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Purpose: The aim of this study was to conduct a scoping review of research on oral and laryngeal diadochokinesis (DDK) in children and adults, either typically developing/developed or with a clinical diagnosis. Method: Searches were conducted with PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, CINAHL, and legacy sources in retrieved articles. Search terms included the following: DDK, alternating motion rate, maximum repetition rate, sequential motion rate, and syllable repetition rate. Results: Three hundred sixty articles were retrieved and included in the review. Data source tables for children and adults list the number and ages of study participants, DDK task, and language(s) spoken. Cross-sectional data for typically developing children and typically developed adults are compiled for the monosyllables /pA/, /tA/, and /kA/; the trisyllable /pAtAkA/; and laryngeal DDK. In addition, DDK results are summarized for 26 disorders or conditions. Discussion: A growing number of multidisciplinary reports on DDK affirm its role in clinical practice and research across the world. Atypical DDK is not a well-defined singular entity but rather a label for a collection of disturbances associated with diverse etiologies, including motoric, structural, sensory, and cognitive. The clinical value of DDK can be optimized by consideration of task parameters, analysis method, and population of interest., The word diadochokinesis (DDK) is derived from the Greek diadochos (succeeding) + kinesis (movement). In the general study of body movements, DDK or diadochokinesia is defined as the ability to [...]

Purpose: Developmental functional modules (DFMs) are biological modules that are defined by their structural (morphological), functional, or developmental elements, and, in some cases, all three of these. This review article considers the hypothesis that vocal development in the first year of life can be understood in large part with respect to DFMs that characterize the speech production system. Method: Literature is reviewed on relevant embryology, orofacial reflexes, craniofacial muscle properties, stages of vocal development, and related topics to identity candidates for DFMs. Results: The following DFMs are identified and described: laryngeal, pharyngo-laryngeal, mandibular, velopharyngeal, labial complex, and lingual complex. These DFMs and their submodules, considered along with phenomena such as rhythmic movements, account for several well-documented features of vocal development in the first year of life. The proposed DFMs, rooted in embryologic, histologic, and kinematic properties, serve as low-dimensional control variables for the developing vocal tract. Each DFM is semiautonomous but interacts with other DFMs to produce patterns of vocal behavior. Discussion: Considered in relation to contemporary profiles and models of vocal development in the first year of life, DFMs have interpretive and explanatory value. DFMs complement other approaches in the study of infant vocalizations and are grounded in biology., This review article considers the hypothesis that vocal development in infancy can be understood in large part with respect to developmental functional modules (DFMs). DFMs are biological modules that are [...]

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate how speech fluency in typical and atypical speech is perceptually assessed by speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Our research questions were as follows: (a) How do SLPs rate fluency in speakers with and without neurological communication disorders? (b) Do they differentiate the speaker groups? and (c) What features do they hear impairing speech fluency? Method: Ten SLPs specialized in neurological communication disorders volunteered as expert judges to rate 90 narrative speech samples on a Visual Analogue Scale (see Kempster, Gerratt, Verdolini Abbott, Barkmeier-Kraemer, & Hillman, 2009; p. 127). The samples--randomly mixed--were from 70 neurologically healthy speakers (the control group) and 20 speakers with traumatic brain injury, 10 of whom had neurogenic stuttering (designated as Clinical Groups A and B). Results: The fluency rates were higher for typical speakers than for speakers with traumatic brain injury; however, the agreement among the judges was higher for atypical fluency. Auditory-perceptual assessment of fluency was significantly impaired by the features of stuttering and something else but not by speech rate. Stuttering was also perceived in speakers not diagnosed as stutterers. A borderline between typical and atypical fluency was found. Conclusions: Speech fluency is a multifaceted phenomenon, and on the basis of this study, we suggest a more general approach to fluency and its deviations that will take into account, in addition to the motor and linguistic aspects of fluency, the metalinguistic component of expression as well. The results of this study indicate a need for further studies on the precise nature of borderline fluency and its different disfluencies., Spontaneous speech is disfluent by its very nature due to the linguistic and cognitive processing demands that affect speech motor performance (Brown, Ingham, Ingham, Laird, & Fox, 2005; Kent, 2000; [...]

