Search

During the COVID-19 pandemic, studies reported that restricted living conditions were associated with worse subjective sleep quality. This effect might have been caused by reduced light exposure during lockdowns. We investigated light exposure levels, subjective and objective sleep and physical activity levels in older adults during restricted and free-living conditions after the pandemic. Ninety-one participants (62.7 ± 8.4 years) recruited from the community using social media with 44 participants (63.4 ± 8.9 years) completed follow-up during free-living conditions. Participants wore an actigraphy device and completed sleep diaries for 7 days during each condition. Light values were extracted in hourly bins across the 24-h period and objective and subjective sleep were compared between the conditions. There was an increase in mean 24-h light exposure during restricted-living (1103.7 ± 1024.8 lux) compared to free-living (803.0 ± 803.6 lux; p  < 0.001). This was partially related to participants spending 18 min more in bright light conditions (>1,000 lux) during wakefulness in restricted living (2.6 ± 1.9 h) compared to free-living (2.3 ± 2.0 h; p  = 0.036). Despite differences in light exposure, there were no significant differences in objective and subjective sleep parameters between the two conditions. More research is required to better understand behaviours related to light exposure and how this may impact on sleep.

Light exposure fundamentally influences human physiology and behavior, with light being the most important zeitgeber of the circadian system. Throughout the day, people are exposed to various scenes differing in light level, spectral composition and spatio-temporal properties. Personalized light exposure can be measured through wearable light loggers and dosimeters, including wrist-worn actimeters containing light sensors, yielding time series of an individual's light exposure. There is growing interest in relating light exposure patterns to health outcomes, requiring analytic techniques to summarize light exposure properties. Building on the previously published Python-based pyActigraphy module, here we introduce the module pyLight . This module allows users to extract light exposure data recordings from a wide range of devices. It also includes software tools to clean and filter the data, and to compute common metrics for quantifying and visualizing light exposure data. For this tutorial, we demonstrate the use of pyLight in one example dataset with the following processing steps: (1) loading, accessing and visual inspection of a publicly available dataset, (2) truncation, masking, filtering and binarization of the dataset, (3) calculation of summary metrics, including time above threshold (TAT) and mean light timing above threshold (MLiT). The pyLight module paves the way for open-source, large-scale automated analyses of light-exposure data., Competing Interests: Disclosure statement No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Although studies have shown that light affects sleep in polar populations, the sample size of most studies is small. This meta-analysis provides the first systematic review of the effects of summer glare, spring and fall moderate daylight, and artificial lighting on general sleep problems (sleep duration, efficiency, and delay). This analysis included 18 studies involving 986 participants. We calculated the random effect size via an evidence-based meta-analysis that analysed the effect of bright/auxiliary light on sleep and the effect of three different types of light on sleep compared with conventional light. There was no significant correlation between specific light types and sleep duration. Intense summer light has a negative effect on sleep time and efficiency. Moderate, natural light in spring and autumn effectively delayed sleep but could not improve sleep efficiency. For artificial fill light, neither blue light nor enhanced white light has been found to have a significant effect. In summary, summer light has a detrimental effect on sleep in polar populations, and moderate natural light may be superior to conventional light. However, specific strategies to improve sleep and artificial lighting in polar populations must be explored further., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Sleep Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Sleep Research Society.)

Cu(II)-organic acid (fraction I) and Cu(I)-thiol (fraction II) complexes can suppress sulfhydryl off-aromas in wine. This study investigated the impact of light exposure on the protective fractions of Cu of bottled white wine. Fluorescent light-exposed Chardonnay with two initial concentrations of dissolved oxygen (0.5 and 10 mg/L) was stored in different coloured bottles and concentrations of Cu fractions and riboflavin, a photo-initiator at 370-440 nm, were measured during 110 days storage. Light-exposed wines with lower oxygen concentrations resulted in a 100-fold decrease in the Cu fraction I half-life, and a 60-fold decrease for Cu fractions I and II combined. The half-life for Cu fraction I decay during light exposure was extended 30-fold with the use of brown compared to flint glass. Light exposure can rapidly exhaust the protective Cu fractions in wine, and bottles with less light transmission below 440 nm can slow this loss., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Study Objectives: Light information crucially influences sleep initiation and continuity. The purpose of this study was to compare daily light exposure between patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and non-PD older adults and evaluate the association of daily light exposure with objective sleep measures in patients with PD., Methods: In this cross-sectional study of 189 outpatients with PD and 1101 community-dwelling older adults (controls), daily light exposure was measured using wrist light meters during the daytime and light meters set in the bedrooms during the nighttime, and objective sleep quality was measured by wrist actigraphy., Results: The median duration of exposure to ≥ 1000 lux light was significantly shorter in patients with PD than in controls. The median nighttime light intensity was higher in patients with PD than in controls. Among patients with PD, multivariable analysis suggested that the highest quartile of exposure to ≥ 1000 lux light during the daytime was linked to significantly higher sleep efficiency (SE) by 8.0% and shorter wake after sleep onset (WASO) by 36.9 minutes than the lowest quartile. During the nighttime, the highest quartile of mean light intensity had significantly lower SE by 6.8%, longer WASO by 24.1 minutes, longer sleep onset latency, and higher fragmentation index, than the lowest quartile. Importantly, daytime and nighttime light levels were independently associated with objective sleep measures., Conclusions: The present study illustrated that greater daytime light exposure and lower nighttime light exposure are significantly associated with better objective sleep measures in patients with PD., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Sleep Research Society.)

