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In this paper, we present the potential of Terahertz Time-Domain Imaging (THz-TDI) as a tool to perform non-invasive 3D analysis of an ancient enamel plate manufactured by Longwy Company in France. The THz data collected in the reflection mode were processed using noise filtering procedures and an advanced imaging approach. The results validate the capability to identify glaze layers and the thickness of ceramic materials. To characterize the nature of the pigments, we also use with X-ray images, visible near-infrared hyperspectral imaging spectroscopy, and p-XRF (portable X-ray fluorescence) to qualitatively and quantitively identify the materials used. The obtained information enables a better understanding of the decoration chromogens nature and, thus, to determine the color palette of the artists who produced such decorative object. We also establish the efficiency of a focus, Z-tracker, which enables to perform THz imaging on non-flat samples and to attenuate artifacts obtained with a short focus lens. Then, 3D images are extracted and generated, providing a real vision. We also report the evaluation of the internal damage state through the detection of fractures., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Light-driven modulation of neuronal activity at high spatial-temporal resolution is becoming of high interest in neuroscience. In addition to optogenetics, nongenetic membrane-targeted nanomachines that alter the electrical state of the neuronal membranes are in demand. Here, we engineered and characterized a photoswitchable conjugated compound (BV-1) that spontaneously partitions into the neuronal membrane and undergoes a charge transfer upon light stimulation. The activity of primary neurons is not affected in the dark, whereas millisecond light pulses of cyan light induce a progressive decrease in membrane resistance and an increase in inward current matched to a progressive depolarization and action potential firing. We found that illumination of BV-1 induces oxidation of membrane phospholipids, which is necessary for the electrophysiological effects and is associated with decreased membrane tension and increased membrane fluidity. Time-resolved atomic force microscopy and molecular dynamics simulations performed on planar lipid bilayers revealed that the underlying mechanism is a light-driven formation of pore-like structures across the plasma membrane. Such a phenomenon decreases membrane resistance and increases permeability to monovalent cations, namely, Na + , mimicking the effects of antifungal polyenes. The same effect on membrane resistance was also observed in nonexcitable cells. When sustained light stimulations are applied, neuronal swelling and death occur. The light-controlled pore-forming properties of BV-1 allow performing "on-demand" light-induced membrane poration to rapidly shift from cell-attached to perforated whole-cell patch-clamp configuration. Administration of BV-1 to ex vivo retinal explants or in vivo primary visual cortex elicited neuronal firing in response to short trains of light stimuli, followed by activity silencing upon prolonged light stimulations. BV-1 represents a versatile molecular nanomachine whose properties can be exploited to induce either photostimulation or space-specific cell death, depending on the pattern and duration of light stimulation.

Objective: To study the role of adenotonsillectomy (ADT) for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children with mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS)., Methods: A systematic review were performed following the PRISMA guideline. PubMed and Embase were searched for studies regarding adenotonsillectomy for OSA in children with MPS. The MINOR Score were applied for quality assessment of the included studies., Results: Nineteen studies were eligible for inclusion: fifteen were retrospective and four prospective. A total of 1406 subjects were included. The samples size varied from 2 to 336, the male to female ratio is 1.2 and mean age varied from 2.4 to 11 years. Overall, 56.2 % (IC 95%: 53.6-58.8) of the included subjects underwent ADT. MPS I and II are the two most operated types. Three studies, including 50 children, reported improvement in polysomnographic parameters after surgery. Two authors described the duration of follow-up: 8.4 and 9.8 years, respectively., Conclusions: More than half of children with MPS underwent ADT for the treatment of OSA, although few evidence demonstrated improvement in term of polysomnographic parameters. The two types of MPS most involved are type I and II. Considering the disease progression and anesthetic risks, multidisciplinary management may help identify the subgroup of children with MPS who benefit from ADT for the treatment of OSA., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Authors declare none., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ivory is a highly prized material in many cultures since it can be carved into intricate designs and have a highly polished surface. Due to its popularity, the animals from which ivory can be sourced are under threat of extinction. Identification of ivory species is not only important for CITES compliance, it can also provide information about the context in which a work was created. Here, we have developed a minimally invasive workflow to remove minimal amounts of material from precious objects and, using high-resolution mass spectrometry-based proteomics, identified the taxonomy of ivory and bone objects from The Metropolitan Museum of Art collection dating from as early as 4000 B.C. We built a proteomic database of underrepresented species based on exemplars from the American Museum of Natural History, and proposed alternative data analysis workflows for samples containing inconsistently preserved organic material. This application demonstrates extensive ivory species identification using proteomics to unlock sequence uncertainties, e.g., Leu/Ile discrimination.

