Maritain’s Philosophy of Education and Christian Religious Education

Catholic schools invest much time and energy in writing mission statements that express the common values, beliefs, and goals of the Church community. This article explores the philosophical foundation supporting our mission by analyzing the work of the Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain. While often labeled dismissively as a new-Thomist, Maritain’s thought offers a cogent, philosophically balanced view of education that is highly congruent with Catholic theology. Arguing that Catholic schools are more than just institutions staffed by Catholics, the author reasons that all education, if the truth be told, is in some form a religious education, and that good teachers create schools that invite students to grow in the life of the mind

Jacques Maritain’s Seven Misconceptions of Education: Implications for the Preparation of Catholic School Teachers

Do Catholic educators, especially classroom teachers, operate out of a fundamentally Catholic worldview? This article explores some essential questions about teacher preparation for service in Catholic schools. Following the work of neo-Thomistic philosopher Jacques Maritain, the author examines seven misconceptions of education and their importance to the formation of Catholic educators

The Stability of Double White Dwarf Binaries Undergoing Direct Impact Accretion

We present numerical simulations of dynamically unstable mass transfer in a double white dwarf binary with initial mass ratio, q = 0.4. The binary components are approximated as polytropes of index n = 3/2 and the initially synchronously rotating, semi-detached equilibrium binary is evolved hydrodynamically with the gravitational potential being computed through the solution of Poisson's equation. Upon initiating deep contact in our baseline simulation, the mass transfer rate grows by more than an order of magnitude over approximately ten orbits, as would be expected for dynamically unstable mass transfer. However, the mass transfer rate then reaches a peak value, the binary expands and the mass transfer event subsides. The binary must therefore have crossed the critical mass ratio for stability against dynamical mass transfer. Despite the initial loss of orbital angular momentum into the spin of the accreting star, we find that the accretor's spin saturates and angular momentum is returned to the orbit more efficiently than has been previously suspected for binaries in the direct impact accretion mode. To explore this surprising result, we directly measure the critical mass ratio for stability by imposing artificial angular momentum loss at various rates to drive the binary to an equilibrium mass transfer rate. For one of these driven evolutions, we attain equilibrium mass transfer and deduce that effectively q_crit has evolved to approximately 2/3. Despite the absence of a fully developed disk, tidal interactions appear effective in returning excess spin angular momentum to the orbit.Comment: 27 pages, 6 figures. Please see http://www.phys.lsu.edu/faculty/tohline/astroph/mftd07/ for animations and full resolution figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Numerical Simulations of the Onset and Stability of Dynamical Mass Transfer in Binaries

Hydrodynamical simulations of semi-detached, polytropic binary stars are presented in an effort to study the onset and stability of dynamical mass transfer events. Initial, synchronously rotating equilibrium models are constructed using a self-consistent-field technique and then evolved with an Eulerian hydrodynamics code in a fully self-consistent manner. We describe code improvements introduced over the past few years that permit us to follow dynamical mass-transfer events through more than 30 orbits. Mass-transfer evolutions are presented for two different initial configurations: A dynamically unstable binary with initial mass ratio (donor/accretor) $q_0 = 1.3$ that leads to a complete merger in $\sim 10$ orbits; and a double-degenerate binary with initial mass ratio $q_0 = 0.5$ that, after some initial unstable growth of mass transfer, tends to separate as the mass-transfer rate levels off.Comment: 47 pages, 11 figures, submitted to the Astrophysical Journal. See http://www.phys.lsu.edu/faculty/tohline/astroph/dmtf05 for high resolution figures and mpeg animation

Saccharomyces cerevisiae-based system for studying clustered DNA damages

DNA-damaging agents can induce clustered lesions or multiply damaged sites (MDSs) on the same or opposing DNA strands. In the latter, attempts to repair MDS can generate closely opposed single-strand break intermediates that may convert non-lethal or mutagenic base damage into double-strand breaks (DSBs). We constructed a diploid S. cerevisiae yeast strain with a chromosomal context targeted by integrative DNA fragments carrying different damages to determine whether closely opposed base damages are converted to DSBs following the outcomes of the homologous recombination repair pathway. As a model of MDS, we studied clustered uracil DNA damages with a known location and a defined distance separating the lesions. The system we describe might well be extended to assessing the repair of MDSs with different compositions, and to most of the complex DNA lesions induced by physical and chemical agents

