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Background The reported accuracy of clinical tests for superior labral anterior posterior lesions is extremely variable. Pooling results from multiple studies of higher quality is necessary to establish the best clinical tests to use. Hypothesis Certain clinical tests are superior to others for diagnosing the presence or absence of a superior labral anterior posterior lesion. Study Design Meta-analysis. Methods A literature search of MEDLINE (1966–2007), CINAHL (1982–2007), and BIOSIS (1995–2007) was performed for (labrum OR labral OR SLAP OR Bankart) AND (shoulder OR shoulder joint OR glenoid) AND (specificity OR sensitivity AND specificity). Identified articles were reviewed for inclusion criteria. Sensitivity and specificity values were recorded from each study and used for meta-analysis. Results Six of 198 identified studies satisfied the eligibility criteria. Active compression, anterior slide, crank, and Speed tests were analyzed using receiver operating characteristic curves. The accuracy of the anterior slide test was significantly inferior to that of the active compression, crank, and Speed tests. There was no significant difference in test accuracy found among active compression, crank, and Speed tests. Between studies, methodological scores did not significantly affect sensitivity and specificity values. Conclusion The anterior slide test is a poor test for detecting the presence of a labral lesion in the shoulder. Active compression, crank, and Speed tests are more optimal choices. Clinicians should choose the active compression test first, crank second, and Speed test third when a labral lesion is suspected.

We present the experimental results and a bolometer model of the voltage-biased superconducting bolometer on the low stress silicon nitride (Si3N4) membrane, developed in collaboration between the Max-Planck-Institut fur Radioastronomie (MPIfR), Bonn and the Institute for Photonic Technology (IPHT), Jena, Germany. The superconducting thermistor, de- posited on the low stress silicon nitride membrane, is a bilayer of gold-palladium and molybdenum and is designed for a transition temperature of 450 mK. Bolometers for the 1.2 mm atmospheric window were designed, built and tested. The thermal conductance of the bolometer is tuned by structuring the silicon nitride membrane into spider-like geometries. The incident radiation is absorbed by crossed dipoles made from gold-palladium alloy with a surface resistance of 10 Ω/square. Using the COSMOS finite element analysis package, the thermal conductance is obtained for the bolometers of different geometries. FEA simulations showed that the deposition of a gold ring around the absorbing area could increase the sensitivity of the bolometer. Therefore, a gold ring is deposited around the center absorbing patch of the silicon nitride membrane. For the bolometer with a gold ring, the measured NEP is 1.7 × 10 −16 W/ √ Hz and the time constant is in the range between 1.4 and 2 ms.

for low-wealth agricul-tural and pastoral households are well documented.Risk makes people poor when it leads them to shyaway from higher-return but riskier activities. Riskalso keeps people poor when it leads them to pursuedefensive savings strategies that cut off pathwaysfrom poverty that they could traverse via sustainedaccumulation of productive assets. Finally, risk de-presses the development of the deep agriculturalfinance markets in a region that can be important tothe growth and development of the small-farm sector.Insurance is a potential solution to these problems ofpervasive and costly risk. Yet, insurance is mostnotable for its absence in low-income rural areas.While there are many reasons why insurance con-tracts are not offered in these areas, the innovation ofa new generation of financial technologies built aroundthe concept of parametric or index insurance raisesthe prospect that insurance instruments could be madeto sustainably work in low-income environments. Itremains to be seen if these index insurance productscan resolve the problems of poverty and thin financialmarkets, yet the first challenge is to innovate and piloteffective, livelihood-focused index insurance contractsfor which there is effective demand.Unfortunately, the complexity of index insurancecontracts stands as a potential barrier to creatingeffective demand. These contracts present particularproblems for populations that have little experiencewith formal insurance, much less complex index-basedcontracts. Progress requires innovative efforts toenhance the understanding and financial literacy of thepeople that might purchase and benefit from indexinsurance. This

Boron was evaporated with a pulsed XeCl excimer laser, and the vapor cocondensed on a cold window (near 10 K) with argon mixtures of CH{sub 4}, CH{sub 3}Br, and H{sub 2}O, and {sup 13}C and {sup 2}H labeled analogues. consumption of B and B{sub 2} was monitored by UV-vis spectroscopy, and reaction products were monitored with FT-IR. Atom insertion products H{sub 3}CBH, H{sub 3}CBBr, and HOBH were detected. Evidence was found for B{sub 2} reactions with CH{sub 4} and CH{sub 3}Br, suggesting the formation of dinuclear bridges hydrogen species. Larger boron clusters were detected by FT-IR, which were unreactive with CH{sub 4} and, in one cases, with water.

