Impact of Worldview Development on Spiritual Vitality in Evangelical Protestant Churches: A Phenomenological Study

The need for a biblical worldview is important in the church since only ten percent of Americans (17% in the church) have a biblical worldview (Foley, 2017, paragraph one; Barna, 2017, paragraph twenty). This is directly connected with one’s spiritual growth in the church as relationships help form one’s worldview which in turn will form one’s values and actions (McDowell and Wallace, 2019). The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the perceived impact of biblical worldview development on spiritual development in the church for pastors who oversee discipleship at doctrinally conservative, Evangelical Protestant churches in Texas. At this stage in the research, biblical worldview development will be generally defined as helping people develop their faith and view of their world through Christ and the Bible (Hiebert, 2008). Spiritual development is developing people according to the Word of God and Christ for holiness and a solid faith (Hiebert, 2008; Knight, 2006). The theory guiding this study is Hiebert’s (2008) holistic development with a biblical worldview since all truth is in Christ and Christians should be Christ-centered in everything they do. The methodology and results will be based on an interview assessing the spiritual vitality of the church based on the vision, mission, spiritual foundation, and training of those in leadership and in the congregation

Auditor Skepticism and Client Ill Will

Professional skepticism is considered an essential component of audit quality. Consequently, research has focused on ways to increase skepticism by identifying factors that either limit or encourage its practice. However, research has yet to explore potential negative consequences of professional skepticism. We conduct two experiments to investigate if high levels of skepticism create ill will in audit clients, and how ill will affects the auditor-client relationship and audit quality. In the first experiment, we find that high skepticism creates ill will in the client, which increases the likelihood the client recommends switching auditors and decreases the amount of evidence provided to the auditor. We find that auditors can ingratiate themselves with the client as an intervention to decrease the development of ill will and mitigate its adverse effects. In our second experiment, we examine if client pressure to persuade the auditor of their accounting position mitigates the relationship between high skepticism and ill will. We find an interaction such that if the evidence does not support the accounting treatment the client recommends, a high level of auditor skepticism does not cause clients to experience as much ill will toward the auditor. We contribute to the literature by investigating a new empirical construct, client ill will, and developing a more nuanced perspective of the interactions between auditors and their clients

Nonuniqueness and equivalence in online inverse reinforcement learning with applications to pilot performance modeling

The focus of this thesis is behavior modeling for pilots of unmanned aerial vehicles.The pilot is assumed to make decisions that optimize an unknown cost functional, which is estimated from observed trajectories using a novel inverse reinforcement learning (IRL) framework. The resulting IRL problem often admits multiple solutions. Nonuniqueness necessitates the study of the notion of equivalent solutions, i.e., solutions that result in a different cost function but same feedback matrix, and convergence to such solutions. While offline algorithms that result in convergence to equivalent solutions have been developed in the literature, online, real-time techniques that address nonuniqueness are not available. In this thesis, a regularized history stack observer that converges to approximately equivalent solutions of the IRL problem is developed. Novel data-richness conditions are developed to facilitate the analysis and simulation results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed technique.The novel IRL observer is then adapted to the pilot modeling problem. The observer is shown to converge to one of the equivalent solutions of the IRL problem. The developed technique is implemented on a quadcopter where the pilot is modeled as a linear quadratic regulator. Experimental results demonstrate the robustness of the method and its ability to learn an equivalent cost functional

Development of a Resilient 3-D Printer for Humanitarian Crisis Response

International audienceRapid manufacturing using 3-D printing is a potential solution to some of the most pressing issues for humanitarian logistics. In this paper, findings are reported from a study that involved development of a new type of 3-D printer. In particular, a novel 3-D printer that is designed specifically for reliable rapid manufacturing at the sites of humanitarian crises. First, required capabilities are developed with design elements of a humanitarian 3-D printer, which include, (1) fused filament fabrication, (2) open source self-replicating rapid prototyper design, (3) modular, (4) separate frame, (5) protected electronics, (6) on-board computing, (7) flexible power supply, and (8) climate control mechanisms. The technology is then disclosed with an open source license for the Kijenzi 3-D Printer. A swarm of five Kijenzi 3-D printers are evaluated for rapid part manufacturing for two months at health facilities and other community locations in both rural and urban areas throughout Kisumu County, Kenya. They were successful for their ability to function independently of infrastructure, transportability, ease of use, ability to withstand harsh environments and costs. The results are presented and conclusions are drawn about future work necessary for the Kijenzi 3-D Printer to meet the needs of rapid manufacturing in a humanitarian context

