Holistic corpus-based dialectology Dialetologia holística baseada em corpus

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Benedikt Szmrecsanyi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This paper is concerned with sketching future directions for corpus-based dialectology. We advocate a holistic approach to the study of geographically conditioned linguistic variability, and we present a suitable methodology, 'corpusbased dialectometry', in exactly this spirit. Specifically, we argue that in order to live up to the potential of the corpus-based method, practitioners need to (i abandon their exclusive focus on individual linguistic features in favor of the study of feature aggregates, (ii draw on computationally advanced multivariate analysis techniques (such as multidimensional scaling, cluster analysis, and principal component analysis, and (iii aid interpretation of empirical results by marshalling state-of-the-art data visualization techniques. To exemplify this line of analysis, we present a case study which explores joint frequency variability of 57 morphosyntax features in 34 dialects all over Great Britain.Este artigo debruça-se sobre o esboço propositivo de futuras direções para a dialetologia baseada em corpus. Defendemos uma abordagem holística para o estudo da variabilidade linguística geograficamente condicionada, e apresentamos uma metodologia adequada para tal - a dialetometria baseada em corpus. Mais especificamente, defendemos que para que se obtenham todos os resultados esperados da metodologia de corpus, pesquisadores devem: (i abandonar seu foco exclusivo em traços linguísticos individuais em favor do estudo dos agregados de traços, (ii amparar-se em métodos computacionais avançados de técnicas de análise multivariada (tais como escalagem multidimensional, análise de clusters, e análise de componente principal, e (iii auxiliar a interpretação de resultados empíricos através da utilização do estado da arte em técnicas de visualização. A fim de exemplificarmos essa linha de análise, apresentamos um estudo de caso que explora a variabilidade da frequência agregada de 57 tra

Functional connectivity of the dorsal striatum in female musicians

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Shoji eTanaka

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The dorsal striatum (caudate/putamen is a node of the cortico-striato-pallido-thalamo-cortical (CSPTC motor circuit, which plays a central role in skilled motor learning, a critical feature of musical performance. The dorsal striatum receives input from a large part of the cerebral cortex, forming a hub in the cortical-subcortical network. This study sought to examine how the functional network of the dorsal striatum differs between musicians and nonmusicians.Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI data were acquired from female university students majoring in music and nonmusic disciplines. The data were subjected to graph theoretical analysis and functional connectivity analysis. The graph theoretical analysis of the entire brain revealed that the degree, which represents the number of connections, of the bilateral putamen was significantly lower in musicians than in nonmusicians. The functional connectivity analysis indicated that compared with nonmusicians, musicians had significantly decreased connectivity between the left putamen and bilateral frontal operculum and between the left caudate nucleus and cerebellum. In conclusion, compared with nonmusicians, female musicians have a smaller functional network of the dorsal striatum, with decreased connectivity. These data are consistent with previous anatomical studies reporting a reduced volume of the dorsal striatum in musicians and ballet dancers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study suggesting that long-term musical training results in a less extensive or selective functional network of the dorsal striatum.

Towards proper name generation : A corpus analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Castro Ferreira, Thiago; Wubben, Sander; Krahmer, Emiel

We introduce a corpus for the study of proper name generation. The corpus consists of proper name references to people in webpages, extracted from the Wikilinks corpus. In our analyses, we aim to identify the different ways, in terms of length and form, in which a proper names are produced

Neurochemical characterization of the tree shrew dorsal striatum

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MATTHEW W RICE

2011-08-01

Full Text Available The striatum is a major component of the basal ganglia and is associated with motor and cognitive functions. Striatal pathologies have been linked to several disorders, including Huntington's, Tourette's syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorders and schizophrenia. For the study of these striatal pathologies different animal models have been used, including rodents and non-human primates. Rodents lack on morphological complexity (for example, the lack of well defined caudate and putamen nuclei, which makes it difficult to translate data to the human paradigm. Primates, and especially higher primates, are the closest model to humans, but there are ever-increasing restrictions to the use of these animals for research. In our search for a non-primate animal model with a striatum that anatomically (and perhaps functionally can resemble that of humans, we turned our attention to the tree shrew. Evolutionary genetic studies have provided strong data supporting that the tree shrews (Scadentia are one of the closest groups to primates, although their brain anatomy has only been studied in detail for specific brain areas. Morphologically, the tree shrew striatum resembles the primate striatum with the presence of an internal capsule separating the caudate and putamen, but little is known about its neurochemical composition. Here we analyzed the expression of calcium-binding proteins, the presence and distribution of the striosome and matrix compartments (by the use of calbindin, tyrosine hydroxylase and acetylcholinesterase immunohistochemistry, and the GABAergic system by immunohistochemistry against glutamic acid decarboxylase and Golgi impregnation. In summary, our results show that when compared to primates, the tree shrew dorsal striatum presents striking similarities in the distribution of most of the markers studied, while presenting some marked divergences when compared to the rodent striatum.

KoralQuery -- A General Corpus Query Protocol

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bingel, Joachim; Diewald, Nils

2015-01-01

. In this paper, we present KoralQuery, a JSON-LD based general corpus query protocol, aiming to be independent of particular QLs, tasks and corpus formats. In addition to describing the system of types and operations that KoralQuery is built on, we exemplify the representation of corpus queries in the serialized...

Corpus Approaches to Language Ideology

Science.gov (United States)

Vessey, Rachelle

2017-01-01

This paper outlines how corpus linguistics--and more specifically the corpus-assisted discourse studies approach--can add useful dimensions to studies of language ideology. First, it is argued that the identification of words of high, low, and statistically significant frequency can help in the identification and exploration of language ideologies…

Contrast radiographic study of venous drainage of the corpus cavernosum and the corpus spongiosum of the cat penis.

Science.gov (United States)

Amiri, Ali Akbar; Gilanpour, Hassan; Veshkini, Abbas

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the drainage routes of the corpus cvernosum penis and the corpus spongiosum penis in the cat using contrast cavernosography. Five male cats, 1.5-2.5 years old, weighing between 4.5 and 5.5 kg were investigated. The cats were anesthetized and the root and the proximal part of the penis were exposed by an incision on the perineum reaching the scrotum. Each cat was radiographed in lateral and dorsal recumbency before and during injection of contrast medium into the erectile bodies. The corpus spongiosum penis was injected at the bulb of the penis and the corpus cavernosum penis at the root. Injection of contrast media into the cavernous bodies showed that both the external and internal iliac veins drain the erectile bodies into the caudal vena cava. Drainage from the corpus spongiosum penis was from the bulb for the proximal part and from the glans for the distal part. The corpus cavernosum penis was drained only proximally, from the crura. There was a network of veins above the pelvic symphysis and the drainage of erectile bodies where through various routes into the internal and external iliac veins.

The Ndebele Language Corpus: A Review of Some Factors Influencing the Content of the Corpus*

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Samukele Hadebe

2011-10-01

Full Text Available

Abstract: The Ndebele language corpus described here is that compiled by the ALLEX Project (now ALRI at the University of Zimbabwe. It is intended to reflect as much as possible the Ndebele language as spoken in Zimbabwe. The Ndebele language corpus was built in order to provide much-needed material for the study of the Ndebele language with a special focus on dictionarymaking and research. Like most corpora, the Ndebele language corpus may in future be used for other purposes not thought of at the time of its inception. It has been designed to meet generally acceptable standards so that it can be adaptable to various possible uses by various researchers. The article wants to outline the building process of the Ndebele language corpus with special emphasis on the challenges that faced compilers, and possible solutions. It is assumed that some of these challenges might not be peculiar to Ndebele alone but could also affect related African languages in a more or less similar situation. The main focus of the discussion will be the composition of the Ndebele language corpus, i.e. the type of texts that constitute the corpus. The corpus is composed of published texts, unpublished texts and oral material gathered from Ndebele-speaking districts of Zimbabwe. It will be argued that the use of the corpus and its reliability for research depends among other factors on its contents. It will also be shown that the contents of a corpus depend on a number of factors, some of which include sociolinguistic, political and economic considerations. These considerations have implications on both the content and quality of published and oral texts that constitute the Ndebele language corpus.

Keywords: CORPUS, ORAL MATERIALS, CODE-MIXING, CODE-SWITCHING, MOTHER- TONGUE, NDEBELE

Opsomming: Die Ndebeletaalkorpus: 'n Oorsig van sommige faktore wat die inhoud van die korpus be?nvloed. Die Ndebeletaalkorpus wat hier beskryf word, is di? saamgestel deur die

Measurement of normal corpus callosum with MRI in Korean adults and morphological change of corpus callosum by grade of hydrocephalus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Dong Hoon; Chang, Seung Kuk; Kim, Jong Deok; Eun, Tchoong Kie; Park, Dong Woo

1995-01-01

To measure the size of normal corpus callosum in each portion using objective and reproducible method with MRI and evaluation of morphological change of corpus callosum by grade of hydrocephalus. Midsagittal T1-weighted MR imaging of the corpus callosum was investigated in 41 volunteers of normal Korean adults and 19 patients with hydrocephalus. Corpus callosum was measured for the anteroposterior length(A), height(B), and the thickness of genu(C), body(D), splenium(E), and the narrowest portion of body(F). And the analysis of morphology and signal intensity of the corpus callosum were also evaluated. Hydrocephalus was graded as mild, moderate, and severe, and comparison of thickness with normal corpus callosum in each portion was done. The mean length and height were 72.3 mm, 28.6 mm in male, and 70.7 mm, 28.9 mm in female. And the mean dimension for C, D, E and F were 13.1 mm, 8 mm, 13.2 mm, 5.2 mm in male, and 12.8 mm, 7.5 mm, 12.3 mm, 5 mm in female. The morphology of normal corpus callosum was 'hook' shaped on midline sagittal T1-weighted image. Narrowing at posterior third portion of body were present on 30 cases(73.2%) and even in thickness of the body in 11 cases(26.8%). The signal intensity of the corpus callosum on midsagittal T1-weighted spin echo image of normal cases was homogeneous hyperintense as compared with cerebral gray matter. In hydrocephalus, A and B were increased and other portions were decreased in thickness. Genu and the narrowest portion of body showed significant difference of thickness according to the grade of hydrocephalus. The mean dimension of all portion of corpus callosum were larger in male than female except for callosal height but not significant statistically with the exception of splenium. Hydrocephalus lead to morphological change of the corpus callosum. Among the portion of corpus callosum, genu and the narrowest portion of the body were thought to be the most sensitive indicators of degree in hydrocephalus

Urethritis due to corynebacterium striatum: An emerging germ.

Science.gov (United States)

Frikh, Mohammed; El Yaagoubi, Imad; Lemnouer, Abdelhay; Elouennass, Mostafa

2015-01-01

Corynedbacterium striatum (CS) is a Gram-positive coryneform bacillus that is part of mucous and skin flora. It has been considered as a causative agent of many infections in intensive care, neurology, traumatology and urology, but was never implicated in non-gonococcal urethritis. We report the case of a nosocomial urethritis due to Corynebacterium striatum following resection of an intrameatus condyloma.

[Behavioral and cognitive profile of corpus callosum agenesia - Review].

Science.gov (United States)

Lábadi, Beatrix; Beke, Anna Maria

2016-11-30

Agenesis of corpus callosum is a relatively frequent congenital cerebral malformation including dysplasia, total or partial absence of corpus callosum. The agenesis of corpus callosum can be occured in isolated form without accompanying somatic or central nervous system abnormalities and it can be associated with other central nervus system malformations. The behavioral and cognitive outcome is more favorable for patients with isolated agenesis of corpus callous than syndromic form of corpus callosum. The aim of this study is to review recent research on behavioral and social-cognitive functions in individuals with agenesis of corpus callosum. Developmental delay is common especially in higher-order cognitive and social functions. An internet database search was performed to identify publications on the subject. Fifty-five publications in English corresponded to the criteria. These studies reported deficits in language, social cognition and emotions in individuals with agenesis of corpus callosum which is known as primary corpus callous syndrome. The results indicate that individuals with agenesis of corpus callosum have deficiency in social-cognitive domain (recognition of emotions, weakness in paralinguistic aspects of language and mentalizing abilities). The impaired social cognition can be manifested in behavioral problems like autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Neuroimaging Studies Of Striatum In Cognition, Part I: Healthy Individuals

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Jean-Sebastien eProvost

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The striatum has traditionally mainly been associated with playing a key role in the modulation of motor functions. Indeed, lesion studies in animals and studies of some neurological conditions in humans have brought further evidence to this idea. However, better methods of investigation have raised concerns about this notion, and it was proposed that the striatum could also be involved in different types of functions including cognitive ones. Although the notion was originally a matter of debate, it is now well accepted that the caudate nucleus contributes to cognition, while the putamen could be involved in motor functions, and to some extent in cognitive functions as well. With the arrival of modern neuroimaging techniques in the early 1990, knowledge supporting the cognitive aspect of the striatum has greatly increased, and a substantial number of scientific papers were published studying the role of the striatum in healthy individuals. For the first time, it was possible to assess the contribution of specific areas of the brain during the execution of a cognitive task. Neuroanatomical studies have described functional loops involving the striatum and the prefrontal cortex suggesting a specific interaction between these two structures. This review examines the data up to date and provides strong evidence for a specific contribution of the fronto-striatal regions in different cognitive processes, such as set-shifting, self-initiated responses, rule learning, action-contingency, and planning. Finally, a new two-level functional model involving the prefrontal cortex and the dorsal striatum is proposed suggesting an essential role of the dorsal striatum in selecting between competing potential responses or actions, and in resolving a high level of ambiguity.

Cocaine exposure shifts the balance of associative encoding from ventral to dorsolateral striatum

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Yuji Takahashi

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Both dorsal and ventral striatum are implicated in the "habitization" of behavior that occurs in addiction. Here we examined the effect of cocaine exposure on associative encoding in these two regions. Neural activity was recorded during go/no-go discrimination learning and reversal. Activity in ventral striatum developed and reversed rapidly, tracking the valence of the predicted outcome, whereas activity in dorsolateral striatum developed and reversed more slowly, tracking discriminative responding. This difference is consistent with the putative roles of these two areas in promoting habit-like behavior. Dorsolateral striatum has been directly implicated in habit or stimulus response learning, whereas ventral striatum appears to be involved indirectly by allowing cues associated with reward to exert a general motivational influence on responding. Interestingly cocaine exposure did not uniformly enhance processing across both regions. Instead cocaine reduced the degree and flexibility of cue-evoked firing in ventral striatum while marginally enhanced cue-selective firing in dorsolateral striatum. Thus cocaine exposure causes regionally specific effects on neural processing in striatum; these effects may promote the habitization of behavior by shifting control from ventral to dorsolateral regions.

MR measurement of normal corpus callosum in children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hyoung Sub; Kim, Jong Chul; Kang, Yong Soo; Lee, Young Hwan; Kim, Young Wol

1997-01-01

To measure the mean size of the various portions of the corpus callosum in normal Korean children, using MR imaging. Our subjects were 166 children (male : female=100 : 66) aged under 15 whose findings on MR imaging and neurologic examination were normal. Using midsagittal T1-weighted imaging, we measured the length of the brain and corpus callosum, the height of the latter, and the thickness of its genu body, transitional zone and splenium. The measurements were statistically analysed according to age and sex. Brain length and the size of the various portions of the corpus callosum tended to increase relatively rapidly during the first three years of life, but the rate of growth tended to decrease according to age. The mean lenght of the brain and corpus callosum and the mean thickness of the splenium of the corpus callosum did not differ according to sex. The mean thickness of the genu, body and transitional zone of the corpus callosum was greater in males than in females. The ratio of the length of the corpus callosum to the anteroposterior diameter of the brain was significantly greater in females than in males (alpha=0.05). Using MR imaging, we measured the mean sizes of the various portions of the corpus callosum in normal children;these values may provide a useful basis for determing changes occurring in its structure

Altered structural covariance of the striatum in functional dyspepsia patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, P; Zeng, F; Yang, F; Wang, J; Liu, X; Wang, Q; Zhou, G; Zhang, D; Zhu, M; Zhao, R; Wang, A; Gong, Q; Liang, F

2014-08-01

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is thought to be involved in dysregulation within the brain-gut axis. Recently, altered striatum activation has been reported in patients with FD. However, the gray matter (GM) volumes in the striatum and structural covariance patterns of this area are rarely explored. The purpose of this study was to examine the GM volumes and structural covariance patterns of the striatum between FD patients and healthy controls (HCs). T1-weighted magnetic resonance images were obtained from 44 FD patients and 39 HCs. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis was adopted to examine the GM volumes in the two groups. The caudate- or putamen-related regions identified from VBM analysis were then used as seeds to map the whole brain voxel-wise structural covariance patterns. Finally, a correlation analysis was used to investigate the effects of FD symptoms on the striatum. The results showed increased GM volumes in the bilateral putamen and right caudate. Compared with the structural covariance patterns of the HCs, the FD-related differences were mainly located in the amygdala, hippocampus/parahippocampus (HIPP/paraHIPP), thalamus, lingual gyrus, and cerebellum. And significant positive correlations were found between the volumes in the striatum and the FD duration in the patients. These findings provided preliminary evidence for GM changes in the striatum and different structural covariance patterns in patients with FD. The current results might expand our understanding of the pathophysiology of FD. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dopamine release in ventral striatum of pathological gamblers losing money

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Linnet, J; Peterson, E; Doudet, D J

2010-01-01

Linnet J, Peterson E, Doudet DJ, Gjedde A, Møller A. Dopamine release in ventral striatum of pathological gamblers losing money. Objective: To investigate dopaminergic neurotransmission in relation to monetary reward and punishment in pathological gambling. Pathological gamblers (PG) often continue...... gambling despite losses, known as 'chasing one's losses'. We therefore hypothesized that losing money would be associated with increased dopamine release in the ventral striatum of PG compared with healthy controls (HC). Method: We used Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with [(11)C]raclopride to measure...... dopamine release in the ventral striatum of 16 PG and 15 HC playing the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Results: PG who lost money had significantly increased dopamine release in the left ventral striatum compared with HC. PG and HC who won money did not differ in dopamine release. Conclusion: Our findings...

Orfismo en el Corpus Philostrateum

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Susana M. Lizcano Rejano

2003-06-01

Full Text Available We search through the Corpus Philostrateum for the presence of connections between this literary production and Orphismus – its system of beliefs, its peculiar interpretation of the traditional Greek mythology, its proposal for a particular way of life. Also, we try to determine the relation, that we can find in this corpus between the ideology and customs that the Pythagoreans and Orphics supported.

Effect of soman on the cholinergic system in mouse brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tripathi, H.L.; Szakal, A.R.; Little, D.M.; Dewey, W.L.

1986-01-01

The effects of soman on levels of acetylcholine (ACh) and choline (Ch) and turnover rate of ACh have been studied in whole brain and brain regions (cerebellum, medulla-pons, midbrain, corpus striatum, hippocampus and cortex) of mice. Animals were injected with saline or a dose of soman up to 80μg/kg, i.v. and were sacrificed by focussed microwave irradiation of the head. The tracer, 3 H-Ch was injected (i.v.) 2 min prior to sacrifice and turnover rate of ACh was quantitated by using HPLC with electrochemical detection. A behaviorally effective dose of 80 μg/kg soman increased the levels of ACh significantly in whole brain (57.5%), corpus striatum (42.8%), hippocampus (24.1%) and cortex (43.1%). The levels of Ch were also increased in cerebellum (80.1%), midbrain (75.7%), corpus striatum (86.0%) and cortex (52.5%). The turnover rate of ACh was decreased in whole brain (53.8%), cerebellum (80.4%), medulla-pons (66.8%), midbrain (57.0%), corpus striatum (62.1%) and cortex (52.6%). The duration of these effects lasted more than 1 hr and the results indicate that the decrease in ACh turnover is not due necessarily to an increase in brain levels of ACh and/or Ch

Divergent approaches to corpus processing: the need for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

With a good corpus, data can be provided giving an authoritative body of linguistic evidence which can support generalisations and against which hypotheses can be tested. As this proves the invaluable status of a corpus, the article assesses the processing of the Shona corpus and discusses how some aspects of the ...

Dictionary Writing System (DWS) + Corpus Query Package (CQP ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this article the integrated corpus query functionality of the dictionary compilation software TshwaneLex is analysed. Attention is given to the handling of both raw corpus data and annotated corpus data. With regard to the latter it is shown how, with a minimum of human effort, machine learning techniques can be employed ...

Corpus-Based Investigations of Language Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Biber, Douglas; And Others

1996-01-01

Examines a representative text corpus to gain insights into language structure and use and to open new areas of linguistic inquiry. Various illustrations are presented that provide a glimpse into the value of corpus-based investigations for increasing one's understanding of language use and imparting insights important for designing effective…

Spike-timing dependent plasticity in the striatum

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Elodie Fino

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The striatum is the major input nucleus of basal ganglia, an ensemble of interconnected sub-cortical nuclei associated with fundamental processes of action-selection and procedural learning and memory. The striatum receives afferents from the cerebral cortex and the thalamus. In turn, it relays the integrated information towards the basal ganglia output nuclei through which it operates a selected activation of behavioral effectors. The striatal output neurons, the GABAergic medium-sized spiny neurons (MSNs, are in charge of the detection and integration of behaviorally relevant information. This property confers to the striatum the ability to extract relevant information from the background noise and select cognitive-motor sequences adapted to environmental stimuli. As long-term synaptic efficacy changes are believed to underlie learning and memory, the corticostriatal long-term plasticity provides a fundamental mechanism for the function of the basal ganglia in procedural learning. Here, we reviewed the different forms of spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP occurring at corticostriatal synapses. Most of the studies have focused on MSNs and their ability to develop long-term plasticity. Nevertheless, the striatal interneurons (the fast-spiking GABAergic, the NO synthase and cholinergic interneurons also receive monosynaptic afferents from the cortex and tightly regulated corticostriatal information processing. Therefore, it is important to take into account the variety of striatal neurons to fully understand the ability of striatum to develop long-term plasticity. Corticostriatal STDP with various spike-timing dependence have been observed depending on the neuronal sub-populations and experimental conditions. This complexity highlights the extraordinary potentiality in term of plasticity of the corticostriatal pathway.

The Yale-Classical Archives Corpus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher William White

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The Yale-Classical Archives Corpus (YCAC contains harmonic and rhythmic information for a dataset of Western European Classical art music. This corpus is based on data from classicalarchives.com, a repository of thousands of user-generated MIDI representations of pieces from several periods of Western European music history. The YCAC makes available metadata for each MIDI file, as well as a list of pitch simultaneities ("salami slices" in the MIDI file. Metadata include the piece's composer, the composer's country of origin, date of composition, genre (e.g., symphony, piano sonata, nocturne, etc., instrumentation, meter, and key. The processing step groups the file's pitches into vertical slices each time a pitch is added or subtracted from the texture, recording the slice's offset (measured in the number of quarter notes separating the event from the file's beginning, highest pitch, lowest pitch, prime form, scale-degrees in relation to the global key (as determined by experts, and local key information (as determined by a windowed key-profile analysis. The corpus contains 13,769 MIDI files by 571 composers yielding over 14,051,144 vertical slices. This paper outlines several properties of this corpus, along with a representative study using this dataset.

Neuroimaging studies of the striatum in cognition Part I: healthy individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Provost, Jean-Sebastien; Hanganu, Alexandru; Monchi, Oury

2015-01-01

The striatum has traditionally mainly been associated with playing a key role in the modulation of motor functions. Indeed, lesion studies in animals and studies of some neurological conditions in humans have brought further evidence to this idea. However, better methods of investigation have raised concerns about this notion, and it was proposed that the striatum could also be involved in different types of functions including cognitive ones. Although the notion was originally a matter of debate, it is now well-accepted that the caudate nucleus contributes to cognition, while the putamen could be involved in motor functions, and to some extent in cognitive functions as well. With the arrival of modern neuroimaging techniques in the early 1990, knowledge supporting the cognitive aspect of the striatum has greatly increased, and a substantial number of scientific papers were published studying the role of the striatum in healthy individuals. For the first time, it was possible to assess the contribution of specific areas of the brain during the execution of a cognitive task. Neuroanatomical studies have described functional loops involving the striatum and the prefrontal cortex suggesting a specific interaction between these two structures. This review examines the data up to date and provides strong evidence for a specific contribution of the fronto-striatal regions in different cognitive processes, such as set-shifting, self-initiated responses, rule learning, action-contingency, and planning. Finally, a new two-level functional model involving the prefrontal cortex and the dorsal striatum is proposed suggesting an essential role of the dorsal striatum in selecting between competing potential responses or actions, and in resolving a high level of ambiguity.

Shape abnormalities of the striatum in Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

de Jong, Laura W; Ferrarini, Luca; van der Grond, Jeroen; Milles, Julien R; Reiber, Johan H C; Westendorp, Rudi G J; Bollen, Edward L E M; Middelkoop, Huub A M; van Buchem, Mark A

2011-01-01

Postmortem studies show pathological changes in the striatum in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we examine the surface of the striatum in AD and assess whether changes of the surface are associated with impaired cognitive functioning. The shape of the striatum (n. accumbens, caudate nucleus, and putamen) was compared between 35 AD patients and 35 individuals without cognitive impairment. The striatum was automatically segmented from 3D T1 magnetic resonance images and automatic shape modeling tools (Growing Adaptive Meshes) were applied for morphometrical analysis. Repeated permutation tests were used to identify locations of consistent shape deformities of the striatal surface in AD. Linear regression models, corrected for age, gender, educational level, head size, and total brain parenchymal volume were used to assess the relation between cognitive performance and local surface deformities. In AD patients, differences of shape were observed on the medial head of the caudate nucleus and on the ventral lateral putamen, but not on the accumbens. The head of the caudate nucleus and ventral lateral putamen are characterized by extensive connections with the orbitofrontal and medial temporal cortices. Severity of cognitive impairment was associated with the degree of deformity of the surfaces of the accumbens, rostral medial caudate nucleus, and ventral lateral putamen. These findings provide evidence for the hypothesis that in AD primarily associative and limbic cerebral networks are affected.

[Research for dependablity of administration of platycodi radix in Tianwang Buxinwan decoction with change of brain inhibitive neurotransmitte in rats by microdialysis].

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ping; He, Xin-rong; Zhou, Wen-bin; Shen, Ran-ran; Feng, Fan

2008-12-01

To study the effects of Tianwang Buxinwan decoction on the contents of amino acids neurotransmitters in corpus striatum of rats to implicate the mechanism of Tianwang Buxinwan promoting and Improving sleeping. Contents of two amino acids neurotransmitters in corpus striatum of rats were prepared by microdialysis technology and were determined by HPLC which involved pre-column derivation with orthophthaladehyde, recersed-phase gradient elution and fluorescence detection. In the experimental separation condition, Tianwang Buxinwan seemed do not influence three kinds of contents of amino acids neurotransmiters (glutamic acid, glycin, aspartic acid), but TBW seemed increase the content of gamma-GABA in corpus striatum of rats. The effects of Tianwang Buxinwan to relieve uneasiness may relate with the inhibitory amino acids gamma-GABA. Tianwang Buxinwan may promote increasing the content of gamma-GABA. This discovery may be helpful for the deep study of related mechanism of Tianwang Buxinwan.

Diffuse corpus callosum infarction - Rare vascular entity with differing etiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahale, Rohan; Mehta, Anish; Buddaraju, Kiran; John, Aju Abraham; Javali, Mahendra; Srinivasa, Rangasetty

2016-01-15

Infarctions of the corpus callosum are rare vascular events. It is relatively immune to vascular insult because of its rich vascular supply from anterior and posterior circulations of brain. Report of 3 patients with largely diffuse acute corpus callosum infarction. 3 patients with largely diffuse acute corpus callosum infarction were studied and each of these 3 patients had 3 different aetiologies. The 3 different aetiologies of largely diffuse acute corpus callosum infarction were cardioembolism, tuberculous arteritis and takayasu arteritis. Diffuse corpus callosum infarcts are rare events. This case series narrates the three different aetiologies of diffuse acute corpus callosum infarction which is a rare vascular event. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Loss of metabolites from monkey striatum during PET with FDOPA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cumming, P; Munk, O L; Doudet, D

2001-01-01

constants using data recorded during 240 min of FDOPA circulation in normal monkeys and in monkeys with unilateral 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) lesions. Use of the extended models increased the magnitudes of K(D)(i) and k(D)(3) in striatum; in the case of k(D)(3), variance...... of the estimate was substantially improved upon correction for metabolite loss. The rate constants for metabolite loss were higher in MPTP-lesioned monkey striatum than in normal striatum. The high correlation between individual estimates of k(Lin)(cl) and k(DA)(9) suggests that both rate constants reveal loss...

Dopamine neurons projecting to the posterior striatum form an anatomically distinct subclass

Science.gov (United States)

Menegas, William; Bergan, Joseph F; Ogawa, Sachie K; Isogai, Yoh; Umadevi Venkataraju, Kannan; Osten, Pavel; Uchida, Naoshige; Watabe-Uchida, Mitsuko

2015-01-01

Combining rabies-virus tracing, optical clearing (CLARITY), and whole-brain light-sheet imaging, we mapped the monosynaptic inputs to midbrain dopamine neurons projecting to different targets (different parts of the striatum, cortex, amygdala, etc) in mice. We found that most populations of dopamine neurons receive a similar set of inputs rather than forming strong reciprocal connections with their target areas. A common feature among most populations of dopamine neurons was the existence of dense ‘clusters’ of inputs within the ventral striatum. However, we found that dopamine neurons projecting to the posterior striatum were outliers, receiving relatively few inputs from the ventral striatum and instead receiving more inputs from the globus pallidus, subthalamic nucleus, and zona incerta. These results lay a foundation for understanding the input/output structure of the midbrain dopamine circuit and demonstrate that dopamine neurons projecting to the posterior striatum constitute a unique class of dopamine neurons regulated by different inputs. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.10032.001 PMID:26322384

A corpus and a concordancer of academic journal articles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deny A. Kwary

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This data article presents a corpus (i.e. a selection of a big number of words in an electronic form and a concordancer (i.e. a tool to show the word in its context of use of academic journal articles. As the title suggests, the data were collected from research articles published in academic journals. The corpus contains 5,686,428 words selected from 895 journal articles published by Elsevier in 2011–2015. The corpus is classified into four subject areas: Health sciences, Life sciences, Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences, following the classifications of Scopus, which is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed scientific journals, books and conference proceedings. To ease the access and utilization of the corpus, a program to produce the key word in context (KWIC and word frequency was created and placed on the website: corpus.kwary.net. The corpus is a valuable resource for researchers, teachers, and translators working on academic English.

A corpus and a concordancer of academic journal articles.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwary, Deny A

2018-02-01

This data article presents a corpus (i.e. a selection of a big number of words in an electronic form) and a concordancer (i.e. a tool to show the word in its context of use) of academic journal articles. As the title suggests, the data were collected from research articles published in academic journals. The corpus contains 5,686,428 words selected from 895 journal articles published by Elsevier in 2011-2015. The corpus is classified into four subject areas: Health sciences, Life sciences, Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences, following the classifications of Scopus, which is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed scientific journals, books and conference proceedings. To ease the access and utilization of the corpus, a program to produce the key word in context (KWIC) and word frequency was created and placed on the website: corpus.kwary.net. The corpus is a valuable resource for researchers, teachers, and translators working on academic English.

GECO, un Gestor de Corpus colaborativo basado en web

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerardo Sierra

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Este artículo presenta GEstor de COrpus (GECO, un software de gestión de corpus en línea que permite a los usuarios subir colecciones de documentos y volverlos corpus digitales. En el sistema, los corpus pueden ser procesados por otras aplicaciones, las cuales están implementadas como módulos integrados a la infraestructura de GECO. En este documento se describen a detalle sus características, así como la funcionalidad del generador de concordancias desarrollado en torno a él.

Ventral and Dorsal Striatum Networks in Obesity: Link to Food Craving and Weight Gain.

Science.gov (United States)

Contreras-Rodríguez, Oren; Martín-Pérez, Cristina; Vilar-López, Raquel; Verdejo-Garcia, Antonio

2017-05-01

The food addiction model proposes that obesity overlaps with addiction in terms of neurobiological alterations in the striatum and related clinical manifestations (i.e., craving and persistence of unhealthy habits). Therefore, we aimed to examine the functional connectivity of the striatum in excess-weight versus normal-weight subjects and to determine the extent of the association between striatum connectivity and individual differences in food craving and changes in body mass index (BMI). Forty-two excess-weight participants (BMI > 25) and 39 normal-weight participants enrolled in the study. Functional connectivity in the ventral and dorsal striatum was indicated by seed-based analyses on resting-state data. Food craving was indicated with subjective ratings of visual cues of high-calorie food. Changes in BMI between baseline and 12 weeks follow-up were assessed in 28 excess-weight participants. Measures of connectivity in the ventral striatum and dorsal striatum were compared between groups and correlated with craving and BMI change. Participants with excess weight displayed increased functional connectivity between the ventral striatum and the medial prefrontal and parietal cortices and between the dorsal striatum and the somatosensory cortex. Dorsal striatum connectivity correlated with food craving and predicted BMI gains. Obesity is linked to alterations in the functional connectivity of dorsal striatal networks relevant to food craving and weight gain. These neural alterations are associated with habit learning and thus compatible with the food addiction model of obesity. Copyright © 2016 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Attention modulates the dorsal striatum response to love stimuli.

Science.gov (United States)

Langeslag, Sandra J E; van der Veen, Frederik M; Röder, Christian H

2014-02-01

In previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies concerning romantic love, several brain regions including the caudate and putamen have consistently been found to be more responsive to beloved-related than control stimuli. In those studies, infatuated individuals were typically instructed to passively view the stimuli or to think of the viewed person. In the current study, we examined how the instruction to attend to, or ignore the beloved modulates the response of these brain areas. Infatuated individuals performed an oddball task in which pictures of their beloved and friend served as targets and distractors. The dorsal striatum showed greater activation for the beloved than friend, but only when they were targets. The dorsal striatum actually tended to show less activation for the beloved than the friend when they were distractors. The longer the love and relationship duration, the smaller the response of the dorsal striatum to beloved-distractor stimuli was. We interpret our findings in terms of reinforcement learning. By virtue of using a cognitive task with a full factorial design, we show that the dorsal striatum is not activated by beloved-related information per se, but only by beloved-related information that is attended. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Corpus Based Authenicity Analysis of Language Teaching Course Books

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emrah PEKSOY

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this study, the resemblance of the language learning course books used in Turkey to authentic language spoken by native speakers is explored by using a corpus-based approach. For this, the 10-million-word spoken part of the British National Corpus was selected as reference corpus. After that, all language learning course books used in high schools in Turkey were scanned and transferred to SketchEngine, an online corpus query tool. Lastly, certain grammar points were extracted first from British National Corpus and then from course books; similaritites and differences were compared. At the end of the study, it was found that the language learning course books have little similarity to authentic language in terms of certain grammatical items and frequency of their collocations. In this way, the points to be revised and changed were explored. In addition, this study emphasized the role of corpus approach as a material development and analysis tool; and tested the functionality of course books for writers and for Ministry of National Education.

Pulvinar projections to the striatum and amygdala

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan D Day-Brown

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Visually-guided movement is possible in the absence of conscious visual perception, a phenomenon referred to as blindsight. Similarly, fearful images can elicit emotional responses in the absence of their conscious perception. Both capabilities are thought to be mediated by pathways from the retina through the superior colliculus (SC and pulvinar nucleus. To define potential pathways that underlie behavioral responses to unperceived visual stimuli, we examined the projections from the pulvinar nucleus to the striatum and amygdala in the tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri, a species considered to be a protypical primate. The tree shrew brain has a large pulvinar nucleus that contains two SC-recipient subdivisions; the dorsal (Pd and central (Pc pulvinar both receive topographic (specific projections from SC, and Pd receives an additional nontopographic (diffuse projection from SC (Chomsung et al., 2008; JCN 510:24-46. Anterograde and retrograde tract tracing revealed that both Pd and Pc project to the caudate and putamen, and Pd, but not Pc, additionally projects to the lateral amygdala. Using immunocytochemical staining for substance P (SP and parvalbumin (PV to reveal the patch/matrix organization of tree shrew striatum, we found that SP-rich/PV-poor patches interlock with a PV-rich/SP-poor matrix. Confocal microscopy revealed that tracer-labeled pulvinostriatal terminals preferentially innervate the matrix. Electron microscopy revealed that the postsynaptic targets of tracer-labeled pulvino-striatal and pulvino-amygdala terminals are spines, demonstrating that the pulvinar nucleus projects to the spiny output cells of the striatum matrix and the lateral amygdala, potentially relaying: 1 topographic visual information from SC to striatum to aid in guiding precise movements, and 2 nontopographic visual information from SC to the amygdala alerting the animal to potentially dangerous visual images.

Spontal-N: A Corpus of Interactional Spoken Norwegian

OpenAIRE

Sikveland, A.; Öttl, A.; Amdal, I.; Ernestus, M.; Svendsen, T.; Edlund, J.

2010-01-01

Spontal-N is a corpus of spontaneous, interactional Norwegian. To our knowledge, it is the first corpus of Norwegian in which the majority of speakers have spent significant parts of their lives in Sweden, and in which the recorded speech displays varying degrees of interference from Swedish. The corpus consists of studio quality audio- and video-recordings of four 30-minute free conversations between acquaintances, and a manual orthographic transcription of the entire material. On basis of t...

The Influence of Reference Corpus Size on Wordsmith Tools Keywords Extraction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tony Berber Sardinha

2012-05-01

Full Text Available A KeyWords analysis (using WordSmith Tools enables the discovery of lexical items which reveal the main lexical sets in a text or corpus. Such an analysis requires that a reference corpus be compared to the corpus the researcher intends to describe (the study corpus. This paper presents a mathematical method for finding out the influence of reference corpus size on the number of key words extracted by the program. The results reveal that a reference corpus that is at least five times as large as the study corpus allows for drawing an amount of key words that is statistically equivalent to larger reference corpora, thus suggesting five times (as larger as the study corpora as the minimum order of magnitude for reference corpora.

Metaphor and Corpus Linguistics Metáfora e linguística de corpus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tony Berber Sardinha

2011-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, I look at four different aspects of metaphor research from a corpus linguistic perspective, namely: (1 the lexicogrammar of metaphors, which refers to the patterning of linguistic metaphor revealed by corpus analysis; (2 metaphor probabilities, which is a facet of metaphor that emerges from frequency-based studies of metaphor; (3 dimensions of metaphor variation, or the search for systematic parameters of variation in metaphor use across different registers; and (4 automated metaphor retrieval, which relates to the development of software to help identify metaphors in corpora. I argue that these four aspects are interrelated, and that advances in one of them can drive changes in the others.Neste artigo discuto quarto aspectos da pesquisa sobre metáfora do ponto de vista da linguística de corpus: (1 a lexicogramática das metáforas, que se refere aos padrões da metáfora linguística revelados pela análise de corpus; (2 probabilidades metafóricas, que é uma faceta da metáfora que emerge a partir dos estudos relacionados à freqüência de metáforas; (3 dimensões da variação de metáforas, ou a busca por parâmetros sistemáticos de variação de uso de metáfora em diferentes gêneros; e (4 captura automática de metáfora, que está relacionada ao desenvolvimento de softwares que auxiliam na identificação de metáforas em corpora. I defendo que esses quatro aspectos são interrelacionados, e que progressos em um deles podem acarretar mudanças nos outros.

The Nordic Dialect Corpus – a joint research infrastructure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janne Bondi Johannessen

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The paper describes the Nordic Dialect Corpus as of June 2010. The corpus is a tool that combines a number of useful features that together makes it a unique and very advanced resource for researchers of many fields of language search. The corpus is web-based and features full audio-visual representation linked to transcriptions and translations.

Morphometric changes of the corpus callosum in congenital blindness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tomaiuolo, Francesco; Campana, Serena; Collins, D Louis

2014-01-01

We examined the effects of visual deprivation at birth on the development of the corpus callosum in a large group of congenitally blind individuals. We acquired high-resolution T1-weighted MRI scans in 28 congenitally blind and 28 normal sighted subjects matched for age and gender....... There was no overall group effect of visual deprivation on the total surface area of the corpus callosum. However, subdividing the corpus callosum into five subdivisions revealed significant regional changes in its three most posterior parts. Compared to the sighted controls, congenitally blind individuals showed a 12......% reduction in the splenium, and a 20% increase in the isthmus and the posterior part of the body. A shape analysis further revealed that the bending angle of the corpus callosum was more convex in congenitally blind compared to the sighted control subjects. The observed morphometric changes in the corpus...

arTenTen: Arabic Corpus and Word Sketches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tressy Arts

2014-12-01

The article also presents the ‘sketch grammar’ (the basis for the word sketches in detail, describes the process of building and processing the corpus, and considers the role of the corpus in additional research on Arabic.

Building a comprehensive syntactic and semantic corpus of Chinese clinical texts.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Bin; Dong, Bin; Guan, Yi; Yang, Jinfeng; Jiang, Zhipeng; Yu, Qiubin; Cheng, Jianyi; Qu, Chunyan

2017-05-01

To build a comprehensive corpus covering syntactic and semantic annotations of Chinese clinical texts with corresponding annotation guidelines and methods as well as to develop tools trained on the annotated corpus, which supplies baselines for research on Chinese texts in the clinical domain. An iterative annotation method was proposed to train annotators and to develop annotation guidelines. Then, by using annotation quality assurance measures, a comprehensive corpus was built, containing annotations of part-of-speech (POS) tags, syntactic tags, entities, assertions, and relations. Inter-annotator agreement (IAA) was calculated to evaluate the annotation quality and a Chinese clinical text processing and information extraction system (CCTPIES) was developed based on our annotated corpus. The syntactic corpus consists of 138 Chinese clinical documents with 47,426 tokens and 2612 full parsing trees, while the semantic corpus includes 992 documents that annotated 39,511 entities with their assertions and 7693 relations. IAA evaluation shows that this comprehensive corpus is of good quality, and the system modules are effective. The annotated corpus makes a considerable contribution to natural language processing (NLP) research into Chinese texts in the clinical domain. However, this corpus has a number of limitations. Some additional types of clinical text should be introduced to improve corpus coverage and active learning methods should be utilized to promote annotation efficiency. In this study, several annotation guidelines and an annotation method for Chinese clinical texts were proposed, and a comprehensive corpus with its NLP modules were constructed, providing a foundation for further study of applying NLP techniques to Chinese texts in the clinical domain. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Network Analysis with the Enron Email Corpus

Science.gov (United States)

Hardin, J. S.; Sarkis, G.; URC, P. .

2015-01-01

We use the Enron email corpus to study relationships in a network by applying six different measures of centrality. Our results came out of an in-semester undergraduate research seminar. The Enron corpus is well suited to statistical analyses at all levels of undergraduate education. Through this article's focus on centrality, students can explore…

Hemoperitoneum from corpus luteum rupture in patients with aplastic anemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Huaquan; Guo, Lifang; Shao, Zonghong

2015-01-01

Aplastic anemia is a rare hematopoietic stem-cell disorder that results in pancytopenia and hypocellular bone marrow. Women with aplastic anemia usually are at increased risk of corpus luteum rupture due to thrombocytopenia and infection. Here we report two cases had hemoperitoneum from corpus luteum rupture in patients with aplastic anemia in our center. Case 1 involved two episodes of hemoperitoneum resulting from rupture of the corpus luteum in a 23-year-old unmarried female with severe aplastic anemia. This patient was managed conservatively with platelet and packed red cell transfusion. Case 2 involved two episodes of hemoperitoneum resulting from rupture of the corpus luteum in a 33-year-old married patient with aplastic anemia. Emergency laparoscopy revealed massive hemoperitoneum. Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy were performed successively with platelet and packed red cell transfusion. Hemoperitoneum resulting from a ruptured corpus luteum is a life-threatening condition in patients with aplastic anemia. Prompt and appropriate evaluation of corpus luteum rupture and emergent therapy are needed.

Memory-Guided Attention: Independent Contributions of the Hippocampus and Striatum.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldfarb, Elizabeth V; Chun, Marvin M; Phelps, Elizabeth A

2016-01-20

Memory can strongly influence how attention is deployed in future encounters. Though memory dependent on the medial temporal lobes has been shown to drive attention, how other memory systems could concurrently and comparably enhance attention is less clear. Here, we demonstrate that both reinforcement learning and context memory facilitate attention in a visual search task. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we dissociate the mechanisms by which these memories guide attention: trial by trial, the hippocampus (not the striatum) predicted attention benefits from context memory, while the striatum (not the hippocampus) predicted facilitation from rewarded stimulus-response associations. Responses in these regions were also distinctly correlated with individual differences in each type of memory-guided attention. This study provides novel evidence for the role of the striatum in guiding attention, dissociable from hippocampus-dependent context memory.

Web corpus construction

CERN Document Server

Schafer, Roland

2013-01-01

The World Wide Web constitutes the largest existing source of texts written in a great variety of languages. A feasible and sound way of exploiting this data for linguistic research is to compile a static corpus for a given language. There are several adavantages of this approach: (i) Working with such corpora obviates the problems encountered when using Internet search engines in quantitative linguistic research (such as non-transparent ranking algorithms). (ii) Creating a corpus from web data is virtually free. (iii) The size of corpora compiled from the WWW may exceed by several orders of magnitudes the size of language resources offered elsewhere. (iv) The data is locally available to the user, and it can be linguistically post-processed and queried with the tools preferred by her/him. This book addresses the main practical tasks in the creation of web corpora up to giga-token size. Among these tasks are the sampling process (i.e., web crawling) and the usual cleanups including boilerplate removal and rem...

Divergent Approaches to Corpus Processing: The Need for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Riette Ruthven

McEnery and Wilson (1996: 32) stress the importance of a corpus: 'As a stan- ... close to five million running words, and the Ndebele corpus at around three ... since their introduction and reinforcement through the second form of contact.

Clinical significance of the corpus callosum in cerebral palsy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Eun Ja; Kim, Ji Chang; Kim, Jong Chul; And Others

2000-01-01

To evaluate, using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, the clinal significance of the corpus callosum by measuring the size of various portions of the corpus callosum in children with cerebral palsy, and in paired controls. Fifty-two children (30 boys and 22 girls aged between six and 96 (median, 19) months) in whom cerebral palsy was clinically diagnosed underwent MR imaging. There were 23 term patients and 29 preterm, and the control group was selected by age and sex matching. Clinal subtypes of cerebral palsy were classified as hemiplegia (n=14), spastic diplegia (n=22), or spastic quadriplegia (n=16), and according to the severity of motor palsy, the condition was also classified as mild (n=26), moderate (n=13), or severe (n=13). In addition to the length and height of the corpus callosum, the thickness of its genu, body, transitional zone and splenium, as seen on midsagittal T1-weighted MR images, were also measured. Differences in the measured values of the two groups were statistically analysed and differences in the size of the corpus callosum according to the clinical severity and subtypes of cerebral palsy, and gestational age, were also assessed. Except for height, the measured values of the corpus callosum in patients with cerebral palsy were significantly less than those of the control group (p less than 0.05). Its size decreased according to the severity of motor palsy. Compared with term patients, the corpus callosum in preterm patients was considerably smaller (p less than 0.05). There was statistically significant correlation between the severity of motor palsy and the size of the corpus callosum. Quantitative evaluation of the corpus callosum might be a good indicator of neurologic prognosis, and a sensitive marker for assessing the extent of brain injury

Clinical significance of the corpus callosum in cerebral palsy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Eun Ja; Kim, Ji Chang [The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jong Chul [School of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); And Others

2000-10-01

To evaluate, using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, the clinal significance of the corpus callosum by measuring the size of various portions of the corpus callosum in children with cerebral palsy, and in paired controls. Fifty-two children (30 boys and 22 girls aged between six and 96 (median, 19) months) in whom cerebral palsy was clinically diagnosed underwent MR imaging. There were 23 term patients and 29 preterm, and the control group was selected by age and sex matching. Clinal subtypes of cerebral palsy were classified as hemiplegia (n=14), spastic diplegia (n=22), or spastic quadriplegia (n=16), and according to the severity of motor palsy, the condition was also classified as mild (n=26), moderate (n=13), or severe (n=13). In addition to the length and height of the corpus callosum, the thickness of its genu, body, transitional zone and splenium, as seen on midsagittal T1-weighted MR images, were also measured. Differences in the measured values of the two groups were statistically analysed and differences in the size of the corpus callosum according to the clinical severity and subtypes of cerebral palsy, and gestational age, were also assessed. Except for height, the measured values of the corpus callosum in patients with cerebral palsy were significantly less than those of the control group (p less than 0.05). Its size decreased according to the severity of motor palsy. Compared with term patients, the corpus callosum in preterm patients was considerably smaller (p less than 0.05). There was statistically significant correlation between the severity of motor palsy and the size of the corpus callosum. Quantitative evaluation of the corpus callosum might be a good indicator of neurologic prognosis, and a sensitive marker for assessing the extent of brain injury.

Comparative study on corpus development for Malay investment ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Comparative study on corpus development for Malay investment fraud detection in website. ... Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences ... The aim of this research is to develop a corpus for Malay investment fraud so that it can be used in ...

Concept annotation in the CRAFT corpus.

Science.gov (United States)

Bada, Michael; Eckert, Miriam; Evans, Donald; Garcia, Kristin; Shipley, Krista; Sitnikov, Dmitry; Baumgartner, William A; Cohen, K Bretonnel; Verspoor, Karin; Blake, Judith A; Hunter, Lawrence E

2012-07-09

Manually annotated corpora are critical for the training and evaluation of automated methods to identify concepts in biomedical text. This paper presents the concept annotations of the Colorado Richly Annotated Full-Text (CRAFT) Corpus, a collection of 97 full-length, open-access biomedical journal articles that have been annotated both semantically and syntactically to serve as a research resource for the biomedical natural-language-processing (NLP) community. CRAFT identifies all mentions of nearly all concepts from nine prominent biomedical ontologies and terminologies: the Cell Type Ontology, the Chemical Entities of Biological Interest ontology, the NCBI Taxonomy, the Protein Ontology, the Sequence Ontology, the entries of the Entrez Gene database, and the three subontologies of the Gene Ontology. The first public release includes the annotations for 67 of the 97 articles, reserving two sets of 15 articles for future text-mining competitions (after which these too will be released). Concept annotations were created based on a single set of guidelines, which has enabled us to achieve consistently high interannotator agreement. As the initial 67-article release contains more than 560,000 tokens (and the full set more than 790,000 tokens), our corpus is among the largest gold-standard annotated biomedical corpora. Unlike most others, the journal articles that comprise the corpus are drawn from diverse biomedical disciplines and are marked up in their entirety. Additionally, with a concept-annotation count of nearly 100,000 in the 67-article subset (and more than 140,000 in the full collection), the scale of conceptual markup is also among the largest of comparable corpora. The concept annotations of the CRAFT Corpus have the potential to significantly advance biomedical text mining by providing a high-quality gold standard for NLP systems. The corpus, annotation guidelines, and other associated resources are freely available at http://bionlp-corpora.sourceforge.net/CRAFT/index.shtml.

Excessive cocaine use results from decreased phasic dopamine signaling in the striatum

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Willuhn, Ingo; Burgeno, Lauren M; Groblewski, Peter A; Phillips, Paul E M

Drug addiction is a neuropsychiatric disorder marked by escalating drug use. Dopamine neurotransmission in the ventromedial striatum (VMS) mediates acute reinforcing effects of abused drugs, but with protracted use the dorsolateral striatum is thought to assume control over drug seeking. We measured

Corpus Linguistics, Network Analysis and Co-occurrence Matrices Corpus Linguistics, Network Analysis and Co-occurrence Matrices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keith Stuart

2009-12-01

Full Text Available This article describes research undertaken in order to design a methodology for the reticular representation of knowledge of a specific discourse community. To achieve this goal, a representative corpus of the scientific production of the members of this discourse community (Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, UPV was created. The article presents the practical analysis (frequency, keyword, collocation and cluster analysis that was carried out in the initial phases of the study aimed at establishing the theoretical and practical background and framework for our matrix and network analysis of the scientific discourse of the UPV. In the methodology section, the processes that have allowed us to extract from the corpus the linguistic elements needed to develop co-occurrence matrices, as well as the computer tools used in the research, are described. From these co-occurrence matrices, semantic networks of subject and discipline knowledge were generated. Finally, based on the results obtained, we suggest that it may be viable to extract and to represent the intellectual capital of an academic institution using corpus linguistics methods in combination with the formulations of network theory.En este artículo describimos la investigación que se ha desarrollado en el diseño de una metodología para la representación reticular del conocimiento que se genera en el seno de una institución a partir de un corpus representativo de la producción científica de los integrantes de dicha comunidad discursiva, la Universidad Politécnica de Valencia.. Para ello, presentamos las acciones que se realizaron en las fases iniciales del estudio encaminadas a establecer el marco teórico y práctico en el que se inscribe nuestro análisis. En la sección de metodología se describen las herramientas informáticas utilizadas, así como los procesos que nos permitieron disponer de aquellos elementos presentes en el corpus, que nos llevarían al desarrollo de

Habit formation coincides with shifts in reinforcement representations in the sensorimotor striatum.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Kyle S; Graybiel, Ann M

2016-03-01

Evaluating outcomes of behavior is a central function of the striatum. In circuits engaging the dorsomedial striatum, sensitivity to goal value is accentuated during learning, whereas outcome sensitivity is thought to be minimal in the dorsolateral striatum and its habit-related corticostriatal circuits. However, a distinct population of projection neurons in the dorsolateral striatum exhibits selective sensitivity to rewards. Here, we evaluated the outcome-related signaling in such neurons as rats performed an instructional T-maze task for two rewards. As the rats formed maze-running habits and then changed behavior after reward devaluation, we detected outcome-related spike activity in 116 units out of 1,479 recorded units. During initial training, nearly equal numbers of these units fired preferentially either after rewarded runs or after unrewarded runs, and the majority were responsive at only one of two reward locations. With overtraining, as habits formed, firing in nonrewarded trials almost disappeared, and reward-specific firing declined. Thus error-related signaling was lost, and reward signaling became generalized. Following reward devaluation, in an extinction test, postgoal activity was nearly undetectable, despite accurate running. Strikingly, when rewards were then returned, postgoal activity reappeared and recapitulated the original early response pattern, with nearly equal numbers responding to rewarded and unrewarded runs and to single rewards. These findings demonstrate that outcome evaluation in the dorsolateral striatum is highly plastic and tracks stages of behavioral exploration and exploitation. These signals could be a new target for understanding compulsive behaviors that involve changes to dorsal striatum function. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

A Balanced and Representative Corpus: The Effects of Strict Corpus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Theoretically the Northern Sotho language is made up of almost 30 dialects while practically it is not so, because the standard language was formed from very few of its dialects. As a result, even today the language has no corpus which is balanced or representative owing to the fact that almost all of the available corpora ...

Learner corpus profiles the case of Romanian learner English

CERN Document Server

Chitez, Madalina

2014-01-01

The first three chapters of the book offer relevant information on the new methodological approach, learner corpus profiling, and the exemplifying case, Romanian Learner English. The description of the Romanian Corpus of Learner English is also given special attention. The following three chapters include corpus-based frequency analyses of selected grammatical categories (articles, prepositions, genitives), combined with error analyses. In the concluding discussion, the book summarizes the features compiled as lexico-grammatical profiles.

BAS-drive trait modulates dorsomedial striatum activity during reward response-outcome associations.

Science.gov (United States)

Costumero, Víctor; Barrós-Loscertales, Alfonso; Fuentes, Paola; Rosell-Negre, Patricia; Bustamante, Juan Carlos; Ávila, César

2016-09-01

According to the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory, behavioral studies have found that individuals with stronger reward sensitivity easily detect cues of reward and establish faster associations between instrumental responses and reward. Neuroimaging studies have shown that processing anticipatory cues of reward is accompanied by stronger ventral striatum activity in individuals with stronger reward sensitivity. Even though establishing response-outcome contingencies has been consistently associated with dorsal striatum, individual differences in this process are poorly understood. Here, we aimed to study the relation between reward sensitivity and brain activity while processing response-reward contingencies. Forty-five participants completed the BIS/BAS questionnaire and performed a gambling task paradigm in which they received monetary rewards or punishments. Overall, our task replicated previous results that have related processing high reward outcomes with activation of striatum and medial frontal areas, whereas processing high punishment outcomes was associated with stronger activity in insula and middle cingulate. As expected, the individual differences in the activity of dorsomedial striatum correlated positively with BAS-Drive. Our results agree with previous studies that have related the dorsomedial striatum with instrumental performance, and suggest that the individual differences in this area may form part of the neural substrate responsible for modulating instrumental conditioning by reward sensitivity.

English Writing Teaching Model Dependent on Computer Network Corpus Drive Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shi Lei

2018-03-01

Full Text Available At present, the mainstream lexicalized English writing methods take only the corpus dependence between words into consideration, without introducing the corpus collocation and other issues. “Drive” is a relatively essential feature of words. And once the drive structure of a word is determined, it will be relatively clear what kinds of words to collocate with, hence the structure of the sentence can be derived relatively directly. In this paper, the English writing model that relies on the computer network corpus drive model is put forward. In this model, rich English corpus is introduced in the decomposition of the rules and the calculation of the probability, which includes not only the corpus dependence information, but also the drive structure and other corpus collocation information. Improved computer network corpus drive model is used to carry out the English writing teaching experiment. The experimental results show that the precision and the recall rate are 88.76% and 87.43%, respectively. The F value of the comprehensive index is improved by 6.65% compared with the Collins headword driven English modes of writing.

Exploring theoretical functions of corpus data in teaching translation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Éric Poirier

2016-04-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7968.2016v36nesp1p177 As language referential data banks, corpora are instrumental in the exploration of translation solutions in bilingual parallel texts or conventional usages of source or target language in monolingual general or specialized texts. These roles are firmly rooted in translation processes, from analysis and interpretation of source text to searching for an acceptable equivalent and integrating it into the production of the target text. Provided the creative and not the conservative way be taken, validation or adaptation of target text in accordance with conventional usages in the target language also benefits from corpora. Translation teaching is not exploiting this way of translating that is common practice in the professional translation markets around the world. Instead of showing what corpus tools can do to translation teaching, we start our analysis with a common issue within translation teaching and show how corpus data can help to resolve it in learning activities in translation courses. We suggest a corpus-driven model for the interpretation of ‘business’ as a term and as an item in complex terms based on source text pattern analysis. This methodology will make it possible for teachers to explain and justify interpretation rules that have been defined theoretically from corpus data. It will also help teachers to conceive and non-subjectively assess practical activities designed for learners of translation. Corpus data selected for the examples of rule-based interpretations provided in this paper have been compiled in a corpus-driven study (Poirier, 2015 on the translation of the noun ‘business’ in the field of specialized translation in business, economics, and finance from English to French. The corpus methodology and rule-based interpretation of senses can be generalized and applied in the definition of interpretation rules for other language pairs and other specialized simple and

Exploring theoretical functions of corpus data in teaching translation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Éric Poirier

2016-06-01

Full Text Available As language referential data banks, corpora are instrumental in the exploration of translation solutions in bilingual parallel texts or conventional usages of source or target language in monolingual general or specialized texts. These roles are firmly rooted in translation processes, from analysis and interpretation of source text to searching for an acceptable equivalent and integrating it into the production of the target text. Provided the creative and not the conservative way be taken, validation or adaptation of target text in accordance with conventional usages in the target language also benefits from corpora. Translation teaching is not exploiting this way of translating that is common practice in the professional translation markets around the world. Instead of showing what corpus tools can do to translation teaching, we start our analysis with a common issue within translation teaching and show how corpus data can help to resolve it in learning activities in translation courses. We suggest a corpus-driven model for the interpretation of ‘business’ as a term and as an item in complex terms based on source text pattern analysis. This methodology will make it possible for teachers to explain and justify interpretation rules that have been defined theoretically from corpus data. It will also help teachers to conceive and non-subjectively assess practical activities designed for learners of translation. Corpus data selected for the examples of rule-based interpretations provided in this paper have been compiled in a corpus-driven study (Poirier, 2015 on the translation of the noun ‘business’ in the field of specialized translation in business, economics, and finance from English to French. The corpus methodology and rule-based interpretation of senses can be generalized and applied in the definition of interpretation rules for other language pairs and other specialized simple and complex terms. These works will encourage the

Using a Corpus in a 300-Level Spanish Grammar Course

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Benavides, Carlos

2015-01-01

The present study examined the use and effectiveness of a large corpus--the Corpus del Español (Davies, 2002)--in a 300-level Spanish grammar university course. Students conducted hands-on corpus searches with the goal of finding concordances containing particular types of collocations (combinations of words that tend to co-occur) and tokens (any…

Insights from a Learner Corpus as Opposed to a Native Corpus about Cohesive Devices in an Academic Writing Context

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Ersanli, Ceylan Yangin

2015-01-01

This study reports on the insights from an EFL learner corpora (a total of 151 essays and 49,690 words) generated from essays collected over the years in a Turkish state university from freshmen students enrolling in the Advanced Writing course. The comparison of cohesive devices in the non-native corpus (NNC) with those in a native corpus (NC)…

Human dorsal striatum encodes prediction errors during observational learning of instrumental actions.

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Cooper, Jeffrey C; Dunne, Simon; Furey, Teresa; O'Doherty, John P

2012-01-01

The dorsal striatum plays a key role in the learning and expression of instrumental reward associations that are acquired through direct experience. However, not all learning about instrumental actions require direct experience. Instead, humans and other animals are also capable of acquiring instrumental actions by observing the experiences of others. In this study, we investigated the extent to which human dorsal striatum is involved in observational as well as experiential instrumental reward learning. Human participants were scanned with fMRI while they observed a confederate over a live video performing an instrumental conditioning task to obtain liquid juice rewards. Participants also performed a similar instrumental task for their own rewards. Using a computational model-based analysis, we found reward prediction errors in the dorsal striatum not only during the experiential learning condition but also during observational learning. These results suggest a key role for the dorsal striatum in learning instrumental associations, even when those associations are acquired purely by observing others.

Computerized tomography of the traumatic hematoma in the corpus callosum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogura, Koichiro; Yamamoto, Isao; Hara, Makoto; Suzuki, Yoshio; Nakane, Toshichi; Watanabe, Masao.

1982-01-01

The value of the computerized tomography (CT) in the diagnosis of the intracerebral hematoma has been well documented. However, there is little report about the CT findings of the hematoma of the corpus callosum. This report presents two cases of the traumatic hematoma in the corpus callosum and is discussed about their CT findings. Two patients, 52 year-old male and 40 year-old male, respectively, are the cases of blunt mechanical head trauma which were accompanied neither by skull fracture nor by scalp injury. In all these cases, the findings that hematoma occupied from the genu to the body of the corpus callosum were verified by surgery and the axial CT revealed the following two similar findings. First; the hematoma in the genu of the corpus callosum was shown as a cresent-shaped high density mass. This finding seems to be due to the following anatomical structure, that is, the genu of the corpus callosum is located just in front of the anterior horn of the lateral ventricles in the shape of the convex towards posteriorly. Second; as the midportion of the body of the corpus callosum tends to be appeared narrow in width between both lateral ventricles, the hematoma which extended from the genu towards the body of the corpus callosum was shown as a dumbbell-shaped high density mass. (author)

Experimental model of human corpus cavernosum smooth muscle relaxation

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Rommel P. Regadas

2010-08-01

Full Text Available PURPOSE: To describe a technique for en bloc harvesting of the corpus cavernosum, cavernous artery and urethra from transplant organ donors and contraction-relaxation experiments with corpus cavernosum smooth muscle. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The corpus cavernosum was dissected to the point of attachment with the crus penis. A 3 cm segment (corpus cavernosum and urethra was isolated and placed in ice-cold sterile transportation buffer. Under magnification, the cavernous artery was dissected. Thus, 2 cm fragments of cavernous artery and corpus cavernosum were obtained. Strips measuring 3 x 3 x 8 mm3 were then mounted vertically in an isolated organ bath device. Contractions were measured isometrically with a Narco-Biosystems force displacement transducer (model F-60, Narco-Biosystems, Houston, TX, USA and recorded on a 4-channel Narco-Biosystems desk model polygraph. RESULTS: Phenylephrine (1µM was used to induce tonic contractions in the corpus cavernosum (3 - 5 g tension and cavernous artery (0.5 - 1g tension until reaching a plateau. After precontraction, smooth muscle relaxants were used to produce relaxation-response curves (10-12M to 10-4 M. Sodium nitroprusside was used as a relaxation control. CONCLUSION: The harvesting technique and the smooth muscle contraction-relaxation model described in this study were shown to be useful instruments in the search for new drugs for the treatment of human erectile dysfunction.

