Legal Education at a Crossroads: Innovation, Integration, and Pluralism Required!

We conclude in this Article that expanded practice-based, experiential education will provide foundational learning for the successful transition from law student to law practice, and that clinical education (in-house clinics, hybrid clinics, and externships) is crucial to the preparation of competent, ethical law graduates who are ready to become professionals. We urge law schools to require each graduate complete a minimum of twenty-one experiential course credits over the three years of law school, including at least five credits in law clinics or externships. Twenty-one required credits (or roughly 25 percent of the eighty-three required credits for graduation from an American Bar Association (ABA)-approved law school) would bring legal education closer to, although still below, the experiential and clinical education course requirements of other professions

Legal Education at a Crossroads: Innovation, Integration, and Pluralism Required!

We conclude in this Article that expanded practice-based, experiential education will provide foundational learning for the successful transition from law student to law practice, and that clinical education (in-house clinics, hybrid clinics, and externships) is crucial to the preparation of competent, ethical law graduates who are ready to become professionals. We urge law schools to require each graduate complete a minimum of twenty-one experiential course credits over the three years of law school, including at least five credits in law clinics or externships. Twenty-one required credits (or roughly 25 percent of the eighty-three required credits for graduation from an American Bar Association (ABA)-approved law school) would bring legal education closer to, although still below, the experiential and clinical education course requirements of other professions

Proton Spin-Lattice Relaxation of Water Molecules in Ferrous-Ferric/Agarose Gel System

Proton spin-lattice relaxation time (T1) of water in aqueous solutions of ferrous and ferric ions and in the corresponding agarose gel systems have been studied in the light of NMR relaxation theory. The theoretical analysis of 1/T1\u27s has revealed that, at the microscopic level, changes in the solvation states of paramagnetic ions in aqueous or gel environment are greater than difference in the paramagnetism between ferric and ferrous ions. The former change is the primary factor for the exhibition of radiation effect. At the phenomenological level, we have confirmed and demonstrated that: (1) Radiation effect is almost exclusively exhibited through changes in 1/T1 caused by the interactions between water proton and ferrous or ferric ions; and (2) fraction of conversion of ferrous to ferric ions induced by radiation is the “true” representation of the spatial distribution of radiation dose

Legal Education at a Crossroads: Innovation, Integration, and Pluralism Required!

Although historically slow to change, law schools are now facing enormous pressure from educators, students, lawyers, judges, clients, and the public to rethink legal education and the lawyer‘s role in society. Now more than ever, there is robust national debate on the threshold contributions law schools should make to the preparation of law graduates for entry into practice. The clamor for reform in legal education is precipitated by a confluence of factors, including new insights about lawyering competencies and experiential legal education; the shifting nature of legal practice in the United States; a decrease in law jobs; changes in the economics of the legal profession that challenge the current cost of legal education; a dramatic drop in law school applications and admittees; increased competition for students among law schools; increased market demand for ― practice-ready‖ law graduates; and increased numbers of law grads going into solo and small firm practice.Economic, social, and political conditions make it impossible to ignore the clamor for reform. Today‘s climate invites a deeper examination of law school curricula and pedagogy, with a focus on the sequencing of doctrine, skills and values across the curriculum designed to prepare students for practice . . . . Legal education is at a crossroads, uniquely ripe for innovative curricular and pedagogical change.Some suggest abandoning the third year of law school; others urge law schools to accept the challenge from educators, the profession, and the market to impart more educational value throughout the curriculum, including the third year. Educating Lawyers: Preparation for the Profession of Law, the influential study produced by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 2007 (commonly referred to as the Carnegie Report ), endorses a three-year curriculum that develops the three lawyering apprenticeships of knowledge/understanding, practice expertise, and professional identity/judgment. In this Article, we recommend an innovative, integrated, pluralistic law school curriculum with expanded experiential education (where students learn in the role of attorney with simulated clients and cases) and required clinical education (where students learn in the role of attorney with real clients and cases)

DASCH Discovery of A Possible Nova-like Outburst in A Peculiar Symbiotic Binary

We present photometric and spectroscopic observations of a peculiar variable (designated DASCH J075731.1+201735 or J0757) discovered from our DASCH project using the digitized Harvard College Observatory archival photographic plates. It brightened by about 1.5 magnitudes in B within a year starting in 1942, and then slowly faded back to its pre-outburst brightness from 1943 to the 1950s. The mean brightness level was stable before and after the outburst, and ellipsoidal variations with a period of $P=119.18\pm0.07$ days are seen, suggesting that the star is tidally distorted. Radial-velocity measurements indicate that the orbit is nearly circular ($e=0.02\pm0.01$) with a spectroscopic period that is the same as the photometric period. The binary consists of a $1.1\pm0.3 M_\odot$ M0III star, and a $0.6\pm0.2 M_\odot$ companion, very likely a white dwarf (WD). Unlike other symbiotic binaries, there is no sign of emission lines or a stellar wind in the spectra. With an outburst timescale of ~10 years and estimated B band peak luminosity M_B~0.7, J0757 is different from any other known classic or symbiotic novae. The most probable explanation of the outburst is Hydrogen shell-burning on the WD, although an accretion-powered flare cannot be ruled out.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Hectospec, the MMT's 300 Optical Fiber-Fed Spectrograph

