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Exploration of Property Design Space of a 3D-Printable Self-Healing Hydrogel
No full textThe development of self-healing elastomers for soft robotics is occurring at an increasingly rapid pace due to the need for resilient materials that are capable of repairing minor damage without human intervention. Compared to conventional rigid robots, soft robots leverage compliant elastomeric materials to enable safe interactions with humans and on-the-fly adaptability to different physical environments. Recently, the development of self-healing elastomers that are also 3D printable has paved the way for creating parts with complex geometries and fine features that could not be achieved with traditional polymer casting processes. Similar exciting developments have been unfolding in the field of stretchable electronics, an emerging area of research focused on creating soft, stretchable, and thin electronic circuits using elastomeric materials as a substrate. When embedded in a soft robot, sensors and stretchable circuitry enable soft robotic systems that can sense and react to their environments. In this work, we propose a new “electronic” material system that combines a 3D-printed self-healing elastomer substrate with stretchable circuitry to enable next-generation soft robots with embedded electronics (e.g., sensors, actuators, power sources, microcontrollers)
Seeking Shelter: Website Content About the Exhibit
No full textAfter they were turned away from the inn in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph sought shelter elsewhere. In Nativity sets, different traditions place Jesus’ birth in a stable, in a cave or among ruins. Artists depict local architecture, like an adobe or a yurt, and repurpose objects to stand in for the shelter, such as a coconut shell or a piece of pottery. Explore a variety of shelters in this year’s selection of Nativity sets from the Marian Library Crèche Collection
Planning for Large Carnivore Recovery and Expansion in Missouri’s Landscapes
No full textLarge mammalian carnivores play important roles within healthy ecosystems, but they have a history of population decline and local extinctions due to human influences. As conservation efforts to protect threatened species have encouraged population growth and expansion, some of these large carnivores have returned to their historic species ranges. While vital to ecosystem health, recovering carnivores, like bears and cougars, are bound to experience some conflict with humans, such as wildlife-vehicle collisions, damage to livestock, and threats to human safety, all of which present challenges for humans and carnivores alike. Therefore, understanding patterns of recolonization can inform efforts to minimize these potential conflicts. The aim of this project was to investigate these patterns of recovery and expansion in two large carnivores, the cougar (Puma concolor) and the American black bear (Ursus americanus), in Missouri. In the U.S., cougars exist mainly in the west, but recent sightings of these large cats in areas further east suggest that they may be expanding back into their previous species range. Therefore, this study aimed to predict potential cougar distribution in Missouri by utilizing locations of cougar reports along with relevant environmental variables to produce a MaxEnt species distribution model. I found that cougar occurrence was positively associated with terrain ruggedness and vegetation quality, and negatively associated with distance to natural cover, indicating that the preservation of natural spaces will be imperative in order for a cougar population to become established. Additionally, this model based on local environmental variables and cougar data predicted a larger range of core cougar habitat than that predicted by other studies, which are based on expert opinion and cougar data from western populations. This highlights the need for local data in large carnivore species distribution models due to the behavioral differences between established and dispersing individuals.Once widespread in the U.S., the American black bear experienced significant range contractions and population declines, and the population was nearly extirpated until a reintroduction in a neighboring state. Now black bears have expanded back into Missouri with a steadily growing population. However, this recovering population is subject to a lethal form of conflict with humans—bear-vehicle collisions—which appear to be increasing in number. Therefore, this study aimed to use data from radio-collared black bears in Missouri along with relevant environmental variables to produce two MaxEnt species distribution models: a black bear road-crossing model, and a black bear vehicle-collision model, in order to identify sections of road where bears are likely to cross and sections of road where bears are likely to experience collisions with vehicles. I found that bear road-crossings are more likely in areas with greater projected bear density and lower human density, but among all bear road-crossings, collisions were more likely in areas with relatively higher human density and lower bear density. By identifying areas of potential bear road-crossings and bear-vehicle collisions, this research serves as a necessary first step to mitigating such conflict
Leaving the Nest, the Freudian Way: A Psychoanalytic Look at Lady Bird
No full textThis thesis studies the psychological and emotional tensions embedded in the mother-daughter relationship in Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird through the framework of Sigmund Freud’s “The Family Romances.” By examining Lady Bird\u27s narrative arc, this study demonstrates how development and maturity can only be achieved by separating ourselves from the parental figures in our lives. It also shows how the protagonist’s desire for autonomy is linked to her turbulent relationship with her mother, who functions as both a mirror and an obstacle.. Through close textual and visual analysis, the paper argues that Lady Bird’s rejection of her given name, her fantasies of wealth and belonging, and her eventual geographical and emotional departure from her family home all constitute a Freudian process of individuation known as the “Family Romances”. It is only through this painful detachment that the protagonist begins to view her mother not as a limiting force, but as a complex individual. This understanding marks the emergence of a more integrated and autonomous self