This article evaluates the performance of a rural credit market in Peru. We develop a model that shows that collateral requirements imposed by lenders in response to asymmetric information can lead not just to quantity rationing but also to transaction cost rationing and risk rationing. Just like quantity rationing, these two additional forms of nonprice rationing adversely affect farm resource allocation and productivity. We test the insights of the model using a panel data set from Northern Peru. We estimate the returns to productive endowments for constrained and unconstrained households using a switching regression model. We find that, consistent with the theory, productivity is independent of endowments for unconstrained households but is tightly linked to endowments for constrained households. We estimate that credit constraints lower the value of agricultural output in the study region by 26%. © 2008 International Association of Agricultural Economists.

We consider a $\psi$-irreducible, discrete-time Markov chain on a general state space with transition kernel $P$. Under suitable conditions on the chain, kernels can be treated as bounded linear operators between spaces of functions or measures and the Drazin inverse of the kernel operator $I - P$ exists. The Drazin inverse provides a unifying framework for objects governing the chain. This framework is applied to derive a computational technique for the asymptotic variance in the central limit theorems of univariate and higher-order partial sums. Higher-order partial sums are treated as univariate sums on a `sliding-window' chain. Our results are demonstrated on a simple AR(1) model and suggest a potential for computational simplification.

We report on electrooptical modulation with a sub 1Volt sensititivity in a photonic crystal slab waveguide resonator which contains a nanostructured nonlinear optical polymer. This modulation effect is based on the electronic displacement polarization in a noncentrosymmetric medium (Pockels-effect) and is therefore inherently by more than three orders of magnitude faster than any other reported electrooptic modulation effect in nanophotonics. We also show concepts for extremely high and zero dispersion as well as for time delay in photonic crystal waveguides. Tuning can be achieved by hybrid combination of Si-based PCs and organic EO-materials.

We present the experimental results of voltage-biased superconducting bolometers (VSB) on silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ) membranes with niobium wiring developed in collaboration between the Institut fur Physikalische Hochtechnologie (IPHT), Jena, Germany and the Max-Planck-Institut fur Radioastronomie (MPIfR), Bonn, Germany. The bolometer current is measured with the superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), and as expected, the current responsivity is proportional to the inverse of the bias voltage. The experiments were performed with bilayer gold-palladium molybdenum thermistor at 300 mK 3 He cooled cryostat and the desired transition temperature of T c = 450 mK is achieved. The strong negative electro-thermal feedback of the VSB maintains the constant bolometer temperature and reduces the response time from 4 ms to 100 μs. We have tested thermistors of various size and shape on a continuous membrane and achieved a noise equivalent power (NEP) of 3.5 × 10 -16 W/√Hz. The measured NEP is relatively high due to the comparatively high background and high thermal conductance of the unstructured silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ) membrane. We have fabricated 8-leg spider structured membranes in three different geometries and the relation between the geometry and the thermal conductance ( G ) is studied. Using the COSMOS finite element analysis tool, we have modeled the TES bolometers to determine the thermal conductance for different geometries and calculated the various parameters. Due to the demands of large number pixel bolometer camera we plan to implement multiplex readout with integrated SQUIDs in our design.

