text:
Methylphenidate (MPH) is used clinically to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and off-label as a performance-enhancing agent in healthy individuals. MPH enhances catecholamine transmission via blockade of norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) reuptake transporters. However, it is not clear how this action affects neural circuits performing cognitive and sensorimotor functions driving performance enhancement. The dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) is the primary thalamic relay for visual information from the retina to the cortex and is densely innervated by NE-containing fibers from the locus coeruleus (LC), a pathway known to modulate state-dependent sensory processing. Here, MPH was evaluated for its potential to alter stimulus-driven sensory responses and behavioral outcomes during performance of a visual signal detection task. MPH enhanced activity within individual neurons, ensembles of neurons, and visually-evoked potentials (VEPs) in response to task light cues, while increasing coherence within theta and beta oscillatory frequency bands. MPH also improved reaction times to make correct responses, indicating more efficient behavioral performance. Improvements in reaction speed were highly correlated with faster VEP latencies. Finally, immunostaining revealed that catecholamine innervation of the dLGN is solely noradrenergic. This work suggests that MPH, acting via noradrenergic mechanisms, can substantially affect early-stage sensory signal processing and subsequent behavioral outcomes.
Methylphenidate (MPH; Ritalin) is a prescription psychostimulant drug used as a first-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior (Weyandt et al, 2014). MPH is also frequently used off-label as a performance-enhancing drug by healthy individuals to achieve greater accuracy and speed, or improve behavioral efficiency while being engaged in goal-driven tasks (Franke et al, 2014; Sahakian and Morein-Zamir, 2015). Off-label use of MPH benefits various aspects of academic, athletic, and social performance, ranging from faster processing and reactions to surrounding stimuli within dynamic environments, improved concentration, and elevation of mood (Svetlov et al, 2007). Despite the widespread use and decades of investigation, the means through which psychostimulants such as MPH regulate sensorimotor and cognitive neural circuit function and enhance performance are poorly understood.
Sensory processing is an essential element of effective cognitive and motor function. Optimal processing of sensory information is critical for maintaining focus, facilitating efficient behavioral responses, and completing successful goal-directed behaviors. The ability to distinguish neural representations of important sensory stimuli from the environment is crucial for these processes. Interestingly, inappropriate processing of sensory stimuli is a common feature of many neurological disorders including ADHD (Kim et al, 2014; Mazer, 2011; Pfeiffer et al, 2015). There have been multiple reports demonstrating psychostimulant-mediated alteration of various dimensions of sensory processing (Agster et al, 2011; Drouin et al, 2007; Jonkman et al, 1997; Martin et al, 2008; Navarra et al, 2013), suggesting that such actions may contribute significantly to the performance-enhancing properties of these agents.
Sensory processing is modulated by several mechanisms to extract salient information from complex and dynamic environments. The locus coeruleus (LC)–norepinephrine (NE) system is prominently involved in state-dependent regulation of sensory signal transmission (Berridge and Waterhouse, 2003). For example, NE enhances ‘signal-to-noise’ ratios of sensory-evoked neuronal responses throughout the brain (Berridge and Waterhouse, 2003). Correspondingly, MPH blocks the reuptake of dopamine (DA) and NE, thereby increasing catecholamine neurotransmission (Kuczenski and Segal, 2001; Volkow et al, 2002), suggesting that psychostimulants acting through this mechanism can produce NE-like facilitation of signal processing in noradrenergic terminal fields. Indeed, previous studies have demonstrated MPH-mediated enhancement of sensory neuron function within cortical and thalamic circuits of the anesthetized rat (Drouin et al, 2007; Navarra et al, 2013). However, the impact of noradrenergic or psychostimulant modulation of sensory-evoked responses on behavioral outcomes has not been demonstrated.
The visual system has long provided a means of investigating modulation of sensory processing during performance of goal-directed behaviors (Kastner and Pinsk, 2004). The dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), the primary thalamic relay for visual information to the cortex, is of particular interest because it receives substantial input from the LC–NE system, yet sparse or nonexistent DA innervation (García-Cabezas et al, 2009; Kayama, 1985; Kromer and Moore, 1980). Electrical stimulation of the LC or local administration of NE facilitates dLGN neuronal responses to excitatory stimuli via α-1 postsynaptic adrenoceptors (Rogawski and Aghajanian, 1980a). In addition, we recently demonstrated that MPH and atomoxetine, a NE-specific reuptake blocker, decrease the latency and increase the magnitude of dLGN neuronal responses to light stimuli in anesthetized rats (Navarra et al, 2013), further supporting a key role for NE-mediated augmentation of sensory signal processing in psychostimulant-driven performance enhancement. Although experiments in anesthetized preparations offer substantial opportunity to examine drug actions under stable, well-controlled conditions, they cannot account for the dynamics and complexity of physiological interactions in the brains of waking animals (Devilbiss and Waterhouse, 2003). In the present study, we assessed single- and multi-unit discharges and visually-evoked potentials within the dLGN in response to light cues and behavioral measures during performance of a visual signal detection task both before and after administration of MPH. We also examined catecholamine fibers in the dLGN to evaluate the potential roles of NE versus DA in MPH-induced modulation of dLGN responsiveness to visual stimuli.
Materials and methods
Thirteen male Sprague-Dawley rats (300–500 g) were housed in pairs before study and individually after surgery (Taconic; Germantown, NY) in a 12 : 12 h inverted light cycle facility, with ad libitum access to food and water. Following acclimation, 10 rats were water restricted to 85–90% of their free-feeding body weight before daily behavioral training. All procedures were conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the National Institutes of Health Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and approval of the Drexel University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
Rats were trained in operant chambers controlled with MED-PC software (Med Associates, St Albans, VT). Chambers were equipped with a house light, two retractable response levers, lights (one central LED and two incandescent lights above each lever), a centrally located nose-poke port on the front wall, with a water dipper for reward delivery (40 μl) on the rear wall.
An operant schedule (Figure 1a) was used to assess components of sensory signal processing and detection performance in a task developed from previously reported paradigms (Jentsch et al, 2009; Kimchi and Laubach, 2009; McGaughy and Sarter, 1995). To standardize illumination of receptive fields of dLGN neurons (Fukuda et al, 1979), an obligatory observing response was inserted into the task to ensure all stimuli were received from a fixed orientation, that is, rats were required to maintain a nose-poke position for 1500 ms directly below the LED stimulus light in order to initiate trials. Illumination of the nose-port indicated that a trial could be initiated. Following successful maintenance of the observing response, levers were extended and subjects reported whether a brief (5 ms) flash of light from the central LED had been detected by pressing a lever (eg, yes: left lever; no: right lever) to receive a water reward for a correct choice. On signal trials, which occurred randomly in 60% of trials, a correct response (‘hit’) was followed with 5 s presentation of a water reward, whereas an incorrect response (‘miss’) resulted in a 5 s timeout. On nonsignal trials, a correct response (‘correct rejection, CR’) was followed by a reward, whereas an incorrect response (‘false alarm, FA’) resulted in a timeout. Omissions were recorded for any trial in which the full observing response was maintained but no lever press response was made. For both signal and nonsignal trials, if a subject failed to maintain a full 1500 ms observing response, the levers did not extend, and a new trial had to be initiated. Inter-trial intervals lasted at least 5 s during presentation of rewards or timeouts before self-motivated initiation of subsequent trials. Each session ended after 100 successful trials or 30 min. Animals were trained until criterion performance was achieved (>80% correct responses over 3 consecutive test sessions with <20% omissions).
Once criterion performance was achieved, eight-wire microelectrode bundles were implanted bilaterally into the dLGNs as previously described (Navarra et al, 2013). Animals recovered for at least 1 week before recording and then retrained to presurgery baseline performance.
MPH (Sigma-Aldrich, St Louis, MO), dissolved in sterile saline, was administered via i.p. injection in a dosing volume of 1 mg/ml. Doses of MPH (0.5 and 2 mg/kg, 15 min before task) were based on previous reports of MPH enhancement of cognitive function in normal adult rats (Berridge et al, 2012; Bizarro et al, 2004; Jentsch et al, 2009; Navarra et al, 2008; Paterson et al, 2011; Robinson, 2012). These doses also fall within the range that produces therapeutic plasma concentrations in ADHD patients (8–40 ng/ml) and improves cognitive function in healthy adult humans (Berridge et al, 2006). A minimum of 2 days was used as a washout period between drug doses.
Electrophysiological Recordings during Task Performance
On test days, recordings were made over two runs of the task; the first run followed saline administration and the second followed a counterbalanced drug dosing design (saline, 0.5, and 2 mg/kg). This test day design allowed behavioral measures and light-evoked responses of dLGN neurons to be compared with their own baseline values on a given day and to be expressed as percent change ((posttreatment−pretreatment)/pretreatment × 100). Drug-induced changes were then compared across doses of MPH.
A within-subjects behavioral design was used to evaluate drug effects on signal detection performance and the relation between behavioral performance and the modulation of light-evoked neuronal activity. Percent accuracy ((hits+correct rejections/no. of total trials completed) × 100), stimulus detectability (d’=Z(N)−Z(SN), where Z(N)=the Z score of the Noise Distribution and Z(SN)=Z score of the Signal+Noise Distribution as described in Berridge et al (2012)), hit rate (hits/no. of signal trials), miss rate (misses/no. of signal trials), CR rate (CRs/no. of nonsignal trials), FA rate (FAs/no. of nonsignal trials), omission rate (omissions/no. of total trials), and mean lever press reaction times were calculated for both runs. Run-to-run percent changes in accuracy and reaction time were used to compare behavioral effects of each dose.
