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Гипсилофодонтиды  — небольшие динозавры из группы орнитоподов, известны из Азии, Австралии, Европы, Северной Америки и Южной Америки, из пород со средней юры до позднего мелового периода. Рассматриваются как быстрые, двуногие, растительноядные, около 1—2 метров длиной. Группа традиционно включает почти всех двуногих птицетазовых динозавров, кроме игуанодонтов.

Некоторые ранние филогенетические анализы определили, что это была естественная группа, но последние исследования показали, что группа в основном является парафилетической.

Гипотеза о парафилетичности группы, т. н. «естественные гипсилофодонтиды» была выдвинута во второй половине 1990-x годов. В настоящее время гипсилофодонтиды традиционно описывается как парафилетическая группа, находящаяся между Agilisaurus или Hexinlusaurus и Hypsilophodon или Gasparinisaura.

Классификация
Представлена классификация группы на момент признания её парафилетичной, после тире — положение подчинённых таксонов на март 2016 года:
 Инфраотряд Орнитоподы (Ornithopoda)
 Группа Эуорнитоподы (Euornithopoda)
 Группа Гипсилофодонтиды (Hypsilophodontidae)
 Род Phyllodon — nomen dubium в инфраотряде орнитопод
 Род Qantassaurus — в инфраотряде орнитопод
 Подсемейство Dryosaurinae — расформировано, ранее описанное семейство Dryosauridae — в кладе Iguanodontia
 Подсемейство Hypsilophodontinae — расформировано
 Подсемейство Thescelosaurinae — ранг повышен до семейства Thescelosauridae в инфраотряде орнитопод

Кладограмма

Примечания

Орнитоподы
†


Do you devote considerable time considering your pearly whites? You should, because folks notice your the teeth a lot more than you may be thinking. If your dental treatments activity demands tips, this short article will help you. We've put together a long list of dental care ideas to give you the brightest laugh actually.
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AZERBAIJAN POPULAR FRONT CLAIMS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION VICTORY.
with regard to Ukraine are disturbing, Radio Ukraine reported.
Lopatin, named commander of Air Defense Forces. Lopatin is Belarusian.
own expense, over 5,000 officers to the armies of other republics.
CPSUs criminal activities, Russian and Western media reported.
away from reform but merely changing tactics, Vesti reported.
that these prices will not be raised until the end of the year.
was suggested by the radical St. Petersburg branch of the movement.
all Russians as a leader of the Movement for Democratic Reforms.
programs in Czechoslovakia, Poland, and in (Eastern) Germany.
status, something for which the ODS has no mandate from voters.
that a solution can be found, as there are deep essential differences.
the reformed communists, and the separatist Slovak National Party.
used the decree in his attempt to dismiss the radio president.
first option to buy up to one-tenth of the shares at a 10% discount.
to medical clinics in Serbia, Bosnia, Macedonia, and Montenegro.
be held on 26 July, saying a delay would destabilize the country.
Edgar Savisaars Peoples Center Party for the election campaign.
for the continued presence of the ex-USSR forces on their territories.
Yeltsin for about an hour, the RFE/RL Lithuanian Service reports.


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How I Met Your Mother Season 6 Episode 20
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Lily and Barney react badly when Marshall finally quits his job at Goliath National Bank to take a volunteer position at an environmental organization. Meanwhile, Ted and Zoey's opposing positions on the future of the Arcadia come between them.
Serie: How I Met Your Mother
Director: Pamela Fryman
Guest Star: Daniel Escobar, Jennifer Morrison, Robbie Amell
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Boardwalk Empire is a period drama focusing on Enoch "Nucky" Thompson (based on the historical Enoch L. Johnson), a political figure who rose to prominence and controlled Atlantic City, New…
An MIT grad student and a tech superstar bring a low-level Pentagon official a staggering discovery that an asteroid is just six months away from colliding with Earth. Free Download…
A drama about a multi-generational family of cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement. Frank Reagan is the New York Police Commissioner and heads both the police force and…
A young CIA operative, Annie Walker, is mysteriously summoned to headquarters for duty as a field operative. While Annie believes she's been promoted for her exceptional linguistic skills, there may…
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Based on Michael Connelly's best-selling novels, these are the stories of relentless LAPD homicide Detective Harry Bosch who pursues justice at all costs. But behind his tireless momentum is a…
Drawn from interviews with survivors of Easy Company, as well as their journals and letters, Band of Brothers chronicles the experiences of these men from paratrooper training in Georgia through…
Genre: Action & Adventure, Drama, War & Politics
One bar. One night. Ten single people. Welcome to Mix, a high-end bar in Manhattan's trendy meatpacking district. These are the exploits of singles, five guys and five girls, in…
A chronicle of the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the post-Edwardian era—with great events in history having an effect on their lives and on the…
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Washington Township honors Police Chief Barry Keller
John Irwin @therecordherald
WAYNE HEIGHTS — A retirement celebration for longtime Washington Township Police Chief, Barry Keller, was held on Thursday afternoon at the department's office on Welty Road.
Friends, colleagues and fellow officers gathered to celebrate Keller, who has honorably served the township for close to 34 years.
Keller started his police career over three decades ago having earned his bachelor's degree in administration of justice from the Pennsylvania State University and accepting a position with the Washington Township Police Department on Jan. 6, 1986.
"It's been good," Keller said of his career in law enforcement. "I love the community and the area. My youngest daughter was born here and went through the school system. I could have retired nine years ago after reaching 25 years, but I stayed on because I loved the job and the people that are here."
In preparing for Keller's retirement, Washington Township Supervisors appointed current township officer Michael McGovern to the role of officer-in-charge back in April.
The officer-in-charge position was created so that in the event of a vacancy in the position of police chief or when the chief is unavailable for an extended period of time, the officer-in-charge can perform the duties of the chief.
McGovern started with the WTPD in July of 1992 as a part-time officer who Keller hired. McGovern accepted a full-time position with the department in 1994.
"He has made me into the policeman that I am today," said McGovern. "Like anything else as we grow in our careers, there are ways we think we can improve, so I'm looking to become more involved with the community and build on what he has started."
As Keller departs, he is hopeful for the future of the department. "We have been getting some really good qualified officers to come here," Keller said. "I'm excited for Mike and the department for what's coming and what he has planned moving forward."
Keller's last act as chief of police is to attend the graduation of Travis McFarland who will graduate from the police academy in Harrisburg and serve the township in 2020. "I'm going to miss the people the most, but I'm looking forward to retirement and spending time with my family," Keller said.
Contact John Irwin at jirwin@therecordherald.com or at 717-762-2151.


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Frontiers in Neurology
Front. Neurol., 22 November 2010 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2010.00138
Spread deficits in initiation, speed and accuracy of horizontal and vertical automatic saccades in dementia with Lewy bodies
Zoi Kapoula1*, Qing Yang1*, Marine Vernet1, Benedicte Dieudonné2, Sandrine Greffard2 and Marc Verny2
1	Group IRIS, FRE 3375, Center National de la Recherche Scientifique, Service d'Ophtalmologie-ORL-Stomatologie, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Paris, France
2	Service de gériatrie, Hôpital Pitie Salpétrière, Université Paris VI, Paris, France
Background: Mosimann et al. (2005) reported prolongation of saccade latency of prosaccades in dementia with Lewy body (DLB). The goal of this study is to go further examining all parameters, such as rates of express latency, but also accuracy and velocity of saccades, and their variability. Methods: We examined horizontal and vertical saccades in 10 healthy elderly subjects and 10 patients with DLB. Two tasks were used: the gap (fixation target extinguishes prior to target onset) and the overlap (fixation stays on after target onset). Eye movements were recorded with the Eyelink II eye tracker. Results: The main findings were: (1) as for healthy, latencies were shorter in the gap than in the overlap task (a gap effect); (2) for both tasks latency of saccades was longer for DLB patients and for all directions; (3) express latency in the gap task was absent for large majority of DLB patients while such saccades occurred frequency for controls; (4) accuracy and peak velocity were lower in DLB patients; (5) variability of all parameters was abnormally high in DLB patients. Conclusions: Abnormalities of all parameters, latency, accuracy and peak velocity reflect spread deficits in cortical-subcortical circuits involved in the triggering and execution of saccades.
