Beware the ‘Monological Imperatives’: Scholarly Writing for the Reader

This article describes principles of effective academic writing - offered not as edicts, but as guidelines - for legal scholars in particular. The overall focus is style, but the discussion begins with observations of format. These are followed by a few stylistic principles that govern clear and effective writing. None of these principles is a revelation to the student of method or to the accomplished writer. But for the academic writer less focused on or less familiar with such principles, being aware of and practicing them can clear the fog from syntax, illuminate the writer\u27s thesis and its development, and help keep the reader\u27s eye on the text. This last objective should be the writer\u27s first: to anticipate the reader\u27s understanding and responses and to know what piques and what holds the reader\u27s interest

Hawking Hyphens in Compound Modifiers

The first principle of legal writing is surely its clarity — visible actors (unless the action matters more), uncluttered syntax, and, of course, logical structure. But the little things can matter to clarity, too — such as deliberate punctuation that signifies. In the language of law, in which compound nouns are rife, the reader can feel adrift as to where modifiers end and the noun begins. (Consider government-subsidized health flexible-spending arrangement without those hyphens.) Hyphens help. Whether an author cares to hyphenate the noun is his call; but hyphenating compound modifiers (also called phrasal adjectives, though they may include adverbs — more-abundant paperclips) follows a logic that is worth learning. This essay describes that logic. But its pitch is that legal writing, of all writing disciplines, should practice a deliberate, consistent use of such hyphens, rather than the more-relaxed practice readers see in less-formal writing (whose effects, of course, are usually also less consequential)

Administrative Process Reform in a Discretionary Age: The Role of Social Consequences

The basic rulemaking procedures of the Administrative Procedure Act have remained intact for thirty-eight years, but now Congress is seriously considering reform of those generic rules. To evaluate the merits of these reform proposals, we must develop criteria against which to judge them. Although procedural reforms are commonly judged against the goals of fairness, accuracy, and procedural efficiency, Professors Schroeder and Magat argue that these are insufficient criteria to apply to administrative process reforms at a time when agencies possess substantial discretion in the rulemaking process. In such a context, procedures have an impact on society in ways not adequately evaluated by the traditional criteria. Discretion means that agencies may choose from a set of possible rules, none of which has been foreclosed by the enabling legislation of the agency. Procedures influence which choices the agency makes and, because these choices alter the regulations and restrictions under which society operates, they affect the social consequences of regulation. This article describes a model of participant behavior necessary to trace the effects of procedures on the social consequences of regulation, articulates a set of criteria to evaluate these social consequences, and then analyzes two frequently proposed generic reforms to the APA: mandatory regulatory impact analysis and oversight by the Office of Management and Budget

Human Neural Progenitor Cells are Productively Infected by R5-tropic HIV-1: Opiate Interactions on Infection and Function Involve Cdk5 Signaling

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is known to cause a spectrum of neurological, behavioral and motor deficits collectively termed as HIV-1 associated neurocognitive impairments (HAND). Opiates augment HIV-related CNS complications through both direct and indirect mechanisms that disrupt glial and neuronal function. All CNS macroglia and neurons derive from neural progenitor cells (NPCs) during development, and NPCs in the adult brain contribute to repair processes. Since disruptions in NPC function are known to impact CNS populations and brain function in a number of disease/injury conditions, we determined whether HIV ± opiate exposure affected the maturation and fate of human NPCs (hNPCs). As hNPC infection by HIV has occasionally been reported, we also reexamined this question, and parsed between effects due directly to hNPC infection by HIV, or to hNPC dysfunction caused by the infective milieu. Multiple approaches confirmed the infection of hNPCs by R5 tropic (CCR5 utilizing) HIVBaL, and demonstrated that active infection could be sequentially transferred to naïve hNPCs. Exposure to supernatant from HIVBaL-infected cells (HIVsup) reduced hNPC proliferation and led to premature differentiation into astrocytes and neurons. Morphine co-exposure prolonged hNPC infection and exacerbated functional effects of HIVsup. Neither purified virions nor UV-inactivated HIVsup altered proliferation, indicating that this effect did not require infection. Gene array analysis and RT-qPCR with immunoblot validation suggested that Cdk5 signaling was involved in HIV-morphine interactions. siRNA-mediated knockdown of Cdk5 expression attenuated the effect of HIV-1 and morphine on hNPC proliferation and MAP2 differentiation, but also increased hNPC death. Furthermore, in an attempt to understand the role of mu-opioid receptor (MOR) splice variants on the interactive effect of HIV-1 and morphine on hNPCs, we found that both MOR-1 and MOR-1K are differentially regulated by HIV-1 in these cells. This suggests that these splice variants may have differential actions in the response of hNPCs to HIV-1 and morphine co-exposure. Given the overlap of Cdk5 and MOR signaling, it is likely that MOR-1K and/or MOR-1 converge with Cdk5 in the mechanism underlying HIV-1 and morphine interaction in hNPCs. Overall, dysregulation of hNPC functions by the infectious environment may create cell population imbalances that contribute to CNS deficits in both adult and pediatric patients. Additionally, infected hNPCs may pass virus to their progeny, and serve as an unappreciated viral reservoir. The recent epidemic of opiate/heroin abuse highlights the clinical importance of HIV and opiate interactions

Evaluation of anatomical and morphological characteristics of the nasopalatine canal in a Turkish population by cone beam computed tomography

Background: The aim of this study was to analyse as three dimensions the anatomical and morphometric dimensions of nasopalatine canal (NPC) in the coronal, axial and sagittal directions using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to evaluate the effect of age, gender and maxillary dental status on NPC andbuccal bone thickness (BBT).Materials and methods: In this study, CBCT data of the 619 individuals aged between 17 and 86 years were examined retrospectively with respect to dimensions and anatomic variations of the NPC and BBTs. The correlation of age, gender, and status of edentulism of anterior maxilla with all the variables were evaluated.Results: The NPC and BBT showed important variability in terms of morphology and dimensions. Morphological assessment of NPC revealed that 26.17% of NPCs were conical shape, 24.71% of canals were hourglass-shaped, 16.80% of canals were cylindrical shaped, 15.83% of canals were funnel-like shaped, 11.14% of canals were banana-like shaped, and 5.33% of canals were tree branch-like shaped. Males and females showed significant differences in the length of the NPC and BBTs in the sagittal sections. There were significant differences betweenage and BBTs. In addition, the length of NPC and BBTs were statistically different according to dental status.Conclusions: These anatomical changes in terms of dimensional and morphological parameters revealed the importance of three-dimensional imaging. Dentists should know and consider the variations in this canal in order to avoid possible complications during anaesthesia and surgical procedures which were applied to the maxillary anterior region. More precautions should be taken during surgical procedures in females, elderly and edentulous patients

Viewing the World Through the Lens of 'Normal': The Perceptions of Children with ASD and Sport

This qualitative study was informed by grounded theory methods in order to explore sport providers perceptions. Eight sport providers took part in a semi-structured interview. The main overarching theme that emerged was constructing normalcy, specifically, the sport providers process of meaning-making about children with ASD and sport as well as efforts to create adaptive outcomes for children with ASD in sport. The emergent model demonstrates that the ways in which sport providers perceived sport, children with ASD, and parents of children with ASD, are all relative to what is presumed normal. A duality is also evident, in that the perceptions of sport both challenge and reproduce what is normal. The findings of this study proved essential to identifying what is assumed about the meaning and experiences of children with ASD in sport. Recommendations for sport providers, methodology, and future research are offered