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Wood–plastic composites (WPCs) utilize wood particles as the reinforcing phase. These particles are susceptible to thermal degradation, which can happen while processing the WPCs in usual thermoplastic processes. In this work, we investigated the influence of different processing parameters in injection molding and their influence on WPC properties. To achieve that, WPCs with wood contents ranging from 10 to 50 wt% were processed using different process settings, and then characterized using mechanical testing and appearance changes. We found that the melt temperature showed a major influence, due to degrading the interface between the wood and the polymer matrix, while other parameters, like mold temperature and dwell pressure, showed only minor influence. Overall, the WPCs exhibited good process stability and, with proper process settings, their performance can be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of cheese production and ripening takes place with the help of an inclusive range of diverse and continuous biochemical reactions, which, if balanced, lead to the production of products with very desirable quality characteristics, including color and physicochemical properties. In this study, the kid goat and calf lipases at the levels of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 g (per 100 Kg retentate) were used in the production of ultrufiltrated Iranian white cheeses. The effect of lipase treatment on color parameters (L*, a* and b* values) and some physicochemical properties (acidity, moisture, protein and fat) of the product were evaluated. The cheese sample without enzymatic treatment considered as control and its color and physicochemical properties was compared with other cheese samples during 90 days of storage period. Analysis of variance showed that the lipase enzyme significantly increased L*and b*index values of the cheese samples but it had not significant effect on the a*index. Furthermore, the time of storage caused a significant increase in these color parameters. Treatment with lipase and storage time had also significant effect on the physicochemical parameters. In general, by increasing the amount of lipase, and storage period, the amounts of acidity, moisture and protein increased and fat content decreased meaningfully. The results of this study revealed that by using 0.3 -0.4 g lipase, particularly kid goat lipase, an ultrafiltrated Iranian white cheese with an acceptable quality can be produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual reality (VR) displays are being used in an increasingly wide range of applications. However, previous work shows that viewers often perceive scene properties very differently in real and virtual environments and so realistic perception of virtual stimuli should always be a carefully tested conclusion, not an assumption. One important property for realistic scene perception is surface color. To evaluate how well virtual platforms support realistic perception of achromatic surface color, we assessed lightness constancy in a physical apparatus with real lights and surfaces, in a commercial VR headset, and on a traditional flat-panel display. We found that lightness constancy was good in all three environments, though significantly better in the real environment than on the flat-panel display. We also found that variability across observers was significantly greater in VR and on the flat-panel display than in the physical environment. We conclude that these discrepancies should be taken into account in applications where realistic perception is critical but also that in many cases VR can be used as a flexible alternative to flat-panel displays and a reasonable proxy for real environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRAK Manisan kering buah nanas(MKBN)merupakan salah satu produk olahan nanas yang berdaya simpan lama. Tahap pengeringan dalam proses produksinya menimbulkan reaksi pencoklatan yang berdampak pada karakteristik produk. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh konsentrasi asam sitrat(AS)terhadapkadar air, nilai pH, kecerahan, sertaorganoleptikMKBN.ASdengan 4 variasi konsentrasi 0; 0,3; 0,6; dan 0,9% (b/b) ditambahkan pada proses pembuatan MKBN (n=5). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa ASyang ditambahkan pada konsentrasi tertentusecara signifikanmempengaruhi kadar air, pH, kecerahan, dan sifat organoleptik MKBN. Semakin tinggi konsentrasi ASyang ditambahkan pada pembuatan MKBN semakin meningkatkan kadar air, kecerahan, warna kuning, aroma, dan kesukaan, namun menurunkan pH produk (p

This essay begins with the premise that Italo Calvino's Memos serve as a fundamentally educational proposition. Each of his lectures can be regarded as a substantive proposal, encouraging a revaluation of our contemporary world through unconventional forms of knowledge, especially considering the challenges posed by the new millennium. The essay's central objective is to further the intellectual movement initiated by Calvino, but with a specific focus on theorizing education. It aims not to simply apply Calvino's principles and insights to education or provide a pedagogical analysis but rather to actively engage with them, fostering educational-philosophical reflections centred around the concept of "lightness", as identified by the Italian writer. Key questions emerge from this exploration: How can "lightness" be considered an educational quality? Can it serve as a valuable guide for navigating the complexities of contemporary education? Can the notion of "lightness" inspire the creation of new pedagogical languages that resist the instrumentalizing tendencies in education? The essay proceeds to elucidate Calvino's primary theses on "lightness" while also examining the potential for a productive dialogue between Calvino and Richard Rorty's ideas on irony, both in public and private dimensions. It illustrates how ironic practices, such as sarcasm, satire, and wit, conveyed through artistic expressions, can embody the essence of "lightness" that Calvino encourages. Ultimately, the essay concludes by reflecting on the pedagogical implications of embracing "lightness" in education, particularly in the affirmative/post-critical and Arendtian sense, as a means of bequeathing a world that genuinely belongs to future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the convolutional retinex approach to image lightness processing, an image