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Introduction The neural underpinnings underlying individual differences in nicotine-enhanced reward sensitivity (NERS) and smoking progression are poorly understood. Thus, we investigated whether brain resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC.) during smoking abstinence predicts NERS and smoking progression in young light smokers. We hypothesized that high rsFC between brain areas with high densities of nicotinic receptors (insula, anterior cingulate cortex [ACC], hippocampus, thalamus) and areas involved in reward-seeking (nucleus accumbens [NAcc], prefrontal cortex [PFC]) would predict NERS and smoking progression. Aims and Methods Young light smokers (N  = 64, age 18–24, M = 1.89 cigarettes/day) participated in the study. These individuals smoked between 5 and 35 cigarettes per week and lifetime use never exceeded 35 cigarettes per week. Their rsFC was assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging after 14 hours of nicotine deprivation. Subjects also completed a probabilistic reward task after smoking a placebo on 1 day and a regular cigarette on another day. Results The probabilistic-reward-task assessed greater NERS was associated with greater rsFC between the right anterior PFC and right NAcc, but with reduced rsFC between the ACC and left inferior prefrontal gyrus and the insula and ACC. Decreased rsFC within the salience network (ACC and insula) predicted increased smoking progression across 18 months and greater NERS. Conclusions These findings provide the first evidence that differences in rsFCs in young light smokers are associated with nicotine-enhanced reward sensitivity and smoking progression. Clinical trial registration NCT02129387 (preregistered hypothesis: www.clinicaltrials.gov). Implications Weaker rsFC within the salience network predicted greater NERS and smoking progression. These findings suggest that salience network rsFC and drug-enhanced reward sensitivity may be useful tools and potential endophenotypes for reward sensitivity and drug-dependence research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on questions of constitutional law, they are usually discussing issues implicating the U.S. Constitution or, less frequently, provisions of a state constitution that substantially mirror an oft-cited clause or amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It mentions open courts provision including its sources, application in other states, use in Idaho, and conclude by questioning the scope and purpose of the provision.

The northern Atacama Desert displays a unique set of geomorphological features, similar to those detected on Mars. One of these features are surface polygonal patterned grounds associated with calcium-sulphate wedges in the subsurface. Vertically laminated subsurface-wedge structures occur in evaporite-bearing deposits of the Aroma alluvial fan situated in the Central Depression of Atacama Desert. The high content of calcium-sulphate phases in the wedges is assumed to lead to haloturbation processes resulting in subsurface wedge growth and polygonal patterned ground formation on the surface. To resolve wedge-growth phases and episodes of moisture supply in this generally extremely water-limited environment, geochronological data of the calcium-sulphate wedges is crucial to potentially use calcium-sulphate wedges as palaeoclimate archives in the Atacama Desert. First tests of coarse-grain feldspar luminescence dating on two subsamples extracted from the inner part of a calcium-sulphate wedge from the Aroma-fan site showed widespread and clustered equivalent dose (De) distributions ranging from ~20 Gy to saturation [1]. The broad post-IR IRSL225 De distribution was interpreted to reflect different wedge-growth phases. However, these two wedge subsamples are not sufficient to enable an interpretation of wedge stratigraphy. To further investigate the drivers behind De distributions measured and to enable linking luminescence results with geomorphological interpretations, we sampled a second calcium-sulphate wedge in higher resolution. Post-IR IRSL225 De distributions obtained for five subsamples from the inner part of the second wedge from the Aroma-fan site revealed similar pattern, thus letting us question the validity of the De distributions measured. To explore potential sources of the broad and clustered De distributions, we conduct light transmission experiments based on the study of Ou et al. [2]. Using calcium-sulphate wedge slices of different thickness we determine the light attenuation of a Xe-lamp and record transmitted wavelengths using a spectrometer. We combine these light transmission experiments with De measurements of feldspar grains sampled from a sediment-core-like transect into the wedge. Testing the light attenuation of calcium sulphate-bearing deposits from the Atacama Desert will help in interpreting the widespread De distributions recorded in different calcium-sulphate wedges and it will also aid in assessing the applicability of luminescence dating on such evaporite-dominated deposits from the Atacama Desert. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses appellate procedure in Idaho and provides several practical recommendations for attorneys on the initiation of an appeal in a civil litigation matter before the Idaho Supreme Court or the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Rule 11(a)(1) of the Idaho Appellate Rules, which deals with the orders and judgments that are appealable, is also addressed.