Additive drug-specific and sex-specific risks associated with co-use of marijuana and tobacco during pregnancy: Evidence from 3 recent developmental cohorts (2003-2015).

BACKGROUND: Methodologic challenges related to the concomitant use (co-use) of substances and changes in policy and potency of marijuana contribute to ongoing uncertainty about risks to fetal neurodevelopment associated with prenatal marijuana use. In this study, we examined two biomarkers of fetal neurodevelopmental risk-birth weight and length of gestation-associated with prenatal marijuana use, independent of tobacco (TOB), alcohol (ALC), other drug use (OTH), and socioeconomic risk (SES), in a pooled sample (N = 1191) derived from 3 recent developmental cohorts (2003-2015) with state-of-the-art substance use measures. We examined differential associations by infant sex, and multiplicative effects associated with co-use of MJ and TOB. METHODS: Participants were mother-infant dyads with complete data on all study variables derived from Growing Up Healthy (n = 251), Behavior and Mood in Babies and Mothers (Cohorts 1 and 2; n = 315), and the Early Growth and Development Study (N = 625). We estimated direct effects on birth weight and length of gestation associated with MJ, TOB, and co-use (MJ x TOB), using linear regression analysis in the full sample, and in male (n = 654) and female (n = 537) infants, separately. RESULTS: Mean birth weight and length of gestation were 3277 g (SD = 543) and 37.8 weeks (SD = 2.0), respectively. Rates of prenatal use were as follows: any use, n = 748 (62.8%); MJ use, n = 273 (22.9%); TOB use, n = 608 (51.0%); co-use of MJ and TOB, n = 230 (19.3%); ALC use, n = 464 (39.0%); and OTH use n = 115 (9.7%.) For all infants, unique effects on birth weight were observed for any MJ use [B(SE) = -84.367(38.271), 95% C.I. -159.453 to -9.281, p = .028], any TOB use [B(SE) = -0.99.416(34.418), 95% C.I. -166.942 to -31.889, p = .004], and each cigarette/day in mean TOB use [B(SE) = -12.233(3.427), 95% C.I. -18.995 to -5.510, p \u3c .001]. Additional effects of co-use on birth weight, beyond these drug-specific effects, were not supported. In analyses stratified by sex, while TOB use was associated with lower birth weight in both sexes, MJ use during pregnancy was associated with lower birth weight of male infants [B(SE) = -153.1 (54.20); 95% C.I. -259.5 to -46.7, p = .005], but not female infants [B(SE) = 8.3(53.1), 95% C.I. -96.024 to 112.551, p = .876]. TOB, MJ, and their co-use were not associated with length of gestation. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample, intrauterine co-exposure to MJ and TOB was associated with an estimated 18% reduction in birth weight not attributable to earlier delivery, exposure to ALC or OTH drugs, nor to maternal SES. We found evidence for greater susceptibility of male fetuses to any prenatal MJ exposure. Examination of dose-dependence in relationships found in this study, using continuous measures of exposure, is an important next step. Finally, we underscore the need to consider (a) the potential moderating influence of fetal sex on exposure-related neurodevelopmental risks; and (b) the importance of quantifying expressions of risk through subtle alterations, rather than dichotomous outcomes

Studies of run-away electron beams and hard x-ray emission in ISTTOK tokamak

The paper describes measurements of fast run-away electron beams emitted from a plasma torus in the ISTTOK tokamak, which were performed by means of a new Cherenkov-type detector equipped with four radiators made of aluminium-nitrate (AlN) crystals of 10 mm in diameter and 2.5 mm in thickness each. The measuring head was fixed to a movable support, which enabled the radiators to be placed in chosen positions along the minor radius of ISTTOK. The radiators were coated with molybdenum (Mo) layers of different thicknesses since the main aim of this study was to estimate an energy spectrum of the recorded electrons. Attention was also paid to measurements of hard X-rays emitted from ISTTOK and to their correlations with run-away electrons. The investigated correlations showed that the both emissions are strongly coupled.Описано виміри швидких втікаючих електронних пучків, що випускається з плазмового тора в токамаці ISTTOK, що було виконано за допомогою нових черенковських детекторів, оснащених чотирма радіаторами з нітратуалюмінію (AIN) із кристалами діаметром 10 і товщиною 2,5мм кожний. Вимірювальна головка була встановлена на рухливій підставі,що дозволило розміщати радіатори в обраних позиціях по малому радіусі ISTTOK. Радіатори були покриті молібденовими (Мо) шарами різної товщини ,оскільки основною метою даного дослідження було оцінити енергетичний спектр електронів, що регіструються. Увага була також приділена виміру твердого рентгенівського випромінювання з ISTTOK і його кореляції з втікаючими електронами. Досліджені кореляції показали, що обоє випромінювання сильно зв’язані.Описываются измерения быстрых убегающих электронных пучков, испускаемых из плазменного тора в токамаке ISTTOK, которые были выполнены с помощью новых черенковских детекторов, оснащенных четырьмя радиаторами из нитратаалюминия (AIN) с кристаллами диаметром 10 и толщиной 2,5 мм каждый. Измерительная головка была установлена на подвижном основании, что позволило размещать радиаторы в выбранных позициях по малому радиусу ISTTOK. Радиаторы были покрыты молибденовыми (Мо) слоями различной толщины, поскольку основной целью данного исследования было оценить энергетический спектр регистрируемых электронов. Внимание было также уделено измерению жесткого рентгеновского излучения из ISTTOK и его корреляции с убегающими электронами. Исследованные корреляции показали, что оба излучения сильно связаны

Erziehung und sozialer Wandel - Brennpunkte sozialpädagogischer Forschung, Theoriebildung und Praxis. Eine Einführung in die Thematik des Beihefts

Verallgemeinernd wird im Beitrag festgestellt: "Es geht zunächst um die Vergegenwärtigung der Wandlungen und Veränderungen in den sozialen Problemlagen und Lebensverhältnissen der Adressaten der Sozialpolitik, wie sie sich im Zusammenhang der dramatischen Veränderungen auf der gesellschaftlichen Ebene in der zweiten Hälfte der neunziger Jahre darstellen; deswegen ist von den Erziehungsverhältnissen im sozialen Wandel die Rede... Es geht um die Frage, wie Erziehungs- und Bildungsverhältnisse im Zeichen und im Kontext gesellschaftlicher Wandlungsprozesse sich verändern und welche Problemlagen daraus resultieren." (DIPF/Sch.

Exact soliton solutions, shape changing collisions and partially coherent solitons in coupled nonlinear Schroedinger equations

We present the exact bright one-soliton and two-soliton solutions of the integrable three coupled nonlinear Schroedinger equations (3-CNLS) by using the Hirota method, and then obtain them for the general $N$-coupled nonlinear Schroedinger equations (N-CNLS). It is pointed out that the underlying solitons undergo inelastic (shape changing) collisions due to intensity redistribution among the modes. We also analyse the various possibilities and conditions for such collisions to occur. Further, we report the significant fact that the various partial coherent solitons (PCS) discussed in the literature are special cases of the higher order bright soliton solutions of the N-CNLS equations.Comment: 4 pages, RevTex, 1 EPS figure To appear in Physical Review Letter