Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M K Wagner.
Cilia on the ventral side of the mouse node have been implicated in initiating the left-right axis during embryonic development, but how cilia relate to other factors in the left-right pathway and the mechanism by which cilia convey patterning information remain uncertain.
There have been conflicting results regarding sex differences and gender role in predicting life satisfaction and no research assessing the relationship between life satisfaction and self-reinforcement. These relationships were evaluated by administering to 182 undergraduates the Bem Sex Role Inventory, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Frequency of Self-reinforcement Questionnaire. A regression analysis showed significant effects for self-reinforcement and gender role in the prediction of life satisfaction. No main effect was found for sex of participant and there were no significant interactions. Scores on measures of self-reinforcement and life satisfaction were moderately correlated.
To investigate cognitive coping styles and how they might relate to perceived quality of life for individuals seriously ill with cancer 41 mostly elderly, male patients with a wide variety of cancers were administered the Illness Effects Questionnaire, a quality of life measure, the COPE Questionnaire, which samples different coping strategies, and questions regarding beliefs about illness behaviors, expectations about cancer's effects, comparisons of the participants' lives with those of others, feelings since having cancer, and motivation to resist lifestyle disruptions. Six of the belief factors and two of the coping strategies were related to perceived quality of life. If the effects of cancer were less than expected, quality of life was better; with an expectation of a negative effect from the disease, lowered quality of life was perceived. Two coping strategies were related to quality of life, suppression of competing activities and using religious practices. Other relationships were also discussed.
In order to assess the psychometric properties of the Heiby Self-Reinforcement Questionnaire, 570 undergraduate student volunteers were administered the scale and a factor analysis was performed. The most interpretable analysis resulted in five factors, which are discussed relative to Rehm's formulations with regard to the components of self-reinforcement, with suggestions for the improvement of the questionnaire.
The effects of two pH levels (5.55 or 5.85) in combination with 0.4% sodium acid pyrophosphate (SAPP), NaH2PO4 X H2O, Na2HPO4 X 7H2O, or NaCl on the growth and toxicity of Clostridium botulinum 52A were studied. Absorbancy measurements at 630 nm, microscopic observations, and the mouse bioassay procedure were used to observe the effects. At pH 5.55 and 5.85 most control cultures exhibited toxicity when cell lysis began. Vegetative cell development was normal (4 micron long; 1 micron wide). SAPP-containing (0.4%) treatment cultures displayed similar growth and lysis but no or delayed (48 h) toxicity. Cells grown in the SAPP treatment culture were longer and wider (6 micron long; 1.5 micron wide) than in most other treatment cultures. Trypsinization of nontoxic supernatants from 0.4% SAPP resulted in toxicity. Addition of 0.4% SAPP to toxic C. botulinum supernatant delayed but did not prevent death of mice. The addition of various levels of SAPP to toxic supernatants resulted in a decrease in zone size with an increase in the level of SAPP (9 mm with 0.4% SAPP to 7 mm with 1.0% SAPP), using a dual substrate protease assay. A decrease in the zone size also occurred with the supernatant from cultures grown in the presence of SAPP and with Bacillus polymyxa protease dilutions containing 0.4% SAPP. Results suggest that the actual production or function of the protease responsible for toxin activation may have been inhibited by the presence of SAPP.
In order to determine if there were differences in individuals who were currently obese, previously obese now average, and always average, a battery of behavioral and personality measures were administered which included the assessment of self-concept, self-control, health locus of control, comparative reinforcement hierarchy and various activities. Significant differences were obtained in physical self-concept; time spent in vigorous activity, passive activity, with friends and social activities; and the reinforcement value of eating, time with friends or family, and taking it easy. The possible significance of these findings was discussed in terms of maintaining factors in obesity and treatment suggestions.
This study investigated the impact of self-monitoring on smoking patterns of internal and external smokers. Eighty-nine Ss charted their smoking behavior (number of cigarettes per day) on a daily basis for 4 consecutive weeks, after which personality measures were administered. Self-monitoring produced wide changes in reported cigarette consumption, although this procedure did not change significantly smoking behavior for the entire sample. Ss were divided arbitrarily into three categories: Ss who increased 20 cigarettes or more, Ss who decreased 20 cigarettes or more, and Ss who increased or decreased up to 19 cigarettes. Negative affect traits, locus of control, and self-concept variables did not differentiate increasers, decreasers, or maintainers. Ss who increased consumption reported greater reinforcement value from solitary related as opposed to socially oriented functions than the decreasers and the maintainers. Future studies should explore the meaningfulness of an intervention designed to improve the smoker's social interactions.
Sixty subjects, averaging 26 per cent overweight, were classified according to age at onset in order to test the external-cue hypothesis of obesity and to investigate the possibility of different "types" of obesity. Subjects were presented with Hershey's kisses wrapped in either transparent (visible) or non-transparent (non-visible) wrappers while performing a sham test; the number of chocolates consumed was the dependent measure. Subjects were placed in four groups: Early onset-food visible (EV), early onset-food non-visible (ENV), late onset-food visible (LV), or late onset-food non-visible (LNV). The first two groups consumed about the same number of chocolates, but the early-onset subjects ate almost twice as many kisses as the late-onset participants. The evidence was inconclusive concerning the external-cue hypothesis, although there was some suggestion that there may be "types" of obesity. The findings are discussed in terms of the need to acknowledge factors other than weight alone in studying and treating obesity.
Responses to radiant-heat stimulation to the back of the hand were obtained during baseline conditions and during acupuncture sessions. Signal-detection methodology and analysis were used to determine whether acupuncture affects d' (changes physiologic processes) relative to pain report. A binary rather than a rating-scale procedure was used to obtain more accurate measures of sensitivity. Results indicated that acupuncture decreased sensitivity only at intensity levels that were never described as painful.
College students categorized as either long sleepers (mean = 9.25 hours per day) or short sleepers (mean = 6.2 hours per day) were administered a variety of personality tests. With a multiple regression analysis the patterns on the MMPI of higher MA and F with a lowered PD and CI (number of critical items) most significantly differentiated the short from the long sleepers. Also of relevance was the finding that long sleepers were more likely to score in the pathological direction on most of the MMPI clinical scales.
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