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Local full diurnal coverage of temperature variations across the turbopause (∼90–115 km altitude) is achieved by combining the nocturnal observations of a Sodium (Na) Doppler lidar on the Utah State University (USU) campus (41.7°N, 248.2°E) and NASA Michelson interferometer for global high‐resolution thermospheric imaging (MIGHTI)/Ionospheric connection explorer (ICON) daytime observations made in the same vicinity. In this study, utilizing this hybrid data set during summer 2020 between June 12th and July 15th, we retrieve the temperature signatures of diurnal and semidiurnal tides in this region. The tidal amplitudes of both components have similar vertical variation with increasing altitude: less than 5 K below ∼98 km but increase considerably above, up to 19 K near 104 km. Both experience significant dissipation near turbopause altitudes, down to ∼12 K up to 113 km for the diurnal tide and ∼13 K for the semidiurnal tide near 110 km. In addition, while the semidiurnal tidal behavior is consistent with the theoretical predictions, the diurnal amplitude is considerably larger than what is expected in the turbopause region. The tidal phase profile shows a dominance of tidal components with a long vertical wavelength (longer than 40 km) for the semidiurnal tide. On the other hand, the diurnal tide demonstrates close to an evanescent wave behavior in the turbopause region, which is absent in the model results and Thermosphere ionosphere mesosphere energetics and dynamics (TIMED)/Sounding of the atmosphere using broadband radiometry (SABER) observations. Plain Language Summary: Solar thermal tidal wave in the atmosphere is one of the most dominant dynamic features in the upper atmosphere. In this paper, we utilize the temperature results from the recently launched NASA Ionospheric connection explorer (ICON) satellite daytime observation and those by a ground‐based Na lidar nighttime measurements in summer 2020 to accomplish 24‐h coverage of temperature variations in the upper atmosphere between ∼90 and 115 km. This allows us to investigate the tidal wave behavior in one of the least studied upper atmosphere region near 110 km altitude, so called "turbopause" region, above middle latitude in Northern America. The study reveals highly complex diurnal tidal wave features in this region, while the semidiurnal tide is less affected except some wave dissipation. Key Points: Temperature diurnal and semidiurnal tides in the summer turbopause region at midlatitude are investigated by the Michelson interferometer for global high‐resolution thermospheric imaging (MIGHTI) and a sodium (Na) lidarDiurnal and semidiurnal amplitudes reach as large as 19 K in the turbopause region, and are experiencing considerable dissipationThe diurnal tide in the turbopause region demonstrates evanescent wave feature with an almost constant phase [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Airglow emissions serve as good tracers of the altitudinal regions at which they originate. OI 630 nm (red line) nocturnal emissions originate from around 250 km altitude. A total of 142 nights of data corresponding to the months of January, February, and March in the years 2013, 2014, and 2016, obtained from Mt. Abu (24.6°N, 72.7°E, 16°N Mag), Gurushikhar, India, a low‐latitude location, are investigated. These are compared with the column integrated emission rates calculated using, as inputs, the measured electron density profiles obtained from a digisonde from Ahmedabad (AMD, 23.0°N, 72.6°E, 15°N Mag), India. Following the expected monotonic decrement in the emissions after sunset, an enhancement is observed on several nights that peaks at around 20–21 local time (LT). The cause for this enhancement has been investigated in detail and it is found that the neutral winds, as obtained using digisondes at two locations, show almost a very good correlation between a poleward directed wind or cessation of equatorward wind over AMD and the observed airglow emission enhancement in the post‐sunset time. Further, the percentage enhancement in emissions also shows a decrease in magnitudes from January to March which has a broad similarity to the decrease in the model climatological meridional wind magnitudes in the same duration. Based on the data spanning over different years, it is inferred that, during geomagnetic quiet periods, almost all of the nocturnal variability in OI 630 nm emissions is due to the variations in the neutral wind. Plain Language Summary: Some atoms in the Earth's upper atmosphere emit light due to internal processes known as airglow. The processes prevalent at those altitudes can be understood by remotely observing the modulations/variations of this airglow brightness. One such emission at 630 nm, known as redline airglow showed large enhancements in post‐sunset time over a low‐latitude location. While such redline emission enhancements can, on occasions, possibly occur due to a process at magnetic equator, known as pre‐reversal enhancement in electric field, systematic measurements carried out in this study over a three year duration in the months of January to March revealed that the meridional wind at thermospheric altitudes is the dominant cause of such enhancements. This conclusion has been made by measuring the relative variations in winds in the post‐sunset times that vary from night‐to‐night and the climatological model output that shows a broad month‐to‐month variation. We use the fact that poleward winds bring in electrons, one of the ingredients that produces redline emission, to low‐latitudes thereby causing these emission enhancements. Key Points: Enhancement in OI 630 nm red line emissions observed during the post‐sunset time from a low‐latitude locationColumn integrated volume emission rate and relative meridional wind variations have been calculated using digisondes at two locationsPoleward meridional winds play an important role in causing the observed enhancements in the post‐sunset OI 630 nm emissions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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It is often assumed that animals' temporal activity patterns are highly conserved throughout evolution. While most geckos are nocturnal, the species in the Cnemaspis genus are mostly diurnal (only a few are nocturnal). This raises a question about the evolution of a diel niche in the Cnemaspis genus. Cnemaspis geckos are distributed across Southeast Asia and are often sympatric with Cyrtodactylus, another widespread gecko genus in the same area. Since both genera are mainly rocky habitat specialists, we hypothesize that Cyrtodactylus may influence the temporal activity pattern of Cnemaspis when they are sympatric through competition. By analyzing habitat data, diel activity, and the existence of sympatric Cyrtodactylus species across the phylogeny of the Cnemaspis genus, we found (1) strong phylogenetic signals in the habitat use trait but not in temporal activity, suggesting that the diel niche of this genus is more labile compared with habitat niche, and (2) a significant association with the temporal activity pattern of Cnemaspis and the sympatry between the two genera, with the former tending to be diurnal when they are sympatric. Originated from a diurnal common ancestor, the release from competition with Cyrtodactylus species might open an opportunity for some Cnemaspis species to shift to nocturnal niches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrate radical (NO3) is the most important nocturnal oxidant in urban atmosphere. The city of Calicut (Kozhikode) is a medium sized urban location in India. One of the bus terminals at Palayam part of the city [11.2495° N, 75.7842° E] is adjacent to the vegetable sorting facilities cum market, both of which have intense activities by buses and trucks from about 3 AM till about 8 PM on all working days. We report preliminary measurements observing NO3 on five nights during a weeklong measurement campaign in the autumn of 2018. Measurements were made between 10 PM and 6 AM, and focus was when diesel vehicles were found idling along about half a km stretch during 3-6 AM while the loading/unloading