Showing papers by "DePaul University published in 1973"

Tyrosyl Peptide Models for Acidic Protein-DNA Interactions

Abstract: Interactions between acidic proteins and nucleic acids occur at a number of critical points in the molecular biology of the cell, for example repression, DNA synthesis, RNA synthesis and protein synthesis. Very little is known about how the acidic proteins involved in these processes recognize nucleic acids. Recognition could be at the tertiary structure level and could involve the recognition by a nucleic acid of a cleft or a ridge in the acidic protein, or it could be at a lower level of structural complexity involving recognition between amino acids and nucleotides. Previous studies have indicated that strong interactions can occur between purine bases and aromatic amino acids1–4. We wanted to study aromatic amino acid-nucleotide base interactions within the confines of a polypeptide and of a polynucleotide backbone and so we have tailor-made a series of alternating tyrosyl pentapeptides, for example, TyrGlyTyrGlyTyr (TGTGT), in which the tyrosine residues were so spaced that they could intercalate between the bases in B-form DNA.

The influence of 'hypophysectomy' on bone growth and alkaline phosphatase activity in the chick embryo.

Abstract: Wet weights, total bone alkaline phosphatase activity and specific alkaline phosphatase activity were determined on demarrowed femurs of normal, ‘hypophysectomized’ and pituitary-grafted chick embryos at selected intervals of incubation. In normal bones, all parameters noted above increased progressively through developmental time. ‘Hypophysectomy’ by means of surgical decapitation significantly retarded the normal increase of femur wet weight, total and specific alkaline phosphatase activity; in embryos bearing pituitary transplants, there was a return towards normal values. The possible role(s) of the pituitary in skeletal maturation and enzyme synthesis or activation is discussed.

Construction of a Guttman Facet Designed Cross-Cultural Attitude-Behavior Scale Toward Racial-Ethnic Interaction

Abstract: ASSESSMENT of racial-ethnic attitudes of groups such as whites /blacks, Jewish/non-Jewish, Maori/Pakeha has taken various forms. Several well known scaling techniques (Bogardus, 1947; Campbell and Schuman, 1969; Hinckley, 1932; Hinckley, 1963; Holtzman, 1956; Hovland and Sherif, 1952; Kelly, Hovland, Schwartz, and Abelson, 1955; Kogan and Downey, 1956; Likert, 1932; Maliver, 1965; Proenza and Strickland, 1965; Thurstone, 1931) have been employed for this purpose as well as lesser known techniques. Most of these scales, and most attitude scales in general (Jordan, 1968; Jordan and Chigier, 1972), contain only items of a stereotypic nature. In criticizing attitudes scales, Shaw and Wright (1967) state that even though a great amount of energy has been spent in research with attitude scales, it is an unfortunate fact that most of the effort has been wasted because of the lack of suitable instruments for the measurement of attitudes. Consequently, the

SOCIAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATIONS AND THE POLITY: Advising, Activism and Apathy:

Abstract: Thus, an organization is a social system which produces something that can be utilized by another system. From the organization’s viewpoint its product is its goal, while from the viewpoint of the larger social system the organization’s product is its function. Although Parsons states that &dquo;every organization contributes in some way to every primary function&dquo; (adaptive, implementive, integrative and pattern-maintenance), each organization has

Perception of relative size of maternal figure and subjects figure by schizophrenics and normals.

