The End of Modernism

Nobel laureate Elias Canetti wrote his novel "Auto-da-Fé" ("Die Blendung") when he and the twentieth century were still quite young. Rooted in the cultural crises of the Weimar period, "Auto-da-Fé" first received critical acclaim abroad—in England, France, and the United States—where it continues to fascinate readers of subsequent generations. "The End of Modernism" places this work in its cultural and philosophical contexts, situating the novel not only in relation to Canetti's considerable body of social thought, but also within larger debates on Freud and Freudianism, misogyny and modernism's "fragmented subject," anti-Semitism and the failure of humanism, contemporary philosophy and philosophical fads, and traditionalist notions of literature and escapist conceptions of history. "The End of Modernism" portrays "Auto-da-Fé" as an exemplum of "analytic modernism," and in this sense a crucial endpoint in the progression of postwar conceptions of literary modernism

Low-Dose Continuous 5-Fluorouracil Combined with Leucovorin, nab-Paclitaxel, Oxaliplatin, and Bevacizumab for Patients with Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: A Retrospective Analysis.

BackgroundContinuous-infusion 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and calcium leucovorin plus nab-paclitaxel and oxaliplatin have been shown to be active in patients with pancreatic cancer. As a protracted low-dose infusion, 5FU is antiangiogenic, and has synergy with bevacizumab. As shown in the treatment of breast cancer, bevacizumab and nab-paclitaxel are also synergetic.ObjectiveIn this paper we retrospectively analyze the survival of 65 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who were treated with low-dose continuous (metronomic) chemotherapy given in conjunction with conventional anti-VEGF therapy.Patients and methodsSince July of 2008, we have treated 65 patients with 5FU (180 mg/m2/day × 14 days) via an ambulatory pump. Calcium leucovorin (20 mg/m2 IV), nab-paclitaxel (60 mg/m2) IV as a 30-min infusion, and oxaliplatin (50 mg/m2) IV as a 60-min infusion were given on days 1, 8, and 15. Bevacizumab (5 mg/kg) IV over 30 min was administered on days 1 and 15. Cycles were repeated every 28-35 days. There were 42 women and 23 men, and the median age was 59 years. Forty-six patients had stage IV disease.ResultsThe median survival was 19 months, with 82% of patients surviving 12 months or longer. The overall response rate was 49%. There were 28 patients who had received prior treatment, 15 of whom responded to therapy. Fifty-two patients had elevated CA 19-9 prior to treatment. Of these, 21 patients had 90% or greater reduction in CA 19-9 levels. This cohort had an objective response rate of 71% and a median survival of 27 months. Thirty patients stopped treatment due to disease progression, and an additional 22 stopped because of toxicity. One patient died while on therapy.ConclusionsThis non-gemcitabine-based regimen resulted in higher response rates and better survival than what is commonly observed with therapy given at conventional dosing schedules. Low-dose continuous (metronomic therapy) cytotoxic chemotherapy combined with antiangiogenic therapy is safe and effective

Test Anxiety: Mathematics and Students with Disabilities

When a test is announced in class some secondary students\u27 experience anxiety. The author of this research investigated twenty-two special education students and the effectiveness of reducing student test anxiety by offering review sessions. These review sessions were voluntary and conducted after school by a special education teacher. Students completed a survey after attending the review session, ninety-four percent reported they felt confident by the end of the session and sixty-nine percent reported that they felt prepared. Other results from this study show the effectiveness of the review session, future studies repeat this study but could benefit from a larger sample size

Radiating Bondi and Cooling Site Flows

Steady accretion of a radiating gas onto a central mass point is described and compared to classic Bondi accretion. Radiation losses are essential for accretion flows to be observed. Unlike Bondi flows, radiating Bondi flows pass through a sonic point at a finite radius and become supersonic near the center. The morphology of all radiating Bondi flows is described by a single dimensionless parameter. In radiating Bondi flows the mass accretion rate varies approximately as the first power of the central mass -- this differs significantly from the quadratic dependence on the central mass in classical Bondi flows. Mass accretion rates onto galaxy or cluster-centered black holes estimated from traditional and radiating Bondi flows are significantly different. In radiating Bondi flows the gas temperature increases at large radii, as in the cores of many galaxy groups and clusters, allowing radiating Bondi flows to merge naturally with gas arriving from their cluster environments. Some radiating flows cool completely before reaching the center of the flow, and this also occurs in cooling site flows in which there is no central gravitating mass.Comment: 9 pages with 3 figures; accepted by Ap

The End of Modernism: Elias Canetti's "Auto-da-Fé"

Nobel laureate Elias Canetti wrote his novel "Auto-da-Fé" ("Die Blendung") when he and the twentieth century were still quite young. Rooted in the cultural crises of the Weimar period, "Auto-da-Fé" first received critical acclaim abroad—in England, France, and the United States—where it continues to fascinate readers of subsequent generations. "The End of Modernism" places this work in its cultural and philosophical contexts, situating the novel not only in relation to Canetti's considerable body of social thought, but also within larger debates on Freud and Freudianism, misogyny and modernism's "fragmented subject," anti-Semitism and the failure of humanism, contemporary philosophy and philosophical fads, and traditionalist notions of literature and escapist conceptions of history. "The End of Modernism" portrays "Auto-da-Fé" as an exemplum of "analytic modernism," and in this sense a crucial endpoint in the progression of postwar conceptions of literary modernism

Recent Decisions

Comments on recent decisions by William F. Donahue, Frank G. Matavovsky, Thos. L. McKevitt, Joseph Kirincich, and Maurice W. Lee