of vegetables at sorting facility happens. Incoherent Broadband Cavity Enhanced Absorption Spectroscopic technique in open-path configuration (OP-IBBCEAS) was employed for measurements. The instrument was installed 8.5 m above the ground level over the east wing of Palayam bus terminal building adjacent to the vegetable market. The 285 cm long optical resonator was arranged on a custom-made aluminium profile platform 1 m high. The stability of the instrument for the entire period of measurement was excellent, and high NO3 mixing ratios with levels exceeding several hundred pptv were observed during early morning hours when heavy vehicles were idling. The highest NO3 mixing ratio observed was (497 ± 140) pptv during one of the nights. The fit uncertainty, which was considered as the uncertainty in retrieved concentration, was found to increase with increased aerosol loading. The uncertainty for a spectral averaging interval of 10 min was recorded as ~20 pptv and ~100 pptv during the lowest and the highest aerosol loading events respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nocturnal reactive nitrogen compounds play an important role in regional air pollution. Here we present the measurements of dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) associated with nitryl chloride (ClNO2) and particulate nitrate (pNO3-) at a suburban site of Beijing in the summer of 2016. High levels of N2O5 and ClNO2 were observed in the outflow of the urban Beijing air masses, with 1 min average maxima of 937 and 2900 pptv, respectively. The N2O5 uptake coefficients, γ, and ClNO2 yield, f, were experimentally determined from the observed parameters. The N2O5 uptake coefficient ranged from 0.012 to 0.055, with an average of 0.034 ± 0.018, which is in the upper range of previous field studies reported in North America and Europe but is a moderate value in the North China Plain (NCP), which reflects efficient N2O5 heterogeneous processes in Beijing. The ClNO2 yield exhibited high variability, with a range of 0.50 to unity and an average of 0.73 ± 0.25. The concentration of the nitrate radical (NO3) was calculated assuming that the thermal equilibrium between NO3 and N2O5 was maintained. In NOx-rich air masses, the oxidation of nocturnal biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) was dominated by NO3 rather than O3. The production rate of organic nitrate (ON) via NO3 + BVOCs was significant, with an average of 0.10 ± 0.07 ppbv h-1. We highlight the importance of NO3 oxidation of VOCs in the formation of ON and subsequent secondary organic aerosols in summer in Beijing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urban climate, especially the near-surface air temperature (T), is influenced to large amounts by urban surface properties on the local-scale. Landscape classification schemes, like the Local Climate Zone (LCZ) concept, classify neighbourhoods on this scale based on their surface properties, neglecting sub-scale heterogeneity in the urban structure and its potential effects on T. To quantify sub-scale T variability, a measurement campaign with eleven stationary T sensors was conducted within one LCZ (class 2B, compact midrise with scattered trees) in Berlin, Germany, during 22 days in summer 2016. Correlation analyses were performed between observed spatial T differences and micro-scale morphometric parameters around the measurement sites, such as sky view factor and building surface fraction. The results show mean night-time T differences of up to 1 K between the different sites. On a clear, calm and dry day, the daytime difference reached 3 K. At night-time, the variability can be best explained by the building surface fraction within a radius of 50 m. Further, a nocturnal cooling influence of a neighbouring green space could be observed. The observed micro-scale T variability was smaller than T differences to other LCZ classes, highlighting the applicability of the LCZ concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A spectroscopic instrument based on a mid-infrared external cavity quantum cascade laser (EC-QCL) was developed for high-accuracy measurements of dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) at the ppbv-level. A specific concentration retrieval algorithm was developed to remove, from the broadband absorption spectrum of N2O5, both etalon fringes resulting from the EC-QCL intrinsic structure and spectral interference lines of H2O vapour absorption, which led to a significant improvement in measurement accuracy and detection sensitivity (by a factor of 10), compared to using a traditional algorithm for gas concentration retrieval. The developed EC-QCL-based N2O5 sensing platform was evaluated by real-time tracking N2O5 concentration in its most important nocturnal tropospheric chemical reaction of NO3 + NO2↑ N2O5 in an atmospheric simulation chamber. Based on an optical absorption path-length of Leff = 70 m, a minimum detection limit of 15 ppbv was achieved with a 25 s integration time and it was down to 3 ppbv in 400 s. The equilibrium rate constant Keq involved in the above chemical reaction was determined with direct concentration measurements using the developed EC-QCL sensing platform, which was in good agreement with the theoretical value deduced from a referenced empirical formula under well controlled experimental conditions. The present work demonstrates the potential and the unique advantage of the use of a modern external cavity quantum cascade laser for applications in direct quantitative measurement of broadband absorption of key molecular species involved in chemical kinetic and climate-change related tropospheric chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate the pattern of psychosexual disorder in male patient psychosexual disorders (PSDs) in male patients Methods Male patients of 18 years and above who attended dermatology OPD for some psychosexual disorder were evaluated for the study. A complete demographic information including age, educational status, occupation, marital status was taken. Results Total 364 patients with psychosexual problems were included. The mean age of patients was 35.47±11.83 years. The highest number of patients was of 26 to 40 years age group (46.2%). Premature ejaculation (PME) was the commonest PSD (35.2%), followed by erectile dysfunction (ED), (23.65%). Many patients had more than one type of PSDs, of them PME and ED combination the most prevalent (14.3%). Mental stress was very much related (64.8%) to PSDs and usually PSD pts consulted doctors for their problems(68.7%).In married patients, PME (64.41%) and ED (45.76%) whereas in unmarried this number was 29.69% and 25%, respectively. Dhat syndrome (DS) and nocturnal emission (NE) was mainly problem of the unmarried patients. Religion, background, literacy and economic status is not important factors for different types of PSDs .There is a trend of PSDs in different age group. Conclusion The lack of education regarding sexual health may have been responsible for seeking help when the sexual situation arose after marriage. A more elaborative sexual education which would lead to timely medical consultation with qualified practitioner to deal the problem effectively is the need of the hour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study evaluated the effect of first nocturnal ejaculation timing on risk and sexual behaviors of Korean male adolescents. Methods: We analyzed data from the 10th edition of the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based survey that was conducted with male high school adolescents in grades 10-12. The survey included 17,907 adolescents, and 10,326 responded their experience of first nocturnal ejaculation. Of these, 595 had their first nocturnal ejaculation in =grade 4 ("early puberty") and 9,731 had their first nocturnal ejaculation in =grade 5 ("normal puberty"). We analyzed differences between these 2 groups in risk and sexual behaviors. Results: Early first nocturnal ejaculation showed a positive association with sexual intercourse (odds ratio [OR], 3.