Cross-cultural comparison of physical education majors. The Cattell 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire was administered to 20 Ss from Montana and the personality scores compared to those of a similar sample of New Zealand students. Results indicated that cross-cultural differences do exist, the present group being more dominant, less expedient, and considerably more conservative than their New Zealand counterparts.


Sensory integration and single-modality scanning. An auditory scanning, visual scanning, and auditory-visual integration test was administered to 72 children from grades 1, 2, 3, and 5 to determine whether increases in sensory integration skills could be accounted for by increases in skills of single modalities. Using a multiple regression model, the results indicated that increases in integrative functioning occur independently of developmental changes in individual modalities. Implications for future research are presented.


Disruption of performance of a lab-born orangutan after introduction of irrelevant foreground cues. Discrimination performance of the three great ape genera has previously been shown to be differentially influenced by the introduction of irrelevant foreground cues, with accuracy of performance of orangutans significantly more disrupted than chimpanzees or gorillas. This disruption may be species-related to how arboreal or terrestrial the subjects would be in their natural habitat. The tendency of the organgutan toward disruption of performance following the introduction of visual foreground cues is not dependent upon an early arboreal environment, because the performance of the lab-born orangutan tested in similar conditions in the present study was commensurate with the performance of previously tested wild-born orangutans.


Conjugate lateral eye movement and latency of verbal response to arithmetic questions. 24 left movers, 24 right movers and 24 mixed movers, categorized on the basis of their conjugate lateral eye movements, were measured on latency of verbal response to arithmetic questions. The predicted superiority of right movers in speed of response did not occur nor did interference with habitual direction of conjugate lateral eye movement affect results. However, the mixed group took longer to response to a second series of questions than did the left and right movers. This post hoc finding may indicate inefficient hemispheric competition within the mixed group when subjects are asked to add another task to that of arithmetic problem-solving.


Identification of letterlike distortions by preschool children. In two experiments preschool children chose one of two test forms that looked like previously exposed distortions of a letterlike-form. In Exp. I a distance metric was defined to measure the physical discrepancy between forms. It was found that the distance relationship between distortions and particular test forms did not designate the children's choice behavior. In Exp. II the children were able to choose previously exposed distortions when particular test forms contained novel features. The results are related to distinctive feature and prototype hypotheses to account for children's performance in recognizing forms.


Effect of a mid-series anchor on absolute judgments of duration by schizophrenics, neurologically impaired, and normals. 36 normal, 36 schizophrenic, and 36 neurologically impaired Ss were compared for their ability to temporally discriminate brief auditory stimuli. The experimental task was the absolute judgment of 3, 5, or 9 stimuli ranging in duration from 0.10 to 1.90 sec. Half of the Ss in each group were "assisted" by the presentation of a repeated mid-series anchor. The interval between the presentation of the anchor and the variable stimuli was varied. With the addition of a mid-series anchor, normal Ss demonstrated an increase in information transmission and a decrease in response stereotypy; schizophrenics demonstrated a slight decrease in information transmission and a slight increase in response stereotypy; neurologically impaired Ss were essentially unaffected. Changes in interstimulus interval on the anchored judgment task did not influence information transmission.


Psychological dynamics and self-perceptions of vasectomy candidates. Growing concern with population control has focused attention on various methods of contraception including vasectomy. Psychological research on this topic is scant, however. In this study, 9 vasectomy candidates who were undergoing the operation were compared to 9 husbands whose wives were about to have a tubal ligation. Their responses on the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale and the Adjective Check List were compared. Most of the data showed no significant differences except on one scale of Counseling Readiness. The results, and others, indicate that vasectomy candidates may have a tendency to deny the anxiety connected with the operation due to its irreversible nature.


Some personality correlates of self-rated academic success. Using subjects' own ratings of their academic performance, a group of american university students were divided into academically successful (n = 312) and unsuccessful (n = 170) subgroups. A comparison of mean scores of the two groups on nine personality variables convered by Eysenck's PEN Inventory and Lanyon's Psychological Screening Inventory showed that academic success, as rated by subjects themselves, is associated with low psychoticism, neuroticism, and discomfort but high extraversion and defensiveness.


Field-dependence, extraversion and perception of the vertical: empirical and theoretical perspectives of the rod-and-frame test. Using conventional scoring procedures for the Rod-and-frame Test (RFT), extraversion was shown to interact with field-dependence (defined by scores on the Hidden-shapes Test), with the field dependent extraverts being most inaccurate performers on the rod and frame. Of greater importance, serious questions were raised about theoretical and empirical aspects of the relationship between paper-and-pencil measures of field-dependence and performance on the rod and frame, and it was concluded that "what has...been demonstrated over the past ten years is the reliability of a relationship of questionable validity."


Effect of neutral conditioning on racial attitudes of children. The purpose of this experiment was to test the effectiveness of classical conditioning procedures in reducing negative evaluative responses, i.e., attitudes, toward pictures of Afro-American people. Ss were 73 Euro-American kindergarten children who received either 0, 1, 4, or 8 conditioning sessions of 36 pairings of the color black with neutral words. Two racial attitude scales were employed to measure amount of change in Ss' racial attitudes after exposure to the conditiong procedures. Parish's (1972) Revised PRAM II did not detect any change, but Williams' (1971) PRAM II demonstrated a significant reduction in anti-Afro-American attitudes for those Ss who received 8 conditioning sessions.


Perception of rate-altered sentential approximations by normal and aphasic children. 25 4-word, first, and second-order sentential approximations were presented to 18 aphasic and 18 normal children. The material was taped and altered to represent 5 speaking rates: 140 (normal); 75 and 105 (expanded); and 180 and 205 (compressed) words per minute. Order of presentation was randomized. The major difference between the children was that the second-order material was perceived best by normals regardless of rate, while the aphasics showed this preference only at the normal rate.


Profile of perceptual-cognitive traits and personality style of possible relevance to creative productivity. The amount of illusory movement perceived on the autokinetic test, manifestations of primary process expression on the Rorschach, and creative productivity as measured by the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, were collected from 47 volunteer college students. Those individuals who expressed primary process thinking as blatant affect and the fusion of images, and elaborated on a stimulus pictorially, had extensive movement on the autokinetic test (P less than .05). We further delineated certain personality characteristics of these individuals employing a 26-item bipolar questionnaire. They are among other things, active, striving, assertive, in touch with and free to express emotion, rebellious, incautious, self-determing, productive, motivated to influence others, and excelling in producing objects or ideas which are unique.


Directional scanning and cerebral asymmetries in processing visual stimuli. A perceptual exploration task involving three horizontal linear arrays of stimuli was administered to 167 children ranging in age from 3 to 7 yr. It was found that the well organized, predominantly right-to-left responses of very young children were eventually replaced by left-to-right patterns. A tachistoscopic test showed that Ss who gave right-to-left responses to the linear arrays showed hemispheric asymmetry of perception. The results were interpreted as supporting the view that directional response tendencies are related to hemispheric asymmetry.


Comparisons of personality for selected groups of fifteen-year-old males. Cattell's High School Personality Questionnaire and Gough's Adjective Checklist were administered to 73 15-yr.-old boys to compare personality for groups selected on the basis of extreme scores on maturation (skeletal development, age at achievement of peak height velocity), body type (body somatotype, body skinfolds), performance (body reaction time), strength, physical fitness and socioeconomic status. Multiple discriminant analyses indicated that the only significant difference in personality between groups was for early versus late maturers (skeletal development) on Cattell's scale. The personality scores for the remaining extreme groups did not differ on either of the scales, Cattell's or Gough's.


Measurement of field-independence-dependence in children: a methodological note. Three techniques for assessment of field-independence-dependence were found feasible and appropriate for use with primary grade children in a school setting. Ss were readily able to understand directions and to manage the apparatus. They appeared interested and highly motivated to perform well. Findings must be interpreted cautiously, however. Small size of samples, especially in the test-retest reliability analyses, makes generalizability limited. Importantly, too, strength of relationship between the three measures varied; r between the two rod-and-frame techniques was statistically significant, but only the Nickel apparatus related significantly to the Children's Embedded-figures Test. Questions must be raised as to the comparability of techniques in assessment of field-independence-dependence, at least for primary grade children. Finally, these Ss were from middle socioeconomic backgrounds and were pupils in a stable and achievement-oriented school. Feasibility of using the techniques with children from markedly different social and economic backgrounds is uncertain.


Role of feedback in voluntary control of heart rate. The relative effectiveness of biofeedback techniques on the voluntary control of heart rate was examined by randomly assigning 32 Ss to one of four feedback conditions in a bi-directional heart-rate control task: (1) no feedback, (2) binary feedback--S was signaled when an interbeat interval had changed in the correct direction, (3) "real-time," proportional feedback--S was provided information about the relative duration of successive interbeat intervals, and (4) numerical, proportional feedback--each interbeat interval was represented as a numeral indicating its relationship to pre-trial mean by direction and magnitude. Significant over-all heart-rate changes were evidenced for both increase and decrease directions, but no differences were found between the feedback conditions. While these data suggest that feedback may be a relatively insignificant factor in voluntary heart-rate control, it was recommended that further investigation examine the role of feedback within the context of other training, mediating and motivational variables.


Picture memory: role of figure-ground organization. Alterations to the figure of pictures committed to visual memory are more easily detected than alterations to the ground, both in single and paired stimulus tests. Data for 40 scenes from 54 undergraduates suggest that perceptual processes interact with information storage and/or retrieval.


