Patterns of Prescription Medication Diversion among Drug Dealers

This research examined the following questions: (1) how do drug dealers acquire their inventories of prescription medications? and (2) which types of prescription medications do dealers most commonly sell? Data are drawn from a National Institute on Drug Abuse-funded research study that examined prescription drug diversion and abuse in South Florida. In-depth semi-structured interviews (n = 50) were conducted with an ethnically diverse sample of prescription drug dealers from a variety of milieus to assess patterns of diversion. Audiotapes of the interviews were transcribed, coded, and thematically analysed using the NVivo 8 software program. Dealers relied on a wide array of diversion methods including visiting multiple pain clinics, working with pharmacy employees to steal medications from pharmacies, and purchasing medications from indigent patients. The type of medication most commonly sold by dealers was prescription opioid analgesics, and to a lesser extent benzodiazepines such as alprazolam. These findings inform public health policy makers, criminal justice officials, the pharmaceutical industry and government regulatory agencies in their efforts to reduce the availability of diverted prescription drugs in the illicit market. Specifically, these data support the need for statewide prescription drug monitoring programs and increased training for healthcare workers who have access to controlled medications

Phase Transitions in High Purity Zr Under Dynamic Compression

We present results from ramp compression experiments on high-purity Zr that show the $\alpha \rightarrow \omega$, $\omega \rightarrow \beta$, as well as reverse $\beta \rightarrow \omega$ phase transitions. Simulations with a multi-phase equation of state and phenomenological kinetic model match the experimental wave profiles well. While the dynamic $\alpha \rightarrow \omega$ transition occurs $\sim 9$ GPa above the equilibrium phase boundary, the $\omega \rightarrow \beta$ transition occurs within 0.9~GPa of equilibrium. We estimate that the dynamic compression path intersects the equilibrium $\omega - \beta$ line at $P= 29.2$ GPa, and $T = 490$ K. The thermodynamic path in the interior of the sample lies $\sim 100$ K above the isentrope at the point of the $\omega \rightarrow \beta$ transition. Approximately half of this dissipative temperature rise is due to plastic work, and half is due to the non-equilibrium $\alpha \rightarrow \omega$ transition. The inferred rate of the $\alpha \rightarrow \omega$ transition is several orders of magnitude higher than that measured in dynamic diamond anvil cell (DDAC) experiments in an overlapping pressure range. We discuss a model for the influence of shear stress on the nucleation rate. The small fractional volume change $\Delta V/V \approx 0.1$ at the $\alpha \rightarrow \omega$ transition amplifies the effect of shear stress, and we estimate that for this case shear stress is equivalent to a pressure increase in the range of several GPa. Correcting our transition rate to a hydrostatic rate brings it approximately into line with the DDAC results, suggesting that shear stress plays a significant role in the transformation rate

Determining suitable thermal regimes for early instar redclaw juveniles, Cherax quadricarinatus (von Martens, 1868) (Decapoda, Parastacidae), for a proposed nursery phase

Modern, intensified aquaculture typically involves three production phases; hatchery, nursery, and grow-out. For redclaw crayfish aquaculture however, such delineation has been ill-defined. Farming of redclaw was initiated based on the putative beneficial physical and biological attributes of the species, which suggested production methods would be relatively simple. The simple approach proved to be inefficient and only partially effective, which hindered industry development. Hatchery technology now exists to supply seed stock for grow-out, but hatchery production is variable, and the performance of hatchery reared juveniles is inconsistent. A nursery phase has been proposed between hatchery production and grow-out of approximately 3 weeks duration, sufficient to allow 2 or more moults. An important primary parameter in the proposed nursery phase is the thermal regime that will support optimum survival and growth. This study quantified the effect of temperature on the growth and survival of redclaw juveniles for a 22-day nursery phase. Temperature had a statistically significant effect on the survival of juveniles, whereby, the high temperatures were associated with high mortality, and the lower temperature treatments were associated with very low mortality. Survival was 98 to 100% for craylings held at temperatures between 18 degrees C and 22 degrees C, and between 0% and 6% for craylings at temperature treatments of 25 degrees C to 32 degrees C. Mortalities within treatments between 25 degrees C and 30 degrees C, primarily occurred from day six to day eleven, corresponding with the initiation of moulting. Change of mass of crayfish was significantly higher with increasing temperature between 18 degrees C and 22 degrees C and at individual weights that suggest they had completed a moult. This study suggests a water temperature of 22 degrees C is optimal for survival and growth in a nursery phase

The Relationship of Selected Variables to Math Achievement in a Computer-Assisted Instructional Setting

The purpose of this study was to explore the variables of I.Q., sex, instructional organization, classroom instructional time, and time in computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in the third and fifth grades in order to determine which of these variables or combinations of variables were the best predictors of mathematics computation and concepts achievement. The study used a one-group pretest-posttest design

Morphology and weight-length relationships for the first six instars of Cherax quadricarinatus (von Martens, 1868)

