Multisensor hyperspectral imaging approach for the microchemical analysis of ultramarine blue pigments

This work presents a multisensor hyperspectral approach for the characterization of ultramarine blue, a valuable historical pigment, at the microscopic scale combining the information of four analytical techniques at the elemental and molecular levels. The hyperspectral images collected were combined in a single hypercube, where the pixels of the various spectral components are aligned on top of each other. Selected spectral descriptors have been defined to reduce data dimensionality before applying unsupervised chemometric data analysis approaches. Lazurite, responsible for the blue color of the pigment, was detected as the major mineral phase present in synthetic and good quality pigments. Impurities like pyrite were detected in lower quality samples, although the clear identification of other mineral phases with silicate basis was more difficult. There is no correlation between the spatial distribution of the bands arising in the Raman spectra of natural samples in the region 1200–1850 cm−1 and any of the transition metals or rare earth elements (REE). With this information, the previous hypothesis (based on bulk analysis) attributing these bands to luminescence emissions due to impurities of these elements must be revised. We propose the consideration of CO2 molecules trapped in the cages of the aluminosilicate structure of sodalite-type. Additionally, correlation between certain Raman features and the combined presence of Ca, P, and REE, in particular Nd, was detected for the lowest quality pigment. Our results highlight the usefulness of fusing chemical images obtained via different imaging techniques to obtain relevant information on chemical structure and properties.

Edge Caching in Fog-Based Sensor Networks through Deep Learning-Associated Quantum Computing Framework

Fog computing (FC) based sensor networks have emerged as a propitious archetype for next-generation wireless communication technology with caching, communication, and storage capacity services in the edge. Mobile edge computing (MEC) is a new era of digital communication and has a rising demand for intelligent devices and applications. It faces performance deterioration and quality of service (QoS) degradation problems, especially in the Internet of Things (IoT) based scenarios. Therefore, existing caching strategies need to be enhanced to augment the cache hit ratio and manage the limited storage to accelerate content deliveries. Alternatively, quantum computing (QC) appears to be a prospect of more or less every typical computing problem. The framework is basically a merger of a deep learning (DL) agent deployed at the network edge with a quantum memory module (QMM). Firstly, the DL agent prioritizes caching contents via self organizing maps (SOMs) algorithm, and secondly, the prioritized contents are stored in QMM using a Two-Level Spin Quantum Phenomenon (TLSQP). After selecting the most appropriate lattice map (32 × 32) in 750,000 iterations using SOMs, the data points below the dark blue region are mapped onto the data frame to get the videos. These videos are considered a high priority for trending according to the input parameters provided in the dataset. Similarly, the light-blue color region is also mapped to get medium-prioritized content. After the SOMs algorithm’s training, the topographic error (TE) value together with quantization error (QE) value (i.e., 0.0000235) plotted the most appropriate map after 750,000 iterations. In addition, the power of QC is due to the inherent quantum parallelism (QP) associated with the superposition and entanglement principles. A quantum computer taking “n” qubits that can be stored and execute 2n presumable combinations of qubits simultaneously reduces the utilization of resources compared to conventional computing. It can be analyzed that the cache hit ratio will be improved by ranking the content, removing redundant and least important content, storing the content having high and medium prioritization using QP efficiently, and delivering precise results. The experiments for content prioritization are conducted using Google Colab, and IBM’s Quantum Experience is considered to simulate the quantum phenomena.

Chitosan nanoparticles as a new technique in gene transformation into different plants tissues

The utilization of chitosan nanoparticles is a novel technique for gene transformation into plant tissues. It takes a few minutes to transform gene to plant. UidA gene was detected in <i>Escherichia coli</i> (K12 strain) using polymerase chain reaction analysis by UidA-specific primers. The gene was transformed into the explants of two different plant species (<i>Solanum tuberosum</i> and <i>Paulownia tomentosa</i>). These plants have different natures as crop and woody plants respectively. Therefore, they have different abilities to express the UidA gene. The gene is expressed into blue color in plant tissues due to the formation and expression of the GUS enzyme. The transformation of the UidA gene was detected morphologically by the formation of blue color; and molecular using PCR. Chitosan nanoparticles were characterized by UV/Visible spectroscope and photographing with a transmission electron microscope (TEM). As a result of this research, it is suggested that chitosan nanoparticles be used in gene transformation into plant tissues. Because it is safe, quick, and inexpensive, as well as biocompatible and biodegradable.

