Chromatic exclusivity hypothesis and the physical basis of floral color

This paper presents the results of floral spectral studies on 1275 flowers from India, Brazil, Israel, Germany, and Norway. Floral spectral reflectance from 400 to 700 nm (nm) was used to quantitatively represent ‘human-perceived’ color of flowers in Red, Green, Blue color space. Floral spectral reflectance from 350 to 600 nm was used to discern and objectively represent ‘insect pollinator-perceived’ flower colors in color hexagon. We leverage the advantage offered by ‘quantified human perception’ provided by ‘human-perceived’ floral colors to represent the distribution of floral hues and uncover the relationship between the composition of incoming solar radiation and predominant ‘human-perceived’ floral colors at the tropics and the higher latitudes. Further, the observed species-level mutual exclusivity of ‘insect pollinator-perceived’ floral colors is stated as chromatic exclusivity hypothesis. We compare ‘human-perceived’ and ‘insect pollinator-perceived’ floral colors at Trivandrum (India) and provide a physical explanation for short and long ‘wavelength triads’ of insect pollinator and human visual sensitivity respectively.     

Variations in the light-induced suppression of nocturnal melatonin with special reference to variations in the pupillary light reflex in humans

The purpose of the present study was to elucidate the existence of individual differences of pupil response to light stimulation, and to confirm the reproducibility of this phenomenon. Furthermore, the relationship between the individual differences in nocturnal melatonin suppression induced by lighting and the individual differences of pupillary light response (PLR) was examined. The pupil diameter and salivary melatonin content of 20 male students were measured at the same period of time (00:00-02:30 hr) on different days, accordingly. Illumination (530 nm) produced by a monochromatic light-emitting diode (LED) was employed as the light stimulation: pupil diameter was measured with 4 different levels of illuminance of 1, 3, 30 and 600 lux and melatonin levels were measured at 30 and 600 lux (respective controls were taken at 0 lux). Oral temperature, blood pressure and subjective index of sleepiness were taken in experiments where melatonin levels were measured. Changes of the pupil diameter in response to light were expressed as PLR and light-induced melatonin suppression was expressed as a control-adjusted melatonin suppression score (control-adjusted MSS), which was compared to the melatonin level measured at 0 lux. In the PLR, the coefficients of variation obtained at 30 lux or less were large (51.5, 45.0, 28.4 and 6.2% at 1, 3, 30 and 600 lux, respectively). Correlations of illuminance of any combination at 30 lux or less were statistically significant at less than 1% level (1 vs. 3 lux: r=0.68; 1 vs. 30 lux: r=0.64; 3 vs. 30 lux: r=0.73), which showed the reproducibility of individual differences. The control-adjusted MSS at 600 lux (-1.14+/-1.16) was significantly (p<0.05) lower than that registered at 30 lux (-0.22+/-2.12). PLR values measured at 30 and 600 lux were then correlated with control-adjusted MSS; neither indicated a significant linear relationship. However, the control-adjusted MSS showed around 0 under any of the illuminance conditions in subjects with high PLR. In control-adjusted MSS of low values (i.e., melatonin secretions were easily suppressed), subjects indicated typically low PLR. In subjects with low control-adjusted MSS (n=3), characteristic changes in the autonomic nervous system, such as body temperature and blood pressure, were noted in subjects exposed to low illuminance of 30 lux. The fact that the relationship between PLR and control-adjusted MSS portray a similar pattern even under different luminance conditions suggests that MSS may not be affected in those with high PLR at low illuminance, regardless of the illuminance condition.     