Multi-channel, multi-neuron recordings were used to evaluate the effects of MPH on dLGN responsivity to stimulus lights during performance of the task. Neural signals were amplified and discriminated using a Plexon MAP system (Plexon, Dallas, TX). Spike channels were digitized at 40 kHz and band pass filtered from 250 Hz to 8 kHz, whereas local field potentials were digitized at 1 kHz and band pass filtered from 0.7 to 170 Hz, both with 12-bit resolution.
Light-evoked activity was sorted offline for multi-unit ensemble or single-unit discrimination according to waveform characteristics and inter-spike interval distribution as previously described (Navarra et al, 2013). PSTHs representing single-unit responses were constructed for each drug condition (1 ms bins, smoothed with a 3-bin boxcar function). Data were analyzed using custom MATLAB routines (MathWorks). Primary peaks in PSTHs were characterized by latency to response onset and to maximum response, maximum response amplitude, and response area (Navarra et al, 2013).
Visually-evoked potentials (VEPs) were extracted from the local field potential (LFP) recordings, averaged for each drug condition, and analyzed for latency and amplitude of waveform peaks and troughs using custom MATLAB routines. Similar to thalamic VEPs reported by Meeren et al (1998), VEPs recorded in rats performing the signal detection task generally exhibited prominent P30 and N54 shapes (positive and negative deflections of the waveform 30 and 54 ms following the onset of target stimulus presentation, respectively). Coherence of LFP oscillatory activity between light-evoked channels within the dLGN was calculated across frequencies (delta 1–4 Hz, theta 5–8 Hz, alpha 8–12 Hz, beta 12–20 Hz, and gamma 20–40 Hz), for each interval of behavior using Neuroexplorer. Drug-induced changes of VEPs and dLGN coherence were evaluated across treatments.
After electrophysiology experiments, animals were deeply anesthetized and perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde. Brains were sectioned (30 μm), mounted, and counterstained with neutral red for verification of electrode tracks terminating in the dLGN.
Statistical analyses were performed using Prism (GraphPad). Repeated measures ANOVA and planned contrasts with Bonferroni corrections (each dose of MPH compared with saline control, corrected α=0.025) were conducted to evaluate the effects of MPH on performance measures. Analysis of reaction latencies was restricted to correct trials (because performance levels were consistently high, sample sizes of incorrect trials were often negligible). Responses with the longest latencies (up to 5 s) appeared to result from random lever pressing, rather than engagement with the signal detection task. To attenuate the effect of this nuisance variable, which heavily skewed the samples, the three longest and shortest latency responses in each sample were trimmed before computation of mean response latency (Howell, 2008). Percent change in latency for hits, correct rejections, and the combined correct response reaction time (mean of hit and correct rejection average change) were compared across treatment levels. Kruskal–Wallis tests were conducted to compare percent changes for properties of light-evoked responses within the dLGN across treatment days and Dunn’s multiple comparisons were performed following determination of an overall effect. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni’s multiple comparisons tests were used for drug-induced effects on coherence across frequency bands within LFP oscillatory activity. Spearman’s correlations were computed between hit reaction latency and dLGN light-evoked response latencies on correctly responded signal trials.
Of the 10 rats trained in the task and surgically implanted with dLGN electrodes, full behavioral pharmacology and electrophysiological data were collected from 6 animals. Three rats were excluded because of health or behavioral issues that led to incomplete pharmacological evaluation. One additional rat was excluded because of loss of electrode integrity following implantation.
MPH Effects on Behavior
All rats acquired the signal detection task and performed with >90% accuracy. MPH did not significantly affect accuracy (F(1.848, 9.240)=1.129, p=0.3593; Figure 1b), d’ (F(1.799, 8.996)=0.7566, p=0.4836), hit rate (F(1.836, 9.182)=1.859, p=0.2102), correct rejection rate (F(1.414, 7.071)=0.0675, p=0.878), or false alarm rate (F(1.488, 7.439)=0.04108, p=0.9219). In these highly trained animals, miss and omission rates could not be analyzed because of such low occurrence or absence of these responses. MPH did not have a significant overall effect on mean reaction time for hits, correct rejections, or combined correct responses (F(1.922, 9.610)=1.615, p=0.2482; F(1.380, 6.902)=1.554, p=0.2663; and F(1.283, 6.414)=1.917, p=0.2178, respectively). Planned contrasts reveal however that MPH (2 mg/kg) significantly decreased latency of combined correct responses compared with saline control (p=0.0118; Figure 1c).
MPH Effects on Multi-Unit Ensemble Activity
The effects of MPH on dLGN multi-unit neuronal responses to light stimuli were evaluated in multiple channels recorded from 6 rats (saline n=60, 0.5 mg/kg n=69, 2 mg/kg n=71; Figure 2). MPH administration significantly affected light-evoked ensemble activity (representative examples are shown in Figures 2a–c). MPH had an overall effect on the latency to response onset (H=12.94, p=0.0015; Figure 2d), and Dunn’s test revealed that the 2 mg/kg dose significantly reduced onset latency compared with saline control (p<0.05). An overall effect on the latency to reach the maximum peak response was also significant (H=19.12, p<0.0001; Figure 2e) with the 2 mg/kg dose decreasing the latency compared with control (p<0.05). MPH produced a dose-dependent increase in the maximum peak amplitude (H=12.97, p=0.0015; Figure 2f) with both doses increasing the amplitude as compared with control (p<0.05), without significantly affecting total area of the primary response (H=4.910, p=0.0859; Figure 2g).
MPH Effects on Single-Unit Activity
Single-unit responses were evaluated in the same manner as multi-unit ensembles (saline n=28 cells, 0.5 mg/kg n=25 cells, 2 mg/kg n=31 cells; see Figure 3 for representative examples). As seen with multi-unit activity, MPH broadly affected the properties of single-unit responses to light stimuli during task performance. MPH significantly shortened onset latency (H=7.696, p=0.0213; Figure 3d) with Dunn’s test indicating the 2 mg/kg dose decreased the latency compared with control (p<0.05). Although trends to decrease the latency to the maximum peak response and increase the maximum peak amplitude were apparent and resembled MPH effects observed on the multi-unit activity, these differences were not significant (H=3.139, p=0.2081; Figure 3e and H=0.8750, p=0.6457; Figure 3f, respectively). Again, there were no effects on the response peak area following MPH treatment (H=0.2413, p=0.8864; Figure 3g).
MPH Effects on VEPs and Oscillatory Activity
The effects of MPH on VEPs to light stimuli within dLGN were evaluated (saline n=14 channels, 0.5 mg/kg n=15 channels, 2 mg/kg n=18 channels). VEPs were averaged from light-responsive channels across all 6 rats (Figures 4a–c show averaged waveforms, with an expanded timescale shown in insets). MPH administration significantly shortened the latency of the P30 wave (H=9.156, p=0.0103; Figure 4d) with Dunn’s test revealing a significant reduction in the P30 latency at the 2 mg/kg dose compared with saline control. MPH administration also significantly decreased the amplitude of the P30 (H=7.611, p=0.0222; Figure 4e) with Dunn’s test showing a drug-mediated decrease in amplitude of the P30 following the 2 mg/kg dose compared with saline control. MPH had no significant effect on either the latency or the amplitude of the N54 (H=1.747, p=0.4175; Figure 4f and H=2.787, p=0.2482; Figure 4g). There was a main effect of frequency (F(4, 40)=35.59, p<0.0001) and a frequency × treatment interaction (F(4, 40)=3.777, p=0.0107) with an increase within the gamma band (p=0.0096) between saline administration intervals. There was an effect of frequency (F(4, 56)=21.61, p<0.0001), but no treatment effects when MPH (0.5 mg/kg) was evaluated. Frequency (F(4, 76)=27.2, p<0.0001) and frequency × treatment interaction (F(4, 76)=3.677, p=0.0086) effects were found at the 2 mg/kg dose of MPH, with significant increases in coherence within the theta and beta bands (p<0.0001 and p=0.0097, respectively).
Associations between Behavioral and Electrophysiological Measures
To further investigate the relation of behavioral changes to MPH action within the dLGN, the percent change from interval one (saline) to interval two (saline, 0.5, or 2 mg/kg MPH) of reaction times to make correct responses on signal trials were compared with the response latencies to reach the first response peak within single-unit, multi-unit, and VEP activity (Figure 5). Although percent changes in the latency of unit activity to reach the maximum response did not correlate with hit reaction latency (single-unit; r=0.1001, p=0.6927 or multi-unit; r=0.0609, p=0.8103), changes in VEP latency to reach the P30 deflection were highly correlated with hit reaction latency (r=0.6491, p=0.0036).
The present experiments employed a paradigm designed to simultaneously evaluate electrophysiological correlates of early-stage sensory processing and measures of performance during signal detection behavior in normal rats. Administration of MPH, which blocks reuptake of NE and DA, altered multiple indices of light-evoked neuronal responses and VEPs to target lights within the dLGN of rats during task performance. First, latencies to response onset and to the peak of the response were decreased. Second, the peak intensity of stimulus-evoked discharge was increased. These findings indicate that both the speed and strength of signal transmission through the dLGN as measured by single-cell and ensemble neuronal responses were improved by MPH during task performance. In addition, the time to reach the first positive deflection of the VEP in response to target stimuli decreased, whereas theta and beta oscillatory activity coherence increased within the dLGN. These changes in signal processing were observed at the same dose of MPH (2 mg/kg) that enhanced behavioral performance, as indicated by reduced reaction times for making correct responses within the task. Improvements in reaction speed were highly correlated with faster VEP latencies. Finally, immunostaining showed that dLGN is densely innervated by noradrenergic fibers with no evidence of dopaminergic input (Supplementary Figure S1). Given the ability of MPH to improve cognitive performance in humans and in rodent assays of attention, these results suggest that augmentation of sensory transmission mediated through noradrenergic mechanisms may contribute significantly to the performance enhancing effects of psychostimulant drugs.
The Impact of MPH on Signal Detection Behavior
