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webbygraphic001 · 5 years

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20 Best New Portfolios, August 2019

It’s August, which means the rain is finally slowing down, and I have a chance to get my roof fixed. While I wait here under a literal tarp-fort that I hung up in my office, I thought I might as well compile some of the best recent portfolios for you all to look at.

We have a mix of sites this month, both colorful and, shall we say, color-minimalist. We’ve got more than a few specimens of one-column layouts, and some superb CSS Grid-based affairs. Enjoy.

Note: I’m judging these sites by how good they look to me. If they’re creative and original, or classic but really well-done, it’s all good to me. Sometimes, UX and accessibility suffer. For example, many of these sites depend on JavaScript to display their content at all; this is a Bad Idea, kids. If you find an idea you like and want to adapt to your own site, remember to implement it responsibly.

Mike Harrison

Mike Harrison’s portfolio is all about “big”: big text, big pictures, and a great big “M” that all fill up big screens (and yes, the small ones too). It’s dead simple, eye-catching, and might have a little bit of a blue thing going on. (It’s subtle, but it’s there [/sarcasm])

I sure would like it if the logo mark in the header took you back to the home page, like most sites do, but otherwise we have a solid (blue) first site for this list.

Platform: WordPress

Rules Creative

Who needs a power-point-style site when there’s actual 3D graphics to be had? Rules Creative uses both 3D and pseudo-3D effects combined with some light brutalism(?) to create a brash, but lovely-looking site. And it’s the first site this month to use yellow effectively, so it gets bonus points from me.

They could use a bit more contrast for the navigation menu at the bottom, perhaps, but it’s otherwise great.

Platform: Contentful

PWNK Digital

PWNK Digital brings more 3D WebGL graphics, a whole lot of pink, and a cyberpunk aesthetic, which makes their logotype alone very clever. The rest of the site is brilliantly atmospheric, whether you’re browsing through their work or their social feeds. It’s a great showcase of what can be achieved with WebGL and 3D graphics on the web in general.

Platform: Static Site (I think)

Caleb Barclay

Caleb Barclay’s site has that monospaced-type and thin borders look that was everywhere for a while. Combined with the pastels and grays, along with some light animation, the whole things is pleasant to browse through while listening to piano covers of ‘90s pop hits. I know that’s a bit specific, but it’s true.

It’s also another great example of what the Webflow platform can do. I do still prefer custom coding my sites, but man, the drag and drop builders are getting better.

Platform: Webflow

Zomorrodi Associates

The site for Zomorrodi Associates is a sleek, monochromatic design that makes excellent use of mild animation, for the most part, but hits you with a couple of big ones in just the right places. I kind of love the “broken” effect that they’re applied to a couple of elements, including their logo.

Platform: WordPress

Brightscout

Brightscout’s portfolio uses clean type, tons of futuristic vector illustrations, and a general aesthetic that I sort of remember seeing from the better designers on DeviantArt right as Web 2.0 was slowing down. Don’t get me wrong, I love it, and I love the way their using the green tones. If just using green made a company eco-friendly, these guys could have fixed the rainforest already.

Platform: WordPress

Rootsy

Rootsy has more pastels and grays to look at, but it’s mostly a brighter design. It’s also got a layout that works fantastically on larger screens, which I always like to see. As one-page portfolios go, this one feels downright elegant and sophisticated, while still managing to feel a bit techy.

Platform: Static Site

Kervin Tan

Kervin Tan’s portfolio has a lovely background animation, a good dark layout, and generally just looks pretty. Go look at the pretty thing.

Platform: Static Site

Isaac Powell

By contrast, Isaac Powell’s website is a lot brighter, though also very pretty. Go look at the other pretty thing. Well, I’ll admit that their approach to case studies is also pretty solid. They still let the images do most of the talking, but there’s a enough text to give you a feel for how they approach problems.

Platform: Statis Site

Ashley Sheekey

Ashley Sheekey’s portfolio looks less like a classic website, and more like a very elegant database. Nerd that I am, this does it for me. There’s something about that typography, grid-based organization, and the use of filters that just makes me happy.

Besides, when you have as much work to show off as Ashley does, filters just make sense. Someone please hold me down and tell me my own site doesn’t need filters. Oh, and do click on the “About” page, because I wasn’t kidding about that typography.