is filtered by a centre/surround operator that is designed to mitigate the effects of shading (illumination gradients), which in turn compresses the dynamic range. Typically, the parameters that define the shape and extent of the filter are tuned to provide visually pleasing results, and a mapping function such as a logarithm is included for further image enhancement. In contrast, a statistical approach to convolutional retinex has recently been introduced, which is based upon known or estimated autocorrelation statistics of the image albedo and shading components. By introducing models for the autocorrelation matrices and solving a linear regression, the optimal filter is obtained in closed form. Unlike existing methods, the aim is simply to objectively mitigate shading, and so image enhancement components such as a logarithmic mapping function are not included. Here, the full mathematical details of the method are provided, along with implementation details. Significantly, it is shown that the shapes of the autocorrelation matrices directly impact the shape of the optimal filter. To investigate the performance of the method, we address the problem of shading removal from text documents. Further experiments on a challenging image dataset validate the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Materials and Methods Results Conclusions Clinical Significance To evaluate the effect of polishing and bleaching on the recovery of lightness, color, whiteness, and relative translucency parameter (RTP) in CAD/CAM materials and changes in these properties when another staining in coffee was conducted after the treatments.Disks of Lava Ultimate (LU), Vita Enamic (VE), IPS Empress CAD (EMP), IPS e.max CAD (EMAX), and Vita Suprinity (VS) were (1) not treated (control), (2) polished with Proxyt or (3) Ceramisté, (4) bleached with Opalescence PF or (5) Whiteness HP Blue, and (6) air polished with Clinpro Prophy Powder. CIE L*a*b* color coordinates were registered at baseline (R0), after staining with coffee for 30 min daily for 36.5 days and treatment (R1), and after another staining (R2). Differences (R1–R0 and R2–R0) in lightness (ΔL00), color (ΔE00), RTP (ΔRTP00), and whiteness (ΔWID) were evaluated by mixed repeated measures ANOVA and 95% confidence intervals (α = 0.05) and interpreted in function of their respective 50:50% PT and AT thresholds. Topography was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).In LU, Opalescence PF and Proxyt decreased ΔL00R1–R0$$ {\Delta L}_{00\left({R}_1\hbox{--} {R}_0\right)} $$, ΔE00R1–R0$$ {\Delta E}_{00\left({R}_1\hbox{--} {\mathrm{R}}_0\right)} $$, and ΔWIDR1–R0$$ {\Delta \mathrm{WI}}_{\mathrm{D}\left({R}_1\hbox{--} {R}_0\right)} $$ and showed lower ΔL00R2–R0$$ {\Delta L}_{00\left({R}_2\hbox{--} {R}_0\right)} $$, ΔE00R2–R0$$ {\Delta E}_{00\left({R}_2\hbox{--} {R}_0\right)} $$, and ΔWIDR2–R0$$ {\Delta \mathrm{WI}}_{\mathrm{D}\left({R}_2\hbox{--} {R}_0\right)} $$. In VE, all treatments decreased ΔL00R1–R0$$ {\Delta L}_{00\left({R}_1\hbox{--} {R}_0\right)} $$, ΔE00R1–R0$$ {\Delta E}_{00\left({R}_1\hbox{--} {R}_0\right)} $$, and ΔWIDR1–R0$$ {\Delta \mathrm{WI}}_{\mathrm{D}\left({R}_1\hbox{--} {R}_0\right)} $$, whereas ΔL00R2–R0$$ {\Delta L}_{00\left({R}_2\hbox{--} {R}_0\right)} $$, ΔE00R2–R0$$ {\Delta E}_{00\left({R}_2\hbox{--} {R}_0\right)} $$, and ΔWIDR2–R0$$ {\Delta \mathrm{WI}}_{\mathrm{D}\left({R}_2\hbox{--} {R}_0\right)} $$ were lower in Opalescence PF than in the control group. In both moments, ΔE00 and ΔWID in EMP (also ΔL00) and EMAX were higher in Opalescence PF than in the control group, from which the other treatments did not differ in R1–R0. In EMP, ΔE00R2–R0$$ {\Delta E}_{00\left({R}_2\hbox{--} {R}_0\right)} $$ in Whiteness HP Blue (also ΔL00R2–R0$$ {\Delta L}_{00\left({R}_2\hbox{--} {R}_0\right)} $$) and Proxyt were also higher in comparison to the control group and in VS, Ceramisté decreased ΔL00R1–R0$$ {\Delta L}_{00\left({R}_1\hbox{--} {R}_0\right)} $$, ΔE00R1–R0$$ {\Delta E}_{00\left({R}_1\hbox{--} {R}_0\right)} $$, and ΔRTP00R1–R0$$ \varDelta RT{P}_{00\left({R}_1\hbox{--} {R}_0\right)} $$, whereas Opalescence PF increased ΔRTP00R1–R0$$ {\Delta \mathrm{RTP}}_{00\left({R}_1\hbox{--} {R}_0\right)} $$. ΔE00R2–R0$$ {\Delta E}_{00\left({R}_2\hbox{--} {R}_0\right)} $$ of Ceramisté and ΔWIDR2–R0$$ {\Delta \mathrm{WI}}_{\mathrm{D}\left({R}_2\hbox{--} {R}_0\right)} $$ and ΔRTP00R2–R0$$ \varDelta RT{P}_{00\left({R}_2\hbox{--} {R}_0\right)} $$ of Proxyt were lower than those of the control group.The most suitable treatment to recover the lightness, color, whiteness, and RTP without changing these properties after another coffee exposure is material‐dependent.Although the effectiveness of the treatment was material‐dependent, Proxyt was the only treatment that promoted clinically acceptable changes for both LU and VE, while for purely ceramic materials, this condition was observed with Ceramisté and Clinpro Prophy Powder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: The influence of estrogen on cognitive and perceptual functions is debated. Some research suggests that estrogen increases arousal, improving cognitive function, while others propose that increased arousal might reduce performance in certain tasks. This study investigates the effects of menstrual cycle phase and estrogen levels on lightness perception in cycling women and hormonal contraceptive (HC) users. (2) Methods: Sixteen women (nine with natural cycles and seven HC users) completed three sessions aligned with different menstrual cycle phases. During these sessions, participants adjusted the luminance of five test stimuli (representing blue, green, green-yellow, yellow, and red) until they matched a flickering reference white stimulus. Lightness was calculated as the ratio of the reference stimulus luminance (5 cd/m2) divided by the test luminance required to match. Estrogen levels were also determined for each participant from saliva samples collected on the morning of each session. The effects of wavelength and menstrual cycle phase on lightness perception were analyzed, followed by post hoc comparisons and correlations between lightness perception and estrogen levels for both cycling women and HC users. (3) Results: Lightness varied by menstrual phase (MCP) in cycling women and was slightly higher during the low estrogen menstrual phase compared to peri-ovulation or luteal phases. In HC users, lightness measures were equivalent across phases. For cycling women, lightness was negatively