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Ecker, C., Marquand, A., Mourao-Miranda, J., Johnston, P., Daly, E. M., Brammer, M. J., et al. (2010). Describing the Brain in Autism in Five Dimensions--Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Assisted Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder Using a Multiparameter Classification Approach. J. Neurosci., 30(32), 10612–10623.
Abstract: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition with multiple causes, comorbid conditions, and a wide range in the type and severity of symptoms expressed by different individuals. This makes the neuroanatomy of autism inherently difficult to describe. Here, we demonstrate how a multiparameter classification approach can be used to characterize the complex and subtle structural pattern of gray matter anatomy implicated in adults with ASD, and to reveal spatially distributed patterns of discriminating regions for a variety of parameters describing brain anatomy. A set of five morphological parameters including volumetric and geometric features at each spatial location on the cortical surface was used to discriminate between people with ASD and controls using a support vector machine (SVM) analytic approach, and to find a spatially distributed pattern of regions with maximal classification weights. On the basis of these patterns, SVM was able to identify individuals with ASD at a sensitivity and specificity of up to 90% and 80%, respectively. However, the ability of individual cortical features to discriminate between groups was highly variable, and the discriminating patterns of regions varied across parameters. The classification was specific to ASD rather than neurodevelopmental conditions in general (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Our results confirm the hypothesis that the neuroanatomy of autism is truly multidimensional, and affects multiple and most likely independent cortical features. The spatial patterns detected using SVM may help further exploration of the specific genetic and neuropathological underpinnings of ASD, and provide new insights into the most likely multifactorial etiology of the condition.
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Becker, C. D., & Ginsberg, J. R. (1990). Mother-infant behaviour of wild Grevy's zebra: adaptations for survival in semidesert East Africa. Anim. Behav., 40(6), 1111–1118.
Abstract: Mother-infant interactions and patterns of foal behaviour in the Grevy's zebra, Equus grevyi, differe from those reported for other equids. Grevy's zebra foals exhibit longer intervals between suckling bouts, do not drink water until they are 3 months old, and reach independence from the mare sooner than other equids. Furthermore, Grevy's zebra foals advance their acquisition of adult feeding behaviour. A 6-week-old Grevy's zebra foal spends as much time feeding as a 5-month-old wild horse foal. From the time their foals are born until the foals reach an age of 3 months, females form small groups (three females and their foals). These groups are never found further than 2·0 km from surface water and are usually associated with a territorial male. Unlike other equids, the foals of which always follow their mares, when female Grevy's zebra go to drink, they leave their foals in “kindergartens”, which are guarded by a single adult animal, usually a territorial male. It is proposed that many of these differences in behaviour and rates of juvenile development are the result of adaptation to an arid environment. Water requirements during early lactation appear to influence strongly the social behaviour of the Grevy's zebra and should also be a strong influence on the mother-infant behaviour of other arid-living ungulates.
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Hertsch, B., & Becker, C. (1986). [Occurrence of aseptic necrosis of the palmar and plantar ligament in the horse--a contribution to the differentiation of sesamoid bone diseases]. Dtsch Tierarztl Wochenschr, 93(6), 263–266.
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Kraus-Hansen, A. E., Fackelman, G. E., Becker, C., Williams, R. M., & Pipers, F. S. (1992). Preliminary studies on the vascular anatomy of the equine superficial digital flexor tendon. Equine Vet J, 24(1), 46–51.
Abstract: The vascular and microvascular anatomy of normal equine superficial digital flexor tendons was studied by dissection of vinyl-perfused specimens and by microangiography on high detail film. The presence of an extensive intratendinous vascular latticework was confirmed, and a 'nutrient artery' described closely associated with the accessory ligament of the superficial digital flexor tendon (proximal check ligament). Circumferential stripping of the paratenon from the tendon to eliminate afferent vessels was performed bilaterally in three horses and unilaterally in a fourth, followed by a treadmill training regimen. No resulting intratendinous lesions could be documented on gross post mortem and histological examination at three, 10, or 35 days post operatively. There was mild paratendinous proliferation in all instances. In one horse, four intratendinous ligatures were placed within the medial and lateral borders of the contralateral tendon to isolate further from its blood supply a 10 cm segment. Gross lesions at 35 days post operatively included a marked paratendinous response involving the entire 10 cm segment, and a darkened, soft focus within the core of the tendon. Histopathology and electron microscopy demonstrated focal degeneration. It was concluded that the blood supply of the normal equine superficial digital flexor tendon is primarily intratendinous, rather than paratendinous as previously thought. The lesions in one horse similar to those in naturally occurring tendinitis supported a vascular aetiology of the disease, and set the groundwork for studies aimed at the development of a clinically relevant tendinitis model.
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