Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Ozone depletion and climate change

On behalf of Professor Rex M. Tyrrell, Editor-in-Chief

Under the terms of the Montreal Protocol on protection of the ozone layer, regular assessments of the state of knowledge in this area are required by the signatory parties. The paper “Ozone depletion and climate change: impacts on UV radiation” by McKenzie and co-workers is part of one such assessment which was provided to the United Nations Environmental Panel (UNEP) through their Environmental Effects Assessment Panel (EEAP).

UV index over time

Change in the annual mean of noon-time clear-sky erythemally-weighted UV, 1960-2100, relative to the level in 1980.

The EEAP reports on the Environmental Impacts of Ozone Depletion and, in their more recent assessment, have been asked to comment on any interactions between ozone depletion and the climate change. In an attempt to make these assessments more accessible to the wider scientific community, they are also published in the peer reviewed scientific literature. Both the last two major assessments (2006 and 2010) and several interim reports of the EEAP have been published in Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences.

The paper by McKenzie et al. is essentially the first chapter of the most recent full assessment in 2010. That chapter assesses our progress towards understanding atmospheric research relevant to the effects of ozone depletion and climate change on solar UV radiation. It provides a link between (a) the more detailed and technical WMO/UNEP report on the Science of Ozone Depletion, and (b) the subsequent chapters of the EEAP assessment that report on the environmental effects on human health, the terrestrial environment, the aquatic environment, biogeochemical cycles, air quality, and material damage.

EEAP Panel

L. O. Björn, S. Madronich, R. L. McKenzie, A. F. Bais, P. J. Aucamp (M. Ilyas was absent, shown right). The photo was taken at the UNEP meeting in Zhengzhou China in August 2014 while working on the 2014 Assessment for which A. Bais will be the lead author.

These latter chapters are also published in the same special issue of Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences. Although not designed as a review, the chapter nevertheless provides a digestible short summary of important research results on the subjects of ozone depletion, UV radiation, and interactions between these issues and climate change that have appeared in the literature in the four years since the previous assessment.

Therefore, in addition to the primary purpose of providing an assessment for policymakers, the article also provides a useful introduction to the subject, especially for researchers new to the field and to educators. The scope is unique, as it provides a one-stop update of these diverse, yet interrelated issues. It is written in a style that makes it accessible to the general public without detailed knowledge of the issues.

As the topic is of wide interest to the scientific community, this 2011 article published in Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences is one of the most highly cited in the journal from recent years. The 2014 assessment is currently under review, and will be published in a special issue of Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences in early 2015.

Read the full paper to find out more:

Ozone depletion and climate change: impacts on UV radiation
R. L. McKenzie, P. J. Aucamp, A. F. Bais, L. O. Björn, M. Ilyas and S. Madronich
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2011, 10, 182-198.

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Unravelling UVA-induced mutagenesis

UVB is the portion of the solar spectrum that is absorbed by DNA. It is a major contributor to the biological effect of sunlight, a property that has been known since the early 19th century. The genotoxic effects of UVA have attracted comparatively little interest however research into this portion of the solar spectrum has been revisited in the last twenty years.

Authors

The Sage group. Back (L–R): Pierre-Marie Girard (CNRS researcher), Sylvain Martineau (engineer), Ludovic Tessier (technician) Front : Angela Bellini (PhD student) and Ev Sage

There has been an intense effort to understand how UVA radiation damages DNA, induces mutations and is involved in human skin carcinogenesis. A classic Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences Perspective by Sage and co-workers summarizes the main results of such investigations.

The article highlights unresolved issues in the field and discusses the more controversial data in the recent literature. In particular, the authors summarise the evidence that the formation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers, the major DNA damage induced by UVA in mammalian cells, is caused by direct DNA-absorption of UVA photons rather than photosensitized reactions. This research is of particularly great importance for considering approaches to photoprotection.

Mutagenesis

Although contradictory data on UVA mutagenesis has been reported in the literature, the authors offer a critical analysis of the key findings and conclude that the main mutations induced by UVA are C to T transitions at bipyrimidine sites – the same process as for UVB. The authors propose that such a mutational specificity is a general UV signature, regardless of whether the UV radiation in question is UVB or UVA. This raises the question of what are the causative wavelengths when such mutations are observed in skin tumours.

