Showing papers by "Arizona State University published in 1970"

Evidence for extraterrestrial amino-acids and hydrocarbons in the Murchison meteorite.

Abstract: Extraterrestrial abiotic amino acids and hydrocarbons in type II carbonaceous chondrite at Murchison, Australia

Antineoplastic Components of Marine Animals

Abstract: REFERENCES to the biological properties of marine organisms date back to antiquity1. For example, hieroglyphics on the tomb of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ti (approximately 2700 BC) described the poisonous puffer fish Tetraodon stellatus. Perhaps the earliest recorded use of a marine organism in primitive medical practice occurred when the Roman, Plinius Secundus (AD 29–79), recommended that the sting unit of the stingray be ground up and used for treatment of toothache and in obstetrics. The first modern pharmacological and chemical studies of a substance from a marine animal probably involved tetrodotoxin from the poisonous puffer fish (for leading references see refs. 2 and 3). In recent years, extracts from certain sponges and coelenteratas have been shown to have antibiotic properties4–8. There have also been indications that marine invertebrates produce various other potentially medically useful components9–11. Most important from the standpoint of cancer chemotherapy have been observations that starfish meal12–14 and the peanut worm Bonellia fulginosa15,16 and that partially purified material from certain sea cucumbers [Echinodermata] have antitumour activity against sarcoma-180 and Krebs-2 ascites tumour10,17–19. Also certain clam18 (Mollusca) extracts and material from oysters have antitumour properties9–11.

Reconstruction of facial features from the skull: An evaluation of its usefulness in forensic anthropology

Abstract: Although facial reconstructions from the skull have been widely used in forensic anthropology, their effectiveness has not been objectively assessed. Photographs of two reconstructions produced in this laboratory were shown to FAA employees and local policemen who were asked to select the subject's in vivo photograph when included with those of six other randomly-selected individuals of the same sex, race, and general age. While in both tests the reconstruction subject was chosen with significantly greater frequency than the controls, the results ranged from 26% correct (N = 104) on the first subject, a 67-year-old female, to 67% correct (N = 200) on the second, a 36-year-old male. In both tests policemen and civilian females performed better than civilian males.

The control of water loss in desert tenebrionid beetles.

Abstract: 1. Total water loss in tenebrionid beetles was composed of transpiratory losses from the cuticle and spiracles, water associated with defaecation, and water from the release of defensive quinone droplets or oral fluids. 2. Freshly killed specimens of E. armata, C. muricata and C. verrucosa had higher transpiration rates over long and short exposures than did living animals of the same species. These results may reflect the cessation of active water retention by cuticular and spiracular regulation in dead animals. 3. Cuticular transpiration, although low in absolute rate, was a greater source of water loss than respiratory transpiration in E. armata, C. muricata and C. verrucosa at temperatures from 25 to 42.5 °C and at 0% R.H., suggesting that spiracular control of water loss was of considerable importance in maintaining water balance. 4. A marked increase in respiratory transpiration over previous low rates was observed at 40 °C for E. armata and at 42.5 °C for C. muricata and C. verrucosa , and indicated a temperature-induced breakdown in spiracular water regulation due to increased respiratory activities. In contrast, cuticular transpiration maintained a linear rate of increase over the temperature range investigated. 5. A direct relationship existed between oxygen consumption and estimated respiratory transpiration for E. armata from 25 to 40 °C and at 0% R.H. 6. Evidence for the presence of discontinous respiration and unidirectional tracheal air flow in E. armata was presented. 7. Cuticular transition temperatures were measured for E. armata (40 °C), C. muricata (47.5 °C), and C. verrucosa (50 °C) with results showing that the autumn species ( E. armata ) possessed a lower cuticular breakdown point than either of the two summer species. 8. Much of the success of tenebrionid beetles in desert habitats is due to the development of highly impermeable cuticles and well regulated spiracular control mechanisms for reducing the loss of body water.