Platform: Static Site (I think)

Netbluez

Netbluez’ portfolio is modern, colorful, and it has lovely illustrations to boot. This one-pager keeps things mostly pretty simple, but then, I’m never going to get over how much my inner five-year-old likes space stuff. I love my minimalism, but I also like seeing designers go nuts with the illustration and graphics.

Platform: Static Site

Wesley van ’t Hart

This portfolio, well… I’ve seen a lot of minimalism in my admittedly limited time, but not many go for this much white space unless they have no content to speak of. Here, the white space is embraced, loved, and very well-used to frame a simple—but by no means empty—portfolio.

Platform: Static Site

Guillame Colombel

Guillame Colombel’s portfolio goes for the slideshow on the home page as their primary method of showing off their work. In general, animation is used to show off the images, and keep things looking fancy. And well, it does look fancy.

Platform: Static Site

EVERGIB

Want to see what CSS Grid can do for you? Look no further than the layout over at EVERGIB, with its print-like feel, and generally great use of white space. It’s a simple site, but simplicity is hard, and I get excited for the future of the web every time I see something this well-built.

Platform: WordPress

Stereo

Stereo is a site with smooth animation, a beautiful palette, and gorgeous type. It is a bit odd though, to have the navigation menu on the home page scrolling across the screen marquee-style (you can drag it manually, too, to get the link you want). It’s not an approach I’d recommend to everyone, but it’s certainly striking… and usable enough for short menus.

Plus, they managed to work memes into their actual website design in a way that made sense and amused me. I’m genuinely impressed with that.

Platform: WordPress

Christian Coan

Christian Coan’s portfolio is another one that leans hard into the use of yellow, but the real star of the show is that typography. I’m not sure I would have put the actual work all the way at the bottom, myself, but this one-pager is just that pretty.

Platform: Static Site

Kev Adamson

Not gonna lie, I am in love with Kev Adamson’s site for nostalgia reasons. It’s a bit ’90s, a bit early 2000s, and all built with more modern development techniques. I’m never going to say that we should all go back to skeuomorphism, but maybe some of us could, sometimes. This Kev person certainly can, I think.

Plus, they’re an illustrator. The aesthetic totally works.

Platform: Custom CMS

Cam Dales

Cam Dales’ portfolio is a fine example of both highly modern minimalism, and one-column layouts. It stands as a reminder that sometimes, when you’ve got very simple content, there’s no need to over complicate your design.

Platform: Cargo Collective, Backdrop

Studio 313

Studio 313 is coming in hot with a modern aesthetic, fantastic type, gradients, and A PUG WITH SUNGLASSES IT’S SO CUTE I WANT HIM BUT THEY HAVE SO MANY HEALTH PROBLEMS… and I have cats anyway. They’d go full Garfield on that poor thing.

It could use a bit more text contrast in places, but overall this site has quirky personal touches all over it, while still maintaining a professional image. That’s an approach I can respect.

Platform: WordPress

Kévin Chassagne

Kévin Chassagne’s portfolio is living (or at least functioning) proof that you can have and elegant, fancy website with great-looking animation, that also works without JavaScript. Sure, you don’t see the fancy ripples in the background, but everything important and functional still functions.

Sure, it’s a one-page portfolio with links to external sites, but my point stands. Content can load without JS. Oh, and I should probably mention that the site has fairly sold typography, and that I adore the color scheme. In this age of digital screens, it’s literally easy on the eyes.

Platform: Static Site

And you know what? If I’m honest, a part of me will really miss this tarp fort when it’s gone. It’s a fort. In my grown up office. Everyone should have one.

Source from Webdesigner Depot https://ift.tt/2YLjDT0 from Blogger https://ift.tt/2M2uamC

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persianhandicrafts · 7 years

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What is Termeh?

An example of termeh articles. Image credit: Wikipedia

Termeh is the name given to a speciality cloth that originated in Yazd. Traditionally, the cloth was hand-woven using natural silk (Persian, ابریشم abrisham) and wool fibre (Persian, پشم pashm). Termeh can take the form of fabric, sheets, panels and other shapes.

Good quality traditional Termehs are part of a family’s heirloom in much the same way as are (the related) Kashmiri scarves. They are often an article used in Iranian weddings – such as the sofreh used as a floor spreadsheet. In these type of Termehs, gold and silver threads may be incorporated either into the weave, as part of an embroidered pattern or as a border.

