A multitrait-multimethod comparison of two social interest instruments in an alcoholic population

Two instruments have been developed to measure social interest, the central concept of Adler\u27s mature system. The purpose of the dissertation was to compare the validities of two measures, the Social Interest Index and the Social Interest Scale. The two primary analyses proposed were the multitrait-multimethod procedure and confirmatory factor analyses. It was hypothesized that both social interest instruments would display convergent and discriminant validity, have more of their total variance attributable to trait than method factors, and not correlate significantly with a measure of social desirability;Ninety-seven subjects were recruited from an alcohol inpatient treatment program at a large, midwestern Veterans Administration Medical Center. The subjects were given the two social interest tests, Edwards Social Desirability Scale, and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Staff members were asked to complete rating scales designed to measure social interest, extroversion, and sensation;Insufficient sample size prevented the application of confirmatory factor analyses to the data. The presence of low reliability coefficients for the staff ratings and large standard errors of measurement precluded the unambiguous interpretation of the results. The Social Interest Index uniformly failed to show convergent or discriminant validity, and correlated highly with the social desirability scale. The Social Interest Scale displayed modest convergent and discriminant validity and did not correlate significantly with social desirability;Factor analysis of the obtained results using the iterative principal axis procedure with varimax rotation produced an interesting three factor solution. The first factor was labeled social desirability-extraversion. The Social Interest Index loaded most heavily on Factor I. The second factor consisted primarily of the staff rating method. The third factor was defined by its most prominent loading, the Social Interest Scale;Due to the consistency of the results in favor of the Social Interest Scale, it was concluded that the Social Interest Scale was a better measure of social interest than the Social Interest Index

Quantitative microscopy of the Drosophila ovary shows multiple niche signals specify progenitor cell fate.

Adult stem cells commonly give rise to transit-amplifying progenitors, whose progeny differentiate into distinct cell types. It is unclear if stem cell niche signals coordinate fate decisions within the progenitor pool. Here we use quantitative analysis of Wnt, Hh, and Notch signalling reporters and the cell fate markers Eyes Absent (Eya) and Castor (Cas) to study the effects of hyper-activation and loss of niche signals on progenitor development in the Drosophila ovary. Follicle stem cell (FSC) progeny adopt distinct polar, stalk, and main body cell fates. We show that Wnt signalling transiently inhibits expression of the main body cell fate determinant Eya, and Wnt hyperactivity strongly biases cells towards polar and stalk fates. Hh signalling independently controls the proliferation to differentiation transition. Notch is permissive but not instructive for differentiation of multiple cell types. These findings reveal that multiple niche signals coordinate cell fates and differentiation of progenitor cells

Water activities in the Kerala Khondalite Belt

The author and colleagues presented their determinations of water activities in various granulite-facies rocks of the Kerala Khondalite Belt. Using mineral equilibria, thermodynamic data, and assumed geopressure-geotemperature conditions of 5.5 kbar and 750 C, they calculated uniformly low a(H2O) values of about 0.27 over a large geographic region. They suggested that these conditions were produced by the presence of abundant CO2-rich fluids, derived either from deeper levels or from metamorphic reactions involving graphite

SINFONI's take on Star Formation, Molecular Gas, and Black Hole Masses in AGN

We present some preliminary (half-way) results on our adaptive optics spectroscopic survey of AGN at spatial scales down to 0.085arcsec. Most of the data were obtained with SINFONI which provides integral field capability at a spectral resolution of R~4000. The themes on which we focus in this contribution are: star formation around the AGN, the properties of the molecular gas and its relation to the torus, and the mass of the black hole.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures. To appear in Science Perspectives for 3D Spectroscopy. ESO Astrophysics Symposia. Ed by M. Kissler-Patig, M. Roth and J. Wals

Empirical comparison of diffusion kurtosis imaging and diffusion basis spectrum imaging using the same acquisition in healthy young adults

