Interaction between Mu and Delta Opioid Receptor Agonists in an Assay of Capsaicin-Induced Thermal Allodynia in Rhesus Monkeys

Delta opioid agonists enhance antinociceptive effects of mu-opioid agonists in many preclinical assays of acute nociception, but delta/mu interactions in preclinical models of inflammation-associated pain have not been examined. This study examined interactions between the delta agonist SNC80 [(+)-4-[(αR)-α-((2S,5R)-4-allyl-2,5-dimethyl-1-piperazinyl)-3-methoxybenzyl]-N,N-diethylbenzamide] and the mu agonist analgesics methadone, morphine, and nalbuphine in an assay of capsaicin-induced thermal allodynia in rhesus monkeys. Thermal allodynia was produced by topical application of capsaicin to the tail. Antiallodynic effects of methadone, morphine, and nalbuphine were evaluated alone or in combination with fixed proportions of SNC80 identical to proportions previously shown to enhance acute thermal antinociceptive effects of these mu agonists in rhesus monkeys (0.9 : 1 SNC80/methadone; 0.29 : 1 SNC80/morphine; 3.6 : 1 SNC80/nalbuphine). Methadone, morphine, and nalbuphine each produced dose-dependent antiallodynia. SNC80 produced partial antiallodynia up to the highest dose tested (5.6 mg/kg). SNC80 produced a modest, enantioselective, and naltrindole-reversible enhancement of methadone-induced antiallodynia. However, SNC80 did not enhance morphine antiallodynia and only weakly enhanced nalbuphine antiallodynia. Overall, SNC80 produced modest or no enhancement of the antiallodynic effects of the three mu agonists evaluated. These results suggest that delta agonist-induced enhancement of mu agonist antiallodynia may be weaker and less reliable than previously demonstrated enhancement of mu agonist acute thermal nociception

Novel technique for constraining r-process (n,γ\gamma) reaction rates

A novel technique has been developed, which will open exciting new opportunities for studying the very neutron-rich nuclei involved in the r-process. As a proof-of-principle, the $\gamma$-spectra from the $\beta$-decay of $^{76}$Ga have been measured with the SuN detector at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. The nuclear level density and $\gamma$-ray strength function are extracted and used as input to Hauser-Feshbach calculations. The present technique is shown to strongly constrain the $^{75}$Ge($n,\gamma$)$^{76}$Ge cross section and reaction rate.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Sleep duration and risk of obesity among a sample of Victorian school children

Abstract Background Insufficient sleep is potentially an important modifiable risk factor for obesity and poor physical activity and sedentary behaviours among children. However, inconsistencies across studies highlight the need for more objective measures. This paper examines the relationship between sleep duration and objectively measured physical activity, sedentary time and weight status, among a sample of Victorian Primary School children. Methods A sub-sample of 298 grades four (n = 157) and six (n = 132) Victorian primary school children (aged 9.2-13.2 years) with complete accelerometry and anthropometry data, from 39 schools, were taken from a pilot study of a larger state based cluster randomized control trial in 2013. Data comprised: researcher measured height and weight; accelerometry derived physical activity and sedentary time; and self-reported sleep duration and hypothesised confounding factors (e.g. age, gender and environmental factors). Results Compared with sufficient sleepers (67 %), those with insufficient sleep (<10 hrs/day) were significantly more likely to be overweight (OR 1.97, 95 % CI:1.11-3.48) or obese (OR 2.43, 95 % CI:1.26-4.71). No association between sleep and objectively measured physical activity levels or sedentary time was found. Conclusion The strong positive relationship between weight status and sleep deprivation merits further research though PA and sedentary time do not seem to be involved in the relationship. Strategies to improve sleep duration may help obesity prevention initiatives in the future

The Supersymmetric Origin of Matter

The Minimal Supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model (MSSM) can provide the correct neutralino relic abundance and baryon number asymmetry of the universe. Both may be efficiently generated in the presence of CP violating phases, light charginos and neutralinos, and a light top squark. Due to the coannihilation of the neutralino with the light stop, we find a large region of parameter space in which the neutralino relic density is consistent with WMAP and SDSS data. We perform a detailed study of the additional constraints induced when CP violating phases, consistent with the ones required for baryogenesis, are included. We explore the possible tests of this scenario from present and future electron Electric Dipole Moment (EDM) measurements, direct neutralino detection experiments, collider searches and the b -> s gamma decay rate. We find that the EDM constraints are quite severe and that electron EDM experiments, together with stop searches at the Tevatron and Higgs searches at the LHC, will provide a definite test of our scenario of electroweak baryogenesis in the next few years.Comment: 30 pages, 14 figure