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.56-4.17), sexual debut at elementary school age (OR, 7.45; 95% CI, 5.00-11.10), and having had a sexually transmitted disease (OR, 6.60; 95% CI, 3.94-11.08). After a multiple logistic regression to adjust for socio-demographic variables, early first nocturnal ejaculation was still positively associated with sexual intercourse (OR, 2.73; 95% CI, 2.03-3.69), sexual debut at elementary school age (OR, 5.96; 95% CI, 3.47-10.22), and having had a sexually transmitted disease (OR, 5.17; 95% CI, 2.52-10.20). Early first nocturnal ejaculation was positively associated with alcohol consumption, smoking, and substance use. However, this was not statistically significant after adjusting for several socio-demographic variables. Conclusion: There is a positive association between early nocturnal ejaculation and sexual behaviors in male adolescents. Proactive education about sexual behaviors is required for adolescents who reach sexual maturity early. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim: The nocturnal production of melatonin by the pineal gland is triggered by sympathetic activation of adrenoceptors and may be modulated by immunological signals. The effect of glucocorticoids on nocturnal melatonin synthesis is controversial; both stimulatory and inhibitory effects have been reported. During pathophysiological processes, an increased sympathetic tonus could result in different patterns of adrenoceptor activation in the pineal gland. Therefore, in this investigation, we evaluated whether the pattern of adrenergic stimulation of the pineal gland drives the direction of the glucocorticoid effect on melatonin production. Methods: The corticosterone effect on the pineal hormonal production induced by ß-adrenoceptor or ß+a 1-adrenoceptor activation was evaluated in cultured glands. We also investigated whether the in vivo lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inhibition of melatonin is dependent on the interaction of glucocorticoids and the a1-adrenoceptor in adrenalectomized animals and on the in vivo blockade of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) or the a1-adrenoceptor. Results: Corticosterone potentiated ß-adrenoceptor-induced pineal melatonin synthesis, whilst corticosterone-dependent inhibition was observed when melatonin production was induced by ß+a 1-adrenoceptors agonists. The inhibitory effect of corticosterone is mediated by GR, as it was abolished in the presence of a GR antagonist. Moreover, LPS-induced reduction in melatonin nocturnal plasma content was reversed by adrenalectomy and by antagonizing GR or a1-adrenoceptors. Conclusions: The dual effect of corticosterone on pineal melatonin synthesis is determined by the activation pattern of adrenoceptors (ß or ß+a1) in the gland during GR activation, suggesting that increased activation of the sympathetic system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis are necessary for the control of melatonin production during defense responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Following a sudden death at a residential care unit, the Dutch Health and Care Inspectorate advised intensification of the use of video monitoring ( VM) at the unit. We assessed whether VM resulted in increased identification of seizures that required clinical intervention. Methods The unit provides care for 340 individuals with refractory epilepsy and severe learning disabilities. Acoustic detection systems ( ADSs) cover all individuals; 37 people also have a bed motion sensor ( BMS) and 46 people with possible nocturnal seizures are now monitored by VM. During a 6-month period, in all cases of a suspected seizure we asked the caregivers to specify which device alerted them and to indicate whether this led to an intervention. Staff costs of VM were estimated using payroll information. Results We identified 1,208 seizures in 37 individuals: 4 had no nocturnal seizures and 393 (33%) seizures were seen only on video. In 169 (14%) of 1,208 seizures an intervention was made and this included 39 (10%) of 393 seizures seen only on video. When compared to seizures observed with an ADS or BMS, seizures seen only on video were more often tonic seizures (71% vs. 22%, p < 0.001) and occurred mostly in the beginning or at the end of the night (40% vs. 26%, p < 0.001). The extra staff costs of monitoring was 7,035 euro per seizure seen only on video and leading to an intervention. Significance VM facilitates nocturnal surveillance, but the costs are high. This underscores the need for development of reliable seizure detection devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preliminary observations of the nocturnal variations of the OH(6-2) and O2b(0-1) nighttime airglow in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere are investigated in the context of tidal influence for the tropical latitude station Pune (18.5°N, 73.85°E). This is the only tropical Spectral Airglow Temperature Imager (SATI) station where the tidal variations of mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) temperature have been determined from ground based SATI observations. The SATI observations obtained since October 2012 reveal the influence of the migrating semidiurnal tides during solstice at this tropical station. There is variability in amplitude and phase obtained from SATI observations. In this paper, SATI observations on 10 Dec 2012 and 3 March 2013 are compared with Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) simulations. The amplitude of semidiurnal tides is ~25 K/30 K on 10 Dec 2012 during solstice for OH/O 2 temperature. During equinox SATI data indicates existence of semidiurnal tide also. The airglow observations are compared with simulations from the WACCM. The model underestimates the amplitude of the semi diurnal tide during equinox (1.6 K/2.7 K at 87 km/96 km) and solstice (~3.8 K/4.8 K at 87 km/96 km) for these days. The reason may be related to dampening of tides in the model due to the effect of strong latitudinal shear in zonal wind. The diurnal variation of airglow emission – which the model simulates well – is related to the vertical advection associated with the tides and downward mixing of atomic oxygen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here are proposed two automatic detectors of Barau's petrel ( Pterodroma baraui ) and tropical shearwater ( Puffinus bailloni ) vocalisations in noisy audio recordings (1) trained with a low number of positive training instances, and (2) whose performances would be the highest possible. To do so, acoustic recordings were performed in one Barau's petrel colony between February and May 2014 (85 h) and in two tropical shearwater colonies in March and April (21 h). Manual and automatic methods of segmentation were combined. Manual segmentation allowed (1) to miss a very few number of positive segments and (2) to avoid introducing false positive instances. Automatic segmentation provided quickly a diversified set of negative instances. Manual labelling must be regarded as an investment, for current and future works. A random forest classifier and classical methods of acoustic signal characterisation (cepstral coefficients, spectral moments, etc.) were tested. Best models were able to discriminate each target species calls from other sounds of its colony with F1 scores of 88% (Barau's petrel, 1015 samples) and 85% (tropical shearwater, 1217 samples). The acoustic monitoring of nocturnal burrow-nesting seabirds based on (1) data collected by autonomous recording units in harsh, windy and wet environments and (2) automatic analysis tools is feasible. The size of our database was limited. Consequently further works will be necessary to study robustness of models on long time-series data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The planetary boundary layer (PBL) is an atmospheric region near the Earth's surface. It is signifiant for weather forecasting and for the study of air quality and climate. In this study, the top of nocturnal residual layers--which are what remain of the daytime mixing layer--are estimated by an elastic backscatter Lidar in Wuhan (30.5°N, 114.4°E), a city in Central China. The ideal profile fitting method is widely applied to determine the nocturnal residual layer height (RLH) from Lidar data. However, the