Latina/o Conversion and Miracle-Seeking at a Buddhist Temple

The growing diversification of the US Latino religious’ experiences calls for scholarly attention beyond Protestant or Catholic categories. This study begins to answer this call. Using interview data with 26 Latinos collected over 2 years of observation at the True Lama Meditation Center (TLMC) in Houston, Texas, we describe how Latinos who convert to Buddhism or actively attend the temple while also continuing to attend Christian services (both Catholic and Protestant) see themselves and understand their religious identities and practices. We then explore the reasons for their conversion or changes in religious identities and practices through various theoretical lens. Although the majority of respondents now claim to be Buddhist, many did not switch religions but augmented or extended their religious identities and practices. Reasons for conversion to Buddhism or concurrent involvement at the temple and Buddhist faith practices include seeking material support and miracles and those seeking spiritual fulfillment they felt they were not getting in Christian faith practices

Latino Protestants and Their Political and Social Engagement (Chapter Six of Latino Protestants in America: Growing and Diverse)

Excerpt: On a rainy early spring morning in a modest brick Presbyterian church just outside the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland, California, sixtyfour worshippers gather. The entire worship is in Spanish. During the sermon, the pastor makes a passing reference to how few of the attenders now live in Oakland proper, that many have to drive farther than ever for church services. The implicit message: the leadership of the church realizes that gentrification of San Francisco has spilled over the Bay Bridge and now threatens the availability of affordable housing throughout Oakland. In response, the congregation has started programs that offer legal advice for responding to rent-hiking landlords and identifying housing options around the city. Though resources and attenders tend to be somewhat scarce, the leadership has creatively organized in an effort to address the structural and policy concerns of housing. Beyond that, the pastor proudly notes that this church readily offers immigration status services, computer classes, and English classes

The Contexts of Conversion among U.S. Latinos

The growth of Protestantism among U.S. Latinos has been the focus of considerable discussion among researchers. Yet few studies investigate how Latino Protestants and Latino Catholics differ, or which types of Latinos convert from Catholicism to Protestantism. Our study tests various theories about why some Latinos convert including a modified version of the semi-involuntary thesis, the national origin hypothesis, and assimilation theory. We use data from a large national sample of U.S. Latinos and find some support for assimilation theory and less for the semi-involuntary thesis. However, context matters. If we divide Latinos into national origin groups, these groups strongly predict who converts and who are lifelong Protestants. We discuss how war may influence the religious composition of early migrants and thus shape both the religious composition and conversion of later migrants

Attitudes toward Marriage, Divorce, Cohabitation, and Casual Sex among Working-Age Latinos: Does Religion Matter?

The rapid growth of the Latino population in the United States has renewed interest in Latino family research. It has often been assumed that Catholicism is a key factor influencing Latinos’ attitudes toward the family, despite the fact that nearly one third of Latinos are not Catholic. This article uses data from the 2006 National Survey of Religion and Family Life, a survey of working-age adults (aged 18-59 years) in the lower 48 states, to explore the relationship between multiple dimensions of religiosity—denomination, church attendance, prayer, and beliefs about the Bible—and Latinos’ attitudes regarding marriage, divorce, cohabitation, and casual sex. Compared with Catholics, evangelical Protestants tend to hold more conservative attitudes on family-related issues. Latinos who attend services regularly and pray frequently also report more traditional views. Findings involving literalist views of the Bible are more equivocal. Taken together, religious variables are just as potent as socioeconomic and demographic factors in explaining individual-level variation in Latinos’ attitudes. Study limitations are noted, and several directions for future research are identified