The Hectospec is a 300 optical fiber fed spectrograph commissioned at the MMT in the spring of 2004. A pair of high-speed six-axis robots move the 300 fiber buttons between observing configurations within ~300 s and to an accuracy ~25 microns. The optical fibers run for 26 m between the MMT's focal surface and the bench spectrograph operating at R~1000-2000. Another high dispersion bench spectrograph offering R~5,000, Hectochelle, is also available. The system throughput, including all losses in the telescope optics, fibers, and spectrograph peaks at ~10% at the grating blaze in 1" FWHM seeing. Correcting for aperture losses at the 1.5" diameter fiber entrance aperture, the system throughput peaks at $\sim$17%. Hectospec has proven to be a workhorse instrument at the MMT. Hectospec and Hectochelle together were scheduled for 1/3 of the available nights since its commissioning. Hectospec has returned \~60,000 reduced spectra for 16 scientific programs during its first year of operation.Comment: 68 pages, 28 figures, to appear in December 2005 PAS

Identification of a novel nidovirus in an outbreak of fatal respiratory disease in ball pythons (Python regius)

Background: Respiratory infections are important causes of morbidity and mortality in reptiles; however, the causative agents are only infrequently identified. Findings: Pneumonia, tracheitis and esophagitis were reported in a collection of ball pythons (Python regius). Eight of 12 snakes had evidence of bacterial pneumonia. High-throughput sequencing of total extracted nucleic acids from lung, esophagus and spleen revealed a novel nidovirus. PCR indicated the presence of viral RNA in lung, trachea, esophagus, liver, and spleen. In situ hybridization confirmed the presence of intracellular, intracytoplasmic viral nucleic acids in the lungs of infected snakes. Phylogenetic analysis based on a 1,136 amino acid segment of the polyprotein suggests that this virus may represent a new species in the subfamily Torovirinae. Conclusions: This report of a novel nidovirus in ball pythons may provide insight into the pathogenesis of respiratory disease in this species and enhances our knowledge of the diversity of nidoviruses

Security theory and practice: Medical rescue and disater medicne in crisis response

Ze wstępu: Nieznany jest autor powiedzenia, że wojny wygrywa się nie liczbą żołnierzy, lecz liczbą sanitariuszy – na pewno jednak nie należy traktować tej sentencji wyłącznie jako zręcznego bon mot, lecz jako głęboką mądrość. Od liczebności, sprawności i skuteczności służb ratowniczych zależy bowiem, czy przetrwamy kataklizmy, tj. czy będziemy umieli minimalizować liczbę ofiar katastrof, zamachu terrorystycznego lub konfliktu zbrojnego, gdyby do takiego miało dojść. Po raz pierwszy zajęliśmy się w naszym czasopiśmie problematyką ratownictwa, rozważanego na tle reagowania kryzysowego i medycyny katastrof, postanawiając przyjrzeć się kondycji polskiego ratownictwa oraz głównym wyzwaniom, jakie stoją przed służbami ratowniczymi RP, wreszcie – nowym trendom rozwojowym ratownictwa. Do podjęcia tematyki skłoniły nas także narastające w społeczeństwie obawy przed pogarszaniem się jakości zarówno podstawowych usług medycznych oraz szpitalnictwa, jak i medycyny ratunkowej1. Zmiany w systemie medycyny ratunkowej podyktowane są względami oszczędnościowymi, a także szczupłością kadry lekarzy specjalistów medycyny ratunkowej, których liczba nie przekracza dwóch tysięcy wobec czternastu tysięcy ratowników medycznych. Bieżący rok przebiega pod znakiem akcji protestacyjnych różnych grup pracowniczych służby zdrowia – lekarzy rezydentów, pielęgniarek i ratowników medycznych. Polska plasuje się dziś na przedostatnim miejscu w Europie, jeśli chodzi o dostępność specjalistycznej pomocy medycznej, i nic nie zapowiada, by w najbliższym czasie sytuacja miała ulec poprawie. Tym większe znaczenie społecznych organizacji ratowniczych i postawa tysięcy wolontariuszy gotowych nieść pomoc potrzebującym. W numerze zarysowujemy obraz współczesnego polskiego ratownictwa, piszemy o ratownictwie medycznym, wodnym i górskim, a także o psychologicznym wsparciu poszkodowanych w formie ratownictwa psychologicznego. Sygnalizujemy znaczenie nowoczesnych technologii, które pozwalają na skuteczne prowadzenie akcji poszukiwawczych i ratunkowych w górach, jaskiniach i nad wodą. Całości numeru dopełniaja recenzje książek związanych tematycznie z profilem numeru oraz seria komunikatów