Purpose: This study explored the speech characteristics of Mandarin-speaking children with cerebral palsy (CP) and typically developing (TD) children to determine (a) how children in the 2 groups may differ in their speech patterns and (b) the variables correlated with speech intelligibility for words and sentences. Method: Data from 6 children with CP and a clinical diagnosis of moderate dysarthria were compared with data from 9 TD children using a multiple speech subsystems approach. Acoustic and perceptual variables reflecting 3 speech subsystems (articulatory-phonetic, phonatory, and prosodic), and speech intelligibility, were measured based on speech samples obtained from the Test of Children's Speech Intelligibility in Mandarin (developed in the lab for the purpose of this research). Results: The CP and TD children differed in several aspects of speech subsystem function. Speech intelligibility scores in children with CP were influenced by all 3 speech subsystems, but articulatory-phonetic variables had the highest correlation with word intelligibility. All 3 subsystems influenced sentence intelligibility. Conclusion: Children with CP demonstrated deficits in speech intelligibility and articulation compared with TD children. Better speech sound articulation influenced higher word intelligibility, but did not benefit sentence intelligibility., Cerebral palsy (CP) is a nonprogressive neuromuscular disorder caused by a lesion of the brain that happens before, during, or shortly after an infant's birth. The prevalence of CP is [...]

Purpose: This study examines accuracy and comparability of 4 trademarked acoustic analysis software packages (AASPs): Praat, WaveSurfer, TF32, and CSL by using synthesized and natural vowels. Features of AASPs are also described. Method: Synthesized and natural vowels were analyzed using each of the AASP's default settings to secure 9 acoustic measures: fundamental frequency (F0), formant frequencies (F1-F4), and formant bandwidths (B1-B4). The discrepancy between the software measured values and the input values (synthesized, previously reported, and manual measurements) was used to assess comparability and accuracy. Basic AASP features are described. Results: Results indicate that Praat, WaveSurfer, and TF32 generate accurate and comparable F0 and F1-F4 data for synthesized vowels and adult male natural vowels. Results varied by vowel for women and children, with some serious errors. Bandwidth measurements by AASPs were highly inaccurate as compared with manual measurements and published data on formant bandwidths. Conclusions: Values of F0 and F1-F4 are generally consistent and fairly accurate for adult vowels and for some child vowels using the default settings in Praat, WaveSurfer, and TF32. Manipulation of default settings yields improved output values in TF32 and CSL. Caution is recommended especially before accepting F1-F4 results for children and B1-B4 results for all speakers. Key Words: acoustics, effectiveness, speech, technology, Software for digital acoustic analysis of speech offers unprecedented opportunities for the analysis of speech samples for different purposes, including education, clinical practice, and research. Use of these software systems [...]

Title: Dysarthria in Mandarin-Speaking Children With Cerebral Palsy: Speech Subsystem Profiles Authors: Li-Mei Chen, Katherine C. Hustad, Ray D. Kent, and Yu Ching Lin Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing [...]

Purpose: This review summarizes research on disorders of speech production in Down syndrome (DS) for the purposes of informing clinical services and guiding future research. Method: Review of the literature was based on searches using MEDLINE, Google Scholar, PsycINFO, and HighWire Press, as well as consideration of reference lists in retrieved documents (including online sources). Search terms emphasized functions related to voice, articulation, phonology, prosody, fluency, and intelligibility. Conclusions: The following conclusions pertain to four major areas of review: voice, speech sounds, fluency and prosody, and intelligibility. The first major area is voice. Although a number of studies have reported on vocal abnormalities in DS, major questions remain about the nature and frequency of the phonatory disorder. Results of perceptual and acoustic studies have been mixed, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions or even to identify sensitive measures for future study. The second major area is speech sounds. Articulatory and phonological studies show that speech patterns in DS are a combination of delayed development and errors not seen in typical development. Delayed (i.e., developmental) and disordered (i.e., nondevelopmental) patterns are evident by the age of about 3 years, although DS-related abnormalities possibly appear earlier, even in infant babbling. The third major area is fluency and prosody. Stuttering and/or cluttering occur in DS at rates of 10%-45%, compared with about 1 % in the general population. Research also points to significant disturbances in prosody. The fourth major area is intelligibility. Studies consistently show marked limitations in this area, but only recently has the research gone beyond simple rating scales. Key Words: speech sound disorders, voice disorders, prosody, genetic disorders, fluency disorders, Speech production in Down syndrome (DS) is associated with significant impairments in spoken language (Fawcett & Peralego, 2009; Leddy, 1999; Miller & Leddy, 1999; Rondal & Comblain, 1996; Timmins et [...]