Ever since the first proposal of the voltage-biased transition-edge bolometer the astrophysics community desired bolometer arrays with as many pixels as possible. With respect to the technical problem due to the need of lots of readout SQUID sensors only with multiplexing it is possible to go beyond a few hundred pixel. A technology which allows the manufacture of detector and readout on one chip would simplify this task substantially. Here we demonstrate the fabrication of a transition edge sensor based on a thermistor out of a molybdenum / gold-palladium bilayer. The alloy of gold-palladium (Au-Pd), which allows the tuning of molybdenum's critical temperature by one order of magnitude, is taken from our foundry process for SQUID manufacturing. Au-Pd can further be used for shunt resistances, absorber patterns and bond pads, and, therefore, it is a good choice for a combined technology. The thermistor is placed on a moderately patterned silicon nitride membrane in the shape of an 8-legged spider. The radiation band of interest is coupled via a conical feed horn to a simple grid of dipole-like antenna patterns. This removes the need for the poorly reproducible high-resistance absorption films for the matching of the free space impedance. The simple detector technology is compatible with the SQUID manufacturing. Hence, some of the SQUID layers can be merged with the corresponding detector layer, i.e. the thermistor wiring and the SQUID washer are made in a single niobium layer. The concept of feed horn coupling eases the design requirements, consequently the SQUID can be placed close to the detector, thereby allowing a simpler wiring to be used and in theory a better performance to be obtained.

We are developing a new linewidth standard on the nanometre scale for use in the recently introduced new high-resolution optical microscopy techniques like deep ultraviolet microscopy (UVM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Different types of high-resolution gratings, etched in amorphous silicon on quartz substrates, have been fabricated and evaluated using state-of-the-art UVM, CLSM, REM and AFM equipment. The produced linewidths range from about 80 nm to 2 μm. The contrast of the pattern in the UV region makes them suitable for transmission and reflection UV and laser scanning microscopy.

A number of regional utility organizations were surveyed to determine their current underground distribution practices. This paper will summarize the response from tarelve (12) aasociations representing two hundred four (204) organizations consisting of investor owned utilities, municipalities, and rural electric diatribution cooperatives.

We report on electrooptical modulation with a sub 1Volt sensititivity in a photonic crystal slab waveguide resonator which contains a nanostructured nonlinear optical polymer. The electrooptical susceptibility in the core was induced by high-electric-field poling. A square lattice of holes carrying a linear defect was transferred into the slab, creating a photonic crystal slab based resonator. Applying an external electric modulation voltage to electrodes placed underneath and on top of the assembly leads to a modulation of the transmission at a fixed wavelength. This modulation effect is based on the electronic displacement polarization in a noncentrosymmetric medium (Pockels-effect) and is therefore inherently by more than three orders of magnitude faster than any other reported electrooptic modulation effect in nanophotonics.

Evidence is presented in support of the "brain gain" view that the likelihood of migrating to a destination wherein the returns to human capital (schooling) are high creates incentives to acquire human capital in migrant-sending areas. In Mexico, even though internal migrants are more educated than those who stay behind, the average level of schooling in the migrant-sending villages increases with internal migration. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that the dynamic investment effects reverse the static, depletion effects of migration on schooling. Households' access to high-skill internal migration networks significantly increases the likelihood that children will attend school beyond the compulsory level. Access to low-skill internal networks has the opposite effect. By contrast with internal migration, migration from rural Mexico to the U.S. does not select positively on schooling, nor does it significantly influence human capital formation, even though remittances from Mexican migrants in the U.S. far outweigh remittances from internal migrants.

Microeconomic models posit that transaction costs isolate subsistence producers from output market shocks. We integrate microeconomic models of many heterogeneous households into a general equilibrium model and show that supply on subsistence farms may respond, in apparently perverse ways, to changes in output market prices. Price shocks in markets for staple goods are transmitted to subsistence producers through interactions in factor markets. In the case presented, a decrease in the market price of maize reduces wages and land rents, stimulating maize production by subsistence households; however, real incomes of subsistence households fall. Copyright 2006, Oxford University Press.

Various optimum and sub-optimum filters have been added to the basic cross-correlator in order to enhance its time delay estimation capability in the presence of noise. These pre-detection filters include the Hannan-Thomson, the Eckart, the Smoothed Coherence Transform, some least-squares, and two optimum filters recently derived by the authors. Here, a quantitative comparison of all six filters has been conducted by extensive simulation for various input signal and noise ratio and signal and noise bandwidths. The results define the actual enhancement in time delay detection when using the optimum filters and the amount of performance degradation from the optimum for the other filters. The rank ordering of the filters is carried out. Histograms of the time delay estimates, their mean and variance are presented. Confirmation of analytical predictions is noted.

