Let $R$ be a dense subring of $\operatorname{End}(_DV)$, where $V$ is a left vector space over a division ring $D$. If $\dim{_DV}=\infty$, then the range of any nonzero polynomial $f(X_1,\dots,X_m)$ on $R$ is dense in $\operatorname{End}(_DV)$. As an application, let $R$ be a prime ring without nonzero nil one-sided ideals and $0\ne a\in R$. If $af(x_1,\dots,x_m)^{n(x_i)}=0$ for all $x_1,\dots,x_m\in R$, where $n(x_i)$ is a positive integer depending on $x_1,\dots,x_m$, then $f(X_1,\dots,X_m)$ is a polynomial identity of $R$ unless $R$ is a finite matrix ring over a finite field.

Let $R=\bigoplus_{i=1}^{\infty}R_{i}$ be a graded nil ring. It is shown that primitive ideals in $R$ are homogeneous. Let $A=\bigoplus_{i=1}^{\infty}A_{i}$ be a graded non-PI just-infinite dimensional algebra and let $I$ be a prime ideal in $A$. It is shown that either $I=\{0\}$ or $I=A$. Moreover, $A$ is either primitive or Jacobson radical.

Let $U_{q}(\SL)^{+}$ be the positive part of the quantized enveloping algebra $U_{q}(\SL)$. Using results of Alev--Dumas and Caldero related to the center of $U_{q}(\SL)^{+}$, we show that this algebra is free over its center. This is reminiscent of Kostant's separation of variables for the enveloping algebra $U(\g)$ of a complex semisimple Lie algebra $\g$, and also of an analogous result of Joseph--Letzter for the quantum algebra $\Check{U}_{q}(\g)$. Of greater importance to its representation theory is the fact that $\U{+}$ is free over a larger polynomial subalgebra $N$ in $n$ variables. Induction from $N$ to $\U{+}$ provides infinite-dimensional modules with good properties, including a grading that is inherited by submodules.