Search

Scarring has significant esthetic and functional consequences for patients. A need exists for anti‐scarring therapeutics. Light emitting diode‐red light (LED‐RL) has been shown to modulate skin fibrosis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of LED‐RL to reduce post‐operative scarring. Cutaneous Understanding of Red‐light Efficacy on Scarring was a randomized, mock‐controlled, single‐blind, dose‐ranging, split‐face phase II clinical trial. Starting 1 week post‐surgery, patients received LED‐RL irradiation and temperature‐controlled mock therapy to incision sites at fluences of 160, 320 or 480 J/cm2, triweekly for 3 weeks. Efficacy was assessed at 1, 3 and 6–12 months. The primary endpoint was difference in scar pliability between LED‐RL‐treated and control sites. Secondary outcomes included Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale, collagen and water concentration, and adverse events. There were no significant differences in scar pliability between treated and control scars. At certain fluences, treated scars showed greater improvements in observer rating and scar pliability, reflected by greater reductions in induration, from baseline to 6 months compared to control scars. Treatment‐site adverse events included blistering (n = 2) and swelling (n = 1), which were mild and resolved without sequelae. LED‐RL phototherapy is safe in the early postoperative period and may reduce scarring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Sex differences and evolutionary differences are critical biological issues. Ginkgo is an ancient lineage of dioecious gymnosperms with special value for studying the mechanism of sex determination in plants. However, the major genetic basic underlying sex chromosomes remains to be uncovered. In this study, we identify the sex‐determining region of Ginkgo and locate it to the area from megabases 48 to 75 on chromosome 2. We find that the male sex‐determining region of Ginkgo contains more than 200 genes, including four MADS‐box genes, demonstrating that the Ginkgo sex determination system is of the XY type. We also find that genetic sex differences result in specialized flavonoid metabolism and regulation in each sex. These findings establish a foundation for revealing the molecular mechanism of sexual dimorphism and promoting the development of the Ginkgo industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cosmeceuticals are commonly used in skincare regimens to maintain healthy skin and improve visible signs of aging. In recent years, South Korean skincare has gained prominence in the global beauty industry by introducing innovative cosmeceutical products and aesthetic trends. Objectives: To describe the global impact of Korean skincare and to review the current research evidence for bioactive ingredients commonly found in Korean cosmeceuticals. Methods: A review of the biomedical literature was conducted using PubMed to identify laboratory, animal, and clinical studies that evaluated the biological properties and potential dermatologic uses of ingredients found in Korean cosmeceuticals. Results: Bioactive ingredients in Korean cosmeceutical products are increasingly undergoing scientific validation and are derived from various sources including animals (eg, bee venom and snail mucin), plants (eg, dragon's blood and tiger grass extract), and biotechnology (eg, synthetic snake venom). Their bioactive components and pharmacologic activities have been shown to provide dermatologic benefits with potential applications for skin rejuvenation, photoprotection, wound healing, and more. Conclusion: Further research studies are warranted to elucidate any biological or therapeutic mechanisms of action of these ingredients, which may translate into clinical practice. With the rising public awareness and interest in Korean cosmeceuticals, patients may seek advice from dermatologists about how to incorporate these bioactive ingredients into their skincare regimens to improve skin health and aesthetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therapeutic applications of light emitting diode‐red light (LED‐RL) are expanding, yet data on its clinical effects are lacking. Our goal was to evaluate the safety of high fluence LED‐RL (≥160 J/cm2). In two phase I, single‐blind, dose escalation, randomized controlled trials, healthy subjects received LED‐RL or mock irradiation to the forearm thrice weekly for 3 weeks at fluences of 160‐640 J/cm2 for all skin types (STARS 1, n = 60) and at 480‐640 J/cm2 for non‐Hispanic Caucasians (STARS 2, n = 55). The primary outcome was the incidence of adverse events (AEs). The maximum tolerated dose was the highest fluence that did not elicit predefined AEs. Dose‐limiting AEs, including blistering and prolonged erythema, occurred at 480 J/cm2 in STARS 1 (n = 1) and 640 J/cm2 in STARS 2 (n = 2). AEs of transient erythema and hyperpigmentation were mild. No serious AEs occurred. We determined that LED‐RL is