Simulation results are presented to compare the effectiveness of various windowing functions for the generalized correlator when a strong spectral peak or sinusoid is present. In this case, the time delay of the desired source and of the interfering sinusoid are allowed to be different. The results show that all windows except HBII and SCOT deteriorate markedly. These two windows remain robust to the ambiguity problems presented by the sinusoid, independent of whether the spectral peak is included in the signal spectrum or in the noise spectrum. Also, window HBII performs better than SCOT in terms of probability of correct detection, variance of time delay, and SNR threshold.

Background: Achieving stable fixation when performing tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis can be challenging, especially in osteopenic bone. The purpose of the current investigation was to compare the stiffness and fatigue endurance of blade-plate-and-screw fixation with intramedullary rod fixation in a cadaveric model. Methods: In ten matched pairs of fresh-frozen cadaveric legs, a tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis was performed with use of a blade-plate and a 6.5-mm sagittal screw in one leg and with use of an intramedullary rod in the contralateral leg. After an initial load-deformation curve was obtained, each specimen was loaded to 270 N through 250,000 cycles at a rate of 3 Hz. Results: Blade-plate-and-screw fixation resulted in significantly higher mean initial and final stiffness and decreased plastic deformation than did intramedullary rod fixation. In addition, there was an inverse correlation between bone-mineral density and the difference in plastic deformation noted between the specimens of each pair. Conclusions: Blade-plate fixation is biomechanically superior to intramedullary fixation for tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis. Clinical Relevance: Although good fixation can be achieved with an intramedullary rod or a blade-plate-and-screw construct, the stability of the blade-plate-and-screw construct may have advantages, particularly in osteopenic bone.

This paper examines the net effects of migration and remittances on income distribution. Potential home earnings of migrants are imputed, as are the earnings of non-migrants in migrant households, in order to construct no-migration counterfacmals to compare with the observed income distribution including remittances. The earnings functions used to impute migrant home earnings are estimated from observations on non-migrants in a selection-corrected estimation framework which incorporates migration choice and labor-force participation decisions. For a sample of households in Bluefields, Nicaragua, migration and remittances increase income inequality when compared with the no-migration counterfactual. © 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.

We evaluated an adjustable pneumatic prefabricated prosthesis and a rigid custom-molded prosthesis for immediate postoperative use. Twelve transtibial amputations were performed on cadaver limbs. Differential variable reluctance transducers were placed subcutaneously across the wound edge medially and laterally. The limbs were then placed in either the pneumatic prosthesis (five limbs) or the rigid prosthesis (seven limbs). The specimens underwent static and cyclic loading to simulate weight bearing. The strain readings for static and cyclic loading were greater in the rigid prosthetic group. Only the mean medial strain measurement after cyclic loading was statistically significant. The results demonstrate that the pneumatic prosthesis places less strain across the wound than a rigid prosthesis.

The purposes of the study were (1) to compare rotator cuff repair strengths after cyclic loading of 2 bioabsorbable nonsuture-based tack-type anchors, transosseous sutures, and a metal suture-based anchor, and (2) to correlate bone mineral density with mode of failure and cycles to failure. We hypothesized that specimens with a lower bone density would fail through bone at a lower number of cycles independent of the method of cuff fixation.Ex vivo biomechanical study.Standardized full-thickness rotator cuff defects were created in 30 fresh-frozen cadaveric shoulders that were randomized to 1 of 4 repair groups: transosseous sutures; Mitek Super suture anchors (Mitek Surgical Products, Westwood, MA); smooth bioabsorbable 8-mm Suretacs (Acufex, SmithNephew Endoscopy, Mansfield, MA); or spiked bioabsorbable 8-mm Suretacs (Acufex). All repairs were cyclically loaded from 10 to 180 N; the numbers of cycles to 50% (gap, 5 mm) and 100% (gap, 10 mm) failure were recorded.In comparing the repair groups, we found only 1 significant difference: the number of cycles to 100% failure was significantly higher (P.05) for the smooth bioabsorbable tack than for the transosseous suture group. There were no statistically significant (P/=.05) differences in bone mineral densities with regard to each specimen's mode of failure.Our results suggested that immediate postoperative fixation provided by bioabsorbable tacks was similar to that provided by Mitek anchors and more stable than that provided by transosseous sutures. Therefore, the immediate postoperative biomechanical strength of bioabsorbable tacks seems comparatively adequate for fixation of selected small rotator cuff tears. However, additional evaluation in an animal model to examine degradation characteristics and sustained strength of repair is recommended before clinical use.