Earlier research has shown that adding wind generation to a network can lower the total annual operating cost by displacing conventional generation. At the same time, the variability of wind [...]

Purpose: The anatomic origin for prepubertal vowel acoustic differences between male and female subjects remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to examine developmental sex differences in vocal tract (VT) length and its oral and pharyngeal portions. Method: Nine VT variables were measured from 605 imaging studies (magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography) of subjects between birth and age 19 years. Given sex differences in growth rate (Vorperian et al., 2009), assessment of sex differences was done through use of a localized comparison window of 60 months. Analysis entailed applying this comparison window first to 4 discrete age cohorts, followed by a progressive assessment in which this comparison window was moved in 1-month increments from birth across all ages. Results: Findings document significant postpubertal sex differences in both the oral and pharyngeal portions of the VT. They also document periods of significant prepubertal sex differences in the oral region first, followed by segments in the pharyngeal region. Conclusions: Assessment of developmental sex differences using localized age ranges is effective in unveiling sex differences that growth rate differences may conceal. Findings on the presence of prepubertal sex differences in the oral region of the VT may clarify, in part, the anatomic basis of documented prepubertal acoustic differences. Key Words: sexual dimorphism, vocal tract, development, As the vocal tract (VT) increases in length during development, its formant frequencies decrease (Fant, 1960). Fant (1966) also noted that physiologically induced differences in formant patterns between male and [...]

Background and objectives: Vitamin D and its metabolites act through vitamin D receptor (VDR). We hypothesized that subjects with low serum 25(OH)D levels but normal PTH might have increased VDR expression. Design and Methods: VDRmRNA expression was assessed by real time PCR in duodenal mucosa and PBMC (peripheral blood mononuclear cells) in 45 subjects with normal duodenoscopy and in PBMC alone in 48 healthy volunteers with hypovitaminosis D. 25(OH)D, PTH and VDRmRNA expression in PBMC was reassessed after 8 weeks of oral cholecalciferol (60 000 IU per week) in a subset (n = 23) of healthy volunteers. Results and Conclusions: The VDRmRNA expressions in the duodenum and PBMC were significantly correlated (r = 0.42), but the expression was 13 times higher in the former than the latter. The mean VDRmRNA expression was similar in 25(OH)D-deficient subjects with or without PTH elevation, both in the duodenum and PBMC. The PBMC VDRmRNA expression showed no significant change after cholecalciferol supplementation. A weak correlation coefficient between duodenal mucosa and PBMC VDRmRNA suggests that caution needs to be exercised while using the latter as a surrogate for other sites. Keywords: 25(OH)D deficiency; hypovitaminosis D; vitamin D receptor; mRNA expression; bioadaptation, Introduction Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is observed in up to 90% of Asian Indians (Goswami et al., 2000; Vupputuri et al., 2006) and is equally prevalent in several other countries [...]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2008.04.002 Byline: Alessandro Alasia (a), Alfons Weersink (b), Ray D. Bollman (a), John Cranfield (b) Abstract: Understanding the factors affecting off-farm labour decisions of census-farm operators has significant implications for rural development and farm income support policy. We examine the off-farm labour decisions of Canadian farm operators using micro-level data from the 2001 Census of Agriculture combined with community level data from the 2001 Census of Population. While confirming some of the findings of previous research with respect to the effects of human capital and farm characteristics on off-farm work participation, this study shows the differential impact of those variables for operators of smaller and larger holdings. Family, community and regional characteristics appear more relevant in determining the joint decision to work off-farm and operate a smaller holding, compared to the decision to work off-farm and operate a larger farm. Results suggest that, once other factors are accounted for, proximity to urban centres does not have a positive effect on the joint decisions to participate in off-farm work and to operate a holding. This joint decision, in fact, is more related to the dynamics of the local labour market. A major implication of these findings is that while urban centers might represent an engine of growth for overall rural income through employment opportunities for the non-farm workforce, the non-farm income of farm operators is more likely to be affected by policy initiatives that address directly the dynamics of labour markets in the community where the operator lives. Author Affiliation: (a) Agriculture Division, Statistics Canada, 170 Tunney's Pasture Driveway, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0T6, Canada (b) Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Guelph, Gordon Street, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada

