How Developing Electrical Technologies Can Meet Human Needs with Christian Compassion

Having students work on service-oriented projects that meet basic human needs has become a popular strategy in engineering education; such active learning motivates students and prepares them for professional practice. While conventional engineering service project teams often implement a solution that meets human needs on the spot, exploratory technology development service projects, such as I address here, take time to reach proof of concept maturity, before wider application may occur. Whether implementing or developing, a Christian Engineer following Jesus finds solid ground by establishing links between objectives of a service-oriented project and the counsel of Scripture. Hebrews (13:3) calls Christian to remember prisoners, identifying with their mistreatment; Romans (8:19-21) suggests that the creation waits with anticipation for children of God to be revealed, and to be free from its bondage; James (2:14-17) explains that good works reveal the faith of a compassionate heart. While interpretations vary, I argue these passages support the value of Christian compassion as expressed in engineering projects focused on needs of people restricted in some way (e.g., physically or socially), that they may gain more independence. Such scriptural support is a start, but the Christian gospel presents God as an active agent in Jesus Christ, caring and participating with his image bearers in creative works of service, to fine tune both workers and the work, just as he did in the creation itself. Thus, the gospel compels a Christian to prayerfully seek the Lord, search the scriptures and consult with others beyond mere project justification to ongoing guidance, so those served as well as the servants are mutually blessed. Specifically, I suggest that despite inherent risks and limitations, developing electrical technologies conveys Christian compassion to the needs of certain people otherwise overlooked. Two examples involving ongoing projects at our school will illustrate: 1) flight tracking and messaging systems (FTMS) to follow small planes in remote locations, as a safety risk management service to the pilot and family; and 2) an assistive communication system known as wireless enabled remote co-presence (WERCware) intended for those with cognitive and behavioral disabilities to foster sustained employment and more independent living. After identifying scriptural and social support for these projects, this paper will describe our strategy for ongoing guidance, and comment on the challenges of maintaining responsible balance in our most recent work. Transferable principles will be suggested for the reader who wishes to extrapolate from our experience to another institution

Fluency Assistance Device (FAD): Masker Upgrades

There are around seventy million people internationally who have a stutter, a form of fluency disorder. Some fluency assistance devices are available to the public, but most are highly expensive or unreliable. The Fluency Assistive Device (FAD) team seeks to assist a niche community of these individuals for whom therapy has not worked, and who currently rely on a device known as the Edinburgh Masker. To best reach this community, FAD is partnering with Dave Germeyer, who has invaluable experience repairing these masker devices for his clientele. FAD is redesigning the masker to increase its portability, functionality, and cost-effectiveness by developing an improved analog and new digital version. The Analog Masker v1.3 focuses on updated components and consolidated circuitry to eliminate troublesome wiring of the original. The Digital Masker v1.0 employs a Bluetooth-enabled microcontroller to achieve masker functionality, offering the flexibility of alternative fluency assistance algorithms to assist a broader group of users. An updated prototype of the Analog Masker v1.3 was fabricated and tested for power consumption and overall functional output characteristics versus the original Edinburgh version. The Analog Masker v1.3 has also been fully packaged and enclosed to produce a client testable unit. Bluetooth audio output for the Digital Masker has almost been completed, and two of the alternative algorithms have been coded for the masking output. One of these algorithms, Delayed Altered Feedback (DAF), now produces the expected output in response to an audio test input. Clarity and integrity of the DAF signal output have also been improved. The Masking Altered Feedback (MAF) algorithm that emulates the behavior of the Edinburgh original on the Digital Masker v1.0 is under development. Funding for this work provided by The Collaboratory for Strategic Partnerships and Applied Research.https://mosaic.messiah.edu/engr2022/1006/thumbnail.jp

Fluency Assistance Device (FAD): Masker Upgrades

Around seventy million people internationally have a stutter, a form of a fluency disorder. Some fluency assistance devices are available to the public, but most are highly expensive or unreliable. The Fluency Assistive Device (FAD) team seeks to assist a niche community of these individuals who currently rely on a device known originally as the Edinburgh Masker by partnering with Dave Germeyer. Utilizing his expertise in repairing the Edinburgh Masker, FAD is developing two new versions of the masker to increase its portability, functionality, and cost-effectiveness. The first is an update of the original called the Analog Masker (Version 1.1). A prototype of the Analog Masker v1.1 has been developed, tested and is currently being revised based on the results. Revisions include updating the layout of the board and finalizing the power supply circuitry. The second version, known as the Digital Masker (Version 1.0), will use a Bluetooth-enabled microcontroller to achieve masker functionality. Bluetooth audio output for the Digital Masker has been tested, and two algorithms have been created for the masking output. The supporting software for the Digital Masker is nearing completion. The schematic and the layout design have been started for future implementation of the hardware.https://mosaic.messiah.edu/engr2021/1005/thumbnail.jp

