Adventist University of Africa

This study investigates the relationship between academic stress and substance use within Zambian Christian universities, with specific attention to implications for integrated pastoral–psychological care. Faith-based institutions emphasize spiritual formation, but little evidence shows how academic stress affects alcohol and marijuana use. This mixed-methods study examined student substance use patterns and institutional mental health responses across three Christian universities in Zambia: Rusangu University, Eden University, and DMI–St Eugene University.

<span lang="EN-US">Recommender systems are widely applied in various domains, including e-commerce, marketing, and education. Despite their popularity, recommender systems are not widely used in finance and banking. This paper aims to identify the challenges associated with using recommender systems in finance and banking and recommend directions for future research. Using a systematic literature review (SLR) method, 52 papers were selected and analyzed. A three-step process was used to make the selection. First, a keyword search was made to identify a seed list of sources. A snowball technique with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria was applied to expand the list. Finally, a quick study was made to produce the final list of sources to consider. Through the study of the 52 relevant papers, three main challenges: i) transparency, ethics, and data privacy; ii) handling complex content information and accounting for multiple user behaviors; and iii) explainability of AI models were identified. This study has established the barriers to adopting recommender systems in the finance and banking industry. Specific subjects of concern identified include cold-start problems, personalization, fraud detection, transparency, and data privacy. The study recommends further research leveraging advanced machine learning models and emerging technologies to fill the gap.</span>

The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss six specific Enlightenment critiques of Christian theology. Christian theology faced critiques as biblical criticism offered a secular perspective challenging Scripture. This study employs historical and theological methods, drawing on the Bible. The study discovered that the Enlightenment period rejected the authorship of Moses’ Pentateuch, the authority of the Old and New Testaments, the concept of the Trinity, vicarious atonement, and justification. They rejected Jesus’ divinity, resurrection, and salvation. The findings reveal that the criticisms of the Enlightenment period primarily relied on secular philosophy rather than biblical foundations. Christian faith in Jesus Christ proves that God has revealed Himself to humans. The Christian doctrine of God is interpreted through Scripture and nature. The Gospels are historically accurate and reliable accounts of Jesus. The Bible depicts humanity’s struggle with sin and God’s promise and solution to that conflict. God sent Christ to redeem humanity from sin (2 Cor. 5:21). The fundamental story of Creation comes before the narrative in Genesis 1 and 2. This is because Jesus Christ is Lord over His creation. The study suggests examining the Enlightenment’s critique of Christian theology to understand its impact on theological reflections. Future research should focus on the influence of the Enlightenment principles on contemporary theology regarding scriptural authority, the nature of God, and salvation doctrines. Keywords: Enlightenment, Revelation, Inspiration, Christology, and Soteriology

This article examines the phenomenon of Dual Allegiance (DA) and Religious Syncretism (RS) within the context of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church-Nkoroi of Nkoroi District Churches, focusing on the pervasive impact of fear of death and ignorance about the nature of death as they are the principal causative factors. By integrating theological analysis with psychological insights, the study elucidates how misconceptions about death and the afterlife fuel these vices among church members. This study highlights how historical missionary activities sometimes failed to fully address these deep-seated beliefs, leading to a form of Christianity that is intermittently blended with indigenous religious practices, hence practising syncretism and leading a DA Christian life. Ignorance about the Biblical teachings on death leads to DA and RS, as some members turn to animistic or ancestral practices for reassurance against existential threats. It further advocates for an educational approach that emphasises a clear, Biblically grounded eschatology to empower believers with a correct understanding of death, thereby reducing fear and discouraging reliance on syncretic lifestyle and DA practices. This study calls for a strategic pastoral response that includes comprehensive Biblical teaching focused on the genesis and nature of life at creation, death, and what it is, as well as resurrection as central to alleviating DA and RS. It underscores the need for an approach that not only educates but also spiritually moulds church members, enabling them to resist syncretism but instead affirm their allegiance solely to God and sound Biblical-based Christian doctrine in the aforementioned creation, death and what it is and resurrection.

