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Fucoxanthin is a unique carotenoid present in brown seaweed due to the presence of an allenic bond in its structure. Its chemical composition consists of a central core that is cyclic, many conjugated double bonds, and several functional groups. Fucoxanthin plays a critical role in photosynthesis, absorbing light energy and transferring it to chlorophyll a. It has been demonstrated to have a variety of health advantages as well as protective effects against conditions including diabetes, liver cirrhosis, obesity, and malignant cancer, etc. Therefore, fucoxanthin can be employed as a strong pharmaceutical and dietary components to stop the spread of a wide array of infectious disorders. The present review focuses on the most recent research related to the pharmaceutical properties of fucoxanthin including antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, skin-protective, anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, and other qualities, including bioavailability and stability traits. This review seeks to support future biochemical research in order to create new pharmaceutical and dietary supplements that work with fucoxanthin and its many metabolites. [Display omitted] • Fucoxanthin is a distinctive carotenoid in brown seaweed characterized by the presence of an allenic bond. • It efficiently contributes to the energy conversion process in organisms. • Fucoxanthin serves as a natural preventive and therapeutic agent against diabetes, liver cirrhosis, obesity, and cancer. • The versatile properties of fucoxanthin position it as a valuable resource for pharmaceutical and dietary applications. • Its potential as a source for developing pharmaceutical components and dietary supplements to combat infectious disorders is highlighted, potentially leading to innovative approaches in medical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Kingdom National Health Service Breast Screening Programme proposes five B categories for reporting breast screening needle core biopsies. The system is also recommended for symptomatic patients and diagnostic vacuum-assisted biopsies. Usually over 90% of biopsies are categorised as normal (B1), benign (B2) or malignant (B5). B3 is a heterogeneous group including atypical intraductal proliferations, classical lobular neoplasia, papillary lesions, radial scars, cellular fibroepithelial lesions and some rarer lesions. It is important to comment on the presence of epithelial atypia in B3 lesions as the risk of malignancy in the excision specimen is higher if atypia is present. Recent United Kingdom guidelines propose more thorough sampling with vacuum-assisted biopsy as an alternative to diagnostic surgical excision for some B3 lesions. B4 is used for lesions suspicious of malignancy. Further investigation is usually needed for B4 lesions. B5 is subdivided into B5a for DCIS and pleomorphic LCIS, B5b for invasive carcinoma, lymphoma, sarcoma, malignant phyllodes tumour and metastases from extramammary malignancies, and B5c for carcinomas that cannot be classified as in situ or invasive. The biopsy result must be discussed at the multidisciplinary meeting in combination with the clinical and radiological findings (the triple approach) to guide patient management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was to develop bone composites with similar working times, faster polymerisation and higher final conversion in comparison to Cortoss™. Additionally, low shrinkage/heat generation and improved short and longer-term mechanical properties are desirable. Four urethane dimethacrylate based composites were prepared using tri-ethylene-glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) or polypropylene dimethacrylate (PPGDMA) diluent and 0 or 20 wt% fibres in the glass filler particles. FTIR was used to determine reaction kinetics, final degrees of conversions, and polymerisation shrinkage/heat generation at 37 °C. Biaxial flexural strength, Young's modulus and compressive strength were evaluated after 1 or 30 days in water. Experimental materials all had similar inhibition times to Cortoss™ (140 s) but subsequent maximum polymerisation rate was more than doubled. Average experimental composite final conversion (76%) was higher than that of Cortoss™ (58%) but with less heat generation and shrinkage. Replacement of TEGDMA by PPGDMA gave higher polymerisation rates and conversions while reducing shrinkage. Early and aged flexural strengths of Cortoss™ were 93 and 45 MPa respectively. Corresponding compressive strengths were 164 and 99 MPa. Early and lagged experimental composite flexural strengths were 164–186 and 240–274 MPa whilst compressive strengths were 240–274 MPa and 226–261 MPa. Young's modulus for Cortoss™ was 3.3 and 2.2 GPa at 1 day and 1 month. Experimental material values were 3.4–4.8 and 3.0–4.1 GPa, respectively. PPGDMA and fibres marginally reduced strength but caused greater reduction in modulus. Fibres also made the composites quasi-ductile instead of brittle. The improved setting and higher strengths of the experimental materials compared to Cortoss™, could reduce monomer leakage from the injection site and material fracture, respectively. Lowering modulus may reduce stress shielding whilst quasi-ductile properties may improve fracture tolerance. The modified dental