Corpus callosum dysgenesis and lipoma: embryologic and magnetic resonance imaging aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abreu Junior, Luiz de; Borri, Maria Lucia; Wolosker, Angela Maria Borri; Hartmann, Luiz Guilherme de Carvalho; Galvao Filho, Mario de Melo; D'Ippolito, Giuseppe

2005-01-01

The corpus callosum is the major system of association fibers that permits communication of both cerebral hemispheres. Magnetic resonance imaging has improved the study of brain malformations, including the corpus callosum dysgenesis. Lipoma is a common finding in the spectrum of corpus callosum dysgenesis. The purpose of these study was to review the embryologic events and the magnetic resonance imaging aspects related to the corpus callosum dysgenesis and to the formation of the related lipoma. (author)

Loss of metabolites from monkey striatum during PET with FDOPA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cumming, P; Munk, O L; Doudet, D

2001-01-01

diffusion of [(18)F]fluorodopamine metabolites from brain. Consequently, time-radioactivity recordings of striatum are progressively influenced by metabolite loss. In linear analyses, the net blood-brain clearance of FDOPA (K(D)(i), ml g(-1) min(-1)) can be corrected for this loss by the elimination rate...... constant k(Lin)(cl) (min(-1)). Similarly, the DOPA decarboxylation rate constant (k(D)(3), min(-1)) calculated by compartmental analysis can also be corrected for metabolite loss by the elimination rate constant k(DA)(9) (min(-1)). To compare the two methods, we calculated the two elimination rate...... of the estimate was substantially improved upon correction for metabolite loss. The rate constants for metabolite loss were higher in MPTP-lesioned monkey striatum than in normal striatum. The high correlation between individual estimates of k(Lin)(cl) and k(DA)(9) suggests that both rate constants reveal loss...

The Shona Corpus and the Problem of Tagging?

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Emmanuel Chabata

2011-10-01

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Abstract: In this paper the writer examines problems the African Languages Lexical (ALLEX Project (at present the African Languages Research Institute (ALRI? encountered while tagging the Shona corpus. The problems to be highlighted include general problems which apply to more than one language as well as problems peculiar to Shona. The paper was inspired by the challenges the writer encountered when he took part in building the Shona corpus. An analysis of the problems that most corpus builders face shows that more problems are likely to be encountered when dealing with spoken corpora than with written corpora. The paper demonstrates that tagging is an important component of corpus building as it makes it easier for a researcher to extract relevant data. To utilise the benefits of a tagged corpus, the tagging should be thorough and accurate. Wellinformed decisions form an integral part of the tagging process since the utility of a tagged corpus depends largely on the input of the tagging process. This paper shows the need to take the tagging process seriously.

Keywords: ALLEX PROJECT, COMPUTER, CORPUS, ENCODING, FOREIGN WORD, LEMMATIZATION, LEXICOGRAPHY, MONITOR CORPUS, PART OF SPEECH, SCANNING, SHONA, SLANG, TAGGING, TRANSCRIPTION, WORD

Opsomming: Die Shonakorpus en die probleem van etikettering, In hierdieartikel ondersoek die outeur probleme wat die African Languages Lexical (ALLEX Project (tansdie African Languages Research Institute (ALRI» teegekom het terwyl die Shonakorpus geetiketteeris. Die probleme wat bespreek word, sluit algemene probleme in wat van toepassing is opmeer as een taa, sowel as spesifieke probleme wat eie aan Shona is. Die artikel het sy ontstaan indie uitdagings wat die outeur teegekom het terwyl hy deel gehad het aan die opbou van die Shonakorpus.'n Ontieding van die probleme waarvoor die meeste korpusbouers te staan kom, toon datdaar waarskynlik meer probleme teegekom word wanneer daar met gesproke

Corpus-Based Research and Pedagogy in EAP: From Lexis to Genre

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Flowerdew, Lynne

2015-01-01

This plenary paper showcases current corpus-based research on written academic English, illustrating the tight links that exist between corpus research and pedagogic applications. I first explicate Sinclair's concept of the "lexical approach", which underpins much corpus research and pedagogy. I then discuss studies which focus on…

Corynebacterium striatum infecting a malignant cutaneous lesion: the emergence of an opportunistic pathogen Corynebacterium striatum infectando lesão cutânea maligna: a emergência de um patógeno oportunista

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Silvana Vargas Superti

2009-04-01

Full Text Available We described a case of a 27-year old male patient with skin and soft tissue infection of a neoplastic lesion caused by Corynebacterium striatum, an organism which has been rarely described as a human pathogen. Identification was confirmed by DNA sequencing. Successful treatment with penicillin was achieved. The role of the C. striatum as an emerging opportunistic pathogen is discussed.Descrevemos infecção de lesão neoplásica em paciente masculino de 27 anos, envolvendo pele e partes moles, causada por Corynebacterium striatum, um microrganismo raramente descrito como patógeno humano. A identificação foi confirmada por seqüenciamento de DNA. O paciente foi tratado com penicilina, com sucesso. O papel do C. striatum como patógeno oportunista é discutido.

Hemiballism due to the lesion in the striatum demonstrated by CT scan

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Kojima, S; Ito, N; Hirayama, K [Chiba Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine; Tochigi, S

1981-09-01

Two cases of hemiballism due to vascular lesions in the striatum demonstrated by CT scan were reported. Case 1 was a 58-year-old man with hypertension and diabetes mellitus, who had cerebral hemorrhage in the right striatum. Hemiballistic movements, which were confined to his face, neck and trunk as well as limbs of the left side, appeared soon after CVA and improved on treatment with haloperidol up to 4 mg per day. Case 2 was a 63-year-old woman with hypertension, who had probable cerebral infarct in the right striatum. The hemiballistic movements, confined to her right side, appeared soon after CVA and improved on treatment with chlorpromazine up to 50 mg per day, and perphenazine up to 6 mg per day. Whereas case 1 had contralateral hemiballism, case 2 had homolateral hemiballism, both due to vascular lesions in the striatum. Although it has been generally accepted, from postmortem and experimental studies, that the lesion responsible for hemiballism was localized in the contralateral subthalamic nucleus, a few cases of hemiballism have been reported, in which the subthalamic nucleus (Luys' body) and its connections appeared to be intact at necropsy. The present cases of hemiballism with involvement of the striatum without involvement of the subthalamic nucleus by CT scan, seem to be the first reported cases. It is not clear in the CT scan whether the subthalamic nucleus is also involved in addition to the striatal lesion, however, it is unlikely due to different vascular supplies to these areas. From a clinical and an experimental point of view, we would like to propose that hemiballism can occur due to the lesion in the striatum, especially the caudate nucleus even when the subthalamic nucleus and its connections are intact.

Google and beyond : web-as-corpus methodologies for translators

OpenAIRE

Ferraresi, Adriano

2009-01-01

Aquest article fa un repàs als plantejaments actuals sobre l'ús del web com a corpus lingüístic i emfatitza els avantatges (així com els inevitables riscos) que aquests poden introduir en el treball del traductor. Per tal d'il•lustrar aquest punt, es mostra un exemple de les diferents maneres en què un corpus derivat del web es pot aplicar profitosament a una tasca de traducció especialitzada.. Este artículo estudia los planteamientos actuales sobre el uso de la web como corpus lingüístico...

The structure of an entry in the National corpus of Tuvan language

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Mengi V. Ondar

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Contemporary information technologies and mathematical modelling has made creating corpora of natural languages significantly easier. A corpus is an information and reference system based on a collection of digitally processed texts. A corpus includes various written and oral texts in the given language, a set of dictionaries and markup – information on the properties of the text. It is the presence of the markup which distinguishes a corpus from an electronic library. At the moment, national corpora are being set up for many languages of the Russian Federation, including those of the Turkic peoples. Faculty members, postgraduate and undergraduate students at Tuvan State University and Siberian Federal University are working on the National corpus of Tuvan language. This article describes the structure of a dictionary entry in the National corpus of Tuvan language. The corpus database comprises the following tables: MAIN – the headword table, RUS, ENG, GER — translations of the headword into three languages, MORPHOLOGY — the table containing morphological data on the headword. The database is built in Microsoft Office Access. Working with the corpus dictionary includes the following functions: adding, editing and removing an entry, entry search (with transcription, setting and visualizing morphological features of a headword. The project allows us to view the corpus dictionary as a multi-structure entity with a complex hierarchical structure and a dictionary entry as its key component. The corpus dictionary we developed can be used for studying Tuvan language in its pronunciation, orthography and word analysis, as well as for searching for words and collocations in the texts included into the corpus.

Sensory Processing in the Dorsolateral Striatum: The Contribution of Thalamostriatal Pathways

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Alloway, Kevin D.; Smith, Jared B.; Mowery, Todd M.; Watson, Glenn D. R.

2017-01-01

The dorsal striatum has two functionally-defined subdivisions: a dorsomedial striatum (DMS) region involved in mediating goal-directed behaviors that require conscious effort, and a dorsolateral striatum (DLS) region involved in the execution of habitual behaviors in a familiar sensory context. Consistent with its presumed role in forming stimulus-response (S-R) associations, neurons in DLS receive massive inputs from sensorimotor cortex and are responsive to both active and passive sensory stimulation. While several studies have established that corticostriatal inputs contribute to the stimulus-induced responses observed in the DLS, there is growing awareness that the thalamus has a significant role in conveying sensory-related information to DLS and other parts of the striatum. The thalamostriatal projections to DLS originate mainly from the caudal intralaminar region, which contains the parafascicular (Pf) nucleus, and from higher-order thalamic nuclei such as the medial part of the posterior (POm) nucleus. Based on recent findings, we hypothesize that the thalamostriatal projections from these two regions exert opposing influences on the expression of behavioral habits. This article reviews the subcortical circuits that regulate the transmission of sensory information through these thalamostriatal projection systems, and describes the evidence that indicates these circuits could be manipulated to ameliorate the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and related neurological disorders. PMID:28790899

Classification of acquired lesions of the corpus callosum with MRI

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Friese, S.A.; Bitzer, M.; Voigt, K.; Kueker, W. [Tuebingen Univ. (Germany). Abt. fuer Neuroradiologie; Freudenstein, D. [Department of Neurosurgery, Eberhard-Karls-University Tuebingen (Germany)

2000-11-01

MRI has facilitated diagnostic assessment of the corpus callosum. Diagnostic classification of solitary or multiple lesions of the corpus callosum has not attracted much attention, although signal abnormalities are not uncommon. Our aim was to identify characteristic imaging features of lesions frequently encountered in practice. We reviewed the case histories of 59 patients with lesions shown on MRI. The nature of the lesions was based on clinical features and/or long term follow-up (ischaemic 20, Virchow-Robin spaces 3, diffuse axonal injury 7, multiple sclerosis 11, hydrocephalus 5, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis 5, Marchiafava-Bignami disease 4, lymphoma 2, glioblastoma hamartoma each 1). The location in the sagittal plane, the relationship to the borders of the corpus callosum and midline and the size were documented. The 20 ischaemic lesions were asymmetrical but adjacent to the midline; the latter was involved in new or large lesions. Diffuse axonal injury commonly resulted in large lesions, which tended to be asymmetrical; the midline and borders of the corpus callosum were always involved. Lesions in MS were small, at the lower border of the corpus callosum next to the septum pellucidum, and crossed the midline asymmetrically. Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and the other perivenous inflammatory diseases caused relatively large, asymmetrical lesions. Hydrocephalus resulted in lesions of the upper part of the corpus callosum, and mostly in its posterior two thirds; they were found in the midline. Lesions in Marchiafava-Bignami disease were large, often symmetrically in the midline in the splenium and did not reach the edge of the corpus callosum. (orig.)

Use of "Google Scholar" in Corpus-Driven EAP Research

Science.gov (United States)

Brezina, Vaclav

2012-01-01

This primarily methodological article makes a proposition for linguistic exploration of textual resources available through the "Google Scholar" search engine. These resources ("Google Scholar virtual corpus") are significantly larger than any existing corpus of academic writing. "Google Scholar", however, was not designed for linguistic searches…

Ventral striatum activity when watching preferred pornographic pictures is correlated with symptoms of Internet pornography addiction.

Science.gov (United States)

Brand, Matthias; Snagowski, Jan; Laier, Christian; Maderwald, Stefan

2016-04-01

One type of Internet addiction is excessive pornography consumption, also referred to as cybersex or Internet pornography addiction. Neuroimaging studies found ventral striatum activity when participants watched explicit sexual stimuli compared to non-explicit sexual/erotic material. We now hypothesized that the ventral striatum should respond to preferred pornographic compared to non-preferred pornographic pictures and that the ventral striatum activity in this contrast should be correlated with subjective symptoms of Internet pornography addiction. We studied 19 heterosexual male participants with a picture paradigm including preferred and non-preferred pornographic materials. Subjects had to evaluate each picture with respect to arousal, unpleasantness, and closeness to ideal. Pictures from the preferred category were rated as more arousing, less unpleasant, and closer to ideal. Ventral striatum response was stronger for the preferred condition compared to non-preferred pictures. Ventral striatum activity in this contrast was correlated with the self-reported symptoms of Internet pornography addiction. The subjective symptom severity was also the only significant predictor in a regression analysis with ventral striatum response as dependent variable and subjective symptoms of Internet pornography addiction, general sexual excitability, hypersexual behavior, depression, interpersonal sensitivity, and sexual behavior in the last days as predictors. The results support the role for the ventral striatum in processing reward anticipation and gratification linked to subjectively preferred pornographic material. Mechanisms for reward anticipation in ventral striatum may contribute to a neural explanation of why individuals with certain preferences and sexual fantasies are at-risk for losing their control over Internet pornography consumption. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of Bilateral Electrolytic Lesions of the Dorsomedial Striatum on Motor Behavior and Instrumental Learning in Rats

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Pamphyle Abedi Mukutenga

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The dorsal striatum plays an important role in the control of motor activity and learning processes within the basal ganglia circuitry. Furthermore, recent works have suggested functional differentiation between subregions of the dorsal striatum Methods: The present study examined the effects of bilateral electrolytic lesions of the dorsomedial striatum on motor behavior and learning ability in rats using a series of behavioral tests. 20 male wistar rats were used in the experiment and behavioral assessment were conducted using open field test, rotarod test and 8-arm radial maze. Results: In the open field test, rats with bilateral electrolytic lesions of the dorsomedial striatum showed a normal motor function in the horizontal locomotor activity, while in rearing activity they displayed a statistically significant motor impairment when compared to sham operated group. In the rotarod test, a deficit in motor coordination and acquisition of skilled behavior was observed in rats with bilateral electrolytic lesions of the dorsomedial striatum compared to sham. However, radial maze performance revealed similar capacity in the acquisition of learning task between experimental groups. Discussion: Our results support the premise of the existence of functional dissociation between the dorsomedial and the dorsolateral regions of the dorsal striatum. In addition, our data suggest that the associative dorsomedial striatum may be as critical in striatum-based motor control.

DutchParl: A corpus of parliamentary documents in Dutch

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marx, M.; Schuth, A.

2010-01-01

A corpus called DutchParl is created which aims to contain all digitally available parliamentary documents written in the Dutch language. The first version of DutchParl contains documents from the parliaments of The Netherlands, Flanders and Belgium. The corpus is divided along three dimensions: per

An annotated corpus with nanomedicine and pharmacokinetic parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewinski, Nastassja A; Jimenez, Ivan; McInnes, Bridget T

2017-01-01

A vast amount of data on nanomedicines is being generated and published, and natural language processing (NLP) approaches can automate the extraction of unstructured text-based data. Annotated corpora are a key resource for NLP and information extraction methods which employ machine learning. Although corpora are available for pharmaceuticals, resources for nanomedicines and nanotechnology are still limited. To foster nanotechnology text mining (NanoNLP) efforts, we have constructed a corpus of annotated drug product inserts taken from the US Food and Drug Administration's Drugs@FDA online database. In this work, we present the development of the Engineered Nanomedicine Database corpus to support the evaluation of nanomedicine entity extraction. The data were manually annotated for 21 entity mentions consisting of nanomedicine physicochemical characterization, exposure, and biologic response information of 41 Food and Drug Administration-approved nanomedicines. We evaluate the reliability of the manual annotations and demonstrate the use of the corpus by evaluating two state-of-the-art named entity extraction systems, OpenNLP and Stanford NER. The annotated corpus is available open source and, based on these results, guidelines and suggestions for future development of additional nanomedicine corpora are provided.

Designing a Lexical Database for a Combined Use of Corpus Annotation and Dictionary Editing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristoffersen, Jette Hedegaard; Troelsgård, Thomas; Langer, Gabriele

2016-01-01

In a combined corpus-dictionary project, you would need one lexical database that could serve as a shared “backbone” for both corpus annotation and dictionary editing, but it is not that easy to define a database structure that applies satisfactorily to both these purposes. In this paper, we...... will exemplify the problem and present ideas on how to model structures in a lexical database that facilitate corpus annotation as well as dictionary editing. The paper is a joint work between the DGS Corpus Project and the DTS Dictionary Project. The two projects come from opposite sides of the spectrum (one...... adjusting a lexical database grown from dictionary making for corpus annotating, one building a lexical database in parallel with corpus annotation and editing a corpus-based dictionary), and we will consider requirements and feasible structures for a database that can serve both corpus and dictionary....

PROJECTIONS OF DORSAL AND MEDIAN RAPHE NUCLEI TO DORSAL AND VENTRAL STRIATUM

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G. R. Hassanzadeh G. Behzadi

2007-08-01

Full Text Available The ascending serotonergic projections are derived mainly from mesencephalic raphe nuclei. Topographical projections from mesencephalic raphe nuclei to the striatum were examined in the rat by the retrograde transport technique of HRP (horseradish peroxidase. In 29 rats stereotaxically injection of HRP enzyme were performed in dorsal and ventral parts of striatum separately. The extent of the injection sites and distribution of retrogradely labeled neuronal cell bodies were drawed on representative sections using a projection microscope. Following ipsilateral injection of HRP into the dorsal striatum, numerous labeled neurons were seen in rostral portion of dorsal raphe (DR nucleus. In the same level the cluster of labeled neurons were hevier through caudal parts of DR. A few neurons were also located in lateral wing of DR. More caudally some labeled neurons were found in lateral, medial line of DR. In median raphe nucleus (MnR the labeled neurons were scattered only in median portion of this nucleus. The ipsilateral injection of HRP into the ventral region of striatum resulted on labeling of numerous neurons in rostral, caudal and lateral portions of DR. Through the caudal extension of DR on 4th ventricle level, a large number of labeled neurons were distributed along the ventrocaudal parts of DR. In MnR, labeled neurons were observed only in median part of this nucleus. These findings suggest the mesencephalic raphe nuclei projections to caudo-putamen are topographically organized. In addition dorsal and median raphe nuclei have a stronger projection to the ventral striatum.

Sensory Processing in the Dorsolateral Striatum: The Contribution of Thalamostriatal Pathways

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Kevin D. Alloway

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The dorsal striatum has two functionally-defined subdivisions: a dorsomedial striatum (DMS region involved in mediating goal-directed behaviors that require conscious effort, and a dorsolateral striatum (DLS region involved in the execution of habitual behaviors in a familiar sensory context. Consistent with its presumed role in forming stimulus-response (S-R associations, neurons in DLS receive massive inputs from sensorimotor cortex and are responsive to both active and passive sensory stimulation. While several studies have established that corticostriatal inputs contribute to the stimulus-induced responses observed in the DLS, there is growing awareness that the thalamus has a significant role in conveying sensory-related information to DLS and other parts of the striatum. The thalamostriatal projections to DLS originate mainly from the caudal intralaminar region, which contains the parafascicular (Pf nucleus, and from higher-order thalamic nuclei such as the medial part of the posterior (POm nucleus. Based on recent findings, we hypothesize that the thalamostriatal projections from these two regions exert opposing influences on the expression of behavioral habits. This article reviews the subcortical circuits that regulate the transmission of sensory information through these thalamostriatal projection systems, and describes the evidence that indicates these circuits could be manipulated to ameliorate the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD and related neurological disorders.

The MR findings of the corpus callosum of normal young volunteers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamoto, Kouichirou; Ito, Jusuke; Tokiguchi, Susumu

1990-01-01

The size and shape of the corpus callosum of twenty seven normal young volunteers (age 18-31 years, 17 men and 10 women) were investigated using a superconducting high field (1.5 T) MRI unit. The length of the corpus callosum was 71.1±5.1 mm (mean±S.D.) and the height was 24.9±2.1 mm. The length ratio of the corpus callosum to the brain was 43.9±2.3% with the ratio of the height 25.0±2.3%. The callosal index (height/length) was 35.4±2.9%. The area of the corpus callosum in the midsagittal plane was 681.4±93.6 mm 2 (min. 563 mm 2 to max. 902 mm 2 ). We divided the corpus callosum into three segments: rostrum and genu; anterior and posterior trunks; splenium. Each part accounts for one third of the total area of the corpus callosum. The genu and splenium were generally equal in thickness. The minimal thickness of the trunk was 3 mm with the maximal one 9 mm. The posterior trunk was never thicker than the anterior one. The posterior part of the posterior trunk showed thinning and concavity in almost all cases. So-called impressio corporis callosi was observed in 12 cases (44.4%). Thirteen cases (48.1%) showed a shallow concave configuration at the anterior dorsal surface of the corpus callosum. Six cases of these were thought to be due to compression by the pericallosal artery. This finding was not detected in the posterior portion of the corpus callosum. This concavity was also seen in infants. The thinning of the posterior part of the posterior trunk was seen after the development of the splenium, but the concave configuration at the anterior dorsal surface of the corpus callosum may be encountered before the full development of the genu and splenium. (author)

Language Planning: Corpus Planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Baldauf, Richard B., Jr.

1989-01-01

Focuses on the historical and sociolinguistic studies that illuminate corpus planning processes. These processes are broken down and discussed under two categories: those related to the establishment of norms, referred to as codification, and those related to the extension of the linguistic functions of language, referred to as elaboration. (60…

Aversive counterconditioning attenuates reward signalling in the ventral striatum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne Marije Kaag

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Appetitive conditioning refers to the process of learning cue-reward associations and is mediated by the mesocorticolimbic system. Appetitive conditioned responses are difficult to extinguish, especially for highly salient rewards such as food and drugs. We investigate whether aversive counterconditioning can alter reward reinstatement in the ventral striatum in healthy volunteers using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI. In the initial conditioning phase, two different stimuli were reinforced with a monetary reward. In the subsequent counterconditioning phase, one of these stimuli was paired with an aversive shock to the wrist. In the following extinction phase, none of the stimuli were reinforced. In the final reinstatement phase, reward was reinstated by informing the participants that the monetary gain could be doubled. Our fMRI data revealed that reward signalling in the ventral striatum and ventral tegmental area following reinstatement was smaller for the stimulus that was counterconditioned with an electrical shock, compared to the non-counterconditioned stimulus. A functional connectivity analysis showed that aversive counterconditioning strengthened striatal connectivity with the hippocampus and insula. These results suggest that reward signalling in the ventral striatum can be attenuated through aversive counterconditioning, possibly by concurrent retrieval of the aversive association through enhanced connectivity with hippocampus and insula.

A corpus for plant-chemical relationships in the biomedical domain.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Wonjun; Kim, Baeksoo; Cho, Hyejin; Lee, Doheon; Lee, Hyunju

2016-09-20

Plants are natural products that humans consume in various ways including food and medicine. They have a long empirical history of treating diseases with relatively few side effects. Based on these strengths, many studies have been performed to verify the effectiveness of plants in treating diseases. It is crucial to understand the chemicals contained in plants because these chemicals can regulate activities of proteins that are key factors in causing diseases. With the accumulation of a large volume of biomedical literature in various databases such as PubMed, it is possible to automatically extract relationships between plants and chemicals in a large-scale way if we apply a text mining approach. A cornerstone of achieving this task is a corpus of relationships between plants and chemicals. In this study, we first constructed a corpus for plant and chemical entities and for the relationships between them. The corpus contains 267 plant entities, 475 chemical entities, and 1,007 plant-chemical relationships (550 and 457 positive and negative relationships, respectively), which are drawn from 377 sentences in 245 PubMed abstracts. Inter-annotator agreement scores for the corpus among three annotators were measured. The simple percent agreement scores for entities and trigger words for the relationships were 99.6 and 94.8 %, respectively, and the overall kappa score for the classification of positive and negative relationships was 79.8 %. We also developed a rule-based model to automatically extract such plant-chemical relationships. When we evaluated the rule-based model using the corpus and randomly selected biomedical articles, overall F-scores of 68.0 and 61.8 % were achieved, respectively. We expect that the corpus for plant-chemical relationships will be a useful resource for enhancing plant research. The corpus is available at http://combio.gist.ac.kr/plantchemicalcorpus .

The involvement of the striatum in decision making

Science.gov (United States)

Goulet-Kennedy, Julie; Labbe, Sara; Fecteau, Shirley

2016-01-01

Decision making has been extensively studied in the context of economics and from a group perspective, but still little is known on individual decision making. Here we discuss the different cognitive processes involved in decision making and its associated neural substrates. The putative conductors in decision making appear to be the prefrontal cortex and the striatum. Impaired decision-making skills in various clinical populations have been associated with activity in the prefrontal cortex and in the striatum. We highlight the importance of strengthening the degree of integration of both cognitive and neural substrates in order to further our understanding of decision-making skills. In terms of cognitive paradigms, there is a need to improve the ecological value of experimental tasks that assess decision making in various contexts and with rewards; this would help translate laboratory learnings into real-life benefits. In terms of neural substrates, the use of neuroimaging techniques helps characterize the neural networks associated with decision making; more recently, ways to modulate brain activity, such as in the prefrontal cortex and connected regions (eg, striatum), with noninvasive brain stimulation have also shed light on the neural and cognitive substrates of decision making. Together, these cognitive and neural approaches might be useful for patients with impaired decision-making skills. The drive behind this line of work is that decision-making abilities underlie important aspects of wellness, health, security, and financial and social choices in our daily lives. PMID:27069380

Polyethylene glycol restores axonal conduction after corpus callosum transection

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Ravinder Bamba

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Polyethylene glycol (PEG has been shown to restore axonal continuity after peripheral nerve transection in animal models. We hypothesized that PEG can also restore axonal continuity in the central nervous system. In this current experiment, coronal sectioning of the brains of Sprague-Dawley rats was performed after animal sacrifice. 3Brain high-resolution microelectrode arrays (MEA were used to measure mean firing rate (MFR and peak amplitude across the corpus callosum of the ex-vivo brain slices. The corpus callosum was subsequently transected and repeated measurements were performed. The cut ends of the corpus callosum were still apposite at this time. A PEG solution was applied to the injury site and repeated measurements were performed. MEA measurements showed that PEG was capable of restoring electrophysiology signaling after transection of central nerves. Before injury, the average MFRs at the ipsilateral, midline, and contralateral corpus callosum were 0.76, 0.66, and 0.65 spikes/second, respectively, and the average peak amplitudes were 69.79, 58.68, and 49.60 μV, respectively. After injury, the average MFRs were 0.71, 0.14, and 0.25 spikes/second, respectively and peak amplitudes were 52.11, 8.98, and 16.09 μV, respectively. After application of PEG, there were spikes in MFR and peak amplitude at the injury site and contralaterally. The average MFRs were 0.75, 0.55, and 0.47 spikes/second at the ipsilateral, midline, and contralateral corpus callosum, respectively and peak amplitudes were 59.44, 45.33, 40.02 μV, respectively. There were statistically differences in the average MFRs and peak amplitudes between the midline and non-midline corpus callosum groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.05. These findings suggest that PEG restores axonal conduction between severed central nerves, potentially representing axonal fusion.

Polyethylene glycol restores axonal conduction after corpus callosum transection.

Science.gov (United States)

Bamba, Ravinder; Riley, D Colton; Boyer, Richard B; Pollins, Alonda C; Shack, R Bruce; Thayer, Wesley P

2017-05-01

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) has been shown to restore axonal continuity after peripheral nerve transection in animal models. We hypothesized that PEG can also restore axonal continuity in the central nervous system. In this current experiment, coronal sectioning of the brains of Sprague-Dawley rats was performed after animal sacrifice. 3Brain high-resolution microelectrode arrays (MEA) were used to measure mean firing rate (MFR) and peak amplitude across the corpus callosum of the ex-vivo brain slices. The corpus callosum was subsequently transected and repeated measurements were performed. The cut ends of the corpus callosum were still apposite at this time. A PEG solution was applied to the injury site and repeated measurements were performed. MEA measurements showed that PEG was capable of restoring electrophysiology signaling after transection of central nerves. Before injury, the average MFRs at the ipsilateral, midline, and contralateral corpus callosum were 0.76, 0.66, and 0.65 spikes/second, respectively, and the average peak amplitudes were 69.79, 58.68, and 49.60 μV, respectively. After injury, the average MFRs were 0.71, 0.14, and 0.25 spikes/second, respectively and peak amplitudes were 52.11, 8.98, and 16.09 μV, respectively. After application of PEG, there were spikes in MFR and peak amplitude at the injury site and contralaterally. The average MFRs were 0.75, 0.55, and 0.47 spikes/second at the ipsilateral, midline, and contralateral corpus callosum, respectively and peak amplitudes were 59.44, 45.33, 40.02 μV, respectively. There were statistically differences in the average MFRs and peak amplitudes between the midline and non-midline corpus callosum groups ( P < 0.01, P < 0.05). These findings suggest that PEG restores axonal conduction between severed central nerves, potentially representing axonal fusion.

Parenting, corpus callosum, and executive function in preschool children.

Science.gov (United States)

Kok, Rianne; Lucassen, Nicole; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J; van IJzendoorn, Marinus H; Ghassabian, Akhgar; Roza, Sabine J; Govaert, Paul; Jaddoe, Vincent W; Hofman, Albert; Verhulst, Frank C; Tiemeier, Henning

2014-01-01

In this longitudinal population-based study (N = 544), we investigated whether early parenting and corpus callosum length predict child executive function abilities at 4 years of age. The length of the corpus callosum in infancy was measured using postnatal cranial ultrasounds at 6 weeks of age. At 3 years, two aspects of parenting were observed: maternal sensitivity during a teaching task and maternal discipline style during a discipline task. Parents rated executive function problems at 4 years of age in five domains of inhibition, shifting, emotional control, working memory, and planning/organizing, using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool Version. Maternal sensitivity predicted less executive function problems at preschool age. A significant interaction was found between corpus callosum length in infancy and maternal use of positive discipline to determine child inhibition problems: The association between a relatively shorter corpus callosum in infancy and child inhibition problems was reduced in children who experienced more positive discipline. Our results point to the buffering potential of positive parenting for children with biological vulnerability.

ANR Corpus architecturae religiosae europeae [CARE]saec. IV-X

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Christian Sapin

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Le projet ANR «Corpus des monuments religieux antérieurs à l’an Mil» [Corpus architecturae religiosae europeae/CARE – IV-X saec.] a débuté en janvier 2008. Il représente l’apport de la France à un programme international, initié en 2002 par l’IRCLAMA de Zagreb (Croatie . Ce corpus a pour objectif de recenser les édifices religieux d’Europe entre le IVe siècle et le tout début du XIe siècle. Il regroupe déjà l’Italie, l’Espagne, la Croatie, l’Europe centrale et demain, probablement, l’Irlande...

Acute aortic dissection type A discloses Corpus alienum

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Kolat Philipp

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract We report an unusual case of an aortic type A dissection with a corpus alienum which compresses the right ventricle. The patient successfully underwent an aortic root replacement in deep hypothermia with re-implantation of the coronary arteries using a modified Bentall procedure and the resection of the corpus alienum. Intraoperative finding reveals 3 greatly adhered gauze compresses, which were most likely forgotten in the operation 34 years ago.

Corpus callosum thickness in children: an MR pattern-recognition approach on the midsagittal image

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Andronikou, Savvas; Pillay, Tanyia; Gabuza, Lungile; Mahomed, Nasreen; Naidoo, Jaishree; Tebogo Hlabangana, Linda [University of the Witwatersrand, Radiology Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Johannesburg (South Africa); Du Plessis, Vicci [University of KwaZulu-Natal, Radiology Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Durban (South Africa); Prabhu, Sanjay P. [Harvard Medical School, Department of Radiology, Boston Children' s Hospital, Boston, MA (United States)

2014-08-31

Thickening of the corpus callosum is an important feature of development, whereas thinning of the corpus callosum can be the result of a number of diseases that affect development or cause destruction of the corpus callosum. Corpus callosum thickness reflects the volume of the hemispheres and responds to changes through direct effects or through Wallerian degeneration. It is therefore not only important to evaluate the morphology of the corpus callosum for congenital anomalies but also to evaluate the thickness of specific components or the whole corpus callosum in association with other findings. The goal of this pictorial review is raise awareness that the thickness of the corpus callosum can be a useful feature of pathology in pediatric central nervous system disease and must be considered in the context of the stage of development of a child. Thinning of the corpus callosum can be primary or secondary, and generalized or focal. Primary thinning is caused by abnormal or failed myelination related to the hypomyelinating leukoencephalopathies, metabolic disorders affecting white matter, and microcephaly. Secondary thinning of the corpus callosum can be caused by diffuse injury such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) encephalopathy, hydrocephalus, dysmyelinating conditions and demyelinating conditions. Focal disturbance of formation or focal injury also causes localized thinning, e.g., callosal dysgenesis, metabolic disorders with localized effects, hypoglycemia, white matter injury of prematurity, HIV-related atrophy, infarction and vasculitis, trauma and toxins. The corpus callosum might be too thick because of a primary disorder in which the corpus callosum finding is essential to diagnosis; abnormal thickening can also be secondary to inflammation, infection and trauma. (orig.)

Corpus callosum thickness in children: an MR pattern-recognition approach on the midsagittal image

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andronikou, Savvas; Pillay, Tanyia; Gabuza, Lungile; Mahomed, Nasreen; Naidoo, Jaishree; Tebogo Hlabangana, Linda; Du Plessis, Vicci; Prabhu, Sanjay P.

2015-01-01

Thickening of the corpus callosum is an important feature of development, whereas thinning of the corpus callosum can be the result of a number of diseases that affect development or cause destruction of the corpus callosum. Corpus callosum thickness reflects the volume of the hemispheres and responds to changes through direct effects or through Wallerian degeneration. It is therefore not only important to evaluate the morphology of the corpus callosum for congenital anomalies but also to evaluate the thickness of specific components or the whole corpus callosum in association with other findings. The goal of this pictorial review is raise awareness that the thickness of the corpus callosum can be a useful feature of pathology in pediatric central nervous system disease and must be considered in the context of the stage of development of a child. Thinning of the corpus callosum can be primary or secondary, and generalized or focal. Primary thinning is caused by abnormal or failed myelination related to the hypomyelinating leukoencephalopathies, metabolic disorders affecting white matter, and microcephaly. Secondary thinning of the corpus callosum can be caused by diffuse injury such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) encephalopathy, hydrocephalus, dysmyelinating conditions and demyelinating conditions. Focal disturbance of formation or focal injury also causes localized thinning, e.g., callosal dysgenesis, metabolic disorders with localized effects, hypoglycemia, white matter injury of prematurity, HIV-related atrophy, infarction and vasculitis, trauma and toxins. The corpus callosum might be too thick because of a primary disorder in which the corpus callosum finding is essential to diagnosis; abnormal thickening can also be secondary to inflammation, infection and trauma. (orig.)

Diffusion tensor analysis of corpus callosum in progressive supranuclear palsy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Shoichi; Makino, Takahiro; Shirai, Wakako; Hattori, Takamichi

2008-01-01

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative disease featuring parkinsonism, supranuclear ophthalmoplegia, dysphagia, and frontal lobe dysfunction. The corpus callosum which consists of many commissure fibers probably reflects cerebral cortical function. Several previous reports showed atrophy or diffusion abnormalities of anterior corpus callosum in PSP patients, but partitioning method used in these studies was based on data obtained in nonhuman primates. In this study, we performed a diffusion tensor analysis using a new partitioning method for the human corpus callosum. Seven consecutive patients with PSP were compared with 29 age-matched patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) and 19 age-matched healthy control subjects. All subjects underwent diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging, and the corpus callosum was partitioned into five areas on the mid-sagittal plane according to a recently established topography of human corpus callosum (CC1-prefrontal area, CC2-premotor and supplementary motor area, CC3-motor area, CC4-sensory area, CC5-parietal, temporal, and occipital area). Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were measured in each area and differences between groups were analyzed. In the PSP group, FA values were significantly decreased in CC1 and CC2, and ADC values were significantly increased in CC1 and CC2. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed excellent reliability of FA and ADC analyses of CC1 for differentiating PSP from PD. The anterior corpus callosum corresponding to the prefrontal, premotor, and supplementary motor cortices is affected in PSP patients. This analysis can be an additional test for further confirmation of the diagnosis of PSP

Diffusion tensor analysis of corpus callosum in progressive supranuclear palsy

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Ito, Shoichi; Makino, Takahiro; Shirai, Wakako; Hattori, Takamichi [Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University (Japan)

2008-11-15

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative disease featuring parkinsonism, supranuclear ophthalmoplegia, dysphagia, and frontal lobe dysfunction. The corpus callosum which consists of many commissure fibers probably reflects cerebral cortical function. Several previous reports showed atrophy or diffusion abnormalities of anterior corpus callosum in PSP patients, but partitioning method used in these studies was based on data obtained in nonhuman primates. In this study, we performed a diffusion tensor analysis using a new partitioning method for the human corpus callosum. Seven consecutive patients with PSP were compared with 29 age-matched patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) and 19 age-matched healthy control subjects. All subjects underwent diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging, and the corpus callosum was partitioned into five areas on the mid-sagittal plane according to a recently established topography of human corpus callosum (CC1-prefrontal area, CC2-premotor and supplementary motor area, CC3-motor area, CC4-sensory area, CC5-parietal, temporal, and occipital area). Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were measured in each area and differences between groups were analyzed. In the PSP group, FA values were significantly decreased in CC1 and CC2, and ADC values were significantly increased in CC1 and CC2. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed excellent reliability of FA and ADC analyses of CC1 for differentiating PSP from PD. The anterior corpus callosum corresponding to the prefrontal, premotor, and supplementary motor cortices is affected in PSP patients. This analysis can be an additional test for further confirmation of the diagnosis of PSP.

33 CFR 165.808 - Corpus Christi Ship Channel, Corpus Christi, TX, safety zone.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Petroleum Gas, the waters within a 500 yard radius of the LPG carrier while the vessel transits the Corpus Christi Ship Channel to the LPG receiving facility. The safety zone remains in effect until the LPG vessel is moored at the LPG receiving facility. (2) For outgoing tank vessels loaded with LPG, the waters...

Compiling a corpus-based dictionary grammar: an example for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this article it is shown how a corpus-based dictionary grammar may be compiled — that is, a mini-grammar fully based on corpus data and specifically written for use in and inte-grated with a dictionary. Such an effort is, to the best of our knowledge, a world's first. We exem-plify our approach for a Northern Sotho ...

The Corpus of Czech Verse

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Plecháč, Petr; Kolár, Robert

2015-01-01

Roč. 2, č. 1 (2015), s. 107-118 ISSN 2346-6901 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP406/11/1825 Institutional support: RVO:68378068 Keywords : Czech poetry * versification * corpus linguistics * theory of verse Subject RIV: AJ - Letters, Mass-media, Audiovision

Quantitative Imaging of Cholinergic Interneurons Reveals a Distinctive Spatial Organization and a Functional Gradient across the Mouse Striatum.

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Miriam Matamales

Full Text Available Information processing in the striatum requires the postsynaptic integration of glutamatergic and dopaminergic signals, which are then relayed to the output nuclei of the basal ganglia to influence behavior. Although cellularly homogeneous in appearance, the striatum contains several rare interneuron populations which tightly modulate striatal function. Of these, cholinergic interneurons (CINs have been recently shown to play a critical role in the control of reward-related learning; however how the striatal cholinergic network is functionally organized at the mesoscopic level and the way this organization influences striatal function remains poorly understood. Here, we systematically mapped and digitally reconstructed the entire ensemble of CINs in the mouse striatum and quantitatively assessed differences in densities, spatial arrangement and neuropil content across striatal functional territories. This approach demonstrated that the rostral portion of the striatum contained a higher concentration of CINs than the caudal striatum and that the cholinergic content in the core of the ventral striatum was significantly lower than in the rest of the regions. Additionally, statistical comparison of spatial point patterns in the striatal cholinergic ensemble revealed that only a minor portion of CINs (17% aggregated into cluster and that they were predominantly organized in a random fashion. Furthermore, we used a fluorescence reporter to estimate the activity of over two thousand CINs in naïve mice and found that there was a decreasing gradient of CIN overall function along the dorsomedial-to-ventrolateral axis, which appeared to be independent of their propensity to aggregate within the striatum. Altogether this work suggests that the regulation of striatal function by acetylcholine across the striatum is highly heterogeneous, and that signals originating in external afferent systems may be principally determining the function of CINs in the

Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum

Science.gov (United States)

... callosum, the structure that connects the two hemispheres (left and right) of the brain. In ACC the corpus callosum is partially or completely absent. It is caused by a disruption of brain cell migration during fetal development. ACC can occur as an isolated condition or ...

A massively parallel corpus: the Bible in 100 languages.

Science.gov (United States)

Christodouloupoulos, Christos; Steedman, Mark

We describe the creation of a massively parallel corpus based on 100 translations of the Bible. We discuss some of the difficulties in acquiring and processing the raw material as well as the potential of the Bible as a corpus for natural language processing. Finally we present a statistical analysis of the corpora collected and a detailed comparison between the English translation and other English corpora.

Neuronal basis for evaluating selected action in the primate striatum.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, Hiroshi; Inokawa, Hitoshi; Matsumoto, Naoyuki; Ueda, Yasumasa; Kimura, Minoru

2011-08-01

Humans and animals optimize their behavior by evaluating outcomes of individual actions and predicting how much reward the actions will yield. While the estimated values of actions guide choice behavior, the choices are also governed by other behavioral norms, such as rules and strategies. Values, rules and strategies are represented in neuronal activity, and the striatum is one of the best qualified brain loci where these signals meet. To understand the role of the striatum in value- and strategy-based decision-making, we recorded striatal neurons in macaque monkeys performing a behavioral task in which they searched for a reward target by trial-and-error among three alternatives, earned a reward for a target choice, and then earned additional rewards for choosing the same target. This task allowed us to examine whether and how values of targets and strategy, which were defined as negative-then-search and positive-then-repeat (or win-stay-lose-switch), are represented in the striatum. Large subsets of striatal neurons encoded positive and negative outcome feedbacks of individual decisions and actions. Once monkeys made a choice, signals related to chosen actions, their values and search- or repeat-type actions increased and persisted until the outcome feedback appeared. Subsets of neurons exhibited a tonic increase in activity after the search- and repeat-choices following negative and positive feedback in the last trials as the task strategy monkeys adapted. These activity profiles as a heterogeneous representation of decision variables may underlie a part of the process for reinforcement- and strategy-based evaluation of selected actions in the striatum. © 2011 The Authors. European Journal of Neuroscience © 2011 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Levodopa-induced dyskinesia is associated with increased thyrotropin releasing hormone in the dorsal striatum of hemi-parkinsonian rats.

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Ippolita Cantuti-Castelvetri

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Dyskinesias associated with involuntary movements and painful muscle contractions are a common and severe complication of standard levodopa (L-DOPA, L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine therapy for Parkinson's disease. Pathologic neuroplasticity leading to hyper-responsive dopamine receptor signaling in the sensorimotor striatum is thought to underlie this currently untreatable condition.Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR was employed to evaluate the molecular changes associated with L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias in Parkinson's disease. With this technique, we determined that thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH was greatly increased in the dopamine-depleted striatum of hemi-parkinsonian rats that developed abnormal movements in response to L-DOPA therapy, relative to the levels measured in the contralateral non-dopamine-depleted striatum, and in the striatum of non-dyskinetic control rats. ProTRH immunostaining suggested that TRH peptide levels were almost absent in the dopamine-depleted striatum of control rats that did not develop dyskinesias, but in the dyskinetic rats, proTRH immunostaining was dramatically up-regulated in the striatum, particularly in the sensorimotor striatum. This up-regulation of TRH peptide affected striatal medium spiny neurons of both the direct and indirect pathways, as well as neurons in striosomes.TRH is not known to be a key striatal neuromodulator, but intrastriatal injection of TRH in experimental animals can induce abnormal movements, apparently through increasing dopamine release. Our finding of a dramatic and selective up-regulation of TRH expression in the sensorimotor striatum of dyskinetic rat models suggests a TRH-mediated regulatory mechanism that may underlie the pathologic neuroplasticity driving dopamine hyper-responsivity in Parkinson's disease.

Lexical Properties of Slovene Sign Language: A Corpus-Based Study

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Vintar, Špela

2015-01-01

Slovene Sign Language (SZJ) has as yet received little attention from linguists. This article presents some basic facts about SZJ, its history, current status, and a description of the Slovene Sign Language Corpus and Pilot Grammar (SIGNOR) project, which compiled and annotated a representative corpus of SZJ. Finally, selected quantitative data…

Experimental acute thrombotic stroke in baboons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Del Zoppo, G.J.; Copeland, B.R.; Harker, L.A.; Waltz, T.A.; Zyroff, J.; Hanson, S.R.; Battenberg, E.

1986-01-01

To study the effects of antithrombotic therapy in experimental stroke, we have characterized a baboon model of acute cerebrovascular thrombosis. In this model an inflatable silastic balloon cuff has been implanted by transorbital approach around the right middle cerebral artery (MCA), proximal to the take-off of the lenticulostriate arteries (LSA). Inflation of the balloon for 3 hours in six animals produced a stereotypic sustained stroke syndrome characterized by contralateral hemiparesis. An infarction volume of 3.2 +/- 1.5 cm3 in the ipsilateral corpus striatum was documented by computerized tomographic (CT) scanning at 10 days following stroke induction and 3.9 +/- 1.9 cm3 (n = 4) at 14 days by morphometric neuropathologic determinations of brain specimens fixed in situ by pressure-perfusion with 10% buffered formalin. Immediate pressure-perfusion fixation following deflation of the balloon was performed in 16 additional animals given Evans blue dye intravenously prior to the 3 hour MCA balloon occlusion. Light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy consistently confirmed the presence of thrombotic material occluding microcirculatory branches of the right LSA in the region of Evans blue stain, but not those of the contralateral corpus striatum. When autologous 111In-platelets were infused intravenously in four animals from the above group prior to the transient 3 hour occlusion of the right MCA, gamma scintillation camera imaging of each perfused-fixed whole brain demonstrated the presence of a single residual focus of 111In-platelet activity involving only the Evans blue-stained right corpus striatum. Focal right hemispheric activity was equivalent to 0.55 +/- 0.49 ml of whole blood, and the occlusion score derived from histologic examination of the microcirculation of the Evans blue-stained corpus striatum averaged 34.8 +/- 2.8

[Medicine and astrology in Arnau's corpus].

Science.gov (United States)

Giralt, Sebastià

2006-01-01

The role of astrology in Arnau de Vilanova's medical work is revisited with special attention to the problems of authorship posed by the astrological writings of Arnau's corpus and to their hypothetical chronology.

Developing a corpus of spoken language variability

Science.gov (United States)

Carmichael, Lesley; Wright, Richard; Wassink, Alicia Beckford

2003-10-01

We are developing a novel, searchable corpus as a research tool for investigating phonetic and phonological phenomena across various speech styles. Five speech styles have been well studied independently in previous work: reduced (casual), careful (hyperarticulated), citation (reading), Lombard effect (speech in noise), and ``motherese'' (child-directed speech). Few studies to date have collected a wide range of styles from a single set of speakers, and fewer yet have provided publicly available corpora. The pilot corpus includes recordings of (1) a set of speakers participating in a variety of tasks designed to elicit the five speech styles, and (2) casual peer conversations and wordlists to illustrate regional vowels. The data include high-quality recordings and time-aligned transcriptions linked to text files that can be queried. Initial measures drawn from the database provide comparison across speech styles along the following acoustic dimensions: MLU (changes in unit duration); relative intra-speaker intensity changes (mean and dynamic range); and intra-speaker pitch values (minimum, maximum, mean, range). The corpus design will allow for a variety of analyses requiring control of demographic and style factors, including hyperarticulation variety, disfluencies, intonation, discourse analysis, and detailed spectral measures.

The Shona Corpus and the Problem of Tagging | Chabata | Lexikos

African Journals Online (AJOL)

An analysis of the problems that most corpus builders face shows that more problems are likely to be encountered when dealing with spoken corpora than with written corpora. The paper demonstrates that tagging is an important component of corpus building as it makes it easier for a researcher to extract relevant data.

What Does Corpus Linguistics Have to Offer to Language Assessment?

Science.gov (United States)

Xi, Xiaoming

2017-01-01

In recent years, continuing advances in technology have increased the capacity to automate the extraction of a range of linguistic features of texts and thus have provided the impetus for the substantial growth of corpus linguistics. While corpus linguistic tools and methods have been used extensively in second language learning research, they…

Inhibiting PKM[zeta] Reveals Dorsal Lateral and Dorsal Medial Striatum Store the Different Memories Needed to Support Adaptive Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Pauli, Wolfgang M.; Clark, Alexandra D.; Guenther, Heidi J.; O'Reilly, Randall C.; Rudy, Jerry W.

2012-01-01

Evidence suggests that two regions of the striatum contribute differential support to instrumental response selection. The dorsomedial striatum (DMS) is thought to support expectancy-mediated actions, and the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) is thought to support habits. Currently it is unclear whether these regions store task-relevant information or…

Radiographic evaluation of 70 patients with absence of the corpus callosum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byrd, S.E.; Flannery, A.; Osborn, R.E.; Radkowski, M.A.; Naidich, T.P.; Bohan, T.P.

1987-01-01

Absence (agenesis) of the corpus callosum is one of the most common congenital malformations of the brain seen in the pediatric population. The authors used CT, MR imaging, or US to study 70 children with absence of the corpus callosum. Patients were divided into two groups; those with isolated absence of the corpus callosum, and those with other associated brain lesions. The associated brain lesions included interhemispheric arachnoid cyst, Dandy-Walker malformations, encephaloceles, and migrational disorders (heterotopias, schizencephaly, lissencaphaly, septo-optic dysplasia, lipoma, Chiari malformations, and holoprosenscephaly). The clinical presentations and radiologic findings are described

An odd couple – Corpus frequency and look-up frequency: what relationship?

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Lars Trap-Jensen

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we investigate the relationship between log file records and corpus frequency. The study was motivated by practical considerations of how best to keep an already existing corpus-based dictionary updated. Should the next word in the dictionary be the one that follows next on a list of declining corpus frequency? Or the one that users most frequently look up but don’t find? In order to establish manageable criteria, we analysed log files for The Danish Dictionary from 2009 to 2012 and compared the list of most popular words looked up by the users with the frequency of the same words in the corpus underlying The Danish Dictionary. The users’ actual search behaviour was analysed in order to find answers to questions such as these: Are there words which are never looked up? If so, can we say something meaningful about their corpus frequency patterns – do they belong to particular parts of speech, are they particularly frequent or infrequent, could it even be that the pattern is cumulative, in such a way that a particular threshold can be identified? Ultimately, the question is whether it makes sense to use corpus frequency as a criterion for lemma selection.

Bayesian stratified sampling to assess corpus utility

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Hochberg, J.; Scovel, C.; Thomas, T.; Hall, S.

1998-12-01

This paper describes a method for asking statistical questions about a large text corpus. The authors exemplify the method by addressing the question, ``What percentage of Federal Register documents are real documents, of possible interest to a text researcher or analyst?`` They estimate an answer to this question by evaluating 200 documents selected from a corpus of 45,820 Federal Register documents. Bayesian analysis and stratified sampling are used to reduce the sampling uncertainty of the estimate from over 3,100 documents to fewer than 1,000. A possible application of the method is to establish baseline statistics used to estimate recall rates for information retrieval systems.

Corpus-based Studies on Nursing Textbooks

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Alif Fairus Nor Mohamad

2013-07-01

Full Text Available English for Specific Purposes (ESP educators often face dilemma in deciding what lexical items to teach their students. In the field of English for Nursing Purposes (ENP, there is no exception on this issue as well. Only by analyzing the nursing corpus made up of essential core textbooks that can provide better insights and guide to both nursing students and educators. This research aims to highlight the 2,000 most frequently used nursing words across the core textbooks of nursing and to profile the types of ‘low frequency’ lexis which comprise the nursing corpus in terms of the General Service List (GSL and Academic Word List (AWL lexis coverage. By knowing the frequently used nursing words would further reduce students’ reading deficiency if the students use the 2000-word list.

An annotated corpus with nanomedicine and pharmacokinetic parameters

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Lewinski NA

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Nastassja A Lewinski,1 Ivan Jimenez,1 Bridget T McInnes2 1Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 2Department of Computer Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA Abstract: A vast amount of data on nanomedicines is being generated and published, and natural language processing (NLP approaches can automate the extraction of unstructured text-based data. Annotated corpora are a key resource for NLP and information extraction methods which employ machine learning. Although corpora are available for pharmaceuticals, resources for nanomedicines and nanotechnology are still limited. To foster nanotechnology text mining (NanoNLP efforts, we have constructed a corpus of annotated drug product inserts taken from the US Food and Drug Administration’s Drugs@FDA online database. In this work, we present the development of the Engineered Nanomedicine Database corpus to support the evaluation of nanomedicine entity extraction. The data were manually annotated for 21 entity mentions consisting of nanomedicine physicochemical characterization, exposure, and biologic response information of 41 Food and Drug Administration-approved nanomedicines. We evaluate the reliability of the manual annotations and demonstrate the use of the corpus by evaluating two state-of-the-art named entity extraction systems, OpenNLP and Stanford NER. The annotated corpus is available open source and, based on these results, guidelines and suggestions for future development of additional nanomedicine corpora are provided. Keywords: nanotechnology, informatics, natural language processing, text mining, corpora

Corpus callosum lipoma with frontal encephalocele

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Srinivasa Rao, A.; Rao, V.R.K.; Ravi Mandalam, K.; Gupta, A.K.; Kumar, S.; Joseph, S.; Unni, M.

1990-01-01

Computed tomographic and plain X-ray observations in a patient with corpus callosum lipoma associated with frontal encephalocele are reported. The rarity of the lesion and the specific diagnostic criteria on CT are emphasised. (orig.)

High signal of the striatum in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: sequential change on T2-weighted MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uemura, A.; O'uchi, T.; Sakamoto, T.; Yashiro, N.

2002-01-01

The object of this study is to describe the sequential change of high signal of the striatum on T2-weighted MRI in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Three cases of autopsy-proven sporadic CJD and a total of 18 serial MR images are included in this study. The degree of high signal of the striatum on T2-weighted MRI was evaluated by two neuroradiologists and divided into four grades by mutual agreement. Initial MRI of all three cases showed a slightly high signal of the bilateral striatum, and the conspicuity of the high signal became more prominent as the disease progressed. In each case the pathological change of striatum and globus pallidus was compared with the high signal on the last MR image. (orig.)

High signal of the striatum in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: sequential change on T2-weighted MRI

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Uemura, A.; O' uchi, T.; Sakamoto, T.; Yashiro, N. [Department of Radiology, Kameda Medical Center, Kamogawa, Chiba (Japan)

2002-04-01

The object of this study is to describe the sequential change of high signal of the striatum on T2-weighted MRI in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Three cases of autopsy-proven sporadic CJD and a total of 18 serial MR images are included in this study. The degree of high signal of the striatum on T2-weighted MRI was evaluated by two neuroradiologists and divided into four grades by mutual agreement. Initial MRI of all three cases showed a slightly high signal of the bilateral striatum, and the conspicuity of the high signal became more prominent as the disease progressed. In each case the pathological change of striatum and globus pallidus was compared with the high signal on the last MR image. (orig.)

Sexual dimorphism of the human corpus callosum: Digital morphometric study

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Spasojević Goran

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Background/Aim. Changes in the morphology and the size of the corpus callosum, are related to various pathological conditions. An analysis of these changes requires data about sexual dimorphism of the corpus callosum, which we tried to obtain in our study. We also investigated the method of digital morphometry and compared the obtained results with the results of other authors obtained by magnetic resonance imaging or by planimetry. Methods. A morphological research included 34 human brains (cadavers of both sexes − 19 female and 15 male aged 26−72 years. By digital morphometry using an AutoCAD software we performed measurements in the corpus callosum: the length (L, width in the half of its length (WW’, length of its cortical margin (LCM, area and perimeter of the anterior and posterior callosal segments, as well as the area and perimeter of the corpus callosum section area. The investigated parameters were analyzed and compared between the females and males. Results. There was not a statistically significant difference between the males and females in the investigated parameters of the corpus callosum (t test; p > 0.05, including the mean values of the two most important parameters, the surface of its midsagittal section area (males 654.11 mm2; females 677.40 mm2 and of its perimeter (males 19.61 cm; females 19.72 cm. The results obtained by digital morphometry were in the range of the results of other authors obtained by magnetic resonance and by planimetry. However, the value of Pearson coefficient of linear correlation between the section surface area and perimeter of the corpus callosum in the males was highly significant (rxy = 0.6943, p < 0.01, while in the females this value was statistically insignificant. Conclusion. Digital morphometry is accurate method in encephalometric investigations. Our results suggest that the problem of sexual dimorphism of the corpus callosum is very complex, because the identical variables (section

Positron emission tomography (PET) studies of dopaminergic/cholinergic interactions in the baboon brain

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Dewey, S.L.; Brodie, J.D.; Fowler, J.S.; MacGregor, R.R.; Schlyer, D.J.; King, P.T.; Alexoff, D.L.; Volkow, N.D.; Shiue, C.Y.; Wolf, A.P.

1990-01-01

Interactions between the dopaminergic D2 receptor system and the muscarinic cholinergic system in the corpus striatum of adult female baboons (Papio anubis) were examined using positron emission tomography (PET) combined with [18F]N-methylspiroperidol [( 18F]NMSP) (to probe D2 receptor availability) and [N-11C-methyl]benztropine (to probe muscarinic cholinergic receptor availability). Pretreatment with benztropine, a long-lasting anticholinergic drug, bilaterally reduced the incorporation of radioactivity in the corpus striatum but did not alter that observed in the cerebellum or the rate of metabolism of [18F]NMSP in plasma. Pretreatment with unlabelled NMSP, a potent dopaminergic antagonist, reduced the incorporation of [N-11C-methyl]benztropine in all brain regions, with the greatest effect being in the corpus striatum greater than cortex greater than thalamus greater than cerebellum, but did not alter the rate of metabolism of the labelled benztropine in the plasma. These reductions in the incorporation of either [18F]NMSP or [N-11C-methyl]benztropine exceeded the normal variation in tracer incorporation in repeated studies in the same animal. This study demonstrates that PET can be used as a tool for investigating interactions between neurochemically different yet functionally linked neurotransmitters systems in vivo and provides insight into the consequences of multiple pharmacologic administration

Experimental Polish-Lithuanian Corpus with the Semantic Annotation Elements

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Danuta Roszko

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Experimental Polish-Lithuanian Corpus with the Semantic Annotation Elements In the article the authors present the experimental Polish-Lithuanian corpus (ECorpPL-LT formed for the idea of Polish-Lithuanian theoretical contrastive studies, a Polish-Lithuanian electronic dictionary, and as help for a sworn translator. The semantic annotation being brought into ECorpPL-LT is extremely useful in Polish-Lithuanian contrastive studies, and also proves helpful in translation work.

Differences between Dorsal and Ventral Striatum in the Sensitivity of Tonically Active Neurons to Rewarding Events

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Kevin Marche

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Within the striatum, cholinergic interneurons, electrophysiologically identified as tonically active neurons (TANs, represent a relatively homogeneous group in terms of their functional properties. They display typical pause in tonic firing in response to rewarding events which are of crucial importance for reinforcement learning. These responses are uniformly distributed throughout the dorsal striatum (i.e., motor and associative striatum, but it is unknown, at least in monkeys, whether differences in the modulation of TAN activity exist in the ventral striatum (i.e., limbic striatum, a region specialized for processing of motivational information. To address this issue, we examined the activity of dorsal and ventral TANs in two monkeys trained on a Pavlovian conditioning task in which a visual stimulus preceded the delivery of liquid reward by a fixed time interval. We found that the proportion of TANs responding to the stimulus predictive of reward did not vary significantly across regions (58%–80%, whereas the fraction of TANs responding to reward was higher in the limbic striatum (100% compared to the motor (65% and associative striatum (52%. By examining TAN modulation at the level of both the population and the individual neurons, we showed that the duration of pause responses to the stimulus and reward was longer in the ventral than in the dorsal striatal regions. Also, the magnitude of the pause was greater in ventral than dorsal striatum for the stimulus predictive of reward but not for the reward itself. We found similar region-specific differences in pause response duration to the stimulus when the timing of reward was less predictable (fixed replaced by variable time interval. Regional variations in the duration and magnitude of the pause response were transferred from the stimulus to reward when reward was delivered in the absence of any predictive stimulus. It therefore appears that ventral TANs exhibit stronger responses to

Textual, Genre and Social Features of Spoken Grammar: A Corpus-Based Approach

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Carmen Pérez-Llantada

2009-02-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a corpus-based approach to teaching and learning spoken grammar for English for Academic Purposes with reference to Bhatia’s (2002 multi-perspective model for discourse analysis: a textual perspective, a genre perspective and a social perspective. From a textual perspective, corpus-informed instruction helps students identify grammar items through statistical frequencies, collocational patterns, context-sensitive meanings and discoursal uses of words. From a genre perspective, corpus observation provides students with exposure to recurrent lexico-grammatical patterns across different academic text types (genres. From a social perspective, corpus models can be used to raise learners’ awareness of how speakers’ different discourse roles, discourse privileges and power statuses are enacted in their grammar choices. The paper describes corpus-based instructional procedures, gives samples of learners’ linguistic output, and provides comments on the students’ response to this method of instruction. Data resulting from the assessment process and student production suggest that corpus-informed instruction grounded in Bhatia’s multi-perspective model can constitute a pedagogical approach in order to i obtain positive student responses from input and authentic samples of grammar use, ii help students identify and understand the textual, genre and social aspects of grammar in real contexts of use, and therefore iii help develop students’ ability to use grammar accurately and appropriately.

METHAMPHETAMINE-INDUCED CELL DEATH: SELECTIVE VULNERABILITY IN NEURONAL SUBPOPULATIONS OF THE STRIATUM IN MICE

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ZHU, J. P. Q.; XU, W.; ANGULO, J. A.

2010-01-01

Methamphetamine (METH) is an illicit and potent psychostimulant, which acts as an indirect dopamine agonist. In the striatum, METH has been shown to cause long lasting neurotoxic damage to dopaminergic nerve terminals and recently, the degeneration and death of striatal cells. The present study was undertaken to identify the type of striatal neurons that undergo apoptosis after METH. Male mice received a single high dose of METH (30 mg/kg, i.p.) and were killed 24 h later. To demonstrate that METH induces apoptosis in neurons, we combined terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining with immunohistofluorescence for the neuronal marker neuron-specific nuclear protein (NeuN). Staining for TUNEL and NeuN was colocalized throughout the striatum. METH induces apoptosis in approximately 25% of striatal neurons. Cell counts of TUNEL-positive neurons in the dorsomedial, ventromedial, dorsolateral and ventrolateral quadrants of the striatum did not reveal anatomical preference. The type of striatal neuron undergoing cell death was determined by combining TUNEL with immunohistofluorescence for selective markers of striatal neurons: dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, of apparent Mr 32,000, parvalbumin, choline acetyltransferase and somatostatin (SST). METH induces apoptosis in approximately 21% of dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, of apparent Mr 32,000-positive neurons (projection neurons), 45% of GABA-parvalbumin-positive neurons in the dorsal striatum, and 29% of cholinergic neurons in the dorsal–medial striatum. In contrast, the SST-positive interneurons were refractory to METH-induced apoptosis. Finally, the amount of cell loss determined with Nissl staining correlated with the amount of TUNEL staining in the striatum of METH-treated animals. In conclusion, some of the striatal projection neurons and the GABA-parvalbumin and cholinergic interneurons were removed by apoptosis in the aftermath of METH. This

Copy Number Variations Found in Patients with a Corpus Callosum Abnormality and Intellectual Disability.