As diffusion tensor imaging gains widespread use, many researchers have been motivated to go beyond the tensor model and fit more complex diffusion models, to gain a more complete description of white matter microstructure and associated pathology. Two such models are diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) and diffusion basis spectrum imaging (DBSI). It is not clear which DKI parameters are most closely related to DBSI parameters, so in the interest of enabling comparisons between DKI and DBSI studies, we conducted an empirical survey of the interrelation of these models in 12 healthy volunteers using the same diffusion acquisition. We found that mean kurtosis is positively associated with the DBSI fiber ratio and negatively associated with the hindered ratio. This was primarily driven by the radial component of kurtosis. The axial component of kurtosis was strongly and specifically correlated with the restricted ratio. The joint spatial distributions of DBSI and DKI parameters are tissue-dependent and stable across healthy individuals. Our contribution is a better understanding of the biological interpretability of the parameters generated by the two models in healthy individuals

Protection of Wood from Decay Fungi by Acetylation—An Ultrastructural and Chemical Study

At acetylated weight gains of 15% or above, ultrastructural evidence of wall decomposition was lacking and hyphal cells appeared to be "starved." Blockage of action of fungal catalysts appears to be the primary protection mode of the acetylation technique. The maximum acetylation treatments inhibited consumption of wall polymers and prevented bore-hole formation. Hyphal penetration of cell walls did not proceed by mechanical forces alone; rather, the process was dependent upon chemical action in advance of hyphal tips. A comparison of colonization habits and holocellulose consumption by decay fungi in acetylated woods suggests that the activity. synthesis, or both of lignin-degrading catalysts of the white-rotter is dependent on prior or simultaneous breakdown of carbohydrates

Slot Injection of Herbicides

Injection of thiocarbamate herbicides into a slot created by a coulter was evaluated during a 3-year study in southeastern Nebraska. Control of shattercane, the dominant weed, with the slot injector was similar to conventional double disk incorporation. In both tilled and untilled surface conditions, the slot injector placed the herbicide into the soil with minimal disturbance of the soil and residue. Herbicides which are normally broadcast applied were band applied, reducing chemical costs by two-thirds

Soil Compaction I Where, how bad, a problem

Soil compaction is a more common problem now than it was 15 years ago, regardless of the tillage system used. Producers now use heavier tractors, larger implements, bigger combines, earlier spring tillage, reduced tillage, and no-till planting systems. While all of these have a potential to increase compaction, the major cause of the problem is conducting field operations when the soil is too wet. Most think about tilling wet soils in the spring as being the major problem, but harvesting a too-wet field in the fall can cause just as much compaction. Large combines and auger wagons can have loads exceeding 20 tons per axle. Continuous no-till has also created concerns regarding soil compaction and potential yield decreases. A study in Minnesota that compared no-till and other tillage systems used for 10 years on a clay loam soil showed the greatest soil density for the no-tilled soil. A study in Illinois indicated more compaction with no-till and other reduced tillage systems than with moldboard plow or chisel systems. Generally speaking, no-till is undesirable on a fine textured soil which has poor internal drainage or on a soil that has marginal tilth at the outset. On top of the soils themselves, the residue cover with no-till conserves moisture and slows soil drying, which can further complicate the problems of compaction when no-till is used on poorly drained soils. Soils with good structure, high organic matter, and good internal drainage are less likely to have compaction problems. Also, in low-rainfall areas, such as the Great Plains, compaction is less likely to be a problem than it is in areas of more moisture. The biggest single cause of compaction is the degree of wetness in a field when work is performed in or on that field. Defining compaction Compaction can be defined as the moving of soil particles closer together by external forces exerted by humans, animals, equipment, and/or the impact of water droplets. Packing the soil particles together results in the loss of pore space within the soil. This, in turn, leads to poorer internal drainage and aeration. Under many soil conditions compaction leads to slower water infiltration, which results in greater runoff and soil loss from both rainfall and irrigation. Compaction effects on the crop include reduced plant growth, especially root development, decreased crop yield , and delayed maturity