Mu opioid agonists potentiate amphetamine- and cocaine-induced rotational behavior in the rat

Opioids modulate brain dopaminergic function in various experimental paradigms. This study used the rotational model of behavior in rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine-induced lesions of the nigrostriatal pathway to investigate this interaction. Doses of two presynaptically acting dopaminergic drugs, amphetamine and cocaine, were coadministered with several doses of the mu opioid agonist, morphine. Morphine, at 3.0 mg/kg, potentiated rotational behavior induced by each dose of the stimulants. To determine the receptor specificity of the actions of morphine, the mu opioid agonists buprenorphine, fentanyl, levorphanol, meperidine, and methadone, and dextrorphan, the non-opioid isomer of levorphanol, were administered alone and with 1.0 mg/kg amphetamine. Each of these drugs, as well as morphine, produced circling behavior on its own. All of the mu opioid agonists and dextrorphan increased amphetamine-induced turning; the coadministration of dextrorphan, levorphanol, meperidine, methadone and morphine with amphetamine produced turning greater than predicted by simple additivity. To determine whether an opioid receptor was involved in these interactions, the opioid antagonist, naltrexone, was administered before the amphetamine/mu opioid receptor agonist combination. Naltrexone blocked the potentiating effects of morphine, but not those of the other drugs. Moreover, naltrexone alone dose-dependently increased amphetamine-induced rotational behavior. These studies show that some mu opioid receptor agonists can potentiate stimulant-induced rotational behavior and that blockade of opioid receptors can also produce a potentiation. The role of mu opioid receptors in these effects remains unclear.     

Coping self-efficacy buffers psychological and physiological disturbances in HIV-infected men following a natural disaster.

The importance of coping self-efficacy (CSE) appraisals on psychological and physiological functioning for HIV seropositive patients facing a severe environmental stressor was tested comparing 37 HIV-infected gay men and 42 healthy male control participants following Hurricane Andrew. Results suggested that greater levels of CSE were related to lower emotional distress and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in both groups. In addition, greater CSE was associated with lower norepinephrine to cortisol ratios in the HIV group but not in the healthy control group. Results are discussed in relation to the coping process for HIV-infected individuals specifically and chronically ill populations in general who face severe environmental stressors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Design for Stream Restoration

Stream restoration, or more properly rehabilitation, is the return of a degraded stream ecosystem to a close approximation of its remaining natural potential. Many types of practices (dam removal, levee breaching, modified flow control, vegetative methods for streambank erosion control, etc.) are useful, but this paper focuses on channel reconstruction. A tension exists between restoring natural fluvial processes and ensuring stability of the completed project. Sedimentation analyses are a key aspect of design since many projects fail due to erosion or sedimentation. Existing design approaches range from relatively simple ones based on stream classification and regional hydraulic geometry relations to more complex two- and three-dimensional numerical models. Herein an intermediate approach featuring application of hydraulic engineering tools for assessment of watershed geomorphology, channel-forming discharge analysis, and hydraulic analysis in the form of one-dimensional flow and sediment transport computations is described.     

Interleukin-2 mutants with enhanced {alpha}-receptor subunit binding affinity

Stimulation of T-cells by IL-2 has been exploited for treatmentof metastatic renal carcinoma and melanoma. However, a narrowtherapeutic window delimited by negligible stimulation of T-cellsat low picomolar concentrations and undesirable stimulationof NK cells at nanomolar concentrations hampers IL-2-based therapies.We hypothesized that increasing the affinity of IL-2 for IL-2R     

The role of fabrication techniques on the performance of widely tunable micromachined capacitors

Coventorware 2001.1^® is used to identify key vertical dimensions for the low voltage operation of a two-gap widely tunable capacitor. Using identical masking stages, two varieties of tunable capacitor are presented. Nickel structures are demonstrated which have a tuning ratio of 5.1:1 from an initial capacitance of 0.7 pF. Gold devices exhibit a tuning ratio of 7.3:1 from an initial capacitance of 1.5 pF. These are the most widely tunable devices reported to date.     

Spectral Analysis as a Tool for Financial Policy: An Analysis of the Short-End of the British Term Structure

In this paper, we show how to derive the spectra and cross-spectra of economic time series from an underlying econometric or VAR model. This allows us to conduct a proper frequency analysis evaluation of economic and financial variables on a reduced sample of data, without it being ruled out by the large sample requirements of direct spectral estimation. We show, in particular, how this can be done for time-varying models and time-varying spectra. We use our techniques to show how the behaviour of British interest rates changed during and following the ERM crisis of 1992/3.     

Stress, reactivity, and immune function in healthy men.

Examined the effects of acute psychological stress on lymphocyte proliferation and circulating levels of interleukin-1 and -2. 20 healthy men were exposed to 2 viewings of a gruesome surgery film and were asked to recall details of the film twice during a 20-min period. These Ss were compared to a nonstress control group of 9 Ss. Lymphocyte proliferation to the mitogen concanavalin-A was decreased during and after exposure to the stressor when compared to the control group. This decrease was more pronounced in Ss exhibiting greater blood pressure reactivity while viewing the film than in Ss showing smaller blood pressure responses. None of the other immunological measures was significantly affected by the stressor. Cortisol was not correlated with lymphocyte responsiveness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Physical chemistry of flavour

The sensation of flavour occurs when certain flavour-active molecules are released from food and are transported to stimulate sensors in the mouth and nose. The human brain integrates all the signals from the sensors and produces an overall flavour perception. The way in which flavour molecules are released from food during eating, and the manner in which they are retained during processing and storage, are all governed by various aspects of physical chemistry. This review describes some of the basic principles of partition, a key parameter in the physical chemistry of flavour. An overview of the theory and measurement of partition is given, along with some applications to model and real food systems.     

Lexical and sublexical translation of spelling to sound: Strategic anticipation of lexical status.

Two experiments on oral reading of single words compared naming performance in pure blocks of nonwords or exception words with performance in blocks of randomly mixed nonwords and exception words. Ss named exception words faster and made fewer regularization errors when they were not also prepared for nonwords. These data suggest Ss inhibit or ignore the computation of assembled phonology when only exception words are expected. Ss named nonwords faster, but no more accurately, when low-frequency exception words were not also anticipated. Thus, Ss' readiness to execute assembled phonology appears to be adjusted in relation to the likely time course of retrieval of learned pronunciations, when the latter must be attended to. This evidence for strategic dissociation between sublexical and lexical translation is discussed in relation to current models. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Modelling of electrostatic gate operations in the Kane solid state quantum computer

The nuclear spin quantum computer proposed by Kane [Nature 393 (1998) 133] exploits as a qubit array ³¹P dopants embedded within a silicon matrix. Single-qubit operations are controlled by the application of electrostatic potentials via a set of metallic ‘A’ gates, situated above the donors, on the silicon surface, that tune the resonance frequency of individual nuclear spins, and a globally applied RF magnetic field that flips spins at resonance. Coupling between qubits is controlled by the application of potentials via a set of ‘J’ gates, between the donors, that induce an electron-mediated coupling between nuclear spins. We report the results of the study of the electric field and potential profiles arising within the Kane device from typical gate operations. The extent to which a single nuclear spin can be tuned independently of its neighbours, by operation of an associated A-gate, is examined and key design parameters in the Kane architecture are addressed. Implications for current fabrication strategies involving the implantation of ³¹P atoms are discussed. Solution of the Poisson equation has been carried out by simulation using a TCAD modelling package (Integrated Systems Engineering AG).