A technique for frequency locking a semiconductor laser in the 1.3 mu m region by observing the absorption in a /sup 87/Rb vapor optically pumped by another frequency-modulated semiconductor laser is presented. This technique offers well-defined strong atomic resonances and does not require frequency dithering of the 1.3 mu m laser to observe the discrimination pattern required for frequency locking. Dither-free absolute frequency locking of a DFB (distributed feedback) laser at 1324 nm was achieved using a pump laser diode operating at 795 nm (D/sub 1/-line). Applications include master oscillator of multiwavelength and coherent communication systems and reference source for an optical frequency synthesizer. Resonances in the 1.55 mu m region are also available through this approach. >

(2007). Test Equating, Scaling, and Linking: Methods and Practices. Journal of the American Statistical Association: Vol. 102, No. 478, pp. 762-763.

The Air Force's Phillips Laboratory has actively pursued component technology developments that support space based imaging and space-based laser weapon platforms. The components must be integrated successfully to field operational systems. The integration of many of these technology developments is tightly coupled and often themselves a technology barrier that must be overcome before a system can go ahead. As a result, the Phillips Laboratory initiated the UltraLITE program. The program has focused on the integration concerns of advanced sparse optical array systems. Sparse optical arrays offer significant benefits over the existing monolithic telescopes flown in space today; however, for a sparse optical array successful, the program technologies in the areas of advanced optical element fabrication, advanced lightweight actively controlled deployable structures, wavefront error sensing and compensation methods, and image post-processing algorithms. All these technologies must come to fruition and work together for such a program to succeed. The UltraLITE program concentrates on providing techniques for large precision deployable structures and wavefront sensing and control. The program will demonstrate these technologies in the laboratory with the long term goal of a space flight in a 0-g, micro-gravity environment.

Objective To determine the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA types 6, 11 and 16 in histological sections of human bladder cancer. Materials and methods Fifty-five formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded bladder tumour specimens were analysed for the presence of HPV infection using Southern blotting DNA hybridization and radiolabelled probes for HPV DNA types 6/11 and 16. Results Despite the detection of HPV DNA type 6, 11 and 16 in positive control samples and the successful detection of HPV DNA in anogenital cancer using the same technique, no HPV DNA was found in any of the bladder tumour specimens examined. Conclusions Using a technique with proven efficacy in the detection of HPV DNA from histological specimens, no HPV DNA was present in any of the bladder tumours examined. This finding is in agreement with most recently published studies suggesting that HPV has no significant role in the development of human bladder cancer.

Previous work in our laboratory demonstrated a significant reduction in the development of morphine physical dependence during hibernation, suggesting a major change in the ability of morphine to act on the central nervous system (CNS) during this naturally altered state. To further investigate the pharmacological actions of morphine during the hibernating (H) state, the present study recorded skin-twitch response (STR) latency as a measure of morphine antinociception in the golden-mantled ground squirrel (Citellus lateralis) during the non-hibernating (NH) and H states. Our results revealed that morphine antinociception continued to develop in hibernation. Moreover, the magnitude of antinociception displayed was greater during the H state than in the NH state. Tolerance to morphine's antinociceptive effects developed in both states as well. The results of the present study indicate that the hibernation-related reduction in the development of morphine dependence represents a selective, rather than a general, suppression of the CNS pharmacological actions of morphine during the H state.