Renal artery sympathetic denervation:observations from the UK experience

Background: Renal denervation (RDN) may lower blood pressure (BP); however, it is unclear whether medication changes may be confounding results. Furthermore, limited data exist on pattern of ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) response—particularly in those prescribed aldosterone antagonists at the time of RDN. Methods: We examined all patients treated with RDN for treatment-resistant hypertension in 18 UK centres. Results: Results from 253 patients treated with five technologies are shown. Pre-procedural mean office BP (OBP) was 185/102 mmHg (SD 26/19; n = 253) and mean daytime ABP was 170/98 mmHg (SD 22/16; n = 186). Median number of antihypertensive drugs was 5.0: 96 % ACEi/ARB; 86 % thiazide/loop diuretic and 55 % aldosterone antagonist. OBP, available in 90 % at 11 months follow-up, was 163/93 mmHg (reduction of 22/9 mmHg). ABP, available in 70 % at 8.5 months follow-up, was 158/91 mmHg (fall of 12/7 mmHg). Mean drug changes post RDN were: 0.36 drugs added, 0.91 withdrawn. Dose changes appeared neutral. Quartile analysis by starting ABP showed mean reductions in systolic ABP after RDN of: 0.4; 6.5; 14.5 and 22.1 mmHg, respectively (p < 0.001 for trend). Use of aldosterone antagonist did not predict response (p < 0.2). Conclusion: In 253 patients treated with RDN, office BP fell by 22/9 mmHg. Ambulatory BP fell by 12/7 mmHg, though little response was seen in the lowermost quartile of starting blood pressure. Fall in BP was not explained by medication changes and aldosterone antagonist use did not affect response

Jacques Maritain’s Seven Misconceptions of Education: Implications for the Preparation of Catholic School Teachers

Do Catholic educators, especially classroom teachers, operate out of a fundamentally Catholic worldview? This article explores some essential questions about teacher preparation for service in Catholic schools. Following the work of neo-Thomistic philosopher Jacques Maritain, the author examines seven misconceptions of education and their importance to the formation of Catholic educators

Maritain’s Philosophy of Education and Christian Religious Education

Catholic schools invest much time and energy in writing mission statements that express the common values, beliefs, and goals of the Church community. This article explores the philosophical foundation supporting our mission by analyzing the work of the Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain. While often labeled dismissively as a new-Thomist, Maritain’s thought offers a cogent, philosophically balanced view of education that is highly congruent with Catholic theology. Arguing that Catholic schools are more than just institutions staffed by Catholics, the author reasons that all education, if the truth be told, is in some form a religious education, and that good teachers create schools that invite students to grow in the life of the mind

Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Culture and the Catholic University

Catholic institutions of higher education continue to wrestle with the demands of John Paul II’s Apostolic Constitution, Ex Corde Ecclesiae. This article looks beyond the juridical aspects of implementation and focuses on culture as a way to explore the contribution of Catholic colleges and universities to the broader life of the Church and to the wider academy. Popular culture, with its dependence on visual imagery and entertainment, creates a particular challenge for advancing the unique mission and identity of Catholic institutions

Design and Development of Power Transmission System for Tractor Operated Hybrid Bio-Composite Mulch Sheet Laying Machine

Tractor 3 point hitch drawn hybrid bio-composite bio degradable mulch laying machine was designed and developed based on the formulation of the hybrid bio-composite mulch sheets with a intension of the integrate the field operations at easy pace and conserve the time and labour. The prototype was fabricated and tested in the fields in order to perform the operations such as hybrid bio-composite mulch sheet laying, Mulch sheet pressing and guiding and soil covering on the edges of the mulch sheets in one forward movement of the machine. The machine was fabricated with design of many components but the power transmission system was plays a major role in this machine as the entire forward movement of machine and performance of the mulch sheet laying unit was depends on the power transmission system only. Various components of power transmission system was designed such as shafts, chain, bearings and sprockets etc. The shaft design was done considering the two conditions of fields while in operation like considering twisting and bending moments of the shaft as well as sudden applied shocks and fluctuated loads.  Considering the two conditions, the main shaft, counter shaft and rear wheel shafts diameters were designed based on this two conditions and obtained results were  30 mm, 40 mm and 25 mm respectively The chain and sprocket will be used for the transmitting the power from one shaft to other one. The length of the chain was calculated 162.56 cm and the HP transmitted by the selected chain and HP of chain drive system were calculated as 2.05 hp and 0.339 hp respectively. Based on the results, the calculated horse power was less than the  horse power of selected chain that means required horse power was 0.339 hp but we have got 2.05 hp, hence the design was safe and  machine will be operate without any hassles