Grace and Truth: A Divorce Theology For Missionary Organizations

Throughout church history, divorce has been a very sensitive subject, and with the divorce rate of the general population at almost fifty-percent, some controversy is inevitable. The issue becomes even more complex as more Christians, including church leaders and pastors, experience divorce. In light of this increase in the incidence of divorce, missionary organizations will inevitably encounter more divorced men and women who apply for service. The challenge for these agencies is to encompass a biblically based divorce theology that recognizes the seriousness of divorce on one hand while not appearing to submit to cultural influence on the other. This paper suggests that truth and grace are factors to consider in developing a divorce theology and a subsequent divorce policy. The most frequently cited, and the most controversial Old and New Testament verses are examined, specifically, Genesis 2:24, Deuteronomy 24:1-4, Matthew 5:31-32 and 19:3-12, and 1 Corinthians 7:10-15. The intriguing part about the analysis of these texts is that scholars arrive at different conclusions even though the study is based on the identical text. Additionally, the divorce policies of fourteen missionary organizations are presented so the reader can compare the recommendations with actual practices. There is a spectrum of policies that are identified that range from rejection of divorced applicants to acceptance of applicants whatever the circumstances of their divorce. Most of the organizations fall somewhere between these two extremes. Many times the divorced applicant is asked too many probing questions regarding the past, and there is not enough inquiry into the status of their present character and heart. The emphasis in the study is placed on God\u27s grace and forgiveness that enables a divorced applicant to move on to new beginnings

Parody in Trademark Law: Dumb Starbucks Makes Trademark Law Look Dumb, 14 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 143 (2015)

Comedian Nathan Fielder opened a coffee shop which looked like a Starbucks, but he put the word “dumb” in front of the Starbucks name. Fielder justified his behavior based on the argument that he had created a parody of Starbucks. This article explores when a parody of a trademark may be entitled to protection under the First Amendment. If so, what are the limits of this protection, especially when a trademark holder argues that the parody is diluting his or her trademark by either blurring or tarnishment? The article analyzes federal statutes and judicial decisions. It concludes with recommendations to improve U.S. trademark law

Implementing Nurse Home Visiting Programs: Opportunities and Challenges in England & Australia

APHCRI Conversations was a regular program of presentations held at the Department of Health to facilitate exchange between APHCRI Network researchers and Department policymakers. Topics are developed jointly with the Department of Health and involve a range of speakers from APHCRI, including CRE invited experts, CRE Chief Investigators and stream project Chief Investigator

Cold-tolerant traits that favour northwards movement and establishment of Mediterranean and Ponto-Caspian alien aquatic invertebrates

Embargo until 26 July 2023Over recent decades, many Mediterranean and Ponto-Caspian aquatic invertebrate species have dispersed northwards and established as non-native species in colder regions. We hypothesized that these species have cold-tolerant traits, which facilitate dispersal into colder climates. Thanks to these traits, Southern European aquatic species are able to cross biogeographic boundaries. We downloaded the list of all alien invertebrate species that were fully aquatic (i.e. lacking terrestrial adults) from the GRIIS database and picked out those Mediterranean and Ponto-Caspian species that have undergone northwards range expansion. We identified traits that may facilitate dispersal to colder climates including the following: small size; capacity for behavioural thermoregulation; feeding habit (omnivorous, filter-feeders, food generalists); quiescence and dormancy (or diapause); freezing avoidance (presence of cryoprotectants); tolerance to low temperatures or eurythermicity; active dispersal; and enhanced reproduction. We statistically tested the null hypotheses that Mediterranean and Ponto-Caspian alien aquatic invertebrate species that dispersed into the north have all of these traits. We used contingency tables populated with raw frequency data with χ2—tests and assessed statistical significance at α of 0.05. We identified 95 Mediterranean and Ponto-Caspian alien aquatic invertebrate species that have shown northwards range extension, 10 (10%) of which were of Mediterranean origin and 85 (90%) of Ponto-Caspian origin. We found that this northwards dispersal from Southern Europe is mainly limited to a few following groups of aquatic invertebrates: small crustaceans, molluscs, cnidarians and annelids. Ability to go to diapause, hibernation or resting period, temperature tolerance and small size were the traits most commonly shared by these organisms. We conclude that Mediterranean and Ponto-Caspian aquatic invertebrate species showing northwards range expansion have cold-tolerant strategies. The traits analysed can favour the establishment of the species.acceptedVersio

How Much DNA is Lost? Measuring DNA Loss of STR Length Fragments Targeted by the PowerPlex 16® System Using the Qiagen MinElute Purification Kit