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Heide, Solveig; Keren, Boris; Billette de Villemeur, Thierry; Chantot-Bastaraud, Sandra; Depienne, Christel; Nava, Caroline; Mignot, Cyril; Jacquette, Aurélia; Fonteneau, Eric; Lejeune, Elodie; Mach, Corinne; Marey, Isabelle; Whalen, Sandra; Lacombe, Didier; Naudion, Sophie; Rooryck, Caroline; Toutain, Annick; Caignec, Cédric Le; Haye, Damien; Olivier-Faivre, Laurence; Masurel-Paulet, Alice; Thauvin-Robinet, Christel; Lesne, Fabien; Faudet, Anne; Ville, Dorothée; des Portes, Vincent; Sanlaville, Damien; Siffroi, Jean-Pierre; Moutard, Marie-Laure; Héron, Delphine

2017-06-01

To evaluate the role that chromosomal micro-rearrangements play in patients with both corpus callosum abnormality and intellectual disability, we analyzed copy number variations (CNVs) in patients with corpus callosum abnormality/intellectual disability STUDY DESIGN: We screened 149 patients with corpus callosum abnormality/intellectual disability using Illumina SNP arrays. In 20 patients (13%), we have identified at least 1 CNV that likely contributes to corpus callosum abnormality/intellectual disability phenotype. We confirmed that the most common rearrangement in corpus callosum abnormality/intellectual disability is inverted duplication with terminal deletion of the 8p chromosome (3.2%). In addition to the identification of known recurrent CNVs, such as deletions 6qter, 18q21 (including TCF4), 1q43q44, 17p13.3, 14q12, 3q13, 3p26, and 3q26 (including SOX2), our analysis allowed us to refine the 2 known critical regions associated with 8q21.1 deletion and 19p13.1 duplication relevant for corpus callosum abnormality; report a novel 10p12 deletion including ZEB1 recently implicated in corpus callosum abnormality with corneal dystrophy; and) report a novel pathogenic 7q36 duplication encompassing SHH. In addition, 66 variants of unknown significance were identified in 57 patients encompassed candidate genes. Our results confirm the relevance of using microarray analysis as first line test in patients with corpus callosum abnormality/intellectual disability. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sirenomelia with agenesis of corpus callosum.

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Shirani, Shapour; Rekabi, Vahab; Kamalian, Naser

2006-07-01

Sirenomelia is a very rare anomaly presented with fusion of the lower limbs. Genitourinary, neural tube, and vertebral anomalies are found in most cases. We report a case of sirenomelia with agenesis of corpus callosum, which has not been reported previously.

75 FR 31677 - Amendment of Class E Airspace; Corpus Christi, TX

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2010-06-04

... Jose Island Airport, TX (Lat. 27[deg]56'40'' N., long. 96[deg]59'06'' W.) Rockport, Aransas County... Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76137; telephone (817) 321- 7716. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: History On... Corpus Christi, TX [Amended] Corpus Christi International Airport, TX (Lat. 27[deg]46'13'' N., long. 97...

The Corpus of English as Lingua Franca in Academic Settings.

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Mauranen, Anna

2003-01-01

Describes a project to make a corpus of English spoken as a lingua franca in university settings in Finland. This corpus is one of the first to address the need for corpora that show the target for English-as-a-Foreign-Language learners whose goal is not to speak with native speakers but to interact in communities where English is a lingua franca.…

Age-related decrease of 11C-N-methylspiperone in vivo binding to human striatum detected by PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iyo, Masaomi; Yamasaki, Toshiro; Fukuda, Hiroshi

1989-01-01

The effect of aging on 11 C-N-methylspiperone binding to living human striatum was demonstrated using positron emission tomography. The ll normal volunteers (22 to 72 years old) participated in this study. The uptake of 11 C-N-methylspiperone in the brain following intravenous injection was highest in the striatum in individual subject. And the uptake in the striatum only gradually increased until the end of the study. The uptake of 11 C-N-methylspiperone in cerebellum peaked within 10 minutes following injection and then rapidly dropped. The association rate constant 'k 3 ' was calculated from the slope of the radioactivity-ratio of striatum to cerebellum versus the equivalent time. The equivalent time was calculated from the radioactivity of cerebellum as an input function. The exponential decrease of the k 3 value with aging was observed. The k 3 value of the youngest subject (22 years old, male) was 0.035/min, while that of the oldest one (72 years old, male) was found to be 0.020/min. These data suggested that the dopaminergic activity through D2 dopamine receptors reduces with aging in human striatum. (author)

Segmentation of corpus callosum using diffusion tensor imaging: validation in patients with glioblastoma

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Nazem-Zadeh, Mohammad-Reza; Saksena, Sona; Babajani-Fermi, Abbas; Jiang, Quan; Soltanian-Zadeh, Hamid; Rosenblum, Mark; Mikkelsen, Tom; Jain, Rajan

2012-01-01

This paper presents a three-dimensional (3D) method for segmenting corpus callosum in normal subjects and brain cancer patients with glioblastoma. Nineteen patients with histologically confirmed treatment naïve glioblastoma and eleven normal control subjects underwent DTI on a 3T scanner. Based on the information inherent in diffusion tensors, a similarity measure was proposed and used in the proposed algorithm. In this algorithm, diffusion pattern of corpus callosum was used as prior information. Subsequently, corpus callosum was automatically divided into Witelson subdivisions. We simulated the potential rotation of corpus callosum under tumor pressure and studied the reproducibility of the proposed segmentation method in such cases. Dice coefficients, estimated to compare automatic and manual segmentation results for Witelson subdivisions, ranged from 94% to 98% for control subjects and from 81% to 95% for tumor patients, illustrating closeness of automatic and manual segmentations. Studying the effect of corpus callosum rotation by different Euler angles showed that although segmentation results were more sensitive to azimuth and elevation than skew, rotations caused by brain tumors do not have major effects on the segmentation results. The proposed method and similarity measure segment corpus callosum by propagating a hyper-surface inside the structure (resulting in high sensitivity), without penetrating into neighboring fiber bundles (resulting in high specificity)

Excessive D1 Dopamine Receptor Activation in the Dorsal Striatum Promotes Autistic-Like Behaviors.

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Lee, Yunjin; Kim, Hannah; Kim, Ji-Eun; Park, Jin-Young; Choi, Juli; Lee, Jung-Eun; Lee, Eun-Hwa; Han, Pyung-Lim

2018-07-01

The dopamine system has been characterized in motor function, goal-directed behaviors, and rewards. Recent studies recognize various dopamine system genes as being associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, how dopamine system dysfunction induces ASD pathophysiology remains unknown. In the present study, we demonstrated that mice with increased dopamine functions in the dorsal striatum via the suppression of dopamine transporter expression in substantia nigra neurons or the optogenetic stimulation of the nigro-striatal circuitry exhibited sociability deficits and repetitive behaviors relevant to ASD pathology in animal models, while these behavioral changes were blocked by a D1 receptor antagonist. Pharmacological activation of D1 dopamine receptors in normal mice or the genetic knockout (KO) of D2 dopamine receptors also produced typical autistic-like behaviors. Moreover, the siRNA-mediated inhibition of D2 dopamine receptors in the dorsal striatum was sufficient to replicate autistic-like phenotypes in D2 KO mice. Intervention of D1 dopamine receptor functions or the signaling pathways-related D1 receptors in D2 KO mice produced anti-autistic effects. Together, our results indicate that increased dopamine function in the dorsal striatum promotes autistic-like behaviors and that the dorsal striatum is the neural correlate of ASD core symptoms.

The Gutenberg English Poetry Corpus: Exemplary Quantitative Narrative Analyses

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Arthur M. Jacobs

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a corpus of about 3,000 English literary texts with about 250 million words extracted from the Gutenberg project that span a range of genres from both fiction and non-fiction written by more than 130 authors (e.g., Darwin, Dickens, Shakespeare. Quantitative narrative analysis (QNA is used to explore a cleaned subcorpus, the Gutenberg English Poetry Corpus (GEPC, which comprises over 100 poetic texts with around two million words from about 50 authors (e.g., Keats, Joyce, Wordsworth. Some exemplary QNA studies show author similarities based on latent semantic analysis, significant topics for each author or various text-analytic metrics for George Eliot’s poem “How Lisa Loved the King” and James Joyce’s “Chamber Music,” concerning, e.g., lexical diversity or sentiment analysis. The GEPC is particularly suited for research in Digital Humanities, Computational Stylistics, or Neurocognitive Poetics, e.g., as training and test corpus for stimulus development and control in empirical studies.

A Corpus-Based View of Lexical Gender in Written Business English

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Fuertes-Olivera, Pedro A.

2007-01-01

This article investigates lexical gender in specialized communication. The key method of analysis is that of forms of address, professional titles, and "generic man" in a 10 million word corpus of written Business English. After a brief introduction and literature review on both gender in specialized communication and similar corpus-based views of…

Microstructural changes in thickened corpus callosum in children: contribution of magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging

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Merlini, Laura; Anooshiravani, Mehrak; Kanavaki, Aikaterini; Hanquinet, Sylviane [University of Geneva Children' s Hospital, Pediatric Radiology Unit, Geneva (Switzerland)

2015-06-15

Thickened corpus callosum is a rare finding and its pathophysiology is not well known. An anomalous supracallosal bundle has been depicted by fiber tracking in some cases but no diffusion tensor imaging metrics of thickened corpus callosum have been reported. To use diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in cases of thickened corpus callosum to help in understanding its clinical significance. During a 7-year period five children (ages 6 months to 15 years) with thickened corpus callosum were studied. We determined DTI metrics of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity, and axial (λ1) and radial (λ2, λ3) diffusivity and performed 3-D fiber tracking reconstruction of the thickened corpus callosum. We compared our results with data from the literature and 24 age-matched controls. Brain abnormalities were seen in all cases. All children had at least three measurements of corpus callosum thickness above the 97th percentile according to age. In all children 3-D fiber tracking showed an anomalous supracallosal bundle and statistically significant decrease in FA (P = 0.003) and λ1 (P = 0.001) of the corpus callosum compared with controls, but no significant difference in mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity. Thickened corpus callosum was associated with abnormal bundles, suggesting underlying axonal guidance abnormality. DTI metrics suggested abnormal fiber compactness and density, which may be associated with alterations in cognition. (orig.)

Effect of ginseng saponina on nicotine-induced dopamine release in the rat nucleus accumbens and striatum

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Kim, Sang Eun; Shim, In Sop; Chung, June Key; Lee, Myung Chul

2002-01-01

We investigated the effect of ginseng total saponin (GTS) on nicotine-induced dopamine (DA) release in the striatum and nucleus accumbens of freely moving rats using in vivo microdialysis technique. Systemic pretreatment with GTS decreased striatal DA release induced by local infusion of nicotine into the striatum. However, GTS had no effect on the resting levels of extracellular DA in the striatum. GTS also blocked nicotine-induced DA release in the nucleus accumbens. The results of the present study suggest that GTS acts on the DA terminals to prevent DA release induced by nicotine. This may reflect the blocking effect of GTS on behavioral hyperactivity induced by psychostimulants

Effect of ginseng saponina on nicotine-induced dopamine release in the rat nucleus accumbens and striatum

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Kim, Sang Eun [Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Shim, In Sop [Kyunghee University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Chung, June Key; Lee, Myung Chul [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2002-10-01

We investigated the effect of ginseng total saponin (GTS) on nicotine-induced dopamine (DA) release in the striatum and nucleus accumbens of freely moving rats using in vivo microdialysis technique. Systemic pretreatment with GTS decreased striatal DA release induced by local infusion of nicotine into the striatum. However, GTS had no effect on the resting levels of extracellular DA in the striatum. GTS also blocked nicotine-induced DA release in the nucleus accumbens. The results of the present study suggest that GTS acts on the DA terminals to prevent DA release induced by nicotine. This may reflect the blocking effect of GTS on behavioral hyperactivity induced by psychostimulants.

The Crossed Projection to the Striatum in Two Species of Monkey and in Humans: Behavioral and Evolutionary Significance.

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Innocenti, Giorgio M; Dyrby, Tim B; Andersen, Kasper Winther; Rouiller, Eric M; Caminiti, Roberto

2017-06-01

The corpus callosum establishes the anatomical continuity between the 2 hemispheres and coordinates their activity. Using histological tracing, single axon reconstructions, and diffusion tractography, we describe a callosal projection to n caudatus and putamen in monkeys and humans. In both species, the origin of this projection is more restricted than that of the ipsilateral projection. In monkeys, it consists of thin axons (0.4-0.6 µm), appropriate for spatial and temporal dispersion of subliminal inputs. For prefrontal cortex, contralateral minus ipsilateral delays to striatum calculated from axon diameters and conduction distance are <2 ms in the monkey and, by extrapolation, <4 ms in humans. This delay corresponds to the performance in Poffenberger's paradigm, a classical attempt to estimate central conduction delays, with a neuropsychological task. In both species, callosal cortico-striatal projections originate from prefrontal, premotor, and motor areas. In humans, we discovered a new projection originating from superior parietal lobule, supramarginal, and superior temporal gyrus, regions engaged in language processing. This projection crosses in the isthmus the lesion of which was reported to dissociate syntax and prosody. The projection might originate from an overproduction of callosal projections in development, differentially pruned depending on species. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A Corpus-based Study of English Vocabulary in Art Research Articles

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Ping Wang

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The learning of English as a foreign language is an additional burden for art majors. This study aimed to examine high frequency words in art research articles to improve the efficiency of art majors’ English learning, especially their academic reading and writing. For this aim, the study built a corpus, analyzed data from art research articles and compared data with three base word lists. We found that the General Service List (GSL and the Academic Word List (AWL had a high coverage in our corpus, and there was a different high frequency word order in the Art Research Article Corpus (ARAC. These findings provide some implications for teaching English for art majors.

Extensive training and hippocampus or striatum lesions: effect on place and response strategies.

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Jacobson, Tara K; Gruenbaum, Benjamin F; Markus, Etan J

2012-02-01

The hippocampus has been linked to spatial navigation and the striatum to response learning. The current study focuses on how these brain regions continue to interact when an animal is very familiar with the task and the environment and must continuously switch between navigation strategies. Rats were trained to solve a plus maze using a place or a response strategy on different trials within a testing session. A room cue (illumination) was used to indicate which strategy should be used on a given trial. After extensive training, animals underwent dorsal hippocampus, dorsal lateral striatum or sham lesions. As expected hippocampal lesions predominantly caused impairment on place but not response trials. Striatal lesions increased errors on both place and response trials. Competition between systems was assessed by determining error type. Pre-lesion and sham animals primarily made errors to arms associated with the wrong (alternative) strategy, this was not found after lesions. The data suggest a qualitative change in the relationship between hippocampal and striatal systems as a task is well learned. During acquisition the two systems work in parallel, competing with each other. After task acquisition, the two systems become more integrated and interdependent. The fact that with extensive training (as something becomes a "habit"), behaviors become dependent upon the dorsal lateral striatum has been previously shown. The current findings indicate that dorsal lateral striatum involvement occurs even when the behavior is spatial and continues to require hippocampal processing. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Estrogen and oxytocin receptors in the canine corpus luteum during pregnancy and parturition

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Gisele Almeida Lima Veiga

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The expression of genes encoding the receptors for estrogen (ERαmRNA and oxytocin (OTRmRNA was studied in the corpus luteum during pregnancy and parturition in dogs. Real-time PCR was performed to quantify the levels of ERαmRNA and OTRmRNA in the corpus luteum of bitches during Early (up to 20 days of gestation, Mid (20 to 40 days and Late Pregnancy (40 to 60 days, and Parturition (first stage of labor. The corpus luteum expressed mRNA for OTR, however ERα mRNA was not detected. There was a reduction of OTR mRNA expression in the corpus luteum from gestational Day 20 onward, which suggests an important role of OTR mRNA in the mechanism of pregnancy recognition in dogs. We concluded that the expression of OTR mRNA in canine corpus luteum vary over time, which support the idea that the sensitivity and response to hormone therapy can vary along the course of pregnancy and labor. Moreover, the canine CL lacks ERα mRNA expression during pregnancy.

Determination of indices of the corpus callosum associated with normal aging in Japanese individuals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeda, S.; Hirashima, Y.; Ikeda, H.; Yamamoto, H.; Endo, S.; Sugino, M.

2003-01-01

Indices of the corpus callosum with normal aging and their sex differences were elucidated using quantitative MRI. We studied 94 Japanese men (mean±SD 57.3±20.8 years, range 6-90 years) and 111 Japanese women (mean±SD 61.2±17.6 years, range 9-86 years) who had no intracranial lesions on MRI and no history of neurological illness. The widths of the rostrum, body and splenium, the anterior to posterior length, and the maximum height in the midsagittal image were selected for measurement. The Evans index, which is the relative ratio of lateral ventricle expansion, and the maximum width of the third ventricle in the axial image were also estimated for comparison. The widths of rostrum, body and splenium of the corpus callosum became thinner with age. Conversely, the anterior to posterior length and the maximum height of the corpus callosum increased with age. The ratio of the width of the body to the length of the corpus callosum and the ratio of the width of the body to the height of the corpus callosum are best correlated with age. No sex differences in regional size of corpus callosum, including these two ratios, were observed in any raw measures, although ventricular indices were larger in men than women. Evaluation of the ratio of the width of the body to its length and the ratio of the width of the body to its height may enable accurate estimation of normal or pathological changes of the corpus callosum. Aging and pathological atrophy of corpus callosum can be evaluated without any adjustment for gender. (orig.)

Determination of indices of the corpus callosum associated with normal aging in Japanese individuals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takeda, S.; Hirashima, Y.; Ikeda, H.; Yamamoto, H.; Endo, S. [Department of Neurosurgery, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sugitani 2630, Toyama-shi, 930-0194, Toyama (Japan); Sugino, M. [Department of Neurosurgery, Sugino Hospital, Sengoku-cho 6-3-3, 930-0066, Toyama (Japan)

2003-08-01

Indices of the corpus callosum with normal aging and their sex differences were elucidated using quantitative MRI. We studied 94 Japanese men (mean{+-}SD 57.3{+-}20.8 years, range 6-90 years) and 111 Japanese women (mean{+-}SD 61.2{+-}17.6 years, range 9-86 years) who had no intracranial lesions on MRI and no history of neurological illness. The widths of the rostrum, body and splenium, the anterior to posterior length, and the maximum height in the midsagittal image were selected for measurement. The Evans index, which is the relative ratio of lateral ventricle expansion, and the maximum width of the third ventricle in the axial image were also estimated for comparison. The widths of rostrum, body and splenium of the corpus callosum became thinner with age. Conversely, the anterior to posterior length and the maximum height of the corpus callosum increased with age. The ratio of the width of the body to the length of the corpus callosum and the ratio of the width of the body to the height of the corpus callosum are best correlated with age. No sex differences in regional size of corpus callosum, including these two ratios, were observed in any raw measures, although ventricular indices were larger in men than women. Evaluation of the ratio of the width of the body to its length and the ratio of the width of the body to its height may enable accurate estimation of normal or pathological changes of the corpus callosum. Aging and pathological atrophy of corpus callosum can be evaluated without any adjustment for gender. (orig.)

Regional specialization within the human striatum for diverse psychological functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Pauli, Wolfgang M; O'Reilly, Randall C; Yarkoni, Tal; Wager, Tor D

2016-02-16

Decades of animal and human neuroimaging research have identified distinct, but overlapping, striatal zones, which are interconnected with separable corticostriatal circuits, and are crucial for the organization of functional systems. Despite continuous efforts to subdivide the human striatum based on anatomical and resting-state functional connectivity, characterizing the different psychological processes related to each zone remains a work in progress. Using an unbiased, data-driven approach, we analyzed large-scale coactivation data from 5,809 human imaging studies. We (i) identified five distinct striatal zones that exhibited discrete patterns of coactivation with cortical brain regions across distinct psychological processes and (ii) identified the different psychological processes associated with each zone. We found that the reported pattern of cortical activation reliably predicted which striatal zone was most strongly activated. Critically, activation in each functional zone could be associated with distinct psychological processes directly, rather than inferred indirectly from psychological functions attributed to associated cortices. Consistent with well-established findings, we found an association of the ventral striatum (VS) with reward processing. Confirming less well-established findings, the VS and adjacent anterior caudate were associated with evaluating the value of rewards and actions, respectively. Furthermore, our results confirmed a sometimes overlooked specialization of the posterior caudate nucleus for executive functions, often considered the exclusive domain of frontoparietal cortical circuits. Our findings provide a precise functional map of regional specialization within the human striatum, both in terms of the differential cortical regions and psychological functions associated with each striatal zone.

Corpus callosum tissue loss and development of motor and global cognitive impairment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frederiksen, Kristian S; Garde, Ellen; Skimminge, Arnold

2011-01-01

To examine the impact of corpus callosum (CC) tissue loss on the development of global cognitive and motor impairment in the elderly.......To examine the impact of corpus callosum (CC) tissue loss on the development of global cognitive and motor impairment in the elderly....

Corpus Juris ja Eesti : [bakalaureusetöö] / Artur Kink ; Tartu Ülikool, õigusteaduskond ; juhendaja: Eerik Kergandberg

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kink, Artur

1999-01-01

Corpus Jurise taust ja areng - finantshuvide kaitse areng, Corpus Jurise ajalugu; Corpus Jurise õiguslik baas (Amsterdami leping), ülesehitus ja struktuur (üleeuroopalise territoriaalsuse printsiip, kohtuliku kontrolli printsiip, "vastuväitelise" protsessi printsiip, kohaliku õiguse subsidiaarsuse printsiip)

On immune responsiveness of the organism of patients with corpus uteri cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorodilova, V.V.; Yatskovskaya, N.L.

1978-01-01

Studied were some immunological indices in patients with cancer of corpus uteri. An attempt was made to elucidate a possible dependence of immunological indices on the process propagation rate and treatment methods. Updated methods used for uteri corpus cancer treatment except for progestinotherapeutics promote the decrease of organism responsiveness. Radiation therapy applied with total therapeutic dose has especially pronounced immunodepressing effect. Progestine series preparations result in the differentiation effect on tumours in some patients with cancer of corpus uteri, which clinically manifests in decreasing the tumour and even complete elimination. Simultaneously immunological indices in such patients are improved

Topics in Corpus-Based Dutch Syntax

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beek, Leonoor Johanneke van der

2005-01-01

In this dissertation, corpus data is applied in various kinds of linguistic analyses. The data serves as a source of examples and counterexamples in a theoretical linguistic analysis of the Dutch cleft construction, as the source of quantitative data in a probabilistic account of the dative

Dictionary Writing System (DWS + Corpus Query Package (CQP: The Case of TshwaneLex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gilles-Maurice de Schryver

2011-10-01

Full Text Available

Abstract: In this article the integrated corpus query functionality of the dictionary compilation software TshwaneLex is analysed. Attention is given to the handling of both raw corpus data and annotated corpus data. With regard to the latter it is shown how, with a minimum of human effort, machine learning techniques can be employed to obtain part-of-speech tagged corpora that can be used for lexicographic purposes. All points are illustrated with data drawn from English and Northern Sotho. The tools and techniques themselves, however, are language-independent, and as such the encouraging outcomes of this study are far-reaching.

Keywords: LEXICOGRAPHY, DICTIONARY, SOFTWARE, DICTIONARY WRITING SYS-TEM (DWS, CORPUS QUERY PACKAGE (CQP, TSHWANELEX, CORPUS, CORPUS ANNO-TATION, PART-OF-SPEECH TAGGER (POS-TAGGER, MACHINE LEARNING, NORTHERN SOTHO (SESOTHO SA LEBOA

Samenvatting: Woordenboekaanmaaksysteem + corpusanalysepakket: een studie van TshwaneLex. In dit artikel wordt het geïntegreerde corpusanalysepakket van het woordenboekaanmaaksysteem TshwaneLex geanalyseerd. Aandacht gaat zowel naar het verwer-ken van onbewerkte corpusdata als naar geannoteerde corpusdata. Wat het laatste betreft wordt aangetoond hoe, met een minimum aan intellectuele arbeid, automatische leertechnieken met suc-ces kunnen worden ingezet om corpora voor lexicografische doeleinden aan te maken waarin de woordklassen expliciet worden vermeld. Alle stappen van de redenering worden geïllustreerd met gegevens uit het Engels en Noord-Sotho. De instrumenten en technieken zelf zijn echter allemaal taalonafhankelijk, waardoor de veelbelovende resultaten van deze studie verreikend zijn.

Sleutelwoorden: LEXICOGRAFIE, WOORDENBOEK, SOFTWARE, WOORDENBOEK-AANMAAKSYSTEEM, CORPUSANALYSEPAKKET, TSHWANELEX, CORPUS, CORPUSANNO-TATIE, WOORDKLASSETAGGER, AUTOMATISCHE LEERTECHNIEKEN, NOORD-SOTHO

Lateralization and gender differences in the dopaminergic response to unpredictable reward in the human ventral striatum.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin-Soelch, Chantal; Szczepanik, Joanna; Nugent, Allison; Barhaghi, Krystle; Rallis, Denise; Herscovitch, Peter; Carson, Richard E; Drevets, Wayne C

2011-05-01

Electrophysiological studies have shown that mesostriatal dopamine (DA) neurons increase activity in response to unpredicted rewards. With respect to other functions of the mesostriatal dopaminergic system, dopamine's actions show prominent laterality effects. Whether changes in DA transmission elicited by rewards also are lateralized, however, has not been investigated. Using [¹¹C]raclopride-PET to assess the striatal DA response to unpredictable monetary rewards, we hypothesized that such rewards would induce an asymmetric reduction in [¹¹C]raclopride binding in the ventral striatum, reflecting lateralization of endogenous dopamine release. In 24 healthy volunteers, differences in the regional D₂/₃ receptor binding potential (ΔBP) between an unpredictable reward condition and a sensorimotor control condition were measured using the bolus-plus-constant-infusion [¹¹C]raclopride method. During the reward condition subjects randomly received monetary awards while performing a 'slot-machine' task. The ΔBP between conditions was assessed in striatal regions-of-interest and compared between left and right sides. We found a significant condition × lateralization interaction in the ventral striatum. A significant reduction in binding potential (BP(ND) ) in the reward condition vs. the control condition was found only in the right ventral striatum, and the ΔBP was greater in the right than the left ventral striatum. Unexpectedly, these laterality effects appeared to be partly accounted for by gender differences, as our data showed a significant bilateral BP(ND) reduction in women while in men the reduction reached significance only in the right ventral striatum. These data suggest that DA release in response to unpredictable reward is lateralized in the human ventral striatum, particularly in males. © 2011 The Authors. European Journal of Neuroscience © 2011 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Using text mining techniques to extract phenotypic information from the PhenoCHF corpus.

Science.gov (United States)

Alnazzawi, Noha; Thompson, Paul; Batista-Navarro, Riza; Ananiadou, Sophia

2015-01-01

Phenotypic information locked away in unstructured narrative text presents significant barriers to information accessibility, both for clinical practitioners and for computerised applications used for clinical research purposes. Text mining (TM) techniques have previously been applied successfully to extract different types of information from text in the biomedical domain. They have the potential to be extended to allow the extraction of information relating to phenotypes from free text. To stimulate the development of TM systems that are able to extract phenotypic information from text, we have created a new corpus (PhenoCHF) that is annotated by domain experts with several types of phenotypic information relating to congestive heart failure. To ensure that systems developed using the corpus are robust to multiple text types, it integrates text from heterogeneous sources, i.e., electronic health records (EHRs) and scientific articles from the literature. We have developed several different phenotype extraction methods to demonstrate the utility of the corpus, and tested these methods on a further corpus, i.e., ShARe/CLEF 2013. Evaluation of our automated methods showed that PhenoCHF can facilitate the training of reliable phenotype extraction systems, which are robust to variations in text type. These results have been reinforced by evaluating our trained systems on the ShARe/CLEF corpus, which contains clinical records of various types. Like other studies within the biomedical domain, we found that solutions based on conditional random fields produced the best results, when coupled with a rich feature set. PhenoCHF is the first annotated corpus aimed at encoding detailed phenotypic information. The unique heterogeneous composition of the corpus has been shown to be advantageous in the training of systems that can accurately extract phenotypic information from a range of different text types. Although the scope of our annotation is currently limited to a single

Rheumatic diseases in the Corpus Hippocraticum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Squillace

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Medecine of V and IV centuries B.C. attested in the Corpus Hippocraticum ascribes all diseases to the rheuma, i.e. the flux of humours into the body. This flux produces not only the rise of cold, hoarsness, cough, reddenings, dropsy, but also arthritis, sciatica, gout.

Involvement of PKA/DARPP-32/PP1α and β- arrestin/Akt/GSK-3β Signaling in Cadmium-Induced DA-D2 Receptor-Mediated Motor Dysfunctions: Protective Role of Quercetin.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Richa; Shukla, Rajendra K; Pandey, Ankita; Sharma, Tanuj; Dhuriya, Yogesh K; Srivastava, Pranay; Singh, Manjul P; Siddiqi, Mohammad Imran; Pant, Aditya B; Khanna, Vinay K

2018-02-06

Given increasing risk of cadmium-induced neurotoxicity, the study was conducted to delineate the molecular mechanisms associated with cadmium-induced motor dysfunctions and identify targets that govern dopaminergic signaling in the brain involving in vivo, in vitro, and in silico approaches. Selective decrease in dopamine (DA)-D2 receptors on cadmium exposure was evident which affected the post-synaptic PKA/DARPP-32/PP1α and β-arrestin/Akt/GSK-3β signaling concurrently in rat corpus striatum and PC12 cells. Pharmacological inhibition of PKA and Akt in vitro demonstrates that both pathways are independently modulated by DA-D2 receptors and associated with cadmium-induced motor deficits. Ultrastructural changes in the corpus striatum demonstrated neuronal degeneration and loss of synapse on cadmium exposure. Further, molecular docking provided interesting evidence that decrease in DA-D2 receptors may be due to direct binding of cadmium at the competitive site of dopamine on DA-D2 receptors. Treatment with quercetin resulted in the alleviation of cadmium-induced behavioral and neurochemical alterations. This is the first report demonstrating that cadmium-induced motor deficits are associated with alteration in postsynaptic dopaminergic signaling due to a decrease in DA-D2 receptors in the corpus striatum. The results further demonstrate that quercetin has the potential to alleviate cadmium-induced dopaminergic dysfunctions.

Specific reduction of calcium-binding protein (28-kilodalton calbindin-D) gene expression in aging and neurodegenerative diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iacopino, A.M.; Christakos, S.

1990-01-01

The present studies establish that there are specific, significant decreases in the neuronal calcium-binding protein (28-kDa calbindin-D) gene expression in aging and in neurodegenerative diseases. The specificity of the changes observed in calbindin mRNA levels was tested by reprobing blots with calmodulin, cyclophilin, and B-actin cDNAs. Gross brain regions of the aging rat exhibited specific, significant decreases in calbindin·mRNA and protein levels in the cerebellum, corpus striatum, and brain-stem region but not in the cerebral cortex or hippocampus. Discrete areas of the aging human brain exhibited significant decreases in calbindin protein and mRNA in the cerebellum, corpus striatum, and nucleus basalis but not in the neocortex, hippocampus, amygdala, locus ceruleus, or nucleus raphe dorsalis. Comparison of diseased human brain tissue with age- and sex-matched controls yielded significant decreases calbindin protein and mRNA in the substantia nigra (Parkinson disease), in the corpus striatum (Huntington disease), in the nucleus basalis (Alzheimer disease), and in the hippocampus and nucleus raphe dorsalis (Parkinson, Huntington, and Alzheimer diseases) but not in the cerebellum, neocortex, amygdala, or locus ceruleus. These findings suggest that decreased calbindin gene expression may lead to a failure of calcium buffering or intraneuronal calcium homeostasis, which contributes to calcium-mediated cytotoxic events during aging and in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases

English Collocation Learning through Corpus Data: On-Line Concordance and Statistical Information

Science.gov (United States)

Ohtake, Hiroshi; Fujita, Nobuyuki; Kawamoto, Takeshi; Morren, Brian; Ugawa, Yoshihiro; Kaneko, Shuji

2012-01-01

We developed an English Collocations On Demand system offering on-line corpus and concordance information to help Japanese researchers acquire a better command of English collocation patterns. The Life Science Dictionary Corpus consists of approximately 90,000,000 words collected from life science related research papers published in academic…

The role of the dorsoanterior striatum in implicit motivation: The case of the need for power

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Oliver C Schultheiss

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Implicit motives like the need for power (nPower scale affective responses to need-specific rewards or punishments and thereby influence activity in motivational-brain structures. In this paper, we review evidence specifically supporting a role of the striatum in nPower. Individual differences in nPower predict (a enhanced implicit learning accuracy, but not speed, on serial-response tasks that are reinforced by power-related incentives (e.g., winning or losing a contest; dominant or submissive emotional expressions in behavioral studies and (b activation of the anterior caudate in response to dominant emotional expressions in brain imaging research. We interpret these findings on the basis of Hikosaka, Nakamura, Sakai, and Nakahara's (2002; Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 12(2, 217-222 model of central mechanisms of motor skill learning. The model assigns a critical role to the dorsoanterior striatum in dopamine-driven learning of spatial stimulus sequences. Based on this model, we suggest that the dorsoanterior striatum is the locus of nPower-dependent reinforcement. However, given the centrality of this structure in a wide range of motivational pursuits, we also propose that activity in the dorsoanterior striatum may not only reflect individual differences in nPower, but also in other implicit motives, like the need for achievement or the need for affiliation, provided that the proper incentives for these motives are present during reinforcement learning. We discuss evidence in support of such a general role of the dorsoanterior striatum in implicit motivation.

A case of total agenesis of the corpus callosum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakamoto, Masanobu; Takeda, Katsuhiko; Bandou, Mitsuaki; Murayama, Shigeo; Sakuta, Manabu

1985-01-01

We have reported a case of agenesis of the corpus callosum, in which NMR-CT revealed a complete defect of it, and have examined the localization of the speech center of this patient. The patient is a right-handed 26-year-old man who has complained of headache on the parietal region. His neurological examination revealed only a mild mental difficulty (IQ 77). X-ray CT showed the lateral ventricles to be separated widely and the posterior horns dilated, which were compatible with the agenesis of the corpus callosum. Further, NMR-CT has revealed a total agenesis of the corpus callosum. NMR-CT seems to be highly useful for the detection of the degree of the callosal defect. We have carried out the intracarotid amobarbital injection (Wada's test) for the determination of the lateralization of cerebral speech dominance. It had been reported by some authors that when it comes to the cerebral speech dominance, acallosal patients had no difference between each hemisphere. However, our results have demonstrated a left sided dominance. (author)

Opposing Amygdala and Ventral Striatum Connectivity during Emotion Identification

Science.gov (United States)

Satterthwaite, Theodore D.; Wolf, Daniel H.; Pinkham, Amy E.; Ruparel, Kosha; Elliott, Mark A.; Valdez, Jeffrey N.; Overton, Eve; Seubert, Janina; Gur, Raquel E.; Gur, Ruben C.; Loughead, James

2011-01-01

Lesion and electrophysiological studies in animals provide evidence of opposing functions for subcortical nuclei such as the amygdala and ventral striatum, but the implications of these findings for emotion identification in humans remain poorly described. Here we report a high-resolution fMRI study in a sample of 39 healthy subjects who performed…

NCBI disease corpus: a resource for disease name recognition and concept normalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Doğan, Rezarta Islamaj; Leaman, Robert; Lu, Zhiyong

2014-02-01

Information encoded in natural language in biomedical literature publications is only useful if efficient and reliable ways of accessing and analyzing that information are available. Natural language processing and text mining tools are therefore essential for extracting valuable information, however, the development of powerful, highly effective tools to automatically detect central biomedical concepts such as diseases is conditional on the availability of annotated corpora. This paper presents the disease name and concept annotations of the NCBI disease corpus, a collection of 793 PubMed abstracts fully annotated at the mention and concept level to serve as a research resource for the biomedical natural language processing community. Each PubMed abstract was manually annotated by two annotators with disease mentions and their corresponding concepts in Medical Subject Headings (MeSH®) or Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM®). Manual curation was performed using PubTator, which allowed the use of pre-annotations as a pre-step to manual annotations. Fourteen annotators were randomly paired and differing annotations were discussed for reaching a consensus in two annotation phases. In this setting, a high inter-annotator agreement was observed. Finally, all results were checked against annotations of the rest of the corpus to assure corpus-wide consistency. The public release of the NCBI disease corpus contains 6892 disease mentions, which are mapped to 790 unique disease concepts. Of these, 88% link to a MeSH identifier, while the rest contain an OMIM identifier. We were able to link 91% of the mentions to a single disease concept, while the rest are described as a combination of concepts. In order to help researchers use the corpus to design and test disease identification methods, we have prepared the corpus as training, testing and development sets. To demonstrate its utility, we conducted a benchmarking experiment where we compared three different

A 38 million words Dutch text corpus and its users | Kruyt | Lexikos

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In August 1996, the 38 Million Words Corpus was available for consultation by the international research community. The present paper reports on the characteristics of this corpus (design, text classification, linguistic annotation) and on its use, both in dictionary projects and in linguistic research. In spite of limitations with ...

Preparing an annotated gold standard corpus to share with extramural investigators for de-identification research.

Science.gov (United States)

Deleger, Louise; Lingren, Todd; Ni, Yizhao; Kaiser, Megan; Stoutenborough, Laura; Marsolo, Keith; Kouril, Michal; Molnar, Katalin; Solti, Imre

2014-08-01

The current study aims to fill the gap in available healthcare de-identification resources by creating a new sharable dataset with realistic Protected Health Information (PHI) without reducing the value of the data for de-identification research. By releasing the annotated gold standard corpus with Data Use Agreement we would like to encourage other Computational Linguists to experiment with our data and develop new machine learning models for de-identification. This paper describes: (1) the modifications required by the Institutional Review Board before sharing the de-identification gold standard corpus; (2) our efforts to keep the PHI as realistic as possible; (3) and the tests to show the effectiveness of these efforts in preserving the value of the modified data set for machine learning model development. In a previous study we built an original de-identification gold standard corpus annotated with true Protected Health Information (PHI) from 3503 randomly selected clinical notes for the 22 most frequent clinical note types of our institution. In the current study we modified the original gold standard corpus to make it suitable for external sharing by replacing HIPAA-specified PHI with newly generated realistic PHI. Finally, we evaluated the research value of this new dataset by comparing the performance of an existing published in-house de-identification system, when trained on the new de-identification gold standard corpus, with the performance of the same system, when trained on the original corpus. We assessed the potential benefits of using the new de-identification gold standard corpus to identify PHI in the i2b2 and PhysioNet datasets that were released by other groups for de-identification research. We also measured the effectiveness of the i2b2 and PhysioNet de-identification gold standard corpora in identifying PHI in our original clinical notes. Performance of the de-identification system using the new gold standard corpus as a training set was very

Interaction of Instrumental and Goal-Directed Learning Modulates Prediction Error Representations in the Ventral Striatum.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Rong; Böhmer, Wendelin; Hebart, Martin; Chien, Samson; Sommer, Tobias; Obermayer, Klaus; Gläscher, Jan

2016-12-14

Goal-directed and instrumental learning are both important controllers of human behavior. Learning about which stimulus event occurs in the environment and the reward associated with them allows humans to seek out the most valuable stimulus and move through the environment in a goal-directed manner. Stimulus-response associations are characteristic of instrumental learning, whereas response-outcome associations are the hallmark of goal-directed learning. Here we provide behavioral, computational, and neuroimaging results from a novel task in which stimulus-response and response-outcome associations are learned simultaneously but dominate behavior at different stages of the experiment. We found that prediction error representations in the ventral striatum depend on which type of learning dominates. Furthermore, the amygdala tracks the time-dependent weighting of stimulus-response versus response-outcome learning. Our findings suggest that the goal-directed and instrumental controllers dynamically engage the ventral striatum in representing prediction errors whenever one of them is dominating choice behavior. Converging evidence in human neuroimaging studies has shown that the reward prediction errors are correlated with activity in the ventral striatum. Our results demonstrate that this region is simultaneously correlated with a stimulus prediction error. Furthermore, the learning system that is currently dominating behavioral choice dynamically engages the ventral striatum for computing its prediction errors. This demonstrates that the prediction error representations are highly dynamic and influenced by various experimental context. This finding points to a general role of the ventral striatum in detecting expectancy violations and encoding error signals regardless of the specific nature of the reinforcer itself. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/3612650-11$15.00/0.

Control of Huntington’s Disease-Associated Phenotypes by the Striatum-Enriched Transcription Factor Foxp2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lea J. Hachigian

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Summary: Alteration of corticostriatal glutamatergic function is an early pathophysiological change associated with Huntington’s disease (HD. The factors that regulate the maintenance of corticostriatal glutamatergic synapses post-developmentally are not well understood. Recently, the striatum-enriched transcription factor Foxp2 was implicated in the development of these synapses. Here, we show that, in mice, overexpression of Foxp2 in the adult striatum of two models of HD leads to rescue of HD-associated behaviors, while knockdown of Foxp2 in wild-type mice leads to development of HD-associated behaviors. We note that Foxp2 encodes the longest polyglutamine repeat protein in the human reference genome, and we show that it can be sequestered into aggregates with polyglutamine-expanded mutant Huntingtin protein (mHTT. Foxp2 overexpression in HD model mice leads to altered expression of several genes associated with synaptic function, genes that present additional targets for normalization of corticostriatal dysfunction in HD. : Hachigian et al. demonstrate that manipulating levels of the striatum-enriched transcription factor Foxp2 can either rescue or mimic HD-associated behaviors in vivo. They link Foxp2 to the post-developmental regulation of the structure and function of the corticostriatal synapse. Keywords: Huntington’s disease, Foxp2, striatum, corticostriatal synapse

Magnetic resonance findings of the corpus callosum in canine and feline lysosomal storage diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasegawa, Daisuke; Tamura, Shinji; Nakamoto, Yuya; Matsuki, Naoaki; Takahashi, Kimimasa; Fujita, Michio; Uchida, Kazuyuki; Yamato, Osamu

2013-01-01

Several reports have described magnetic resonance (MR) findings in canine and feline lysosomal storage diseases such as gangliosidoses and neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis. Although most of those studies described the signal intensities of white matter in the cerebrum, findings of the corpus callosum were not described in detail. A retrospective study was conducted on MR findings of the corpus callosum as well as the rostral commissure and the fornix in 18 cases of canine and feline lysosomal storage diseases. This included 6 Shiba Inu dogs and 2 domestic shorthair cats with GM1 gangliosidosis; 2 domestic shorthair cats, 2 familial toy poodles, and a golden retriever with GM2 gangliosidosis; and 2 border collies and 3 chihuahuas with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses, to determine whether changes of the corpus callosum is an imaging indicator of those diseases. The corpus callosum and the rostral commissure were difficult to recognize in all cases of juvenile-onset gangliosidoses (GM1 gangliosidosis in Shiba Inu dogs and domestic shorthair cats and GM2 gangliosidosis in domestic shorthair cats) and GM2 gangliosidosis in toy poodles with late juvenile-onset. In contrast, the corpus callosum and the rostral commissure were confirmed in cases of GM2 gangliosidosis in a golden retriever and canine neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses with late juvenile- to early adult-onset, but were extremely thin. Abnormal findings of the corpus callosum on midline sagittal images may be a useful imaging indicator for suspecting lysosomal storage diseases, especially hypoplasia (underdevelopment) of the corpus callosum in juvenile-onset gangliosidoses.

Magnetic resonance findings of the corpus callosum in canine and feline lysosomal storage diseases.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daisuke Hasegawa

Full Text Available Several reports have described magnetic resonance (MR findings in canine and feline lysosomal storage diseases such as gangliosidoses and neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis. Although most of those studies described the signal intensities of white matter in the cerebrum, findings of the corpus callosum were not described in detail. A retrospective study was conducted on MR findings of the corpus callosum as well as the rostral commissure and the fornix in 18 cases of canine and feline lysosomal storage diseases. This included 6 Shiba Inu dogs and 2 domestic shorthair cats with GM1 gangliosidosis; 2 domestic shorthair cats, 2 familial toy poodles, and a golden retriever with GM2 gangliosidosis; and 2 border collies and 3 chihuahuas with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses, to determine whether changes of the corpus callosum is an imaging indicator of those diseases. The corpus callosum and the rostral commissure were difficult to recognize in all cases of juvenile-onset gangliosidoses (GM1 gangliosidosis in Shiba Inu dogs and domestic shorthair cats and GM2 gangliosidosis in domestic shorthair cats and GM2 gangliosidosis in toy poodles with late juvenile-onset. In contrast, the corpus callosum and the rostral commissure were confirmed in cases of GM2 gangliosidosis in a golden retriever and canine neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses with late juvenile- to early adult-onset, but were extremely thin. Abnormal findings of the corpus callosum on midline sagittal images may be a useful imaging indicator for suspecting lysosomal storage diseases, especially hypoplasia (underdevelopment of the corpus callosum in juvenile-onset gangliosidoses.

Magnetic Resonance Findings of the Corpus Callosum in Canine and Feline Lysosomal Storage Diseases

Science.gov (United States)

Hasegawa, Daisuke; Tamura, Shinji; Nakamoto, Yuya; Matsuki, Naoaki; Takahashi, Kimimasa; Fujita, Michio; Uchida, Kazuyuki; Yamato, Osamu

2013-01-01

Several reports have described magnetic resonance (MR) findings in canine and feline lysosomal storage diseases such as gangliosidoses and neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis. Although most of those studies described the signal intensities of white matter in the cerebrum, findings of the corpus callosum were not described in detail. A retrospective study was conducted on MR findings of the corpus callosum as well as the rostral commissure and the fornix in 18 cases of canine and feline lysosomal storage diseases. This included 6 Shiba Inu dogs and 2 domestic shorthair cats with GM1 gangliosidosis; 2 domestic shorthair cats, 2 familial toy poodles, and a golden retriever with GM2 gangliosidosis; and 2 border collies and 3 chihuahuas with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses, to determine whether changes of the corpus callosum is an imaging indicator of those diseases. The corpus callosum and the rostral commissure were difficult to recognize in all cases of juvenile-onset gangliosidoses (GM1 gangliosidosis in Shiba Inu dogs and domestic shorthair cats and GM2 gangliosidosis in domestic shorthair cats) and GM2 gangliosidosis in toy poodles with late juvenile-onset. In contrast, the corpus callosum and the rostral commissure were confirmed in cases of GM2 gangliosidosis in a golden retriever and canine neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses with late juvenile- to early adult-onset, but were extremely thin. Abnormal findings of the corpus callosum on midline sagittal images may be a useful imaging indicator for suspecting lysosomal storage diseases, especially hypoplasia (underdevelopment) of the corpus callosum in juvenile-onset gangliosidoses. PMID:24386203

Jointly learning word embeddings using a corpus and a knowledge base

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Bollegala, Danushka; Maehara, Takanori; Kawarabayashi, Ken-ichi

2018-01-01

Methods for representing the meaning of words in vector spaces purely using the information distributed in text corpora have proved to be very valuable in various text mining and natural language processing (NLP) tasks. However, these methods still disregard the valuable semantic relational structure between words in co-occurring contexts. These beneficial semantic relational structures are contained in manually-created knowledge bases (KBs) such as ontologies and semantic lexicons, where the meanings of words are represented by defining the various relationships that exist among those words. We combine the knowledge in both a corpus and a KB to learn better word embeddings. Specifically, we propose a joint word representation learning method that uses the knowledge in the KBs, and simultaneously predicts the co-occurrences of two words in a corpus context. In particular, we use the corpus to define our objective function subject to the relational constrains derived from the KB. We further utilise the corpus co-occurrence statistics to propose two novel approaches, Nearest Neighbour Expansion (NNE) and Hedged Nearest Neighbour Expansion (HNE), that dynamically expand the KB and therefore derive more constraints that guide the optimisation process. Our experimental results over a wide-range of benchmark tasks demonstrate that the proposed method statistically significantly improves the accuracy of the word embeddings learnt. It outperforms a corpus-only baseline and reports an improvement of a number of previously proposed methods that incorporate corpora and KBs in both semantic similarity prediction and word analogy detection tasks. PMID:29529052

Mind-modelling with corpus stylistics in David Copperfield.

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Stockwell, Peter; Mahlberg, Michaela

2015-05-01

We suggest an innovative approach to literary discourse by using corpus linguistic methods to address research questions from cognitive poetics. In this article, we focus on the way that readers engage in mind-modelling in the process of characterisation. The article sets out our cognitive poetic model of characterisation that emphasises the continuity between literary characterisation and real-life human relationships. The model also aims to deal with the modelling of the author's mind in line with the modelling of the minds of fictional characters. Crucially, our approach to mind-modelling is text-driven. Therefore we are able to employ corpus linguistic techniques systematically to identify textual patterns that function as cues triggering character information. In this article, we explore our understanding of mind-modelling through the characterisation of Mr. Dick from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Using the CLiC tool (Corpus Linguistics in Cheshire) developed for the exploration of 19th-century fiction, we investigate the textual traces in non-quotations around this character, in order to draw out the techniques of characterisation other than speech presentation. We show that Mr. Dick is a thematically and authorially significant character in the novel, and we move towards a rigorous account of the reader's modelling of authorial intention.

Handedness and corpus callosal morphology in Williams syndrome.

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Martens, Marilee A; Wilson, Sarah J; Chen, Jian; Wood, Amanda G; Reutens, David C

2013-02-01

Williams syndrome is a neurodevelopmental genetic disorder caused by a hemizygous deletion on chromosome 7q11.23, resulting in atypical brain structure and function, including abnormal morphology of the corpus callosum. An influence of handedness on the size of the corpus callosum has been observed in studies of typical individuals, but handedness has not been taken into account in studies of callosal morphology in Williams syndrome. We hypothesized that callosal area is smaller and the size of the splenium and isthmus is reduced in individuals with Williams syndrome compared to healthy controls, and examined age, sex, and handedness effects on corpus callosal area. Structural magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained on 25 individuals with Williams syndrome (18 right-handed, 7 left-handed) and 25 matched controls. We found that callosal thickness was significantly reduced in the splenium of Williams syndrome individuals compared to controls. We also found novel evidence that the callosal area was smaller in left-handed participants with Williams syndrome than their right-handed counterparts, with opposite findings observed in the control group. This novel finding may be associated with LIM-kinase hemizygosity, a characteristic of Williams syndrome. The findings may have significant clinical implications in future explorations of the Williams syndrome cognitive phenotype.

Working Together: Contributions of Corpus Analyses and Experimental Psycholinguistics to Understanding Conversation.

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Meyer, Antje S; Alday, Phillip M; Decuyper, Caitlin; Knudsen, Birgit

2018-01-01

As conversation is the most important way of using language, linguists and psychologists should combine forces to investigate how interlocutors deal with the cognitive demands arising during conversation. Linguistic analyses of corpora of conversation are needed to understand the structure of conversations, and experimental work is indispensable for understanding the underlying cognitive processes. We argue that joint consideration of corpus and experimental data is most informative when the utterances elicited in a lab experiment match those extracted from a corpus in relevant ways. This requirement to compare like with like seems obvious but is not trivial to achieve. To illustrate this approach, we report two experiments where responses to polar (yes/no) questions were elicited in the lab and the response latencies were compared to gaps between polar questions and answers in a corpus of conversational speech. We found, as expected, that responses were given faster when they were easy to plan and planning could be initiated earlier than when they were harder to plan and planning was initiated later. Overall, in all but one condition, the latencies were longer than one would expect based on the analyses of corpus data. We discuss the implication of this partial match between the data sets and more generally how corpus and experimental data can best be combined in studies of conversation.

Quantification of structural changes in the corpus callosumin children with profound hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stivaros, Stavros M. [Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Academic Unit of Paediatric Radiology, Royal Manchester Children' s Hospital, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester (United Kingdom); University of Manchester, Centre for Imaging Sciences, Institute of Population Health, Manchester (United Kingdom); Radon, Mark R. [The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Neuroradiology, Liverpool (United Kingdom); Mileva, Reneta; Gledson, Ann; Keane, John A. [University of Manchester, School of Computer Science, Manchester (United Kingdom); Connolly, Daniel J.A.; Batty, Ruth [Sheffield Children' s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Neuroradiology, Sheffield (United Kingdom); Cowell, Patricia E. [University of Sheffield, Department of Human Communication Sciences, Sheffield (United Kingdom); Hoggard, Nigel; Griffiths, Paul D. [University of Sheffield, Academic Unit of Radiology, Sheffield (United Kingdom); Wright, Neville B.; Tang, Vivian [Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Academic Unit of Paediatric Radiology, Royal Manchester Children' s Hospital, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester (United Kingdom)

2016-01-15

Birth-related acute profound hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury has specific patterns of damage including the paracentral lobules. To test the hypothesis that there is anatomically coherent regional volume loss of the corpus callosum as a result of this hemispheric abnormality. Study subjects included 13 children with proven acute profound hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury and 13 children with developmental delay but no brain abnormalities. A computerised system divided the corpus callosum into 100 segments, measuring each width. Principal component analysis grouped the widths into contiguous anatomical regions. We conducted analysis of variance of corpus callosum widths as well as support vector machine stratification into patient groups. There was statistically significant narrowing of the mid-posterior body and genu of the corpus callosum in children with hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury. Support vector machine analysis yielded over 95% accuracy in patient group stratification using the corpus callosum centile widths. Focal volume loss is seen in the corpus callosum of children with hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury secondary to loss of commissural fibres arising in the paracentral lobules. Support vector machine stratification into the hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury group or the control group on the basis of corpus callosum width is highly accurate and points towards rapid clinical translation of this technique as a potential biomarker of hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury. (orig.)

Quantification of structural changes in the corpus callosumin children with profound hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stivaros, Stavros M.; Radon, Mark R.; Mileva, Reneta; Gledson, Ann; Keane, John A.; Connolly, Daniel J.A.; Batty, Ruth; Cowell, Patricia E.; Hoggard, Nigel; Griffiths, Paul D.; Wright, Neville B.; Tang, Vivian

2016-01-01

Birth-related acute profound hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury has specific patterns of damage including the paracentral lobules. To test the hypothesis that there is anatomically coherent regional volume loss of the corpus callosum as a result of this hemispheric abnormality. Study subjects included 13 children with proven acute profound hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury and 13 children with developmental delay but no brain abnormalities. A computerised system divided the corpus callosum into 100 segments, measuring each width. Principal component analysis grouped the widths into contiguous anatomical regions. We conducted analysis of variance of corpus callosum widths as well as support vector machine stratification into patient groups. There was statistically significant narrowing of the mid-posterior body and genu of the corpus callosum in children with hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury. Support vector machine analysis yielded over 95% accuracy in patient group stratification using the corpus callosum centile widths. Focal volume loss is seen in the corpus callosum of children with hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury secondary to loss of commissural fibres arising in the paracentral lobules. Support vector machine stratification into the hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury group or the control group on the basis of corpus callosum width is highly accurate and points towards rapid clinical translation of this technique as a potential biomarker of hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury. (orig.)

A fundamental study on accumulation of [125I]IBZM in the rat striatum and on effect of non-labeled ligand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishikawa, Nobuyoshi; Nakamura, Toshihiko; Satou, Motohiro; Takeda, Tohoru; Wu, Jin; Motoji, Naomi; Shigematsu, Akiyo.

1995-01-01

Iodo-125-labeled iodobenzamide ([ 125 I]IBZM) is used as a specific binding radioligand to dopamine D 2 receptors with high affinity and selectivity. The radioligand was homogeneously distributed in the whole brain initially after anministration, and rapidly washed out from the dopamine receptor-poor area followed by persistent retention in the striatum. Regression curve generated from striatum/cortex PSL ratio indicated the constant washout rate from striatum and cortex respectively. In the pretreated rat by cold benzamide (2 mg/kg), the accumulation of the radioligand was significantly suppressed in the striatum (48.8%). Iodine-125-labeled iodo-benzamide has the promise for investigation of dopamine D 2 receptors in the living brain. (author)

Partial segmental thrombosis of the corpus cavernosum: imaging findings.

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Moya-Sánchez, E; Medina-Benítez, A; Medina-Salas, V; Fernández-Navarro, L

2018-03-05

Partial segmental thrombosis of the corpus cavernosum is an unusual clinical condition of unknown origin that mainly affects young males, whose characteristic presentation is the appearance of unexplained perineal pain associated with a palpable perineal mass. This entity consists of thrombosis in the perineal portion of the corpus cavernosum, usually unilateral and it is associated with underlying malignant pathologies and predisposing factors such as microtrauma. After the adequate adherence to conservative treatment, the appearance of complications such as erectile dysfunction is very uncommon. Copyright © 2018 SERAM. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Analysing Culture and Interculture in Saudi EFL Textbooks: A Corpus Linguistic Approach

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Almujaiwel, Sultan

2018-01-01

This paper combines corpus processing tools to investigate the cultural elements of Saudi education of English as a foreign language (EFL). The latest Saudi EFL textbooks (2016 onwards) are available in researchable PDF formats. This helps process them through corpus search software tools. The method adopted is based on analysing 20 cultural…

MR measurement of normal corpus callosum: Age and sex differentiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Myung Seob; Kim, Myung Soon; Park, Hyun Ju

1992-01-01

Measurement of various portions of the corpus callosum was performed on magnetic resonance(MR) images of 114 subjects with no known or suspected corpus callosal disorders. Midsagittal T1-weighted images used for measurements and mean diameters of various portions in each age and sex group were obtained. Measures of five portions were made: (A) the anterio-posterior length, (B) the diameter of genu position, (C) the diameter of splenium, (D) the diameter of mid-body portion, (E) the diameter of a narrow portion at the body of corpus callosum. The mean diameter in each gender group for A, B, C, D and E were 68.8 mm, 12.1 mm, 12.3 mm, 6,9 mm, 4.1 mm in male and 69.9 mm, 12.0 mm, 12.1 mm, 6.4 mm, 4.1 mm in female, retrospectively. The groups of 0-9 years of both genders showed the minimum mean value in each portion

MR imaging of spastic diplegia. The importance of corpus callosum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayakawa, K.; Kanda, T.; Hashimoto, K.; Okuno, Y.; Yamori, Y.; Yuge, M.; Ando, R.; Ozaki, N.; Tamamoto, A.

1996-01-01

Purpose: The MR findings in patients with spastic diplegia were investigated and the role of MR imaging in assessing the extent of brain injury was evaluated. Material and Methods: 39 male and 24 female patients (preterm/term 43/20) were imaged using a 0.5 T MR system. Results: The MR findings in term patients were quite different from those in preterm patients; 55% of the term patients showed normal and minimal changes on MR, whereas 90.7% of the 43 preterm children had periventricular leucomalacia. The deep cerebral white matter was the most frequently involved site. Objective measurements revealed significant reductions of the entire sagittal area of corpus callosum in diplegic patients in comparison with normal controls. The motor plasy severity correlated well with the extent of corpus callosum involvement. Conclusion: The corpus callosum appears to be a sensitive marker site for the assessment of the extent of white matter injury. (orig.)

MR measurement of normal corpus callosum: Age and sex differentiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Myung Seob; Kim, Myung Soon; Park, Hyun Ju [Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonju (Korea, Republic of)

1992-07-15

Measurement of various portions of the corpus callosum was performed on magnetic resonance(MR) images of 114 subjects with no known or suspected corpus callosal disorders. Midsagittal T1-weighted images used for measurements and mean diameters of various portions in each age and sex group were obtained. Measures of five portions were made: (A) the anterio-posterior length, (B) the diameter of genu position, (C) the diameter of splenium, (D) the diameter of mid-body portion, (E) the diameter of a narrow portion at the body of corpus callosum. The mean diameter in each gender group for A, B, C, D and E were 68.8 mm, 12.1 mm, 12.3 mm, 6,9 mm, 4.1 mm in male and 69.9 mm, 12.0 mm, 12.1 mm, 6.4 mm, 4.1 mm in female, retrospectively. The groups of 0-9 years of both genders showed the minimum mean value in each portion.

Form of the male and female corpus callosum internal organization at the mature age

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Юрий Петрович Костиленко

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Aim: to study the special features of the male and female corpus callosum internal organization at the mature age.Materials and methods: the total preparations of the male and female corpus callosum (10 preparation of each sex at 45–60 years old were used as the material. The given preparations were used to get from it the plate cuts in the two mutually perpendicular planes with 2 mm. thick. Then the received tissue plates of the corpus callosum underwent plastination in the epoxy. Then the preparations were extracted from the non-polymerized epoxy and placed on the polyethylene film that was covered with the other film of the same size. Further this stratified block was placed amid the two glasses of the equal size that shrunk together by placing the small load on it. After the complete polymerization the received epoxy plates with the corpus callosum tissue contained in it underwent the gentle grinding and the accurate polish and as the result was obtained the surface denudation of its tissue structures that were colored with the 1 % solution of blue methylene for 1% borax solution.Results of research: at the study of the corpus callosum plastinated cuts in saggital plane was revealed that the transverse platen-form elevations of its higher surface are the cord-form tenias standing out from within and going through the corpus callosum. At its studying in the transverse cut was established that in adults can be separated two types of corpus callosum by its density: the dense one and disperse one.At the large increases of the binocular loupe (microscope MBS-9 can be seen the gaps between the adjacent commissural cords. Within it can be detected the blood vessels. On the transverse cut of commissural cords in its depth are revealed the thinnest streaks which totality consists of the two alternate dark and light lines that form the layered striation. Among the series of the light lines are visible the interlayer that separate the whole depth of

Corpus multimedia VEIGA inglés-galego de subtitulación cinematográfica

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Patricia Sotelo Dios

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Neste artigo presento un proxecto de investigación que consiste na compilación e na explotación do corpus Veiga, un corpus multimedia de subtítulos en inglés e en galego. Trátase dun proxecto en fase de desenvolvemento que pretende servir como ferramenta para o estudo e a investigación de certos aspectos relacionados coa práctica da subtitulación intralingüística en inglés e da subtitulación interlingüística do inglés cara ao galego. O Veiga, inda que forma parte do corpus paralelo CLUVI, transcende o plano textual propio dos demais subcorpus do CLUVI e permite observar os subtítulos no seu estado natural, isto é, como parte dun produto audiovisual. Amais de cuestións relacionadas coa construción do corpus e co sistema de buscas, mencionarei algunha das posibles utilidades deste corpus para a práctica, a investigación e a formación en subtitulación.

Ratio of dopamine synthesis capacity to D2 receptor availability in ventral striatum correlates with central processing of affective stimuli

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kienast, Thorsten; Rapp, Michael; Siessmeier, Thomas; Buchholz, Hans G.; Schreckenberger, Mathias; Wrase, Jana; Heinz, Andreas; Braus, Dieter F.; Smolka, Michael N.; Mann, Karl; Roesch, Frank; Cumming, Paul; Gruender, Gerhard; Bartenstein, Peter

2008-01-01

Dopaminergic neurotransmission in the ventral striatum may interact with limbic processing of affective stimuli, whereas dorsal striatal dopaminergic neurotransmission can affect habitual processing of emotionally salient stimuli in the pre-frontal cortex. We investigated the dopaminergic neurotransmission in the ventral and dorsal striatum with respect to central processing of affective stimuli in healthy subjects. Subjects were investigated with positron emission tomography and [ 18 F]DOPA for measurements of dopamine synthesis capacity and [ 18 F]DMFP for estimation of dopamine D2 receptor binding potential. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) response to affective pictures, which was correlated with the ratio of [ 18 F]DOPA net influx constant K in app /[ 18 F]DMFP-binding potential (BP N D) in the ventral and dorsal striatum. The magnitude of the ratio in the ventral striatum was positively correlated with BOLD signal increases elicited by negative versus neutral pictures in the right medial frontal gyrus (BA10), right inferior parietal lobe and left post-central gyrus. In the dorsal striatum, the ratio was positively correlated with BOLD signal activation elicited by negative versus neutral stimuli in the left post-central gyrus. The BOLD signal elicited by positive versus neutral stimuli in the superior parietal gyrus was positively correlated with the dorsal and ventral striatal ratio. The correlations of the ratio in the ventral and dorsal striatum with processing of affective stimuli in the named cortical regions support the hypothesis that dopamine transmission in functional divisions of the striatum modulates processing of affective stimuli in specific cortical areas. (orig.)

A Lingüística de corpus: história, problemas, legitimidade

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Jacqueline Léon

2006-01-01

Full Text Available During the nineties, the accessibility of large corpora and the possibility of manipulation of enormous quantities of linguistic data was the origin of a renewal of interest in statistical and probability evidences that served to directly question linguistics about its objectives, methods and foundations. This interest gained increasing importance and became important currently under the name of corpus linguistics, a field of dominant research in language science. In this article we will show that the designation corpus linguistics covers considerably heterogeneous theoretical positions and research, topics. We show how corpus linguistics, originally of british origin, was later endowed with historical and theoretical legitimacy while at the same time intending to establish itself as a new paradigm in language science. Finally we distinguish two attitudes inside the british tradition: one, intending to build the studies on a corpus and in a new paradigm based on a retrospective construction of the critical works of chomsky during the years 1959 and 1960, which was intended to legitimize the studies; the other attitude involves the continuity of the tradition of british empirical linguistics.

The Neural Representation of Goal-Directed Actions and Outcomes in the Ventral Striatum's Olfactory Tubercle

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Gadziola, Marie A.

