Background:Besides seizures,a myriad of overlapping neuropsychiatric and cognitive comorbidities occur in patients with epilepsy,which further debilitates their quality of life.This study provides an in-depth characte...Background:Besides seizures,a myriad of overlapping neuropsychiatric and cognitive comorbidities occur in patients with epilepsy,which further debilitates their quality of life.This study provides an in-depth characterization of the impact of brivaracetam and rufinamide individually and in combination at 10 and 20 mg/kg doses,respec-tively,on corneal kindling-induced generalized seizures and behavioral alterations.Furthermore,observed convulsive frequency and behavioral changes were corre-lated to post-kindling-induced changes in the activity of markers of oxidative stress.Methods:Adult C57BL/6 mice were kindled via twice-daily transcorneal 50-Hz elec-trical stimulations(3 mA)for 3 s for 12 days until animals reached a fully kindled state.After the kindling procedure,animals were tested using a set of behavioral tests,and neurochemical alterations were assessed.Results:Corneal-kindled animals exhibited intense generalized convulsions,altered behavioral phenotypes typified by positive symptoms(hyperlocomotion),negative symptoms(anxiety and anhedonia),and deficits in semantic and working memory.BRV 10+RFM 20 dual regime increased convulsive threshold and propensity toward the start of stage 4–5 seizures and improved phenotypical deficits,that is,anxiety,depression,and memory impairments.Moreover,this combination therapy mitigated kindling-induced redox impairments as evidenced by reduced malondialdehyde and acetylcholinesterase levels and increased glutathione antioxidant activity in the brain of animals subjected to repetitive brain insult.Conclusion:Based on our outcomes,this dual therapy provides supporting evidence in alleviating epilepsy-induced neurobehavioral comorbidities and changes in redox homeostasis.展开更多
Background:Scientific evidence to guide clinicians on the use of different antiseizure drugs in combination therapy is either very limited or lacking.In this study,the impact of lacosamide and perampanel alone and in ...Background:Scientific evidence to guide clinicians on the use of different antiseizure drugs in combination therapy is either very limited or lacking.In this study,the impact of lacosamide and perampanel alone and in combination was tested in corneal kindling model in mice,which is a cost-effective mechanism for screening of antiseizure drugs.Methods:The impact of lacosamide(5 mg/kg)and perampanel(0.125 mg/kg)alone and their combination was tested in corneal kindling process(3-mA current for 3 s applied twice daily for consecutive 12 days)in male BALB/c mice.Post-kindling,mice were subjected to a battery of behavioral tests assessing anxiety,memory,and depression-like behaviors.Brain tissues were then harvested for analysis of oxidative stress biomarkers.Results:Our results showed that the combination therapy of lacosamide and perampanel was more effective in reducing seizure progression than monotherapy of these drugs.Animals treated with combination therapy showed significant behavioral improvements,as reduced anxiety and depression were noticed,and their cognitive abilities were notably better compared to animals of all other groups.Moreover,biochemical assays of isolated brains from combination-treated group revealed lesser amount of oxidative stress.In addition,outcomes of dual regime were comparable to the phenytoin in seizure control but showed superior benefits in mitigation of kindling-prompted behavioral dysfunction and oxidative stress.Conclusions:This study suggests that the lacosamide and perampanel combination therapy worked noticeably better in halting the corneal kindling process in mice and improved the epilepsy-associated psychiatric disorders that might be due to antioxidant effects of both drugs.展开更多
正在形成的权力均衡至少可以分为以下这几种模式或情况,它们可能各自单独形成也可能彼此结合共同形成。它们是:一超多强模式(Uni-Multipolarity Model),合作或对抗的多极模式(Cooperative or Adversarial Multipolarity),无极模式(Nonpo...正在形成的权力均衡至少可以分为以下这几种模式或情况,它们可能各自单独形成也可能彼此结合共同形成。它们是:一超多强模式(Uni-Multipolarity Model),合作或对抗的多极模式(Cooperative or Adversarial Multipolarity),无极模式(Nonpolarity Model)。以上三种未来的模式已经集中涉及到了尽可能多的可观察到的多极趋势。尽管俄罗斯和中国对多极的定义可能并不相同,各自选择达成目标的路径也存在巨大差异,这种对多极松散的定义仍然是中俄双边关系的坚强基石。展开更多