method is seriously affected by an optical thick layer. Thus, we propose an improved iterative fitting method to eliminate the optical thick layer effect on RLH detection using Lidar. Two typical case studies observed by elastic Lidar are presented to demonstrate the theory and advantage of the proposed method. Results of case analysis indicate that the improved method is more practical and precise than profile-fitting, gradient, and wavelet covariance transform method in terms of nocturnal RLH evaluation under low cloud conditions. Long-term observations of RLH performed with ideal profile fitting and improved methods were carried out in Wuhan from 28 May 2011 to 17 June 2016. Comparisons of Lidar-derived RLHs with the two types of methods verify that the improved solution is practical. Statistical analysis of a six-year Lidar signal was conducted to reveal themonthly average values of nocturnal RLH in Wuhan. A clear RLHmonthly cycle with amaximum mean height of about 1.8 km above ground level was observed in August, and a minimum height of about 0.7 km was observed in January. The variation in monthly mean RLH displays an obvious quarterly dependence, which coincides with the annual variation in local surface temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sexuality is an important part of personality of adolescents. The age of sexual debut is falling globally. The subject of adolescent sexuality is taboo in most societies. Since 2007 sexual health education program has been banned in six states including Maharashtra and Karnataka. This may lead to misconceptions about sexual heath knowledge and practices among young people. Objective: The aim was to assess the knowledge about sexual health among male students of junior colleges of an urban area and to evaluate the change in their knowledge after imparting sexual health education. Settings and Design: Pre-post-intervention study. Materials and Methods: All 245 male students of 11th standard of all three educational streams of two junior colleges were included in the study. The data analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences 18. Results: Science students had "adequate" knowledge about sexual health when compared to arts and commerce students (P = 0.004). Students whose parents were unskilled and semiskilled by occupation had "inadequate" knowledge about sexual health when compared with students whose parents were skilled by occupation (P < 0.05). Education of parents had positive effect on the knowledge about sexual health of students (P = 0.062). In posttest, the knowledge about sexual health of students was found to have increased significantly when compared to pretest. The mean posttest score was 12.61 (standard deviation [SD] 3.12), which was significantly higher than the mean pretest score of 6.34 (SD 3.23) (P < 0.001). Students from nuclear families had "adequate" knowledge about sexual health when compared to students from joint families (P = 0.158) Conclusion: Imparting knowledge about sexual health in adolescent age will be beneficial to the students in avoiding risky sexual behavior. Such educational programs must be given due importance to achieve desirable behavior change among them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and objective. In Poland, the assessment of nocturnal GH secretion has gained the status of screening test; however, this procedure is not included in international recommendations. The aim of the study was to assess the accuracy and predictive value of the test of nocturnal GH secretion as a screening procedure in diagnosing GHD, and to check the adequacy of the cut-off value for GH peak in this test on the level of 10 ng/ml. Materials and methods. The analysis comprised the data of 1,000 children with short stature. In all the patients, GH secretion was assessed in a screening test (after falling asleep) and in 2 stimulating tests (reference tests), with simultaneous assessment of IGF-I secretion before stimulating tests.The indices of screening test accuracy, likelihood ratios and predictive values were assessed. The cut-off level of GH peak after falling asleep, ensuring its 95% sensitivity, was calculated in ROC curve analysis. Results. Sensitivity of the screening test was 70.4%, while the specificity - 61.2%, positive likelihood ratio - 1.842, negative likelihood ratio - 0.482, positive predictive value - 0.462, negative predictive value - 0.812. The sensitivity of the test of GH secretion after falling asleep is too low with respect to the requirements for screening test. The ROC curve analysis showed 95% sensitivity for the screening test on the level of 19.0 ng/ml; however, with a very low specificity - below 25%, thus making this test completely useless as a screening procedure. Conclusions. The obtained results strongly contradict the opinion that the assessment of GH secretion after falling asleep should be a screening test in diagnosing GHD in children with short stature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fate of nitrogen oxide pollution during high-latitude winter is controlled by reactions of dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) and is highly affected by the competition between heterogeneous atmospheric reactions and deposition to the snowpack. MISTRA, a 1-D photochemical model, simulated an urban pollution plume from Fairbanks, Alaska to investigate this competition of N2O5 reactions and explore sensitivity to model parameters. It was found that dry deposition of N2O5 made up a significant fraction of N2O5 loss near the snowpack, but reactions on aerosol particles dominated loss of N2O5 over the integrated atmospheric column. Sensitivity experiments found the fate of NOx emissions were most sensitive to NO emission flux, photolysis rates, and ambient temperature. The results indicate a strong sensitivity to urban area density, season and clouds, and temperature, implying a strong sensitivity of the results to urban planning and climate change. Results suggest that secondary formation of particulate (PM2.5) nitrate in the Fairbanks downtown area does not contribute significant mass to the total PM2.5 concentration, but appreciable amounts are formed downwind of downtown due to nocturnal NOx oxidation and subsequent reaction with ammonia on aerosol particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentrations of Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Pb and Zn are measured in the atmospheric particulates from urban Islamabad, Pakistan during diurnal and nocturnal periods. On an average, the total suspended particulates and concentrations of Ca, Fe and Mg levels are considerably higher during day time and Cu concentrations are higher during night time. Significantly diverse correlations of elements are observed both during diurnal and nocturnal particulates. Multivariate principal component analysis reveals major anthropogenic contributions due to automobile emissions, combustion processes and industrial emissions. Enrichment factors show dominant anthropogenic contributions of Cd and Pb, followed by Co, Cu, Zn, Cr and Ca in diurnal and nocturnal atmospheric particulates. Comparison of metal concentrations observed in this study with those of previous studies from Islamabad and other urban areas around the world shows higher concentrations than those in some European cities but, in general, are lower than in large metropolitan cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the quality of fresh semen samples collected by nocturnal emission (NE), penile vibratory stimulation (PVS), or electroejaculation (EEJ) from idiopathic anejaculation patients with those collected by masturbation from healthy control subjects. Design: Retrospective clinical study. Setting: University medical center. Patient(s): Ninety-one men with idiopathic anejaculation. Intervention(s): NE, PVS, EEJ, computer-assisted semen analysis system. Main Outcome Measure(s): Sperm volume, concentration, motility, and morphology. Result(s): The mean percentage of motile sperm in the NE group was 30.6% ± 3.5% (range 11.2%–50.9%), which is 1.5- and 1.9-fold higher than that of the PVS (20.5% ± 1.3%, range 6.9%–40.2%) and EEJ (16.1% ± 