What's the difference between alter and improve?

Alter


Definition:

  • (v. t.) To make otherwise; to change in some respect, either partially or wholly; to vary; to modify.
  • (v. t.) To agitate; to affect mentally.
  • (v. t.) To geld.
  • (v. i.) To become, in some respects, different; to vary; to change; as, the weather alters almost daily; rocks or minerals alter by exposure.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Herpesviruses such as EBV, HSV, and human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6) have a marked tropism for cells of the immune system and therefore infection by these viruses may result in alterations of immune functions, leading at times to a state of immunosuppression.
  • (2) The process of sequence rearrangement appears to be a significant part of the evolution of the genome and may have a much greater effect on the evolution of the phenotype than sequence alteration by base substitution.
  • (3) The various evocational changes appear to form sets of interconnected systems and this complex network seems to embody some plasticity since it has been possible to suppress experimentally some of the most universal evocational events or alter their temporal order without impairing evocation itself.
  • (4) When chimeric animals were subjected to a lethal challenge of endotoxin, their response was markedly altered by the transferred lymphoid cells.
  • (5) Morphological alterations in the lungs of pheasants after prolonged high-dosage administration of bleomycin sulfate were studied by light and electron microscopy.
  • (6) Incubation with IFN alpha or IFN gamma for 24 h resulted in only modest cytokinetic alterations, and they did not modify the effects of FUra.
  • (7) We report a series of experiments designed to determine if agents and conditions that have been reported to alter sodium reabsorption, Na-K-ATPase activity or cellular structure in the rat distal nephron might also regulate the density or affinity of binding of 3H-metolazone to the putative thiazide receptor in the distal nephron.
  • (8) In dorsoventral (DV) reversed wings at both shoulder or flank level, the motor axons do not alter their course as they enter the graft.
  • (9) Neither spermidine nor spermine (0.5 mM) significantly altered [Ca2+]i.
  • (10) In addition to the changes associated with blood group A, we also found a decrease in sugar content, alterations in other antigens, and changes in the levels of several glycosyltransferases in cancerous tissues.
  • (11) When the concentration of thrombin or fibrinogen was altered systematically, mu T and mup were found to mirror each other except when the fibrinogen concentration was increased at low thrombin concentrations.
  • (12) Arteries treated with atrial natriuretic peptide showed no alterations in relaxation or cGMP content after incubation with pertussis toxin.
  • (13) These results could be explained by altered tissue blood flow and a decreased metabolic capacity of the liver in obese subjects.
  • (14) The sequential histopathologic alterations in femorotibial joints of partial meniscectomized male and female guinea pigs were evaluated at 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 weeks post-surgery.
  • (15) However, survival was closely related to the severity of the illness at the time of randomization and was not altered by shunting.
  • (16) Brain damage may be followed by a number of dynamic events including reactive synaptogenesis, rerouting of axons to unusual locations and altered axon retraction processes.
  • (17) Since the advance and return of sperm inside the tubes could facilitate the interaction of sperm with secretions participating in its maturation, the persistent infertility after vasectomy could be related to the contractile alteration that follows the excessive tubal distention.
  • (18) Sixteen patients (27%) manifested anomalies of the urinary tract: 12 had markedly altered kidneys, 8 of which were unilateral and ipsilateral to the diaphragmatic defect.
  • (19) Corticosterone (4 x 10(-5) M) did not alter the stimulation-evoked 3H-overflow at 1-30 Hz.
  • (20) The results show that the presence of histones does not alter the bimodal DNA binding process.

Improve


Definition:

  • (v. t.) To disprove or make void; to refute.
  • (v. t.) To disapprove; to find fault with; to reprove; to censure; as, to improve negligence.
  • (v. t.) To make better; to increase the value or good qualities of; to ameliorate by care or cultivation; as, to improve land.
  • (v. t.) To use or employ to good purpose; to make productive; to turn to profitable account; to utilize; as, to improve one's time; to improve his means.
  • (v. t.) To advance or increase by use; to augment or add to; -- said with reference to what is bad.
  • (v. i.) To grow better; to advance or make progress in what is desirable; to make or show improvement; as, to improve in health.
  • (v. i.) To advance or progress in bad qualities; to grow worse.
  • (v. i.) To increase; to be enhanced; to rise in value; as, the price of cotton improves.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) These data indicate a steady improvement in laboratory performance over the last 10 years.
  • (2) Use of the improved operative technique contributed to reduction in number of complications.
  • (3) With UVB treatment clinical improvement was achieved, and a less pronounced decrease in epidermal LC was noticed.
  • (4) This clinical improvement was also associated with a decrease of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p less than 0.001), decrease of C-reactive protein (p less than 0.0001) and with improvement of anaemia (p less than 0.05).
  • (5) In order to control noise- and vibration-caused diseases it was necessary not only to improve machines' quality and service conditions but also to pay special attention to the choice of operators and to the quality of monitoring their adaptation process.
  • (6) Symptomatic improvement was obtained in 14 of the 15 hands, and sensory-evoked response improved in 13 hands.
  • (7) McDonald said cutting better deals with suppliers and improving efficiency as well as raising some prices had only partly offset the impact of sterling’s fall against the dollar.
  • (8) Systemic corticosteroids (i.e., prednisone, prednisolone or methylprednisolone) have improved the survival rate of patients with moderate and severe ulcerative colitis.
  • (9) The active agents modestly improved treadmill exercise duration time until 1 mm ST segment depression (3%), and only propranolol and diltiazem had significant effects.
  • (10) A segment of vas deferens was transplanted to the contralateral deferens with the intention of improving treatment for certain cases of infertility caused by obstruction.
  • (11) Blood pressure control was marginally improved during the study and it is thought possible that better patient compliance might explain this.
  • (12) Since interferon alfa-2b (Intron A) is useful as a single agent, it is important to determine if interferon can be combined with standard chemotherapy to improve both response and survival in patients with cancer.
  • (13) Patients had improved sitting balance and endurance after surgery.
  • (14) However, further improvement of culture systems is needed for active replication of HBV in vitro.
  • (15) Symptoms, particularly colicky abdominal pain, improved during the period of chelation therapy.
  • (16) Her muscle weakness and hyperCKemia markedly improved by corticosteroid therapy, suggesting that the diagnosis was compatible with polymyositis (PM).
  • (17) An intact post-injury marriage was associated with improvement in education.
  • (18) A review is presented concerning the development of new neuroimaging techniques in the last decade which have improved the diagnostic exploration of patients with spinal cord injuries, including studies of possible sequelae.
  • (19) Akinetic symptoms were improved in 7 of 10 patients.
  • (20) What we’re doing is designed to improve people’s lives.” "I don't see race, colour or creed, and neither do my children," he added.