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is characterized by dementia, relatively mild parkinsonism, visual hallucinations, and fluctuations in conscious level. Unlike Alzheimer's disease (AD), DLB shows cortical-subcortical degeneration (Horoupian and Wasserstein, 1999), which can affect both initiation and execution of eye movements. The abnormal cytoplasmic inclusions that develop in DLB are very similar to those observed in Pakinson's disease (PD). Symptoms and pathophysiology of DLB overlaps also with that of AD. Mosimann et al. (2005) used gap and overlap saccade tasks in DLB, AD, PD, and age-matched controls; in the former task the fixation point extinguishes 200 ms before target onset while in the latter fixation point stays on during the target presentation. The gap task usually elicits shorter latency saccades, some of them being extra short (80–120 ms); they are called express saccades. Mosimann et al. (2005) reported long latency in DLB patients even in the gap task. In contrast, AD and PD patients made normal short latency saccades in the same task. For more voluntary saccades, e.g., predictive saccades, antisaccades, all groups of patients (DLB, AD, and PD) showed abnormally long latencies. Mosimann et al. (2005) emphasized the need for further research on eye movements as such studies may have a potential for differential diagnosis for these diseases. The study is a part of a long term program aiming to provide a complete characterization of saccades in DLB, AD patients and controls (national PHRC). As a first step, here we report a study of saccades in the gap and overlap tasks in a group of DLB patients and age-matched controls. It examines saccades for both horizontal and vertical directions, and the occurrence of express saccades in the gap task versus overlap in healthy and DLB patients. In our laboratory normal rates of express saccades, about 20%, were observed for both young and elderly subjects (Yang and Kapoula, 2006; Yang et al., 2006). For PD patients, however, the results of express saccades are controversial. Armstrong et al. (2002) and van Stockum et al. (2008) reported more express in PD patients than in healthy subjects while other studies reported less express (Ratmanov et al., 2006) or no difference (Roll et al., 1996). Different cortical-subcortical areas, such as, superior colliculus (Isa and Kobayashi, 2004), posterior parietal cortex (Kapoula et al., 2001, 2004), or frontal eye field (Kurkin et al., 2003) could be involved in the generation saccades. Triggering of express type of saccades is believed to involve a shorter circuit, e.g., retino-superior colliculus, or retino-occipital-parietal-superior colliculus, while triggering of voluntary saccades involves a more extended circuit including the frontal lobe (Pierrot-Deseilligny et al., 1995, 2002).
The second goal of this study is to examine accuracy and speed characteristics of saccades. Saccade velocity depends mainly on function of brainstem structures (Paramedian Pontine reticular Formation – PPRF for horizontal saccades, the rostral interstitial nucleus of medial longitudinal fasciculus – riMLF for vertical); accuracy of saccades depends on both cortical and subcortical areas (Leigh and Zee, 2006). The metrics and dynamics of saccadic eye movements have not yet been studied in patients with DLB. In the literature, the effect of normal aging on the accuracy of saccades is controversial. For horizontal saccades in healthy elderly, some studies (Sharpe and Zackon, 1987; Tedeschi et al., 1989) reported a significant increase in the percentage of hypometric amplitude, especially for targets eccentricities larger than 20º (Irving et al., 2006). However, many other studies (Warabi et al., 1984; Moschner and Baloh, 1994; Munoz et al., 1998) found no effect of aging on saccade metrics. A similar controversy exists for vertical saccades (Huaman and Sharpe, 1993; Yang and Kapoula, 2008). On the other hand, abnormality in accuracy of saccades has been found in patients with dementia, such as AD, frontotemporal dementia and semantic dementia (Shafiq-Antonacci et al., 2003; Garbutt et al., 2008).
Concerning the speed of saccades many studies described reduction in peak velocity in normal elderly relative to young subjects (Sharpe and Zackon, 1987; Tedeschi et al., 1989) and in patients with AD relative to healthy elderly (Shafiq-Antonacci et al., 2003). Yet, these reductions in peak velocity were most evident with large amplitude saccades, usually to targets beyond 20° eccentricity. Note that in another study (Munoz et al., 1998), no aging effects were observed either on accuracy or on peak velocity (for target at 20º of eccentricity). Thus whether saccade accuracy and speed are subject to aging is controversial. But there is evidence for their abnormalities in dementia. As DLB patients are reported to have both cortical and subcortical deficits we expect to find abnormalities in all parameters of saccades (latency, accuracy and speed).
Finally, patients with DLB are known to have cognitive performance with high fluctuation of attention. We wondered to what extent clinically assessed fluctuation is associated with variability in saccade parameters. A few previous studies (Munoz et al., 1998; Yang et al., 2002) found that variability of latency was significantly larger in children than in adults. More recently, the former group also reported high variability of saccade latency in elderly (Peltsch et al., 2009). High variability of saccade latency in studies with patients can point particular neural deficits. For instance, Blekher et al. (2006) showed that patients with Huntington's disease demonstrated increased error rate, increased mean latency and increased variability of latency for memory-guided saccades and antisaccades. Thus, the present study including variability of all parameters allows complete characterization of saccade performance in DLB patients.
Ten healthy subjects aged between 65 and 88 years (mean 78.5 ± 6.8) were recruited either among senior laboratory workers, or in the ophthalmology service in the hospital, coming for routine examination and spectacle correction. They had corrected visual acuity above 5/10. The cognitive performance as measured by Mini Mental State Examination (Folstein et al., 1975) was more than 28 of 30 points. No subject showed visual, neurological, psychiatric disorders or received medication with neural system effects. Binocular vision was assessed with TNO test for stereoscopic vision (Test designed by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research – TNO); all individual scores were normal, 60′ of arc or better.
Nineteen patients were recruited from the geriatric service in the hospital Pitié Salpêtrière (Paris). Recruitment was done using the consensus guidelines to diagnose DLB. All DLB patients had progressive cognitive decline of sufficient magnitude to interfere with normal social or occupational function and at least two following signs: fluctuating cognition with pronounced variation in attention and alertness, visual hallucinations and spontaneous features of parkinsonism. Moreover, DLB patients were different from Alzheimer patients by their neuropsychological characteristics (sub cortico-frontal memory profile, visuo-spatial deficits, executive syndrome). They were different from Parkinson's disease because cognitive decline appeared before or at the same time as parkinsonism. Subjects with other cerebral pathology (e.g., stroke or significant white matter changes) were excluded by cerebral CT or MRI. All subjects with known history of macular degeneration or coexisting medical illness that could interfere with cognitive or visual testing were excluded. For 4 of 19 subjects no eye movement recording was possible because of recording difficulty or refusing the task. Ten patients with DLB completed all the oculomotor tests. Their ages were from 73 to 89 years (mean 81.6 ± 4.7 years). MMSE, Instrumental activities of daily living (Israêl, 1996), Dementia Rating Scale (Mattis, 1988), Hoehn and Yahr (1967) Scale were used to assess functional, neuropsychiatric symptoms and fluctuation. Demographical and clinical characteristics of these groups were shown in Table 1. Eight subjects were under medication "Exelon" (Simard and van Reekum, 2004).
Table 1. Demographical and clinical characteristics of the groups.
The investigation adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the institutional human experimentation committee (CPP Pitié Salpêtrière). Informed consent was obtained from all subjects after the nature of the procedure had been explained.
The visual display, shown in Figure 1A, was composed by five white luminous dots (angular size 0.2°), presented on a black computer screen. One of these five dots was at the center of the screen, two were at an eccentricity of ±10° horizontally and two were at an eccentricity of ±10° vertically.
Figure 1. Experimental design. (A) Spatial arrangement. Five white luminous dots (angular size 0.2°) were presented on a black computer screen at 57 cm from the subject (required convergence 6°), one at the center of the screen; the others at an eccentricity of ±10° horizontally or vertically. (B,C) Temporal arrangement. Each trial started by lighting one central dot during approximately 1500–2000 ms. For the gap task, between the fixation offset and the target onset, there was a gap of 200 ms (B); for the overlap task, the fixation stays on 200 ms after the target onset (C). The target, one of the eccentric dots, appears for 1500 ms.
The subject was comfortably seated in an adapted chair, his head resting on a chin and frontal support. The subject viewed binocularly; all dots were highly visible.