The review also presents new insights on the genotoxic effects of UVA and provides a better understanding of the relative contribution of UVA to skin carcinogenesis, a crucial issue considering exposure of the human population to UVA radiation is unavoidable. The review presents mechanistic arguments that complement epidemiological studies on the risk of melanoma associated with the use of tanning beds, which emit over 99% UVA, and provides a platform for raising new questions on the potential effects of UVA radiation.

Since its publication in 2012, the Perspective has attracted considerable attention from researchers in the field, as evidenced by a growing number of citations.

To find out more, read the full article, which is free to access for 4 weeks:

Unravelling UVA-induced mutagenesis
Evelyne Sage, Pierre-Marie Girard and Stefania Francesconi
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci.,2012, 11, 74-80

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Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences impact factor increases to 2.9

We are delighted to announce that PPS has received its highest ever impact factor* of 2.9!

This achievement would not have been possible without the contribution of all our authors, referees, readers and Board members: thank you, we are very grateful for your support.

PPS continues to publish the latest developments in photochemistry and photobiology and encourages a synergism between these two important research areas.

We invite you to submit your latest research to PPS

Keep up-to-date with the latest content in Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences by registering for our free table of contents alerts.

Read more about the 2012 Impact Factors on the RSC Publishing Blog.

*The Impact Factor provides an indication of the average number of citations per paper. Produced annually, Impact Factors are calculated by dividing the number of citations in a year by the number of citeable articles published in the preceding two years. Data based on 2012 Journal Citation Reports®, (Thomson Reuters, 2013).

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PPS issue 4 is now published online – Solar Chemistry & Photocatalysis: Environmental Applications

The latest issue of PPS is now available to read online!  This month’s issue is a themed issue of contributions from the 7th European Meeting on Solar Chemistry & Photocatalysis: Environmental Applications (SPEA 7), held in Porto from 17th to 20th June 2012.  Read the Editorial by Guest Editors Joaquim Faria and Sixto Malato here.

PPS issue 4, 2013, front coverThe front cover highlights work by Roland Marschall and co-workers from Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.  They developed barium tantalate composites which showed enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen generation.  After preparing (111)-layered Ba5Ta4O15photocatalysts via a solid-state reaction route and a citrate synthesis route, X-ray powder diffraction and absorption spectroscopy determined the presence of a second phase – Ba3Ta5O15.  The Ba5Ta4O15/Ba3Ta5O15 composites demonstrated up to 160% higher hydrogen evolution rates than for pure Ba5Ta4O15.  In addition, only very small amounts of Rh co-catalyst (0.025%) were needed to achieve these results.

Read the full article for free for 6 weeks!

Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen generation from barium tantalate composites, Roland Marschall, Julia Soldat and Michael Wark, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2013, 12, 671-677

Stay up-to-date with the latest developments from Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences by signing up for free table of contents alerts.

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Top 10 most accessed articles in 2012

Do you want to know what your colleagues were reading during 2012?  The following articles in Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences were the most accessed over the course of the year:

UV-induced DNA damage and repair: a review
Rajeshwar P. Sinha and Donat-P. Häder
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2002,1, 225-236
DOI: 10.1039/B201230H, Perspective

Photoinduced formation of reversible dye radicals and their impact on super-resolution imaging
Sebastian van de Linde, Ivan Krstić, Thomas Prisner, Sören Doose, Mike Heilemann and Markus Sauer
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2011,10, 499-506
DOI: 10.1039/C0PP00317D, Paper

Photo-oxidation of proteins
David I. Pattison, Aldwin Suryo Rahmanto and Michael J. Davies
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2012,11, 38-53
DOI: 10.1039/C1PP05164D, Perspective

Engineered photoreceptors as novel optogenetic tools
Andreas Möglich and Keith Moffat
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2010,9, 1286-1300
DOI: 10.1039/C0PP00167H, Perspective

Targeted photodynamic therapy of breast cancer cells using antibody–phthalocyanine–gold nanoparticle conjugates
Tanya Stuchinskaya, Miguel Moreno, Michael J. Cook, Dylan R. Edwards and David A. Russell
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2011,10, 822-831
DOI: 10.1039/C1PP05014A, Paper

Photoactivatable fluorophores and techniques for biological imaging applications
Wen-hong Li and Genhua Zheng
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2012,11, 460-471
DOI: 10.1039/C2PP05342J, Perspective