2016-01-01

The ventral striatum is critical for evaluating reward information and the initiation of goal-directed behaviors. The many cellular, afferent, and efferent similarities between the ventral striatum's nucleus accumbens and olfactory tubercle (OT) suggests the distributed involvement of neurons within the ventral striatopallidal complex in motivated behaviors. Although the nucleus accumbens has an established role in representing goal-directed actions and their outcomes, it is not known whether this function is localized within the nucleus accumbens or distributed also within the OT. Answering such a fundamental question will expand our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying motivated behaviors. Here we address whether the OT encodes natural reinforcers and serves as a substrate for motivational information processing. In recordings from mice engaged in a novel water-motivated instrumental task, we report that OT neurons modulate their firing rate during initiation and progression of the instrumental licking behavior, with some activity being internally generated and preceding the first lick. We further found that as motivational drive decreases throughout a session, the activity of OT neurons is enhanced earlier relative to the behavioral action. Additionally, OT neurons discriminate the types and magnitudes of fluid reinforcers. Together, these data suggest that the processing of reward information and the orchestration of goal-directed behaviors is a global principle of the ventral striatum and have important implications for understanding the neural systems subserving addiction and mood disorders. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Goal-directed behaviors are widespread among animals and underlie complex behaviors ranging from food intake, social behavior, and even pathological conditions, such as gambling and drug addiction. The ventral striatum is a neural system critical for evaluating reward information and the initiation of goal-directed behaviors. Here we

Cholesterol transport and steroidogenesis by the corpus luteum

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Christenson Lane K

2003-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract The synthesis of progesterone by the corpus luteum is essential for the establishment and maintenance of early pregnancy. Regulation of luteal steroidogenesis can be broken down into three major events; luteinization (i.e., conversion of an ovulatory follicle, luteal regression, and pregnancy induced luteal maintenance/rescue. While the factors that control these events and dictate the final steroid end products are widely varied among different species, the composition of the corpus luteum (luteinized thecal and granulosa cells and the enzymes and proteins involved in the steroidogenic pathway are relatively similar among all species. The key factors involved in luteal steroidogenesis and several new exciting observations regarding regulation of luteal steroidogenic function are discussed in this review.

Amygdala and ventral striatum make distinct contributions to reinforcement learning

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Costa, Vincent D.; Monte, Olga Dal; Lucas, Daniel R.; Murray, Elisabeth A.; Averbeck, Bruno B.

2016-01-01

Summary Reinforcement learning (RL) theories posit that dopaminergic signals are integrated within the striatum to associate choices with outcomes. Often overlooked is that the amygdala also receives dopaminergic input and is involved in Pavlovian processes that influence choice behavior. To determine the relative contributions of the ventral striatum (VS) and amygdala to appetitive RL we tested rhesus macaques with VS or amygdala lesions on deterministic and stochastic versions of a two-arm bandit reversal learning task. When learning was characterized with a RL model relative to controls, amygdala lesions caused general decreases in learning from positive feedback and choice consistency. By comparison, VS lesions only affected learning in the stochastic task. Moreover, the VS lesions hastened the monkeys’ choice reaction times, which emphasized a speed-accuracy tradeoff that accounted for errors in deterministic learning. These results update standard accounts of RL by emphasizing distinct contributions of the amygdala and VS to RL. PMID:27720488

Penile erection responses of Nigella sativa seed extract on isolated rat corpus cavernosum

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Aminyoto, M.; Ismail, S.

2018-04-01

Nigella sativa L. (NS) from Ranunculaceae family is known as black cumin in Indonesia. The seed has been used as an aphrodisiac in ethnobotanical studies and reported to have pharmacological activities such as antihypertensive through the relaxant effect of vascular smooth muscles but the direct effect to the blood vessels of the corpus cavernosum is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the response of NS seed extract on penile erection in vitro. NS seeds were macerated in ethanol solvent for three days in room temperature and repeated for two times. Penile erection responses was assessed using isolated rat corpus cavernosum in Krebs-Henseleit solution, temperature 37°C, pH 7.4, aerated with carbogen gas. After acclimation, corpus cavernosum was contracted with a phenylephrine solution. Ethanolic extract of NS seeds or control solution were given after reaching the plateu phase of the highest contraction. This study showed that the contraction response of the corpus cavernosum decreased after addition of NS extract and this action was increased with the addition of the extract concentration. This study concluded that NS seed ethanol extract affects the penile erection response directly through the relaxation of blood vessels in the corpus cavernosum.

Obesity Associated Cerebral Gray and White Matter Alterations Are Interrelated in the Female Brain.

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Karsten Mueller

Full Text Available Obesity is known to affect the brain's gray matter (GM and white matter (WM structure but the interrelationship of such changes remains unclear. Here we used T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI in combination with voxel-based morphometry (VBM and diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI with tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS to assess the relationship between obesity-associated alterations of gray matter density (GMD and anisotropic water diffusion in WM, respectively. In a small cohort of lean to obese women, we confirmed previous reports of obesity-associated alterations of GMD in brain regions involved in executive control (i.e., dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, DLPFC and habit learning (i.e., dorsal striatum. Gray matter density alterations of the DLPFC were negatively correlated with radial diffusivity in the entire corpus callosum. Within the genu of the corpus callosum we found a positive correlation with axial diffusivity. In posterior region and inferior areas of the body of the corpus callosum, axial diffusivity correlated negatively with altered GMD in the dorsal striatum. These findings suggest that, in women, obesity-related alterations of GMD in brain regions involved in executive control and habit learning might relate to alterations of associated WM fiber bundles within the corpus callosum.

Edition des Corpus areopagiticum slavicum

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Dieter Fahl

2005-12-01

Full Text Available An Edition of the Corpus areopagiticum slavicum In the fourteenth century, the monk Isaiah of the holy Mount Athos translated the writings of pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (c. end of the 5th century, core texts for Eastern and Western European theological and philosophical thought, from Greek into Church Slavonic. This first Slavic translation of Dionysius’ oeuvre (“De Coelesti Hierarchia,” “De Ecclesiastica Hierarchia,” “De Divinis Nominibus,” “De Mystica Theologia,” the epistles and scholia, which played a significant role in the development of Slavic culture, Orthodox Slavic socio-political theory and praxis, is still central to the study of Slavia Orthodoxa. A working group of German and Russian scholars has completed an edition of the translator’s Church Slavonic autograph with an en face reconstruction of the Greek text used by the translator and philological commentary. A Church Slavonic-Greek and Greek-Church Slavonic dictionary of this edition, currently in preparation, plans to make the terminology used in this influential translation accessible to interdisciplinary researchers. For the first time, the Church Slavonic lexica of this corpus, a substantial part of which was coined by the translator, will be registered in an index of words and forms.

The influence of cannabinoids on learning and memory processes of the dorsal striatum.

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Goodman, Jarid; Packard, Mark G

2015-11-01

Extensive evidence indicates that the mammalian endocannabinoid system plays an integral role in learning and memory. Our understanding of how cannabinoids influence memory comes predominantly from studies examining cognitive and emotional memory systems mediated by the hippocampus and amygdala, respectively. However, recent evidence suggests that cannabinoids also affect habit or stimulus-response (S-R) memory mediated by the dorsal striatum. Studies implementing a variety of maze tasks in rats indicate that systemic or intra-dorsolateral striatum infusions of cannabinoid receptor agonists or antagonists impair habit memory. In mice, cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor knockdown can enhance or impair habit formation, whereas Δ(9)THC tolerance enhances habit formation. Studies in human cannabis users also suggest an enhancement of S-R/habit memory. A tentative conclusion based on the available data is that acute disruption of the endocannabinoid system with either agonists or antagonists impairs, whereas chronic cannabinoid exposure enhances, dorsal striatum-dependent S-R/habit memory. CB1 receptors are required for multiple forms of striatal synaptic plasticity implicated in memory, including short-term and long-term depression. Interactions with the hippocampus-dependent memory system may also have a role in some of the observed effects of cannabinoids on habit memory. The impairing effect often observed with acute cannabinoid administration argues for cannabinoid-based treatments for human psychopathologies associated with a dysfunctional habit memory system (e.g. post-traumatic stress disorder and drug addiction/relapse). In addition, the enhancing effect of repeated cannabinoid exposure on habit memory suggests a novel neurobehavioral mechanism for marijuana addiction involving the dorsal striatum-dependent memory system. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Corpus gastritis in patients with endoscopic diagnosis of reflux oesophagitis and Barrett's oesophagus.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Laheij, R.J.F.; Rossum, L.G.M. van; Boer, W.A. de; Jansen, J.B.M.J.

2002-01-01

BACKGROUND: A high level of gastric acid secretion is considered to be a risk factor for reflux oesophagitis or Barrett's oesophagus. Corpus gastritis may have a protective effect on the oesophagus, because of decreased gastric acid output. AIM: To determine if corpus gastritis is associated with

TwiMed: Twitter and PubMed Comparable Corpus of Drugs, Diseases, Symptoms, and Their Relations.

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Alvaro, Nestor; Miyao, Yusuke; Collier, Nigel

2017-05-03

Work on pharmacovigilance systems using texts from PubMed and Twitter typically target at different elements and use different annotation guidelines resulting in a scenario where there is no comparable set of documents from both Twitter and PubMed annotated in the same manner. This study aimed to provide a comparable corpus of texts from PubMed and Twitter that can be used to study drug reports from these two sources of information, allowing researchers in the area of pharmacovigilance using natural language processing (NLP) to perform experiments to better understand the similarities and differences between drug reports in Twitter and PubMed. We produced a corpus comprising 1000 tweets and 1000 PubMed sentences selected using the same strategy and annotated at entity level by the same experts (pharmacists) using the same set of guidelines. The resulting corpus, annotated by two pharmacists, comprises semantically correct annotations for a set of drugs, diseases, and symptoms. This corpus contains the annotations for 3144 entities, 2749 relations, and 5003 attributes. We present a corpus that is unique in its characteristics as this is the first corpus for pharmacovigilance curated from Twitter messages and PubMed sentences using the same data selection and annotation strategies. We believe this corpus will be of particular interest for researchers willing to compare results from pharmacovigilance systems (eg, classifiers and named entity recognition systems) when using data from Twitter and from PubMed. We hope that given the comprehensive set of drug names and the annotated entities and relations, this corpus becomes a standard resource to compare results from different pharmacovigilance studies in the area of NLP. ©Nestor Alvaro, Yusuke Miyao, Nigel Collier. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (http://publichealth.jmir.org), 03.05.2017.

Vomeronasal inputs to the rodent ventral striatum.

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Ubeda-Bañon, I; Novejarque, A; Mohedano-Moriano, A; Pro-Sistiaga, P; Insausti, R; Martinez-Garcia, F; Lanuza, E; Martinez-Marcos, A

2008-03-18

Vertebrates sense chemical signals through the olfactory and vomeronasal systems. In squamate reptiles, which possess the largest vomeronasal system of all vertebrates, the accessory olfactory bulb projects to the nucleus sphericus, which in turn projects to a portion of the ventral striatum known as olfactostriatum. Characteristically, the olfactostriatum is innervated by neuropeptide Y, tyrosine hydroxylase and serotonin immunoreactive fibers. In this study, the possibility that a structure similar to the reptilian olfactostriatum might be present in the mammalian brain has been investigated. Injections of dextran-amines have been aimed at the posteromedial cortical amygdaloid nucleus (the putative mammalian homologue of the reptilian nucleus sphericus) of rats and mice. The resulting anterograde labeling includes the olfactory tubercle, the islands of Calleja and sparse terminal fields in the shell of the nucleus accumbens and ventral pallidum. This projection has been confirmed by injections of retrograde tracers into the ventral striato-pallidum that render retrograde labeling in the posteromedial cortical amygdaloid nucleus. The analysis of the distribution of neuropeptide Y, tyrosine hydroxylase, serotonin and substance P in the ventral striato-pallidum of rats, and the anterograde tracing of the vomeronasal amygdaloid input in the same material confirm that, similar to reptiles, the ventral striatum of mammals includes a specialized vomeronasal structure (olfactory tubercle and islands of Calleja) displaying dense neuropeptide Y-, tyrosine hydroxylase- and serotonin-immunoreactive innervations. The possibility that parts of the accumbens shell and/or ventral pallidum could be included in the mammalian olfactostriatum cannot be discarded.

Analysis of high signal intensities of nontumorous conditions of corpus callosum on magnetic resonance T2-weighted images

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Kang, Moo Song; Kim, Chul Min; Chung, Chun Phil

1995-01-01

To evaluate high signal intensity of nontumorous conditions of corpus callosum on T2-weighted MR images. Forty nine patients with nontumorous high signal intensities involving corpus callosum on sagittal T2-weighted image were retrospectively analyzed. Nontumorous condition of corpus callosum were diffuse axonal injury (DAI, 19 cases), cerebral infarctions (16 cases), multiple sclerosis (MS, 5 cases), Wilson's disease (2 cases) and hydrocephalus (7 cases) that were diagnosed by clinical and MR findings. Numbers, configuration, involved thickness and sites of high signal intensities of corpus callosum were analyzed. DAI and infarctions showed either single or multiple lesions. MS and hydrocephalus showed multiple lesions, but Wilson's diseases showed single lesion. In DAI, infarctions and MS the lesions involved any part of corpus callosum, splenium in Wilson's disease, and all parts of corpus callosum in hydrocephalus. Wilson's disease showed only partial thickness involvement, and others involved partial or full thickness of corpus callosum. Configuration of high signal intensity was linear in most cases of hydrocephalus, and oval in Wilson's disease, and oval and confluent in MS, and variable in DAI and infarctions. High signal intensities of nontumorous conditions of corpus callosum revealed variable findings, and therefore, analysis of nontumorous high signal intensities of corpus callosum is not made by only MR findings but by conjuction with clinical aspects

Macroscopic morphometry of the corpus luteum of pregnant and non-pregnant zebu cows in the Colombian tropics

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Marco González T

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The objective of the study was to determine the volume, weight, measures, ovarian location and shape of the corpus luteum of pregnant and non - pregnant cows from zebu cows of the Colombian tropics. 528 reproductive tracts were collected; 264 pregnant and 264 non-pregnant of cows benefited at the local slaughterhouse in Monteria, Córdoba, Colombia. The period of collection of the samples was extended for three months. After collection of each reproductive tract, the ovaries were separated, identified as right and left, weighed and measured. Then the drawing of the location of the corpus luteum was performed on the ovary according to the anatomical planes previously established in the corresponding form. Subsequently the corpus luteum was removed to perform their measurements, weighings and visualization of their shape. There were statistical differences between the locations of the corpus luteum in the ovary: Anterior pole, posterior pole, free edge, upper face and lower face (p≤0.05. The weight and volume of gestational corpus luteum was greater by 30 and 27.9% than the corpus luteum of non-pregnant cows. The predominant form por shape of the corpus luteum in both pregnant and non-pregnant cows was oval, then pyramidal and finally rounded. No gestation was observed contralateral to the location of the corpus luteum.

Ratio of dopamine synthesis capacity to D2 receptor availability in ventral striatum correlates with central processing of affective stimuli

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Kienast, Thorsten; Rapp, Michael [Charite Campus Mitte, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the Charite University Medical Center, Berlin (Germany); Siessmeier, Thomas; Buchholz, Hans G.; Schreckenberger, Mathias [University of Mainz, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Mainz (Germany); Wrase, Jana; Heinz, Andreas [Charite Campus Mitte, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the Charite University Medical Center, Berlin (Germany); Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim (Germany); Braus, Dieter F. [University of Hamburg, Neuroimage Nord, Department of Psychiatry, Hamburg (Germany); Smolka, Michael N.; Mann, Karl [Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim (Germany); Roesch, Frank [University of Mainz, Institute of Nuclear Chemistry, Mainz (Germany); Cumming, Paul [PET Center and Center for Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus (Denmark); Gruender, Gerhard [Aachen University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry of the RWTH, Mainz (Germany); Bartenstein, Peter [Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Munich (Germany)

2008-06-15

Dopaminergic neurotransmission in the ventral striatum may interact with limbic processing of affective stimuli, whereas dorsal striatal dopaminergic neurotransmission can affect habitual processing of emotionally salient stimuli in the pre-frontal cortex. We investigated the dopaminergic neurotransmission in the ventral and dorsal striatum with respect to central processing of affective stimuli in healthy subjects. Subjects were investigated with positron emission tomography and [{sup 18}F]DOPA for measurements of dopamine synthesis capacity and [{sup 18}F]DMFP for estimation of dopamine D2 receptor binding potential. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) response to affective pictures, which was correlated with the ratio of [{sup 18}F]DOPA net influx constant K{sub in}{sup app} /[{sup 18}F]DMFP-binding potential (BP{sub N}D) in the ventral and dorsal striatum. The magnitude of the ratio in the ventral striatum was positively correlated with BOLD signal increases elicited by negative versus neutral pictures in the right medial frontal gyrus (BA10), right inferior parietal lobe and left post-central gyrus. In the dorsal striatum, the ratio was positively correlated with BOLD signal activation elicited by negative versus neutral stimuli in the left post-central gyrus. The BOLD signal elicited by positive versus neutral stimuli in the superior parietal gyrus was positively correlated with the dorsal and ventral striatal ratio. The correlations of the ratio in the ventral and dorsal striatum with processing of affective stimuli in the named cortical regions support the hypothesis that dopamine transmission in functional divisions of the striatum modulates processing of affective stimuli in specific cortical areas. (orig.)

The importance of the corpus callosum in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis

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Goossens-Merkt, H.; Mueller-Jensen, M.; Zanella, F.D.

1991-01-01

Besides MS there are a lot of diseases with lesions of the white matter, especially vascular diseases. In quest of a specific pattern in MRI of MS especially in early diagnosis the corpus callosum in patients with MS and in other diseases was analyzed. The progressive atrophy of the corpus callosum in the course of multiple sclerosis is well known. A good correlation between atrophy of the corpus callosum in T1 weighted MRI and the severity of organic mental disorder has been demonstrated. Since Atrophy however is an unspecific sign while demyelinating lesions are much more specific for MS, a brain region in which vascular lesions are rare but demyelinating lesions are more frequent, has been studied. (author). 10 refs.; 2 figs.; 1 tab

FREEDOM OF COMBINATION AND HETEROGENEITY: A CORPUS LINGUIST’S LOOK AT TWO SAUSSUREAN INSIGHTS

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Tony Berber Sardinha

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This article offers a reexamination of two of Saussure’s insights from the point of view of corpus linguistics—namely, freedom of combination and heterogeneity in language in use. Regarding the first insight, an analysis of word combinations in a corpus of newspaper texts written in Brazilian Portuguese was carried out to determine how many of these combinations were actual collocations—that is, were used frequently enough in a very large reference corpus (the Brazilian corpus to warrant statistical significance. The results suggested that most word combinations are not free; rather, they follow previously established preferences among speakers. Regarding the second notion, that of heterogeneity, the collocations in the newspaper texts were tracked as they were deployed one after the other along each text, and this flow was visually depicted. The inspection of the charts revealed unique patterns of the distribution of collocation, thereby suggesting that the evidence supports the view of heterogeneity. A cluster analysis was later conducted on the amount of collocations in each text, revealing three basic collocation bands onto which all the texts can be fitted. This was interpreted as suggesting that heterogeneity, despite being present and noticeable, is constrained rather than limitless. The article concludes that the methods and techniques afforded by present-day corpus linguistics can shed light onto Saussure’s many valuable insights. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ LIBERDADE DE COMBINAÇÃO E HETEROGENEIDADE: UM OLHAR DA LINGUÍSTICA DE CORPUS EM DOIS INSIGHTS SAUSSUREANOS O artigo reexamina dois dos insights de Saussure a partir da perspectiva da linguística de corpus, a saber a liberdade de combinação e a heterogeneidade no uso da língua. Com relação ao primeiro, foi feita uma análise de combinações de palavras em corpus de textos de jornais para determinar quantas eram

Corpus web 2.0 : quelques enjeux méthodologiques et épistémologiques

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Sabrina Bevilacqua

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Nombre de défis d’ordre méthodologique et épistémologique s’imposent aujourd’hui à la recherche scientifique orientée vers le travail sur des corpus numériques. Certes, chaque plateforme virtuelle présente une écologie spécifique (Paveau, 2013a, 2013b qui oriente un rapprochement différent tant de l’objet que du corpus. Ainsi, l’environnement Facebook (FBK, une surface essentiellement multiforme suggère un regard qui puisse saisir son hétérogénéité sémiotique et énonciative. Dans ce travail, nous visons, d’abord, une redéfinition de la notion de corpus comme « matrice du sens » (Mayaffre, 2011 : 11 permettant de focaliser les enjeux scientifiques que la conception des corpus numériques issus du Web 2.0, notamment, de FBK, entraîne; ensuite, la description de certains concepts méthodologiques et épistémologiques fondamentaux — linéarité, technodiscours, sérialité, réticularité — aidant à l’élaboration ainsi qu’à la gestion de corpus FBK.

Lexicon and teaching: an analysis of the use of less frequent prepositions in a Spanish learners corpus

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Jéssyca Camargo Cruz

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This article aims at presenting a quantitative research and the analysis of the use of prepositions that are less frequent (underused in a corpus of learners of Spanish as a foreign language. We have observed the use of contra, hacia, enfrente de, excepto and tras through Corpus Linguistics by contrasting this lexical set and a supplementary corpus, composed by normative and descriptive Spanish grammar and by an online reference corpus of Spanish (CREA. Therefore, we present analyses made on a corpus constituted by 276 writings (85.729 words, gathered from two groups of freshman Language/Letras students, from 2011 to 2013. The data were collected with the aid of the WordSmith Tools (version 6 software and its tools, WordList and Concord enabled us to extract the frequency list of the prepositions in the corpus of study, as well as to observe and analyse their respective uses based on the lines of concordance.

Metabolic Disturbances in the Striatum and Substantia Nigra in the Onset and Progression of MPTP-Induced Parkinsonism Model

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Yi Lu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Metabolic confusion has been linked to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD, while the dynamic changes associated with the onset and progression of PD remain unclear. Herein, dynamic changes in metabolites were detected from the initiation to the development of 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP -induced Parkinsonism model to elucidate its potential metabolic mechanism. Ex vivo1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR spectroscopy was used to measure metabolite changes in the striatum and substantia nigra (SN of mice at 1, 7, and 21 days after injection of MPTP. Metabolomic analysis revealed a clear separation of the overall metabolites between PD and control mice at different time points. Glutamate (Glu in the striatum was significantly elevated at induction PD day 1 mice, which persisted to day 21. N-acetylaspartate (NAA increased in the striatum of induction PD mice on days 1 and 7, but no significant difference was found in striatum on day 21. Myo-Inositol (mI and taurine (Tau were also disturbed in the striatum in induction PD day 1 mice. Additionally, key enzymes in the glutamate-glutamine cycle were significantly increased in PD mice. These findings suggest that neuron loss and motor function impairment in induction PD mice may be linked to overactive glutamate-glutamine cycle and altered membrane metabolism.

Using Google as a Super Corpus to Drive Written Language Learning: A Comparison with the British National Corpus

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Sha, Guoquan

2010-01-01

Data-driven learning (DDL), or corpus-based language learning, involves the learner in an exploratory task to discover appropriate expressions or collocates regarding his writing. However, the problematic units of meaning in each learner's writing are so diverse that conventional corpora often prove futile. The search engine Google with the…

Re-thinking the role of the dorsal striatum in egocentric/response strategy.

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Botreau, Fanny; Gisquet-Verrier, Pascale

2010-01-01

Rats trained in a dual-solution cross-maze task, which can be solved by place and response strategies, predominantly used a response strategy after extensive training. This paper examines the involvement of the medial and lateral dorsal striatum (mDS and lDS) in the choice of these strategies after partial and extensive training. Our results show that rats with lDS and mDS lesions used mainly a response strategy from the early phase of training. We replicated these unexpected data in rats with lDS lesions and confirmed their tendency to use the response strategy in a modified cross-maze task. When trained in a dual-solution water-maze task, however, control and lesioned rats consistently used a place strategy, demonstrating that lDS and mDS lesioned rats can use a place strategy and that the shift towards a response strategy did not systematically result from extensive training. The present data did not show any clear dissociation between the mDS and lDS in dual solution tasks. They further indicate that the dorsal striatum seems to determine the strategies adopted in a particular context but cannot be considered as a neural support for the response memory system. Accordingly, the role of the lateral and medial part of the dorsal striatum in egocentric/response memory should be reconsidered.

Human corpus luteum: presence of epidermal growth factor receptors and binding characteristics

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Ayyagari, R.R.; Khan-Dawood, F.S.

1987-01-01

Epidermal growth factor receptors are present in many reproductive tissues but have not been demonstrated in the human corpus luteum. To determine the presence of epidermal growth factor receptors and its binding characteristics, we carried out studies on the plasma cell membrane fraction of seven human corpora lutea (days 16 to 25) of the menstrual cycle. Specific epidermal growth factor receptors were present in human corpus luteum. Insulin, nerve growth factor, and human chorionic gonadotropin did not competitively displace epidermal growth factor binding. The optimal conditions for corpus luteum-epidermal growth factor receptor binding were found to be incubation for 2 hours at 4 degrees C with 500 micrograms plasma membrane protein and 140 femtomol 125 I-epidermal growth factor per incubate. The number (mean +/- SEM) of epidermal growth factor binding sites was 12.34 +/- 2.99 X 10(-19) mol/micrograms protein; the dissociation constant was 2.26 +/- 0.56 X 10(-9) mol/L; the association constant was 0.59 +/- 0.12 X 10(9) L/mol. In two regressing corpora lutea obtained on days 2 and 3 of the menstrual cycle, there was no detectable specific epidermal growth factor receptor binding activity. Similarly no epidermal growth factor receptor binding activity could be detected in ovarian stromal tissue. Our findings demonstrate that specific receptors for epidermal growth factor are present in the human corpus luteum. The physiologic significance of epidermal growth factor receptors in human corpus luteum is unknown, but epidermal growth factor may be involved in intragonadal regulation of luteal function

Existence and control of Go/No-Go decision transition threshold in the striatum.

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Jyotika Bahuguna

2015-04-01

Full Text Available A typical Go/No-Go decision is suggested to be implemented in the brain via the activation of the direct or indirect pathway in the basal ganglia. Medium spiny neurons (MSNs in the striatum, receiving input from cortex and projecting to the direct and indirect pathways express D1 and D2 type dopamine receptors, respectively. Recently, it has become clear that the two types of MSNs markedly differ in their mutual and recurrent connectivities as well as feedforward inhibition from FSIs. Therefore, to understand striatal function in action selection, it is of key importance to identify the role of the distinct connectivities within and between the two types of MSNs on the balance of their activity. Here, we used both a reduced firing rate model and numerical simulations of a spiking network model of the striatum to analyze the dynamic balance of spiking activities in D1 and D2 MSNs. We show that the asymmetric connectivity of the two types of MSNs renders the striatum into a threshold device, indicating the state of cortical input rates and correlations by the relative activity rates of D1 and D2 MSNs. Next, we describe how this striatal threshold can be effectively modulated by the activity of fast spiking interneurons, by the dopamine level, and by the activity of the GPe via pallidostriatal backprojections. We show that multiple mechanisms exist in the basal ganglia for biasing striatal output in favour of either the `Go' or the `No-Go' pathway. This new understanding of striatal network dynamics provides novel insights into the putative role of the striatum in various behavioral deficits in patients with Parkinson's disease, including increased reaction times, L-Dopa-induced dyskinesia, and deep brain stimulation-induced impulsivity.

Existence and control of Go/No-Go decision transition threshold in the striatum.

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Bahuguna, Jyotika; Aertsen, Ad; Kumar, Arvind

2015-04-01

A typical Go/No-Go decision is suggested to be implemented in the brain via the activation of the direct or indirect pathway in the basal ganglia. Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the striatum, receiving input from cortex and projecting to the direct and indirect pathways express D1 and D2 type dopamine receptors, respectively. Recently, it has become clear that the two types of MSNs markedly differ in their mutual and recurrent connectivities as well as feedforward inhibition from FSIs. Therefore, to understand striatal function in action selection, it is of key importance to identify the role of the distinct connectivities within and between the two types of MSNs on the balance of their activity. Here, we used both a reduced firing rate model and numerical simulations of a spiking network model of the striatum to analyze the dynamic balance of spiking activities in D1 and D2 MSNs. We show that the asymmetric connectivity of the two types of MSNs renders the striatum into a threshold device, indicating the state of cortical input rates and correlations by the relative activity rates of D1 and D2 MSNs. Next, we describe how this striatal threshold can be effectively modulated by the activity of fast spiking interneurons, by the dopamine level, and by the activity of the GPe via pallidostriatal backprojections. We show that multiple mechanisms exist in the basal ganglia for biasing striatal output in favour of either the `Go' or the `No-Go' pathway. This new understanding of striatal network dynamics provides novel insights into the putative role of the striatum in various behavioral deficits in patients with Parkinson's disease, including increased reaction times, L-Dopa-induced dyskinesia, and deep brain stimulation-induced impulsivity.

Applying Corpus-Based Findings to Form-Focused Instruction: The Case of Reported Speech

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Barbieri, Federica; Eckhardt, Suzanne E. B.

2007-01-01

Arguing that the introduction of corpus linguistics in teaching materials and the language classroom should be informed by theories and principles of SLA, this paper presents a case study illustrating how corpus-based findings on reported speech can be integrated into a form-focused model of instruction. After overviewing previous work which…

Disregarding the Corpus: Head-word and Sense Treatment in Shona Monolingual Lexicography*

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Webster M. Mavhu

2011-10-01

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Abstract: With specific reference to Shona monolingual lexicography, this article discusses how corpus-based lexicographers might, in some instances, decide not strictly to adhere to the corpus when it comes to headword and sense treatment. The writer is a member of the African Languages Research Institute (ALRI, formerly known as the African Languages Lexical (ALLEX Project. ALRI is a nonfaculty interdisciplinary unit dedicated to research on and the development of African languages in Zimbabwe. The writer is part of the six-member team that compiled the now published Shona monolingual, synchronic, medium-sized and general-purpose dictionary Du-ramazwi Guru ReChiShona (2001. The article originates from the writer's experience of working on this dictionary. The article highlights the fact that being corpus-based does not necessarily imply being corpus-bound.

Keywords: CORPUS, CORPUS-BASED, FREQUENCY, HEADWORD, LEXICOGRAPHY, SENSE, SHONA, SLANG, SYNONYMS

Opsomming: Verontagsaming van die korpus: Trefwoord- en betekenisbe-handeling in die Sjona- eentalige leksikografie. Met spesifieke verwysing na die Sjona- eentalige leksikografie bespreek hierdie artikel hoe korpusgebaseerde leksikograwe in som-mige gevalle kan besluit om nie streng by die korpus te bly wanneer dit kom by trefwoord- en betekenisbehandeling nie. Die skrywer is 'n lid van die African Language Research Institute (AL-RI, vroeër bekend as die African Languages Lexical (ALLEX Project. ALRI is 'n niefakulteits- interdissiplinêre eenheid wat hom beywer vir navorsing oor en die ontwikkeling van die Afrikatale in Zimbabwe. Die skrywer is deel van 'n span van ses lede wat die reeds gepubliseerde Sjona- een-talige, sinchroniese, middelgroot en meerdoelige woordeboek Duramazwi Guru ReChiShona (2001 saamgestel het. Die artikel het uit die skrywer se ervaring van werk aan hierdie woordeboek ont-staan. Die artikel belig die feit dat korpusgebaseerdheid nie noodwendig

Cholinergic neurotransmission in human corpus cavernosum. II. Acetylcholine synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanco, R.; De Tejada, S.; Goldstein, I.; Krane, R.J.; Wotiz, H.H.; Cohen, R.A.

1988-01-01

Physiological and histochemical evidence indicates that cholinergic nerves may participate in mediating penile erection. Acetylcholine synthesis and release was studied in isolated human corporal tissue. Human corpus cavernosum incubated with [ 3 H]choline accumulated [ 3 H]choline and synthesized [ 3 H]acethylcholine in an concentration-dependent manner. [ 3 H]Acetylcholine accumulation by the tissue was inhibited by hemicholinium-3, a specific antagonist of the high-affinity choline transport in cholinergic nerves. Transmural electrical field stimulation caused release of [ 3 H]acetylcholine which was significantly diminished by inhibiting neurotransmission with calcium-free physiological salt solution or tetrodotoxin. These observations provide biochemical and physiological evidence for the existence of cholinergic innervation in human corpus cavernosum

A critical re-examination of sexual dimorphism in the corpus callosum microstructure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Westerhausen, René; Kompus, Kristiina; Dramsdahl, Margaretha

2011-01-01

the diffusion parameters did not correlate with regional callosal size. The present results indicate a stronger inter-hemispheric connectivity between the frontal lobes in males than females, which might be related to sex differences in hemispheric asymmetry and brain size........ The objective of the present DTI study was to re-examine microstructural sex differences in the corpus callosum, while controlling for corpus callosum size differences between sexes. We compared 41 female and 34 male participants using regional tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analysis. Clusters...... of significantly higher fractional anisotropy (FA) and lower diffusion strength in males compared to females were detected in the genu and truncus of the corpus callosum. However, only the sex difference located in the anterior genu subregions could be unequivocally interpreted. This was the only cluster where...

Neural analysis of bovine ovaries ultrasound images in the identification process of the corpus luteum

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Górna, K.; Jaśkowski, B. M.; Okoń, P.; Czechlowski, M.; Koszela, K.; Zaborowicz, M.; Idziaszek, P.

2017-07-01

The aim of the paper is to shown the neural image analysis as a method useful for identifying the development stage of the domestic bovine corpus luteum on digital USG (UltraSonoGraphy) images. Corpus luteum (CL) is a transient endocrine gland that develops after ovulation from the follicle secretory cells. The aim of CL is the production of progesterone, which regulates many reproductive functions. In the presented studies, identification of the corpus luteum was carried out on the basis of information contained in ultrasound digital images. Development stage of the corpus luteum was considered in two aspects: just before and middle of domination phase and luteolysis and degradation phase. Prior to the classification, the ultrasound images have been processed using a GLCM (Gray Level Co-occurence Matrix). To generate a classification model, a Neural Networks module implemented in the STATISTICA was used. Five representative parameters describing the ultrasound image were used as learner variables. On the output of the artificial neural network was generated information about the development stage of the corpus luteum. Results of this study indicate that neural image analysis combined with GLCM texture analysis may be a useful tool for identifying the bovine corpus luteum in the context of its development phase. Best-generated artificial neural network model was the structure of MLP (Multi Layer Perceptron) 5:5-17-1:1.

Infant rats can learn time intervals before the maturation of the striatum: evidence from odor fear conditioning

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Julie eBoulanger Bertolus

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Interval timing refers to the ability to perceive, estimate and discriminate durations in the range of seconds to minutes. Very little is currently known about the ontogeny of interval timing throughout development. On the other hand, even though the neural circuit sustaining interval timing is a matter of debate, the striatum has been suggested to be an important component of the system and its maturation occurs around the third post-natal week in rats. The global aim of the present study was to investigate interval timing abilities at an age for which striatum is not yet mature. We used odor fear conditioning, as it can be applied to very young animals. In odor fear conditioning, an odor is presented to the animal and a mild footshock is delivered after a fixed interval. Adult rats have been shown to learn the temporal relationships between the odor and the shock after a few associations. The first aim of the present study was to assess the activity of the striatum during odor fear conditioning using 2-Deoxyglucose autoradiography during development in rats. The data showed that although fear learning was displayed at all tested ages, activation of the striatum was observed in adults but not in juvenile animals. Next, we assessed the presence of evidence of interval timing in ages before and after the inclusion of the striatum into the fear conditioning circuit. We used an experimental setup allowing the simultaneous recording of freezing and respiration that have been demonstrated to be sensitive to interval timing in adult rats. This enabled the detection of duration-related temporal patterns for freezing and/or respiration curves in infants as young as 12 days post-natal during odor-fear conditioning. This suggests that infants are able to encode time durations as well as and as quickly as adults while their striatum is not yet functional. Alternative networks possibly sustaining interval timing in infant rats are discussed.

Antioxidant responses and photosynthetic behaviors of Kappaphycus alvarezii and Kappaphycus striatum (Rhodophyta, Solieriaceae) during low temperature stress.

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Li, Hu; Liu, Jianguo; Zhang, Litao; Pang, Tong

2016-12-01

Kappaphycus are farmed in tropical countries as raw material for carrageenan, which is widely used in food industry. The sea area available for farming is one limiting factor in the production of seaweeds. Though cultivation is spreading into subtropical regions, the lower seawater temperature is an important problem encountered in subtropical regions for the farming of Kappaphycus. This research of physiological response to low temperature stress will be helpful for screening Kappaphycus strains for growth in a lower temperature environment. Responses of antioxidant systems and photosystem II (PSII) behaviors in Kappaphycus alvarezii and Kappaphycus striatum were evaluated during low temperature treatments (23, 20, 17 °C). Compared with the controls at 26 °C, the H 2 O 2 concentrations increased in both species when the thalli were exposed to low temperatures (23, 20, 17 °C), but these increases were much greater in K. striatum than in K. alvarezii thalli, suggesting that K. striatum suffered more oxidative stress. The activities of some important antioxidant enzymes (e.g. superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase) and the hydroxyl free radical scavenging capacity were substantially higher at 23, 20 and 17 °C than at the control 26 °C in K. alvarezii, indicating that the antioxidant system of K. alvarezii enhanced its resistance to low temperature. However, no significant increases of antioxidant enzymes activities were observed at 20 and 17 °C in K. striatum. In addition, both the maximal efficiency of PSII photochemistry (F V /F m ) and the performance index (PI ABS ) decreased significantly in K. striatum at 23 °C, indicating that the photosynthetic apparatus was damaged at 23 °C. In contrast, no significant decreases of either F V /F m or PI ABS were observed in K. alvarezii at 23 °C. It is concluded that K. alvarezii has greater tolerance to low temperature than K. striatum.

Goal- and retrieval-dependent activity in the striatum during memory recognition.

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Clos, Mareike; Schwarze, Ulrike; Gluth, Sebastian; Bunzeck, Nico; Sommer, Tobias

2015-06-01

The striatum has been associated with successful memory retrieval but the precise functional link still remains unclear. One hypothesis is that striatal activity reflects an active evaluation process of the retrieval outcome dependent on the current behavioral goals rather than being a consequence of memory reactivation. We have recently shown that the striatum also correlates with confidence in memory recognition, which could reflect high subjective value ascribed to high certainty decisions. To examine whether striatal activity during memory recognition reflects subjective value indeed, we conducted an fMRI study using a recognition memory paradigm in which the participants rated not only the recognition confidence but also indicated the pleasantness associated with the previous memory retrieval. The results demonstrated a high positive correlation between confidence and pleasantness both on the behavioral and brain activation level particularly in the striatum. As almost all of variance in the striatal confidence signal could be explained by experienced pleasantness, this part of the striatal memory recognition response probably corresponds to greater subjective value of high confidence responses. While perceived oldness was also strongly correlated with striatal activity, this activation pattern was clearly distinct from that associated with confidence and pleasantness and thus could not be explained by higher subjective value to detect "old" items. Together, these results show that at least two independent processes contribute to striatal activation in recognition memory: a more flexible evaluation response dependent on context and goals captured by memory confidence and a potentially retrieval-related response captured by perceived oldness. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tone realisation in a Yoruba speech recognition corpus

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Van Niekerk, D

2012-05-01

Full Text Available development. Extracted contours are processed and analysed statistically to describe acoustic properties in different tonal contexts. The authors demonstrate how features useful for tone recognition or synthesis can be successfully extracted from a corpus...

Anatomical Inputs From the Sensory and Value Structures to the Tail of the Rat Striatum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haiyan Jiang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The caudal region of the rodent striatum, called the tail of the striatum (TS, is a relatively small area but might have a distinct function from other striatal subregions. Recent primate studies showed that this part of the striatum has a unique function in encoding long-term value memory of visual objects for habitual behavior. This function might be due to its specific connectivity. We identified inputs to the rat TS and compared those with inputs to the dorsomedial striatum (DMS in the same animals. The TS directly received anatomical inputs from both sensory structures and value-coding regions, but the DMS did not. First, inputs from the sensory cortex and sensory thalamus to the TS were found; visual, auditory, somatosensory and gustatory cortex and thalamus projected to the TS but not to the DMS. Second, two value systems innervated the TS; dopamine and serotonin neurons in the lateral part of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc and dorsal raphe nucleus projected to the TS, respectively. The DMS received inputs from the separate group of dopamine neurons in the medial part of the SNc. In addition, learning-related regions of the limbic system innervated the TS; the temporal areas and the basolateral amygdala selectively innervated the TS, but not the DMS. Our data showed that both sensory and value-processing structures innervated the TS, suggesting its plausible role in value-guided sensory-motor association for habitual behavior.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress responses differ in meninges and associated vasculature, striatum, and parietal cortex after a neurotoxic amphetamine exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Monzy; George, Nysia I; Saini, Upasana T; Patterson, Tucker A; Hanig, Joseph P; Bowyer, John F

2010-08-01

Amphetamine (AMPH) is used to treat attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders, but it can produce neurotoxicity and adverse vascular effects at high doses. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response (ERSR) entails the unfolded protein response, which helps to avoid or minimize ER dysfunction. ERSR is often associated with toxicities resulting from the accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins and has been associated with methamphetamine toxicity in the striatum. The present study evaluates the effect of AMPH on several ERSR elements in meninges and associated vasculature (MAV), parietal cortex, and striatum. Adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to saline, environmentally induced hyperthermia (EIH) or four consecutive doses of AMPH that produce hyperthermia. Expression changes (mRNA and protein levels) of key ERSR-related genes in MAV, striatum, and parietal cortex at 3 h or 1 day postdosing were monitored. AMPH increased the expression of some ERSR-related genes in all tissues. Atf4 (activating transcription factor 4, an indicator of Perk pathway activation), Hspa5/Grp78 (Glucose regulated protein 78, master regulator of ERSR), Pdia4 (protein disulfide isomerase, protein-folding enzyme), and Nfkb1 (nuclear factor of kappa b, ERSR sensor) mRNA increased significantly in MAV and parietal cortex 3 h after AMPH. In striatum, Atf4 and Hspa5/Grp78 mRNA significantly increased 3 h after AMPH, but Pdia4 and Nfkb11 did not. Thus, AMPH caused a robust activation of the Perk pathway in all tissues, but significant Ire1 pathway activation occurred only after AMPH treatment in the parietal cortex and striatum. Ddit3/Chop, a downstream effector of the ERSR pathway related to the neurotoxicity, was only increased in striatum and parietal cortex. Conversely, Pdia4, an enzyme protective in the ERSR, was only increased in MAV. The overall ERSR manifestation varied significantly between MAV, striatum, and parietal cortex after a neurotoxic exposure to AMPH.

A unified approach for development of Urdu Corpus for OCR and demographic purpose

Science.gov (United States)

Choudhary, Prakash; Nain, Neeta; Ahmed, Mushtaq

2015-02-01

This paper presents a methodology for the development of an Urdu handwritten text image Corpus and application of Corpus linguistics in the field of OCR and information retrieval from handwritten document. Compared to other language scripts, Urdu script is little bit complicated for data entry. To enter a single character it requires a combination of multiple keys entry. Here, a mixed approach is proposed and demonstrated for building Urdu Corpus for OCR and Demographic data collection. Demographic part of database could be used to train a system to fetch the data automatically, which will be helpful to simplify existing manual data-processing task involved in the field of data collection such as input forms like Passport, Ration Card, Voting Card, AADHAR, Driving licence, Indian Railway Reservation, Census data etc. This would increase the participation of Urdu language community in understanding and taking benefit of the Government schemes. To make availability and applicability of database in a vast area of corpus linguistics, we propose a methodology for data collection, mark-up, digital transcription, and XML metadata information for benchmarking.

A common currency for the computation of motivational values in the human striatum

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yansong; Dreher, Jean-Claude

2015-01-01

Reward comparison in the brain is thought to be achieved through the use of a ‘common currency’, implying that reward value representations are computed on a unique scale in the same brain regions regardless of the reward type. Although such a mechanism has been identified in the ventro-medial prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum in the context of decision-making, it is less clear whether it similarly applies to non-choice situations. To answer this question, we scanned 38 participants with fMRI while they were presented with single cues predicting either monetary or erotic rewards, without the need to make a decision. The ventral striatum was the main brain structure to respond to both cues while showing increasing activity with increasing expected reward intensity. Most importantly, the relative response of the striatum to monetary vs erotic cues was correlated with the relative motivational value of these rewards as inferred from reaction times. Similar correlations were observed in a fronto-parietal network known to be involved in attentional focus and motor readiness. Together, our results suggest that striatal reward value signals not only obey to a common currency mechanism in the absence of choice but may also serve as an input to adjust motivated behaviour accordingly. PMID:24837478

Angular analysis of corpus callosum in 18 patients with frontonasal dysplasia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giffoni Silvyo David Araújo

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Considering the rarity of the frontonasal dysplasia (FD and the few reports about it in a large casuistry using magnetic resonance image (MRI, we describe the results of the angular analysis of the corpus callosum of 18 individuals with FD (7 male, 11 female, using an easily-reproductive method. Group I had 12 individuals with isolated form and Group II had 6 individuals with FD syndromic with unknown etiology. The results are presented in set. Comparing with the control group, patients with FD presented alpha angle increase and beta and gamma angles reduction (p<0.05. Alpha and gamma angles express the relationship between the anterior portion of corpus callosum and the floor of 4th ventricle. Considering the embryonary development, these findings would occur secondarily to failure during the development of nasal capsula. Thus, angular anomaly in corpus callosum would be a usual finding, and not fortuitous in patients with FD.

Publishing a Quality Context-aware Annotated Corpus and Lexicon for Harassment Research

OpenAIRE

Rezvan, Mohammadreza; Shekarpour, Saeedeh; Balasuriya, Lakshika; Thirunarayan, Krishnaprasad; Shalin, Valerie; Sheth, Amit

2018-01-01

Having a quality annotated corpus is essential especially for applied research. Despite the recent focus of Web science community on researching about cyberbullying, the community dose not still have standard benchmarks. In this paper, we publish first, a quality annotated corpus and second, an offensive words lexicon capturing different types type of harassment as (i) sexual harassment, (ii) racial harassment, (iii) appearance-related harassment, (iv) intellectual harassment, and (v) politic...

Morphometry of the corpus callosum in Chinese children: relationship with gender and academic performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ng, Wing Hung Alex; Chan, Yu.Lung; Au, Kit Sum Agnes; Yeung, Ka Wai David; Kwan, Ting Fai; To, Cho Yee

2005-01-01

The corpus callosum has been widely studied, but no study has demonstrated whether its size and shape have any relationship with language and calculation performance. To examine the morphometry of the corpus callosum of normal Chinese children and its relationship with gender and academic performance. One hundred primary school children (63 boys, 37 girls; age 6.5-10 years) were randomly selected and the standardized academic performance for each was ascertained. On the mid-sagittal section of a brain MRI, the length, height and total area of the corpus callosum and its thickness at different sites were measured. These were correlated with sex and academic performance. Apart from the normal average dimension of the different parts of the corpus callosum, thickness at the body-splenium junction in the average-to-good performance group was significantly greater than the below-average performance group in Chinese language (P=0.005), English language (P=0.02) and mathematics (P=0.01). The remainder of the callosal thickness showed no significant relationship with academic performance. There was no significant sex difference in the thickness of any part of the corpus callosum. These findings raise the suggestion that language and mathematics proficiency may be related to the morphometry of the fibre connections in the posterior parietal lobes. (orig.)

Morphometry of the corpus callosum in Chinese children: relationship with gender and academic performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ng, Wing Hung Alex; Chan, Yu.Lung [Prince of Wales Hospital, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Organ Imaging, Shatin, Hong Kong (Hong Kong); Au, Kit Sum Agnes [James Cook University, Department of Psychology, Townsville, Queensland (Australia); Yeung, Ka Wai David; Kwan, Ting Fai; To, Cho Yee

2005-06-01

The corpus callosum has been widely studied, but no study has demonstrated whether its size and shape have any relationship with language and calculation performance. To examine the morphometry of the corpus callosum of normal Chinese children and its relationship with gender and academic performance. One hundred primary school children (63 boys, 37 girls; age 6.5-10 years) were randomly selected and the standardized academic performance for each was ascertained. On the mid-sagittal section of a brain MRI, the length, height and total area of the corpus callosum and its thickness at different sites were measured. These were correlated with sex and academic performance. Apart from the normal average dimension of the different parts of the corpus callosum, thickness at the body-splenium junction in the average-to-good performance group was significantly greater than the below-average performance group in Chinese language (P=0.005), English language (P=0.02) and mathematics (P=0.01). The remainder of the callosal thickness showed no significant relationship with academic performance. There was no significant sex difference in the thickness of any part of the corpus callosum. These findings raise the suggestion that language and mathematics proficiency may be related to the morphometry of the fibre connections in the posterior parietal lobes. (orig.)

The WONP-NURT corpus as nuclear knowledge base for text mining in the INIS database

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerra Valdes, R.

2011-01-01

In the present work the WONP-NURT corpus is taken as knowledge base for text mining in the INIS database. Main components of the information processing system, as well as computational methods for content analysis of INIS database record files are described. Results of the content analysis of the WONP-NURT corpus are reported. Furthermore, results of two comparative text mining studies in the INIS database are also shown. The first one explores 10 research areas in the more familiar nearest range of WONP-NURT corpus, while the second one surveys 15 regions in the more exotic far range. The results provide new elements to asses the significance of the WONP-NURT corpus in the context of the current state of nuclear science and technology research areas. (Author)

EuroGOV: Engineering a Multilingual Web Corpus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sigurbjörnsson, B.; Kamps, J.; de Rijke, M.

2005-01-01

EuroGOV is a multilingual web corpus that was created to serve as the document collection for WebCLEF, the CLEF 2005 web retrieval task. EuroGOV is a collection of web pages crawled from the European Union portal, European Union member state governmental web sites, and Russian government web sites.

Architecture of the Corpus Spongiosum : An Anatomical Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ottenhof, Sarah R; de Graaf, Petra; Soeterik, Timo F W; Neeter, Lidewij M F H; Zilverschoon, Marijn; Spinder, Matty; Bosch, J L H Ruud; Bleys, Ronald L A W; Heck-de Kort, Laetitia

PURPOSE: Urethral reconstruction is performed for urethral stricture or hypospadias correction. Research on urethral tissue engineering is increasing. Because the corpus spongiosum is important to support the urethra, urethral tissue engineering should ideally be combined with reconstruction of a

Acute effects of three club drugs on the striatum of rats: Evaluation by quantitative autoradiography with [18F]FDOPA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, Chun-Kai; Chen, Hong-Wen; Wang, Wei-Hsun; Liu, Ren-Shen; Hwang, Jeng-Jong

2013-01-01

In this work, we used quantitative autoradiography to study the acute effect of cocaine, methamphetamine, and ketamine on the uptake of [ 18 F]FDOPA in the striatum of rats. Drugs were treated 0.5 h before (pre-treated), and 1.5 h after (post-treated) [ 18 F]FDOPA injections, rats were then sacrificed at 2 h post [ 18 F]FDOPA injections to determine the striatum/frontal cortex binding ratios in the striatum. The ratios were lower in the post-treated groups than those of the pre-treated groups, suggesting a net effect of inhibition of trapping of the tracer. The order of uptake inhibition is: ketamine>methamphetamine>cocaine

Abnormal nuclear envelopes in the striatum and motor deficits in DYT11 myoclonus-dystonia mouse models.

Science.gov (United States)

Yokoi, Fumiaki; Dang, Mai T; Zhou, Tong; Li, Yuqing

2012-02-15

DYT11 myoclonus-dystonia (M-D) is a movement disorder characterized by myoclonic jerks with dystonic symptoms and caused by mutations in paternally expressed SGCE, which codes for ε-sarcoglycan. Paternally inherited Sgce heterozygous knock-out (KO) mice exhibit motor deficits and spontaneous myoclonus. Abnormal nuclear envelopes have been reported in cellular and mouse models of early-onset DYT1 generalized torsion dystonia; however, the relationship between the abnormal nuclear envelopes and motor symptoms are not clear. Furthermore, it is not known whether abnormal nuclear envelope exists in non-DYT1 dystonia. In the present study, abnormal nuclear envelopes in the striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) were found in Sgce KO mice. To analyze whether the loss of ε-sarcoglycan in the striatum alone causes abnormal nuclear envelopes, motor deficits or myoclonus, we produced paternally inherited striatum-specific Sgce conditional KO (Sgce sKO) mice and analyzed their phenotypes. Sgce sKO mice exhibited motor deficits in both beam-walking and accelerated rotarod tests, while they did not exhibit abnormal nuclear envelopes, alteration in locomotion, or myoclonus. The results suggest that the loss of ε-sarcoglycan in the striatum contributes to motor deficits, while it alone does not produce abnormal nuclear envelopes or myoclonus. Development of therapies targeting the striatum to compensate for the loss of ε-sarcoglycan function may rescue the motor deficits in DYT11 M-D patients.

JaSlo: Integration of a Japanese-Slovene Bilingual Dictionary with a Corpus Search System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristina HMELJAK SANGAWA

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a set of integrated on-line language resources targeted at Japanese language learners, primarily those whose mother tongue is Slovene. The resources consist of the on-line Japanese-Slovene learners’ dictionary jaSlo and two corpora, a 1 million word Japanese-Slovene parallel corpus and a 300 million word corpus of web pages, where each word and sentence is marked by its difficulty level; this corpus is furthermore available as a set of five distinct corpora, each one containing sentences of the particular level. The corpora are available for exploration through NoSketch Engine, the open source version of the commercial state-of-the-art corpus analysis software Sketch Engine. The dictionary is available for Web searching, and dictionary entries have direct links to examples from the corpora, thus offering a wider picture of a possible translations in concrete contextualised examples, and b monolingual Japanese usage examples of different difficulty levels to support language learning.

Functional contributions and interactions between the human hippocampus and subregions of the striatum during arbitrary associative learning and memory

Science.gov (United States)

Mattfeld, Aaron T.; Stark, Craig E. L.

2015-01-01

The hippocampus and striatum are thought to have different functional roles in learning and memory. It is unknown under what experimental conditions their contributions are dissimilar or converge, and the extent to which they interact over the course of learning. In order to evaluate both the functional contributions of as well as the interactions between the human hippocampus and striatum, the present study used high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and variations of a conditional visuomotor associative learning task that either taxed arbitrary associative learning (Experiment 1) or stimulus-response learning (Experiment 2). In the first experiment we observed changes in activity in the hippocampus and anterior caudate that reflect differences between the two regions consistent with distinct computational principles. In the second experiment we observed activity in the putamen that reflected content specific representations during the learning of arbitrary conditional visuomotor associations. In both experiments the hippocampus and ventral striatum demonstrated dynamic functional coupling during the learning of new arbitrary associations, but not during retrieval of well-learned arbitrary associations using control variants of the tasks that did not preferentially tax one system versus the other. These findings suggest that both the hippocampus and subregions of the dorsal striatum contribute uniquely to the learning of arbitrary associations while the hippocampus and ventral striatum interact over the course of learning. PMID:25560298

Inflation Metaphor in the TIME Magazine Corpus

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Chunyu; Liu, Huijie

2016-01-01

A historical perspective on economy metaphor can shed new lights on economic thoughts. Based on the TIME Magazine Corpus (TMC), this paper investigates inflation metaphor over 83 years and compares findings against the economic data over the relatively corresponding period. The results show how inflation, an abstract concept and a normal economic…

Isolation and characterization of neural stem cells from human fetal striatum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xiaoxia; Xu Jinchong; Bai Yun; Wang Xuan; Dai Xin; Liu Yinan; Zhang Jun; Zou Junhua; Shen Li; Li Lingsong

2005-01-01

This paper described that neural stem cells (hsNSCs) were isolated and expanded rapidly from human fetal striatum in adherent culture. The population was serum- and growth factor-dependent and expressed neural stem cell markers. They were capable of multi-differentiation into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. When plated in the dopaminergic neuron inducing medium, human striatum neural stem cells could differentiate into tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons. hsNSCs were morphologically homogeneous and possessed high proliferation ability. The population doubled every 44.28 h and until now it has divided for more than 82 generations in vitro. Normal human diploid karyotype was unchanged throughout the in vitro culture period. Together, this study has exploited a method for continuous and rapid expansion of human neural stem cells as pure population, which maintained the capacity to generate almost fifty percent neurons. The availability of such cells may hold great interest for basic and applied neuroscience

Manganese-Disrupted Interaction of Dopamine D1 and NMDAR in the Striatum to Injury Learning and Memory Ability of Mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Qifan; Deng, Yu; Yang, Xinxin; Bai, Ying; Xu, Bin; Liu, Wei; Zheng, Wenxue; Wang, Can; Zhang, Meng; Xu, Zhaofa

2016-12-01

Manganese (Mn) is widely regarded as a neurotoxic heavy metal that causes learning and memory deficits. Recently, it has been proved that the striatum is related to memory and learning ability. However, no previous study focused on the effect of Mn-induced learning and memory deficits on the striatum. This study aims to investigate the probable interaction of dopamine D1 receptor (DR1) and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), two cognition-related receptors in the striatum during Mn exposure. Mice are randomly divided into four groups, including control group, 12.5 mg/kg MnCl 2 group, 25 mg/kg MnCl 2 group, and 50 mg/kg MnCl 2 group. The mice receive intraperitoneal injections of 0, 12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg MnCl 2 once daily for 2 weeks. Then, learning and memory ability, pathological changes, expression, and interaction of DR1 and NMDAR are determined. It has been found that Mn disrupted spatial learning and memory ability of mice by Morris water maze test and the passive avoidance test. Pathological and ultrastructure were injured. Mn decreased the immunohistochemical activities, protein levels, and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of DR1, NR1, and NR2A. Mn exposure inhibited interaction between DR1 and NMDAR in striatum by double immunofluorescent staining and co-immunoprecipitation. In conclusion, our study illustrated that Mn caused learning and memory dysfunction via injury of striatum and inhibition of interaction between DR1 and NMDAR in striatum.

Characterizing the Google Books Corpus: Strong Limits to Inferences of Socio-Cultural and Linguistic Evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Pechenick, Eitan Adam; Danforth, Christopher M; Dodds, Peter Sheridan

2015-01-01

It is tempting to treat frequency trends from the Google Books data sets as indicators of the "true" popularity of various words and phrases. Doing so allows us to draw quantitatively strong conclusions about the evolution of cultural perception of a given topic, such as time or gender. However, the Google Books corpus suffers from a number of limitations which make it an obscure mask of cultural popularity. A primary issue is that the corpus is in effect a library, containing one of each book. A single, prolific author is thereby able to noticeably insert new phrases into the Google Books lexicon, whether the author is widely read or not. With this understood, the Google Books corpus remains an important data set to be considered more lexicon-like than text-like. Here, we show that a distinct problematic feature arises from the inclusion of scientific texts, which have become an increasingly substantive portion of the corpus throughout the 1900 s. The result is a surge of phrases typical to academic articles but less common in general, such as references to time in the form of citations. We use information theoretic methods to highlight these dynamics by examining and comparing major contributions via a divergence measure of English data sets between decades in the period 1800-2000. We find that only the English Fiction data set from the second version of the corpus is not heavily affected by professional texts. Overall, our findings call into question the vast majority of existing claims drawn from the Google Books corpus, and point to the need to fully characterize the dynamics of the corpus before using these data sets to draw broad conclusions about cultural and linguistic evolution.

Viral vector-mediated overexpression of estrogen receptor-alpha in striatum enhances the estradiol-induced motor activity in female rats and estradiol-modulated GABA release.

Science.gov (United States)

Schultz, Kristin N; von Esenwein, Silke A; Hu, Ming; Bennett, Amy L; Kennedy, Robert T; Musatov, Sergei; Toran-Allerand, C Dominique; Kaplitt, Michael G; Young, Larry J; Becker, Jill B

2009-02-11

Classical estrogen receptor-signaling mechanisms involve estradiol binding to intracellular nuclear receptors [estrogen receptor-alpha (ERalpha) and estrogen receptor-beta (ERbeta)] to promote changes in protein expression. Estradiol can also exert effects within seconds to minutes, however, a timescale incongruent with genomic signaling. In the brain, estradiol rapidly potentiates stimulated dopamine release in the striatum of female rats and enhances spontaneous rotational behavior. Furthermore, estradiol rapidly attenuates the K(+)-evoked increase of GABA in dialysate. We hypothesize that these rapid effects of estradiol in the striatum are mediated by ERalpha located on the membrane of medium spiny GABAergic neurons. This experiment examined whether overexpression of ERalpha in the striatum would enhance the effect of estradiol on rotational behavior and the K(+)-evoked increase in GABA in dialysate. Ovariectomized female rats were tested for rotational behavior or underwent microdialysis experiments after unilateral intrastriatal injections of a recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) containing the human ERalpha cDNA (AAV.ERalpha) into the striatum; controls received either the same vector into areas outside the striatum or an AAV containing the human alkaline phosphatase gene into the striatum (AAV.ALP). Animals that received AAV.ERalpha in the striatum exhibited significantly greater estradiol-induced contralateral rotations compared with controls and exhibited behavioral sensitization of contralateral rotations induced by a low-dose of amphetamine. ERalpha overexpression also enhanced the inhibitory effect of estradiol on K(+)-evoked GABA release suggesting that disinhibition of dopamine release from terminals in the striatum resulted in the enhanced rotational behavior.

Corpus-Based Rhythmic Pattern Analysis of Ragtime Syncopation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koops, Hendrik Vincent; Volk, A.; de Haas, W.B.

2015-01-01

This paper presents a corpus-based study on rhythmic patterns in the RAG-collection of approximately 11.000 symbolically encoded ragtime pieces. While characteristic musical features that define ragtime as a genre have been debated since its inception, musicologists argue that specific syncopation

The role of the striatum in effort-based decision-making in the absence of reward.

Science.gov (United States)

Schouppe, Nathalie; Demanet, Jelle; Boehler, Carsten N; Ridderinkhof, K Richard; Notebaert, Wim

2014-02-05

Decision-making involves weighing costs against benefits, for instance, in terms of the effort it takes to obtain a reward of a given magnitude. This evaluation process has been linked to the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and the striatum, with activation in these brain structures reflecting the discounting effect of effort on reward. Here, we investigate how cognitive effort influences neural choice processes in the absence of an extrinsic reward. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging in humans, we used an effort-based decision-making task in which participants were required to choose between two options for a subsequent flanker task that differed in the amount of cognitive effort. Cognitive effort was manipulated by varying the proportion of incongruent trials associated with each choice option. Choice-locked activation in the striatum was higher when participants chose voluntarily for the more effortful alternative but displayed the opposite trend on forced-choice trials. The dACC revealed a similar, yet only trend-level significant, activation pattern. Our results imply that activation levels in the striatum reflect a cost-benefit analysis, in which a balance is made between effort discounting and the intrinsic motivation to choose a cognitively challenging task. Moreover, our findings indicate that it matters whether this challenge is voluntarily chosen or externally imposed. As such, the present findings contrast with classical findings on effort discounting that found reductions in striatum activation for higher effort by finding enhancements of the same neural circuits when a cognitively challenging task is voluntarily selected and does not entail the danger of losing reward.

