Pierre/NNP Vinken/NNP ,/, 61/CD years/NNS old/JJ ,/, will/MD join/VB the/ART board/NN as/IN a/ART nonexecutive/NN director/NN Nov./NN 29/NN ./. Mr./NNP Vinken/NNP is/VBZ chairman/NN of/IN Elsevier/NNPS N.V./NNP ,/, the/ART Dutch/JJ publishing/JJ group/NN ./. Rudolph/NNP Agnew/NNP ,/, 55/CD years/NNS old/JJ and/CC former/JJ chairman/NN of/IN Consolidated/NNPS Gold/NN Fields/NN PLC/NNP ,/, was/VBD named/VBN a/ART nonexecutive/NN director/NN of/IN this/DT British/JJ industrial/JJ conglomerate/NN ./. A/ART form/NN of/IN asbestos/NN once/RB used/VBN to/TO make/VB Kent/NNP cigarette/NN filters/NN has/VB caused/VBN a/ART high/JJ percentage/NN of/IN cancer/NN deaths/NNS among/IN a/ART group/NN of/IN workers/NNS exposed/VBD to/IN it/PRP more/JJR than/IN 30/CD years/NNS ago/RB ,/, researchers/NN reported/VBN ./. The/ART asbestos/NN fiber/NN ,/, crocidolite/NN ,/, is/VBZ unusually/RB resilient/JJ once/NN it/PRP enters/VBZ the/ART lungs/NNS ,/, with/IN even/RB brief/JJ exposures/NNS to/IN it/PRP causing/VB symptoms/NNS that/WDT show/VBP up/RP decades/NN later/RB ,/, researchers/NN said/VBD ./. Lorillard/NNP Inc./NN ,/, the/ART unit/NN of/IN New/JJ York-based/JJ Loews/NNPS Corp./NNP that/WDT makes/VBZ Kent/NNP cigarettes/NNS ,/, stopped/VBD using/VBG crocidolite/NN in/IN its/PRP$ Micronite/NNP cigarette/NN filters/NN in/IN 1956/NN ./. Although/ preliminary/JJ findings/NN were/VB reported/VBD more/JJR than/RBR a/ART year/NN ago/RB ,/, the/ART latest/JJ results/NNS appear/VB in/IN today's/PRP$ New/JJ England/NNP Journal/NN of/IN Medicine/NN ,/, a/ART forum/NN likely/JJ to/IN bring/VB new/JJ attention/NN to/IN the/ART problem/NN ./. A/ART Lorillard/NNP spokewoman/NNS said/VBD ,/, "/'' This/DT is/VBZ an/ART old/JJ story/NN ./. We/PRP 're/VBP talking/NN about/IN years/NNS ago/RB before/IN anyone/NN heard/VBN of/IN asbestos/NN having/VB any/RB questionable/JJ properties/NNS ./. There/EX is/VBZ no/DT asbestos/NN in/IN our/PRP$ products/NNS now/RB ./. "/'' Neither/IN Lorillard/NNP nor/CC the/ART researchers/NN who/WP studied/VBD the/ART workers/NNS were/VBD aware/JJ of/IN any/DT research/NN on/IN smokers/NNS of/IN the/ART Kent/NNP cigarettes/NNS ./. "/'' We/PRP have/VBP no/DT useful/JJ information/NN on/IN whether/CC users/NN are/VBP at/IN risk/NN ,/, "/'' said/VBD James/NNP A./NNP Talcott/NNP of/IN Boston's/PRP$ Dana-Farber/NNP Cancer/NN Institute/NN ./. Dr./NNP Talcott/NNP led/VBD a/ART team/NN of/IN researchers/NN from/IN the/ART National/JJ Cancer/NN Institute/NN and/CC the/ART medical/JJ schools/NN of/IN Harvard/NN University/NN and/CC Boston/NNP University/NN ./. The/ART Lorillard/NNP spokeswoman/NN said/VBD asbestos/NN was/VBD used/VBN in/IN "/'' very/RB modest/JJ amounts/NN "/'' in/IN making/VBG paper/NN for/IN the/ART filters/NN in/IN the/ART early/JJ 1950s/NNS and/CC replaced/VBN with/IN a/ART different/JJ type/NN of/IN filter/NN in/IN 1956/NN ./. From/IN 1953/NN to/IN 1955/NN ,/, 9.8/NN billion/CD Kent/NNP cigarettes/NNS with/IN the/ART filters/NN were/VBD sold/VBN ,/, the/ART company/NN said/VBD ./. Among/IN 33/NN men/NNS who/WP worked/VBD closely/RB with/IN the/ART substance/NN ,/, 28/NN have/VBP died/VBN --/: more/JJR than/IN three/CD times/CC the/ART expected/VBN number/NN ./. Four/CD of/IN the/ART five/CD surviving/VBG workers/NNS have/VBP asbestos-related/JJ diseases/NNS ,/, including/VBG three/CD with/IN recently/RB diagnosed/VBN cancer/NN ./. The/ART total/NN of/IN 18/CD deaths/NNS from/IN malignant/JJ mesothelioma/NNS ,/, lung/NN cancer/NN and/CC asbestosis/NN was/VBD far/RB higher/JJR than/IN expected/VBN ,/, the/ART researchers/NN said/VBD ./. "/'' The/ART morbidity/NN rate/NN is/VBZ a/ART striking/JJ finding/NN among/IN those/DT of/IN us/PRP who/WP study/VBP asbestos-related/JJ diseases/NNS ,/, "/'' said/VBD Dr./NNP Talcott/NNP ./. The/ART percentage/NN of/IN lung/NN cancer/NN deaths/NNS among/IN the/ART workers/NNS at/IN the/ART West/JJ Groton/NNP ,/, Mass./NN ,/, paper/NN factory/NN appears/VBZ to/TO be/VB the/ART highest/JJ for/IN any/DT asbestos/NN workers/NNS studied/VBD in/IN Western/JJ industrialized/VBD countries/NNS ,/, he/PRP said/VBD ./. The/ART plant/NN ,/, which/WDT is/VBZ owned/VBN by/IN Hollingsworth/NNPS &/NN Vose/NNPS Co./NN ,/, was/VBD under/JJ contract/NN with/IN Lorillard/NNP to/TO make/VB the/ART cigarette/NN filters/NN ./. The/ART finding/VBG probably/RB will/MD support/VB those/DT who/WP argue/VBP that/DT the/ART U.S./NNP should/MD regulate/VB the/ART class/NN of/IN asbestos/NN including/VBG crocidolite/NN more/JJR stringently/NNS than/IN the/ART common/JJ kind/NN of/IN asbestos/NN ,/, chrysotile/NNS ,/, found/VBN in/IN most/JJS schools/NN and/CC other/JJ buildings/NNS ,/, Dr./NNP Talcott/NNP said/VBD ./. The/ART U.S./NNP is/VBZ one/CD of/IN the/ART few/JJ industrialized/VBD nations/NNS that/RB does/VB not/RB have/VB a/ART higher/JJR standard/NN of/IN regulation/NN for/IN the/ART smooth/JJ ,/, needle-like/JJ fibers/NNS such/JJ as/IN crocidolite/NN that/WDT are/VBP classified/VBN as/IN amphobiles/NNS ,/, according/NN to/IN Brooke/NNP T./NNP Mossman/NNPS ,/, a/ART professor/NN of/IN pathlogy/NN at/IN the/ART University/NN of/IN Vermont/NN College/NN of/IN Medicine/NN ./. More/RBR common/JJ chrysotile/NNS fibers/NNS are/VBP curly/JJ and/CC are/VBP more/RBR easily/RB rejected/VBN by/IN the/ART body/NN ,/, Dr./NNP Mossman/NNPS explained/VBN ./. In/IN July/NNP ,/, the/ART Environmental/JJ Protection/VB Agency/NNP imposed/VBD a/ART gradual/JJ ban/VB on/IN virtually/RB all/DT uses/VBZ of/IN asbestos/NN ./. By/IN 1997/NN ,/, almost/RB all/RB remaining/VBG uses/NNS of/IN cancer-causing/JJ asbestos/NN will/MD be/VB outlawed/VBN ./. About/IN 160/NN workers/NNS at/IN a/ART factory/NN that/WDT made/VBD paper/NN for/IN the/ART Kent/NNP filters/NN were/VBD exposed/VBN to/IN asbestos/NN in/IN the/ART 1950s/NNS ./. Areas/NN of/IN the/ART factory/NN were/VBD particularly/RB dusty/JJ where/WRB the/ART crocidolite/NN was/VBD used/VBN ./. Workers/NNS dumped/VBD large/JJ burlap/NN sacks/NNS of/IN the/ART imported/VBN material/NN into/IN a/ART huge/JJ bin/NN ,/, poured/VBD in/IN cotton/NN and/CC acetate/NN fibers/NNS and/CC mechanically/RB mixed/VBN the/ART dry/JJ fibers/NNS in/IN a/ART process/NN used/VBN to/TO make/VB