瓜实蝇对虚拟波长下不同颜色的趋性（英文）

利用害虫对不同颜色的趋性进行害虫防治, 如利用黄板对实蝇的监测和防治已有很长的历史, 然而尚未见把颜色量化进行实蝇对颜色偏嗜性研究的报道。为探明对瓜实蝇Bactrocera cucurbitae最具吸引力的颜色及其虚拟波长, 本试验应用Dan Bruton的虚拟波长与RGB值的函数关系, 把RGB值转换为虚拟波长; 选择RGB值［(0, 213, 255), (0, 255, 146), (54, 255, 0), (129, 255, 0), (195, 255, 0), (255, 255, 0), (255, 190, 0)和 (255, 119, 0)］的颜色进行打印, 这些颜色对应的虚拟波长分别是480, 500, 520, 540, 560, 580, 560和600 nm; 在八面体内进行瓜实蝇对8种颜色的偏嗜性试验。结果表明： 波长在520~560 nm 之间对应的颜色对瓜实蝇的吸引率高于其他虚拟波长对应的颜色, 而540 nm (黄绿色, RGB值为 129, 255, 0)对应的颜色纸对瓜实蝇的吸引率最大。此外田间颜色偏嗜性试验也证实了黄绿色对瓜实蝇有最强的引诱作用。结果说明, 黄绿色（虚拟波长540 nm）是吸引瓜实蝇的关键颜色, 黄绿色粘虫板可作为监测与防治瓜实蝇的一种有效方法。     

Age-related changes of reaction time and p300 for low-contrast color stimuli: Effects of yellowing of the aging human lens

We measured reaction time (RT), P300, and subjective evaluation for color Landolt-Cs with a gray color background presented on a CRT display. Seven young and 7 elderly subjects (mean ages: 21.6 and 68.4 years, respectively) participated, and the young subjects wore glasses with filters simulating spectral transmittance of an aging human lens as a test condition. The results for young subjects not wearing the filters showed that RT and P300 latency are constant among different test colors. In contrast, the results for elderly subjects showed that RT and P300 varied substantially depending upon the test colors and RT and P300 latency became longer than those of young subjects, particularly for gray and blue stimuli. In addition, the results for the young subjects with filters showed tendencies similar to those in elderly subjects. These results indicate that the yellowing of the human lens strongly influences reaction time and cognition time for color targets, suggesting that wearing the filters enables the young to simulate RT qualitatively as well as visibility of the elderly because both the simulated filter and the aging human lens modify the effective luminance, effective luminance contrast and effective color difference between the color target and the background on the retina. We also found that the reciprocal of RT and P300 latency could be expressed in a multiple regression model consisting of effective luminance, effective luminance contrast, effective color difference and age. Absolute values of RT and P300 latency in young subjects with filters, however, did not quantitatively coincide with those of the elderly subjects. There were differences of RT and P300 latency between the young with filters and the elderly, indicating that higher order age-related delay could be involved.     

Does pupil constriction under blue and green monochromatic light exposure change with age?

Many nonvisual functions are regulated by light through a photoreceptive system involving melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells that are maximally sensitive to blue light. Several studies have suggested that the ability of light to modulate circadian entrainment and to induce acute effects on melatonin secretion, subjective alertness, and gene expression decreases during aging, particularly for blue light. This could contribute to the documented changes in sleep and circadian regulatory processes with aging. However, age-related modification in the impact of light on steady-state pupil constriction, which regulates the amount of light reaching the retina, is not demonstrated. We measured pupil size in 16 young (22.8±4 years) and 14 older (61±4.4 years) healthy subjects during 45-second exposures to blue (480 nm) and green (550 nm) monochromatic lights at low (7×10(12) photons/cm2/s), medium (3×10(13) photons/cm2/s), and high (10(14) photons/cm2/s) irradiance levels. Results showed that young subjects had consistently larger pupils than older subjects for dark adaptation and during all light exposures. Steady-state pupil constriction was greater under blue than green light exposure in both age groups and increased with increasing irradiance. Surprisingly, when expressed in relation to baseline pupil size, no significant age-related differences were observed in pupil constriction. The observed reduction in pupil size in older individuals, both in darkness and during light exposure, may reduce retinal illumination and consequently affect nonvisual responses to light. The absence of a significant difference between age groups for relative steady-state pupil constriction suggests that other factors such as tonic, sympathetic control of pupil dilation, rather than light sensitivity per se, account for the observed age difference in pupil size regulation. Compared to other nonvisual functions, the light sensitivity of steady-state pupil constriction appears to remain relatively intact and is not profoundly altered by age.     