Background:Concussed patients have impaired reaction time(RT)and cognition following injury that may linger and impair driving performance.Limited research has used direct methods to assess driving-RT post-concussion....Background:Concussed patients have impaired reaction time(RT)and cognition following injury that may linger and impair driving performance.Limited research has used direct methods to assess driving-RT post-concussion.Our study compared driving RT during simulated scenarios between concussed and control individuals and examined driving-RT’s relationship with traditional computerized neurocognitive testing(CNT)domains.Methods:We employed a cross-sectional study among 14 concussed(15.9±9.8 days post-concussion,mean±SD)individuals and 14 healthy controls matched for age,sex,and driving experience.Participants completed a driving simulator and CNT(CNS Vital Signs)assessment within 48 h of symptom resolution.A driving-RT composite(ms)was derived from 3 simulated driving scenarios:stoplight(green to yellow),evasion(avoiding approaching vehicle),and pedestrian(person running in front of vehicle).The CNT domains included verbal and visual memory;CNT-RT(simple-,complex-,Stroop-RT individually);simple and complex attention;motor,psychomotor,and processing speed;executive function;and cognitive flexibility.Independent t tests and Hedge d effect sizes assessed driving-RT differences between groups,Pearson correlations(r)examined driving RT and CNT domain relationships among cohorts separately,and p values were controlled for false discovery rate via Benjamini-Hochberg procedures(a=0.05).Results:Concussed participants demonstrated slower driving-RT composite scores than controls(mean difference=292.86 ms;95%confidence interval(95%CI):70.18515.54;p=0.023;d=0.992).Evasion-RT(p=0.054;d=0.806),pedestrian-RT(p=0.258;d=0.312),and stoplight-RT(p=0.292;d=0.585)outcomes were not statistically significant after false-discovery rate corrections but demonstrated medium to large effect sizes for concussed deficits.Among concussed individuals,driving-RT outcomes did not significantly correlate with CNT domains(r-range:0.51 to 0.55;p>0.05).No correlations existed between driving-RT outcomes and CNT domains among control participants either(r-range:0.52 to 0.72;p>0.05).Conclusion:Slowed driving-RT composite scores and large effect sizes among concussed individuals when asymptomatic signify lingering impairment and raise driving-safety concerns.Driving-RT and CNT-RT measures correlated moderately but not statistically,which indicates that CNT-RT is not an optimal surrogate for driving RT.展开更多
Optical cathodoluminescence microscopy (CLM) can provide very useful information both on mineral zoning formed during crystal growth and on variations in chemical composition of sphalerites which is reflected by their...Optical cathodoluminescence microscopy (CLM) can provide very useful information both on mineral zoning formed during crystal growth and on variations in chemical composition of sphalerites which is reflected by their visible colors. Gem quality sphalerite crystals associated with dolomite, calcite and fluorite having 3 different visible colors - green, honey and brown - were studied to compare their mineral chemistry and CL characteristics. Electron microprobe analyses indicated essentially no significant differences in terms of major components. Although the common CL-quencher ferrous iron contents of all three were lower than 0.25 wt %, none of the sphalerites cathodoluminescenced: two (brown and honey) were non-CL, the green sphalerite showed very week CL in faint brown color. Other trace elements that were analyzed include Fe, Cd, Mn, Ag, Hg, In, Bi, Cu, Ge, and Ga. Fe, Cd, Ga and Cu were relatively higher than the others. Most significant differences with respect to the common trace elements include honey colored sphalerites are essentially Fe- and Cd-poor but rich in Ga, green sphalerites are Fe- and Cd- rich but poor in all the others, and brown sphalerites are rich in Cd. No conclusive relation between non-CL behavior of all three sphalerites and their trace element chemistry was established, however; low quantities of common CL activators in sphalerite crystal structures such as Mn, Cu, and In were the main cause of the non-CL behavior.展开更多
In this greenhouse experiment, we investigated the effects of two constant groundwater levels: 10 cm groundwater level (GW-10) and 40 cm groundwater level (GW-40) and one change groundwater level, which was 40-10-40 c...In this greenhouse experiment, we investigated the effects of two constant groundwater levels: 10 cm groundwater level (GW-10) and 40 cm groundwater level (GW-40) and one change groundwater level, which was 40-10-40 cm (GW-40-10-40) on Cadmium (Cd) uptake and seed yield of Soybean plant in Cd contaminated soils (1.57 mg·kg-1). The experimental soil layer was made with gravel layer (14 cm), non-polluted soil (15 cm) and polluted soil (25 cm). The redox potential of every soil layer was measured from sowing to harvesting. The soil layer (10 – 40 cm) of GW-10 was always in reduction condition and that of GW-40 was always in oxidation condition. First 50 days of GW 40-10-40 were in oxidation and next 50 days in reduction and final 20 days again returned in oxidation condition. Soybean seed Cd concentration was significantly highest in GW-40-10-40 (1.16 ± 0.13 mg·kg-1) and lowest in GW-40 (0.81 ± 0.12 mg·kg-1). Cd concentration of stem was found significantly higher in GW-40 (1.7 ± 0.2 mg·kg-1) than GW-10 (0.91 ± 0.08 mg·kg-1) and GW-40-10-40 (1.28 ± 0.13 mg·kg-1). There was no significant difference in root Cd concentration among these 3 treatments. Main stem height of soybean plant and 100 seed weight of GW-40 were significantly higher than those of GW-10. The result revealed that, soil redox condition is an important factor for Cd uptake in soybean plant and seed yield of soybean. This study will help to manage the farming process more appropriately with the aim of minimizing uptake of Cd and other toxic metals in grain crops.展开更多