Both Yazd and neighbouring Kerman regions have the reputation of producing quality termeh. As is the case with Persian carpets, traditional Yazdi, as well as Kermani termeh, have a reputation of being of superior quality and workmanship. Yazdi and Kermani termeh were traded throughout the Aryan trade regions, that is along what came to be known as the Silk Roads.

Termeh and Aryan Trade

Marco Polo, travelling the Aryan trade roads (called the Silk Roads) passed through Yazd in 1272 CE. He arrived in Yazd at about the time that Zoroastrians had been reduced to a minority in their ancestral lands. Nevertheless, Zoroastrians would still have asserted but who would have still asserted a considerable presence. Polo described the city as good and noble and took remarked that city was noted for its silk production.

“Yazd also is properly in Persia; it is a good and noble city, and has a great amount of trade. They weave their quantities of a certain silk tissue known as Yazdi, which merchants carry into many quarters to dispose of.”

In ancient times, Yazd and Kerman were silk and wool textile manufacturing centres together with Kashmir in the northern Indian subcontinent and the Fergana valley (presently in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan). Yazdi silk designs do share some similarities with Fergana silks and Kermani scarves competed with Kashmiri scarves. It is quite possible that local merchants and traders based in one of these areas acquired samples made in the other area and asked local artisans to weave a similar design and fabric.

Termeh Products

Termeh at Yazd bazaar. Image credit: BrianMcMorrow

Nowadays, the more expensive termehs are usually spreads called sofrehs (floor spread sheets or tablecloths), say about 150 cm. (five feet) square. Other termeh products are scarves, cushion covers and mats. However, at one point in time, termehs were also used to produce curtains, garments, quilt covers, cummerbunds (Persian kammar-band meaning waist bands), robes and even royal headdress such as turbans.

Assessing the Value of Termeh Products

A termeh’s value is based on the following: – The fineness and quality of the fibre and thread; – The incorporation of gold and silver dramatically increases the value; – The number of coloured threads used in the weaving. The greater the number of colours, the greater the value. Elaborate termehs can have two to three hundred different coloured threads; – The number of layers that constitute the fabric, the large number increasing the value; – The addition of a border and wider borders; – Fine woven designs usually add more value than embroidered designs. Intricately embroidered designs called sermeh doozy. Printed designs add the least value; – The uniqueness of the design; – Lining the fabric. Lining normally adds to the value;

Termeh Patterns

Yazdi Zartoshti-doozy (needle-work) patterns. Image credit: Berasad

One of the most common design motifs associated with the termeh is the boteh (also spelt botteh) motif known in the west as the paisley design. The history of the boteh motif, termehs (and indeed Persian carpets as well) and Aryan trade are closely linked.

The design for tablecloths may include a chequered or honey-comb pattern. Other design patterns include stripes, both wide and narrow, the Atabaki pattern, and the Zomorrodi pattern that was predominantly green in colour.

Image patterns popular with Yazdi Zartoshti women who engage in Zartoshti-doozy (Zoroastrian needle-work / embroidery) include the tree of life, the cypress tree, the juniper tree, clove, four or eight petal jujube, peacocks, roosters, hens and chicks, hoopoe, fish and geometric shapes such as circles and squares.

Stripped Patterns

Termehs with a multi-coloured stripped patterns are associated with Zoroastrian folk designs used for women’s pantaloons, as well as with Kermani scarves. The stripes patterns are both narrow and wide, subdued in tone and quite colourful. Examples are shown in the images below.

Kermani Shawl with a stripped design Image credit: Afshar

An antique (third quarter of the nineteenth century) embroidered silk panel from Yazd that originally would have formed the knee to ankle section of one trouser leg, of a shalvar (pantaloon) from a Zoroastrian woman’s wedding costume (see portrait below). Photo credit: O’Connell Guide

Kermani Shawls

Kermani Pateh-Duzi Embroidery. Wool on wool shawl with saffron background. Mid 19th Century, 78 x 78in, 189 x 189cm. Image credit: TextileAsArt

Antique Kermani woven shawl c 1750 CE The shawl was fragment and reconstituted from several pieces. Image credit: Eccentric Wefts

The examples shown here in the images above and to the right are those of woven (above) and embroidered (right) shawls of Kerman. The pateh-doozy / pateh-duzi or embroidered shawl of Kerman is made using a background material known as shal, a word that became ‘shawl’ in English. The shawl is often woven using a twill weave and the most common colour of the base fabric is red – though as we see in the images here, a variety of other colours are used. The pattern for the shawl is embroidered on the base fabric, the design for which is pounced over the surface of the fabric using carbon (coal dust) dusted over perforated parchment. The carbon dust outline is further defined by a pen. Some embroiderers developed the technique of following the texture of the twill weave with their embroidery producing a patterned shawl that could easily be mistaken for a more expensive woven shawl.