correlated with estrogen for the green and green-yellow stimuli. There were no such associations among HC users. (4) Conclusions: This report challenges the concept that high estrogen phases of the menstrual cycle always positively influence perception. Conversely, these results revealed that—at least in cycling, non-hormonal contraceptive users—lightness perception was both at a maximum during the low estrogen menstrual phase and negatively associated with estrogen levels across all tested wavelengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have proposed peripheral dimming technology that reduces the image brightness in peripheral area based on the human visual system. This study presents how peripheral dimming should be applied depending on the screen field of view (FoV) the user watches. Threshold conditions for peripheral dimming of various FoVs are derived through user study in an environment simulating virtual reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the achromatic White's grid, the grey patches between the grey lines are perceived as darker while the same elements inserted between white lines are perceived lighter than their true measured values. A number of authors attempted to calculate the magnitude and direction of this effect using mathematical models based on multiple spatial filters. This paper uses different mathematical model, based on regression analysis, which has shown itself as an excellent tool for prediction of direction and magnitude of White's effect. The psychophysical visual experiment was conducted on 38 subjects of both genders. The differences in lightness perception ∆L00 were calculated in CIE ∆E_2000 system. This paper determined the functional dependence of White's effect magnitude ∆L00 to the lightness L of rectangular elements in White's achromatic grid. The results gave the square polynomial of very high quality (R² = 0,974). Regression polynomials were also found. The gave numerical values ∆L00 of difference in perception of left and right elements in comparison to their physical values (left R² = 0,943, right R² = 0,938) in dependence to variation of lightness parameter L. Results of the research clearly show the mathematical pattern of White's effect based on the lightness of rectangular elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: The influence of estrogen on cognitive and perceptual functions is debated. Some research suggests that estrogen increases arousal, improving cognitive function, while others propose that increased arousal might reduce performance in certain tasks. This study investigates the effects of menstrual cycle phase and estrogen levels on lightness perception in cycling women and hormonal contraceptive (HC) users. (2) Methods: Sixteen women (nine with natural cycles and seven HC users) completed three sessions aligned with different menstrual cycle phases. During these sessions, participants adjusted the luminance of five test stimuli (representing blue, green, green-yellow, yellow, and red) until they matched a flickering reference white stimulus. Lightness was calculated as the ratio of the reference stimulus luminance (5 cd/m2) divided by the test luminance required to match. Estrogen levels were also determined for each participant from saliva samples collected on the morning of each session. The effects of wavelength and menstrual cycle phase on lightness perception were analyzed, followed by post hoc comparisons and correlations between lightness perception and estrogen levels for both cycling women and HC users. (3) Results: Lightness varied by menstrual phase (MCP) in cycling women and was slightly higher during the low estrogen menstrual phase compared to peri-ovulation or luteal phases. In HC users, lightness measures were equivalent across phases. For cycling women, lightness was negatively correlated with estrogen for the green and green-yellow stimuli. There were no such associations among HC users. (4) Conclusions: This report challenges the concept that high estrogen phases of the menstrual cycle always positively influence perception. Conversely, these results revealed that—at least in cycling, non-hormonal contraceptive users—lightness perception was both at a maximum during the low estrogen menstrual phase and negatively associated with estrogen levels across all tested wavelengths.

This article considers Calvino’s memo on lightness in relation to his vision of antiquity as part of the literatures of the future. It sets out to explore this question from the perspective of speculative fiction and, crucially, the memo’s closural appeal to Kafka’s “The Bucket Rider” (1917), a short story that also ends with a forward-movement into an unknown future. The core of the discussion draws attention to the ways Calvino stages classical lightness as a form of avenir, or “things to come,” a process that mobilizes the Greco-Roman past at the time of writing, as he establishes its projection onto the future. Lucretius’s De Rerum Natura, on atomic motion and combination, and Ovid’s Metamorphoses, on the myth-history of change from Chaos to the power of Augustan Rome, are key models in Calvino’s reading; and not only in Six Memos. In Invisible Cities (1972), lightness, or the “removal of weight,” is the value substantiating Calvino’s large-scale projection of Venice across the globe and deep temporalities. In this novel, he maps out the avenir of “light” classical forms, in connecting Homeric cityscapes, both mythical and historical, with the makings of a topography of a futuristic California. As an ensemble, both the essay and the hyper-novel articulate curious epistemologies of antiquity’s future. They call attention to the narrative capaciousness and potential of Homer’s Odyssey, as well as the nature-oriented compositions of Lucretius and Ovid. Here, Calvino relates the avenir of a highly hybrid, adaptably contiguous tradition.  More pointedly, he envisages the survival of ethical literatures composed beyond Anthropocene concerns, and whose relationality with the world at large serves to give a voice to the non-human. But Calvino’s alternative histories of antiquity’s avenir are not simply an exercise of his speculative imaginary. On the contrary, they speak eloquently to the field of cultural, scientific, and technological production towards the last quarter of the twentieth century, in which vestiges of older literatures, like those of Homer, Lucretius and Ovid, are put to the test in an ever-changing world.