Light is essential in shaping human circadian rhythms, including that of the hormone cortisol. While cortisol is known to influence secretion of the cytokine IL-6, the influence of light itself on IL-6 remains unclear. Thus, this study investigated the effects of two light conditions - red and blue - on IL-6 concentrations and the cortisol awakening response in blood. The interplay between cortisol and IL-6 was explored as well. The between-subject experiment was conducted with 71 healthy adult men (aged M red  = 24.30, SD  = 3.56; M  = 3.51) in a standardized sleep laboratory setting with 60-min light exposure post-awakening at 05:00 a.m. Two mixed models, with light condition and time across measurement points as factors, were calculated. In the one for cortisol, chronotype was introduced as a covariate. Mean cortisol concentrations did not differ between exposure to red vs. blue light ( blue  = 24.40, SD  = 3.51) in a standardized sleep laboratory setting with 60-min light exposure post-awakening at 05:00 a.m. Two mixed models, with light condition and time across measurement points as factors, were calculated. In the one for cortisol, chronotype was introduced as a covariate. Mean cortisol concentrations did not differ between exposure to red vs. blue light ( p  = 0.443), but overall cortisol output (area under the curve with respect to ground; AUC G ) and sensitivity (area under the curve with respect to increase; AUC I ) were greater in the blue-light condition ( p  = 0.050 and p  = 0.002). Total IL-6 secretion was greater under blue-light exposure ( p  = 0.035). As for IL-6, a main effect of time was obtained, with increasing concentrations over time ( p  = 0.002). Total IL-6 secretion was greater under blue-light exposure ( p <. 001), but mean IL-6 concentrations ( p  = 0.230) and IL-6 sensitivity ( p  < 0.001, respectively) during the red-light exposure. In the blue-light condition, cortisol sensitivity was significantly negatively correlated with IL-6 sensitivity ( p  = 0.034). Overall, blue light seemed to have exerted a greater influence on cortisol and IL-6. For cortisol, this effect might be moderated by chronotype. Additionally, cortisol and IL-6 seem to interact under light exposure. However, these effects were mixed and could not be found consistently across mean secretion, AUCg and AUCi.p  < 0.001, respectively) during the red-light exposure. In the blue-light condition, cortisol sensitivity was significantly negatively correlated with IL-6 sensitivity ( p  = 0.034). Overall, blue light seemed to have exerted a greater influence on cortisol and IL-6. For cortisol, this effect might be moderated by chronotype. Additionally, cortisol and IL-6 seem to interact under light exposure. However, these effects were mixed and could not be found consistently across mean secretion, AUCg and AUCi., Competing Interests: This research received funding from the 10.13039/501100002347Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany. This study was conducted in the subproject: “Einfluss von Licht auf die hormonelle Stressverarbeitung” [influence of light on hormonal stress management] as part of the joint project: “Nicht-visuelle Lichtwirkungen” [non-visual effects of light] (Funding code: 13N13397)., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: In the mammalian retina, intrinsically-photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGC) detect light and integrate signals from rods and cones to drive multiple non-visual functions including circadian entrainment and the pupillary light response (PLR). Non-visual photoreception and consequently non-visual sensitivity to light may change across child development. The PLR represents a quick and reliable method for examining non-visual responses to light in children. The purpose of this study was to assess differences in the PLRs to blue and red stimuli, measured one hour prior to bedtime, between children and adolescents., Methods: Forty healthy participants (8-9 years, n = 21; 15-16 years, n = 19) completed a PLR assessment 1 h before their habitual bedtime. After a 1 h dim-light adaptation period (< 1 lx), baseline pupil diameter was measured in darkness for 30 s, followed by a 10 s exposure to 3.0 × 10 13 photons/cm 2 /s of either red (627 nm) or blue (459 nm) light, and a 40 s recovery in darkness to assess pupillary re-dilation. Subsequently, participants underwent 7 min of dim-light re-adaptation followed by an exposure to the other light condition. Lights were counterbalanced across participants., Results: Across both age groups, maximum pupil constriction was significantly greater (p < 0.001, η p 2  = 0.48) and more sustained (p < 0.001, η p 2  = 0.41) during exposure to blue compared to red light. For adolescents, the post-illumination pupillary response (PIPR), a hallmark of melanopsin function, was larger after blue compared with red light (p = 0.02, d = 0.60). This difference was not observed in children. Across light exposures, children had larger phasic (p < 0.01, η p 2  = 0.20) and maximal (p < 0.01, η p 2  = 0.22) pupil constrictions compared to adolescents., Conclusions: Blue light elicited a greater and more sustained pupillary response than red light in children and adolescents. However, the overall amplitude of the rod/cone-driven phasic response was greater in children than in adolescents. Our findings using the PLR highlight a higher sensitivity to evening light in children compared to adolescents, and continued maturation of the human non-visual photoreception/system throughout development., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Myopia is a common refractive error that affects a large proportion of the population. Recent studies have revealed that alterations in choroidal thickness (ChT) and choroidal blood flow (ChBF) play important roles in the progression of myopia. Reduced ChBF could affect scleral cellular matrix remodeling, which leads to axial elongation and further myopia progression. As ChT and ChBF could be used as potential biomarkers for the progression of myopia, several recent myopia treatments have targeted alterations in ChT and ChBF. Our review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent literature review on the relationship between ChBF and myopia. We also highlight the importance of ChT and ChBF in the progression of myopia and the potential of ChT as an important biomarker for myopia progression. This summary has significant implications for the development of novel strategies for preventing and treating myopia.

Herbal infusions exhibit diverse pharmacological effects, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antihypertensive, and antineurodegenerative activities, which can be attributed to the high content of phenolic compounds ( e.g ., caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs)). In this study, we used ultraperformance liquid chromatography to determine the content of CQAs in the methanolic extracts of model herbs, namely, yerba mate ( Ilex paraguariensis ), stevia ( Stevia rebaudiana ), and Indian camphorweed ( Pluchea indica (L.) Less.). The results revealed that yerba mate had the highest total CQA content (108.05 ± 1.12 mg/g of dry weight). Furthermore, we evaluated the effect of brewing conditions and storage at 4 °C under dark and light conditions on the antioxidant property and total phenolic and CQA contents of a yerba mate infusion. The analysis of the yerba mate infusions prepared with different steeping times, dried leaf weights, and water temperatures revealed that the amount of extracted CQAs was maximized (∼175 mg/150 mL) when 6 g of dried leaves were steeped in hot water for 10 min. A total of 10-day refrigerated storage resulted in no significant changes in the antioxidant activity and total phenolic and CQA contents of an infusion kept in a brown container (dark). However, the antioxidant properties and total phenolic and CQA contents were negatively affected when kept in a clear container, suggesting the detrimental effect of light exposure. Our study provides practical recommendations for improving the preparation and storage of herbal infusions, thus catering to the needs of consumers, food scientists, and commercial producers. Moreover, it is the first study of the influence of light exposure on the content of crucial quality attributes within plant-based beverages., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024 Khaksar et al.)

The majority of rosé wines are bottled in clear bottles as color is an important factor in consumer preference. Post-bottling wine can be exposed to UV-visible light and temperature fluctuations resulting in quality degradation. This study investigated the impact of bottle color (flint and antique green), light exposure (darkness, LED and fluorescent bulb), and temperature (12 °C and 22 °C) on rosé wine quality using a full factorial design with three different wines (Grenache, Pinot noir and Zinfandel). The impact on chemical composition, color, phenolics and aromatics was determined. Projective mapping was carried out for sensorial analysis. Changes in the aromatics, color and phenolic composition were detectable after three months and more noticeable after six months of storage. Overall, all variables studied impacted rosé wine characteristics significantly. However, higher temperature in combination with clear glass bottles under fluorescent light were the most detrimental conditions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Light exposure has been proven to have a significant impact on human health. As a result, researchers are increasingly exploring its potential benefits and drawbacks. With advancements in understanding light and the manufacturing of light sources, modern health lighting has become widely utilized in daily life and plays a critical role in the prevention and treatment of various illnesses. The use of light in healthcare is a global trend, with many countries actively promoting the development and application of relevant scientific research and medical technology. This field has gained worldwide attention and support from scientists and doctors alike. In this review, we examine the application of lighting in human health and recent breakthroughs in light exposure related to pathology, therapeutic strategies, molecular changes, and more. Finally, we also discuss potential future developments and areas of application., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Adolescent sleep disturbances and circadian delays pose significant challenges to mood and daytime functioning. In this narrative review, we explore the impact of light on sleep and highlight the importance of monitoring and managing light exposure in adolescents throughout the day and night. The benefits of daylight exposure in mitigating sleep and circadian disruptions are well-established; however, interventions targeting access to daylight in adolescents remain understudied and underutilized. The primary aim of this narrative review is to bring attention to this gap in the literature and propose the need for institutional-level interventions that promote access to daylight, especially considering adolescents' early school start times and substantial time spent indoors on weekdays. School-led interventions, such as active commuting to school and outdoor curriculums, have promising effects on sleep and circadian rhythms. Additionally, practical measures to optimize natural light in classrooms, including managing blinds and designing conducive environments, should also be considered. While future studies are necessary to facilitate the implementation of interventions, the potential for these school-level interventions to support adolescent sleep health is evident. Aiming for integration of individual-level regulation and institutional-level intervention of light exposure is necessary for optimal outcomes.

Introduction: Night-shift workers often face various health issues stemming from circadian rhythm shift and the consequent poor sleep quality. We aimed to study nurses working night shifts, evaluate the electroencephalogram (EEG) pattern of daytime sleep, and explore possible pattern changes due to ambient light exposure (30 lux) compared to dim conditions (<5 lux) during daytime sleep., Moethods: The study involved 31 participants who worked night shifts and 24 healthy adults who had never worked night shifts. The sleep macro and microstructures were analyzed, and electrophysiological activity was compared (1) between nighttime sleep and daytime sleep with dim light and (2) between daytime sleep with dim and 30 lux light conditions., Results: The daytime sleep group showed lower slow or delta wave power during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep than the nighttime sleep group. During daytime sleep, lower sigma wave power in N2 sleep was observed under light exposure compared to no light exposure. Moreover, during daytime sleep, lower slow wave power in N3 sleep in the last cycle was observed under light exposure compared to no light exposure., Discussion: Our study demonstrated that night shift work and subsequent circadian misalignment strongly affect sleep quality and decrease slow and delta wave activities in NREM sleep. We also observed that light exposure during daytime sleep could additionally decrease N2 sleep spindle activity and N3 waves in the last sleep cycle., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Yook, Choi, Zang, Joo and Kim.)