Two Clusters with Radio-quiet Cooling Cores

Radio lobes inflated by active galactic nuclei at the centers of clusters are a promising candidate for halting condensation in clusters with short central cooling times because they are common in such clusters. In order to test the AGN-heating hypothesis, we obtained Chandra observations of two clusters with short central cooling times yet no evidence for AGN activity: Abell 1650 and Abell 2244. The cores of these clusters indeed appear systematically different from cores with more prominent radio emission. They do not have significant central temperature gradients, and their central entropy levels are markedly higher than in clusters with stronger radio emission, corresponding to central cooling times ~ 1 Gigayear. Also, there is no evidence for fossil X-ray cavities produced by an earlier episode of AGN heating. We suggest that either (1) the central gas has not yet cooled to the point at which feedback is necessary to prevent it from condensing, possibly because it is conductively stabilized, or (2) the gas experienced a major heating event $\gtrsim 1$ Gyr in the past and has not required feedback since then. The fact that these clusters with no evident feedback have higher central entropy and therefore longer central cooling times than clusters with obvious AGN feedback strongly suggests that AGNs supply the feedback necessary to suppress condensation in clusters with short central cooling times.Comment: ApJ Letter, in pres

Nebraska\u27s Economic Future

Nebraskans like where they live. Young and old, they like the “sense of place” they feel here. They like being part of the legendary work ethic. They like the fact that, for the most part, they feel safe here. They like the fact that Nebraska agriculture helps to feed and power the world. But when people from other states ask them where they’re from, they sound apologetic. The Strategic Discussions for Nebraska team heard variations on that theme everywhere we went. Caleb Pollard, Executive Director of the Ord Chamber of Commerce said it best: “we need for Nebraskans to be proud.” Nebraska is a conservative state, both politically and fiscally. It is constitutionally required to balance the state budget. It is also a state with only 1.7 million people, so there are few people to share the property tax burden. Additionally, Nebraska doesn’t have mineral resources that some states tax heavily, relieving the property tax burden on individuals. However, Nebraska’s sales and income taxes are about the same as its peer states, a fact that is often overlooked when people share concerns about taxes. One of the state’s main concerns is the declining work force, particularly in greater Nebraska. This magazine contains several stories that refer to the work force shortage and the challenges faced by communities that desperately need workers. Nebraska’s Strong Agricultural Base Agriculture has changed in the last century, but it’s a booming business and Nebraskans are knowledgeable about those changes. They know the state is well-suited to growing highquality crops and animals, and they know people in the rest of the world want to buy them. They know the University of Nebraska’s research has been important for Nebraska agriculture, and they support the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Nebraska Innovation Campus, which will be built in Lincoln on the site of the Nebraska State Fair when the fair moves to Grand Island in 2010. Nebraska exported nearly $5.5 billion dollars worth of agricultural and manufactured goods in 2008. That’s up from$3.6 billion in 2006 and $4.2 billion in 2007. According to Greg Ibach, Director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, exports bring the state a steady flow of domestic and international sales and allow the state to remain strong during financial cycles that affect the U.S. and other countries. Nebraska is fortunate to have not only the natural resources to produce some of the best agricultural products – and can source the needed parts and material for the manufactured products – but also has the people with the needed background, knowledge, experience and work ethic to produce the quality products, Ibach said. Importance of Education and Technology There are no greater proponents of education than people in greater Nebraska. The state’s education system is good and is one of the drawing cards for businesses interested in locating in the state. Nebraskans know that jobs today and in the future will require more knowledge of technology in all its forms. Whether people work in information technology in Omaha, farm near Cozad, ranch near Mullen, read x-rays in Ord, work on locomotives in Alliance or conduct research in one of dozens of locations in the state, they’ll have to know technology. Technology requires consistent broadband access and capacity that statewide, Nebraska just doesn’t have. A conversation participant who lives outside North Platte told us her satellite gives her access to the Internet “as long as it isn’t cloudy.” That isn’t good enough for the needs of rural health care, business development, education or for attracting young people to smaller communities. Infrastructure If a state doesn’t have good infrastructure, it closes doors to economic development and therefore, growth. Infrastructure necessary for every viable community includes water, sewer, electricity, roads and Internet access. Additional infrastructure needs are schools, health care facilities, power plants, transportation and communication. It’s expensive to build these things and expensive to maintain existing facilities. Dr. Doug Kristensen, Chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Kearney, told us many of the state’s school buildings were built about the same time – about 100 years ago – and are beginning to crumble, requiring extensive and costly repairs or replacement. Changing Nebraska’s Layout? The Strategic Discussions for Nebraska team interviewed a number of people who believe Nebraska should change its county structure. Ninety-three counties were needed when people had to use a horse and buggy to get to the county seat, but some say the state could save money if the counties were merged, creating about 15 larger counties. Others say there would be few dollars in savings and would widen the gap between greater Nebraska and eastern Nebraska in accessibility to services. Others suggest a “hub and spoke” regional layout, in which one town would be the hub and about 10 or 12 smaller communities would be the spokes. Trouble is, everybody wants to be the hub. What makes the most sense? Send your opinion to me at [email protected]. We’ll post the results on the Strategic Discussions for Nebraska website: www.unl.edu/sdn. Leadership and Cooperation People told us the state and communities need strong leaders who are willing to partner with other organizations, communities, states and countries for the good of Nebraska as a whole. It also needs leaders who will consider the needs of the entire state, regardless of money, power or special interests. In this magazine, you will find a variety of perspectives on Nebraska’s economy, including the opinions of state and community leaders, academics, business owners and government officials. Each opinion has value, based on the person’s experience, education, location and economic condition