Background/Objectives: Skin color is innately determined by race and other genetic factors, and it also undergoes acquired changes due to various intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Previous studies on skin color have mainly focused on the face, and research has recently expanded to other body parts. However, there is limited information about the age-dependent changes in the skin color of these body parts. The purpose of this study is to analyze the differences in skin color between various body parts and the changes in skin color of each body part with age. Methods: This study examined the skin color of 53 Korean women subjects evenly distributed in age from the 20s to 60s on several body parts: forearm, upper arm, elbow (extended or folded), knee (extended or folded), thigh, and shin. The lightness (L*), redness (a*), and yellowness (b*) were measured using a spectrophotometer, and the individual typology angle (ITA°) was calculated from the L* and b* values. The melanin index and erythema index were measured using the mexameter. Results: The results showed that the elbow skin had the lowest L* and ITA° values and the highest a* and b* values among the examined body parts, followed by the knee. The melanin index and erythema index were also high in the skin of these body parts. In the analysis of age-dependent changes in the skin color of various body parts, the forearm skin exhibited the most notable decrease in the L* and ITA° values and increases in the a* and b* values, followed by upper-arm skin. The melanin and erythema indices in the forearm also increased as the subjects aged, whereas those in the elbow and knee rather decreased with age. Conclusions: This study suggests that differences in intrinsic and extrinsic skin aging in various body parts may be expressed as different changes in skin color and raises the need for cosmetic and dermatological research to identify the physiological significance of these changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The counterfeit works of Rafael Bolívar Coronado (1884–1924) represent a phenomenon with unusual repercussions on critical reception. This author managed to publish more than twelve volumes with false authorship and content, from "crónicas de Indias" to collections of poetry. This article presents a theoretical approach regarding literary falsification in general and highlights the concepts of lightness and multiplicity to propose an interpretation of the Bolívar Coronado case. This paper also deals with the artistic dimension of literary forgeries as creative works that use the same methods and strategies as fiction writing. The set of falsified works by this author can be interpreted as a conceptual proposal that questions the functioning of the literary field of his time. Likewise, his proposal can also be framed within the cultural criticism that the forgery tradition entails: it questions not only the difficult discernment between the concepts of truth and lies, but also the rigidity of some guardians of cultural institutions and the system of legitimation, awards, and literary reviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current trend in display technology is towards achieving larger color gamut and higher brightness levels. However, it should be noted that visual perception of brightness intensity may differ from physical brightness intensity. The HelmholtzKohlrausch effect(H‐K effect) refers to the phenomenon where the perceived brightness of a color increases as its purity or saturation increases while keeping its luminance constant. In order to investigate the relationship between visual perception brightness and lightness, hue and color purity, an experiment was conducted using an RGB laser television as the display device. A total of 12 subjects participated in the visual perception brightness experiment. Based on the experimental results, the visual perceptual brightness for different color patterns was determined. Subsequently, a multilayer perceptron neural network was employed to depict the variation pattern of visual perception of brightness within the CIELAB color space. Finally, Fairchild's H‐K effect compensation formula was revised using nonlinear least squares method based on these experimental findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sprouting is a simple technique for improving the nutritional and quality characteristics of cereal grains. The purpose of this study was to examine ultrasonic pretreatment and drying methods (hot-air and infrared) on microbial population (total bacterial counts, molds, and yeasts), physicochemical properties (ash content, moisture, acidity, pH, lightness, redness, and yellowness), and total phenolic content of sprouted wheat powder (SWP). The results confirmed that the sonication decreased the total bacterial count of SWP. In this study, drying sprouted wheat with the hot-air and infrared radiation killed all molds and yeasts in the powders, and no molds or yeasts grew on the microbial plates. Moisture content, redness, yellowness, and phenolic content of SWP dried by the infrared dryer were higher than those by the hot-air dryer. The acidity and lightness of SWP dried by the hot-air dryer were higher than those by the infrared dryer. Applying ultrasonic pretreatment to sprouted wheat increased the amount of phenolic compounds in the powders, but this increase was not significant (p>0.05). In general, ultrasonic pretreatment and the use of infrared dryers are promising techniques for production of SWP with high phenolic content and low microbial population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the achromatic White's grid, the grey patches between the grey lines are perceived as darker while the same elements inserted between white lines are perceived lighter than their true measured values. A number of authors attempted to calculate the magnitude and direction of this effect using mathematical models based on multiple spatial filters. This paper uses different mathematical model, based on regression analysis, which has shown itself as an excellent tool for prediction of direction and magnitude of White's effect. The psychophysical visual experiment was conducted on 38 subjects of both genders. The differences in lightness perception ΔL00 were calculated in CIE ΔE_2000 system. This paper determined the functional dependence of White's effect magnitude ΔL00 to the lightness L of rectangular elements in White's achromatic grid. The results gave the square polynomial of very high quality (R2 = 0,974). Regression polynomials were also found. The gave numerical values ΔL00 of difference in perception of left and right elements in comparison to their physical values (left R2 = 0,943, right R2 = 0,938) in dependence to variation of lightness parameter L. Results of the research clearly show the mathematical pattern of White's effect based on the lightness of rectangular elements.

