AIM Symphytum officinale (comfrey) is a medicinal plant commonly used in decoction and to treat ailments. It protects the skin against ultraviolet (UV)-irradiation. UV irradiation may induce variable effects on the constituents of herbal extracts and thereby may limit or improve the advantages of using these extracts as medicinal supplements. This study aimed to assess the effect of UV radiatio...

UV-B radiation causes diverse morphological and physiological responses in plants, but the underlying mechanisms governing these integrated responses are unknown. In this study, we systematically surveyed responses of maize leaves to UV-B radiation using DIGE 2D gels and identified selected proteins by mass spectrometry and immunodetection analysis. To identify changes in protein accumulation i...

UV irradiation and other stress-activated signals activate the Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK, SAPK) pathway. The induction of JNK activity results in the activation of proto-oncogene c-Jun and activator protein-1 (AP-1) transcriptional activity. Data presented here show that UV mediated the activation of JNK correlated with UV-induced apoptosis and that overexpression of a dominant negative JNK bl...

These days, as the Earth’s protective ozone layer gets thinner, ultraviolet (UV) radiation threat is growing. In addition, getting tanned as a fashion leads people to wear less clothing, which increases UV intake. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet will lead to sunburn and even skin cancer. Therefore, neither insufficient nor excessive exposure is desirable. Although there are tons of UV meters ...

Grape (Vitis vinifera cv Silvaner) vine plants were cultivated under shaded conditions in the absence of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in a greenhouse, and subsequently placed outdoors under three different light regimes for 7 d. Different light regimes were produced by filters transmitting natural radiation, or screening out the UV-B (280-315 nm), or screening out the UV-A (315-400 nm) and the UV...

OBJECTIVE To assess the extent to which UV-A and UV-B radiation can penetrate the human fingernail plate. DESIGN The Dermalite UV light machine (National Biological, Beachwood, Ohio) was used as the source of UV radiation. The amount of UV-A and UV-B penetrating the nail plate was measured using a radiometer and compared with a control. SETTING Academic phototherapy clinic. PATIENTS Ten c...

The UV Index was introduced in Canada in 1992 in response to growing concerns about the potential increase of ultraviolet (UV) radiation due to ozone depletion. The index was adopted as a standard indicator of UV levels by the World Meteorological Organization and World Health Organization in 1994. This survey article gives an overview of the UV Index and the main features of its geographical d...

Rates of litter decomposition in dryland ecosystems are consistently underestimated by decomposition models driven by temperature, moisture, and litter chemistry. The most common explanation for this pattern is that ultraviolet radiation (UV) increases decomposition through photodegradation of the litter lignin fraction. Alternatively, UV could increase decomposition through effects on microbia...