Dysregulation of the Autonomous Nervous System in Patients with Temporomandibular Disorder: A Pupillometric Study

The role of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) was recently investigated in Temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Several authors argue that in subjects with TMD there is a dysregulation of ANS. Recent literature support that Pupillometry is a simple non-invasive tool to study ANS. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between TMD and ANS activity using pupillometry recording in Infrared light at rest Mandible Position (RP); Infrared light at Forced Habitual Occlusion (FHO); Yellow-green light at RP; Yellow-green light at FHO. Forty female subjects were enrolled: 20 case patients showed TMD based on the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD, and 20 control patients, aged matched, had no signs or symptoms of TMD. Statistical analysis was performed on average pupil size. Ratio between pupil size in FHO and RP (FHO/RP ratio) and yellow-green and infrared (light/darkness ratio) lighting were carried out. Within group differences of pupil size and of “ratio” were analyzed using a paired t test, while differences of pupil size between groups were tested using an unpaired t test. Statistical comparisons between groups showed no significant differences of absolute values of pupil dimension in RP and FHO, both in yellow-green and in infrared lighting. In addition, there were no significant differences within groups comparing RP and FHO in yellow-green light. In within group comparison of pupil size, differences between RP and FHO were significant in infrared conditions. Control subjects increased, whereas TMD patients decreased pupil size at FHO in infrared lightening. FHO/RP ratio in darkness and light/darkness ratio in RP were significantly different between groups. Taken together, these data suggest that TMD subjects have an impairment of the sympathetic-adrenergic component of the ANS to be activated under stress. The present study provides preliminary pupillometric data confirming that adrenergic function is dysregulated in patients with TMD.     

Eye color prediction using single nucleotide polymorphisms in Saudi population

BackgroundDNA prediction of eye color represent one application of the externally visible characteristics (EVC), which attained growing interest in the field of DNA forensic phenotyping. This is mainly due to its ability to narrow the pool of suspects without the need to compare any retrieved DNA material from the crime scene to a reference DNA. Several methods and multiplex genetic panel were proposed with variable prediction accuracy between different populations. However, such panel was not previously tested in the Saudi population, nor any populations of the Middle East and North Africa origin.MethodA panel of eleven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was tested for their association with three eye colors (brown, hazel, and intermediate) in 80 volunteer Saudi individuals. SNPs and haplotype association test with eye colors were performed to identify the top significant SNPs with the three eye colors. Also, multinomial logistic regression was used to construct the prediction model using a training set of 60 subjects, and a validation set of 20 subjects. The goodness of fit parameter of the model to correctly predicts each eye color as compared to the other was performed.ResultsEye color was significantly associated with rs12913832, rs7170852, and rs916977 that are located within HERC2. SNP rs12913832 was the top significant SNP (p-value = 1.78E?15) that accounted for the association in this region, as the other SNPs were not significant after adjusting for rs12913832. A prediction model containing five SNPs showed high prediction accuracy with Area Under the receiver operating characteristic Curves (AUC) equals to 0.95 and 0.83 for brown and intermediate eye colors, respectively. However, the model’s performance was very low for predicting the hazel eye color with AUC equals 0.75.DiscussionDespite the small sample size of our study, we reported very significant SNP associations with eye color. Our model to predict eye colors based on DNA material showed high accuracy for brown and intermediate eye colors. The eye color prediction-model underperformed for the hazel eye colors, suggesting that larger sample size, as well as more comprehensive set of SNPs, could improve the model-prediction accuracy.     