Collectively, the data suggest that MPH improved behavioral performance within the task; that is, although it did not improve accuracy, MPH did reduce latency to make correct responses. Rats were highly trained in the task, routinely achieving >90% accuracy before drug testing. As a result, performance accuracy had already reached a ceiling that did not allow for a sufficient therapeutic window to observe facilitating effects. Nonetheless, the observed decrease in reaction time is characteristic of MPH; MPH-induced reduction in correct response latency agrees with multiple studies demonstrating improved reaction times on signal detection tasks in both rats and humans following MPH administration (Bizarro et al, 2004; Coghill et al, 2014; Eagle et al, 2007; Nandam et al, 2011; Navarra et al, 2008; Spencer et al, 2009). These findings suggest that although the percentage of correct responses did not change, correct responses were made with greater efficiency.
Upon closer inspection of the data, quantification of reaction time latencies revealed a general increase in reaction time in the second run of the task as compared with the first following saline administration. This increased latency effect may result from the testing paradigm that requires animals to perform two runs of the task for the purpose of comparing electrophysiological and behavioral measures from each animal with their own baseline for each testing day. According to this protocol, animals may collect up to 100 water rewards before the second run. Although this feature of the experimental paradigm may reduce motivational state during the second run of the task leading to longer response times, it is apparent from the data that MPH administration not only diminishes latency increases (0.5 mg/kg) but actually decreases reaction time (2 mg/kg) in the second run of the task as compared with the first (see Figure 1c).
The Impact of MPH on Electrophysiological Indices of Sensory Signal Processing
For all levels of electrophysiological analysis that were performed, the results broadly match those of the behavioral study. The same dose of MPH (2 mg/kg) that enhanced behavioral performance also enhanced measures of light-evoked activity. Most prominently, latencies of single- and multiple-unit discharges and VEPs in response to task light stimuli were decreased, indicating that when MPH was on board the neural mechanisms activated at cellular and circuit levels of the dLGN were engaged more quickly following stimulus presentation. Although not as prominent as observed with behavioral latencies to make correct responses (Figure 1), a general slowing of electrophysiological response latencies from the first run to the second following saline is evident in Figures 2, 3 and 4. We again attribute these slowing effects to a decrease in overall motivation and, therefore, central arousal state during performance of the second run. Nonetheless, MPH again attenuates general slowing of responses at 0.5 mg/kg and reduces latencies at 2 mg/kg (Figures 2d and e, 3d and 4d).
Multi-unit data is an often overlooked measure that allows the study of experimental manipulations on neuronal responsiveness over a localized population of cells within a specified circuit or across a neural network as opposed to individual unit activity. In most cases, multi-unit activity has been shown to mirror the activity and the changes in activity that occur at the single-unit level (Devilbiss et al, 2006). It may in fact be the case that compared with data from single units, recordings from ensembles of neurons give a more accurate representation and key to understanding the dynamics of information processing in brain regions of waking animals during performance of complex behavioral tasks (Nicolelis and Lebedev, 2009). In the present study, the most dramatic and consistent benefit of MPH on light stimulus-evoked neuronal discharge within the dLGN of rats performing the visual signal detection task was evident in ensemble neuronal activity, although the same patterns were reflected in the single-unit data.
MPH Effects Resemble Noradrenergic Actions in LC Terminal Fields
The effects of MPH on the speed and strength of dLGN neuronal responses to light stimuli are strikingly similar to the well-documented modulatory effects of the LC–NE pathway on individual neuron and neural circuit responses to afferent synaptic inputs (Berridge and Waterhouse, 2003). For example, when concentrations of NE were elevated by tonic activation of the LC, the temporal properties of whisker pad stimulus-evoked responses within the ventroposterior medial thalamus and barrel field cortex were reduced by 1–3 ms (Devilbiss and Waterhouse, 2004). In addition, early work by Rogawski and Aghajanian (1980a, 1980b), showed that both LC stimulation and local iontophoretic application of NE enhanced the magnitude of synaptic excitation of dLGN neurons.
In addition to latency and magnitude changes, the boundaries of the light-evoked responses were sharpened following MPH. As shown in Figure 2c, the response peak slowly ramps up and continues to trail off after reaching maximum amplitude in the saline condition, whereas with MPH treatment there is a clear termination of the response after reaching maximum amplitude. Thus, MPH changes the structure of the sensory-evoked response so that it is more focused, an effect observed previously following local NE application in the visual cortex (Waterhouse et al, 1990) or systemic MPH administration in the somatosensory cortex (Drouin et al, 2007). This effect, combined with greater coherence of local oscillatory activity, would be expected to tighten the response synchrony of dLGN neurons, thereby strengthening output from thalamus to cortex and facilitating higher-order processing (Alonso et al, 1996).
The similarity of outcomes resulting from our previous work in the anesthetized rat and the current report in behaving animals indicates that MPH produces NE-like amplification of neural signals (Navarra et al, 2013). In addition, our immunohistochemical findings indicate that catecholamine innervation of the rat dLGN is exclusively noradrenergic. Although MPH blocks reuptake of both NE and DA, the absence of dopaminergic fibers in the dLGN suggests the observed MPH-induced modulation of light-evoked activity is mediated locally by NE and not DA neurotransmission. As alluded to above, the data do not rule out the possibility of DA-mediated effects occurring remote from but afferent to the dLGN. Importantly, the current work is the first to demonstrate drug-induced NE-like modulation of light-evoked responses to stimuli necessary for goal directed performance within a visual signal detection task.
MPH Effects Resemble Attention-Mediated Modulation of Sensory Processing Circuits
The observed modulations of dLGN responsiveness by MPH also resemble top-down mediated alterations in the timing and magnitudes of sensory responses within visual thalamic areas of monkeys and humans (Kastner and Pinsk, 2004; O'Connor et al, 2002; Saalmann and Kastner, 2009). Attentional modulation of single-cell activity within the LGN was first demonstrated in monkeys by McAlonan et al (2008). In this report, the magnitudes of evoked discharge in response to attended versus unattended cues were enhanced during performance of a visual attention task. Attention has also been shown to decrease the latency and increase the magnitude of cellular responses, while decreasing latency and magnitude of the first deflection of the VEP response within the visual cortex of monkeys performing a visual target detection task (Sundberg et al, 2012). Thus, MPH effects on dLGN neuronal responses and VEPs mimic top-down influences of selective attention.
The LFP waveform is influenced by magnitude, sign, spatial proximity, and temporal coordination of current sources, and it is generally accepted that postsynaptic potentials contribute most heavily to the LFP (Meeren et al, 1998). Sundberg et al (2012) proposed that attentional influences place the circuit in an alerted state so that target stimuli trigger an already ‘primed’ sensory processing network, resulting in quicker responses. As the cell membranes are depolarized before the arrival of afferent input, less change in magnitude of the initial deflection of the VEP is observed because of lesser synaptic driving force. It is reasonable to extend this explanation to the effects observed here given the well-described attention-enhancing actions of MPH. Accordingly, MPH-mediated blockade of catecholamine reuptake leads to elevated extracellular concentrations of NE and DA that via their modulatory actions may serve to prime sensory circuits for receipt of stimulus-driven afferent input. As described above, it is possible that ascending and descending systems converge and exert synergistic influences on responses of single thalamic neurons to incoming stimuli (Groh et al, 2014). Thus, although cortical input likely enhances thalamic responsiveness to afferent input as a ‘top-down’ mechanism and is a plausible dimension of the natural state of goal-directed behaviors, we postulate that MPH modulates this already strengthened activity further through enhanced NE neurotransmission. In fact, these complimentary influences may be further illuminated by a recent hypothesis defining levels of oscillatory synchronization within a sensory stream, ‘Communication through Coherence’ (CTC) (Fries, 2015). According to CTC, beta-frequency synchronization relays top-down attentional control, whereas theta-synchronization modulates higher visual areas through bottom-up influences. Data in the present report are agreement with this hypothesis, as the observed increases in coherence following MPH in both theta and beta frequencies may reflect the drug’s potentiation of both cortical (top-down) and LC (bottom-up) pathways that converge in the thalamus. Combined, the reports cited above strongly suggest similarity between the effects of attention on the magnitude of responses to visual targets in goal-directed tasks and MPH modulation of visual responses to target stimuli within the dLGN of rats during performance of a signal detection task.
Associations between Behavioral and Electrophysiological Measures
Behavioral latency changes were significantly correlated with alterations in the latency of the first deflection of VEPs (Figure 5c), but not with alterations in single-unit or multi-unit light-evoked responses (Figures 5a and b, respectively). Given our findings across various parameters, it was expected that a majority of electrophysiological measures would correlate with behavioral outcomes. Indeed, the broader scale VEP responses may offer a clearer representation of signal processing within the dLGN network and provide more informative data in terms of correlative effects with behavior. In other words, as the electrophysiological metric within the dLGN becomes more representative of circuit-level activity, correlations between dLGN responsiveness and behavioral efficiency emerge.
The distribution of values in Figure 5 reinforces the tendency described above for behavioral reaction and electrophysiological response latencies to increase from the first to the second trial in control conditions and the ability of MPH to not only prevent these losses in function, but further improve function. MPH effects on both measures are most powerfully illustrated in Figure 5c. Whereas percent changes following saline treatment all seem to cluster toward positive quadrants of the graph, percent changes of MPH (2 mg/kg) cluster toward negative quadrants while MPH (0.5 mg/kg) are somewhat scattered throughout.