In vivo treatment with diphenyl ditelluride induces neurodegeneration in striatum of young rats: Implications of MAPK and Akt pathways

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heimfarth, Luana; Loureiro, Samanta Oliveira; Dutra, Márcio Ferreira; Andrade, Cláudia; Pettenuzzo, Letícia; Guma, Fátima T. Costa Rodrigues; Gonçalves, Carlos Alberto Saraiva [Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Batista Teixeira da Rocha, João [Departamento de Química, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS Brazil (Brazil); Pessoa-Pureur, Regina, E-mail: rpureur@ufrgs.br [Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil)

2012-10-15

In the present report 15 day-old Wistar rats were injected with 0.3 μmol of diphenyl ditelluride (PhTe){sub 2}/kg body weight and parameters of neurodegeneration were analyzed in slices from striatum 6 days afterwards. We found hyperphosphorylation of intermediate filament (IF) proteins from astrocyte (glial fibrillary acidic protein—GFAP and vimentin) and from neuron (low-, medium- and high molecular weight neurofilament subunits: NF-L, NF-M and NF-H, respectively) and increased MAPK (Erk, JNK and p38MAPK) as well as PKA activities. The treatment induced reactive astrogliosis in the striatum, evidenced by increased GFAP and vimentin immunocontent as well as their mRNA overexpression. Also, (PhTe){sub 2} significantly increased the propidium iodide (PI) positive cells in NeuN positive population without altering PI incorporation into GFAP positive cells, indicating that in vivo exposure to (PhTe){sub 2} provoked neuronal damage. Immunohistochemistry showed a dramatic increase of GFAP staining characteristic of reactive astrogliosis. Moreover, increased caspase 3 in (PhTe){sub 2} treated striatal slices suggested apoptotic cell death. (PhTe){sub 2} exposure decreased Akt immunoreactivity, however phospho-GSK-3-β (Ser9) was unaltered, suggesting that this kinase is not directly implicated in the neurotoxicity of this compound. Therefore, the present results shed light into the mechanisms of (PhTe){sub 2}-induced neurodegeneration in rat striatum, evidencing a critical role for the MAPK and Akt signaling pathways and disruption of cytoskeletal homeostasis, which could be related with apoptotic neuronal death and astrogliosis. -- Highlights: ► Diphenyl ditelluride causes apoptotic neuronal death in the striatum of young rats. ► Diphenyl ditelluride causes reactive astrogliosis in the striatum of rats. ► Diphenyl ditelluride disrupts the homeostasis of the cytoskeleton of the striatum. ► The actions of diphenyl ditelluride are mediated by MAPK and Akt

Gene expression in rat striatum following carbon monoxide poisoning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuichi Hara

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Carbon monoxide (CO poisoning causes brain damage, which is attenuated by treatment with hydrogen [1,2], a scavenger selective to hydroxyl radical (·≡OH [3]. This suggests a role of ·≡OH in brain damage due to CO poisoning. Studies have shown strong enhancement of ·≡OH production in rat striatum by severe CO poisoning with a blood carboxyhemoglobin (COHb level >70% due to 3000 ppm CO, but not less severe CO poisoning with a blood COHb level at approximately 50% due to 1000 ppm CO [4]. Interestingly, 5% O2 causes hypoxia comparable with that by 3000 ppm CO and produces much less •OH than 3000 ppm CO does [4]. In addition, cAMP production in parallel with ·≡OH production [5] might contribute to ·≡OH production [6]. It is likely that mechanisms other than hypoxia contribute to brain damage due to CO poisoning [7]. To search for the mechanisms, we examined the effects of 1000 ppm CO, 3000 ppm CO and 5% O2 on gene expression in rat striatum. All array data have been deposited in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO database under accession number GSE94780.

I will proclaim myself what I am : corpus stylistics and the language of Shakespeare’s soliloquies

OpenAIRE

Murphy, Sean Edward

2015-01-01

This article reports on a corpus stylistic study of the language of soliloquies in Shakespeare’s plays. Literary corpus stylistics can use corpus linguistic methods to test claims made by literary critics and identify hitherto unnoticed features. Existing literary studies of soliloquies tend to define and classify them, to trace the history of the form or to offer literary appreciation; yet they pay surprisingly little attention to the language which characterises soliloquies. By creating a s...

Atrophy and magnetization transfer ratio of the corpus callosum in patients with Alzheimer's disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imon, Yukari; Hanyu, Haruo; Iwamoto, Toshihiko; Takasaki, Masaru; Abe, Kimihiko

1998-01-01

We compared atrophy and magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) in the corpus callosum in patients with Alzheimer's disease and age-matched normal subjects. Fifteen patients with Alzheimer's disease and fourteen normal subjects received MRI. The corpus callosum was divided into three parts (anterior, middle, and posterior portions) on midsagittal slice, and their areas on T2-weighted reversed images and MTR on magnetization transfer contrast images in each portion were measured. The area and MTR decreased significantly in the posterior portion in patients with Alzheimer's disease. In the anterior portion, MTR decreased significantly, but although the area showed no significant change. In the middle portion, the area and MTR showed no significant change. MTR and the area was correlated in each portion in patients with Alzheimer's disease. The score of Hasegawa dementia scale-revised (HDS-R) and the area of the middle, posterior and total of corpus callosum were significantly related. The score of HDS-R and MTR in the anterior portion of corpus callosum were significantly related. The present study revealed decreases in MTR in the anterior portion of the corpus callosum of patients with Alzheimer's disease although the area showed no significant change, and this change suggests the increase in free water and/or the decrease in bound water in tissues, probably due to demyelination and axonal degeneration. (author)

Hippocampal projections to the ventral striatum: from spatial memory to motivated behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Meer, M.M.A; Ito, R.; Lansink, C.S.; Pennartz, C.M.A.; Derdikman, D.; Knierim, J.J.

2014-01-01

Multiple regions of the hippocampal formation project to the ventral striatum, a central node in brain circuits that subserve aspects of motivation. These projections emphasize information flow from the ventral (temporal) pole of the hippocampus and interact with converging projections and

An Analysis of Stative Verbs Used with the Progressive Aspect in Corpus-Informed Textbooks

Science.gov (United States)

Belli, Serap Atasever

2018-01-01

This study was designed to investigate whether contemporary corpus-informed grammar textbooks written for English language learners and teachers presented the progressive use of stative verbs and if yes, which stative verbs were presented to occur with the progressive aspect and for which functions they took this aspect. A corpus of six electronic…

US News Media Portrayal of Islam and Muslims: A Corpus-Assisted Critical Discourse Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Samaie, Mahmoud; Malmir, Bahareh

2017-01-01

This article exploits the synergy of critical discourse studies and Corpus Linguistics to study the pervasive representation of Islam and Muslims in an approximate 670,000-word corpus of US news media stories published between 2001 and 2015. Following collocation and concordance analysis of the most frequent topics or categories which revolve…

Investigation of ground-water contamination at a drainage ditch, Installation Restoration Site 4, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Texas, 2005–06

Science.gov (United States)

Vroblesky, Don A.; Casey, Clifton C.

2007-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast, used newly developed sampling methods to investigate ground-water contamination by chlorobenzenes beneath a drainage ditch on the southwestern side of Installation Restoration Site 4, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Texas, during 2005-06. The drainage ditch, which is a potential receptor for ground-water contaminants from Installation Restoration Site 4, intermittently discharges water to Corpus Christi Bay. This report uses data from a new type of pore-water sampler developed for this investigation and other methods to examine the subsurface contamination beneath the drainage ditch. Analysis of ground water from the samplers indicated that chlorobenzenes (maximum detected concentration of 160 micrograms per liter) are present in the ground water beneath the ditch. The concentrations of dissolved oxygen in the samples (less than 0.05-0.4 milligram per liter) showed that the ground water beneath and near the ditch is anaerobic, indicating that substantial chlorobenzene biodegradation in the aquifer beneath the ditch is unlikely. Probable alternative mechanisms of chlorobenzene removal in the ground water beneath the drainage ditch include sorption onto the organic-rich sediment and contaminant depletion by cattails through uptake, sorption, and localized soil aeration.

Effects of head motion correction on the evaluation of endogenous dopamine release in striatum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jae Sung; Cho, Sang Soo; Lee, Dong Soo; Chung, June Key; Lee, Myung Chul; Kim, Sang Eun

2004-01-01

Neuroreceptor PET studies require 60-90 minutes to complete. Head motion of the subject increases the uncertainty in measured activity. In this study, the effects of the data-driven head motion correction on the evaluation of endogenous dopamine (DA) release in the striatum were investigated. [ 11 C]raclopride PET scans on 4 normal volunteers acquired with bolus plus constant infusion protocol were retrospectively analyzed. Following the 50 min resting period, the participants played a video game with a monetary reward for 40 min. Dynamic frames acquired during the equilibrium condition (rest: 30-50 min, game: 70-90 min) were realigned to the first frame at resting condition. Intra-condition registration between the frames during both the rest and game condition were performed, and average image for each condition was created and registered with each other again (inter-condition registration). Resting PET image was then co-registered to own MRI of each participant and transformation parameters were reapplied to the other one. Volumes of interest (VOl) for dorsal putamen (PU) and caudate (CA), ventral striatum (VS), and cerebellum were defined on the MRI. Binding potential (BP) was measured and DA release was calculated as the percent change of BP after the video game. Changes in position and orientation of the striatum during the PET scan were observed before the head motion correction. BP values at resting condition were not changed significantly after the intra-condition registration. However, the BP values during the video game and DA release (PU: 29.2→3.9%, CA: 57.4→14.1%, ST: 17.7→0.6%) were significantly changed after the correction. The results suggest that overestimation of the DA release caused by the head motion during PET scan and misalignment of MRI-based VOl and the striatum in PET image was remedied by the data-driven head motion correction

Effects of head motion correction on the evaluation of endogenous dopamine release in striatum

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Lee, Jae Sung; Cho, Sang Soo; Lee, Dong Soo; Chung, June Key; Lee, Myung Chul; Kim, Sang Eun [College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2004-07-01

Neuroreceptor PET studies require 60-90 minutes to complete. Head motion of the subject increases the uncertainty in measured activity. In this study, the effects of the data-driven head motion correction on the evaluation of endogenous dopamine (DA) release in the striatum were investigated. [{sup 11}C]raclopride PET scans on 4 normal volunteers acquired with bolus plus constant infusion protocol were retrospectively analyzed. Following the 50 min resting period, the participants played a video game with a monetary reward for 40 min. Dynamic frames acquired during the equilibrium condition (rest: 30-50 min, game: 70-90 min) were realigned to the first frame at resting condition. Intra-condition registration between the frames during both the rest and game condition were performed, and average image for each condition was created and registered with each other again (inter-condition registration). Resting PET image was then co-registered to own MRI of each participant and transformation parameters were reapplied to the other one. Volumes of interest (VOl) for dorsal putamen (PU) and caudate (CA), ventral striatum (VS), and cerebellum were defined on the MRI. Binding potential (BP) was measured and DA release was calculated as the percent change of BP after the video game. Changes in position and orientation of the striatum during the PET scan were observed before the head motion correction. BP values at resting condition were not changed significantly after the intra-condition registration. However, the BP values during the video game and DA release (PU: 29.2{yields}3.9%, CA: 57.4{yields}14.1%, ST: 17.7{yields}0.6%) were significantly changed after the correction. The results suggest that overestimation of the DA release caused by the head motion during PET scan and misalignment of MRI-based VOl and the striatum in PET image was remedied by the data-driven head motion correction.

Metabolomics of Neurotransmitters and Related Metabolites in Post-Mortem Tissue from the Dorsal and Ventral Striatum of Alcoholic Human Brain.

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Kashem, Mohammed Abul; Ahmed, Selina; Sultana, Nilufa; Ahmed, Eakhlas U; Pickford, Russell; Rae, Caroline; Šerý, Omar; McGregor, Iain S; Balcar, Vladimir J

2016-02-01

We report on changes in neurotransmitter metabolome and protein expression in the striatum of humans exposed to heavy long-term consumption of alcohol. Extracts from post mortem striatal tissue (dorsal striatum; DS comprising caudate nucleus; CN and putamen; P and ventral striatum; VS constituted by nucleus accumbens; NAc) were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Proteomics was studied in CN by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by mass-spectrometry. Proteomics identified 25 unique molecules expressed differently by the alcohol-affected tissue. Two were dopamine-related proteins and one a GABA-synthesizing enzyme GAD65. Two proteins that are related to apoptosis and/or neuronal loss (BiD and amyloid-β A4 precursor protein-binding family B member 3) were increased. There were no differences in the levels of dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydrophenylacetic acid (DOPAC), serotonin (5HT), homovanillic acid (HVA), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (HIAA), histamine, L-glutamate (Glu), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), tyrosine (Tyr) and tryptophan (Tryp) between the DS (CN and P) and VS (NAc) in control brains. Choline (Ch) and acetylcholine (Ach) were higher and norepinephrine (NE) lower, in the VS. Alcoholic striata had lower levels of neurotransmitters except for Glu (30 % higher in the alcoholic ventral striatum). Ratios of DOPAC/DA and HIAA/5HT were higher in alcoholic striatum indicating an increase in the DA and 5HT turnover. Glutathione was significantly reduced in all three regions of alcohol-affected striatum. We conclude that neurotransmitter systems in both the DS (CN and P) and the VS (NAc) were significantly influenced by long-term heavy alcohol intake associated with alcoholism.

The protective effect of ginko bilboa leaves injection on the brain ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ObjectiveAim: To evaluate the Ginkgo Bilboa injection's therapeutic role towards ischemia/ reperfusion (I/R) injury through determination of monoamine neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) in corpus striatum. Methods: After the incomplete global cerebral ischemia and reperfusion models were prepared, rats were randomly ...

Abnormal nuclear envelopes in the striatum and motor deficits in DYT11 myoclonus-dystonia mouse models

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Yokoi, Fumiaki; Dang, Mai T.; Zhou, Tong; Li, Yuqing

2012-01-01

DYT11 myoclonus-dystonia (M-D) is a movement disorder characterized by myoclonic jerks with dystonic symptoms and caused by mutations in paternally expressed SGCE, which codes for ɛ-sarcoglycan. Paternally inherited Sgce heterozygous knock-out (KO) mice exhibit motor deficits and spontaneous myoclonus. Abnormal nuclear envelopes have been reported in cellular and mouse models of early-onset DYT1 generalized torsion dystonia; however, the relationship between the abnormal nuclear envelopes and motor symptoms are not clear. Furthermore, it is not known whether abnormal nuclear envelope exists in non-DYT1 dystonia. In the present study, abnormal nuclear envelopes in the striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) were found in Sgce KO mice. To analyze whether the loss of ɛ-sarcoglycan in the striatum alone causes abnormal nuclear envelopes, motor deficits or myoclonus, we produced paternally inherited striatum-specific Sgce conditional KO (Sgce sKO) mice and analyzed their phenotypes. Sgce sKO mice exhibited motor deficits in both beam-walking and accelerated rotarod tests, while they did not exhibit abnormal nuclear envelopes, alteration in locomotion, or myoclonus. The results suggest that the loss of ɛ-sarcoglycan in the striatum contributes to motor deficits, while it alone does not produce abnormal nuclear envelopes or myoclonus. Development of therapies targeting the striatum to compensate for the loss of ɛ-sarcoglycan function may rescue the motor deficits in DYT11 M-D patients. PMID:22080833

Infarction of the entire corpus callosum as a complication in subarachnoid hemorrhage: A case report

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Satoru Takahashi, M.D.

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The corpus callosum is the major commissural pathway connecting the cerebral hemispheres. This pathway receives its blood supply from anterior communicating artery, pericallosal artery, and posterior pericallosal artery. However, in some cases, the entire corpus callosum is supplied by median callosal artery; thus, occlusion of this artery can lead to infarction of the entire corpus callosum. Few reports have described this type of infarction, and no reports after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH exist. Here, we report on a 42-year-old female who was diagnosed with SAH after two aneurysms were discovered in bifurcation of left anterior cerebral artery (A1-A2. After successful clipping was performed, the patient was alert and had no neurological deficits; moreover, the computed tomography images that were acquired after the operation showed no evidence of infarction. Nine days after admittance to the hospital, drowsiness and weakness of the left limbs with brain swelling appeared and decompressive hemi-craniectomy was performed. Diagnostic cerebral angiography revealed vasospasms in both anterior and middle cerebral arteries, thus fasudil hydrochloride was administered intra-arterially. While blood flow in all arteries improved, diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging detected infarction along the entire length of the corpus callosum and in the medial region of the right frontal lobe. We believe this infarction was due to secondary ischemia of median callosal artery. This case reminded us of the anatomical variation wherein median callosal artery is the sole blood supply line for the corpus callosum and demonstrated that infarction of the entire corpus callosum is possible.

Effects of acute chlorpyrifos exposure on in vivo acetylcholine accumulation in rat striatum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karanth, Subramanya; Liu, Jing; Mirajkar, Nikita; Pope, Carey

2006-01-01

This study examined the acute effects of chlorpyrifos (CPF) on cholinesterase inhibition and acetylcholine levels in the striatum of freely moving rats using in vivo microdialysis. Adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with vehicle (peanut oil, 2 ml/kg) or CPF (84, 156 or 279 mg/kg, sc) and functional signs of toxicity, body weight and motor activity recorded. Microdialysis was conducted at 1, 4 and 7 days after CPF exposure for measurement of acetylcholine levels in striatum. Rats were then sacrificed and the contralateral striatum and diaphragm were collected for biochemical measurements. Few overt signs of cholinergic toxicity were noted in any rats. Body weight gain was significantly affected in the high-dose (279 mg/kg) group only, while motor activity (nocturnal rearing) was significantly reduced in all CPF-treated groups at one day (84 mg/kg) or from 1-4 days (156 and 279 mg/kg) after dosing. Cholinesterase activities in both diaphragm and striatum were markedly inhibited (50-92%) in a time-dependent manner, but there were relatively minimal dose-related changes. In contrast, time- and dose-dependent changes in striatal acetylcholine levels were noted, with significantly higher levels noted in the high-dose group compared to other groups. Maximal increases in striatal acetylcholine levels were observed at 4-7 days after dosing (84 mg/kg, 7-9-fold; 156 mg/kg, 10-13-fold; 279 mg/kg, 35-57-fold). Substantially higher acetylcholine levels were noted when an exogenous cholinesterase inhibitor was included in the perfusion buffer, but CPF treatment-related differences were substantially lower in magnitude under those conditions. The results suggest that marked differences in acetylcholine accumulation can occur with dosages of CPF eliciting relatively similar degrees of cholinesterase inhibition. Furthermore, the minimal expression of classic signs of cholinergic toxicity in the presence of extensive brain acetylcholine accumulation suggests that some

Using Edit Distance to Analyse Errors in a Natural Language to Logic Translation Corpus

Science.gov (United States)

Barker-Plummer, Dave; Dale, Robert; Cox, Richard; Romanczuk, Alex

2012-01-01

We have assembled a large corpus of student submissions to an automatic grading system, where the subject matter involves the translation of natural language sentences into propositional logic. Of the 2.3 million translation instances in the corpus, 286,000 (approximately 12%) are categorized as being in error. We want to understand the nature of…

L-Tyrosine availability affects basal and stimulated catecholamine indices in prefrontal cortex and striatum of the rat.

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Brodnik, Zachary D; Double, Manda; España, Rodrigo A; Jaskiw, George E

2017-09-01

We previously found that L-tyrosine (L-TYR) but not D-TYR administered by reverse dialysis elevated catecholamine synthesis in vivo in medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and striatum of the rat (Brodnik et al., 2012). We now report L-TYR effects on extracellular levels of catecholamines and their metabolites. In MPFC, reverse dialysis of L-TYR elevated in vivo levels of dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) (L-TYR 250-1000 μM), homovanillic acid (HVA) (L-TYR 1000 μM) and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) (L-TYR 500-1000 μM). In striatum L-TYR 250 μM elevated DOPAC. We also examined L-TYR effects on extracellular dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) levels during two 30 min pulses (P2 and P1) of K+ (37.5 mM) separated by t = 2.0 h. L-TYR significantly elevated the ratio P2/P1 for DA (L-TYR 125 μM) and NE (L-TYR 125-250 μM) in MPFC but lowered P2/P1 for DA (L-TYR 250 μM) in striatum. Finally, we measured DA levels in brain slices using ex-vivo voltammetry. Perfusion with L-TYR (12.5-50 μM) dose-dependently elevated stimulated DA levels in striatum. In all the above studies, D-TYR had no effect. We conclude that acute increases within the physiological range of L-TYR levels can increase catecholamine metabolism and efflux in MPFC and striatum. Chronically, such repeated increases in L-TYR availability could induce adaptive changes in catecholamine transmission while amplifying the metabolic cost of catecholamine synthesis and degradation. This has implications for neuropsychiatric conditions in which neurotoxicity and/or disordered L-TYR transport have been implicated. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Data for lexicography The central role of the corpus

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Allan F. Lauder

2010-10-01

Full Text Available This paper looks at the nature of data for lexicography and in particular on the central role that electronic corpora can play in providing it. Data has traditionally come from existing dictionaries, citations, and from the lexicographer’s own knowledge of words, through introspection. Each of these is examined and evaluated. Then the electronic corpus is considered. Different kinds of corpora are described and key design criteria are explained, in particular the size of corpus needed for lexicography as well as the issue of representativeness and sampling. The advantages and disadvantages of corpora are weighed and compared against the other types of data. While each of these has benefits, it is argued that corpora are a requirement, not an option, as data for dictionary making.

Interhemispheric functional disconnection because of abnormal corpus callosum integrity in bipolar disorder type II.

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Yasuno, Fumihiko; Kudo, Takashi; Matsuoka, Kiwamu; Yamamoto, Akihide; Takahashi, Masato; Nakagawara, Jyoji; Nagatsuka, Kazuyuki; Iida, Hidehiro; Kishimoto, Toshifumi

2016-11-01

A significantly lower fractional anisotropy (FA) value has been shown in anterior parts of the corpus callosum in patients with bipolar disorder. We investigated the association between abnormal corpus callosum integrity and interhemispheric functional connectivity (IFC) in patients with bipolar disorder. We examined the association between FA values in the corpus callosum (CC-FA) and the IFC between homotopic regions in the anterior cortical structures of bipolar disorder ( n =16) and major depressive disorder ( n =22) patients with depressed or euthymic states. We found a positive correlation between the CC-FA and IFC values between homotopic regions of the ventral prefrontal cortex and insula cortex, and significantly lower IFC between these regions in bipolar disorder patients. The abnormal corpus callosum integrity in bipolar disorder patients is relevant to the IFC between homotopic regions, possibly disturbing the exchange of emotional information between the cerebral hemispheres resulting in emotional dysregulation. None. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) license.

Le corpus lexicographique dans les langues à tradition orale: le cas du dialecte fang-mekè*

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Nzang-Bié Yolande

2011-10-01

Full Text Available

Résumé: Les corpus sont à la base de la plupart des recherches en linguistique et particulièrementlexicographique. La compilation d'un corpus est une activité spécialisée dont dépend lerésultat de la recherche en question. Le sujet de cet article est la compilation du corpus lexicographiquedans les langues à tradition orale, et exige une démarche différente de celle ayant unelongue tradition écrite. De ce fait, ces dernières disposent d'une importante documentationpouvant servir comme base pour de nombreux sujets de recherche. L'auteur propose commeapproche une analyse qui permettrait de mieux rendre compte des spécificités lexicales etsémantiques des langues à tradition orale.Par le truchement de la production orale libre, l'auteur base ses hypothèses de recherche surune expérience en dialecte fang-mekè, une variante linguistique localisée au Gabon. Les résultatspermettent de mettre l'accent sur deux données essentielles du processus de compilation dans leslangues à tradition orale: les informateurs et la représentativité du corpus. Cette dernière, qui doits'exprimer à travers des champs lexicaux diversifiés mais également équilibrés, permettrait d'élaborerdes dictionnaires dans lesquels les locuteurs, qui en sont les premiers utilisateurs, doivent sereconnaître.

Mots-clés: CORPUS, LEXICOGRAPHIE, LANGUES À TRADITION ORALE, LANGUES ÀTRADITION ÉCRITE, INFORMATEURS, EXHAUSTIVITÉ, REPRÉSENTATIVITÉ, CHAMPSLEXICAUX, ORALITÉ, ÉCRITURE, MÉTHODE, DIALECTE FANG-MEKÈ, CORPUS ÉQUILIBRÉ.

Abstract: The Lexicographic Corpus in Languages with an Oral Tradition: The Case of the Dialect Fang-Mek?. Corpora form the basis of most linguistic and especially lexicographic research. The compilation of a corpus is a specialised activity on which depends the result of the research to be undertaken. The subject of this article is the compilation of a lexicographic corpus in languages with an oral tradition

CUILESS2016: a clinical corpus applying compositional normalization of text mentions.

Science.gov (United States)

Osborne, John D; Neu, Matthew B; Danila, Maria I; Solorio, Thamar; Bethard, Steven J

2018-01-10

Traditionally text mention normalization corpora have normalized concepts to single ontology identifiers ("pre-coordinated concepts"). Less frequently, normalization corpora have used concepts with multiple identifiers ("post-coordinated concepts") but the additional identifiers have been restricted to a defined set of relationships to the core concept. This approach limits the ability of the normalization process to express semantic meaning. We generated a freely available corpus using post-coordinated concepts without a defined set of relationships that we term "compositional concepts" to evaluate their use in clinical text. We annotated 5397 disorder mentions from the ShARe corpus to SNOMED CT that were previously normalized as "CUI-less" in the "SemEval-2015 Task 14" shared task because they lacked a pre-coordinated mapping. Unlike the previous normalization method, we do not restrict concept mappings to a particular set of the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) semantic types and allow normalization to occur to multiple UMLS Concept Unique Identifiers (CUIs). We computed annotator agreement and assessed semantic coverage with this method. We generated the largest clinical text normalization corpus to date with mappings to multiple identifiers and made it freely available. All but 8 of the 5397 disorder mentions were normalized using this methodology. Annotator agreement ranged from 52.4% using the strictest metric (exact matching) to 78.2% using a hierarchical agreement that measures the overlap of shared ancestral nodes. Our results provide evidence that compositional concepts can increase semantic coverage in clinical text. To our knowledge we provide the first freely available corpus of compositional concept annotation in clinical text.

Dopamine dynamics and cocaine sensitivity differ between striosome and matrix compartments of the striatum

Science.gov (United States)

Salinas, Armando G.; Davis, Margaret I.; Lovinger, David M.; Mateo, Yolanda

2016-01-01

The striatum is typically classified according to its major output pathways, which consist of dopamine D1 and D2 receptor-expressing neurons. The striatum is also divided into striosome and matrix compartments, based on the differential expression of a number of proteins, including the mu opioid receptor, dopamine transporter (DAT), and Nr4a1 (nuclear receptor subfamily 4, group A, member 1). Numerous functional differences between the striosome and matrix compartments are implicated in dopamine-related neurological disorders including Parkinson’s disease and addiction. Using Nr4a1-eGFP mice, we provide evidence that electrically evoked dopamine release differs between the striosome and matrix compartments in a regionally-distinct manner. We further demonstrate that this difference is not due to differences in inhibition of dopamine release by dopamine autoreceptors or nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Furthermore, cocaine enhanced extracellular dopamine in striosomes to a greater degree than in the matrix and concomitantly inhibited dopamine uptake in the matrix to a greater degree than in striosomes. Importantly, these compartment differences in cocaine sensitivity were limited to the dorsal striatum. These findings demonstrate a level of exquisite microanatomical regulation of dopamine by the DAT in striosomes relative to the matrix. PMID:27036891

Viral Vector Mediated Over-Expression of Estrogen Receptor–α in Striatum Enhances the Estradiol-induced Motor Activity in Female Rats and Estradiol Modulated GABA Release

Science.gov (United States)

Schultz, Kristin N.; von Esenwein, Silke A.; Hu, Ming; Bennett, Amy L.; Kennedy, Robert T.; Musatov, Sergei; Toran-Allerand, C. Dominique; Kaplitt, Michael G.; Young, Larry J.; Becker, Jill B.

2009-01-01

Classical estrogen receptor signaling mechanisms involve estradiol binding to intracellular nuclear receptors (estrogen receptor-α (ERα) and estrogen receptor-β (ERβ)) to promote changes in protein expression. Estradiol can also exert effects within seconds to minutes, however, a timescale incongruent with genomic signaling. In the brain, estradiol rapidly potentiates stimulated dopamine release in the striatum of female rats and enhances spontaneous rotational behavior. Furthermore, estradiol rapidly attenuates the K+- evoked increase of GABA in dialysate. We hypothesize that these rapid effects of estradiol in the striatum are mediated by ERα located on the membrane of medium spiny GABAergic neurons. This experiment examined whether over-expression of ERα in the striatum would enhance the effect of estradiol on rotational behavior and the K+- evoked increase in GABA in dialysate. Ovariectomized female rats were tested for rotational behavior or underwent microdialysis experiments after unilateral intrastriatal injections of a recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) containing the human ERα cDNA (AAV.ERα) into the striatum; controls received either the same vector into areas outside the striatum or an AAV containing the human alkaline phosphatase gene into the striatum (AAV.ALP). Animals that received AAV.ERα in the striatum exhibited significantly greater estradiol-induced contralateral rotations compared to controls and exhibited behavioral sensitization of contralateral rotations induced by a low dose of amphetamine. ERα over-expression also enhanced the inhibitory effect of estradiol on K+- evoked GABA release suggesting that disinhibition of dopamine release from terminals in the striatum resulted in the enhanced rotational behavior. PMID:19211896

Open Corpus Adaptation++ in GALE : friend or foe?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Bra, P.M.E.; Smits, D.; Pechenizkiy, M.; Knutov, E.; Yudelson, M.; Abel, F.; Houben, G.J.P.M.; Herder, E.

2012-01-01

"Open" has quickly become the hottest topic in any field related to information, including open government data, open learning resources, open user models, … Open Corpus Adaptation has been defined as the ability to perform adaptation to resources located anywhere on the Web. This leaves the

The English Definite Article: What ESL/EFL Grammars Say and What Corpus Findings Show

Science.gov (United States)

WonHo Yoo, Isaiah

2009-01-01

To ascertain whether what ESL/EFL grammars say is informed by what scholars discuss in the literature and supported by what corpus findings actually show, this paper first presents a brief overview of the literature on the English definite article and then compares popular ESL/EFL grammars' coverage of "the" and corpus findings on definite article…

Emotional Intelligence in Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Luke B; Paul, Lynn K; Brown, Warren S

2017-05-01

People with agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) with normal general intelligence have deficits in complex cognitive processing, as well as in social cognition. It is uncertain the extent to which impoverished processing of emotions may contribute to social processing deficiencies. We used the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test to clarify the nature of emotional intelligence in 16 adults with AgCC. As hypothesized, persons with AgCC exhibited greater disparities from norms on tests involving more socially complex aspects of emotions. The AgCC group did not differ from norms on the Experiential subscale, but they were significantly below norms on the Strategic subscale. These findings suggest that the corpus callosum is not essential for experiencing and thinking about basic emotions in a "normal" way, but is necessary for more complex processes involving emotions in the context of social interactions. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Corpus linguistics and statistics with R introduction to quantitative methods in linguistics

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Desagulier, Guillaume

2017-01-01

This textbook examines empirical linguistics from a theoretical linguist’s perspective. It provides both a theoretical discussion of what quantitative corpus linguistics entails and detailed, hands-on, step-by-step instructions to implement the techniques in the field. The statistical methodology and R-based coding from this book teach readers the basic and then more advanced skills to work with large data sets in their linguistics research and studies. Massive data sets are now more than ever the basis for work that ranges from usage-based linguistics to the far reaches of applied linguistics. This book presents much of the methodology in a corpus-based approach. However, the corpus-based methods in this book are also essential components of recent developments in sociolinguistics, historical linguistics, computational linguistics, and psycholinguistics. Material from the book will also be appealing to researchers in digital humanities and the many non-linguistic fields that use textual data analysis and t...

Being in a romantic relationship is associated with reduced gray matter density in striatum and increased subjective happiness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroaki Kawamichi

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Romantic relationship, a widespread feature of human society, is one of the most influential factors in daily life. Although stimuli related to romantic love or being in a romantic relationship commonly result in enhancement of activation or functional connectivity of the reward system, including the striatum, the structure underlying romantic relationship-related regions remain unclear. Because individual experiences can alter gray matter within the adult human brain, we hypothesized that romantic relationship is associated with structural differences in the striatum related to the positive subjective experience of being in a romantic relationship. Because intimate romantic relationships contribute to perceived subjective happiness, this subjective enhancement of happiness might be accompanied by the experience of positive events related to being in a romantic relationship. To test this hypothesis and elucidate the structure involved, we compared subjective happiness, an indirect measure of the existence of positive experiences caused by being in a romantic relationship, of participants with or without romantic partners (N = 68. Furthermore, we also conducted a voxel-based morphometry (VBM study of the effects of being in a romantic relationship (N = 113. Being in a romantic relationship was associated with greater subjective happiness and reduced gray matter density within the right dorsal striatum. These results suggest that being in a romantic relationship enhances perceived subjective happiness via positive experiences. Furthermore, the observed reduction in gray matter density in the right dorsal striatum may reflect an increase in saliency of social reward within a romantic relationship. Thus, being in a romantic relationship is associated with positive experiences and a reduction of gray matter density in the right dorsal striatum, representing a modulation of social reward.

BrAgriNews: Um Corpus Temporal-Causal (Português-Brasileiro para a Agricultura

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brett Drury

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Recentemente tem havido um aumento no interesse, tanto no meio acadêmico quanto na indústria, em aplicações de aprendizagem de máquina e técnicas de inteligência artificial relacionadas com problemas agrícolas. Mineração de texto e técnicas relacionadas com o processamento da língua natural, raramente foram usadas para resolver problemas agrícolas, e muito menos para a língua portuguesa. É possível que um dos fatores que influenciam a escassez no uso técnicas de mineração de texto, para analisar textos em português e resolver problemas agrícolas, pode ser devido à falta de um corpus anotado livremente disponível. Para colmatar a falta de um corpus agrícola em língua portuguesa, estamos liberando um recurso em português-brasileiro voltado para agricultura, descrito neste artigo. O corpus abrange um período parcialmente contínuo de tempo entre 1996 e 2016, consistindo de notícias em português-brasileiro que foram anotadas com o seguinte tipo de informação: causal, sentimento, entidades nomeadas que incluem expressões temporais. O corpus tem recursos adicionais como: treebank, listas de termos frequentes (sem stop-words: unigramas, bigramas e trigramas, bem como palavras ou frases que foram identificados por jornalistas como de domínio específico. Espera-se que a liberação do corpus estimule a adoção da mineração de texto na agricultura na comunidade de pesquisa lusófona.

Agenesis of the corpus callosum and autism: a comprehensive comparison.

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Paul, Lynn K; Corsello, Christina; Kennedy, Daniel P; Adolphs, Ralph

2014-06-01

The corpus callosum, with its ∼200 million axons, remains enigmatic in its contribution to cognition and behaviour. Agenesis of the corpus callosum is a congenital condition in which the corpus callosum fails to develop; such individuals exhibit localized deficits in non-literal language comprehension, humour, theory of mind and social reasoning. These findings together with parent reports suggest that behavioural and cognitive impairments in subjects with callosal agenesis may overlap with the profile of autism spectrum disorders, particularly with respect to impairments in social interaction and communication. To provide a comprehensive test of this hypothesis, we directly compared a group of 26 adults with callosal agenesis to a group of 28 adults with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder but no neurological abnormality. All participants had full-scale intelligence quotient scores >78 and groups were matched on age, handedness, and gender ratio. Using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule together with current clinical presentation to assess autistic symptomatology, we found that 8/26 (about a third) of agenesis subjects presented with autism. However, more formal diagnosis additionally involving recollective parent-report measures regarding childhood behaviour showed that only 3/22 met complete formal criteria for an autism spectrum disorder (parent reports were unavailable for four subjects). We found no relationship between intelligence quotient and autism symptomatology in callosal agenesis, nor evidence that the presence of any residual corpus callosum differentiated those who exhibited current autism spectrum symptoms from those who did not. Relative to the autism spectrum comparison group, parent ratings of childhood behaviour indicated children with agenesis were less likely to meet diagnostic criteria for autism, even for those who met autism spectrum criteria as adults, and even though there was no group difference in parent report of current

Corpus callosum agenesis: Role of fetal magnetic resonance imaging

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Achour Radhouane

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Corpus callosum agenesis (CCA was evaluated by ultrasound examination and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI with many studies. Ultrasonography was able to suspect CCA by indirect signs but a definitive diagnosis of CCA was achieved in rare cases. MRI was able to diagnose complete CCA in majority of cases. Additional neurological abnormalities including heterotopia, gyration anomaly, asymmetry of the cerebral hemispheres, and Dandy-Walker variant were documented, as well as an ocular anomaly which was described, by MRI examination. Prenatal counseling for fetal agenesis of the corpus callosum is difficult as the prognosis is uncertain. The association with other cerebral abnormalities increases the likelihood of a poor outcome and ultrasonographic assessment of the fetal brain is limited. We found MRI to be a safe and useful additional procedure to complement ultrasonographic diagnosis or suspicion of CCA.

Parallel Representation of Value-Based and Finite State-Based Strategies in the Ventral and Dorsal Striatum.

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Makoto Ito

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Previous theoretical studies of animal and human behavioral learning have focused on the dichotomy of the value-based strategy using action value functions to predict rewards and the model-based strategy using internal models to predict environmental states. However, animals and humans often take simple procedural behaviors, such as the "win-stay, lose-switch" strategy without explicit prediction of rewards or states. Here we consider another strategy, the finite state-based strategy, in which a subject selects an action depending on its discrete internal state and updates the state depending on the action chosen and the reward outcome. By analyzing choice behavior of rats in a free-choice task, we found that the finite state-based strategy fitted their behavioral choices more accurately than value-based and model-based strategies did. When fitted models were run autonomously with the same task, only the finite state-based strategy could reproduce the key feature of choice sequences. Analyses of neural activity recorded from the dorsolateral striatum (DLS, the dorsomedial striatum (DMS, and the ventral striatum (VS identified significant fractions of neurons in all three subareas for which activities were correlated with individual states of the finite state-based strategy. The signal of internal states at the time of choice was found in DMS, and for clusters of states was found in VS. In addition, action values and state values of the value-based strategy were encoded in DMS and VS, respectively. These results suggest that both the value-based strategy and the finite state-based strategy are implemented in the striatum.

Parallel Representation of Value-Based and Finite State-Based Strategies in the Ventral and Dorsal Striatum.

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Ito, Makoto; Doya, Kenji

2015-11-01

Previous theoretical studies of animal and human behavioral learning have focused on the dichotomy of the value-based strategy using action value functions to predict rewards and the model-based strategy using internal models to predict environmental states. However, animals and humans often take simple procedural behaviors, such as the "win-stay, lose-switch" strategy without explicit prediction of rewards or states. Here we consider another strategy, the finite state-based strategy, in which a subject selects an action depending on its discrete internal state and updates the state depending on the action chosen and the reward outcome. By analyzing choice behavior of rats in a free-choice task, we found that the finite state-based strategy fitted their behavioral choices more accurately than value-based and model-based strategies did. When fitted models were run autonomously with the same task, only the finite state-based strategy could reproduce the key feature of choice sequences. Analyses of neural activity recorded from the dorsolateral striatum (DLS), the dorsomedial striatum (DMS), and the ventral striatum (VS) identified significant fractions of neurons in all three subareas for which activities were correlated with individual states of the finite state-based strategy. The signal of internal states at the time of choice was found in DMS, and for clusters of states was found in VS. In addition, action values and state values of the value-based strategy were encoded in DMS and VS, respectively. These results suggest that both the value-based strategy and the finite state-based strategy are implemented in the striatum.

Spatially Compact Neural Clusters in the Dorsal Striatum Encode Locomotion Relevant Information.

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Barbera, Giovanni; Liang, Bo; Zhang, Lifeng; Gerfen, Charles R; Culurciello, Eugenio; Chen, Rong; Li, Yun; Lin, Da-Ting

2016-10-05

An influential striatal model postulates that neural activities in the striatal direct and indirect pathways promote and inhibit movement, respectively. Normal behavior requires coordinated activity in the direct pathway to facilitate intended locomotion and indirect pathway to inhibit unwanted locomotion. In this striatal model, neuronal population activity is assumed to encode locomotion relevant information. Here, we propose a novel encoding mechanism for the dorsal striatum. We identified spatially compact neural clusters in both the direct and indirect pathways. Detailed characterization revealed similar cluster organization between the direct and indirect pathways, and cluster activities from both pathways were correlated with mouse locomotion velocities. Using machine-learning algorithms, cluster activities could be used to decode locomotion relevant behavioral states and locomotion velocity. We propose that neural clusters in the dorsal striatum encode locomotion relevant information and that coordinated activities of direct and indirect pathway neural clusters are required for normal striatal controlled behavior. VIDEO ABSTRACT. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Effect of an Ethanol Extract of Scutellaria baicalensis on Relaxation in Corpus Cavernosum Smooth Muscle

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Xiang Li

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Aims of study. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether an ethanol extract of Scutellaria baicalensis (ESB relaxes penile corpus cavernosum muscle in organ bath experiments. Materials and methods. Changes in tension of cavernous smooth muscle strips were determined by penile strip chamber model and in penile perfusion model. Isolated endothelium-intact rabbit corpus cavernosum was precontracted with phenylephrine (PE and then treated with ESB. Results. ESB relaxed penile smooth muscle in a dose-dependent manner, and this was inhibited by pre-treatment with NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME, a nitric oxide (NO synthase inhibitor, and 1H-[1, 2, 4]-oxadiazolo-[4,3-α]-quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, a soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC inhibitor. ESB-induced relaxation was significantly attenuated by pretreatment with tetraethylammonium (TEA, a nonselective K+ channel blocker, and charybdotoxin, a selective Ca2+-dependent K+ channel inhibitor. ESB increased the cGMP levels of rabbit corpus cavernosum in a concentration-dependent manner without changes in cAMP levels. In a perfusion model of penile tissue, ESB also relaxed penile corpus cavernosum smooth muscle in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion. Taken together, these results suggest that ESB relaxed rabbit cavernous smooth muscle via the NO/cGMP system and Ca2+-sensitive K+ channels in the corpus cavernosum.

Reward-modulated motor information in identified striatum neurons.

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Isomura, Yoshikazu; Takekawa, Takashi; Harukuni, Rie; Handa, Takashi; Aizawa, Hidenori; Takada, Masahiko; Fukai, Tomoki

2013-06-19

It is widely accepted that dorsal striatum neurons participate in either the direct pathway (expressing dopamine D1 receptors) or the indirect pathway (expressing D2 receptors), controlling voluntary movements in an antagonistically balancing manner. The D1- and D2-expressing neurons are activated and inactivated, respectively, by dopamine released from substantia nigra neurons encoding reward expectation. However, little is known about the functional representation of motor information and its reward modulation in individual striatal neurons constituting the two pathways. In this study, we juxtacellularly recorded the spike activity of single neurons in the dorsolateral striatum of rats performing voluntary forelimb movement in a reward-predictable condition. Some of these neurons were identified morphologically by a combination of juxtacellular visualization and in situ hybridization for D1 mRNA. We found that the striatal neurons exhibited distinct functional activations before and during the forelimb movement, regardless of the expression of D1 mRNA. They were often positively, but rarely negatively, modulated by expecting a reward for the correct motor response. The positive reward modulation was independent of behavioral differences in motor performance. In contrast, regular-spiking and fast-spiking neurons in any layers of the motor cortex displayed only minor and unbiased reward modulation of their functional activation in relation to the execution of forelimb movement. Our results suggest that the direct and indirect pathway neurons cooperatively rather than antagonistically contribute to spatiotemporal control of voluntary movements, and that motor information is subcortically integrated with reward information through dopaminergic and other signals in the skeletomotor loop of the basal ganglia.

Normalization of markers for dopamine innervation in striatum of MPTP-lesioned miniature pigs with intrastriatal grafts

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Cumming, P; Danielsen, E H; Vafaee, M

2001-01-01

, both pre-synaptic markers of dopamine fibres were normal in striatum. Dopamine depletion or grafting were without effect on the cerebral perfusion rate, measured with [15O]-water, did not alter the rate of oxygen metabolism (CMRO2) in brain, and did not alter the binding potential of tracers...... for dopamine D1 or D2 receptors in pig striatum. However, the grafting was associated with a local increase in the binding of [11C]PK 11195, a tracer for reactive gliosis, suggesting that an immunological reaction occurs at the site of graft, which might potentially have reduced the graft patency. However...

Effect of hypothyroidism on the purinergic responses of corpus cavernosal smooth muscle in rabbits.

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Yildirim, M K; Bagcivan, I; Sarac, B; Kilicarslan, H; Yildirim, S; Kaya, T

2008-01-01

Several studies have reported evidence of hormonal abnormalities in 25-35% of impotent men. Hypothyroidism has been reported to occur in 6% of impotent men. In the present study, we examined purinergic relaxation responses in hypothyroidism in an experimental rabbit model and compared them with controls to evaluate the possible involvement of the purinergic pathway. The study comprised 20 male New Zealand white rabbits. The rabbits were divided into two equal groups. We tested the effects of ATP, alpha beta ATP, and adenosine precontracted with phenylephrine on the isolated corpus cavernosum preparations from control and hypothyroid rabbits. We also evaluated the effects of ATP, alpha beta ATP, and adenosine on the cGMP levels in the isolated corpus cavernosum preparations from control and hypothyroid rabbits. T3, T4, and testosterone levels were significantly lower in hypothyroid rabbits. ATP, alpha beta ATP, carbachol, and electrical field stimulation (EFS)-induced frequency-dependent relaxation responses in the isolated rabbit corpus cavernosum strips precontracted with phenylephrine reduced significantly (Phypothyroid rabbits. Reduction of relaxation response in hypothyroid rabbits corpus cavernosum can depend on a decreased release of nitric oxide (NO) from nitrergic nerves and endothelium.

Reversible Restricted Diffusion in the Corpus Callosum in Various Pediatric Diseases

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Kim, Won Kyung; Hong, Hyun Sook; Lee, A Leum; Cha, Jang Gyu; Lee, Hae Kyung [Dept. of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Bucheon (Korea, Republic of); Bae, Won Kyung [Dept. of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of)

2012-04-15

To evaluate the reversible restricted diffusion in the corpus callosum in pediatric patients with clinical findings, and to discuss the possible pathogenesis of these lesions. Between 2007 and 2011, seven children with reversible signal abnormalities in the corpus callosum were identified and retrospectively reviewed. Diseases and conditions associated with lesions included: trauma (n = 3), neonatal seizure (n = 1), clinically suspected mild encephalopathy (n = 1), multiple sclerosis (n = 1), and seizure with subdural hygroma (n = 1). The callosal lesions were located in the splenium and the genu (n = 2), the splenium and the body (n = 1), and the splenium only (n 4). The shape of the lesions was round-to-ovoid (n = 4) or linear (n = 3). Follow-up MRI scans showed completely resolved (n = 6) or persistent (n = 1) signal abnormalities on diffusion-weighted imaging as well as apparent diffusion coefficient mapping. Clinical outcomes were good in six of the patents but poor in the seventh. Reversible restricted diffusion in the corpus callosum can develop in various diseases. Knowledge of the MRI findings and associated diseases might be helpful in predicting patients' conditions and clinical outcomes.

The Wildcat Corpus of Native- and Foreign-Accented English: Communicative Efficiency across Conversational Dyads with Varying Language Alignment Profiles

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Van Engen, Kristin J.; Baese-Berk, Melissa; Baker, Rachel E.; Choi, Arim; Kim, Midam; Bradlow, Ann R.

2010-01-01

This paper describes the development of the Wildcat Corpus of native- and foreign-accented English, a corpus containing scripted and spontaneous speech recordings from 24 native speakers of American English and 52 non-native speakers of English. The core element of this corpus is a set of spontaneous speech recordings, for which a new method of…

Topography and chemoarchitecture of the striatum and pallidum in a monotreme, the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus).

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Ashwell, K W S

2008-09-01

The topography and chemoarchitecture of the striatum and pallidum in a monotreme, the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) have been studied using Nissl staining in conjunction with myelin staining, enzyme reactivity to acetylcholinesterase and NADPH diaphorase, and immunoreactivity to parvalbumin, calbindin, calretinin, tyrosine hydroxylase, neuropeptide Y, and neurofilament protein (SMI-32 antibody). All those components of the striatum and pallidum found in eutherian mammals could also be identified in the echidna's brain, with broad chemoarchitectural similarities to those regions in eutherian brains also apparent. There was a clear chemoarchitectural gradient visible with parvalbumin immunoreactivity of neurons and fibers, suggesting a subdivision of the echidna caudatoputamen into weakly reactive rostrodorsomedial and strongly reactive caudoventrolateral components. This may, in turn, relate to subdivision into associative versus sensorimotor CPu and reflect homology to the caudate and putamen of primates. Moreover, the chemoarchitecture of the echidna striatum suggested the presence of striosome-matrix architecture. The morphology of identified neuronal groups (i.e., parvalbumin, calbindin, and neuropeptide Y immunoreactive) in the echidna striatum and pallidum showed many similarities to those seen in eutherians, although the pattern of distribution of calbindin immunoreactive neurons was more uniform in the caudatoputamen of the echidna than in therians. These observations indicate that the same broad features of striatal and pallidal organization apply across all mammals and suggest that these common features may have arisen before the divergence of the monotreme and therian lineages.

Wheel running alters patterns of uncontrollable stress-induced cfos mRNA expression in rat dorsal striatum direct and indirect pathways: a possible role for plasticity in adenosine receptors

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Clark, Peter J.; Ghasem, Parsa R.; Mika, Agnieszka; Day, Heidi E.; Herrera, Jonathan J.; Greenwood, Benjamin N.; Fleshner, Monika

2014-01-01

Emerging evidence indicates that adenosine is a major regulator of striatum activity, in part, through the antagonistic modulation of dopaminergic function. Exercise can influence adenosine and dopamine activity, which may subsequently promote plasticity in striatum adenosine and dopamine systems. Such changes could alter activity of medium spiny neurons and impact striatum function. The purpose of this study was two-fold. The first was to characterize the effect of long-term wheel running on adenosine 1 (A1R), adenosine 2A (A2AR), dopamine 1 (D1R), and dopamine 2 (D2R) receptor mRNA expression in adult rat dorsal and ventral striatum structures using in situ hybridization. The second was to determine if changes to adenosine and dopamine receptor mRNA from running are associated with altered cfos mRNA induction in dynorphin- (direct pathway) and enkephalin- (indirect pathway) expressing neurons of the dorsal striatum following stress exposure. We report that chronic running, as well as acute uncontrollable stress, reduced A1R and A2AR mRNA levels in the dorsal and ventral striatum. Running also modestly elevated D2R mRNA levels in striatum regions. Finally, stress-induced cfos was potentiated in dynorphin and attenuated in enkephalin expressing neurons of running rats. These data suggest striatum adenosine and dopamine systems are targets for neuroplasticity from exercise, which may contribute to changes in direct and indirect pathway activity. These findings may have implications for striatum mediated motor and cognitive processes, as well as exercise facilitated stress-resistance. PMID:25017571

Corpus Planning for the Southern Peruvian Quechua Language.

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Coronel-Molina, Serafin M.

1997-01-01

The discussion of corpus planning for the Southern Quechua language variety of Peru examines issues of graphization, standardization, modernization, and renovation of Quechua in the face of increasing domination by the Spanish language. The efforts of three major groups of linguists and other scholars working on language planning in Peru, and the…

Corpus applications for the African languages, with special ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In order to illustrate the feasibility of corpus applications for the African languages at present, the article first considers 'fundamental linguistic research' in the fields of phonetics and question particles. It is shown how that research was boosted as a result of the utilisation of corpora. In a second section 'language teaching ...

Considering bilingual dictionaries against a corpus. Do English ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article investigates the extent to which four representatives of the latest generation of English-French / French-English dictionaries present "real English", i.e. actually used meanings of actually used English word patterns. The findings of a corpus study of the verb CONSIDER are confronted with the entries for this verb ...

5HT2A receptor blockade in dorsomedial striatum reduces repetitive behaviors in BTBR mice.

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Amodeo, D A; Rivera, E; Cook, E H; Sweeney, J A; Ragozzino, M E

2017-03-01

Restricted and repetitive behaviors are a defining feature of autism, which can be expressed as a cognitive flexibility deficit or stereotyped, motor behaviors. There is limited knowledge about the underlying neuropathophysiology contributing to these behaviors. Previous findings suggest that central 5HT 2A receptor activity is altered in autism, while recent work indicates that systemic 5HT 2A receptor antagonist treatment reduces repetitive behaviors in an idiopathic model of autism. 5HT 2A receptors are expressed in the orbitofrontal cortex and striatum. These two regions have been shown to be altered in autism. The present study investigated whether 5HT 2A receptor blockade in the dorsomedial striatum or orbitofrontal cortex in the BTBR mouse strain, an idiopathic model of autism, affects the phenotype related to restricted and repetitive behaviors. Microinfusion of the 5HT 2A receptor antagonist, M100907 into the dorsomedial striatum alleviated a reversal learning impairment and attenuated grooming behavior. M100907 infusion into the orbitofrontal cortex increased perseveration during reversal learning and potentiated grooming. These findings suggest that increased 5HT 2A receptor activity in the dorsomedial striatum may contribute to behavioral inflexibility and stereotyped behaviors in the BTBR mouse. 5HT 2A receptor signaling in the orbitofrontal cortex may be critical for inhibiting a previously learned response during reversal learning and expression of stereotyped behavior. The present results suggest which brain areas exhibit abnormalities underlying repetitive behaviors in an idiopathic mouse model of autism, as well as which brain areas systemic treatment with M100907 may principally act on in BTBR mice to attenuate repetitive behaviors. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society.

The NCHLT speech corpus of the South African languages

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Barnard, E

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The NCHLT speech corpus contains wide-band speech from approximately 200 speakers per language, in each of the eleven of cial languages of South Africa. We describe the design and development processes that were undertaken in order to develop...

UNITS OF MEASUREMENT: ORAL TRADITION, TRANSLATION STUDIES AND CORPUS LINGUISTICS

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John ZEMKE

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The study of the world’s verbal arts offers an opportunity to consider ways that computational analysis and modeling of narratives may lead to new understandings of how they are constructed, their dynamics and relationships. Similarly, as corpus linguistics operations must define metrics, it offers an occasion to review basic interpretive concepts such as “units of analysis, context, and genre." My essay begins with an admittedly cursory overview from a novice perspective of what capabilities corpus linguistics currently possesses for the analysis and modeling of narratives. Consideration is given to the epistemological issue in the social sciences with the positivistic prescription or empiricist description of units of analysis and the potential pitfalls or advantages corpus linguistics encounters in searching for adequate equivalent terms. This review leads naturally to reflection on the crucial determinative action of context on meaning and the extent to which current computational interfaces are able to account for and integrate into global analysis of linguistic and performance dimensions such as performer, intonation, gesture, diction, idioms and figurative language, setting, audience, time, and occasion. As a tentative conclusion from this review, it can be stated that artificial intelligence for modeling narratives or devising narrative algorithms must develop capacities to account for performance dimensions in order to fulfill their analytical potential.

Techniques and Rules of Ineffability in the Dionysian Corpus

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Knepper Timothy D.

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Is the Dionysian God, or an experience of the Dionysian God, absolutely ineffable? Does the Dionysian corpus assert or perform such ineffability? This paper will argue that the answer to each of these questions is no. The Dionysian God is known hyper-nous as the hyper-ousia cause of all. And the Dionysian corpus unambiguously refers to, asserts of, and metaphorizes about this God just so. In arguing these points, this paper will call upon both the speech act theory of John Searle and the metaphor theory of George Lakoff and Mark Johnson. More particularly, it will look to Searle’s rules of reference and predication and conditions of illocutionary acts, as well as Lakoff and Johnson’s schematization of metaphor gestalt and entailment to show how Dionysian expressions of inexpressibility are rule-governed and the Dionysian God is thereby (relatively effable.

Chronic Effect of Aspartame on Ionic Homeostasis and Monoamine Neurotransmitters in the Rat Brain.

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Abhilash, M; Alex, Manju; Mathews, Varghese V; Nair, R Harikumaran

2014-07-01

Aspartame is one of the most widely used artificial sweeteners globally. Data concerning acute neurotoxicity of aspartame is controversial, and knowledge on its chronic effect is limited. In the current study, we investigated the chronic effects of aspartame on ionic homeostasis and regional monoamine neurotransmitter concentrations in the brain. Our results showed that aspartame at high dose caused a disturbance in ionic homeostasis and induced apoptosis in the brain. We also investigated the effects of aspartame on brain regional monoamine synthesis, and the results revealed that there was a significant decrease of dopamine in corpus striatum and cerebral cortex and of serotonin in corpus striatum. Moreover, aspartame treatment significantly alters the tyrosine hydroxylase activity and amino acids levels in the brain. Our data suggest that chronic use of aspartame may affect electrolyte homeostasis and monoamine neurotransmitter synthesis dose dependently, and this might have a possible effect on cognitive functions. © The Author(s) 2014.

Effects of electroacupuncture on metabolic changes in motor cortex and striatum of 6-hydroxydopamine-induced Parkinsonian rats.

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Li, Min; Wang, Ke; Su, Wen-Ting; Jia, Jun; Wang, Xiao-Min

2017-10-06

To explore the possible underlying mechanism by investigating the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) treatment on the primary motor cortex and striatum in a unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) induced rat Parkinson's disease (PD) model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham group (n=16), model group (n=14), and EA group (n=14). EA stimulation at Dazhui (GV 14) and Baihui (GV20) was applied to PD rats in the EA group for 4 weeks. Behavioral tests were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of EA treatment. Metabolites were detected by 7.0 T proton nuclear magnetic resonance. Following 4 weeks of EA treatment in PD model rats, the abnormal behavioral impairment induced by 6-OHDA was alleviated. In monitoring changes in metabolic activity, ratios of myoinositol/creatine (Cr) and N-acetyl aspartate (NAA)/Cr in the primary motor cortex were significantly lower at the injected side than the non-injected side in PD rats (P=0.024 and 0.020). The ratios of glutamate + glutamine (Glx)/Cr and NAA/Cr in the striatum were higher and lower, respectively, at the injected side than the non-injected side (P=0.046 and 0.008). EA treatment restored the balance of metabolic activity in the primary motor cortex and striatum. In addition, the taurine/Cr ratio and Glx/Cr ratio were elevated in the striatum of PD model rats compared to sham-lesioned rats (P=0.026 and 0.000). EA treatment alleviated the excessive glutamatergic transmission by down-regulating the striatal Glx/Cr ratio (P=0.001). The Glx/Cr ratio was negatively correlated with floor plane spontaneous locomotion in PD rats (P=0.027 and P=0.0007). EA treatment is able to normalize the metabolic balance in the primary motor cortex and striatum of PD rats, which may contribute to its therapeutic effect on motor deficits. The striatal Glx/Cr ratio may serve as a potential indicator of PD and a therapeutic target of EA treatment.

Incidence and lifetime risk of uterine corpus cancer in Taiwanese women from 1991 to 2010

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Jerry Cheng-Yen Lai

2017-02-01

Conclusion: According to the observed changes in incidence rate, the burden of uterine corpus cancer in the general female population is expected to increase in the near future. From a public-health perspective, care providers should develop strategies for the prevention, early detection, and intervention to reduce the rapidly increasing incidence of uterine corpus cancer in Taiwan.

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Carbonylated Proteins from the Striatum and Cortex of Pesticide-Treated Mice

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Christina Coughlan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Epidemiological studies indicate exposures to the herbicide paraquat (PQ and fungicide maneb (MB are associated with increased risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD. Oxidative stress appears to be a premier mechanism that underlies damage to the nigrostriatal dopamine system in PD and pesticide exposure. Enhanced oxidative stress leads to lipid peroxidation and production of reactive aldehydes; therefore, we conducted proteomic analyses to identify carbonylated proteins in the striatum and cortex of pesticide-treated mice in order to elucidate possible mechanisms of toxicity. Male C57BL/6J mice were treated biweekly for 6 weeks with saline, PQ (10 mg/kg, MB (30 mg/kg, or the combination of PQ and MB (PQMB. Treatments resulted in significant behavioral alterations in all treated mice and depleted striatal dopamine in PQMB mice. Distinct differences in 4-hydroxynonenal-modified proteins were observed in the striatum and cortex. Proteomic analyses identified carbonylated proteins and peptides from the cortex and striatum, and pathway analyses revealed significant enrichment in a variety of KEGG pathways. Further analysis showed enrichment in proteins of the actin cytoskeleton in treated samples, but not in saline controls. These data indicate that treatment-related effects on cytoskeletal proteins could alter proper synaptic function, thereby resulting in impaired neuronal function and even neurodegeneration.

Reduced Striatal Dopamine Transporters in People with Internet Addiction Disorder

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Haifeng Hou

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, internet addiction disorder (IAD has become more prevalent worldwide and the recognition of its devastating impact on the users and society has rapidly increased. However, the neurobiological mechanism of IAD has not bee fully expressed. The present study was designed to determine if the striatal dopamine transporter (DAT levels measured by T99mc-TRODAT-1 single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT brain scans were altered in individuals with IAD. SPECT brain scans were acquired on 5 male IAD subjects and 9 healthy age-matched controls. The volume (V and weight (W of bilateral corpus striatum as well as the T99mc-TRODAT-1 uptake ratio of corpus striatum/the whole brain (Ra were calculated using mathematical models. It was displayed that DAT expression level of striatum was significantly decreased and the V, W, and Ra were greatly reduced in the individuals with IAD compared to controls. Taken together, these results suggest that IAD may cause serious damages to the brain and the neuroimaging findings further illustrate IAD is associated with dysfunctions in the dopaminergic brain systems. Our findings also support the claim that IAD may share similar neurobiological abnormalities with other addictive disorders.

Change of striatum dopaminergic transporter and content of dopamine in rats with experimental hyperthyroidism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Yansong; Wang Huicheng; Zhao Zhiying; Zhu Li; Zhang Yingqiang; Chen Zhengping

2009-01-01

Objective: The central dopamine system plays an important role in regulating movement and mood. In our routine clinical practice,we found that patients with hyperthyroidism often show tremor of their hands or legs. Meanwhile they also experienced emotional problems such as anxiety and depression. These reminded us that there might be close relationship between thyroid hormone and dopamine system. Based on our previous works, in this study we evaluated the change of striatum dopamine transporter (DAT) by using 99 Tc m -2β- [N, N'-bis (2-merecaptoethyl) ethylenediamino]methyl, 3β- (4-chlorophenyl) tropane (TRODAT-1) brain biodistribution, and the content of striatum dopamine and its metabolites 3.4-di-hydroxyphenylacetic (DOPAC) by high performace liquid chromatograph-electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) in rats with experimental hyperthyroidism. Methods: All 24 rats were randomly divided into two groups, thyroxin group were induced by daily thyroxin infusion for 14 d to be experimental hyperthyroidism, the others were control group which received saline infusion. The blood samples were randomly taken from thyroxine group and control group, and the concentration of TT 3 and TT 4 were detected by radioimmunoassay. After 14 d,both experimental (thyroxine group) and control group were further divided into 2 sub-groups. One was for evaluation of the function of striatum DAT by 99 Tc m -TRODAT-1 biodistribution study and the other was for HPIJC-ECD measurement of the concentration of dopamine and its metabolites DOPAC. Results: Significantly hyperactivity and weight loss [(223.90 ± 8.40) VS (261.60 ± 14.20)g, t=6.98. P 3 and TT 4 after thyroxin infusion was significantly elevated than that of before thyroxin infusion [(2.72 ± 0.29) V8(1.46 ± 0.17) nmol/L, t=10.51, P 3 , and TT 4 after saline infusion showed no statistical significance as compared with before saline infusion [(1.71 ± 0.20) vs (1.54 ± O.09) nmol/L, t=1.68. P>0.05 and (88.38 ± 6.76) vs (98.38 ± 9

Corpus callosotomy in a patient with startle epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez, Nicolás Garófalo; Hamad, Ana Paula; Marinho, Murilo; Tavares, Igor M; Carrete, Henrique; Caboclo, Luís Otávio; Yacubian, Elza Márcia; Centeno, Ricardo

2013-03-01

Startle epilepsy is a syndrome of reflex epilepsy in which the seizures are precipitated by a sudden and surprising, usually auditory, stimulus. We describe herein a girl who had been suffering with startle-induced seizures since 2 years of age. She had focal, tonic and tonic-clonic seizures, refractory to antiepileptic treatment. Daily tonic seizures led to very frequent falls and morbidity. Neurologically, she had no deficit. Interictal EEG showed slow waves and epileptiform discharges in central and fronto-central regions. Video-polygraphic recordings of seizures, triggered by stimuli, showed generalised symmetric tonic posturing with ictal EEG, characterised by an abrupt and diffuse electrodecremental pattern of fast activity, followed by alpha-theta rhythm superimposed by epileptic discharges predominantly over the vertex and anterior regions. Magnetic resonance imaging showed no abnormalities. Corpus callosotomy was performed when the patient was 17. Since surgery, the patient (one year follow-up) has remained seizure-free. Corpus callosotomy may be considered in patients with startle epilepsy and tonic seizures, in the absence of focal lesions amenable to surgery. [Published with video sequences].

Functional Specialization within the Striatum along Both the Dorsal/Ventral and Anterior/Posterior Axes during Associative Learning via Reward and Punishment

Science.gov (United States)

Mattfeld, Aaron T.; Gluck, Mark A.; Stark, Craig E. L.