0.9%, range 3.7%–27.3%) groups, respectively. The percentage of sperm that have normal morphology in the NE group was 61.4% ± 4.8%, which is significantly higher than that in the PVS (38.4% ± 2.8%) and EEJ groups (29.5% ± 1.7%), respectively. However, compared with the healthy control group, the sperm motility and normal morphology in the NE, PVS, and EEJ groups were significantly lower. The sperm concentration in the NE group (149.4 ± 16.3 ×106 mL−1) was similar to that of the PVS group (143.8 ± 13.1 × 106 mL−1) but was higher than in the EEJ group (96.3 ± 8.6 × 106 mL−1) and lower than in the control group (225.0 ± 15.0 × 106 mL−1). Furthermore, the semen volume in the NE group (2.6 ± 0.2 mL) was lower than that of the control group (3.0 ± 0.1 mL). Conclusion(s): This study is the first to report on the quality of fresh semen obtained by NE in patients with idiopathic anejaculation. Sperm motility and normal morphology were higher in patients who collected sperm by NE than in those who collected sperm by PVS and EEJ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the prevalence of men's sexual behaviors, erotic dreams, and nocturnal emissions and the continuity between diurnal and nocturnal sexuality. On the strength of the findings generated from a survey of 306 young male adults, several important implications are highlighted. Pornography consumption and masturbation with ejaculation are almost universal habits for young men. The form of sexual acts that sleepers dream about reflects the type and incidence of their pornography use and sexual behaviors during wakefulness. Erotic dreams and nocturnal emissions appear to serve as complements to waking-life sexuality. The choice of sexual objects and interactions in the formation of dream images is neither random nor rational, but is egoistic in nature. The most common sexual object that men dream about is not their girlfriend but is their female classmate or acquaintance; receiving sex pleasure by means of the penis being manually or orally stimulated is more likely to happen than giving the parallel sex pleasure to the object in erotic dreams. Certain typical dreams, the manifest content of which does not present any erotic elements, are physiologically arousing to the extent that they can induce the expulsion of semen. In other words, activities commonly occurring in dreams--especially for those about the urgent need to empty one's bladder and rummaging around for a toilet--can carry the same sexual connotations for men at the biological level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Due to the unique characteristics, such as intensive radiation, high altitude and low humidity, plateau climate importantly affects the airborne organic contaminants'' behavior in the environment. In this study, USEPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and benzo[e]pyrene were detected in the air samples collected at two suburban sites in Lhasa city. The total concentrations of USEPA priority fifteen PAHs (except naphthalene) in the particulate phase ranged from 4.4 to 60ng/m3, while in the gas phase from 79 to 350ng/m3. Integrated results of the multiple diagnostic ratios indicated that the major potential sources of PAHs in Lhasa city were local incomplete combustion of wood and cow dung cake. Particulate and gaseous PAH levels in this study displayed two clear and different diurnal and nocturnal concentration patterns, however, no distinct diurnal and nocturnal variation was observed for the total suspended particles (TSP) concentrations. No significant correlation was found between TSP concentrations and particle-bound PAHs, meaning physicochemical processes play an important role in diurnal and nocturnal variations of PAHs in the atmosphere except emission sources in this study. Based on the diurnal and nocturnal changes of the percentage of particulate phase PAHs in total PAHs, it suggested that gas–particle partitioning driven by temperature makes a great contribution to the variations of PAHs concentrations. The most susceptible to transformation between gas and particle phase chemicals are PHE, ANT, FLA, PYR, BaA and CHR. In addition, our observation suggested that atmospheric reaction and photolytic degradation also exert an important impact on the variations of PAHs in both phases in the atmosphere of Lhasa city. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Nocturnal polyuria (NP) is common in older men and can lead to nocturia. However, no longitudinal data are available on the natural history of NP. Objective: To determine prevalence, incidence, and resolution rates of NP. Design, setting, and participants: A longitudinal, community-based study was conducted among 1688 men aged 50–78 yr in Krimpen aan den IJssel, The Netherlands (reference date: 1995), with planned follow-up rounds at 2, 4, and 6 yr. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: NP was determined with frequency–volume charts. Two definitions of NP were used: (1) a nocturnal urine production (NUP) of >90ml/h (NUP90) and (2) the nocturnal voided volume plus first morning void being >33% of the 24-h voided volume (NUV33). Nocturia was defined as two or more voids per night. We determined the prevalence of NP at each study round. At first follow-up, we determined the incidence in men without baseline NP and the resolution in men with baseline NP. Prevalence of NP in men with or without nocturia was also determined. Results and limitations: At baseline, the prevalence of NUP90 was 15.0% and increased to 21.7% after 6.5 yr, whereas the prevalence of NUV33 was 77.8% at baseline and 80.5% after 6.5 yr. At 2.1 yr of follow-up, the incidences of NUP90 and NUV33 were 13.6% and 60.3%, respectively, and the resolution rates were 57.0% and 17.8%, respectively. Because of this fluctuation in NP, no reliable long-term incidences could be calculated. At baseline, NUP90 was prevalent in 27.7% of men with nocturia and in 8.0% of those without nocturia. At baseline, NUV33 was prevalent in 91.9% of men with nocturia and in 70.1% of men without nocturia. Conclusions: Due to the fluctuation of NP, it is advisable to first determine its chronicity and cause before starting treatment. Because of the high prevalence of NP in men without nocturia, NUV33 should be reconsidered as a discriminative definition of NP. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study examined the degree to which erotic and wet dreams are modulated by sexual behaviors and the use of pornography in waking life. The sample contained 52 young male adults that were invited to complete a questionnaire concerning their frequencies of sexual fantasy, sexual behaviors, pornography consumption, erotic dreams, and nocturnal emissions. The results suggest that the more often men watch pornography, the more frequently they masturbate to ejaculate and the less likely they are to experience nocturnal emissions. Moreover, people who are sexually active during wakefulness do not seem to dream more about sex. However, the type of pornography use seems to have a significant effect on the erotic content that people dream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Despite being an embarrassing and rarely-addressed issue in the early Church, sexual dreams were ardently discoursed by Augustine and Cassian. In their discussions, not only sexual dreams became an indicator of the dreamer's moral disposition but a moral hierarchy of dreamers was created for the first time in Christianity. Moreover, while many early and modern Christians consider dreaming of concupiscent images or having a nocturnal emission as sinful, surprisingly these two church fathers doctrinally justified oneiric sexual sinners as innocent. Their doctrine of sin converted the dominion of dreams into the only place where people were inculpable for their 'sinful deeds'. This article examines their conception of sexual dreams and their articulation of the doctrine of sin by them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A time series of nocturnal emissions was presented in The American Journal of Psychology in 1904. The anonymous author of this remarkable article provided the time series to support his contention that his