The present work demonstrates the potential for psychostimulant agents to speed transmission and strengthen neuronal responsiveness to visual stimuli in the dLGN, while improving performance of a visual signal detection task. As such, sensory enhancement appears to be a significant component of the performance enhancing effects of MPH and a major reason for the desirability of the drug in individuals seeking to improve outcomes in goal-directed behavior. In this context, it is well to remember that the observed facilitating effects of MPH were observed in normal laboratory rats. The current results suggest that MPH engages intrinsic noradrenergic mechanisms to enhance the normal signal processing operations of sensory neurons and sensory neural circuits that impact performance.
Funding and disclosure
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Agster KL, Clark BD, Gao W-J, Shumsky JS, Wang HX, Berridge CW et al (2011). Experimental strategies for investigating psychostimulant drug actions and prefrontal cortical function in ADHD and related attention disorders. Anat Rec 294: 1698–1712.
Alonso J-M, Usrey WM, Reid RC (1996). Precisely correlated firing in cells of the lateral geniculate nucleus. Nature 383: 815–819.
Berridge CW, Devilbiss DM, Andrzejewski ME, Arnsten AFT, Kelley AE, Schmeichel B et al (2006). Methylphenidate preferentially increases catecholamine neurotransmission within the prefrontal cortex at low doses that enhance cognitive function. Biol Psychiatry 60: 1111–1120.
Berridge CW, Shumsky JS, Andrzejewski ME, McGaughy JA, Spencer RC, Devilbiss DM et al (2012). Differential sensitivity to psychostimulants across prefrontal cognitive tasks: differential involvement of noradrenergic α1- and α2-receptors. Biol Psychiatry 71: 467–473.
Berridge CW, Waterhouse BD (2003). The locus coeruleus–noradrenergic system: modulation of behavioral state and state-dependent cognitive processes. Brain Res Rev 42: 33–84.
Bizarro L, Patel S, Murtagh C, Stolerman IP (2004). Differential effects of psychomotor stimulants on attentional performance in rats: nicotine, amphetamine, caffeine and methylphenidate. Behav Pharmacol 15: 195–206.
Coghill DR, Seth S, Pedroso S, Usala T, Currie J, Gagliano A (2014). Effects of methylphenidate on cognitive functions in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: evidence from a systematic review and a meta-analysis. Biol Psychiatry 76: 603–615.
Devilbiss DM, Page ME, Waterhouse BD (2006). Locus ceruleus regulates sensory encoding by neurons and networks in waking animals. J Neurosci 26: 9860–9872.
Devilbiss DM, Waterhouse BD (2003) Determination of drug actions on multiple simultaneously recorded neurons across functionally connected networks. In: Waterhouse BD (ed). Methods in Drug Abuse Research: Cellular and Circuit Level Analyses. CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, pp 213–238.
Devilbiss DM, Waterhouse BD (2004). The effects of tonic locus ceruleus output on sensory-evoked responses of ventral posterior medial thalamic and barrel field cortical neurons in the awake rat. J Neurosci 24: 10773–10785.
Drouin C, Wang D, Waterhouse BD (2007). Neurophysiological actions of methylphenidate in the primary somatosensory cortex. Synapse 61: 985–990.
Eagle DM, Tufft MR, Goodchild HL, Robbins TW (2007). Differential effects of modafinil and methylphenidate on stop-signal reaction time task performance in the rat, and interactions with the dopamine receptor antagonist cis-flupenthixol. Psychopharmacology 192: 193–206.
Franke AG, Bagusat C, Rust S, Engel A, Lieb K (2014). Substances used and prevalence rates of pharmacological cognitive enhancement among healthy subjects. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 264: 014–0537.
Fries P (2015). Rhythms for cognition: communication through coherence. Neuron 88: 220–235.
Fukuda Y, Sumitomo I, Sugitani M, Iwama K (1979). Receptive-field properties of cells in the dorsal part of the albino rat's lateral geniculate nucleus. Jpn J Physiol 29: 283–307.
García-Cabezas M, Martínez-Sánchez P, Sánchez-González M, Garzón M, Cavada C (2009). Dopamine innervation in the thalamus: monkey versus rat. Cereb Cortex 19: 424–434.
Groh A, Bokor H, Mease RA, Plattner VM, Hangya B, Stroh A et al (2014). Convergence of cortical and sensory driver inputs on single thalamocortical cells. Cereb Cortex 24: 3167–3179.
Howell DC (2008) Fundamental Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences. Wadsworth Press/Thompson Learning: Belmont, CA.
Jentsch JD, Aarde SM, Seu E (2009). Effects of atomoxetine and methylphenidate on performance of a lateralized reaction time task in rats. Psychopharmacology 202: 497–504.
Jonkman LM, Kemner C, Verbaten MN, Koelega HS, Camfferman G, vd Gaag R-J et al (1997). Effects of methylphenidate on event-related potentials and performance of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder children in auditory and visual selective attention tasks. Biol Psychiatry 41: 690–702.
Kastner S, Pinsk MA (2004). Visual attention as a multilevel selection process. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci 4: 483–500.
Kayama Y (1985). Ascending, descending and local control of neuronal activity in the rat lateral geniculate nucleus. Vision Res 25: 339–347.
Kim S, Chen S, Tannock R (2014). Visual function and color vision in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Optom 7: 22–36.
Kimchi EY, Laubach M (2009). Dynamic encoding of action selection by the medial striatum. J Neurosci 29: 3148–3159.
Kromer LF, Moore RY (1980). A study of the organization of the locus coeruleus projections to the lateral geniculate nuclei in the albino rat. Neuroscience 5: 255–271.
Kuczenski R, Segal DS (2001). Locomotor effects of acute and repeated threshold doses of amphetamine and methylphenidate: relative roles of dopamine and norepinephrine. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 296: 876–883.
Martin L, Aring E, Landgren M, Hellstrom A, Andersson Gronlund M (2008). Visual fields in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder before and after treatment with stimulants. Acta Ophthalmol 86: 259–264.
Mazer JA (2011). Spatial attention, feature-based attention, and saccades: three sides of one coin? Biol Psychiatry 69: 1147–1152.
McAlonan K, Cavanaugh J, Wurtz RH (2008). Guarding the gateway to cortex with attention in visual thalamus. Nature 456: 391–394.
McGaughy J, Sarter M (1995). Behavioral vigilance in rats: task validation and effects of age, amphetamine, and benzodiazepine receptor ligands. Psychopharmacology 117: 340–357.
Meeren HK, Van Luijtelaar EL, Coenen AM (1998). Cortical and thalamic visual evoked potentials during sleep-wake states and spike-wave discharges in the rat. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 108: 306–319.
Nandam LS, Hester R, Wagner J, Cummins TD, Garner K, Dean AJ et al (2011). Methylphenidate but not atomoxetine or citalopram modulates inhibitory control and response time variability. Biol Psychiatry 69: 902–904.
Navarra R, Graf R, Huang Y, Logue S, Comery T, Hughes Z et al (2008). Effects of atomoxetine and methylphenidate on attention and impulsivity in the 5-choice serial reaction time test. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 32: 34–41.
Navarra RL, Clark BD, Zitnik GA, Waterhouse BD (2013). Methylphenidate and atomoxetine enhance sensory-evoked neuronal activity in the visual thalamus of male rats. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 21: 363–374.
Nicolelis MA, Lebedev MA (2009). Principles of neural ensemble physiology underlying the operation of brain-machine interfaces. Nat Rev Neurosci 10: 530–540.
O'Connor DH, Fukui MM, Pinsk MA, Kastner S (2002). Attention modulates responses in the human lateral geniculate nucleus. Nat Neurosci 5: 1203–1209.
Paterson NE, Ricciardi J, Wetzler C, Hanania T (2011). Sub-optimal performance in the 5-choice serial reaction time task in rats was sensitive to methylphenidate, atomoxetine and d-amphetamine, but unaffected by the COMT inhibitor tolcapone. Neurosci Res 69: 41–50.
Pfeiffer B, Daly BP, Nicholls EG, Gullo DF (2015). Assessing sensory processing problems in children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Phys Occup Ther Pediatr 35: 1–12.
Robinson E (2012). Blockade of noradrenaline re-uptake sites improves accuracy and impulse control in rats performing a five-choice serial reaction time tasks. Psychopharmacology 219: 303–312.
Rogawski MA, Aghajanian GK (1980a). Activation of lateral geniculate neurons by norepinephrine: mediation by an α-adrenergic receptor. Brain Res 182: 345–359.
Rogawski MA, Aghajanian GK (1980b). Modulation of lateral geniculate neurone excitability by noradrenaline microiontophoresis or locus coeruleus stimulation. Nature 287: 731–734.
Saalmann YB, Kastner S (2009). Gain control in the visual thalamus during perception and cognition. Curr Opin Neurobiol 19: 408–414.
Sahakian BJ, Morein-Zamir S (2015). Pharmacological cognitive enhancement: treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders and lifestyle use by healthy people. Lancet Psychiatry 2: 357–362.
Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ (1995) Biometry. WH Freeman & Co: New York.
Spencer SV, Hawk LW Jr, Richards JB, Shiels K, Pelham WE Jr, Waxmonsky JG (2009). Stimulant treatment reduces lapses in attention among children with ADHD: the effects of methylphenidate on intra-individual response time distributions. J Abnorm Child Psychol 37: 805–816.
Sundberg KA, Mitchell JF, Gawne TJ, Reynolds JH (2012). Attention influences single unit and local field potential response latencies in visual cortical area V4. J Neurosci 32: 16040–16050.
Svetlov SI, Kobeissy FH, Gold MS (2007). Performance enhancing, non-prescription use of Ritalin: a comparison with amphetamines and cocaine. J Addict Dis 26: 1–6.
Volkow ND, Fowler JS, Wang G, Ding Y, Gatley SJ (2002). Mechanism of action of methylphenidate: insights from PET imaging studies. J Atten Disord 6 (Suppl 1): S31–S43.
Waterhouse BD, Azizi SA, Burne RA, Woodward DJ (1990). Modulation of rat cortical area 17 neuronal responses to moving visual stimuli during norepinephrine and serotonin microiontophoresis. Brain Res 514: 276–292.
Weyandt LL, Oster DR, Marraccini ME, Gudmundsdottir BG, Munro BA, Zavras BM et al (2014). Pharmacological interventions for adolescents and adults with ADHD: stimulant and nonstimulant medications and misuse of prescription stimulants. Psychol Res Behav Manag 7: 223–249.
We thank Luke Mitchell for his assistance in analyzing visual-evoked potentials. This work has been supported by NIDA R01DA017960 (to BDW), NIDA F31DA037651 (to RLN), and a PhRMA Foundation Pre-Doctoral Award 270397 (to RLN).
Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on the Neuropsychopharmacology website
About this article
Cite this article
Navarra, R., Clark, B., Gargiulo, A. et al. Methylphenidate Enhances Early-Stage Sensory Processing and Rodent Performance of a Visual Signal Detection Task. Neuropsychopharmacol 42, 1326–1337 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2016.267
This article is cited by
Theory of visual attention (TVA) applied to rats performing the 5-choice serial reaction time task: differential effects of dopaminergic and noradrenergic manipulations
Prevention of age-associated neuronal hyperexcitability with improved learning and attention upon knockout or antagonism of LPAR2
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences (2021)
Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2020)