This study has developed and optimized a machine learning model to accurately predict the final colors of CAD-CAM ceramics and determine their required minimum thicknesses to cover different clinical backgrounds. A total of 120 ceramic specimens (2 mm, 1 mm and 0.5 mm thickness; n = 10) of four CAD-CAM ceramics - IPS e.max, IPS ZirCAD, Upcera Li CAD and Upcera TT CAD - were studied. The CIELab coordinates (L*, a* and b*) of each specimen were obtained over seven different clinical backgrounds (A1, A2, A3.5, ND2, ND7, cobalt-chromium alloy (CC) and medium precious alloy (MPA)) using a digital spectrophotometer. The color difference (ΔE) and lightness difference (ΔL) results were submitted to 39 different models. The prediction results from the top-performing models were used to develop a fusion model via the Stacking integrated learning method for best-fitting prediction. The SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) was performed to interpret the feature importance. The fusion model, which combined the ExtraTreesRegressor (ET) and XGBRegressor (XGB) models, demonstrated minimal prediction errors (R2 = 0.9) in the external testing sets. Among the investigated variables, thickness and background colors (CC and MPA) majorly influenced the final color of restoration. To achieve perfect aesthetic restoration (ΔE<2.6), at least 1.9 mm IPS ZirCAD or 1.6 mm Upcera TT CAD were required to cover the CC background, while two tested glass-ceramics did not meet the requirements even with thicknesses over 2 mm. The fusion model provided a promising tool for automate decision-making in material selection with minimal thickness over various clinical background. [Display omitted] • Fusion Machine Learning (ML) model accurately predicts the final color of CAD-CAM restoration. • Ceramic thickness is the most influential factor in predicting the desired color outcome. • ML model assists in material selection and determining optimal restoration thickness over various clinical backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species traits often vary in a coordinated manner, making up an ecological strategy comprised of suites of interrelated traits. Environmental gradients, such as those along elevational gradients, provide an ideal venue in which to examine variation in ecological strategies with the environment. We examined variation in the morphological strategies of ants along elevational gradients on thirteen mountains across three mountain ranges in central and south-eastern Australia. We pitfall-trapped ants, counted and identified workers and measured morphological traits. Most species showed a hump-shaped relationship between occurrence and elevation, and several responded to microhabitat variables. Morphological traits varied along two key axes: "gracility", where high values indicated longer-legged species with dorsally positioned eyes and smooth, bare cuticles; and "size and darkness", where species with high values were larger and darker. Analysis of assemblage-weighted means revealed that gracility decreased with temperature and increased with precipitation, suggesting links with desiccation tolerance. Size and darkness increased with UV-B, declined with increasing canopy cover and peaked at mid-temperatures. We thus detected strong shifts in dominant morphological strategies along our elevational gradients. However, the multifunctionality and interrelatedness of traits and the covariance of climatic factors may make isolation of the function of individual traits difficult. Further, the predictive power of our models may be limited in the context of novel environments predicted under global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the influence of microwave pretreatment (MWP) for 0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 s, and ultrasound pretreatment (USP) for 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 min, on the drying time, effective moisture diffusivity (Deff), rehydration rate, color indexes (lightness, redness, and yellowness), and total color change (ΔE) of eggplant slices during dehydration in a hot-air dryer. The results demonstrated that USP significantly reduced the drying time (higher water loss) of eggplant slices (p

In the convolutional retinex approach to image lightness processing, an image is filtered by a centre/surround operator that is designed to mitigate the effects of shading (illumination gradients), which in turn compresses the dynamic range. Typically, the parameters that define the shape and extent of the filter are tuned to provide visually pleasing results, and a mapping function such as a logarithm is included for further image enhancement. In contrast, a statistical approach to convolutional retinex has recently been introduced, which is based upon known or estimated autocorrelation statistics of the image albedo and shading components. By introducing models for the autocorrelation matrices and solving a linear regression, the optimal filter is obtained in closed form. Unlike existing methods, the aim is simply to objectively mitigate shading, and so image enhancement components such as a logarithmic mapping function are not included. Here, the full mathematical details of the method are provided, along with implementation details. Significantly, it is shown that the shapes of the autocorrelation matrices directly impact the shape of the optimal filter. To investigate the performance of the method, we address the problem of shading removal from text documents. Further experiments on a challenging image dataset validate the method.