Visual wavelength discrimination by the loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta

Marine turtles are visual animals, yet we know remarkably little about how they use this sensory capacity. In this study, our purpose was to determine whether loggerhead turtles could discriminate between objects on the basis of color. We used light-adapted hatchlings to determine the minimum intensity of blue (450 nm), green (500 nm), and yellow (580 nm) visual stimuli that evoked a positive phototaxis (the phototaxis "threshold" [pt]). Juvenile turtles were later trained to associate each color (presented at 1 log unit above that color's pt) with food, then to discriminate between two colors (the original rewarded stimulus plus one of the other colors, not rewarded) when both were presented at 1 log unit above their pt. In the crucial test, turtles were trained to choose between the rewarded and unrewarded color when the colors varied in intensity. All turtles learned that task, demonstrating color discrimination. An association between blue and food was acquired in fewer trials than between yellow and food, perhaps because some prey of juvenile loggerheads in oceanic surface waters (jellyfishes, polyps, and pelagic gastropods) are blue or violet in color.     

Spectral Test Instrument for Color Vision Measurement

Common displays such as CRT or LCD screens have hmlted capabilities in displaying most color spectra correctly. The main disadvantage of these devices is that they work with three primaries and the colors displayed are the mixture of these three colours. Consequently these devices can be confusing in testing human color identification, because the spectral distribution of the colors displayed is the combined spectrum of the three primaries. We have developed a new instrument for spectrally correct color vision measurement. This instrument uses light emitting diodes (LEDs) and is capable of producing all spectra of perceivable colors, thus with appropriate test methods this instrument can be a reliable and useful tool in testing human color vision and in verifying color vision correction.     

Response to color by male and female Frankliniella occidentalis during swarming and non-swarming behavior

Responses of male and female Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) to colors of various hues and brightness levels were compared between swarming and non-swarming behavior periods. Relative rankings of color preference were similar between males and females and between swarming and non-swarming behavior periods. Numbers of thrips were higher on blues, violets, white and somewhat less on some yellows, while lower numbers were found on greens, reds, some yellows and highly UV reflective white. The effect of UV reflection on thrips response to color depended upon the amount of UV reflectance. Highly UV reflective white (78% reflectance at 365 nm) captured very few thrips compared with low UV white (14% reflectance at 365 nm), but colors with less than 35% UV reflectance had no negative effect on numbers of thrips captured compared with their lower UV counterparts. Correlations of average preference rank of colors across all tests with relative rank of brightness of the colors (based on the area under the reflectance curve in different spectral ranges) indicated highly significant correlations of preference with the brightness in the blue-violet range (R=0.69 for females; R=0.86 for males, P<0.0021), but no significant correlation with brightness in the visible, green-yellow, or UV range. This contrasts with previous physiological research which indicates that spectral response efficiency of this species peaks in the UV and at 540 nm (green-yellow range). Several possible physiological, behavioral and color brightness explanations for this discrepancy are discussed.Significantly higher numbers of male thrips were trapped during swarming (4.5–6.3×) compared with non-swarming behavior periods. Significantly higher numbers of males were trapped than females during swarming behavior periods, but more females were trapped than males during non-swarming behavior periods. Sex ratios during non-swarming periods approximated sex ratios found in populations in plants. Based on the density change relative to sex ratio change between behavior periods, there was an indication of a greater change in male behavior than in female behavior. Since males and females responded similarly to color during both behavior periods and attractive colors were similar to flower colors, this suggests that male thrips use resource-based areas for aggregation sites.     

Generalization and categorization of spectral colors in goldfish I. Experiments with one training wavelength

Goldfish have a tetrachromatic color vision with a high discrimination ability for spectral colors as well as for object colors. We investigate the question whether goldfish organize the high number of discriminable colors in terms of color categories, i.e. in a few larger groups of colors independent of wavelength discrimination. Twenty-four goldfish were trained with food reward, each fish on one out of 13 wavelengths between 371 nm and 630 nm. In transfer tests two different wavelengths were presented, one shorter and one longer than the training wavelength, and the choice behavior was determined. Choice frequencies of ≥50% were assumed to indicate similarity to the training color. The wavelength ranges ≥50% were about 100 nm and twice as large as the just noticeable differences measured in wavelength discrimination tests (Fig. 7). The ranges were surprisingly about the same for all training wavelengths, provided the data were plotted on a wavelength scale weighted according to discrimination ability (Fig. 4). Thus, with the training method chosen goldfish showed a kind of categorization which, however, depends on training wavelength and discrimination ability. Generalization tests in which training wavelength and test wavelengths were shown separately for 2 min each gave the same results as wavelength discrimination tests (Figs. 5 and 6) and are, therefore, not indicative for color categories.     

