Abstract: A kit for converting a crutch to a cane, table, or bench is disclosed. The kit includes a crutch, a picker, a tabletop panel, a foot pad, and a seat cushion. The crutch includes an upper section connected to a middle section by a first pivot and a lower section connected to the middle section by a second pivot. The first pivot and the second pivot orient the sections of crutch to position the crutch in an upright crutch configuration, a table configuration, a cane configuration, or a bench configuration. The picker attaches to the upper section when the crutch is in the table configuration. The foot pad attaches to the picker to stabilize the picker upright. The tabletop panel attaches to the upper section when the crutch is in the table configuration. The seat cushion attaches to the lower section when the crutch is in the bench configuration.

Abstract: METHOD OF SCREENING PHYSIOLOGICAL SAMPLES for elevated levels of heat shock proteins due to chronic exposure to sublethal levels of stressors, and kits for carrying out the method, are disclosed.

Abstract: Method of detecting chronic exposure of an organism to a stressor, and for evaluating biological damage due to chronic exposure to sublethal levels of stressors and kits for carrying out the method are disclosed. The methods comprise: (a) sampling at least one organism in order to determine whether it has been chronically exposed to a sublethal concentration of one or more stressors in its environment, under sampling conditions that do not induce any additional heat shock protein (hsp) response in the organism; (b) obtaining a sample of cells or secretions of said organism, suspected of having elevated levels of heat shock proteins and solubilizing the heat shock proteins in the sample; and (c) measuring the concentration of a heat shock protein in said sample.

Abstract: Method of detecting chronic exposure of an organism to a pollutant, and for evaluating biological damage due to chronic exposure to sublethal levels of pollutants and kits for carrying out the method are disclosed. The methods comprise:(a) sampling at least one organism in order to determine whether it has been chronically exposed to a sublethal concentration of one or more pollutants in its environment, under sampling conditions that do not induce any additional heat shock protein (hsp) response in the organism;(b) obtaining a sample of cells or secretions of said organism, suspected of having elevated levels of heat shock proteins and solubilizing the heat shock proteins in the sample; and(c) measuring the concentration of a heat shock protein in said sample.

Abstract: Method of detecting chronic exposure of an organism to a pollutant, and for evaluating biological damage due to chronic exposure to sublethal levels of pollutants and kits for carrying out the method are disclosed. The methods comprise:(a) sampling at least one organism in order to determine whether it has been chronically exposed to a sublethal concentration of one or more pollutants in its environment, under sampling conditions that do not induce any additional heat shock protein (hsp) response in the organism;(b) obtaining a sample of cells or secretions of said organism, suspected of having elevated levels of heat shock proteins and solubilizing the heat shock proteins in the sample; and(c) measuring the concentration of a heat shock protein selected from hsp 70, hsp 60 and ubiquitin, in said sample.