domain: psychology


text:
This Bermuda style boutique hotel is located directly on the beach and is only 8 miles from the Palm Beach International Airport. The Palm Beach Oceanfront Inn opened in 1962, and was renovated in 1996. This property offers access for travelers with disabilities.
If you require five or more rooms, find group rates with HotelPlanner.com.
|Address:||3550 South Ocean Boulevard|
South Palm Beach, FL 33480 | vCard |
|Also Here:||The Tides Restaurant|
|Dirty, Run Down, More Like Motel!!! Mgr Horrible!! - Non-Member, Reader|
Awful Swill - Bob, Denver
|Getting There:||From I-95 South: exit Lantana Road and turn left. Proceed east and turn right. Go to US1 (Dixie Highway). At the next traffic light, turn left onto Ocean Avenue. Follow Ocean Avenue until it ends into A1A and turn left.|
|Check In Time:||3:00 pm|
|Check Out Time:||11:00 am|
|Rate Range:||From $45 to $300 per night *|
|Nearest Airport:||Palm Beach International (PBI)|
|In Rooms:||Air-Conditioned. Cable TV. Coffee Maker. Kitchen. Hair Dryer. Iron & Ironing Board. Safe. Voice Mail.|
|Services:||24-Hour Security. City Transportation. Room Service. Wake Up Service.|
|Special Amenities:||Bar/Lounge. Pool, Outdoor. Restaurant.|
|Other Info:||Exterior Room Entrance. Non-Smoking Rooms. Smoking Rooms. Self Parking. Parking Fee.|
*Because rates may vary outside of the range, please confirm applicable rates online or via telephone.
© 1996-2020, MetroGuide.com All Rights Reserved.
To List Your Hotel with the Palm Beaches HotelGuide Service: Click Here.
To Contact HotelGuide: Click Here.
HotelGuide and HotelGuide South Palm Beach are service marks of MetroGuide.com, Inc. HotelGuide Network is a registered service mark of MetroGuide.com, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. MetroGuide.com, Inc. does not own or operate hotel properties.

domain: geography


BL04 Bluse Baba Beige
Flowing blouse in beige. With V-neck and lapels. Detail on the front simulating a zip and long sleeves.
Made ethically in Catalonia.
Limited edition: 115 units.
Composition: 100% Viscose Ecovero, made in Turkey.
Certification: Ecovero by Lenzing.
The model Suvdae is 1.70 cm. Size 36.
Cares: Hand washing 30 degrees, do not bleach, do not tumble dry, iron at low temperature, max. 110 degrees.
You might also like


text:
Jersey's FA still hoping for international football status
Last updated on .From the section Football
The head of Jersey's Football Association says it is still working to try to get the island accepted as an international football nation.
It has not stopped courting Fifa and Uefa, despite a 2002 ruling that new members must be recognised as sovereign nations by the United Nations.
Jersey is a county within the English Football Association.
"We'd like to go down the international route and that's an avenue we're currently pursuing," said Phil Austin.
"It's very early days, we're doing a lot of research and talking to people, but that's the direction we see the JFA taking football," he added to BBC Radio Jersey.
|Other 'non-nations' playing international football|
|Gibraltar - a British Overseas Territory||Anguilla - a British Overseas Territory|
|Faroe Islands - a self-governing country within Denmark||Aruba - an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.|
|Bermuda - a British Overseas Territory||Montserrat - a British Overseas Territory|
|Puerto Rico - a self-governing Commonwealth that belongs to the United States||New Caledonia - a French overseas territory|
Jersey is a crown dependency, meaning it is part of the British Isles but not the UK. The Queen is its head of state but Jersey has its own government, similar to Guernsey and the Isle of Man.
The island is already recognised as a nation in its own right at cricket, and made the final qualifying tournament for the World Twenty20 last month.
In May 2013 Gibraltar, which is a British Overseas Territory, was accepted as a full member of Uefa, European football's governing body, but their application followed an original application in 1997 when the rules were different.
Austin says he has a four-year plan for the Jersey FA, with international recognition playing a part in it.
"We'll make some progress in terms of trying to formalise an application to one of the international bodies," he said.
"Definitely over the four years we see some progress there - whether we get the result we're looking for within that timescale remains to be seen.
"Gibraltar getting into Uefa in recent times after an 11-year legal challenge did open the door a little bit.
"We're just exploring with people what the possibilities are. There is no clear entry path, let me make that clear, but we are exploring any possible avenues."

domain: news


text:
Mosque Imam Incites Citizens To Attack Policemen For Stopping Jummah Prayers In Karachi
Karachi: An enraged mob attacked policemen in the provincial capital on Friday when they attempted to stop congregational prayers being held in violation of the ban announced by the government as a measure against the spread of coronavirus.
The incident took place in Karachi’s Liaquatabad area. A video shared by Express Tribune shows residents trying to rescue the policemen amid the mob attack.
According to reports, the prayer leader (Imam) incited people to attack the policemen who had come to act against the attendees of the congregational prayer for defying the ban. Sindh police have been facing difficulties in implementing the ban on mass prayers as citizens in some areas reportedly participated in congregational prayers held on Friday (today).
Top clerics of the country have not issued a clear decree against religious gatherings and mass prayers, which can be termed as a reason why the ban is being resisted by the citizens.


text:
Foothill Fungi is a small, family mushroom farm founded by owner Joel Gutierrez in 2017. Check out our detailed story here.
Following a lay-off from his job of 8 years in 2016, Joel established Foothill Fungi out of his desire to create an alternative strategy for generating income, food and medicine in a manner that benefits the environment. Currently, Foothill Fungi is located on a 1.8-acre property near Colfax, California where Joel lives with his wife, teenage son and two year old daughter.
With no investment capital to begin with, and a myriad of financial challenges along the way, we have been incredibly grateful to receive support and encouragement from community, friends and family who believe in us and our mission. Check out the article about our farm’s beginnings recently published by the Auburn Journal.
Some of Foothill Fungi's main accomplishments over the past two years include:
We remodeled a workshop into an indoor grow facility with two grow rooms with the ability to control light, temperature and humidity, one incubation room, one inoculation room and a prep area, all within 450 square feet! (All of the above was made possible by Joel's brother who invested significantly in the project, and a good neighbor and friend, who provided his construction skills).
We've had continuous success in adding new varieties and increasing production, most notably adding Oyster mushrooms early this year and within a few months, doubling the yield and selling all we can harvest on a regular basis.
We supply an Organic Food Co-Op with 15-20 pounds of mushrooms per week and sell an average of 70 pounds per week to a popular local restaurant in (name the town). Numerous other commercial outlets are in line to sell our mushrooms if we can expand production. In addition, we are in conversation with a local medicine company about purchasing Lion's Mane for medicinal products. We are also looking at potential application of our mushroom growing byproducts to commercial compost suppliers. However, in order to meet the needs of these new clients and sustain our farm, we need your help.
Foothill Fungi is truly on the brink of success and we are humbly reaching out for help from our community near and far to make this next step towards economic sustainability and longevity. This is a critical juncture, in which we must raise a minimum of $15,000 to invest in the future of our farm.Funds raised through this campaign will be used for the following:Additional shelving and a small greenhouse to increase the yield of our harvests so that our product sales can cover the costs of running the farm and maintaining our land and farm buildings.Completing the process to be Organically Certified, with all the associated fees and upgrades. We have almost completed this arduous but rewarding project! Bulk purchases of cultivation materials (a money and time saving investment!)Ensuring that our property and farm is adequately insured and fire safe, an increasingly expensive and difficult endeavor in today's fire climate, especially in our area.Purchasing a generator to provide the farm's electricity during the predicted extended power outages this summer, which could cost us weeks of income!
Your donations will be immediately applied to the projects listed above and will provide our farm and our family with some desperately needed support. You will help us to take the final step towards Foothill Fungi becoming a successful, established and sustainable small farm that provides food, medicine and environmental benefits to our friends, family and community members.
It is imperative that we raise these funds by the end of this summer as these projects are time sensitive. Please promote and share this as widely as you are able.
We are deeply grateful for all donations, small and large, and hold you and all our other supporters past and present dearly in our hearts. Thank you so much for your gifts!

