and injuries/fatalities.

RESULTS

All 9 studies reviewed showed significant reductions in the frequency/rate of violations, crashes, and injuries at intersections after RLC implementation. RLC interventions appear to decrease violations, crashes, and injuries at intersections.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite limited peer-reviewed publications available in the literature, it appears that RLCs decrease violations, crashes, and injuries at intersections. Some studies, however, contained methodological shortcomings. Therefore, the apparent effectiveness should be confirmed with stronger methodological approaches. Although spillover effects appeared to be evident, many of the jurisdictions examined were small in area. Thus, it is unknown whether spillover resulting from RLCs would have similar effects in large metropolitan areas. To determine the full public health impact of RLC programs, crashes, injuries, and fatalities should be considered as primary outcomes of interest. To accomplish this requires a clear definition of which types of crashes will be included for RLC studies. Lastly, it is unknown whether RLCs would be effective in reducing crashes resulting from distracted or alcohol-impaired drivers. Future studies should examine the effects of RLCs by exclusively analyzing these crash types.

Ischemia-induced depolarizations and associated hemodynamic responses in incomplete global forebrain ischemia in rats

Spontaneous depolarizations around the core are a consistent feature of focal cerebral ischemia, but the associated regional hemodynamic changes are heterogeneous. We determined how the features of depolarizations relate to subsequent cerebral blood flow (CBF) changes in global forebrain ischemia. Forebrain ischemia was produced in halothane-anesthetized rats (n=13) by common carotid artery occlusion and hypovolemic hypotension. Mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) was monitored via a femoral catheter. Specific illuminations allowed the capture of image sequences through a cranial window to visualize: changes in membrane potential (voltage-sensitive dye method); CBF (laser speckle contrast imaging); cerebral blood volume (intrinsic optical signal, IOS at 540-550nm); and hemoglobin deoxygenation (IOS at 620-640nm). A depolarization occurred (n=9) when CBF fell below 43.4±5% of control (41±4mmHg MABP), and propagated with a distinct wave front at a rate of 2.8mm/min. Depolarizations were either persistent (n=4), intermediate (n=3) or short, transient depolarization (n=2). Persistent and intermediate depolarizations were associated with sustained hypoperfusion (-11.7±5.1%) and transient hypoperfusion (-17.4±5.2, relative to CBF before depolarization). Short, transient depolarizations did not generate clear CBF responses. Depolarizations during incomplete global ischemia occurred at the lower limit of CBF autoregulation, propagated similar to spreading depolarization (SD), and the hemodynamic responses indicated inverse neurovascular coupling. Similar to SDs associated with focal stroke, the propagating event can be persistent or transient.

Polymerization of novel methacrylated anthraquinone dyes

A new series of polymerizable methacrylated anthraquinone dyes has been synthesized by nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions and subsequent methacrylation. Thereby, green 5,8-bis(4-(2-methacryloxyethyl)phenylamino)-1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone (2), blue 1,4-bis(4-((2-methacryloxyethyl)oxy)phenylamino)anthraquinone (6) and red 1-((2-methacryloxy-1,1-dimethylethyl)amino)anthraquinone (12), as well as 1-((1,3-dimethacryloxy-2-methylpropan-2-yl)amino)anthraquinone (15) were obtained. By mixing of these brilliant dyes in different ratios and concentrations, a broad color spectrum can be generated. After methacrylation, the monomeric dyes can be covalently emplaced into several copolymers. Due to two polymerizable functionalities, they can act as cross-linking agents. Thus, diffusion out of the polymer can be avoided, which increases the physiological compatibility and makes the dyes promising compounds for medical applications, such as iris implants.