Associations between coronal mass ejections and interplanetary shocks

Nearly continuous complementary coronal observations and interplanetary plasma measurements for the years 1979-1982 are compared. It is shown that almost all low latitude high speed coronal mass ejections (CME's) were associated with shocks at HELIOS 1. Some suitably directed low speed CME's were clearly associated with shocks while others may have been associated with disturbed plasma (such as NCDE's) without shocks. A few opposite hemisphere CME's associated with great flares seem to be associated with shocks at HELIOS

How is female mate choice affected by male competition?

Author Posting. © Cambridge Philosophical Society, 2005. This article is posted here by permission of Cambridge Philosophical Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Biological Reviews 80: (2005) 559-571, doi:10.1017/S1464793105006809.The plethora of studies devoted to the topics of male competition and female mate choice belie the fact that their interaction remains poorly understood. Indeed, on the question of whether competition should help or hinder the choice process, opinions scattered throughout the sexual selection literature seem unnecessarily polarised. We argue, in the light of recent theoretical and empirical advances, that the effect of competition on mate choice depends on whether it results in the choosy sex attaining high breeding value for total fitness, considering both direct and indirect fitness benefits. Specifically, trade-offs may occur between different fitness benefits if some are correlated with male competitive ability whilst others are not. Moreover, the costs and benefits of mating with competitive males may vary in time and/or space. These considerations highlight the importance of injecting a life-history perspective into sexual selection studies. Within this context, we turn to the sexual selection literature to try to offer insights into the circumstances when competition might be expected to have positive or negative implications for pre-copulatory female choice. In this regard, we elaborate on three stages where competition might impact upon the choice process: (i) during mate detection, (ii) mate evaluation, and (iii) in dictating actual mating outcomes. We conclude by offering researchers several potentially rewarding avenues for future research.This study was supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award, a Sir Keith Murdoch Fellowship, and a Centre for International Mobility Fellowship (to B.B.M.W) and the Academy of Finland (to U.C.)

Caveolin contributes to the modulation of basal and β-adrenoceptor stimulated function of the adult rat ventricular myocyte by simvastatin: A novel pleiotropic effect

The number of people taking statins is increasing across the globe, highlighting the Importance of fully understanding statins effects on the cardiovascular system. The beneficial impact of statins extends well beyond regression of atherosclerosis to include direct effects on tissues of the cardiovascular system (pleiotropic effects). Pleiotropic effects on the cardiac myocyte are often overlooked. Here we consider the contribution of the caveolin protein, whose expression and cellular distribution is dependent on cholesterol, to statin effects on the cardiac myocyte. Caveolin is a structural and regulatory component of caveolae, and is a key regulator of cardiac contractile function and adrenergic responsiveness. We employed an experimental model in which inhibition of myocyte HMG CoA reductase could be studied in the absence of paracrine influences from non-myocyte cells. Adult rat ventricular myocytes were treated with 10 μM simvastatin for 2 days. Simvastatin treatment reduced myocyte cholesterol, caveolin 3 and caveolar density. Negative inotropic and positive lusitropic effects (with corresponding changes in [Ca2]¡) were seen in statin-treated cells. Simvastatin significantly potentiated the inotropic response to β2-, but not β1-, adrenoceptor stimulation. Under conditions of β2-adrenoceptor stimulation, phosphorylation of phospholamban at Ser16and troponin I at Ser23/24was enhanced with statin treatment. Simvastatin increased NO production without significant effects on eNOS expression or phosphorylation (Ser1177), consistent with the reduced expression of caveolin 3, its constitutive Inhibitor. In conclusion, statin treatment can reduce caveolin 3 expression, with functional consequences consistent with the known role of caveolae in the cardiac cell. These data are likely to be of significance, particularly during the early phases of statin treatment, and in patients with heart failure who have altered ß-adrenoceptor signalling. In addition, as caveolin is ubiquitously expressed and has myriad tissue-specific functions, the impact of statin-dependent changes in caveolin is likely to have many other functional sequelae

The instruments of the plasma experiments on the HLEIOS-Sun probes

The "Plasma Experiment" aboard of the solar probe HELIOS consists of four independent instruments which are designed to investigate the interplanetary plasma, the so-called solar wind. Primarily the velocity distribution function of the different kinds of particles are measured. All important hydrodynamic parameters of the solar wind plasma can then be derived. Three instruments analyse the positive component of the solar wind (protons and heavier ions with energy-per-charge values from 0.155 to 15.32 kV). Two of them permit an angular resolution in both directions of incidence. One instrument measures electrons in the energy range from 0.5 to 1660 eV with a one-dimensional angular resolution. Since the launch all the instruments, which are partially novel developments, have performed very well