Urban environments, in which ambient light has become a less-reliable entrainer, are challenging for the biological clock to maintain performance. As a consequence, human circadian rhythms are less robust and more variable among individuals. Assessing the individual phase of entrainment, as well as its plastic shifts in response to disturbances of the physical and social environment, is a way to measure circadian disruption. However, this is still difficult to address in real-life scenarios in which several factors modulate the circadian phase not always in a concerted manner. In this perspective, we present the contribution of two real-life situations, in which the circadian system is challenged by important alterations in entraining signals: 1) a trip to the Antarctic summer (socio-environmental challenge), and 2) dancers trained in morning/night shifts (socio-behavioral challenge). Both natural chronobiological experiments are helpful in exploring the functioning and plasticity of the circadian clock and allow for considering individual characteristics and history., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Tassino and Silva.)

Background: Light exposure is the most powerful resetting signal for circadian rhythms. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a high-resolution geospatial light exposure model that measures environmental circadian misalignment (or solar jetlag) as the mismatch between the social clock and sun clock, which occurs from geographic variation in light exposure leading to delayed circadian phase from relatively less morning light exposure and greater evening light exposure with increasing westward position within a time zone., Methods: The light exposure model (30 m 2 spatial resolution) incorporated geospatial data across the United States on time zones, elevation (using Google Earth Engine), sunrise time, and sunset time to estimate solar jetlag scores (higher values indicate higher environmental circadian misalignment). The validation study compared the light exposure model in 2022, which was linked with geocoded residential addresses of n = 20 participants in Boston, MA (eastern time zone position) and Seattle, WA (western time zone position) using a geographic information system, with illuminance values captured from wearable LYS light sensors and with sun times from the Solar Calculator., Results: Western versus eastern positions within a time zone were associated with higher solar jetlag scores from the light exposure model ( P < 0.01) and relatively larger differences in sunset time measured using light sensors (social clock) and the Solar Calculator (sun clock) ( P = 0.04)., Conclusion: We developed and validated a geospatial light exposure model, enabling high spatiotemporal resolution and comprehensive characterization of geographic variation in light exposure potentially impacting circadian phase in epidemiologic studies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with regard to the content of this report., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The Environmental Epidemiology. All rights reserved.)

Formation of the protein crosslink di-Tyrosine was studied in PET-bottled pasteurized milk exposed to fluorescent light in a commercial display cabinet. An HPLC method with fluorescence detection was developed and intra-laboratory validated using pure di-Tyrosine synthesized on purpose. Di-Tyrosine was detected after 1-day lightening and increased up to 7 days, reaching around 250 and 320 µg/g protein in whole and partly skimmed milk, respectively. Afterward, a progressive decrease occurred. By transmission electron microscopy with specific immune gold labelling, presence of di-Tyrosine was observed for the first time on the surface of casein micelles of lightened milk. The crosslink formation, however, did not bring to protein aggregation phenomena detectable by laser light scattering measurements. Exposure to light also induced degradation of riboflavin and decrease of yellowness index. Di-Tyrosine proved to be a suitable indicator to evaluate the progress of protein oxidation in pasteurized milk during storage on the market., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Light exposure affects the circadian system and consequently can affect sleep quality. Only few studies examined this relationship in children. We evaluated associations between light exposure patterns and sleep metrics in children. We measured the sleep parameters of 247 Dutch children, aged between 11 and 13 years and recruited from the ABCD cohort, using actigraphy and sleep records for 7 consecutive nights. Personal light exposures were measured with a light meter during the whole day and night. We applied generalized mixed-effects regression models, adjusted for possible confounders, to evaluate the associations of light exposure patterns on sleep duration, sleep efficiency and sleep-onset delay. In the models mutually adjusted for potential confounders, we found the amount of hours between the first time of bright light in the morning and going to sleep and the duration of bright light to be significantly associated with decreased sleep duration (in min; β: -2.02 [95% confidence interval: -3.84, -0.25], β: -8.39 [95% confidence interval: -16.70, -0.07], respectively) and with shorter sleep-onset delay (odds ratio: 0.88 [95% confidence interval: 0.80, 0.97], odds ratio: 0.40 [95% confidence interval: 0.19, 0.87], respectively). Increased light intensities at night were associated with decreased sleep duration (T2 β: -8.54 [95% confidence interval: -16.88, -0.20], T3 β: -14.83 [95% confidence interval: -28.04, -1.62]), while increased light intensities before going to bed were associated with prolonged sleep onset (odds ratio: 4.02 [95% confidence interval: 2.09, 7.73]). These findings further suggest that children may be able to influence their sleep quality by influencing the light exposure patterns during day and night., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Sleep Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Sleep Research Society.)

We examined the effects of light exposure on the theront excystment circadian rhythm in Cryptocaryon irritans using a newly invented apparatus, which enabled us to examine the excystment rhythms of theronts from tomonts with low labor. Using the apparatus, we examined the timings of theront excystment from tomonts exposed directly to light and from tomonts exposed to light-exposed seawater by counting the number of excysted theronts. We found that the theront excystment time changed only when tomonts were directly exposed to light, indicating that light reception is essential for circadian rhythm entrainment. When tomonts were exposed to light only once for 12 h, either on Day 1, Day 2, or Day 3 after leaving host and being encysted, the circadian rhythm was entrained according to the photoperiod given on tomonts. Tomonts exposed to a low light (1 lx) with 12L:12D photoperiod daily showed a circadian rhythm similar to that in tomonts exposed to an intense light (500 lx) under the same photoperiod. When tomonts were incubated at 22 °C, 25 °C, or 28 °C under the same photoperiod, almost the same circadian rhythm was developed, suggesting temperature has little effect on the circadian rhythm entrainment between the range, even though the date of excystment was delayed in lower temperatures. These results suggest the circadian rhythm of theront excystment can be entrained in tomonts on the seabed of inner bays where net-cage aquaculture is conducted, and be involved in the outbreaks of cryptocaryoniasis there., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process. During the preparation of this work the authors used Chat GPT in order to edit the manuscript. After using this tool, the authors reviewed and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the content of the publication., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Potato is susceptible to light exposure and wounding during harvesting and transportation. However, the metabolite profile changes in these potato tubers are unclear. The potato cultivars in this study included Hezuo88 (HZ88), Shida6 (SD6), and Jianchuanhong (JCH); the effects of light exposure (L), wounding (W), and the cooking process on potato metabolites were determined. In total, 973 metabolites were identified, with differential metabolites (mainly alkaloids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids) accumulated on days 0 and 2 (0 d and 2 d) in the 0dHZ88 vs. 0dJCH (189), 0dHZ88 vs. 0dSD6 (147), 0dSD6 vs. 0dJCH (91), 0dJCH vs. 2dIJCH (151), 0dJCH vs. 2dWDJCH (250), 0dJCH vs. 2dWLJCH (255), 2dIJCH vs. 2dWDJCH (234), and 2dIJCH vs. 2dWLJCH (292) groups. The flavonoid content in the light exposure group was higher than that in the dark group. The alkaloid content in the wounded group was higher than that in the uninjured potato tuber group, but the lipid content in the wounded group was lower. Importantly, only 5.54% of the metabolites changed after potato tuber steaming. These results provide valuable information for the breeding and consumption of potato tubers.