Osmotic dehydration (OD) is an easy method for removing water from fruit and vegetable particles. In this study, apple slices were osmotically dehydrated in different hypertonic sucrose solutions and assisted with or without ultrasound. Sucrose concentrations, sonication power, and treatment time were the factors investigated concerning color parameters and surface area changes of the apple slices during OD. As the sonication power increased from 0W to 150W, the lightness (L*) index values of apple slices reduced from 80.01 to 74.33. Also, with increasing sucrose solution concentration from 30°Brix to 50°Brix the lightness index values of apple slices decreased from 79.23 to 75.65. The results showed that the mean of a* and b* indexes values of dehydrated apple slices increased during the OD period. The highest total color difference (∆E) index (23.4) and lowest surface area (7.98 cm 2 ) values were for the apple slices treated by the highest ultrasound power (150W, 40 kHz) and the highest sucrose solution concentration (50°Brix). The average surface area of fresh apple slices, dehydrated samples, hot -air drying samples, and rehydrated samples was 10.00 cm², 8.62 cm², 5.61 cm², and 6.99 cm², respectively. The results illustrated that the logistic equation was the best equation to explain the ∆ E index changes of untreated and treated apple slices during OD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Color editing in images often consists of two main tasks: changing hue and saturation, and editing lightness or tone curves. State-of-the-art palette-based recoloring approaches entangle these two tasks. A user's only lightness control is changing the lightness of individual palette colors. This is inferior to state-of-the-art commercial software, where lightness editing is based on flexible tone curves that remap lightness. However, tone curves are only provided globally or per color channel (e.g., RGB). They are unrelated to the image content. Neither tone curves nor palette-based approaches support direct image-space edits---changing a specific pixel to a desired hue, saturation, and lightness. ColorfulCurves solves both of these problems by uniting palette-based and tone curve editing. In ColorfulCurves, users directly edit palette colors' hue and saturation, per-palette tone curves, or image pixels (hue, saturation, and lightness). ColorfulCurves solves an L2,1 optimization problem in real-time to find a sparse edit that satisfies all user constraints. Our expert study found overwhelming support for ColorfulCurves over experts' preferred tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose is to assess the influence of technological and natural factors on the decorative properties of natural facing stone to identify the regularities of changes in lightness and saturation of its surface. Methods. To assess the effect of technological and natural factors on the decorative properties of natural facing stone, methods of digital processing of images and infrared spectroscopy have been applied. The methods make it possible to obtain the data on the influence of mineralogical and chemical composition on the decorative properties of natural stone and characterize the physicochemical processes that occur during the natural stone processing by different methods. Findings. The regularities of changes in surface gloss of facing stone after its chemical treatment have been specified. It has been proved that all chemical impregnations increases stone gloss; the lower the initial indices of the natural stone surface gloss are, the greater stone changes are observed. In turn, that is caused by the fact that each type of natural stone has its own gloss limit. The regularities of lightness changes and surface saturation of natural facing stone after chemical treatment have been defined. They indicate that all agents reduce lightness and increase saturation of the natural stone surface (except Impregnation agent 3). According to the identified regularities, it is possible to control quality indices of the natural stone surface with simultaneous provision of uniform colour shade of a stone-faced building. The main problem arising during the study of surfaces of natural stone samples by means of infrared spectroscopy was inhomogeneity of its mineral-chemical composition over the sample area. As a result, various spectra have been obtained that are difficult to identify without the prepared reference samples. Complete infrared spectra of the natural stone surfaces of Pokostivskyi granodiorite and Bukivskyi gabbro. Both Pokostivskyi granodiorite and Bukivskyi gabbro have different infrared spectra within the analyzed range of wavelengths that can be explained by the difference in mineralogical composition of both natural stone types. Originality is in identifying the regularities of changes in lightness and saturation of the natural facing stone surface after its chemical treatment. Practical implications. The determined regularities of changes in lightness and saturation of the natural facing stone surface can help control the quality indices of the natural stone surface with the simultaneous provision of uniform colour shade of a stone-faced building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Surra Man Raa is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Synesis is the property of Synesis and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the distribution chain, distance between the abattoir and meat retailer, storage duration of meat at the meat retailer and meat retailer class on the physico-chemical quality of red meat. Beef (n = 150), pork (n = 150) and mutton (n = 150) samples were collected during the loading process of carcasses into refrigerated trucks, at the offloading point and during marketing to measure the effect of the distance between the abattoir and meat retailer, storage duration of meat at the meat retailer and meat retailer class (butcher, middle and high class) on the meat quality attributes. Meat quality attributes measured were; lightness (L*), redness (a*), yellowness (b*), pHu, cooking loss (CL%), Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBSF) and meat temperature (TM). The distribution stage had an effect (p < 0.05) on some of the meat quality attributes, specifically the a* values for all meat types during loading (18.5 ± 0.93), off-loading (15.8 ± 0.93) and display (20.2 ± 0.94) points. Abattoir to meat retailer distance had a significant effect on L*, a*, hue angle and chroma values (p < 0.05). Storage duration at the retailer point significantly affected L* and a* values of meat (p < 0.05). Meat retailer class affected WBSF and meat yellowness (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the distribution chain, distance between the abattoir and meat retailer, storage duration of meat at the meat retailer and meat retailer class all affect the physico-chemical quality of red meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the addition of quinoa flour (HQ) in wheat flour (HT) cookies with oats, its effect on physicochemical, textural and sensory properties. The properties such as water absorption (CAA) and oil (CAAc) of the flour mixtures for the preparation of cookies were also analyzed. Three treatments with different levels of Oat flakes and HQ were evaluated, T0: 15% and 0%, T1: 10% and 5% and T2: 5% and 10%. It was found that the HQ and Oats affect the CAA of the flours, since T1 (186.62 ± 3.25%) and T2 (184.71 ± 3.62%) decrease with respect to the control sample (194.23 ± 3.57%), while the CAAc benefits, T2 presented the maximum value (169.05 ± 7.84%) with respect to the control sample (147.79 ± 4.68%), and the humidity of the mixtures presented significant differences (5.36 ± 0.38%, 6.42 ± 0.24% and 6.13 ± 0.07%). In the biscuits, differences were found in the moisture content of T0 (0.47 ± 0.03%) and T1 (0.42 ± 0.02%) compared to T2 (0.62 ± 0.05%). evidenced significant differences in water activity for all treatments; No differences were found in the extension ratio and the evaluated textural properties are affected by the addition of HQ, mainly hardness. Significant differences were also found in color, mainly the L* and a* parameters for the T1 and T2 treatments. Finally, in the sensory evaluation carried out by a panel of 56 people, the accepted treatment was T1 (73% preference). The nutritional composition of the cookies demonstrated a high protein content compared to other products, generating possibilities for the development of baked products with high nutritional value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meta-analysis study of the effect of transportation distance on physiological conditions, pre-slaughter and broiler meat quality was carried out to examine the magnitude of the effect and calculate the publication bias of the effect of transportation distance on physiological conditions, pre-slaughter and broiler meat quality. The materials obtained from 1123 studies and 622 relevant studies were selected from 62 journals for further analysis. Parameters observed related to physiological conditions consisted of blood glucose levels, corticosterone levels, and body temperature. Parameters of pre-slaughter conditions on arrival were observed from weight loss and mortality. Meat quality parameters were observed from the percentage of drip loss, pH, and meat color. Transportation distances are categorized into various moderator individual and combined distances, namely 180 km and combined distances (a collection of distances 180 km). The data obtained were tabulated and analyzed using CMA 3.7 software. The results showed a negative effect of transportation distances on physiological conditions, pre-slaughter and broiler meat quality with a moderate level of determination (est. 0.3-0.5) to strong on the parameters of physiological conditions, pre-slaughter and broiler meat quality. (est. 0.5-1.0). Publication bias was found in several parameters such as corticosterone levels and color (redness) did not show a significant egger's test result (p>0.05), which are potentially having an interfere with the interpretation of the study results. However the significant results of the Rosenthal analysis (p

Similar to apple, pear is one of the most important horticultural crops with high nutritional and economical value. The biological and economic traits of the specie, as well as the fruits quality, make the pear growing much appreciated and to be given an increasing importance. Five pear cultivars ('Paramis', 'Paradox', 'Paradise', 'Isadora', 'Pandora') registered in the last period by Research Institute for Fruit Growing Pitesti, Romania and one selection 'SP06C2P5' ('Packham’s Triumph' x 'Monica') were investigated regarding their physical-chemical parameters. Fruits quality attributes were determined by the external (weight, size, skin lightness) and internal (firmness, total soluble solids, acidity, pH). Observations and determinations were made in the season of 2019, 2020 and 2021, in field trial planted in 2016. For this study, comparisons were made with 'Monica', the most spread bred Romanian cultivar. Significant differences were encountered among the different cultivars for most of the quantitative characters, such as fruit weight, caliber, lightness, total soluble solids (TSS) and acidity. Based on these results, ‘Pandora’ cv. had the highest annual average of weight (243.17g), ‘Isadora’ cv. the highest amount of TSS (14.63%), ‘SP06C2P5’ the highest amount of malic (0.74%), citric (0.71%) and tartric acid (0.80%). The data referring to the external and internal fruit quality traits of new bred Romanian pear cultivars are useful for growers, but also to enrich germplasm collection and to select proper parents for breeding.

