The effect of social condition and diet on the frequency of male-male agonistic displays in the field cricket, gryllus bimaculatus /

The frequency and type of agonistic displays involved in male-male encounters should be significantly influenced by the presence of females. Discrete agonistic displays vary in energy expenditure and risk, and therefore should be dependent on available resources. The influence of live females and the scent of females, on the frequency of male agonistic displays was observed in a laboratory terrarium using the field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. The effect of energy constraints on display frequency was also determined. Half the males were fed a diet high in protein and fet; the other males were fed a lower quality diet, for a 7-11 day period. The frequency of five individual displays and mating frequency were recorded using an Event Recorder and notebook. Each group of males was presented with three experimental conditions, over three days, involving the presence or absence of live females and female scent. The presence of females elicited an increase in all displays except antennation; female scent increased the frequency of antennations, mandible flares and grapples, but to a lesser extent than did live females. The frequency of grapples significantly increased for males fed the high quality diet; however diet did not influence the other displays. The combined influence of diet and condition was significant for mandible flare only. Mating frequency was not influenced by diet. However, the frequency ofthe displays were positively correlated with mating frequency for high quality fed males. Escalated displays involving high costs, such as grapple and mandible flare, increased in frequency when the benefits of winning contests were high in G.bimaculatus. Escalation to grapple behaviour was less evident for males fed the lower quality diet as this imposed energy constraints on high cost displays.

Force potentiation in the MDX mouse

Large forces are the primary mechanism of injury in muscular dystrophy, and muscular dystrophy is especially damaging to type IIB muscle fibers. It was hypothesized that post-tetanic potentiation (PTP) would be down-regulated to prevent damage in Xlinked muscular dystrophy (mdx) mice since PTP increases force and PTP effects are greatest in IIB fibers. PTP experiments were performed on the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) of 50 day old mdx (YM) and C57BL/10 (YC) mice and 10 month old mdx (OM) and C57B1710 (OC) mice. Twitch and tetanic forces were lower in mdx than controls and lower in younger than older mice. Contrary to the hypothesis, PTP was higher in both mdx groups compared to controls. OM potentiated more than any other condition (OM: 29.8%, OC: 23.2%, YM: 21.9%, YC: 17.2%). In accordance with literature PTP increased in the older groups. To explain PTP changes, fiber typing and Western blots for myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) were performed. YM and YC had similar fiber type profiles (2% I, 58% IIX/D and 40% IIB). In accordance with literature but contrary to expected conditions for elevated PTP, OM had a slower fiber type profile (1.7% I, 69% IIX/D and 29% IIB) than OC (0.4% I, 61% IIX/D and 38% IIB). No differences were found in MLCK expression. It seems that PTP is up-regulated to maintain muscle function rather than being down-regulated to prevent muscle damage. Ca""^ transient and myosin phosphorylation measurements would be beneficial in explaining increased PTP seen in this study.

Investigations on the production of long chain fatty acids in Choanephora cucurbitarum (Berk. & Rav.) Thaxte

Thesis (M.Sc.)--Brock University, 1979.

The condition of Niagara Falls, and the measures needed to preserve them : eight letters published in the New York Evening post, the New York tribune, and the Boston daily advertiser, during the summer of 1882 /

Appendix: Extracts from Harper's weekly, New York herald, New York tribune and the Nation.

Report of the Committee appointed to inquire into the Present condition and distribution of the flags, standards and colors, which have been taken by the forces of the United States from their enemies, and whether it would be expedient to make any provision in relation to them.--

Adam Seybet, Chairman.

McKinnon Columbus Chain Limited Records 1948, 1958-1960, 1963-1969, 1971, 1974-1975, 1978, n.d.

Ontario Editorial Bureau (O.E.B.)

Investigations on the production of long chain fatty acids in Choanephora cucurbitarum (Berk.