Normal airways homeostatically regulate the volume of airway surface liquid (ASL) through both cAMP- and [Ca.sup.2+]-dependent regulation of ion and water transport. In cystic fibrosis (CF), a genetic defect causes a lack of cAMP-regulated CFTR activity, leading to diminished [Cl.sup.-] and water secretion from airway epithelial cells and subsequent mucus plugging, which serves as the focus for infections. Females with CF exhibit reduced survival compared with males with CF, although the mechanisms underlying this sex-related disadvantage are unknown. Despite the lack of CFTR, CF airways retain a limited capability to regulate ASL volume, as breathing-induced ATP release activates salvage purinergic pathways that raise intracellular [Ca.sup.2+] concentration to stimulate an alternate pathway to [Cl.sup.-] secretion. We hypothesized that estrogen might affect this pathway by reducing the ability of airway epithelia to respond appropriately to nucleotides. We found that uridine triphosphate--mediated (UTP-mediated) [Cl.sup.-] secretion was reduced during the periovulatory estrogen maxima in both women with CF and normal, healthy women. Estrogen also inhibited [Ca.sup.2+] signaling and ASL volume homeostasis in non-CF and CF airway epithelia by attenuating [Ca.sup.2+] influx. This inhibition of [Ca.sup.2+] signaling was prevented and even potentiated by estrogen antagonists such as tamoxifen, suggesting that antiestrogens may be beneficial in the treatment of CF lung disease because they increase [Cl.sup.-] secretion in the airways., Introduction Mucus clearance is an important aspect of innate defense in the mammalian lung (1). The rate of mucus clearance is set by the volume of airway surface liquid (ASL) [...]

Purpose: This article integrates published acoustic data on the development of vowel production. Age specific data on formant frequencies are considered in the light of information on the development of [...]

The deregulated electricity market calls for robust optimal power flow (OPF) tools that can provide a) deterministic convergence; b) accurate computation of nodal prices; c) support of both smooth and nonsmooth costing of a variety of resources and services, such as real energy, reactive energy, voltages support, etc.; d) full active and reactive power flow modeling of large-scale systems; and e) satisfactory worst-case performance that meets the real-time dispatching requirement. Most prior research on OPF has focused on performance issues in the context of regulated systems, without giving much emphasis to requirements a)-c). This paper discusses the computational challenges brought up by the deregulation and attempts to address them through the introduction of new OPF formulations and algorithms. Trust-region-based augmented Lagrangian method (TRALM), step-controlled primal-dual interior point method (SCIPM), and constrained cost variable (CCV) OPF formulation are proposed. The new formulations and algorithms, along with several existing ones, are tested and compared using large-scale power system models. Index Terms--Augmented Lagrangian method, constrained cost variable, economic dispatch, electricity market, market-based optimal power flow, multiplier method, nonsmooth optimization, optimal power flow, primal-dual interior point method, step-controlled interior point method, trust region method.

A case study is presented of an 11-year-old boy who developed severe cerebellar ataxia following resection of a fourth ventricle meduloblastoma. Dysarthria is a frequent sequela to resolution of the [...]

