Showing papers by "Southern Illinois University Carbondale published in 1984"

The Effects of Rhetorical Organization on ESL Readers.

Abstract: Theoretical as well as empirical research within the framework of schema-theoretical approaches to reading has shown reading comprehension to be an interaction between a text and a reader. More specifically, the interaction involves reader background knowledge of text structure and the hierarchical content structure of the text. In her investigations of both adult and adolescent native readers of English, Meyer (1975, 1977a, 1977b, 1979, 1982; Meyer, Brandt, and Bluth 1980; Meyer and Freedle 1984) has found that certain types of rhetorical organization of expository prose are processed and recalled differently from other types. This article reports the results of a study of the effects of rhetorical organization of different types of expository prose on intermediate ESL readers of different native languages. Results indicate that certain more highly structured English rhetorical patterns are more facilitative of recall for non-native readers in general, but there are interesting differences among the native language groups represented in the study: Spanish, Arabic, and Oriental.

Evidence of a Formal Schema in Second Language Comprehension.

Abstract: Research on discourse comprehension has shown that comprehension is determined not only by the local effects (sentences or paragraphs), but also by the overall organization of a text. Each type of text—e.g., stories, fables, expository and scientific texts—has its own conventional structure; knowledge of these conventions aids listeners or readers in comprehending the text as well as in recalling it later (Kintsch and van Dijk 1975; Meyer 1975; Thorndyke 1977). Following Bartlett (1932), this knowledge has been called a schema, or more specifically, following Carrell (1983a), a formal schema. Recent empirical research has shown the powerful effects of formal schemata in first language comprehension for both adults and children (Mandler and Johnson 1977; Johnson and Mandler 1980). Findings for first language acquirers, children, show that at least by first grade children have acquired story schemata and use them to organize comprehension and recall of stories (Mandler 1978a). Yet, no comparable research has been done to empirically investigate the role of story schemata in second language comprehension. This paper reports an empirical study of the effects of story structure on second language comprehension, specifically reading comprehension in English as a second language. Results indicate that the quantity and temporal sequence of story recall are affected by differences in story structure. The findings are discussed in terms of schema-theoretic approaches to reading and the effects of formal, rhetorical schemata on ESL reading comprehension. The paper concludes with a call for further ESL research in this area.

Measuring Productive Efficiency: An Application to Illinois Strip Mines

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to apply a generalized version of the Farrell measure of technical efficiency to a sample of Illinois strip mines. We disaggregate the original Farrell measure which was designed to measure lost output or wasted inputs due to underutilization of inputs into three mutually exclusive and exhaustive components: 1 a measure of purely technical efficiency, 2 a measure of input congestion overutilization of some inputs and 3 a measure of scale efficiency. This approach has the advantage that it provides additional information on the sources of inefficiency of production, which should be useful to managers, in general, not only in strip mining. Simple linear programming techniques are derived and used in calculating these efficiency measures for our sample. We find that Illinois strip mines are fairly efficient relative to each other. The major source of inefficiency was due to deviations from the optimal scale of production. We also find suggestive evidence that inefficient mines tend to have relatively high stripping ratios, high labor-output ratios, single rather than multiple coal seams, and lower earth-moving capacity.

Heart Rate, Rate-Pressure Product, and Oxygen Uptake During Four Sexual Activities

Abstract: • Heart rate, rate-pressure product, and Vo 2 were measured in ten healthy men during four specified sexual activities: coitus with husband on top, coitus with wife on top, noncoital stimulation of husband by wife, and self-stimulation by husband. Foreplay generated slight, but statistically significant, increases above resting baseline in cardiac and metabolic variables. From stimulation through orgasm, average effort was modest for relatively short spans. Maximum exercise values occurred during the brief spans of orgasm, then returned quickly to near baseline levels. The two noncoital activities required lower expenditures than the two coital positions, with man-on-top coitus rating the highest. Large variations among subjects and among activities discourage use of a general equivalent activity for comparison, such as "two flights of stairs," to represent "sexual activity." ( Arch Intern Med 1984;144:1745-1748)