Grape is the world's economic horticultural crop; it is perishable due to various pathogens and abiotic stress attributed to water loss-induced issues. To address these postharvest problems, this research investigates the effects of light irradiation on anthocyanins synthesis and energy metabolism in stored grapes to enhance their postharvest quality. The activities of chlorophyllase (1.17 U gk -1 ), Mg-dechelatase (351.69 U gk -1 ), chlorophyll-degraded peroxidase (3.49 U gk -1 ), and pheophytinase (0.85 U gk -1 ) were significantly higher in the control fruit than in the treated fruit at the end of storage. The red-light treatment showed higher levels of anthocyanins biosynthesis-related enzymes than green, blue-light, and control treatments. Additionally, light irradiation resulted in a decrease in adenosine triphosphate, adenosine diphosphate, adenosine monophosphate, and energy charge. This was attributed to decreased activity of energy metabolism enzymes, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate content, and increased nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide content. These findings offer a theoretical foundation for optimizing grape coloration and energy metabolism during storage, thus prolonging the shelf-life of grapes by improving quality attributes. This research highlights the potential of light irradiation as a technique for enhancing the postharvest quality of agricultural products., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To describe the performance of the Actiwatch Spectrum Plus (Philips, Respironics) for determining real world indoor and outdoor environments and physical activity in children., Methods: Children wore the device while performing 10 different activities, ranging from sedentary to vigorous physical-activity, and under different indoor and outdoor conditions. Repeated measures ANOVA was implemented via mixed effects modeling to determine illuminance (lux) and physical activity (counts per 15 s, CP15) across conditions. Receiver operator characteristics (ROC) analysis assessed the accuracy to detect indoor versus outdoor settings., Results: Illuminance was found to be statistically different across indoor (793 ± 348 lux) and outdoor (4,413 ± 518 lux) conditions (P<.0001), with excellent diagnostic accuracy to detect indoor versus outdoor settings (Area under the ROC Curve, AUC 0.94); 1088 lux was identified as the optimal threshold for outdoor illuminance (sensitivity: 93.0%; specificity: 85.0%). Using published activity ranges, we found that when children were sitting, 94% of the physical-activity readings were classified as sedentary or light. When children were walking, 88% of readings were classified as light, and when children were running, 77% of readings were classified as moderate or vigorous., Conclusion: The Actiwatch Spectrum Plus performed well during real world activities in children, showing excellent diagnostic accuracy at 1088 lux as a threshold to detect indoor versus outdoor environments and in categorizing physical activity., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Spanish General Council of Optometry. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: Retinal melatonin is crucial for neuroprotection. Exposure to light-emitting diodes (LEDs) affects retinal neurons, possibly influencing retinal melatonin levels. Hence, we aimed to quantify the retinal melatonin level with different LED wavelengths., Method: A total of 24 Sprague Dawley (SD) male rats were divided into four groups (n = 6 in each group) as normal controls (NC), blue light (BL), white light (WL), and yellow light (YL). The rats in the experimental groups were exposed to different wavelengths of LEDs for 28 days (12:12 h light-dark cycle) with uniform illumination of 450-500 lx. Following exposure, the rats were subjected to behavioral tests such as passive avoidance and elevated plus maze tests. Following the behavior tests, the rats were sacrificed, eyes were enucleated, and retinal tissue was stored at -80 °C. The homogenized retina was used for reactive oxygen species (ROS) and melatonin quantification using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit., Results: Passive avoidance test revealed a significant difference across the groups (p < 0.0004). The BL exposure group demonstrated increased latency to enter the dark compartment (DC) and impaired motor memory. The elevated plus maze test revealed a significant difference across all the groups (p < 0.012), where the time spent in the closed arm was greater in the BL exposure group. Comparison of ROS levels revealed a significant difference across the groups (p < 0.0001), with increased nitric oxide concentrations in the experimental groups. Melatonin levels were significantly decreased in the light exposure groups (p < 0.0001) compared to the NC group., Conclusion: Cumulative exposure to different LED wavelengths resulted in increased anxiety with impaired motor activity. This was also complemented by the addition of oxidative stress leading to decreased melatonin levels in the retina, which might trigger retinal neuronal damage., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Nagarajan T reports financial support, administrative support, statistical analysis, and writing assistance were provided by Manipal Academy of Higher Education. Nagarajan T reports a relationship with Manipal Academy of Higher Education that includes: board membership, consulting or advisory, employment, and non-financial support., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

People with a diagnosis of schizophrenia often have poor sleep, even when their psychotic symptoms are relatively well managed. This includes insomnia, sleep apnoea, hypersomnia, and irregular or non-24 h sleep-wake timing. Improving sleep would better support recovery, yet few evidence-based sleep treatments are offered to this group. This paper presents a mixed methods feasibility and acceptability study of Light-Dark and Activity Rhythm Therapy (L-DART). L-DART is delivered by an occupational therapist over 12 weeks. It is highly personalisable to sleep phenotypes and circumstances. Ten participants with schizophrenia spectrum diagnoses and sleep problems received L-DART; their sleep problems and therapy goals were diverse. We measured recruitment, attrition, session attendance, and adverse effects, and qualitatively explored acceptability, engagement, component delivery, adherence, activity patterns, dynamic light exposure, self-reported sleep, wellbeing, and functioning. Recruitment was ahead of target, there was no attrition, and all participants received the minimum 'dose' of sessions. Acceptability assessed via qualitative reports and satisfaction ratings was good. Adherence to individual intervention components varied, despite high participant motivation. All made some potentially helpful behaviour changes. Positive sleep and functioning outcomes were reported qualitatively as well as in outcome measures. The findings above support testing the intervention in a larger randomised trial ISRCTN11998005.

The importance of adequate sleep for good health cannot be overstated. Excessive light exposure at night disrupts sleep, therefore, it is important to find more healthy drinks that can promote sleep under sleep-disturbed conditions. The present study investigated the use of A. sinensis (Lour.) Spreng leaf tea, a natural product, to reduce the adverse effects of nighttime light on sleep. Here, Aquilaria sinensis leaf tea at 1.0 and 1.5 g/L significantly increased sleep time in zebrafish larvae (5-7 dpf) with light-induced sleep disturbance. Transcriptome sequencing and qRT-PCR analysis revealed a decrease in the immune-related genes, such as nfkbiab , tnfrsf1a , nfkbiaa , il1b , traf3 , and cd40 in the 1.5 g/L Aquilaria sinensis leaf tea treatment group. In addition, a gene associated with sleep, bhlhe41 , showed a significant decrease. Moreover, Aquilaria sinensis leaf tea suppressed the increase in neutrophils of Tg(mpo:GFP) zebrafish under sleep-disturbed conditions, indicating its ability to improve the immune response. Widely targeted metabolic profiling of the Aquilaria sinensis tea using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) revealed flavonoids as the predominant component. Network pharmacological and molecular docking analyses suggested that the flavonoids quercetin and eupatilin in Aquilaria sinensis leaf tea improved the sleep of zebrafish by interacting with il1b and cd40 genes under light exposure at night. Therefore, the results of the study provide evidence supporting the notion that Aquilaria sinensis leaf tea has a positive impact on sleep patterns in zebrafish subjected to disrupted sleep due to nighttime light exposure. This suggests that the utilization of Aquilaria sinensis leaf tea as a potential therapeutic intervention for sleep disturbances induced by light may yield advantageous outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Tan, Wang, Smith, Sun, Long, Mao, Huang, Huang and Zhong.)