Development of a resilient 3-D printer for humanitarian crisis response

Rapid manufacturing using 3-D printing is a potential solution to some of the most pressing issues for humanitarian logistics. In this paper, findings are reported from a study that involved development of a new type of 3-D printer. In particular, a novel 3-D printer that is designed specifically for reliable rapid manufacturing at the sites of humanitarian crises. First, required capabilities are developed with design elements of a humanitarian 3-D printer, which include, (1) fused filament fabrication, (2) open source self-replicating rapid prototyper design, (3) modular, (4) separate frame, (5) protected electronics, (6) on-board computing, (7) flexible power supply, and (8) climate control mechanisms. The technology is then disclosed with an open source license for the Kijenzi 3-D Printer. A swarm of five Kijenzi 3-D printers are evaluated for rapid part manufacturing for two months at health facilities and other community locations in both rural and urban areas throughout Kisumu County, Kenya. They were successful for their ability to function independently of infrastructure, transportability, ease of use, ability to withstand harsh environments and costs. The results are presented and conclusions are drawn about future work necessary for the Kijenzi 3-D Printer to meet the needs of rapid manufacturing in a humanitarian context

Development of a Fiber-Fed Pulsed Plasma Thruster for Small Satellites

CU Aerospace has developed a fiber-fed pulsed plasma thruster (FPPT) which consumes PTFE (Teflon) propellant in spooled form, fed with extrusion 3D printer technology. The thruster uses a parallel energy storage unit (ESU) design, assembling \u3e300 COTS capacitors into discrete 10 J modules while maintaining low per-cap current levels. The discharge is initiated by a pulsed regenerative carbon igniter located in the thruster cathode. Thruster performance varies with pulse energy and fuel feed rate, with measured impulse bits ranging from 0.057 – 0.241 mN-s and 960 – 2400 s specific impulse. The highest specific impulse measured is 2423 s for 40 J pulse energy. A 1U 20 J ESU flight design with 331 g PTFE fuel provides 5500 N-s total impulse. Accelerated subsystem life testing has demonstrated \u3e 600 million capacitor charge / discharge cycles with nearly identical per-cap current waveforms

Identification and Characterization of Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria Associated with Kudzu Root Nodules

Pueraria montana, better known as kudzu, is an invasive species rapidly spreading throughout the southeastern United States. This plant can form root nodules which house nitrogen-fixing bacteria, allowing atmospheric nitrogen to be converted into biologically available forms of nitrogen for use by the plant host. Given the centrality of these bacteria to the spread of kudzu, isolates from nodules were characterized after collection from seven different locations across the metropolitan Atlanta area. Twenty-five isolates were grown on two different variants of nitrogen free media. Four different carbon sources were evaluated as well. Finally, growth under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions was investigated. Almost all isolates grew better under anaerobic conditions. Additionally, the carbon source and other components of the composition of the media affected growth. These data suggest significant metabolic diversity inside a relatively small geographic area posing questions about the relative contribution of nitrogen fixing bacteria to kudzu’s invasive expansion in this region. In addition, four possible “promiscuous ineffective” isolates were identified using data evaluating relative growth, possibly reflecting reduced nitrogen fixation and corresponding benefit to the host. The kudzu can be described as “promiscuous ineffective” because it allows nodulation of bacteria that have very poor nitrogen fixing capabilities. Two sequences, 16S rRNA and the gene nifD, were amplified from these four isolates. The 16S rRNA sequence reveals minor evolutionary diversity amongst isolates. Analysis of nifD reveals variations between isolates and some correspondence with an ability to fix nitrogen. With these data, further characterization of the “promiscuous ineffective” isolates may reveal the mechanism of reduced fixation rates and provide insight into possible bioremediation of kudzu

An African-American Resources and Needs Assessment of the West Bloomington Area, Phase 1