Shifts in kinesthesis through time and after active and passive movement. The position sense of a stationary arm was investigated subsequent to an horizontally adductive movement with axis the shoulder joint. The right arm was the treated arm: it reached a test position actively, using minimal voluntary effort, or passively from each of 10 starting positons. The blind-folded S localized the index finger of the treated arm by attempting to touch it with the index finger of his left hand. The results indicate that subsequent to active movement the final position of a limb is more accurately known than a position resulting from passive movement. A second finding is that concomitant with both forms of limb placement there is a unidirectional drift of perceived limb position over trials.


Is eye dominance a part of generalized laterality? The laterality of eye and limb do not appear to be generally correlated as measured in 160 observers using a graded index. Sex differences emerge indicating more consistent eye and limb preferences as well as stronger eye dominance scores in male subjects. In addtiion, better consistency is found for right-eye dominants than for left. This pattern of results permits some inferences to be made about the role of the environment in determining the dominant eye and hand.


Parents' perception of environmental variables in pediatric offices. In a study of 15 pediatric practices in the Greater Hartford, Connecticut area the effects of 16 reception room variables upon the comfort and behavior of children were investigated. A total of 300 parents were requested to rate the variables as to their relative importance to the child's comfort and behavior when well and when acutely ill. Variables were differentially ranked both within and between stiuations. The "human-oriented" variables were perceived as generally more important in the care of an acutely ill child. For the well child, a mixture of "human-oriented" and "physical" variables were perceived as having an impact on the comfort and behavior of the patient.


Perceptual and personality variables related to opinion leadership in fashion. 102 randomly selected university women were administered measures of opinion leadership in fashion, field dependence, locus of control, and anxiety. Product-moment correlation was used to test the association between variables. Opinion leadership in fashion was positively related to debilitating anxiety and negatively related to facilitating anxiety. External locus of control was positively related to debilitating anxiety and negatively related to facilitating anxiety. No significant correlation was found between opinion leadership in fashion and field dependence or locus of control or between field dependence and locus of control or anxiety.


Additional evidence for veridicality of perceptions based on physiognomic cues. This study was designed to determine whether veridical interpersonal perceptions can be found on the basis of physiognomic cues. 21 male and female college students attempted to identify the correct social category [honor student, active or inactive in extracurricular events, and beauty queen (for female stimulus persons) or athlete (for male stimulus persons)] of 44 photographed male and female stimulus persons. Results demonstrated considerable veridicality, especially by male judges and of stimulus persons occupying categories which imply physical attributes.


Relationship of non-verbal rigidity and creative perceptions. The relationship of rigidity and creative perceptions of 214 Hungarian adolescent males and females was explored using a non-verbal test of rigidity (Breskin Rigidity Test) and a measure of creative perceptions (Something About Myself). Males and females were divided into Moderately Rigid and Low Rigid groups. An analysis of variance of the data showed no significant differences in creative perceptions relative to rigidity level, sex, or interaction of rigidity level and sex.


Test of the validity of the Wilson-Patterson Conservatism Scale. The conservatism construct has previously proved predictive of social and psychological dimensions having both practical and theoretical relavance. Its potential, however, has typically been limited by measurement imprecision due principally to the use of lengthy and potentially ambiguous verbal statements subject to either intentional or unintentional response bias. Wilson and Patterson's recently developed Conservatism Scale (C-scale) is intended to obviate the more critical sources of bias inherent in the traditional conservatism measures. In an extended test of the C-scale's validity, the present study finds 12 categories of "known groups" scoring as theoretically expected, and further shows C-scale scores consistently and significantly correlated with eight theoretically related dimensions.


Characteristics of saccadic eye movements in attentionally handicapped patients. Some characteristics of saccadic eye movements were investigated electro-oculographically in hemiplegic attentionally handicapped patients and normal subjects under stationary and moving target situations. The velocity of saccadic eye movements was greater and the duration shorter in hemiplegic than in normal subjects. Greater variability of angular velocity and amplitude functions, and of duration and amplitude functions was found among hemiplegic subjects than among normal. The results were explained, in part, by possible differences in the strength of extra-ocular muscle contraction, variables associated with inhibitory control and learning variables.


Another dimension for assessment of speech-sound discrimination: latency of response. The relationship of speech-sound-discrimination skills and speed of responding was investigated by presenting monosyllabic nouns in three different listening conditions to a total of 72 nursery, kindergarten, and first-grad children divided into three equal-sized groups. Speed of responding was related to the age of subjects, accuracy of responding, and context of presentation of stimulus items. There was a consistent decrease in latency of responding as age increased. Error responses had greater response latencies than correct responses. Response latencies for different contexts of presentation of stimulus items were longest for the paired-comparison context and shortest for the carrier-phrase context. Speed of responding could be considered as an additional parameter when evaluating speech-sound-discrimination skills.


Perception of geometrical arrays tachistoscopically exposed in right and left visual fields. Geometrical stimuli (48 6-item arrays of familiar forms, e.g., circle), tachistoscopically presented in the right or left visual field, were more accurately perceived in the right than left visual field by 15 college students. Targets about half the length of the displays exposed here were perceived with equal facility in both visual fields (Bryden, 1960). Results suggest that length of array might affect the difference in perceptual accuracy of forms shown in the right and left visual fields. Figures in the right visual field were predominantly processed from left to right, and forms in the left visual field from right to left. Since more symbols were identified in the right than left visual field, the left to right encoding sequence may be more efficient than a right to left movement. Limited experience of most Ss in reading symbols from left to right is probably only one factor. Extensive experience reading alphabetical material from left to right might have developed the physiological mechanism underpinning this sequence more than the one serving the opposite movement.


An auditory-motor percussion test for differential diagnosis of children with communication difficulties. Experience with children who have communication difficulties, are often hard to reach, and present severe barriers to treatment and testing led to the development of an auditory-motor percussion test designed to help distinguish children who show organicity from those who do not. Results of a normative study of 144 children tested in settings for the normal child and 84 in settings for disturbed children supported the hypothesis that the presence of structural alteration in the central nervous system is probable if subject (aged 4 to 7) is unable to tap a rhythmic tonal pattern. With the use of simple percussion instruments in a special method for administering the new procedure, the test can be used as an alert to hidden neurological damage in children over 4 and inaccessible to traditional testing.


Perceptions of emotionally disturbed male adolescents on the Thematic Apperception Test. 20 boys aged 13 to 16 yr. and in classrooms for educationally handicapped students were studied by the TAT for adaptive functioning. Scored for pAggression, pDominance, nAggression, nAchievement, and nAutonomy, responses indicated that interactions between these disturbed adolescents and their environment were most likely to involve aggression and dominance and least apt to deal with achievement. Although IQs for all boys were average or above (M: 106), typical responses to the pictures were descriptive rather than development of a complete story. Difficulty in the expression of prediction and interpretation of personal experience was indicated.


Effects of field-articulation and feedback on perception of intermediate visual-kinesthetic position. High and low field-articulators were compared on the accuracy with which they could adjust a rod to intermediate visual-kinesthetic positions while blindfolded, under four sensory-feedback conditions. Independent groups of 10 Ss were given auditory, visual, kinesthetic, or no sensory feedback for 16 trials and then tested on 8 trials without sensory feedback. High field-articulators were significantly more accurate on the feedback trials for all sensory-feedback conditions but not in terms of mean absolute error. The mean constant error on the test trials was significantly lower for the high field-articulators on all feedback conditions except for visual feedback where the low field-articulator had a lower constant error. Both the high and low field-articulators became more accurate and learned more in judging visual-kinesthetic position when auditory feedback was given. Low field-articulators showed significant improvement in accuracy with kinesthetic feedback. The results supported the hypothesis that intermediate directions can be learned and supported previous perceptual research.


Effects of auditory stimulation upon non-nutritive sucking by premature infants. Changes in non-nutritive sucking contingent upon presentation of an auditory stimulus previously found capable of eliciting heart-rate acceleration was investigated in a sample of 24 premature infants. Across 30 10-sec. presentations of the stimulus, only transient changes in sucking rate during the first 6 trials were observed, and these effects obtained primarily for those infants showing few abnormalities in their non-nutritive sucking behavior. These results were discussed as reflecting possible differences in infants' attention associated with sucking pathology and the dependence of psychological assessment upon the specific response index used.


Multidimensional scaling of pictorial informativeness. The dimensions used in the judgment of the informativeness of picture sections were investigated by means of a recently proposed methodology, multidimensional similarity analysis. 10 judges (college students) rated the informational similarity of 32 areas within a single picture. The five extracted dimensions accounted for 86% of the judgmental variance and were all readily interpretable. These dimensions were discussed with respect to an earlier study in which eye movements of subjects viewing this picture were recorded.


Auditory versus audio-visual intelligibility measurements of alaryngeal speech: a preliminary report. This investigation supports the notion that audio-visual presentations of esophageal speech to 32 university student judges yield a relative increase in rated intelligibility in contrast with esophageal speech presented auditorily. Implications suggest that to construct realistic therapeutic goals of an esophageal speaker more effectively, the audio-visual component should be included in the clinical assessment.


Psycholinguistic abilities and their influence on creative expression. Comparison of scores for 20 girls and 20 boys in Grade 3 obtained on the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities and the Torrance Tests of Thinking Creatively, Verbal and Nonverbal, Form A produced significant small to moderate correlations between figural fluency and Auditory Reception, Visual Association, Visual Sequential Memory and Sound Blending; figural flexibility and Auditory Reception, Auditory Closure and Sound Blending; figural originality and Sound Blending; figural elaboration and Auditory Reception, Visual Association, Visual Sequential Memory, Grammatic Closure, Manual Expression, Auditory Closure, and Sound Blending. Manual Expression correlated significantly with verbal fluency, flexibility and elaboration.


