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Acute mountain sickness (AMS) occurs when there is failure of acclimatisation to high altitude. The aim of this study was to describe the relationship between physiological variables and the incidence of AMS during ascent to 5300 m. A total of 332 lowland‐dwelling volunteers followed an identical ascent profile on staggered treks. Self‐reported symptoms of AMS were recorded daily using the Lake Louise score (mild 3–4; moderate‐severe ≥5), alongside measurements of physiological variables (heart rate, respiratory rate (RR), peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) and blood pressure) before and after a standardised Xtreme Everest Step‐Test (XEST). The overall occurrence of AMS among participants was 73.5% (23.2% mild, 50.3% moderate–severe). There was no difference in gender, age, previous AMS, weight or body mass index between participants who developed AMS and those who did not. Participants who had not previously ascended >5000 m were more likely to get moderate‐to‐severe AMS. Participants who suffered moderate‐to‐severe AMS had a lower resting SpO2 at 3500 m (88.5 vs. 89.6%, p = 0.02), while participants who suffered mild or moderate‐to‐severe AMS had a lower end‐exercise SpO2 at 3500 m (82.2 vs. 83.8%, p = 0.027; 81.5 vs. 83.8%, p 5000 m (OR 2.740, p‐value 0.003) predicted the development of moderate‐to‐severe AMS. The Xtreme Everest Step‐Test offers a simple, reproducible field test to help predict AMS, albeit with relatively limited predictive precision., We evaluated the performance of a simple exercise challenge at altitude (the Xtreme Everest Step‐Test) in predicting acute mountain sickness (AMS) on a trek to Everest Base Camp (5300 m). The overall occurrence of AMS during the trek was high (73.5%). Lower peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) following the Xtreme Everest Step‐Test at 3500 m and no previous exposure to altitude >5000 m predicted the development of moderate to severe AMS (Lake Louise score ≥5) during the trek. The Xtreme Everest Step‐Test offers a simple, reproducible field test to contribute towards the prediction of AMS, albeit with relatively limited predictive precision.

Ticks are the cause of economic loss in animal husbandry and a cause of concern in public health. Therefore this study was carried out to identify the tick species occurring in indigenous small ruminants and investigate factors influencing their occurrence in Dja et Lobo in the South Region of Cameroon. Ticks were collected from 397 animals (sheep and goats) from 90 farms and identified morphologically. Data on potential risk factors were also collected. 6.5% (26 out of 397) of animals were infested with three adult, ixodid tick species: Amblyomma variegatum (6.5%), Rhipicephalus evertsi (3.5%) and R. sanguineus (1.5%). The infestation rate was significantly higher (p .05) in A variegatum than in R. evertsi and R. sanguineus infestations. The relative abundance for A. variegatum, R. evertsi and R. sanguineus was 72.22%, 19.44% and 8.33% respectively. The mean tick load was low (0.36 ± 1.45). The mean load of A. variegatum was 3.71 and 8.66 times significantly higher (p .05) than that of R. evertsi and R. sanguineus respectively. The frequency of acaricide use significantly affected the tick load of animals; animals irregularly treated for tick infestation had higher tick load than untreated animals. All other factors (animal species, gender and age, location of farms and farmer's knowledge of tick) were not significant. Such a practice (irregular treatment) needs to be corrected for better productivity of small ruminants in the Region. Because of the presence of A. variegatum in the area, introduction of new genetic materials (exotic breeds) should be well thought of and handled with care.

Myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL-1) is an anti-apoptotic BCL-2 protein that is up-regulated in several human cancers. MCL-1 is also highly expressed in myocardium, but its function in myocytes has not been investigated. We generated inducible, cardiomyocyte-specific Mcl-1 knockout mice and found that ablation of Mcl-1 in the adult heart led to rapid cardiomyopathy and death. Although MCL-1 is known to inhibit apoptosis, this process was not activated in MCL-1-deficient hearts. Ultrastructural analysis revealed disorganized sarcomeres and swollen mitochondria in myocytes. Mitochondria isolated from MCL-1-deficient hearts exhibited reduced respiration and limited Ca2+-mediated swelling, consistent with opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP). Double-knockout mice lacking MCL-1 and cyclophilin D, an essential regulator of the mPTP, exhibited delayed progression to heart failure and extended survival. Autophagy is normally induced by myocardial stress, but induction of autophagy was impaired in MCL-1-deficient hearts. These data demonstrate that MCL-1 is essential for mitochondrial homeostasis and induction of autophagy in the heart. This study also raises concerns about potential cardiotoxicity for chemotherapeutics that target MCL-1.

