19684 research outputs found
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Drug delivery and formulation development of hesperidin:a systematic review
No full textIntroduction: Natural bioflavonoids, particularly hesperidin from citrus fruits, have attracted attention due to their potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and neuroprotective properties. However, the clinical application of hesperidin is restricted by poor solubility, low bioavailability and stability issues.Methods: Following PRISMA guidance, we searched PubMed, MEDLINE Scopus and Google Scholar from inception to 10 January 2025 using terms combining “hesperidin” with “bioavailability”, “solubility”, “absorption” and “formulation”. Two reviewers independently screened records against predefined inclusion criteria (original, formulation-centred studies reporting biopharmaceutical or biological outcomes), resolved disagreements by discussion/third-reviewer adjudication, extracted data via a standard template, and assessed risk of bias across six domains.Results: From 1,625 records, 69 studies met eligibility. Platforms spanned inclusion complexes, solid dispersions, SMEDDS/SNEDDS, microparticles, gels/microemulsions, and diverse nanoformulations (polymeric, lipidic, metallic, exosomal). Most approaches increased dissolution and/or exposure; lipidic and polymeric nanosystems delivered the largest, most consistent improvements, with early clinical signals in vascular, metabolic and oncological indications. Conclusions: Formulation advances can meaningfully mitigate hesperidin’s biopharmaceutic liabilities, with lipid-based systems, polymeric nanoparticles and phytosomes emerging as leading strategies. Translation will benefit from stability and immunotoxicity packages, Quality-by-Design manufacturing, and well-designed, adequately powered clinical trials using harmonised pharmacokinetic and clinical endpoints.INPLASY registration: INPLASY202550096<br/
Neurobiological and neuropsychological disturbance in EDS
No full textEhlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a collection of connective tissue disorders, defined by genetic defects in collagen and extracellular matrix proteins that lead to joint hypermobility, skin fragility, and vascular complications. However, recent studies point to a broader impact, revealing how EDS has both neurological and psychological effects. This review explores these neurological and neuropsychological dimensions of EDS across its 13 subtypes, drawing together evidence on brain structure changes such as Chiari malformations and craniocervical instability, alongside small fibre neuropathy, blood-brain barrier vulnerabilities, and cerebrovascular risks, particularly prevalent in the vascular EDS subtype. The review will also explore how these physical disruptions may act upon mental health, fueling anxiety, mood instability, and cognitive challenges. Mechanisms such as neuroinflammation, altered interoception, and chronic pain may contribute to these effects and drive emotional dysregulation. By reviewing clinical observations, neuroimaging findings, and emerging theories, this paper highlights the importance of understanding the involvement of the brain in EDS. The review highlights the need for a shift in approach to EDS, and an integrated effort across neurology, psychiatry, and genetics to better support those living EDS
An evaluation of the pharmaceutical properties of the Nigerian baobab polysaccharide for sustained release oral tablets
No full textNatural polysaccharides have various applications, and their use is on the rise due to properties including biodegradability, biocompatibility, cytocompatibility and the absence of negative immune responses. Natural polysaccharides have also been reported to be efficient biopolymers that can be used in oral dosage forms. To this end, this study investigated the potential of using the Nigerian baobab polysaccharide as a renewable pharmaceutical excipient and its impact on the release of theophylline as a model drug. The results indicate that the extraction process yielded an amorphous polysaccharide from the baobab oblong fruit. The thermogravimetric analysis showed weight loss to occur in three phases typical of polysaccharide decomposition. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed that the polysaccharide was stable until around 175 °C, after which thermal degradation takes place. Tablet formulations containing different concentrations of baobab were evaluated for mechanical properties, flowability, and dissolution characteristics. An increase in baobab content improved the mechanical strength of the tablets. The increase in the baobab concentration simultaneously brings about a decrease in the porosity of the compacts from 11% to 9%, demonstrating its suitability for use in tablet formulations. In vitro dissolution studies in acidic media (pH 1.2) showed that formulations with higher baobab content (30%–57.5%) demonstrated sustained release characteristics, with no burst release observed. At pH 6.8, however, an increase in the polysaccharide content seemed to promote a “burst release”. These distinctive behaviours at different pH values suggest significant potential for exploiting and understanding the functional properties of the polysaccharide to aid formulators in manipulating drug release. These pH-dependent behaviours mean that a formulator can tune release by adjusting the baobab[thin space (1/6-em)]:[thin space (1/6-em)]MCC ratio. Higher baobab content (30–57.5%) enables sustained, burst-free release at pH 1.2, while at pH 6.8, increasing baobab (to B4) enhances the 10 min burst, and the baobab-only formulation (B5) achieves the fastest overall release through rapid erosion