domain: agronomy


text:
Add to Cart
War Dancer #1 (Comic Book) - Defiant Comics - Jim Shooter, Alan Weiss, José Marzan Jr.
Only 1 available
Shipping: US-Mainland: $4.00
War Dancer #1, From Eternity to Here
Defiant Comics, February 1994
VF condition, bagged and boarded
Written by Jim Shooter and Alan Weiss
Art by Alan Weiss and José Marzan Jr.
1st Appearance of Ahrq Tsolmec (War Dancer), 1st Appearance of Sally Throckmorton, 1st Cameo Appearance of Zahnrhee.
Additional scans available on request. All purchased will be shipped combined to save on shipping, so please check out my other comics and save.
... [Full Description]
Other Products from
Kurt Busiek's Astro City, Vol. 2 #16 (Comic Book) - Wildstorm (Homage Comics)
Shi: The Blood of Saints (Fan Edition) #3 (Comic Book) - Crusade
Shadowman, Vol. 2 #8 (Comic Book) - Acclaim Comics - Jamie Delano, Charlie Adlard
DC Outburst: Firepower Promo Trading Card featuring Superman (SkyBox)
Magnus Robot Fighter, Vol. 1 #6 - no card (Comic Book) - Valiant Comics
Babylon 5 Series Two Creator Collection Chase Card 10 of 10 (SkyBox)
Soulsearchers and Company #24 (Comic Book) - Claypool Comics
Young Indiana Jones Chronicles #10 (Comic Book) - Dark Horse Comics - by Dan Barry
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol 2 #1 (Comic Book) - DC Comics - Alan Moore, Kevin O'Neill
Babylon 5 Series Two Creator Collection Chase Card 3 of 10 (SkyBox)
Title of Image
100%, 104 sales
Powered by eCRATER - a
free online store builder
12 Jul 2017 04:18:38 PDT

domain: entertainment


- Quantum T-Box valve 2 functions thermostatic chrome finish
- Shower head 20x30cm [8x12in] stainless steel 2mm chrome
- Shower arm ceiling 10cm [4in] brass chrome
- Sliding bar chrome
- Hand shower 3 functions PVC chrome
- Wall supply elbow chrome
- Shower hose braided chrome
Redefining quality standards in the fine plumbing industry. Since 2008, the Tënzo team has been developing powerful components and refined designs to offer you unique, solid and stylish products.
Just being “good” is not enough for us. We work to be the best. And to get there, we do not neglect any detail. From design to installation, through the manufacturing and packaging of our achievements, everything has been designed and made to give you total satisfaction.


text:
Below is a press release from Tennessee House GOP Caucus Chairman Glen Casada, issued June 4, 2014. Rep. Casada is running for re-election to the Legislature against Cherie Hammond, a Republican member of the Williamson County school board.
The following is a statement from State Representative Glen Casada (R–Thompson’s Station) regarding recent rule changes from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that will increase energy costs for all Tennesseans and endanger the livelihood of thousands more:
“These new regulations from the EPA put Tennessee at an unfair disadvantage to those blue states that already practice state-level cap and trade regulations or have different means of creating power. The Obama administration is playing politics with Tennessee jobs to reward states that have bought in to heavily taxpayer subsidized alternative forms of energy.”
“As such, my office is drafting a request for the Attorney General to take action and challenge the EPA based on Article 1, section 9 of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits the federal government from showing preference to one state over another through its regulation of commerce.”
“In addition, my policy analyst is working with our legal department to draft legislation to correct the issue, regardless of the Attorney General’s actions .”


Pruhealth, a UK health insurance provider, turned London bus stops into fruit dispensers. A piece of fruit is delivered to onlookers each minute while stock lasts.
In an interesting example of experiential marketing, the bus stops have been converted to clear plastic hoppers which display and vend oranges. The instruction is “help yourself”. The converted bus stops were already causing a stir in time for the morning rush, with a gaggle of participants waiting for the oranges to fall.
Half of the fruit had already been dispensed by mid morning; it is not clear whether the machines are restocked during the day. The advert, however, does clarify that fruit is fresh daily.
Each piece of fruit is labeled with the brand and a link to a microsite containing a DIY health check. The brand already has a tie-in with a major UK supermarket to offer its customers loyalty points when purchasing fresh fruit and vegetables.
Further photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/soniafrommarseille/tags/pruhealth
Peter Brown — September 2, 2008 — Marketing


text:
Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was limited on light to moderate demand in Nebraska and the western Corn Belt through Wednesday afternoon. Although too few transactions to trend, there were some early live sales in both regions at $107/cwt. and some in the beef at $167. That’s $2 higher than prices in the regions last week.
Similarly, slaughter steers and heifers sold $2-$3 higher at the fat auction in Sioux Falls, SD, where 245 head of Choice 2-3 steers weighing an average of 1,479 lbs. brought an average price of $104.60.
Cattle feeders offered 901 head in the weekly Fed Cattle Exchange auction on Wednesday. Of those, 358 sold for delivery at 1-17 days for a weighted average price of $106/cwt., which was $1 higher than last week’s country trade.
However, Cattle futures closed lower, especially Feeder Cattle, in the wake of USDA’s quarterly Grain Stocks report.
Old crop corn stocks in all positions on Sept. 1 totaled 2.00 billion bu., according to the report. That’s 10% less than the same time last year and significantly lower than the trade expected.
Corn futures closed 10¢ to 14¢ higher through Sep ’21 and then mostly 7 to 8¢ higher.
Similarly, old crop soybeans stored in all positions were 42% less than a year earlier at 523 million bu., significantly less than the trade expected.
Soybean futures closed 21¢ to 30¢ higher through Sep ’21 and then mostly 11¢ to 19¢ higher.
All wheat stored in all positions of 2.16 billion bu., was 8% less than a year earlier, also less than expected.
Hard Red Kansas City Winter Wheat futures closed 26¢ to 33¢ higher through May ’22.
Live Cattle futures closed an average of 33¢ lower, except for an average of 21¢ higher in the back three contracts.
Feeder Cattle futures closed an average of $1.33 lower, giving back most of what was gained in the previous session.
Choice boxed beef cutout value was 58¢ higher Wednesday afternoon at $217.74/cwt. Select was 55¢ higher at $207.54.


text:
Using Aquafertz root tabs and doing only 30% wc still seems to be working well in my main tank so far. All the plants look happier. I have little baby crypts sprouting up in the front of the tank- parva, willisii or petchii I'm not sure yet, and the younger leaves on the crypt wendtii look really robust (nice hammered texture). Vallisneria are sending runners out beyond their bounds again, crypt balansae has more new leaves and is melting the old ones, elodea looks the best it has since the week I brought it home. Hornwort floaters look fantastic. Still a bit baffled why my nitrates are consistently higher than I'm used to- I wonder if it is the use of leaf litter (I added even more this week: one catappa leaf, one each of guava and jackfruit, two of pin oak).
The fish look very healthy- even Punk with the growth on nose. Fish behavior has changed; since I went away for vacation and came back, they are thrilled to see me every time. They quickly flock to one end of the tank or the other, where I stand. Respond even quicker if I tap-tap the top brace as feed notice. I tried to get this end shot showing how nicely the apono capuroni is when backlit- but the tetras swarmed the glass.
I still don't know how well these hygro corymbosa will grow up- they have melted severely and I keep pushing the remains of stems with a few top leaves, back down into the substrate. Here's one in center. I haven't yet seen one recover enough to grow out new leaves...
Moss have failed. All the strands of flame moss I had glued onto rocks died, and then the glue started lifting off the rocks in patches, thin sheets. I think I had glued them on too close together, so the moss itself never took hold on the rock. Oh well. I tied down onto a few of the stones some of the java fern trident babies- still attached to bits of mother leaf.

domain: biology


Kali Uchis, a young female musician, dropped her new song “After the Storm” January 11, 2018. The introduction begins with the sound of a rainstorm and Bootsy Collins enters with his smooth and funky voice. He sings a line that was said in the Tyler, the Creator and Kali Uchis song, “See You Again”. The baseline begins with Collins, and stays with a similar line throughout the song. Not only does Collins set the mood, but so does the base.
Uchis comes in with her melodic voice singing only notes. Her voice stays sweet throughout the song and she keeps with the rhythm base. When it gets to the chorus a synthesizer adds to the gorgeous combination of bass and Uchis.
After the chorus Tyler, the Creator, flows in with a danceable rap. The entire song has a dance beat that is similar to a disco beat.
The song ends with Uchis’ alone with the bass and drum. Her lyrics are inspiring and remind the listener of a field of sunflowers along with the warm summer breeze. Besides the rap verse that may be taken inappropriately, this song is a great listen for all ages
“So if you need a hero, just look in the mirror
No one’s gonna save you now, so you better save yourself,”
“Maybe you could understand
When all you had to do was ask
And just open your mind
When everything is passing by
And all you had to do was try
Yeah, all you had to was try”