Fixation and Oculomotor Tasks: GAP and Overlap Tasks
Each trial started by lighting a fixation dot at the center. The fixation dot stayed on for a random period between 1.5 and 2 s. In the gap task, there was a time interval of 200 ms between the offset of the fixation point and the onset of the saccade target. The target dot was kept on for 1.5 s (Figure 1B). In the overlap task, the fixation point remained illuminated for 200 ms after the target dot appeared. The target stayed on also for another 1.5 s (Figure 1C). Subjects were required to make a saccade to the target point as rapidly and accurately as possible. A period of complete darkness of 500 ms was for break. Subjects were instructed to use this period for blinks. The total mean length of each trial was about 4 s. In each block only gap or overlap task was used randomly for four directions, targets at 10°, left or right, up or down (10 trails for each direction, total 40 trials). One block for each task lasted 4–5 min. Total duration of the recording was about 10 min.
A calibration sequence was performed at the beginning; the target made the following predictive sequence for each viewing distance: center, 10° to left, center, 10° to right, center, 10° to up, center, 10° to down, center; the target stayed at each location for 2 s. From these recordings we extracted calibration factors.
Eye Movement Recording
Horizontal and vertical eye movements were recorded binocularly with the EyeLink II device. Each channel was sampled at 250 Hz. The system has a spatial resolution of 0.025° in pupil-CR mode and saccade event resolution of 0.05° for microsaccades.
From the two individual calibrated eye position signals we derived the conjugate signal (left eye + right eye)/2. The onset and the offset of saccades were defined as the time when conjugate eye velocity exceeded or dropped below 10% of the peak velocity. The process was performed automatically by the computer, and the verification was made by visual inspection of the individual eye position and velocity traces. For both gap and overlap tasks latency was measured as the time between target onset (time 0) and saccade onset (mark "i" in Figure 2). To estimate the accuracy we used two measures: first, the amplitude of primary main saccade (between "i" and "p") relative to the target eccentricity (gain = saccade amplitude/target eccentricity); second the amplitude of the final eye position (between "i" and "f") after execution of one or more corrective saccades relative to the target eccentricity (see Figure 2). Peak velocity of the primary saccade were also analyzed. To evaluate the variability of each parameter, we calculated the coefficient of variation (CV), the relative standard deviation expressed as a unitless proportion of each subjects mean (van Beers, 2007; Peltsch et al., 2009).
Figure 2. Typical recordings of horizontal saccade are obtained by averaging the position signal of the two eyes (LE + RE)/2 and their corresponding velocity traces for one healthy elderly and one DLB patient. The arrows "i" and "p" indicate the onset and the end of the primary saccade, respectively; the arrow "f" for the final eye position Figure 4. Examples of saccade latencies distribution with trials from some controls and DLB patients in the gap task. The mean values and the variability (standard deviation/mean latency) of saccade latency are presented in the box. All three DLB patients show abnormal long latency.
Eye movements in the wrong direction, with latency shorter than 80 ms (anticipation) or longer than 1500 ms, or contaminated by blinks were rejected. For healthy elderly 9% of trials (ranged from 4% to 13%) and for patients with DLB 14% of trials (from 2% to 25%) had to be rejected, the most frequent reason being the blinks. Express latencies were defined as those falling in the range from 80 to 120 ms; the rate of express saccades refers to the total number of valid saccades.
A three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed on individual mean latency with the between subjects factor – group (healthy, DLB) and the within-subjects factors – the oculomotor task (gap, overlap) and the direction (left, right, up and down). Two-way ANOVA was performed on individual mean accuracy and velocity means with the between subjects factor (healthy, DLB) and the within-subjects factor (saccade direction). Post hoc comparisons were done with the Least Significant Differences test. For the rates of express latency and for the CV of each parameter, the non-parametric Mann–Whitney U-test was used for comparisons between healthy elderly and patients with DLB; for within-subjects comparisons between different directions the Friedman and Wilcoxon test was used.
Mean saccade latency
Figure 3 shows group mean latencies of saccades with standard error (SE) for different directions under the gap (a) and the overlap (b) tasks in healthy elderly and patients with DLB. The three-way ANOVA showed a group effect, i.e., significantly longer latencies for patients with DLB than for healthy elderly (F1,18 = 11.83, p < 0.01) and a gap effect, i.e., significantly shorter latencies for gap task than for overlap task (F1,18 = 47.21, p < 0.01), but no direction effect (F3,51 = 0.53, p = 0.66). Further post hoc comparisons showed that the group effect was significant for both gap and overlap tasks for all four directions (all p < 0.05); the mean values of group effect were 164 ms (SD 21 ms) and 176 ms (SD 46 ms) for gap and overlap tasks, respectively. The gap effect was significant for all directions and for both groups of elderly (all p < 0.001). The mean values of gap effect were 105 and 118 ms for healthy elderly and patients with DLB, respectively.
Figure 3. Group mean latency of saccades with standard error in gap and overlap tasks, for four directions in healthy elderly and DLB patients; longer latencies of saccades for DLB patients than for healthy elderly for each condition.
Variability in saccade latency
Figure 4 shows some individual examples of latency variability. Latencies are displayed over successive trials in the gap task. The healthy subjects produce almost similar latency from one trial to next. In contrast, large fluctuations of latency are seen for the DLB subjects.
Figure 4. Examples of saccade latencies distribution with trials from some controls and DLB patients in the gap task. The mean values and the variability (standard deviation/mean latency) of saccade latency are presented in the box. All three DLB patients show abnormal long latency.
Figure 5 shows group mean CV in latency for different direction under the gap (a) and the overlap (b) conditions in healthy elderly and patients with DLB. The Mann–Whitney U-test showed the group effect, i.e., significantly high CV in latency for DLB patients than for healthy elderly for all directions (all U < 15, p < 0.01).
Figure 5. Group mean coefficient of variation (CV) in saccade latency in gap and overlap tasks, for each direction in healthy elderly and DLB patients. Variability is higher for DLB patients for all conditions.
Rates of express saccades
Table 2 shows individual rate of express latency in the gap task for each direction. In the gap task substantial number of express latency was found. Nine of 10 healthy elderly subjects showed express saccades (rang between 7% and 70%); note the large individual differences. In contrast, only 3 of 10 DLB patients showed express latency. The mean rates for healthy elderly were 20.7%, 19.7%, 11.4%, and 12.1% for leftward, rightward, upward, and downward, respectively; for patients with DLB mean rates were only 3.4%, 2.8% 2.4%, and 0% for each direction, respectively. The Mann–Whitney U-test showed the group effect, i.e., significantly lower rates of express latency for patients with DLB than for control elderly (all U = <23, p < 0.05).
Table 2. Rates of express saccades for controls and DLB patients.
Accuracy-Speed
ANOVA applied on the accuracy and speed data showed no significant difference between the gap and the overlap tasks (all p > 0.05). Consequently, accuracy of the primary saccade and of the final eye position, and peak velocity of the primary saccade were regrouped from the two tasks; these grouped results will be presented below.
Accuracy: gain of saccades
Figure 6 shows group mean gain of the primary saccade and of the final eye position together with SE; results are shown for different directions in healthy elderly and patients with DLB. The two-way ANOVA showed a group effect, i.e., significantly lower gain for patients than for healthy; this was the case for both the primary saccade (F1,18 = 15.63, p < 0.01) and the final eye position (F1,18 = 11.28, p < 0.01). Further post hoc comparisons showed that the group effect was significant for all directions (all p < 0.001). A direction effect was observed for the final eye position (F3,54 = 5.08, p < 0.01), i.e., the gain was higher for horizontal saccades (both leftward and rightward) than for vertical saccades (upward or downward, all p < 0.05).
Figure 6. Group mean gain of primary saccade and of the final eye position for each direction in healthy elderly and DLB patients; vertical lines are standard error; horizontal lines are gain at 1. Gain is lower for DLB patients for all directions.
Variability in gain
Figure 7 shows the group mean CV for the measured gain from the primary saccade and the final eye position in healthy and in patients. The Mann–Whitney U-test showed a group effect, i.e., significantly higher CV in gain for patients than for healthy for all directions and for both accuracy measures (all U < 19, p < 0.05).
