Oxidative stress due to hypobaric hypoxia at extreme altitudes causes severe neuronal damage and irreversible cognitive loss. Owing to contraindications of current drug therapies, the aim of the study was to investigate memory enhancing potential of aqueous extract of Ganoderma lucidum (GLAQ) and underlying neuroprotective mechanism using rat hypobaric hypoxia test model. Rats exposed to hypobaric hypoxia showed deranged spatial memory in morris water maze test with hippocampal damage and vasogenic cerebral edema. All these changes were prevented with GLAQ treatment. Blood and biochemical analysis revealed activation of hypoxic ventilatory response, red blood cells induction, reversal of electrolyte and redox imbalance, and restoration of cellular bioenergetic losses in GLAQ treated animals. Notably, GLAQ treatment ameliorated levels of neurotransmitters (catecholamines, serotonin, glutamate), prevented glucocorticoid and α-synuclein surge, improved neuroplasticity by upregulating CREB/p-CREB/BDNF expression via ERK1/ERK2 induction. Further, restoration of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor with stabilization of hypoxia inducible factors and inflammatory markers were evidenced in GLAQ treated rats which was additionally established in gene reporter array using an alternative HT22 cell test model. Conclusively, our studies provide novel insights into systemic to molecular level protective mechanism by GLAQ in combating hypobaric hypoxia induced oxidative stress and memory impairment.

PurposeThe study intends to investigate the key purchase drivers of luxury brands in India. Given that a major segment of this target audience is the young consumers, the study focuses on determining these antecedents of luxury purchase from a young Indian consumer lens.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses an interpretive research position, employing qualitative techniques in the form of in-depth interviews. In total, 62 respondents were interviewed, and later the transcribed interviews were analyzed using content analysis.FindingsThe study identifies the three main value dimensions that contribute to the final purchase decision: functional, social and emotional. The study also highlights the importance of Internet and web for luxury brands and how young Indian consumer consumes luxury online.Originality/valueResearch on luxury brands is still at a nascent stage. Though variables such as economic value, brand origin, social identity, prestige, self-congruity and so on have been examined in the context of luxury brands in prior studies. However, these studies are restricted because either they were product-specific or actual users of luxury brands were not approached as the sample. Most importantly none of these studies reflect the purchase behavior of young consumers in an emerging market, especially India. Given the growth of luxury brands in India, it would be worthwhile to investigate the factors influencing the customer purchase intention of luxury brands in emerging markets.

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High energy laser, particularly 532 nm, is widely used in defense and medical applications and there is need to address its occupational safety. Thermal and non-thermal effects of 532 nm high energy laser on skin are cause of concern. This study indicates impact of 532 nm laser on rat skin and first of its kind of attempt to understand transcriptional activation of genes as an early response following laser exposure. Skin of experimental rats were exposed to 532 nm radiance at 0.1, 0.25 and 0.50 W/cm 2 for 10 sec. Thermographic changes of skin exposed to 532 nm laser exhibited increased Tmax temperature in radiance dependent manner. After thermal imaging, skin of experimental rats was collected 1 h post laser exposure for studying differential gene expression. The skin exposed to lower power density (0.1 W/cm 2 ) did not show significant changes in expression of gene pathways studied. At moderate radiance (0.25 W/cm 2 ), predominantly canonical wnt/B-catenin pathway genes notch1, axin2, ccdn1, wnt5a and redox homeostasis genes; txn1, nqo1 and txnrd1 were expressed. At higher radiance (0.5 W/cm 2 ), significant repression of genes related to wound healing process particularly notch/wnt pathway viz. hes5, wnt1, wn3b with higher expression of dab2 was recorded. The data obtained from these studies would help in drawing safety limits for skin exposure to 532 nm laser. Further, genes expressed at moderate and high level of radiance exposure to skin were distinct and differential and provide new avenue to configure pathway to counteract laser induced delay in tissue injury and hair follicular damage. OPEN ACCESS Citation: Tulsawani R, Sharma P, Sethy NK, Kumari P, Ganju L, Prakash S, et al. (2020) Acute exposure of 532 nm laser differentially regulates skin tissue transcription factors. PLoS ONE 15(3): e0230175. https://doi.org/10.Acute exposure of 532 nm laser differentially regulates skin tissue transcription factors PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.Acute exposure of 532 nm laser differentially regulates skin tissue transcription factors PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230175 March 19, 2020 3 / 21 Fig 4. Volcano plot of genes expressed following 532 nm laser exposure at moderate irradiance of 0.25 W/cm 2 . https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230175.g004 PLOS ONEAcute exposure of 532 nm laser differentially regulates skin tissue transcription factors PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.