A type of intricately embroidered fine shawl is the aksi meaning ‘reflection’. Here, even though the the pattern is embroidered on one side, by splitting the warp thread into half, a ‘reflective’ image is produced on the other side of the shawl.

As with the weavers, expert embroiderers are a vanishing breed. Today, a few surviving Kermani embroiderers can be found in the Kermani village of Hudk.

Heritage in Peril

Traditional Zoroastrian Yazdi wedding costume. Note stripped shalvar (pantaloon). See shalvar panel above. Image credit: A Zoroastrian Tapestry Art Religion and Culture by Pheroza J Godrej and Firoza Punthakey Mistree. (Also see note* to the left)

Clothes made from termeh Qajar Dynasty era painting Image credit: Parima

Manufacturing termeh was a cottage industry. The looms would have been located in individual homes and each member of the family likely had a role. The construction of the looms, the method of making thread, the designs and patterns, and the vibrancy of the colours produced by different dyes, would have all been family secrets.

This rich heritage is now in peril. The a piece or sheet of fabric can take days if not months to produce. The expense of this labour intensive craft cannot be adequately compensated by the prices realized. Once a family stops the tradition of weaving, their knowledge, skills and trade secrets will be lost forever. Without rich patrons, the craft will die out.

The bazaars of Yazd used to be filled with artisans with different sections of the bazaar allocated to different trades and crafts. For instance, the zargari or goldsmith section, the kashigari or tile working section, the chit-sazi or chintz-making section, and the mesgari or copper-smith section.

In the days of yore, traders from around the world came to the bazaars in this oasis town and carried the creation of Yazdi ingenuity throughout the known world. The craft shops are now being replaced by shops selling electronic wares. The journals of many a returning traveller are filled with the lament that they are, within the span of their own generation, witnessing the demise of a heritage – a heritage that once lost will never be revived, for the knowledge and skills of these crafts will die with the crafts-women and men. The reports tell us that the art of producing hand-crafted termeh today survives in but a few centres.

[* Note: The image to the right titled “Traditional Zoroastrian Yazdi wedding costume” is part of an article by Firoza Punthakey Mistree titled “Hues of Madder Pomegranate and Saffron Traditional Costumes of Yazd” at p. 553. The photographer for the image was Gautam Rajadyaksha and the model, Meher Jesia. Also see the image titled “A modern gara with a matching blouse” at our page on The Gara Sari, in the section, The Modern Gara].

Termeh Production

Producing termeh requires two different skill sets, the first being product and design and the second weaving. The weaver is called the Goushvareh-kesh. One weaver might be able to combine the different skill sets, perhaps say in folk weaving, but as the product becomes more sophisticated, two or more individuals need to work as a team to produce termeh. Weaving intricate designs is a slow process with, in some cases, only 25 to 30 centimetres of fabric woven in a day.

Dyes

One of the most common background colours for a termeh is red, and the different shades of red that the artisans of Yazd and Kerman can produce are quite astounding. Traditionally, the dyes are all from natural sources, usually a vegetable source. For instance, one of the base red colours is called jujube red. Jujube is sometimes called a red date (not to be confused with dates from a date palm). Other common background colors which are used in termeh are green, orange and black.

Termeh Weaving in Yazd (Persian bafi بافی) Image credit: bonbon_khan at Flickr

Overview of the termeh loom being used in the image to the left Image credit: bonbon_khan at Flickr

Wool Termeh Handloom Techniques of Yazd and Kerman

The first step in the process of making a wool termeh, say a woollen shawl, is the collection of the wool that will be spun and woven or knitted into fabric. The finest wool is that which is combed or sheared from underbelly of goats. The next step is grading and sorting. Different colours of wool are also matched and batched separately. The sorted raw wool is cleaned of dirt and debris.

