Diamond Patterns: Cumulative Cornsweet Effects and Motion-Induced Brightening

A Cornsweet edge creates the perception of a step in surface lightness between two adjacent regions of identical mean luminance due to a gradient on both sides. We might imagine that in a concatenated set of these gradients, the lightness steps would accumulate, but they do not. However, a diamond pattern, with each diamond filled with an identical luminance gradient does give a cumulative Cornsweet effect. Here, we offer an illumination explanation for why the cumulative effect is visible in the diamonds but not in the basic ramp grating and we demonstrate that when the diamonds drift, they produce a strong brightening effect (depending on the direction of the motion) and a dimming aftereffect. These effects are consistent with the local luminance gradients and not with the global lightness shift of the cumulative Cornsweet effect.

The Effect of the Application of Edible Coatings on or before Ultraviolet Treatment on Postharvested Longan Fruits

This study compared the effect of application of edible coating on or before ultraviolet treatment on postharvest longan fruits. The treated longan fruits were examined for weight loss, respiration rate, surface color changes, enzymatic activities (PPO, POD, and PAL), and total phenolic contents throughout the 7 storage days at ambient temperature. In addition, coat homogeneity was examined and cell structure of longan flesh at the end of storage was observed. The results showed that when UV was applied before coating (i.e., chitosan or carrageenan), it had relatively lower PPO and PAL activities and retained higher TPC in longan pericarp. However, the changes in enzymatic activities did not affect the surface lightness and browning index as they were more influenced by the type of coating, in which combination treatments with carrageenan showed higher surface lightness and lower browning index compared to treatment combinations containing chitosan. However, when UV treatment preceded coating, the combinations of UV plus chitosan coating produced lower PPO and PAL activities and retained better cell structure with less damage than the combinations of UV plus carrageenan coating. UV plus carrageenan coating showed relatively higher weight loss and respiration rate, with cell structure exhibiting bigger intercellular spaces at the end of storage. Therefore, application of UV treatment followed by chitosan coating was found to be the best treatment combination for controlling enzymatic activities and reducing senescence rate of longan fruits.

Post-thawing colour changes in meat of foals as affected by feeding level and post-thawing time

The aim of the present work was to investigate how chromatic properties of foal meat can vary after thawing out in relation to the feeding level of 11 months old horses and to the post-thawing time. Thirty-six Italian Heavy Draught Horse foals were used for the trial. They were subdivided in three groups according feeding level: FL150=150 %, FL180=180 % and FL200=200 % of the energy maintenance requirements. Two different surfaces were investigated for each sample: daily renewed cutting surface and not renewed cutting surface. Lightness fell on both surfaces with the increasing of the feeding level (P<0.01). The redness of both investigated surfaces increased with feeding level (P<0.01), while yellowness decreased (P<0.05). Consumers prefer to purchase meat that is red rather than brown in colour. So, from a chromatic perspective the thawed meat of Italian Heavy Draught Horse foals fed with a lower feeding level proved to be that which best meets the market requirements.

Cross-Sensory Correspondences and Naive Conceptions of Natural Phenomena

Cross-sensory correspondences automatically intrude on performance in elaborate laboratory tasks (see Spence 2011 Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics73 971–995, for a review). Outside such tasks, might they be responsible for some popular misconceptions about natural phenomena? Four simple demonstrations reveal how the correspondences between surface-lightness and weight, and between surface-lightness and auditory pitch, generate misconceptions about the weight and movement of objects and the vocalisations of animals. Specifically, people expect darker objects to be heavier than lighter-coloured objects, to free-fall more quickly, to roll across a table more slowly, and to make lower-pitched vocalisations when they come to life.