nocturnal emissions exhibited a seasonal pattern of variation. Specifically, he claimed to have heightened emissions during spring and summer, with dampened emissions later. The basis for this claim was a time series graph of average emissions by month across an 8-year period. The purpose of this article is to reanalyze these data with statistical procedures developed in the past century to validate the original conclusion drawn by the author. After analyses of the data with several state-of-the-art methods, no statistical support was found for a seasonal pattern of nocturnal emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life cycle assessment is increasingly used to assess the environmental performance of fossil energy systems. Two of the dominant emissions of offshore oil and gas production to the marine environment are the discharge of produced water and drilling waste. Although environmental impacts of produced water are predominantly due to chemical stressors, a major concern regarding drilling waste discharge is the potential physical impact due to particles. At present, impact indicators for particulate emissions are not yet available in life cycle assessment. Here, we develop characterization factors for 2 distinct impacts of particulate emissions: an increased turbidity zone in the water column and physical burial of benthic communities. The characterization factor for turbidity is developed analogous to characterization factors for toxic impacts, and ranges from 1.4 PAF (potentially affected fraction) ·m3/d/kgp (kilogram particulate) for drilling mud particles discharged from the rig. The characterization factor for burial describes the volume of sediment that is impacted by particle deposition on the seafloor and equals 2.0 × 10−1 PAF· m3/d/kgp for cutting particles. This characterization factor is quantified on the basis of initial deposition layer characteristics, such as height and surface area, the initial benthic response, and the recovery rate. We assessed the relevance of including particulate emissions in an impact assessment of offshore oil and gas production. Accordingly, the total impact on the water column and on the sediment was quantified based on emission data of produced water and drilling waste for all oil and gas fields on the Norwegian continental shelf in 2008. Our results show that cutting particles contribute substantially to the total impact of offshore oil and gas production on marine sediments, with a relative contribution of 55% and 31% on the regional and global scale, respectively. In contrast, the contribution of particulate emissions to the total impact on the marine water column is of minor importance. We conclude that particles are an important stressor in marine ecosystems, particularly for marine sediment, and particulate emissions should therefore be included in a (life cycle) impact assessment of offshore oil and gas production. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2011;7:678-686. © 2011 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides an overview of the frequencies and narrative features of sex and wet dreams and investigates the incestuous behavior in the manifest content of dreams. A questionnaire specially designed for capturing both quantitative and qualitative aspects of sex and wet dreams was administered to 58 male participants. More than 80% of participants had dreamed about having vaginal intercourse with a woman. Dreaming of sexual interactions other than vaginal intercourse--such as oral sex--was also common. Consistent with the hypothesis that latent sexual motives or some variation of sexuality that people may not be aware of during the daytime would emerge at night through dreaming, both homosexual and incestuous behaviors were observed in dreams. In addition, the finding indicates that sexual thoughts and motives can be represented by symbols in dreams, and dream impressions involving no erotic scenes are capable of eliciting nocturnal emissions. It seems that sex dreams, wet dreams, and nocturnal emissions without erotic imagery or dreaming can be distinguished from each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A solution to the problem of controlling the minimum temperature in greenhouses using controllers developed from nonlinear models of the system is discussed and applied on a real greenhouse. More precisely, the controllers designed are Takagi–Sugeno type controllers, and the proposed design method is an iterative method based on solving a set of Linear Matrix Inequalities, which ensures stability and performance in closed-loop. The tests in a real greenhouse show that it is possible to design controllers for control of nocturnal temperature that give good performance, and guarantee stability in a wide range of working conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Accurate, fine spatial resolution predictions of surface air temperatures are critical for understanding many hydrologic and ecological processes. This study examines the spatial and temporal variability in nocturnal air temperatures across a mountainous region of Northern Idaho. Principal components analysis (PCA) was applied to a network of 70 Hobo temperature loggers systematically distributed across 2 mountain ranges. Four interpretable modes of variability were observed in average nighttime temperatures among Hobo sites: (1) regional/synoptic; (2) topoclimatic; (3) land surface feedback; (4) canopy cover and vegetation. PC time series captured temporal variability in nighttime temperatures and showed strong relationships with regional air temperatures, sky conditions and atmospheric pressure. PC2 captured the topographic variation among temperatures. A cold air drainage index was created by predicting PC2 loadings to elevation, slope position and dissection indices. Nightly temperature maps were produced by applying PC time series back to the PC2 loading surface, revealing complex temporal and spatial variation in nighttime temperatures. Further development of both physically and empirically based daily temperature models that account for synoptic atmospheric controls on fine-scale temperature variability in mountain ecosystems are needed to guide future monitoring efforts aimed at assessing the impact of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nocturnal ozone maxima have been reported by several authors in different environments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of horizontal transport on the occurrence of nocturnal ozone maxima. Frequency, concentration and time of the nocturnal ozone maxima were investigated during three consecutive years (2005–2007) in two urban and two rural sites of Northern Portugal using hourly ozone concentrations. These concentrations were further related with temperature, relative humidity, wind direction and speed. Results showed that urban sites had frequencies of nocturnal ozone maxima between 40% and 50% and rural sites of 15%. Rural sites were those with higher concentrations being in average 117 ± 35 μg m−3, with minimum and maximum concentrations of, respectively, 51 μg m−3 and 283 μg m−3; information and alert thresholds were exceeded (). At urban sites, the nocturnal ozone maxima occurred most at 5 h and at rural sites at 23 h/24 h. Among the meteorological parameters analysed, wind direction was the only one that had influence on the occurrence of nocturnal O3 maxima. When nocturnal O3 maxima occurred it was possible to observe at the urban sites, prevailing winds from ESE, related with land–sea breezes, meaning that land–sea breeze influenced the occurrence of nocturnal O3 maxima trough the transport of O3 from places where its concentrations were higher. At rural sites similar behaviour has been observed, nevertheless with different wind directions according to meteorological characteristics of the sites; frequent wind directions were from WNW for LO and from the North quadrant for SM. Additionally, between 70% and 99% of the nocturnal O3 maxima for urban and rural sites occurred when there was a shift in the wind direction. Results allowed concluding that horizontal transport might have high importance on the occurrence of those maxima. Nevertheless, other factors, such as vertical transport, may also be important, as have been suggested by other authors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: Earlier pubertal maturation in women may be associated with better cognition. It is unclear whether or not this also occurs in men. We tested the hypothesis that earlier pubertal development in men was associated with better cognition in later adulthood in a developing Chinese population. Methods: Multivariable linear regression was used in cross-sectional study of 2463 older, Chinese men from the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study. Mean pubertal age was calculated as the mean of recalled ages of first nocturnal emission, voice breaking and pubarche. We assessed the association of mean pubertal age with delayed 10-word recall and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores. Results: Adjusted for age and education, 1 year earlier mean pubertal age was associated with higher delayed 10-word recall (0.06 [95% confidence interval = 0.02–0.10]) and higher MMSE (0.08 [0.03–0.13]) scores. Additional adjustment for childhood and adulthood socio-economic position, sitting height, and leg length did not change the results. Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest earlier maturation in men is associated with better cognitive function in later adulthood. Whether pubertal timing is a marker of earlier life exposures or reflects a biological relation between somatrophic and/or gonadotrophic hormones and cognitive development is unclear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turbulence statistics such as flux-variance relationship are critical information in measuring and modeling ecosystem exchanges of carbon, water, energy, and momentum at the biosphere-atmosphere interface. Using a recently proposed mathematical technique, the Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT), this study highlights its possibility to quantify impacts of non-turbulent flows on turbulence statistics in the stable surface layer. The HHT is suitable for the analysis of non-stationary and intermittent data and thus very useful for better understanding the interplay of the surface layer similarity with complex nocturnal environment. Our analysis showed that the HHT can successfully sift non-turbulent components and be used as a tool to estimate the relationships between turbulence statistics and atmospheric stability in complex environments such as nocturnal stable boundary layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the emperor Julian's use of pederastic and same-sex sexual tropes to characterize the importance of his friendship with Saturninius Secundus Salutius. The "Self-Consolation" or Oration 4 is read in light of its intertextualities with Theocritus, Plato, and various ancient discussions of dreams with nocturnal emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article the treatment of female erotic dreams leading to nocturnal emissions in ancient Greek medical literature by authors such as Hippocrates, Galen, and Aristotle. Among other topics addressed are an ancient Greek association of erotic dreams with evil spirits, the nature of the sources referenced, and related Classical Greek philology.

Penile amputation is an uncommon condition for which immediate surgical replantation is warranted. This work aimed to represent intervention and management for an amputated penis by replantation and reconstruction. A 23-year-old man presented with traumatic penile amputation for 2 h where the penile proximal part was 1 cm far from the pubis. Replantation included end-to-end anastomosis of the urethral mucosa over a catheter, approximation of the corpus cavernosum and tunica albuginea, anastomosis of the deep dorsal vein, dorsal nerve, both dorsal arteries and superficial dorsal vein. At day 5 post-operatively, the replanted penis had preserved capillary filling. The catheter was removed at day 11, where the patient urinated smoothly. The preliminary cosmetic appearance was satisfactory with frequent morning erection, reported night emission twice within the first month post-operatively. Sensation was preserved in the distal anastomosed stump. It is concluded that meticulous microsurgical technique decreases the possibility of skin loss and increases the chance of erectile function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between radiation and turbulence in the stable boundary layer over land is explored using an idealized model, with a focus on the surface layer after the evening transition. It is shown that finer vertical resolution is required in transitional boundary layers than in developed ones. In very light winds radiative cooling determines the temperature profile, even if similarity functions without a critical Richardson number are used; standard surface similarity theory applied over thick layers then yields poor forecasts of near-surface air temperatures. These points are illustrated with field data. Simulations of the developing nocturnal boundary layer are used to explore the wider role of radiation. Comparatively, radiation is less significant within the developed stable boundary layer than during the transition; although, as previous studies have found, it remains important towards the top of the stable layer and in the residual layer. Near the ground, reducing the surface emissivity below one is found to yield modest relative radiative warming rather than intense cooling, which reduces the potential importance of radiation in the developed surface layer. The profile of the radiative heating rate may be strongly dependent on other processes, leading to quite varied behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of the radiatively dominated stable boundary layer is analysed using idealized calculations at high vertical and spectral resolution. The temperature profile of a nocturnal radiative boundary layer, developing after the evening transition, is found to be well described in terms of radiative cooling to the surface, although radiative exchanges within the atmosphere become increasingly important with time. The treatment of non-black surfaces is discussed in some detail and it is shown that the effect of reducing the surface emissivity is to decrease rather than to increase the radiative cooling rate in the surface layer. It is also argued that an accurate assessment of the impact of non-black surfaces requires careful attention to the spectral and directional characteristics of the surface emissivity. A polar nocturnal boundary layer, developing above snow-covered ground, is simulated and found to reach a slowly evolving state characterized by a strong radiative divergence near the surface that is comparable to observed values. Radiative boundary layers are characterized by large temperature gradients near the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial moonlight was recently shown to shift the endogenous clock of fruit flies and make them nocturnal. To test whether this nocturnal activity is partly due to masking effects of light, we exposed the clock-mutants per01, tim01, per01;tim01, cyc01, and ClkJRK to light/dark and light/dim-light cycles and determined the activity level during the day and night. We found that under moonlit nights, all clock mutants shifted their activity significantly into the night, suggesting that this effect is independent of the clock. We also recorded the flies under continuous artificial moonlight and darkness to judge the effect of dim constant light on the activity level. All mutants, except ClkJRK flies, were significantly more active under artificial moonlight conditions than under complete darkness. Unexpectedly, we found residual rhythmicity of per01 and especially tim01 mutants under these conditions, suggesting that TIM and especially PER retained some activity in the absence of its respective partner. Nevertheless, as even the double mutants and the cyc01 and ClkJRK mutants shifted their activity into the night, we conclude that dim light stimulates the activity of fruit flies in a clock-independent manner. Thus, nocturnal light has a twofold influence on flies: it shifts the circadian clock, and