NANOG promoter methylation and expression correlation during normal and malignant human germ cell development

Testicular germ cell tumors are the most frequent malignant tumors in young Caucasian males, with increasing incidence. The actual model of tumorigenesis is based on the theory that a block in maturation of fetal germ cells lead to formation of the intratubular germ cell neoplasia unclassified. Early fetal germ cells and undifferentiated germ cell tumors express pluripotency markers such as the transcription factor NANOG. It has been demonstrated that epigenetic modifications, such as promoter DNA methylation, are able to silence gene expression in normal and cancer cells. Here we show that OCT3/4-SOX2 mediated expression of NANOG can be silenced by methylation of promoter CpG-sites. We found that global methylation of DNA decreased from fetal spermatogonia to mature sperm. In contrast, CpGs in the NANOG promoter were found hypomethylated in spermatogonia and hypermethylated in sperm. This selective repression might reflect the cells need to suppress pluripotency in order to prevent malignant transformation. Finally, methylation of CpGs in the NANOG promoter in germ cell tumors and derived cell lines correlated to differentiation state

Prevention of maternal aging-associated oocyte aneuploidy and meiotic spindle defects in mice by dietary and genetic strategies

Increased meiotic spindle abnormalities and aneuploidy in oocytes of women of advanced maternal ages lead to elevated rates of infertility, miscarriage, and trisomic conceptions. Despite the significance of the problem, strategies to sustain oocyte quality with age have remained elusive. Here we report that adult female mice maintained under 40% caloric restriction (CR) did not exhibit aging-related increases in oocyte aneuploidy, chromosomal misalignment on the metaphase plate, meiotic spindle abnormalities, or mitochondrial dysfunction (aggregation, impaired ATP production), all of which occurred in oocytes of age-matched ad libitum-fed controls. The effects of CR on oocyte quality in aging females were reproduced by deletion of the metabolic regulator, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α). Thus, CR during adulthood or loss of PGC-1α function maintains female germline chromosomal stability and its proper segregation during meiosis, such that ovulated oocytes of aged female mice previously maintained on CR or lacking PGC-1α are comparable to those of young females during prime reproductive life

The Need to Update the Content of the Materials in Teaching Language for Specific Purposes and its Possibilities in Higher Technical Schools

Straipsnyje aptariami svarbiausi ekolingvistinio požiūrio į kalbos mokymą aspektai ir sąsajos su specialybės kalbos mokymu bei jo turinio atnaujimu. Tyrimu, kuris grindžiamas ekolingvistinėmis prielaidomis, siekta atskleisti, kaip Vilniaus Gedimino technikos universiteto Aplinkos inžinerijos, Elektronikos ir Statybos fakultetų magistrantai vertina specialybės kalbos kultūros mokymo turinį ir kokios yra jo tobulinimo galimybės. Teorinės literatūros apžvalga ir kiekybinis tyrimas atskleidė, kad, mokant specialybės kalbos kultūros, siekiant, kad kurso turinys atitiktų studentų, o vėliau – ir darbuotojų poreikius, reikia ne tik įvertinti mokymo(si) patirtį, tirti studentų nuomonę, bet ir analizuoti kalbos aplinką, nuolat reaguoti į globalizacijos nulemtus visuomenės pokyčius.In the 80s of the 20th century the language ecology emerged from sociolinguistics, later turned into separate methodological school of language research called ecolinguistics. The representatives of this school started analyzing various aspects of language, as well as dealt into the norms of language and the issues of language teaching, encouraged updating of the content of language teaching materials. The presentation deals with the main ecolinguistic approaches towards the aspects of language teaching and the links with teaching language for specific purposes as well as with updating of its content. The first part of the presentation covers the theoretical aspects of ecolinguistic approach, the theories of social and cultural influence on language learning by foreign linguists (e.g. Einar Haugen, etc.) were referred to. The second part of the presentation introduces the research in evaluation of the language for specific purpose course, carried out at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University in 2013–2014. The research was aimed at revealing the way the postgraduate students would assess the teaching content of the course in language for specific purpose and its possibilities for improvement. Postgraduate students, being the target group, were taken into consideration because most of them were part-time students, having regular jobs, therefore, they could assess the content of the course in language for specific purpose from their practical point of view. The review of the theoretical literature and quantitative research being considered, it has been revealed that by delivering the course in language for specific purpose there is need to assess not only the learning experience and students’ opinions, but also to analyze the whole language contexts and the changes in the society influenced by globalization should be taken into consideration. The feedback of students’ questionnaires have showed that the updating of the content of the materials in teaching language for specific purpose is closely related with the changes in language policies in higher educational institutions