Best Practices of Actively Engaged Volunteers Within a Megachurch

In the realm of churches, recruiting, engaging, and retaining volunteers is essential for churches to thrive. This applied dissertation was designed to identify best practices for recruiting, engaging, and retaining volunteers within a megachurch. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to identify those factors that draw people to volunteer, keep them volunteering, and lead to their work satisfaction while they volunteer in a megachurch. The effect of demographics on volunteer satisfaction and engagement were also identified. The final product of this study was a set of best practices for any church to use to improve its volunteer program. The 2-phased, sequential, explanatory, mixed-methods study was conducted at a large megachurch in the suburb of a large mid-Atlantic city in the United States. Quantitative data were collected over a 30-day period online using the Volunteer Satisfaction Index survey (N = 123) during Phase 1 of the study. A focus group (N = 5) was conducted on a single day and used to collect qualitative data during Phase 2 of the study. The same population of 900 members of the megachurch was used for each phase of the study. Analyses of the combined data revealed the success of volunteer programs is contingent upon several key factors; chief among them is the foundation of relationship. Based on these findings, the researcher recommended 7 specific best practices for churches to implement: The organizational leader–volunteer relationship matters, the paid staff–volunteer relationship matters, the volunteer–volunteer relationship matters, volunteer performance expectations matter, recognition matters, effective communication matters, and feeling empowered matters

The design and evaluation of grazing incidence relay optics

X-ray astronomy, both solar and celestial, has many needs for high spatial resolution observations which have to be performed with electronic detectors. If the resolution is not to be detector limited, plate scales in excess of 25 microns arc/sec, corresponding to focal lengths greater than 5 m, are required. In situations where the physical size is restricted, the problem can be solved by the use of grazing incidence relay optics. A system was developed which employs externally polished hyperboloid-hyperboloid surfaces to be used in conjunction with a Wolter-Schwarzschild primary. The secondary is located in front of the primary focus and provides a magnification of 4, while the system has a plate scale of 28 microns arc/sec and a length of 1.9 m. The design, tolerance specification, fabrication and performance at visible and X-ray wavelengths of this optical system are described

Langevin analysis for time-nonlocal Brownian motion with algebraic memories and delay interactions

Starting from a Langevin equation with memory describing the attraction of a particle to a center, we investigate its transport and response properties corresponding to two special forms of the memory: one is algebraic, i.e., power-law, and the other involves a delay. We examine the properties of the Green function of the Langevin equation and encounter Mittag-Leffler and Lambert W-functions well-known in the literature. In the presence of white noise, we study two experimental situations, one involving the motional narrowing of spectral lines and the other the steady-state size of the particle under consideration. By comparing the results to counterparts for a simple exponential memory, we uncover instructive similarities and differences. Perhaps surprisingly, we find that the Balescu-Swenson theorem that states that non-Markoffian equations do not add anything new to the description of steady-state or equilibrium observables is violated for our system in that the saturation size of the particle in the steady-state depends on the memory function utilized. A natural generalization of the Smoluchowski equation for the time-local case is examined and found to satisfy the Balescu-Swenson theorem and describe accurately the first moment but not the second and higher moments. We also calculate two-time correlation functions for all three cases of the memory, and show how they differ from (tend to) their Markoffian counterparts at small (large) values of the difference between the two times

Langevin analysis for time-nonlocal Brownian motion with algebraic memories and delay interactions

Starting from a Langevin equation with memory describing the attraction of a particle to a center, we investigate its transport and response properties corresponding to two special forms of the memory: one is algebraic, i.e., power-law, and the other involves a delay. We examine the properties of the Green function of the Langevin equation and encounter Mittag-Leffler and Lambert W-functions well-known in the literature. In the presence of white noise, we study two experimental situations, one involving the motional narrowing of spectral lines and the other the steady-state size of the particle under consideration. By comparing the results to counterparts for a simple exponential memory, we uncover instructive similarities and differences. Perhaps surprisingly, we find that the Balescu-Swenson theorem that states that non-Markoffian equations do not add anything new to the description of steady-state or equilibrium observables is violated for our system in that the saturation size of the particle in the steady-state depends on the memory function utilized. A natural generalization of the Smoluchowski equation for the time-local case is examined and found to satisfy the Balescu-Swenson theorem and describe accurately the first moment but not the second and higher moments. We also calculate two-time correlation functions for all three cases of the memory, and show how they differ from (tend to) their Markoffian counterparts at small (large) values of the difference between the two times

The Genetics of Phenotypic Plasticity in Plant Defense: Trichome Production in Mimulus guttatus

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/651300#fn1.Insect herbivory is a major driving force of plant evolution. Phenotypic plasticity and developmental variation provide a means for plants to cope with variable herbivory. We characterized the genetics of developmental variation and phenotypic plasticity in trichome density, a putative defensive trait of Mimulus guttatus (yellow monkeyflower). Our results are evaluated in relation to the optimal defense theory, which provides testable predictions for plastic and developmental patterns in defense traits. We found that both developmental stage and simulated insect damage affected trichome production, but in different ways. Plants were more likely to produce at least some trichomes on later leaves than on earlier leaves, regardless of damage. Damage did not affect the average probability of producing trichomes, but it did increase the density of hairs on trichome‐positive plants. We mapped trichome quantitative trait loci (QTL) by selectively genotyping a large panel of recombinant inbred lines derived from two highly divergent populations. Several highly pleiotropic QTL influenced multiple aspects of the trichome phenotype (constitutive, developmental, and/or plastic responses). Only one of the QTL influenced trichome induction following damage. In a result that is consistent with a central prediction of optimal defense theory, the high allele at this location was from the ancestral population with low constitutive trichome production