The fatty acid composition of the total cellular lipids of Choanephora cucurbitarum incubated for 96 hrs on either glucose-ammonium sulfate or malt-weast extract media was determined. The major fatty acids were palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic and linoleic acids. The saturated fatty acid possessing the longest acyl chain was stearate (C 18:0). The presence of glutamic acid (2.0 x 10-1% or 1.36 x la-2M) in either of the above growth media resulted in increase in percent of 1f-linolenic acid, decrease in percent of linoleic ~iCid and appearance of a new series of fatty acid> C ~8 e.g. C ",,,,'V' C2k:O, C26,O. The addition of glutamic acid had no effect on the lipid yield but slightly decreased the degree of unsaturation. Compounds which duplicated the effect of glutamic acid were acetate, malate, citrate, succinate, 0( -ketoglutarate, prOline, -y -aminobutyric acid and glucose (3%) but not aspartic acid or alanine. ~o correlation was found between glutamic acid pool concentration and the presence in the growth medium of those compounds which stimulate long chain fatty acid production. Four hours of incubation with 27 JJ 1-1 glutamate supported the production of long chain fatty acids. This stimulation is inhibited if 272 .u M isophthalic acid is added with 27 AJ M glutamate. But, long chain fatty acids were detected when 27 JJ M eX -ketoglutarate is also present in the incubation mixture. Five hours of incubation with 100 ,Mg/ml of cycloheximide resulted in over 9CY/o inhibition of cytoplasmic :protein synthesise Glutamate (27 .uM) enhanced the synthesis of long chain fatty acids under these conditions. These findings are discussed in an attempt to provide a plausible explanation COmmon to compounds that support the production of long chain fatty acids.

The influence of myosin regulatory light chain phosphorylation on the contractile performance of fatigued mammalian skeletal muscle

ABSTRACT The myosm regulatory light chain (RLC) of type II fibres is phosphorylated by Ca2+ -calmodulin dependent myosin light chain kinase (skMLCK) during muscular activation. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of skMLCK gene ablation on the fatigability of mouse skeletal muscles during repetitive stimulation. The absence of myosin RLC phosphorylation in skMLCK knockout muscles attenuated contractile performance without a significant metabolic cost. Twitch force was potentiated to a greater extent in wildtype muscles until peak force had diminished to ~60% of baseline (37.2 ± 0.05% vs. 14.3 ± 0.02%). Despite no difference in peak force (Po) and shortening velocity (Vo), rate of force development (+dP/dt) and shortening-induced deactivation (SID) were almost two-fold greater in WT muscles. The present results demonstrate that myosin RLC phosphorylation may improve contractile performance during fatigue; providing a contractile advantage to working muscles and protecting against progressive fatigue.

Dominion Chain Co., Limited advertisements, 1918, n.d.

The advertisements are for weed chains and unit chains for tires. Weed and unit chains were designed for use on muddy roads, snow, ice, wet pavement, and sand for single and dual solid truck tires. The Dominion Chain Co., Limited of Niagara Falls, Ontario began operation in 1914. The plant was located at 800 Bender Hill and in 1963 it employed between 250 and 500 people.

When job dissatisfaction leads to customer-oriented citizenship behaviors

This thesis places boundary conditions on the withdrawal model in the frontline setting of service organizations by considering continuance commitment and supervisory support as moderators of the relationship between job dissatisfaction and customer-oriented citizenship behaviors (COCBs). Departing from traditional research in the areas of the service-profit chain and employee withdrawal, the author advances our understanding of conditions that may lead frontline service employees who are dissatisfied to deposit COCBs into the organizational system. Specifically, based on principles derived from social exchange theory, high continuance commitment and high supervisory support are expected to lead to COCBs, because under this condition the benefits of performing such behaviors are increased (i.e., promotion-based, reciprocity-based), while the costs are decreased (i.e., opportunity costs). Utilizing a sample of 127 frontline employees from both the financial services and travel agency industries, the hypothesized relationships are empirically supported using moderated hierarchical regression analysis. To conclude discussion, implications of the results for both academics and p

Bio-inspired optimization & sampling technique for side-chain packing in MCCE

The prediction of proteins' conformation helps to understand their exhibited functions, allows for modeling and allows for the possible synthesis of the studied protein. Our research is focused on a sub-problem of protein folding known as side-chain packing. Its computational complexity has been proven to be NP-Hard. The motivation behind our study is to offer the scientific community a means to obtain faster conformation approximations for small to large proteins over currently available methods. As the size of proteins increases, current techniques become unusable due to the exponential nature of the problem. We investigated the capabilities of a hybrid genetic algorithm / simulated annealing technique to predict the low-energy conformational states of various sized proteins and to generate statistical distributions of the studied proteins' molecular ensemble for pKa predictions. Our algorithm produced errors to experimental results within .acceptable margins and offered considerable speed up depending on the protein and on the rotameric states' resolution used.

Grant of Permission for lease of military lands from Sir Robert Prescott to Thomas Clark, 1798-1801.