Temporal and spatial aftereffects of a border on an afterimage and a possible laterality difference. Five subjects were asked to report the brightness and duration of afterimages formed in a region where a border had previously been exposed. The temporal and spatial aftereffects of the border on the formation of the afterimage varied with the duration of the border and these aftereffects were within the area predicted by a photochemical bleaching hypothesis. In addition to these major findings, the experiment yielded some surprising secondary observations. For example, increasing the degree of bleaching or light adaptation made the afterimage brighter if it was on the right side but decreased the brightness if on the left. The difference between afterimages on the right and left sides was discussed in terms of spatial effects of borders and laterality differences.


Tactual illusions.

Tactual illusions. 16 college males participated in a study exploring active and passive illusions in touch. Analogs to 2 primary and 2 secondary visual illusions were constructed for active and for passive tactual presentation. Tactual illusory effects similar to those one would predict from vision were found in the active mode of presentation of the Müller-Lyer, and horizontal-vertical conditions, while opposite effects were found in the active mode of presentation of a modification of Delboeuf circles and in the passive diamond-square and horizontal-vertical conditions (ps less than .02). Analogous primary and secondary illusory results interacted with the active and passive modes of presentation.


Two types of feedback in teaching swimming skills to handicapped children. Two types of feedback (non-task-specific praise and task-specific praise plus corrections) were used in a counterbalanced design to teach two swimming skills to each of four handicapped children. The children were grouped into pairs, and each member of a pair received the alternate type of feedback for the same skill. In every case, faster and more complete acquisition was found to result from task-specific praise plus corrections.


Visual retention test: local norms and impact of short-term memory. Issues related to assessment of organic impairment and to normative data underscore the importance of securing reliable criteria directly applicable to the population under question. This study explored the applicability of the Visual Retention Test norms to a local, nonorganically impaired population of young people and made a preliminary empirical evaluation of the time-delay format. The 23 males and 18 females ranging from 8 to 17 yr. and seen at a midwestern child guidance center responded to two administrations (A and D) of the Visual Retention Test embedded in a complete psychological test battery. The proposition that present-day local subjects would not differ from the normative group either by the number correct or number of errors (t = 1.02, p greater than .20; t = .83, p greater than .40, respectively), as well as the prediction that the time-delay format would effect a significant performance decrement with both scoring systems (t = 2.63, p less than .01; t = 4.40 p less than .001, respectively) were clearly supported.


Developmental perception and cognitive styles: from young children to master artists. The perceptual skills and cognitive styles of 30 master artists are compared to those of non-artist groups of different ages, beginning with 84 kindergarten children, and including an adult comparison group of 32. Criteria for master artists were first, handcrafted productions; second, major economic support derived from their art; third, shows in museums or good galleries; and fourth, positive peer evaluation. The test battery contained one intelligence test, two vision tests, three perceptual-discrimination measures, and five perceptual-cognitive style measures. Results show artists are significantly more flexible, accurate, variable, and field independent than all other groups. Artists, non-artist adults, and young children (60 high school sophomores, 60 children in Grade 5, 84 kindergarteners) each have differing cognitive styles. The relationship between cognitive style and artists' and non-artists' instrumental competency is discussed. Last, the extensive differences between artists' and children's performances are discussed in terms of developmental theory.


Identification of tachistoscopically exposed symmetrical and asymmetrical letter arrays. Six-letter arrays containing symmetrical, e.g., H, M, T, or asymmetrical letters, e.g., J, K, R, were tachistoscopically exposed bilaterally for 100 msec. to 100 college students. Significantly more asymmetrical than symmetrical letters were identified, and significantly more Ss identified more asymmetrical than symmetrical items. This experiment, which incorporated methodological considerations suggested by Harcum (1964) and Bryden (1968), corroborates their findings. Their ideas and other findings were used to account for the data. Asymmetrical letters have more intrinsic left-to-right directionality than symmetrical elements. The rapidly fading after-stimulation of tachistoscopically presented alphabetical material is usually scanned from left to right. Individual array letters might also be scanned in the same direction. Confluence of directionality of letter and scan, which obtains only with asymmetrical letters, might have typically allowed asymmetrical targets to be scanned more rapidly and, consequently, more efficiently than symmetrical displays.


Socio-economic differences in size-judgments of discs and coins by Chinese primary VI children in Hong Kong. The present experimental data provide some cross-cultural support for Bruner and Goodman's (1947) hypothesis about perceptual accentuation. 20 Hong Kong Chinese children from a lower socio-economic level over-estimated valued coins more than 15 children from a high socio-economic level. The two Primary Class VI samples used were matched for education and age, and both spoke the Cantonese dialect. There was also some evidence for Tajfel's (1957) "interserial" and "intraserial effects" more particularly for the lower socio-economic children, although similar trends were apparent for the smaller group of higher socio-economic children.


Age simulation in perceptual and cognitive functioning: age progression to 80 years in a college sample. The effect of age stimulation by 40 college students was examined by age progression to 80 yr. through the use of instructions to imagine. The results indicated no age progression effects on the cognitive tasks (Vocabulary, Spatial Relation, and Digit Span). However, there were significant decrements in performance on the perceptual task (Hidden-figures Test) under the age progression conditions. Data suggest age progression may be a worthwhile technique in the assessment of age-related perceptions. The discrepancy between the simulated perceptual and cognitive performance could have been due to negative stereotypes regarding visual perception and loss of speed in the elderly.


Word knowledge and production of original verbal responses in deaf children. Verbal originality scores were obtained from Onomatopoeia and Images, Form 1B, given t0 182 deaf Ss aged 10 to 19 yr. Ss who had been taught the onomatopoetic words scored higher than Ss who had not been taught the words. There was a main effect for age, with older Ss having significantly higher means than younger Ss. No significant interactions occurred.


Lingual vibrotactile threshold alterations in response to varying stimulation levels of intensity and duration. Lingual vibrotactile thresholds were obtained at a frequency of 250 Hz by using an ascending-continuous series of stimulation during five sessions. Each of three adult male Ss attended a control session which included a prescribed period of constant tongue positioning, a pre-experimental session where the mean of six thresholds was obtained as a basis of further testing, and three experimental sessions. In the experimental sessions vibrotactile thresholds after exposure to vibratory stimulation of varying levels of intensity and duration were obtained. The findings of the control session reflected a slight pattern of decreased lingual sensitivity indicative of the influential factor of constant maintenance of tongue positioning. Results from the experimental sessions demonstrated shifts toward progressively decreased lingual sensitivity after exposure to vibratory signals of increased levels of intensity and duration. A recovery phase to near-normal sensitivity followed each stimulus presentation.


Field dependence, blood uric acid and cholesterol. A preliminary report of the correlation of field dependence, blood uric acid, and cholesterol is presented here for 65 recently admitted patients to the psychiatric services of the University of Minnesota. The values for all three variables were taken once within 24 to 48 hr. after admission and prior to drug treatment whenever possible. Results are suggestive that the initial hypothesis; high blood uric acid, low-cholesterol individuals are more field-independent and high-cholesterol, low blood-uric acid individuals are more field-dependent holds, although this difference is mostly influenced by the values of cholesterol. Probably because of the small number of subjects tested no relationship could be observed with blood types used as genetic markers. Further controlled studies are suggested and are currently being carried out.


The Poggendorff Illusion and estimates of transverse extent. The underestimation of transverse extent relative to longitudinal extent, in the Poggendorff Illusion, was tested by varying oblique line orientation, interparallel line distance, and presence or absence of obliques. 20 subjects made estimates of the transverse extent on both a longitudinal and transverse extent. The results indicated that, although underestimation was found for some stimulus conditions, overestimation was found for others. It was argued that even though presence of obliques affected judgmental error the longitudinal-transverse illusion could not form a basis for the Poggendorff Illusion.


Movement control and maturation in elementary-grade children. Serial tapping by 5-, 7- and 9-yr.-old boys and girls, as measured by Fitts' Law, was recorded. 60 Ss performed a reciprocal tapping task and were assessed developmentally via hand-wrist X-rays. No significant relationship was found between the fine motor task and skeletal age. The results of the motor task suggest an improvement in movement time, with age, due to an ability to plan subsequent movements rather than simply an increase in speed of arm movement.


Effects of field-dependency, social class and sex of children between ages 5 and 10. Development of field-independency has been studied as a function of age (5 to 10), social class, and sex utilizing two groups of 96 subjects each of high and low social class. On the Children's Embedded-figures Test a critical developmental period appears between ages 5 and 8 yr. for all Ss; on the Draw-a-Person such a period appears between ages 5 and 6 for high social class and between ages 6 and 8 for lower social class; scores on both tests were statistically significant as a function of social class at every age beginning at age 6. Sex did not seem to play any significant role. Three main masking factors have been singled out on the Children's Embedded-figures Test. Their differential effects on scores of Ss in the two classes are examined.


Oral and visual presentation and production of original responses. Verbal originality scores were obtained from Onomatopoeia and Images, Form 1B, given to 106 Ss aged 10 to 12 yr. and 94 Ss aged 16 to 19 yr. The older Ss scored significantly higher than the younger Ss with significant main effects for age, but not for method of word presentation. A significant interaction was found between word presentation method and age. Older Ss were more original with the oral presentation while the younger Ss performed approximately the same with both methods.


Iconic memory of dot patterns: preliminary report. Pairs of complementary dot-pattern stimuli whereby each stimulus pair forms a bigram were used in an iconic memory paradigm. The variables of stimulus duration, interstimulus interval, dot density, and letter field were all shown to affect recognition performance of 15 naive college students.