Ireland’s Ocean Economy: December 2010

This report provides a profile of Ireland’s ocean economy (turnover, employment, direct GVA) as well as providing valuable and quantifiable insights into the role of the ocean economy in regional and rural development, providing county by county data on turnover and employment related to the ocean economyThis work was funded through the Beaufort Marine Research Award, which is carried out under the Sea Change Strategy and the Strategy for Science Technology and Innovation (2006-2013), with the support of the Marine Institute, funded under the Marine Research Sub-Programme of the National Development Plan 2007–2013.Funder: Marine Institut

Dynamics and Instabilities of Planar Tensile Cracks in Heterogeneous Media

The dynamics of tensile crack fronts restricted to advance in a plane are studied. In an ideal linear elastic medium, a propagating mode along the crack front with a velocity slightly less than the Rayleigh wave velocity, is found to exist. But the dependence of the effective fracture toughness $\Gamma(v)$ on the crack velocity is shown to destabilize the crack front if $(d\Gamma)/(dv)<0$. Short wavelength radiation due to weak random heterogeneities leads to this instability at low velocities. The implications of these results for the crack dynamics are discussed.Comment: 12 page

Active Sites Environmental Monitoring Program: Program plan

The Active Sites Environmental Monitoring Program (ASEMP), initiated in 1989, provides early detection and performance monitoring of transuranic (TRU) waste and active low-level waste (LLW) facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in accordance with US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5820.2A. Active LLW facilities in Solid Waste Storage Area (SWSA) 6 include Tumulus I and Tumulus II, the Interim Waste Management Facility (IWMF), LLW silos, high-range wells, asbestos silos, and fissile wells. The tumulus pads and IWMF are aboveground, high-strength concrete pads on which concrete vaults containing metal boxes of LLW are placed; the void space between the boxes and vaults is filled with grout. Eventually, these pads and vaults will be covered by an engineered multilayered cap. All other LLW facilities in SWSA 6 are below ground. In addition, this plan includes monitoring of the Hillcut Disposal Test Facility (HDTF) in SWSA 6, even though this facility was completed prior to the data of the DOE order. In SWSA 5 North, the TRU facilities include below-grade engineered caves, high-range wells, and unlined trenches. All samples from SWSA 6 are screened for alpha and beta activity, counted for gamma-emitting isotopes, and analyzed for tritium. In addition to these analytes, samples from SWSA 5 North are analyzed for specific transuranic elements

Isotopic distribution of fission fragments in collisions between 238U beam and 9Be and 12C targets at 24 MeV/u

Inverse kinematics coupled to a high-resolution spectrometer is used to investigate the isotopic yields of fission fragments produced in reactions between a 238U beam at 24 MeV/u and 9Be and 12C targets. Mass, atomic number and isotopic distributions are reported for the two reactions. These informations give access to the neutron excess and the isotopic distribution widths, which together with the atomic-number and mass distributions are used to investigate the fusion-fission dynamics.Comment: Submitted to PR

Active Sites Environmental Monitoring Program: Mid-FY 1991 report

This report summarizes the activities of the Active Sites Environmental Monitoring Program (ASEMP) from October 1990 through March 1991. The ASEMP was established in 1989 by Solid Waste Operations and the Environmental Sciences Division to provide early detection and performance monitoring at active low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal sites in Solid Waste Storage Area (SWSA) 6 and transuranic (TRU) waste storage sites in SWSA 5 as required by chapters II and III of US Department of Energy Order 5820.2A. Monitoring results continue to demonstrate the no LLW is being leached from the storage vaults on the tumulus pads. Loading of vaults on Tumulus II began during this reporting period and 115 vaults had been loaded by the end of March 1991

Active Sites Environmental Monitoring Program: Program plan

DOE Order 5820.2A requires that low-level waste (LLW) disposal sites active on or after September 1988 and all transuranic (TRU) waste storage sites be monitored periodically to assure that radioactive contamination does not escape from the waste sites and pose a threat to the public or to the environment. This plan describes such a monitoring program for the active LLW disposal sites in SWSA 6 and the TRU waste storage sites in SWSA 5 North. 14 refs., 8 figs