Scavenger Receptor BI Attenuates IL-17A–Dependent Neutrophilic Inflammation in Asthma

Asthma is a common respiratory disease currently affecting more than 300 million worldwide and is characterized by airway inflammation, hyperreactivity, and remodeling. It is a heterogeneous disease consisting of corticosteroid-sensitive T-helper cell type 2–driven eosinophilic and corticosteroid-resistant, T-helper cell type 17-driven neutrophilic phenotypes. One pathway recently described to regulate asthma pathogenesis is cholesterol trafficking. Scavenger receptors, in particular SR-BI (scavenger receptor class B type I), are known to direct cellular cholesterol uptake and efflux. We recently defined SR-BI functions in pulmonary host defense; however, the function of SR-BI in asthma pathogenesis is unknown. To elucidate the role of SR-BI in allergic asthma, SR-BI–sufficient (SR-BI(+/+)) and SR-BI–deficient (SR-BI(−/−)) mice were sensitized (Days 0 and 7) and then challenged (Days 14, 15, and 16) with a house dust mite (HDM) preparation administered through oropharyngeal aspiration. Airway inflammation and cytokine production were quantified on Day 17. When compared with SR-BI(+/+) mice, the HDM-challenged SR-BI(−/−) mice had increased neutrophils and pulmonary IL-17A production in BAL fluid. This augmented IL-17A production in SR-BI(−/−) mice originated from a non–T-cell source that included neutrophils and alveolar macrophages. Given that SR-BI regulates adrenal steroid hormone production, we tested whether the changes in SR-BI(−/−) mice were glucocorticoid dependent. Indeed, SR-BI(−/−) mice were adrenally insufficient during the HDM challenge, and corticosterone replacement decreased pulmonary neutrophilia and IL-17A production in SR-BI(−/−) mice. Taken together, these data indicate that SR-BI dampens pulmonary neutrophilic inflammation and IL-17A production in allergic asthma at least in part by maintaining adrenal function

Security theory and practice: Stablisation and reconstrution of post-conlict areas in the 21st century

Wprowadzenie: Cieszymy się, że możemy skierować do Państwa rąk kolejny numer periodyku „Bezpieczeństwo.Teoria i Praktyka”, tym razem poświęcony problematyce stabilizacji i odbudowy obszarów pokonfliktowych w XXI w. Podjęty temat jest niezwykle ważny, ponieważ żyjemy w czasach nieuporządkowanego świata, w którym liczba konfliktów zbrojnych o różnej skali i charakterze oraz wynikające z nich konsekwencje wpływają destrukcyjnie na ład międzynarodowy.Umiędzynarodowienie konfliktów wewnętrznych pełni często funkcję instrumentalną w grze, której stawką jest zajęcie przez dane państwo właściwego – z punktu widzenia jego decydentów – miejsca w nowym systemie ról międzynarodowych. Przykładem tego jest wojna domowa w Syrii, którą Jerzy Zdanowski w artykule rozpoczynającym tom traktuje jako „wojnę zastępczą”. Krótko przedstawia także istotę rekonstrukcji obszarów pokonfliktowych, czym jako badacz rozwija myśli pułkownika Piotra Gąstała, wieloletniego żołnierza i dowódcy Jednostki Wojskowej GROM, który podczas swojej służby przebywał w niejednym państwie dotkniętym konfliktem zbrojnym i wojną oraz ich skutkami. W udzielonym wywiadzie odnosi się on do zagadnienia stabilizacji ze swojej perspektywy – praktyka, któremu nie raz, na terenie prowadzenia działań wojskowych, przyszło mierzyć się z tym wszystkim, co kryje się pod tym pojęciem. Należy przy tym uwzględnić, że jako żołnierz jednostki specjalnej wykonywał tam specyficzne działania. O tym, jak podchodzą do nich nie tylko praktycy, ale i badacze, pisze Piotr Orłowski, analizując znaczenie sił specjalnych jako narzędzia stabilizacji na obszarach pokonfliktowych