Examining Keswick for Benefits to Chaplain Resilience Ministry

The Keswick Convention movement, which began in Keswick, England in 1870 and emphasized deeper knowledge and experience of God, has often been criticized and marginalized in evangelical theological circles. The structure of the conferences, with an emphasis upon six major theological themes and their application for daily Christian living, seems to have value for many attendees in deepening their Christian life. This study examines the potential benefits of the Keswick themes with particular application to the military chaplaincy setting and the issue of spiritual resilience. By examining criteria for resilience (steadfastness, perseverance, courage, and recuperation) and utilizing a qualitative research methodology, the study surveys full-time military chaplains regarding the potential benefits of the Keswick themes for military spiritual resiliency. The survey data revealed that the full-time military chaplain participants considered Keswick beneficial for spiritual resilience to a generally positive degree. Additionally, the data collected from the phone call interviews of five full-time military chaplains resulted in a majority of generally positive responses; therefore, adding support that Keswick can aid in spiritual resiliency for a believer who faces military-specific challenges (Moral injury, PTSD, ASD, deployments, and chaplain burnout )

A genetic variation map for chicken with 2.8 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms

We describe a genetic variation map for the chicken genome containing 2.8 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms ( SNPs). This map is based on a comparison of the sequences of three domestic chicken breeds ( a broiler, a layer and a Chinese silkie) with that of their wild ancestor, red jungle fowl. Subsequent experiments indicate that at least 90% of the variant sites are true SNPs, and at least 70% are common SNPs that segregate in many domestic breeds. Mean nucleotide diversity is about five SNPs per kilobase for almost every possible comparison between red jungle fowl and domestic lines, between two different domestic lines, and within domestic lines - in contrast to the notion that domestic animals are highly inbred relative to their wild ancestors. In fact, most of the SNPs originated before domestication, and there is little evidence of selective sweeps for adaptive alleles on length scales greater than 100 kilobases

The Geological Record and Phylogeny of Spider Wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae): A Revision of Fossil Species and Their Phylogenetic Placement

Accurate fossil identification has become increasingly relevant with the widespread use of phylogenetic divergence time estimation methods, which rely on fossil data to determine clade hard-minimum ages. Here we revise, diagnose and illustrate known spider wasp (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) fossil species and place them within the latest Pompilidae phylogenetic hypothesis. Ceropalites infelix Cockerell, from the Florissant Fossil Beds (Priabonian), is no longer recognized as Pompilidae, but as Aulacidae. Agenioideus saxigenus (Cockerell) comb. nov., Deuteragenia wettweri (Statz) comb. nov., Caputelus scudderi (Cockerell, 1906) comb. nov., Pepsinites avitula (Cockerell, 1941) comb. nov., Pepsinites contentus (Theobald, 1937) comb. nov., Pepsinites florissantensis (Cockerell, 1906) comb. nov., Pepsinites laminarum (Rohwer, 1909) comb. nov., Pepsinites scelerosus (Meunier, 1919) comb. nov., Pepsinites cockerellae(Rohwer, 1909) comb. nov., Pompilinites coquandi (Theobald, 1937) comb. nov., Pompilinites depressus (Statz, 1936) comb. nov., Pompilites incertus (Theobald, 1937) comb. nov.,Pompilites induratus (Heer, 1849) comb. nov., Pompilites fasciatus (Theobald, 1937) comb. nov., and Pompilites senex comb. nov. are new combinations. Twenty-three fossil species of spider wasps are now recognized in 13 genera. Four new genera are proposed: CaputelusWaichert & Pitts gen. nov., Pompilites Rodriguez gen. nov., Pompilinites Rodriguez & Waichert gen. nov., and Pepsinites Rodriguez & Waichert gen. nov., of which the three latter are collective-group names for fossils with taxonomic uncertainty. One species of fossil spider wasp is described: Deuteragenia catalunyia Rodriguez, Waichert & Pitts sp. nov., from the Bellver deposits in Catalonia, Spain. Five of the 23 known species can be used to determine hard-minimum age for calibrations of genera stem-groups (Agenioideus, Anoplius, Cryptocheilus, Deuteragenia, Priocnemis). The fossil belonging to the stem-group of the tribe Ageniellini (Chubutholites) is not recommended for calibration because of the high uncertainty in its age and taxonomy. The remaining taxa can be assigned to the lineage comprising Pompilinae + Pepsinae (12 species) or crown-group Pompilidae (four species)

Project Frozo: A Solution to the Cold-Chain Problem

Project Frozo has designed an ultra-low temperature portable freezer capable of storing 500 COVID-19 vaccine vials for global distribution. The device does not require external power, and utilizes a combination of vacuum insulation panels, aerogel, and phase change material to maintain a storage volume temperature of -70°C for over 10 days. This duration of time was determined by running a one-dimensional transient heat transfer simulation with a constant ambient temperature of 48.89°C (120°F). Construction of a prototype is underway which will be used to perform physical testing and validate the simulation results. The design will enable cost effective distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine on a global scale. The design follows guidelines set by The Setty Family Foundation: 2022 Applied Engineering Challenge as well as the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards. Vaccine storage requirements were determined using public information provided by Pfizer. Project Frozo’s design will function as the final storage system for vaccines prior to doses being administered to recipients

More New Records of Spider Wasps from Colombia (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae)

