Effect of the Butyrate Prodrug Pivaloyloxymethyl Butyrate (AN9) on a Mouse Model for Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an early-onset motor neuron disease that leads to loss of muscle function. Butyrate (BA)-based compounds markedly improve the survival and motor phenotype of SMA mice. In this study, we examine the protective effects of the BA prodrug pivaloyloxymethyl butyrate (AN9) on the survival of SMNΔ7 SMA mice. Oral administration of AN9 beginning at PND04 almost doubled the average lifespan of SMNΔ7 SMA mice. AN9 treatment also increased the growth rate of SMNΔ7 SMA mice when compared to vehicle-treated SMNΔ7 SMA mice. In conclusion, BA prodrugs like AN9 have ameliorative effects on SMNΔ7 SMA mice

Competition and Conflict: Maryland\u27s First Ten Years

England\u27s first settlers arrived in Virginia hoping to achieve the same success Spaniards had in the West Indies. Yet, North America held little wealth in the forms of gold or silver and the hopes of finding a Northwest Passage proved fruitless as well. For over ten years British holdings in the New World showed little sign of producing profits. It was not until 1614, and the introduction of tobacco, that Virginians finally discovered a commodity that could be sold back in Europe. Tobacco cultivation, however, was not the only activity that offered the possibility of wealth. Between the years of 1629 and 1635 there existed an opportunity for the creation of trade networks between the white man and Indian. Unfortunately, almost as quickly as these trade networks emerged, competition between the natives and Europeans led to the exhaustion of the beaver population, and ultimately caused the colonies of the Chesapeake to erupt into warfare

Are Privacy and Public Disclossure Compatible?: The Privacy Exemption to Washington\u27s Freedom of Information Act—In re Rosier, 105 Wn. 2d 606, 717 P.2d 1353 (1986)

In 1972, Washington State voters passed Initiative 276, the Public Disclosure Act, by a substantial margin. The initiative contained four measures intended to open up government, including one designed to ensure public access to government-held records. This measure, popularly known as Washington\u27s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), provides a mechanism by which individuals can access information held by the government, subject to only a few exemptions. One such exemption prevents disclosure which is an unreasonable invasion of personal privacy. The Washington Supreme Court greatly expanded the scope of this personal privacy exemption in In re Rosier. Prior to this decision, the exemption had been interpreted potentially to exclude only information which was highly offensive to a reasonable person. After Rosier, any information which is linked to an individual and which reveals something unique about that individual may be exempted, subject to a balancing of the public and the private interest. This expanded protection of privacy, however, is both bad policy and an unwarranted interpretation of the FOIA. The supreme court ought to interpret the privacy exemption in a manner that acknowledges the specific circumstances which justify the protection of the individual\u27s privacy under the FOIA. Privacy ought to be protected, for example, when the government has illicitly acquired the information, has promised confidentiality in order to get more accurate information, or when disclosure would chill the individual\u27s exercise of fundamental rights. The privacy exemption should strictly protect privacy in such circumstances. This interpretation would make disclosure more predictable, better protect privacy, and best implement the FOIA\u27s main purpose of assuring free and open access to government-held information