BACKGROUND Exposure to sunlight may decrease the risk of several diseases through the synthesis of vitamin D, whereas solar radiation is the main cause of some skin and eye diseases. However, to the best of our knowledge, the association of sun-induced skin damage with mortality remains unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Subjects were 8472 white participants aged 25-74 years in the First...

Photolysis of water-soluble components inside cloud droplets by ultraviolet/visible radiation may play an important role in atmospheric chemistry. Two earlier studies have suggested that the actinic flux and hence the photolysis frequency within spherical droplets is enhanced relative to that in the surrounding air, but have given different values for this enhancement. Here, we reconcile these ...

BACKGROUND Ultraviolet radiation has been used for curative purposes in dermatologic conditions, especially in the last 30 years. OBJECTIVES We analyzed the efficacy of monochromatic excimer light in psoriasis, palmoplantar pustulosis, vitiligo, mycosis fungoides and alopecia areata, and to examine potential new indications. METHODS Two hundred seventy-nine patients with common and persiste...

Actinic keratosis (AK) negatively influences patient quality of life as measured by the disease-specific Actinic Keratosis Quality of Life (AKQoL) questionnaire. The quality of life in Australian patients was significantly less affected than in Danish patients. We hypothesize that general factors such as public awareness and cultural connotations of AK, may influence the impact of AK on quality...

Porokeratosis (PK) is an uncommon disorder of epidermal keratinization characterized by annular plaques with an atrophic center surrounded by a raised, keratotic wall, with unknown aetiology and an unpredictable outcome. It has several clinical forms including porokeratosis of Mibelli, giant porokeratosis, linear porokeratosis, disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis, palmoplantar ...