filters/NN ./. Workers/NNS described/VBD "/'' clouds/NNS of/IN blue/JJ dust/NN "/'' that/WDT hung/VBD over/IN parts/NNS of/IN the/ART factory/NN ,/, even/RB though/RB exhaust/VB fans/NN ventilated/JJ the/ART area/NN ./. "/'' There/EX 's/VBZ no/DT question/NN that/WDT some/DT of/IN those/DT workers/NNS and/CC managers/NNS contracted/JJ asbestos-related/JJ diseases/NNS ,/, "/'' said/VBD Darrell/NNP Phillips/NNPS ,/, vice/IN president/NN of/IN human/JJ resources/NNS for/IN Hollingsworth/NNPS &/NN Vose/NNPS ./. "/'' But/CC you/PRP have/VBP to/TO recognize/VB that/DT these/DT events/NNS took/VBD place/NN 35/CD years/NNS ago/RB ./. It/PRP has/VB no/DT bearing/NN on/IN our/PRP$ work/NN force/NN today/NN ./. "/'' Yields/VB on/IN money-market/NN mutual/JJ funds/NNS continued/VBD to/TO slide/VB ,/, amid/IN signs/NNS that/DT portfolio/NN managers/NNS expect/VBP further/JJ declines/NN in/IN interest/NN rates/NNS ./. The/ART average/JJ seven-day/NN compound/NN yield/VB of/IN the/ART 400/CD taxable/JJ funds/NNS tracked/VBD by/IN IBC's/PRP$ Money/NN Fund/NN Report/NN eased/VBD a/ART fraction/NN of/IN a/ART percentage/NN point/NN to/IN 8.45/NN %/SYM from/IN 8.47/NN %/SYM for/IN the/ART week/NN ended/NN Tuesday/NN ./. Compound/NN yields/VB assume/VB reinvestment/NNS of/IN dividends/NNS and/CC that/DT the/ART current/NN yield/VB continues/VBZ for/IN a/ART year/NN ./. Average/JJ maturity/NN of/IN the/VBP funds'/PRP$ investments/NNS lengthened/VBD by/IN a/ART day/NN to/IN 41/NN days/NNS ,/, the/ART longest/JJ since/IN early/JJ August/NNP ,/, according/NN to/IN Donoghue's/PRP$ ./. Longer/NNP maturities/NN are/VBP thought/VBN to/TO indicate/VB declining/NN interest/NN rates/VBZ because/IN they/PRP permit/VBP portfolio/NN managers/NNS to/TO retain/VB relatively/RB higher/JJR rates/NNS for/IN a/ART longer/JJR period/NN ./. Shorter/JJ maturities/NN are/VBP considered/VBN a/ART sign/NN of/IN rising/VBG rates/NNS because/IN portfolio/NN managers/NNS can/MD capture/VB higher/JJR rates/NNS sooner/RBR ./. The/ART average/JJ maturity/NN for/IN funds/NNS open/JJ only/JJ to/TO institutions/NNS ,/, considered/VBN by/IN some/DT to/TO be/VB a/ART stronger/JJR indicator/NN because/IN those/DT managers/NNS watch/VB the/ART market/NN closely/RB ,/, reached/VBD a/ART high/JJ point/NN for/IN the/ART year/NN --/: 33/NN days/NNS ./. Nevertheless/RB ,/, said/VBD Brenda/NN Malizia/NNP Negus/NN ,/, editor/NN of/IN Money/NN Fund/NN Report/NN ,/, yields/VB "/'' may/MD blip/NN up/RP again/RB before/IN they/PRP blip/NN down/RP "/'' because/IN of/IN recent/JJ rises/NN in/IN short-term/JJ interest/NN rates/NNS ./. The/ART yield/VB on/IN six-month/JJ Treasury/NN bills/NNS sold/VBD at/IN Monday's/PRP$ auction/NN ,/, for/IN example/NN ,/, rose/VBD to/TO 8.04/NN %/SYM from/IN 7.90/NN %/SYM ./. Despite/IN recent/JJ declines/NN in/IN yields/VB ,/, investors/NNS continue/VBP to/TO pour/VB cash/NN into/IN money/NN funds/NNS ./. Assets/NN of/IN the/ART 400/CD taxable/JJ funds/NNS grew/VBD by/IN $/$ 1.5/NN billion/CD during/IN the/ART latest/JJ week/NN ,/, to/IN $/$ 352.7/NN billion/CD ./. Typically/RB ,/, money-fund/NN yields/VB