Gravitationally Collapsing Shells in (2+1) Dimensions

We study gravitationally collapsing models of pressureless dust, fluids with pressure, and the generalized Chaplygin gas (GCG) shell in (2+1)-dimensional spacetimes. Various collapse scenarios are investigated under a variety of the background configurations such as anti-de Sitter(AdS) black hole, de Sitter (dS) space, flat and AdS space with a conical deficit. As with the case of a disk of dust, we find that the collapse of a dust shell coincides with the Oppenheimer-Snyder type collapse to a black hole provided the initial density is sufficiently large. We also find -- for all types of shell -- that collapse to a naked singularity is possible under a broad variety of initial conditions. For shells with pressure this singularity can occur for a finite radius of the shell. We also find that GCG shells exhibit diverse collapse scenarios, which can be easily demonstrated by an effective potential analysis.Comment: 27 pages, Latex, 11 figures, typos corrected, references added, minor amendments in introduction and conclusion introd

Development Of An Age-Frequency Distribution For Ocean Quahogs (Arctica Islandica) On Georges Bank

Ocean quahogs [Arctica islandica (Linnaeus, 1769)] are the longest-lived, noncolonial animal known today, with a maximum life span exceeding 500 y. Ocean quahogs are a commercially important bivalve, inhabiting the continental shelf of the North Atlantic Basin. Although considerable information exists on the growth and physiology of A. islandica, limited information is available regarding recruitment; accordingly, sustainably managing the fishery is a challenge. To investigate long-termrecruitment trends, the age of ocean quahogs fromGeorges Bank which were fully recruited to the commercial fishery (\u3e80 mm shell length) was determined by analysis of annual growth lines in the hinge plate. Ages of animals representing the fully recruited size range were used to develop an age-length key, enabling reconstruction of the population age frequency. The population age frequency showed that the Georges Bank population experienced an increase in recruitment beginning in the late 1890s. Initial settlement, documented by a few ocean quahogs that were much older, occurred much earlier, in the early 1800s. Following the late 1890s increase in recruitment, the population expanded rapidly reaching carrying capacity in 20-30 y. Recruitment was more or less continuous after this expansion, consistent with maintenance of a population at carrying capacity. Unusually large year classes were not observed, nor were significant periods of high recruitment interspersed with periods of low recruitment. The relationship of growth rate with age for the oldest clams was assessed using the time series of yearly growth increments and the resulting relationship fitted to three models (von Bertalanffy, Gompertz, and Tanaka\u27s ALOG curve). The ALOG model was clearly superior because it allows for persistent indeterminate growth at old age, rather than the asymptotic behavior of the other two and because it allows for a rapid change in growth rate at what is presumed to be maturity

Predicting cannabis cultivation on national forests using a rational choice framework

Government agencies in the United States eradicated 10.3 million cannabis plants in 2010. Most (94%) of these plants were outdoor-grown, and 46% of those were discovered on federal lands, primarily on national forests in California, Oregon, and Washington. We developed models that reveal how drug markets, policies, and environmental conditions affect grow siting decisions. The models were built on a rational choice theoretical structure, and utilized data describing 2322 cannabis grow locations (2004–2012) and 9324 absence locations in the states\u27 national forests. Predictor variables included cannabis market prices, law enforcement density, and socioeconomic, demographic, and environmental variables.We also used the models to construct regional maps of grow site likelihood. Significant predictors included marijuana street price and variables associated with grow site productivity (e.g., elevation and proximity to water), production costs, and risk of discovery. Overall, the pattern of grow site establishment on national forests is consistent with rational choice theory. In particular, growers consider cannabis prices and law enforcement when selecting sites. Ongoing adjustments in state cannabis laws could affect cultivation decisions on national forests. Any changes in cannabis policies can be reflected in our models to allow agencies to redirect interdiction resources and potentially increase discovery success

Predicting cannabis cultivation on national forests using a rational choice framework

Government agencies in the United States eradicated 10.3 million cannabis plants in 2010. Most (94%) of these plants were outdoor-grown, and 46% of those were discovered on federal lands, primarily on national forests in California, Oregon, and Washington. We developed models that reveal how drug markets, policies, and environmental conditions affect grow siting decisions. The models were built on a rational choice theoretical structure, and utilized data describing 2322 cannabis grow locations (2004–2012) and 9324 absence locations in the states\u27 national forests. Predictor variables included cannabis market prices, law enforcement density, and socioeconomic, demographic, and environmental variables.We also used the models to construct regional maps of grow site likelihood. Significant predictors included marijuana street price and variables associated with grow site productivity (e.g., elevation and proximity to water), production costs, and risk of discovery. Overall, the pattern of grow site establishment on national forests is consistent with rational choice theory. In particular, growers consider cannabis prices and law enforcement when selecting sites. Ongoing adjustments in state cannabis laws could affect cultivation decisions on national forests. Any changes in cannabis policies can be reflected in our models to allow agencies to redirect interdiction resources and potentially increase discovery success