Background: This study aimed to assess breast cancer awareness, perception, and screening practices among women in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana. Despite global efforts to promote early detection, many women in low- and middle-income countries, including Ghana, continue to experience delayed diagnosis and poor outcomes due to limited awareness and access to screening services. Methods: The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional research design. A total of 396 adult women aged 18 years and above were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS with chi-square tests to determine associations. The results indicated that the respondents had an average level of awareness (51%), average perception and attitude (44.71%), and average screening practice (44.71%). Despite facing certain challenges, there was a moderate level of breast cancer awareness and screening practices among women in the Tamale Metropolis, Ghana. Findings: The study found that ethnicity had a statistically significant association with breast cancer awareness and screening practices among women in Tamale Metropolis (χ² = 36.833, p = 0.000). Conversely, education level exhibited a non-significant association with awareness (χ² = 2.654, p = 0.690), while age demonstrated a strong significant association with mammogram utilization (χ² = 117.435, p = 0.000). Religion also had a significant influence on clinical breast examination and mammogram practices (χ² = 12.228, p = 0.001; χ² = 12.615, p = 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: The findings suggest that socio-demographic characteristics, particularly age, ethnicity, and religion, significantly influence breast cancer awareness and screening behaviors. Based on these findings, it is recommended to strengthen community-based education initiatives and increase access to age- and culture-sensitive breast screening programs. Improving early detection strategies will be vital in reducing breast cancer morbidity and mortality in the region.

Abstract We investigated the effects of leadership and tangible and intangible resources on sustainable competitive advantage. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using the Seventh-day Adventist Church Institutions in Zimbabwe. A questionnaire was administered to 341 respondents. The results of the correlation analysis show that leadership (r = .57; p<.01), tangible resources (r =. 53; p< .0l), and intangible resources (r =. 43; p< .05) significantly correlate with sustainable competitive advantage. Furthermore, the regression analysis showed that all three variables combined had a significant effect on sustainable competitive advantage (adjusted R-square = .359) (F (3, 327) =62.61, p<0.05). Additionally, the analysis shows that leadership (β = .370; p < 0.05) and tangible resources (β = .273; p < 0.05) contributed the most to the institutions’ sustainable competitive advantage. However intangible resources, singly, do not significantly affect the competitive advantage. The results confirm the key role of leadership in creating a competitive advantage in organizations. Thus, the study highlights that without leaders’ willingness and effective engagement, those institutions cannot effectively compete in the marketplace despite the presence of resources.

The study investigated the relationship between land accessibility and youth participation in the agricultural value chain in Kakamega County, Kenya. Utilizing a stratified questionnaire for data collection from 240 respondents, chosen through stratified and simple random sampling, the research analyzed data to generate frequencies, percentages, and correlations. Results showed that limited access to land is a significant barrier for youth involvement in agriculture, impacting all stages of the value chain except consumption. This study is novel in its comprehensive analysis of the entire agricultural value chain, from production to consumption, and its focuses on the youth, a crucial demographic in Kenya. The findings highlight the importance of land accessibility for the youth's active participation and the potential economic benefits thereof. The insights are valuable for policymakers and donor organizations in crafting strategies to improve land access for young people, thus enhancing their livelihoods and fostering entrepreneurial growth in the most promising segments of the agricultural value chain.

3. The method chosen for data collection is appropriate, even though the study design was not stated.4. The paper is well-written and should be published with some adjustments.5. The analysis is adequate.6.The findings were supported by other similar findings elsewhere.7.

The World Health Organization (WHO) 2022 statistics show that over 3 million deaths globally result from chronic respiratory diseases yearly. Interestingly 90% of these deaths are reported from middle-and low-income countries. This may be attributed to the poor health care systems with few medical experts to enable early diagnosis and treatment of the diseases. There is therefore a need for cheap and accessible solutions to help solve the problems. The use of the latest technologies of Machine Learning (ML) and Internet of Things (IoT) provide capabilities that can enable cheap and convenient detection and monitoring of respiratory diseases. However, existing solutions are cloud-based and thus depend on the availability of internet connectivity to function. This poses privacy, security, and even connectivity challenges, especially in Africa. The concept of using an emerging ML technique for inferencing on resource-constrained devices known as TinyML was used as a solution enabling the development of a self-diagnostic kit. The system captures breath Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) the collected data will be processed on the device and a TinyML algorithm used to detect if the sample is infected or not. The designed prototype was used to collect from healthy and unhealthy volunteers. The collected data was then used to train the prediction model. The ML model predicts respiratory diseases with an accuracy of 95.4% using less than 20% of the device resources. The proposed solution will reduce the dependency on medical experts and healthcare facilities and enable early detection of respiratory diseases.

Among Seventh-day Adventists, Ellen G. White is believed to possess the gift of prophecy, and her writings have served in organizing as well as nurturing the Church. This article is an inquiry into the concept of ordination as it is presented in her wittings. The following five questions guide the research: (1) What is ordination? (2) Why is it needed? (3) How is it performed? (4) When is it appropriate to ordain a person? and (5) Who should be ordained? A deeper understanding of her writings on the topic of ordination enables the church to avoid majoring in minors and pay the needed attention to its mission.