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the tactile stimulation of the perigenital region together with manual bladder expression (MBE) facilitated the urine stream in cats with acute or chronic upper motor neuron injury (UMNI)., Animals: 34 cats with UMNI having urinary retention., Methods: All the cats had a complete neurologic examination, which determined the localization of the UMNI between T3 and L3. They were classified as chronic UMNI if the injury had occurred more than 3 days previously. The cats were divided equally into 2 groups: the M group (n = 17) managed with only MBE, and the MT group (17) managed with MBE and tactile stimulation., Results: In both groups, all the cats affected by chronic UMNI resumed urination. The time required to obtain a urine stream in the chronic UMNI was 9.3 seconds in the M group and 3.1 seconds in the MT group (P < .05). In the cats affected by acute UMNI, a urine stream was achieved in 54% of the M group and 100% of the MT group (P < .05). The time to obtain a urine stream in the acute UMNI cats was 7.8 seconds in the M group and 3.75 seconds in the MT group (P < .05)., Clinical Relevance: Adding tactile stimulation of the perigenital region to the MBE improved the urine stream in cats affected by UMNI.

Purpose: The aim of this review was to study the surgical management of laryngeal amyloidosis and estimate the rate of recurrence after surgery., Methods: A systematic review searching PubMed and EMBASE was performed. A qualitative synthesis of data regarding the surgical management of LA and a quantitative analysis of the recurrence rate after surgery was conducted., Results: This systematic review included 14 retrospective studies, one of whom is retrospective controlled. A total of 515 subjects were included, the mean age ranged from 43.3 to 58 years with a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.3. All cases had a localized laryngeal amyloidosis. The supraglottic region was the most affected laryngeal site and multiple sites were commonly involved. Surgical treatment consists of endoscopic excision using laser, cold or powered instruments. Open surgery is required for severe primary case or revision surgery. Surgical complications such as granulomatosis scar tissue formation, tracheostomy, laryngotracheal stenosis, pneumothorax and concomitant malignancy were developed in 17.5% of patients. The time onset to diagnosis varied from 1 months to 15 years and the duration of follow-up from 3 months to 25 years. The rate of recurrence was 28.4% (95% CI 24.5-32.6) and the timing of recurrences ranged from 3 months to 10 years., Conclusion: The recurrence rate after primary surgery for laryngeal amyloidosis is high. A tailored surgical treatment based on the disease extension and a long-term follow up are recommended., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Little is known about structural alterations of proteins within the polymeric films of paints. For the first time, hydrogen‑deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) was implemented to explore the conformational alterations of proteins resulting from their interaction with inorganic pigments within the early stages of the paint film formation. Intact protein analysis and bottom-up electrospray-ionisation mass spectrometry strategies combined with progressively increasing deuterium incubation times were used to compare the protein structures of the model protein hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL) extracted from newly dried non-pigmented films and newly dried films made from a freshly made mixture of HEWL with lead white pigment (2PbCO 3 Pb(OH) 2 ). The action of other pigments was also investigated, expanding the HDX study with a global approach to paint models of HEWL mixed with zinc white (ZnO), cinnabar (HgS) and red lead (Pb 3 O 4 ) pigments. The results show structural modifications of HEWL induced by the interaction with the pigment metal ions during the paint formulation after drying and prior to ageing. Both the charge distribution of HEWL proteoforms, its oxidation rate and its deuterium absorption rate, were influenced by the pigment type, providing the first insights into the correlation of pigment type/metal cation to specific chemistries related to protein stability., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Perceptual history influences current perception, readily revealed by visual priming (the facilitation of responses on repeated presentations of similar stimuli) and by serial dependence (systematic biases toward the previous stimuli). We asked whether the two phenomena shared perceptual mechanisms. We modified the standard "priming of pop-out" paradigm to measure both priming and serial