1.   Even where price increases have taken place, retailers with good stocks May be able to cushion the blow for a while.

2.   That steady increase can take them several miles down into the crust.

3.   The increase took place only in men, whereas in women the incidence slightly decreased.

4.   Because the increase has taken place in a relatively short period of time, it cannot be due to genetic factors.

5.   But if they do nothing, stock levels look likely to fall so low that an OPEC production increase could take place as early as November.

6.   But the increase took months to work its way through ports, pipelines and refineries and into inventories of gasoline and heating oil.

7.   By the time a rate increase took full effect, the economy would be much less vigorous than it is today.

8.   Deputy Energy and Mines Minister Evanan Romero said a rate increase would take into account projected inflation for the year and the exchange rate.

9.   Even that increase will take some fancy economic diplomacy.

10.   Expectations that the increase would take effect tonight had sent many Venezuelans to gas pumps to fill up.