Colour by numbers in Excel 2007 : solving algebraic equations without algebra

This is an update of an earlier paper, and is written for Excel 2007. A series of Excel 2007 models is described. The more advanced versions allow solution of f(x)=0 by examining change of sign of function values. The function is graphed and change of sign easily detected by a change of colour. Relevant features of Excel 2007 used are Names, Scatter Chart and Conditional Formatting. Several sample Excel 2007 models are available for download, and the paper is intended to be used as a lesson plan for students having some familiarity with derivatives. For comparison and reference purposes, the paper also presents a brief outline of several common equation-solving strategies as an Appendix.

Semantic interference in object naming : an fMRI study of the postcue naming paradigm

It is well established that the time to name target objects can be influenced by the presence of categorically related versus unrelated distractor items. A variety of paradigms have been developed to determine the level at which this semantic interference effect occurs in the speech production system. In this study, we investigated one of these tasks, the postcue naming paradigm, for the first time with fMRI. Previous behavioural studies using this paradigm have produced conflicting interpretations of the processing level at which the semantic interference effect takes place, ranging from pre- to post-lexical. Here we used fMRI with a sparse, event-related design to adjudicate between these competing explanations. We replicated the behavioural postcue naming effect for categorically related target/distractor pairs, and observed a corresponding increase in neuronal activation in the right lingual and fusiform gyri-regions previously associated with visual object processing and colour-form integration. We interpret these findings as being consistent with an account that places the semantic interference effect in the postcue paradigm at a processing level involving integration of object attributes in short-term memory.

The influence of colour and sound on neuronal activation during visual object naming

This paper investigates how neuronal activation for naming photographs of objects is influenced by the addition of appropriate colour or sound. Behaviourally, both colour and sound are known to facilitate object recognition from visual form. However, previous functional imaging studies have shown inconsistent effects. For example, the addition of appropriate colour has been shown to reduce antero-medial temporal activation whereas the addition of sound has been shown to increase posterior superior temporal activation. Here we compared the effect of adding colour or sound cues in the same experiment. We found that the addition of either the appropriate colour or sound increased activation for naming photographs of objects in bilateral occipital regions and the right anterior fusiform. Moreover, the addition of colour reduced left antero-medial temporal activation but this effect was not observed for the addition of object sound. We propose that activation in bilateral occipital and right fusiform areas precedes the integration of visual form with either its colour or associated sound. In contrast, left antero-medial temporal activation is reduced because object recognition is facilitated after colour and form have been integrated.

Technicolouring the fridge : reducing food waste through uses of colour-coding and cameras

Domestic food wastage is a growing problem for the environment and food security. Some causes of domestic food wastes are attributed to a consumer’s behaviours during food purchasing, storage and consumption, such as: excessive food purchases and stockpiling in storage. Recent efforts in human-computer interaction research have examined ways of influencing consumer behaviour. The outcomes have led to a number of interventions that assist users with performing everyday tasks. The Internet Fridge is an example of such an intervention. However, new pioneering technologies frequently confront barriers that restrict their future impact in the market place, which has prompted investigations into the effectiveness of behaviour changing interventions used to encourage more sustainable practices. In this paper, we investigate and compare the effectiveness of two interventions that encourage behaviour change: FridgeCam and the Colour Code Project. We use FridgeCam to examine how improving a consumer’s food supply knowledge can reduce food stockpiling. We use the Colour Code Project to examine how improving consumer awareness of food location can encourage consumption of forgotten foods. We explore opportunities to integrate these interventions into commercially available technologies, such as the Internet Fridge, to: (i) increase the technology’s benefit and value to users, and (ii) promote reduced domestic food wastage. We conclude that interventions improving consumer food supply and location knowledge can promote behaviours that reduce domestic food waste over a longer term. The implications of this research present new opportunities for existing and future technologies to play a key role in reducing domestic food waste.