Social Support Resources Variation Across Sex and Sex Role

Abstract: Although considerable research effort has been spent in documenting the beneficial effects of social support to individual well-being, little is known about the determinants of this resource or its distribution across sociocultural groups. The present study assessed the influence among college students of sex and sex role on three levels of social support resources: network characteristics, availability of several modes of support, and perceived supportiveness of family and friends. On a composite measure of overall support resources, females were superior to males, and feminine and androgynous individuals were superior to masculine and undifferentiated individuals. Only some specific social support variables differed across these groups specifically, network size and homogeneity, emotional support, and perceived supportiveness of family for sex role.

Validity of self-efficacy as a predictor of writing performance

Abstract: This exploratory field study examined Bandura's (1977) self-efficacy model to determine how well efficacy expectations predicted writing performance, and whether cognitive (deep processing) and affective (anxiety) variables were related to efficacy expectations. Other variables assessed with respect to efficacy and writing performance were race, sex, an English entrance exam (ACT) score, and locus of control. Subjects were college freshmen enrolled in introductory writing courses. The major findings were that (a) efficacy expectations predicted writing on phase 1 (beginning of writing course) data, but not phase 2 (end of course); (b) depth of processing, locus of control, and anxiety were related in varying degrees to amount of efficacy and to the accuracy of efficacy predictions of writing; (c) subjects significantly overestimated their writing performance, the discrepancy being even larger at phase 2. These results provide partial support for the construct validity of self-efficacy and suggest that cognitive and affective variables influence efficacy.

The construct validity of burnout

Abstract: Considerable confusion exists in the burnout literature about the similarities and separateness among the constructs of burnout, depression and job satisfaction. This study examined the construct validity of burnout using Campbell & Fiske's multitrait-multimethod approach. The constructs of burnout, depression and orderliness (chosen as a discriminant construct) were assessed by three types of self-report instruments. Data were analysed for 181 females and 139 male faculty members who spent at least 50 per cent of their time in teaching. Results indicated that measures of burnout largely met Campbell & Fiske's criteria for construct validity: burnout measures possessed adequate to good internal reliability and convergent validity. However, burnout measures also correlated substantially with measures of depression. Results are discussed in terms of possible explanations for the substantial overlap that has been demonstrated among measures of burnout, depression and job satisfaction.

Home safety: development and validation of one component of an ecobehavioral treatment program for abused and neglected children

Abstract: Parents may be charged with child abuse or neglect or both on the basis of a variety of circumstances. Child neglect, for example, is often documented when caseworkers observe that the family's home itself is so poorly kept that it presents an environment in which young children have ready access to lethal hazards such as poisons, uncovered wall outlets, and firearms. In this study, we describe the development of a Home Accident Prevention Inventory (HAPI) which was validated and used to assess hazards in the homes of several families under state protective service for child abuse and neglect. The HAPI included five categories of hazards: fire and electrical, mechanical-suffocation, ingested object suffocation, firearms, and solid/liquid poisons. Following the collection of baseline data, parents were presented with a treatment package that included instructions and demonstrations on making hazards inaccessible to children, plus feedback regarding the number and location of hazards in the home. The multiple-baseline design across hazardous categories in each family's home showed that the package resulted in decreases in the number of these accessible hazards. These improvements were maintained over an extended period of unannounced follow-up checks. This research provides a model for the development and assessment of an area previously unexamined in the child abuse and neglect literature.

Programming Time as a Function of Number of Movement Parts and Changes in Movement Direction

Abstract: The question of whether changes seen in simple reaction time (SRT) as a function of response complexity (i.e., number of movement parts) should be considered as differences in the time needed to centrally program a motor response was addressed. Using a large-scale tapping response, 14 subjects contacted from one to five targets positioned in a straight line, while a second group of 14 subjects executed 90° changes in direction in striking the targets. Results revealed that mean SRT and mean premotor time increased linearly as the number of movement parts increased, regardless of whether changes in movement direction had to be programmed, with the greatest increase occurring between one-, and two-part responses. Increases in motor time were not sufficient to account for the sizeable SRT effect. These findings support the position of increased central programming time for more complex responses, and also help establish some of the boundaries of the complexity effect.