Transcript (original spelling and grammar retained): By His Excellency Robert Prescott Esquire, Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over His Majestys Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, General and Commander in Chief of all His Majesty’s forces in the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and their several Dependencies and in the Island of Newfoundland &ca. &ca. &ca. I do hereby authorise and permit Thomas Clark of Queenstown in the County of Lincoln in the Province of Upper Canada merchant to take possession of all that Lot, piece and parcel of Land (being part of the land reserved by his Majesty for Military purposes) situate, lying and being at Queenstown in the Township of Newark, in the Home District in the said Province of Upper Canada, bounded and abutted as follows, that is to say beginning at the Distance of two Chains and ninety links from the South East End of his Majesty’s Store House, the said distance being measured along the Bank up Stream, thence South thirty nine degrees and an half West one Chain and fifty links thence south fifty degrees and an half East one Chain and thirty links thence North thirty nine degrees and an half East to the Edge of the Bank and from thence along the Bank to the place of beginning, containing thirty one perches and one hundred and twenty five square links and to occupy and hold the said Lot, piece and parcel of Land during pleasure subject nevertheless to the provisoes and Conditions herein after contained, that is to say. First on condition that it shall and may be lawful to and for His Majesty his Heirs and Successors and to and for the Commander in Chief of His Majesty Forces for the time being and to and for the Officer commanding his Majesty’s Forces in Upper Canada for the time being and to and for either of them to determine and make void this present permission to occupy during pleasure the said Lot, Piece or Parcel of Land above described at any time hereafter whenever he or they shall see fit so to do without any compensation or indemnification to the said Thomas Clark or any other Person or Persons whosoever for any Loss Injury or Damage which he the said Thomas Clark or any other Person or Persons whosoever may thereby sustain. Secondly on this further Condition that it shall and may be lawful to and for His Majesty his Heirs and Successors and to and for his and their Officers, Soldiers and Servants at any time hereafter by order of the Commander in Chief of His Majesty’s Forces for the time being or by order of the Officer commanding his Majesty’s forces in Upper Canada for the time being or by order of the Officer of His Majesty’s Corps of Royal Engineers commanding in the said Province of Upper Canada for the time being to enter upon the said Lot Piece and parcel of Land which the said Thomas Clark is hereby permitted to occupy during pleasure or upon any part thereof and to take down and from the said Lot piece and parcel of Land or from any part thereof to remove any dwelling House Store or other Buildings on the said Lot, piece or Parcel of Land or any part thereof erected and to remove any goods or Chattels on the said Lot piece and parcel of Land or on any part thereof or on any such dwelling House Store or other building found or being and that His Majesty his Heirs and Successors or any other Person or Persons whosoever shall not be liable or responsible to the said Thomas Clark or to any other Person or Persons whosoever for any Loss, Injury or Damage which he or they shall or may in such case sustain. Thirdly on this further Condition that the said Thomas Clark shall not erect on the said Lot Piece or Parcel of Land which the said Thomas Clark is hereby permitted to occupy during pleasure or upon any part thereof at any time or times hereafter any dwelling House store or other Building whatsoever of Stone or brick or of any other materials wood only exccepted and that if any dwelling House or Store or other building of Stone or brick or of any other materials except wood shall at any time be erected on the said Lot, piece or parcel of Land or upon any part thereof, then and in such case, this present permission and every Clause and Article thereof shall from thenceforth cease and determine and be absolutely and entirely null and void. And lastly on this further Condition that the said Thomas Clark or any other Person whosoever shall not assign this permission to occupy the said Lot, Piece or Parcel of Land above described to any Person of Persons whosoever, and if any such assignment shall be made by the said Thomas Clark or by any other Person in his right, or on his behalf, that then and in such case such assignment and this permission to occupy during pleasure the said Lot piece and parcel of Land above described, and every Clause and Article thereof shall from thenceforth cease and determine and be absolutely and entirely null and void. Given under my hand at the Castle of St. Lewis in the City of Quebec in the Province of Lower Canada this Ninth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety eight and in the thirty eighth year of His Majesty’s Reign. [Signed here by Robert Prescott] By Order of the Commander in Chief [Signed here by James Green (Illegible signature)] I the said Thomas Clark above named do hereby accept the above written Permission to occupy during pleasure the said Lot piece and parcel of Land above described upon and subject to the several Provisioes and Conditions above written and each and every of them severally and respectively. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand the Sixteenth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety eight and in the thirty eighth year of His Majesty’s Reign. [Signed here by Thomas Clark] Signed in the presence of [Illegible signature – looks like J. M Donell Lt. Col.] [Illegible – looks like 2d. Battn R. C. Sm?] [Signed here by C. Anderson] Whereas Inconveniences did arise from the peculiar situation of the Ground contiguous to the above described Lot of Land and the occupation thereof, if estimated by the above Limits would prove highly disadvantageous to Mr. Thomas Clark be it known that in consideration thereof we do permit the above Lot to extend one half Chain more in length up stream so as to comprehend the space allowed for the Road between Lots Two + Three, and we do hereby appropriate the said additional space wholly to the use of the said Thomas Clark. In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed this Thirteenth Day of October in the Year of our Lord one thousand Eight Hundred and one. [Signed here by J. M’Donell Lt. Col] 2d. Battn. R. C. [in?] Com of Fort George + Dependencies Robt. Pilkington Captain Royal Engineers

Report on the Condition of the Niagara Railway Suspension Bridge (1860)

Final report of John A. Roebling, Civil Engineer, to the presidents and directors of the Niagara Falls Suspension and Niagara Falls International Bridge Companies, on the condition of the Niagara Railway Suspension Bridge.

