Dimensional information facilitates the utilization of configural information: A test of the Castellan-Edgell and the Gluck-Bower models.

In 4 experiments involving learning in a probabilistic environment (a nonmetric multiple-cue probability learning environment) the authors found that utilization of relevant configural information was facilitated when any relevant dimensions were part of the relevant pattern. Relevant configural information in an environment with no relevant dimensions was as highly utilized as when the pattern contained the relevant dimension. With 2 relevant dimensions, the dimension within the relevant pattern was more highly utilized than the dimension not in the relevant pattern. Both N. J. Castellan and S. E. Edgell's (see record 1974-10165-001) hypothesis testing model and M. A. Gluck and G. H. Bower's (see record 1989-07449-001) connectionist model were unable to fit several aspects of the findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Exploratory study of a matching approach to personnel selection: The impact of ethnicity.

A matching procedure for selection of clerical personnel, based on task and working condition preferences of applicants, was studied for the impact of ethnicity and stability over time. The impact of ethnicity was examined among 200 White, 200 Black, and 200 Hispanic applicants by comparing task/condition preferences with ethnicity. Although a number of significant relationships between task/condition preferences and ethnicity were observed, the magnitude of effect of ethnicity on preferences for singular job conditions and tasks seemed to be near zero in most cases. The data tentatively suggest that the matching procedure might produce little adverse impact in operational use. In the stability study, 71 applicants for state clerical jobs completed a Clerical Job Condition and Task Preference Schedule at 2 different times. The preference schedule was more stable for applicants with previous clerical work experience and tended to be more stable for White than for Black or Hispanic applicants. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Role of ICE-like proteases in endothelial cell hypoxic and reperfusion injury

Because of its location between blood and tissue, the endothelium is particularly vulnerable to hypoxic/reperfusion injury, but the mechanisms responsible for this injury are not known. A number of recent findings suggest that hypoxia and reperfusion injures neuronal cells via apoptosis. Apoptosis has recently been shown to depend on the activation of a class of proteases with homology to Interleukin-1 beta converting enzyme (ICE) protease. Therefore, we examined the effect of specific inhibitors of ICE-like proteases on hypoxic and reperfusion injury in cultured EAhy926 endothelial cells. Pretreatment of cells with ICE inhibitor II (Ac-YVAD-CMK), ICE inhibitor III (Z-Asp-2,6-dichlorobenzoyloxy-methylketone-Z-Asp-CH2-DCB+ ++), or ICE inhibitor IV (Ac-YVKD-CHO) (all at 10-100 microM) did not protect cells from hypoxic injury. However, pretreatment of cells with ICE inhibitor III and to a lesser extent with ICE inhibitor II, but not with ICE inhibitor IV, protected cells from reperfusion injury. The protective effect of ICE inhibitor III was not dependent upon pH, but was associated with decreased release of arachidonic acid from cells. These findings suggest that reperfusion injury to EAhy926 endothelial cells involves ICE-like proteases. The identity of the protease(s) is not known but it does not appear to be a YAMA-type protease based upon ICE inhibitor specificity. Our data also indicate that a potential target of this protease is phospholipase A2 (PLA2).     

Irrelevant information in probabilistic categorization.

Using a probabilistic category learning paradigm, 6 experiments explored irrelevant information and 4 current models. Utilization of relevant configural information was lowered by the presence of an irrelevant dimension, both if that was the only relevant information and if a dimension was also relevant. An irrelevant cue value lowered the utilization of relevant cue values. An additional relevant dimension had a larger degrading effect on the utilization of a relevant dimension than an additional irrelevant dimension, thereby suggesting that the effect of irrelevant information is due to the complexity of the environment rather than to factors particular to the irrelevant nature of the information. The current models failed to fit the findings. However, results showing that memory errors account for salience effects provide a direction for revising one of the models. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Statistical efficiency of using two quantitative randomized response techniques to estimate correlation.

Used Monte Carlo techniques to generate sampling distributions of the correlation coefficient between 2 variables, each measured by 2 quantitative models of the randomized response technique (RRT)—the additive constants model and the unrelated question model. As expected, the RRT models yielded less statistically efficient estimates of the population correlation coefficient, and inefficiency increased as the population correlation increased. Comparisons of efficiency between the 2 models favored the additive constants model for constants less than certain limiting values. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of violation of normality on the t test of the correlation coefficient.

Performed simulations to study the effects of violations of the normality assumption on the t test of the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. The test was robust as long as the variables were independent, even with violations in combined distributions. Large effects for violations of normality were found when the variables were not independent, even though the population correlation was zero. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Efficient gene transfer to human endothelial cells using DNA complexed to adenovirus particles

Human endothelial cells have been found to be relatively refractory to various methods of DNA transfection currently in common use. By using a transfection method involving DNA complexed with replication-deficient adenovirus particles, we have shown that 20% of a population of cultured endothelial cells can be transfected and high levels of transient expression achieved. Both early-passage human umbilical vein endothelial cells and the continuous differentiated line of human endothelium-derived EA.hy926 cells are responsive to this method of transfection. Efficient DNA transfection of endothelial cells is important for studies of endothelium-specific promoters and is a potentially useful route for transgenic therapy.