A novel computational model for human macular pigment optical density and its relationship to foveal structure
No full textMacular pigment optical density (MPOD) models enhance understanding of macular xanthophyll distribution, particularly relevant to age-related macular degeneration. This study investigates an existing model and introduces a novel, more accurate and biologically relevant approach. MPOD spatial profiles of 48 eyes were obtained using dual-wavelength autofluorescence imaging, with structural data from OCT and OCT-angiography. MPOD data were analyzed using (a) an existing sum of exponential and Gaussian model (MEG) and (b) a novel sum of three Gaussians model (M3G). Extracted parameters generated individualized MPOD models, from which gradients and volumes were derived. M3G-derived variables were analyzed against OCT/OCTA data using factor analysis and multiple regression. M3G demonstrated a superior fit to MPOD data (SSE = 2.60 × 10− 3) compared to MEG, (SSE = 35.7 × 10− 3) enabling automated fitting consistent over small and large datasets. M3G provided meaningful variables, including MPOD gradients, volumes and critical point eccentricities. Correlations included those between dependent variables of critical point eccentricities and central macular pigment volume with foveal avascular zone and foveal pit radii. The excellent data fit of M3G enables automated extraction of physiologically relevant parameters. Its three-component configuration is consistent with the location of macular xanthophylls. M3G is similar to models of foveal structure, suggesting a fundamental relationship.</p
Flowers amongst the weeds:benefit-finding during the Covid-19 pandemic in England
Full text linkPurpose: Preliminary research suggests that in addition to negative experiences, many individuals experienced positive outcomes connected to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, most research has studied post-traumatic growth, which can only account for cognitive positive change, which is a limitation. Therefore, this study aims to explore experiences of benefit-finding, which includes both practical and cognitive positive changes, relating to living through the COVID-19 pandemic in England within a general population sample. Design/methodology/approach: Two hundred thirty participants were recruited via non-randomised convenience sampling. Experiences of benefit-finding were assessed by qualitative self-report via an online questionnaire distributed as part of a larger mixed-methods pandemic study. Results were analysed via inductive content analysis. Findings: Approximately 70% of participants reported perceiving at least one benefit because of living through the COVID-19 pandemic. The most commonly reported perceived benefit was having more time to oneself, followed by having more time with family. Other benefits reported included changes to working and education styles, life slowing down and benefits of nature. Overall, the results presented that many individuals felt that the COVID-19 pandemic presented a greater opportunity to make decisions more in line with personal wants/goals. In this way, the COVID-19 pandemic may have presented a unique opportunity for life-crafting. Originality/value: This research provides unique evidence of both benefit-finding and life-crafting in the otherwise negative circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic in England. Such evidence presents use for understanding factors to support well-being in challenging circumstances and for the formulation of potential well-being interventions.</p
The potential contribution of community pharmacists to suicide prevention efforts in Nigeria
No full textPlant-lore in the Botanical Renaissance:Grafting Myth and Science
No full textThis chapter surveys both the rich tradition of Renaissance botanical literature and some of the critical strategies currently developing around them: ecocriticism, ecofeminism, and critical plant studies. It focuses on the co-existence of myth and science in Renaissance botanical texts and the capacity of Renaissance literature to clarify the advantages and drawbacks of bestowing personhood on plants. Renaissance literature reveals the socio-political, intellectual, and aesthetic processes by which plants became hostage to two separate cultures: the scientific and aesthetic. The chapter also argues that a properly historicised view of Renaissance plant writing might in some respects make early modern texts more relevant to the present by reviving pre-Enlightenment worldviews and pre-Industrial notions of ecological enmeshment
Ernest Berk:Piraparana