We attempted to relieve the marked overactivity known to occur in the lateral segment of the globus pallidus (GPL) in L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID) by unilateral stereotaxic ibotenic acid lesioning of the GPL in 4 monkeys with MPTP-induced parkinsonism. Two already dyskinetic animals were pallidotomized to counteract LID once established, while 2 L-DOPA-naive MPTP-treated animals were pallidotomized before L-DOPA was ever administered in an attempt to prevent the development of the process conductive to LID. Acutely after the lesion, more prominent akinesia (particularly in the contralateral limbs) with contraversive body deviation and circling behavior were seen for 48 h. Flexor posturing of the contralateral forelimb persisted to a variable degree. When L-DOPA treatment was resumed or instituted 1 week postoperatively, ipsiversive circling behavior occurred in all animals and contralateral dyskinesia worsened in 3, whether L-DOPA or a selective dopamine D2 agonist was administered. Lesions in these 3 cases were fairly restricted to the GPL histologically. One monkey kept L-DOPA-naive before pallidotomy never developed LID contralaterally to the lesion despite treatment for several months. The lesion this time involved the entire GP. The fact that ablation of the GPL worsened LID suggests that a complex rearrangement of the balance of functional capacity between the GP and the subthalamic nucleus takes place in LID which is not amenable to correction merely by a lateral pallidotomy. Our observations also suggest that functional redundancy exists in striatopallidal circuits and that no single pathway is responsible for LID.

Various systematic and phylogenetic relationships have been proposed for extent decapod Cephalopods, based mainly on morphology and on the rare paleontological remains. Nucleotide sequence data from the 3' end of 16S rDNA gene were used as an alternative approach to morphology; this gene portion having proved to be appropriate to test divergences in other groups of assumed equivalent age. The results from 27 Decapoda species allowed us to calculate phylogenetic trees by the neighbor joining and parsimony methods (Paup and Hennig86). The trees were submitted to bootstrapping. The order Sepioidea, including the sepiids, sepiolids and spirulids, is not supported by molecular evidence. Sepiolids are clearly excluded from the order, and the position of the Spirulidae needs further clarification. In oegopsids, the intrafamilial groupings obtained by the molecular approach is in agreement with morphological data. The unresolved phylogeny at the suprafamilial level might be the result of two different events: earlier divergence than the Cenozoic, or unequal evolutionary rates among taxa having appeared either by successive emergence or by fast radiation. The 3' end of 16S rDNA gene of cephalopods is a precious tool to analyze taxonomic relationships at the infrafamilial level. A gene with a lower evolutionary rate, is necessary to establish higher taxa phylogeny.

We have looked at the dependence of the superconducting transition temperature on the deposition parameters of magnetron sputtered Mo on Si3N4 coated Si substrates. From the measurements we can conclude that impurity inclusion/disorder and strain have an influence on the transition temperature, where under certain conditions a transition temperature as high as 2.4?K could be reached. This is significantly above the 900 mK measured for bulk Mo. The impurity content and strain in the film are influenced by the deposition rate, substrate bias, working gas pressure, substrate structure and system pre-conditioning. A model based on the change of the Coulomb interaction potential due to defect/disorder generation, without a significant change in the density of states, was shown to best explain the results observed.

A group of four cynomolgus monkeys previously rendered parkinsonian by the toxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl,1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) were observed in locomotion cages equipped with photocells during four periods of 7 days during which they received saline or two doses of the D1 agonist CY 208-243. The larger dose of 0.5 mg/kg produced a significant increase in locomotion in three of four animals. A second group of eight monkeys also previously rendered parkinsonian by MPTP and having received no other treatment were given a daily treatment of bromocriptine 1.66 mg/kg orally daily during 4 weeks. In four of the animals, after a week on bromocriptine alone, the D1 agonist CY 208-243 was added in increasing doses of 0.05, 0.1, and 0.5 mg/kg. The motor response as measured by locomotion, hand dexterity, and a disability score improved progressively at least in some of the animals on bromocriptine alone. The addition of CY 208-243 produced a more striking improvement of all three parameters, which appeared to be dose dependent. Biochemical analysis of the brain of these animals plus one control and one MPTP untreated monkey showed a90% loss of dopamine in the striatum in six of the eight treated monkeys. Both D2 and D1 dopamine receptors were increased in density by denervation, but both treatments abolished this increase for the D2 receptors while increasing the affinity of the D1 receptors.

The antitremor effect of the D2 agonist LY 171555 and of the D1 agonist CY 208-243 alone and in combination was tested in a monkey previously rendered parkinsonian by MPTP and displaying exceptionally a rest tremor in the limbs. The D2 agonist suppressed rest tremor in a dose-dependent fashion. The D1 agonist by itself had no effect but it potentiated the effect of a small dose of LY 171555.