2011-01-01

The goal of the present study was to elucidate the role of the human striatum in learning via reward and punishment during an associative learning task. Previous studies have identified the striatum as a critical component in the neural circuitry of reward-related learning. It remains unclear, however, under what task conditions, and to what…

SELEKSI RUMPUT LAUT Kappaphycus striatum DALAM UPAYA PENINGKATAN LAJU PERTUMBUHAN BIBIT UNTUK BUDIDAYA

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Andi Parenrengi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Budidaya rumput laut di Indonesia semakin berkembang seiring dengan peningkatan permintaan bahan baku industri untuk pasar domestik dan eksport. Rumput laut Kappaphycus striatum, salah satu spesies rumput laut komersil, telah intensif dibudidayakan di perairan pantai. Saat ini, masalah utama yang dihadapi pembudidaya adalah rendahnya kualitas bibit yang berasal dari hasil budidaya. Seleksi varietas merupakan salah satu metode yang diharapkan dapat meningkatkan laju pertumbuhan rumput laut. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan tujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh seleksi varietas terhadap pertumbuhan rumput laut sehingga dapat dilakukan produksi bibit unggul untuk keperluan budidaya. Budidaya rumput laut K. striatum telah dilakukan di Teluk Laikang, Kabupaten Takalar, Provinsi Sulawesi Selatan dengan menggunakan metode long line. Seleksi varietas dilakukan berdasarkan parameter laju pertumbuhan harian (LPH dan metode seleksi mengacu pada protokol seleksi yang telah dikembangkan pada rumput laut K. alvarezii. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa LPH bibit hasil seleksi lebih tinggi (P

Learner features in a New Corpus-based Swahili dictionary ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

As far as traditionally published Swahili language dictionaries are concerned, throughout the long history of Swahili lexicography, most new dictionaries were based on their predecessors. Thus far the only innovative traditionally printed corpus-based dictionary has been published by Finnish scholars (Abdulla et al. 2002).

Hispanismos y canarismos en un corpus de textos ingleses sobre Canarias

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María-Isabel González-Cruz

2013-12-01

Full Text Available ResumenLas Islas Canarias (España siempre han mantenido un estrecho contactocon el mundo anglosajón, lo que ha generado importantes consecuencias económicas, así como también socioculturales, lingüísticas y literarias. Un análisis de la bibliografía inglesa sobre Canarias revela, entre otros aspectos, la tendencia al uso de hispanismos y canarismos. Este trabajo ofrece el registro de esas voces que aparecen en un corpus de catorce obras tomadas de la extensa bibliografía anglocanaria. Tras revisar brevemente la relevancia del hispanismo inglés, nuestra recopilación intenta resaltar la contribución del español de Canarias al enriquecimiento del vocabulario de la lengua inglesa, constatando cuáles de los hispanismos de nuestro corpus que son canarismos han pasado al registro lexicográfico realizado por elShorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2007.AbstractThe Canary Islands (Spain have always been in close contact with the Anglo-Saxon world, which has had important consequences for the economy but also at the socio-cultural, linguistic and literary levels. A review of the English bibliography on the Canaries reveals, among other aspects, a tendency in most authors to use hispanicisms and canarianisms in their texts. This article offers a record of those words which appear in a corpus of fourteen works taken from this extensive bibliography. Apart from providing an overview of the studies on hispanicisms in English, this paper’s main aim is to highlight the contribution of Canarian Spanish to the enrichment of the vocabulary of English by checking which of the hispanicisms in our corpus, which are actually canarianisms, have been included in the lexical repertoire of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionaryon Historical Principles (2007.

Effect of naltrexone and ondansetron on alcohol cue-induced activation of the ventral striatum in alcohol-dependent people.

Science.gov (United States)

Myrick, Hugh; Anton, Raymond F; Li, Xingbao; Henderson, Scott; Randall, Patrick K; Voronin, Konstantin

2008-04-01

Medication for the treatment of alcoholism is currently not particularly robust. Neuroimaging techniques might predict which medications could be useful in the treatment of alcohol dependence. To explore the effect of naltrexone, ondansetron hydrochloride, or the combination of these medications on cue-induced craving and ventral striatum activation. Functional brain imaging was conducted during alcohol cue presentation. Participants were recruited from the general community following media advertisement. Experimental procedures were performed in the magnetic resonance imaging suite of a major training hospital and medical research institute. Ninety non-treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent (by DSM-IV criteria) and 17 social drinking (analysis but intermediate in a region-specific analysis. Consistent with animal data that suggest that both naltrexone and ondansetron reduce alcohol-stimulated dopamine output in the ventral striatum, the current study found evidence that these medications, alone or in combination, could decrease alcohol cue-induced activation of the ventral striatum, consistent with their putative treatment efficacy.

You Should Have the Body: Understanding Habeas Corpus

Science.gov (United States)

Landman, James

2008-01-01

English legal commentator William Blackstone described the writ of habeas corpus as a second Magna Carta, and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall called it the "great writ." It has been part of the Anglo-American common law tradition since the Middle Ages. In the United States, it has been a source of tension between state and…

Afasia fluente. Materiales para su estudio.(Volumen 01 del Corpus PerLA)

OpenAIRE

Gallardo-Paúls, Beatriz; Sanmartín Sáez, Julia

2005-01-01

El corpus PerLA (“Percepción, Lenguaje y Afasia”), surge en el área de Lingüística General de la Universitat de València como respuesta a la necesidad de integrar el estudio de las patologías lingüísticas en las tendencias actuales de la pragmática y la lingüística de corpus. Para satisfacer las exigencias de estas disciplinas y disponer de datos con validez ecológica, se han realizado grabaciones a diferentes hablantes con afasia, en un contexto que intenta alejarse de las convenciones propi...

Introducing the Geneva Multimodal expression corpus for experimental research on emotion perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Bänziger, Tanja; Mortillaro, Marcello; Scherer, Klaus R

2012-10-01

Research on the perception of emotional expressions in faces and voices is exploding in psychology, the neurosciences, and affective computing. This article provides an overview of some of the major emotion expression (EE) corpora currently available for empirical research and introduces a new, dynamic, multimodal corpus of emotion expressions, the Geneva Multimodal Emotion Portrayals Core Set (GEMEP-CS). The design features of the corpus are outlined and justified, and detailed validation data for the core set selection are presented and discussed. Finally, an associated database with microcoded facial, vocal, and body action elements, as well as observer ratings, is introduced.

The role of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens and striatum during sexual behavior in the female rat.

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, J B; Rudick, C N; Jenkins, W J

2001-05-01

Dopamine in dialysate from the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) increases during sexual and feeding behavior and after administration of drugs of abuse, even those that do not directly activate dopaminergic systems (e.g., morphine or nicotine). These findings and others have led to hypotheses that propose that dopamine is rewarding, predicts that reinforcement will occur, or attributes incentive salience. Examining increases in dopamine in NAcc or striatum during sexual behavior in female rats provides a unique situation to study these relations. This is because, for the female rat, sexual behavior is associated with an increase in NAcc dopamine and conditioned place preference only under certain testing conditions. This experiment was conducted to determine what factors are important for the increase in dopamine in dialysate from NAcc and striatum during sexual behavior in female rats. The factors considered were the number of contacts by the male, the timing of contacts by the male, or the ability of the female to control contacts by the male. The results indicate that increased NAcc dopamine is dependent on the timing of copulatory stimuli, independent of whether the female rat is actively engaged in regulating this timing. For the striatum, the timing of copulatory behavior influences the magnitude of the increase in dopamine in dialysate, but other factors are also involved. We conclude that increased extracellular dopamine in the NAcc and striatum conveys qualitative or interpretive information about the rewarding value of stimuli. Sexual behavior in the female rat is proposed as a model to determine the role of dopamine in motivated behavior.

A corpus of images and text in online news

NARCIS (Netherlands)

L. Hollink (Laura); A. Bedjeti (Adriatik); M. van Harmelen; D. Elliott (Desmond)

2016-01-01

htmlabstractIn recent years, several datasets have been released that include images and text, giving impulse to new methods that combine natural language processing and computer vision. However, there is a need for datasets of images in their natural textual context. The ION corpus contains 300K

Translating children’s literature: some insights from corpus stylistics

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Anna Čermáková

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper I explore the potential of a corpus stylistic approach to the study of literary translation. The study focuses on translation of children’s literature with its specific constrains, and illustrates with two corpus linguistic techniques: keyword and cluster analysis — specific cases of repetition. So in a broader sense the paper discusses the phenomenon of repetition in different literary (stylistic traditions. These are illustrated by examples from two children’s classics aimed at two different age groups: the Harry Potter and the Winnie the Pooh books — and their translations into Czech. Various shifts in translation, especially in the translation of children’s literature, are often explained by the operation of so-called ‘translation universals’. Though ‘repetition’ as such does not belong to the commonly discussed set of translation universals, the stylistic norms opposing repetition seem to be a strong explanation for the translation shifts identified.

CORPUS CHRISTI E A FOME NO MUNDO

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Carlos Alberto dos Santos Dutra

1995-01-01

Full Text Available A festa religiosa de Corpus Christi, data da instituição da Eucaristia, neste ano foi comemorada no dia 15 de junho. Neste sacramento, entende a Igreja católica, o próprio Cristo se comunica para nutrir e salvar o homem. Expressão e síntese do cristianismo, é a identificação do sacrifício de Cristo com o sacrifício do homem.

Haloperidol-induced changes in neuronal activity in the striatum of the freely moving rat

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Dorin eYael

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The striatum is the main input structure of the basal ganglia, integrating input from the cerebral cortex and the thalamus, which is modulated by midbrain dopaminergic input. Dopamine modulators, including agonists and antagonists, are widely used to relieve motor and psychiatric symptoms in a variety of pathological conditions. Haloperidol, a dopamine D2 antagonist, is commonly used in multiple psychiatric conditions and motor abnormalities. This article reports the effects of haloperidol on the activity of three major striatal subpopulations: medium spiny projection neurons (MSNs, fast spiking interneurons (FSIs and tonically active neurons (TANs. We implanted multi-wire electrode arrays in the rat dorsal striatum and recorded the activity of multiple single units in freely moving animals before and after systemic haloperidol injection. Haloperidol decreased the firing rate of FSIs and MSNs while increasing their tendency to fire in an oscillatory manner in the high voltage spindle (HVS frequency range of 7-9 Hz. Haloperidol led to an increased firing rate of TANs but did not affect their non-oscillatory firing pattern and their typical correlated firing activity. Our results suggest that dopamine plays a key role in tuning both single unit activity and the interactions within and between different subpopulations in the striatum in a differential manner. These findings highlight the heterogeneous striatal effects of tonic dopamine regulation via D2 receptors which potentially enable the treatment of diverse pathological states associated with basal ganglia dysfunction.

Cortical cholinergic deficiency enhances amphetamine-induced dopamine release in the accumbens but not striatum.

Science.gov (United States)

Mattsson, Anna; Olson, Lars; Svensson, Torgny H; Schilström, Björn

2007-11-01

Cholinergic dysfunction has been implicated as a putative contributing factor in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Recently, we showed that cholinergic denervation of the neocortex in adult rats leads to a marked increase in the behavioral response to amphetamine. The main objective of this study was to investigate if the enhanced locomotor response to amphetamine seen after cortical cholinergic denervation was paralleled by an increased amphetamine-induced release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens and/or striatum. The corticopetal cholinergic projections were lesioned by intraparenchymal infusion of 192 IgG-saporin into the nucleus basalis magnocellularis of adult rats. Amphetamine-induced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens or striatum was monitored by in vivo microdialysis 2 to 3 weeks after lesioning. We found that cholinergic denervation of the rat neocortex leads to a significantly increased amphetamine-induced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens. Interestingly, the cholinergic lesion did not affect amphetamine-induced release of dopamine in the striatum. The enhanced amphetamine-induced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens in the cholinergically denervated rats could be reversed by administration of the muscarinic agonist oxotremorine, but not nicotine, prior to the amphetamine challenge, suggesting that loss of muscarinic receptor stimulation is likely to have caused the observed effect. The results suggest that abnormal responsiveness of dopamine neurons can be secondary to cortical cholinergic deficiency. This, in turn, might be of relevance for the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and provides a possible link between cholinergic disturbances and alteration of dopamine transmission.

Big Data, Big Questions: A Closer Look at the Yale–Classical Archives Corpus (c. 2015

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Trevor deClerq

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This paper responds to the article by Christopher White and Ian Quinn, in which these authors introduce the Yale-Classical Archives Corpus (YCAC. I begin by making some general observations about the corpus, especially with regard to ramifications of the keyboard-performance origins of many pieces in the original MIDI collection. I then assess the accuracy of the scale-degree and local-key fields in the database, which were generated by the Bellman-Budge key-finding algorithm. I point out that some of the inaccuracies from the key-finding algorithm's output may influence the results we obtain from statistical studies of this corpus. I also offer an alternative analysis to the authors' finding that the ratio of V7 to V chords increases over time in common-practice music. Specifically, I conjecture that this finding may be the result of (or related to increasing instrumental resources over time. I close with some recommendations for future versions of the corpus, such as enabling end users to help repair transcription errors as well as offer ground truths for harmonic analyses and key area information.

Histamine H3 Receptors Decrease Dopamine Release in the Ventral Striatum by Reducing the Activity of Striatal Cholinergic Interneurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Varaschin, Rafael Koerich; Osterstock, Guillaume; Ducrot, Charles; Leino, Sakari; Bourque, Marie-Josée; Prado, Marco A M; Prado, Vania Ferreira; Salminen, Outi; Rannanpää Née Nuutinen, Saara; Trudeau, Louis-Eric

2018-04-15

Histamine H 3 receptors are widely distributed G i -coupled receptors whose activation reduces neuronal activity and inhibits release of numerous neurotransmitters. Although these receptors are abundantly expressed in the striatum, their modulatory role on activity-dependent dopamine release is not well understood. Here, we observed that histamine H 3 receptor activation indirectly diminishes dopamine overflow in the ventral striatum by reducing cholinergic interneuron activity. Acute brain slices from C57BL/6 or channelrhodopsin-2-transfected DAT-cre mice were obtained, and dopamine transients evoked either electrically or optogenetically were measured by fast-scan cyclic voltammetry. The H 3 agonist α-methylhistamine significantly reduced electrically- evoked dopamine overflow, an effect blocked by the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist dihydro-β-erythroidine, suggesting involvement of cholinergic interneurons. None of the drug treatments targeting H 3 receptors affected optogenetically evoked dopamine overflow, indicating that direct H 3 -modulation of dopaminergic axons is unlikely. Next, we used qPCR and confirmed the expression of histamine H 3 receptor mRNA in cholinergic interneurons, both in ventral and dorsal striatum. Activation of H 3 receptors by α-methylhistamine reduced spontaneous firing of cholinergic interneurons in the ventral, but not in the dorsal striatum. Resting membrane potential and number of spontaneous action potentials in ventral-striatal cholinergic interneurons were significantly reduced by α-methylhistamine. Acetylcholine release from isolated striatal synaptosomes, however, was not altered by α-methylhistamine. Together, these results indicate that histamine H 3 receptors are important modulators of dopamine release, specifically in the ventral striatum, and that they do so by decreasing the firing rate of cholinergic neurons and, consequently, reducing cholinergic tone on dopaminergic axons. Copyright © 2018 IBRO

Chronic stress may facilitate the recruitment of habit- and addiction-related neurocircuitries through neuronal restructuring of the striatum.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, S B; Anglin, J M; Paode, P R; Riggert, A G; Olive, M F; Conrad, C D

2014-11-07

Chronic stress is an established risk factor in the development of addiction. Addiction is characterized by a progressive transition from casual drug use to habitual and compulsive drug use. The ability of chronic stress to facilitate the transition to addiction may be mediated by increased engagement of the neurocircuitries underlying habitual behavior and addiction. In the present study, striatal morphology was evaluated after 2 weeks of chronic variable stress in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Dendritic complexity of medium spiny neurons was visualized and quantified with Golgi staining in the dorsolateral and dorsomedial striatum, as well as in the nucleus accumbens core and shell. In separate cohorts, the effects of chronic stress on habitual behavior and the acute locomotor response to methamphetamine were also assessed. Chronic stress resulted in increased dendritic complexity in the dorsolateral striatum and nucleus accumbens core, regions implicated in habitual behavior and addiction, while decreased complexity was found in the nucleus accumbens shell, a region critical for the initial rewarding effects of drugs of abuse. Chronic stress did not affect dendritic complexity in the dorsomedial striatum. A parallel shift toward habitual learning strategies following chronic stress was also identified. There was an initial reduction in acute locomotor response to methamphetamine, but no lasting effect as a result of chronic stress exposure. These findings suggest that chronic stress may facilitate the recruitment of habit- and addiction-related neurocircuitries through neuronal restructuring in the striatum. Copyright © 2014 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ventral striatum activation to prosocial rewards predicts longitudinal declines in adolescent risk taking.

Science.gov (United States)

Telzer, Eva H; Fuligni, Andrew J; Lieberman, Matthew D; Galván, Adriana

2013-01-01

Adolescence is a period of intensified emotions and an increase in motivated behaviors and passions. Evidence from developmental neuroscience suggests that this heightened emotionality occurs, in part, due to a peak in functional reactivity to rewarding stimuli, which renders adolescents more oriented toward reward-seeking behaviors. Most prior work has focused on how reward sensitivity may create vulnerabilities, leading to increases in risk taking. Here, we test whether heightened reward sensitivity may potentially be an asset for adolescents when engaged in prosocial activities. Thirty-two adolescents were followed over a one-year period to examine whether ventral striatum activation to prosocial rewards predicts decreases in risk taking over a year. Results show that heightened ventral striatum activation to prosocial stimuli relates to longitudinal declines in risk taking. Therefore, the very same neural region that has conferred vulnerability for adolescent risk taking may also be protective against risk taking. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Corpus callosum thickness on mid-sagittal MRI as a marker of brain volume: a pilot study in children with HIV-related brain disease and controls

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andronikou, Savvas [University of the Witwatersrand, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town (South Africa); Ackermann, Christelle [University of Stellenbosch, Department of Radiology, Stellenbosch (South Africa); Laughton, Barbara; Cotton, Mark [Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Children' s Hospital, Children' s Infectious Diseases Research Unit, Stellenbosch (South Africa); Tomazos, Nicollette [University of Cape Town, Faculty of Commerce, Department of Management Studies, Cape Town (South Africa); Spottiswoode, Bruce [University of Cape Town, MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, Department of Human Biology, Cape Town (South Africa); Mauff, Katya [University of Cape Town, Department of Statistical Sciences, Cape Town (South Africa); Pettifor, John M. [University of the Witwatersrand, MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Witwatersrand (South Africa)

2015-07-15

Corpus callosum thickness measurement on mid-sagittal MRI may be a surrogate marker of brain volume. This is important for evaluation of diseases causing brain volume gain or loss, such as HIV-related brain disease and HIV encephalopathy. To determine if thickness of the corpus callosum on mid-sagittal MRI is a surrogate marker of brain volume in children with HIV-related brain disease and in controls without HIV. A retrospective MRI analysis in children (<5 years old) with HIV-related brain disease and controls used a custom-developed semi-automated tool, which divided the midline corpus callosum and measured its thickness in multiple locations. Brain volume was determined using volumetric analysis. Overall corpus callosum thickness and thickness of segments of the corpus callosum were correlated with overall and segmented (grey and white matter) brain volume. Forty-four children (33 HIV-infected patients and 11 controls) were included. Significant correlations included overall corpus callosum (mean) and total brain volume (P = 0.05); prefrontal corpus callosum maximum with white matter volume (P = 0.02); premotor corpus callosum mean with total brain volume (P = 0.04) and white matter volume (P = 0.02), premotor corpus callosum maximum with white matter volume (P = 0.02) and sensory corpus callosum mean with total brain volume (P = 0.02). Corpus callosum thickness correlates with brain volume both in HIV-infected patients and controls. (orig.)

Corpus callosum thickness on mid-sagittal MRI as a marker of brain volume: a pilot study in children with HIV-related brain disease and controls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andronikou, Savvas; Ackermann, Christelle; Laughton, Barbara; Cotton, Mark; Tomazos, Nicollette; Spottiswoode, Bruce; Mauff, Katya; Pettifor, John M.

2015-01-01

Corpus callosum thickness measurement on mid-sagittal MRI may be a surrogate marker of brain volume. This is important for evaluation of diseases causing brain volume gain or loss, such as HIV-related brain disease and HIV encephalopathy. To determine if thickness of the corpus callosum on mid-sagittal MRI is a surrogate marker of brain volume in children with HIV-related brain disease and in controls without HIV. A retrospective MRI analysis in children (<5 years old) with HIV-related brain disease and controls used a custom-developed semi-automated tool, which divided the midline corpus callosum and measured its thickness in multiple locations. Brain volume was determined using volumetric analysis. Overall corpus callosum thickness and thickness of segments of the corpus callosum were correlated with overall and segmented (grey and white matter) brain volume. Forty-four children (33 HIV-infected patients and 11 controls) were included. Significant correlations included overall corpus callosum (mean) and total brain volume (P = 0.05); prefrontal corpus callosum maximum with white matter volume (P = 0.02); premotor corpus callosum mean with total brain volume (P = 0.04) and white matter volume (P = 0.02), premotor corpus callosum maximum with white matter volume (P = 0.02) and sensory corpus callosum mean with total brain volume (P = 0.02). Corpus callosum thickness correlates with brain volume both in HIV-infected patients and controls. (orig.)

Annotated chemical patent corpus: a gold standard for text mining.

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Saber A Akhondi

Full Text Available Exploring the chemical and biological space covered by patent applications is crucial in early-stage medicinal chemistry activities. Patent analysis can provide understanding of compound prior art, novelty checking, validation of biological assays, and identification of new starting points for chemical exploration. Extracting chemical and biological entities from patents through manual extraction by expert curators can take substantial amount of time and resources. Text mining methods can help to ease this process. To validate the performance of such methods, a manually annotated patent corpus is essential. In this study we have produced a large gold standard chemical patent corpus. We developed annotation guidelines and selected 200 full patents from the World Intellectual Property Organization, United States Patent and Trademark Office, and European Patent Office. The patents were pre-annotated automatically and made available to four independent annotator groups each consisting of two to ten annotators. The annotators marked chemicals in different subclasses, diseases, targets, and modes of action. Spelling mistakes and spurious line break due to optical character recognition errors were also annotated. A subset of 47 patents was annotated by at least three annotator groups, from which harmonized annotations and inter-annotator agreement scores were derived. One group annotated the full set. The patent corpus includes 400,125 annotations for the full set and 36,537 annotations for the harmonized set. All patents and annotated entities are publicly available at www.biosemantics.org.

A new English–Arabic parallel text corpus for lexicographic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The chosen source texts deal with a variety of topics such as the environment, globalization, psychology, history, politics, drama, etc. Their Arabic translations were taken from The World of Knowledge series published by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) in Kuwait. Keywords: parallel corpus ...

Enemy Combatant Detainees: Habeas Corpus Challenges in Federal Court

Science.gov (United States)

2006-09-26

Separation of Powers Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Eliminating Federal Court Jurisdiction Where There Is No State Court Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 1 542 U.S. 466 (2004). Enemy Combatant Detainees: Habeas Corpus Challenges in Federal Court In Rasul v. Bush,1 a divided Supreme Court declared that “a state

Understanding Depressive Symptoms and Psychosocial Stressors on Twitter: A Corpus-Based Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mowery, Danielle; Smith, Hilary; Cheney, Tyler; Stoddard, Greg; Coppersmith, Glen; Bryan, Craig; Conway, Mike

2017-02-28

With a lifetime prevalence of 16.2%, major depressive disorder is the fifth biggest contributor to the disease burden in the United States. The aim of this study, building on previous work qualitatively analyzing depression-related Twitter data, was to describe the development of a comprehensive annotation scheme (ie, coding scheme) for manually annotating Twitter data with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Edition 5 (DSM 5) major depressive symptoms (eg, depressed mood, weight change, psychomotor agitation, or retardation) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Edition IV (DSM-IV) psychosocial stressors (eg, educational problems, problems with primary support group, housing problems). Using this annotation scheme, we developed an annotated corpus, Depressive Symptom and Psychosocial Stressors Acquired Depression, the SAD corpus, consisting of 9300 tweets randomly sampled from the Twitter application programming interface (API) using depression-related keywords (eg, depressed, gloomy, grief). An analysis of our annotated corpus yielded several key results. First, 72.09% (6829/9473) of tweets containing relevant keywords were nonindicative of depressive symptoms (eg, "we're in for a new economic depression"). Second, the most prevalent symptoms in our dataset were depressed mood and fatigue or loss of energy. Third, less than 2% of tweets contained more than one depression related category (eg, diminished ability to think or concentrate, depressed mood). Finally, we found very high positive correlations between some depression-related symptoms in our annotated dataset (eg, fatigue or loss of energy and educational problems; educational problems and diminished ability to think). We successfully developed an annotation scheme and an annotated corpus, the SAD corpus, consisting of 9300 tweets randomly-selected from the Twitter application programming interface using depression-related keywords. Our analyses suggest that keyword

Deficits in water maze performance and oxidative stress in the hippocampus and striatum induced by extremely low frequency magnetic field exposure.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yonghua Cui

Full Text Available The exposures to extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF in our environment have dramatically increased. Epidemiological studies suggest that there is a possible association between ELF-MF exposure and increased risks of cardiovascular disease, cancers and neurodegenerative disorders. Animal studies show that ELF-MF exposure may interfere with the activity of brain cells, generate behavioral and cognitive disturbances, and produce deficits in attention, perception and spatial learning. Although, many research efforts have been focused on the interaction between ELF-MF exposure and the central nervous system, the mechanism of interaction is still unknown. In this study, we examined the effects of ELF-MF exposure on learning in mice using two water maze tasks and on some parameters indicative of oxidative stress in the hippocampus and striatum. We found that ELF-MF exposure (1 mT, 50 Hz induced serious oxidative stress in the hippocampus and striatum and impaired hippocampal-dependent spatial learning and striatum-dependent habit learning. This study provides evidence for the association between the impairment of learning and the oxidative stress in hippocampus and striatum induced by ELF-MF exposure.

Comorbidity is an independent prognostic factor in women with uterine corpus cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Noer, Mette C; Sperling, Cecilie; Christensen, Ib J

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether comorbidity independently affects overall survival in women with uterine corpus cancer. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: Denmark. STUDY POPULATION: A total of 4244 patients registered in the Danish Gynecologic Cancer database with uterine corpus cancer from 1 January....... RESULTS: Univariate survival analysis showed a significant (p independent prognostic factor with hazard ratios...... ranging from 1.27 to 1.42 in mild, 1.69 to 1.74 in moderate, and 1.72 to 2.48 in severe comorbidity. Performance status was independently associated to overall survival and was found to slightly reduce the prognostic impact of comorbidity. CONCLUSION: Comorbidity is an independent prognostic factor...

Corpus linguistics, systemic functional grammar and literary meaning: a critical analysis of harry potter and the philosopher’s stone Corpus linguistics, systemic functional grammar and literary meaning: a critical analysis of harry potter and the philosopher’s stone

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Andrew Goatly

2008-04-01

Full Text Available The research reported in this paper has two aims. First, to show how corpus linguistics, using word frequency and concordance data, which is then analysed according to transitivity systems of systemic functional grammar (SFG, can be useful to the enterprise of critical linguistics. Second, to investigate to what extent this critical corpus linguistics (CCL gives a valid representation of the meanings and ideologies of a literary text. The hypothesis tested is that semiotic models of communication, in this case of popular children’s literature, with their emphasis on the encoding and decoding of meanings, lend themselves to a corpus linguistics approach. But that, in fact, these mutually reinforcing approaches (SFG and CCL with their reliance on what is encoded as text cannot entirely succeed in accounting for how literature, in particular, is understood and interpreted, and how ideology works within it and behind it. For a richer critical discourse analysis we need a pragmatic account, for example an analysis of presupposition, inference and propositional attitude. The issues here will be discussed in the light of recent debate between Michael Stubbs and Henry Widdowson on the strengths and limitations of corpus linguistics in critical discourse analysis. The research reported in this paper has two aims. First, to show how corpus linguistics, using word frequency and concordance data, which is then analysed according to transitivity systems of systemic functional grammar (SFG, can be useful to the enterprise of critical linguistics. Second, to investigate to what extent this critical corpus linguistics (CCL gives a valid representation of the meanings and ideologies of a literary text. The hypothesis tested is that semiotic models of communication, in this case of popular children’s literature, with their emphasis on the encoding and decoding of meanings, lend themselves to a corpus linguistics approach. But that, in fact, these

Revelando sentidos na prática docente: a abordagem de corpus na análise do discurso Uncovering meanings in pedagogical practice: the corpus approach in discourse analysis

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Vander Viana

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Este artigo discute a viabilidade da utilização de ferramentas da Linguística de Corpus na análise do discurso pedagógico. Para tanto, são apresentados dois estudos de caso. O primeiro focaliza o discurso de professores de língua inglesa de um renomado curso de idiomas do Rio de Janeiro acerca da implementação de recursos tecnológicos na sala de aula. O segundo estudo, por sua vez, busca perceber qual é o posicionamento de professores universitários de literaturas em língua inglesa sobre literatura e seu ensino. Os resultados apontam para a riqueza dos dados contextuais que podem ser depreendidos a partir de uma análise linguística de base empírica. Em última análise, o artigo revela a importância e a flexibilidade da abordagem de corpus na análise do discurso, que pode ser aplicada a inúmeros contextos.This paper discusses the feasibility of using Corpus Linguistics tools in the analysis of pedagogic discourse. For doing this, two case studies are presented. The first one focuses on the discourse of English language teachers of a well-known languages course in Rio de Janeiro about the implementation of technological resources in the classroom. The second study, in its turn, seeks to realize the position held by university professors of literatures in English language with regard to literature and its teaching. The results point out to the richness of contextual data which can be inferred from a linguistic analysis with an empirical basis. All in all, the paper uncovers the importance and flexibility of the corpus approach in discourse analysis, which may be applied to several contexts.

Euphemism vs explicitness: A corpus-based analysis of translated ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article examines the governing initial norms, namely explicitness and euphemism in English source texts and Ndebele translations, focusing on how these norms influenced the strategies chosen by the Ndebele translators in the translation of taboo terms. In the article, a corpus-based approach is used to identify head ...

Identification of Functional Clusters in the Striatum Using Infinite Relational Modeling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Kasper Winther; Madsen, Kristoffer Hougaard; Siebner, Hartwig

2011-01-01

In this paper we investigate how the Infinite Relational Model can be used to infer functional groupings of the human striatum using resting state fMRI data from 30 healthy subjects. The Infinite Relational Model is a non-parametric Bayesian method for infering community structure in complex netw...... and non-links in the graphs as missing. We find that the model is performing well above chance for all subjects....

[Structural change of the corpus callosum fibers in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder: two-year follow-up].

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, C; Qiu, N N; Xiao, T; Xiao, X; Chu, K K; Li, Y; Wu, Q R; Fang, H; Ke, X Y

2017-12-02

Objective: To conduct a follow-up investigation of structural changes of the corpus callosum fibers of toddlers (2 to 5 years of age) with autism spectrum disorder(ASD) and to explore the associations with clinical symptoms. Method: In this prospective randomized controlled study, ASD children who were diagnosed in the Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University from May 2011 to November 2012 were included in the ASD group, and developmentally delayed children were included in the control group (DD group). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data from the two groups were obtained at two age levels: 2-3 years of age, and 4-5 years of age. Region of interest analysis was applied to assess characteristic values of total area and sub-regions of corpus callosum: the fraction anisotropy (FA), the mean diffusivity (MD), the radial diffusivity (RD) and the axial diffusivity (AD). All children were assessed using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC). The characteristic values of total area and sub-regions of corpus callosum of ASD group at two age levels were analyzed by paired sample t test; the characteristic values of total area and sub-regions of corpus callosum of ASD group and DD group were analyzed by independent-sample t test; the correlations between FA values of the total area and sub-regions of corpus callosum and ADI-R or ATEC scores were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis. Result: Forty cases meeting inclusion criteria were enrolled in ASD group, and 31 eligible cases were enrolled in the control group. Four children in the ASD group were lost to follow-up, and 5 children in the control group were lost to follow-up. Longitudinal comparison between the two age subgroups of ASD patients showed that the FA values of the total corpus callosum increased (0.499 55±0.027 59 vs . 0.505 83±0.086 64, t= 4.88, P 0.05 for all comparisons); as compared

Efferent projections of the dorsal ventricular ridge and the striatum in the Tegu lizard. Tupinambis nigropunctatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Voneida, T J; Sligar, C M

1979-07-01

A H3 proline-leucine mixture was injected into the dorsal ventricular ridge (DVR) and striatum of the Tegu lizard in order to determine their efferent projections. The brains were processed according to standard radioautographic technique, and counterstained with cresyl violet. DVR projections were generally restricted to the telencephalon, while striatal projections were limited to diencephalic and mesencephalic structures. Thus the anterior DVR projects ipsilaterally to nuclei sphericus and lateralis amygdalae, striatum (ipsilateral and contralateral) ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, nucleus accumbens, anterior olfactory nucleus, nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract and lateral pallium. Posterior DVR projections enter ipsilateral anterior olfactory nucleus, lateral and interstitial amygdalar nuclei, olfactory tubercle and bulb, nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract and a zone surrounding the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus. Labeled axons from striatal injections pass caudally in the lateral forebrain bundle to enter (via dorsal peduncle) nuclei dorsomedialis, medialis posterior, entopeduncularis anterior, and a zone surrounding nucleus rotundus. Others join the ventral peduncle of LFB and enter ventromedial nucleus (thalami), while the remaining fibers continue caudally in the ventral peduncle to the mesencephalic prerubral field, central gray, substantia nigra, nucleus intercollicularis, reticular formation and pretectal nucleus posterodorsalis. These results are discussed in relation to the changing notions regarding terminology, classification and functions of dorsl ventricular ridge and striatum.

A cascade of morphogenic signaling initiated by the meninges controls corpus callosum formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Choe, Youngshik; Siegenthaler, Julie A; Pleasure, Samuel J

2012-02-23

The corpus callosum is the most prominent commissural connection between the cortical hemispheres, and numerous neurodevelopmental disorders are associated with callosal agenesis. By using mice either with meningeal overgrowth or selective loss of meninges, we have identified a cascade of morphogenic signals initiated by the meninges that regulates corpus callosum development. The meninges produce BMP7, an inhibitor of callosal axon outgrowth. This activity is overcome by the induction of expression of Wnt3 by the callosal pathfinding neurons, which antagonize the inhibitory effects of BMP7. Wnt3 expression in the cingulate callosal pathfinding axons is developmentally regulated by another BMP family member, GDF5, which is produced by the adjacent Cajal-Retzius neurons and turns on before outgrowth of the callosal axons. The effects of GDF5 are in turn under the control of a soluble GDF5 inhibitor, Dan, made by the meninges. Thus, the meninges and medial neocortex use a cascade of signals to regulate corpus callosum development. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identifying biological concepts from a protein-related corpus with a probabilistic topic model

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Lu Xinghua

2006-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Biomedical literature, e.g., MEDLINE, contains a wealth of knowledge regarding functions of proteins. Major recurring biological concepts within such text corpora represent the domains of this body of knowledge. The goal of this research is to identify the major biological topics/concepts from a corpus of protein-related MEDLINE© titles and abstracts by applying a probabilistic topic model. Results The latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA model was applied to the corpus. Based on the Bayesian model selection, 300 major topics were extracted from the corpus. The majority of identified topics/concepts was found to be semantically coherent and most represented biological objects or concepts. The identified topics/concepts were further mapped to the controlled vocabulary of the Gene Ontology (GO terms based on mutual information. Conclusion The major and recurring biological concepts within a collection of MEDLINE documents can be extracted by the LDA model. The identified topics/concepts provide parsimonious and semantically-enriched representation of the texts in a semantic space with reduced dimensionality and can be used to index text.

Lentivirus-mediated delivery of sonic hedgehog into the striatum stimulates neuroregeneration in a rat model of Parkinson disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yi; Dong, Weiren; Guo, Suiqun; Zhao, Shu; He, Suifen; Zhang, Lihua; Tang, Yinjuan; Wang, Haihong

2014-12-01

Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder in which the nigrostriatal pathway, consisting of dopaminergic neuronal projections from the substantia nigra to the striatum, degenerates. Viral transduction is currently the most promising in vivo strategy for delivery of therapeutic proteins into the brain for treatment of PD. Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is necessary for cell proliferation, differentiation and neuroprotection in the central nervous system. In this study, we investigated the effects of overexpressed N-terminal product of SHH (SHH-N) in a PD model rat. A lentiviral vector containing SHH-N was stereotactically injected into the striatum 24 h after a striatal 6-OHDA lesion. We found that overexpressed SHH-N attenuated behavioral deficits and reduced the loss of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra and the loss of dopamine fibers in the striatum. In addition, fluoro-ruby-labeled nigrostriatal projections were also repaired. Together, our results demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy of using the strategy of lentivirus-mediated Shh-N delivery to delay nigrostriatal pathway degeneration. This strategy holds the potential for therapeutic application in the treatment of PD.

Assessment of disease named entity recognition on a corpus of annotated sentences.

Science.gov (United States)

Jimeno, Antonio; Jimenez-Ruiz, Ernesto; Lee, Vivian; Gaudan, Sylvain; Berlanga, Rafael; Rebholz-Schuhmann, Dietrich

2008-04-11

In recent years, the recognition of semantic types from the biomedical scientific literature has been focused on named entities like protein and gene names (PGNs) and gene ontology terms (GO terms). Other semantic types like diseases have not received the same level of attention. Different solutions have been proposed to identify disease named entities in the scientific literature. While matching the terminology with language patterns suffers from low recall (e.g., Whatizit) other solutions make use of morpho-syntactic features to better cover the full scope of terminological variability (e.g., MetaMap). Currently, MetaMap that is provided from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) is the state of the art solution for the annotation of concepts from UMLS (Unified Medical Language System) in the literature. Nonetheless, its performance has not yet been assessed on an annotated corpus. In addition, little effort has been invested so far to generate an annotated dataset that links disease entities in text to disease entries in a database, thesaurus or ontology and that could serve as a gold standard to benchmark text mining solutions. As part of our research work, we have taken a corpus that has been delivered in the past for the identification of associations of genes to diseases based on the UMLS Metathesaurus and we have reprocessed and re-annotated the corpus. We have gathered annotations for disease entities from two curators, analyzed their disagreement (0.51 in the kappa-statistic) and composed a single annotated corpus for public use. Thereafter, three solutions for disease named entity recognition including MetaMap have been applied to the corpus to automatically annotate it with UMLS Metathesaurus concepts. The resulting annotations have been benchmarked to compare their performance. The annotated corpus is publicly available at ftp://ftp.ebi.ac.uk/pub/software/textmining/corpora/diseases and can serve as a benchmark to other systems. In addition, we found

Light-controlled relaxation of the rat penile corpus cavernosum using NOBL-1, a novel nitric oxide releaser

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Yuji Hotta

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To investigate whether relaxation of the rat penile corpus cavernosum could be controlled with NOBL-1, a novel, lightcontrollable nitric oxide (NO releaser. Materials and Methods: Fifteen-week-old male Wistar-ST rats were used. The penile corpus cavernosum was prepared and used in an isometric tension study. After noradrenaline (10−5 M achieved precontraction, the penile corpus cavernosum was irradiated by light (470–500 nm with and without NOBL-1 (10−6 M. In addition, we noted rats’ responses to light with vardenafil (10−6 M, a phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5 inhibitor. Next, responses to light in the presence of a guanylate cyclase inhibitor, ODQ (1H-[1,2,4] oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (10−5 M, were measured. All measurements were performed in pretreated L-NAME (10−4 M conditions to inhibit endogenous NO production. Results: Corpus cavernosal smooth muscle, precontracted with noradrenaline, was unchanged by light irradiation in the absence of NOBL-1. However, in the presence of NOBL-1, corpus cavernosal smooth muscle, precontracted with noradrenaline, relaxed in response to light irradiation. After blue light irradiation ceased, tension returned. In addition, the light response was obviously enhanced in the presence of a PDE-5 inhibitor. Conclusions: This study showed that rat corpus cavernosal smooth muscle relaxation can be light-controlled using NOBL-1, a novel, light sensitive NO releaser. Though further in vivo studies are needed to investigate possible usefulness, NOBL-1 may be prove to be a useful tool for erectile dysfunction therapy, specifically in the field of penile rehabilitation.

A Corpus-Based Comparative Study of "Learn" and "Acquire"

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Bei

2016-01-01

As an important yet intricate linguistic feature in English language, synonymy poses a great challenge for second language learners. Using the 100 million-word British National Corpus (BNC) as data and the software Sketch Engine (SkE) as an analyzing tool, this article compares the usage of "learn" and "acquire" used in natural…

The Dependency Structure of Coordinate Phrases: A Corpus Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Temperley, David

2005-01-01

Hudson (1990) proposes that each conjunct in a coordinate phrase forms dependency relations with heads or dependents outside the coordinate phrase (the "multi-head" view). This proposal is tested through corpus analysis of Wall Street Journal text. For right-branching constituents (such as direct-object NPs), a short-long preference for conjunct…

Rab proteins in the brain and corpus allatum of Bombyx mori.

Science.gov (United States)

Uno, Tomohide; Furutani, Masayuki; Watanabe, Chihiro; Sakamoto, Katsuhiko; Uno, Yuichi; Kanamaru, Kengo; Yamagata, Hiroshi; Mizoguchi, Akira; Takeda, Makio

2016-07-01

In eukaryotic cells, Rab guanosine triphosphate-ases serve as key regulators of membrane-trafficking events, such as exocytosis and endocytosis. Rab3, Rab6, and Rab27 control the regulatory secretory pathway of neuropeptides and neurotransmitters. The cDNAs of Rab3, Rab6, and Rab27 from B. mori were inserted into a plasmid, transformed into Escherichia coli, and then subsequently purified. We then produced antibodies against Rab3, Rab6, and Rab27 of Bombyx mori in rabbits and rats for use in western immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Western immunoblotting of brain tissue revealed a single band at approximately 26 kDa. Immunohistochemistry results revealed that Rab3, Rab6, and Rab27 expression was restricted to neurons in the pars intercerebralis and dorsolateral protocerebrum of the brain. Rab3 and Rab6 co-localized with bombyxin, an insect neuropeptide. However, there was no Rab that co-localized with prothoracicotropic hormone. The corpus allatum secretes neuropeptides synthesized in the brain into the hemolymph. Results showed that Rab3 and Rab6 co-localized with bombyxin in the corpus allatum. These findings suggest that Rab3 and Rab6 are involved in neurosecretion in B. mori. This study is the first to report a possible relationship between Rab and neurosecretion in the insect corpus allatum.

From Business Corpus to Business Lexicon*

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Lan

2011-10-01

Full Text Available

Abstract: Language corpora are now indispensable to dictionary compilation. They help broaden the role of the dictionary from standardizing the vocabulary to recording a language. The trilingual corpus generated by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University gives a record of business languages used in Hong Kong. It differs from other corpora in that (1 it includes English, Chinese and Japanese; (2 it shows local characteristics; and (3 it focuses on a specific area (financial services, including banking, accounting, auditing, insurance and investment. The paper discusses various issues of setting up a tricorpus, and how to make full use of the data to generate a trilingual lexicon.

Keywords: MULTILINGUAL, SPECIAL PURPOSE, CORPUS, LEXICON

Opsomming: Van sakekorpus tot sakeleksikon. Taalkorpora is tans onontbeerlik virdie samestelling van woordeboeke. Hulle help om die rol van die woordeboek uit te brei vanaf diestandaardisering van die woordeskat tot die optekening van ‘n taal. Die drietalige korpus wat deurdie Hongkongse Politegniese Universiteit ontwikkel is, verskaf ‘n opgawe van die saketale wat inHongkong gebruik word. Dit verskil van ander korpora deurdat (1 dit Engels, Chinees and Japaneesinsluit; (2 dit plaaslike eienskappe vertoon; en (3 dit op 'n spesifieke gebied (finansiële dienste,insluitende bankwese, rekeningkunde, ouditering, versekering en belegging fokus. Die artikelbespreek verskillende aspekte van die totstandbrenging van 'n drietalige korpus, en hoe om vollegebruik te maak van die data om 'n drietalige leksikon te genereer.

Sleutelwoorde: MEERTALIG, SPESIALE DOEL, KORPUS, LEKSIKON

Touching the Void - Introducing CoST: Corpus of Social Touch

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jung, Merel M.; Poppe, Ronald; Poel, Mannes; Heylen, Dirk K. J.

2014-01-01

Touch behavior is of great importance during social interaction. To transfer the tactile modality from interpersonal interaction to other areas such as Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) and remote communication automatic recognition of social touch is necessary. This paper introduces CoST: Corpus of

The Danish NOMCO Corpus Multimodal Interaction in First Acquaintance Conversations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paggio, Patrizia; Navarretta, Costanza

2016-01-01

, specifically head movements, facial expressions, and body posture. The corpus has served as the empirical basis for a number of studies of communication phenomena related to turn management, feedback exchange, information packaging and the expression of emotional attitudes. We describe the annotation scheme...

Abnormal white matter integrity in the corpus callosum among smokers: tract-based spatial statistics.

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Wakako Umene-Nakano

Full Text Available In the present study, we aimed to investigate the difference in white matter between smokers and nonsmokers. In addition, we examined relationships between white matter integrity and nicotine dependence parameters in smoking subjects. Nineteen male smokers were enrolled in this study. Eighteen age-matched non-smokers with no current or past psychiatric history were included as controls. Diffusion tensor imaging scans were performed, and the analysis was conducted using a tract-based special statistics approach. Compared with nonsmokers, smokers exhibited a significant decrease in fractional anisotropy (FA throughout the whole corpus callosum. There were no significant differences in radial diffusivity or axial diffusivity between the two groups. There was a significant negative correlation between FA in the whole corpus callosum and the amount of tobacco use (cigarettes/day; R = - 0.580, p = 0.023. These results suggest that the corpus callosum may be one of the key areas influenced by chronic smoking.

Glucose Injections into the Dorsal Hippocampus or Dorsolateral Striatum of Rats Prior to T-Maze Training: Modulation of Learning Rates and Strategy Selection

Science.gov (United States)

Canal, Clinton E.; Stutz, Sonja J.; Gold, Paul E.

2005-01-01

The present experiments examined the effects of injecting glucose into the dorsal hippocampus or dorsolateral striatum on learning rates and on strategy selection in rats trained on a T-maze that can be solved by using either a hippocampus-sensitive place or striatum-sensitive response strategy. Percentage strategy selection on a probe trial…

Integrated regulation of AMPA glutamate receptor phosphorylation in the striatum by dopamine and acetylcholine.

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Bing; Chen, Elton C; He, Nan; Jin, Dao-Zhong; Mao, Li-Min; Wang, John Q

2017-01-01

Dopamine (DA) and acetylcholine (ACh) signals converge onto protein kinase A (PKA) in medium spiny neurons of the striatum to control cellular and synaptic activities of these neurons, although underlying molecular mechanisms are less clear. Here we measured phosphorylation of the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid receptor (AMPAR) at a PKA site (S845) as an indicator of AMPAR responses in adult rat brains in vivo to explore how DA and ACh interact to modulate AMPARs. We found that subtype-selective activation of DA D1 receptors (D1Rs), D2 receptors (D2Rs), or muscarinic M4 receptors (M4Rs) induced specific patterns of GluA1 S845 responses in the striatum. These defined patterns support a local multitransmitter interaction model in which D2Rs inhibited an intrinsic inhibitory element mediated by M4Rs to enhance the D1R efficacy in modulating AMPARs. Consistent with this, selective enhancement of M4R activity by a positive allosteric modulator resumed the cholinergic inhibition of D1Rs. In addition, D1R and D2R coactivation recruited GluA1 and PKA preferentially to extrasynaptic sites. In sum, our in vivo data support an existence of a dynamic DA-ACh balance in the striatum which actively modulates GluA1 AMPAR phosphorylation and trafficking. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Ionotropic glutamate receptors'. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functional inactivation of dorsal medial striatum alters behavioral flexibility and recognition process in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiao, Yanhua; Wang, Xingyue; Ma, Lian; Li, Shengguang; Liang, Jing

2017-10-01

Deficits in behavioral flexibility and recognition memory are commonly observed in mental illnesses and neurodegenerative diseases. Abnormality of the striatum has been implicated in an association with the pathology of these diseases. However, the exact roles of striatal heterogeneous structures in these cognitive functions are still unknown. In the present study, we investigated the effects of suppressing neuronal activity in the dorsomedial striatum (DMStr) and nucleus accumbens core (NAcC) on reversal learning and novelty recognition in mice. In addition, the locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior and social interaction were analyzed. Neuronal inactivation was performed by expressing lentivirus-mediated tetanus toxin (TeNT) in the target regions. The results showed that reversal learning was facilitated by neuronal inactivation in the DMStr but not the NAcC, which was attributable to accelerated extinction of acquired strategy but not to impaired memory retention. Furthermore, mice with NAcC inactivation spent more time exploring a novel object than a familiar one, comparable to control mice. In contrast, mice with DMStr inactivation exhibited no preference to a novel environment during the novel object or place recognition test. The DMStr mice also exhibited decreased anxiety level. No phenotypic effect was observed in the locomotion or social interaction in mice with either DMStr or NAcC inactivation. Altogether, these findings suggest that the DMStr but not the ventral area of the striatum plays a crucial role in learning and memory by coordinating spatial exploration as well as mediating information updating. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

AUTOMATIC RETRIEVAL AND THE FORMALIZATION OF MULTI WORDS EXPRESSIONS WITH F-WORDS IN THE CORPUS OF CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN ENGLISH

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Prihantoro Prihantoro

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The research problems in this research are 1 how lexicogrammar takes role in determining polarity of F-Word1 and 2 how to formalize it for corpus processing. The data is obtained from the Contemporary American English Corpus (COCA. In this corpus, F-word is proven to be highest in frequency as compared to its distribution across corpora. Corpus methodology is applied by sending queries to retrieve F-Words to COCA interface. Tokens combination surrounding F-words resulted in the phrase and clause unit accompanying F-words, which are significant cues to determine F-word polarity. The polarity is later proven to be not necessarily negative. I also designed a computational resource to allow the retrieval of F-words offline so that users might apply it to any digital text collections.

The VGLC: The Video Game Level Corpus

OpenAIRE

Summerville, Adam James; Snodgrass, Sam; Mateas, Michael; Ontañón, Santiago

2016-01-01

Levels are a key component of many different video games, and a large body of work has been produced on how to procedurally generate game levels. Recently, Machine Learning techniques have been applied to video game level generation towards the purpose of automatically generating levels that have the properties of the training corpus. Towards that end we have made available a corpora of video game levels in an easy to parse format ideal for different machine learning and other game AI researc...

Defining Formats and Corpus- based Examples in the General ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

rbr

Institute, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe (langa@arts.uz.ac.zw). Abstract: In this article the writer ... sentative" in terms of size in order to be appropriately used as basis for such corpus-based diction- aries, the ISN editors .... (e) the format should suggest a preference rather than a restriction. For COBUILD, a good ...

Hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with agenesis of the corpus callosum.

Science.gov (United States)

Dupré, Nicolas; Howard, Heidi C; Mathieu, Jean; Karpati, George; Vanasse, Michel; Bouchard, Jean-Pierre; Carpenter, Stirling; Rouleau, Guy A

2003-07-01

Hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy associated with agenesis of the corpus callosum (OMIM 218000) is an autosomal recessive disease of early onset characterized by a delay in developmental milestones, a severe sensory-motor polyneuropathy with areflexia, a variable degree of agenesis of the corpus callosum, amyotrophy, hypotonia, and cognitive impairment. Although this disorder has rarely been reported worldwide, it has a high prevalence in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region of the province of Quebec (Canada) predominantly because of a founder effect. The gene defect responsible for this disorder recently has been identified, and it is a protein-truncating mutation in the SLC12A6 gene, which codes for a cotransporter protein known as KCC3. Herein, we provide the first extensive review of this disorder, covering epidemiological, clinical, and molecular genetic studies.

Transpositions Within User-Posted YouTube Lyric Videos: A Corpus Study

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Joseph Plazak

2016-07-01

Full Text Available There are many practical reasons why experiences of a given musical work tend to be heard repeatedly at the same pitch transposition level, especially recordings of musical works. Yet here, a corpus study is presented that challenges this very basic assumption of music perception. In 2011, an initial corpus of 100 user-posted YouTube videos was collected in order to investigate the prevalence of transposition and tempo alterations within these videos. Results found 42% of these videos contained nominal changes of pitch (36% and/or tempo (22%. Using the same methodology, a follow-up study was performed in 2015 and found only that 24% of user-posted videos contained these same alterations. Implications for these observations are discussed in light of musical communication models, YouTubeology, and absolute pitch memory.

Using the Corpus of Spoken Afrikaans to generate an Afrikaans ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper presents two chatbot systems, ALICE and. Elizabeth, illustrating the dialogue knowledge representation and pattern matching techniques of each. We discuss the problems which arise when using the. Corpus of Spoken Afrikaans (Korpus Gesproke Afrikaans) to retrain the ALICE chatbot system with human ...

Different involvement of medial prefrontal cortex and dorso-lateral striatum in automatic and controlled processing of a future conditioned stimulus.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Díaz, Francisco; Díaz, Estrella; Sánchez, Natividad; Vargas, Juan Pedro; Pearce, John M; López, Juan Carlos

2017-01-01

Recent studies support the idea that stimulus processing in latent inhibition can vary during the course of preexposure. Controlled attentional mechanisms are said to be important in the early stages of preexposure, while in later stages animals adopt automatic processing of the stimulus to be used for conditioning. Given this distinction, it is possible that both types of processing are governed by different neural systems, affecting differentially the retrieval of information about the stimulus. In the present study we tested if a lesion to the dorso-lateral striatum or to the medial prefrontal cortex has a selective effect on exposure to the future conditioned stimulus (CS). With this aim, animals received different amounts of exposure to the future CS. The results showed that a lesion to the medial prefrontal cortex enhanced latent inhibition in animals receiving limited preexposure to the CS, but had no effect in animals receiving extended preexposure to the CS. The lesion of the dorso-lateral striatum produced a decrease in latent inhibition, but only in animals with an extended exposure to the future conditioned stimulus. These results suggest that the dorsal striatum and medial prefrontal cortex play essential roles in controlled and automatic processes. Automatic attentional processes appear to be impaired by a lesion to the dorso-lateral striatum and facilitated by a lesion to the prefrontal cortex.

Then and now: A reconsideration of the first corpus of scientific English

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John M. Swales

2004-10-01

Full Text Available The subtitle of Huddleston (1971 reads A syntactic study based on an analysis of scientific texts; this volume thus represents the first carefully designed and substantial corpus of scientific English. In this paper I re-examine a selection of his findings based on the science and engineering half of Hyland's corpus of 240 research articles. Features selected were variation in the passivization of individual transitive verbs, the paucity of instances of V + V-ing structures like "He continued working", and the meaning of the modal must in research prose. In all three cases, Huddleston's findings were largely confirmed in a database constructed about 35 years later, thus suggesting that English research writing in the sciences is, at least in grammatical terms, fundamentally stable. In the closing section, I contrast this linguistic stability with the rapid technological development of corpus linguistics. I instance a recent co-taught experimental course in which international senior doctoral students from the health and social sciences were able, with relatively little training and guidance, to construct paired corpora of their own research writings and of published articles from their own specialities and then conduct precisely the kinds of analysis that only a highly professional linguist could, with considerable more labour, conduct nearly forty years ago.

Corpus callosum atrophy is associated with mental slowing and executive deficits in subjects with age-related white matter hyperintensities: the LADIS Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jokinen, Hanna; Ryberg, Charlotte; Kalska, Hely

2007-01-01

BACKGROUND: Previous research has indicated that corpus callosum atrophy is associated with global cognitive decline in neurodegenerative diseases, but few studies have investigated specific cognitive functions. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of regional corpus callosum atrophy in mental speed...... of the total corpus callosum area and its subregions with cognitive performance were analysed using multiple linear regression, controlling for volume of WMH and other confounding factors. RESULTS: Atrophy of the total corpus callosum area was associated with poor performance in tests assessing speed of mental...... processing--namely, trail making A and Stroop test parts I and II. Anterior, but not posterior, corpus callosum atrophy was associated with deficits of attention and executive functions as reflected by the symbol digit modalities and digit cancellation tests, as well as by the subtraction scores in the trail...

Corpus callosum atrophy is associated with mental slowing and executive deficits in subjects with age-related white matter hyperintensities. The LADIS study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jokinen, Hanne; Ryberg, Charlotte; Stegmann, Mikkel Bille

2007-01-01

Background: Previous research has indicated that corpus callosum atrophy is associated with global cognitive decline in neurodegenerative diseases, but few studies have investigated specific cognitive functions. Objective: To investigate the role of regional corpus callosum atrophy in mental speed...... of the total corpus callosum area and its subregions with cognitive performance were analysed using multiple linear regression, controlling for volume of WMH and other confounding factors. Results: Atrophy of the total corpus callosum area was associated with poor performance in tests assessing speed of mental...... processing - namely, trail making A and Stroop test parts I and II. Anterior, but not posterior, corpus callosum atrophy was associated with deficits of attention and executive functions as reflected by the symbol digit modalities and digit cancellation tests, as well as by the subtraction scores...

Subsecond dopamine fluctuations in human striatum encode superposed error signals about actual and counterfactual reward

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Kishida, Kenneth T.; Saez, Ignacio; Lohrenz, Terry; Witcher, Mark R.; Laxton, Adrian W.; Tatter, Stephen B.; White, Jason P.; Ellis, Thomas L.; Phillips, Paul E. M.; Montague, P. Read

2016-01-01

In the mammalian brain, dopamine is a critical neuromodulator whose actions underlie learning, decision-making, and behavioral control. Degeneration of dopamine neurons causes Parkinson’s disease, whereas dysregulation of dopamine signaling is believed to contribute to psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, addiction, and depression. Experiments in animal models suggest the hypothesis that dopamine release in human striatum encodes reward prediction errors (RPEs) (the difference between actual and expected outcomes) during ongoing decision-making. Blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) imaging experiments in humans support the idea that RPEs are tracked in the striatum; however, BOLD measurements cannot be used to infer the action of any one specific neurotransmitter. We monitored dopamine levels with subsecond temporal resolution in humans (n = 17) with Parkinson’s disease while they executed a sequential decision-making task. Participants placed bets and experienced monetary gains or losses. Dopamine fluctuations in the striatum fail to encode RPEs, as anticipated by a large body of work in model organisms. Instead, subsecond dopamine fluctuations encode an integration of RPEs with counterfactual prediction errors, the latter defined by how much better or worse the experienced outcome could have been. How dopamine fluctuations combine the actual and counterfactual is unknown. One possibility is that this process is the normal behavior of reward processing dopamine neurons, which previously had not been tested by experiments in animal models. Alternatively, this superposition of error terms may result from an additional yet-to-be-identified subclass of dopamine neurons. PMID:26598677

Phosphodiesterase-9 (PDE9) inhibition with BAY 73-6691 increases corpus cavernosum relaxations mediated by nitric oxide-cyclic GMP pathway in mice.

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da Silva, F H; Pereira, M N; Franco-Penteado, C F; De Nucci, G; Antunes, E; Claudino, M A

2013-01-01

Phosphodiesterase-9 (PDE9) specifically hydrolyzes cyclic GMP, and was detected in human corpus cavernosum. However, no previous studies explored the selective PDE9 inhibition with BAY 73-6691 in corpus cavernosum relaxations. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the PDE9 mRNA expression in mice corpus cavernosum, and investigate the effects of BAY 73-6691 in endothelium-dependent and -independent relaxations, along with the nitrergic corpus cavernosum relaxations. Male mice received daily gavage of BAY 73-6691 (or dimethylsulfoxide) at 3 mg kg(-1) per day for 21 days. Relaxant responses to acetylcholine (ACh), nitric oxide (NO) (as acidified sodium nitrite; NaNO2 solution), sildenafil and electrical-field stimulation (EFS) were obtained in corpus cavernosum in control and BAY 73-6691-treated mice. BAY 73-6691 was also added in vitro 30 min before construction of concentration-responses and frequency curves. PDE9A and PDE5 mRNA expression was detected in the mice corpus cavernosum in a similar manner. In vitro addition of BAY 73-6691 neither itself relaxed mice corpus cavernosum nor changed the NaNO2, sildenafil and EFS-induced relaxations. However, in mice treated chronically with BAY 73-6691, the potency (pEC50) values for ACh, NaNO2 and sildenafil were significantly greater compared with control group. The maximal responses (Emax) to NaNO2 and sildenafil were also significantly greater in BAY 73-6691-treated mice. BAY 73-6691 treatment also significantly increased the magnitude and duration of the nitrergic corpus cavernosum relaxations (8-32 Hz). In conclusion, murine corpus cavernosum expresses PDE9 mRNA. Prolonged PDE9 inhibition with BAY 73-6691 amplifies the NO-cGMP-mediated cavernosal responses, and may be of therapeutic value for erectile dysfunction.

A corpus of full-text journal articles is a robust evaluation tool for revealing differences in performance of biomedical natural language processing tools.

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Verspoor, Karin; Cohen, Kevin Bretonnel; Lanfranchi, Arrick; Warner, Colin; Johnson, Helen L; Roeder, Christophe; Choi, Jinho D; Funk, Christopher; Malenkiy, Yuriy; Eckert, Miriam; Xue, Nianwen; Baumgartner, William A; Bada, Michael; Palmer, Martha; Hunter, Lawrence E

2012-08-17

We introduce the linguistic annotation of a corpus of 97 full-text biomedical publications, known as the Colorado Richly Annotated Full Text (CRAFT) corpus. We further assess the performance of existing tools for performing sentence splitting, tokenization, syntactic parsing, and named entity recognition on this corpus. Many biomedical natural language processing systems demonstrated large differences between their previously published results and their performance on the CRAFT corpus when tested with the publicly available models or rule sets. Trainable systems differed widely with respect to their ability to build high-performing models based on this data. The finding that some systems were able to train high-performing models based on this corpus is additional evidence, beyond high inter-annotator agreement, that the quality of the CRAFT corpus is high. The overall poor performance of various systems indicates that considerable work needs to be done to enable natural language processing systems to work well when the input is full-text journal articles. The CRAFT corpus provides a valuable resource to the biomedical natural language processing community for evaluation and training of new models for biomedical full text publications.

A multivariate surface-based analysis of the putamen in premature newborns: regional differences within the ventral striatum.

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Jie Shi

Full Text Available Many children born preterm exhibit frontal executive dysfunction, behavioral problems including attentional deficit/hyperactivity disorder and attention related learning disabilities. Anomalies in regional specificity of cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuits may underlie deficits in these disorders. Nonspecific volumetric deficits of striatal structures have been documented in these subjects, but little is known about surface deformation in these structures. For the first time, here we found regional surface morphological differences in the preterm neonatal ventral striatum. We performed regional group comparisons of the surface anatomy of the striatum (putamen and globus pallidus between 17 preterm and 19 term-born neonates at term-equivalent age. We reconstructed striatal surfaces from manually segmented brain magnetic resonance images and analyzed them using our in-house conformal mapping program. All surfaces were registered to a template with a new surface fluid registration method. Vertex-based statistical comparisons between the two groups were performed via four methods: univariate and multivariate tensor-based morphometry, the commonly used medial axis distance, and a combination of the last two statistics. We found statistically significant differences in regional morphology between the two groups that are consistent across statistics, but more extensive for multivariate measures. Differences were localized to the ventral aspect of the striatum. In particular, we found abnormalities in the preterm anterior/inferior putamen, which is interconnected with the medial orbital/prefrontal cortex and the midline thalamic nuclei including the medial dorsal nucleus and pulvinar. These findings support the hypothesis that the ventral striatum is vulnerable, within the cortico-stiato-thalamo-cortical neural circuitry, which may underlie the risk for long-term development of frontal executive dysfunction, attention deficit hyperactivity

Art for reward's sake: visual art recruits the ventral striatum.

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Lacey, Simon; Hagtvedt, Henrik; Patrick, Vanessa M; Anderson, Amy; Stilla, Randall; Deshpande, Gopikrishna; Hu, Xiaoping; Sato, João R; Reddy, Srinivas; Sathian, K

2011-03-01

A recent study showed that people evaluate products more positively when they are physically associated with art images than similar non-art images. Neuroimaging studies of visual art have investigated artistic style and esthetic preference but not brain responses attributable specifically to the artistic status of images. Here we tested the hypothesis that the artistic status of images engages reward circuitry, using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during viewing of art and non-art images matched for content. Subjects made animacy judgments in response to each image. Relative to non-art images, art images activated, on both subject- and item-wise analyses, reward-related regions: the ventral striatum, hypothalamus and orbitofrontal cortex. Neither response times nor ratings of familiarity or esthetic preference for art images correlated significantly with activity that was selective for art images, suggesting that these variables were not responsible for the art-selective activations. Investigation of effective connectivity, using time-varying, wavelet-based, correlation-purged Granger causality analyses, further showed that the ventral striatum was driven by visual cortical regions when viewing art images but not non-art images, and was not driven by regions that correlated with esthetic preference for either art or non-art images. These findings are consistent with our hypothesis, leading us to propose that the appeal of visual art involves activation of reward circuitry based on artistic status alone and independently of its hedonic value. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ventral striatum and amygdala activity as convergence sites for early adversity and conduct disorder

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Holz, N.E.; Boecker-Schlier, R.; Buchmann, A.F.; Blomeyer, D.; Jennen-Steinmetz, C.; Baumeister, S.; Plichta, M.M.; Cattrell, A.; Schumann, G.; Esser, G.; Schmidt, M.; Buitelaar, J.K.; Meyer-Lindenberg, A.; Banaschewski, T.; Brandeis, D.; Laucht, M.