Radiative diffusion in a time-dependent outflow: a model for fast blue optical transients

Fast Blue Optical Transients (FBOTs) are luminous transients with fast evolving (typically trise < 12 days) light curve and blue color (usually−0.2 > g−r > −0.3)that cannot be explained by a supernova-like explosion. We propose a radiative diffusion in a time-dependent outflow model to interpret such special transients. In this model, we assume a stellar-mass black hole is formed from stellar core-collapse. As a central engine, the black hole accretes the infalling stellar envelope material via an accretion disk. Due to the extremely super- Eddington accretion rate, the disk ejects continuous outflow during a few days. We consider the ejection of the outflow to be time-dependent. The outflow is optically thick initially and photons are frozen in it. As the outflow expands over time, photons gradually escape, and our work is to model such an evolution. Numerical and analytical calculations are considered separately, and the results are consistent. We apply the model to three typical FBOTs: PS1-10bjp, ZTF18abukavn, and ATLAS19dqr. The modeling finds the total mass of the outflow (∼ 1M⊙), and the total time of the ejection (∼ a few days) for them, leading us to speculate that they may be the result of the collapse of massive stars.

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.

The weaker sex: Male lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) with blue color polymorphism are more burdened by parasites than are other sex–color combinations

The unusual blue color polymorphism of lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) is the subject of much speculation but little empirical research; ~20% of lingcod individuals exhibit this striking blue color morph, which is discrete from and found within the same populations as the more common brown morph. In other species, color polymorphisms are intimately linked with host–parasite interactions, which led us to ask whether blue coloration in lingcod might be associated with parasitism, either as cause or effect. To test how color and parasitism are related in this host species, we performed parasitological dissection of 89 lingcod individuals collected across more than 26 degrees of latitude from Alaska, Washington, and California, USA. We found that male lingcod carried 1.89 times more parasites if they were blue than if they were brown, whereas there was no difference in parasite burden between blue and brown female lingcod. Blue individuals of both sexes had lower hepatosomatic index (i.e., relative liver weight) values than did brown individuals, indicating that blueness is associated with poor body condition. The immune systems of male vertebrates are typically less effective than those of females, due to the immunocompromising properties of male sex hormones; this might explain why blueness is associated with elevated parasite burdens in males but not in females. What remains to be determined is whether parasites induce physiological damage that produces blueness or if both blue coloration and parasite burden are driven by some unmeasured variable, such as starvation. Although our study cannot discriminate between these possibilities, our data suggest that the immune system could be involved in the blue color polymorphism–an exciting jumping-off point for future research to definitively identify the cause of lingcod blueness and a hint that immunocompetence and parasitism may play a role in lingcod population dynamics.

Hair Design with Natural Motifs Using Pantone Colors

In this study, natural motifs were extracted based on the trend colors selected by Pantone in 2018-2021, and the image was shaped to produce hair design works that reflected the trend colors. In Artwork I, the ultra violet color has a wisteria motif, and the hair color is expressed using the ombré technique. Artwork II Living Coral color has a coral reef in the sea as a motif, and the hair color is expressed in a two-tone technique. Artwork III Classic blue color has a blue zebra-patterned seashell as a motif, and hair color is expressed using weaving and balayage techniques. Artwork IV Illuminating and Ultimate Gray color are inspired by autumn birch trees, and hair color is expressed using weaving and two-tone techniques. In this way, it was confirmed that creative and diverse design expressions are possible by completing trendy hairstyles with various techniques by incorporating each Pantone color into nature.

OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF AMORPHOUS THIN FILMS OF SODIUM-TUNGSTEN OXIDE BRONZES

В работе измерены спектральные зависимости оптической плотности аморфных тонких пленок оксидной натрий-вольфрамовой бронзы тетрагональной структуры состава NaWO, конденсированной на стеклянные подложки, термостатированные при температурах 373,473 и 573 K, а так же отожженные на воздухе и в вакууме, и электрохромно окрашенных. В качестве исследуемой оптической характеристики была выбрана оптическая плотность D, пропорциональная, как известно, коэффициенту поглощения. Спектральные измерения пленок, осажденных на подложки в диапазоне температур 373,473 и 573 K показали однотипность спектральных характеристик, с пиком экситонного поглощения в ближнем ультрафиолете. Полоса минимального поглощения лежит в диапазоне длин волн 400÷460 нм, а примесного поглощения - широкой полосой в области 650 ÷1000 нм с максимумом в диапазоне 900÷1000 нм. Подобная спектральная характеристика и определяет сине-голубой цвет тонкой пленки на просвет. Изучение оптических свойств тонких пленок натрий-вольфрамовых бронз представляет собой актуальную задачу. The spectral dependences were measured of the optical density of amorphous thin films of sodium-tungsten oxide bronze of the tetragonal structure and the composition NaWO, condensed on glass substrates, thermostated at temperatures of 373, 473 and 573 K, as well as annealed in air vacuum, and electrochromically colored. The optical density D, which is proportional, as is known, to the absorption coefficient, was chosen as the studied optical characteristic. Spectral measurements of films deposited on substrates in the temperature range of 373, 473 and 573 K showed the same type of spectral characteristics, with a peak of the exciton absorption in the near ultraviolet. The band of minimum absorption lies in the wavelength range of 400÷460 nm, while that of the impurity absorption is a wide band in the region of 650÷1000 nm with a maximum in the range of 900÷1000 nm. This spectral characteristic determines the blue-blue color of a thin film in transmission. The study of the optical properties of thin films of sodium-tungsten bronzes is an urgent problem.

Multiformity of Photoelectron Storages in Functionalized Carbon Nitrides Enabling Reversible and Adaptable Colorimetric Sensing

Colorimetric sensing has been widely used for centuries across diverse fields, thanks to easy operation with no electricity and uncompromised high sensitivity. However, the limited number of chromogenic systems hampers its broader applications. Here, we reported that carbon nitride (CN), the raw materials-abundant and cheap semiconductors with photoelectron storage capability, can be developed as a new chromogenic platform for colorimetric sensing. Beyond most photoelectron storage materials that only demonstrated blue color in the excited state, CN could also exhibit brown color by terminal group functionalization. The experiments and DFT theoretical calculation revealed the origin of the unusual two types of color switches. Cyano and carbonyl terminal groups in CN elongated the centroids distance of electron/hole and stabilized the excited states through a physical and electrochemical pathway, respectively; meanwhile, the counter cations strengthened these processes. As a result, the CN-derived colorimetric O2 sensors demonstrated excellent reversibility in recycling hundreds of times for detection, and exhibited adaptable limit of detection and linear detection range, which was superior to commercial O2 sensors, especially for complex systems with broad variable concentrations.

“Blue Sky Effect”: Contextual Influences on Pupil Size During Naturalistic Visual Search

Pupil size is influenced by cognitive and non-cognitive factors. One of the strongest modulators of pupil size is scene luminance, which complicates studies of cognitive pupillometry in environments with complex patterns of visual stimulation. To help understand how dynamic visual scene statistics influence pupil size during an active visual search task in a visually rich 3D virtual environment (VE), we analyzed the correlation between pupil size and intensity changes of image pixels in the red, green, and blue (RGB) channels within a large window (~14 degrees) surrounding the gaze position over time. Overall, blue and green channels had a stronger influence on pupil size than the red channel. The correlation maps were not consistent with the hypothesis of a foveal bias for luminance, instead revealing a significant contextual effect, whereby pixels above the gaze point in the green/blue channels had a disproportionate impact on pupil size. We hypothesized this differential sensitivity of pupil responsiveness to blue light from above as a “blue sky effect,” and confirmed this finding with a follow-on experiment with a controlled laboratory task. Pupillary constrictions were significantly stronger when blue was presented above fixation (paired with luminance-matched gray on bottom) compared to below fixation. This effect was specific for the blue color channel and this stimulus orientation. These results highlight the differential sensitivity of pupillary responses to scene statistics in studies or applications that involve complex visual environments and suggest blue light as a predominant factor influencing pupil size.