Micrometeorology and Energy Exchange in Two Desert Arthropods

Abstract: Incoming solar, net, and reflected radiation, wind velocity, relative humidity, and temperatures at various levels above and below an open desert surface were recorded simultaneously at 30—minute intervals for a 3—day period. Concurrent measurements were also made of arthropod burrow temperatures and relative humidities, scorpion body temperatures, and body and subelytral temperatures of tenebrionid beetles. The burrowing habit enabled arthropods to escape the hot, desiccating conditions recorded on the desert surface during the day. Temperatures and humidities to which scorpions were subjected while in their subterranean retreats depended upon the burrow's depth and subsequent movements in the burrow. Vertical movements between the surface and maximum burrow depths during a 24—hour period provided arthropods with a wide choice of micro— environments. Tenebrionid beetles on the surface were able to achieve a temperature equilibrium only under low temperature and radiation loads. Subelytral cavity temperatures in black Eleodes armata were generally 2—7°C warmer than body temperatures after exposure to direct sunlight. Temperature differences between subelytral cavities of black beetles and beetles with their elytra painted white were small, but suggested that a white dorsal surface was, at least, paritally effective in reducing absorption of solar radiation. The subelytral cavity, in addition to reducing transpiratory water loss, apparently provides a mechanism for increasing convective cooling, and may serve as a temperature “buffer zone” against heat conduction resulting from high intensity solar radiation. A heat exchange budget was estimated for E. armata on the desrt surface. Major contributing factors were heat gained from incoming radiation versus heat lost from convection and reradiation. Contributions from evaporation and metabolism, as determined by laboratory experiments, were very small in comparison, while the role of conduction in energy exchange was assumed to be negligible. Inherent problems in the estimation of contributing factors to net energy exchange, and comparison of similar budgets for mesic arthropods are discussed.

Carbon monoxide bonding in hemeproteins

Abstract: Although carbon monoxide is a neutral diatomic molecule, it will serve as a ligand to metals to form metal carbonyls. However, CO is highly selective not only as to the metal, but also in regard to the oxidation and spin states of the metal. Metal-CO binding in biological systems depends not only upon the presence of a suitable metal in the right state but also upon the availability of a binding site either by displacement of another ligand by CO or by addition of CO to an unoccupied site, the case now accepted for deoxyhemoglobin and deoxymyoglobin. Bonding between metal and CO ligand in metal carbonyls has been described as “synergistic” in the sense that, at least formally, two types of bonding which mutually reinforce each other can be evoked.’ The neutral CO molecule can serve as a sigma-donor, e.g., donating an electron pair through carbon for sharing with the metal. However, the CO ligand can also serve as a pi-electron acceptor from filled metal orbitals of appropriate symmetry. The greater the pi-character of the metal-carbon bond, the smaller the pi-character associated with the intraligand or C-0 bond. In valence bond formalism species I and I1 represent contributing species. The synergistic aspect of the bonding emerges from the fact that a stronger metal pi-donor to ligand pi-acceptor interaction will enhance the ligand sigma-donor to metal sigma-acceptor interaction, and vice versa. In other words,

Fuarmolic Mounds and Ridges of the Bishop Tuff, California

Abstract: Fumarolic mounds and ridges are prominent surface features of the southern part of the Bishop Tuff and are characterized by their greater induration relative to the surrounding ash or tuff. They stand 0.5 to 15 m above the surrounding terrain and are of two main types: (1) domical mounds up to 60 m in diameter, and (2) straight or curved vertical joint ridges 1.5 to 5 m high and up to 600 m long. Fumaroles were formed in greatest numbers where crystallization within the sheet was intense and are absent from areas where the sheet was thick and densely welded but remained vitric. Early conjugate joint sets, which followed welding but predated escape of fumarolic vapors, controlled the distribution of fumarolic mounds and ridges. Later random orthogonal joints, which postdate vapor-phase activity, resulted from release of thermal stress stored in the cooling sheet. Welding, conjugate fumarolic jointing, fumarolic activity, and random orthogonal jointing represent successive discrete stages in the cooling history of the Bishop Tuff. The general mineralogy of the fumarolic areas and the vapor-phase zone are similar, but hydro-biotite and marialite are identified in the inner alteration zone. Likewise, the chemical composition of the fumarolic mounds is similar to that of the vapor-phase zone. The inner zone around some fumarolic vents shows significant changes through a decrease in SiO 2 and an increase in A1 2 O 3 , K 2 O, and H 2 O.