text:
penang hotel contact number Things To Know Before You Buy
Penang is a relatively Safe and sound spot for travellers, nevertheless it's got its share of crime. Implement popular feeling as you'll if you're at your property region. Precautions must be taken to protect in opposition to snatch-burglars, pickpockets and cons. Several other precautions:
The Port of Penang is among the major ports of Malaysia and An important harbour throughout the northern region on the country.
The airport is amongst the country's busiest, with the next maximum cargo website traffic and the third most significant passenger traffic as of 2013[update]. This reflects Penang Island's position like a well-known tourist attraction and also a production hub.
Durian Fruit 榴梿 - Penang's durian is unique on this planet. Ideal approach to try to eat is at the stall. They open the durian to suit your needs. You spend Anything you eat. The medium durian will Value RM8-15. You don't have to be concerned about acquiring rotten durians.
Check out the pool toy stalls for the markets for A selection of h2o toys to help improve the enjoyable. Test to get a aspect seaview space over the 2nd floor, the rooms open up out onto a grassed terrace - wonderful In case you are travelling with kids. Good bargains and Discount codes are discovered on their own Fb web page
Will not take rides from unlicensed unmarked taxis referred to as site Kereta Sapu. Be wary of strangers offering a ride in their automobile.
Tucked away close to the north-western idea of Penang Island is the fishing village of Teluk Bahang, which has been encountering greater vacationer arrivals due to the opening of url A few sights there.
There's two h2o refilling stations Within the Intercontinental departure waiting around parts. Do maintain empty bottle to refill right before boarding the plane (if important) following disposing of all drinking water at the safety Examine By auto
 Most Penangites have at least sensible command in the language; although British English is formally employed, spoken English typically normally takes the form of Manglish. Notably, Penang Island is the sole city in Malaysia that retains almost all of its English Road names, as may be noticed within the multi-lingual street signs in town.
Cendol - A mixture of blended ice with major mushy crimson beans with gula melaka (brown sugar) thrown in. This will satisfy everyone even whether it is raining. Cendol are available any place but the best is at Penang Road.
The 1st manner of transportation in George Town was the horse hackney carriage, which click was common in between the late 18th century and 1935, in the event the rickshaw gained recognition.
Be careful regarding your environment in waters off Batu Feringhi Seashore, the place you might be harmed by unregulated & haphazardly piloted jet skis and/at other drinking water routines. Jellyfish (including the not often witnessed but dangerous box jellyfish) generally is a danger at selected occasions on the calendar year.
At Eastin, we know what makes thriving businessmen tick: a superb night’s slumber. All 328 of our roomy rooms have plush beds and feather down pillows, in addition to... examine a lot more >> ROOMS & SUITES

domain: travel


4.1 Traceability: An Unbroken Chain of Transfer Comparisons
Calibration is the most important prerequisite for accuracy in measurement instrumentation. It is the foundation upon which subsequent measurements are based upon. Optical radiation calibration is typically done by the transfer method where the relationship between the value indicated by a measuring instrument and the value represented by a calibration standard is compared with the former reading, adjusted as needed, recorded and certified. Since the reading of a meter-under-test is directly compared with that of the transfer standard, the qualification of this standard is of the highest importance.
A qualified standard should display an unbroken chain of transfer comparisons originating at a national standards laboratory. For example, the transfer standard of the national laboratory, primary standard (A) is used to calibrate the reference standard (B) at an accredited calibration laboratory. This reference standard is used to calibrate the laboratory work standard (C) to be used daily by the calibration lab. This work standard is then used to calibrate the final product (D) or device under test. The calibration path is thus described as A–B–C–D. This path is called the chain of traceability. Each transfer device in the chain should be subjected to periodic examination to ensure its long-term stability. The lab performing the calibration typically sets the time span between examinations and is self-audited.
Accredited calibration laboratories guarantee recalibration cycle times for their standards plus a review of their calibration procedures since they are subject to review by an official accreditation authority.
Fig. 1: Calibration hierarchy from primary standard to test equipment
Fig. 2: Hierarchy of standards
See all our certifications and activities in scientific bodies and technological communities. Furthermore we are active member in several DIN working groups.


Ayala Center Cebu is a large shopping mall owned by Ayala Malls at the Cebu Business Park in Cebu City, Philippines.
Mall of Asia Arena es un pabellón deportivo multiusos en el complejo del SM Mall of Asia, en Pasay, Manila.
Busy street occupied by street vendors selling everything thinkable and pretty cheap. Don't forget to bargain.
Come here to experience shopping in the 11th largest shopping center in the world. It offers you many shops, cafes, as well as fun zones.
El SM Megamall es un centro comercial ubicado en el distrito financiero de Ortigas del área Metropolitana de Manila, Filipinas.
TriNoma is a large shopping mall in Quezon City, Philippines, owned by property development firm Ayala Land.
Centrio Mall is an integrated mixed-use complex composed of a shopping mall, a hotel, a BPO/office building and a condominium tower located…


text:
Race Identity activist Brittany Pettibone and her boyfriend Martin Sellner of Generation Identitaire were detained for 3 days at a jail-like facility near London.
From the UK Daily Mail, March 12 "The have been Deported... Denied Entry over plans to Speak at [Free Speech circle] in Hyde Park"
Pettibone said... she planned to interview far-right leader Tommy Robinson.
She said from Austria: 'It felt like they were saying,"you're right-wing, that's not allowed".'
Their entry was supposedly (sic) denied a day after his group claimed he and Pettibone were detained at the border and then turned away.
UPDATE! Pettibone, Sellner and Canadian Pro-White activist Laura Southern who was also denied entry to the UK, have hired an attorney to sue the British Gov't.
Pro-English activist Tommy Robinson delivered Sellner's speech in London a week later.
More from the BBC, March 14.
Memory loss, sterility and less learning ability are examples of cross-breeding among different species cited by the researchers.
From Lehigh University:
Sterility is common in hybrids and is thought to be a key factor in keeping two hybridizing species distinct. This is true for a particular hybrid chickadee population in the U.S., the result of mating between the northern Black-capped Chickadee and a southern species called the Carolina Chickadee. A lower percentage of the hybrid chickadees’ eggs hatch compared to their pure-species parents—a key selective disadvantage.
The results of a new behavioral study out of Lehigh University and Franklin & Marshall College add a wrinkle to this paradigm: Scientists found that hybrid chickadees have marked deficiencies in learning and memory compared to their pure species parents, which may be another selective disadvantage...
“If hybrid chickadees are less innovative, less able to adjust to their environments, they might be less likely to survive,” says McQuillan. “That might be a factor in keeping the two species separate—or reproductively isolated—despite the fact that they are hybridizi
New! From 中国货币新闻 (China Money):
Co-discoverer of the double helix and Nobel prize winning geneticist James Watson has received a new honor. Recently Watson has been castigated by leftist British media for his race realist views.
From 中国货币新闻 (China Money):
Watson... has thrown his support behind a life science research center being established by the Shenzhen city government... the 90-year-old scientist will work at the facility, according to Chinese media.
Located in the Baguang area of Shenzhen, the research center will study cancers and genes and employ more than 1,000 scientists, including Watson, who will head the research teams...
Watson, who will turn 90 next month, won a Nobel Prize in 1962 following his discovery of the structure of DNA with Francis Crick in 1953. Watson personally chose the location of the Shenzhen lab last year. The center will be modeled after the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the U.S. where Watson worked as a director earlier in his career.
From UK Guardian: Josiah Zayner ‘I want to help humans genetically modify themselves’
The former Nasa biochemist, based in California, has become a leading figure in the growing “biohacker” movement, which involves loose collectives of scientists, engineers, artists, designers, and activists experimenting with biotechnology outside of conventional institutions and laboratories.
As human beings we’re very big on freedoms, equality,.. What’s more of an equal right than being able to control what genes we have?
To me it’s like Blade Runner, where he goes into that back-alley science lab and there’s the guy making eyes. I imagine people going to some place like a tattoo parlour, and instead of getting a tattoo they pick out some DNA that makes them muscly, or changes the colour of their hair or eyes.
DNA defines what a species is, and I imagine it wouldn’t be too long into the future when the human species almost becomes a new species because of these modifications.
Video Zayner injecting himself Oct '17
Discussing budget priorities in a committee hearing, Finance Minister Bill Morneau tells Conservative Member of Parliament Lisa Raitt of Ontario, shes taking a Neanderthal approach.
From the Ottawa Sun, March 31:
If people like you don’t buy into it, that’s a problem that we’ll have to face, but my view is that we will be more successful collectively if we were actually able to successfully promote women into leadership roles. We will drag along the Neanderthals who don’t agree with that, and that will be our continuing approach.
– Finance Minister Bill Morneau, to Lisa Raitt, on Monday
I am not a Neanderthal.
– Tory MP Lisa Raitt, responding to Morneau
Interview with Stefan Molyneux:
It is a horrifying situation. And what is even more horrifying to me Katie is the lack of recognition of the plight that the whites of South Africa are facing... That they are facing open calls for their extinction...
Hopkins: [On Australia offer] No, that just got knocked out... The Prime Minister has just stood up and said no... that's [immigration] not going to happen.
Hopkins goes on to talk of the brutal torture of whites before being murdered, sometimes for 3 hours long using farm machinery.
Also, whites are now being turned away from state hospitals because the black doctors and nurses "believe they have a mandate to kill white people."
It is the belief that all modern homo sapiens are not the same. Darwin Subspeciests believe that there is vast diversity among modern humans.
Genetics experts such as Swedish biologist Dr. Svante Pääbo, have discovered that European ethnics have as much as 6% Neanderthal DNA. East Asians and isolated populations living in Malaysia and Indonesia have up to 5% Denisovan DNA, and some evidence of direct lineage to Homo Erectus.
Very recent archaeological finds suggest other previously unknown sub-species including homo florensiensas (Hobbit man).
Geneticist Spencer Wells (PBS National Geo) has called the San bushmen of the Kalahari and the related !Khong tribe in southwest Africa, the last remaining original humans. Wells says that of all the people on earth "the San are direct descendants of our oldest ancestors."
According to the NY Times Dec 2016, "gene variants in Inuit who live in Greenland... may help them adapt to the cold by promoting heat-generating body fat." Inuits have an "evolutionary advantage" to overcome extremely cold temperatures from an unusually high mix of Neanderthal and Denisovan DNA.
Australian and New Guinean aborigine lines can be traced back to archaic humans, 60,000 to 80,000 years ago. And geneticists now believe they "may have mated with a previously-unknown human species." (SmithsonianMag.com Sep 2016)
No. We celebrate maximum diversity for the human species. The more diverse modern day homo sapiens, the more chance for ultimate survival.
Left-leaning paleontologists and anthropologists such as Dr. John Hawks of the University of Wisconsin, have been fighting back against recent evidence showing extreme genetic variance in modern humans. They claim that even Africans have traces of Neanderthal DNA.
Yet, very little archaeological evidence has been discovered to back their claim. And the few sites where some potential evidence has been discovered, are located in extreme northern tips of the African continent where mixture with Eurasians may have occurred at a much later date.
Additionally, the highest concentrations of genetic evidence, amount to about .05% Neanderthal, mostly in extreme northeast coastal Africa.
The human evolutionary tree changes by the year. In 2016 major paleontology news was made with the discovery of Graecopithecus in Greece and Bulgaria, suggesting human origins in Europe going back some 800,000 years. In 2015 Dr. Lee Berger uncovered Homo Naledi in caves in South Africa.
Darwin Subspecieists tend towards Multi-Regional and away from Out of Africa. Multi-Regional is particularly popular among Russian, Siberian and East Asian paleontologists. A leading proponent of Multi-Regional theory in the United States is Dr. Milford Wolpoff of the University of Michigan.
Subspecies (Race) mixing is fine. However, preservation of modern ethno-states including increasingly endangered white nations, is essential. Just as important is ensuring that isolated tribes with ancient lineages in the Pacific, Indian Ocean, Africa, Oceania and other regions do not go extinct.
Darwin Subspecieists support all efforts to preserve threatened populations like the San Bushmen of the Kalahari, nearby !Khung bushmen, high mountain Tibetans, Andaman Islanders in the Indian Ocean, Aeta tribe of the Philippines, Greenland Inuits and South African whites. Their survival is vital to maintain maximum diversity of our species.
(Aborigine, Andaman Islanders, Tibetan, Pygmies, Bengali Toto, Tasmanians, and Fuegians above.)


