Tourette syndrome is characterized by the presence of motor and phonic tics. Individuals with Tourette syndrome can have a spectrum of related behaviours including attention deficit hyperactivity features, obsessions, compulsions, impulsions and complex tics. The pathophysiology of Tourette syndrome is thought to reflect genetic influences on the development and function of cortical-striatal-thalamic-cortical and broader cortical-subcortical circuitry implicated in motor and inhibitory control and interoceptive processing, which may contribute to the characteristic 'urge-tic-relief' cycles. Shared genetic risks resulting in pleiotropy and overlapping neurocircuitry could explain some of the psychiatric comorbidities of Tourette syndrome. Management typically includes education, psychosocial support and behavioural therapy alongside pharmacotherapy for those with more severe tics or those unresponsive to behavioural therapy. Deep brain stimulation is used in severe, incapacitating and treatment-refractory cases persisting into adult life. Approaches aimed at improving quality of life and management of psychiatric comorbidities are also critically important. Future research should include considering refining the diagnostic criteria and delineating functional tic disorders, as well as the tic-related obsessive-compulsive behaviours, as this may have implications for treatment, understanding the underlying neurobiology, and the development of personalized interventions focusing on core tic-related features, psychiatric comorbidities and improving quality of life.

We report a scalable fabrication strategy for flexible piezoelectric nanofiber transducers through a single-nozzle, self-assembling electrospinning process. Unlike traditional coaxial methods, this approach exploits the surface energy differential between polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to drive the spontaneous formation of a core-shell architecture. The resulting 80 nm diameter fibers feature a predominantly crystalline β-phase PVDF shell, with molecular chains oriented along the [001] fibers axis, encapsulating a perfectly aligned MWCNT core that serves as an integrated internal electrode. Quantitative X-ray diffraction analysis confirms a five-fold increase in β-phase content relative to as-received PVDF powder, with a total crystallinity of 52% in the electrospun nanofibers. This unique coaxial configuration enables the demonstration of both direct and inverse piezoelectric effects in a single-step manufactured nanofiber device, without any post-fabrication electrical poling. The manufactured device yields an effective piezoelectric voltage coefficient of geff = 0.22 V.m.N[-1], comparable to values reported for fully poled bulk PVDF films, and an effective piezoelectric strain coefficient of deff = 2.8 pC.N[-1] under electrical excitation. The flexible, continuous nanofiber format, ten times thinner than spider silk, opens exciting possibilities for self-powered sensing, smart textiles, artificial skin, and structural health monitoring applications.

Pineal gland for a long time aroused the interest of scholars' philosophical and religious current of thought.Its history started in China in 2697 BC and in the Indu culture it was considered the centre of spiritual forces or the centre of vital energy. Herophilus (325-280) studied the pineal gland with anatomical dissection and considered the gland as the valve that permitted the flow of the vital "pnuema."Descartes (1596-1650), a French philosopher, gave a great impulsion to the studies on the role of the pineal gland. The location of the soul in the pineal gland was again proposed as it acts in the control of the human body. The human intellectual soul was characterized by the immortality, the free will, and the reason that characterize the power of imagination, the intellectual elaboration, and the faculty of commemoration, respectively.Ahlborn and Rabl-Ruckhardt (1839-1906) showed the similarity between the nonmammalian pineal gland and the primary optic vesicles. The visual function of the pineal gland was reported also by Helena Blavatsky (1831-1891) and a new era for its role started.In 1958 the hormone of the gland, the melatonin, was discovered by Lerner. Successively it demonstrated a variability of the production of the hormone in function of the exposition to light or dark and the implication in the control of the circadian rhythm. The theory of function of the internal clock of the pineal and the control of the circadian rhythm of an organism began to take form.At the same time the classification of the pineal tumor started and the first surgical approaches were proposed. The development of anesthesiology and the surgical tools in the last years permitted to make surgery accessible for patients reducing the rate of sequels and mortality.To know the "history" of the pineal gland and of pineal tumors, treatment permits to understand the evolution and the development of ideas concerning the diagnosis and treatment of these rare tumors.

Health anxiety is often linked to lower pain thresholds and heightened sensitivity to health-related stimuli, yet the relationship between these psychological and physiological traits remains complex. In this study, we relied on the use of the brain's ability to discriminate fast and periodically presented stimuli (i.e. oddballs) of a given image category within a stream of unrelated images, to investigate whether neural responses to health-related visual stimuli are associated with individual differences in pain sensitivity and psychological traits such as anxiety and depression. We hypothesized that, if the periodically presented health-related oddball elicits a periodic neural response, this image category might lead to a stronger response in individuals with health anxiety and psychological malaise. This is the first evidence that periodically presented health-related images elicit a neural response which can be clearly differentiated from unrelated images. Additionally, this response shared a relationship with depression, which was in turn moderated by the pain threshold. While these results offer insight into the interaction between psychological traits, pain threshold and the processing of health-related images, future studies will have to confirm the specificity of the obtained relationships.