Relation between judged and physical distance in multicue conditions as a function of instructions and tasks. Using a rod adjustable in distance 48 Os produced equal depth intervals along a floor of a visual alley (interval reproduction) or bisected a given depth interval into two equal parts (bisection). Also, verbal reports were obtained of a depth interval located at a near and farther distance from O (absolute judgments). Two kinds of instructions, "apparent" and "objective," were used with different Os with each of the three tasks. There was an over-all tendency (p = .05 on two of three tasks) for apparent instructions to produce less over-constancy or more under-constancy of distance than that produced by objective instructions. This tendency is consistent with a cognitive interpretation of over-constancy of distance. Clear over-constancy was obtained only by the combination of objective instructions and the bisection task. Clear under-constancy was obtained only by the combination of apparent instructions and the method of absolute judgments. The reason for the effect of task on magnitude of distance constancy is not understood.


Superiority of recognition over detection in judgments of visual orientation. 2 human subjects were tested in two separate visual psychophysical tasks--detection and recognition. Using tachistoscopic presentation, single lines were shown at five different exposure durations. It was determined that it is easier to judge which of two lines, differing only in orientation, was flashed than to judge whether or not a given line was presented. The statistically significant superiority of recognition over detection occurred along a wide performance range, roughly from 60% to 95% correct. The data indicate that the effect is not peculiar to a simultaneous detection-recognition task or to a midrange performance level, both of which were used in a previous study. Other relevant data and theoretical explanations of the effect are discussed.


Generation of different numbers of button presses under supplementary feedback conditions by educable retardates. Educable retardates (10 boys and 10 girls) generated varying numbers of presses on a response key under 5 different feedback conditions. Neither time per response nor accuracy was affected by feedback condition, but time per response and magnitude of errors increased when larger numbers of responses were required.


Two studies of personality: male graduate students in physical education. In Study I, scores for 100 male graduate students in physical education were compared to the norms for the general population on the 1962 16 PF test: Ss were higher in Intelligence, Ego-strength, Dominance, and Tenseness, and lower on Imaginativeness, Shrewdness, and Self-sufficiency. Centiles derived from the raw scores deviated markedly only on Intelligence, Dominance, and Shrewdness. In Study II, scores of 96 similar Ss were compared to the norms for the 1970 16 PF test; Ss were higher on Intelligence, Dominance, Enthusiasm, and Tenseness, and lower on Imaginativeness, Shrewdness, Apprehensiveness, and Radicalness. No marked centile deviations were found.


Information processing and estimation of short time intervals. Duration estimates were assessed by the method of reproduction with filled reproduction intervals. Mental arithmetic, reading and mirror-image drawing were used in pairs as initial and/or reproduction tasks. All nine possible pairs of tasks were used in a 9 X 5 X 5 mixed design with five Ss per task pair and five interruption intervals for each initial task. Results indicated that, when arithmetic was used as the initial task, Ss underestimated the duration of the initial interval. When arithmetic was used as the reproduction task, Ss overestimated the duration of the initial interval. A significant correlation was obtained between arithmetic outputs and the lengths of the duration estimates. Results are interpreted as supportive of Burnside's (1971) interpretation of Ornstein's (1969) storage-size hypothesis.


Teachers' causal attributions for a child's hyperactivity: race, socioeconomic status, and typicalness. 80 teachers and teachers-in-training responded to paragraphs describing a child as hyperactive. The race, socioeconomic status of the child, and the typicalness of the child's hyperactivity were systematically varied. Responses were affected by the described typicalness but not by the described race or sex.


Effects of four psychological primary colors on anxiety state. Effects of the four psychological primary colors were assessed by randomly assigning 40 undergraduates (13 male, 27 female) to 4 treatment groups, with each group receiving either red, yellow, green, or blue illumination. Anxiety state was assessed at 5-min. intervals using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The red and yellow groups had significantly higher A-state scores than the blue and green groups, and these values did not change significantly during the 15-min. testing session.


Age differences in integration of components of a motor task. To study effects of practice on the ability of 6-, 11-, and 18-yr.-old Ss to integrate the components of the Rho task 3 groups of 50 boys performed 30 consecutive trials. (a) With practice all age groups improved in total movement time; (b) 11-yr.-old Ss attained the 18-yr.-olds' level of performance in both components, initial differences existing only the linear component; (c) relative to the 18-yr.-old Ss, the 6-yr.-olds achieved proportionally less improvement in the linear component; (d) unlike 11- and 18-yr.-old Ss, the 6-yr.-olds evidenced increasing specificity of task components across trials. Unlike the two older age groups, the 6-yr.-old Ss were unable to achieve a high degree of integration of task components. The findings were discussed in light of Pascual-Leone's neo-Piagetian model of learning and development.


Field dependence and physical ability.

Field dependence and physical ability. Field-dependence scores of professional dancers, highly skilled performers in tennis, soccer, cricket and track and field athletics, medium-ability level players in the same four sports and a group of non-game players were measured using a rod and frame test. Results showed that highly skilled tennis players were significantly more field-dependent than top-class track and field athletes and medium-ability level tennis players.


Temporal information processing and psychopathology. Prior studies showed impaired temporal discrimination by schizophrenic and neurologic patients reflected in decreased information transmission. This report describes a study of 8 more carefully diagnosed schizophrenic patients, separating those with neurologic signs. Using temporal discrimination tasks involving two psychophysical methods, 8 schizophrenic patients with no organic signs did not differ from 17 nonpsychotic, nonorganic patients; and organic group (n = 5) transmitted less information than the other patient samples. It is suggested that prior results were a product of casual diagnosis that ignored organic factors; reduced efficiency of temporal processing is associated predominantly with neurologic impairment.


Bisecting the Ponzo illusion.

Bisecting the Ponzo illusion. A modification of the Ponzo illusion, in which the judged lines are centered in different sized obliques, was presented to matched normal and mentally retarded males (ns = 8) under conditions of equal and unequal retinal sizes. Magnitude of illusion was affected by IQ (WISC) and by physical proximity rather than retinal contour. The results seem to imply a central rather than peripheral explanation for the illusion.


Coin value and perceived size: a longitudinal study. Decimalization of the Irish currency presented an opportunity to study the perceived size of coins as they were introduced or withdrawn and to examine the accentuation of differences between coins. Estimates were obtained of the sizes of 4 coins from 478 subjects in 3 groups tested at different times: just after decimalization, 2, or 3 yr. later. A newly introduced coin was significantly underestimated in size at first but came to be significantly overestimated later, while all familiar coins were always significantly overestimated. The amount of overestimation of a coin depended on its value, not its size, leading to an accentuation of the difference between any two coins if the larger coin was also the more valuable but sometimes to the opposite if the smaller coin were of higher value than the larger member of the pair.


Successive versus simultaneous presentation of forms in oral stereognostic testing. Two forms of 55 pairs of plastic forms were orally presented one at a time to a group of 30 adults at 5-sec. intervals and to 30 other adults simultaneously. The latter subjects made significantly more errors, particularly between classes of forms.


Subjective acceleration of time with aging. A quantitative theoretical model for the subjective acceleration of time with aging is presented. It is based on a new hypothesis, namely, that the subjective duration of an interval of real time decreases in mathematical proportion to total subjective time (rather than total real time). This gives a differential equation, the variables of which are separated and integrated to yield the result that the subjective duration of an interval of real time varies inversely with the square root of the total real time (age). This result was tested by polling college students and older adults as to their recollections regarding the relative apparent rate of the passage of time at various ages. Generally good agreement was obtained between the results of the poll and the results predicted by the theory.


Predicting memory for pictures from rankings of interestingness, pleasingness, complexity, figure-ground and clarity. Pictures used in the test phase of a picture-recognition task were ranked by 10 university students for interestingness, pleasingness, complexity, figure-ground, and clarity. The scale values obtained from these rankings were then correlated with the errors made by other subjects in the test phase of the picture-recognition task. Figure-ground and clarity were found, for the most part, to be reliable predictors of the errors made to both the "old" and "new" subsets of pictures in two experiments. Complexity, while not as consistent a predictor of either figure-ground or clarity, was a reasonably good predictor. Interestingness and pleasingness were not reliable predictors of errors.


The left: lateral eye movements and ideology. The lateral eye movements of 24 college students were videotaped as they reflected on spatial and analytical questions. As predicted, participants with more initial movements to the left had significantly higher scores on the leftist (or humanistic) index of the Tomkin's Polarity Scale. The direction of this relationship was reversed for the rightist index (right movers scoring higher) but this difference was not significant. Results are interpreted as additions to evidence which suggests a connection between the left and right sides of the human body and more global dichotomies of ideology or personality.


Field independence and intellectual functioning in preschool children. In order to determine whether performance on the Preschool Embedded-figures Test, a measure of field independence for young children, involves processes shared by aspects of intellectual functioning, a factor analysis which included the Preschool Embedded-figures Test and all of the subtests of the WPPSI was carried out on a group of 169 4-1/2-yr.-olds. For both sexes the Preschool Embedded-figures Test loaded a common factor shared also by WPPSI Block Design and Geometric Design. This factor was identified as a perceptual analytic factor and was demonstrated to be similar to the analytic factor identified by Goodenough and Karp (1961) at older age levels.


Color preferences of art students: surface colors: II. In a previous study (Götz & Götz, 1974b) the preferences of 14 surface colors were analyzed. While this set contained only one red, one blue, one yellow, etc., the color set of the present investigation was extended, and the preferences of 5 different reds, blues, yellow, etc. were analyzed. Between the five variations of red and yellow, respectively, the greatest affective differences were found, while the opposite was true for the 5 oranges, pinks, and grays. The most preferred colors are 2 reds, 2 blues, and 2 yellows; least preferred are a greenish yellow, a penetrating red-violet, and all 5 pinks. Significant sex differences were found for 8 colors.