Capturing natural-colour 3D models of insects for species discovery and diagnostics

Collections of biological specimens are fundamental to scientific understanding and characterization of natural diversity - past, present and future. This paper presents a system for liberating useful information from physical collections by bringing specimens into the digital domain so they can be more readily shared, analyzed, annotated and compared. It focuses on insects and is strongly motivated by the desire to accelerate and augment current practices in insect taxonomy which predominantly use text, 2D diagrams and images to describe and characterize species. While these traditional kinds of descriptions are informative and useful, they cannot cover insect specimens "from all angles" and precious specimens are still exchanged between researchers and collections for this reason. Furthermore, insects can be complex in structure and pose many challenges to computer vision systems. We present a new prototype for a practical, cost-effective system of off-the-shelf components to acquire natural-colour 3D models of insects from around 3 mm to 30 mm in length. ("Natural-colour" is used to contrast with "false-colour", i.e., colour generated from, or applied to, gray-scale data post-acquisition.) Colour images are captured from different angles and focal depths using a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera rig and two-axis turntable. These 2D images are processed into 3D reconstructions using software based on a visual hull algorithm. The resulting models are compact (around 10 megabytes), afford excellent optical resolution, and can be readily embedded into documents and web pages, as well as viewed on mobile devices. The system is portable, safe, relatively affordable, and complements the sort of volumetric data that can be acquired by computed tomography. This system provides a new way to augment the description and documentation of insect species holotypes, reducing the need to handle or ship specimens. It opens up new opportunities to collect data for research, education, art, entertainment, biodiversity assessment and biosecurity control. © 2014 Nguyen et al.

Environmental colour and well-being

Significance of colour schemes in appraisal of the urban aesthetic has been traditionally recognised by design professionals. However, the proven psychological and emotional impacts of urban colour remain overlooked in design thinking. This paper argues that health-conscious approach to environmental colour design requires consideration of phenomenological human needs in addition to aesthetic and stylistic preferences of a designer. A body of knowledge accumulated in environmental colour psychology provides a foundation for a shift in the environmental colour design. Though, some architectural critics suggest that design professionals have little understanding of how different aspects of colour psychology can be integrated in design process. Lack of an explicit design methodology has been described as a main constraint to applicability of the related knowledge in design process. Understanding the notion of environmental colour is essential in developing health-conscious approach to environmental colour design. Therefore, this paper is primarily focused on conceptualisation of environmental colour and experiential environmental colour design. Additionally, a role of environmental colour design in the delivery of health-enhancing environments and balanced sensorial experiences is briefly discussed.

Is the sun too bright in Queensland? An approach to robust outdoor colour beacon detection

Using cameras onboard a robot for detecting a coloured stationary target outdoors is a difficult task. Apart from the complexity of separating the target from the background scenery over different ranges, there are also the inconsistencies with direct and reflected illumination from the sun,clouds, moving and stationary objects. They can vary both the illumination on the target and its colour as perceived by the camera. In this paper, we analyse the effect of environment conditions, range to target, camera settings and image processing on the reported colours of various targets. The analysis indicates the colour space and camera configuration that provide the most consistent colour values over varying environment conditions and ranges. This information is used to develop a detection system that provides range and bearing to detected targets. The system is evaluated over various lighting conditions from bright sunlight, shadows and overcast days and demonstrates robust performance. The accuracy of the system is compared against a laser beacon detector with preliminary results indicating it to be a valuable asset for long-range coloured target detection.

Corresponding geographies: Remapping work and workplace in the age of digital media

This essay makes three related claims about digital media creative clusters through a case study of the Hub in Glasgow, Scotland. First, online social networking platforms are an increasingly “common sense” feature that property developers include to attract media workers to purpose-built properties. Second, integrating and managing professional identities through the construction of place are considered necessary to promote that place to a larger audience. Finally, reorganizing place in this way refashions creative work as a more nebulous concept, a process that integrates formerly distinct aspects of our work and nonwork lives into the common pursuit of innovation for economic gain.