This study assesses the projected changes in the climate zoning of Côte d’Ivoire using the hierarchical classification of principal components (HCPC) method applied to the daily precipitation data of an ensemble...This study assesses the projected changes in the climate zoning of Côte d’Ivoire using the hierarchical classification of principal components (HCPC) method applied to the daily precipitation data of an ensemble of 14 CORDEX-AFRICA simulations under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. The results indicate the existence of three climate zones in Côte d’Ivoire (the coastal, the centre and the north) over the historical period (1981-2005). Moreover, CORDEX simulations project an extension of the surface area of drier climatic zones while a reduction of wetter zones, associated with the appearance of an intermediate climate zone with surface area varying from 77,560 km<sup>2</sup> to 134,960 km<sup>2</sup> depending on the period and the scenario. These results highlight the potential impacts of climate change on the delimitation of the climate zones of Côte d’Ivoire under the greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Thus, there is a reduction in the surface areas suitable for the production of cash crops such as cocoa and coffee. This could hinder the country’s economy and development, mainly based on these cash crops.展开更多
The slippery slope framework explains tax compliance along two main dimensions,trust in authorities and power of authorities,which influence taxpayers’compliance attitudes.Through frequentist and Bayesian analyses,we...The slippery slope framework explains tax compliance along two main dimensions,trust in authorities and power of authorities,which influence taxpayers’compliance attitudes.Through frequentist and Bayesian analyses,we investigated the framework’s assumptions on a sample of 2786 self-employed taxpayers from eleven post-communist and non-post-communist countries doing business in five economic branches.After using scenarios that experimentally manipulated trust and power,our results confirmed the framework’s assumptions regarding the attitudes of the self-employed taxpayers;trust and power fostered intended tax compliance and diminished tax evasion,trust boosted voluntary tax compliance,whereas power increased enforced tax compliance.Additionally,self-employed taxpayers from post-communist countries reported higher intended tax compliance and lower tax evasion than those from non-post-communist countries.Our results offer tax authorities insights into how trust and power may contribute to obtaining and maintaining high tax compliance levels amid global economic challenges,downturns,and increasing tax compliance costs.展开更多
This article is a call to action to address escalating threats to scientific progress that affect academic researchers across the globe.These threats include public mistrust of science,challenges in translating academ...This article is a call to action to address escalating threats to scientific progress that affect academic researchers across the globe.These threats include public mistrust of science,challenges in translating academic research to end-user applications,a disconnect between academics and policymakers,emerging barriers to international collaboration,and a reliance on conventional metrics to evaluate academic performance.This article presents various calls to action informed by exemplary approaches across the globe that serve as frameworks to drive beneficial transformation for researchers,academic institutions,and society.展开更多
The unique topographic,climatic,and latitudinal heterogeneity of Mesoamerica is crucial to understanding the evolutionary emergence of one of the richest cultural and biological regions in the planet and its impact on...The unique topographic,climatic,and latitudinal heterogeneity of Mesoamerica is crucial to understanding the evolutionary emergence of one of the richest cultural and biological regions in the planet and its impact on food production.Broadly divided between two regions of large biodiversity-lowland tropical or coastal zones and temperate or subtropical highlands sculpted by parallel sierras and their central plateau-the Mexican territory harbors more than 2000 endemic monocotyledonous species,including several hundred grasses(Poaceae),particularly those belonging to the genus Zea,composed of maize(Zea mays ssp.mays)and its wild relatives,collectively referred as teosintes.展开更多
基金The authors extend their appreciation to the Distinguished Scientist Fellowship program at King Saud University,Riyadh,Saudi Arabia,for funding this work through Research Supporting Project Number RSP2024R131.
