In order to investigate suitabilities of acoustic probes for stimulated oto-acoustic emission (OAE), the influence of the tube length of the probe and the type of earphone on the wave form of tone burst were examined in dummy ear. The tube length of the acoustic probe was longer than 3.5 cm, the distortion of stimulus wave form was more prominent. Also the damping characteristics of the earphone were less effective in transient phenomena, the distortion of stimulus wave form was more prominent.
Based upon these results, we designed a new probe. The amplitude of OAE in the new probe was larger than that in the previous one. Consequently the OAE pseudothreshold was lowered 5 dB in the new probe.

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The aim of the present paper is to clarify the flow structure in a coaxial jet for various velocity ratios at low Reynolds number. The flow visualization by the laser-induced-fluorescence (LIF) technique and the measurements of mean and fluctuating velocities by the particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique were carried out in an open water tank. The Reynolds number based on the outer diameter and the mean velocity of the annular jet was 3000. The mean velocity ratio was changed 0.2 to 1. For the velocity ratios 0.5<U_i/U_o<1, the velocity fluctuation in the mixing region increases than that of the velocity ratio, and the jet width expands. For the velocity ratio near unity (U_i/U_o&ap;1), the vortices do not appear in the shear-layers. The frequency of velocity fluctuations increases with the increase of the velocity ratio, and so the Strouhal number based on the mean velocity of inner and outer jets is constant.

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We have organized "Tsukuba Challenge 2008" at November 20-21 in Tsukuba city. "Tsukuba Challenge" is the Real World Robot Challenge which aims to realize practical intelligent robots which can work in the real daily life environment. As the subject of "Tsukuba Challenge 2008", the robots are required to travel autonomously and safely for 1 km of a promenade street in the Tsukuba city

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In order to study the mechanism of gonadal dysfunction in patients with abnormal thyroid function, the pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH) response to 200μg of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) was investigated in 20 untreated and 18 treated hyperthyroid patients and in 21 untreated and 8 treated hypothyroid patients in addition to 29 matched control subjects.
Serum LH levels were measured by double-antibody radioimmunoassay technique with HLH kit Daiichi.
In untreated hyperthyroid men, the slightly elevated mean basal level and the exaggerated mean response to LH-RH of LH were observed, and in treated hyperthyroid men, both values were found to be similar to those of matched control men. Furthermore, in these patients, the maximal increments and the net increments of responses to LH-RH of LH were correlated with serum thyroxine levels and Thyopac-3 values.
In most untreated and treated hyperthyroid premenopausal women with and without menstrual disturbances, the basal levels and the responses to LH-RH of LH were similar to those of matched control premenopausal women.
In untreated hyperthyroid postmenopausal women, the mean basal level of LH was elevated, although the mean LH response to LH-RH was similar to that of matched control postmenopausal women, and in treated hyperthyroid postmenopausal women, the mean basal level and the mean response to LH-RH of LH were similar to those of matched control postmenopausal women. Furthermore, in these patients, the basal levels were correlated with serum thyroxine levels.
In untreated and treated hypothyroid men, the mean basal level and the mean response to LH-RH of LH were similar to those of untreated and treated hyperthyroid postmenopausal women.
In most untreated and treated hypothyroid premenopausal women with and without menstrual disturbances, the basal levels were observed to be inconsistent, and the LH responses to LH-RH were similar to those of matched control premenopausal women.
In untreated and treated hypothyroid postmenopausal women, the mean basal level and the mean response to LH-RH of LH were similar to those of matched control postmenopausal women.
These data indicate that the ability of the pituitary to secrete LH in patients with abnormal thyroid function was augmented in hyper-and hypothyroid men, and augmented in hyper-, but normal in hypothyroid postmenopausal women. Therefore, it is concluded that the cause of gonadal dysfunction at least in the premenopausal women with abnormal thyroid function lies not inside but outside the pituitary gland.

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