Secure & trusted communication in emergency situations

In this paper we propose SETS, a protocol with main aim to provide secure and private communication during emergency situations. SETS achieves security of the exchanged information, attack resilience and user’s privacy. In addition, SETS can be easily adapted for mobile devices, since field experimental results show the effectiveness of the protocol on actual smart-phone platforms

Post-coital agents and menses inducing drugs

The importance of developing of drugs which could be taken post-coitally or used once-a-month in the case of a delay in the onset of the menses is well recognized. The availability of such technology would limit exposure to fertility regulating agents to such occasions where there is coital exposure or possibility of pregnancy. Methods of post-coital contraception used so far include IUD's inserted post-coitally, estrogens, and combinations of estrogens and gestagens. These are reserved primarily for emergency situations to protect women from unwanted pregnancy resulting from rape or unprotected coitus. Levonorgestrel has shown satisfactory results in terms of contraceptive efficacy and is being further evaluated clinically. A number of problems inherent in the development of post-coital contraception are discussed. Menstrual regulation could be achieved by a number of approaches: (a) block progesterone receptors and interfere with the preparation of the endometrium for implantation; (b) luteolysis leading to decreased progesterone levels and interruption of implantation; and (c) termination of early pregnancy by prostaglandins. A number of progesterone antagonists have been evaluated. One of the compounds, RU38486 is being evaluated clinically for termination of very early pregnancy. Deglycosylated derivatives of human chorionic gonadotropin have been shown to antagonize the action of human chorionic gonadotropin and interfere with established pregnancy in rats. Appropriate methods of delivery, immunogenicity and alternate methods for production of human chorionic gonadotropin need to be considered before evaluation of the derivatives for clinical use. In vitro and invivo models need to be developed for evaluation of the teratogenicity and embryotoxicity of post-coital and menses inducing agents. There are a number of gaps in the knowledge of the processes regulating implantation which should be investigated in rodents and in different non-human primate species

Alterations in sialic acid in the epididymis of the puberal rat in response to changes in functional activity of the testis

This article does not have an abstract

Stimulation of nucleic acid and protein synthesis in the epididymis and accessory organs of the rat by testosterone

The effects of a single dose of testosterone on the content of DNA, RNA and protein and the incorporation of [3H]phenylalanine into protein in the epididymis, vas deferens and ventral prostate of the rat were studied. A single dose of testosterone did not increase the weights of the accessory organs but restored the incorporation of [3H]phenylalanine into proteins in the caput, corpus and cauda epididymides, vas deferens and ventral prostate to the normal level. Within 1 h of hormone administration, significant increases in the content of DNA, RNA and protein were noticed in the cauda epididymidis and ventral prostate. The caput and corpus epididymides and vas deferens showed decreasing order of responsiveness to testosterone. These data are discussed with respect to the relative responsiveness of these organs to reinitiation of their function by administration of a single dose of testosterone. The new protein(s) synthesized in response to hormonal stimulation associated with growth and secretory activity of the cells may be different from the new protein macromolecules synthesized after hormone withdrawal or inhibition of hormone action which are involved in autolytic processes

The effect of cis- and trans-clomiphene citrate on sialic acid in the uterus, cervix and vagina of rats during delayed implantation

The comparative effects of cis- and trans-clomiphene and oestradiol-17β on the sialic acid concentration in the uterus, cervix and vagina were studied in rats during experimentally induced delayed implantation. The cis- or trans-isomer of clomiphene caused a progressive dose-dependent increase in sialic acid in the uterus and cervix whereas vaginal sialic acid decreased with increase in the dose of the respective compounds. Cis- and trans-clomiphene and oestradiol-17β all caused a sharp increase in the sialic acid content of the uterus, cervix and vagina 6 hr after the administration of the respective compounds. There was a decrease in sialic acid in all the three tissues at subsequent time intervals in cis-clomiphene or oestradiol-treated rats. The oestrogenic effects of trans-clomiphene lasted even up to 48 hr in all three reproductive tract tissues, indicating that trans-clomiphene is more oestrogenic than the cis-isomer. Differences in the response of the uterus, cervix and vagina to administration of the compounds are discussed in relation to their embryological origin

Early action of oestrogen on the incorporation of [<SUP>3</SUP>H] uridine in the blastocyst and uterus of rat during delayed implantation

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Effects of microquantities of testosterone on the epididymis and accessory glands of the castrated rhesus monkey, Macaca mulatta

Release of testosterone from silastic implants over a period of 90 days resulted in variable stimulation of the epididymis and accessory glands of reproduction in the castrated rhesus monkey. While the weights of the seminal vesicles, prostate gland and bulbo-urethral glands were maintained at the same level as the intact control animals by four or eight implants of testosterone, those of the epididymis and ductus deferens were not affected by either dose of testosterone. Fructose in the seminal vesicles was stimulated significantly above intact control levels by eight implants of testosterone. There was no regional variation in the levels of sialic acid in the caput, corpus and cauda epididymides, but the concentrations of phospholipid and total lipid were significantly higher in the caput epididymidis. Our observations suggest there may be differential threshold requirements of androgens for the maintenance of the epididymis and accessory glands in the male rhesus monkey

Magnetic and FMR study on CoFe₂O₄/ZnFe₂O₄ bilayers

CoFe&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;/ZnFe&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; bilayers were deposited by the pulsed laser deposition on amorphous fused quartz substrate at substrate temperature of 350°C and in oxygen pressure of 0.16 mbar. The films were studied after ex-situ annealing for 2 h in air at various temperatures up to 650°C. The magnetic properties of the bilayers were studied at 300 K and at 10 K. Ferromagnetic resonance was carried out at x-band frequencies at room temperature. It was found that as a result of annealing, the diffusion between Co ferrite and Zn ferrite starts around 350°C and leads to a large line width system having magnetization, which remains undetected by Ferromagnetic resonance

Changes in uterine sialic acid and glycogen during early pregnancy in the rat

Changes in uterine sialic acid and glycogen were studied in rats during days 1-6 of pregnancy. There was a sharp decline in uterine glycogen following mating, and thereafter increased gradually to reach a peak level on day 4 (4 PM). Coinciding with the entry of blastocysts into the uterus [between day 4 (10 PM) and day 5 (10 AM)] uterine glycogen decreased to a low level which was maintained up to 4 PM on day 6 of pregnancy. Uterine sialic acid was maximal on day 0 (proestrus, 10 PM) and was maintained at this level up to day 1 of pregnancy. Thereafter, uterine sialic acid concentration declined gradually to the lowest level by day 4 (9 AM). There was a sharp increase in uterine sialic acid between 4 and 10 PM On day 4, and was followed by a marked decline between day 4 (10 PM) and day 5 (9 AM); it increased again on the evening of day 5 and attained significantly higher levels by day 6 (4 PM). The fluctuations in uterine sialic acid and glycogen during early pregnancy appear to be a sequel to the fluctuating levels of estrogens during proestrus, estrus, and early pregnancy. A possible role for sialic acid in attachment of blastocysts to the uterus is postulated