文摘Background:Besides seizures,a myriad of overlapping neuropsychiatric and cognitive comorbidities occur in patients with epilepsy,which further debilitates their quality of life.This study provides an in-depth characterization of the impact of brivaracetam and rufinamide individually and in combination at 10 and 20 mg/kg doses,respec-tively,on corneal kindling-induced generalized seizures and behavioral alterations.Furthermore,observed convulsive frequency and behavioral changes were corre-lated to post-kindling-induced changes in the activity of markers of oxidative stress.Methods:Adult C57BL/6 mice were kindled via twice-daily transcorneal 50-Hz elec-trical stimulations(3 mA)for 3 s for 12 days until animals reached a fully kindled state.After the kindling procedure,animals were tested using a set of behavioral tests,and neurochemical alterations were assessed.Results:Corneal-kindled animals exhibited intense generalized convulsions,altered behavioral phenotypes typified by positive symptoms(hyperlocomotion),negative symptoms(anxiety and anhedonia),and deficits in semantic and working memory.BRV 10+RFM 20 dual regime increased convulsive threshold and propensity toward the start of stage 4–5 seizures and improved phenotypical deficits,that is,anxiety,depression,and memory impairments.Moreover,this combination therapy mitigated kindling-induced redox impairments as evidenced by reduced malondialdehyde and acetylcholinesterase levels and increased glutathione antioxidant activity in the brain of animals subjected to repetitive brain insult.Conclusion:Based on our outcomes,this dual therapy provides supporting evidence in alleviating epilepsy-induced neurobehavioral comorbidities and changes in redox homeostasis.
基金The authors extended their appreciation to Distinguished Scientist Fellowship program at King Saud University,Riyadh,Saudi Arabia,for funding this work through research supporting project number(RSP2024R131).
文摘Background:Scientific evidence to guide clinicians on the use of different antiseizure drugs in combination therapy is either very limited or lacking.In this study,the impact of lacosamide and perampanel alone and in combination was tested in corneal kindling model in mice,which is a cost-effective mechanism for screening of antiseizure drugs.Methods:The impact of lacosamide(5 mg/kg)and perampanel(0.125 mg/kg)alone and their combination was tested in corneal kindling process(3-mA current for 3 s applied twice daily for consecutive 12 days)in male BALB/c mice.Post-kindling,mice were subjected to a battery of behavioral tests assessing anxiety,memory,and depression-like behaviors.Brain tissues were then harvested for analysis of oxidative stress biomarkers.Results:Our results showed that the combination therapy of lacosamide and perampanel was more effective in reducing seizure progression than monotherapy of these drugs.Animals treated with combination therapy showed significant behavioral improvements,as reduced anxiety and depression were noticed,and their cognitive abilities were notably better compared to animals of all other groups.Moreover,biochemical assays of isolated brains from combination-treated group revealed lesser amount of oxidative stress.In addition,outcomes of dual regime were comparable to the phenytoin in seizure control but showed superior benefits in mitigation of kindling-prompted behavioral dysfunction and oxidative stress.Conclusions:This study suggests that the lacosamide and perampanel combination therapy worked noticeably better in halting the corneal kindling process in mice and improved the epilepsy-associated psychiatric disorders that might be due to antioxidant effects of both drugs.
基金the Office of the Vice President of Research at the University of Georgia.