An auditory illusion predicted by a theory of brain function. A theory of brain function has resulted in the hypothesis that dichotic auditory stimuli of differing intensities would be subjectvely heard to occur at different times if presented together. The louder of the two tones would always be heard first. The results of an experiment designed to test the hypothesis have established that the predicted illusory judgment will invariably be made. The further prediction that the magnitude of the effect would closely parallel certain reaction time data was substantiated. It seems reasonable to conclude that the same paradigm must underlie both sets of data. The theory and obtained results provide a possible neurophysiological basis for the perception of rhythm. A review of the literature has shown that results analogous to those reported here have previously been reported for the visual and tactile modalities, as would be predicted from the general considerations of the theory which gave rise to the specific hypotheses tested in this experiment.


Personality differences among female student teachers of relatively high and low mental ability. 30 Ss scoring between 125 and 139 and 30 (out of 100) from 79 to 112 on the California Short-form Test of Mental Maturity were significantly different on the 16 PF only on Factors B and H (p = .05) and not on the California F scale. Significant comparisons appeared to be chance effects.


Children's preference for body or external object on a task requiring transposition and discrimination of right-left relations. First graders were tested on trials requiring the discrimination and transposition of right-left relations, with stimuli similar to (dolls) or different from (toy planes) the body. On an initial series of training and practice trials children were allowed to respond to body and external objects as referents providing right-left cues. A later series of test trials was then used to determine the referent the child actually preferred. Results of the test trials indicated that 24 children tested with the dolls preferred the body as referent, while 24 children tested with planes preferred the external referent. The results were interpreted as suggesting two alternative systems through which children develop an understanding of right-left relations and possibly other concepts as well.


Visual perception by speechreaders of selected syntactic structures. That the perceptual unit for the comprehension of visually presented speech is syntactic structure was concluded from giving instruments to assess the visual perception of basic sentence patterns and selected transformations to 118 undergraduates.


Independence of hand preference and sex-linked genetic effects on spatial performance. The paper-and-pencil spatial performance of right- and left-handed high school students was compared separately for 1236 males and 1241 females. Handedness differences in favor of right-handed subjects were found among males only. Analysis of data for a subgroup of 555 subjects indicated that handedness and sex-linked genetic effects acted independently and additively on spatial performance.


Sequential development of cognitive complexity. It has been demonstrated by Bieri and others that cognitive complexity is a meaningful personality construct for adults and older adolescents. The present study investigated by use of the Adapted Modified Role Repertory Test and the Modified Role Repertory Test possible developmental change in a child's system of role constructs, i.e., a child's ability to construe social behavior in a multi-dimensional way. Subjects were 90 third, 99 fifth, 90 seventh, and 89 ninth grade children, and 83 adults. Data suggest that with time a child's system of constructs becomes more differentiated. Therefore, development is accompanied by greater cognitive complexity.


Effects of stimulus-response correspondence and verbal expectancy on choice reaction time. The effects of S-R correspondence, verbal prediction, and stimulus discriminability were examined in a discrete, two-choice reaction-time task. Correctness of prediction and S-R correspondence were significant main effects. In addition, responses were significantly faster for correct predictions on noncorresponding trials than for incorrect predictions on corresponding trials. This latter finding indicates that an expectancy mechanism can partially offset the negative effect of spatial S-R noncorrespondence on absolute magnitude of choice reaction time.


Effects of manipulation of augmented knowledge of results and work surface angle on performance of a serial positioning task. The effects of manipulating augmented information feedback on performance efficiency of 24 male adults in a simple motor skill were studied. The three levels of information feedback were no augmented knowledge of results, positive augmented knowledge of results and negative augmented knowledge of results, using light and tone as signal modes. The motor skill was a serial-positioning movement, simulating many industrial assembly tasks, and was given at three work surface angles (0 degrees, 9 degrees and 18 degrees), utilizing an automated geometric work station. Results indicated that, disregarding the signal mode, feedback had no effect on performance. However, when light was utilized as a mode of signal, results were superior at 0 degrees and 18 degrees angles when positive knowledge of results was provided. Work surface angle had little effect on performance efficiency, the 18 degrees angle being slightly superior to the 0 degrees and 9 degrees angles.


Why can't we tickle ourselves?

Why can't we tickle ourselves? When we tickle ourselves something prevents the sensation being as strong as when someone else does it. It is suggested that the "something" may be: (i) the predictability of the stimulus; (ii) the presence of feedback from the movement of the arm doing the tickling; (iii) the presence of a corollary discharge from the voluntary movement of the tickling arm; (iv) the absence of a social/sexual context. To study these, Ss rated perceived "tickle-strength" in situations where they were tickled: (a) with their eyes closed; (b) with their eyes open; (c) with their own arm doing the tickling, but being moved by someone else; (d) by themselves. One group of Ss was divided into same sex and different sex subject-experimenter pairs. The results showed significant effects of predictability and sensorimotor feedback.


Auditory discrimination in conditions of noise and quiet by black and white disadvantaged children. The auditory discrimination of first and third grade children of low socio-economic status was investigated. 17 black and 17 white children were randomly selected from the two grades. The condition for listening was varied, i.e., discrimination in condition of quiet and discrimination in condition of noise, through the use of the Goldman-Fristoe-Woodcock Test of Auditory Discrimination. White third graders were superior performers. The expectation, from the literature, that the auditory discrimination of children from low socio-economic levels would be depressed in conditions of noise was not supported. In fact, black children performed in an inferior manner in conditions of quiet.


Field dependence-independence and self-esteem in pre-adolescent children. The field independence-dependence and self-esteem of 200 pre-adolescent boys and girls were studied using the Portable Rod-and-frame Test and the Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory. Analysis of variance indicated that field-independent children had significantly higher self-esteem than middle-range and field-dependent individuals. A small significant correlation between field independence and high self-esteem obtained (-.24) but only for boys.


Influence of similarity between target and irrelevant items on visual information processing. 6 undergraduate subjects searched circular stimulus displays of upper case letters of the alphabet for a pre-specified single target letter. The displays were given a masked exposure of 100 msec, and contained 1, 5, 11, or 17 irrelevant items which were either similar or dissimilar in shape to the target. It was anticipated that these conditions would provide a test of Neisser's (1967) notion of attention. The results, which showed that similarity, numbers and their interaction were significant, could not be explained by wholly serial or parallel models of information processing as they failed to account for the interaction. To explain the interaction it was necessary to consider processing by preattention and focal attention.


Target size and luminance in apparent brightness of the peripheral visual field. Four target sizes between 15 and 120 min. of arc with six luminance levels covering the range between 398.1 and 1.26 cd/m2 in steps of .5 log units were presented to 0, 20, 40, 60, and 80 degrees nasal retinal loci. In both peripheral and foveal viewing, magnitude estimates to apparent brightness judged by 12 Ss changed as a function of target size and luminance. The exponent of the power function was not dependent on retinal loci but on target size. However, when target size increased, the apparent brightness was slightly greater with peripheral viewing than with foveal viewing.


Latency differences to monochromatic stimuli measured by disjunctive reaction time. Two studies were done in order to assess the effects of wavelength on visual perceptual latency as measured in a disjunctive RT paradigm. The results of the first study, though not statistically significant, suggested a trend toward shorter RT to longer wavelength stimuli. In the second study, using well-practiced subjects, significant differences were found between disjunctive RT to red and green stimuli. The results suggest that latency differences as a function of wavelength are demonstrable in an experimental situation in which the subject must react to chromatic information, as differentiated from brightness information.


Electrodermal response to sexual materials. Four groups of college students selected on the basis of high or low Eysenck Personality Inventory scores were asked to talk or simply think about a series of slides differing in overt sexual content. Data showed that for both conditions those high on Neuroticism (n = 8) showed more electrodermal activity than did those scoring low (n = 8), and over all subjects there was a significant correlation between Neuroticism scores and the physiological measure. High and low scorers on Extraversion scale (ns = 10) showed no analogous differences in electrodermal activity.


Effect of changes in fin-length on apparent shaft-length and depth in the Müller-Lyer illusion. Müller-Lyer figures with outgoing fins were back illuminated and apparent shaft-length and depth were both judged by 20 undergraduates. With the angle between the fins constant, progressive increases in fin-length produced first an increase in the apparent shaft-length and then a decrease. Changes in fin-length, however, had no significant effect on apparent depth. These data were interpreted as inconsistent with an account of the Müller-Lyer illusion in terms of perspective theory, since the latter predicts systematic changes in perceived shaft-length to be associated with systematic changes in perceived depth.


Lateral eye-movement consistency and academic aptitude: failure to replicate. Scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test were compared for 52 right and 46 left Ss directionally consistent and directionally inconsistent (n = 62) for conjugate lateral eye movements elicited by reflection in interpreting a series of 10 proverbs. The finding of lower Scholastic Aptitude Test scores for Ss inconsistent in direction of eye movement (Weiten & Etaugh, 1974) was not confirmed.


On connotative meaning of emotional terms to the blind: a contribution to the study of the phenomenology of emotion. The present study was aimed toward ascertaining whether the hypothesis that emotional experience is universal and relatively independent of learning is tenable. Two groups of Ss, 25 totally and congenitally blind children and 35 normal college adults (representing groups with widely different life experiences) rated the emotions PRIDE, SADNESS, and ANGER on 15 scales of the semantic differential. The latter were used as the index of emotional states on the assumption that these verbal ratings may be considered as reflecting the inner phenomenological experiences. In accord with the hypothesis there was a high degree of correspondence between the ratings of the two groups, which, it is contended, may be seen as reflecting highly similar emotional experiences. Of 59 t tests comparing the mean ratings of the groups, only three--a chance number--differed significantly, with the differences being of degree only, i.e., both lay on the same side of the mean.