Based on the hypothesis that low-threshold calcium conductance in the thalamus might be involved in the pathophysiology of parkinsonian tremor, ethosuximide was given chronically to a monkey previously treated with MPTP and displaying exceptionally a typical rest tremor. After 5 days of daily treatment, the tremor was reduced by 60%. Diltiazem and verapamil which act on different calcium channels had no such effect. Ethosuximide also potentiated the anti-tremor effect of the dopamine D2 agonist LY-171555.

The requirement for safe operation of complex process plant has led to the development of a wide range of monitoring hardware and software dedicated to the task. Earlier systems were implemented using limit checking sensors and were usually autonomous from control related instrumentation. The use of digital computers as control devices enabled these simple monitoring strategies to be embodied within the main controller itself using data gathered for continuous control purposes. As the power and compactness of modern computers has increased much higher levels of automatic plant supervision have become possible due to the resulting development new of fault detection methods. The methods currently in use can be broadly divided into “rule based” and “model based” techniques.

We have etched submicron holes into SiO2, Ta2O5, and Nb2O5. The etching process has produced walls with low roughness, less than

A mathematical model of the separation of deuterium from tritium in an electrolytic cell containing D[sub 2]O and T[sub 2]O to which lithium was added for ion production is described. The model is compared with the experimental results obtained by measurement of the tritium concentration in the cell and in the recombined off gases. The model yields results that are well within the experimental error. Experimenters can use the model to determine accurately whether any increase in tritium concentration in the cell is due to electrolytic isotope separation. The ratio of the tritium in the cell to the tritium in the recombined off gases was found to be 2. This is in agreement with other work. 4 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.

In a previous paper [W. C. Treurniet and D. R. Boucher, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 109, 306–320 (2001)], a model was presented which successfully accounted for the lower threshold obtained using a harmonic masker instead of a similar inharmonic masker. For the harmonic masker, the frequencies of partials were separated by a fixed amount, so the envelope modulation‐rates of auditory filter outputs remained the same across filters. However, for the inharmonic masker, the interval between adjacent partials was not fixed and this resulted in a decreased uniformity of modulation‐rates across filters. The model proposed that the lower uniformity impedes detection of a probe‐induced change in the modulation rates, thus accounting for the masked threshold difference. This paper shows that an inharmonic masker yields results similar to a harmonic masker provided that the modulation rates are uniform across affected auditory filters. Thus, the lowered threshold associated with a harmonic masker appears to arise from invar...

The role of masker harmonicity in auditory masking is not yet fully understood. This paper compares the effect of harmonic and inharmonic maskers on the simultaneous masked thresholds of narrow bandwidth noise probes using a three‐alternative, forced‐choice method. The harmonic masker had an 88‐Hz fundamental and 45 consecutive partials (random starting phases). The inharmonic masker differed in that the partial frequencies were adjusted to nearby prime numbers. Maskers were presented at several levels, and the probe at several frequencies. Thresholds were consistently lower for the harmonic masker (4–8 dB). The masking release persisted when masker and probe bandwidths were equal, so it is not due to comodulated auditory filter outputs. The difference between maskers disappeared when the harmonic partials were separated by more than 176 Hz, suggesting that the effect may be related to critical bandwidth. Further, the threshold of noise probes located between two partials was always lower for the harmonic masker. However, the threshold for a tonal probe at the frequency of an omitted partial was higher with the harmonic masker than with the inharmonic masker. The results are consistent with a harmonic template model that proposes inhibition at the template frequencies and disinhibition between those frequencies.

The effect of upright posture as a physiological stimulus of the adrenergic nervous system was studied in 56 subjects with benign essential hypertension. The subjects received a controlled-sodium diet. Blood pressure, heart rate, catecholamines, plasma renin activity, and urinary creatinine, sodium, and potassium excretion were measured in the recumbent and upright positions. We found an alteration in the blood pressure response in subjects with benign essential hypertension; the postural increase in the mean blood pressure in normotensive subjects (3.18 ± 1.35 mm Hg) progressively disappeared and was replaced by a postural decrease in subjects with more severe stable hypertension (-6.71 ± 2.42 mm Hg). The hypertensive subjects also lacked the usual increase in urinary excretion of norepinephrine. A significant increase in plasma renin activity associated with a significant decrease in plasma norepinephrine occurred in subjects with labile hypertension with postural tachycardia. Finally, we found a highly significant correlation between the excretion of sodium and potassium in the recumbent position and the retention of both ions in the upright position.