composites could therefore be a promising approach for future bone cements. • Experimentals showed sharper set and better strength after aging compared to Cortoss™. • Tailoring the monomer system and adding fibres improved kinetics and fracture behaviour. • Modifying dental composites is promising for new generations of improved bone cements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PICOBOO is a randomised, adaptive trial evaluating the immunogenicity, reactogenicity, and safety of COVID-19 booster strategies. Here, we present data for second boosters among individuals aged 18-<50 and 50-<70 years old primed with BNT162b2 until Day (D) 84. Immunocompetent adults who had received two doses of BNT162b2 and any licensed COVID-19 booster at least three months prior were eligible. Participants were randomly allocated to BNT162b2, mRNA-1273 or NVX-CoV2373 1:1:1. The log 10 concentration of anti-spike Ig Total was summarised as the geometric mean concentration (GMC). Reactogenicity and safety outcomes were captured. Between Mar 2022 and Aug 2023, 743 participants were recruited to the trial and had D28 samples available. Of these, 120 and 103 belonged to the 18-<50 y and 50-<70 y strata, respectively. The mean adjusted GMCs (95% credible intervals) peaked at D28; these were 41 262 (31 611, 51 105), 45 585 (34 194, 57 441) and 25 281 (20 021, 31 234) U/mL in the 18-<50 y stratum and 30 753 (25 071, 36 704), 35 132 (27 523, 42 239) and 17 322 (13 983, 20 641) U/mL in the 50-<70 y stratum following BNT162b2, mRNA-1273 and NVX-CoV2373, respectively. Limited neutralisation against Omicron subvariants was found following boosting with all vaccines. There were 4 possibly or probably-related adverse events in the 18-<50 y stratum and 5 events in the 50-<70 y stratum, and severe reactogenicity events were <10% and <11% in these strata, respectively. Vaccines targeting Ancestral virus elicited boosted antibody responses to Ancestral virus but minimal neutralising antibody against Omicron variants. • All vaccines were immunogenic with more rapid waning found after mRNA vaccines. • Higher binding and neutralising antibodies were observed in younger participants. • Minimal neutralisation activity was found against Omicron BA.5 and XBB.1.5. • These data support boosting with vaccines targeting Omicron subvariants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor farmers are particularly vulnerable to environmental stressors and often rely on traditional knowledge and grassroots creativity to help them to adapt. Such adaptation can be enhanced using other knowledge sources, but this requires greater understanding of the processes of knowledge co-production among scientists, local communities and state actors. In this study we undertook knowledge co-production on an experimental basis with two contrasting communities: smallholder farmers in Jind (Haryana) and Adi women in East Siang district (Arunachal Pradesh). We found that the Jind farmers displayed grassroots creativity in coping with salinity induced stresses to rice-wheat cropping systems, while Adi women applied their traditional knowledge of food based on namdung (Perilla ocymoides, a local plant species) to cope with climate variability that affected fermentation. Jind farmers perceived the process of knowledge co-production as moderately credible and salient , but the legitimacy of the exercise was compromised by the relatively low level of participation by state actors. The farmers rated the practical outcomes of the co-produced zero-till wheat as low to moderate for combating salinity-induce risks but as high for a community rice nursery. The knowledge co-production process was considered more credible and salient among younger Adi women than older women, and the utility of the Adi women's co-produced adaptive practices were rated as moderate to high for reducing the impacts of climate variability on namdung based foods. In both cases, an emergent property of the knowledge co-production exercise was creation of a knowledge network that has the potential to lead to ongoing enhanced adaptation to environmental change. Insights from the study could help improve knowledge co-production in similar social-ecological systems, and can be integrated with environmental change policies. [Display omitted] • Resource-poor farmers are particularly vulnerable to environmental change. • Local knowledge with science was used in knowledge co-production for environmental adaptation. • Most farmers viewed the process of knowledge co-production positively. • Knowledge co-production was salient and credible but sometimes lacked legitimacy. • Creation of knowledge networks among participants emerged as an unexpected benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Supination-external rotation (SER) ankle fractures account for the majority of ankle fractures and can be divided into stable or unstable fractures, based on the state of the deltoid ligament. The objective of this review was to appraise the available literature concerning diagnostic tools to evaluate deltoid ligament integrity in patients with SER-type ankle fractures.Methods: A comprehensive literature search of Pubmed and Embase was performed up to December 2020. The outcome measures were sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive value of the diagnostic tools. A meta-analysis