Pastor-Principal Relationship in the Parish School

The traditional parish plant”church, rectory, convent, and school”all conveniently located next to each other on a parcel of land, is a fast vanishing model. While some argue that the parish-sponsored elementary school is a vestige of immigrant Catholicism, this article calls for a strengthening of the relationship between the pastor and the principal. By using frames of reference from human resource management and organizational theory, this essay challenges pastors and principals to work through differences, find common ground and ways to collaborate, and resolve or set aside differences for the sake of the higher good

Consolidation and Efficiency in the U.S. Life Insurance Industry

This paper examines the relationship between mergers and acquisitions, efficiency, and scale economies in the US life insurance industry. We estimate cost and revenue efficiency over the period 1988-1995 using data envelopment analysis (DEA). The Malmquist methodology is used to measure changes in efficiency over time. We find that acquired firms achieve greater efficiency gains than firms that have not been involved in mergers or acquisitions. Firms operating with non-decreasing returns to scale and financially vulnerable firms are more likely to be acquisition targets. Overall, mergers and acquisitions in the life insurance industry have had a beneficial effect on efficiency. Journal of Economic Literature classification codes: G2, G22, G34. L11. Key Words: Efficiency, life insurance, mergers and acquisitions, scale economies, data envelopment analysis.

Overcoming Administrative, Procedural and Evidentiary Hurdles in Ponzi Scheme Litigation

The unfortunate reality that comes with a Ponzi scheme case in bankruptcy is a mass of deceived unsecured creditors clamoring for their money back, and few, if any, present assets within the bankruptcy estate with which to pay them. The sheer size of most Ponzi schemes cases necessarily presents unique evidentiary, procedural and administrative challenges to professionals seeking to sort out the failed Ponzi enterprise. Ponzi scheme cases are riddled with litigation, which generally falls into four categories: (1) litigation against the Ponzi scheme operator(s), (2) litigation against parties who enabled the scheme to continue (such as professionals), (3) litigation to recover assets (such as legitimate accounts receivable or proceeds from the sale of property), and (4) avoidance actions against those who received property from the Ponzi scheme. This fourth category (and sometimes the third) may involve hundreds of defendants, who may be located throughout the country (or even the world). This Article provides strategic suggestions and practical applications for Ponzi scheme litigation, including filing a procedures motion, seeking substantive or administrative consolidation, and utilizing and overcoming evidentiary hurdles. Cite as 42 Golden Gate U. L. Rev. 641 (2012)

A Safe, Stable Place to Call Home Supports Young Children's Health in Arkansas

Families should be able to afford a roof over their heads and still have enough money to pay for food, utilities, and healthcare. Unfortunately, for many Arkansans, wages are not keeping up with housing costs. Presently, fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $216 more a month than a full-time minimum wage employee earning$7.25/hour can afford. Children's HealthWatch research shows families are forced to sacrifice basic necessities when they confront the gap between the cost of housing and their ability to pay for it

Stable, Affordable Housing Supports Young Children's Health in Philadelphia

Children's HealthWatch researchers analyzed survey data collected from caregivers in Phildelphia between 2005 and 2011. In the sample of 4,500 families, Children's HealthWatch found that about 56% of families were housing insecure. Housing insecurity is associated with poor health outcomes in very young children. Short-and long term interventions that help stabilize families in affordable housing will improve the health and development of Philadelphia's youngest children

p21 is decreased in polycystic kidney disease and leads to increased epithelial cell cycle progression: roscovitine augments p21 levels.

BackgroundAutosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a common genetic disease with few treatment options other than renal replacement therapy. p21, a cyclin kinase inhibitor which has pleiotropic effects on the cell cycle, in many cases acts to suppress cell cycle progression and to prevent apoptosis. Because defects in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells occur in PKD, and in light of earlier reports that polycystin-1 upregulates p21 and that the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor roscovitine arrests progression in a mouse model, we asked whether (1) p21 deficiency might underlie ADPKD and (2) the mechanism of the salutary roscovitine effect on PKD involves p21.Methodsp21 levels in human and animal tissue samples as well as cell lines were examined by immunoblotting and/or immunohistochemisty. Apoptosis was assessed by PARP cleavage. p21 expression was attenuated in a renal tubular epithelial cell line by antisense methods, and proliferation in response to p21 attenuation and to roscovitine was assessed by the MTT assay.ResultsWe show that p21 is decreased in human as well as a non-transgenic rat model of ADPKD. In addition, hepatocyte growth factor, which induces transition from a cystic to a tubular phenotype, increases p21 levels. Furthermore, attenuation of p21 results in augmentation of cell cycle transit in vitro. Thus, levels of p21 are inversely correlated with renal tubular epithelial cell proliferation. Roscovitine, which has been shown to arrest progression in a murine model of PKD, increases p21 levels and decreases renal tubular epithelial cell proliferation, with no affect on apoptosis.ConclusionThe novelty of our study is the demonstration in vivo in humans and rat models of a decrement of p21 in cystic kidneys as compared to non-cystic kidneys. Validation of a potential pathogenetic model of increased cyst formation due to enhanced epithelial proliferation and apoptosis mediated by p21 suggests a mechanism for the salutary effect of roscovitine in ADPKD and supports further investigation of p21 as a target for future therapy