Weight and lightness exist in various forms in art as a context. In contemporary art, on the other hand, weight and lightness are also seen in relation to gravity (gravity). In terms of this study, weight and lightness have been chosen as a framework for the relationship between contemporary art and nature. The relationship between art and nature is a very long and deeprooted one. In terms of contemporary art, the relationship between art and nature has come to a more ecology-based point today. Today, in the relationship of contemporary art with nature, the weights and lightness of stone, soil, water, living things and human waste are seen as data and reality. In addition to interpretation, abstraction, reflection and various forms of representation, contemporary art also uses the physical reality itself and the data of the physical reality as material. For this reason, physical existence such as weight and lightness seems very appropriate as a context in the relationship between contemporary art and nature. In this study, the works of artists such as Nicolas Lorini, Olafur Eliasson, Elisabetta Trussoni_ve Nicoletta Aveni, Nils Udo, Orozco on weight, lightness and nature are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animateurs are characterized by liminality or, possibly more accurately, intersectionality, vis-à-vis the mainstream and the avant-garde. Their vernacular creative work points to hybrid genealogies that include analogue handmade cinema and performing arts, such as the magic lantern show, puppetry and shadow play. The author proposes that animateurs develop a distinctive practice and theory of animation that can be best understood as ' para -animation', i.e. a liminal, nearby, or off idea of animation that critically expands theories of the moving image and media archaeology. In para-animation, the moving image is non-medium specific, freed from both the index and the virtual, as reality is not there to be (re)presented or remade, but instead to be reconnected with. Para-animation's uncontainable and overflowing multimedia materialities challenge film's representational and photographic genealogy and actualize the moving image as a key location for an alternative, both embodied and enchanted, experience of the modern world. In so doing, para-animation also reveals multidirectional – across times and places – connections between animateurs and other enchanters (inventors, prestidigitators, performers, storytellers), similarly crossing and morphing boundaries between technology and magic, representation and imagination, science and art, knowledge and pleasure. Referring to a selection of animateurs' works, this article focuses on the embodied gesture of 'the hand on-screen' as one of the key modalities through which para-animation re-centres the body and allows for a simultaneously technologized and de-technologized re-enchanted experience of reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species traits often vary in a coordinated manner, making up an ecological strategy comprised of suites of interrelated traits. Environmental gradients, such as those along elevational gradients, provide an ideal venue in which to examine variation in ecological strategies with the environment. We examined variation in the morphological strategies of ants along elevational gradients on thirteen mountains across three mountain ranges in central and south-eastern Australia. We pitfall-trapped ants, counted and identified workers and measured morphological traits. Most species showed a hump-shaped relationship between occurrence and elevation, and several responded to microhabitat variables. Morphological traits varied along two key axes: “gracility”, where high values indicated longer-legged species with dorsally positioned eyes and smooth, bare cuticles; and “size and darkness”, where species with high values were larger and darker. Analysis of assemblage-weighted means revealed that gracility decreased with temperature and increased with precipitation, suggesting links with desiccation tolerance. Size and darkness increased with UV-B, declined with increasing canopy cover and peaked at mid-temperatures. We thus detected strong shifts in dominant morphological strategies along our elevational gradients. However, the multifunctionality and interrelatedness of traits and the covariance of climatic factors may make isolation of the function of individual traits difficult. Further, the predictive power of our models may be limited in the context of novel environments predicted under global change.

In 1993, Agostini and Proffitt showed that perceptual belongingness (the subsumption of some sets of elements into a perceived whole) causes simultaneous lightness contrast to be seen in configurations in which the inducing elements are not adjacent to the target. The aim of the present research was to measure the strength of belongingness in determining the contrast phenomenon when the numbers of the inducing and induced elements and their relative positions are manipulated in Agostini-and-Proffitt-type configurations. In the first experiment, by using a forced choice paradigm, naïve observers indicated which gray disks arranged to form the letter T in two rows (organized with black/white inducers) appeared lighter/darker. In the second experiment, expert observers performed two nulling tasks: 1) the lightness of gray disk(s) was adjusted until it was perceived equal to that of gray target(s) aligned with white/black inducers; 2) the lightness of target(s) organized with white/black inducers was adjusted to match the target(s) organized with black/ white inducers. We found that also when there are few inducers, perceptual belongingness causes the contrast effect to propagate spatially on all the induced elements. Spatial position does not influence the induction effect. Low-level theories cannot account for these phenomena, but higher-level processes must be factored in to explain them.

Since at least the time of Helmholtz, the process of visual perception has been regarded as a two-stage affair consisting of an initial sensory stage corresponding to the proximal stimulus and a subsequent cognitive stage corresponding to the distal object. This construction amounts to an awkward mind body dualism wherein part of perception is done by the body and the other part is done by the mind. Gestalt theory rejected both raw sensations and their cognitive interpretation, offering a single unified perceptual process that responds to an extended pattern of stimulation. They proposed organizational rules that describe how objects arise from the indifferent retinal mosaic. The same grouping principles by which objects are segmented also function to segregate regions of uniform illumination. Lightness values can then be computed by comparing luminance values within each such framework of illumination, with no need for the mystical concept of taking the illumination into account.

The number of mobile apps has rapidly increased in recent years, but the distribution of app downloads is uneven. As the first and only visual image of apps before downloading, app icons are vital tools through which app publishers promote their apps. Thus, identifying the elements of app icons that can increase consumers' download intention is crucial. This research examines how the distribution of the lightness of yellow colour in app icon backgrounds influences consumers' download intentions as moderated by the aim of the app. The results showed that when choosing an app aiming to resist risk, consumers are more likely to download an app with dark colours on top and light colours on the bottom of the background icon. This effect is mediated by consumers' risk perceptions of the environment. However, consumers have lower download intentions for apps with the same background when the app does not aim to resist risk. This converse effect is mediated by consumers' risk perceptions of the services or functions of apps. Our findings not only contribute to the literature concerning symbolic associations, colour inference, and app icon visual design but also provide app developers operational methods to increase consumers' download intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Toruńskie Studia Polsko-Włoskie / Studi Polacco-Italiani di Toruń is the property of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Faculty of Law & Administration and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Perlite and some recycled materials are preferably used to provide thermal insulation and lightness in mortar. Cement is often used as a binder in such a composite, although it makes the composite heavier and impairs its insulation properties. In this study, recycled bottom ash (BA) and expanded perlite (EP) as the aggregate, and cement as the binder and the optimum solution were investigated by using Taguchi Method. Depending on the specimens prepared using orthogonal array L9, the values of compressive strength, flexural strength, flowability, dry unit weight, water absorption, capillarity coefficient, and thermal conductivity coefficient were calculated. In general, it was found that the cement dosage was the most effective parameter and the thermal conductivity coefficient increased in parallel with the increase in unit weight and strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to analyze whether age determines the lightness and darkness of tooth shades. The demand for esthetics has soared to a next level progressively in many developing countries including India; the importance provided to match the tooth shade creates a great difference in the satisfactory outcome of the patient in the field of dentistry. Therefore, this particular study analyzed the differences in tooth shade values based on age factor among the Indian population. 