The production starts with the spinning the wool followed by the dyeing process. The dyer, the person looking after the dying of the wool, will have prepared the colours to be used according to samples provided to her or him. The art of natural dyeing has been developed over the ages and is often a closely guarded secret. Many dyers will know how to formulate some three hundred shades.

A pre-weaving expert or group of expert specialists then work on the wool before the weaving process can start. The different specialist tasks are warp-making, warp-dressing, wrap-threading, pattern-drawing, colouring and pattern-writing.

The pattern guide is the coded pattern guide and instructions for the colourist and weaver sometimes written in a form of shorthand or code. This process of annotating the designs so that each stitch is written down permits the reproduction of the most intricate patterns employing an extraordinarily wide range of colours.

The warp is the set of lengthwise yarns that run up and down the loom. The warp yarns are fully attached before weaving begins. The weft is the yarn that the weaver weaves back and forth and in-between the warp to make fabric.

During wrap-making the worker twists the two to three thousand threads warp threads to the required thickness. To illustrate the number of warp threads and heddles employed during weaving, a hand-woven tea-towel has between 300 and 400 warp threads.

Warp-dressing is stretching the wrap threads so that they can sustain the strain of the weaving process and the constant pressure and movement of the heddle. A heddle separates the warp yarn for the passage of the weft yarn. A typical heddle is made of cord or wire suspended from the top shaft of the loom. Each heddle has an eye in the center through which the warp is threaded. There is a heddle for each thread of the warp, and as such there can be, say, a thousand heddles for fine or wide warps.

Warp-threading is the passing the yarn through the heddles.

After the wrap assembly is prepared, if the fabric is to have a pattern, pattern-drawing is the drawing of the pattern design.

Colouring is the colouring of the drawing including the matching of different shades using a colour card based on the annotated drawing.

When the weaving process starts, the weaver if assisted by, say, two or three apprentices, calls out the colours to be used according to the pattern guide.

For the weaving the pattern portions, the weft shuttles are replaced by fine needle-like spools. The spools are made of fine light wood with sharp edges on both sides charred to prevent them becoming rough or jagged during use. The pattern’s design is produced on the underside of the wrap with the weaver inserted the spools from above. After a line of multiple wefts is completed, a comb was pulled down towards the weaver with it teeth running through the warp thereby pushing and compacting the weft into a tight weave.

If the fabric being produced – in our example a shawl – has complicated patterns, the weaving can be divided between up to ten looms, each working on a particular section of the shawl. After the different sections are woven, they are handed over to a specialist will repair any defects and join the pieces together in a manner that the joints are not be visible.

Silk Production Elsewhere in Iran

In addition to Yazd and Kerman, the other centres of silk production in Iran that were involved with silk trade along the Aryan trade roads were Gilan, Mazandaran, Khorasan, Isfahan, and Kashan. During Sassanian times, the production could have reached 3,000 tonnes.

At one point in history, Gilan began the largest single silk cocoon or thread maker and its prized shiny soft silk was exported to European markets with English, Dutch, French and Italian merchants competing to buy the thread or dried cocoons.

Making of Silk in Nature

Fifth instar silkworm larvae. Image credit: Wikipedia

In Iran, during the spring month of Ardibehest (late April), the process of spinning silk thread starts with silkworm breeders buying boxes of eggs of the silk moth, Bombyx mori (Latin for ‘silkworm of the mulberry tree’). They place the eggs in a warm place or in an incubator to help speed the hatching of the eggs, a process that takes about ten days. The eggs will hatch into larvae called silkworms.

At the same time, mulberry trees will have grown new leaves which silkworm breeders buy to feed their silkworm larvae. in Iran, mulberry trees grow in Gilan, Mazandaran, Khorasan, Eastern Azarbaijan, Isfahan, Yazd and Kerman. Once the larvae hatch they eat the leaves of the mulberry continuously.

In Yazd, the town of Taft situated some 18 km southwest of Yazd city is a major silkworm breeding centre.

After the larvae (the silkworm) have moulted four times, that is when they are in the fifth instar, they loose their appetite and are ready to transform themselves into moths. To protect themselves while they are in a vulnerable almost motionless transformational pupa state, they enclose themselves in a protective cocoon enclosure. The cocoon is made out of silk thread, a continuous natural protein filament that they produce in their salivary glands and exude to form the filament.

