It is well established that gut microbiome composition plays a pivotal role in human health – yet the precise connections are still not fully elucidated. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have moved a step closer to understanding these complex interactions: they have identified a cellular mechanism that alters the gut microbiome in a way that promotes cancer. An analysis of patient data shows that the findings also apply to humans.

The diagnosis and medical treatment of Alzheimer's disease, a condition that according to leading researchers in the field should be treated, has now advanced significantly. A series of articles in The Lancet provides both a comprehensive and thorough review of current research.

This study provided a comprehensive evaluation of CHARMS™ skincare cosmetics in terms of their ability to improve skin tone, their antioxidant properties, and the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with potential skin benefits. Skincare efficacy has become a growing consumer concern, particularly regarding antioxidant activity and skin-lightening effects. Using a clinical trial on 20 female volunteers, the research revealed that CHARMS™ products significantly enhanced skin appearance, with a 3.23% improvement in skin lightness and a 5.75% reduction in skin redness.

Antioxidant analysis demonstrated that the serum and cleanser exhibited the strongest radical scavenging activities, while the moisturizer showed the highest total phenolic content, and the cleanser yielded the highest flavonoid content. These findings suggest that each product in the CHARMS™ line contributes differently to skin protection and rejuvenation. Furthermore, electronic nose gas chromatography (e-nose-GC) detected VOCs such as limonene and γ-terpinene, compounds known for their skin-lightening and antioxidant effects.

Together, these results highlight the scientific basis for the cosmetic benefits of CHARMS™ skincare products. The combination of natural ingredients, antioxidant activity, and the presence of VOCs supports their effectiveness in reducing oxidative stress, preventing pigmentation, and improving skin tone. The study also confirmed that CHARMS™ products complied with Malaysia’s Control of Cosmetic Products regulations, underscoring their safety and suitability for daily skincare routines.

Overall, this work not only validated the claims of CHARMS™ cosmetics but also provided an evidence-based perspective on how antioxidant-rich ingredients and bioactive VOCs synergistically promote skin tone improvement. The findings suggest promising applications of CHARMS™ in both cosmetic and dermatological contexts, meeting consumer demand for safe, effective, and scientifically proven skincare products.

Professor Lim Chwee Teck, Director of the Institute for Health Innovation and Technology at the National University of Singapore and NUS Society Professor, has been elected an International Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering – one of the most prestigious honours in the global engineering community.

This paper proposes a deep learning framework F-GCN that integrates multiple wavelet bases, and extracts MI brain electrical features based on the functional topological relationships between electrodes. The average accuracy of the fused features reaches 92.44%, which is significantly higher than that of a single wavelet basis (coif4: 67.67%, db4: 82.93%, sym4: 73.10%). It also demonstrates good stability and individual convergence in the leave-one-out verification, proving the effectiveness of the method.