Purpose: This study was designed to determine whether within-speaker fluctuations in speech intelligibility occurred among speakers with dysarthria who produced a reading passage, and, if they did, whether selected linguistic and acoustic variables predicted the variations in speech intelligibility. Method: Participants with dysarthria included a total of 10 persons with Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; a control group of 10 neurologically normal speakers was also studied. Each participant read a passage that was subsequently separated into consecutive breath groups for estimates of individual breath group intelligibility. Sixty listeners participated in 2 perceptual experiments, generating intelligibility scores across speakers and for each breath group produced by speakers with dysarthria. Results: Individual participants with dysarthria had fluctuations in intelligibility across breath groups. Breath groups of participants with dysarthria had fewer average words and reduced interquartile ranges for the 2nd formant, the latter a global measure of articulatory mobility. Regression analyses with intelligibility measures as the criterion variable and linguistic and acoustic measures as predictor variables produced significant functions both within and across speakers, but the solutions were not the same. Conclusions: Linguistic or acoustic variables that predict across-speaker variations in speech intelligibility may not function in the same way when within-speaker variations in intelligibility are considered. KEY WORDS: dysarthria, intelligibility, speech acoustics, Intelligibility generally refers to the degree to which a spoken utterance is understood by a listener, and it is presumed to be dependent on the integrity of acoustic components that [...]

Revenue forecasts play an important role in the state government budget and policy process. These forecasts are generally reported to executive and legislative leaders as point estimates, with no acknowledgment of their corresponding risk and uncertainty. The revenue semaphores proposed in this article outline procedures by which revenue uncertainty directly influences the planning process. The goal is not to make forecasts more accurate, but to make discussions of budget and revenue alternatives more comprehensive. Explicitly incorporating risk and uncertainty measures into the budgeting process increases the degree of real-time budgeting and reduces some adverse effects of budget revisions after the fiscal year begins. The discussion occurs in the context of budget control, management, and policy making.

This paper demonstrates that the Ray-Srinath model resolves, conceptually and mathematically, the issues that are beyond the traditional shift-share model. It does this by establishing the mathematical links between the [...]

Forest plantations can provide an important wood resource for regional industries as well as other benefits such as salinity abatement, land rehabilitation, biomass production and carbon sequestration. A strategic plantation capability and suitability assessment was undertaken for New South Wales to determine the potential of regions to support hardwood and softwood plantations for a range of purposes. The plantation capability assessment used the Physiological Principles for Predicting Growth (3-PG) model to simulate potential tree growth in plantations and the land suitability assessment identified cleared private land that is potentially suitable for plantation establishment. The study concluded that there is land within NSW regions that is suitable for plantations and capable of growing trees in plantations for a range of purposes. In addition to the outputs of this biophysically based plantation capability and suitability assessment, strategic regional planning also needs to consider the potential economic returns, social concerns, environmental issues and other relevant factors.

Research has been conducted on the mitochondrial protein frataxin which is required for iron homeostasis. Results indicate that recombinant yeast frataxin and iron form a hydrophilic complex detectable by both protein and iron staining on the nondenaturing polyacrylamide gels.

The Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, U.K., has a number of pulsed-power-driven flash X-ray machines for diagnosing the hydrodynamics of explosively-driven high-atomic-number materials. The most powerful of these machines is Mogul-E, which operates at about 10 MV and 30 kA, delivering about 400 R at 1 m in a 5-mm spot. Longer-term plans envisage the upgrading of existing facilities through the construction of a hydrodynamic research facility (HRF) with multiaxis radiography. It is proposed that the HRF will be furnished initially with three inductive voltage adder (IVA) machines operating at 14 MV, each giving 600 R at 1 m in a 5-mm spot. It is envisaged that, following further research, the outputs will be increased towards 1000 R, with a reduction in X-ray spot size. More speculative proposals involve increasing the number of machines from three to five, and/or the splitting of the output end of one or more machines to drive more than one X-ray source per machine. An overview of the research programme necessary to achieve these aims is presented. Topics covered include: experiments to investigate the performance at ~ 5 MV of the paraxial diode and the magnetically immersed diode; split magnetically insulated transmission lines where one machine drove two X-ray sources; the design and testing of a prototype IVA module operating at ~ 1.5 MV; the design of an upgrade from 5 MV to 10 MV of one of our existing single pulse-forming-line machines; and initial experiments to investigate the usefulness of ultrashort-pulse lasers for generating useful fluences of 2-4 MeV X-rays. Index Terms--Blumlein, chirped-pulse amplification, CPA, diodes, electron accelerator, immersed B-field diode, inductive voltage adder, IVA, marx, paraxial diode, pulse power, pulsed power, radiography, rod pinch, source size reduction.

