Paradigm of power and authority in the kingdom of God : a study of the utilization of power and authority and congregational health /|cby Jason Matthew McIntosh.

https://place.asburyseminary.edu/ecommonsatsdissertations/1345/thumbnail.jp

Design of an Improved Reacher-Gripper

Individuals with physical impairments often need assistive devices to perform daily activities. Commercial reacher grippers can be difficult to use for individuals with reduced hand and wrist functionality. After evaluating these devices, a novel design was developed to decrease difficulties associated with using common grippers. The design features electro-mechanical actuation to minimize hand strength required to operate the device and a forearm support to alleviate stress on the user’s wrist. The actuated claws can close in under 1 second for fast grasping. The prototyped solution was tested for feedback and functionality by typical users with varying physical capabilities. Results indicated the device allows users to comfortably retrieve objects up to 4 pounds from 32 inches away

Damp and dry heat degradation of thermal oxide passivation of p + silicon

Thermal SiO2 passivates both moderately and heavily doped silicon surfaces irrespective of the dopant type, which is advantageous in high-efficiency solar cell designs. Commercial photovoltaic cells are submitted to accelerated ageing tests, such as damp-heat exposure, to ensure they maintain their performance for at least 20 yr. We find damp-heat exposure causes a severe and rapid degradation of thermal SiO2 passivation on p + silicon surfaces. The reaction is so severe that the diffused-region recombination in the degraded state is limited by the diffusion of minority carriers to the Si-SiO2 interface not the density of interface defects Dit. Certainly, this effect renders the thermal-oxide passivation useless if employed on a solar cell. To study the cause of the degradation, we also test the effects of storage in dry heat and room ambient conditions. Examination of the rate of degradation in the tested storage conditions in comparison with modelled diffusion of moisture in SiO 2, we find a significant correlation between the time dependent J0e and moisture supplied to the interface, leading us to the conclusion that moisture ingression and subsequent reaction at the SiO 2-Si interface are the cause of both damp-heat and room- ambient degradation

Microtubule depolymerization by the kinesin-8 motor Kip3p: a mathematical model

Proteins from the kinesin-8 family promote microtubule (MT) depolymerization, a process thought to be important for the control of microtubule length in living cells. In addition to this MT shortening activity, kinesin 8s are motors that show plus-end directed motility on MTs. Here we describe a simple model that incorporates directional motion and destabilization of the MT plus end by kinesin 8. Our model quantitatively reproduces the key features of length-vs-time traces for stabilized MTs in the presence of purified kinesin 8, including length-dependent depolymerization. Comparison of model predictions with experiments suggests that kinesin 8 depolymerizes processively, i.e., one motor can remove multiple tubulin dimers from a stabilized MT. Fluctuations in MT length as a function of time are related to depolymerization processivity. We have also determined the parameter regime in which the rate of MT depolymerization is length dependent: length-dependent depolymerization occurs only when MTs are sufficiently short; this crossover is sensitive to the bulk motor concentration.Comment: 34 pages, 11 figure