A Novel Photosynthetic Purple Bacterium Isolated from a Yellowstone Hot Spring

Abstract: A thermophilic photosynthetic purple bacterium was isolated from the waters of a hot spring in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The organism differs from all known purple bacteria in that it grows optimally at a temperature of about 50° C. The isolate contains bacteriochlorophyll a and grows autotrophically, oxidizing sulfide to elemental sulfur which is then stored as globules inside the cell. These properties indicate that the phototroph is a member of the Chromatiaceae (purple sulfur bacteria).

On formulating strategic problems

Abstract: An understanding of the development of logico-mathematical structures (LMSs) is needed to explain, predict, and improve the process of formulating a strategic problem, and consequently to improve the formulation of the problem. Based on Piaget's (1974) model of development of a LMS, a model of the development of an LMS for a strategic problem is presented; the relationship between Jungian (Jung, 1924) personality typology and development of LMSs is discussed; and implications for strategic management are given.

Inhibition of sphingolipid synthesis by cycloserine in vitro and in vivo

Abstract: d- and l-cycloserine were shown to be irreversible inhibitors of the first enzyme of the sphingolipid pathway, 3-ketodihydrosphingosine synthetase, in a study using bacterial and brain microsomal enzymes, l-Cycloserine was shown to be 100 times more inhibitory than the d-isomer for the brain microsomal enzyme in vitro. In vivo, l-cycloserine caused a 70% inhibition of brain microsomal enzyme. Following one injection, enzyme activity recovered 80% of normal after 16 hours. Daily dosages of l-cycloserine on a regimen of intraper-itoneal injection for 7 days caused a significant reduction in total brain ganglioside and cerebroside plus sulfatide levels.

Intravenous versus intracoronary streptokinase therapy for acute myocardial infarction in community hospitals.

Abstract: A consecutive series of 184 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) received thrombolytic therapy. The first 63 were treated in the catheterization laboratory with intracoronary streptokinase (IC-STK), and 44 (70%) had successful thrombolysis. One hundred twenty-one patients received intravenous (IV) STK immediately after diagnosis of AMI, and 99 (82%) were found to have an open infarct artery. Only 58% of patients (14 of 24) who required transfer from out-of-town hospitals for IC-STK treatment had successful thrombolysis; in contrast, IV-STK given in the local hospital resulted in an 85% (72 of 85) rate of thrombolysis (p = 0.005). IV-STK thus appears at least as effective as IC-STK for AMI and is more effective for patients treated in hospitals without catheterization facilities.

A National Survey of Curriculum Needs as Perceived by Professional Environmental Educators

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess perceived environmental education (EE) curriculum needs in the United States (K-16) The Environmental Education Curriculum Needs Assessment Questionnaire (EECNAQ) was developed, validated, and direct-mailed to 169 randomly selected professional environmental educators (586% return rate) The EECNAQ elicited perceptions about the desired status and the current state of EE curricula, the need for curriculum development, the anticipated use of curricula teachers, and the need for inservice teacher education These five major questions were posed relative to fifteen goals which reflected the Tbilisi objectives and four levels of environmental literacy The findings reveal a consensus among the professional participants that the EE goals are important ones, that they are not being met to a large extent in existing curricula, that extensive needs exist for both goal-oriented curricula and teacher education, and that the goaloriented curricula would be used by t

The Drosophila Giant Fiber System

Abstract: Normal functioning of the nervous system depends on the formation of vast numbers of specific connections between neurons. During development, each of the thousands, millions, or billions of cells in a nervous system connects with a specific set of target cells. We currently have no knowledge of the molecular basis of this specificity. The long-term goal of our work is to identify genes that are directly involved in neural connectivity and then to use this knowledge to identify the gene products necessary for proper connectivity. It will be a major advance in neuroscience if the class (or classes) of molecules involved in nerve-cell recognition and connection can be identified.