Research has been conducted on the light-harvesting 1 beta subunit complex from Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The structure of this complex built from its individual subunit structures has been developed and the details are reported.

This study examined word level intelligibility differences between DECTalk and MacinTalk speech synthesizers using the Modified Rhyme Test in an open format transcription task. Three groups of listeners participated: inexperienced, speech-language pathologists, and speech synthesis experts. Results for between-subjects ANOVA showed that the expert group correctly identified a significantly higher number of words than each of the other listener groups. For the within-subjects factor of voice, simple effects ANOVA and post hoc contrasts within each group showed that listeners had higher intelligibility scores for the DECTalk male voice, Perfect Paul, than for the MacinTalk male voice, Bruce. No other pairwise gender/age-matched differences were found between the two synthesizers. KEY WORDS: speech synthesis, DECTalk, MacinTalk, intelligibility, listening experience

Practitioners of public administration do make a difference in the end products and services of public organizations. In evaluating the success of these organizations, it is important to take into account the environment wherein actions were taken. It is also important to consider the goals of the organizations based on their perspective and not that of the researcher. Lastly, researchers are cautioned to be compassionate in the evaluation of public organizations because of the myriad of factors that contribute to the success or failure of these organizations.

Many modifications build on Tukey's original box plot. A proposed further adaptation, the violin plot, pools the best statistical features of alternative graphical representations of batches of data. It adds the information available from local density estimates to the basic summary statistics inherent in box plots. This marriage of summary statistics and density shape into a single plot provides a useful tool for data analysis and exploration. KEY WORDS: Density estimation; Exploratory data analysis; Graphical techniques., 1. INTRODUCTION Many different statistics and graphs summarize the characteristics of single batches of data. Descriptive statistics give information about location, scale, symmetry, and tail thickness. Other statistics and graphs [...]

The US system of estate taxation is theoretically incapable of consistent and reliable treatment of newer intangible forms of property such as the right of publicity. The system requires estate inclusion and valuation of all property interests owned by decedents at the time of death. The estate tax system should be modified to coincide with the income tax system where the concept of income recognizes human dignity and does not treat wealth as per se fungible.

On the night of August 15, 1996; as he accepted his party's nomination for President of the United States, Robert Dole took an expansive view of the impending election. 'My [...]

Ever since the initial planning for the 1997 Utah legislative session, neural-network forecasting techniques have provided valuable insights for analysts forecasting tax revenues. These revenue estimates are critically important since agency budgets, support for education, and improvements to infrastructure all depend on their accuracy. Underforecasting generates windfalls that concern taxpayers, whereas overforecasting produces budget shortfalls that cause inadequately funded commitments. The pattern finding ability of neural networks gives insightful and alternative views of the seasonal and cyclical components commonly found in economic time series data. Two applications of neural networks to revenue forecasting clearly demonstrate how these models complement traditional time series techniques. In the first, preoccupation with a potential downturn in the economy distracts analysis based on traditional time series methods so that it overlooks an emerging new phenomenon in the data. In this case, neural networks identify the new pattern that then allows modification of the time series models and finally gives more accurate forecasts. In the second application, data structure found by traditional statistical tools allows analysts to provide neural networks with important information that the networks then use to create more accurate models. In summary, for the Utah revenue outlook, the insights that result from a portfolio of forecasts that include neural networks exceeds the understanding generated from strictly statistical forecasting techniques. In this case, the synergy clearly results in the whole of the portfolio of forecasts being more accurate than the sum of the individual parts. Index Terms - Adaptive expectations, forecasting, genetic algorithms, neural networks, statistical models, time series.

