Brain Neuroplasticity after Treatment with Antiseizure: A Review

Débora Lopes Silva de Souza,Hosana Mirelle Goes e Silva Costa,Francisca Idalina Neta,Paulo Leonardo Araujo de Gois Morais,Luís Marcos de Medeiros Guerra,Fausto Pierdoná Guzen,Lucídio Clebeson de Olive 대한정신약물학회 2023 CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE Vol.21 No.4

Epilepsy is a disease characterized by the periodic occurrence of seizures. Seizures can be controlled by antiseizure medications, which can improve the lives of individuals with epilepsy when given proper treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to review the scientific literature on brain neuroplasticity after treatment with antiseizure drugs in different regions of the brain. According to the findings, that several antiseizure, such as lamotrigine, diazepam, levetiracetam, and valproic acid, in addition to controlling seizures, can also act on neuroplasticity in different brain regions. The study of this topic becomes important, as it will help to understand the neuroplastic mechanisms of these drugs, in addition to helping to improve the effectiveness of these drugs in controlling the disease.

Photosynthetic Reaction Center Mimicry: Low Reorganization Energy Driven Charge Stabilization in Self-Assembled Cofacial Zinc Phthalocyanine Dimer−Fullerene Conjugate

D’Souza, Francis,Maligaspe, Eranda,Ohkubo, Kei,Zandler, Melvin E.,Subbaiyan, Navaneetha K.,Fukuzumi, Shunichi American Chemical Society 2009 JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY - Vol.131 No.25

<P>By employing well-defined self-assembly methods, a biomimetic bacterial photosynthetic reaction center complex has been constructed, and photoinduced electron transfer originating in this supramolecular donor-acceptor conjugate has been investigated. The biomimetic model of the bacterial 'special pair' donor, a cofacial zinc phthalocyanine dimer, was formed via potassium ion induced dimerization of 4,5,4',5',4'', 5'',4''',5'''-zinc tetrakis(1,4,7,10,13-pentaoxatridecamethylene)phthalocyanine. The dimer was subsequently self-assembled with functionalized fullerenes via 'two-point' binding involving axial coordination and crown ether-alkyl ammonium cation complexation to form the donor-acceptor pair, mimicking the noncovalently bound entities of the bacterial photosynthetic reaction center. The adopted self-assembly methodology yielded a supramolecular complex of higher stability with defined geometry and orientation as revealed by the binding constant and computational optimized structure. Unlike the previously reported porphyrin analog, the present phthalocyanine macrocycle based model system exhibited superior electron-transfer properties including formation of a long-lived charge-separated state, a key step of the photosynthetic light energy conversion process. Detailed analysis of the kinetic data in light of the Marcus theory of electron transfer revealed that small reorganization energy of the relatively rigid phthalocyanine is primarily responsible for slower charge-recombination process. The importance of the cofacial dimer in stabilizing the charge-separated state is borne out in the present all-supramolecular 'reaction center' donor-acceptor mimic.</P>

Anion-Complexation-Induced Stabilization of Charge Separation

D’Souza, Francis,Subbaiyan, Navaneetha K.,Xie, Yongshu,Hill, Jonathan P.,Ariga, Katsuhiko,Ohkubo, Kei,Fukuzumi, Shunichi American Chemical Society 2009 JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY - Vol.131 No.44

<P>A supramolecular oligochromophoric system possessing exclusive binding sites for both a guest electron acceptor and an anionic cofactor species is developed, and anion-binding-induced stabilization of the charge-separated (CS) state is demonstrated. Toward this, intramolecular and intermolecular photochemical processes of a supramolecular complex of a bis-porphyrinyl-substituted oxoporphyrinogen with a bis(4-pyridyl)-substituted fullerene were investigated by using femtosecond and nanosecond laser flash photolysis measurements. Transient absorption spectra of the supramolecular complex obtained by femtosecond laser flash photolysis indicate that efficient electron transfer occurs from the porphyrin moiety to the fullerene moiety, followed by faster back electron transfer to the ground state. Binding of several different anionic species at the pyrrole amine groups of an oxoporphyrinogen unit within the supramolecular complex was found to improve the rate of the photoinduced electron transfer due to the favorable structural change. The anion binding also improves persistence of the photoinduced CS state between the anion-bound oxoporphyrinogen and fullerene moieties, which is produced by intermolecular electron transfer from the triplet excited state of free porphyrin molecules to free fullerene molecules, as indicated by the nanosecond laser flash photolysis measurements. In the case of fluoride anion binding, anion-complexation-induced stabilization of charge separation gave a 90-fold elongation of the CS state lifetime from 163 ns to 14 micros. Complexation with other anions (acetate or dihydrogen phosphate) also resulted in stabilization of the CS state, whereas weakly bound perchlorate anions gave no improvement. Complexation of anions to the oxoporphyrinogen center lowers its oxidation potential by nearly 600 mV, creating an intermediate energy state for charge migration from the ZnP(*+) to the oxoporphyrinogen:anion complex. An increase in reorganizational energy of electron transfer combined with the decrease in charge recombination driving force caused by anion binding results in an increase in the lifetime of the CS state.</P>

