A Woman's Place: The Cuban Revolution and Gender Inequality in the Home

iv, 100 leaves ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-100).This thesis is an empirical study of changes in Cuban women's public and private lives from the 1959 Revolution to 1990. It describes the colonial gender ideology that has influenced present-day male and female relations, behaviors, and gender roles, and has perpetuated sexual stereotypes. It also discusses how this ideology has prevented women's full equality in the home and gives examples from interviews, films, and literature to show where these inequalities in the home are still evident. The interviews, films, and literature utilized in this study represent both Cuban and North American perceptions of women's status in Cuban society and in the home. In using these sources, the author is able to examine Cuban women's postrevolutionary roles, relations, and experiences in the most balanced way possible without first-hand travel to Cuba. The author includes Cuban women's (and a few men's) voices as much as possible through the use of previously conducted interviews. This study concludes that Cuban gender inequality still exists in both the public and the private spheres, though more acutely in the private, and that this is the result primarily of the perpetuation of Spanish gender ideology. This ideology has placed women in a subordinate position vis-a-vis men and has assigned men and women unequal roles in society and the home. Women traditionally have been associated with la casa (the home) and men with la calle (the street), which has made it difficult for women to escape their domestic obligations

Proposal for a Digital Archives Program at the Dr. Joann Rayfield Archives

A report submitted in April 2016 discussing the creation of an infrastructure for the collection and preservation of digital files by the archives of Illinois State University. Includes three possible strategies based on monetary cost and staff time, with hardware and software recommendations appropriate to each

Effect of Preanalytical Processing of ThinPrep Specimens on Detection of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus by the Aptima HPV Assay

Two important preanalytical protocols performed on liquid-based cytological specimens, namely, automated cytology processing and glacial acetic acid (GAA) treatment, may occur prior to the arrival of specimens in a molecular diagnostics laboratory. Ninety-two ThinPrep vials previously positive for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) via the Cervista HPV HR test were preselected and alternated with 92 previously negative ThinPrep vials. The specimen set was processed in a consecutive fashion by an automated cytology processor without fastidious decontamination precautions. Carryover potential was subsequently assessed by performance of the Aptima HPV assay on aliquots from reprocessed ThinPrep vials. All previously negative ThinPrep vials yielded a negative result following routine automated cytology processing, despite close proximity to known-positive ThinPrep vials. In separate experiments, aliquots from 236 ThinPrep vials were forwarded for tandem analysis with and without GAA treatment. Data from GAA- and mock-treated specimens generated by Aptima HPV were compared to correlate data generated by Cervista. A 99.2% concordance of Aptima HPV results from GAA-treated and mock-treated specimens was noted. This result differed from the concordance result derived from Cervista (91.5%; P \u3c 0.0002). Of the initially positive Cervista results, 21.9% reverted to negative following GAA treatment; the correlate value was 2.7% for Aptima HPV (P = 0.01). While deleterious effects of GAA treatment on genomic DNA were noted with Cervista (P = 0.0015), GAA treatment had no significant effects on Aptima HPV specimen signal/cutoff ratios or amplification of internal control RNA (P ≥ 0.07). The validity of an Aptima HPV result is independent of GAA treatment and routine automated cytology processing

Chemical vapor deposition of organosilicon composite thin films for porous low-k dielectrics

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, 2005.Includes bibliographical references.Pulsed plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition has produced organosilicon thin films with the potential use as low dielectric constant interconnect materials in microelectronic circuits. Both diethylsilane and octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane precursors were used, with oxygen and hydrogen peroxides oxidants respectively, to deposit low-k organosilicon films. FTIR, nanoindentation, ellipsometry, and dielectric constant measurements were demonstrated as a valuable film characterization tools to understand structure-property-processing fundamentals by quantifying structural bonding environments and relating those to the film properties. Nanocomposites were also produced using two novel techniques. First, crystal colloidal templates of polystyrene nanospheres were fabricated using evaporation-induced self-assembly. OSG was then deposited throughout the templates to create composite materials. Subsequently the polystyrene was removed upon thermal annealing to create highly porous OSG thin films. Second, ultrasonic atomization was used to deliver particles into a vacuum chamber during plasma-enhanced CVD of the organosilicon matrix to create composite thin films using an all-CVD technique. This process could extend CVD to applications currently only possible using wet processing techniques or multi-step processing.by April Denise Ross.Ph.D

258— Differential response to cocaine in mice exposed to stress

Exposure to trauma is a risk factor for substance use disorders. Using a mouse model of PTSD, we tested the effects of exposure to a stressor (synthetic fox pheromone: TMT) on response to cocaine. Cocaine induced locomotion and cocaine seeking behavior in a conditioned place preference (CPP) were assessed. TMT was an effective stressor, indicated by freezing behavior, which is a known fear response in mice. In both males and females, TMT-exposed mice showed a greater locomotor response to cocaine compared to control mice, resulting in the interaction between time and TMT treatment. TMT-exposed males, but not females, were overall more active than control mice. During CPP, female mice were first conditioned to associate one side of a 3-chambered arena with cocaine (10 mg/kg) and then tested in a 30-minute session of free exploration (15 minutes of cue-prime, 15 minutes of drug-prime). Time spent inside the drug-associated context was considered an indication of the rewarding properties of cocaine. Results indicated no group differences between female mice exposed to TMT and those that weren’t. Additionally, mice only displayed a preference for the cocaine-paired chamber during cue-primed testing. After receiving a cocaine-prime (10 mg/kg), mice did not continue this behavior