Aporinellus Banks, Austrochares Banks and Dicranoplius Haupt are new generic records for Colombia, as well as the species Dipogon ariel Banks, Evagetes peruana Banks, and Euplaniceps notabilis (Smith). Five new combinations are formally endorsed: Aimatocare argentinica (Banks), comb. n.;Aimatocare longula (Banks), comb. n.; Aimatocare imitator (Evans), comb. n.; Aimatocare impensa (Evans), comb. n.; Aimato-care vitrea (Fox), comb. n. Although these names have been used in Pompilidae, no formal nomenclatural act had been proposed. The presence of Chirodamus paramicola Roig-Alsina, previously reported with uncertainty, is confirmed. Finally, a new combination for Euplaniceps notabilis (Smith), comb. n. is proposed based on molecular phylogenetics and morphological data.The Colombian fauna of Pompilidae sums up to 38 genera and approximately 150 species

Molecular phylogeny and systematics of spider wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae): Redefining subfamily boundaries and the origin of the family

Spider wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) constitute a monophyletic family supported by numerous morphological and behavioural traits. The subfamilial and tribal classifications, however, have a history of conflicting and confusing designations and nomenclature. Here, we reconstruct a molecular phylogeny of Pompilidae from Bayesian and maximum-likelihood analyses of four nuclear molecular markers (elongation factor-1 ë± F2 copy, long-wavelength rhodopsin, RNA polymerase II, and 28S ribosomal RNA). A Bayesian divergence-time estimation analysis was performed using four calibration points and an ancestral-area reconstruction was performed with a Bayesian binary Markov chain Monte Carlo method. New relationships are recovered, and new subfamilial delimitations are proposed and discussed based on the phylogeny. The origin of Pompilidae was c.43.3 Mya, probably in the Nearctic region. Most of the extant subfamilies originated from the late Eocene to the Oligocene, and their current distributions are the product of various dispersal events that occurred over the course of ‰ö_40 Mya. This is the first phylogenetic reconstruction of Pompilidae from molecular characters, with broad geographical and taxonomic sampling. The following subfamilies and relationships are recognized: Ctenocerinae+((Ceropalinae+Notocyphinae)+(Pompilinae+Pepsinae)). We revalidate Notocyphinae, which contains only Notocyphus, and define a new tribe in Pompilinae: Sericopompilini. Priochilini is reinstated. Sericopompilini contains Sericopompilus as the sole representative; Priochilini contains Priochilus and Balboana. Epipompilus and Chirodamus are now classified as Pepsinae. å© 2015 The Linnean Society of London

Religious vs. Secular Communities: Sources of Social Support for Emerging Adult Black Gay and Bisexual Men

This research investigates factors that contribute to emerging adult black gay and bisexual men’s sources of social support. Participants were 20 Black, gay/bisexual men between 18-25 years old (Mage = 22.8, SD = 1.7). Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews and utilized grounded theory to determine intersectionality between participants’ religious upbringing as well as their racial, spiritual, sexual, and HIV identities. Participants who self-identified as bisexual continued to seek social support within churches despite having endured repeated exposure to negative religious rhetoric pertaining to same-sex behavior in religious settings. Participants who self-identified as queer did not seek social support within churches. While a majority of participants who self-identified as gay did not seek social support from churches, gay participants who did seek social support from churches were also HIV positive. A majority of participants indicated having to seek social support from communities that did not encompass all of their identities (racial, sexual, religious/spiritual, HIV) and expressed feelings of not belonging or being fully accepted by those communities as a result. Data from this research indicates a need for further research examining Black men’s sexual and religious identity self-labeling tendencies as well as HIV status as predictors of likelihood to seek social support in religious communities, specifically, black churches. A greater understanding of the factors that contribute to emerging adult, Black, gay/bisexual men’s selection of communities for social support may benefit community organizers in the development of groups that could act as sources of resiliency, especially for individuals who are living with HIV

External vs. Innate: Sources of Resiliency Among Emerging Adults, Black Gay and Bisexual Men

The purpose of this research was to examine the main sources and origins of resiliency that are present among Black gay and bisexual men. Resiliency refers to one’s response to adversity and ability to positively adapt to difficult situations. Twenty participants ranging in age between 18-25 years old (M = 22.8 years, SD = 1.7 years) participated in a semi-structured interview. Participants indicated varying sources of resiliency, which they utilize to encounter hardships. Innate sources (i.e., I was born this way) and external sources (i.e., music, my grandmother’s spirit) were conveyed by participants as mechanisms to overcome adversity. The current findings seek to increase social understanding of the means through which these emerging adults overcome adversity, in effort to decrease social marginalization, stigmatization, and discrimination

Reduced Order vs. Discretized Lumped System Models with Absolute and Relative States for Continuum Manipulators

A reliable, accurate, and yet simple dynamic model is important to analyze, design and control continuum manipulators. Such models should be fast, as simple as possible anduser-friendly to be widely accepted by the ever-growing robotics research community. In this study, we introduce two new modeling methods for continuum manipulators: a general reducedorder model (ROM) and a discretized model with absolute states and Euler-Bernoulli beam segments (EBA). Additionally, a newformulation is presented for a recently introduced discretized model based on Euler-Bernoulli beam segments and relative states (EBR). The models are validated in comparison to experimental results for dynamics of a STIFF-FLOP continuum appendage. Our comparison shows higher simulation accuracy (8-14% normalized error) and numerical robustness of the ROM model for a system with small number of states, and computational efficiency of the EBA model with near real-time performances that makes it suitable for large systems. Thechallenges with designing control and observation scenarios are briefly discussed in the end