[Fertility and fertility problems in some beef herds in Sweden (author's transl)]. The purpose of the study was to investigate the fertility level, some factors affecting fertility and problems of infertility in selected Swedish beef herds. The investigation included 31 herds, 19 of which had Herefords, 13 Charolais, 2 Aberdeen Angus and 1 Limousins. The total number of mature females was 703, including 147 feifers of breeding age. Most data were collected at personal visits to the herds. The results are presented in Tables I--XV and Figures 1--2. The service period coincided roughly with the grazing period and lasted usually 4--5 months. Seventyfive per cent of the females calved during the period February-May. The fertility levels were comparatively good. The percentage of pregnancy at rectal examination performed at the end of the service period was 89.5; however the average calving percentage was only 87.5. The highest calving percentages were recorded for Aberdeen Angus and crossbreds. Also the calf crop, it is the number of calves born alive and surviving 24 hours per mature female was the highest for these two groups; 0.91 and 0.90 respectively. The mean interval from calving to conception was 80.3 days in Herefords, 83.4 days in Aberdeen Angus, 85.6 days in crossbreds and 92.3 days in Charolais. The percentage of animals pregnant within 90 days after calving was on an average slightly more than 50 per cent. The interval from calving to conception rose gradually when the interval from calving to expoure to bull exceeded 40 days. Mean percentages of still born calves were 5.9 in cows and 13.7 in heifers. As far as the fertility level is concerned there does not seem to be any disadvantage in keeping the bull together with the females during the calving period. However, in this case the next calvings will occur over an extended period of time. If the intention is to concentrate 50 per cent of the calvings within the period of one month then the females should be exposed to the bull from 41--60 days after calving at the earliest. In case the females were exposed to the bull from 41--60 days after calving and onwards, 95 per cent of the females finally pregnant had conceived at the end of a 3 months service period. Under such conditions a bull may be able to serve two groups of females within the same grazing period. Cows calving during July-September had the lowest pregnancy rate and those calving during October-December the highest at the following service period. The incidence of ovarian cysts was very low. About 1/3 of those buls serving at least 10 females each obtained calving percentages less than or equal to 80. Herds recording low calving percentages had to a great extent used young bulls, 12--15 months of age at the beginning of the service period. Only for two groups of females out of eleven which had been served by young bulls calving percentages greater than 80 were noted. A more efficient control of the fertility of the bulls could markedly improve the fertility of some herds.


[Megestrolacetat applied for oestrusinduction and oestrussynchronization in heifers (author's transl)]. Forty-seven heifers with the diagnosis anoestrus were treated with 15 mg to 60 mg megestrolacetat (Niagestin "NOVO") per os for 10 days. Thirty heifers showed oestrus within 10 days after treatment and 56% of these conceived after first insemination. There was no significant difference in fertility after different doses of megestrolacetat. Ten cycling heifers were synchronized with 50 mg megestrolacetat per os for 14 days. On the first day of treatment 5 mg oestradiolvalerat was given intramuscularily. All heifers came into heat and were inseminated 2--4 days after treatment. Fifty per cent were pregnant 55 days after insemination. Dosage of megestrolacetat for cows and heifers are discussed.


[Growth hormone and Somatomedin. A brief review (author's transl)]. In addition to a direct effect on the metabolic processes of several tissues (table I) growth hormone exerts the functions of a classical trophic hypophyseal hormone by stimulating the synthesis of a secondary hormone. This hormone, Somatomedin, is a growth promoting hormone with cartilage and connective tissues as specific target organ. The activity of somatomedin in plasma changes with the concentration of growth hormone both at the physiological level (constitutional differences in growth rate, fig. 2) and at the pathological level (acromegaly/pituitary dwarfism). The connection between growth hormone and somatomedin at different nutritional conditions is, however, not clearcut. The organ of production of somatomedin, a peptide hormone of ca. 6000 Dalton, is not yet known.


[Trial of analgesia by acupuncture].

[Trial of analgesia by acupuncture]. The clinical trial involved 31 cases, 10 in stomatology. Acupuncture may produce analgesia after simple premedication. Of 21 abdominal operations, in 5 completion of effect using local infiltration of a few millilitres of lignocaine or intravenous pentazocine was required. In 7, general anaesthesia was required to complete the operation. All patients not receiving supplementary general anaesthesia were able to eat normally as soon as they were back in bed, passed flactus the same day and had a bowel movement the next day. Ten stomatological operations may be considered to be successful. Further pursual of these trials is justified.


[Experimental basis of acupuncture analgesia]. The research realised at INSERM, Unité 103, on the acupuncture analgesia in animal has brought to light certain phenomenon concerning physical, histological and physiological facts. The acupuncture point is a point having the least electrical resistance in relation to the surrounding teguments. The analgesia points studied has an even lower resistance than the other points of the same dermatoma. This is not bound to the phenomenon of surface, as it is also found in cadaver after having cleared the skin with alcohol, ether or acetone. The microscopic analysis of certain points in man and in animal has shown specific elements of the acupuncture point, under the form of a thickness of the epiderm, a modification of the collagen fibers of the derma, of the vascular spiral vessels surrounded by a network of a amyelinic fibers of the cholinergic type, with interlaced myelinic fibers. The acupuncture analgesia of the hind limb can be reproduced experimentally in rabbit, in a proportion of 72 percent in 58 rabbits. The algometric method chosen was the pin prick of the skin. This territorial analgesia can be transmitted by the serum on another rabbit.


[Silicosis associated with scleroderma]. Such an association would not appear to be fortuitous since scleroderma is commoner in male miners than in women in general, whilst the predominance of the disease in the latter group is well known. The picture is that of generalised scleroderma without any special characteristics. Silicosis usually precedes the scleroderma. In general, the onset of scleroderma alters the chest X-ray appearance with the development of diffuse, non-cavitated macro-nodular opacities localised in the lower two-thirds of the lungs and in particular at the bases, without absolute symmetry. Several hypotheses may be advanced to explain this association. Irritation by dust in the presence of a particular underlying terrain may cause silicosis and the same terrain may be associated with the development of scleroderma. A second possibility is that of immune phenomena secondary to the pneumoconiosis which favourise the development of scleroderma.


[Classification of changes in circulatory rate in the arteries of the lower limbs. Transcutaneous measurement by Doppler effect]. Ultra-sonic recording using a directional flowmeter in the peripheral arteries is an essential part of vascular studies. An attempt at systematisation of changes in the patterns of circulatory speed is proposed, which may be used not only by the clinician but also the statistician.


[Pancreatic injection of a tri-iodinated contrast medium. Optic and electron microscopic analysis. Experimental study in the rat]. Using the optical and electron microscope, the authors studied the effects in the rate of cathetersiation of the pancreatic ducts after laparotomy. 62 rats underwent operation, 42 of which received an injection of 30 p.cent urinary radioselectan, 10 an injection of simple isotonic saline and in 10 of which simple catheterisation without injection was carried out. With injection under high pressure, regardless of the substance used, lesions of acute pancreatitis occurred in almost all cases in the short term and in the long term lesions of localised chronic pancreatitis were fairly common. For these reasons, the authors feel that routine parenchymography is contraindicated and that only opacification of the main pancreatic ducts is permissible.


[Benign postoperative intrahepatic cholestasis]. The authors report the clinical, biochemical, histological and etiologic characteristics of 24 patients with the syndrome of benign intra-hepatic post-operative cholestasis. Jaundice appeared early in the post-operative period, from the first to the 12th post-operative day. All patients had received blood transfusions. In 23 patients, the post-operative course was complicated, chiefly by local infection or septicemia. Hyperbilirubinemia ranged from 2 to 28 mg per 100 ml and was mainly conjugated; serum alkaline phosphatase activity was normal or moderately elevated; in 3 patients, it was markedly elevated; serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase activity was normal on 7 patients, moderatly increased in 15, and markedly increased in one. Liver histology was normal in 6 patients, and showed minimal lesions (cholestasis and slight portal inflammatory changes) in 3. Jaundice did not appear to modify the final outcome. It appears to be due both to increased production of bilirubin (as a result of blood transfusions) and to decreased excretion of bilirubin by the liver (as a result of the surgical operation and of infection).


[Simultaneous study of plasma gonadotropins, estrogens, progesterone and 17-hydroxyprogesterone during the ovulatory cycle]. Plasma levels of gonadotrophins, estrone, estradiol, 17-hydroxyprogesterone and progesterone were studied throughout an ovulatory cycle in 11 normal women. For each of these hormones, the initiation of a secretory cycle occured at a different time: on the 10th day after mid-cycle surge for gonadotrophins, on the 3 rd day of menses for estradiol and somewhat later for estrone, on the 8th day of cycle for 17-hydroxyprogesterone and on the day of the LH surge for progesterone. Mean plasma levels and range were reported for every studied hormone. The mid-cycle surges of LH and FSH were found always coincident, after which their concentration decreased simultaneously; during the late follicular phase the increasing LH curve intersected the decreasing FSH curve. A peak of estradiol occured in every subject except one on the day before the mid-cycle surge of LH; a peak of plasma estrone occured either on the day of the LH peak or on the day before. For these two hormones the luteal phase range is always below the peak level. A peak of 17-hydroxyprogesterone occured in every subject on the same day than the mid-cycle LH peak, but the plasma level increased during the luteal phase up to higher levels. Progesterone concentration increased on the day of the LH surge, indicating the initiation of luteinization prior to ovulation.


[Circular fractures of the skull base during traffic accidents]. With reference to 5 cases of circular fracture of the base of the skull occurring in relation to road accidents, the literature is reviewed. Two different types may be distinguished: --"compression" fractures, --"hyperextension' fractures, the latter being special on the basis of the site of the fracture line and the application of forces via the face or chin. Reconstruction of trajectories during accidents, on the basis of the anatomical lesions and the damage caused to vehicles, as well as the study of films made during the experimental reproduction of similar lesions, make it possible to explain the mode of production of these hyperextension fractures. Such understanding is essential to the study of safety precautions for vehicle occupants.