Religion and Attitudes toward Same-Sex Marriage among U.S. Latinos

Objectives. This study examines links between multiple aspects of religious involvement and attitudes toward same-sex marriage among U.S. Latinos. The primary focus is on variations by affiliation and participation, but the possible mediating roles of biblical beliefs, clergy cues, and the role of religion in shaping political views are also considered. Methods. We use binary logistic regression models to analyze data from a large nationwide sample of U.S. Latinos conducted by the Pew Hispanic Forum in late 2006. Results. Findings highlight the strong opposition to same-sex marriage among Latino evangelical (or conservative) Protestants and members of sectarian groups (e.g., LDS), even compared with devout Catholics. Although each of the hypothesized mediators is significantly linked with attitudes toward same-sex marriage, for the most part controlling for them does not alter the massive affiliation/attendance differences in attitudes toward same-sex marriage. Conclusions. This study illustrates the importance of religious cleavages in public opinion on social issues within the diverse U.S. Latino population. The significance of religious variations in Hispanic civic life is likely to increase with the growth of the Latino population and the rising numbers of Protestants and sectarians among Latinos

Desarrollo de simulador de negocios en la industria de sensores: estrategia y toma de decisiones

El presente reporte tiene como objetivo documentar las decisiones, análisis, aprendizajes y reflexiones que se obtuvieron a través del simulador de negocios CAPSIM. Este simulador pone a cargo de un equipo de trabajo multidisciplinario una empresa dedicada a la fabricación y venta de sensores. El equipo debe tomar decisiones sobre sus departamentos de finanzas, producción, mercadotecnia, diseño y desarrollo a partir del análisis de la situación de la industria, la cual se reporta en el Courier anual

HMGA1 overexpression in adipose tissue impairs adipogenesis and prevents diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance

High-Mobility-Group-A1 (HMGA1) proteins are non-histone proteins that regulate chromatin structure and gene expression during embryogenesis, tumourigenesis and immune responses. In vitro studies suggest that HMGA1 proteins may be required to regulate adipogenesis. To examine the role of HMGA1 in vivo, we generated transgenic mice overexpressing HMGA1 in adipose tissues. HMGA1 transgenic mice showed a marked reduction in white and brown adipose tissue mass that was associated with downregulation of genes involved in adipogenesis and concomitant upregulation of preadipocyte markers. Reduced adipogenesis and decreased fat mass were not associated with altered glucose homeostasis since HMGA1 transgenic mice fed a regular-chow diet exhibited normal glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. However, when fed a high-fat diet, overexpression of HMGA1 resulted in decreased body-weight gain, reduced fat mass, but improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. Although HMGA1 transgenic mice exhibited impaired glucose uptake in adipose tissue due to impaired adipogenesis, the increased glucose uptake observed in skeletal muscle may account for the improved glucose homeostasis. Our results indicate that HMGA1 plays an important function in the regulation of white and brown adipogenesis in vivo and suggests that impaired adipocyte differentiation and decreased fat mass is not always associated with impaired whole-body glucose homeostasis

Discovery of biomarker panels for neural dysfunction in inborn errors of amino acid metabolism.

Patients with inborn errors of amino acid metabolism frequently show neuropsychiatric symptoms despite accurate metabolic control. This study aimed to gain insight into the underlying mechanisms of neural dysfunction. Here we analyzed the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and 10 genes required for correct brain functioning in plasma and blood of patients with Urea Cycle Disorders (UCD), Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD) and controls. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate sensitivity and specificity of potential biomarkers. CACNA2D2 (α2δ2 subunit of voltage-gated calcium channels) and MECP2 (methyl-CpG binding protein 2) mRNA and protein showed an excellent neural function biomarker signature (AUC ≥ 0,925) for recognition of MSUD. THBS3 (thrombospondin 3) mRNA and AABA gave a very good biomarker signature (AUC 0,911) for executive-attention deficits. THBS3, LIN28A mRNA, and alanine showed a perfect biomarker signature (AUC 1) for behavioral and mood disorders. Finally, a panel of BDNF protein and at least two large neural AAs showed a perfect biomarker signature (AUC 1) for recognition of psychomotor delay, pointing to excessive protein restriction as central causative of psychomotor delay. To conclude, our study has identified promising biomarker panels for neural function evaluation, providing a base for future studies with larger samples