was performed to obtain an overview of sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve (AUC). The methodological quality of the articles was evaluated using Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies.Results: A total of 12 studies investigating tools for deltoid ligament rupture in patients with SER-type ankle fractures were included. The present study found sensitivity (and specificity) ranges of 0.20-0.90 (and 0.38-0.97) for clinical features, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) 0.57-0.85 (and 0.81-1.00), ultrasonography 1.00 (and 0.89-1.00), Malleolar Medial Fleck Sign (MMFS) 0.25 (and 0.99), conventional ankle mortise radiography 0.33-0.57 (and 0.60-0.94), gravity stress radiography 0.71-1.00 (and 0.72-0.88) and manual stress ankle radiography 0.65-1.00 (and 0.00-0.77). The largest AUC was found for ultrasonography, followed by MMFS, gravity stress radiography and MRI.Conclusion: Ultrasonography and gravity stress radiography seem the most accurate diagnostic tools to evaluate deltoid ligament integrity. To strengthen this conclusion, future research should use an identical reference test to ensure comparability of results. Nevertheless, present study is of high value to close the knowledge gap about which presently available diagnostic tool is to be preferred to evaluate deltoid ligament integrity in patients with SER-type ankle fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Unraveling the mechanisms responsible for synchronizing the asexual cycle of Plasmodium may be the key to fighting malaria. • The hormone melatonin produced by the host activates complex signaling pathways that are interconnected with parasite synchronization. • The melatonin signaling pathway triggers secondary messengers (Ca2+ and cAMP) and is intricately linked with PfPKA, PfPK7, PfeIK1 kinases and PfMORC. The search for host factors that leads to malaria parasite synchronization has been the focus of several laboratories. The host hormone melatonin synchronizes Plasmodium falciparum in culture by increasing the number of mature parasite stages through a PLC-IP3 activation. Melatonin signaling is linked to crosstalk between Ca2+-cAMP that results in PKA activation. Two other kinases, PfPK7 and PfeIK1, and the nuclear protein PfMORC that lacks melatonin sensitivity in the inducible knock-down parasites are also identified as part of the hormone-signal transduction pathways. Melatonin also modulates P. falciparum mitochondrial fission genes FIS1, DYN1, and DYN2 in a stage-specific manner. How these multiple molecular mechanisms are orchestrated to lead to parasite synchronization is a fascinating and opened biological question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two Chinese children with same novel CHKB mutation have different presentation. • MDCMC, a rare multi-system disease, can have early mortality from cardiomyopathy. • MDCMC has selective muscle pattern involvement on MRI lower limb muscles. Megaconial congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) is a rare form of congenital muscular dystrophy attributed to an autosomal recessive CHKB mutation. We report two unrelated Chinese girls with Megaconial CMD who harbored the same novel homozygous CHKB mutation but exhibited different phenotypes. Patient 1, who is now 8 years old, has autism, intellectual disabilities, mild girdle weakness, and characteristic muscle biopsy with COX-negative fibers. Patient 2, now 12 years old, has limited intelligence and marked weakness, with scoliosis, hip subluxation and early loss of ambulation. Both exhibited mildly elevated creatine kinase levels, have relative sparing of adductor longus and extensor digitorum longus on MRI leg muscles, and a c.598del (p.Gln200Argfs*11) homozygous CHKB loss-of-function mutation. Their parents are heterozygous carriers. This is the first report of Megaconial CMD in Chinese patients demonstrating the pathogenicity of the identified homozygous CHKB variant. A case review of all previously reported patients of different ethnicities is also included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most commonly used pharmaceuticals in both human and animal medicines for the treatment of certain conditions such as inflammation, fever, and pain. The role of validated analytical methods has become highly important in the quantification of drug substances from their pharmaceuticals as precise product quality control is required. In the present review, we have summarized various sample preparation methods and analytical methods developed for the quantification of NSAIDs during the past decade (2012-till date). Furthermore, an in-depth description of numerous techniques including chromatography (89), UV spectrophotometry (5), spectroflurometry (4), IR spectroscopy (3), electrophoresis (4), and electrochemical (9) approaches used to determine and quantify NSAIDs are provided. Based on the matrix utilized, the following details were discussed: analytical conditions, detection limits, and solvent used in sample preparation. The present compilation provides valuable insights and crucial information on quantification methods for NSAIDs and would assist the scientific community to select the best and economical method for drug analysis in pharmaceuticals and biological samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]