dependence concurrently. The stimulus comprised three grating patches, one or two red, and the other green. Participants identified the color singleton (either red or green), and reproduced its orientation. Trial sequences were designed to maximize serial dependence, and long runs of priming color and position. The results showed strong effects of priming, both on reaction times and accuracy, which accumulated steadily over time, as generally reported in the literature. The serial dependence effects were also strong, but did not depend on previous color, nor on the run length. Reaction times measured under various conditions of repetition or change of priming color or position were reliably correlated with imprecision in orientation reproduction, but reliably uncorrelated with magnitude of serial dependence. The results suggest that visual priming and serial dependence are mediated by different neural mechanisms. We propose that priming affects sensitivity, possibly via attention-like mechanisms, whereas serial dependence affects criteria, two orthogonal dimensions in the signal detection theory.

Objectives: To evaluate surgical approaches and outcomes of pleomorphic adenoma of parotid gland in pediatric population., Methods: A systematic search of PubMed and EMBASE was performed to identify articles reporting surgical treatment of pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid gland in children. A qualitative analysis on results was conducted., Results: Our search included 23 retrospective studies. The number of children with pleomorphic adenoma underwent surgical treatment were 330. Superficial parotidectomy is the most reported type of surgery, total parotidectomy is performed when the tumor occurs in the deep lobe or in revision surgery and limited excisions in selected case of small lesions mainly in the tail of parotid gland. The rate of recurrences after surgery ranged from 0% to 44.4%. Revision surgery was performed in all cases of recurrences. Considering major complications, transient facial paralysis was observed from 0% to 50% of cases after primary and/or revision surgery; Frey's syndrome from 0% to 14.3% of cases regardless of the type of surgeries., Conclusion: Surgical treatment of pleomorphic adenoma of parotid gland in children requires a tailored approach based on the location and extent of the tumor with the main aim of complete excision of the neoplasm. Appropriate surgical approach results in a decrease of recurrence rate and morbidity. Surgical skill is needed to reduce complication rates especially in children., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest, (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is a rare vestibular disorder in the pediatric population. It is a vestibulopathy characterized by brief attacks of vertigo, which occur after specific movements. This review aims to provide the current evidence regarding benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in children. This is a narrative review of the available literature on benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in children. The studies were retrieved from systematic searches on PubMed and by cross referencing. Few studies have focused on pediatric benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and most are retrospective non-controlled studies that include a small number of children. The vast majority of cases of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in children have been reported to be secondary. The most frequent forms involve the posterior canal and the horizontal canal. The diagnosis is based on positional maneuvers, respectively the Dix-Hallpike maneuver, which reveals a torsional upbeating nystagmus; and the supine roll test, which reveals a geotropic, horizontal nystagmus. The treatment consists of physical repositioning maneuvers: the Semont or the modified Epley maneuver for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo involving the posterior canal and the Gufoni or the Barbecue maneuver in case of the horizontal canal. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in children can be resistant to treatment and repetitive positional maneuvers may be necessary, particularly for children with vestibular migraine or benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood, who have a statistically significant major risk of having recurrences compared to patients who do not. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in children is a rare but well-recognized clinical entity. It is diagnosed by positional testing and treated by repositioning maneuvers. Wide awareness and education among pediatric providers and otolaryngologists are needed in order to avoid a delay in identification and treatment.