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that conditions with decreased morning and increased evening light exposure, including shift work, daylight-saving time, and eveningness, are associated with elevated mortality and suicide risk. Given that the alignment between the astronomical, biological, and social time varies across a time zone, with later-shifted daylight exposure in the western partition, we hypothesized that western time zone partitions would have higher suicide rates than eastern partitions., Methods: United States (U.S.) county-level suicide and demographic data, from 2010 to 2018, were obtained from a Centers for Disease Control database. Using longitude and latitude, counties were sorted into the western, middle, or eastern partition of their respective time zones, as well as the northern and southern halves of the U.S. Linear regressions were used to estimate the associations between suicide rates and time zone partitions, adjusting for gender, race, ethnicity, age group, and unemployment rates., Results: Data were available for 2872 counties. Across the U.S., western partitions had statistically significantly higher rates of suicide compared to eastern partitions and averaged up to two additional yearly deaths per 100,000 people (p < .001)., Limitations: Ecological design and limited adjustment for socioeconomic factors., Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study of the relationship between longitude-based time zone partitions and suicide. The results were consistent with the hypothesized elevated suicide rates in the western partitions, and concordant with previous reports on cancer mortality and transportation fatalities. The next step is to retest the hypothesis with individual-level data, accounting for latitude, photoperiodic changes, daylight-saving time, geoclimatic variables, physical and mental health indicators, as well as socioeconomic adversity and protection., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no known conflicts of interest to disclose., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Older men with the worse alignment of activity and light may have lower levels of cognition and increased rates of cognitive decline., Methods: This cohort consisted of 1 036 older men (81.1 ± 4.6 years) from the MrOS Sleep Study (2009-2012). Light and activity levels were gathered by wrist actigraphy. Phasor analysis was used to quantify the alignment of light-dark and rest-activity patterns (magnitude) and their temporal relationship (angle). Global cognitive function (Modified Mini-Mental State examination [3MS]) and executive function (Trails B test) were measured, then repeated 4.2 ± 0.8 years later. Linear regression models examined the associations of phasor magnitude and angle with cognition and cognitive decline. Models were adjusted for age, clinic, race, education, and season., Results: Smaller phasor magnitude (worse aligned light and activity patterns) was associated with lower initial level and increased decline in executive function. Compared to those with higher phasor magnitude, those with lower magnitude took an average of 11.1 seconds longer to complete the Trails B test (quartile 1 vs quartile 4, p = .02). After follow-up, Trails B completion time increased an average of 5.5 seconds per standard deviation decrease in phasor magnitude (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.7-10.4, p = .03). There were no associations with phasor angle, and none with magnitude and global cognition (3MS)., Conclusion: Among older men, worse alignment of light and activity patterns was associated with worse initial performance and increased decline in executive function, but not related to global cognition. Interventions that improve the alignment of light and activity may slow cognitive decline in older adults., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

With the increasing prevalence of myopia, evaluating its relationship with objective light exposure as a potential adjustable environmental factor in myopia development has been an emerging research field in recent years. From a thorough literature search, we identify ten wearable light meters from human studies on light exposure and myopia and present an overview of their parameters, thereby demonstrating the wide between-device variability and discussing its implications. We further identify 20 publications, including two reanalyses, reporting investigations of light-myopia associations with data from human subjects wearing light meters. We thoroughly review the publications with respect to general characteristics, aspects of data collection, participant population, as well as data analysis and interpretation, and also assess potential patterns regarding the absence or presence of light-myopia associations in their results. In doing so, we highlight areas in which more research is needed as well as several aspects that warrant consideration in the study of light exposure and myopia., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2023 Hönekopp and Weigelt.)

Background: Sleep problems are common in mental health service users, but few non-pharmacological therapies are offered. Therapies are being developed and tested, but there may be barriers to these therapies reaching those who need them., Methods: Light-Dark and Activity Rhythm Therapy (L-DART), is a new sleep therapy delivered by an occupational therapist, which has been feasibility tested in people with schizophrenia spectrum diagnoses. This paper presents two surveys, conducted with mental health staff and service users, on sleep problems, treatment wishes; and barriers and facilitators to uptake of L-DART or similar therapies. Descriptive statistics, single-level and multi-level ordinal logistic regression were used to examine factors associated with sleep problems and referral intentions., Findings: Sleep problems were commonly identified by staff and service users, there was demand for non-pharmacological intervention across diagnostic and demographic categories, but staff readiness to refer differed according to NHS Trust and service user diagnosis. Staff and service user reports differed in awareness of sleep disordered breathing and parasomnias, and wish for referral. Staff were more confident identifying sleep problems than addressing them, but more training was associated with greater confidence concerning both assessment and treatment., Conclusions: A range of sleep problems are prevalent and recognised in mental health service users, and there is an unmet need for non-pharmacological sleep interventions. Improving suitable resources to support self-management in this group may help; Staff and service users also reported a high readiness to refer or be referred for sleep interventions. Staff training to improve identification of sleep problems, and differentiation between types of sleep problems, would support access to the most appropriate treatments., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

The quality of commercially available extra-virgin olive oils (VOOs) of different chemical compositions was evaluated as a function of storage (12 months), simulating market storage conditions, to find reliable and early markers of the virgin olive oil (VOOs) quality status in the market. By applying a D-optimal design using the Most Descriptive Compound (MDC) algorithm, 20 virgin olive oils were selected. The initial concentrations of oleic acid, hydrophilic phenols, and α-tocopherol in the 20 VOOs ranged from 58.2 to 80.5%, 186.7 to 1003.2 mg/kg, and 170.7-300.6 mg/kg, respectively. K 270 , ∆K, ( E , E )-2.4-decadienal and ( E )-2-decenal, and the oxidative form of the oleuropein aglycon (3,4-DHPEA-EA-OX) reflected the VOO quality status well, with 3,4-DHPEA-EA-OX being the most relevant and quick index for simple monitoring of the "extra-virgin" commercial shelf-life category. Its HPLC-DAD evaluation is easy because of the different wavelength absorbances of the oxidized and non-oxidized form (3,4-DHPEA-EA), respectively, at 347 and 278 nm.

The present article discusses the role of light in altering autophagy, both within the outer retina (retinal pigment epithelium, RPE, and the outer segment of photoreceptors) and the inner choroid (Bruch's membrane, BM, endothelial cells and the pericytes of choriocapillaris, CC). Here autophagy is needed to maintain the high metabolic requirements and to provide the specific physiological activity sub-serving the process of vision. Activation or inhibition of autophagy within RPE strongly depends on light exposure and it is concomitant with activation or inhibition of the outer segment of the photoreceptors. This also recruits CC, which provides blood flow and metabolic substrates. Thus, the inner choroid and outer retina are mutually dependent and their activity is orchestrated by light exposure in order to cope with metabolic demand. This is tuned by the autophagy status, which works as a sort of pivot in the cross-talk within the inner choroid/outer retina neurovascular unit. In degenerative conditions, and mostly during age-related macular degeneration (AMD), autophagy dysfunction occurs in this area to induce cell loss and extracellular aggregates. Therefore, a detailed analysis of the autophagy status encompassing CC, RPE and interposed BM is key to understanding the fine anatomy and altered biochemistry which underlie the onset and progression of AMD.

