Dim light

INTRODUCTION: Altered sensorimotor function is a common feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As a result, spatiotemporal walking patterns are typically affected. Attentional processes relevant for locomotion may be altered in people with ASD. This study assessed the extent to which gait alterations observed under sensory challenging conditions are due to reduced attention-related processes in young adults with ASD. METHODS: Twenty-one adults with ASD and 21 age- and sex-matched neurotypical participants walked at a self-selected pace on a 10-m walkway under 12 sensory/attention conditions: hard or carpet flooring; well-lit or dim lighting; no attention task, an auditory choice-reaction time information-processing task, or a simple reaction time information-processing task...

Electrochromic (EC) smart windows are an elegant alternative to dusty curtains, blinds, and traditional dimming devices. The EC energy storage smart windows and displays received remarkable attention in the optoelectronic industry as they hold promise for high energy efficiency, low power consumption, reversibility, and swift response to stimuli. However, achieving these properties remains challenging. Moreover, most EC molecules do not exhibit electrofluorochromism, which is highly essential for smart displays because its EC property can modulate the solar heat entering the building, and its electrofluorochromic (EFC) aspects can create lighting during the night...

Many insects rely heavily on visual cues in foraging and other life activities. Mantids are insect predators that usually ambush prey. The sophisticated visual system of mantids allows them to spot, track, and strike at prey with high accuracy. Mantids are categorized as diurnal animals in most cases, while our field observations suggested that they were active in foraging both day and night. Therefore, we hypothesize that predation in dim light is possible for mantids, while mantids are unable to capture prey in complete darkness...

PURPOSE: There is increasing interest in the measurement of cognitive effort during listening tasks, for both research and clinical purposes. Quantification of task-evoked pupil responses (TEPRs) is a psychophysiological method that can be used to study cognitive effort. However, light level during cognitively demanding listening tasks may affect TEPRs, complicating interpretation of listening-related changes. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of light level on TEPRs during effortful listening across a range of signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs)...

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: Idiopathic/isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) is widely regarded as an early sign of neurodegeneration leading to synucleinopathies. While circadian rhythm alterations in iRBD have been preliminarily demonstrated, evidence on melatonin secretion patterns in this clinical condition is limited. To address this knowledge gap, this exploratory study aimed to integrate salivary melatonin measurement with actigraphic monitoring in individuals with iRBD and age-matched healthy controls (HC) under real-life conditions...

Circadian rhythms are endogenous biological cycles that regulate physiology and behavior and are set to precisely 24-h by light exposure. Light at night (LAN) dysregulates physiology and function including immune response; a critical component that contributes to stroke pathophysiological progression of neuronal injury and may impair recovery from injury. The goal of this study is to explore the effects of dim LAN (dLAN) in a murine model of ischemic stroke to assess how nighttime lighting from hospital settings can affect stroke outcome...

Background : Insomnia is increasingly recognized for its marked impact on public health and is often associated with various adverse health outcomes, including cardiovascular diseases and mental health disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of pre-sleep dim light therapy (LT) as a non-pharmacological intervention for insomnia in adults, assessing its influence on sleep parameters and circadian rhythms. Methods : A randomized, open-label, two-arm clinical trial was conducted over two weeks with 40 participants aged 20-60 years, all of whom had sleep disorders (CRIS, KCT0008501)...

Photoactivation of the plant photoreceptor and thermosensor phytochrome B (PHYB) triggers its condensation into subnuclear membraneless organelles named photobodies (PBs). However, the function of PBs in PHYB signaling remains frustratingly elusive. Here, we found that PHYB recruits PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTOR 5 (PIF5) to PBs. Surprisingly, PHYB exerts opposing roles in degrading and stabilizing PIF5. Perturbing PB size by overproducing PHYB provoked a biphasic PIF5 response: while a moderate increase in PHYB enhanced PIF5 degradation, further elevating the PHYB level stabilized PIF5 by retaining more of it in enlarged PBs...

We use quantum-classical trajectories to investigate the origin of the different photoisomerization quantum efficiency observed in the dim-light visual pigment Rhodopsin and in the light-driven biomimetic molecular rotor para-methoxy N-methyl indanylidene-pyrrolinium (MeO-NAIP) in methanol. Our results reveal that effective light-energy conversion requires, in general, an auxiliary molecular vibration (called promoter) that does not correspond to the rotary motion but synchronizes with it at specific times...

INTRODUCTION: The phase 3, randomized, vehicle-controlled, 14-day VIRGO study evaluated the efficacy and safety of twice-daily dosing of pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 1.25% (Pilo) in presbyopia. On VIRGO exit, a companion study was conducted to assess the patient experience with presbyopia and satisfaction with Pilo. METHODS: Recruited individuals completed the Presbyopia Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PPSQ) plus a three-part exit survey, or a live interview...