it increases nocturnal activity independently of the clock. The latter was also observed in some primates by others and might therefore be of a more general validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to light cycles, temperature cycles are among the most important synchronizers in nature. Indeed, both clock gene expression and circadian activity rhythms entrain to thermocycles. This study aimed to extend our knowledge of the relative strength of light and temperature as zeitgebers for zebrafish locomotor activity rhythms. When the capacity of a 24:20°C (thermophase:cryophase, referred to as TC) thermocycle to synchronize activity rhythms under LL was evaluated, it was found that most groups (78%) synchronized to these conditions. Under LD, when zebrafish were allowed to select the water temperature (24°C vs. 20°C), most fish selected the higher temperature and showed diurnal activity, while a small (25%) percentage of fish that preferred the lower temperature displayed nocturnal activity. Under conflicting LD and TC cycles, fish showed diurnal activity when the zeitgebers were in phase or in antiphase, with a high percentage of activity displayed around dawn and dusk (22% and 34% of the total activity for LD/TC and LD/CT, respectively). Finally, to test the relative strength of each zeitgeber, fish were subjected to ahemeral cycles of light (T=25 h) and temperature (T=23 h). Zebrafish synchronized mostly to the light cycle, although they displayed relative coordination, as their locomotor activity increased when light and thermophase coincided. These findings show that although light is a stronger synchronizer than temperature, TC cycles alone can entrain circadian rhythms and interfere in their light synchronization, suggesting the existence of both light- and temperature-entrainable oscillators that are weakly coupled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In Parkinson''s disease (PD), sudden unexpected sleep episodes and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) while driving and engaging in social activities are important problems. We conducted a multi-center study to clarify the prevalence and contributing factor of EDS and sleep episodes in Japanese patients with PD. We evaluated 188 patients with PD (85 men, 103 women) and 144 age-matched controls for sleepiness. EDS was defined as an Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) score of ≥10. ESS score was significantly higher (6.6±4.2 vs. 5.6±3.8) and prevalence of sleep episodes was higher in PD than in controls (6.4% vs. 0.7%). PD patients with EDS were more likely to have sleep episodes (22.5% vs. 2.0%), higher score for disease severity and depressive symptoms, and on higher dose of dopaminergic agents than those without EDS. However, there were no differences in nocturnal disturbances between the two groups. ESS score was not different between patients taking ergot and non-ergot dopamine agonists. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that mental state, total dose of dopaminergic agents, and ESS score were significant predictors of sleep episodes. ESS score of ≥10 had 75% sensitivity and 82.4% specificity for sleep episodes. These results suggest that sleepiness in PD is dependent on disease itself and dopaminergic treatment rather than nocturnal disturbances. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The first mini-review in this section is a systematic literature review on postorgasmic pain in the male. The authors found a significant incidence of this problem and have suggested that studies are required into aetiology and treatment. The issue of saturation biopsy of the prostate is discussed in the second article, followed by papers on basal cell carcinoma of the prostate, and finally, a discussion of screening for prostate cancer, and particularly new efforts at targeting special groups. We reviewed previous publications on post-orgasmic pain with reference to prevalence, epidemiology and treatment options, using the Ovid and PubMed (updated May 2006) databases to comprehensively search MEDLINE for reports on post-orgasmic pain that included peer-reviewed English-language articles. Official proceedings of internationally known scientific societies were also assessed. Because of the heterogeneity of the studies we did not apply meta- analytic techniques to the data. The incidence of post-orgasmic pain is 1–9.7%. The ejaculatory pain is associated with prostatitis, chronic pelvic pain syndrome, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and ejaculatory duct obstruction; it is also described in patients after procedures like radical prostatectomy. Aetiopathogenic theories include those referring to bladder neck closure and pudendal neuropathy. The treatment options vary from self-care, a ‘perineal hyperprotection programme’ to medication with the α-blocker, topiramate, and even surgical procedures like removing a section of the sacrotuberous ligament, neurolysis of the pudendal nerve or removing a section of the sacrospinous ligament. This is the first update of the subject, with reference to prevalence, epidemiology and treatment options. There is a need for adequately powered, prospective randomized trials on aetiology and treatment options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both the findings and the limitations of numeric milestone research in sexology have a bearing on the pedagogical status of pleasure, as welt as the cultural underpinnings of the notion of a psychosexual milestone. An overview is offered of international data pertaining to the chronology of three "milestones" in sexual autobiography: first orgasm (urgasmarche), first ejaculation (oigarche), and first wet dream (nocturnal emission). Methodological problems associated with the measurement of these variables are discussed. These problems are then situated in a culturalist perspective. It is concluded that orgasms are cultural artifacts in terms of their chronological occurrence as well as perceived salience, necessity, and "age appropriateness." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A steady-state low-level jet observed in the Stable Atmospheric Boundary Layer Experiment in Spain-1998 (SABLES-98) campaign is simulated using a large-eddy simulation model. The radiation is taken into account since its contribution to the budget of the tendency of temperature is as important as the contribution of the turbulence in the surface layer. The resulting regime is a two-layer flow separated by a change of the temperature gradient at the level of maximum speed. The upper part has turbulence originated by shear production extending up to 3 times the height of wind maximum and of the same order of magnitude as in the layer below. The jet nose is seen by the model as a decoupling layer, and the use of passive scalars allows for the inspection of the amount of transport across it, which is very small. The lower layer is very sensitive to the surface boundary conditions, but the principal patterns in the upper layer do not change significantly. The runs are compared to the observations through mean profiles, time series, and probability density functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pregnant female of the Dwarf deep-sea shark, Squaliolus laticaudus with four embryos was caught by the nocturnal longline vessel “Progressão” from southern Brazil, on September 1999. It was donated by the fishermen. Embryos ranged in size 105 – 100 mm of total length. The aim of this article is to contribute to the knowledge of the Dwarf deep-sea shark reproduction and distribution on the Brazilian coast. It is been considered the first record to know about pregnant Dwarf deep-sea shark in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the ejaculatory process that is conceptualized as a seamless function that begins with afferent stimulation leading to psychosexual arousal and terminating in ejaculation. Presentation of how the arousal response and the afferent part of ejaculation are likely to be the same thing; Relative roles of cerebral and spinal ejaculatory centers in mediating the ejaculatory response; Interrelationship between sexual arousal and ejaculation.