Designing a Solar PV System for Tree 4 Hope

The Solar Photovoltaics (PV) team designs and installs solar electricity systems in developing countries where power is less reliable or non-existent. Starting in 2020, the Solar PV team began collaborating with Tree 4 Hope—a nonprofit organization that partners with an orphanage near Guatemala City, Guatemala. Over the past year, the team has designed a solar system to be installed at the orphanage which will provide them with a cleaner and cheaper source of electricity. Thus far, the overall 5 kW solar panel system design including lead-acid batteries has been completed. Key components of the system consisting of the system controller, two charge controllers and the inverter have been programmed and tested, by plugging them into existing elements of the solar lab system, in preparation for installation in Guatemala. This poster details the progress accomplished this year in the design, testing, and programming of the Solar PV system including wiring considerations and communication with in-country suppliers for installation at the orphanage during May of this year. Funding for this work provided by The Collaboratory for Strategic Partnerships and Applied Research.https://mosaic.messiah.edu/engr2022/1016/thumbnail.jp

Young adult outcomes associated with teen pregnancy among high-risk girls in a randomized controlled trial of Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care

Teen pregnancy is associated with a host of deleterious outcomes for girls, such as drug use and poor parenting. Thus, reducing teen pregnancy rates could improve long-term developmental outcomes for girls, including adjustment during young adulthood. Based on the positive effects of Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) relative to group care (GC) in a study of adolescent girls (significantly fewer pregnancies reported in the 2-year follow-up for MTFC girls), the present study followed this sample into young adulthood (approximately 7 years post-baseline) to examine the effects of adolescent pregnancy on young adult substance use and pregnancy-related outcomes. All participants were randomly assigned to MTFC (N = 81) or GC (N = 85) as adolescents as part of a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Results from logistic regression analyses indicated that becoming pregnant during the 2-year follow-up was significantly related to illicit drug use, miscarriage from a new pregnancy, and child welfare involvement 7 years post-baseline. In addition, baseline marijuana use predicted marijuana use at 7 years post-baseline. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC

The Study on Stress, Spirituality, and Health (SSSH): Psychometric Evaluation and Initial Validation of the SSSH Baseline Spirituality Survey

This paper describes the development and initial psychometric testing of the baseline Spirituality Survey (SS-1) from the Study on Stress, Spirituality, and Health (SSSH) which contained a mixture of items selected from validated existing scales and new items generated to measure important constructs not captured by existing instruments. The purpose was to establish the validity of new and existing measures in our racially/ethnically diverse sample. Psychometric properties of the SS-1 were evaluated using standard psychometric analyses in 4,634 SSSH participants. Predictive validity of SS-1 scales was assessed in relation to the physical and mental health component scores from the Short-Form 12 Health Survey (SF-12). Scales exhibited adequate to strong psychometric properties and demonstrated construct and predictive validity. Overall, the correlational findings provide solid evidence that the SS-1 scales are associated with a wide range of relevant R/S attitudes, mental health, and to a lesser degree physical health

Measuring Five Dimensions of Religiosity Across Adolescence

This paper theorizes and tests a latent variable model of adolescent religiosity in which five dimensions of religiosity are interrelated: religious beliefs, religious exclusivity, external religiosity, private practice, and religious salience. Research often theorizes overlapping and independent influences of single items or dimensions of religiosity on outcomes such as adolescent sexual behavior, but rarely operationalizes the dimensions in a measurement model accounting for their associations with each other and across time. We use longitudinal structural equation modeling (SEM) with latent variables to analyze data from two waves of the National Study of Youth and Religion. We test our hypothesized measurement model as compared to four alternate measurement models and find that our proposed model maintains superior fit. We then discuss the associations between the five dimensions of religiosity we measure and how these change over time. Our findings suggest how future research might better operationalize multiple dimensions of religiosity in studies of the influence of religion in adolescence

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure

The Study on Stress, Spirituality, and Health (SSSH): Psychometric Evaluation and Initial Validation of the SSSH Baseline Spirituality Survey

This paper describes the development and initial psychometric testing of the baseline Spirituality Survey (SS-1) from the Study on Stress, Spirituality, and Health (SSSH) which contained a mixture of items selected from validated existing scales and new items generated to measure important constructs not captured by existing instruments. The purpose was to establish the validity of new and existing measures in our racially/ethnically diverse sample. Psychometric properties of the SS-1 were evaluated using standard psychometric analyses in 4,634 SSSH participants. Predictive validity of SS-1 scales was assessed in relation to the physical and mental health component scores from the Short-Form 12 Health Survey (SF-12). Scales exhibited adequate to strong psychometric properties and demonstrated construct and predictive validity. Overall, the correlational findings provide solid evidence that the SS-1 scales are associated with a wide range of relevant R/S attitudes, mental health, and to a lesser degree physical health