No full textThis chapter discusses the film documentary Piraparana (1965) with a particular focus on the soundtrack composed by Ernest Berk. The film documents the daily lives and shamanistic rituals of the Makuna culture – one of the many indigenous ethnic communities that live along the Pirá Piraná River1 corridor in the southeast Colombian Amazon close to the Brazilian border. The Tukano-speaking population comprises 17 communities and neighbouring malocas (places of communal dwelling and gathering for ritual ceremonies), including those of the Arapose, Bará, Barasana, Desana, Karapanã, Kubeo, Makuna, Tatuyo, and Tukano (the largest community of the Eastern Tukanoan language family).2 These communities live in small settlements along the river which form the heart of a sacred landscape called the Hee Yaia Godo-Bakari.3 In the rituals, ancestral wisdom – Hee Yaia Keti Ota – is invoked to protect the bio-cultural diversity of their homeland and the well-being of the people. The chapter represents the first analysis of Berk’s soundtrack for the film and examines it from a number of perspectives: i) it outlines the context of the film and the use of electronic music to underscore documentary films of the period; ii) it examines Berk’s involvement in the film as an independent composer of electronic music in mid-twentieth-century England; and iii) it provides an analysis of the soundtrack to demonstrate Berk’s approach to electronic music and questions how his approach differs to his contemporaries.<br/
A Structure-Guided Fault Localization Method for High-Speed Train Suspension Monitoring
No full textThe dynamic stability of high-speed trains is critically dependent on the health condition of the suspension system, which directly affects operational safety. This imposes strict requirements on the reliability and robustness of fault diagnosis methods. To address the challenge of reliable vibration-based monitoring under structural complexity and potential sensor failures, this work proposes a structure-aware framework for suspension fault analysis in high-speed trains. The framework first performs physically informed directional alignment of vibration sensors across different locations and employs a shared feature extraction mechanism to obtain consistent representations, thereby enhancing the normalization and comparability of structural features. Subsequently, a condition- dependent sparse structural graph is dynamically constructed from sensor observations to capture latent inter-sensor couplings. This graph is then used to guide a structure-informed fusion and dispatch mechanism based on a mixture-of-experts network, enabling the model to adaptively respond to variations in structural dynamics and sensor conditions. The proposed method is capable of operating without prior knowledge of mechanical configurations or component parameters, while supporting interpretable modeling of dynamic structural behavior. Moreover, it enhances the robustness of the monitoring system under sensor faults and signal loss scenarios, enabling reliable decision support for condition-based maintenance. Experimental results on a highspeed train suspension fault dataset demonstrate that the proposed method achieves both high diagnostic accuracy and strong physical consistency. Compared to commonly used vibrationbased diagnosis frameworks, it offers improved robustness and structural coherence under degraded sensing conditions, validating its effectiveness as a measurement-oriented approach for intelligent monitoring in railway systems
A cluster randomised feasibility trial assessing an interactive film intervention to improve wellbeing of young people in school settings in the North of England
Full text linkBackground: Adolescence is a critical period for the onset of mental illness. A partnership of a health and care network and flmmakers developed an interactive flm for youth wellbeing. While such flms have potential as a costefective preventative tool, their efectiveness remains unproven. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a randomised controlled trial of the interactive flm intervention to improve wellbeing in school-aged youth.Methods: In a mixed-methods cluster randomised feasibility trial in North East England (2021–2022), students in years 10 (14–15 years) and 12 (16–17 years) from three schools were recruited and randomised to the following conditions: (1) watching the flm in class, (2) watching the flm in class with support from youth workers or (3) regular class activities. Feasibility outcomes included willingness of schools to participate, participant recruitment, and retention, which were assessed quantitatively and qualitatively. Data were analysed descriptively and with the use of thematic analysis.Results: School recruitment targets were met, although this was challenging due to resource constraints and the COVID-19 pandemic. Questionnaires were completed before watching the flm by 172 students (48% of the recruitment target). Follow-up targets for retention were met at 3 months (n=138) and 6 months (n=136). Retention of year 10 students was high (96%), but year 12 students had lower retention (60%). Qualitative fndings showed students and teachers supported the intervention and trial and measurements; however, consent-taking required more time. Communication and resource issues within schools were challenging and need addressing before moving to a larger trial.Conclusion: Although some trial aspects were feasible and acceptable, particularly the intervention, others, such as recruitment, retention and school communication, posed challenges. We recommend future feasibility studies should address barriers such as randomisation, communication with schools, recruitment of older students (16–18 years), consent and measurement alignment before moving to a larger-scale trial.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifer: NCT06807931. Retrospectively registered 04 February 2025 https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06807931
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