Water relations of the desert scorpion, Hadrurus arizonensis.

Abstract: 1. Total water-loss rates for Hadrurus arizonensis (0.028% wt/h at 30 °C in dry air) are comparable to rates for Old World species and are well below rates for other desert arthropods under similar conditions. 2. Cuticular and respiratory transpiration constitute the two major avenues of water loss, cuticular water loss predominating at temperatures up to approximately 38 °C and respiratory transpiration predominating at temperatures above 40 °C. 3. The cuticular transpiration/temperature curve exhibits a two-plateau configuration with abrupt increases in cuticular permeability occurring between 35 and 40 °C and between 65 and 70 °C 4. Cuticular water-loss values in dead scorpions exceed those of total water loss in living scorpions. The increased cuticular permeability after death is interpreted as evidence for the existence of an active cuticular water-retaining mechanism. 5. Water-loss rates are significantly reduced at lower saturation deficits; however, scorpions are unable to absorb significant quantities of water from near-saturated atmospheres or moist substrates, regardless of their hydration state. 6. The importance of water conserving versus water regaining mechanisms are discussed in relation to the total adaptations of these animals to hot, dry environments.

Preference for fixed-interval schedules of reinforcement.

Abstract: Pigeons were trained on a two-link concurrent chain schedule in which responding on either of two keys in the initial link occasionally produced a terminal link, signaled by a change in the color of that key and a darkening of the other. Further responding on the lighted key was reinforced with food according to a fixed-interval schedule. For one of the keys, this fixed interval was always 20 sec, while for the other it was held at values of 5, 14, 30, or 60 sec for several weeks. In the initial link, all pigeons responded relatively more often on the key with the shorter fixed interval than was predicted by the matching hypothesis. Responding in the initial link showed a large negative recency effect: pigeons responded less frequently on the key that provided their last reinforcement than predicted from the overall response rates.

Kinetic studies in mass spectrometry–VII: Competing cleavage and rearrangement processes in molecular ion decomposition reactions

Abstract: Apparently competing cleavage and rearrangement reactions in a series of molecular ions have been studied by ionization and appearance potential methods, and by determination of the electron energy dependence of both normal and metastable daughter ion peak intensities. The processes investigated were (i) [M CH3] vs. [M CH2O] in anisole; (ii) [M OC6H5] vs. [M CO] in phenyl ether; (iii) [M NO2] vs. [M NO] in nitrobenzene; (iv) [M C3H7] vs. [M C2H4] in butyrophenone: (v) [M C3H7] vs. [M C3H6] in n-butylbenzene; (vi) [M CH2OH] vs. [M CH2O] in 2-phenylethanol; (vii) [M CH3CO2] vs. [M CH2CO] in benzyl acetate; and (viii) [M C4H9O] vs. [M C4H7] in n-butylbenzoate. The results are interpreted in terms of k vs. E curves with very different frequency factors for the two reaction types. Appearance potentials of metastable ions for the rearrangement reactions have also been measured.

A Massacre at Hopi

Abstract: Thirty Hopi Indians of both sexes and all ages were killed, crudely dismembered, violently mutilated, and probably cannibalized about 370 years ago. This massacre occurred on the left bank of Polacca Wash ten miles south of the Hopi villages. The location of, dismemberment of bodies in, and radiocarbon age of this mass burial suggest the bodies were once the few live villagers, taken captive by other Hopi warriors, referred to in the legendary account of the destruction of Awatobi pueblo that occurred ten to twelve generations ago.

Chitin and cellulose in the cell walls of the oomycete, Apodachlya sp.

Abstract: Hyphal walls of Apodachlya sp. (Leptomitales) gave a positive reaction when tested cytochemically for chitin. The color reaction indicative of the presence of chitin developed uniformly throughout the walls, but did not appear in the numerous cellulin granules found in this fungus. Chitin and cellulose fractions were prepared from chemically isolated walls and identified by X-ray diffraction.

