University of Holy Cross

ABSTRACT Despite robust research on positive student outcomes, few studies address principals’ impact on acceleration. This article reports on the findings of a qualitative case study exploring the knowledge, perceptions, and beliefs regarding whole-grade acceleration for gifted students among all nine elementary-level principals in one school district, using the framework of human capital theory, which suggests that educational investments yield long-term individual and societal benefits. The findings reveal a significant gap in principals’ knowledge and experience with acceleration. The principal participants perceived an absence of established processes and guidelines to support their decision-making and had concerns about using this intervention largely due to student well-being considerations. Implications include the need for comprehensive policies, research-based guidelines, plans for professional development, and sustainable leadership from central office personnel as well as principal leaders in school districts.

The evolution of agricultural practices can be traced since from the agrarian society that played a prominent role in shaping the socio -economic landscape in our society.However, the introduction to modern methods of farming such as mechanization, use of synthetic pesticides, Crops varieties that produce significantly more food per unit area compared to conventional varieties seeds, irrigation techniques and precision farming has undoubtedly enhanced productivity and efficiency.Yet, shifting from traditional to modern agriculture has not come without evidence and consequences.Thus, modern methods have led to increase the quality of food production in rural development aspects, despite facing serious challenges to environmental sustainability and biodiversity.Moreover, on the contrary the socio -cultural fabric of traditional farming practices has reach to secondary level.Therefore, this paper explores the agricultural practices in shaping and modernising the method of farming additionally that intricate the sustainability of traditional farming in India.

This chapter explores the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in classrooms on the development and implementation of authentic assessment practices. The integration of AI technology in classrooms has sparked varied perspectives among educators. As AI technology becomes increasingly integrated into educational settings, educators find themselves at a crossroads, with divergent perspectives on the benefits and challenges it presents. While some educators view AI as a valuable tool that can enhance student learning and provide support to teachers, others express concerns that AI may inadvertently encourage plagiarism among students. Through a qualitative exploration of the viewpoints and experiences of secondary teachers, this study illuminates the complex landscape of AI in education and its impact on authentic assessment practices. Key themes that emerged from the research include the belief among secondary teachers that authentic assessment practices play a crucial role in fostering creativity and meaningful learning experiences for students.

Growth is crucially controlled by the functional ribosomes available in cells. To meet the enhanced energy demand, cancer cells re‐wire and increase their ribosome biogenesis. The RNA‐binding protein PNO1, a ribosome assembly factor, plays an essential role in ribosome biogenesis. The purpose of this study was to examine whether PNO1 can be used as a biomarker for lung adenocarcinoma and also examine the molecular mechanisms by which PNO1 knockdown by CRISPR/Cas9 inhibited growth and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). The expression of PNO1 was significantly higher in lung adenocarcinoma compared to normal lung tissues. PNO1 expression in lung adenocarcinoma patients increased with stage, nodal metastasis, and smoking. Lung adenocarcinoma tissues from males expressed higher PNO1 than those from females. Furthermore, lung adenocarcinoma tissues with mutant Tp53 expressed higher PNO1 than those with wild‐type Tp53, suggesting the influence of Tp53 status on PNO1 expression. PNO1 knockdown inhibited cell viability, colony formation, and EMT, and induced apoptosis. Since dysregulated signalling through the Notch receptors promotes lung adenocarcinoma, we measured the effects of PNO1 inhibition on the Notch pathway. PNO1 knockdown inhibited Notch signalling by suppressing the expression of Notch receptors, their ligands, and downstream targets. PNO1 knockdown also suppressed CCND1, p21, PTGS‐2, IL‐1α, IL‐8, and CXCL‐8 genes. Overall, our data suggest that PNO1 can be used as a diagnostic biomarker, and also can be an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.

Colin Tatz was a Professor of Politics at the University of New England and Macquarie University in Australia. He is now an honorary lecturer in Politics and International Relations at the Australi...