Figure 7. Group mean coefficient of variation (CV) in the gain of the primary saccade and of the final eye position for each direction in healthy elderly and DLB patients; variability is higher for DLB patients for all directions.
Figure 8 shows group mean peak velocity of the primary saccade with SE for different directions in healthy and in patients. The two-way ANOVA showed a group effect on peak velocity, i.e., significantly lower peak velocity for patients than for healthy (F1,18 = 7.45, p < 0.01). Further post hoc comparisons showed that the group effect on peak velocity was significant for all directions (all p < 0.001).
Figure 8. Group mean value of peak velocity of primary saccade for each direction in healthy and DLB patients; vertical lines are standard error. Peak velocity is lower for DLB patients for all directions.
Variability in velocity
Figure 9 shows group mean CV from peak velocity for each direction in healthy and patients. The Mann–Whitney U-test showed a group effect, i.e., significantly higher variability for DLB patients than for healthy (all U < 19, p < 0.05).
Figure 9. Group mean coefficient of variation (CV) in peak velocity of the primary saccade for each direction in healthy and DLB patients. Variability is higher for DLB patients for all directions.
As the peak velocity of saccades increases with saccade amplitude increase lower peak velocity for DLB patients could be accounted by lower amplitude of saccades. Therefore, we selected saccades of similar amplitudes (between 9° and 11°), e.g., the most accurate saccades relative to the target eccentricity (10°), and examined peak velocity and variability locally for this subgroup (see Figure 10). One-way ANOVA showed no significant difference of mean peak velocity between healthy and patients (F1,18 = 2.1, p = 0.16). Yet, DLB patients showed higher local variability of peak velocity than healthy elderly (U = 20, p < 0.05).
Figure 10. Group mean peak velocity (with standard error) and its coefficient of variation for saccades of 9° to 11° for healthy and DLB patients; no significant difference of peak velocity between the two groups, yet, coefficient of variation is higher for DLB patients.
The main findings are: (1) abnormal long latency of saccades in gap and overlap tasks for DLB relative to healthy elderly occurs for all directions; (2) yet, similar gap effect (shorter latencies in gap than in overlap) exists for healthy and patients; (3) express latencies are absent or minimal in patients, but frequent in healthy; (4) accuracy and peak velocity are lower in DLB patients; (5) variability of all saccade parameters is abnormally high in DLB patients. These results will be discussed below.
Long Latencies for DLB for All Directions
Our results extend those of horizontal saccades from Mosimann et al. (2005) to vertical saccades showing longer latencies in DLB patients. Abnormally long latencies for all directions reflect dysfunction of common cortical oculomotor areas. The saccade-related activity of the SC neurons is shaped by inputs from the posterior parietal cortex, the frontal eye fields, and the substantia nigra pars reticulata, which control horizontal as well as vertical saccades (Leigh and Zee, 2006).
Gap Effect
The gap effect refers to the latency advantage of removing the fixation point before the onset of a target (Pratt et al., 1997). Such gap effect, shorter latency in the gap task than in the overlap task, was still existent in DLB (118 versus 105 ms in healthy). The percentages of latency decrease in the gap condition, (overlap–gap)/overlap, were similar in healthy elderly (26–42%) and in DLB patients (21–36%). These results are comparable with those reported in young subjects (20–41%, Yang et al., 2006). What is the responsible factor for such gap effect is still controversial. The absence of the stimulus during the gap (Findlay and Walker, 1999), the offset of fixation (Ross and Ross, 1980, 1981; Reuter-Lorenz et al., 1991; Kingstone and Klein, 1993; Munoz et al., 1998) or advanced movement preparation (Rolfs and Vitu, 2007) could explain such phenomena. Although DLB patients showed longer latencies in both gap and overlap tasks than healthy elderly, the disengagement of fixation and perhaps attention was still facilitated by removal of the fixation point in the gap task for these patients.
Quasi Paucity of Express Saccades
Express latency is usually defined as the latency between 80 and 120 ms. This is, however, arbitrary. Neurophysiological studies (Dorris and Munoz, 1995; Edelman and Keller, 1996; Sparks et al., 2000) have shown that express saccades are produced when visual and motor bursts in the SC merge to produce the saccade. In other words, the visual transient response in the SC caused by the appearance of the target becomes the direct motor command to trigger the saccade. It has been shown that this visual burst of activity in the SC must be added to an elevated baseline to cross the saccade threshold to trigger an express saccade (Dorris and Munoz, 1995; Everling et al., 1998). Changing the timing of the visual transient response by changing the intensity of the visual stimulus, leads to changes in when express saccades are triggered (Bell et al., 2000). Therefore, the express epoch could be specific in each laboratory. In the present study we compare healthy elderly and DLB patients using the same stimuli. Healthy elderly show similar rates of express latency as young adults (Yang and Kapoula, 2006; Yang et al., 2006). The decreased rates of express latency in DLB patients could suggest a deterioration of the hypothetical express circuit and/or simply a delay in the visual transient response. Yet, the distribution of latencies (over two populations, see Figure 11) shows a multiple peak for healthy elderly, namely a peak at 110–120 ms, 160 ms and 190–200 ms while such peak is seen at 150 and 290 ms in DLB patients. In addition to the shift of the peaks, DLB patients showed spread distribution all over the scale. Thus, it is likely that the express circuit, usually attributed to the function of pathways including the parietal saccade regions and the superior colliculus is also impaired in DLB patients (de Bruin et al., 1992).
Figure 11. Distribution of latencies in the gap condition for healthy elderly (10) and the DLB subjects (10).
Lower Gain and Peak Velocity
DLB patients showed lower accuracy and peak velocity than control elderly. This is consistent with results in subjects with brainstem lesions. For example, subjects with progressive supranuclear palsy, who have prominent atrophy of the brainstem oculomotor regions (Groschel et al., 2004; Boxer et al., 2006), displayed deficits in saccade velocity and accuracy. In addition, saccade gain and peak velocity were reduced in adult patients with Niemann–Pick disease, a disorder known to affect brainstem and frontal cortical function (Abel et al., 2009). Importantly, in our study the deficits are present for all directions suggesting spread degeneration of both horizontal and vertical saccade generators located in the brainstem. Taken together, when cortical and subcortical neurodegeneration coexists, like in DLB patients, all parameters of reflexive saccades, such as latency, gain, velocity and their variability could be affected.
High Variability
Saccade latency is directly linked to the neural functioning of oculomotor areas, e.g., FEF, PPC (Pierrot-Deseilligny et al., 1995, 2002), SC (Isa and Kobayashi, 2004), the substantia nigra pars reticulata and PPRF (Leigh and Zee, 2006). Studies of Hanes et al. (1998) showed that a class of movement-related neurons in the FEF have an activity that begins to rise before a saccade. The initiation of the saccade was associated with the activity reaching a fixed threshold and the rate of rise varies randomly from trial to trial. Importantly, the rate of rise was tightly correlated with the observed saccadic latency. A consequence of this observation is that the latency can be modified either by adjustment of the threshold, or by change of the rate of rise. It assumes that a collection of information is made at a certain rate (the rate of rise in the cells) until a threshold criterion is reached: this would cause a decision, in our case, a saccade. Manipulation of perception (Heywood and Churcher, 1980), decision criterion level (Reddi and Carpenter, 2000), or prior probability (Carpenter and Williams, 1995) leads to a change in latency, which could be explained by a change in the threshold. Manipulation of attention also strongly affects the latency, which could be explained by alteration of rate of rise (Heywood and Churcher, 1980). Previous studies (Munoz et al., 1998; Yang et al., 2002) found that variability of latency was significantly larger in children than in adults. This was attributed to poor control over visual fixation. The fixation control system involves a distributed cortical-subcortical circuit, e.g., parietal-frontal-superior colliculus (Fischer et al., 1995). Variability on latency depending on cortical structures is consistent with neuropsychological tests, e.g., indicating problems in executive functions and visual attention in DLB patients including working memory (McKeith et al., 2005). High variability for saccade metrics could also be related to function of parietal and frontal oculomotor areas providing the position signal error for the brainstem saccade generator (Leigh and Zee, 2006). For instance, variation in the representation of the saccade vector in the motor map of the SC could lead to variability in saccade accuracy (Van Opstal and Van Gisbergen, 1989). In addition, variability of accuracy can also be related to dysfunction at brainstem saccade generator itself and this is further corroborated by the variability observed on the peak velocity even for the subgroup of the most accurate saccades. Van Beers (van Beers, 2007) observed variability of saccades in normal subjects and suggested that at least part of variability of accuracy-speed arises, in the brainstem regions in which the motor commands are generated.