The success in recovering genetic profiles from aged and degraded biological samples is diminished by fundamental aspects of DNA extraction, as well as its long-term preservation that are not well understood. While numerous studies have been conducted to determine whether one extraction method performed superior to others, nearly all of them were initiated with no knowledge of the actual starting DNA quantity in the samples prior to extraction, so they ultimately compared the outcome of all methods relative to the best. Using quantitative PCR (qPCR) to estimate the copy count of synthetic standards before (i.e., “copies in”) and after (i.e., “copies out”) purification by the Qiagen MinElute PCR Purification Kit, we documented DNA loss within a pool of 16 different sized fragments ranging from 106–409 base pairs (bps) in length, corresponding to those targeted by the Promega PowerPlex 16® System. Across all standards starting from 10^4 to 10^7 copies/μL, loss averaged between 21.75% to 60.56% (mean 39.03%), which is not congruent with Qiagen’s claim that 80% of 70 bp to 4 kb fragments are retained using this product (i.e., 20% loss). Our study also found no clear relationship between neither DNA strand length and retention, nor starting copy number and retention. This suggests that there is no molecule bias across the MinElute column membrane and highlights the need for manufacturers to clearly and accurately describe how their claims are made, and should also encourage researchers to document DNA retention efficiencies of their own methods and protocols. Understanding how and where to reduce loss of molecules during extraction and purification will serve to generate clearer and more accurate data, which will enhance the utility of ancient and low copy number DNA as a tool for closing forensic cases or in reconstructing the evolutionary history of humans and other organisms

The role and nature of universal health services for pregnant women, children and families in Australia

INTRODUCTION Recent reports indicate that social policy in developed countries has seen positive results in well - child health and safety, child material security, education and socialisation (UNICEF, 2007) . In countries where child health is supported by policy, children have relatively high levels of well - being as measured by material well - being, health and safety, educational well - being, family and peer relationships, behaviours, risks and subjective well - being (UNICEF, 2007) . In Australia, the overall health, development and well - being of children is high on many indicators. Childhood mortality rates have halved over the last two decades, the incidence of vaccin e - preventable diseases has been reduced since the introduction of immunisation (92% of two - year - olds being fully vaccinated in 2004) and the proportion of households with young children in which a household member smoked inside the house has decreased over the past decade (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2005) . However, concerns are emerging related to rapid social change and the associated new morbidities such as increasing levels of behaviou ral, developmental, mental health and social problems. This has resulted in early childhood becoming a priority for Australian government and non - government organizations (Australian Institute of Health a nd Welfare, 2005) . Health indicators also continue to show significant disparities between Indigenous and non - Indigenous children. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Infant mortality is three times the rate of non - Indigenous Australians and more th an 50 per cent higher than Indigenous children in the USA and New Zealand (National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation & Oxfam Australia, 2007) , and Indigenous babies are more than twice as likely to be born with low birth weight or premature, wi th a negative impact on their growth and development (Australian medical Association report care series, 2005

Policies for capacity development

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A rapid equity focused health impact assessment of a policy implementation plan: An Australian case study and impact evaluation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Equity focused health impact assessments (EFHIAs), or health equity impact assessments, are being increasingly promoted internationally as a mechanism for enhancing the consideration of health equity in the development of policies, programs and projects. Despite this there are relatively few examples of examples of completed EFHIAs available. This paper presents a case study of a rapid EFHIA that was conducted in Australia on a health promotion policy implementation plan. It briefly describes the process and findings of the EFHIA and evaluates the impact on decision-making and implementation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The rapid EFHIA was undertaken in four days, drawing on an expert panel and limited review of the literature. A process evaluation was undertaken by email one month after the EFHIA was completed. An impact evaluation was undertaken two years later based on five semi-structured interviews with members of the EFHIA working group and policy officers and managers responsible for implementing the plan. A cost estimation was conducted by the EFHIA working group.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>The EFHIA made both general and specific recommendations about how the health equity impacts of the policy implementation plan could be improved. The impact evaluation identified changes to development and implementation that occurred as a result of the EFHIA, though there was disagreement about the extent to which changes could be attributed solely to the EFHIA. Those responsible considered the recommendations of the EFHIA in the next versions of their ABHI implementation plans. Factors that influenced the impact of the EFHIA included consolidating understandings of equity, enabling discussion of alternatives, and differing understandings of the purpose of the EFHIA. The EFHIA cost US$4,036 to undertake.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This EFHIA was conducted in a short timeframe using relatively few resources. It had some reported impacts on the development of the implementation plan and enhanced overall consideration of health equity. This case highlights some of the factors and preconditions that may maximise the impact of future EFHIAs on decision-making and implementation.</p