238 individual's case sheets with the age between 18 and 65 years. 18–30 years of age were considered as group 1 (young adults), 31–45 years in group 2 (middle age), and above 45 years in group 3 (older age). The clinical intraoral pictures of the patients which were taken prior to the treatment were obtained and the shade of any one of the upper permanent central incisors was assessed using the Vitapan 3D-Master shade guide, especially the middle portion of the facial surface of the incisors. The collected data were imported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 17 (IBM Corporation). Chi-square test was used to assess the significance. From the data, 17.2% showed A1 shade, 35.2% A2 shade, 7.5% A3 shade, 5% A4 shade, 7.1% B1 shade, 15.9% B2 shade, 7.1% B3 shade, 3.3% B4 shade, and 1.1% C1 shade. The individuals under the category of above 45 years showed darker tooth shade compared to young adults and middle age population (Chi-square test, P < 0.001). Significant association was established with darker tooth shades by increasing age and vice versa. The older age population showed a higher correlation for dark shade between teeth. The aging process significantly affects the teeth color. Hence, as a dentist, it is important to know about the distribution of tooth shade and its association with age to get an outcome with adequate patient satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to analyze whether age determines the lightness and darkness of tooth shades. The demand for esthetics has soared to a next level progressively in many developing countries including India; the importance provided to match the tooth shade creates a great difference in the satisfactory outcome of the patient in the field of dentistry. Therefore, this particular study analyzed the differences in tooth shade values based on age factor among the Indian population. 238 individual's case sheets with the age between 18 and 65 years. 18–30 years of age were considered as group 1 (young adults), 31–45 years in group 2 (middle age), and above 45 years in group 3 (older age). The clinical intraoral pictures of the patients which were taken prior to the treatment were obtained and the shade of any one of the upper permanent central incisors was assessed using the Vitapan 3D-Master shade guide, especially the middle portion of the facial surface of the incisors. The collected data were imported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 17 (IBM Corporation). Chi-square test was used to assess the significance. From the data, 17.2% showed A1 shade, 35.2% A2 shade, 7.5% A3 shade, 5% A4 shade, 7.1% B1 shade, 15.9% B2 shade, 7.1% B3 shade, 3.3% B4 shade, and 1.1% C1 shade. The individuals under the category of above 45 years showed darker tooth shade compared to young adults and middle age population (Chi-square test, P < 0.001). Significant association was established with darker tooth shades by increasing age and vice versa. The older age population showed a higher correlation for dark shade between teeth. The aging process significantly affects the teeth color. Hence, as a dentist, it is important to know about the distribution of tooth shade and its association with age to get an outcome with adequate patient satisfaction.

Milk production is intended for human consumption; hence preservation technology is required while maintaining the sensory and nutritional attributes. Some of technologies applied in milk are the use of pre-heating combined with pulsed electric fields (PEF) exposure. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of combination food preservation techniques using pre-heating and PEF with various conditions. The raw milk first received the pre-heating treatment at 70 ËšC, followed by PEF exposure. A completely randomized design (CDR) was applied in this research. It used two factors, namely factor I (pre-heating duration: 10, 20, and 30 minutes), and factor II (PEF exposure duration: 2, 4, and 6 minutes) with three replications, resulting in nine (9) treatments. The results reveal that there was a bacterial reduction within the range of 0.70-1.06 log CFU/mL. Besides, the increasing duration of pre-heating combined with PEF exposure decrease the values of viscosity, emulsion stability, and lightness of raw milk samples. Moreover, the most effective treatment observed in the raw milk-treated with pre-heating of 10 minutes and PEF of 2 minutes, with the level of TPC, viscosity, emulsion stability, and lightness of 1.88 log CFU/mL, 14.65 cP, and 95.65%, respectively

The most common methods to improve the quality of images with insufficient visibility are retinex-based and gamma correction methods. The fundamental assumption of retinex theory is that the color of an object can be represented as the multiplication of its illumination and reflectance. The retinex-based method improves the quality of the insufficiently visible image by repairing its illumination. The multi-scale retinex (MSR) is a classic retinex-based method. Though MSR better enhances the details of the image, it sometimes reverses its lightness value. The method based on adaptive gamma correction with weighting distribution (AGCWD) is to modify the visibility of images by gamma function. However, AGCWD provides a good enhancement effect on low-contrast areas, it also enhances the high-light region making it too bright. In this paper, a method that combines the advantages of MSR and AGCWD is proposed. Firstly, the advatages of MSR and AGCWD are preserved into detailed image through the weight that considers illumination. Then, the image constructed by combining the detailed and original images could maintain the contrast of the high-light region and enhance details of the low-light region. The validity of the proposed method is shown by experiments using several images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Some quality defects can cause changes in the attributes of meat, among which we can highlight PSE (Pale, Soft and Exudative) meats. PSE results from a sudden drop in pH while the carcass is still at an elevated temperature. The identification of PSE meat has previously been done through the measurement of pH and L* value (Luminosity). Studies suggest that a more accurate assessment of the kinetics of pH and temperature decrease needs to be conducted to better understand the etiology of PSE meat in poultry. The objective of this work was to obtain a glycolytic curve for normal meat and chicken PSE through the analysis of pH, L*, and WHC (Water holding capacity). Materials and methods. A glycolytic curve was obtained for normal meat and PSE through pH, L* and WHC. Samples of breast fillets were obtained from carcasses immediately after sampling from the chiller, and the pH, temperature, and L* were measured between the times of 1h35min and 25h35min postmortem (pm). The WHC analysis was performed at 25h35 pm. Results. As of 8h35 pm, the pH values of the meat were found to have stabilized, with the pH of the PSE meat being 5.69 ±0.07, and of the regular meat being 5.93 ±0.09. The final pH (25h35min pm) was 5.98 ±0.06 and the L* 57.30 ±2.39 for normal meat, while the result for the PSE meat was 5.72 ±0.06 for pH and 59.44 ±1.51 for L*. The WHC results showed a difference between the normal chicken fillets and PSE, which were 67.19 ±3.13 and 64.45 ±2.66 respectively. Conclusion. We conclude that under industrial conditions of slaughter, the resolution of rigor mortis occurs 8h35 pm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the few direct solutions that Nietzsche gives for the overcoming of nihilism is the facing of the thought of eternal recurrence. Being the heaviest of all thoughts, it may seem that through Heidegger's filter it will become a sort of metaphysical concept, but his analysis may at least help us see it as an axis around which thought can pivot, at least for a moment. Kundera sees the contradiction between lightness and weight as the most problematic of all, as it is difficult to see the burden as something positive when emancipation seems to always be an attempt to achieve total freedom, a search for lightness. We argue that "the heavy thought" makes us confront fatalism and affirm freedom, while lightness makes freedom by becoming impossible. The eternal recurrence is the idea that offers motivation to intervene in the chain of determinations and to influence them decisively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]