In conclusion, the present study shows many abnormalities in saccades for DLB patients, i.e., increased latency even for tasks expected to promote short latency saccades, absence or reduced rates of express latency, low accuracy and peak velocity, and higher variability for all parameters. Such deficits occur for all four directions. These results reflect dysfunction of both cortical and subcortical oculomotor structures.
In the present study, there are no any actual or potential conflicts including anyfinancial, personal or other relationships with other people or organizations within three years of beginning the work submitted that could inappropriately influence this work. Author's institution has no contracts relating to this research through which it or any other organization may stand to gain financially now or in the future. Authors or their institutions have no a financial interest in this work. This manuscript has not been published elsewhere and is not under review with another journal. The present investigation adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the institutional human experimentation committee. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects after the nature of the procedure had been explained. All authors have reviewed the contents of the manuscript being submitted, approve of its contents and validate the accuracy of the data.
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Keywords: Lewy body, saccades, latency, accuracy, velocity, variability
Citation: Kapoula Z, Yang Q, Vernet M, Dieudonné B, Greffard S and Verny M (2010) Spread deficits in initiation, speed and accuracy of horizontal and vertical automatic saccades in dementia with Lewy bodies. Front. Neur. 1:138. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2010.00138
Received: 30 March 2010; Paper pending published: 09 September 2010;
Accepted: 29 September 2010; Published online: 22 November 2010.
Walter E. Kaufmann, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, USA
Jose Biller, Loyola University Medical Center, USA
Thomas Eggert, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität, Germany
Copyright: © 2010 Kapoula, Yang, Vernet, Dieudonné, Greffard and Verny. This is an open-access article subject to an exclusive license agreement between the authors and the Frontiers Research Foundation, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original authors and source are credited.
*Correspondence: Zoi Kapoula and Qing Yang, Group IRIS, Vision and Motricité Binoculaire, FRE 3375, Center National de la Recherche Scientifique/International Standard Book Number, Service d'Ophtalmologie-ORL-Stomatologie, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, 20 rue Leblanc, Paris 75015, France. e-mail: zoi.kapoula@egp.aphp.fr; qing.yang@egp.aphp.fr


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Germans allegedly helping Iran on nukes
Der Spiegel reports searches conducted in offices of 8 suspect companies.
iran nuke plant 298.88. (photo credit: AP)
Several German companies are under investigation for alleged involvement in Iran's disputed nuclear program, a German magazine reported Saturday. Police searched the premises of eight firms as well as private homes on February 8 as part of the investigation, the Spiegel weekly said in an article released before its publication Monday. Horst Salzmann, a spokesman for federal prosecutors, declined to comment on the report. According to Spiegel, one firm from Cologne was involved in a planned delivery to Iran of equipment to detect radiation contamination on clothes and human skin. Elsewhere on Saturday, French President Jacques Chirac said that the UN's nuclear watchdog would determine the ambitions of Iran's nuclear program, steering clear of the tough line taken by his foreign minister who recently called it a clandestine weapons program. Chirac said it was not his role to say whether Iran was secretly making nuclear weapons. "There are experts who are qualified to speak on the subject, and they are from the International Atomic Energy Agency," Chirac told a news conference in Bangkok. "Let's see what the experts say ... we are not going to enter into what-if in this situation." On Thursday, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy called Iran's nuclear activity a "clandestine military nuclear program" and accused Tehran of ignoring the international community's demand to suspend all nuclear activity. It was France's most direct attack on Tehran in an escalating international dispute and a departure from Europe's traditional diplomatic caution.


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Ambulatory typically means "the ability to walk" but in the context of surgery, it refers to patients who are able to leave the hospital the same day as the surgery, without being admitted to the hospital. Ambulatory surgery is referred to by other names, commonly called minimally invasive surgery, outpatient surgery or same day surgery. When you hear someone refer to a same-day surgery, they mean an ambulatory procedure.
While minimally invasive surgery is technically laparoscopic surgery, the term is often used interchangeably with ambulatory surgery. Minimally invasive procedures are surgeries that are performed using the smallest incisions possible, so that the body is able to heal more quickly. These procedures are often called "keyhole" or laparoscopic surgeries. While they are designed to decrease healing times, these procedures are not necessarily same day procedures, in fact, many require at least an overnight hospital stay.
A colonoscopy is not technically a surgery, but is often referred to as an ambulatory procedure, because the patient does have anesthesia and is able to go home the same day.
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The typical same day surgery is usually a surgery that can be performed relatively quickly, is low risk, requires a small incision or no external incision, and has a short recovery period.
Outpatient procedures are typically performed in one of two types of facilities: a hospital or a surgery center.
Ambulatory surgery centers are free-standing facilities with operating rooms, but they are not hospitals. These centers perform procedures that allow the patient to recover at home once anesthesia has worn off and the patient is able to care for themselves with minimal assistance.
Patients with complications that required hospitalization would be transferred to another facility for treatment when it becomes clear that they need a higher level of care. If a patient is unexpectedly too sick to go home after surgery they can transfer to the hospital for admission and care overnight or longer, depending on the patient's needs.
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Your surgeon should tell you if you are in a risk category high enough that you should have your procedure as an inpatient in a hospital, but you may still want to ask if you have any concerns. With some insurance plans there may be no cost difference between different inpatient surgery and outpatient surgery.
If you are well enough to have ambulatory surgery, congratulations! Having a procedure and returning home on the same day can reduce the stress of surgery by allowing you to recover in your own home once the anesthesia wears off. Many patients prefer to recover at home, and can do so safely and without any additional complications or issues.
If you have any issues that seem like they might be serious, be sure to reach out to your surgeon or seek medical attention.


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Kathy Burns
Horse Camping & Riding in the lower 48 states, a 13 month journey in 2013-2014 that I called SHLEP, which stands for Soul-searching, Home-seeking, Liberating, Equestrian Party (but I changed the P to Praise half way through the journey)
About me and SHLEP
Contact me at kathy@shlep.blog
Landscapes with Horses Paintings (acryllic studies 10″x10″)
Landscapes with Horses Paintings – oil on 24″ x 18″ canvas
Book Proposal SHLEP: Finding Healing on Horseback in the Lower 48
Date: November 20, 2018 Author: shlep2014
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SHLEP: Finding Healing on Horseback in the Lower 48 →
A Book Proposal
SHLEP
Finding Healing on Horseback in the Lower 48
by Kathy Burns
Proposal table of contents
Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
Overview and Chapter Summaries……………………………………………………………………………………… 4
About the author……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 13
Who will buy this book…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 14
Author's marketing abilities…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 16
Competitive titles……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 18
Sample chapters………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 23-78
(deleted for this blog post, available on request to kathyburns5554@gmail.com)
When Kathy decides to leave her abusive marriage, she is 59 years old. She's unprepared to live on a reduced income when her estranged husband hides his assets from the court. She's shocked by the cost of rentals in Southern California. She didn't realize how impossible it would be to land a job at her age and after being out of the market for two decades while she raised her kids. She hasn't anticipated that her nearly grown children would be mad at herfor finally standing up for herself. And she certainly hasn't expected the way that the prolonged stress of her marriage would fragment her psyche, making her long to not wake up in the morning.
The only time she feels halfway sane is when she is riding her horses and so, with a truck and horse trailer paid for with money borrowed from her Dad, Kathy decides to hit the road, riding in each of the lower 48 states until she finds a new place to call home and finds a calm within herself again. She names the journey SHLEP: Soul-searching, Home seeking, Liberating, Equestrian Party.
On her 13-month adventure, most of it solo, she confronts physical challenges and emotional demons. She deals with the dying of both her parents, re-bonding with her sister, and making peace with her three children. She meets so many women who are in the process of re-making their lives after their plans and dreams were shattered; these women are inspired by Kathy's journey and in turn, provide her with support and sustenance. Perhaps most importantly, she re-establishes her relationship with God and begins to rely on His grace to sustain her.
In the process, she makes peace with the "mess of her life" and gains a deeper confidence than she has ever known.