Photoremovable protecting groups: reaction mechanisms and applications
Anna Paola Pelliccioli and Jakob Wirz
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2002,1, 441-458
DOI: 10.1039/B200777K, Perspective

Human safety review of “nano” titanium dioxide and zinc oxide
Karsten Schilling, Bobbie Bradford, Dominique Castelli, Eric Dufour, J. Frank Nash, Wolfgang Pape, Stefan Schulte, Ian Tooley, Jeroen van den Bosch and Florian Schellauf
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2010,9, 495-509
DOI: 10.1039/B9PP00180H, Perspective

UV wavelength-dependent DNA damage and human non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancer
Gerd P. Pfeifer and Ahmad Besaratinia
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2012,11, 90-97
DOI: 10.1039/C1PP05144J, Perspective

Controlled surface trap state photoluminescence from CdS QDs impregnated in poly(methyl methacrylate)
Santanu Karan, Manisree Majumder and Biswanath Mallik
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2012,11, 1220-1232
DOI: 10.1039/C2PP25023C, Paper

Take a look at the articles and then post your thoughts and comments below.

Interested in submitting your own work to Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences? Submit online today, or email us with your suggestions.

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PPS issue 3 now available online!

Issue 3 of Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences is now available to read online.

Front cover of PPS issue 3, 2013The front cover this month feature work by Halan Prakash and colleagues from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, India, who looked at the ability of persulphate to cause degradation of organic contaminants and also its effect on bacteria in aqueous media. The team used methyl orange, a model azo dye, and Gram positive and negative bacteria. Visible light activation of persulphate was achieved using ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes, which produced sulphate radicals and led to significant degradation of methyl orange as well as complete inactivation of bacteria.

Photodegradation of methyl orange and photoinactivation of bacteria by visible light activation of persulphate using a tris(2,2′-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) complex, Gokulakrishnan Subramanian, Priyadarshini Parakh and Halan Prakash, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2013, 12, 456-466

You can keep up to date with the latest developments from Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences by signing up for free table of contents alerts.

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PPS Issue 2 now online

PPS Issue 2 coverPPS Issue 2 is now online featuring artwork from Cristiano Viappiani on the front cover highlighting the communication ‘A photochromic bacterial photoreceptor with potential for super-resolution microscopy’. In this communication Christiano Viappiani and co-workers from Italy have exploited photoswitching between the dark (YtvAD) and the light (YtvAL) adapted states of the bacterial photoreceptor YtvA (from Bacillus subtilis) to obtain FPALM images of live Escherichia coli cells.

Interested in knowing more? Read the article in full, free for 6 weeks…

A photochromic bacterial photoreceptor with potential for super-resolution microscopy
Aba Losi, Wolfgang Gärtner, Sarah Raffelberg, Francesca Cella Zanacchi, Paolo Bianchini, Alberto Diaspro, Carmen Mandalari, Stefania Abbruzzetti and Cristiano Viappiani
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2013, 12, 231-235, DOI: 10.1039/C2PP25254F

Read PPS Issue 2 in full here and keep up to date with new issues by signing up for e-alerts.

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First issue of 2013 now online!

Welcome to issue 1 of Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences for 2013!  This is a themed issue on “Current topics in photodermatology” – read the editorial by Guest Editors Alex Anstey and Fraz Trautinger here.

The front cover of this issue highlights a perspective article by Alex Anstey and Flora Kiss which looks at UVB-mediated photosensitivity disorders. The authors look at the congenital skin disorders associated with photosensitivity to UVB, although highlight that photosensitivity to UVB alone is very rare and more typically includes photosensitivity to UVA. These rare disorders provide opportunities to study and gain insights into the diverse mechanisms involved in mediating photosentivity of these conditions.

Read the full article for free!

A review of UVB-mediated photosensitivity disorders, F. Kiss and A. V. Anstey, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2013, 12, 35-44

You can keep up to date with the latest developments from Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences by signing up for free table of contents alerts.

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Issue 12 of PPS now available to read online!

The last issue of the year for Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences is now published online.  This issue includes a collection of articles looking at the issues surrounding potential increase of vitamin D status to provide better health.  Read the Editorial by Guest Editor Vivienne Reeve here.