Abstract: Summary.-Body-height perception was related to Lidz' theory of dominance by the mother during the development of the schizophrenic male. The possible relationship of 20 chronic undifferentiated schizophrenic males' selfperceptions and perceptions of a maternal figure was compared with those of 20 normal males. Data supported Lidz' postulations concerning dominance by the maternal figure. The schizophrenics underestimated their own body size more than normals and overestimated the site of a maternal figure more than normals. Finally, simultaneous presentation of a maternal figure and S's own figure influenced the schizophrenic Ss to underestimate their own perceived body-heights more than normals. Several theorists postulate that the mother is a dominant and major influence in the development of the schizophrenic male. Prominent among these is T. Lidz whose study of the schizophrenic family structure is elaborate and sex specific. Lidz, et al. (1965) suggests the male schizophrenic is the product of a "skewed family in which the mother is dominant, rejecting, and cutting to her spouse. The major interaction for the child is with the mother who is a controlling influence in the family and in the development of the male child. Similarly, Lidz postulates that a female schizophrenic is mothered by an inadequate mother of low self-esteem and fathered by a dominant man who derogates the mother. Lidz' theory and research suggests that a male child born into the former family constellation would have difficulty separating himself from the mother and would ultimately suffer a severe pathological condition. In certain research (Harris, 1957; Zahn, 1959), it has been assumed that, if the mother is a dominant figure in the abnormal development of the schizophrenic male, this would be manifest in the manner in which the schizophrenic perceives himself in interaction with maternal figures. Harris (1957) suggested that male schizophrenics have been exposed to deviant maternal behavior and that patients with poor premorbid social and heterosexual life histories have been exposed to more of such maternal behavior than have patients with good premorbid histories. Harris used the Phillips Premorbid Adjustment Scale for Schizophrenia (1953) to divide his Schizophrenic group into high (good) and low (poor) premorbid adjusters. He hypothesized that schizophrenic patients who have made-poor premorbid sex and social adjustment would produce less accurate size judgments of pictutes depicting interaction of a mother and son. His results supported the hypothesis; the poor premorbid adjusters overestimated the actual size of maternal figures presented via projected pictures for size judgment more than normal males.

Person Perception as a Function of the Personal Consequences and Immediacy of a Decision

Abstract: Summary The hypothesis that situational variables differentially influence the direction and magnitude of person perception was tested in this study. Ss read identical biographical descriptions of two fictitious graduate assistants under one of three conditions: (a) instructions established no personal consequences, (b) instructions required S to choose the assistant who would write and grade an examination, (c) instructions required S to indicate a preference for one of the assistants although an assignment had already been made. S then rated each of the two assistants on Evaluation and Potency semantic differential scales. Sharply differentiated ratings occurred under the first condition and, to a lesser degree, under the third. Under the second condition ratings of the assistants were not significantly different, suggesting an “error cost” conservatism in differential perception when a decision has personal consequences. It was concluded that situational demands may be more potent determinants of perso...

Perception of relative size of authority figures and subject's figure by sociopaths and normals

Abstract: Both the etiology and description of sociopathy are conceptual problems that have plagued the research on this phenomenon. One reason for this, as Barocas (1970) indicates, is that a specific group of behaviors that constitutes sociopathy has yet to be "pinned down." The present study investigated the perception of human size as one behavior that n~ay have significance for the description of sociopathy. Perception of human size has been shown to be a good indicator of certain pathological conditions in several studies (Beller & Turner, 1964; Hamersma & Papson, 1973; Zahn, 1959). In the present study, a group of adolescent sociopaths constituted the experimental group and a group of normal adolescent Ss constituted the control group. Classification of Ss into the sociopathic category was done on the basis of clinical interviews and psychometric testing. The control group was randomly selecred from a high school and then the selected Ss were checked for possible pathology. The method used to test the perception of both groups was to have both groups adjust slides on a screen containing pictures of: S himself, a male authority figure, and a female authority figure. Ss adjusted the figure's size on a screen from both an ascending and descending position. Data were collected in five separate phases. In Phase 1, both groups adjusted their own pictures on the screen. In Phase 2, both groups adjusted the size of the male authority figure. In Phase 3, both groups adjusted the size of the female authoriry figure. In Phases 4 and 5, both groups had to adjust their own size in relation to the male and female figures which were projected on the screen. Means were computed for the five phases of the study and a t test was conducted for each phase. Two phases, where S compared himself with the male and female authority figure, were significant (p < .05); sociopaths overestimated themselves more than the normals. In Phase 4, where both groups adjusted self figures to a male authority figure the sociopaths overestimated themselves more than the normals (t = 2.45, df = 27, 0 = .05), and in Phase 5 where both groups adjusted rhemselves in relation to a female authority figure the sociopaths again overestimated their size (t = 2.33, df = 27, p = .05). These results indicate that there is a significant difference in the way sociopaths and normals perceive themselves in relation to male and female authority figures presented in this study.