Vitis vinifera L. cv Shiraz appears unable to synthesise 3-alkyl-2-methoxypyrazines (MPs) in the berry, but can still produce significant concentrations in rachis. MPs are readily extracted from rachis during fermentation, producing Shiraz wines with uncharacteristic "green" flavours. Recently, rootstocks were shown to significantly alter MP concentrations in Cabernet Sauvignon rachis compared to own-rooted varieties, but whether Shiraz followed a similar trend required investigation. This study considered the effect of thirteen rootstocks on the concentrations of 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine (IBMP), 3-isopropyl-2-methoxypyrazine (IPMP), and 3-sec-butyl-2-methoxypyrazine (SBMP) in the rachis of Shiraz bunches sampled during multiple vintages across several Australian growing regions. Although IBMP was the most abundant, all measured MP concentrations were significantly affected by vintage, rootstock, and region. In addition, vine vigour showed positive correlations with IBMP, which were attributed to changes in canopy coverage impacting rachis light exposure. This hypothesis was explored with light exclusion trials, which significantly increased rachis IBMP concentrations., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest P.K.B., D.L.C., S.M., and D.W.J. declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. R.D.S. reports financial support was provided by Treasury Wine Estates and C.M.K. reports a relationship with Treasury Wine Estates that includes: employment., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Accumulating evidence suggests that time outdoors is protective against myopia development and that the choroid may be involved in this effect. The goal of this study was to examine the effect of 2 h of time outdoors in sunlight on retinal and choroidal thickness in adults., Methods: Twenty adults, ages 23-46 years, each participated in three experimental sessions on different days, consisting of 2 h of exposure to (1) indoor illumination (350 lux), (2) darkness (<0.1 lux) or (3) outdoor environment (6000-50,000 lux). Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) imaging was conducted at baseline, after 1 and 2 h of exposure, and after 1 and 2 h of follow-up. Choroidal, total retinal, photoreceptor outer segment + retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and photoreceptor inner segment thicknesses were determined., Results: At 2 h, the choroid was significantly thinner during the outdoor compared with the indoor and dark conditions (p < 0.01) but was not significantly different at follow-up. Total retinal thickness was significantly thicker during and after the outdoor compared with the indoor and dark conditions. The outer segment + RPE was significantly thinner during the outdoor compared with the indoor condition but was not significantly different at follow-up. The inner segment was significantly thicker during the outdoor compared with the indoor and dark conditions during exposure and follow-up., Conclusions: Spending 2 h outdoors under high-intensity sunlight resulted in an unexpected thinning of the choroid, which recovered post-exposure. Retinal thickness showed different responses to the outdoor and indoor environments and was sensitive to the duration of exposure., (© 2023 College of Optometrists.)

Sorbicillinoids are a class of hexaketide metabolites produced by Ustilaginoidea virens (teleomorph: Villosiclava virens ), an important fungal pathogen that causes a devastating rice disease. In this study, we investigated the effects of environmental factors, including carbon and nitrogen sources, ambient pH and light exposure, on mycelial growth, sporulation, as well as the accumulation of sorbicillinoids, and the expression of related genes involved in sorbicillinoid biosynthesis. It was found that the environmental factors had great influences on mycelial growth and sporulation of U. virens . Fructose and glucose, complex nitrogen sources, acidic conditions and light exposure were favorable for sorbicillinoid production. The relative transcript levels of sorbicillinoid biosynthesis genes were up-regulated when U. virens was separately treated with those environmental factors that favored sorbicillinoid production, indicating that sorbicillinoid biosynthesis was mainly regulated at the transcriptional level by different environmental factors. Two pathway-specific transcription factor genes, UvSorR1 and UvSorR2, were found to participate in the regulation of sorbicillinoid biosynthesis. These results will provide useful information to better understand the regulation mechanisms of sorbicillinoid biosynthesis, and be conducive to develop effective means for controlling sorbicillinoid production in U. virens .

Background: Circadian activity rhythm disruption is a core feature in bipolar disorder. We investigated whether light exposure in daily life is associated with circadian activity rhythms in patients with bipolar disorder., Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we enrolled 194 outpatients with bipolar disorder who were participants of the Association between Pathology of Bipolar Disorder and Light Exposure in Daily Life (APPLE) cohort study. The participants' physical activity and daytime illuminance were measured using an actigraph over 7 consecutive days. Nighttime illuminance in the bedroom was measured using a portable photometer. Circadian activity rhythm parameters were calculated using cosinor analysis and a nonparametric circadian rhythm analysis., Results: The median daytime illuminance and nighttime illuminance were 224.5 lx (interquartile range, 154.5-307.5 lx) and 2.3 lx (0.3-9.4 lx), respectively. Multivariable linear regression analysis, adjusted for potential confounding factors, showed that higher daytime illuminance was significantly associated with higher amplitude and most active continuous 10-hour period, advanced acrophase, higher interdaily stability, and lower intradaily variability. Higher nighttime illuminance was significantly associated with lower relative amplitude, delayed onset of the least active continuous 5-hour period, and higher intradaily variability., Limitations: As this was a cross-sectional study, the results do not necessarily imply that light exposure alters circadian activity rhythms., Conclusions: Daytime light exposure was associated with a positive effect and nighttime light exposure with a negative effect on circadian activity rhythms in bipolar disorder., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest The authors report no conflicts of interest related to this research. Dr. Esaki has received manuscript fees from Dainippon Sumitomo. Dr. Obayashi and Dr. Saeki received research grant from YKK AP Inc.; Ushio Inc.; Tokyo Electric Power Company; EnviroLife Research Institute Co., Ltd.; Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.; LIXIL Corp.; KYOCERA Corp.; ENDO Lighting Corp.; and KANEKA corp. Dr. Fujita has received speaker's honoraria from Dainippon Sumitomo, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Yoshitomi, Otsuka, Meiji, Shionogi, Novartis, and Kracie. Dr. Iwata has received speaker's honoraria from Astellas, Dainippon Sumitomo, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Yoshitomi, Otsuka, Meiji, Shionogi, Novartis, and Pfizer and has had research grants from GlaxoSmithKline, Meiji, Otsuka, Mitsubishi Tanabe, Dainippon Sumitomo, Daiichisankyo, and Eisai. Dr. Kitajima has received speaker's honoraria from Eisai, Mitsubishi Tanabe, Otsuka, Takeda, Eli Lilly, MSD, Meiji, Yoshitomi, Fukuda, Dainippon Sumitomo, Shionogi, and Novo Nordisk and has received a research grant from Eisai, MSD, and Takeda., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We conducted a non-systematic review of epidemiological studies on a potential link between exposure to outdoor artificial light at night (O-ALAN) and disease occurrence in humans published since 2009. In recent years, a number of presses have been published on this issue, but the conclusions have been mixed. We therefore decided to critically analyze the available epidemiological evidence of such a correlation. After a careful search, 51 studies were identified and included in the review. They addressed the potential link between O-ALAN exposure and the incidence of breast cancer, other cancers, sleep and circadian rhythm disorders, obesity and cardiovascular diseases, mental disorders, infectious diseases, and complications during pregnancy and childbirth. The vast majority of papers revealed the existence of such a link. However, the amount of epidemiological evidence supporting the correlation across groups of disorders varied widely. In addition, we found that all papers contained at least one of the following omissions: lack of the temporal and spatial resolution in light at night measurements, measuring only light intensity without considering its wavelength, and not accounting for many important confounding factors in their statistical analyses. Therefore, we believe that the link between O-ALAN exposure and the occurrence of the disorders in question suggested by the authors of the reviewed papers may be in some cases at least to some extent, a coincidence. Further epidemiological studies, free of significant omissions highlighted in this paper, are needed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: We developed a clip-on light tracker (MyLyt) for estimating light exposure in real time. This study aimed at validating and investigating the feasibility of using MyLyt in children and adults., Method: The study was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 involved validation against a factory-calibrated digital lux meter in three separate conditions: controlled environmental set-up, outdoors and indoors where intra-test (two measurements by the same tracker), inter-test (measurements among trackers) and inter-device (MyLyt tracker and lux meter) validations were conducted. Phase 2 involved a feasibility study where MyLyt was used in a real-world setting by 21 adults and 8 children. Participants were asked to log their real-time movements in an 'activity diary', which were correlated with the lux levels measured by the tracker., Results: A strong positive correlation and non-significant difference in the recorded mean illuminance levels were observed during intra-test (inter-class correlation: 1.00, p = 0.99), inter-test (0.91-1.00, p > 0.15) and inter-device (0.91-1.00, p > 0.56) validation in all three testing conditions (p > 0.49), except the indoor location. While the lux level measured by MyLyt was significantly higher than that of the lux meter (p < 0.01) in the indoor locations, differences were minimal and clinically insignificant. A Bland-Altman plot showed a minimal mean difference (95% limits of agreement) between the MyLyt tracker and lux meter in all three conditions (controlled environmental set-up: 641 [-949, 2230], outdoor: 74 [-2772, 2920] and indoor: -35 [-151, 80] lux). Phase 2 validation showed an expected illuminance level against the corresponding location with high sensitivity (97.8%) and specificity (99%) to accurately differentiate between outdoor and indoor locations., Conclusion: The MyLyt tracker showed good repeatability, strong correlation and comparable values with the lux meter in the three tested conditions, making it suitable for tracking light exposure patterns for both research and clinical purposes., (© 2022 College of Optometrists.)