Over the course of the Fall 2009 semester, students in the Community Project Design and Management class worked with members of West Bloomington to recognize the growing needs within the community. Along with the African-American Focus Workgroup (AAFW) and the West Bloomington Revitalization Partnership (WBRP), the students completed Phase 1 of an African-American resources and needs assessment resulting in this report. This document reflects needs, wants, and hopes of the West Bloomington community and the AAFW. Comprehensively, this document is meant to serve as a bridge between community members and AAFW members. As Bloomington as a whole continues to grow and expand, some members within the community feel the difficulty of being left out of development. Therefore, the project‟s purpose was to help ascertain the assets and deficiencies within the West Bloomington neighborhood with the participation of community members, and to help the AAFW integrate their goals with those of the WBRP. This report can aid future efforts and provide useful information in the development of the West Bloomington area. The report includes a brief review of the literature considering race, education, income, age, public space, housing, civil society, and community-based participatory research. The report also includes sections outlining the research methods used, the research findings along the same themes used in the literature review, a discussion of limitations and barriers to research, and conclusions and recommendations. Appendices include Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocol for ethical treatment and protection of research participants, definition of the study area for drawing out Census data, and a Survey Design and Administration Protocol Handbook to aid in administering surveys drafted for AAFW member organizations to use with their staff and volunteers, patrons, and the general public. Student researchers analyzed public data and local reports to understand the background and demographics of the West Bloomington community. Reports consulted include these topics: housing conditions and issues; food justice; Census data on race, income, and age; community and economic development; and education statistics for District 87 and West Bloomington schools. Through various focus groups, four common themes appeared: the need for greater communication between and among local organizations and community members; the need for additional activities, especially for young people; a lack of accessibility to various services offered by (or in) the City of Bloomington and surrounding areas; and distressed amenities. Communication can be strengthened between the WBRP and the AAFW, between West Bloomington community members and the City of Bloomington, and among all of these groups and members. Focus group findings also show that the West Bloomington community and organizations serving it do not offer activities to people of all age ranges. In addition, all focus groups shared comments about transportation issues within West Bloomington. Regarding distressed amenities, focus group participants brought up issues concerning poor housing conditions, inadequate amenities at local parks, and old infrastructure in need of repair or replacement. Findings from key informant interviews also acknowledged several areas for enhancement within the West Bloomington community. Within the community, apathy and a lack of respect among residents were identified as negative attributes coupled with a perceived lack of police presence in the area. Residents linked these attributes to a fear of crime, and specifically, drug dealing, prostitution, and gang activity and recruitment. Resource collaboration and greater awareness of available resources also are viewed as necessary enhancements within the community and those serving it. West Bloomington residents serving as key informant interviewees identified issues of homelessness, overcrowded housing facilities, and a lack of affordable housing. Some interviewees expressed a desire for better notification of neighborhood events. Several interviewees mentioned a desire for better communication between the City of Bloomington and West Bloomington community and a better working relationship with the police department. Additionally, multiple interviewees discussed the importance of education, including the need for more job training and literacy programs. This report includes conclusions and recommendations based on findings from key informant interviews, focus groups, local and public data review, and past and future surveys. These recommendations are broken down into three categories focusing on the City of Bloomington, the West Bloomington neighborhood, and youth. City-related recommendations include the following: The Bloomington Police Department can increase its visible presence in the West Bloomington neighborhood by providing foot patrol. The City of Bloomington should develop a plan for addressing infrastructure needs in the West Bloomington area. The Bloomington-Normal Public Transit System can evaluate the current mass transit bus routes for West Bloomington. Improved civic awareness and education can increase residents‟ skills and abilities to address grievances and development issues within their community. Neighborhood recommendations advise the following: Primarily, communication among all stakeholders needs to be improved. Stakeholders can increase awareness of available services, programs, and resources that can benefit community members. A community fair can be held within the West Bloomington neighborhood. A feasibility study should be performed for a multi-purpose community center to be located in the West Bloomington neighborhood. The youth recommendations suggest the following: Encourage The Bloomington Boys and Girls Club to determine if additional services could be added to benefit the teen youth of West Bloomington. Increase the availability of summer programs to benefit both working parents and children. Explore effective strategies for identifying and dealing with barriers to development, especially those that apply to youth and crime. Stakeholders can collaborate on a campaign to bring awareness and encourage action around the need for more volunteer mentors, especially male mentors who are needed for West Bloomington male youth. In conclusion, this report sheds some light on the needs, wants, assets, and resources of the West Bloomington community. It is our hope that this report will serve as an impetus for enhanced relationships among the AAFW, the WBRP, West Bloomington residents, and the City of Bloomington, as well as provide information and materials to aid in future development

Results of the Irradiation of R6R018 in the Advanced Test Reactor

For over 30 years the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) program has worked to provide the fuel technology and analytical support required to convert research and test reactors from nuclear fuels that utilize highly enriched uranium (HEU) to fuels based on low-enriched uranium (LEU) (defined as <20% U-235). This effort is driven by a desire to minimize international civilian commerce in weapons usable materials. The RERTR fuel development program has executed a wide array of fuel tests over the last decade that clearly established the viability of research reactor fuels based on uranium-molybdenum (U-Mo) alloys. Fuel testing has included a large number of dispersion type fuels capable of providing uranium densities up to approximately 8.5 g U/cc (~1.7 g U-235/cc at 20% enrichment). The dispersion fuel designs tested are very similar to existing research test reactor fuels in that the U-Mo particles simply replace the current fuel phase within the matrix. In 2003 it became evident that the first generation U-Mo-based dispersion fuel within an aluminum matrix exhibited significant fuel performance problems at high power and burn-up. These issues have been successfully addressed with a modest modification to the matrix material composition. Testing has shown that small additions of silicon (2–5 wt%) to the aluminum (Al) matrix stabilizes the fuel performance. The fuel plate R6R018 which was irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) as part of the RERTR-9B experiment was part of an investigation into the role of the silicon content in the matrix. This plate consisted of a U-7Mo fuel phase dispersed in an Al-3.5Si matrix clad in Al-6061. This report outlines the fabrication history, the as fabricated analysis performed prior to irradiation, the irradiation conditions, the post irradiation examination results, and an analysis of the plates behavior