Implementation and Evaluation of the Jesus Loves Jeans Initiative to Evangelize and Retain Youth for the Houston International Seventh-day Adventist Church

The Topic The Houston International Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church has had significant challenges baptizing and retaining its youth. In the last five years, only a few youth have been baptized and nearly 50% no longer attend church. A primary contributing factor seems to be the lack of training to develop genuine biblical discipleship in the youth and young adults. Eims (1978) describes the process of discipleship as ―[taking a] person from the time of his conversion and helping him become a solid, dedicated, committed, fruitful, mature disciple who could in time repeat that process in the life of another‖ (p. 18). The Purpose The purpose of this dissertation is to assess the effectiveness of implementing the Jesus Loves Jeans Youth Discipleship Initiative by measuring the difference it makes in the evangelization and retention of youth for Houston International SDA Church. If one considers biblical discipleship to be the overarching principle and the broad opening of a funnel, the Jesus Loves Jeans Initiative is merely a first step and tool for youth and young adults to be activated in evangelism while increasing their commitment, maturity, and helping them become more fruitful and naturally retaining them. Because of the time limitations of this study it does not include a longitudinal analysis of the retention of these youth and young adults, but does provide some anecdotal references of the initiatives results in other places. The Sources A survey of the Bible and the writings of Ellen White will contribute to a theological analysis of general as well as youth evangelism and retention principles. A study of selected current literature relevant to youth evangelism, and pertinent sociological and cultural concepts that relate to the effectiveness of the Jesus Loves Jeans initiative, will be conducted. The results of the initiative will be analyzed to glean insights about the effects on the church, its youth and young adults, and the overall impact on the Houston International SDA Church. Conclusions Some of the current youth evangelism principles found to be successful in evangelization and retention of youth are core foundations of the Jesus Loves Jeans youth discipleship initiative. The biblical principles of discipleship and the unique mission of the SDA Church are reflected in this initiative. This initiative proved successful in activating, and connecting, with the target audience of youth and young adults at the Houston International SDA Church. In addition, the conclusion of this dissertation contains various samples of the materials and information for implementing this initiative in other Adventist churches (see appendices B and C)

POST-TRANSCRIPTIONAL REGULATION OF AFP AND IgM GENES

Gene expression can be regulated at multiple steps once transcription is initiated. I have studied two different gene models, the α-Fetoprotein (AFP) and the immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgM) genes, to better understand post-transcriptional gene regulation mechanisms. The AFP gene is highly expressed during fetal liver development and dramatically repressed after birth. There is a mouse strain-specific difference between adult levels of AFP, with BALB/cJ mice expressing 10 to 20-fold higher levels compared to other mouse strains. BALB/cJ mice express low levels of Zhx2 and thus incompletely repress AFP. Despite differences in steady state AFP mRNA levels in the adult liver between Balb/cJ and wild-type mice, transcription rates across this gene were similar, indicating a post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism. I found accumulated unspliced RNA across multiple AFP introns in wild-type mice where mature AFP mRNA levels are low, suggesting overall AFP splicing is inefficient in the presence of Zhx2. The IgM gene is alternative processed to produce two mRNA isoforms through a competition between cleavage/polyadenylation (μspA) and splicing reactions and the pA/splice RNA expression ratio increases during B cell maturation. Cotranscriptional cleavage (CoTC) events, driven by specific cis-acting elements, are required downstream of some poly(A) signals to terminate transcription. In some cases, a pause site can produce similar effect. I explored whether there is a CoTC-like element within the IgM gene that may contribute to developmental changes in the mRNA ratio. In both a B cell and plasma cell line there was a gradual decrease in transcripts downstream from the μspA signal, suggesting that there is not evidence for a CoTC element within the IgM gene. To examine the effect a CoTC element would have on the competition between the splice and μspA reactions, we inserted the CoTC sequence of the β-globin gene into different locations downstream of the μspA signal. While the β-globin CoTC element caused cotranscriptional cleavage in all locations, it only affected the μspA/splice ratio when located close to the μspA site. This suggests there is a position effect of the inserted CoTC element on the competing polyadenylation and splicing reactions within the IgM transcripts

The Stigmatization of Eating Disorders Based on Cultures: The South vs The World

Introduction: Eating Disorders (ED) are a current pandemic affecting boys, girls, men, and women of all ages, races, sizes, and backgrounds. Just in the United States alone, nine percent of the population, or 28.8 million Americans, will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.1 This statistic only takes into account the people who sought help, but there are still millions that go untreated or undiagnosed throughout their lifetime. According to the American Psychiatric Association, ED is defined as behavioral conditions characterized by severe and persistent disturbance in eating behaviors and associated distressing thoughts and emotions.3 Some of the common ED include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating. Methods: A cohort study was conducted between October 24th, 2022 to October 30th, 2022 at Ouachita Baptist University (OBU). An online survey was conducted, and a QR code was used for easy access. The survey was given to male and female students from all the different schools across campus, including Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Education, Business, Christian Studies, Fine Arts, and Humanities. There were a total of 130 participants in this research. All the responses remained anonymous. Results: The greater percentage of participants were 18 years old, in the freshman classification, and female. Most of the participants have an overall knowledge on what ED are and what it entails. Overall, Southern beauty standards for women were based on their thinness and for men on their muscle mass. Conclusion: Due to society’s impossible beauty standards, many people are prone to develop an ED. It is important to provide proper education to prevent this disease but also to provide proper treatment