文摘Background:Concussed patients have impaired reaction time(RT)and cognition following injury that may linger and impair driving performance.Limited research has used direct methods to assess driving-RT post-concussion.Our study compared driving RT during simulated scenarios between concussed and control individuals and examined driving-RT’s relationship with traditional computerized neurocognitive testing(CNT)domains.Methods:We employed a cross-sectional study among 14 concussed(15.9±9.8 days post-concussion,mean±SD)individuals and 14 healthy controls matched for age,sex,and driving experience.Participants completed a driving simulator and CNT(CNS Vital Signs)assessment within 48 h of symptom resolution.A driving-RT composite(ms)was derived from 3 simulated driving scenarios:stoplight(green to yellow),evasion(avoiding approaching vehicle),and pedestrian(person running in front of vehicle).The CNT domains included verbal and visual memory;CNT-RT(simple-,complex-,Stroop-RT individually);simple and complex attention;motor,psychomotor,and processing speed;executive function;and cognitive flexibility.Independent t tests and Hedge d effect sizes assessed driving-RT differences between groups,Pearson correlations(r)examined driving RT and CNT domain relationships among cohorts separately,and p values were controlled for false discovery rate via Benjamini-Hochberg procedures(a=0.05).Results:Concussed participants demonstrated slower driving-RT composite scores than controls(mean difference=292.86 ms;95%confidence interval(95%CI):70.18515.54;p=0.023;d=0.992).Evasion-RT(p=0.054;d=0.806),pedestrian-RT(p=0.258;d=0.312),and stoplight-RT(p=0.292;d=0.585)outcomes were not statistically significant after false-discovery rate corrections but demonstrated medium to large effect sizes for concussed deficits.Among concussed individuals,driving-RT outcomes did not significantly correlate with CNT domains(r-range:0.51 to 0.55;p>0.05).No correlations existed between driving-RT outcomes and CNT domains among control participants either(r-range:0.52 to 0.72;p>0.05).Conclusion:Slowed driving-RT composite scores and large effect sizes among concussed individuals when asymptomatic signify lingering impairment and raise driving-safety concerns.Driving-RT and CNT-RT measures correlated moderately but not statistically,which indicates that CNT-RT is not an optimal surrogate for driving RT.
文摘Optical cathodoluminescence microscopy (CLM) can provide very useful information both on mineral zoning formed during crystal growth and on variations in chemical composition of sphalerites which is reflected by their visible colors. Gem quality sphalerite crystals associated with dolomite, calcite and fluorite having 3 different visible colors - green, honey and brown - were studied to compare their mineral chemistry and CL characteristics. Electron microprobe analyses indicated essentially no significant differences in terms of major components. Although the common CL-quencher ferrous iron contents of all three were lower than 0.25 wt %, none of the sphalerites cathodoluminescenced: two (brown and honey) were non-CL, the green sphalerite showed very week CL in faint brown color. Other trace elements that were analyzed include Fe, Cd, Mn, Ag, Hg, In, Bi, Cu, Ge, and Ga. Fe, Cd, Ga and Cu were relatively higher than the others. Most significant differences with respect to the common trace elements include honey colored sphalerites are essentially Fe- and Cd-poor but rich in Ga, green sphalerites are Fe- and Cd- rich but poor in all the others, and brown sphalerites are rich in Cd. No conclusive relation between non-CL behavior of all three sphalerites and their trace element chemistry was established, however; low quantities of common CL activators in sphalerite crystal structures such as Mn, Cu, and In were the main cause of the non-CL behavior.
文摘In this greenhouse experiment, we investigated the effects of two constant groundwater levels: 10 cm groundwater level (GW-10) and 40 cm groundwater level (GW-40) and one change groundwater level, which was 40-10-40 cm (GW-40-10-40) on Cadmium (Cd) uptake and seed yield of Soybean plant in Cd contaminated soils (1.57 mg·kg-1). The experimental soil layer was made with gravel layer (14 cm), non-polluted soil (15 cm) and polluted soil (25 cm). The redox potential of every soil layer was measured from sowing to harvesting. The soil layer (10 – 40 cm) of GW-10 was always in reduction condition and that of GW-40 was always in oxidation condition. First 50 days of GW 40-10-40 were in oxidation and next 50 days in reduction and final 20 days again returned in oxidation condition. Soybean seed Cd concentration was significantly highest in GW-40-10-40 (1.16 ± 0.13 mg·kg-1) and lowest in GW-40 (0.81 ± 0.12 mg·kg-1). Cd concentration of stem was found significantly higher in GW-40 (1.7 ± 0.2 mg·kg-1) than GW-10 (0.91 ± 0.08 mg·kg-1) and GW-40-10-40 (1.28 ± 0.13 mg·kg-1). There was no significant difference in root Cd concentration among these 3 treatments. Main stem height of soybean plant and 100 seed weight of GW-40 were significantly higher than those of GW-10. The result revealed that, soil redox condition is an important factor for Cd uptake in soybean plant and seed yield of soybean. This study will help to manage the farming process more appropriately with the aim of minimizing uptake of Cd and other toxic metals in grain crops.