Despite the growing importance and potential of sales force automation (SFA), failure rates for SFA implementations have been reported to be as high as 55–80%. Given the growth of SFA programs, the potential effectiveness and efficiency SFA can bring to the sales force, and the magnitude of SFA failures, it is surprising that relatively few studies have addressed this important and timely topic. Many of the early studies have focused on the adoption and diffusion/infusion of SFA programs from an information technology perspective. The results of these studies have been inconclusive in explaining SFA implementation failures. The purpose of this study is to add to our understanding of SFA failures by investigating a broader set of implementation factors than those typically included in acceptance of technology studies. We conducted in-depth personal interviews with executives from three global organizations who were responsible for SFA initiatives in their firm. Results from the in-depth analyses yield recommendations and a proposed model to assist managers in the implementation of their SFA as well as getting their salespeople to “buy-in” to the SFA, and ultimately reduce SFA failures.

According to the Stages of Change (SOC) model, behavioural change involves a process of movement from precontemplation (no intention to change), to contemplation (some intention to change, but no behaviour), to preparation (intention to change and early inconsistent behavioural attempts to change), to action (consistent behavioural performance for less than six months) and finally, to maintenance (consistent behavioural performance for six months or more). Moreover, it is argued that cognitive (e.g. attitude change) and action oriented (e.g. changing self-efficacy) strategies are differentially effective at different stages. In contrast, most other behavioural prediction and change models suggest that both cognitive and action oriented approaches are necessary to move people from precontemplation to contemplation (i.e. to develop intentions). This paper tests this and other differences between these two theoretical approaches. Among other findings, our data indicate that a combination of cognitive and act...

This paper presents a 65 nm CMOS technology that achieves a logic density of 900 k-gates/mm/sup 2/ and a SRAM memory density of 1.4 Mb/mm/sup 2/ using a sub-0.49 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ bitcell. Key features of a low cost technology option for mobile products (MP) and a high performance technology option (HP) for DSP based applications are described.

In this work, we present a 60 nm gate length CMOS for high performance applications at the 0.13 /spl mu/m CMOS node. The technology utilizes 193 nm gate lithography, dual spacers with thin spacer before drain extension implant and L-shaped nitride spacer after drain extensions, and remote-plasma nitrided dielectric with 1.75 nm EOT. 10-15% improvement in drive current is achieved with lower series resistance by reduction of dopant loss and higher dopant activation, resulting in n- and pMOS I/sub drive/ of 1160 /spl mu/A//spl mu/m and 550 /spl mu/A//spl mu/m at 1.3 V at I/sub off/=100 nA//spl mu/m.

The optical counterpart of the new transient X-ray source, GRS 1121-68, Nova Muscae 1991, has been identified. The optical position, the optical lightcurve, and two early-stage flux calibrated spectra are reported. The available data support the binary nature of Nova Muscae 1991. Similarity with A0620-00 in its early evolutionary stages suggests that Nova Muscae 1991 is a possible black hole candidate.

Seventy per cent of the bedrock in the Mt. Cube area consists of metamorphic rocks of sedimentary and volcanic origin, ranging from middle Ordovician (?) to early Devonian. The total thickness is about 16,000 feet. Two of the oldest stratigraphic units, the Orfordville formation and the Piermont member of the Albee formation, are described in detail because this is the type locality. The Orfordville formation, presumably middle Ordovician, is 5000 feet thick, and consists of interbedded black schist and volcanic rocks. The schist represents carbonaceous marine mud and sand. The volcanics represent metamorphosed basalt flows and pyroclastics (now amphibolite) with some rhyolite, quartz latite, and dacite (now biotite gneiss). The Piermont member, 1000 feet thick at maximum and locally absent, comprises most of the lower part of the Albee formation, and consists of aluminous, carbonaceous schist interbedded with noncarbonaceous quartzmica schist, quartzite, and fine conglomerate. About 30 per cent of the bedrock consists of gneissic igneous rocks, ranging from granite to quartz diorite. Most of them belong to the late Devonian Oliverian and New Hampshire magma series. The stratified rocks were severely folded, broken by thrust faults, and metamorphosed during the late Devonian. Thrusting and overturning of folds is toward the east-southeast, except in the southeastern part of the area, where it is toward the west. The concordant, domical intrusives of the Oliverian magma series were active during the later stages of the folding, and represent the tops of syntectonic phacoliths, rather than pretectonic laccoliths. The metamorphic and tectonic relationships of minerals in the middle-grade zone of metamorphism are briefly discussed, and an area of wholesale retrograde metamorphism associated with a major thrust fault is described.