Analysis of a total integration of renewable energy in Catalonia through a dynamic virtual power plant model and the use of hydrogen as a method of energy production stabilization

Several models and scenarios have been developed to understand the dynamics and implications of integrating renewable energy technologies into the grid. In this document, the focus was on photovoltaic (PV), wind power, hydropower, and hydrogen systems facing Catalonia’s electric demand. In the process to elaborate a functional model, several factors are taken into account such as power generation, storage, and demand, aiming to minimize the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and identify cost-effective solutions. The importance of the impact of renewable energy shares, the role of nuclear and gas facilities, and the potential of hydrogen as a storage medium and versatile energy carrier are relevant topics that incorporates new variables and corresponds to the increase of the diversity of sources needed to face climatic change. Considerations such as production limits, hydrogen limited to absorbs electricity and generation in function of the grid requirements, LCOE dynamics, and policy frameworks were also emphasized in order to develop a general system that supports to understand how the natural response of the system in changes on demand in function of the available sources could b

Sustainable Treatment of Aquaculture Effluents – What Can We Learn from the Past for the Future?

Many aquaculture systems generate high amounts of wastewater containing compounds such as suspended solids, total nitrogen and total phosphorus. Today, aquaculture is imperative because fish demand is increasing. However, the load of waste is directly proportional to the fish production. Therefore, it is necessary to develop more intensive fish culture with efficient systems for wastewater treatment. A number of physical, chemical and biological methods used in conventional wastewater treatment have been applied in aquaculture systems. Constructed wetlands technology is becoming more and more important in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) because wetlands have proven to be well-established and a cost-effective method for treating wastewater. This review gives an overview about possibilities to avoid the pollution of water resources; it focuses initially on the use of systems combining aquaculture and plants with a historical review of aquaculture and the treatment of its effluents. It discusses the present state, taking into account the load of pollutants in wastewater such as nitrates and phosphates, and finishes with recommendations to prevent or at least reduce the pollution of water resources in the future.DAA

Economic Evaluation of Route Choice Characteristics for Company Truck Drivers and Owner-Operator Truck Drivers in Southern California Freeways

To contribute to the understanding of freeway capacity and financing options, this study evaluates the demand for truck-only toll lanes on Southern California freeways. The study implemented surveys to both company truck drivers and owner-operator truck drivers to estimate the value they place on time, reliability, and safety measures. The research team met face-to-face with both types of truck drivers near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to understand the drivers’ perspectives regarding truck-only toll lanes on Southern California freeways. A data set containing 45 surveys out of 62 survey responses were used for statistical analysis. The results showed that the tolerated toll fees that both types of truck drivers combined were willing to pay ranged from $3.27 an hour to$41.45 an hour with an average of $20.50 an hour during weekdays, while those fees ranged from$3.04 an hour to $36.12 an hour with an average of$18.12 an hour during weekends. Both types of truck drivers are unwilling to pay toll fees for the routes used in six comparisons out of nine, despite sharing a common origin and destination. Data shows that, regardless of ownership type, both types of truck drivers similarly value a route with truck only lanes. The highest toll fee per mile on any day that drivers are willing to pay when the main factor being compared is value of travel time (VOT) is $0.54 per mile or$32.38 an hour. The figures for the value of reliability (VOR) and safety measures are $0.47 per mile or$15.76 an hour and $0.17 per mile or$9.80 an hour, respectively. The VOR is important because it helps shippers and freight carriers make predictable travel times to remain competitive. These results are meaningful for legislators and transportation agencies because the behaviors and route choice characteristics of both types of drivers help them better reduce scheduling costs, understand the utility and demand for truck-only toll lanes, and resolve traffic congestion in the study area

Potassium, an important element to improve water use efficiency and growth parameters in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) under saline conditions

Due to changes in the ecosystem and misuse of resources, salinity also increases. Approximately 20% of all irrigated land is affected by salinity and this will increase over time. Therefore, it is necessary to develop more environmentally friendly agricultural techniques but also to exploit potential crops with high nutritional value and tolerance to salinity like quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.). In this context, potassium is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and development. Furthermore, one of the strategies of some salt-tolerant plants is to increase the uptake of potassium under saline conditions such that the K+/Na+ ratio is maintained for a proper osmotic regulation in cells. Therefore, a study was conducted to investigate the effect of different concentrations of potassium (0.5, 2 and 6 mM K) on quinoa under different salinities (0, 100 and 200 mM NaCl). According to the results, an adequate supply of potassium under moderate salinity conditions benefited the plant growth, with a higher potassium uptake in the presence of salt. Under saline conditions, plant transpiration decreased significantly with a high correlation with stomatal density and a greater water use efficiency. Therefore, under saline conditions, adequate doses of potassium are highly recommended in quinoa cultivation. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH

Conocimientos y actitudes del personal docente del turno matutino del Centro Escolar "Dr. Doroteo Vasconcelos", sobre el abordaje de la educación integral de la sexualidad, municipio de Ayutuxtepeque, primer semestre 2017

Proyecto de carácter descriptivo, que determina los conocimientos y actitudes del personal docente del Centro Escolar “Dr. Doroteo Vasconcelos”, del turno matutino sobre el abordaje de la educación integral de la sexualidad con sus estudiantes. Se tomó en cuenta la información teórica que permitió tener las bases necesarias para fundamentar la investigación realizada. La unidad de análisis de ésta investigación fueron los 26 docentes que trabajan en el Centro Escolar “Dr. Doroteo Vasconcelos”, del turno matutino, ubicado en el municipio de Ayutuxtepeque