Scientific communication in the 21st century: Tweeting, Facebook Likes, and everything in-between

Basil D’Souza 한국과학학술지편집인협의회 2019 Science Editing Vol.6 No.1

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Authors’ perspectives on academic publishing: initial observations from a large-scale global survey

Basil D’Souza,Sneha Kulkarni,Clarinda Cerejo 한국과학학술지편집인협의회 2018 Science Editing Vol.5 No.1

Authors are at the heart of academic publishing, but their voices are underrepresented in discussions about improving the academic publishing system. To understand the viewpoints of authors on various aspects of academic publishing and the challenges they face, we developed a large-scale survey entitled “Author perspectives on the academic publishing process” and made it available in December 2016. The survey has received 8,795 responses; this paper is based on the interim results drawn from 5,293 survey responses, and presents some interesting and thought-provoking trends that were observed in the authors’ responses, such as their interpretation of plagiarism and decisive factors in journal selection, as well as their thoughts on what needs to change in the publishing system for it to be more author-friendly. Some of the most important findings of the survey were: (1) the majority of the authors found manuscript preparation to be the most challenging task in the publication process, (2) the impact factor of a journal was reported to be the most important consideration for journal selection, (3) most authors found journal guidelines to be incomplete, (4) major gaps existed in author-journal communication, and (5) although awareness of ethics was high, awareness of good publication practice standards was low. Moreover, more than half of the participants indicated that among areas for improvement in the publishing system, they would like to see changes in the time it takes to publish a paper, the peer review process, and the fairness and objectivity of the publication process. These findings indicate the necessity of making the journal publication process more author-centered and smoothing the way for authors to get published.

LABEL INCIDENCE ENERGY OF PARTIAL EDGE LABELED GRAPH

SABITHA D’SOUZA,GOWTHAM H. J.,SWATI NAYAK,PRADEEP G. BHAT 장전수학회 2021 Proceedings of the Jangjeon mathematical society Vol.24 No.1

Let G = (V,E) be a simple graph with vertex set V = fv1, v2, . . . , vng and edge set E = fe1, e2, . . . , emg. The label incidence matrix Bl(G) of G is the n m matrix whose (i, j)-entry is a if 0 la- beled edge incident to 0 labeled vertex, b if 1 labeled edge incident to 1 labeled vertex, c if unlabeled edge incident to 0 or 1 labeled vertex and 0 otherwise. The label incidence energy IEl(G) is the sum of the singular values of Bl(G). In this paper we give lower and upper bounds for IEl(G) in terms of graph parameters and we study label incidence energy of some families of graph.

Evaluation of Microstructure, Hardness and Mechanical Properties of Friction Stir Welded Al–Ce–Si–Mg Aluminium Alloy

Austine D. D’Souza,Shrikantha S. Rao,Mervin A. Herbert 대한금속·재료학회 2020 METALS AND MATERIALS International Vol.26 No.9

A vast majority of the research on friction stir welding(FSW) is mainly focused on welding of aluminium alloys. The researchstudies in this paper are based on one such alloy known as Al–Ce–Si–Mg aluminium alloy, of which, the microstructure andother mechanical properties of the friction stir welded joints are yet to be studied. The plates of Al–Ce–Si–Mg aluminiumalloy were friction stir welded using a non consumable, rotating tool with triangular profile pin and circular shoulder, withdifferent combinations of tool rotation speeds and weld speeds. The microstructure, hardness and mechanical properties ofthe weld were analyzed. The microstructure of the weld zones revealed that, the average grain size at the bottom of the NuggetZone (NZ) is 5 ± 0.12 μm and gradually increases to 15 ± 0.23 μm at the top of the NZ. In the TMAZ the grain size is20 ± 0.14 μm and is bigger compared to the NZ. In the HAZ, the grain size is around 37 ± 0.21 μm and is bigger than that inthe TMAZ. The maximum Vickers hardness value at the NZ center is 231.9 ± 2 Hv, and uniformly reduces to 100 ± 2.4 Hvin the TMAZ and 65 ± 1.3 Hv in the HAZ and then increases to 98 ± 1 Hv in the base material (BM). The maximum ultimatetensile strength (UTS) of FSW joint was found to be around 102.55 ± 3 MPa with elongation at fracture of 2.5%. The BMUTS was 154 ± 4.5 MPa. For a tool rotation speed of 800RPM and a weld speed of 20 mm/min a maximum joint efficiencyof 67%. was obtained. Hence these were chosen as the optimum process parameters to join the alloy Al–Ce–Si–Mg by FSW.