The larvae’s cocoon is built up from about 300 to 900 metres (1,000 to 3,000 feet) of silk filament. The filament is fine, lustrous, and about 10 micrometers (1/2,500th of an inch) in diameter. Each cocoon consists of about a kilometre of silk filament, and about 2,000 to 3,000 cocoons are required to make a pound of silk.

For the making of commercial silk thread, the cocoon’s filament is unravelled. The filament from several cocoons are then passed over a pulley, wound together and spun into a thread. Two or three threads are in turn spun together to build a yarn and several strands of yarn can be spun further spun together to make a nett thread. Along the way, the yarn or thread is dyed if needed after which it is ready for weaving.

Silkworm cocoons. Image credit: Wikipedia

spinning silk thread straight of several cocoons. Image credit: Long’s Strange Trip

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sherristockman · 7 years

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Photobiomodulation: The Role of Light in Preventing and Potentially Halting Alzheimer’s Disease Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Alzheimer's disease currently affects an estimated 5.4 million Americans.1 Projections suggest it will affect 1 in 4 Americans in the next 20 years, rivaling the current prevalence of obesity and diabetes and, by 2050, Alzheimer's diagnoses are projected to triple.2,3 Already, more than half a million Americans die from the disease each year, making it the third leading cause of death in the U.S., right behind heart disease and cancer.4,5 Worst of all, there are no effective drug treatments available. So what can you do to avoid becoming another statistic? In this interview, Dr. Lew Lim shares his expertise in the use of near-infrared therapy to treat Alzheimer's disease, and how you can use light therapy to radically reduce your risk. "Let me first say that I speak with some evidence," Lim says. "We have just been accepted for publishing into a scientific journal. Our recent case series report is a clinical study on a small number of people with Alzheimer's disease. The findings actually are quite significant.6 [W]e do get questions from skeptics like, 'How can light actually reach the brain to begin with, and then get a response from the brain?' What I'd like to do is try and demonstrate that first. Then you can see that this is not all hocus pocus. It's actually doing something to the brain. Then we'll talk about the evidence." How Photobiomodulation Influences Brain Activity Reza Zomorrodi, Ph.D., one of the top neuro-electrophysiologists in Canada, works with the Center for Addiction and Mental Health at the University of Toronto. Zomorrodi is also working with Lim on producing cutting edge brain imagery to better understand why some people are responding better and faster to the treatment than others. Using an electroencephalogram (EEG) and a photostimulation device invented by Lim called Vielight Neuro, which emits near-infrared light (810 nanometers), they're able to explore the effect of the photostimulation in the brain, and the changes that occur over the light spectrum. The near-infrared device consists of four modules of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), held together with light metal frames that are placed on top of your head, with the LEDs pointed at specific regions on your scalp. It also has an intranasal LED that targets the hippocampal area. In alpha mode, these LEDs emit pulsed light at 10 hertz or 10 pulses per second. Ten hertz was the frequency selected based on animal studies showing it helps accelerate neuron recovery in brain injured animals. The mechanism of the effect created by this photostimulation device appears to be related to the interaction between the light and mitochondria to produce cellular energy, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and other activating factors. "It boosts the energy of the brain and the brain uses this energy to generate more frequency, more oscillation, and organize or coordinate different networks," Zomorrodi explains. Lim recently introduced gamma frequency, which is 40 hertz (40 cycles per second) into the brain. Gamma is present while your brain is consolidating memory, helping it to minimize or prevent overactivity. Recent animal research has shown the gamma frequency even significantly reduces amyloid plaques (associated with Alzheimer's) in the brain.7 Lim hopes that by targeting the hippocampus and other targeted areas of the brain with gamma frequency, where memory consolidation takes place, he may be able to achieve better outcomes in people with more advanced Alzheimer's — people for whom there is currently no hope whatsoever. Photobiomodulation Literally Increases Brain Power For a live demonstration of this procedure, known as photobiomodulation, please see the featured video. In summary, the subject is fitted with 19 electrodes that measure the brain activity with EEG brain mapping software. The baseline frequency for a relaxed, awake subject is alpha. You can also see the actual location of the activity inside the brain of the subject. Green image means the brain activity is in normal range. Red means it's higher than normal, and blue indicates lower than normal activity. After recording five to 10 minutes of