Association between melanopsin gene polymorphism (I394T) and pupillary light reflex is dependent on light wavelength

Background

Our aim was to determine the association between melanopsin gene polymorphism and pupillary light reflex under diverse photic conditions, including different intensities and wavelengths.

Methods

A total of 195 visually corrected subjects volunteered for investigation of the melanopsin gene of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of rs1079610 (I394T). The genotype groups were TT (n = 126), TC (n = 55), and CC (n = 8), and 75 of the subjects, including subjects with TT (n = 34), TC (n = 33), and CC (n = 8) participated in our experiment. Three monochromatic lights with peak wavelengths of 465 nm (blue), 536 nm (green), and 632 nm (red) were prepared, and each light was projected to the subjects with five intensities, 12, 13, 14, 14.5 and 15 log photons/(cm² s), for one minute. The pupil size of the left eye was measured under each light condition after a 1-minute adaptation.

Results

The pupils of the TC + CC genotypes (n = 38) were significantly smaller than those of the TT genotype (n = 31) under a blue (463 nm) light condition with 15 log photons/(cm² s) (P < 0.05). In contrast, there were no significant differences under green (536 nm) and red (632 nm) light conditions. Conversely, relative pupil constrictions of the TC + CC genotypes were greater than those of the TT genotype under both blue and green conditions with high intensities (14.5 and 15 log photons/(cm² s)). In contrast, there were no significant differences between genotype groups in pupil size and relative pupilloconstriction under the red light conditions.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the melanopsin gene polymorphism (I394T) functionally interacts with pupillary light reflex, depending on light intensity and, particularly, wavelength, and that under a light condition fulfilling both high intensity and short wavelength, the pupillary light response of subjects with the C allele (TC + CC) is more sensitive to light than that of subjects with the TT genotype.     

卷蛾分索赤眼蜂雌蜂的颜色偏好性

为了确定卷蛾分索赤眼蜂Trichogrammatoidea bactrae Nagaraja 雌蜂的颜色偏好性, 在室内通过在培养皿底部黏贴彩纸的方法测定卷蛾分索赤眼蜂雌蜂对红、 黄、 黑、 紫、 绿、 白、 蓝7种颜色的行为趋性反应。结果表明, 卷蛾分索赤眼蜂雌蜂在红、 黄、 紫、 绿和蓝5种颜色上的滞留时间都极显著地高于对照（P<0.01）, 在黑和白2种颜色上的滞留时间与对照没有显著差异（P>0.05）; 对黄色的首次选择率极显著高于对照(P< 0.01), 对红、 紫、 绿和蓝色的首次选择率均显著高于对照(P＜0.05), 对黑色和白色的首次选择率与对照没有显著差异。当雌蜂分别在黄与红、 紫、 绿和蓝两两颜色之间选择时, 雌蜂在黄色彩纸上的滞留时间显著长于其他4种颜色。当雌蜂对红、 紫、 绿、 蓝和黄色5种颜色一起选择时, 在首次选择率、 滞留次数上5种颜色间都没有明显差异(P＞0.05); 但在红色和蓝色上的滞留时间显著长于紫色(P＜0.05), 在这3种颜色上的滞留时间与在黄色和绿色上的滞留时间均无显著差异(P＞0.05)。卷蛾分索赤眼蜂雌蜂在7种颜色卵卡上分别与透明纸（对照）上的米蛾卵的选择寄生时, 在黄色卵卡上的寄生卵量极显著多于对照(P＜0.01), 黑色卵卡上的寄生卵量极显著少于对照(P＜0.01), 其他5种颜色的卵卡上的寄生卵量与对照没有显著差异(P＞0.05)。结果说明, 卷蛾分索赤眼蜂雌蜂对黄色最为偏好, 其次偏好红、 紫、 绿和蓝色, 较不喜好白色和黑色。     