2017-01-01

Childhood family adversity (CFA) increases the risk for conduct disorder (CD) and has been associated with alterations in regions of affective processing like ventral striatum (VS) and amygdala. However, no study so far has demonstrated neural converging effects of CFA and CD in the same sample. At

Stress Induces a Shift Towards Striatum-Dependent Stimulus-Response Learning via the Mineralocorticoid Receptor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vogel, S.; Klumpers, F.; Navarro Schröder, T.; Oplaat, K.T.; Krugers, H.J.; Oitzl, M.S.; Joëls, M.; Doeller, C.F.; Fernández, G.

2017-01-01

Stress is assumed to cause a shift from flexible 'cognitive' memory to more rigid 'habit' memory. In the spatial memory domain, stress impairs place learning depending on the hippocampus whereas stimulus-response learning based on the striatum appears to be improved. While the neural basis of this

Stress induces a shift towards striatum-dependent stimulus-response learning via the mineralocorticoid receptor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vogel, S.; Klumpers, F.; Navarro Schröder, T.; Oplaat, K.T.; Krugers, H.J.; Oitzl, M.S.; Joëls, M.; Doeller, C.F.; Fernandez, G.

2017-01-01

Stress is assumed to cause a shift from flexible 'cognitive' memory to more rigid 'habit' memory. In the spatial memory domain, stress impairs place learning depending on the hippocampus whereas stimulus-response learning based on the striatum appears to be improved. While the neural basis of this

Stress Induces a Shift Towards Striatum-Dependent Stimulus-Response Learning via the Mineralocorticoid Receptor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vogel, Susanne; Klumpers, Floris; Schroeder, Tobias Navarro; Oplaat, Krista T.; Krugers, Harm J.; Oitzl, Melly S.; Joels, Marian; Doeller, Christian F.; Fernandez, Guillen

Stress is assumed to cause a shift from flexible 'cognitive' memory to more rigid 'habit' memory. In the spatial memory domain, stress impairs place learning depending on the hippocampus whereas stimulus-response learning based on the striatum appears to be improved. While the neural basis of this

Assessing the Lexico-Grammatical Characteristics of a Corpus of College-Level Statistics Textbooks: Implications for Instruction and Practice

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Wagler, Amy E.; Lesser, Lawrence M.; González, Ariel I.; Leal, Luis

2015-01-01

A corpus of current editions of statistics textbooks was assessed to compare aspects and levels of readability for the topics of "measures of center," "line of fit," "regression analysis," and "regression inference." Analysis with lexical software of these text selections revealed that the large corpus can…

Connexin31.1 deficiency in the mouse impairs object memory and modulates open-field exploration, acetylcholine esterase levels in the striatum, and cAMP response element-binding protein levels in the striatum and piriform cortex.

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Dere, E; Zheng-Fischhöfer, Q; Viggiano, D; Gironi Carnevale, U A; Ruocco, L A; Zlomuzica, A; Schnichels, M; Willecke, K; Huston, J P; Sadile, A G

2008-05-02

Neuronal gap junctions in the brain, providing intercellular electrotonic signal transfer, have been implicated in physiological and behavioral correlates of learning and memory. In connexin31.1 (Cx31.1) knockout (KO) mice the coding region of the Cx31.1 gene was replaced by a LacZ reporter gene. We investigated the impact of Cx31.1 deficiency on open-field exploration, the behavioral response to an odor, non-selective attention, learning and memory performance, and the levels of memory-related proteins in the hippocampus, striatum and the piriform cortex. In terms of behavior, the deletion of the Cx31.1 coding DNA in the mouse led to increased exploratory behaviors in a novel environment, and impaired one-trial object recognition at all delays tested. Despite strong Cx31.1 expression in the peripheral and central olfactory system, Cx31.1 KO mice exhibited normal behavioral responses to an odor. We found increased levels of acetylcholine esterase (AChE) and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) in the striatum of Cx31.1 KO mice. In the piriform cortex the Cx31.1 KO mice had an increased heterogeneity of CREB expression among neurons. In conclusion, gap-junctions featuring the Cx31.1 protein might be involved in open-field exploration as well as object memory and modulate levels of AChE and CREB in the striatum and piriform cortex.

Floral foregrounding: A corpus-assisted, cognitive stylistic study of the foregrounding of flowers in Mrs Dalloway

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Marie Møller; Lottrup, Katrine; Nordentoft, Signe

2018-01-01

The study reported here combines quantitative and qualitative methods from both cognitive stylistics and corpus stylistics to analyze the flower-motif in Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs Dalloway. The quantitative analysis compared the frequency of flower lemmas in the novel to both a reference corpus...... consisting of Woolf’s other works as well as a general corpus (the BNC). The analysis found significant differences between the frequencies in the novel and both corpora. The qualitative analysis is based on in the statistically significant results and considers cognitive entrenchment and salience...... in relation to these. Furthermore, the analysis also links these two notions to different types of foregrounding as conceptualized in stylistics proper. Finally, aspects of repetition, parallelism and symbolism in relation to the flower-motif are considered. In conclusion, it is found that the flower...

Dans un corpus hybride : les messages twittés, l’intertextualité et la formule

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Virone Daniela

2015-01-01

Full Text Available L’article propose une réflexion pratique et méthodologique sur l’exploitation d’un corpus de twittes, considéré comme un corpus complexe pour ses caractéristiques particulières (dont la présence des métadonnées et la possibilité de le mettre en relation avec des corpus plus traditionnels. Le modèle d’analyse quantitative et qualitative expérimenté sur le débat autour du mariage homosexuel en France en 2013 et en particulier sur la formule « mariage pour tous », ici mot-dièse et formule, veut poser les bases pour de nouvelles méthodes d’exploitation des données en analyse du discours.

Cocaine self-administration differentially affects allosteric A2A-D2 receptor-receptor interactions in the striatum. Relevance for cocaine use disorder.

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Pintsuk, Julia; Borroto-Escuela, Dasiel O; Pomierny, Bartosz; Wydra, Karolina; Zaniewska, Magdalena; Filip, Malgorzata; Fuxe, Kjell

2016-05-01

In the current study behavioral and biochemical experiments were performed to study changes in the allosteric A2AR-D2R interactions in the ventral and dorsal striatum after cocaine self-administration versus corresponding yoked saline control. By using ex vivo [(3)H]-raclopride/quinpirole competition experiments, the effects of the A2AR agonist CGS 21680 (100 nM) on the KiH and KiL values of the D2-like receptor (D2-likeR) were determined. One major result was a significant reduction in the D2-likeR agonist high affinity state observed with CGS 21680 after cocaine self-administration in the ventral striatum compared with the yoked saline group. The results therefore support the hypothesis that A2AR agonists can at least in part counteract the motivational actions of cocaine. This action is mediated via the D2-likeR by targeting the A2AR protomer of A2AR-D2-like R heteroreceptor complexes in the ventral striatum, which leads to the reduction of D2-likeR protomer recognition through the allosteric receptor-receptor interaction. In contrast, in the dorsal striatum the CGS 21680-induced antagonistic modulation in the D2-likeR agonist high affinity state was abolished after cocaine self-administration versus the yoked saline group probably due to a local dysfunction/disruption of the A2AR-D2-like R heteroreceptor complexes. Such a change in the dorsal striatum in cocaine self-administration can contribute to the development of either locomotor sensitization, habit-forming learning and/or the compulsive drug seeking by enhanced D2-likeR protomer signaling. Potential differences in the composition and stoichiometry of the A2AR-D2R heteroreceptor complexes, including differential recruitment of sigma 1 receptor, in the ventral and dorsal striatum may explain the differential regional changes observed in the A2A-D2-likeR interactions after cocaine self-administration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MORPOHOLOGICAL POS TAGGING IN ORAL LANGUAGE CORPUS: CHALLENGES FOR AELIUS

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Gabriel de Ávila Othero

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we present the results of our work with automatic morphological annotation of excerpts from a corpus of spoken language – belonging to the VARSUL project – using the free morphosyntatic tagger Aelius. We present 20 texts containing 154,530 words, annotated automatically and corrected manually. This paper presents the tagger Aelius and our work of manual review of the texts, as well as our suggestions for improvements of the tool, concerning aspects of oral texts. We verify the performance of morphosyntactic tagging a spoken language corpus, an unprecedented challenge for the tagger. Based on the errors of the tagger, we try to infer certain patterns of annotation to overcome limitations presented by the program, and we propose suggestions for implementations in order to allow Aelius to tag spoken language corpora in a more effective way, specially treating cases such as interjections, apheresis, onomatopeia and conversational markers.

Variation in Citational Practice in a Corpus of Student Biology Papers: From Parenthetical Plonking to Intertextual Storytelling

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Swales, John M.

2014-01-01

This is a corpus-based study of a key aspect of academic writing in one discipline (biology) by final-year undergraduates and first-, second-, and third-year graduate students. The papers come from the Michigan Corpus of Upper-level Student Papers, a freely available electronic database. The principal aim of the study is to examine the extent of…

Constitution d’un Corpus de Français Langue Etrangère destiné aux Apprenants Allemands

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Fauth Camille

2014-07-01

Nationale de la Recherche et Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft attribué à l’équipe Parole du LORIA UMR 7503, Nancy – France et à l’Equipe de Linguistique Computationnelle et de Phonétique FR 4.7 de l’Université de la Sarre Sarrebruck – Allemagne dans lequel le français et l’allemand sont des langues cibles. Pour la paire allemand-français, peu de corpus parallèles sont disponibles. Nous présentons ici l’élaboration d’un corpus de productions orales de locuteurs natifs et non natifs pour la paire allemand-français. Notre corpus entend mettre au jour les déviations phonétiques et phonologiques que les locuteurs allemands produisent lorsqu’ils apprennent le français. Ce travail s’insère dans un projet plus global, Ce projet entend étudier les difficultés que les locuteurs français rencontrent lorsqu’ils apprennent l’allemand, et réciproquement. Aussi, cinquante locuteurs allemands seront recrutés dans des milieux universitaires et scolaires (niveau lycée en Allemagne et cinquante locuteurs français dans les mêmes milieux en France. Il s’agit pour les deux populations de produire d’une part le corpus en langue étrangère (en langue française pour les locuteurs allemands et en langue allemande pour les locuteurs français mais également le corpus en langue maternelle (en allemand pour les allemands et en français pour les français. Les corpus ainsi obtenus devraient nous permettre d’identifier les difficultés que les locuteurs allemands ou français rencontrent lorsqu’ils apprennent le français ou l’allemand. Les données de contrôle sont doubles puisque l’on pourra à la fois se référer aux productions des apprenants dans leur langue maternelle (ici l’allemand, mais également à celles de locuteurs natifs (ici germanophones. Nous ne présenterons ici que la constitution du corpus en français.

Reward Anticipation in Ventral Striatum and Individual Sensitivity to Reward: A Pilot Study of a Child-Friendly fMRI Task.

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van Hulst, Branko M; de Zeeuw, Patrick; Lupas, Kellina; Bos, Dienke J; Neggers, Sebastiaan F W; Durston, Sarah

2015-01-01

Reward processing has been implicated in developmental disorders. However, the classic task to probe reward anticipation, the monetary incentive delay task, has an abstract coding of reward and no storyline and may therefore be less appropriate for use with developmental populations. We modified the task to create a version appropriate for use with children. We investigated whether this child-friendly version could elicit ventral striatal activation during reward anticipation in typically developing children and young adolescents (aged 9.5-14.5). In addition, we tested whether our performance-based measure of reward sensitivity was associated with anticipatory activity in ventral striatum. Reward anticipation was related to activity in bilateral ventral striatum. Moreover, we found an association between individual reward sensitivity and activity in ventral striatum. We conclude that this task assesses ventral striatal activity in a child-friendly paradigm. The combination with a performance-based measure of reward sensitivity potentially makes the task a powerful tool for developmental imaging studies of reward processing.

One hundred million years of interhemispheric communication: the history of the corpus callosum

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Aboitiz F.

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Analysis of regional corpus callosum fiber composition reveals that callosal regions connecting primary and secondary sensory areas tend to have higher proportions of coarse-diameter, highly myelinated fibers than callosal regions connecting so-called higher-order areas. This suggests that in primary/secondary sensory areas there are strong timing constraints for interhemispheric communication, which may be related to the process of midline fusion of the two sensory hemifields across the hemispheres. We postulate that the evolutionary origin of the corpus callosum in placental mammals is related to the mechanism of midline fusion in the sensory cortices, which only in mammals receive a topographically organized representation of the sensory surfaces. The early corpus callosum may have also served as a substrate for growth of fibers connecting higher-order areas, which possibly participated in the propagation of neuronal ensembles of synchronized activity between the hemispheres. However, as brains became much larger, the increasingly longer interhemispheric distance may have worked as a constraint for efficient callosal transmission. Callosal fiber composition tends to be quite uniform across species with different brain sizes, suggesting that the delay in callosal transmission is longer in bigger brains. There is only a small subset of large-diameter callosal fibers whose size increases with increasing interhemispheric distance. These limitations in interhemispheric connectivity may have favored the development of brain lateralization in some species like humans. "...if the currently received statements are correct, the appearance of the corpus callosum in the placental mammals is the greatest and most sudden modification exhibited by the brain in the whole series of vertebrated animals..." T.H. Huxley (1.

Vasogenic edema in striatum following ingestion of glufosinate-containing herbicide.

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Lee, Hui-Young; Song, Seo-Young; Lee, Seung-Hwan; Lee, Seo-Young; Kim, Sung-Hun; Ryu, Sook-Won

2009-10-01

Glufosinate-ammonium (GLA) is a broad-spectrum herbicide used worldwide. We report a patient who attempted suicide by ingesting a liquid herbicide containing GLA. A diffusion-weighted MRI showed cytotoxic edema in the hippocampus as well as vasogenic edema in the striata. To our knowledge, vasogenic edema caused by GLA-containing herbicide involving the striatum has not been reported in association with cytotoxic edema in the hippocampus. We assume that this herbicide affected the central nervous system via different mechanisms to produce both cytotoxic and vasogenic edema in the same patient.

Tracking of Neural Stem Cells in Rats with Intracerebral Hemorrhage by the Use of 3T MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Nam Kyu; Jeong, Yong Yeon; Park, Jong Seong

2008-01-01

To access the feasibility of clinically available 3T MRI to detect the migration of labeled neural stem cells (NSCs) in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in a rat model. The ethics committee of our institution approved this study. ICH was induced by the injection of collagenase type IV into the right striatum of ten Sprague-Dawley rats. Human NSCs conjugated with Feridex (superparamagnetic iron oxide: SPIO) were transplanted into the left striatum one week after ICH induction. MRI was performed on a 3T scanner during the first, second, third, fourth, and sixth weeks post-transplantation. MRI was obtained using coronal T2- and T2 * -weighted sequences. Two rats were sacrificed every week after in vivo MRI in order to analyze the histological findings. ICH in the right striatum was detected by MRI one and two weeks after transplantation without migration of the NSCs. There was no migration of the NSCs as seen on the histological findings one week after transplantation. The histological findings two weeks after transplantation showed a small number of NSCs along the corpus callosum. On MRI three weeks after transplantation, there was a hypointense line along the corpus callosum and decreased signal intensity in the right periventricular region. Histological findings three weeks after transplantation confirmed the presence of the hypointense line representing SPIO-labeled NSCs. MRI four and six weeks after transplantation showed a hypointense spot in the right periventricular region. The histological findings four and six weeks after transplantation showed the presence of prominent NSCs in the right periventricular region. 3T MRI can detect the migration of NSCs in rats with ICH along the corpus callosum. Therefore, 3T MRI could be feasible for detecting the migration of NSCs in the clinical setting of stem cell therapy

A human language corpus for interstellar message construction

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Elliott, John

2011-02-01

The aim of HuLCC (the human language chorus corpus), is to provide a resource of sufficient size to facilitate inter-language analysis by incorporating languages from all the major language families: for the first time all aspects of typology will be incorporated within a single corpus, adhering to a consistent grammatical classification and granularity, which historically adopt a plethora of disparate schemes. An added feature will be the inclusion of a common text element, which will be translated across all languages, to provide a precise comparable thread for detailed linguistic analysis for translation strategies and a mechanism by which these mappings can be explicitly achieved. Methods developed to solve unambiguous mappings across these languages can then be adopted for any subsequent message authored by the SETI community. Initially, it is planned to provide at least 20,000 words for each chosen language, as this amount of text exceeds the point where randomly generated text can be disambiguated from natural language and is of sufficient size useful for message transmission [1] (Elliot, 2002). This paper details the design of this resource, which ultimately will be made available to SETI upon its completion, and discusses issues 'core' to any message construction.

Antioxidant effect of Spirulina (Arthrospira) maxima in a neurotoxic model caused by 6-OHDA in the rat striatum.

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Tobón-Velasco, J C; Palafox-Sánchez, Victoria; Mendieta, Liliana; García, E; Santamaría, A; Chamorro-Cevallos, G; Limón, I Daniel

2013-08-01

There is evidence to support that an impaired energy metabolism and the excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to brain injury in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD), whereas diets enriched in foods with an antioxidant action may modulate its progression. Several studies have proved that the antioxidant components produced by Spirulina, a microscopic blue-green alga, might prevent cell death by decreasing free radicals, inhibiting lipoperoxidation and upregulating the antioxidant enzyme systems. In our study, we investigated the protective effect of the Spirulina maxima (S. maxima) against the 6-OHDA-caused toxicity in the rat striatum. The S. maxima (700 mg/kg/day, vo) was administered for 40 days before and 20 days after a single injection of 6-OHDA (16 μg/2 μL) into the dorsal striatum. At 20-day postsurgery, the brain was removed and the striatum was obtained to evaluate the indicators of toxicity, such as nitric oxide levels, ROS formation, lipoperoxidation, and mitochondrial activity. These variables were found significantly stimulated in 6-OHDA-treated rats and were accompanied by declines in dopamine levels and motor activity. In contrast, the animals that received the chronic treatment with S. maxima had a restored locomotor activity, which is associated with the decreased levels of nitric oxide, ROS, and lipoperoxidation in the striatum, although mitochondrial functions and dopamine levels remained preserved. These findings suggest that supplementation with antioxidant phytochemicals (such as contained in S. maxima) represents an effective neuroprotective strategy against 6-OHDA-caused neurotoxicity vía free radical production to preserve striatal dopaminergic neurotransmission in vivo.

Electrical high frequency stimulation in the dorsal striatum: Effects on response learning and on GABA levels in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Schumacher, Anett; de Vasconcelos, Anne Pereira; Lecourtier, Lucas; Moser, Andreas; Cassel, Jean-Christophe

2011-09-23

Electrical high frequency stimulation (HFS) has been used to treat various neurological and psychiatric diseases. The striatal area contributes to response learning and procedural memory. Therefore, we investigated the effect of striatal HFS application on procedural/declarative-like memory in rats. All rats were trained in a flooded Double-H maze for three days (4 trials/day) to swim to an escape platform hidden at a constant location. The starting place was the same for all trials. After each training session, HFS of the left dorsal striatum was performed over 4h in alternating 20 min periods (during rest time, 10a.m. to 3p.m.). Nineteen hours after the last HFS and right after a probe trial assessing the rats' strategy (procedural vs. declarative-like memory-based choice), animals were sacrificed and the dorsal striatum was quickly removed. Neurotransmitter levels were measured by HPLC. Stimulated rats did not differ from sham-operated and control rats in acquisition performance, but exhibited altered behavior during the probe trial (procedural memory responses being less frequent than in controls). In stimulated rats, GABA levels were significantly increased in the dorsal striatum on both sides. We suggest that HFS of the dorsal striatum does not alter learning behavior in rats but influences the strategy by which the rats solve the task. Given that the HFS-induced increase of GABA levels was found 19 h after stimulation, it can be assumed that HFS has consequences lasting for several hours and which are functionally significant at a behavioral level, at least under our stimulation (frequency, timing, location, side and strength of stimulation) and testing conditions. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inhibiting PKMζ reveals dorsal lateral and dorsal medial striatum store the different memories needed to support adaptive behavior.

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Pauli, Wolfgang M; Clark, Alexandra D; Guenther, Heidi J; O'Reilly, Randall C; Rudy, Jerry W

2012-06-20

Evidence suggests that two regions of the striatum contribute differential support to instrumental response selection. The dorsomedial striatum (DMS) is thought to support expectancy-mediated actions, and the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) is thought to support habits. Currently it is unclear whether these regions store task-relevant information or just coordinate the learning and retention of these solutions by other brain regions. To address this issue, we developed a two-lever concurrent variable-interval reinforcement operant conditioning task and used it to assess the trained rat's sensitivity to contingency shifts. Consistent with the view that these two regions make different contributions to actions and habits, injecting the NMDA antagonist DL-AP5 into the DMS just prior to the shift impaired the rat's performance but enhanced performance when injected into the DLS. To determine if these regions support memory content, we first trained rats on a biased concurrent schedule (Lever 1: VI 40" and Lever 2: VI 10"). With the intent of "erasing" the memory content stored in striatum, after this training we inhibited the putative memory-maintenance protein kinase C isozyme protein kinase Mζ (PKMζ). Infusing zeta inhibitory peptide (ZIP) into the DLS enhanced the rat's ability to adapt to the contingency shift 2 d later, whereas injecting it into the DMS had the opposite effect. Infusing GluR2(3Y) into the DMS 1 h before ZIP infusions prevented ZIP from impairing the rat's sensitivity to the contingency shift. These results support the hypothesis that the DMS stores information needed to support actions and the DLS stores information needed to support habits.

Age-related signal intensity changes in the corpus callosum: assessment with three orthogonal FLAIR images

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Yamamoto, Akira; Miki, Yukio; Kanagaki, Mitsunori; Takahashi, Takahiro; Fushimi, Yasutaka; Haque, Tabassum Laz; Togashi, Kaori [Kyoto University, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Diagnostic Imaging, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto (Japan); Tomimoto, Hidekazu [Kyoto University, Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto (Japan); Konishi, Junya [Kobe University, Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo (Japan)

2005-11-01

The presence of age-related hyperintensities of the corpus callosum has not been thoroughly evaluated. Fifty-two patients of 50 years of age or older (mean, 71 years; range, 50-87 years) were included in this study. Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images were obtained in three orthogonal planes. Periventricular hyperintensities (PVHs) and deep white matter hyperintensities (DWMHs) were graded according to Fazekas' rating scale. Correlations between the presence of hyperintensities in the corpus callosum and age, and the grade of PVH and DWMH were statistically analyzed. PVH was categorized as grade 0 (n=4), grade 1 (n=28), grade 2 (n=10), or grade 3 (n=10). DWMH was categorized as grade 0 (n=4), grade 1 (n=25), grade 2 (n=8), or grade 3 (n=15). Hyperintensity was considered present in the corpus callosum in 31 of the 52 patients (60%). In these 31 patients, PVH was categorized as grade 1 (n=16), grade 2 (n=7), or grade 3 (n=8), while DWMH was categorized as grade 0 (n=1), grade 1 (n=10), grade 2 (n=7), or grade 3 (n=13). The presence of callosal hyperintensities was significantly correlated with age (p=0.001), and with PVH (p=0.04) and DWMH grades (p=0.004). Hyperintensities may be present in the corpus callosum with aging, and are correlated with PVH and DWMH. (orig.)

Age-related signal intensity changes in the corpus callosum: assessment with three orthogonal FLAIR images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Akira; Miki, Yukio; Kanagaki, Mitsunori; Takahashi, Takahiro; Fushimi, Yasutaka; Haque, Tabassum Laz; Togashi, Kaori; Tomimoto, Hidekazu; Konishi, Junya

2005-01-01

The presence of age-related hyperintensities of the corpus callosum has not been thoroughly evaluated. Fifty-two patients of 50 years of age or older (mean, 71 years; range, 50-87 years) were included in this study. Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images were obtained in three orthogonal planes. Periventricular hyperintensities (PVHs) and deep white matter hyperintensities (DWMHs) were graded according to Fazekas' rating scale. Correlations between the presence of hyperintensities in the corpus callosum and age, and the grade of PVH and DWMH were statistically analyzed. PVH was categorized as grade 0 (n=4), grade 1 (n=28), grade 2 (n=10), or grade 3 (n=10). DWMH was categorized as grade 0 (n=4), grade 1 (n=25), grade 2 (n=8), or grade 3 (n=15). Hyperintensity was considered present in the corpus callosum in 31 of the 52 patients (60%). In these 31 patients, PVH was categorized as grade 1 (n=16), grade 2 (n=7), or grade 3 (n=8), while DWMH was categorized as grade 0 (n=1), grade 1 (n=10), grade 2 (n=7), or grade 3 (n=13). The presence of callosal hyperintensities was significantly correlated with age (p=0.001), and with PVH (p=0.04) and DWMH grades (p=0.004). Hyperintensities may be present in the corpus callosum with aging, and are correlated with PVH and DWMH. (orig.)

Regional GABA concentration and [3H]-diazepam binding in rat brain following repeated electroconvulsive shock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bowdler, J.M.; Green, A.R.; Minchin, M.C.W.; Nutt, D.J.

1983-01-01

It has been confirmed that 24 hours following a series of electroconvulsive shocks (ECS) given once daily for 10 days (ECS x 10) to rats there is an increase in GABA concentration in the corpus striatum. A similar change was seen after the ECS had been given to rats anaesthetised with halothane, or when 5 ECS were given spread out over 10 days, the rats being anaesthetised during the ECS. A daily convulsion for 10 days elicited by flurothyl exposure resulted in an increased striatal GABA concentration, but also increased the GABA concentration in the hypothalamus, hippocampus and cortex. The increase in striatal GABA concentration was present 24 hours after ECS daily for 5 days or 3 days after ECS daily for 10 days. No change in [ 3 H]-diazepam binding was seen in hippocampus, cortex or corpus striatum 24 hours after the last of 10 once daily ECS. The increase in striatal GABA concentration was therefore seen at all times when enhanced monoaminemediated behaviours have been demonstrated following seizures. (Author)

MR measurement of normal brainstem cerebellum and corpus callosum on midsagittal section

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kogame, Saeko; Sawa, S.; Inoue, Yuichi; Fukuda, Teruo; Tada, Takuji; Shakudo, Miyuki; Yahata, Kunifumi; Shimizu, Hiroshi; Onoyama, Yasuhito.

1989-01-01

The dimensions of the brainstem, cerebellum and corpus callosum were measured on magnetic resonance (MR) images with sagittal spin-echo sequence. Eighty-two normal adults (average 49.6 years old) were measured. The mesencephalic, pontine or cerebellar diamaters and lengths could be measured more accurately and reproducibly than medullary diameter and length. The anterio-posterior diameter of the pons and the cerebellum was 23.2±1.4 mm and 26.4±2.5 mm respectively. The length of the pons and the cerebellum was 27.8±2 mm and 45.8±3.5 mm respectively. We have observed focal thinning at the body of corpus callosum in 73%. This narrowing is almost unquestionably a normal variant. (author)

Paralimbic system and striatum are involved in motivational behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishimura, Masahiko; Yoshii, Yoshihiko; Watanabe, Jobu; Ishiuchi, Shogo

2009-10-28

Goal-directed rewarded behavior and goal-directed non-rewarded behavior are concerned with motivation. However, the neural substrates involved in goal-directed non-rewarded behaviors are unknown. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated the brain activities of healthy individuals during a novel tool use (turning a screwdriver) to elucidate the relationship between the brain mechanism relevant to goal-directed non-rewarded behavior and motivation. We found that our designed behavioral task evoked activities in the orbitofrontal cortex, striatum, anterior insula, lateral prefrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex compared with a meaningless task. These results suggest that activation in these cerebral regions play important roles in motivational behavior without tangible rewards.

Ruptured corpus luteal cyst: Prediction of clinical outcomes with CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Myoung Seok; Moon, Min Hoan; Woo, Hyun Sik; Sung, Chang Kyu; Jeon, Hye Won; Lee, Taek Sang [SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-08-01

To evaluate the determinant pretreatment CT findings that can predict surgical intervention for patients suffering from corpus luteal cyst rupture with hemoperitoneum. From January 2009 to December 2014, a total of 106 female patients (mean age, 26.1 years; range, 17–44 years) who visited the emergency room of our institute for acute abdominal pain and were subsequently diagnosed with ruptured corpus luteal cyst with hemoperitoneum were included in the retrospective study. The analysis of CT findings included cyst size, cyst shape, sentinel clot sign, ring of fire sign, hemoperitoneum depth, active bleeding in portal phase and attenuation of hemoperitoneum. The comparison of CT findings between the surgery and conservative management groups was performed with the Mann-Whitney U test or chi-square test. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine significant CT findings in predicting surgical intervention for a ruptured cyst. Comparative analysis revealed that the presence of active bleeding and the hemoperitoneum depth were significantly different between the surgery and conservative management groups and were confirmed as significant CT findings for predicting surgery, with adjusted odds ratio (ORs) of 3.773 and 1.318, respectively (p < 0.01). On the receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis for hemoperitoneum depth, the optimal cut-off value was 5.8 cm with 73.7% sensitivity and 58.6% specificity (Az = 0.711, p = 0.004). In cases with a hemoperitoneum depth > 5.8 cm and concurrent active bleeding, the OR for surgery increased to 5.786. The presence of active bleeding and the hemoperitoneum depth on a pretreatment CT scan can be predictive warning signs of surgery for a patient with a ruptured corpus luteal cyst with hemoperitoneum.

Corpus callosum atrophy in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frederiksen, Kristian Steen; Garde, Ellen; Skimminge, Arnold

2011-01-01

Several studies have found atrophy of the corpus callosum (CC) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, it remains unclear whether callosal atrophy is already present in the early stages of AD, and to what extent it may be associated with other structural changes in the brain......, such as age-related white matter changes (ARWMC) and progression of the disease....

Fatty acid composition of the postmortem corpus callosum of patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamazaki, K; Maekawa, M; Toyota, T; Dean, B; Hamazaki, T; Yoshikawa, T

2017-01-01

Studies investigating the relationship between n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels and psychiatric disorders have thus far focused mainly on analyzing gray matter, rather than white matter, in the postmortem brain. In this study, we investigated whether PUFA levels showed abnormalities in the corpus callosum, the largest area of white matter, in the postmortem brain tissue of patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder. Fatty acids in the phospholipids of the postmortem corpus callosum were evaluated by thin-layer chromatography and gas chromatography. Specimens were evaluated for patients with schizophrenia (n=15), bipolar disorder (n=15), or major depressive disorder (n=15) and compared with unaffected controls (n=15). In contrast to some previous studies, no significant differences were found in the levels of PUFAs or other fatty acids in the corpus callosum between patients and controls. A subanalysis by sex gave the same results. No significant differences were found in any PUFAs between suicide completers and non-suicide cases regardless of psychiatric disorder diagnosis. Patients with psychiatric disorders did not exhibit n-3 PUFAs deficits in the postmortem corpus callosum relative to the unaffected controls, and the corpus callosum might not be involved in abnormalities of PUFA metabolism. This area of research is still at an early stage and requires further investigation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Corpus callosum demyelination associated with acquired stuttering.

Science.gov (United States)

Decker, Barbara McElwee; Guitar, Barry; Solomon, Andrew

2018-04-21

Compared with developmental stuttering, adult onset acquired stuttering is rare. However, several case reports describe acquired stuttering and an association with callosal pathology. Interestingly, these cases share a neuroanatomical localisation also demonstrated in developmental stuttering. We present a case of adult onset acquired stuttering associated with inflammatory demyelination within the corpus callosum. This patient's disfluency improved after the initiation of immunomodulatory therapy. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Neurokinin B-producing projection neurons in the lateral stripe of the striatum and cell clusters of the accumbens nucleus in the rat.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Ligang; Furuta, Takahiro; Kaneko, Takeshi

2004-12-06

Neurons producing preprotachykinin B (PPTB), the precursor of neurokinin B, constitute 5% of neurons in the dorsal striatum and project to the substantia innominata (SI) selectively. In the ventral striatum, PPTB-producing neurons are collected mainly in the lateral stripe of the striatum (LSS) and cell clusters of the accumbens nucleus (Acb). In the present study, we first examined the distribution of PPTB-immunoreactive neurons in rat ventral striatum and found that a large part of the PPTB-immunoreactive cell clusters was continuous to the LSS, but a smaller part was not. Thus, we divided the PPTB-immunoreactive cell clusters into the LSS-associated and non-LSS-associated ones. We next investigated the projection targets of the PPTB-producing ventral striatal neurons by combining immunofluorescence labeling and retrograde tracing. After injection of Fluoro-Gold into the basal component of the SI (SIb) and medial part of the interstitial nucleus of posterior limb of the anterior commissure, many PPTB-immunoreactive neurons were retrogradely labeled in the LSS-associated cell clusters and LSS, respectively. When the injection site included the ventral part of the sublenticular component of the SI(SIsl), retrogradely labeled neurons showed PPTB-immunoreactivity frequently in non-LSS-associated cell clusters. Furthermore, these PPTB-immunoreactive projections were confirmed by the double-fluorescence method after anterograde tracer injection into the ventral striatum containing the cell clusters. Since the dorsalmost part of the SIsl is known to receive strong inputs from PPTB-producing dorsal striatal neurons, the present results indicate that PPTB-producing ventral striatal neurons project to basal forebrain target regions in parallel with dorsal striatal neurons without significant convergence. 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Age-Related Alterations in the Expression of Genes and Synaptic Plasticity Associated with Nitric Oxide Signaling in the Mouse Dorsal Striatum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aisa N. Chepkova

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Age-related alterations in the expression of genes and corticostriatal synaptic plasticity were studied in the dorsal striatum of mice of four age groups from young (2-3 months old to old (18–24 months of age animals. A significant decrease in transcripts encoding neuronal nitric oxide (NO synthase and receptors involved in its activation (NR1 subunit of the glutamate NMDA receptor and D1 dopamine receptor was found in the striatum of old mice using gene array and real-time RT-PCR analysis. The old striatum showed also a significantly higher number of GFAP-expressing astrocytes and an increased expression of astroglial, inflammatory, and oxidative stress markers. Field potential recordings from striatal slices revealed age-related alterations in the magnitude and dynamics of electrically induced long-term depression (LTD and significant enhancement of electrically induced long-term potentiation in the middle-aged striatum (6-7 and 12-13 months of age. Corticostriatal NO-dependent LTD induced by pharmacological activation of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors underwent significant reduction with aging and could be restored by inhibition of cGMP hydrolysis indicating that its age-related deficit is caused by an altered NO-cGMP signaling cascade. It is suggested that age-related alterations in corticostriatal synaptic plasticity may result from functional alterations in receptor-activated signaling cascades associated with increasing neuroinflammation and a prooxidant state.

P300 amplitude variation is related to ventral striatum BOLD response during gain and loss anticipation: an EEG and fMRI experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Pfabigan, Daniela M; Seidel, Eva-Maria; Sladky, Ronald; Hahn, Andreas; Paul, Katharina; Grahl, Arvina; Küblböck, Martin; Kraus, Christoph; Hummer, Allan; Kranz, Georg S; Windischberger, Christian; Lanzenberger, Rupert; Lamm, Claus

2014-08-01

The anticipation of favourable or unfavourable events is a key component in our daily life. However, the temporal dynamics of anticipation processes in relation to brain activation are still not fully understood. A modified version of the monetary incentive delay task was administered during separate functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalogram (EEG) sessions in the same 25 participants to assess anticipatory processes with a multi-modal neuroimaging set-up. During fMRI, gain and loss anticipation were both associated with heightened activation in ventral striatum and reward-related areas. EEG revealed most pronounced P300 amplitudes for gain anticipation, whereas CNV amplitudes distinguished neutral from gain and loss anticipation. Importantly, P300, but not CNV amplitudes, were correlated to neural activation in the ventral striatum for both gain and loss anticipation. Larger P300 amplitudes indicated higher ventral striatum blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response. Early stimulus evaluation processes indexed by EEG seem to be positively related to higher activation levels in the ventral striatum, indexed by fMRI, which are usually associated with reward processing. The current results, however, point towards a more general motivational mechanism processing salient stimuli during anticipation. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

New Advances in Corpus-based Lexicography*

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arvi Hurskainen

2011-10-01

Full Text Available

Abstract: This article presents various approaches used in corpus-based computational lexico-graphy. A claim is made that in order for computational lexicography to be efficient, precise and comprehensive, it should utilize the method where the corpus text is first analysed, and the results of this analysis is then processed further to meet the needs of a dictionary. This method has several advantages, including high precision and recall, as well as the possibility to automate the process much further than with more traditional computational methods. The frequency list obtained by using the lemma (the equivalent of the headword as basis helps in selecting the words to be in-cluded in the dictionary. The approach is demonstrated through various phases by applying SALAMA (the Swahili Language Manager to the process. Manual work will be needed in the phase when examples of use are selected from the corpus, and possibly modified. However, the list of examples of use, arranged alphabetically according to the corresponding headword, can also be produced automatically. Thus the alphabetical list of headwords with examples of use is the mate-rial on which the lexicographer works manually. The article deals with problems encountered in compiling traditional printed dictionaries, and it excludes electronic dictionaries and thesauri.

Keywords: LEXICOGRAPHY, DICTIONARY, LANGUAGE TECHNOLOGY, COMPUTA-TIONAL LINGUISTICS, AUTOMATIC COMPILATION, DICTIONARY TESTING, INFORMA-TION RETRIEVAL, MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS, SEMANTIC ANALYSIS, DISAMBIGUA-TION, HEURISTICS

Opsomming: Nuwe ontwikkelinge in korpusgebaseerde leksikografie. Hier-die artikel beskryf verskillende benaderings wat in korpusgebaseerde rekenaarleksikografie ge-bruik word. Daar word aangevoer dat vir rekenaarleksikografie om doelmatig, noukeurig en omvattend te wees, dit die metode behoort te gebruik waarby die korpusteks eers ontleed word, en die resultaat van hierdie ontleding dan verder

Marchiafava-Bignami disease: magnetic resonance imaging findings in corpus callosum and subcortical white matter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawarabuki, Kentaro E-mail: bukky@h2.dion.ne.jp; Sakakibara, Takehiko; Hirai, Makoto; Yoshioka, Yuji; Yamamoto, Yasumasa; Yamaki, Tarumi

2003-11-01

A case of Marchiafava-Bignami disease (MBD) is presented using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A patient with a long history of alcoholism developed a gait disturbance with involuntary movements at the lower extremities. MRI scans taken at the onset showed no particular abnormalities. He progressed to a coma 10 days later. MRI scans taken 20 days after the onset showed a focal lesion at the genu of the corpus callosum and he was diagnosed as having MBD. In addition, multiple lesions were observed in bilateral frontoparietal subcortical white matter. These lesions demonstrated similar intense MRI signals as the corpus callosum.

Alternate cadmium exposure differentially affects the content of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and taurine within the hypothalamus, median eminence, striatum and prefrontal cortex of male rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Esquifino, A.I. [Dept. de Bioquimica y Biologia Molecular III, Universidad Complutense, Madrid (Spain); Seara, R.; Fernandez-Rey, E.; Lafuente, A. [Lab. de Toxicologia, Universidad de Vigo, Orense (Spain)

2001-05-01

This work examines changes of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and taurine contents in the hypothalamus, striatum and prefrontal cortex of the rat after an alternate schedule of cadmium administration. Age-associated changes were also evaluated, of those before puberty and after adult age. In control rats GABA content decreased with age in the median eminence and in anterior, mediobasal and posterior hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex and the striatum. Taurine content showed similar results with the exception of mediobasal hypothalamus and striatum, where no changes were detected. In pubertal rats treated with cadmium from 30 to 60 days of life, GABA content significantly decreased in all brain regions except in the striatum. When cadmium was administered from day 60 to 90 of life, GABA content was significantly changed in prefrontal cortex only compared with the age matched controls. Taurine content showed similar results in pubertal rats, with the exception of the median eminence and the mediobasal hypothalamus, neither of which showed a change. However, when cadmium was administered to rats from day 60 to 90 of life, taurine content only changed in prefrontal cortex compared with the age matched controls. These results suggest that cadmium differentially affects GABA and taurine contents within the hypothalamus, median eminence, striatum and prefrontal cortex as a function of age. (orig.)

Alternate cadmium exposure differentially affects the content of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and taurine within the hypothalamus, median eminence, striatum and prefrontal cortex of male rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esquifino, A.I.; Seara, R.; Fernandez-Rey, E.; Lafuente, A.

2001-01-01

This work examines changes of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and taurine contents in the hypothalamus, striatum and prefrontal cortex of the rat after an alternate schedule of cadmium administration. Age-associated changes were also evaluated, of those before puberty and after adult age. In control rats GABA content decreased with age in the median eminence and in anterior, mediobasal and posterior hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex and the striatum. Taurine content showed similar results with the exception of mediobasal hypothalamus and striatum, where no changes were detected. In pubertal rats treated with cadmium from 30 to 60 days of life, GABA content significantly decreased in all brain regions except in the striatum. When cadmium was administered from day 60 to 90 of life, GABA content was significantly changed in prefrontal cortex only compared with the age matched controls. Taurine content showed similar results in pubertal rats, with the exception of the median eminence and the mediobasal hypothalamus, neither of which showed a change. However, when cadmium was administered to rats from day 60 to 90 of life, taurine content only changed in prefrontal cortex compared with the age matched controls. These results suggest that cadmium differentially affects GABA and taurine contents within the hypothalamus, median eminence, striatum and prefrontal cortex as a function of age. (orig.)

Exploration of D2 receptors and content of DA of striatum in hemi-parkinsonism model rats before and after madopar treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Yansong; Lin Xiangtong

1998-01-01

125 I-IBZM autoradiographic analysis, HPLC-ECD were used to study the relationship between D 2 receptors and the content of DA, HVA, DOPAC in striatum of hemi-parkinsonism model rats before and after Madopar treatment. After Madopar treatment, the striatum/cerebellum 125 I-IBZM uptake ratio of lesioned side was 7.23 +- 0.67, showed 17.22 +- 3.94% increasing as compared to the contralateral side, the increasing were significantly declined compared with the pretreatment group and control group (P 2 receptors

Corpus luteum blood flow in normal and abnormal early pregnancy: evaluation and analysis with transvaginal color and pulsed doppler sonography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Xiaoyi; Lin Meifang; Zheng Meirong; Liang Xiaoxian; Liu Jianfeng

2005-01-01

Objective: Detecting and assessment the corpus luteum blood flow in normal and abnormal early pregnancy. Methods: Using transvaginal color and pulse Doppler sonography, we detected 215 pregnant women including 150 normal intrauterine pregnancies, 25 abortion, 29 ectopic pregnancies, and then recorded corpus luteum blood flow feature and the blood flow indexes (Vmax, RI and PI). Results: 1) Corpus luteum was successfully identified in 148 cases out of 150 of normal early pregnancies, 25 cases out of 26 of threatened abortion; 22 cases out of 29 of ectopic pregnancy. 2) Three groups shared the same feature of Color Doppler imaging: a circumferential rim around the entire corpus luteum. 3) The flow index revealed mean PVS, RI and PI had no statistical difference in normal and abnormal early pregnancy; The mean PVS was lower in ectopic pregnancy than in normal pregnancy (P<0.05), while PI and PR had no characteristic in ectopic pregnancy group compared with the indexes obtained in normal pregnancy group. Conclusion: The corpus luteum can be precisely identified in most pregnancy using transvaginal color Doppler and manifests a characterized rim Doppler imaging. PVS may help in differentiating the ectopic pregnancy from normal early pregnancy. (authors)

The Use of Corpus Examples for Language Comprehension and Production

Science.gov (United States)

Frankenberg-Garcia, Ana

2014-01-01

One of the many new features of English language learners' dictionaries derived from the technological developments that have taken place over recent decades is the presence of corpus-based examples to illustrate the use of words in context. However, empirical studies have generally not been able to produce conclusive evidence about their…

Interaction as 'involvement' in writing for students: a corpus linguistic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Interaction as 'involvement' in writing for students: a corpus linguistic analysis of a key readability feature. E Hilton Hubbard. Abstract. The rapid change in the demographics of South Africa's tertiary level student population over the last decade — and most specifically the huge increase in those who have to study at a ...

Chinese students' writing in English implications from a corpus-driven study

CERN Document Server

Leedham, Maria

2014-01-01

Chinese students are the largest international student group in UK universities today, yet little is known about their undergraduate writing and the challenges they face. Drawing on the British Academic Written English corpus - a large corpus of proficient undergraduate student writing collected in the UK in the early 2000s - this study explores Chinese students' written assignments in English in a range of university disciplines, contrasting these with assignments from British students. The study is supplemented by questionnaire and interview datasets with discipline lecturers, writing tutors and students, and provides a comprehensive picture of the Chinese student writer today. Theoretically framed through work within academic literacies and lexical priming, the author seeks to explore what we know about Chinese students' writing and to extend these findings to undergraduate writing more generally. In a globalized educational environment, it is important for educators to understand differences in writing st...

Regulator of G protein signaling-12 modulates the dopamine transporter in ventral striatum and locomotor responses to psychostimulants.

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Joshua D; Kaski, Shane W; Schroer, Adam B; Wix, Kimberley A; Siderovski, David P; Setola, Vincent

2018-02-01

Regulators of G protein signaling are proteins that accelerate the termination of effector stimulation after G protein-coupled receptor activation. Many regulators of G protein signaling proteins are highly expressed in the brain and therefore considered potential drug discovery targets for central nervous system pathologies; for example, here we show that RGS12 is highly expressed in microdissected mouse ventral striatum. Given a role for the ventral striatum in psychostimulant-induced locomotor activity, we tested whether Rgs12 genetic ablation affected behavioral responses to amphetamine and cocaine. RGS12 loss significantly decreased hyperlocomotion to lower doses of both amphetamine and cocaine; however, other outcomes of administration (sensitization and conditioned place preference) were unaffected, suggesting that RGS12 does not function in support of the rewarding properties of these psychostimulants. To test whether observed response changes upon RGS12 loss were caused by changes to dopamine transporter expression and/or function, we prepared crude membranes from the brains of wild-type and RGS12-null mice and measured dopamine transporter-selective [ 3 H]WIN 35428 binding, revealing an increase in dopamine transporter levels in the ventral-but not dorsal-striatum of RGS12-null mice. To address dopamine transporter function, we prepared striatal synaptosomes and measured [ 3 H]dopamine uptake. Consistent with increased [ 3 H]WIN 35428 binding, dopamine transporter-specific [ 3 H]dopamine uptake in RGS12-null ventral striatal synaptosomes was found to be increased. Decreased amphetamine-induced locomotor activity and increased [ 3 H]WIN 35428 binding were recapitulated with an independent RGS12-null mouse strain. Thus, we propose that RGS12 regulates dopamine transporter expression and function in the ventral striatum, affecting amphetamine- and cocaine-induced increases in dopamine levels that specifically elicit acute hyperlocomotor responses.

Tracking Anglicisms in Domains by the Corpus-Linguistic Method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mousten, Birthe; Laursen, Anne Lise

2015-01-01

Lay investors and semi-professionals lean on professional stock bloggers and stock analysts for advice on stock investments; semi-professionals and professionals write about investments globally, and stock information has to be available in many local markets. Using the correct terminology......’s critical sense is not enough to make the right choices. Our corpus-linguistic tool can be a help in this specialized field....

Vocabulary Practice and Media Representation: A Corpus-Assisted Study of Macroeconomic News

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Win-Ping Kuo

2015-11-01

Full Text Available This Paper introduces corpus methods and its application to media text analysis. The researcher collect 1,363 macroeconomic reports from three major Taiwanese newspapers, including Apple Daily, The Liberty Times, and The United Daily as the copra. Research shows that corpus-assisted media text analysis enables researcher to calculate frequency of vocabulary and analyze lexical structure of the text via concordance and collocation. By using macroeconomic news as the study case, this paper also found that news reports tend to simplify GDP number as a mission, prefer attributing local economic performance as a systematic problem of global economy, and treat economy as a manageable task by attributing it to the government. All these ideologies and values are reflected on vocabularies and discursive practice of media.

Segmentation of the Canine Corpus Callosum using Diffusion Tensor Imaging Tractography

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Pierce, T.T.; Calabrese, E.; White, L.E.; Chen, S.D.; Platt, S.R.; Provenzale, J.M.

2014-01-01

Background We set out to determine functional white matter (WM) connections passing through the canine corpus callosum useful for subsequent studies of canine brains that serve as models for human WM pathway disease. Based on prior studies, we anticipated that the anterior corpus callosum would send projections to the anterior cerebral cortex while progressively posterior segments would send projections to more posterior cortex. Methods A post mortem canine brain was imaged using a 7T MRI producing 100 micron isotropic resolution DTI analyzed by tractography. Using ROIs within cortical locations, which were confirmed by a Nissl stain that identified distinct cortical architecture, we successfully identified 6 important WM pathways. We also compared fractional anisotropy (FA), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD) in tracts passing through the genu and splenium. Results Callosal fibers were organized based upon cortical destination, i.e. fibers from the genu project to the frontal cortex. Histologic results identified the motor cortex based on cytoarchitectonic criteria that allowed placement of ROIs to discriminate between frontal and parietal lobes. We also identified cytoarchitecture typical of the orbital frontal, anterior frontal, and occipital regions and placed ROIs accordingly. FA, ADC, RD and AD values were all higher in posterior corpus callosum fiber tracts. Conclusions Using 6 cortical ROIs, we identified 6 major white matter tracts that reflect major functional divisions of the cerebral hemispheres and we derived quantitative values that can be used for study of canine models of human WM pathological states. PMID:24370161

Segmentation of the canine corpus callosum using diffusion-tensor imaging tractography.

Science.gov (United States)

Pierce, Theodore T; Calabrese, Evan; White, Leonard E; Chen, Steven D; Platt, Simon R; Provenzale, James M

2014-01-01

We set out to determine functional white matter (WM) connections passing through the canine corpus callosum; these WM connections would be useful for subsequent studies of canine brains that serve as models for human WM pathway disease. Based on prior studies, we anticipated that the anterior corpus callosum would send projections to the anterior cerebral cortex whereas progressively posterior segments would send projections to more posterior cortex. A postmortem canine brain was imaged using a 7-T MRI system producing 100-μm-isotropic-resolution diffusion-tensor imaging analyzed by tractography. Using regions of interest (ROIs) within cortical locations, which were confirmed by a Nissl stain that identified distinct cortical architecture, we successfully identified six important WM pathways. We also compared fractional anisotropy (FA), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), radial diffusivity, and axial diffusivity in tracts passing through the genu and splenium. Callosal fibers were organized on the basis of cortical destination (e.g., fibers from the genu project to the frontal cortex). Histologic results identified the motor cortex on the basis of cytoarchitectonic criteria that allowed placement of ROIs to discriminate between frontal and parietal lobes. We also identified cytoarchitecture typical of the orbital frontal, anterior frontal, and occipital regions and placed ROIs accordingly. FA, ADC, radial diffusivity, and axial diffusivity values were all higher in posterior corpus callosum fiber tracts. Using six cortical ROIs, we identified six major WM tracts that reflect major functional divisions of the cerebral hemispheres, and we derived quantitative values that can be used for study of canine models of human WM pathologic states.

Gender-based differences in the shape of the human corpus callosum are associated with allometric variations

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Bruner, Emiliano; de la Cuétara, José Manuel; Colom, Roberto; Martin-Loeches, Manuel

2012-01-01

The corpus callosum displays considerable morphological variability between individuals. Although some characteristics are thought to differ between male and female brains, there is no agreement regarding the source of this variation. Biomedical imaging and geometric morphometrics have provided tools to investigate shape and size variation in terms of integration and correlation. Here we analyze variations at the midsagittal outline of the corpus callosum in a sample of 102 young adults in order to describe and quantify the pattern of covariation associated with its morphology. Our results suggest that the shape of the corpus callosum is characterized by low levels of morphological integration, which explains the large variability. In larger brains, a minor allometric component involves a relative reduction of the splenium. Small differences between males and?females are associated with this allometric pattern, induced primarily by size variation rather than gender-specific characteristics. PMID:22296183

ContextD: an algorithm to identify contextual properties of medical terms in a Dutch clinical corpus.

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Afzal, Zubair; Pons, Ewoud; Kang, Ning; Sturkenboom, Miriam C J M; Schuemie, Martijn J; Kors, Jan A

2014-11-29

In order to extract meaningful information from electronic medical records, such as signs and symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments, it is important to take into account the contextual properties of the identified information: negation, temporality, and experiencer. Most work on automatic identification of these contextual properties has been done on English clinical text. This study presents ContextD, an adaptation of the English ConText algorithm to the Dutch language, and a Dutch clinical corpus. We created a Dutch clinical corpus containing four types of anonymized clinical documents: entries from general practitioners, specialists' letters, radiology reports, and discharge letters. Using a Dutch list of medical terms extracted from the Unified Medical Language System, we identified medical terms in the corpus with exact matching. The identified terms were annotated for negation, temporality, and experiencer properties. To adapt the ConText algorithm, we translated English trigger terms to Dutch and added several general and document specific enhancements, such as negation rules for general practitioners' entries and a regular expression based temporality module. The ContextD algorithm utilized 41 unique triggers to identify the contextual properties in the clinical corpus. For the negation property, the algorithm obtained an F-score from 87% to 93% for the different document types. For the experiencer property, the F-score was 99% to 100%. For the historical and hypothetical values of the temporality property, F-scores ranged from 26% to 54% and from 13% to 44%, respectively. The ContextD showed good performance in identifying negation and experiencer property values across all Dutch clinical document types. Accurate identification of the temporality property proved to be difficult and requires further work. The anonymized and annotated Dutch clinical corpus can serve as a useful resource for further algorithm development.

Motor Planning under Unpredictable Reward: Modulations of Movement Vigor and Primate Striatum Activity

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Ioan eOpris

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Although reward probability is an important factor that shapes animal behavior, it is not well understood however, how the primate brain translates reward expectation into the vigor of movement (reaction time and speed. To address this question, we trained two monkeys in a reaction time task that required wrist movements in response to vibrotactile and visual stimuli, with a variable reward schedule. Correct performance was rewarded in 75 % of the trials. Monkeys were certain that they would be rewarded only in the trials immediately following withheld rewards. In these trials, the animals responded sooner and moved faster. Single-unit recordings from the dorsal striatum revealed that modulations in striatal neurons reflected such modulations of movement vigor. First, in the trials with certain rewards, striatal neurons modulated their firing rates earlier. Second, magnitudes of changes in neuronal firing rates depended on whether or not monkeys were certain about the reward. Third, these modulations depended on the sensory modality of the cue (visual vs. vibratory and/or movement direction (flexions vs. extensions. We conclude that dorsal striatum may be a part of the mechanism responsible for the modulation of movement vigor in response to changes of reward predictability.

Advantages and Disadvantages in the Use of Internet as a Corpus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tarp, Sven; Fuertes-Olivera, Pedro A.

2016-01-01

This paper initially discusses some of the consequences which the technological development has for lexicography, especially in terms of the different types of empirical basis which can be used in dictionary projects. The most important advantages and disadvantages of using the Internet as a corpus...

Altered dopaminergic regulation of the dorsal striatum is able to induce tic-like movements in juvenile rats

Science.gov (United States)

Rizzo, Francesca; Boeckers, Tobias; Schulze, Ulrike

2018-01-01

Motor tics are sudden, repetitive, involuntary movements representing the hallmark behaviors of the neurodevelopmental disease Tourette’s syndrome (TS). The primary cause of TS remains unclear. The initial observation that dopaminergic antagonists alleviate tics led to the development of a dopaminergic theory of TS etiology which is supported by post mortem and in vivo studies indicating that non-physiological activation of the striatum could generate tics. The striatum controls movement execution through the balanced activity of dopamine receptor D1 and D2-expressing medium spiny neurons of the direct and indirect pathway, respectively. Different neurotransmitters can activate or repress striatal activity and among them, dopamine plays a major role. In this study we introduced a chronic dopaminergic alteration in juvenile rats, in order to modify the delicate balance between direct and indirect pathway. This manipulation was done in the dorsal striatum, that had been associated with tic-like movements generation in animal models. The results were movements resembling tics, which were categorized and scored according to a newly developed rating scale and were reduced by clonidine and riluzole treatment. Finally, post mortem analyses revealed altered RNA expression of dopaminergic receptors D1 and D2, suggesting an imbalanced dopaminergic regulation of medium spiny neuron activity as being causally related to the observed phenotype. PMID:29698507

Methodological Flaws in Corpus-Based Studies on Malaysian ESL Textbooks

Science.gov (United States)

Zarifi, Abdolvahed; Mukundan, Jayakaran; Rezvani Kalajahi, Seyed Ali

2014-01-01

With the increasing interest among the pedagogy researchers in the use of corpus linguistics methodologies to study textbooks, there has emerged a similar enthusiasm among the materials developers to draw on empirical findings in the development of the state-of-the-art curricula and syllabi. In order for these research findings to have their…

The significance of estradiol metabolites in human corpus luteum physiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Devoto, Luigi; Henríquez, Soledad; Kohen, Paulina; Strauss, Jerome F

2017-07-01

The human corpus luteum (CL) is a temporary endocrine gland derived from the ovulated follicle. Its formation and limited lifespan is critical for steroid hormone production required to support menstrual cyclicity, endometrial receptivity for successful implantation, and the maintenance of early pregnancy. Endocrine and paracrine-autocrine molecular mechanisms associated with progesterone production throughout the luteal phase are critical for the development, maintenance, regression, and rescue by hCG which sustains CL function into early pregnancy. However, the signaling systems driving the regression of the primate corpus luteum in non-conception cycles are not well understood. Recently, there has been interest in the functional roles of estradiol metabolites (EMs), mostly in estrogen-producing tissues. The human CL produces a number of EMs, and it has been postulated that the EMs acting via paracrine-autocrine pathways affect angiogenesis or LH-mediated events. The present review describes advances in understanding the role of EMs in the functional lifespan and regression of the human CL in non-conception cycles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

IL NOME IN LIS NEL SEGNATO DI ADULTI UDENTI: UNA INDAGINE PRELIMINARE SUL CORPUS LISAU

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Matteo La Grassa

2016-09-01

Full Text Available L’indagine presenta i primi risultati emersi dall’analisi di una parte del corpus LISAU (LIS di Adulti Udenti sulla produzione segnata del sintagma nominale in LIS da parte di informanti udenti che hanno appreso la LIS come L2 in età adulta. Scopo dell’indagine è cominciare a tracciare una linea di ricerca nell’ambito della linguistica acquisizionale con riferimento all’acquisizione della LIS come L2 da parte di udenti. Il corpus LISAU include il segnato di 7 informanti udenti con livello di competenza omogenea che hanno terminato un corso di terzo livello presso la sede Ente Nazionale Sordi di Prato e di 2 informanti sordi segnanti nativi considerati come gruppo di controllo. L’analisi si è incentrata sulla realizzazione dei nomi di prima e di seconda classe rilevando anche forme non citazionali, sulla realizzazione di forme plurali e sulle modalità di accordo tra nomi e aggettivi. Dalla maggior parte dei dati analizzati si rileva la piena competenza degli informanti nella realizzazione del sintagma nominale. Nouns Signed by hearing adults in LIS: a preliminary survey on the LISAU corpus The results of an analysis concerning part of the LISAU (LIS of  Hearing Adults corpus related to the production of the noun phrase in LIS by hearing informants who learned the LIS L2 in adulthood are presented. The purpose of the investigation was to outline the process with regard to the acquisition of LIS L2 by hearing adults. The LISAU corpus is composed of the sign language of 7 hearing informants with a homogeneous level of competence who completed a third-level course at the Ente Nazionale Sordi in Prato. LISAU also includes the sign language of 2 deaf native signers, considered the control group. The analysis focuses on the first and second-class nouns, including non-citation forms, plural forms and noun-adjective agreement. Most of the analyzed data reveals the informants’ full competence in creating noun phrases.

Uptake of 3H-choline and synthesis of 3H-acetylcholine by human penile corpus cavernosum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanco, R.; Saenz de Tejada, I.; Azadzoi, K.; Goldstein, I.; Krane, R.J.; Wotiz, H.H.; Cohen, R.A.

1986-01-01

The neuroeffectors which relax penile smooth muscle and lead to erection are unknown; physiological studies of human corpus cavernosum, in vitro, have suggested a significant role of cholinergic neurotransmission. To further characterize the importance of cholinergic nerves, biopsies of human corpus cavernosum were obtained at the time of penile prosthesis implantation. Tissues were incubated in 3 H-choline (10 -5 M, 80 Ci/mmol) in oxygenated physiological salt solution at 37 0 C, pH 7.4 for 1 hour. Radiolabelled compounds were extracted with perchloric acid (0.4 M) and acetylcholine and choline were separated by HPLC; 14 C-acetylcholine was used as internal standard. 3 H-choline was accumulated by the tissues (20 +/- 1.9 fmol/mg), and 3 H-acetylcholine was synthesized (4.0 +/- 1.1 fmol/mg). In control experiments, heating of the tissue blocked synthesis of 3 H-acetylcholine. Inhibition of high affinity choline transport by hemicholinium-3 (10 -5 M) diminished tissue accumulation of 3 H-choline and significantly reduced the synthesis of 3 H-acetylcholine (0.5 +/ 0.2 fmol/mg, p < 0.05). These results provide direct evidence of neuronal accumulation of choline and enzymatic conversion to acetylcholine in human corpus cavernosum. Taken together with the physiological studies, it can be concluded that cholinergic neurotransmission in human corpus cavernosum plays a role in penile erection

Development of striatal patch/matrix organization in organotypic co-cultures of perinatal striatum, cortex and substantia nigra.

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Snyder-Keller, A; Costantini, L C; Graber, D J

2001-01-01

Organotypic cultures of fetal or early postnatal striatum were used to assess striatal patch formation and maintenance in the presence or absence of dopaminergic and glutamatergic influences. Vibratome-cut slices of the striatum prepared from embryonic day 19 to postnatal day 4 rat pups were maintained in static culture on clear membrane inserts in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium/F12 (1:1) with 20% horse serum. Some were co-cultured with embryonic day 12-16 ventral mesencephalon and/or embryonic day 19 to postnatal day 4 cortex, which produced a dense dopaminergic innervation and a modest cortical innervation. Donors of striatal and cortical tissue were previously injected with bromo-deoxyuridine (BrdU) on embryonic days 13 and 14 in order to label striatal neurons destined to populate the patch compartment of the striatum. Patches of BrdU-immunoreactive cells were maintained in organotypic cultures of late prenatal (embryonic days 20-22) or early postnatal striatum in the absence of nigral dopaminergic or cortical glutamatergic influences. In slices taken from embryonic day 19 fetuses prior to the time of in vivo patch formation, patches were observed to form after 10 days in vitro, in 39% of nigral-striatal co-cultures compared to 6% of striatal slices cultured alone or in the presence of cortex only. Patches of dopaminergic fibers, revealed by tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity, were observed in the majority of nigral-striatal co-cultures. Immunostaining for the AMPA-type glutamate receptor GluR1 revealed a dense patch distribution in nearly all cultures, which developed in embryonic day 19 cultures after at least six days in vitro. These findings indicate that striatal patch/matrix organization is maintained in organotypic culture, and can be induced to form in vitro in striatal slices removed from fetuses prior to the time of in vivo patch formation. Furthermore, dopaminergic innervation from co-cultured pieces of ventral mesencephalon enhances patch

Applying corpus linguistics methodology to psycholinguistics research Aplicando a metodologia da linguística de corpus à pesquisa psicolinguística

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Luciane Corrêa Ferreira

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This study concerns the use of corpus linguistics methodology in psycholinguistics research. Ten linguistic metaphors were selected from English and American newspapers. After that, we identified the underlying conceptual metaphor based on the conceptual metaphor inventory by Lakoff and Johnson (1980, 1999. We seek to investigate what sort of knowledge EFL-learners use when trying to understand a linguistic metaphor. We examined how EFL-learners comprehend linguistic metaphors, firstly without using the context and then using the context. The sample comprised 221 Brazilian students and 16 American students at UCSC. We have also carried out an empirical research using WebCorp.Este estudo investiga o uso de metodologia de lingüística de corpus na pesquisa psicolingüística. Selecionaram-se dez metáforas em jornais ingleses e norte-americanos. Depois, identificou-se a metáfora conceptual subjacente com base no inventário de metáforas conceptuais apresentado por Lakoff e Johnson (1980, 1999. Buscou-se investigar que tipo de conhecimento os aprendizes de LE empregam ao tentar compreender metáforas. Analisou-se a maneira como os aprendizes de LE compreendem metáforas lingüísticas sem usar o contexto e, depois, utilizando o contexto. A amostra incluiu 221 estudantes brasileiros e 16 estudantes norte-americanos da UCSC.