文摘This study assesses the projected changes in the climate zoning of Côte d’Ivoire using the hierarchical classification of principal components (HCPC) method applied to the daily precipitation data of an ensemble of 14 CORDEX-AFRICA simulations under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. The results indicate the existence of three climate zones in Côte d’Ivoire (the coastal, the centre and the north) over the historical period (1981-2005). Moreover, CORDEX simulations project an extension of the surface area of drier climatic zones while a reduction of wetter zones, associated with the appearance of an intermediate climate zone with surface area varying from 77,560 km<sup>2</sup> to 134,960 km<sup>2</sup> depending on the period and the scenario. These results highlight the potential impacts of climate change on the delimitation of the climate zones of Côte d’Ivoire under the greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Thus, there is a reduction in the surface areas suitable for the production of cash crops such as cocoa and coffee. This could hinder the country’s economy and development, mainly based on these cash crops.
基金funded through the following research grants:Czech Science Foundation Project No.18-14082SUni-versity of Economics(Prague),Faculty of Finance and Accounting VSE Project No.IP 100040+1 种基金Science without Borders program no.229760/2013-9(CNPq—Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development)CAPES-PrInt Project No.88887.310237/2018-00“Cérebro,Cognição e Comportamento:Teoria e Aplicação para Inovação em Negócios”.
文摘The slippery slope framework explains tax compliance along two main dimensions,trust in authorities and power of authorities,which influence taxpayers’compliance attitudes.Through frequentist and Bayesian analyses,we investigated the framework’s assumptions on a sample of 2786 self-employed taxpayers from eleven post-communist and non-post-communist countries doing business in five economic branches.After using scenarios that experimentally manipulated trust and power,our results confirmed the framework’s assumptions regarding the attitudes of the self-employed taxpayers;trust and power fostered intended tax compliance and diminished tax evasion,trust boosted voluntary tax compliance,whereas power increased enforced tax compliance.Additionally,self-employed taxpayers from post-communist countries reported higher intended tax compliance and lower tax evasion than those from non-post-communist countries.Our results offer tax authorities insights into how trust and power may contribute to obtaining and maintaining high tax compliance levels amid global economic challenges,downturns,and increasing tax compliance costs.
基金funded by the Academy of Medical Sciences(UK)under award number SBF007\100176(R.Z.J.)UK Research and Innovation under award number MR/X032914/1(R.Z.J.)the Swiss National Science Foundation under award number PR00P3_185742(D.L.).
文摘This article is a call to action to address escalating threats to scientific progress that affect academic researchers across the globe.These threats include public mistrust of science,challenges in translating academic research to end-user applications,a disconnect between academics and policymakers,emerging barriers to international collaboration,and a reliance on conventional metrics to evaluate academic performance.This article presents various calls to action informed by exemplary approaches across the globe that serve as frameworks to drive beneficial transformation for researchers,academic institutions,and society.
文摘The unique topographic,climatic,and latitudinal heterogeneity of Mesoamerica is crucial to understanding the evolutionary emergence of one of the richest cultural and biological regions in the planet and its impact on food production.Broadly divided between two regions of large biodiversity-lowland tropical or coastal zones and temperate or subtropical highlands sculpted by parallel sierras and their central plateau-the Mexican territory harbors more than 2000 endemic monocotyledonous species,including several hundred grasses(Poaceae),particularly those belonging to the genus Zea,composed of maize(Zea mays ssp.mays)and its wild relatives,collectively referred as teosintes.