Psychophysical Evaluation of Congenital Colour Vision Deficiency: Discrimination between Protans and Deutans Using Mollon-Reffin’s Ellipses and the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue Test

We have used the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue (FM 100) test and Mollon-Reffin (MR) test to evaluate the colour vision of 93 subjects, 30.4 ± 9.7 years old, who had red-green congenital colour vision deficiencies. All subjects lived in Belém (State of Pará, Brazil) and were selected by the State of Pará Traffic Department. Selection criteria comprised the absence of visual dysfunctions other than Daltonism and no history of systemic diseases that could impair the visual system performance. Results from colour vision deficient were compared with those from 127 normal trichromats, 29.3 ± 10.3 years old. For the MR test, measurements were taken around five points of the CIE 1976 colour space, along 20 directions irradiating from each point, in order to determine with high-resolution the corresponding colour discrimination ellipses (MacAdam ellipses). Three parameters were used to compare results obtained from different subjects: diameter of circle with same ellipse area, ratio between ellipse’s long and short axes, and ellipse long axis angle. For the FM 100 test, the parameters were: logarithm of the total number of mistakes and positions of mistakes in the FM diagram. Data were also simultaneously analysed in two or three dimensions as well as by using multidimensional cluster analysis. For the MR test, Mollon-Reffin Ellipse #3 (u’ = 0.225, v’ = 0.415) discriminated more efficiently than the other four ellipses between protans and deutans once it provided larger angular difference in the colour space between protan and deutan confusion lines. The MR test was more sensitive than the FM 100 test. It separated individuals by dysfunctional groups with greater precision, provided a more sophisticated quantitative analysis, and its use is appropriate for a more refined evaluation of different phenotypes of red-green colour vision deficiencies.     

Using the Hard, Randy, and Rittler Test to Evaluate Color Vision in Capuchins (Cebus libidinosus)

The identification of color vision types in primates is fundamental to understanding the evolution and biological function of color perception. The Hard, Randy, and Rittler (HRR) pseudoisochromatic test categorizes human color vision types successfully. Here we provide an experimental setup to employ HRR in a nonhuman primate, the capuchin (Cebus libidinosus), a platyrrhine with polymorphic color vision. The HRR test consists of plates with a matrix composed of gray circles that vary in size and brightness. Differently colored circles form a geometric shape (X, O, or Δ) that is discriminated visually from the gray background pattern. The ability to identify these shapes determines the type of dyschromatopsy (deficiency in color vision). We tested six capuchins in their own cages under natural sunlight. The subjects chose between two HRR plates in each trial: one with the gray pattern only and the other with a colored shape, presented on the left or right side at random. We presented the test 40 times and calculated the 95?% confidence limits for chance performance based on the binomial test. We also genotyped all subjects for exons 3 and 5 of the X-linked opsin genes. The HRR test diagnosed two subjects as protan dichromats (missing or defective L-cone), three as deutan dichromats (missing or defective M-cone), and one female as trichromat. Genetic analysis supported the behavioral data for all subjects. These findings show that the HRR test can be applied to diagnose color vision in nonhuman primates.     

Chromatic cues to trap the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis

Various colors have been used as visual cues to trap insect pests. For example, yellow traps for monitoring and control of the oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) have been in use for a very long time. However, the chromatic cue of using color traps has never been meticulously investigated. In this study, the spectral sensitivities of the photoreceptors in the compound eyes of B. dorsalis were measured intracellularly, and the theory of receptor quantum catch was applied to study the chromatic cue of fly attracting. Responses to five wavelength categories with peak wavelengths of 370, 380, 490, and 510 nm, and one with dual peaks at 350 and 490 nm were recorded. Based on spectral sensitivities, six colored papers were chosen to test the color preference of the fly, and an additional UV preference test was done to confirm the effect of the UV stimuli. It was concluded that UV and green stimuli (spectra: 300-380 nm and 500-570 nm) would enhance the attractiveness of a colored paper to the oriental fruit fly, and blue stimuli (380-500 nm) would diminish the attractiveness.     