Mauve: How one man invented the colour that changed the world

In an essay, "The Books of Last Things", Delia Falconer discusses the emergence of a new genre in publishing - microhistories. She cites a number of recent titles in non-fiction and fiction - Longitude, Cod, Tulips, Pushkin's Button, Nathaniel's Nutmeg, Zarafa, The Surgeon of Crowthorne, The Potato, The Perfect Storm. Delia Falconer observes of this tradition: "One has the sense, reading these books, of a surprising weight, of pleasant shock. In part, it is because we are looking at things which are generally present around us, but modestly out of sight and mind - historical nitty gritty like cod, potatoes, longitudinal clocks - which the authors have thrust suddenly, like a Biblical visitation of frogs or locusts, in our face. Things like spice and buttons and clocks are generally seen to enable history on the large scale, but are not often viewed as its worthy subjects. And by the same grand logic of history, more unusual phenomena like cabinets of curiosities or glass-making or farm lore or sailors' knots are simply odd blips on its radar screen, interesting footnotes. These new books, microhistories, reverse the usual order of history, which argues from the general to the particular, in order to prove its inevitable progress. They start from the footnotes. But by reversing the process, and walking through the back door of history, you don't necessarily end up at the front of the same house." Delia Falconer speculates about the reasons for the popularity of microhistories. She concludes: "I would like to think that reading them is not simply an exercise in nostalgia, but a challenge to the present". In Mauve, Simon Garfield provides a new way of thinking and writing about the history of intellectual property. Instead of providing a grand historical narrative of intellectual property, he tells the story of a particular invention, and its exploitation. Simon Garfield relates how English chemist William Perkin accidentally discovered a way to mass-produce colour mauve in a factory. Working on a treatment for malaria in his London home laboratory, Perkin failed to produce artificial quinine. Instead he created a dark oily sludge that turned silk a beautiful light purple. The colour was unique and became the most desirable shade in the fashion houses of Paris and London. ... The book Mauve will have a number of contemporary resonances for intellectual property lawyers and academics. Simon Garfield emphasizes the difficulties inherent in commercialising an invention and managing intellectual property. He investigates the uneasy collaboration between industry and science. Simon Garfield suggests that complaints about the efficacy of patent offices are perennial. He also highlights the problems faced by courts and law-makers in accommodating new technologies within the logic of patent law. In his elegant microhistory of the colour mauve, Simon Garfield confirms the conclusion of Brad Sherman and Lionel Bently that many aspects of modern intellectual property law can only be understood through an understanding of the past: "The image of intellectual property law that developed during the 19th century and the narrative of identity which this engendered played and continue to play an important role in the way we think about and understand intellectual property law".

Geographical and morphological variation within and between colour phases in Coris julis (L. 1758), a protogynous marine fish

The possible differences between sexes in patterns of morphological variation in geographical space have been explored only in gonochorist freshwater species. We explored patterns of body shape variation in geographical space in a marine sequential hermaphrodite species, Coris julis (L. 1758), analyzing variation both within and between colour phases, through the use of geometric morphometrics and spatially-explicit statistical analyses. We also tested for the association of body shape with two environmental variables: temperature and chlorophyll a concentration, as obtained from time-series of satellite-derived data. Both colour phases showed a significant morphological variation in geographical space and patterns of variation divergent between phases. Although the morphological variation was qualitatively similar, individuals in the initial colour phase showed a more marked variation than individuals in the terminal phase. Body shape showed a weak but significant correlation with environmental variables, which was more pronounced in primary specimens.

Body shape variation and colour change during growth in a protogynous fish

Protogynous sequential hermaphroditism is very common in marine fish. Despite a large number of studies on various aspects of sequential hermaphroditism in fish, the relationship between body shape and colour during growth in dichromatic species has not been assessed. Using geometric morphometrics, the present study explores the relationship between growth, body shape and colouration in Coris julis (L. 1758), a small protogynous labrid species with distinct colour phases. Results show that body shape change during growth is independent of change in colour phase, a result which can be explained by the biology of the species and by the social control of sex change. Also, during growth the body grows deeper and the head has a steeper profile. It is hypothesized that a deeper body and a steeper profile might have a function in agonistic interactions between terminal phase males and that the marked chromatic difference between colour phases allows the lack of strict interdependence of body shape and colour during growth.