rest EEG to establish the baseline activity of the brain, the photostimulation, which administers near-infrared light, is turned on. You can then observe the change in brain frequency (activity) on the EEG. "You can see this green immediately went to the red. It means higher activity and [that] the machine is transferring energy to the brain," Zomorrodi explains. "The brain has more power, more energy for that specific frequency." By Modulating Brain Frequencies, You Can Improve Cognition In other words, what they're measuring is the frequency of the electrical signals coming from the brain itself, which is a consequence of the light therapy. They're not measuring the light entering the brain. Now, when you modulate one frequency, you also affect other frequencies, for better or worse, as they're all interconnected. "If you are stimulating the brain at the gamma frequency, you might also change the other frequency band, like the theta, alpha or the beta. This changing or modulation could stop or help a cognitive task. Alpha, it has been shown, is a very important frequency for rest. Also, we find it in some mental health disorders — this alpha frequency usually is very low or very slow. Pushing the alpha up and normalizing the frequency is really helpful for cognitive skills," Zomorrodi explains. Near-Infrared Is a Source of Fuel for Your Body Near-infrared light is thought to work by interacting with cytochrome c oxidase (COO) — one of the proteins in the inner mitochondrial membrane and a member of the electron transport chain. COO is a chromophore — a molecule that attracts and feeds on light. When you eat food, the nutrients nourish your cells and provide fuel for biological functions. But this actually occurs indirectly, and food is not your body's sole source of fuel. Light is also a source. The macronutrients you get from your food are broken down in your gut. From there, they enter your bloodstream, which allows them to circulate throughout your body, nourishing all of your body's cells. A key component that allows this system to work is that essential ingredients like fats and glucose are broken down into pyruvate that feeds your mitochondria, thereby allowing the mitochondria to process electrons to generate the ATP required for all of these biological processes. As for light as a source of fuel, about 40 percent of the energy in sunlight is near-infrared. Unfortunately, few clinicians have any idea that light is a powerful fuel for your body. In my view, this ignorance is one of the reasons why Alzheimer's disease is skyrocketing in prevalence, as so many are routinely avoiding sensible sun exposure. Infrared Light Triggers Cellular Repair Photobiomodulation also improves oxygenation to your cells. One of the ways it does this is by releasing nitric oxide (NO) back into your body after being exposed to red and near-infrared rays. NO is a vasodilator that helps relax your blood vessels, lower your blood pressure and improve vascular health. Interestingly, when you deliver red and infrared light to the mitochondria, it not only triggers NO release, it also promotes synthesizing of gene transcription factors that trigger cellular repair — and this is as true in the brain as anywhere else in your body. In fact, along with your heart, your brain is one of the most mitochondrial-dense tissues in your body, and therefore stand to benefit a great deal from infrared exposure. "[I]f you look at the epidemiology of dementia and Alzheimer's globally … countries that are in the northern hemisphere appear to have high risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's. You look at the top 10 countries, they're all countries with winter, with shorter hours," Lim says. You're an advocate of being in the sunlight. I think that is really what people ought to do. But in the north, there's not enough sun, right? In a way, what we're doing here, directing light into the brain … has a … similar effect as sunlight, but more targeted. It has specific wavelengths that have an effect on the mitochondria of the neurons. Logically, that will lead to neuronal recovery if the neurons are performing sub-optimally or are damaged. That's been found in in vitro studies. Before we did the study on humans, there were already at least three published studies of work done on mice and rabbits. When they directed red and infrared light to the brain, they found that the commonly accepted biomarkers, the amyloid beta plaques, were reduced. The behavior got better … [W]e are the first to complete an albeit small study on humans that has given us a very significant result. When we did a head-to-head comparison with the drugs (with the information we had from the pivotal trial with Aricept, which is commonly prescribed for Alzheimer's), the data we got was seven times greater, with no side effect. I think the key is not having a side effect. The safety is pretty much confirmed … This next trial we're doing involves 226 people. It's randomized, double-blind, simple controlled … led by a professor of epidemiology at the University of Toronto. We'll have collaborators from Harvard and Boston University … In the meantime, we are also doing a small study to get quicker data from about 40 people, which is also rigorously controlled." Countries With The Highest Rates of Deaths From Dementia