Confirmation of color determination factors for Ser286 derivatives of firefly luciferase from Luciola cruciata (LUC-G)

The bioluminescence color of firefly luciferase including its mutants ranges from green to red (530–640 nm) and is affected by the species of firefly, the reaction conditions, and by the substitution of amino acids. Although there is a general agreement that the microenvironment mechanism is the dominant model for the color determination of firefly luciferase, a complete mechanism has not been shown, partially due to the lack of comprehensive data on which amino acid positions alter the bioluminescent color. In this paper, a mutant library of position serine 286 (S286) in Luciola cruciata luciferase (LUC-G) was constructed and characterized. The substitution of S286 resulted in a drastic red shift in bioluminescence color (>600 nm), and only glycine (G) and alanine (A) mutants remained yellow-green. To explain this color difference, molecular dynamics (MD) calculations of 3 S286 derivatives (S286G, S286N, and S286I), in addition to wild type (WT), were performed. The active site rigidity and active site hydrogen bonding networks were compared to WT for each derivative. The results suggested that both factors affected the active site environment and affected the difference in bioluminescence colors in LUC-G S286 derivatives.     

Hair color measurement and variation

Pigmentation of hair in humans has been investigated by medical scientists, anthropologists and, more recently, by forensic scientists. In every investigation, hair color must first be defined by the researchers. Subjective color assessment inhibits the reproducibility of experiments and the direct comparison of results. The aim of this study was to objectively measure human hair color and examine the variation found in a population with European ancestry, using the CIE L*a*b* color space. Observer-perceived hair colors were compared with self-reported hair colors and the color as measured by reflective spectrophotometry of 132 subjects of European ancestry. The presented data show that self-reported hair colors and observer-reported colors are similar; however, these categories are not necessarily the best way to categorize hair color for quantitative research. Using a two-step cluster analysis, hair color can be divided into categories or clusters based on spectrophotometric measurements in the CIE L*a*b* color space and these clusters can be well discriminated from each other. This separation is primarily based on the b* (yellow) color component and the clusters show agreement to observer-reported colors. This study illustrates the possibilities for and necessity of objectively defining the hair color phenotype for various downstream applications.     

Melanopsin Gene Polymorphism I394T Is Associated with Pupillary Light Responses in a Dose-Dependent Manner

Background

Melanopsin-containing intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) play an important role in non-image forming responses to light, such as circadian photoentrainment, light-induced melatonin suppression, and pupillary light response. Although it is known that there are some single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the melanopsin (OPN4) gene in humans, the associations of the SNPs with non-image forming responses to light remains unclear. In the present study, we examined the associations of melanopsin gene polymorphisms with pupillary light response.

Methods

Japanese university students (mean age: 21.0±1.7 years) with the genotypes of TT (n = 38), TC (n = 28) and CC (n = 7) at rs1079610 (I394T) located in the coding region participated in the present study. They were matched by age and sex ratio. Dark-adapted pupil size (<1 lx) was first measured. Then steady-state pupil size was measured during exposure to five lighting conditions (10 lx, 100 lx, 1000 lx, 3000 lx, 6000 lx in the vertical direction at eye level).

Results

Significant interaction between the genotype of I394T (TT versus TC+CC) and luminance levels was found in pupil size. Under high illuminance levels (1000 lx, 3000 lx and 6000 lx), pupil sizes in subjects with the C allele were significantly smaller than those in subjects with the TT genotype. On the other hand, pupil size in subjects with the C allele under low illuminance (<1 lx) was significantly larger than that in subjects with the TT genotype. Percentages of pupil constriction under high illuminance levels were significantly greater in subjects with the C allele than in subjects with the TT genotype.

Conclusions

Human melanopsin gene polymorphism I394T interacted with irradiance in association with pupil size. This is the first evidence suggesting a functional connection between melanopsin gene polymorphism and pupillary light response as an index of non-image forming response to light.