[Curative cesium therapy of small size breast cancers]. 224 breast cancers of less than 5 cm diameter were treated by curative cesium therapy with 8 000 rads a tumor in 8 weeks. 125 had had a previous tumorectomy. Survival at 5 years ranges from 76 to 94 p. cent of cases according to the stage, with 85 p. cent for all the cases. 8 out of 10 healed women at 5 years have their breast preserved, which 15 of primary importance.


[Respective value of labelled fibrinogen and rheography in the detection of phlebitis]. The authors have studied in 212 patients the diagnostic value of radio-active fibrinogen and rheography in deep venous thrombosis of the leg by comparing the results from these two methods with phlebography. Radio-active fibrinogen seems the better means of diagnosis in early distal phlebitis. However, the method is expansive, the radio-active substance can only be manipulated in certain specialized centers, and is useless in the presence of hematoma. Rheography is less expansive, more easily manipulated, yet less sensitive as only proximal phlebitis can be detected-especially when completely occlusive. In addition, active patient cooperation is necessary. The time needed to realize the two methods is a major obstacle; however, they can be fruitful if integrated into a specialized department for the diagnosis and treatment of thrombo embolic disease.


[Immunologic study of subacute infectious endocarditis through the search for circulating immune complexes. Preliminary results apropos of 13 cases]. The detection of circulating immune complexes by precipitation by polyethylene glycol represents a valuable technique of study in sub-acute bacterial endocarditis. In a series of 13 patients, this measurement was carried out, confirming the quasi-constant presence of circulating immune complexes in active S.B.E. This might be of diagnostic value in forms with negative blood culture and, further, make it possible, subsequently, to find the antigen responsible by dissociation of the circulating immune complexes.


[Comparative studies on the clinical accuracy of two "competitive-binding-assays" for the determination of effective serum thyroxine]. 160 sera of patients with normal or disturbed thyroid function was tested by ETR (Byk-Mallinckrodt) and Quantisorb (Abbott) for their metabolically effective thyroxine concentration. In 124 cases the in vitro findings were correlated with extensive clinical data, which had permitted to establish a definite judgement of thyroid function. 5,5--13,5 mug% were considered as normal values with Quantisorb, 0,8--1,18 (see article) with ETR. A critical evaluation of the test results showed a better distinction between normal and abnormal thyroid function with Quantisorb, which explains also the higher diagnostic accuracy of this kit (92,75% : 85,5%). "Grey-zones" between normal and abnormal thyroid function were found with both tests, they were smaller, however, with Quantisorb than with ETR. The Quantisorb kit can therefore be recommended for routine function tests in vitro, although the slightly greater laboratory work should be considered.


[Bilateral determination of 131-I-hippuran clearance in nephroptoses within the scope of sequential camera scintigraphy]. In 65 patients with uni- or bilateral nephroptosis the 131I-hippurate-clearance of each kidney was determined in combination with sequential gammacamera scintigraphy. The clearance values were normal in 65% without changing due to patient position. In 35% of the ptotic kidneys clearance values were lower than normal as well as in 17,5% of the nonptotic contralateral kidneys. 23% of the ptotic kidney showed diminished clearance values in the upright position, whereas a significant increase was found in prone position. Such short-time changes of the 131I-hippurate-clearance indicate diminished perfusion of the kidney when it is moving downward.


[Reliability of positive findings in serial cerebral scintigraphy. Evaluation of a prospective series of 1700 cases]. The cerebral sequential scintigraphy enables a process to be described according to its hemodynamics (Stage I), its degree of vascularization (Stage II), and the extent of the localized disturbance of the blood-brain barrier function (Stage III). For a given lesion, typical scintigraphic behaviour patterns can be described. This report presents the results of a prospective series with 1722 patients examined using this method. The accuracy of the different scintigraphic diagnoses, according to tumor type, was: cerebrovascular accident with brain infarction - 92% (= CVA), metastasis - 90%, bone or meningital process - 89%, malignant glioma - 91%, meningioma - 74%, highly differentiated glioma - 67%, chronic subdural hematoma - 54%, A-V angioma - 54%, brain abscess - 45%. The differential diagnosis between brain tumor and CVA with infarction was possible in approximately 97% of the patients, the differential diagnosis of intracranial space-occupying lesion versus CVA with infarction in approximately 95%. There were 14 false positive results recorded (0.8% of the 1722 patients).


Hepatic blood flow with colloidal 198Au in the diagnosis of chronic hepatitis in children. Tracer quantities of colloidal 198Au were used to estimate the hepatic blood flow in normal children and in children with active or progressive chronic hepatitis and also to obtain scintigrams of the liver. In active chronic hepatitis a significant decrease in HBF values was observed, suggesting that the method may be used as a diagnostic criterion which is superior to hepatic scintigraphy. In progressive chronic hepatitis HBF values even lower than those in active hepatitis were observed. Together with more characteristic clinical findings and abnormal results of biochemical function tests, they underline the value of the method in estimating the severity and the evolution of the disease.


Labeled metronidazoles as potential new agents for amebic hepatic abscess imaging. Two new radiopharmaceuticals were developed as possible agents for demonstrating the presence of hepatic amebic abscesses by selective accumulation of these agents in the abscess contents. These agents are: 131I-labeled Bromometronidazole, that has been shown to possess some of the antibiotic activity of metronidazole or Flagyl; and a Technetium 99m-penicillamine-Flagyl complex. A method of radioiodination has been devised which can be performed in radiopharmaceutical laboratories. Both radiopharmaceuticals are of very low toxicity. Distribution studies in animals show accumulation in the liver and elimination by way of the gallbladder. Scintillation camera studies depict a rapid uptake by the liver with subsequent biliary excretion. Animal models for the study of hepatic amebic abscesses are not available. A human patient with suspected amebic abscesses has been studied with negative findings that were confirmed at surgery. Collaborative studies are now in progress in several areas of the world where amebiases is endemic.


[99MTechnetium-fibrinogen labeling using electrolytic zircuronium release]. An electrolytic method for labelling fibrinogen with zirconium as a reductant for 99mTc is presented. The optimal labelling conditions and the in-vitro screening are subject of the study. First clinical experience indicates that the substance is clottable in vivo and applicable for localization.


Comparison of four different methods for the recovery of dotriacontane-16,17-14C from small animal respiratory tissue. The efficiency and accuracy of four different methods of tissue preparation for the recovery of dotriacontane-16,17-14C (DOT-16,17-14C) from rat respiratory tissue were compared by means of liquid scintillation counting. A DOT-16,17-14C standard solution was placed on the respiratory epithelium of the nasal apex, larynx, trachea and main bronchi. Combustion of the lyophilized organs in a Packard sample oxidizer revealed the highest recovery and accuracy (93--100%), sample oxidizing by combustion without lyophilization the lowest recovery and accuracy (73--92%). Tissue solubilization by the commercially available tissue solubilizer TS-1 revealed a better recovery and accuracy (89--95%) than tissue maceration by boiling in methanolic KOH and toluene extraction (74--91%). Depending on the laboratory equipment, lyophilization or tissue solubilization is preferred; maceration and toluene extraction as well as combustion without freeze-drying are disregarded for further investigations because of the cumbersome procedure as well as the low recovery and accuracy, respectively.


[Technetium polyphosphate and technetium diphosphonate. A comparative study]. 99mTc-labelled phosphates are the bone seeking agents of choice. The comparison of 99mTc-polyphosphate (Poly-P) and 99mTc-ethane-1-hydroxy-1,1-diphosphonate (EHDP) shows a better in vitro stability of the latter during the first two hours after preparation. The blood clearance of EHDP is superior to Poly-P resulting in reduced background activity at scanning time. Renal excretion over a 4-hour period of urine sampling showed no significant differences between both substances. Blood activity is independent of diuresis.


Fluorescence probing of nucleic acids: I. Singly and doubly labeled dithymidine phosphate: fluorescence and energy transfer studies. Dithymidine phosphate labeled at its 5' end with a naphthalene-carbamate has been prepared,DTpT. It is shown to exist in several conformations which are characterized by chromatography and absorption and fluorescence measurements. Models for three possible conformers where the dye is solvated, stacked on the first thymine or intercalated between the two thymines are given with their absorption and fluorescence spectra. The doubly labeled molecule,DTpTA, where D and A form a donor-acceptor energy transfer pair has also been prepared. The energy transfer rate has been measured from the donor fluorescence lifetime decay.


m7G5'ppp5'GmptcpUp at the 5' terminus of reovirus messenger RNA. In the presence of S-adenosyl methionine the 5' terminal guanosine residue of in vitro synthesized reovirus mRNA becomes methylated at the 2'-OH position. In addition, 7-methyl guanylic acid is condensed covalently at the 5' terminus resulting in the formation of a 5' to 5' triphosphate bridge. Analysis of the 5' terminal sequence of methylated reovirus mRNA revealed that it has the structure m7G5'ppp5'GmpCpUp.


Polynucleotides. XXXI1. Synthesis of AUG analogs containing 8,2'-S-cycloadenosine, 8,5'-S-cycloadenosine, 8-bromoadenosin, 8-oxyadenosine and formycin in the first position of the codon. Five AUG analogs having 8,2'-S-cycloadenosine (I), 8,5'-S-cycloadenosine (II), 8-bromoadenosine (III), 8-oxyadenosine (IV) and formycin (V) in the first position of ApUpG W were synthesized. 3'-Phosphates of I, II and V were synthesized by phosphorylation using cyanoethylphosphate and DCC. In the case of II, 2', 3'-cyclic phosphate was directly obtained. 3'-Phosphates, thus obtained, were properly protected on the 2'-OH and/or the N6-amino group and condensed with U(OBz)pGiBu(iBu)2 using DCC to give ApUpG analogs. Some properties on paper chromatography and electrophoresis, and the UV and CD spectra of these trinucleoside diphosphates are reported.