This study examines the associations between linearly scored phenotypic traits and auction sales prices of young event horses in Ireland, aiming to identify key traits influencing market value. Data from 307 horses sold at public auctions (2022-2023) were analysed using regression analysis, binary optimisation, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Regression identified Head-neck Connection, Quality of Legs, Walk length of Stride, and Scope as highly significant predictors of sales price (p < 0.001), with Length of Croup, Trot Elasticity, Trot Balance, and Take-off Direction also significant (p < 0.05). Optimised regression reduced the number of relevant traits from 37 to 8, streamlining evaluation. PCA highlighted eight principal traits, including Scope, Elasticity, and Canter Impulsion, explaining 61.19% of variance in the first four components. These results demonstrate that specific conformation, movement, and athleticism traits significantly affect auction outcomes. The findings provide actionable insights for breeders and stakeholders, suggesting that targeted selection for high-impact traits could accelerate genetic progress and improve market returns. Furthermore, these traits could underpin the development of economic or buyer indices to enhance valuation accuracy and transparency, with potential application across equestrian disciplines to align breeding objectives with market demands.

Learning to read assigns linguistic value to an abstract visual code. Whether regions of the reading network tune to visual properties common to most scripts or code for more abstracted units of language remains debated. Here, we investigate this question using visual Braille, a script developed for touch that does not share the typical explicit shape information of other alphabets, yet maps onto the same phonology and lexicon as other more regular scripts. First, we compared univariate responses in visual Braille readers and a naïve control group and found that individually localized visual word form area (VWFA) was selectively activated for visual Braille when compared with scrambled Braille only in expert Braille readers. Multivariate analyses showed that linguistic properties can be decoded from Latin script in both groups and from Braille script in expert readers in an extended network of brain regions including the early visual cortex (V1), the lateral occipital (LO) region, the VWFA, and the left posterior temporal (l-PosTemp) area. These results suggest that the tuning of an extended reading network to orthography relies more on the linguistic content of the script rather than their specific visual features (e.g., line junctions). Nevertheless, cross-scripts generalization was significantly lower than within-script decoding and failed to reveal common representations across Latin and Braille in experts in all regions except the l-PosTemp. These results suggest that V1, LO, and VWFA encode orthographic representations in a script-specific manner, whereas l-PosTemp encodes abstracted linguistic information.

Tumor heterogeneity remains one of the main obstacles for cancer diagnosis and treatment. The simultaneous targeting of several cancer biomarkers is an appealing approach for improved diagnostic procedures. Neurotensin receptor 1 (NTS1) and Gastrin-Releasing Peptide Receptor (GRPR) are both G-protein coupled receptors with complementary profile of expression in several cancer types. This work proposes the design, the synthesis and the in vitro radiopharmaceutical characterization of three heterodimers, based on GRP/NT modified peptides, radiolabeled with gallium-68. Two NTS1/GRPR targeting pharmacophores containing linear hybrids that differ in the C-terminus were synthesized (i. e., JMV 7110 and JMV 7253). The branched analogue of the silicon-containing heterodimer JMV 7110, namely JMV 7266, was also synthesized. After radiolabeling with [68]Ga, saturation binding studies performed on HT29 (NTS1 [+]/GRPR[-]) and PC3 (NTS1 [+]/GRPR[+]) cells demonstrated a significant loss in NTS1 and GRPR affinity compared to the reference monomers with the exception of the NTS1 affinity of [[68]Ga]Ga-JMV 7266 which was preserved. Considering cellular processing, NTS1-internalization at 1 h was the highest with [[68]Ga]Ga-JMV 7266 and was similar to the reference compound. Interestingly [[68]Ga]Ga-JMV 7266 demonstrated lower efflux than the other linear heterodimers but also than its NT reference compound. The branched structure of [[68]Ga]Ga-JMV 7266 seems beneficial for dual NTS1/GRPR targeting.