Photoperiod plays an important role in the growth, development, and metabolism of crustaceans. The growth and reproduction of crabs are closely related to the photoperiod. The hepatopancreas is an important source of innate immune molecules; however, hepatopancreatic patterns of gene expression depending on the photoperiod-which may underlie changes in immune mechanisms-remain unknown. To study the molecular basis of immune regulation in the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) under different light conditions, a new generation of high-throughput Illumina sequencing technology was used, and functional genes associated with immune function in the hepatopancreas of this crab were explored via assembly of high-quality sequences, gene annotation, and classification. A total of 383,899,798 clean reads from the hepatopancreas of the normal group (12 h/12 h L:D), 387,936,676 clean reads from the continuous light group (24 h/0 h L:D), and 384,872,734 clean reads from the continuous darkness group (0 h/24 h L:D) were obtained. Compared with the normal group, 141, 152, 60, 87, 90, and 101 differentially expressed genes were identified in the groups exposed to continuous light for 2 days, continuous darkness for 2 days, continuous light for 4 days, continuous darkness for 4 days, continuous light for 6 days, and continuous darkness for 6 days, respectively. The results of this study revealed that under continuous light and dark conditions, the crabs were most affected by light on day 2, but the interference gradually decreased with time. We suggest that long-term light or dark treatment makes crabs adaptable to fluctuations in the photoperiod. The expression of genes associated with immune response patterns was found to change during different photoperiods. Prophenoloxidase (proPO) and serine proteinase (kazal-type serine proteinase inhibitor 1 and serine proteinase inhibitor-3) in the proPO-activating system were significantly upregulated in the 2-day continuous light group. Glutathione peroxidase 3 was significantly downregulated under continuous light exposure, while cyclooxygenase was upregulated in the continuous light and dark environments. These results provide insights into the molecular mechanism underlying the effects of the photoperiod on immune regulation and the physiological activity of E. sinensis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Light exposure is an important driver and modulator of human physiology, behavior and overall health, including the biological clock, sleep-wake cycles, mood and alertness. Light can also be used as a directed intervention, e.g., in the form of light therapy in seasonal affective disorder (SAD), jetlag prevention and treatment, or to treat circadian disorders. Recently, a system of quantities and units related to the physiological effects of light was standardized by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE S 026/E:2018). At the same time, biometric monitoring technologies (BioMeTs) to capture personalized light exposure were developed. However, because there are currently no standard approaches to evaluate the digital dosimeters, the need to provide a firm framework for the characterization, calibration, and reporting for these digital sensors is urgent., Objective: This article provides such a framework by applying the principles of verification , analytic validation and clinical validation (V3) as a state-of-the-art approach for tools and standards in digital medicine to light dosimetry., Results: This article describes opportunities for the use of digital dosimeters for basic research, for monitoring light exposure, and for measuring adherence in both clinical and non-clinical populations to light-based interventions in clinical trials., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

To reveal the mechanisms underlying how light affects flavonoid metabolism and the potential role of flavonoids in protecting against photooxidative stress in tea leaves, tea plants adapted to low-light conditions were exposed to full sunlight over 48 h. There was an increase in the activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) as well as greater accumulation of reactive oxygen species, lutein, tocopherols, ascorbate and malondialdehyde, suggestive of a time-dependent response to photooxidative stress in tea leaves. Analysis of the time dependency of each element of the antioxidant system indicated that carotenoids and tocopherols exhibited the fastest response to light stress (within 3 h), followed by SOD, CAT and catechin, which peaked at 24 h. Meanwhile, flavonols, vitamin C and glutathione showed the slowest response. Subsequent identification of the main phytochemicals involved in protecting against oxidative stress using untargeted metabolomics revealed a fast and initial accumulation of nonesterified catechins that preceded the increase in flavonol glycosides and catechin esters. Gene expression analysis suggested that the light-induced accumulation of flavonoids was highly associated with the gene encoding flavonol synthase. Ultraviolet B (UV-B) irradiation further validated the time-dependent and collaborative effects of flavonoids in photoprotection in tea plants. Intriguingly, the dynamics of the metabolic response are highly distinct from those reported for Arabidopsis, suggesting that the response to light stress is not conserved across plants. This study additionally provides new insights into the functional role of flavonoids in preventing photooxidative stress and may contribute to further improving tea quality through the control of light intensity., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Several studies have investigated the relationship between daylight saving time (DST) and sleep alterations, psychiatric disorders, cardiovascular events and traffic accidents. However, very few have monitored participants while maintaining their usual lifestyle before and after DST. Considering that DST transitions modify human behavior and, therefore, people's light exposure patterns, the aim of this study was to investigate the potential effects of DST on circadian variables, considering sleep and, for the first time, the human phase response curve to light. To accomplish this, eight healthy adults (33 ± 11 years old, mean ± SD) were recruited to monitor multivariable circadian markers and light exposure by means of a wearable ambulatory monitoring device: Kronowise ® . The following night phase markers were calculated: midpoints of the five consecutive hours of maximum wrist temperature (TM5) and the five consecutive hours of minimum time in movement (TL5), sleep onset and offset, as well as sleep duration and light intensity. TM5 for wrist temperature was set as circadian time 0 h, and the balance between advances and delays considering the phase response curve to light was calculated individually before and after both DST transitions. To assess internal desynchronization, the possible shift in TM5 for wrist temperature and TL5 for time in movement were compared. Our results indicate that the transition to DST seems to force the circadian system to produce a phase advance to adapt to the new time. However, the synchronizing signals provided by natural and personal light exposure are not in line with such an advance, which results in internal desynchronization and the need for longer synchronization times. On the contrary, the transition back to ST, which implies a phase delay, is characterized by a faster adaptation and maintenance of internal synchronization, despite the fact that exposure to natural light would favor a phase advance. Considering the pilot nature of this study, further research is needed with higher sample sizes.

Light is an influential regulator of behavioural and physiological state in mammals. Features of cognitive performance such as memory, vigilance and alertness can be altered by bright light exposure under laboratory and field conditions. However, the importance of light as a regulator of performance in everyday life is hard to assess and has so far remained largely unclear. We set out to address this uncertainty by developing a tool to capture measures of cognitive performance and light exposure, at scale, and during everyday life. To this end, we generated an app (Brighter Time) which incorporated a psychomotor vigilance (PVT), an N-back and a visual search task with questionnaire-based assessments of demographic characteristics, general health, chronotype and sleep. The app also measured illuminance during task completion using the smartphone's intrinsic light meter. We undertook a pilot feasibility study of Brighter Time based on 91-week-long acquisition phases within a convenience sample (recruited by local advertisements and word of mouth) running Brighter Time on their own smartphones over two study phases in winter and summer. Study compliance was suitable (median = 20/21 requested task completions per subject). Statistically significant associations were observed between subjective sleepiness and performance in all tasks. Significant daily variations in PVT and visual search performance were also observed. Higher illuminance was associated with reduced reaction time and lower inverse efficiency score in the visual search. Brighter Time thus represents a viable option for large-scale collection of cognitive task data in everyday life, and is able to reveal associations between task performance and sleepiness, time of day and current illuminance. Brighter Time's utility could be extended to exploring associations with longer-term patterns of light exposure and/or other light metrics by integrating with wearable light meters.