Rank Country Deaths per 100,000 per year Sunlight Availability Rank: 1 Finland Deaths per 100,000 per year: 54 Sunlight Availability: Short Rank: 2 USA Deaths per 100,000 per year: 46 Sunlight Availability: Short Rank: 3 Canada Deaths per 100,000 per year: 36 Sunlight Availability: Short Rank: 4 Iceland Deaths per 100,000 per year: 34 Sunlight Availability: Short Rank: 5 Sweden Deaths per 100,000 per year: 32 Sunlight Availability: Short Rank: 6 Switzerland Deaths per 100,000 per year: 32 Sunlight Availability: Short Rank: 7 Norway Deaths per 100,000 per year: 30 Sunlight Availability: Short Rank: 8 Denmark Deaths per 100,000 per year: 30 Sunlight Availability: Short Rank: 9 The Netherlands Deaths per 100,000 per year: 29 Sunlight Availability: Short Rank: 10 Belgium Deaths per 100,000 per year: 27 Sunlight Availability: Short Source: WorldAtlas.com8 Vitamin D and Light Exposure Appears Important for Alzheimer's Prevention Research showing that people living in northern latitudes have higher rates of death from dementia and Alzheimer's than those living in sunnier areas suggest that vitamin D and/or sun exposure are important factors. The take-home message is to live further south. That's one of the reasons why I moved to Florida from Chicago. But even if you live in the sub-tropics you have to be outside and get adequate sun exposure on your bare skin to receive the benefits of light. This may be one of the simplest, least expensive preventive methods available. Alternatively, Lim's work suggests photobiomodulation therapy may be an effective alternative. "Say you live in the northern hemisphere and you know you're not getting enough sunlight; this is one really easy way to do it," Lim says. "Here's an interesting thing that we found in our study. We did 12 weeks of active intervention [followed by] four weeks of no intervention at all … We found that a number of people went straight into decline. We had some measure of modifying the disease … People with more advanced stages are responding … But it showed that Alzheimer's is a strongly degenerative disease. It has a whole lot of power on its own. You've got to keep doing it regularly even with what we have. The key here is to make it really convenient and simple. You can't be going to a clinic the rest of your life and get treated, especially if you're living far away. It would cost you a lot of money. That's the idea behind my invention. It's to make it as simple as possible. You'll just press the button and that's it. The treatment is 20 minutes. You can do it the rest of your life because you just put it on your head and your hands are free. You can go to bed with it. That's really the principle behind it. Until the planned clinical trials are complete, we cannot tell how well the devices work for Alzheimer's. In the meantime, they are available as low-risk, general wellness devices." Sun Versus Near-Infrared Lamps While daily sun exposure is likely your best option, followed by specialized technology such as near-infrared treatments, other devices emitting the near-infrared spectrum may also be beneficial. At present, I use a far less expensive infrared massage tool to achieve similar ends, for preventive purposes. I purchased a hand-held device with a 5 to 10 watt near-infrared lamp that I can rub all over my head. It was only $27. It can also be used on areas of pain, such as your back or knees. Be sure it's 10 watts or less, and avoid keeping it stationary in any one area. As a general guideline, as soon as you feel warmth, move it. You do not need, nor necessarily want, heat when doing photobiomodulation. When asked for feedback on using sunlight or a near-infrared lamp as a preventive strategy, Lim says: "I think the sun is great. Probably the best … as long as you don't get overexposed to ultraviolet (UV) … I think that's really the most natural … The lamp, I tend to put safety first so I try to keep it as low power as possible, as long as it activates what it does. When you have near-infrared (as it penetrates quite deeply), you don't need a lot of power … [E]xperiments have found that 810 nanometers go the deepest in the live tissues. Why is that? It's because as you go beyond 810 nm, it gets absorbed by water more and more." Take Control of Your Health With Sensible Light Therapy It's important to emphasize that near-infrared light or sunlight is not a magic bullet all by itself. But it's a very important part of the answer that is vastly underappreciated. Another crucial component of Alzheimer's prevention is getting your body to burn fat as its primary fuel, because that will very effectively fuel and nourish your mitochondria in addition to radically improving insulin resistance. I spell out the details of this in my latest book, "Fat for Fuel," which comes out in May. Ultimately, Alzheimer's is a disease caused by dysfunctional mitochondria. That's the reason why near-infrared works. It recharges your mitochondria, and the CCO specifically. If it didn't work that way, you wouldn't see the results demonstrated in the video above. So, if a loved one has Alzheimer's, Lim's photobiomodulation device can offer very targeted therapy with no adverse effects, at a reasonable price. You can learn more about this device on vielight.com.

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