Overview and Chapter Summaries
SHLEPis a book about a woman falling apart and putting herself back together again by embarking upon a real-life Hero's Journey, but she does it the way women do—with fear and doubt and making plenty of mistakes. Her story is an inspiration to any woman whose plans and dreams have not worked out as she'd hoped, and who is forced to do the hard work of remaking her identity and remaking her life.
When Kathy finally decides to divorce her abusive husband, she doesn't know what to do with herself. Her husband, Bob, ensures she has no access to their joint assets and, at age 59, this former successful saleswoman can't find a job. She can no longer afford to live in her affluent neighborhood and must leave her three children with their father, along with her two horses she can't afford to board. Her emotions are in tumult, her self-esteem is decimated, and she's having panic attacks; all she wants to do is die or run away.
The only time she feels okay is when she's riding her horses, and Kathy gets the notion to travel around the country, camping with the horses, riding and painting in each of the lower 48 states. Her dad thinks it's a good idea; he lends her the money to purchase a truck and a horse trailer with living quarters. A trial run results in a wreck; a friend who was initially going with her pulls out at the last moment, and Kathy's only option is to do the trip alone, something she deeply fears. She worries she is abandoning her children, but her therapist encourages her to go, to heal so she can really be there for them. Thus, she embarks on SHLEP: the Soul-seeking, Home-searching, Liberating, Equestrian Party.
Kathy tells herself she is leaving California for good as she embarks with her horses, Dreamy and Wildflower; her dog, Tucker, who has cancer; and her cat, Nalla. On her first overnight in Las Vegas, she congratulates herself for getting on the road.
But the long hours of driving tend to provoke memory, and she is haunted by scenes from her unhappy marriage and the impact such scenes had on her children. She recalls the night when she told her daughter Emily that Bob had been abusive and her daughter called her a liar. By the time she reaches Utah, her first campsite, she is filled with fear and doubt. She texts her Dad, who is undergoing treatment for Stage 4 cancer, and he assures her that he believes in her.
Dreamy gets hurt by Wildflower, who can be a bully; the dynamic between them reminds Kathy of her relationship with Bob.
Kathy next goes to Idaho, where she stays at the ranch of a friend, Jack. She's halfway drawn to the idea that Jack might be the next man to take care of her; he advises her, talks to her dad on the phone in a proprietary manner, and insists she purchase a gun. They go to lunch and Jack warns that the town will gossip about them; Kathy wonders if there's something to gossip about.
But Jack won't allow her dog Tucker in the house and Kathy sleeps in her trailer instead of under Jack's roof. She's just not attracted to Jack and she realizes she's in no way ready for romantic involvement. Although he invites her to stay, she makes the decision to continue her trip, changing the planned route to avoid early snow.
The drive to Colorado again brings back sour memories of Bob. Outside of Boulder, Kathy reconnects with Theresa, who had been a nanny to Kathy's children when they were young. Although Kathy has been feeling like a failure, Theresa tells her how inspiring and powerful she found Kathy back then. Kathy wishes she could find a way to be her "old self" again. She goes out with Theresa and her boyfriend and has fun for the first time in a long time.
Kathy overnights in Kansas and meets Jane, who has recently survived being widowed, a tornado and the death of her best horse. Jane is on her way to a horse camping trip in Missouri and wants Kathy to join her. Inspired by Jane's resilience, Kathy agrees. They meet up with two other women and form a convoy to Missouri.
At their campfire, Kathy recalls her mother leaving her to cry in her crib. Kathy has nightmares and gets depressed. The four women in her group pray for her and she is shaken. She remembers when her youngest son Teddy was suicidal and had to be hospitalized, she got mad at God and quit going to church. She begins to re-examine her relationship to her faith.
In Arkansas, she meets Frankie, a cowboy who rescues her when she gets lost riding, who tells her they have a spiritual connection, and gives her trail and horse advice. She finds him attractive, but isn't in a place to respond to his signals. While there, her dog Tucker fails and she has to put him down. She grieves and listens to a CD of Christian rock her daughter made her. Inspired by one of the songs, she attempts a thank-you prayer. She changes the P in SHLEP from "Party" to "Praise" as she realizes God has become a more significant part of the journey.
While she's in Kansas, her oldest son Brad texts her with accusations that Bob has been making against her—she is trying to bankrupt his company and is "gallivanting" around the country while he's taking care of the kids. In the meantime, Bob has stalled the latest hearing for the divorce.
Her son Teddy announces plans to go to South Carolina soon and she hopes she can meet up with him there. Although she misses all her kids, he's the one she worries about most.
Camping in North Carolina, she meets a group of women who encourage her to write a book about this journey. Kathy calls her mom to wish her Happy Birthday, but her mother sounds confused. This is worrisome, but Kathy feels she has enough on her plate. She's grateful her sister Liza lives nearby to their mom.
When Teddy doesn't come through on meeting her in South Carolina, even after her dad agreed to pay for his ticket, Kathy becomes convinced her kids must hate her. She decides to change her planned route again and go straight to Florida to see her dad. On her drive through Georgia, she recalls living there as a teenager, and having her first abortion. That's also when her mother told Kathy she was the result of an unplanned teen pregnancy.
Kathy ends up spending four months in Florida with her Dad as he starts chemotherapy. She distrusts his caregiver, Yvonne, who views Kathy as an intruder. Kathy starts attending a church there, and finds it so much more loving than the church she was raised in. She gets baptized and commits to following Jesus; this helps her to feel forgiven for her abortions and other sins.
In January, Kathy flies to Los Angeles to visit her kids, who want her to come home. She prays about it and decides to quit her journey and look for a job again. She promises her children she'll come back by April. Back in Florida, she throws her all into a job search but gets no offers; one recruiter all but tells her she's wasting her time. She doesn't think she can keep her promise to return to L.A. in April.
Her Dad tells her that she has to be nicer to his caregiver, Yvonne, because he loves her and she has promised to stay with him till the end. Kathy now feels that Dad, her lifelong "hero" is choosing Yvonne over her.
Liza texts Kathy about their mother being "confused." Kathy tells her she'll come to New Jersey by June to help. Before leaving Florida, Kathy adopts a new dog, Jessie, from the shelter. Then she resumes SHLEP.
Her time in Florida has given Kathy renewed reliance on God and this bolsters her as she faces trials both large and small. In Georgia, she meets a child whose mom is a meth addict; in Alabama, her trailer gets stuck after a flood. In Louisiana, she starts a fire in her trailer while cooking. In Texas, another camper tells her about a horrifying horse accident. Her faith becomes her foundation, and she experiences joy on Good Friday.
In Fort Worth, she meets Emily who is attending college there. Emily shows her a self-portrait she's painted, and Kathy is glad for this connection between them through art. In Oklahoma, she experiences a tornado watch storm. She's impressed by her calm and attributes it to a stronger faith in God.
While in Kansas she learns that her dad has just had a transfusion and his next surgery has been cancelled; she worries that his doctors are giving up on treatment. Liza calls to say that she wants to put their Mom in assisted living. Emily calls crying to say she is never staying with Bob again and begs her to come home. Kathy prays she can be strong enough to weather all these challenges.
Kathy celebrates her 60thbirthday in Nebraska. She's concerned that she doesn't hear from her mother; her mom has never forgotten her birthday. She meets an old cowboy poet and his wife and is touched by their love for each other.
In Iowa, she gets a disturbing call from her mom, who seems disoriented. Kathy can't understand why her mother couldn't love her more. Then she learns from Liza that Mom has broken her hip and is in kidney failure. By the time Kathy reaches Illinois, Liza tells her their mom has been diagnosed with blood cancer. This is more than Kathy can bear. She barely registers her stay in Indiana.
When she gets to Ohio, one of the camp owners loans her a book about why women stay in abusive relationships. Kathy tries to recount the ways Bob made her believe she was crazy.
She moves on to Virginia and West Virginia. She meets her old friend Joanie in Maryland. She wishes again she could reclaim her "old self." She goes next to Delaware. Liza is increasingly stressed by their mother's condition and wants Kathy to come help her, so her next stop will be New Jersey.
Being back in New Jersey brings up both traumatic and positive memories—her second abortion as a teenager, and the beautiful home she owned when she was an adult and single. She tries to emotionally prepare for seeing her sister, and their mother.