This paper presents a novel power flow formulation and an effective solution method for general unbalanced radial distribution systems. Comprehensive models are considered including lines, switches, transformers, shunt capacitors, cogenerators, and several types of loads. A new problem formulation of three-phase distribution power flow equations taking into account the radial structure of the distribution network is presented. A distinguishing feature of the new problem formulation is that it significantly reduces the number of power flow equations, as compared with the conventional formulation. The numerical properties as well as the structural properties of distribution systems are exploited resulting in a fast decoupled solution algorithm. The proposed solution algo. rithm is evaluated on three.phase unbalanced 292-bus and 394-bus test systems with very promising results. Keywords - power flow, lead flow, radial network, distribution system, fast decoupled

Radioactive iodines released during nuclear weapons testing at the Nevada Test Site between 1951 and 1958 appear to be associated with an increase in thyroid tumors in the areas exposed to fallout. A total of 2,473 people who were among those initially examined between 1965 and 1970 were re-examined from 1985 to 1987. All participants were born between 1945 and 1956 and still lived in the Utah, Nevada and Arizona areas that received the heaviest fallout. Individual doses of radiation were estimated by assessing milk and vegetable intake and possible inhalation. Participants also had a series of physical exams. Residents of Washington County, Utah, received the largest doses of radiation. An increase in both benign and malignant tumors was statistically associated with exposure to the radioactive iodines.

Forecasting the distribution of foreign exchange rates is more successful when a nonlinear, multiplicative method is applied which uses techniques of spectral analysis. A study of a series of ten foreign exchange rates indicates that non-Gaussianity and nonlinearity were present, and this was supported by McLeod-Li and Tsay tests. Two models based on nonlinearity and polyspectral analysis proved to be the only models of a group of seven which predicted outcomes better than a random-walk approach. A full analysis of the tests is included.

Bootstrapping is a statistical method that enhances the understanding and reliability of empirical uses of stochastic dominance. The technique provides data about empirical distribution function (EDF) performance which rekindles the potential empirical usages of stochastic dominance, functioning in a complementary fashion with EDF by: (1) assisting decision makers in finding uncertain order statistics by approximating biases and standard deviations, and (2) smoothing order statistics to bring about a pronounced increase in algorithm power in dominance-evident populations. Bootstrapping as a feasible alternative to the EDF is verified by its power in cumulative density function analyses.

Sexual histories and arousal patterns of 60 college men were sampled in a rural area to better evaluate the role of sexual arousal in males typically used as nonoffender controls in sex research. Nearly two-thirds of the sample (65%) had engaged in some form of sexual misconduct in the past, ranging from sexual contacts with children and coercive sex with women to voyeurism and frottage. Even more subjects expressed a desire for such activities. Previous experience with frottage, obscene phone calls, and pedophilic contacts was associated with higher subjective arousal to depictions of these activities. Previous experience with coercive sex or voyeurism did not appear to be associated with greater arousal to these activities. There was considerable variability in the arousability of subjects to the variety of deviant stimuli presented, thus blurring the distinction between pathological nad normal arousal patterns. These results suggest that young men are easily aroused sexually by a variety of stimuli, and seek out a variety of sexual experiences, some of which are punishable by law.

The US Atomic Energy Commission carried out over 100 aboveground tests of nuclear weapons at its Nevada test site, which led to the deposition of radioactive fallout in sections of Utah and Nevada. Studies that have associated the fallout with higher leukemia rates in the affected counties have reported very different effects, ranging between a 1.5-fold increase and a 5.3-fold increase in leukemia. However, these reports estimated the amount of exposure based on the county of residence at the time of death, rather than on where the person lived when exposure was greatest. To improve accuracy, radiation doses received by people who had died with or of leukemia (for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the patient must have died of the disease) in Utah were calculated based on residence information obtained from the church registry of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, an organization that keeps a file of deceased members. Other residence and age criteria were established. Radiation doses were calculated for people who met these criteria (1,177 cases) and age- and sex-matched controls (5,330 people who met the residence criteria, but who died of causes other than leukemia). Dosages were calculated according to the average total dose to bone marrow received during the period of fallout, and regional differences within Utah are reported. While weak associations between the dose to bone marrow and leukemia at all ages and all times after exposure were found, they were not statistically significant. However, a positive association was found for people who died before reaching the age of 20 years and between 1952 to 1957. No association was found for people who had been in utero at the time of maximal exposure. An evaluation of alternative explanations to radiation to account for the results is presented. In summary, and with the consideration of findings from other studies, it is possible that the excess rate of acute leukemia in southwestern Utah is due to fallout. However, the number of such cases is small. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)