This paper discusses the process of long range planning in Continental Oil Company. Although this process has been developed to meet the needs of a large privately owned U.S.A. company, much of what is discussed would apply equally well to any large industrial organization. Some modifications would be necessary for smaller companies, but the basic principles of planning, would be unchanged.

In the epicentral region of the Hebgen Lake earthquake, Montana, late Cenozoic structures marked by tension are superimposed on Laramide structures marked by compression. During the earthquake, several large normal faults northeast of Hebgen Lake, and many small faults and monoclines south of it, were reactivated, and a very large area was abruptly dropped and warped. New fault scarps are as high as 20 feet. They are mostly in unconsolidated or weakly coherent material but certainly reflect displacements of the underlying bedrock. Offsets produced by refraction of faults, which are steeper in surficial material than in bedrock, and by various types of slumping, generally result in surficial scarps higher than true fault displacements. Subsidence amounted to as much as 22 feet in the lake basin, as proved by releveling of bench marks by the Coast and Geodetic Survey and by shoreline measurements around Hebgen Lake. Parts of the basin subsided differentially, warping the lake bed and creating a gigantic long-lived seiche. Depth-sounding traverses of the lake recorded warping but gave no indication of major faulting of the lake bottom. A part of the Madison Valley, west of Hebgen Lake, also subsided, though not as much, and a segment of the Madison Range fault was reactivated. At least part of the highway through Madison River Canyon, which cuts directly across the Madison Range between Hebgen Lake and Madison Valley, subsided also; one group of geologists regards this subsidence as tectonic, and considers the entire range, for which there are otherwise no positive data, to have subsided between Hebgen Lake and Madison Valley. In this view, an eastward trending syncline has been propagated across the northwest-trending Madison Range. Another group considers the subsidence in Madison River Canyon to be due in part to compaction and slumping, and the Madison Range to have changed little in altitude. The pattern of deformation appears to them as the uneven subsidence of two northwest-trending basins, one on either side of the Madison Range. The earthquake caused widespread slumping and sliding of the surficial mantle; the huge Madison Slide killed 26 people. An old earthflow was reactivated and moved 100 feet or more in the month following the earthquake.

A large rockslide in the steep-walled canyon of the Madison River near Yellowstone National Park, U.S.A., was triggered by the Hebgen Lake, Montana, earthquake of August 17, 1959. It occurred almost immediately after the first and strongest earthquake shock, and in less than one minute it sent more than 20 × 10 6 m 3 of weathered schist, gneiss, and dolomite onto the canyon floor and part way up the opposite wall. The principal determining factors of the rockslide were a high, mechanically unstable slope of sheared and weathered rock maintained by a natural buttress of relatively strong dolomite, and a large input of kinetic energy contributed by the earthquake. Portions of the slide mass traveled very rapidly on the steeper part of the pre-slide slope; on the less steep parts, from which much coherent rock moved, movement was slower and apparently occurred on deep glide surfaces. A large amount of air was momentarily trapped beneath the faster moving part of the slide, but most of it escaped in a violent airblast; it did not contribute much to the movement of the slide. Study of pre-slide aerial photographs suggests that movement along one edge of the slide had taken place more than three years earlier, and therefore the potential for massive sliding might have been predicted.

Chromatin-associated RNA polymerase activity increases during washing of sugar beet tissue to a maximum by 20 hours. This increase was inhibited by dosages of gamma irradiation between 50 and 400 krad. Template availability, as measured by saturating levels of added Escherichia coli RNA polymerase, also increased with washing and was inhibited, although to a lesser extent, by the above irradiation dosages. Neither endogenous polymerase activity nor template availability was affected by high dosages (300 krad) in unwashed tissue. Exposure of tissue to irradiation (300 krad) at different times during a 20-hour washing period severely inhibited the development of RNA polymerase activity during the early stages of washing. The inhibition of template availability, however, was independent of time of irradiation. The data presented are discussed in relation to the mechanisms involved in the inhibitory effects of gamma irradiation on RNA production and subsequent protein synthesis.