PPS issue 12, 2012 - front coverThe front cover of this issue features work by Pameli Datta and colleagues from Cophagen University Hospital, Lillebaelt Hospital and the Danish Meteorological Institute, Denmark.  The authors compared the doses of natural solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and artificial UVR needed to increase serum 25-hydroxyvitamin-D3.  The team found that artificial UVR was estimated to be at least eight times more effective in inducing 25-hydroxyvitamin-D3 synthesis than solar UVR.

Read the full article for free for 6 weeks!

Increase in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin-D3 in humans after solar exposure under natural conditions compared to artificial UVB exposure of hands and face, Pameli Datta, Morten Karsten Bogh, Peter Olsen, Pia Eriksen, Anne Vibeke Schmedes, Mette Marie-Louise Grage, Peter Alshede Philipsen and Hans Christian Wulf, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2012, 11, 1817-1824

You may also be interested to read these articles on vitamin D – free to access for 3 weeks:

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin-D responses to multiple UV exposures from solaria: inferences for exposure to sunlight, Richard McKenzie, Robert Scragg, Ben Liley, Paul Johnston, John Wishart, Alistair Stewart and Roshani Prematunga, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2012, 11, 1174-1185

A computational model for previtamin D3 production in skin, Merve Meinhardt-Wollweber and Ronald Krebs, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2012, 11, 731-737

Vitamin D-fence, Katie M. Dixon,  Vanessa B. Sequeira,  Aaron J. Camp and Rebecca S. Mason, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2010, 9, 564-570

Is the action spectrum for the UV-induced production of previtamin D3 in human skin correct?, Mary Norval, Lars Olof Björn and Frank R. de Gruijl, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2010, 9, 11-17

You can keep up to date with the latest developments from Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences by signing up for free table of contents alerts.

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Top ten most accessed articles in September

This month sees the following articles in PPS that are in the top ten most accessed:-

Brookite versus anatase TiO2 photocatalysts: phase transformations and photocatalytic activities
Tarek A. Kandiel, Lars Robben, Ayad Alkaim and Detlef Bahnemann
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2PP25217A

Photoinduced formation of reversible dye radicals and their impact on super-resolution imaging
Sebastian van de Linde, Ivan Krstic, Thomas Prisner, Sören Doose, Mike Heilemann and Markus Sauer
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2011, 10, 499-506
DOI: 10.1039/C0PP00317D

Cyanostilben-based derivatives: mechanical stimuli-responsive luminophors with aggregation-induced emission enhancement
Yujian Zhang, Jingwei Sun, Gaofeng Bian, Yiyi Chen, Mi Ouyang, Bin Hu and Cheng Zhang
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2012, 11, 1414-1421
DOI: 10.1039/C2PP05404C

NIR fluorescent biotinylated cyanine dye: optical properties and combination with quantum dots as a potential sensing device
Guillermo O. Menéndez, María Eva Pichel, Carla C. Spagnuolo and Elizabeth A. Jares-Erijman
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2PP25174D

Protective actions of vitamin D in UVB induced skin cancer
Daniel D. Bikle
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2PP25251A

Engineered photoreceptors as novel optogenetic tools
Andreas Möglich and Keith Moffat
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2010, 9, 1286-1300
DOI: 10.1039/C0PP00167H

ß-Cyclodextrin polymer nanoparticles as carriers for doxorubicin and artemisinin: a spectroscopic and photophysical study
Resmi Anand, Francesco Manoli, Ilse Manet, Samia Daoud-Mahammed, Valentina Agostoni, Ruxandra Gref and Sandra Monti
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2012, 11, 1285-1292
DOI: 10.1039/C2PP25014D

UV-induced DNA damage and repair: a review
Rajeshwar P. Sinha and Donat-P. Häder
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2002, 1, 225-236
DOI: 10.1039/B201230H

A genetically-encoded photosensitiser demonstrates killing of bacteria by purely endogenous singlet oxygen
Rubén Ruiz-González, John H. White, Montserrat Agut, Santi Nonell and Cristina Flors
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2012, 11, 1411-1413
DOI: 10.1039/C2PP25126D

Effects of solar UV radiation on aquatic ecosystems and interactions with climate change
D.-P. Häder, H. D. Kumar, R. C. Smith and R. C. Worrest
Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2007, 6, 267-285
DOI: 10.1039/B700020K

Why not take a look at the articles today and blog your thoughts and comments below.

Fancy submitting an article to PPS? Then why not submit to us today!

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