Cherax quadricarinatus (redclaw) aquaculture has not achieved the industry growth that had been predicted in the early days of development. Provision of quality juvenile crayfish seed stock has been identified as a critical factor in overcoming industry development inertia. Hatchery technology has been developed to produce independent craylings and a nursery phase is now being developed to nurture the delicate craylings to a more advanced and robust juvenile stage, suitable for pond stocking. As part of the nursery development, clear definitions of the successive stages from egg through the first several instars, are required. Although some morphological descriptions of the early stages of redclaw have been made, the characteristics and nomenclature for stages from egg through to an advanced juvenile need clarification. A naming system is proposed (Egg, L1, L2, J1, J2 and J3) for the first six instars from egg, based on gross morphology and allometric relationships. Egg volume, wet weight and ocular carapace length (OCL) were analysed through linear regression. Based on these variables, the size of each instar is defined. Descriptions and photographs of the six instars provide a visual reference for identification. Five of the six instars had a significant relationship between wet weight and OCL. Both significantly increased for each successive instar. Lyophilized (dry) weight was not significantly different between stages until after instar J1, where endogenous feeding begins. The growth of the first four instars, in terms of wet weight and OCL but not dry weight, suggests an extra endogenous source of nutrition in addition to the yolk supply. Branchial water uptake during ecdysis has been proposed as a route for dissolved organic matter or small particulate matter to be acquired by the crayfish during the lecithotrophic, non-exogenous feeding stages, as an additional food source that might further enhance growth and survival

Evaluation of four practical diets on the growth and survival of juvenile redclaw, Cherax quadricarinatus (von Martens, 1868)

Redclaw, Cherax quadricariatus (von Martens) has shown promise as an aquaculture species but commercial development has been constrained by variability of production, perhaps due to poor survival and growth of early craylings. Diet contributes to survival and growth and previous studies have determined requirements for larger redclaw, but little research exists for the early craylings. An experiment was performed to evaluate survival and growth of early instar redclaw using four diets; Frippak (commercial shrimp diet), CSIRO compound diet, bloodworms, and on-grown Artemia. Bloodworms and Artemia produced significantly higher survival of craylings over two weeks than the two other diets. Artemia diet had a significantly higher weight increase than bloodworms or the CSIRO diet, but not Frippak, which did not differ from bloodworms or CSIRO. Biomass was significantly higher when fed Artemia. High mortality in the Frippak and CSIRO diet treatments were not wholly attributable to nutritional deficiencies as the manufactured diets became less physically accessible, potentially reducing intake, leading to difficulties completing ecdysis and eventually death. This study concluded that Artemia and bloodworms promoted highest survival, and Artemia and Frippak the highest weight gain. The best combination of survival, weight gain and biomass was with the Artemia diet

Excited Hydroxyl Outflow in the High-Mass Star-Forming Region G34.26+0.15

G34.26+0.15 is a region of high-mass star formation that contains a broad range of young stellar objects in different stages of evolution, including a hot molecular core, hyper-compact HII regions and a prototypical cometary ultra-compact HII region. Previous high-sensitivity single dish observations by our group resulted in the detection of broad 6035 MHz OH absorption in this region; the line showed a significant blue-shifted asymmetry indicative of molecular gas expansion. We present high-sensitivity Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) observations of the 6035 MHz OH line conducted to image the absorption and investigate its origin with respect to the different star formation sites in the region. In addition, we report detection of 6030 MHz OH absorption with the VLA and further observations of 4.7 GHz and 6.0 GHz OH lines obtained with the Arecibo Telescope. The 6030 MHz OH line shows a very similar absorption profile as the 6035 MHz OH line. We found that the 6035 MHz OH line absorption region is spatially unresolved at $\sim 2$" scales, and it is coincident with one of the bright ionized cores of the cometary HII region that shows broad radio recombination line emission. We discuss a scenario where the OH absorption is tracing the remnants of a pole-on molecular outflow that is being ionized inside-out by the ultra-compact HII region.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Suitability of Magnesium Oxide as a Visar Window

Impedance matching of a velocity interferometer for any reflector (VISAR) window to a material under study helps simplify a shock experiment by effectively allowing one to measure an in situ particle velocity. The shock impedance of magnesium oxide (MgO) falls roughly midway between those of sapphire and LiF, two of the most frequently used VISAR window materials. A series of symmetric impact experiments was performed to characterize the suitability of single crystal, (100) oriented magnesium oxide as a VISAR window material. These experiments yielded good results and show the viability of MgO as a VISAR window up to 23 GPa. Results were used to determine window correction factors and, subsequently, to estimate the pressure induced change in index of refraction. In many of the shots in this work we exceeded the Hugoniot elastic limit (HEL) of MgO, and both elastic and plastic waves are evident in the velocity profiles. The presence of both waves within the VISAR window complicates the typical VISAR window correction analysis. Preliminary analysis of the elastic and plastic contributions to the window correction is presented

Is the Shroud of Turin in Relation to the Old Jerusalem Historical Earthquake?

Phillips and Hedges suggested, in the scientific magazine Nature (1989), that neutron radiation could be liable of a wrong radiocarbon dating, while proton radiation could be responsible of the Shroud body image formation. On the other hand, no plausible physical reason has been proposed so far to explain the radiation source origin, and its effects on the linen fibres. However, some recent studies, carried out by the first author and his Team at the Laboratory of Fracture Mechanics of the Politecnico di Torino, found that it is possible to generate neutron emissions from very brittle rock specimens in compression through piezonuclear fission reactions. Analogously, neutron flux increments, in correspondence to seismic activity, should be a result of the same reactions. A group of Russian scientists measured a neutron flux exceeding the background level by three orders of magnitude in correspondence to rather appreciable earthquakes (4th degree in Richter Scale). The authors consider the possibility that neutron emissions by earthquakes could have induced the image formation on Shroud linen fibres, trough thermal neutron capture by Nitrogen nuclei, and provided a wrong radiocarbon dating due to an increment in C(14,6)content. Let us consider that, although the calculated integral flux of 10^13 neutrons per square centimetre is 10 times greater than the cancer therapy dose, nevertheless it is100 times smaller than the lethal dose.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figur