Untangling the Organizational Ambiguities in Supply Chain Risk Recognition, Assessment, and Response: The Role of Network Embeddedness

In this thesis, I focus on supply chain risk related ambiguity, which represents the ambiguities firms exhibit in recognizing, assessing, and responding to supply chain disruptions. I, primarily, argue that ambiguities associated with recognizing and responding to supply chain risk are information gathering and processing problems. Guided by the theoretical perspective of bounded rationality, I propose a typology of supply chain risk related ambiguity with four distinct dimensions. I, also, argue that the major contributor to risk related ambiguity is often the environment, specifically the web of suppliers. Hence, I focus on the characteristics of these supplier networks to examine the sources of ambiguity. I define three distinct elements of network embeddedness – relational, structural, and positional embeddedness – and argue that the ambiguity faced by a firm in appropriately identifying the nature or impacts of major disruptions is a function of these network properties. Based on a survey of large North American manufacturing firms, I found that the extent of the relational ties a firm has and its position in the network are significantly related to supply chain risk related ambiguity. However, this study did not provide any significant support for the hypothesized relationship between structural embeddedness and ambiguity. My research contributes towards the study of supply chain disruptions by using the idea of bounded rationality to understand supply chain risk related ambiguity and by providing evidence that the structure of supply chain networks influences the organizational understanding of and responses to supply chain disruptions.

Investigation of Frustrated Quasi-One-Dimensional Quantum Spin-Chain Materials

Copper arsenite CuAs2O4 and Copper antimonite CuSb2O4 are S=1/2 (Cu2+ 3d9 electronic configuration) quasi-one-dimensional quantum spin-chain compounds. Both compounds crystallize with tetragonal structures containing edge sharing CuO6 octahedra chains which experience Jahn-Teller distortions. The basal planes of the octahedra link together to form CuO2 ribbon-chains which harbor Cu2+ spin-chains. These compounds are magnetically frustrated with competing nearest-neighbour and next-nearest-neighbour intrachain spin-exchange interactions. Despite the similarities between CuAs2O4 and CuSb2O4, they exhibit very different magnetic properties. In this thesis work, the physical properties of CuAs2O4 and CuSb2O4 are investigated using a variety of experimental techniques which include x-ray diffraction, magnetic susceptibility measurements, heat capacity measurements, Raman spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, neutron diffraction, and dielectric capacitance measurements. CuAs2O4 exhibits dominant ferromagnetic nearest-neighbour and weaker antiferromagnetic next-nearest-neighbour intrachain spin-exchange interactions. The ratio of the intrachain interactions amounts to Jnn/Jnnn = -4.1. CuAs2O4 was found to order with a ferromagnetic groundstate below TC = 7.4 K. An extensive physical characterization of the magnetic and structural properties of CuAs2O4 was carried out. Under the effect of hydrostatic pressure, CuAs2O4 was found to undergo a structural phase transition at 9 GPa to a new spin-chain structure. The structural phase transition is accompanied by a severe alteration of the magnetic properties. The high-pressure phase exhibits dominant ferromagnetic next-nearest-neighbour spin-exchange interactions and weaker ferromagnetic nearest-neighbour interactions. The ratio of the intrachain interactions in the high-pressure phase was found to be Jnn/Jnnn = 0.3. Structural and magnetic characterizations under hydrostatic pressure are reported and a relationship between the structural and magnetic properties was established. CuSb2O4 orders antiferromagnetically below TN = 1.8 K with an incommensurate helicoidal magnetic structure. CuSb2O4 is characterized by ferromagnetic nearest-neighbour and antiferromagnetic next-nearest-neighbour spin-exchange interactions with Jnn/Jnnn = -1.8. A (H, T) magnetic phase diagram was constructed using low-temperature magnetization and heat capacity measurements. The resulting phase diagram contains multiple phases as a consequence of the strong intrachain magnetic frustration. Indications of ferroelectricity were observed in the incommensurate antiferromagnetic phase.