beat/VB comparable/JJ short-term/JJ investments/NNS because/IN portfolio/NN managers/NNS can/MD vary/VB maturities/NN and/CC go/VB after/IN the/ART highest/JJ rates/NNS ./. The/ART top/JJ money/NN funds/NNS are/VBP currently/RB yielding/VB well/RB over/IN 9/CD %/SYM ./. Dreyfus/NNPS World-Wide/JJ Dollar/NN ,/, the/ART top-yielding/JJ fund/NN ,/, had/VBD a/ART seven-day/NN compound/NN yield/VB of/IN 9.37/NN %/SYM during/IN the/ART latest/JJS week/NN ,/, down/RB from/IN 9.45/NN %/SYM a/FW week/NN earlier/RBR ./. It/PRP invests/VB heavily/RB in/IN dollar-denominated/JJ securities/NN overseas/RB and/CC is/VBZ currently/RB waiving/VBG management/NN fees/NNS ,/, which/WDT boosts/VB its/PRP$ yield/VB ./. The/ART average/JJ seven-day/NN simple/NN yield/VB of/IN the/ART 400/CD funds/NNS was/VBD 8.12/NN %/SYM ,/, down/IN from/IN 8.14/NN %/SYM ./. The/ART simple/JJ yield/VB fell/VBD to/TO an/ART average/JJ 8.19/NN %/SYM from/IN 8.22/NN %/SYM ;/: the/ART compound/NN yield/VB slid/NN to/IN an/ART average/JJ 8.53/NN %/SYM from/IN 8.56/NN %/SYM ./. J.P./NN Bolduc/NNP ,/, vice/IN chairman/NN of/IN W.R./NNP Grace/NN &/NN Co./NN ,/, which/WDT holds/VBZ a/ART 83.4/NN %/SYM interest/NN in/IN this/DT energy-services/NN company/NN ,/, was/VBD elected/VBN a/ART director/NN ./. He/PRP succeeds/VBZ Terrence/NNP D./NN Daniels/NN ,/, formerly/RB a/ART W.R./NNP Grace/NN vice/IN chairman/NN ,/, who/WP resigned/VBD ./. W.R./NNP Grace/NN holds/VBZ three/CD of/IN Grace/NN Energy's/PRP$ seven/CD board/NN seats/NNS ./. Pacific/NNP First/RB Financial/JJ Corp./NNP said/VBD shareholders/NN approved/VBN its/PRP$ acquisition/NN by/IN Royal/JJ Trustco/NNPS Ltd./NN of/IN Toronto/NNP for/IN $/$ 27/NN a/ART share/NN ,/, or/CC $/$ 212/NN million/CD ./. The/ART thrift/NN holding/NN company/NN said/VBD it/PRP expects/VBZ to/TO obtain/VB regulatory/JJ approval/NN and/CC complete/VB the/ART transaction/NN by/IN year-end/JJ ./. McDermott/NNP International/NN Inc./NN said/VBD its/PRP$ Babcock/NNP &/NN Wilcox/NN unit/NN completed/VBN the/ART sale/NN of/IN its/PRP$ Bailey/NN Controls/NN Operations/NN to/IN Finmeccanica/NNP S.p/NNP ./. A./NNP for/IN $/$ 295/NN million/CD ./. Finmeccanica/NNP is/VBZ an/ART Italian/NN state-owned/RB holding/VB company/NN with/IN interests/NNS in/IN the/ART mechanical/JJ engineering/NN industry/NN ./. Bailey/NN Controls/NN ,/, based/NN in/IN Wickliffe/NNP ,/, Ohio/NN ,/, makes/VBZ computerized/VBN industrial/JJ controls/NN systems/NNS ./. It/PRP employs/VB 2,700/NN people/NNS and/CC has/VB annual/JJ revenue/NN of/IN about/IN $/$ 370/NN million/CD ./. The/ART federal/JJ government/NN suspended/VBN sales/NNS of/IN U.S./NNP savings/NNS bonds/NNS because/IN Congress/NN has/VB not/RB lifted/VBD the/ART ceiling/NN on/IN government/NN debt/NN ./. Until/IN Congress/NN acts/VBZ ,/, the/ART government/NN has/VB not/RB any/DT authority/NN to/TO issue/VB new/JJ debt/NN obligations/NNS of/IN any/DT kind/NN ,/, the/ART Treasury/NN said/VBD ./. The/VB government's/PRP$ borrowing/VBG authority/NN dropped/VBD at/IN midnight/NN Tuesday/NN to/TO $/$ 2.80/NN trillion/NN from/IN $/$ 2.87/NN trillion/NN ./.