Multiplicity of cadmium binding sites in nucleotides: X-ray evidence for the involvement of O2' and O3' as well as phosphate and N7 in inosine 5'-monophosphate. Single-crystal X-ray methods have been used to characterize a hydrated polymeric cadmium derivative of inosine 5'-monophosphate. In the structure there are two independent cadmium atoms, one of which binds to two ribose oxygen atoms, an N7 position on a base, and to three water molecules. The second metal atom binds to a phosphate oxygen, three water molecules, and to two N7 atoms, which are in cis-positions. For these last; the Cd-N bonds are appreciably out of the planes of the hypoxanthine bases so that the angle between these planes is only 31.4 degrees.


Studies on chromatin. II. Isolation and characterization of chromatin subunits. Earlier findings /1-10/ bearing on a subunit organization of chromatin were confirmed and in some points detailed. Besides this, a large-scale isolation of chromatin subunits; their protein composition, electron microscopic appearance and CsCl banding pattern are described. Although the purified chromatin subunit contains all five histones, the relative content of histone H1 i in it is two times lower than that in the original chromatin. tit is shown that a mild digestion of chromatin with staphylococcal nuclease produced not only separate chromatin subunits and their "oligomers' but also deoxyribonucleoprotein particles which sediment more slowly than subunits. It appears that these particles and subunits are produced from different initial structures in the chromatin. Finally, a crystallization of the purified chromatin subunit as a cetyltrimethyl ammonium salt is described.


Thioacyl esters of nucleotides: synthesis of 3'(2')-O-thiobenzoyl nucleoside 5'-phosphates. The synthesis of 3'(2')-O-thiobenzoyl nucleoside 5'-phosphates based on the condensation of N-(thiobenzoyl)-imidazole with nucleside 5'-phosphates was carried out. The UV absorption spectra, CD spectra, PMR spectra and chromatographic and electrophoretic characteristics of synthesized compounds were obtained. By means of PMR it was shown that the 2':3' isomer ratio in water at ambient temperature is about 2:3.


Sequence of the promoter-operator proximal region of the major leftward RNA of bacteriophage lambda. The sequence of the first 149 nucleotides of the major leftward RNA of bacteriophage lambda has been determined. Preliminary sequence information was also obtained for a portion of the untranscribed area immediately upstream of the point on the template when RNA synthesis normally starts. Several restriction endonuclease sites, deletion endpoints, and single base changes have been localized within the sequence. The first potential translation initiation codon which is not followed by an in-phase termination codon is a GUG located 90 nucleotides from the transcription startpoint.


Extracellular nucleases of Pseudomonas BAL 31. I. Characterization of single strand-specific deoxyriboendonuclease and double-strand deoxyriboexonuclease activities. The culture medium of Pseudomonas BAL 31 contains endonuclease activities which are highly specific for single-stranged DNA and for the single-stranded or weakly hydrogen-bonded regions in supercoiled closed circular DNA. Exposure of nicked DNA to the culture medium results in cleavage of the strang opposite the sites of preexisting single-strand scissions. At least some of the linear duplex molecules derived by cleavage of supercoiled closed circular molecules contain short single-stranded ends. Single-strand scissions are not introduced into intact, linear duplex DNA or unsupercoiled covalently closed circular DNA. Under these same reaction conditions, 0X174 phage DNA is extensively degraded and PM2 form I DNA is quantitatively converted to PM2 form III linear duplexes. Prolonged exposure of this linear duplex DNA to the concentrated culture medium reveals the presence of a double-strand exonuclease activity that progressively reduces the average length of the linear duplex. These nuclease activities persist at ionic strengths up to 4 M and are not eliminated in the presence of 5% sodium dodecyl sulfate. Calcium and magnesium ion are both required for optimal activity. Although the absence of magnesium ion reduces the activities, the absence of calcium ion irreversibly eliminates all the activities.


Heterogeneity of chromatin fragments produced by micrococcal nuclease action. Digestion of calf thymus chromatin with micrococcal nuclease produces a mixture of apparently well defined nucleoprotein fragments which have been partially resolved by sedimentation on linear (5-20%) sucrose gradients. Sedimentation patterns reveal a predominant peak at the 11S position, three slower components, which have not previously been reported, at the 3.4S, 5.3S and 8.6S positions, and three faster components at the 17S, 22S and 26S positions. DNA isolated from the 3S to 12S region of gradients has been resolved on polyacrylamide gels into nine to ten discrete components ranging from 47 to 156 base pairs in length. A nearly identical pattern of small DNA products was obtained from chromatin digested in intact nuclei. These data suggest that chromatin contains either several types of subunits or predominently a single type of subunit which can be asymmetrically cleaved at any one of four or more sites.


The reaction of the Ca-Mg endonuclease with the A-sites of rat nucleoprotein. A quantitative study has been made on the action of rat nuclear Ca-Mg endonuclease on rat liver nuclei. In a standard 30 minute digest 0.5-1.5% of the DNA was rendered acid soluble, 1.5-4% of the chromatin was rendered buffer soluble, 50-60% of the potential cleavage sites were actually cleaved, and these cleavages were distributed evenly throughout the bulk of the genome. During these standard digests there was no significant loss of histones either in aggregate or relative to each other. Trypsin digestion of the nuclei to a trypsin resistant core did not lower the specificity of the Ca-Mg endonuclease cleavages or expose other sites to its action. Evidence is presented that indicates Ca-Mg endonuclease and micrococcal nuclease attack the same sites rather than different sites with the same spacing.


Single strand conformation of adenylate chains analysed by a specific photoreaction. Determination of structure by 5' residue. The photoreactivity was analysed in various oligo- and polyadenylates: 1) The quantum yields of the specific photoreaction in poly(dA) and dApdA decrease with increasing temperature, whereas the quantum yield of the photodegradation in poly(rA) increases. 2) The photoreactivities of poly(2'MeA) and poly(2'EtA) closely correspond to that of poly(rA). 3) The photodegradation of rApdA is very similar to that of rAprA, whereas dAprA shows the same specific photoreaction as observed for dApdA. These data support the view, that the specific photoreaction observed in oligo(dA) and poly(dA) is dependent upon a specific conformation, which is not accessible to oligo(rA), poly(rA), poly(2'MeA) and poly(2'EtA). The specific conformation is determined by the nucleotide, which carries the internucleotide bond in the 3'-position.


[Diagnosis of Johne's disease].

[Diagnosis of Johne's disease]. The authors carried out clinical observations and allergical, bacteriological and serological investigations of 73 dairy cows in a herd affected with paratuberculosis. Durings 18 months, clinical signs of the disease were noted in 2 animals only. It was found that the allergic test with the use of johnin had a limited diagnostic value and made it possible only to suspect the disease in the herd. Avian tuberculin had higher potency than johnin and gave, in most cases, stronger allergic reactions in animals infected with M. johnei that the homologous preparation. Bacterioscopic and cultural examination of the faeces with the use of Stuart's serum-agar medium had a significant diagnostic value because they made it possible to detect the excretion of Johne's bacilli before the clinical signs could be observed. The complement fixation test gave positive results in animals with the clinical symptoms of the disease, or when pathological lesions in the intestines were pronounced. In most of the cows investigated, the pathological changes of the ileocecal valve, characteristic for paratuberculosis, appeared earlier than the positive results of the complement fixation test.


[Electrocardiographic studies of rabbits irradiated externally with various doses of ionizing radiation]. The investigations were carried out on rabbits irradiated with subletal (400R) and letal (800 and 1200R) doses of ionizing radiation. ECG was recorded prior to irradiation, 1 and 2hrs. after irradiation, and then every day at the same time for 10 days. The results of 312 electrocardiographic recordings and statistical analysis of some parameters are presented in graphs. They indicate that functional changes in the heart occur comparatively early after irradiation and are expressed by changes in the amplitude of the individual waves and by speeding-up of the rhythm of heart contractions and thus by shortening the duration of the individual waves, segments and intervals, the pacemaker rhythm being normal. No essential changes were found in cardiac vector deviation or in the configuration of the electrocardiographic curves. The intensity of these changes depended on the dosis of radiation and on the time which had elapsed since the moment of irradiation: in the rabbits which received 400R the changes were insignificant, and normal conditions returned after 24 hrs.; in those which received 800R the changes were more pronounced and the initial values returned after 8-10 days; with the dosis of 1200R the changes were the strongest and persisted until the death of the animal. The functional changes of the heart observed in the rabbits during 8-10 days were not permanent and had a compensative character, which indicates that the heart does not belong to the organs which are especially sensitive to radiation.


[Changes in the activity of the thyroid gland in polar foxes as a function of age and varying temperatures of the environment]. Investigations were carried out concerning the thyroid activity in 76 adult and 15 young (2 1/2 months old) polar foxes by means of the J131 test. The criteria for determining the thyroid activity were as follows: the rate of J131 excretion in the urine and faeoes, protein-bound J131 in blood plasma (PBJ131), conversion index, and the two hours' test on the uptake of radioactive iodine by the thyroid in the animals tested. The thyroid activity in the young foxes was found to be twice as high on the average as that in the adult animals. Significant differences in the thyroid activity were observed in animals kept under different temperature conditions. The rate of radioactive iodine uptake and of the thyroid hormone synthesis, as well as the rate of the appearance of hormone iodine in blood were higher in the animals kept al lower temperatures. It was found that a higher level of PBJ131 and WKJ131 resulted i lower rate of J131 excretion in the urine and faeces.