Confucianism greatly influenced the dynamics of the Korean monarchy and family hierarchical system in the 19th century when Catholicism was introduced by the educated yangban class. Catholic teachings so impressed Koreans that their loyalties toward the king were challenged by their new love for God, which went against societal norms based on filial piety. Eventually their disloyalty to the king led to thousands of martyrs. While some scholars may wonder at their courage, others felt their self-sacrifice might have been easier than other non-Confucian based cultures, as they had merely transferred their loyalty from a king to God. Thus, filial piety never disappeared with the appearance of the Catholic faith, as martyrs continued unto death while being loyal in their minds. Today, however, Korean American Catholics struggle with this Confucian heritage embedded in the Catholic faith, especially within the immigration context. The expectations of filial piety from the next generation causes friction because they lack sufficient cultural and historical awareness. Thus, this article looks at the Korean martyrs for re-envisioning traditional values especially when immigration radically transforms the ethnic faith narrative.

Fictional Religion: Keeping New Testament New. By Jamie Spencer. Salem, OR: Polebridge Press, 2011. ISBN 9781598150322. Pp. viii + 154. $18.00. Jamie Spencer has written slim volume of reflections on intersections between Christian teachings in New Testament and literature and among eclectic mix of poems, stories, and novels that are focus of his eleven chapters (Introduction plus nine chapters and an Interlude). Spencer sometimes leaves reader wanting fuller reading of chosen, and his textual pairings are bewildering at first (e.g., Macbeth and Faulkner's short story Barn Burning? Paradise Lost and Goldings novel The Inheritors?). But Spencer's argument that literature continually reinterprets and expands New Testament is certainly well supported by he has chosen and might lead readers to test it further with their own examples. In his Introduction, Spencer establishes three basic premises. The first, he says, is widely agreed upon: the books of New Testament are not infallible Word of God, unlike written-in-stone (as it were) books of Old Testament (1). Rather, they are the inspired words of devout and humble writers, and as such texts were in state of flux during faith's early (1). This leads Spencer to his central proposition: New Testament is still being created and recreated as part of flexible tradition that has been continued throughout Christian era [by] vibrant legion of playwrights, poets, and story (1). The evolution of Christian doctrine is not sole provenance of theologians. Creative literary artists reinterpret narratives of New Testament for each successive culture and era (2). Thus, Spencer elevates writers--even those not consciously focusing on religious themes--to level of Church fathers. In his initial testing of his hypothesis, Spencer reads Dickens' A Christmas Carol as narrative parallel to Christ's parable of Prodigal Son, as told in Gospel of Luke, likening elder son's grateful return to his father's house to Scrooge's revelations on Christmas morning. Both stories culminate in rebirth of sinners and a festive celebration (3). Citing biblical scholars Robert Alter (7he Art of Biblical Narrative, 1981) and Arthur Dewey (Professor of Religion at Xavier University), Spencer launches chronological survey of great writers as they reach for, discover, and transmit profound insights into human condition, insights as poignant and definitive as those created with an explicit theological and missionary agenda (5). Spencer begins with Geoffrey Chaucer, representative of late medieval orthodoxy, although his spirit is extraordinarily humane (7). This fundamental paradox is reflected in pilgrims of The Canterbury Tales, since some are motivated to take their Lenten journey by honest faith, while others have more profane desires (9). Spencer's focus is Wife of Bath, is clearly creature more of flesh than faith (9). Her Prologue shows that she has been exposed to Christian Scriptures, especially Pauline doctrine on virginity and marriage, but she misinterprets them to suit her own purposes--her desire for sexual satisfaction. The moral of her Tale is given by old hag in her bedroom lecture, the voice of Christ, who preaches value of humility (16). But Wife fails to hear that message and instead uses hag's transformation to justify her assertion of power or mastery in marriage. Spencers reading, though certainly astute, seems to forget that Chaucer is completely enamored with his very human Wife, perhaps first female character in literature who is frankly sexual but not condemned for it. Next, Spencer moves forward two centuries to Shakespeare. He argues that Macbeth illustrates political message of Christ that Kingdom of God must be founded on a determined commitment to godly life of mercy and justice (17) and to of God and love of neighbor (18). …

This study attempted to determine if a virtual fetal pig dissection can be used as a viable alternative for an actual dissection for females enrolled in high school biology classes, by comparing the knowledge acquisition between the experimental and control groups. Two hundred and twenty-four students enrolled in biology classes in an all-girl parochial high school participated in this study. Students who completed the virtual dissection scored significantly higher on practical and objective tests that were used to measure knowledge acquisition. Further research is suggested to determine if a virtual laboratory experience can be a substitute for actual dissections.