The elastic constants of cuprous oxide

Abstract: The elastic constants of cuprous oxide have been measured by a standard pulse echo technique. The low temperature limiting values of the stiffness moduli are (in units of 1011 dyn/cm2) C11 = 12.1 ± 0.5, C12 = 10.5 ± 0.4, C44 = 1.09 ± 0.03. The Debye temperature calculated from these is 181° K. Both shear moduli show an unusual increase with increasing temperature. Es wurden die elastischen Konstanten von Kupferoxid mittels einer ublichen Impuls-Echotechnik bestimmt. Die Grenzwerte des Elastizitatsmoduls fur tiefe Temperaturen sind (in Einheiten von 1011 dyn/cm2) C11 = 12,1 ± 0,5, C12 = 10,5 ± 0,4, C44 = 1,09 ± 0,03. Die hieraus berechnete Debyetemperatur betragt 181° K. Beide Schubmoduli zeigen mit steigender Temperatur einen ungewohnlichen Anstieg.

Kinetic studies in mass spectrometry—IX: Competing [M NO2] and [M NO] reactions in substituted nitrobenzenes. Approximate activation energies from ionization and appearance potentials

Abstract: Ionization (IP) and appearance potentials (AP) have been secured for apparently competing [M NO2] cleavage and [M NO] rearrangement reactions in a series of m-and p-X substituted nitrobenzene molecular ions. Approximate activation energies AP–IP were within the experimental reproducibility for most substituents for the [M NO2] reaction of m-and p-X isomer pairs of compounds, but outside it for the [M NO] process. This is interpreted as either effective substituent randomization in the reacting molecular ions or as fortuitously similar activation energies for the [M NO2] cleavage. Assuming the latter, AP–IP for both reactions gave acceptably linear correlations of negative slope when plotted against σ or σ+, which has been interpreted mechanistically in terms of a degree of positive charge dissipation in the rate limiting transition states. These findings are in direct contrast to the energetics of the [M CH3] and [M CH2O] reactions recently studied in substituted anisoles, where plots of AP–IP vs. σ+ displayed positive slopes. The advantages of AP–IP over peak relative abundance as a mechanistic probe are discussed, and corresponding plots of logZ/Z0vs. σ(σ+) and log [A0]/[M0] (1 – f) vs. σ(σ+) for the same reactions are presented and discussed. The disadvantages and limitations of IP and AP measurements are also emphasized.

Kinetic studies in mass spectrometry—VIII: Competing [M ? CH3] and [M ? CH2O] reactions in substituted anisoles. Approximate activation energies from ioniziation and appearance potentals

Abstract: Ionization and appearance potentials have been determined for apparently competing [M CH3] cleavage and [M CH2O] rearrangement reactions in a series of m- and p-X substituted anisoles. Approximate activation energies AP–IP for most substituents are found not to differ by more than approximately 0.20 eV for m- and p-X compounds with the same substituent. This finding implies either common rearranged molecular ions and/or transition states for the [M CH3] and [M CH2O] reactions; or simply rather similar activation energies in unrearranged molecular ions. Assuming no rearrangment, we have found plots of AP–IP against σ+ to give reasonable linear correlations of positive slope for both reactions. To account for this, it is suggested that in the activated complexes for both cleavage and rearrangement, an additional degree of positive charge is developed at the reaction site, and concordant mechanisms are proposed. These conclusions have been compared to those obtained by application of peak relative intensity methods such as Z-values and their modifications.

The prediction of tunnel diode voltage-current characteristics

Abstract: This paper presents a simplified method of predicting the shape and magnitude of tunnel diode voltage-current characteristics when the substrate material and doping concentrations are specified. The method consists of first describing the tunnel diode V-I characteristics by an algebraic equation, the variables of which are then expressed as functions of the impurity densities. Previous theory is used to express the current variables, however the peak voltage expression is obtained by using Fermi-Dirac statistics and aligning the maximum of the density of electronic states with that of hole states. This leads to a verification and extension of Kane's predictions relating the peak voltage to the doping degeneracies. A comparison of the theory with the actual measured characteristic yields excellent agreement.