Prior to international competitions, dressage horses are evaluated for fitness to compete while trotting in hand on a firm surface. This study compares the kinematics of experienced dressage horses trotting under fitness-to-compete conditions vs. performing collected and extended trot when ridden on a sand-fiber arena surface. The hypotheses are that the vertical range of motion (ROM) and left-right asymmetries in minimal and maximal heights of axial body segments at ridden trot exceed those when trotting in hand. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) attached mid-dorsally to the head, withers, and pelvis of 19 actively competing dressage horses measured the vertical ROM and left-right asymmetries in minimal (MinDiff) and maximal (MaxDiff) heights of the midline sensors. The vertical ROM was greater for both types of ridden trot, reflecting greater impulsion in response to the riders' aids. Head MinDiff/MaxDiff and withers MaxDiff were significantly higher under both ridden conditions. Pelvis MinDiff was significantly the largest for collected trot. Compared with trot in hand, left-right differences in limb protraction were larger for extended and collected trot in the forelimbs but only for extended trot in the hind limbs. The rider's influence increases the horse's impulsion and vertical ROM, which may exacerbate inherent asymmetries in muscular strength when lowering the haunches and elevating the withers.

The global prevalence rate for congenital hydrocephalus (CH) is approximately one out of every five hundred births with multifaceted predisposing factors at play. Genetic influences stand as a major contributor to CH pathogenesis, and epidemiological evidence suggests their involvement in up to 40% of all cases observed globally. Knowledge about an individual's genetic susceptibility can significantly improve prognostic precision while aiding clinical decision-making processes. However, the precise genetic etiology has only been pinpointed in fewer than 5% of human instances. More occurrences of CH cases are required for comprehensive gene sequencing aimed at uncovering additional potential genetic loci. A deeper comprehension of its underlying genetics may offer invaluable insights into the molecular and cellular basis of this brain disorder. This review provides a summary of pertinent genes identified through gene sequencing technologies in humans, in addition to the 4 genes currently associated with CH (two X-linked genes L1CAM and AP1S2, two autosomal recessive MPDZ and CCDC88C). Others predominantly participate in aqueduct abnormalities, ciliary movement, and nervous system development. The prospective CH-related genes revealed through animal model gene-editing techniques are further outlined, focusing mainly on 4 pathways, namely cilia synthesis and movement, ion channels and transportation, Reissner's fiber (RF) synthesis, cell apoptosis, and neurogenesis. Notably, the proper functioning of motile cilia provides significant impulsion for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation within the brain ventricles while mutations in cilia-related genes constitute a primary cause underlying this condition. So far, only a limited number of CH-associated genes have been identified in humans. The integration of genotype and phenotype for disease diagnosis represents a new trend in the medical field. Animal models provide insights into the pathogenesis of CH and contribute to our understanding of its association with related complications, such as renal cysts, scoliosis, and cardiomyopathy, as these genes may also play a role in the development of these diseases. Genes discovered in animals present potential targets for new treatments but require further validation through future human studies.

Natural spices play an essential role in human nutrition and well-being. However, their processing on different scales can expose them to potential sources of contamination. This study aimed to describe the bacterial community genomic footprint in spices sold in Senegal. Spice samples were collected in August 2022 in Saint-Louis, Senegal. The genomic region coding bacterial 16S rRNA was then amplified and sequenced using Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT). Sequencing was carried out on two batches of samples, one containing part of the "Local Spices or Herbs" (n = 10), and the other, a mixture of 7 spices, Curcuma, Thyme and the other part of the "Local Spices or Herbs" (n = 39). Results showed high bacterial diversity and the predominance of Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica in samples, with total reads of 65,744 and 165,325 for the two batches, respectively. The sample category "Homemade mixture of food condiments ", which includes all "Local Spices or Herbs" samples, showed remarkable bacterial diversity. These were followed by Curcuma, a blend of 7 spices and thyme. Also, the different categories of spices studied show similarities in their bacterial composition. These results highlight the microbial community's highly diverse genomic profile, including pathogenic bacteria, in spice samples.

The present article aims to conduct a comprehensive review of the existing scientific literature on this human behavioral modality, impulsive and transient, which escapes the conscious control of the subject, from a psychopathological and forensic approach. To achieve this, historical points about the different nuances of the topic will be made, supplying a panoramic and critical overview of it. It can be said that these are implicit memories about past traumatic situations that, because of a present reenactment of the unpleasant event through a dissociative mechanism, generate in the individual an impulsive aggressive reaction, over which the person has no control or awareness. This type of behavior opens the debate, within the framework of Forensic Psychology and Psychiatry, about the defendants' ability, under these circumstances, to understand the criminality of the act and direct their actions, posing a controversial challenge to the criteria of different courts. Similarly, it is necessary to understand these behaviors, develop more proper prevention strategies, propose new therapeutic approaches to psychological trauma, and intervene in these criminal behaviors that endanger society's safety and well-being.