text:
- Bankrupts and Usurers of Imperial Russia: Debt, Property, and the Law in the Age of Dostoevsky and Tolstoy by Sergei Antonov
In late 2015, a new law went on the books in Russia that allowed individual citizens to file for bankruptcy. The law applied to all types of loans, from consumer and car loans to mortgages and borrowings in a foreign currency. Previously, in post-Soviet Russia, only legal entities such as companies and business partnerships could file for such protection. This change takes us back to the imperial era when private credit and personal bankruptcy were common.
Antonov’s fascinating new book sheds light on the little-studied subject of bankrupts and usurers in nineteenth-century Russia. It joins a recent revival of the legal and administrative history of Russia represented in works by Burbank about peasant legal practice, Pravilova about property law, and Kotsonis about taxation and citizenship.1 Like these other authors, Antonov builds his study on a strong foundation of social [End Page 265] history and rests his arguments on detailed cases of actual usurers and bankrupts.
Antonov accompanies his impressive survey of credit and the law in imperial Russia with frequent comparisons to developments in Europe and the United States. His purpose is to demonstrate that Russia should not be viewed as “backward” in its moneylending practices. A culture of credit that included commonly accepted values, practices, and laws, he argues, was well developed in Russia at all levels of society long before the Great Reforms of the 1860s that overhauled the judicial system. He criticizes writers who idealize Western rationality and compare it to Russia’s supposed lack of rationality and adherence to the rule of law. His study, he claims, “undermines the view that the reforms were imposed on a population whose legal culture had no use for these innovations” (16).
The book is divided into two parts—the culture of debt, and debt and the law. Part 1 offers a series of stories about lenders who charged abusive rates, who were seen as usurers, and whom the police sought to curb in order to protect profligate nobles from ruining their families. But the authorities also had to weigh this objective against the need to keep the flow of credit open even for some high-risk borrowers. Antonov notes that private credit “greatly exceeded state credit operations” and therefore was vital to economic growth.
He also points out that improvident nobles were not the outsized problem that is portrayed in Russian literature. Government banking operations did not subsidize the nobility, as is often thought. On the contrary, writes Antonov, the Moscow Board of Trustees bank, which granted loans to the nobility, was paid back more than it lent and “enjoyed a significant positive balance in its accounts.” Commercial credit showed the same level of responsible borrowing. Merchants usually paid off their loans to the Commercial Bank of Saint Petersburg, bad debts being a small part of the picture. Antonov analyzes the social position of borrowers and lenders, the role of friends and family in lending, and cases of swindlers and conmen. Part 2 looks at the role of mediators such as lawyers, scriveners, and government officials in facilitating loans and settlements. Antonov also treats the question of debtors’ prisons and the work of charitable societies in assisting debtors.
At times, Antonov strains to make what sounds like a strawman argument, writing, for example, that “my research contradicts the myth that pre-reform law was dysfunctional to the point of not deserving to be called law at all and that Russians possessed no culture of using the courts in a rational and efficient way to promote and protect their property interests” (285). On this point, and in the book generally, Antonov is working against a body of literature produced by jurists in the late imperial era who exaggerated the inadequacies of pre-reform legal practice in an effort to defend the 1860s judicial reforms against attempts by conservatives to...

domain: library


How consumers plan to spend this holiday season, compared with last year:
Portion of consumers who use coupons when holiday shopping:
33% The portion of Americans who say they have no spare cash this holiday season
This 7-Minute Morning Routine Will Change Your (Work) Life
MassRoots Becomes the Biggest Hit in the Marijuana Business
18 Things You Need to Stop Doing if You Want to Be Successful
What's All This Mess About Building Your Personal Brand?
37 Secrets Only Successful People Know


text:
Turkey's Earth Quake
Zakat Foundation of America is on the ground in Turkey & Syria
News had just broken of the catastrophe in Turkiye and Syria around the time Zakat Foundation of America’s founder and executive director, Halil Demir, got a call from his sister in Gaziantep, Turkiye.
She told him how frightened the 7.8 earthquake left her and their family. That was Sunday night. By Monday night, he was on a flight to Turkiye so he could be on the front lines, helping where he can, and assessing the situation so the nonprofit could help in more deliberate and concrete ways.
Zakat Foundation of America has been working in Turkiye since the nonprofit was founded in 2001, and its work in Syria predates the civil war — though the war necessitated increased efforts. In both countries, Zakat Foundation of America is providing emergency relief, including daily distributions of food, medical supplies, hygiene kits, tents and mats.
The earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria have killed more than 21,000. The death toll is still rising as search-and-rescue teams uncover more bodies in the process of saving more lives. Though Zakat Foundation of America’s office in Turkiye has been damaged, its team is on the ground, alongside their executive director, providing as much relief and hope as they can. In addition to this emergency, short-term response, Zakat Foundation of America is committed to remaining in Turkiye and Syria to help rebuild long-term.
The cold winter weather and crumbled infrastructure are multiplying the catastrophe’s impact.


text:
02:00PM, Thursday 12 March 2020
Photo by Iain Morgan
About 30 attendees spent the evening browsing and buying creations from artists at an exhibition fundraising for those affected by the Australian bushfires.
The exhibition, organised by artists Sarah Lawman from Ascot and Liza Lambert from Cippenham, both of whom have family in Australia, took place at Oberon Art in Burnham High Street on Saturday, February 15 and featured the work of 10 artists, nine of whom attended on the evening.
Guests, including the artists’ family and friends, spent their time chatting and browsing the various items on offer which included: paintings, photography, printed work, ceramics and candles, some of which had an Australian theme.
Sarah, an artist and art teacher who runs workshops under her business SL Art, also gave a speech thanking guests, explaining why the fundraiser was held, touching upon her family connections in Australia and encouraging guests to put donations in the buckets.
She said: “I think it’s really important to address [the purpose of the exhibition].
“I think that it would also encourage people [as] most of them know what it was about but some of them may not have done and I think it put it into perspective for them.”
The evening, which saw artists donate 20 to 30 per cent of the proceeds from any artwork sold, raised a total of £352 to go to the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie as well as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Sarah added: “We had a wonderful turnout, I was really pleased and everyone really enjoyed themselves and bought lots of things, that was the greatest part of it all.
Video by Zoey Lambert
“We were very pleased with the amount raised just from a few hours work.
“I was really impressed. I think some people really made the effort to come over too and there were [residents] who dropped in as well which was really nice.
“I hit the ceiling I suppose when I got in, it’s made me really think well this does work and to do some more of it. It’s a fantastic incentive for everyone involved.”
Discussing her reaction from her family in Australia, she said: “I think [they are] really chuffed, it just means a lot.
“It makes me want to raise even more because it’s still going on.”
Liza Lambert said: “It was nice to support the Koala Hospital, it’s more of a smaller one which is nice.
“It’s just nice to give something back and hopefully we can do it again.
“It was successful all round for everyone I think. It’s nice to meet the other artists.”
Top Ten Articles
Slough has one of the highest COVID-19 related death rates for a local authority outside of London, national statistics reveal.

domain: artistic