From Preface: "The present account summarizes the results of a long investigation of the rocks of the Great Smoky Mountains (1946-55) by geologists of the staff of the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with those of the Tennessee Division of Geology. The technical details of this investigation have already been set forth at length in professional papers of the U.S. Geological Survey. The present account contains the gist of these findings about the rocks of the mountains, and is accompanied by a map and structure sections in which the surface and underground extent of the rocks are displayed."

Much of the Great Smoky Mountains, which span the boundary between Tennessee and North Carolina, is formed of the Ocoee series, of later Precambrian age. This is a body of terrigenous clastic sedimentary rocks, which has minor intercalations of limestone and dolomite but no volcanic components or known fossils. The series is probably 30,000 feet or more thick. It lies unconformably on a basement of earlier Precambrian granitic and gneissic rocks, and on the northwest side of the mountains it is overlain by the Cochran formation, or basal unit of the Chilhowee group, which is of Cambrian and Precambrian(?) age. South of the mountains it is overlain by rocks of the Murphy marble belt; here, the top of the Ocoee is placed tentatively at the base of the Nantahala slate. The Ocoee series is divisible into three broad units of regional extent and contrasting lithologic character, which are herewith designated groups and named the Snowbird group, the Great Smoky group, and the Walden Creek group. The groups consist of local intergrading and intertonguing formations and have complex stratigraphic and structural relations. The Ocoee series is split by major thrust faults into three sequences, a southern, central, and northern, none of which contains more than two groups of the series. The lowest group, the Snowbird, is best developed in the central sequence where it is more than 13,000 feet thick; it is much thinner in the southern sequence. In both sequences it lies unconformably on granites and gneisses. Toward the east it is largely sandstone, but this is interbedded with and intertongues westward into finer-grained sandstone, siltstone, and argillaceous rocks. These differences permit the Snowbird group to be divided, in ascending order, into the Wading Branch formation, Longarm quartzite, Roaring Fork sandstone, and Pigeon siltstone. Toward the west the Snowbird is represented by more strongly metamorphosed rocks termed the Metcalf phyllite. Above the Snowbird group in the southern sequence is the Great Smoky group, more than 25,000 feet thick. The lower part, termed the Elkmont sandstone, is fine-grained sandstone. The middle part, termed the Thunderhead sandstone, is poorly sorted, coarse, feldspathic sandstone in graded beds. The upper part, termed the Anakeesta formation, includes many beds of dark argillaceous and silty rocks. South of the Great Smoky Mountains the Great Smoky group is overlain by the rocks of the Murphy marble belt. The Snowbird group in the central sequence is overlain in a few places by coarser-grained rocks. These somewhat resemble those of the Great Smoky group, but their stratigraphic relations to it are not demonstrable, so that they are left as unclassified parts of the Ocoee series. In one area such rocks are named the Rich Butt sandstone, in another the Cades sandstone. In the northern sequence the Walden Creek group, about 8000 feet thick, forms a varied assemblage of argillaceous and silty rocks and quartz-pebble conglomerate, with locally prominent quartzite, limestone, and dolomite. The Walden Creek group is divided, in ascending order, into the Licklog formation, Shields formation, Wilhite formation, and Sandsuck formation; the Wilhite is in turn divided into the Dixon Mountain member and Yellow Breeches member. The Walden Creek is overlain by the Chilhowee group of Cambrian and Precambrian(?) age but is in fault contact with the Snowbird group on the southeast; it is not in contact with the Great Smoky group. Northeast of the Great Smoky Mountains, the Walden Creek group is reported to overlie the Snowbird group as part of a sedimentary sequence from the basement rocks upward through the Chilhowee group into the overlying Paleozoic.

In recent work we have argued that so-called robust virtue epistemology exemplifies a version of epistemic individualism according to which warrant -i.e., what converts true belief into knowledge- supervenes on internal physical properties of individuals, perhapsin conjunction with local environmental properties. We have presented robust virtue epistemology with various epistemic twin earth scenarios which demonstrate that warrant supervenes in part on wider environmental properties, and which hence provide support for epistemic anti-individualism. In this paper we argue first that so-called evidentialist mentalism also exemplifies a version of epistemic individualism which faces a related epistemic twin earth scenario. We then argue that even though a knowledge-first approach in epistemology is in principle consistent with epistemic anti-individualism, this approach fails to offer a plausible account of epistemic supervenience. The upshot is that further support is provided for epistemic anti-individualism, and a prima facie case is made for embedding such an approachoutside of the knowledge-first framework.