Evaluation of sensory acceptance, purchase intention and color parameters of potentially probiotic mead with Saccharomyces boulardii

Handray Fernandes de Souza,Giovana Felicio Monteiro,Victor Dédalo Di Próspero Gonçalves,João Vitor dos Santos,Amanda Cristina Dias de Oliveira,Karina Nascimento Pereira,Mariana Fronja Carosia,Marina V 한국식품과학회 2024 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.33 No.7

Mead is a fermented alcoholic beverage produced by yeast action on a diluted solution of honey. In this study, for the first time, sensory acceptance, purchase intention and color parameters of potentially probiotic mead with Saccharomyces boulardii were evaluated. The mead with S. boulardii presented yeast counts higher than 106 CFU/mL, being considered potentially probiotic, and tended to be yellow in color. About 160 tasters participated in the sensory evaluation, and 69.38% knew mead, but only 35.62% had tried the beverage. In terms of acceptance, the mead were within the acceptable range (above 5), and F2 (with initial soluble solids of 30° Brix and S. boulardii concentration of 0.030 g/L) was the most accepted, with an overall average of 7.63 ± 1.42 on the nine-point hedonic scale. In addition, F2 presented the highest purchase intention. In conclusion, the mead showed a tendency towards the color yellow and good sensory acceptance.

Analysis of the Abilities of Endophytic Bacteria Associated with Banana Tree Roots to Promote Plant Growth

Leandro Fernandes Andrade,Gleika Larisse Oliveira Dorasio de Souza,Silvia Nietsche,Adelica Aparecida Xavier,Marcia Regina Costa,Acleide Maria Santos Cardoso,Marlon Cristian Toledo Pereira,Débora Franc 한국미생물학회 2014 The journal of microbiology Vol.52 No.1

A total of 40 endophytic bacterial isolates obtained from banana tree roots were characterized for their biotechnological potential for promoting banana tree growth. All isolates had at least one positive feature. Twenty isolates were likely diazotrophs and formed pellicles in nitrogen-free culture medium, and 67% of these isolates belonged to the genus Bacillus sp. The isolates EB-04, EB-169, EB-64, and EB-144had N fixation abilities as measured by the Kjeldahl method and by an acetylene reduction activity assay. Among the 40isolates, 37.5% were capable of solubilizing inorganic phosphate and the isolates EB-47 and EB-64 showed the highest solubilization capacity. The isolate EB-53 (Lysinibacillus sp.)had a high solubilization index, whereas 73% of the isolates had low solubilization indices. The synthesis of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in the presence of L-tryptophan was detected in 40% of the isolates. The isolate EB-40 (Bacillus sp.)produced the highest amount of IAA (47.88 μg/ml) in medium supplemented with L-tryptophan and was able to synthesize IAA in the absence of L-tryptophan. The isolates EB-126 (Bacillus subtilis) and EB-47 (Bacillus sp.) were able to simultaneously fix nitrogen, solubilize phosphate and produce IAA in vitro. The results of this study demonstrated that the isolates analyzed here had diverse abilities and all have the potential to be used as growth-promoting microbial inoculants for banana trees.

Analysis of the shelf life of chitosan stored in different types of packaging, using colorimetry and dentin microhardness

Antonio Miranda da Cruz-Filho,Angelo Rafael de Vito Bordin,Luis Eduardo Souza-Flamini,Débora Fernandes da Costa Guedes,Paulo César Saquy,Ricardo Gariba Silva,Jesus Djalma Pécora 대한치과보존학회 2017 Restorative Dentistry & Endodontics Vol.42 No.2

Objectives: Chitosan has been widely investigated and used. However, the literature does not refer to the shelf life of this solution. This study evaluated, through the colorimetric titration technique and an analysis of dentin micro-hardness, the shelf life of 0.2% chitosan solution. Materials and Methods: Thirty human canines were sectioned, and specimens were obtained from the second and third slices, from cemento-enamel junction to the apex. A 0.2% chitosan solution was prepared and distributed in 3 identical glass bottles (v1, v2, and v3) and 3 plastic bottles (p1, p2, and p3). At 0, 7, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 days, the specimens were immersed in each solution for 5 minutes (n = 3 each). The chelating effect of the solution was assessed by micro-hardness and colorimetric analysis of the dentin specimens. 17% EDTA and distilled water were used as controls. Data were analyzed statistically by two-way and Tukey-Kramer multiple comparison (α = 0.05). Results: There was no statistically significant difference among the solutions with respect to the study time (p = 0.113) and micro-hardness/time interaction (p = 0.329). Chitosan solutions and EDTA reduced the micro-hardness in a similar manner and differed significantly from the control group (p < 0.001). Chitosan solutions chelated calcium ions throughout the entire experiment. Conclusions: Regardless of the storage form, chitosan demonstrates a chelating property for a minimum period of 6 months.