Posttesticular surface modifications and contributions of reproductive tract fluids to the surface polypeptide composition of boar spermatozoa.

Abstract: Caput and cauda epididymal fluids were found to be exceedingly rich in the numbers and kinds of polypeptides when analyzed by two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis. Only a few of the major (Coomassie-stained) and minor (silver-stained) epididymal fluid polypeptides were identified on epididymal sperm plasma membranes (PM) and even fewer identified in ejaculated sperm. The 2-D electrophoretic patterns of caput sperm PM differed little from those of cauda sperm PM. Thus, epididymal transit resulted in relatively minor quantitative and qualitative modifications in sperm PM composition. Seminal plasma showed a few major polypeptides from the cauda epididymal fluid, but the major constituents were those polypeptides from the seminal vesicle secretions. Sperm appear to acquire one acidic high molecular weight polypeptide from either the bulbourethral gland or prostate gland, and another major acidic polypeptide of high molecular weight from the seminal vesicle gland. Numerous neutral and basic low molecular weight polypeptides, originating from the seminal vesicles, adhered tightly to sperm. These were major polypeptides and constituted a substantial percentage of the total PM protein. Thus, major contributions to the sperm PM polypeptide profile occurred at ejaculation. This study did not address loosely bound polypeptides but is the first to analyze, in a comprehensive way, the origins of tightly bound sperm polypeptides from a single species.

Effects of an LHRH agonist analog upon sexual function in male dogs. Suppression, reversibility, and effect of testosterone replacement.

Abstract: Male beagle dogs were injected once daily with 10 micrograms/kg of [6-D-(2-naphthyl)alanine]-LHRH (D-Nal(2)6-LHRH), a potent LHRH agonist, for periods up to 42 days, with recovery periods up to 172 days. Blood samples collected at regular intervals were assayed for LH, FSH, and testosterone; total ejaculates were collected and analyzed weekly, and animals were sacrificed at various intervals for sex organ weights and histology. The first injection of D-Nal(2)6-LHRH caused an acute elevation in plasma levels of LH, FSH, and testosterone, measured at 2 and 4 hours after the injection. This acute response to injection was attenuated with each successive injection and by two weeks no elevation was seen, suggesting a down-regulation of pituitary response. Basal levels of LH and testosterone were maximally depressed by four days of treatment. Testis volume, duration of erection, ejaculate volume, sperm count, sperm motility and testis volume all declined during treatment, with sperm count significantly lowered by two weeks and ejaculation volume becoming zero by five weeks of treatment. Spermatogenesis, assessed histologically, was partially suppressed at ten days and completely suppressed by 38 days of treatment. All parameters returned to normal following cessation of treatment. Recovery time was longer for the dogs treated for 42 days than for those treated for ten days. When testosterone was supplemented during 42 days of agonist treatment, basal plasma testosterone levels were maintained at the low end of the normal range. Testosterone supplementation did not prevent pituitary down-regulation, suppression of spermatogenesis, or the decrease in testis and epididymis weights, but prevented the decline in duration of erection. Ejaculate volume and sperm count declined more slowly with combination treatment than with agonist alone. During the decline in sperm count sperm motility was maintained with combination treatment. Injection of hCG into control and agonist treated dogs resulted in similar percentage increases in plasma levels of testosterone, although peak levels were greater in control than in treated animals. The data suggest a pituitary desensitization with this LHRH agonist in the dog but only a minor role for testicular desensitization.

Shoplifting in Middle America: Patterns and Motivational Correlates

Abstract: Five patterns of shoplifting were identified in a clinical study of 300 shoplifters conducted in a court setting. 67.6 per cent reported weekly shoplifting. Overall, 56 per cent were males. Among adults, 56.5 per cent were women. Character defects (personality disorders), not mental illnesses, were the pre dominant form of pathology according to guidelines in DSM-III. Financial benefit was the primary motivation in 67.7 per cent of the cases. Economic disadvantage appeared to be a contri buting factor in 72 per cent of the adult chronic shoplifters. Mental illnesses were distributed about equally between genders. However, nearly twice as many women were experiencing psycho social stressors. The recommended treatment intervention is short-term crisis counseling followed by education which encour ages the offender to admit that shoplifting is a crime and to consider the realistic consequences of additional shoplifting.

