Indian Gooseberry and Barley Sprout Complex Prevent Oxidative Stress and Photoaging of the Skin in Ultraviolet B-Irradiated SHK-I Mice.

This study investigated the protective effects of a complex of Indian gooseberry and barley sprout (IB complex) on oxidative stress and skin damage caused by ultraviolet B irradiation in SHK-I hairless mice. The study examined the impact of IB complex on skin hydration, wrinkle formation, and melanogenesis using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and western blot analysis. The IB complex reduced skin hydration loss and wrinkle formation, while also demonstrating enhanced antioxidant activities. The IB complex maintained skin hydration via upregulation of hyaluronic acid and ceramide synthesis, including the regulation of hyaluronic acid synthase, long-chain ceramide formation, dihydroceramide desaturase 1 activity, and type I collagen production. The IB complex prevented wrinkle formation via downregulating JNK and upregulating TGF-ß pathways. Moreover, IB complex blocked melanin production via inhibition of protein kinase A, cAMP response element-binding protein, and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor pathways. These results suggest that IB complex is a potential agent to protect the skin against photodamage caused by exposure to UVB radiation. The research protocols underwent approval from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Kyung Hee University (KHGASP-21-577), ensuring compliance with ethical standards.

Integrated Augmented and Virtual Reality Technologies for Realistic Fire Drill Training.

In this article, we propose a novel fire drill training system designed specifically to integrate augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies into a single head-mounted display device to provide realistic as well as safe and diverse experiences. Applying hybrid AR/VR technologies in fire drill training may be beneficial because they can overcome limitations such as space-time constraints, risk factors, training costs, and difficulties in real environments. The proposed system can improve training effectiveness by transforming arbitrary real spaces into real-time, realistic virtual fire situations, and by interacting with tangible training props. Moreover, the system can create intelligent and realistic fire effects in AR by estimating not only the object type but also its physical properties. Our user studies demonstrated the potential of integrated AR/VR for improving training and education.