Activation of L1 orthography in L2 word reading: Constraints from language and writing system

When reading in a second language, a reader’s first language may be involved. For word reading, the question is how and at what level: lexical, pre-lexical, or both. In three experiments, we employed an implicit reading task (color judgment) and an explicit reading task (word naming) to test whether a Chinese meaning equivalent character and its sub-character orthography are activated when first language (L1) Chinese speakers read second language (L2) English words. Because Chinese and English have different spoken and written forms, any cross language effects cannot arise from shared written and spoken forms. Importantly, the experiments provide a comparison with single language experiments within Chinese, which show cross-writing system activation when words are presented in alphabetic Pinyin, leading to activation of the corresponding character and also its sub-character (radical) components. In the present experiments, Chinese–English bilinguals first silently read or made a meaning judgment on an English word. Immediately following, they judged the color of a character (Experiments 1A and 1B) or named it (Experiment 2). Four conditions varied the relation between the character that is the meaning equivalent of the English word and the following character presented for naming or color judgment. The experiments provide evidence that the Chinese meaning equivalent character is activated during the reading of the L2 English. In contrast to the within-Chinese results, the activation of Chinese characters did not extend to the sub-character level. This pattern held for both implicit reading (color judgment) and explicit reading (naming) tasks, indicating that for unrelated languages with writing systems, L1 activation during L2 reading occurs for the specific orthographic L1 form (a single character), mediated by meaning. We conclude that differences in writing systems do not block cross-language co-activation, but that differences in languages limit co-activation to the lexical level.

Color Recognition of Video Object Based on HSV Model

In the presented paper, we proposed a common color model and designed the color judgment method, which is based on the HSV model. This method will translate the RGB values of the points in video images to HSV values, and use HSV values to recognize the color. After that, software of real-time video object recognition was developed based on color features, which is also based on their search of target color identification. Besides, the system is developed by VC based on OpenCV, which has achieved the goal of real-time video motion detection and object color recognition. Finally, the experimental results indicate that the algorithm is accurate and similar to human recognition of the moving objects in videos view, which demonstrates the good performance of the target identification and color judgment.

Relationship Between Color Discrimination and Neural Responses in the Inferior Temporal Cortex of the Monkey

Earlier studies suggest that the inferior temporal (IT) cortex of the monkey plays a key role in color discrimination. Here, we examined the quantitative relationship between color judgment in monkeys and the responses of color-selective neurons in the anterior part of the IT cortex (area TE) by comparing neuronal activity and behavior recorded simultaneously while the monkeys performed a color-judgment task. We first compared the abilities of single neurons and monkeys to discriminate color. To calculate a neuron's ability to discriminate color, we computed a neurometric function using receiver-operating-characteristics analysis. We then compared the neural and behavioral thresholds for color discrimination and found that, in general, the neural threshold was higher than the behavioral threshold, although occasionally the reverse was true. Variation in the neural threshold across the color space corresponded well with that of the behavioral threshold. We then calculated the choice probability (CP), which is a measure of the correlation between the trial-to-trial fluctuations in neuronal responses and the monkeys' color judgment. On average, CPs were slightly but significantly greater than 0.5, indicating the activities of these TE neurons correlate positively with the monkeys' color judgment. This suggests that individual color-selective TE neurons only weakly contribute to color discrimination and that a large population of color-selective TE neurons contribute to the performance of color discrimination.

Effects of Light Wavelengths on the Performance of Color Absolute Judgments

Optically, humans can discriminate between colors as close as 2nm in wavelength in relative judgment task. However, there is little research to discuss color differences for absolute color judgments in which the comparison is held in memory. Therefore, the intent of this study was to explore effects of wavelengths on the Just Noticeable Difference (JND) of absolute judgments in our perceptual world. A color identification task was utilized to investigate the JND of wavelengths. In the experiment, the Standard Stimulus Color (SSC) and the Comparison Stimulus Color (CSC) were successively presented. The SSC which was presented first must be stored in working memory and recalled when the second color, CSC, is presented. Subjects had to decide if the CSC matched the SSC. Each CSC was presented four times for each subject in the experiment. The CSC wavelength that was recognized as different from the SSC twice was designed as a JND wavelength. Five SSC wavelengths with 100% saturation and 100% lightness were chosen from the hue circle of HLS color space which included 360 hues. Because the hue circle is a circle, the CSC may be on both sides of a SSC in the hue circle. The CSC hue which may be located on the clockwise direction or counter clockwise direction of the SSC was called clockwise direction color (CD) or counter clockwise direction color (CCD), respectively. The wavelengths expressed with HLS color space were translated into coordination of CIE1931 (x, y)-chromaticity diagram. The results indicated that threshold sensitivities varied for different wavelengths on absolute judgment tasks. The lights with longest or shortest wavelength had greater JNDs than ones with middle wavelengths for absolute judgment tasks. The comparison of the results of the experiment on absolute color judgment tasks and MacAdam’s (1942) findings for relative color judgment tasks were also discussed.

Color in Raw and Cooked Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)

Carotenoid contents in raw and cooked Atlantic salmon, and in canned Pacific salmons, were compared. The color, as measured by the Gardner color difference meter, was found to be correlated with the chromaticity coordinate x%, or with Hunter's value +a. The color of Atlantic salmon flesh, compared with that of Pacific salmon flesh (canned), is significantly redder than chum and pink salmon, but less red than coho or sockeye in terms of the carotenoid content, x% or +a values, and visual color judgment.