The subordinated processes controlled by a family of subordinators and corresponding Fokker-Planck type equations

In this work, we consider subordinated processes controlled by a family of subordinators which consist of a power function of a time variable and a negative power function of an α-stable random variable. The effect of parameters in the subordinators on the subordinated process is discussed. By suitable variable substitutions and the Laplace transform technique, the corresponding fractional Fokker–Planck-type equations are derived. We also compute their mean square displacements in a free force field. By choosing suitable ranges of parameters, the resulting subordinated processes may be subdiffusive, normal diffusive or superdiffusive

Catalytic transformation of aliphatic alcohols to corresponding esters in O2 under neutral conditions using visible-light irradiation

Selective oxidation of aliphatic alcohols under mild and base-free conditions is a challenging process for organic synthesis. Herein, we report a one-pot process for the direct oxidative esterification of aliphatic alcohols that is significantly enhanced by visible-light irradiation at ambient temperatures. The new methodology uses heterogenerous photocatalysts of gold–palladium alloy nanoparticles on a phosphate-modified hydrotalcite support and molecular oxygen as a benign oxidant. The alloy photocatalysts can absorb incident light, and the light-excited metal electrons on the surface of metal nanoparticles can activate the adsorbed reactant molecules. Tuning the light intensity and wavelength of the irradiation can remarkably change the reaction activity. Shorter wavelength light (<550 nm) drives the reaction more efficiently than light of longer wavelength (e.g., 620 nm), especially at low temperatures. The phosphate-exchanged hydrotalcite support provides sufficient basicity (and buffer) for the catalytic reactions; thus, the addition of base is not required. The photocatalysts are efficient and readily recyclable. The findings reveal the first example of using “green” oxidants and light energy to drive direct oxidative esterification of aliphatic alcohols under base-free, mild conditions.

Effect of nitrogen on the skin colour and other quality attributes of ripe ‘Kensington Pride’ mango (Mangifera indica L.) fruit

Near-ripe ‘Kensington Pride’ mango (Mangifera indica L.) fruit with green skin colour generally return lower wholesale and retail prices. Pre-harvest management, especially nitrogen (N) nutrition, appears to be a major causal factor. To obtain an understanding of the extent of the problem in the Burdekin district (dry tropics; the major production area in Australia), green mature ‘Kensington Pride’ mango fruit were harvested from ten orchards and ripened at 20 ± 0.5 O C. Of these orchards, 70% produced fruit with more than 25% of the skin surface area green when ripe. The following year, the effect of N application on skin colour and other quality attributes was investigated on three orchards, one with a high green (HG) skin problem and two with a low green (LG) skin problem. N was applied at pre-flowering and at panicle emergence at the rate of 0,75,150,300 g per tree (soil applied) or 50 g per tree as foliar N for the HG orchard, and 0,150,300,450 g per tree (soil applied) or 50 g per tree (foliar) for the LG orchards. In all orchards the proportion of green colour on the ripe fruit was significantly (P<0.05) higher with soil applications of 150 g N or more per tree. Foliar sprays resulted in a higher proportion of green colour than the highest soil treatment in the HG orchard, but not in the LG orchards. Anthracnose disease severity was significantly (P<0.05) higher with 300 g of N per tree or foliar treatment in the HG orchard, compared with no additional N. Thus, N can reduce mango fruit quality by increasing green colour and anthracnose disease in ripe fruit.

Design of a Multibus-compatible colour graphics subsystem

Colour graphics subsystems can be used in a variety of applications such as high-end business graphics, low-end scientific computations, and for realtime display of process control diagrams. The design of such a subsystem is shown. This subsystem can be added to any Multibus-compatible microcomputer system. The use of an NEC 7220 graphics display controller chip has simplified the design to a considerable extent. CGRAM (CORE graphics on Multibus), a comprehensive subset of the CORE graphics standard package, is supported on the subsystem.