Le corpus lexicographique dans les langues à tradition orale: le cas ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

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langues à tradition orale: les informateurs et la représentativité du corpus. Cette dernière, qui doit ..... les techniques, les instruments, la pêche par les hommes, la pêche par .... cet outil indispensable qu'est le dictionnaire. Je pense que ces ...

Como encontrar as palavras-chave mais importantes de um corpus com WordSmith tools How to find the most important keywords in a corpus with WordSmith tools

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Tony Berber-Sardinha

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Um dos procedimentos mais delicados envolvidos numa análise de corpus via palavras-chave com WordSmith Tools KeyWords é a seleção de um sub-conjunto de palavras para serem investigadas em detalhe. A seleção se faz necessária, via de regra, porque o tamanho do léxico chave de um corpus de estudo é em geral muito grande, em geral em torno de 1500 palavras ou até mais. Uma maneira de fazer esse recorte consiste na extração de palavras-chave exclusivas. O léxico chave exclusivo é composto das palavras-chave que ocorrem somente no corpus de estudo em questão em comparação com palavras-chave de outros corpora de estudo. Contudo, comparar a lista de palavras-chave com várias outras é um procedimento custoso e complicado, que não pode ser exigido da maioria dos usuários de WordSmith Tools KeyWords. Uma alternativa para este cenário seria a aplicação de um ponto de corte generalizado baseado em tendências de retorno de palavras-chave observadas através da aplicação do banco de palavras-chave existente. Tal ponto de corte indicaria a região da lista de palavras-chave na qual há maior probabilidade de ocorrência do léxico chave exclusivo. Os resultados obtidos aqui indicam um ponto de corte entre 31% a 53% das palavras da lista, a partir da primeira de uma lista ordenada por chavicidade.One of the most sensitive issues surrounding a keywords analysis with WordSmith Tools is the selection of a subset of words in a corpus that deserve being looked at in greater detail. This selection is normally needed because the size of the key word list can reach several hundred, up to 1,500 or more. One way to extract a selection consists of the pulling out 'exclusive key words'. This key lexis is made up of keywords that only in a single corpus only, in comparison with a bank of keyword lists. Nevertheless, comparing several keyword lists together is a demanding task, which most users of WordSmith Tools are not expected to cope with. An

Partial segmental thrombosis of the corpus cavernosum presenting with perineal pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Christodoulidou, Michelle; Parnham, Arie; Ramachandran, Navin; Muneer, Asif

2016-11-22

We describe the case of a man aged 43 years who presented with a 2-week history of a palpable lump in the right proximal penile shaft. This was preceded by a 6-month history of perineal pain, accompanied by erectile dysfunction. An urgent MRI scan of his penis identified a thrombus within the right crus and corpus of the penis. His thrombophilia screen was normal. The patient was started on oral anticoagulation and a phosphodiesterase inhibitor (PDE-5i) to prevent thrombus progression and maintain erectile function. At 5 months, the patients' symptoms had resolved and an MRI showed a reduction in the thrombus size. MRI is a useful imaging modality to diagnose a thrombus within the corpus cavernosum in patients presenting with a history of penile and perineal pain together with a palpable lump. The non-enhancement of the lesion helps to differentiate this from alternative rare lesions within the penis and perineum. 2016 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Perceptual evaluation of corpus-based speech synthesis techniques in under-resourced environments

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Van Niekerk, DR

2009-11-01

Full Text Available With the increasing prominence and maturity of corpus-based techniques for speech synthesis, the process of system development has in some ways been simplified considerably. However, the dependence on sufficient amounts of relevant speech data...

Male non-insulin users with type 2 diabetes mellitus are predisposed to gastric corpus-predominant inflammation after H. pylori infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yao-Jong; Wu, Chung-Tai; Ou, Horng-Yih; Lin, Chin-Han; Cheng, Hsiu-Chi; Chang, Wei-Lun; Chen, Wei-Ying; Yang, Hsiao-Bai; Lu, Cheng-Chan; Sheu, Bor-Shyang

2017-10-30

Both H. pylori infection and diabetes increase the risk of gastric cancer. This study investigated whether patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and H. pylori infection had more severe corpus gastric inflammation and higher prevalence of precancerous lesions than non-diabetic controls. A total of 797 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were screened for H. pylori, of whom 264 had H. pylori infection. Of these patients, 129 received esophagogastroduodenoscopy to obtain topographic gastric specimens for gastric histology according to the modified Updated Sydney System, corpus-predominant gastritis index (CGI), Operative Link on Gastritis Assessment, and Operative Link on Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia Assessment. Non-diabetic dyspeptic patients who had H. pylori infection confirmed by esophagogastroduodenoscopy were enrolled as controls. The male as well as total T2DM patients had higher acute/chronic inflammatory and lymphoid follicle scores in the corpus than non-diabetic controls (p H. pylori-infected patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and H. pylori infection had more severe corpus gastric inflammation than non-diabetic controls. Moreover, male gender and non-insulin users of T2DM patients were predisposed to have corpus-predominant gastritis after H. pylori infection. ClinicalTrial: NCT02466919 , retrospectively registered may 17, 2015.

THE CASE FOR VERB-ADJECTIVE COLLOCATIONS: CORPUS-BASED ANALYSIS AND LEXICOGRAPHICAL TREATMENT

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Moisés Almela

2011-10-01

Full Text Available This article explores a type of co-occurrence pattern which cannot be adequately described by existing models of collocation, and for which combinatory dictionaries have yet failed to provide sufficient information. The phenomenon of “oblique inter-collocation”, as I propose to call it, is characterised by a concatenation of syntagmatic preferences which partially contravenes the habitual grammatical order of semantic selection. In particular, I will examine some of the effects which the verb cause exerts on the distribution of attributive adjectives in the context of specific noun classes. The procedure for detecting and describing patterns of oblique inter-collocation is illustrated by means of SketchEngine corpus query tools. Based on the data extracted from a large-scale corpus, this paper carries out a critical analysis of the micro-structure in Oxford Collocations Dictionary.

Separate populations of neurons in ventral striatum encode value and motivation.

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Bissonette, Gregory B; Burton, Amanda C; Gentry, Ronny N; Goldstein, Brandon L; Hearn, Taylor N; Barnett, Brian R; Kashtelyan, Vadim; Roesch, Matthew R

2013-01-01

Neurons in the ventral striatum (VS) fire to cues that predict differently valued rewards. It is unclear whether this activity represents the value associated with the expected reward or the level of motivation induced by reward anticipation. To distinguish between the two, we trained rats on a task in which we varied value independently from motivation by manipulating the size of the reward expected on correct trials and the threat of punishment expected upon errors. We found that separate populations of neurons in VS encode expected value and motivation.

Involvement of corpus callosum in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis shown by MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zandijcke, M. van [Dept. of Neurology, Bruges (Belgium); Casselman, J. [Dept. of Medical Imaging, Bruges (Belgium)

1995-05-01

Abnormal high signal in the corticospinal tracts on MRI has been described in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We report a case with further high signal in fibres of the corpus callosum on proton density and T2-weighted spin-echo images, closely matching findings of earlier pathological reports. (orig.)

Involvement of corpus callosum in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis shown by MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zandijcke, M. van; Casselman, J.

1995-01-01

Abnormal high signal in the corticospinal tracts on MRI has been described in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We report a case with further high signal in fibres of the corpus callosum on proton density and T2-weighted spin-echo images, closely matching findings of earlier pathological reports. (orig.)

Generation of a Skeleton Corpus of Digital Objects for the Validation and Evaluation of Format Identification Tools and Signatures

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Ross Spencer

2013-06-01

Full Text Available To preserve digital information it is vital that the format of that information can be identified, in-perpetuity. This is the major focus of research within the field of Digital Preservation. The National Archives of the UK called for the Digital Preservation and Digital Curation communities to develop a test corpus of digital objects to help further develop tools to aid this purpose. Following that call, an attempt has been made to develop the suite.This paper initially outlines a methodology to generate a skeleton corpus using simple user-generated digital objects. It then explores the lessons learnt in the generation of a corpus using scripting language techniques from the file format signatures described in The National Archives PRONOM technical registry. It will also discuss the use of the digital signature for this purpose, the benefits of developing a test corpus using this technique. Finally, this paper will outline a methodology for future research before exploring how the community can best make use of the output of this project and how this project needs to be taken forward to completion.

Contralateral Disconnection of the Rat Prelimbic Cortex and Dorsomedial Striatum Impairs Cue-Guided Behavioral Switching

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Phillip M.; Ragozzino, Michael E.

2014-01-01

Switches in reward outcomes or reward-predictive cues are two fundamental ways in which information is used to flexibly shift response patterns. The rat prelimbic cortex and dorsomedial striatum support behavioral flexibility based on a change in outcomes. The present experiments investigated whether these two brain regions are necessary for…

Revisiting corpus creation and analysis tools for translation tasks

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Claudio Fantinuoli

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Many translation scholars have proposed the use of corpora to allow professional translators to produce high quality texts which read like originals. Yet, the diffusion of this methodology has been modest, one reason being the fact that software for corpora analyses have been developed with the linguist in mind, which means that they are generally complex and cumbersome, offering many advanced features, but lacking the level of usability and the specific features that meet translators’ needs. To overcome this shortcoming, we have developed TranslatorBank, a free corpus creation and analysis tool designed for translation tasks. TranslatorBank supports the creation of specialized monolingual corpora from the web; it includes a concordancer with a query system similar to a search engine; it uses basic statistical measures to indicate the reliability of results; it accesses the original documents directly for more contextual information; it includes a statistical and linguistic terminology extraction utility to extract the relevant terminology of the domain and the typical collocations of a given term. Designed to be easy and intuitive to use, the tool may help translation students as well as professionals to increase their translation quality by adhering to the specific linguistic variety of the target text corpus.

Revisiting corpus creation and analysis tools for translation tasks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudio Fantinuoli

2016-04-01

Many translation scholars have proposed the use of corpora to allow professional translators to produce high quality texts which read like originals. Yet, the diffusion of this methodology has been modest, one reason being the fact that software for corpora analyses have been developed with the linguist in mind, which means that they are generally complex and cumbersome, offering many advanced features, but lacking the level of usability and the specific features that meet translators’ needs. To overcome this shortcoming, we have developed TranslatorBank, a free corpus creation and analysis tool designed for translation tasks. TranslatorBank supports the creation of specialized monolingual corpora from the web; it includes a concordancer with a query system similar to a search engine; it uses basic statistical measures to indicate the reliability of results; it accesses the original documents directly for more contextual information; it includes a statistical and linguistic terminology extraction utility to extract the relevant terminology of the domain and the typical collocations of a given term. Designed to be easy and intuitive to use, the tool may help translation students as well as professionals to increase their translation quality by adhering to the specific linguistic variety of the target text corpus.

Bollywood Movie Corpus for Text, Images and Videos

OpenAIRE

Madaan, Nishtha; Mehta, Sameep; Saxena, Mayank; Aggarwal, Aditi; Agrawaal, Taneea S; Malhotra, Vrinda

2017-01-01

In past few years, several data-sets have been released for text and images. We present an approach to create the data-set for use in detecting and removing gender bias from text. We also include a set of challenges we have faced while creating this corpora. In this work, we have worked with movie data from Wikipedia plots and movie trailers from YouTube. Our Bollywood Movie corpus contains 4000 movies extracted from Wikipedia and 880 trailers extracted from YouTube which were released from 1...

Reinforcement learning signals in the human striatum distinguish learners from nonlearners during reward-based decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Schönberg, Tom; Daw, Nathaniel D; Joel, Daphna; O'Doherty, John P

2007-11-21

The computational framework of reinforcement learning has been used to forward our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying reward learning and decision-making behavior. It is known that humans vary widely in their performance in decision-making tasks. Here, we used a simple four-armed bandit task in which subjects are almost evenly split into two groups on the basis of their performance: those who do learn to favor choice of the optimal action and those who do not. Using models of reinforcement learning we sought to determine the neural basis of these intrinsic differences in performance by scanning both groups with functional magnetic resonance imaging. We scanned 29 subjects while they performed the reward-based decision-making task. Our results suggest that these two groups differ markedly in the degree to which reinforcement learning signals in the striatum are engaged during task performance. While the learners showed robust prediction error signals in both the ventral and dorsal striatum during learning, the nonlearner group showed a marked absence of such signals. Moreover, the magnitude of prediction error signals in a region of dorsal striatum correlated significantly with a measure of behavioral performance across all subjects. These findings support a crucial role of prediction error signals, likely originating from dopaminergic midbrain neurons, in enabling learning of action selection preferences on the basis of obtained rewards. Thus, spontaneously observed individual differences in decision making performance demonstrate the suggested dependence of this type of learning on the functional integrity of the dopaminergic striatal system in humans.

The role of the dorsal striatum in extinction: A memory systems perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodman, Jarid; Packard, Mark G

2018-04-01

The present review describes a role for the dorsal striatum in extinction. Evidence from brain lesion and pharmacological studies indicate that the dorsolateral region of the striatum (DLS) mediates extinction in various maze learning and instrumental learning tasks. Within the context of a multiple memory systems view, the role of the DLS in extinction appears to be selective. Specifically, the DLS mediates extinction of habit memory and is not required for extinction of cognitive memory. Thus, extinction mechanisms mediated by the DLS may involve response-produced inhibition (e.g. inhibition of existing stimulus-response associations or formation of new inhibitory stimulus-response associations), as opposed to cognitive mechanisms (e.g. changes in expectation). Evidence also suggests that NMDA-dependent forms of synaptic plasticity may be part of the mechanism through which the DLS mediates extinction of habit memory. In addition, in some learning situations, DLS inactivation enhances extinction, suggesting a competitive interaction between multiple memory systems during extinction training. Consistent with a multiple memory systems perspective, it is suggested that the DLS represents one of several distinct neural systems that specialize in extinction of different kinds of memory. The relevance of these findings to the development of behavioral and pharmacological therapies that target the maladaptive habit-like symptoms in human psychopathology is also briefly considered. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Modafinil abrogates methamphetamine-induced neuroinflammation and apoptotic effects in the mouse striatum.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariana Raineri

Full Text Available Methamphetamine is a drug of abuse that can cause neurotoxic damage in humans and animals. Modafinil, a wake-promoting compound approved for the treatment of sleeping disorders, is being prescribed off label for the treatment of methamphetamine dependence. The aim of the present study was to investigate if modafinil could counteract methamphetamine-induced neuroinflammatory processes, which occur in conjunction with degeneration of dopaminergic terminals in the mouse striatum. We evaluated the effect of a toxic methamphetamine binge in female C57BL/6 mice (4 × 5 mg/kg, i.p., 2 h apart and modafinil co-administration (2 × 90 mg/kg, i.p., 1 h before the first and fourth methamphetamine injections on glial cells (microglia and astroglia. We also evaluated the striatal expression of the pro-apoptotic BAX and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins, which are known to mediate methamphetamine-induced apoptotic effects. Modafinil by itself did not cause reactive gliosis and counteracted methamphetamine-induced microglial and astroglial activation. Modafinil also counteracted the decrease in tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine transporter levels and prevented methamphetamine-induced increases in the pro-apoptotic BAX and decreases in the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein expression. Our results indicate that modafinil can interfere with methamphetamine actions and provide protection against dopamine toxicity, cell death, and neuroinflammation in the mouse striatum.

Adenosine A2A receptors in ventral striatum, hypothalamus and nociceptive circuitry. Implications for drug addiction, sleep and pain

Science.gov (United States)

Ferré, S.; Diamond, I.; Goldberg, S.R.; Yao, L.; Hourani, S.M.O.; Huang, Z.L.; Urade, Y.; Kitchen, I.

2007-01-01

Adenosine A2A receptors localized in the dorsal striatum are considered as a new target for the development of antiparkinsonian drugs. Co-administration of A2A receptor antagonists has shown a significant improvement of the effects of L-DOPA. The present review emphasizes the possible application of A2A receptor antagonists in pathological conditions other than parkinsonism, including drug addiction, sleep disorders and pain. In addition to the dorsal striatum, the ventral striatum (nucleus accumbens) contains a high density of A2A receptors, which presynaptically and postsynaptically regulate glutamatergic transmission in the cortical glutamatergic projections to the nucleus accumbens. It is currently believed that molecular adaptations of the cortico-accumbens glutamatergic synapses are involved in compulsive drug seeking and relapse. Here we review recent experimental evidence suggesting that A2A antagonists could become new therapeutic agents for drug addiction. Morphological and functional studies have identified lower levels of A2A receptors in brain areas other than the striatum, such as the ventrolateral preoptic area of the hypothalamus, where adenosine plays an important role in sleep regulation. Although initially believed to be mostly dependent on A1 receptors, here we review recent studies that demonstrate that the somnogenic effects of adenosine are largely mediated by hypothalamic A2A receptors. A2A receptor antagonists could therefore be considered as a possible treatment for narcolepsy and other sleep-related disorders. Finally, nociception is another adenosine-regulated neural function previously thought to mostly involve A1 receptors. Although there is some conflicting literature on the effects of agonists and antagonists, which may partly be due to the lack of selectivity of available drugs, the studies in A2A receptor knockout mice suggest that A2A receptor antagonists might have some therapeutic potential in pain states, in particular where

Quantitative analysis of the corpus callosum in children with cerebral palsy and developmental delay: correlation with cerebral white matter volume

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panigrahy, Ashok; Barnes, Patrick D.; Robertson, Robert L.; Sleeper, Lynn A.; Sayre, James W.

2005-01-01

This study was conducted to quantitatively correlate the thickness of the corpus callosum with the volume of cerebral white matter in children with cerebral palsy and developmental delay. Material and methods: A clinical database of 70 children with cerebral palsy and developmental delay was established with children between the ages of 1 and 5 years. These children also demonstrated abnormal periventricular T2 hyperintensities associated with and without ventriculomegaly. Mid-sagittal T1-weighted images were used to measure the thickness (genu, mid-body, and splenium) and length of the corpus callosum. Volumes of interest were digitized based on gray-scale densities to define the hemispheric cerebral white matter on axial T2-weighted and FLAIR images. The thickness of the mid-body of the corpus callosum was correlated with cerebral white matter volume. Subgroup analysis was also performed to examine the relationship of this correlation with both gestational age and neuromotor outcome. Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance and Pearson correlation coefficients. There was a positive correlation between the thickness of the mid-body of the corpus callosum and the volume of cerebral white matter across all children studied (R=0.665, P=0.0001). This correlation was not dependent on gestational age. The thickness of the mid-body of the corpus callosum was decreased in the spastic diplegia group compared to the two other groups (hypotonia and developmental delay only; P<0.0001). Within each neuromotor subgroup, there was a positive correlation between thickness of the mid-body of the corpus callosum and volume of the cerebral white matter. (orig.)

Quantitative analysis of the corpus callosum in children with cerebral palsy and developmental delay: correlation with cerebral white matter volume

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Panigrahy, Ashok [Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Department of Radiology, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Barnes, Patrick D. [Stanford University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Lucile Salter Packard Children' s Hospital, Palo Alto, CA (United States); Robertson, Robert L. [Children' s Hospital Boston, Department of Radiology, Boston, MA (United States); Sleeper, Lynn A. [New England Research Institute, Watertown, MA (United States); Sayre, James W. [UCLA Medical Center, Departments of Radiology and Biostatistics, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

2005-12-01

This study was conducted to quantitatively correlate the thickness of the corpus callosum with the volume of cerebral white matter in children with cerebral palsy and developmental delay. Material and methods: A clinical database of 70 children with cerebral palsy and developmental delay was established with children between the ages of 1 and 5 years. These children also demonstrated abnormal periventricular T2 hyperintensities associated with and without ventriculomegaly. Mid-sagittal T1-weighted images were used to measure the thickness (genu, mid-body, and splenium) and length of the corpus callosum. Volumes of interest were digitized based on gray-scale densities to define the hemispheric cerebral white matter on axial T2-weighted and FLAIR images. The thickness of the mid-body of the corpus callosum was correlated with cerebral white matter volume. Subgroup analysis was also performed to examine the relationship of this correlation with both gestational age and neuromotor outcome. Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance and Pearson correlation coefficients. There was a positive correlation between the thickness of the mid-body of the corpus callosum and the volume of cerebral white matter across all children studied (R=0.665, P=0.0001). This correlation was not dependent on gestational age. The thickness of the mid-body of the corpus callosum was decreased in the spastic diplegia group compared to the two other groups (hypotonia and developmental delay only; P<0.0001). Within each neuromotor subgroup, there was a positive correlation between thickness of the mid-body of the corpus callosum and volume of the cerebral white matter. (orig.)

Development and Use of a Corpus Tailored for Legal English Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Skier, Jason; Vibulphol, Jutarat

2016-01-01

While corpus linguistics has been applied towards many specific academic purposes, reports are few regarding its use to facilitate learning of legal English by non-native English speakers. Specialized corpora are required because legal English often differs significantly from ordinary usage, with words such as bar, motion, and hearing having…

Automatic recognition of touch gestures in the corpus of social touch

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jung, Merel Madeleine; Poel, Mannes; Poppe, Ronald Walter; Heylen, Dirk K.J.

For an artifact such as a robot or a virtual agent to respond appropriately to human social touch behavior, it should be able to automatically detect and recognize touch. This paper describes the data collection of CoST: Corpus of Social Touch, a data set containing 7805 captures of 14 different

Advantages and disadvantages in the use of internet as a corpus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper initially discusses some of the consequences which the technological development has for lexicography, especially in terms of the different types of empirical basis which can be used in dictionary projects. The most important advantages and disadvantages of using the Internet as a corpus are then listed and ...

Towards a corpus of South African English: corralling the sub-varieties

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Riette Ruthven

important step towards the creation of a truly representative large corpus of SAE and ... Census data which elicit information about home language do not tell .... ISAE has absorbed lexical items such as robot (traffic light), dagha (mud), baba- ..... used their access to existing social networks to identify other contributors to.

The subjective use of postural verbs in Afrikaans (II): a corpus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Kate H

Whereas the first article focused on the development of the postular .... 25. 2. Corpus discussion. Unfortunately, there are few Afrikaans corpora available .... In the third instance, it is assumed that the original meaning of the word influences the .... the extent to which they have become grammaticalised in terms of each other.

The first Malay language storytelling text-to-speech (TTS) corpus for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

speech annotations are described in detail in accordance to baseline work. The stories were recorded in two speaking styles that are neutral and storytelling speaking style. The first. Malay language storytelling corpus is not only necessary for the development of a storytelling text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis. It is also ...

Materials as regard about ecology and spreading of lycodine striatum bicolor nik in Tajikistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sattorov, T.S.; Khidirov, Kh.; Mukhammadkulov, M.

2003-01-01

In this article is placed new scientific information about biology, ecology and spreading of Lycodine striatum bicolor within the territory of Tajikistan. Finding available in this article concerning spreading of flus snake are considered to be new. This scarce snake was discovered for the first time in Northern part of Tajikistan. This new information will enrich our notions about Reptile fauna of Tajikistan

The usefulness of fractional anisotropy maps in localization of lacunar infractions in striatum, internal capsule and thalamus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeong, H.K.; Lee, S.K.; Kim, D.I. [Dept. of Radiology and Research, Yonsei University Coll. of Medicine, Seoul (Korea); JHeo, J.H. [Dept. of Neurology, Yonsei University Coll. of Medicine, Seoul (Korea)

2005-04-01

We aimed in this study to assess the clinical usefulness of fractional anisotropy (FA) maps in the evaluation of lacunar infractions in striatum, internal capsule and thalamus. We retrospectively reviewed 28 patients (18 mean, 10 women; mean age 63 years) who had acute lacunar infraction in striatum, internal capsule and thalamus on diffusion weighted MR imaging (DWI). Fractional anisotropy (FA) maps were generated in addition to conventional T2 weigthed images (T2WI) and trace masp of DWI. Two radiologists reviewed the location of infraction was determined by FA maps. i.e. on the white band of internal capsule. Accuracy and inter-observer agreement on determination of the location of interfraction was evaluated. Accuracy of infract localization by T2WI-DWI only was varied from 72 to 91% according to the observers. Inter-observer agreement value was moderate (Kappa=0.446), when images were interpreted by T2WI-DWI only. Clinical manifestation of each lesions wre varied, but sensory motor stroke was mainly observed in thalamic lesion (50%) while pure motor hemiparesis was predominant in the case of infract involving internal capsule, corona radiata (91%) and basal ganglia (83%). The FA maps is useful in the evaluation of lacunar lesions in striatum, internal capsule and thalamus. Clinical presentation varies according to the exact location of lacunar infractions, and more accurate diagnosis can be made by FA maps as well as conventional T2-weighted image and DWI.

Ventral Striatum Functional Connectivity as a Predictor of Adolescent Depressive Disorder in a Longitudinal Community-Based Sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Pedro Mario; Sato, João R; Salum, Giovanni A; Rohde, Luis A; Gadelha, Ary; Zugman, Andre; Mari, Jair; Jackowski, Andrea; Picon, Felipe; Miguel, Eurípedes C; Pine, Daniel S; Leibenluft, Ellen; Bressan, Rodrigo A; Stringaris, Argyris

2017-11-01

Previous studies have implicated aberrant reward processing in the pathogenesis of adolescent depression. However, no study has used functional connectivity within a distributed reward network, assessed using resting-state functional MRI (fMRI), to predict the onset of depression in adolescents. This study used reward network-based functional connectivity at baseline to predict depressive disorder at follow-up in a community sample of adolescents. A total of 637 children 6-12 years old underwent resting-state fMRI. Discovery and replication analyses tested intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) among nodes of a putative reward network. Logistic regression tested whether striatal node strength, a measure of reward-related iFC, predicted onset of a depressive disorder at 3-year follow-up. Further analyses investigated the specificity of this prediction. Increased left ventral striatum node strength predicted increased risk for future depressive disorder (odds ratio=1.54, 95% CI=1.09-2.18), even after excluding participants who had depressive disorders at baseline (odds ratio=1.52, 95% CI=1.05-2.20). Among 11 reward-network nodes, only the left ventral striatum significantly predicted depression. Striatal node strength did not predict other common adolescent psychopathology, such as anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and substance use. Aberrant ventral striatum functional connectivity specifically predicts future risk for depressive disorder. This finding further emphasizes the need to understand how brain reward networks contribute to youth depression.

Comparison of four methods of measurement on [11C]Raclopride  binding potential using regional specificity in the striatum

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Peterson, Ericka; Gjedde, Albert; Møller, Arne

Background: Dopamine transmission in the striatum and especially the ventral striatum (VST), a structure which includes the nucleus  accumbens, ventral caudate, and ventral putamen, plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of psychotic states and the reinforcing effects of virtually all drugs...... as reference for all three methods. Mean pB were calculated for left and right putamen, caudate and VST. Correlations between the left and right pB were examined for each striatal region. The results of the three methods were also compared. Results: For all three methods, there was a highly significant...... correlation between the left and right caudate and putamen (pVST (0.01

Age-related changes in the intrinsic functional connectivity of the human ventral vs. dorsal striatum from childhood to middle age

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James N. Porter

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The striatum codes motivated behavior. Delineating age-related differences within striatal circuitry can provide insights into neural mechanisms underlying ontogenic behavioral changes and vulnerabilities to mental disorders. To this end, a dual ventral/dorsal model of striatal function was examined using resting state intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC imaging in 106 healthy individuals, ages 9–44. Broadly, the dorsal striatum (DS is connected to prefrontal and parietal cortices and contributes to cognitive processes; the ventral striatum (VS is connected to medial orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortices, and contributes to affective valuation and motivation. Findings revealed patterns of age-related changes that differed between VS and DS iFCs. We found an age-related increase in DS iFC with posterior cingulate cortex (pCC that stabilized after the mid-twenties, but a decrease in VS iFC with anterior insula (aIns and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC that persisted into mid-adulthood. These distinct developmental trajectories of VS vs. DS iFC might underlie adolescents’ unique behavioral patterns and vulnerabilities to psychopathology, and also speaks to changes in motivational networks that extend well past 25 years old.

Effects of hypo- and hyperthyroidism on proliferation, angiogenesis, apoptosis and expression of COX-2 in the corpus luteum of female rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, J F; Ocarino, N M; Vieira, A L S; Nascimento, E F; Serakides, R

2013-08-01

Although thyroid dysfunction occurs frequently in humans and some animal species, the mechanisms by which hypo- and hyperthyroidism affect the corpus luteum have not been thoroughly elucidated. This study evaluated the levels of proliferative activity, angiogenesis, apoptosis and expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in the corpus luteum of female rats with thyroid dysfunction. These processes may be important in understanding the reproductive changes caused by thyroid dysfunction. A total of 18 adult female rats were divided into three groups (control, hypothyroid and hyperthyroid) with six animals per group. Three months after treatment to induce thyroid dysfunction, the rats were euthanized in the dioestrus phase. The ovaries were collected and immunohistochemically analysed for expression of the cell proliferation marker CDC-47, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF receptor Flk-1 and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Apoptosis was evaluated using the TUNEL assay. Hypothyroidism reduced the intensity and area of COX-2 expression in the corpus luteum (p hyperthyroidism did not alter COX-2 expression in the dioestrus phase. Hypothyroidism significantly reduced the expression of CDC-47 in endothelial cells and pericytes in the corpus luteum, whereas hyperthyroidism did not induce a detectable change in CDC-47 expression (p > 0.05). Hypothyroidism reduced the level of apoptosis in luteal cells (p hyperthyroidism increased the level of apoptosis in the corpus luteum (p < 0.05). In conclusion, thyroid dysfunction differentially affects the levels of proliferative activity, angiogenesis and apoptosis and COX-2 expression in the corpus luteum of female rats. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Treatment of uterine corpus cancer 1/1 state of development. Pt. 3. Radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zielinski, J.

1975-01-01

The efficacity of irradiation therapy, as a unique method, was evaluated in 50 women with diagnosed uterine corpus cancer in 1/1 stage of clinical development. These patients refused other forms of therapy (surgery). The results were compared with those observed in 232 women treated by complex technique (surgery and irradiation). The percent of 5 years survival rate in the subjects treated by irradiation only made 54%, while in the complex therapy group it made 81.1%. The difference was found significant. The complications resulting from the irradiation therapy were present in 13 women (26%), while in the complex therapy group these were met in 25 women (10.8%) which difference was also significant. These facts strongly advocate the superiority of complex treatment in recent cases of uterine corpus cancer. (author)

Effect of Vestibulo-Proprioceptive Stimulations in a Child with Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamid Dalvand

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Background and Aim: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of vestibulo-proprioceptive stimulations of sensory integration theory on the development of gross and fine motor, language and personal-social functions in a child with agenesis of the corpus callosum.Case: We report a 10.5 month old boy with agenesis of the corpus callosum. The intervention was administered based on sensory integration theory an hour a week for 20 weeks. The exercise intervention consisted of proprioceptive and linear, sustained and low frequency vestibular stimulations on suspension device and physio roll. A Denver Developmental Screening- II and milestones skill testing was completed pre-intervention and monthly. Post-intervention, age of gross motor, fine motor adaptive, language, and personal-social functions significantly improved. Based on milestones skills, maintenance of gross motor functions (e.g. sitting and quadruped position improved. The child could roll from side to side and released objects voluntarily. The reaction time to auditory stimulations became less than 2 seconds.Conclusion: vestibulo-proprioceptive stimulations using the neuroplasticity ability of the central nervous system is effective for development of gross and fine motor, language, and personal-social functions. These exercises can be administered for a child with agenesis of the corpus callosum.

How textbooks (and learners get it wrong: A corpus study of modal auxiliary verbs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hayo Reinders

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Many elements contribute to the relative difficulty in acquiring specific aspects of English as a foreign language (Goldschneider & DeKeyser, 2001. Modal auxiliary verbs (e.g. could, might, are examples of a structure that is difficult for many learners. Not only are they particularly complex semantically, but especially in the Malaysian context reported on in this paper, there is no direct equivalent in the students’ L1. In other words, they are a good example of a structure for which successful acquisition depends very much on the quality of the input and instruction students receive. This paper reports on analysis of a 230,000 word corpus of Malaysian English textbooks, in which it was found that the relative frequency of the modals did not match that found in native speaker corpora such as the BNC. We compared the textbook corpus with a learner corpus of Malaysian form 4 learners and found no direct relationship between frequency of presentation of target forms in the textbooks and their use by students in their writing. We also found a very large percentage of errors in students’ writing. We suggest a number of possible reasons for these findings and discuss the implications for materials developers and teachers.

Dysfunctional mitochondrial respiration in the striatum of the Huntington's disease transgenic R6/2 mouse model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aidt, Frederik Heurlin; Nielsen, Signe Marie Borch; Kanters, Jørgen

2013-01-01

Metabolic dysfunction and mitochondrial involvement are recognised as part of the pathology in Huntington's Disease (HD). Post-mortem examinations of the striatum from end-stage HD patients have shown a decrease in the in vitro activity of complexes II, III and IV of the electron transport system...

Sentence‐Chain Based Seq2seq Model for Corpus Expansion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Euisok Chung

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This study focuses on a method for sequential data augmentation in order to alleviate data sparseness problems. Specifically, we present corpus expansion techniques for enhancing the coverage of a language model. Recent recurrent neural network studies show that a seq2seq model can be applied for addressing language generation issues; it has the ability to generate new sentences from given input sentences. We present a method of corpus expansion using a sentence‐chain based seq2seq model. For training the seq2seq model, sentence chains are used as triples. The first two sentences in a triple are used for the encoder of the seq2seq model, while the last sentence becomes a target sequence for the decoder. Using only internal resources, evaluation results show an improvement of approximately 7.6% relative perplexity over a baseline language model of Korean text. Additionally, from a comparison with a previous study, the sentence chain approach reduces the size of the training data by 38.4% while generating 1.4‐times the number of n‐grams with superior performance for English text.

A Pedagogic Corpus Analysis: Modal Auxiliary Verbs in Malaysian English Textbooks

Science.gov (United States)

Khojasteh, Laleh; Mukundan, Jayakaran

2011-01-01

Using corpus approach, over the past two decades, a growing number of researchers started to blame textbooks for neglecting important information on the use of grammatical structures in real language use and provided ample information about the mismatch between language used in textbooks and real language in use. Likewise, the prescribed Malaysian…

A Corpus-Based Evaluation of Metaphors in a Business English Textbook

Science.gov (United States)

Skorczynska Sznajder, Hanna

2010-01-01

This study aims to evaluate the selection of metaphors in a published business English textbook using findings from a specialised corpus of written business English. While most scholars agree that metaphors should be included in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) syllabuses as a potentially problematic area in successful language learning, it is…

Corpus callosum dysgenesis and lipoma: embryologic and magnetic resonance imaging aspects; Disgenesia do corpo caloso e lipoma: consideracoes embriologicas basicas e aspectos de imagem a ressonancia magnetica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abreu Junior, Luiz de; Borri, Maria Lucia; Wolosker, Angela Maria Borri; Hartmann, Luiz Guilherme de Carvalho; Galvao Filho, Mario de Melo [Hospital e Maternidade Sao Luiz, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Setor de Diagnostico por Imagem]. E-mail: abreujr@directnet.com.br; D' Ippolito, Giuseppe [Hospital e Maternidade Sao Luiz, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Setor de US/TC/RMN

2005-07-15

The corpus callosum is the major system of association fibers that permits communication of both cerebral hemispheres. Magnetic resonance imaging has improved the study of brain malformations, including the corpus callosum dysgenesis. Lipoma is a common finding in the spectrum of corpus callosum dysgenesis. The purpose of these study was to review the embryologic events and the magnetic resonance imaging aspects related to the corpus callosum dysgenesis and to the formation of the related lipoma. (author)

Effect of quercetin and desferrioxamine on 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) induced neurotoxicity in striatum of rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Haleagrahara, Nagaraja; Siew, Cheng Jun; Ponnusamy, Kumar

2013-02-01

The catecholaminergic neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine is used to lesion dopaminergic pathways in the experimental animal models of Parkinson's disease. The present study was aimed to evaluate the combined treatment with bioflavonoid quercetin (QN) and desferrioxamine (DFO) on 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) - induced neurotoxicity in the striatum of rats. Adult, male Sprague - Dawley rats were divided into control, sham lesion, 6-OHDA treated (300 µg, intracisternal), 6-OHDA with QN (50 mg/kg) treated, 6-OHDA with DFO (50 mg/kg) treated and 6-OHDA with QN and DFO treated groups. Striatal dopamine, protein carbonyl content (PCC), glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were estimated. There was a significant increase (p protection. Combined treatment has a more significant effect (p protecting the neurons and increasing the antioxidant enzymes in the striatum. In conclusion, an antioxidant with iron chelator treatment showed a significant neuroprotective effect against 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) by preventing dopaminergic neuronal loss and maintaining the striatal dopamine level.

A dissociation of dorso-lateral striatum and amygdala function on the same stimulus-response habit task.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, R J; Hong, N S

2004-01-01

This experiment tested the idea that the amygdala-based learning and memory system covertly acquires a stimulus-reward (stimulus-outcome) association during acquisition of a stimulus-response (S-R) habit task developed for the eight-arm radial maze. Groups of rats were given dorso-lateral striatal or amygdala lesions and then trained on the S-R habit task on the eight-arm radial maze. Rats with neurotoxic damage to the dorso-lateral striatum were severely impaired on the acquisition of the S-R habit task but showed a conditioned-cue preference for the stimulus reinforced during S-R habit training. Rats with neurotoxic damage to the amygdala were able to acquire the S-R habit task but did not show a conditioned-cue preference for the stimulus reinforced during S-R habit training. This pattern of results represents a dissociation of learning and memory functions of the dorsal striatum and amygdala on the same task.

CB1 cannabinoid receptor expression in the striatum: Association with corticostriatal circuits and developmental regulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent eVan Waes

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Corticostriatal circuits mediate various aspects of goal-directed behavior and are critically important for basal ganglia-related disorders. Activity in these circuits is regulated by the endocannabinoid system via stimulation of CB1 cannabinoid receptors. CB1 receptors are highly expressed in projection neurons and select interneurons of the striatum, but expression levels vary considerably between different striatal regions (functional domains. We investigated CB1 receptor expression within specific corticostriatal circuits by mapping CB1 mRNA levels in striatal sectors defined by their cortical inputs in rats. We also assessed changes in CB1 expression in the striatum during development. Our results show that CB1 expression is highest in juveniles (P25 and then progressively decreases towards adolescent (P40 and adult (P70 levels. At every age, CB1 receptors are predominantly expressed in sensorimotor striatal sectors, with considerably lower expression in associative and limbic sectors. Moreover, for most corticostriatal circuits there is an inverse relationship between cortical and striatal expression levels. Thus, striatal sectors with high CB1 expression (sensorimotor sectors tend to receive inputs from cortical areas with low expression, while striatal sectors with low expression (associative/limbic sectors receive inputs from cortical regions with higher expression (medial prefrontal cortex. In so far as CB1 mRNA levels reflect receptor function, our findings suggest differential CB1 signaling between different developmental stages and between sensorimotor and associative/limbic circuits. The regional distribution of CB1 receptor expression in the striatum further suggests that, in sensorimotor sectors, CB1 receptors mostly regulate GABA inputs from local axon collaterals of projection neurons, whereas in associative/limbic sectors, CB1 regulation of GABA inputs from interneurons and glutamate inputs may be more important.

Automatic extraction of corpus callosum from midsagittal head MR image and examination of Alzheimer-type dementia objective diagnostic system in feature analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaneko, Tomoyuki; Kodama, Naoki; Kaeriyama, Tomoharu; Fukumoto, Ichiro

2004-01-01

We studied the objective diagnosis of Alzheimer-type dementia based on changes in the corpus callosum. We examined midsagittal head MR images of 40 Alzheimer-type dementia patients (15 men and 25 women; mean age, 75.4±5.5 years) and 31 healthy elderly persons (10 men and 21 women; mean age, 73.4±7.5 years), 71 subjects altogether. First, the corpus callosum was automatically extracted from midsagittal head MR images. Next, Alzheimer-type dementia was compared with the healthy elderly individuals using the features of shape factor and six features of Co-occurrence Matrix from the corpus callosum. Automatic extraction of the corpus callosum succeeded in 64 of 71 individuals, for an extraction rate of 90.1%. A statistically significant difference was found in 7 of the 9 features between Alzheimer-type dementia patients and the healthy elderly adults. Discriminant analysis using the 7 features demonstrated a sensitivity rate of 82.4%, specificity of 89.3%, and overall accuracy of 85.5%. These results indicated the possibility of an objective diagnostic system for Alzheimer-type dementia using feature analysis based on change in the corpus callosum. (author)

Annotating longitudinal clinical narratives for de-identification: The 2014 i2b2/UTHealth corpus.

Science.gov (United States)

Stubbs, Amber; Uzuner, Özlem

2015-12-01

The 2014 i2b2/UTHealth natural language processing shared task featured a track focused on the de-identification of longitudinal medical records. For this track, we de-identified a set of 1304 longitudinal medical records describing 296 patients. This corpus was de-identified under a broad interpretation of the HIPAA guidelines using double-annotation followed by arbitration, rounds of sanity checking, and proof reading. The average token-based F1 measure for the annotators compared to the gold standard was 0.927. The resulting annotations were used both to de-identify the data and to set the gold standard for the de-identification track of the 2014 i2b2/UTHealth shared task. All annotated private health information were replaced with realistic surrogates automatically and then read over and corrected manually. The resulting corpus is the first of its kind made available for de-identification research. This corpus was first used for the 2014 i2b2/UTHealth shared task, during which the systems achieved a mean F-measure of 0.872 and a maximum F-measure of 0.964 using entity-based micro-averaged evaluations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A corpus-based approach to generalising a chatbot system

OpenAIRE

Abu Shawar, Bayan; Atwell, Eric

2003-01-01

International research in NLP is dominated by work on English. NLP techniques and systems can be ported to other natural languages, but this is generally a labour-intensive task, requiring scarce computational and linguistic expertise; hence minority languages are poorly represented in NLP technology. We present an automated approach to porting an NLP technology, the AIML-based chatbot, to new languages, by using a corpus in the target language to retrain the chatbot. We have s...

The CALBC Silver Standard Corpus for Biomedical Named Entities - A Study in Harmonizing the Contributions from Four Independent Named Entity Taggers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D. Rebholz-Schuhmann (Dietrich); A.J. Jimeno-Yepes (Antonio José); E.M. van Mulligen (Erik); N. Kang (Ning); J.A. Kors (Jan); D. Milward (David); P. Corbett (Peter); E. Buyko (Ekaterina); Tomanek (Katrin); E. Beisswanger (Elena); U. Hahn (Udo)

2010-01-01

textabstractThe production of gold standard corpora is time-consuming and costly. We propose an alternative: the 'silver standard corpus' (SSC), a corpus that has been generated by the harmonisation of the annotations that have been delivered from a selection of annotation systems. The systems have

Characteristics of central binding sites for [3H] DAMGO in spontaneously hypertensive rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gulati, A.; Bhargava, H.N.

1990-01-01

The binding of [ 3 H] DAMGO, a highly selective ligand for μ-opiate receptors, to membranes of discrete brain regions and spinal cord of 10 week old spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were determined. The brain regions examined were hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, corpus striatum, pons and medulla, midbrain and cortex. [ 3 H] DAMGO bound to membranes of brain regions and spinal cord at a single high affinity site. The receptor density (B max value) and apparent dissociation constant (K d value) of [ 3 H] DAMGO to bind to membranes of hippocampus, corpus striatum, pons and medulla, cortex and spinal cord of WKY and SHR rats did not differ. The B max value of [ 3 H] DAMGO in membranes of hypothalamus and midbrain of SHR rats was significantly higher than in WKY rats but the K d values in the two strains did not differ. On the other hand, the B max value of [ 3 H] DAMGO in membranes of amygdala of SHR rats was lower than that of WKY rats but the K d values in the two strains were similar

Characteristics of central binding sites for ( sup 3 H) DAMGO in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gulati, A.; Bhargava, H.N. (Univ. of Illinois, Chicago (USA))

1990-01-01

The binding of ({sup 3}H) DAMGO, a highly selective ligand for {mu}-opiate receptors, to membranes of discrete brain regions and spinal cord of 10 week old spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were determined. The brain regions examined were hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, corpus striatum, pons and medulla, midbrain and cortex. ({sup 3}H) DAMGO bound to membranes of brain regions and spinal cord at a single high affinity site. The receptor density (B{sub max} value) and apparent dissociation constant (K{sub d} value) of ({sup 3}H) DAMGO to bind to membranes of hippocampus, corpus striatum, pons and medulla, cortex and spinal cord of WKY and SHR rats did not differ. The B{sub max} value of ({sup 3}H) DAMGO in membranes of hypothalamus and midbrain of SHR rats was significantly higher than in WKY rats but the K{sub d} values in the two strains did not differ. On the other hand, the B{sub max} value of ({sup 3}H) DAMGO in membranes of amygdala of SHR rats was lower than that of WKY rats but the K{sub d} values in the two strains were similar.

Midline corpus callosum is a neuroanatomical focus of fetal alcohol damage.

Science.gov (United States)

Bookstein, Fred L; Sampson, Paul D; Connor, Paul D; Streissguth, Ann P

2002-06-15

Prenatal exposure to high levels of alcohol often induces birth defects that combine morphological stigmata with neurological or neuropsychological deficits. But it has proved problematic to diagnose these syndromes in adolescents and adults, in whom the morphological signs are absent or attenuated, the behavioral deficits nonspecific, and the exposure history often difficult to reconstruct. Localizing the associated brain abnormalities might circumvent most of these difficulties. To this end, three-dimensional (3D) locations were recorded for 67 homologous points on or near the corpus callosum in magnetic resonance (MR) brain images from 60 adolescents and adults who were normal, 60 diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome, and 60 diagnosed with fetal alcohol effects. We combined the standard statistical approach to this type of geometric data, Procrustes analysis, with a multivariate strategy focusing on differences in variability. In this data set, the shape of the corpus callosum and its vicinity proves systematically much more variable in the alcohol-affected brains than in those of the normal subjects. From this excess variability follows a promising classification rule, having both high sensitivity (100 out of 117) and high specificity (49 out of 60) in this sample. The discrimination uses four landmark points and two summary scores of callosal outline shape. The information from the corpus callosum and vicinity, as viewed in MR brain images of full-grown subjects, may serve as a permanent record of the prenatal effects of alcohol, even in patients who are first suspected of these syndromes relatively late in life or who lack the facial signs of prenatal alcohol damage. The statistical pattern underlying the callosal diagnosis also leads to speculations on mechanisms of the prenatal damage. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

75 FR 66301 - Amendment of Class E Airspace; Corpus Christi, TX

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-28

..., TX (Lat. 27[deg]48'43'' N., long. 97[deg]05'20'' W.) Rockport, San Jose Island Airport, TX (Lat. 27... Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76137; telephone (817) 321- 7716. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: History On July... Christi International Airport, TX (Lat. 27[deg]46'13'' N., long. 97[deg]30'04'' W.) Corpus Christi NAS...

Slovene specialized text corpus of Library and Information Science – An advanced lexicographic tool for library terminology research

OpenAIRE

Kanič, Ivan

2013-01-01

To support the research in the field of library and information science terminology and dictionary construction in Slovene language a specialized text corpus has been designed and constructed. The corpus has reached 3,6 million words extracted from 625 Slovene technical and scientific texts of the field. It supports a variety of specialized search methods, display of search results, and their statistic computation. The web based application is in open public access.

Evidence That Sleep Deprivation Downregulates Dopamine D2R in Ventral Striatum in the Human Brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volkow, N.D.; Fowler, J.; Volkow, N.D.; Tomasi, D.; Wang, G.-J.; Fowler, J.S.; Logan, J.; Benveniste, H.; Kin, R.; Thanos, P.K.; Sergi, F.

2012-01-01

Dopamine D2 receptors are involved with wakefulness, but their role in the decreased alertness associated with sleep deprivation is unclear. We had shown that sleep deprivation reduced dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability (measured with PET and [ 11 C]raclopride in controls) in striatum, but could not determine whether this reflected dopamine increases ([ 11 C]raclopride competes with dopamine for D2/D3 receptor binding) or receptor downregulation. To clarify this, we compared the dopamine increases induced by methylphenidate (a drug that increases dopamine by blocking dopamine transporters) during sleep deprivation versus rested sleep, with the assumption that methylphenidate's effects would be greater if, indeed, dopamine release was increased during sleep deprivation. We scanned 20 controls with [ 11 C]raclopride after rested sleep and after 1 night of sleep deprivation; both after placebo and after methylphenidate. We corroborated a decrease in D2/D3 receptor availability in the ventral striatum with sleep deprivation (compared with rested sleep) that was associated with reduced alertness and increased sleepiness. However, the dopamine increases induced by methylphenidate (measured as decreases in D2/D3 receptor availability compared with placebo) did not differ between rested sleep and sleep deprivation, and were associated with the increased alertness and reduced sleepiness when methylphenidate was administered after sleep deprivation. Similar findings were obtained by microdialysis in rodents subjected to 1 night of paradoxical sleep deprivation. These findings are consistent with a downregulation of D2/D3 receptors in ventral striatum with sleep deprivation that may contribute to the associated decreased wakefulness and also corroborate an enhancement of D2 receptor signaling in the arousing effects of methylphenidate in humans.

Response inhibition signals and miscoding of direction in dorsomedial striatum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel W Bryden

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The ability to inhibit action is critical for everyday behavior and is affected by a variety of disorders. Behavioral control and response inhibition is thought to depend on a neural circuit that includes the dorsal striatum, yet the neural signals that lead to response inhibition and its failure are unclear. To address this issue, we recorded from neurons in rat dorsomedial striatum (mDS in a novel task in which rats responded to a spatial cue that signaled that reward would be delivered either to the left or to the right. On 80% of trials rats were instructed to respond in the direction cued by the light (GO. On 20% of trials a second light illuminated instructing the rat to refrain from making the cued movement and move in the opposite direction (STOP. Many neurons in mDS encoded direction, firing more or less strongly for GO movements made ipsilateral or contralateral to the recording electrode. Neurons that fired more strongly for contralateral GO responses were more active when rats were faster, showed reduced activity on STOP trials, and miscoded direction on errors, suggesting that when these neurons were overly active, response inhibition failed. Neurons that decreased firing for contralateral movement were excited during trials in which the rat was required to stop the ipsilateral movement. For these neurons activity was reduced when errors were made and was negatively correlated with movement time suggesting that when these neurons were less active on STOP trials, response inhibition failed. Finally, the activity of a significant number of neurons represented a global inhibitory signal, firing more strongly during response inhibition regardless of response direction. Breakdown by cell type suggests that putative medium spiny neurons tended to fire more strongly under STOP trials, whereas putative interneurons exhibited both activity patterns. 

Dopamine release in ventral striatum during Iowa Gambling Task performance is associated with increased excitement levels in pathological gambling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Linnet, Jakob; Møller, Arne; Peterson, Ericka

2011-01-01

Aims Gambling excitement is believed to be associated with biological measures of pathological gambling. Here, we tested the hypothesis that dopamine release would be associated with increased excitement levels in Pathological Gamblers compared with Healthy Controls. Design Pathological Gamblers...... and Healthy Controlswere experimentally compared in a non-gambling (baseline) and gambling condition. Measurements We used Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with the tracer raclopride to measure dopamine D 2/3 receptor availability in the ventral striatum during a non-gambling and gambling condition...... of the Iowa GamblingTask (IGT). After each condition participants rated their excitement level. Setting Laboratory experiment. Participants 18 Pathological Gamblers and 16 Healthy Controls. Findings Pathological Gamblers with dopamine release in the ventral striatum had significantly higher excitement levels...

Ascending connections to the forebrain in the Tegu lizard.

Science.gov (United States)

Lohman, A H; van Woerden-Verkley, I

1978-12-01

The ascending connections to the striatum and the cortex of the Tegu lizard, Tupinambis nigropunctatus, were studied by means of anterograde fiber degeneration and retrograde axonal transport. The striatum receives projections by way of the dorsal peduncle of the lateral forebrain bundle from four dorsal thalamic nuclei: nucleus rotundus, nucleus reuniens, the posterior part of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus and nucleus dorsomedialis. The former three nuclei project to circumscribed areas of the dorsal striatum, whereas nucleus dorsomedialis has a distribution to the whole dorsal striatum. Other sources of origin to the striatum are the mesencephalic reticular formation, substantia nigra and nucleus cerebelli lateralis. With the exception of the latter afferentation all these projections are ipsilateral. The ascending connections to the pallium originate for the major part from nucleus dorsolateralis anterior of the dorsal thalamus. The fibers course in both the medial forebrain bundle and the dorsal peduncle of the lateral forebrain bundle and terminate ipsilaterally in the middle of the molecular layer of the small-celled part of the mediodorsal cortex and bilaterally above the intermediate region of the dorsal cortex. The latter area is reached also by fibers from the septal area. The large-celled part of the mediodorsal cortex receives projections from nucleus raphes superior and the corpus mammillare.

MicroRNA-124 slows down the progression of Huntington′s disease by promoting neurogenesis in the striatum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tian Liu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available MicroRNA-124 contributes to neurogenesis through regulating its targets, but its expression both in the brain of Huntington′s disease mouse models and patients is decreased. However, the effects of microRNA-124 on the progression of Huntington′s disease have not been reported. Results from this study showed that microRNA-124 increased the latency to fall for each R6/2 Huntington′s disease transgenic mouse in the rotarod test. 5-Bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU staining of the striatum shows an increase in neurogenesis. In addition, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha protein levels in the striatum were increased and SRY-related HMG box transcription factor 9 protein level was decreased. These findings suggest that microRNA-124 slows down the progression of Huntington′s disease possibly through its important role in neuronal differentiation and survival.

Assessment of metabolic changes in the striatum of a MPTP-intoxicated canine model: in vivo ¹H-MRS study of an animal model for Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Chi-Bong; Kim, Sang-Young; Lee, Sung-Ho; Jahng, Geon-Ho; Kim, Hwi-Yool; Choe, Bo-Young; Ryu, Kyung-Nam; Yang, Dal-Mo; Yim, Sung-Vin; Choi, Woo-Suk

2011-01-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive loss of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, which projects to the striatum. We induced a selective loss of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons, by infusing the mitochondrial complex 1 inhibitor 1-methyl 4-phenyl 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) into adult beagle dogs (N=5). Single voxel ¹H water suppressed magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS) at 3 T was used to assess the metabolic changes in the striatum of canine before and after MPTP intoxication. The metabolite spectra obtained from the striatum (voxel size: 2 cm³) showed a lower N-acetyl aspartate to total creatine (creatine+phosphocreatine) ratio after MPTP intoxication. There were no significant differences in other metabolite ratios such as glutamate+glutamine, choline-containing compounds (glycerophosphocholine+phophorylcholine and myo-inositol). Our findings indicated that ¹H-MRS is a sensitive, noninvasive measure of neural toxicity and biochemical alterations of the striatum in a canine model of PD, and further studies are needed to confirm brain metabolic changes in association with progression of MPTP-intoxication. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Differential Arc expression in the hippocampus and striatum during the transition from attentive to automatic navigation on a plus maze

Science.gov (United States)

Gardner, Robert S.; Suarez, Daniel F.; Robinson-Burton, Nadira K.; Rudnicky, Christopher J.; Gulati, Asish; Ascoli, Giorgio A.; Dumas, Theodore C.

2016-01-01

The strategies utilized to effectively perform a given task change with practice and experience. During a spatial navigation task, with relatively little training, performance is typically attentive enabling an individual to locate the position of a goal by relying on spatial landmarks. These (place) strategies require an intact hippocampus. With task repetition, performance becomes automatic; the same goal is reached using a fixed response or sequence of actions. These (response) strategies require an intact striatum. The current work aims to understand the activation patterns across these neural structures during this experience-dependent strategy transition. This was accomplished by region-specific measurement of activity-dependent immediate early gene expression among rats trained to different degrees on a dual-solution task (i.e., a task that can be solved using either place or response navigation). As expected, rats increased their reliance on response navigation with extended task experience. In addition, dorsal hippocampal expression of the immediate early gene Arc was considerably reduced in rats that used a response strategy late in training (as compared with hippocampal expression in rats that used a place strategy early in training). In line with these data, vicarious trial and error, a behavior linked to hippocampal function, also decreased with task repetition. Although Arc mRNA expression in dorsal medial or lateral striatum alone did not correlate with training stage, the ratio of expression in the medial striatum to that in the lateral striatum was relatively high among rats that used a place strategy early in training as compared with the ratio among over-trained response rats. Altogether, these results identify specific changes in the activation of dissociated neural systems that may underlie the experience-dependent emergence of response-based automatic navigation. PMID:26976088

Rhythm histograms and musical meter: A corpus study of Malian percussion music.

Science.gov (United States)

London, Justin; Polak, Rainer; Jacoby, Nori

2017-04-01

Studies of musical corpora have given empirical grounding to the various features that characterize particular musical styles and genres. Palmer & Krumhansl (1990) found that in Western classical music the likeliest places for a note to occur are the most strongly accented beats in a measure, and this was also found in subsequent studies using both Western classical and folk music corpora (Huron & Ommen, 2006; Temperley, 2010). We present a rhythmic analysis of a corpus of 15 performances of percussion music from Bamako, Mali. In our corpus, the relative frequency of note onsets in a given metrical position does not correspond to patterns of metrical accent, though there is a stable relationship between onset frequency and metrical position. The implications of this non-congruence between simple statistical likelihood and metrical structure for the ways in which meter and metrical accent may be learned and understood are discussed, along with importance of cross-cultural studies for psychological research.

La arquitectura del pleno barroco en Granada: el hospital del Corpus Christi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barrios Rozúa, Juan Manuel

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The Corpus Christi hospital of Granada was a victim of prejudices against the baroque on the part of influential historians. Nevertheless, the building is an interesting example of hospital architecture with a frankly original temple. Thanks to the exhaustive analysis of the institution’s very complete archive, it can be determined that some thirty artists worked there, including Alonso Cano and his disciple Juan Luis de Ortega, whose architectural works are evaluated here.

El hospital del Corpus Christi de Granada fue víctima de los prejuicios contra el barroco de influyentes historiadores. Sin embargo, el edificio constituye un interesante ejemplo de arquitectura hospitalaria con un templo francamente original. Gracias al análisis exhaustivo de su completo archivo, puede detectarse la labor de una treintena de artífices, entre ellos Alonso Cano y su discípulo Juan Luis de Ortega, cuyas obras arquitectónicas son valoradas aquí.

Annotated corpus and the empirical evaluation of probability estimates of grammatical forms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ševa Nada

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study is to demonstrate the usage of an annotated corpus in the field of experimental psycholinguistics. Specifically, we demonstrate how the manually annotated Corpus of Serbian Language (Kostić, Đ. 2001 can be used for probability estimates of grammatical forms, which allow the control of independent variables in psycholinguistic experiments. We address the issue of processing Serbian inflected forms within two subparadigms of feminine nouns. In regression analysis, almost all processing variability of inflected forms has been accounted for by the amount of information (i.e. bits carried by the presented forms. In spite of the fact that probability distributions of inflected forms for the two paradigms differ, it was shown that the best prediction of processing variability is obtained by the probabilities derived from the predominant subparadigm which encompasses about 80% of feminine nouns. The relevance of annotated corpora in experimental psycholinguistics is discussed more in detail .

Boomerang sign: Clinical significance of transient lesion in splenium of corpus callosum.

Science.gov (United States)

Malhotra, Hardeep Singh; Garg, Ravindra Kumar; Vidhate, Mukund R; Sharma, Pawan Kumar

2012-04-01

Transient signal abnormality in the splenium of corpus callosum on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is occasionally encountered in clinical practice. It has been reported in various clinical conditions apart from patients with epilepsy. We describe 4 patients with different etiologies presenting with signal changes in the splenium of corpus callosum. They were diagnosed as having progressive myoclonic epilepsy (case 1), localization-related epilepsy (case 2), hemicrania continua (case 3), and postinfectious parkinsonism (case 4). While three patients had complete involvement of the splenium on diffusion-weighted image ("boomerang sign"), the patient having hemicrania continua showed semilunar involvement ("mini-boomerang") on T2-weighted and FLAIR image. All the cases had noncontiguous involvement of the splenium. We herein, discuss these cases with transient splenial involvement and stress that such patients do not need aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. An attempt has been made to review the literature regarding the pathophysiology, etiology, and outcome of such lesions.

Boomerang sign: Clinical significance of transient lesion in splenium of corpus callosum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hardeep Singh Malhotra

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Transient signal abnormality in the splenium of corpus callosum on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI is occasionally encountered in clinical practice. It has been reported in various clinical conditions apart from patients with epilepsy. We describe 4 patients with different etiologies presenting with signal changes in the splenium of corpus callosum. They were diagnosed as having progressive myoclonic epilepsy (case 1, localization-related epilepsy (case 2, hemicrania continua (case 3, and postinfectious parkinsonism (case 4. While three patients had complete involvement of the splenium on diffusion-weighted image ("boomerang sign", the patient having hemicrania continua showed semilunar involvement ("mini-boomerang" on T2-weighted and FLAIR image. All the cases had noncontiguous involvement of the splenium. We herein, discuss these cases with transient splenial involvement and stress that such patients do not need aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. An attempt has been made to review the literature regarding the pathophysiology, etiology, and outcome of such lesions.

A Novel DBN Feature Fusion Model for Cross-Corpus Speech Emotion Recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zou Cairong

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The feature fusion from separate source is the current technical difficulties of cross-corpus speech emotion recognition. The purpose of this paper is to, based on Deep Belief Nets (DBN in Deep Learning, use the emotional information hiding in speech spectrum diagram (spectrogram as image features and then implement feature fusion with the traditional emotion features. First, based on the spectrogram analysis by STB/Itti model, the new spectrogram features are extracted from the color, the brightness, and the orientation, respectively; then using two alternative DBN models they fuse the traditional and the spectrogram features, which increase the scale of the feature subset and the characterization ability of emotion. Through the experiment on ABC database and Chinese corpora, the new feature subset compared with traditional speech emotion features, the recognition result on cross-corpus, distinctly advances by 8.8%. The method proposed provides a new idea for feature fusion of emotion recognition.

Contributions of Hippocampus and Striatum to Memory-Guided Behavior Depend on Past Experience

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

The hippocampal and striatal memory systems are thought to operate independently and in parallel in supporting cognitive memory and habits, respectively. Much of the evidence for this principle comes from double dissociation data, in which damage to brain structure A causes deficits in Task 1 but not Task 2, whereas damage to structure B produces the reverse pattern of effects. Typically, animals are explicitly trained in one task. Here, we investigated whether this principle continues to hold when animals concurrently learn two types of tasks. Rats were trained on a plus maze in either a spatial navigation or a cue–response task (sequential training), whereas a third set of rats acquired both (concurrent training). Subsequently, the rats underwent either sham surgery or neurotoxic lesions of the hippocampus (HPC), medial dorsal striatum (DSM), or lateral dorsal striatum (DSL), followed by retention testing. Finally, rats in the sequential training condition also acquired the novel “other” task. When rats learned one task, HPC and DSL selectively supported spatial navigation and cue response, respectively. However, when rats learned both tasks, HPC and DSL additionally supported the behavior incongruent with the processing style of the corresponding memory system. Thus, in certain conditions, the hippocampal and striatal memory systems can operate cooperatively and in synergism. DSM significantly contributed to performance regardless of task or training procedure. Experience with the cue–response task facilitated subsequent spatial learning, whereas experience with spatial navigation delayed both concurrent and subsequent response learning. These findings suggest that there are multiple operational principles that govern memory networks. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Currently, we distinguish among several types of memories, each supported by a distinct neural circuit. The memory systems are thought to operate independently and in parallel. Here, we demonstrate

Supporting English-medium pedagogy through an online corpus of science and engineering lectures

Science.gov (United States)

Kunioshi, Nílson; Noguchi, Judy; Tojo, Kazuko; Hayashi, Hiroko

2016-05-01

As English-medium instruction (EMI) spreads around the world, university teachers and students who are non-native speakers of English (NNS) need to put much effort into the delivery or reception of content. Construction of scientific meaning in the process of learning is already complex when instruction is delivered in the first language of the teachers and students, and may become even more challenging in a second language, because science education depends greatly on language. In order to identify important pedagogical functions that teachers use to deliver content and to present different ways to realise each function, a corpus of lectures related to science and engineering courses was created and analysed. NNS teachers and students in science and engineering involved in EMI higher education can obtain insights for delivering and listening to lectures from the Online Corpus of Academic Lectures (OnCAL).