Alfalfa sprouts are among the most nutritionally rich foods, and light exposure is a critical factor in determining their biomass and quality. However, detailed metabolic and molecular differences between yellow and green alfalfa sprouts remain unclear. In this study, comprehensive metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses were integrated to evaluate the nutrient composition of alfalfa sprouts during germination with or without light exposure. Differentially expressed genes and differentially accumulated metabolites in green and yellow alfalfa sprouts were significantly enriched in secondary metabolic pathways, such as the isoflavonoid biosynthesis pathway. Green alfalfa sprouts contained a wide variety of lipids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and terpenoids, among which the top three upregulated were calycosin, methyl gallate, and epicatechin 3-gallate, whereas yellow alfalfa sprouts contained relatively more isoquercitrin. These results provide new insights into the nutritional value and composition of alfalfa sprouts under different germination regimes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zhang, Li, Zhang, Wang, Liu, Dong, Cong, Song, Wang, Yang, Xie, Wang and Chai.)

Bright light exposure at night can help workers adapt to their shift schedules, but there has been relatively little research on evening light. We conducted a systematic review of studies that manipulated light exposure in the evening (broadly defined as 16:00-22:00) before real or simulated night shifts. Across the five eligible studies, evening light produced phase delays in melatonin, body temperature, and sleep propensity; it also improved sleep quality, sleep duration, memory, and work performance. There were mixed effects for mood, no changes in sleepiness, and no negative effects. The confidence in these results ranged from moderate for physiological markers of circadian phase delays to very low for mood. Future studies should compare the relative effectiveness and safety of evening versus night-time light exposure. Overall, the benefits of evening light for shift workers are tentative yet promising., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors do not have any conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Human circadian rhythmicity is subjected to the internal circadian clock, the sun and social clocks (official time, social/work schedules). The discrepancy among these clocks, as occurs when official time does not match its geographical time zone, may produce circadian disruption. Western Spain (GMT+1/+2) and Portugal (GMT0/+1) share similar longitudes (sun time) but have different official times. This provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the effects of official time on circadian rhythmicity and sleep in elderly and retired populations (with no remunerated duties presumed, although other social commitments may be present) at both locations. Although both populations slept enough for their age (7-8 h), circadian robustness (e.g., interdaily stability, relative amplitude) was greater in Portugal, especially during weekdays, while greater desynchronization (both body temperature vs. motor activity and body temperature vs. light exposure) tended to occur in the Spaniards. Once corrected by GMT0, meals took place later in Spain than in Portugal, especially as the day progresses, and a possible interplay between bed/meal timings and internal desynchronization was found. Our results point to the possible deleterious effect on circadian system robustness when official time is misaligned with its geographical time zone.

Previous studies have indicated that outdoor light at night (LAN) is associated with a higher prevalence of overweight or obesity in adults. However, the association of LAN levels with overweight or obesity in children is still unknown. This study utilized data from the Seven Northeastern Cities study, which included 47,990 school-aged children and adolescents (ages 6-18 years). Outdoor LAN levels were measured using satellite imaging data. Weight and height were used to calculate age-sex-specific body mass index (BMI) Z-scores based on the World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards. Overweight status and obesity were defined using the Chinese standard. Information regarding socioeconomic status, sleep-related characteristics, and obesogenic factors were obtained using a questionnaire. A generalized linear mixed model examined the associations of outdoor LAN levels (in quartiles) with the outcomes of interest. Compared to children in the lowest quartile of outdoor LAN levels, children exposed to higher outdoor LAN levels had larger BMI Z-scores and higher odds of being overweight (including obesity) or obese, with the largest estimates in the third quartile [BMI Z-score: β = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.18-0.33; overweight (including obesity): OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.25-1.56; obesity: OR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.29-1.65]. There was a significant sex difference (P interaction <0.001) in the association of outdoor LAN levels with BMI Z-scores, and the association was stronger in males. Results remained robust following multiple sensitivity analyses and the adjustment of sleep-related characteristics, obesogenic factors, and environmental exposures. Our findings suggest that higher outdoor LAN levels are associated with larger BMI Z-scores and greater odds of overweight (including obesity) and obesity in school-aged children and adolescents. Further, the association between outdoor LAN levels and BMI Z-scores is stronger in males. Future studies with exposure assessments that consider both outdoor and indoor LAN exposures are needed., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Exposure to an adequate light-dark cycle is important for the speedy recovery of hospitalized and institutionalized patients. Light exposure, including natural light, offers several health benefits to both patients and nursing staff. This includes physical (e.g., decreased confusion and disorientation) and mental health benefits (e.g., prevention of depression) and a reduction in the hospital stay. Improved alertness and performance can also be noted among hospital staff. In this commentary, we discuss disrupting factors that include light during the nighttime along with noise and physical procedures on the patient and others. We then address some of the important steps that can be undertaken to restore a more normal environment for patients in the intensive care unit, which can be particularly important for COVID-19 patients.

Light as an environmental factor can affect the process of anaerobic digestion, but there is no systematic study in municipal wastewater sludge mesophilic digestion. In this study, the effects of light on the performance of the anaerobic digestion system and photo-anaerobic microbiota (PAM) were evaluated in lighted anaerobic batch digesters (LABRs). The methane yield from the reactor under the dark condition (LABR0) was 179.2 mL CH 4 /g COD, which was lower than 305.4 mL CH 4 /g COD and 223.0 mL CH 4 /g COD (n = 3, p < 0.05) from reactors under the light intensity of 3600 lm (LABR1) and 7200 lm (LABR2), respectively. The dominant genera in the bacterial and archaeal communities were Bacillus and Methanosarcina under light conditions, Enterococcus and Methanobacterium under dark conditions. And these two bacteria acted as electroactive bacterial genera, indicating that light changes the combination of direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) microbial partners and activates the DIET pathway for methane production. The electron conduction pathways analysis further suggests that biological DIET (bDIET) between microbial biomass, rather than DIET via conductive material (cDIET) between microbes and conductive materials, is promoted and behaves as the dominant factor enhancing methane production under light conditions. The morphology of microorganisms and the amount and properties of EPS corroborate these views. Our findings are guided to anaerobic digester constructions under the outdoor environment with light exposure., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The extent to which lifestyle practices at night influence sleep quality in pregnant women remains unknown. This study aimed to examine whether nocturnal behaviours were associated with poor sleep during pregnancy. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of a prospective cohort of pregnant women at 18-24 gestation weeks recruited from KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, between 2019 and 2021. Nocturnal behaviours were assessed with questionnaires, and sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) with a global score ≥5 indicative of poor sleep quality. Modified Poisson regression and linear regression were used to examine the association between nocturnal behaviour and sleep quality. Of 299 women, 117 (39.1%) experienced poor sleep. In the covariate-adjusted analysis, poor sleep was observed in women with nocturnal eating (risk ratio 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12, 2.04) and nocturnal artificial light exposure (1.63; 1.24, 2.13). Similarly, nocturnal eating (β 0.68; 95% CI 0.03, 1.32) and light exposure (1.99; 1.04, 2.94) were associated with higher PSQI score. Nocturnal physical activity and screen viewing before bedtime were not associated with sleep quality. In conclusion, reducing nocturnal eating and light exposure at night could potentially improve sleep in pregnancy.