In Octopus, the caecum, the pancreas and the liver are involved in the absorption of 3H-glycine-labelled food. The caecum exhibits the highest specific activity while the liver absorbs the largest proportion of labelled material. The administration of stained food shows in vivo alternating phases of absorption and secretion in the liver and continuous absorption in the caecum.

Optimum filters are designed to enhance the estimation of time delay between signals received at two spatially separate sensors. The resulting filters are placed in the predetection stage of a basic cross correlator. The transfer functions of the optimum filters are derived to operate according to two stated performance criteria. One selected criterion maximizes the expected peak at the time delay relative to the total background noise, and the other minimizes the difference between the incoming signal at the time delay and its estimated value. The flexibility and simplicity of the derivations lend themselves to the generalization of results and clarity of interpretation. The derived filters are contrasted with those found in the literature. One of the present filters is identical to that obtained by other authors when using the criterion of maximum likelihood. The reason for the difference between the present and maximum likelihood filters from the Eckart filter is pinpointed. Finally, the relationships among the various optimum and ad hoc filters are clarified.

The usual method of measuring density dependence of maximum expiratory flows is superimposition at total lung capacity or residual volume of maximum expiratory flow volume (MEFV) curves obtained breathing air and a mixture of 80% He plus 20% O2 (HeO2). A major problem with this technique is the large variability in results, which has been thought to be due to errors in matching lung volumes on both gases. Accordingly, we obtained MEFV curves breathing air and HeO2 using a bag-in-the-box system so that the curves breathing the two gas mixtures could be directly superimposed without removing the mouthpiece (isovolume). Ten healthy, nonsmoking subjects performed MEFV curves on each gas mixture for six consecutive experiments. We compared the increase in flow at 50% of vital capacity (delta Vmax50) and volume of isoflow (Viso) by superimposing and matching the MEFV curves at total lung capacity, at residual volume, and using the isovolume method. The variability of each method was assessed by the mean intersubject and intrasubject coefficients of variation. In all subjects, the mean delta Vmax50 and Viso as well as their corresponding coefficients of variation were not significantly different among the three methods. We conclude that, in healthy nonsmoking young adults, the method chosen for superimposing and matching MEFV curves has no effect on the variability of delta Vmax50 and Viso.

1. A single intravenous administration of rabbit tonin antiserum into one-kidney one-clip hypertensive rats restored blood pressure to normal in seven out of ten animals. There was little change in blood pressure in two-kidney one-clip hypertensive, uninephrectomized or sham-operated rats. 2. Infusion of tonin in control rats did not modify arterial blood pressure. However, in indomethacin salt-treated rats a marked increase in arterial blood pressure was observed under tonin infusion. 3. Plasma tonin activity was significantly increased in human essential and renovascular hypertension. 4. These findings strongly suggest that tonin is important in the maintenance of high blood pressure. However, other factors (possibly prostaglandins and sodium) have to be modified in order to activate the tonin—angiotensin II system.

The clinical entity of benign essential hypertension is often subdivided into labile essential hypertension and stable essential hypertension. To establish less arbitrary limits between normotension and labile and stable benign essential hypertension, 70 subjects (56 with benign essential hypertension) were classified according to (a) the usual blood pressure index for each subject and (b) the upper limit of variation of the usual blood pressure indexes of a normotensive population. Catecholamines, plasma renin activity, and urinary creatinine, sodium, and potassium were measured in recumbent subjects who had received a controlled-sodium diet. Our findings suggest that (1) benign essential hypertension represents a heterogeneous entity and a continuous spectrum of clinical and biochemical changes when it is related to the level of blood pressure, (2) adrenergic involvement is more evident in labile hypertension, (3) regardless of the urinary excretion of catecholamines in subjects with benign essential hypertension the urinary ratio of dopamine to norepinephrine always remains lower, and (4) a negative correlation exists between urinary sodium excretion and usual blood pressure indexes.