Spermiation — the sperm release process: Ultrastructural observations and unresolved problems

Abstract: The release of germ cells from the epithelium of the seminiferous tubule signals the end of spermatogenesis and the beginning of the passage of these highly differentiated cells through the excurrent duct system. At the time of release germ cells no longer should be termed spermatids but spermatozoa or, simply, sperm. Sperm have attained virtually their final form at the time they are liberated; however, they are functionally immature and still lack the capacity to fertilize.

New evidence for ancient cultivation ofCanna edulis in Peru

Abstract: Preserved rhizomes ofCanna edulis from 5 archaeological sites in the Casma Valley of Peru are illustrated and described. These were identified by their extant surface features and by their starch grains, which are different from those of any other known flowering plant species. Based on radiocarbon assays, these specimens range in date from 2250–295 B.C. Materials used for comparative purposes in this study included a collection of edible canna from the Peruvian archaeological site of Pachacamac and a modern-day specimen. A theory on the place of origin and time of domestication of this species is given in the conclusions of this paper.

Evidence for specific binding of uncapacitated boar spermatozoa to porcine zonae pellucidae in vitro

Abstract: Washed ejaculated boar sperm and sperm from the cauda epididymis bind to the zona pellucida of fixed porcine eggs in large numbers. Sperm incubated in the presence of dextran sulfate (8 K daltons or 500 K daltons) or fucoidan and then washed no longer bind to eggs. Other acid carbohydrates (heparin, chondroitin sulfates, inositol hexasulfate, carboxymethylcellulose) fail to block sperm-egg binding even when added directly to sperm-egg suspensions. Seminal plasma and the seminal vesicle secretion contain basic proteins which bind tightly to sperm and bind reversibly to eggs preventing sperm from binding to eggs. When dextran sulfate or fucoidan are mixed with the vesicular secretion, from which seminal plasma basic proteins originate (Hunt et al., '83), the secretion loses the capacity to prevent sperm from binding to eggs; this suggests that seminal vesicle proteins can bind to the same site on zonae as do sperm and thus seminal plasma may modify sperm-egg interactions. Corpus and cauda epididymal sperm also bind in large numbers to the zona pellucida of isolated eggs but high concentrations of caput sperm, which exhibit high motility in the presence of caffeine, bind only in few numbers. Thus a component that enhances sperm-zona binding is apparently formed on the plasma membranes of uncapacitated sperm during passage through the epididymis. This finding, and an earlier observation that antibodies raised against uncapacitated sperm plasma membranes block sperm-egg binding in vivo (Peterson et al., '83) suggest that this component may be involved in sperm zona interaction in vivo.

Boar sperm cytoplasmic droplets: Their ultrastructure, their numbers in the epididymis and at ejaculation and their removal during isolation of sperm plasma membranes

Abstract: Cytoplasmic droplets of the boar are progressively lost from the flagellum of boar spermatozoa during epididymal transit, at ejaculation and during the nitrogen cavitation technique for isolation of plasma membranes. Apparently very fragile, these structures are broken up in the fluids of the reproductive tract and in the buffer used during the nitrogen cavitation procedure. The maximal potential contamination of cytoplasmic droplet internal vesicular membranes in plasma membrane fractions was determined to be 2.2% of the entire membrane surface area collected. The highly sensitive silver-stained, two-dimensional (2-D) polyacrylamide (PAGE) gels of boar sperm plasma membranes did not reveal cytoplasmic droplet, internal membrane, marker polypeptides, further demonstrating the high purity of plasma membrane preparations. In addition, freeze-fracture demonstrates that the internal membranes of the cytoplasmic droplet show few intramembranous particles and these may contribute little protein to plasma membrane preparations. The presence of two forms of vesicular elements in boar sperm cytoplasmic droplets (typical vesicles and collapsed vesicles) is described.