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...

BACKGROUND: Insomnia and eveningness are common and often comorbid conditions in youths. While cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has been suggested as a promising intervention, it remains unclear whether it is sufficient to also address circadian issues in youths. In addition, despite that light has been shown to be effective in phase-shifting one's circadian rhythm, there has been limited data on the effects of bright light therapy and its combination with CBT-I on sleep and circadian outcomes in youths...

In order to decelerate the growth of myopia in children and adolescents and reduce the risks of associated eye complications, extensive research has been conducted on preventive measures, including optical, behavioral, and pharmaceutical interventions. Spectacle lenses, due to their safety, convenience, and high patient compliance, stand out as the most common method for correcting refractive errors compared to other interventions. As far as we know, various forms of spectacle lenses are currently used in clinical practice, including bifocal lenses, progressive multifocal lenses, peripheral defocus lenses, defocus incorporated multiple segments (DIMS) lenses, highly aspherical lenslets, diffusion optics technology lenses, and violet light transmission (VL) glasses...

The successful implementation of photothermal therapy (PTT) in cancer treatment hinges on the development of highly effective photothermal agents (PTAs). BODIPY dyes, being well known for their high brightness and quantum efficiencies, are the antithesis of PTAs. Nonetheless, a systematic exploration of the photophysics and photothermal characteristics of a series of π-extended BODIPY dyes with high absorptivity in the near-infrared (NIR) region has achieved superior photothermal conversion efficiencies (>90%), in both monomeric state and nanoparticles after encapsulation in a biocompatible polyethyleneglycol (DSPE-PEG2000 )...

PURPOSE: Our primary aim was to compare adult full-field ERG (ffERG) responses in albinism, idiopathic infantile nystagmus (IIN), and controls. A secondary aim was to investigate the effect of within-subject changes in nystagmus eye movements on ffERG responses. METHODS: Dilated Ganzfeld flash ffERG responses were recorded using DTL electrodes under conditions of dark (standard and dim flash) and light adaptation in 68 participants with albinism, 43 with IIN, and 24 controls...

Addressing the urgent need for long-distance dim target detection with a wide field-of-view and high sensitivity, this paper proposes a visible and short-infrared dual-band common-aperture optical system characterized by a broad field and extended focal length. To achieve system miniaturization and high-sensitivity target detection, the visible and infrared optical systems share a Ritchey-Chretien primary and secondary mirror. The primary optical path is segmented into visible light (0.45-0.75 µm) and short-wave infrared (SWIR) (2-3 µm) bands by a dichroic spectral splitter prism...

BACKGROUND: While sleep and circadian rhythms are recognized contributors to the risk for alcohol use and related problems, few studies have examined whether objective sleep and circadian measures can predict future alcohol use in humans, and no such studies have been conducted in adults. This study examined whether any baseline sleep and/or circadian characteristics of otherwise healthy adults predicted their alcohol use over the subsequent 12 months. METHODS: Participants (21-42 years) included 28 light and 50 heavy drinkers...

Nighttime object detection is challenging due to dim, uneven lighting. The IIHS research conducted in 2022 shows that pedestrian anti-collision systems are less effective at night. Common solutions utilize costly sensors, such as thermal imaging and LiDAR, aiming for highly accurate detection. Conversely, this study employs a low-cost 2D image approach to address the problem by drawing inspiration from biological dark adaptation mechanisms, simulating functions like pupils and photoreceptor cells. Instead of relying on extensive machine learning with day-to-night image conversions, it focuses on image fusion and gamma correction to train deep neural networks for dark adaptation...

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Altered light sensitivity may be an underlying vulnerability for disrupted circadian photoentrainment. The photic information necessary for circadian photoentrainment is sent to the circadian clock from melanopsin-containing intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). The current study tested whether the responsivity of ipRGCs measured using the post-illumination pupil response (PIPR) was associated with circadian phase, sleep timing, and circadian alignment, and if these relationships varied by season or depression severity...

Projectors are common display devices in the educational setting. However, dim projector lightbulbs or well-lit classrooms may cause blurriness in the projected image. To determine the optimal projection light under different ambient light conditions, the conjoint effects of projection illuminance and ambient illuminance on the legibility of projection images indoors were investigated. Participants (N = 96) were randomly assigned to one of six indoor ambient light conditions (0, 40, 80, 120, 160, and 200 lx) and performed a visual search task under several projection illuminance conditions (200, 250, 300, 350, and 400 lx)...