San Beda University

The focus of this review is The Benedictine Rule of Leadership, written by Galbraith & Galbraith (2004). It seeks to explore how a leadership framework dating back several centuries can remain relevant in present-day contexts. Based on the Rule of St. Benedict, the research highlights five central leadership principles: vision and purpose, empowerment and growth, culture and community, humility and integrity, and problem-solving and fairness. In a scoping literature review, thematic analysis was applied to academic sources found regarding the relationship between these principles and present-day ideas about leadership, such as servant leadership, ethical leadership, and authentic leadership. As shown by the findings, the Benedictine approach to leadership represents not only an interesting historical phenomenon but also a highly practical leadership ideology based on the interrelationship between ethics, personal integrity, and sustainable development. Although rooted in religion, this approach has universal applicability to various organizational settings where the establishment of trust, motivation, and stability is crucial. As can be seen, the relevance of this approach to modern organizational reality cannot be ignored, although there are potential limitations and challenges of applying Benedictine leadership in diverse, secular, or multicultural organizations.

This study explores the feminist transformation of the femme fatale through a comparative analysis of Circe in The Odyssey and Amy Dunne in Gone Girl. Using Feminist Criticism guided by Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex and Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique, the research investigates how the femme fatale evolved across different historical, cultural, and literary contexts. Specifically, the study explores the common and unique traits of both characters, the contrasting themes and patterns that shape their portrayals, the influence of literary form on the representation of the femme fatale, and the impact of this transformation on contemporary perceptions of women. A qualitative research design was employed through content analysis. Selected excerpts from Homer’s The Odyssey and Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl were examined using predetermined themes, including allure, ulterior motive, weaponized seduction, calculated deception, female authority, and male downfall. The findings reveal that both Circe and Amy Dunne embody the essential characteristics of the femme fatale by resisting patriarchal authority and challenging male dominance. However, their methods of exercising power differ according to their sociocultural environments. Circe relies on supernatural authority and symbolic forms of entrapment, while Amy utilizes psychological manipulation, media control, and performative identity to achieve her goals. The study concludes that although the femme fatale continues to function as a disruptive force associated with male downfall, the archetype has evolved from a mythic representation of patriarchal anxiety into a more nuanced symbol of female agency and resistance that reflects contemporary feminism in literature. Overall, the findings contribute to contemporary feminist literary scholarship by highlighting the relationship between literary representation, sociocultural change, and the continuing evolution of women’s roles in literature.

Religions were usurped, justifying atrocious acts against each other since time immemorial. To name a few in contemporary times, the Marawi siege of 2017, and the September 11, 2001, attack against the United States of America. Recently, the Israeli-Palestinian Gaza war of 2023 reignited more than half a century of conflict. Now, we have the US-led Israel war against Iran, and US President Donald Trump was heard trumpeting his messianic role in saving Christianity from barbarous deeds of the Middle-Eastern states, justifying now his more atrocious deeds against them. This study investigates the role of interreligious dialogue in the life of Christians and Muslims living in Southern Philippines, also known as Mindanao, in this post-colonial period. It intends to understand the state or condition of dialogue between adherents of religions, particularly, the Muslims and Christians of Mindanao, as to how interreligious dialogue brought about mutual understanding, peaceful co-existence, cooperation, and harmonious living between them. And by this, the findings can hopefully contribute to the establishment of peace in other places and peoples in conflict by indicating the salient points that serve as learning considerations. Thus, to find the answer, the researcher worked on knowing the lived experiences of co-researchers who are advocates, practitioners, and scholars of interreligious dialogue (IRD) in Mindanao. And by this, the data gathered and analyzed became a resource of learning in the work of the peace process via interreligious dialogue among adherents of different religions. Phenomenology was employed as its interpretive framework in the data supplied by 4 co-researchers. All of them have dedicated years working and studying, Christians and Muslims thriving and coexisting in Mindanao. In the final analysis, the success story of interreligious dialogue in Mindanao was attributed to the dialogue of friendship between Christians and Muslims thriving there. In their dialogue of friendship, they were able to affirm each other’s identity and history, surpassing challenges they had encountered along the way.

Background Premature termination of cardiovascular trials undermines evidence generation and wastes resources. Objectives The objective of the study was to evaluate trends, predictors, and recruitment adequacy among prematurely terminated cardiovascular trials. Methods We analyzed adult cardiovascular trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (2000-2025). Trial characteristics, early termination, and reported reasons were extracted. Computed low recruitment was defined as actual enrollment <80% of target. Multivariable logistic regression identified independent predictors of termination. Results Among 19,191 trials, 2,202 (11.5%) were prematurely terminated. Low recruitment was the most common reported reason (946/2,202, 42.9%), yet 625/1,571 (39.9%) underenrolled trials did not report recruitment failure. Termination peaked in 2020 (155/1,033, 15.0%). Termination risk was the highest in early-phase trials (phases 1/2 or 2; 371/2,325, 16.0%) and lowest for behavioral/lifestyle interventions (146/2,998, 4.9%) and female-only trials (23/475, 4.8%). In multivariable analysis, small sample size (1-100 participants; OR: 3.37; 95% CI: 2.98-3.80) and later-phase trials (phase 2/3 or 3; OR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.41-1.97) were associated with higher odds of termination, whereas behavioral/lifestyle interventions (OR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.32-0.49), crossover designs (OR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.42-0.65), and non-U.S. government funding (OR: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.31-0.78) were protective. Conclusions More than 1 in 10 cardiovascular trials terminate early, most often due to poor recruitment, which is frequently under-reported. Improved feasibility assessment and transparent reporting are needed. (Trends and Predictors of Premature Termination of Cardiovascular Trials: A Systematic Review; CRD420251155096)