safe up to 320 J/cm2 for skin of color and 480 J/cm2 for non‐Hispanic Caucasian individuals. LED‐RL may exert differential cutaneous effects depending on race and ethnicity, with darker skin being more photosensitive. These findings may guide future studies to evaluate the efficacy of LED‐RL for the treatment of various diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed the unsaturated fatty acids oleic (OA, 18:1n-9) and linoleic (LA, 18:2n-3), and a 3:1 LA:OA mixture from −100 to 50 °C with continuous gradient temperature Raman spectroscopy (GTRS). The 20 Mb three-dimensional data arrays with 0.2 °C increments and first/second derivatives allowed rapid, complete assignment of solid, liquid, and transition state vibrational modes. For OA, large spectral and line width changes occurred in the solid state γ to α transition near −4 °C, and the melt (13 °C) over a range of only 1 °C. For LA, major intensity reductions from 200 to 1750 cm and some peak shifts marked one solid state phase transition at −50 °C. A second solid state transition (−33 °C) had minor spectral changes. Large spectral and line width changes occurred at the melt transition (−7 °C) over a narrow temperature range. For both molecules, melting initiates at the diene structure, then progresses towards the ends. In the 3:1 LA:OA mixture, some less intense and lower frequencies present in the individual lipids are weaker or absent. For example, modes assignable to C8 rocking, C9H-C10H wagging, C10H-C11H wagging, and CH3 rocking are present in OA but absent in LA:OA. Our data quantify the concept of lipid premelting and identify the flexible structures within OA and LA, which have characteristic vibrational modes beginning at cryogenic temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While shrubs appear to be expanding in Arctic tundra due to climatic warming, patches of tall shrubs in riparian habitats are most likely to colonize new areas. Shrub recruits outside established patches represent the forefront of area expansion, but their dynamics may be sensitive to the action of several herbivore species. The empirical evidence for how different-sized herbivores affect recruits of tall shrubs is lacking. Moreover, although management and natural population dynamics of herbivores happens at landscape and regional scales, field research on herbivore impacts on shrubs seldom covers these scales., Reindeer management and different rodent population dynamics result in regional variation in herbivore abundances in arctic Norway. We conducted an herbivore exclusion experiment, covering three low-arctic river catchments with contrasting herbivore abundances. We assessed the impacts of small rodents and reindeer on growth, and survival of willow Salix spp. recruits after 3 years of herbivore exclusion., As expected, the Salix recruits increased in sizes and had lower mortality when released from herbivores. Both types of herbivores had strong impacts on size and survival of Salix recruits., Spatially contrasting results were consistent with regional differences in the abundance of reindeer and rodents; herbivore impacts on shrubs were found when at least one type of herbivore was abundant. However, the impact was not independent of herbivore species. While both browsing from reindeer and rodents pruned the recruits and prevented them from escaping the field layer, the rodents also inflicted substantial mortality and thus thinned the stand of recruits., Synthesis and applications. Sympatric populations of rodents and reindeer have strongly complementary impacts on shrub recruits and may limit the expansion potential of tall shrubs even in the most productive habitats of arctic tundra. The spatial correspondence between shrub recruits performance and herbivore abundances, found after a short time period, suggests that the extent of tall shrub expansion in tundra is contingent on current variation and future trends in herbivore populations. In areas where humans control large herbivore populations, management may opt to counteract climate-driven shrub expansion also in habitats that are most prone to such expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Trichosporonosis is a rare, life‐threatening, opportunistic fungal infection that affects immunocompromised individuals with neutropenia, particularly those with underlying hematologic malignancies. We present the case of a 10‐year‐old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who developed a diffuse, morbilliform eruption in the setting of fever and pancytopenia. He was found to have Trichosporon asahii fungemia with widespread visceral dissemination, and his condition rapidly deteriorated despite treatment. It is important to consider trichosporonosis in the evaluation of a critically ill individual with neutropena and a rash, because the initial cutaneous presentation may appear benign and delayed therapy results in death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]