No abstract

In the development of memory-based models of automaticity, it is crucial to specify the nature of the memory representation. Seven experiments with 94 students use a counting task to determine whether a feature (i.e., identity, color, or orientation) is explicitly represented in memory. It is assumed that the degree of transfer to a pattern differing on one feature is determined by that feature's importance in supporting skilled performance. Experiment 1 determined the practice necessary to obtain automaticity. In Experiments 2a, 3a, and 4a, which investigated the nature of the representation after extended practice, changing neither the identity nor color of elements had strong effects on transfer, but changing pattern orientation did impair memory retrieval, thus suggesting that for the counting task, pattern orientation is more important than element identity or color. Experiments 2b, 3b, and 4b replicated these results after limited practice.

Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the most common organisms isolated from cases of equine bacterial keratitis referred to the University of Florida's VMTH for the years 1991-2000. There appears to be an increase in resistance of Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus to gentamicin over the past 10 years. In addition, there is a significant increase in resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to both gentamicin and tobramycin over the same time period.

We documented that EDTA, doxycycline, NAC, ilomostat, alpha1PI, and ES inhibited MMP activity in vitro. Because these compounds use different mechanisms to inhibit various families of proteases in the tear film of horses, a combination of these protease inhibitors may be beneficial for treatment of corneal ulcers in horses.

Results of a small number of equine AMT suggest that amnion can be used successfully to preserve both globe structure and limited vision, as well as optimize cosmesis, in horse eyes with corneal ulceration and severe keratomalacia.

According to a structural alignment view, representational commonalities contribute to the perception of similarity, whereas nonshared attributes related to commonalities are candidate inferences in induction. This view was tested in 5 experiments. Novel animal pairs varying in the number of attributes and relations they shared were used to assess the relationship between induction and similarity. In Experiments 1 and 2, the number of shared attributes and the presence of 2 kinds of causal relations between attributes varied. Shared attributes increased both similarity and inductive strength judgments. Shared causal relations, possessed by both animals, influenced perceived similarity, but binding causal relations, which connected a shared attribute to a candidate inference in the induction task, were important for inductive strength. In Experiments 3-5, these results were extended through use of a noncausal relation and familiar animal categories.

The combination of superficial keratectomy, beta-irradiation and permanent bulbar conjunctival grafts for limbal, corneal or corneolimbal SCC in horses is effective in at least 83% of the horses. Recurrence occurred in about 17% of the horses. Multiple biannual re-examinations are recommended to observe for tumor recurrence.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common cancer of the equine eye, frequently originating at the limbus, with the potential to invade the cornea, cause visual impairment, and result in loss of the eye. Several breeds of horses have a high occurrence of limbal SCC implicating a genetic basis for limbal SCC predisposition. Pedigree analysis in the Haflinger breed supports a simple recessive mode of inheritance and a genome-wide association study (N = 23) identified a 1.5 Mb locus on ECA12 significantly associated with limbal SCC (P = 0.04). Sequencing the most physiologically relevant gene from this locus, damage specific DNA binding protein 2 (DDB2), identified a missense mutation (c.1013 C > T p.Thr338Met) that was strongly associated with limbal SCC (P = 3.41 × 10 ). Genotyping 42 polymorphisms narrowed the ECA12 candidate interval to 483 kb but did not identify another variant that was more strongly associated. DDB2 binds to ultraviolet light damaged DNA and recruits other proteins to perform global genome nucleotide excision repair. Computational modeling predicts this mutation to be deleterious by altering conformation of the β loop involved in photolesion recognition. This DDB2 variant was also detected in two other closely related breeds with reported cases of ocular SCC, the Belgian and the Percheron, suggesting it may also be a SCC risk factor in these breeds. Furthermore, in humans xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group E, a disease characterized by sun sensitivity and increased risk of cutaneous SCC and melanomas, is explained by mutations in DDB2. Cross-species comparison remains to be further evaluated.