When she arrives at the hospital, Kathy finds that her mom is very sick—she's in kidney failure, has multiple myeloma and dementia. She realizes there will never be an opportunity to talk to her mom about her experiences growing up or to resolve her questions. A doctor recommends they stop treatment, and the sisters must make the difficult decision to do so, aided by Mom's declaration that she doesn't want to live in the condition she's in. She dies in hospice six weeks after Kathy arrives. Teddy and Emily fly in for the memorial service and Kathy is euphoric to be with them, but wonders why she doesn't seem to be grieving her Mom.
Although Kathy has lost her mother, she has re-gained a sister. Liza decides to join her on SHLEP for the New England states. It's a different experience to be with someone; Kathy enjoys the company but finds it taxing to deal with Liza's needs and lack of experience with horses.
In Rhode Island, Kathy is visited by an old boyfriend who wants to make amends. She realizes she has had a life-long pattern of being mistreated by the men in her life and wonders how that got started.
The two sisters worry about Dad and share a distrust of his caregiver, who insists over the phone that he is "fine." Liza seems to be spiraling into depression and Kathy feels somehow responsible. This is not what she needs on SHLEP. In Massachusetts, Liza falls off Dreamy while riding and decides to fly home. Kathy feels guilty and relieved.
Kathy camps in New York and, reflecting on when she used to live there, decides her "old self" was shallow, not someone she wants to be anymore. She finds herself happy to hear that Liza wants to rejoin SHLEP soon. She also learns her Dad now has round-the-clock care.
Kathy makes it a point to travel to Shawano, Wisconsin, where she buries her mom's ashes. In that process, she is able to put herself in her Mom's shoes—pregnant at 19 in the 1950s, being forced to get married. This helps Kathy to release her anger and feelings of worthlessness.
In September, she celebrates having been on the road for a year; she understands it is an accomplishment and starts to think about SHLEP as "exposure therapy," which Teddy had to undergo when he was younger. Liza meets up with her in Minnesota and it's enjoyable for both of them. As money comes from her mother's estate, Kathy makes the decision to rent a house in California where she can make a home for her children, at least until all have graduated.
When they reach Wyoming, both sisters fall in love with the state and make a plan to live there together some day. Then they get a call from Dad; he asks Liza to come to Florida right away. Yvonne, the caretaker, intervenes and tells them he's fine. They're not sure what to do—go to Florida immediately or continue SHLEP? They continue on to Montana, state #43.
Upon their departure, Kathy has a collision with a boulder that makes it unsafe to continue with the horse trailer. She decides that SHLEP has already given her everything she wanted from it, and that it's okay for her to stop now. They haul the horses to board at Jack's ranch in Idaho and drop the trailer at an RV dealer to be repaired. They will drive the truck toward home, staying in motels; Liza will catch a plane to Florida in Salt Lake City. On her first night without her horses, Kathy cries.
Kathy moves into the rental house in Pasadena but her children do not join her there immediately and she wonders what she's come back to. Yvonne manipulates the situation to deprive Dad of hospice care, and ensures that Kathy and Liza will arrive too late to say goodbye and too late to be able to retrieve the cash Dad left for them. Kathy has to make peace with this and her faith helps her to do so.
Emily and Teddy do eventually move back in with Kathy. The divorce will take two more years to resolve and by the time Bob offers a settlement, Kathy accepts it against the advice of her attorney, just to have it settled once and for all.
Kathy moves to Tehachapi, California and retrieves her horses from Idaho. Liza and her new husband are there. She thanks God for blessing her beyond her wildest dreams.
Kathy majored in painting at Philadelphia College of Art, now known as University of the Arts, graduating in 1976. She also studied Graphic Arts at Union County Vocational School. She entered the printing industry as a paste-up artist and eventually landed in sales in New York City. She sold for Alden Press which was bought by World Color, who was taken over by Quebecor and was their top sales person, bringing in large-volume accounts such as Victoria's Secrets Catalogue. She left this career to become a stay-at-home mom.
Kathy is the mother of three children. In 2004, Kathy bought her first horse, Dreamy, and riding quickly became her passion. In 2012, at the age of 59, Kathy filed for divorce and set off on SHLEP, camping and riding in 43 states across the U.S. After her travels, she became a member of the Vineyard Church, which has 300,000 members world-wide. She now lives in Tehachapi, CA with her 4 mares, a dog and a few cats.
Who Will Buy The Book
Each year in the United States approximately 876,000 marriages end in divorce, one every 36 seconds. With divorce comes feelings of disappointment, disillusionment and even failure for those involved. A dream of marriage and family has dissolved or exploded, and it's now up to the former couple to shape new lives for themselves.
For the woman, this recovery is often made harder by a number of factors: disadvantages women experience in the job market, both in getting hired and in salary inequity; the fact that women are most often left with the responsibility for raising children; and the perception that a woman who has already been married once is somehow "damaged goods." It's estimated that divorced women experience a 20 decline in their incomes, where divorced men experience a 30% increase. The poverty rate for separated and women divorced women is 27%.
These women often seek out opportunities to improve their situations. They may enroll in community college to upgrade their skills; they may seek therapy to identify what went wrong. They may turn to self-help books or seminars in an effort to help themselves feel better.
These readers will find comfort and empowerment in SHLEP and identify with Kathy's story of finding previously unknown strength to endure the challenges of her journey across the country and make peace with her life. These women, especially those over 50 who face starting over, whether through divorce or widowhood, are the primary readers of this book.
Secondary markets
Of the 80% of the U.S. population that says they are Christian, 45% of these consider themselves born again; whatever the circumstances of their life previously, these individuals find new meaning in their lives through a commitment to Jesus Christ. In SHLEP, a large part of Kathy's healing comes about through her re-connection to a faith she had largely abandoned. She is initially prodded by her daughter, who gives her spiritual rock music to listen to on the road; as she travels she meets other women who rely on their faith in God to carry them through storms in their lives. In Florida, she finds a church that believes in a loving and forgiving God, rather than the punishing deity of her youth, and agrees to be baptized. The more deeply she practices her faith, the more things resolve in her life and the stronger she feels. Christian readers will find inspiration and affirmation in Kathy's story.
A tertiary audience can be found in people who are interested in horses and in horse camping. A national organization, Horse Trails and Camping Across America (HTCAA)boasts 73,000 members. There are television and internet radio shows as well as blogs and websites catering to these individuals, as well as annual gatherings at prominent campsites. These are the readers who will want to know what kind of hay Kathy fed her horses, what kind of bit she used, and what the campground in Delaware is like.
Author's Marketing Abilities
A successful former print salesperson, Kathy Burns understands the ingredients necessary to speak to a customer's needs and how to close a sale.
While on SHLEP, she started a blog, posting photos of her camp stops, trail rides and the paintings she made at each stop, as well as written accounts of her camping experience. This blog was geared to people interested in horse camping, and therefore did not include her interior journey. Since its inception, the blog has received 60,000 views by people in ten different countries.
Kathy will continue to use this blog as a marketing tool for SHLEP. She's now settled in horse country and is raising four horses, including a wild baby; she can continue to post about what she learns from her horses and her new lifestyle.
Kathy Burns accumulated numerous friends who followed her on Facebook during her journey. She is also a member of 30 Facebook group pages, most of which are horse related. One of those groups, HTCAA Horse Trails and Camping Across America, currently has a membership of 73,000 and was supportive of Kathy during SHLEP. Kathy also maintains a business page on FaceBook— Kathy Burns Gallery—which is promoted regularly by FaceBook Ads.
Public Speaking:
Both prior to and following her completion of SHLEP, Kathy has given multi-media presentations to various riding groups in Southern California; attendees have been fascinated by the prospect of a woman undertaking such a journey alone, and eager to learn all the details of horse care and camping. She can certainly do more of this in connection with the promotion of SHLEP. In addition, the camping sites she visited during her journey may be eager to share the news of the book with their own mailing lists and on their websites.
Additionally, the Vineyard Church, of which Kathy is a member, has a worldwide membership of 300,000. The organization and its member churches will also be an important source of readers for SHLEP.
Print and Broadcast Media:
Media that appeals to women—O magazine, Oprah's Super-Soul Sunday, Ellen, Good Housekeeping, andThe Vieware prominent examples—all reach the readership that SHLEPwill appeal to. Kathy Burns will hire a professional publicist to help her to reach mainstream markets.