Exposing practical, psychological and pedagogical shadow sides of experiential learning

This paper is based first-person experience with Experiential Learning (EL) practices in an undergraduate introductory management course. We consider how a challenging EL activity, based on volunteering during recovery from a catastrophic flood event, exposed three shadow sides of EL. These shadow sides of EL, that often remain hidden to educators, are practical, psychological and pedagogical. We provide a characterisation of each of these shadow sides and outline strategies for managing them. We also discuss the general applicability of our insights, including tentative theoretical extensions to Kolb’s (1984) EL theory. We conclude by considering the potential for the shadow sides of EL to emerge in circumstances that are less confronting and extreme than those encountered by our students.PostprintPeer reviewe

Trends in marine survival of Atlantic salmon populations in eastern Canada

Declines in wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) abundance throughout the north Atlantic are primarily attributed to decreases in survival at sea. However, comparing trends in marine survival among populations is challenging as data on both migrating smolts and returning adults are sparse and models are difficult to parameterize due to their varied life histories. We fit a hierarchical Bayesian maturity schedule model to data from seven populations in eastern Canada to estimate numbers of out-migrating smolts, survival in the first and second year at sea, and the proportion returning after 1 year. Trends in survival at sea were not consistent among populations; we observe positive, negative, and no correlations in these, suggesting that large-scale patterns of changes in marine survival are not necessarily representative for individual populations. Variation in return abundances was mostly explained by marine survival in the first winter at sea in all but one population. However, variation in the other components were not negligible and their relative importance differed among populations. If salmon populations do not respond in a uniform manner to changing environmental conditions throughout their range, future research initiatives should explore why.publishedVersio

Assessing Within-Field Variation in Alfalfa Leaf Area Index Using UAV Visible Vegetation Indices

This study examines the use of leaf area index (LAI) to inform variable-rate irrigation (VRI) for irrigated alfalfa (Medicago sativa). LAI is useful for predicting zone-specific evapotranspiration (ETc). One approach toward estimating LAI is to utilize the relationship between LAI and visible vegetation indices (VVIs) using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery. This research has three objectives: (1) to measure and describe the within-field variation in LAI and canopy height for an irrigated alfalfa field, (2) to evaluate the relationships between the alfalfa LAI and various VVIs with and without field average canopy height, and (3) to use UAV images and field average canopy height to describe the within-field variation in LAI and the potential application to VRI. The study was conducted in 2021–2022 in Rexburg, Idaho. Over the course of the study, the measured LAI varied from 0.23 m2 m−2 to 11.28 m2 m−2 and canopy height varied from 6 cm to 65 cm. There was strong spatial clustering in the measured LAI but the spatial patterns were dynamic between dates. Among eleven VVIs evaluated, the four that combined green and red wavelengths but excluded blue wavelengths showed the most promise. For all VVIs, adding average canopy height to multiple linear regression improved LAI prediction. The regression model using the modified green–red vegetation index (MGRVI) and canopy height (R2 = 0.93) was applied to describe the spatial variation in the LAI among VRI zones. There were significant (p \u3c 0.05) but not practical differences

Social determinants of health and cancer screening implementation and outcomes in the USA: A systematic review protocol

BACKGROUND: Improving the delivery, uptake, and implementation of cancer screening to meet evidence-based recommendations is needed to reduce persistent cancer health disparities in the USA. Current national public health targets emphasize the role of social determinants of health (SDOH) on cancer screening. However, there remains a need to explicate these linkages, toward the goal of identifying and implementing effective interventions that target and address SDOH to reduce inequities in cancer screening. METHODS: We will conduct a systematic review of English language peer-reviewed original research articles published between 2010 and 2021 that describe observational (qualitative and quantitative) and intervention studies conducted in the USA. In alignment with Healthy People 2030, we will include studies of breast, cervical, colorectal, and/or lung cancer screening. Guided by multiple SDOH frameworks, we will broadly define SDOH by five domain areas: economic stability, education access and quality, healthcare access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context. Following systematic literature searches in five databases (Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Library) and piloting of screening procedures, reviewers will independently screen titles/abstracts for potential relevance. Reviewer pairs will then screen full text articles for eligibility criteria. We will extract data items from included articles, including study characteristics, cancer screening intervention information, and coding of SDOH constructs. We will assess study quality using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and synthesize our findings using narrative, descriptive statistics, tables, and figures. Our approach will adhere to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) recommendations. DISCUSSION: By completing this systematic review, we will summarize recent literature on SDOH and cancer screening, identify research gaps for inclusion of SDOH, and propose future opportunities for advancing equity in cancer screening by integrating SDOH as part of the implementation context to promote uptake, sustainability, and scale-up in the implementation of screening guidelines. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42021276582

Structure–activity relationship study of EphB3 receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors

A structure–activity relationship study for a 2-chloroanilide derivative of pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine revealed that increased EphB3 kinase inhibitory activity could be accomplished by retaining the 2-chloroanilide and introducing a phenyl or small electron donating substituents to the 5-position of the pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine. In addition, replacement of the pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine with imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine was well tolerated and resulted in enhanced mouse liver microsome stability. The structure–activity relationship for EphB3 inhibition of both heterocyclic series was similar. Kinase inhibitory activity was also demonstrated for representative analogs in cell culture. An analog (32, LDN-211904) was also profiled for inhibitory activity against a panel of 288 kinases and found to be quite selective for tyrosine kinases. Overall, these studies provide useful molecular probes for examining the in vitro, cellular and potentially in vivo kinase-dependent function of EphB3 receptor