Plant temperatures and heat flux in a Sonoran Desert ecosystem.

Abstract: In the extreme desert environment the potential energy load is high, consequently high temperatures might be a limiting factor for plant survival. Field measurements of plant temperatures in a Sonoran Desert ecosystem were made using fine thermocouples. Temperatures of six desert species were measured: Opuntia engelmannii, Opuntia bigelovii, Opuntia acanthocarpa, Echinocereus engelmannii, Larrea tridentata and Franseria deltoidea. Daily temperature profiles were used to compare the different responses of cacti and shrubs to the desert heat load and also to compare spring and summer responses. Leaf temperature of shrubs was at or near air temperature during both the mild, spring season and the hotter dry season. The cacti, on the other hand, absorbed and stored heat, thus temperatures were often above air temperature. The energy absorbed is determined largely by plant orientation and surface area exposed to the sun. Actual energy absorbed by the plants was estimated from energy diagrams. The flat stem pads of Opuntia engelmannii plants are oriented to receive maximum sunlight without long periods of continuous heating. Opuntia bigelovii spines reflect and absorb much of the environmental energy load, thereby protecting the thick, succulent stems from overheating. The smaller stems of Opuntia acanthocarpa dissipate heat more effectively by their large surface area exposed to convective air currents. Leaves on desert shrubs remain nearer to air temperature than do succulent stems of cacti, because their very large surface to volume ratio allows them to dissipate much heat by convection.

On deflecting wrinkles and the Dryopithecus pattern in human mandibular molars

Abstract: The utility of the traditional Dryopithecus pattern observations on mandibular molars in hominid dental analysis has been challenged recently from several points of view. Both fossil and contemporary evidence suggest the independence of cusp number and groove pattern on mandibular molars and the quality of dentitions which are normally available for study make it difficult to determine both aspects of pattern (cusp number, groove pattern) equally. Now this paper shows that one of the polymorphisms on the occlusal surface of mandibular molars, the “deflecting wrinkle,” may be responsible for the spurious appearance of a Y molar pattern. It presence serves to insure a “2–3 contact” and hence the identification of the Y molar pattern. While seldom reported in traditional dental data, the wrinkle varies in frequency from 7% in South African white first permanent molars to 78.5% in Bushmen. Elsewhere, Hanihara has proposed that it be considered part of the “Mongoloid dental complex”.

Kinetic studies in mass spectrometry—IV. The [M — Cl] reaction in substituted chlorobenzenes and the question of molecular ion isomerization.†

Abstract: The [M]+˙ → [M Cl]+ reaction in a series of m- and p-X substituted chlorobenzenes has been studied, utilizing a simple kinetic approach, comparison of metastable ion relative abundances, and by measurement of ionization and appearance potentials. All evidence obtained is consistent with rearrangement prior to cleavage in the molecular ions, in which substituent position becomes effectively randomized. These findings are related to known hydrogen randomization reactions occurring in either the molecular ion or [M Cl] ion of chlorobenzenes. Mechanisms involving carbon scrambling via such species as ionized benzvalenes or prismanes, or ring-opening to isomeric acyclic molecular ions in which hydrogen randomization might occur can be entertained, but mechanisms involving simple hydrogen shifts in the intact benzene ring appear less likely.

Military Organizations in Natural Disaster: Established and Emergent Norms

Abstract: more misinterpretation than the involvement of any other type of organization or group. The explanation for this can be found in the anomalous position of the military in American Society (Coates and Pellegrin, 1965: 58). American society has traditionally manifested considerable ambivalence toward its military institutions. The maintenance of viable military forces has almost always been generally accepted as necessary for national security. Yet, there has concurrently existed in the society much apprehension that such institutions might someday assume too much authority and subsequently threaten democratic values. In this paper, we will consider how this incongruent position of the military in American society affects its role in natural disasters. In the