Additionally, Christian radio programs will be an important source of reaching readers.
Competitive Title Analysis
by Cheryl Strayed
Vintage Books, New York, NY 2013. 336 pages.
#1 New York Times Bestseller
An Oprah's Book Club 2.0 selection
In this memoir, Cheryl Strayed loses her mother to cancer and her life spirals into infidelity, addiction and divorce. Not knowing what else to do, she decides to hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and she would do it alone. The 2014 film adaptation was nominated for two Academy Awards.
SHLEPand Wild are both about a women's adventure/healing journey and both deal with self-discovery/examination, confronting challenges for which one has not prepared, parental loss, fear and divorce. Both women find spirituality and peace in the wilderness. Both books appeal to similar readers: women looking for inspiration.
SHLEPmay be of more interest to mature women; Kathy is 59 when she sets off, Cheryl is just 22. Additionally, in SHLEP,Kathy finds healing in Christianity; this aspect of the book will appeal to a Christian readership.
Eat, Pray, Love– One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia
by Elizabeth Gilbert
Penguin, New York, NY 2006. 352 pages.
In this memoir, Elizabeth, in her early 30's, divorces her husband and has a passionate fling that doesn't work out. Devastated, she embarks on a 4-month trip abroad to find pleasure, spiritual devotion and a balance between the two. In the end, she finds the love of a wonderful man. The story was adapted as a 2010 motion picture starring Julia Roberts.
While both protagonists are on a journey of spiritual- and self-discovery, their circumstances and goals are different. Elizabeth in Eat, Pray, Love has the financial wherewithal to travel abroad to exotic places. Her spiritual encounter is with Eastern philosophy. Her ultimate outcome is romantic love. It appeals to reader's desire for fantasy, a charmed life.
SHLEPwill appeal to woman who have experienced more traumatic circumstances—financial hardship or emotional abuse. Kathy's divorce leaves her, at age 59, without the financial wherewithal to remain in California. Hers is not a journey of tourism, but of rugged camping and riding that challenge her physically as well as emotionally. Her spiritual awakening comes through Christianity, addressing the large market of Christian readers. Her ultimate outcome is not romantic love, but a recommitment to her children. SHLEP is more raw and more real.
Tracks: A Woman's Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback
by Robyn Davidson
Vintage Departures/Random House 1981, 1995, 2014. 268 pages.
In this memoir, Robyn, 27, is sparked by a "lunatic idea" to hike with camels and her dog across the Australian Outback desert. She spends two years preparing in Alice Springs, where she trains camels, meets a National Geographic photographer and secures the sponsorship ofNational Geographicto write an article about her upcoming journey. During her trek, she endures danger in the form of excessive heat, venomous snakes, lecherous men and her bull camel's aggressive temperament. She has casual sexual encounters with her photographer. She reaches her goal and looking back on it says that the trip was "easy." An independent Australian film company released an adaptation in 2013.
Both Tracksand SHLEPare about a woman's self-imposed physically challenging journey and both find beauty in the wilderness, but Robyn's goal appears to be the physical challenge, whereas Kathy's riding in 48 states is the medium for her true goal of healing her mind. Robyn is able to shoot a wild camel with a rifle, where Kathy finds it difficult to be forceful with her horse and is fearful of carrying a handgun. Robyn has casual sex in Tracksbut Kathy's PTSD leaves her feeling sexually dead. There is no spiritual component to Tracks,whereas SHLEPis about Kathy's re-connection to her Christian faith.
Girl in the Woods
by Aspen Matis
William Morrow/HarperCollins, New York, NY 2015. 363 pages.
In this memoir, Debby, 19, grows up lacking confidence in herself. On her second night at college, she is date raped. Her family is unsupportive and the college finds her attacker innocent. Before the school year ends, Debbie drops out and decides to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada. Along the way, she develops the confidence to master challenges and overcome her fear of men to trust herself enough to fall in love.
Both A Girl in the Woodsand SHLEPdescribe journeys of emotional healing. Both protagonists have issues with controlling mothers, which result in their own poor personal boundaries. They both have suffered trauma, which causes them to fear men and to question their capabilities and attractiveness. Both change their names as a symbol of adopting new identities. However, there is a forty-year difference in the protagonist's ages, making for very different voices and appealing to different readers. Younger readers will identify with Debby's obsessing over boys and with Debby's conclusion of "finding herself" by finding the right man. Mature readers will relate to Kathy's resolution at age 60, of finding an inner peace through God, reuniting with her children and finalizing her divorce.
Terra Incognita: Travels in Antarctica
by Sara Wheeler
Jonathan Cape/Random House, New York, NY 1996; Random House 1998. 341 pages.
Terra Incognita is a non-fiction account of Sara, who while in her 30s becomes the first woman writer-in-residence at the South Pole and spends seven months with research scientists there. The environment is extreme but she is relatively safe, staying in city-like research stations; she's moved to different locations by aircraft. She recounts a history of Antarctica and early explorers' dangerous expeditions there. She interacts with the researchers and describes their projects.
Both books are about travels to a wild place but Sara is traveling to write, inform and entertain the reader. The book is not a memoir and we don't learn much of the protagonist's story. Terra Incognita is aimed at readers who want information about a part of the world very few people get to see. SHLEP is a memoir that follow's Kathy's introspective journey to find God, hope and healing; it is intended to inspire women readers that they can survive hard times with their sense of selfhood intact.
Wild by Nature– From Siberia to Australia, three years alone in the wilderness on foot
by Sarah Marquis
Editions Michel Lafon (France) & St Martin's Press (USA), both in 2014. 255 pages.
Featured in the New York Times Magazine.
Sarah, 38, has been an explorer/adventurer for 20 years when she decides to undertake three years of hiking 10,000 miles, from Mongolia to Australia, solo, in an effort to rekindle her dwindling passion for adventure. She is quite capable of taking care of herself on this trek and even hunts her own food. She encounters life-threatening dangers from men, extreme temperatures, disease, a dental infection and wildlife. She overcomes everything and is passionate about exercising her freedom as a woman to be who she is: wild by nature, urging other women to do the same.
Both books are about self-imposed challenging journeys, but Sarah's is a thousand times more difficult and dangerous than Kathy's. The protagonist of Wild by Natureis confident of her abilities to survive and her journey is more about adventure and the physical challenge. She is not introspective nor does she give the reader a feel for her emotions or thoughts about what happens in the exotic locations she travels through. The protagonist of SHELP,embarks on her adventure across the United States with little preparation, no experience, and riddled with self-doubt. Her journey is as much interior as exterior, and she gains confidence and calm as she travels. Sarah appears to be Super-Woman, someone to aspire to be, but many more women readers will identify with Kathy's efforts to crawl back from an emotionally bruising marriage.
Deleted for this blog post and is available upon request to kathyburns5554@gmail.com
2 thoughts on "Book Proposal SHLEP: Finding Healing on Horseback in the Lower 48"
Barbara Jones · November 21, 2018 at 3:03 pm	 · · Reply
Kathy, I've thought about and prayed for you so much since meeting you in Missouri a few years ago…I was one of the ladies who prayed over you. I want to ask your forgiveness for my bad behavior during that week long ride. I was in a very bad season of my life at that time and I had no room in my heart for another persons' suffering. Just like you, my Savior Jesus Christ brought me through that season and I praise Him not only for walking every step with me but for actually carrying me through. And, just like you, I have been refined by the powerful Word of God…it was about HIM…not me. I'm so blessed by your journey.
Kathy Burns · November 21, 2018 at 5:22 pm	 · · Reply
Oh Barb, you already apologized to me years ago! You are forgiven of course! I'm sorry I didn't see your pain, I was pretty dang blind to anyone else's suffering then. You may not remember, but you gave me a bible study workbook, it was pretty much way over my head, but I appreciated it anyway! I'd never even heard of bible study groups back then, haha, and was intrigued with the idea so much that I said yes, when I was invited to one by my Kansas camp's owners. FYI, you struck me as a wholesome strong woman, in sharp contrast to how I viewed myself and something to aspire to. I'm so glad that I met you, that prayer circle was incredible for me, I'll never forget it. Thank you.