The Paschal Event of Wonder: Pope Francis, Planetary Crisis, and the Capacity for Surprise
No full textIn the encyclical Laudato Si’, Pope Francis insists on the social and ecological exigency of wonder. Absent a sense of wonder, he claims, one’s relation to creation—to other human beings and the natural world—risks being reduced to a shallow and utilitarian instrumentality. Francis thus implicates a lack of wonder in our society’s “throwaway” culture—which sloughs off anything, people or plastics, that outlasts its usefulness—and the global environmental crisis. Wonder, on the other hand, fosters openness to the intrinsic depth and value of otherness, and it is vital to personal fulfillment. Francis’s claims for wonder align with the findings of contemporary affective researchers, philosophers, and religious studies scholars, among others, who have extolled wonder as ethically, epistemologically, and environmentally salutary. However, this recent interdisciplinary discourse also contains troubling hints of more problematic latencies in the passion: tendencies towards self-aggrandizement, manipulation by malign actors, quietistic withdrawal from reality, cognitive closure, antirational thinking, and possessiveness. This dissertation examines Pope Francis’s intellectual and spiritual biography to argue that his notion and practice of wonder avoid these pitfalls. Accordingly, I search his writings for heuristics that might open for us a pathway to a sounder wonder, one that is life-giving for both human beings and our common home. In Francis’s thought, wonder—“the capacity for surprise”—is a condition of possibility for encountering otherness, whether other people, the natural world, alien cultural traditions, or the divine. Highlighting his engagement with certain Latin American philosophers, from whom he derived the epistemological priority of the peripheries, I argue that this prominent theme of the Francis papacy—las periferias—is a deep source of his wonder. Venturing to the peripheries reveals surprising, more capacious, and more truthful perspectives than one could gain by remaining in spaces over which one exercises control (“the center”). Which is to say, truth is inherently surprising, a wonder decentering the self. Moving deeper into the pope’s biography, I find that his encounter with the thought of Gaston Fessard during his early formation in the Society of Jesus was particularly significant. Fessard’s interpretations of the Spiritual Exercises would become an originary source of Francis’s notions of both wonder and hope. From Fessard, Francis derived an active mysticism that, beginning in a wondrous encounter with the mercy of God, proceeds to seek transcendence by means of self-abandoning love and service in and on behalf of the world. At the same time, lacking any assurance of the empirical success of her worldly mission, the active mystic, or disciple, anchors her hope in the definitive surprise of Christ’s Resurrection, transforming apparent failure into cosmic triumph. The wonder of the Resurrection strengthens the disciple to unite her will with the often-surprising will of God, in the hope of participating here and now in the world’s eschatological transformation. The wonder that emerges from this study of Pope Francis possesses a Paschal character. Passing through a negative moment of dispossession and de-stabilization, the Paschal wonder of Pope Francis leads to an ever-greater openness of heart, receptivity to truth, and renewed life
Social-Emotional Learning as an Intervention Approach in a Junior High School
No full textMiddle school represents a crucial turning point in adolescent development. During these formative years, students face unprecedented social, emotional, and academic challenges that can significantly impact their educational outcomes and personal growth. This research explores how one junior high school implements social-emotional learning (SEL) and Restorative Practice (RP) to support students through this critical transition. The study specifically examines the perspectives of the school interventionists - including teachers and counselors - who work directly with these programs. Recent evidence suggests that traditional educational approaches alone may not adequately address the complex needs of adolescent students. Young teenagers increasingly struggle with peer pressure, identity formation, and behavioral challenges both in and outside the classroom. These challenges have prompted schools to seek more comprehensive solutions that extend beyond academic instruction. While many schools have adopted evidence-based interventions (EBIs) focusing on SEL, the success of these programs heavily depends on the educators implementing them. Research indicates that implementation quality, rather than program design, often determines whether these interventions succeed or fail. This finding underscores the importance of understanding how frontline educators experience and sustain these initiatives. This study centers on a single junior high school, examining how its staff creates and maintains a supportive learning environment through SEL and RP. By focusing on the direct experiences of educational professionals, this research aims to provide valuable insights into the practical implementation of social-emotional support systems in middle school settings. The findings from this study will contribute to our understanding of how schools can better support adolescent development while maintaining academic excellence. This knowledge is particularly relevant as educational institutions continue to adapt their approaches to meet the evolving needs of their most vulnerable students
Your Redemption Was Not Free, It Cost You Your Freedom: Impacts of African American Rehabilitation, Through a Holistic Approach Using Culturally Progressive Practices
No full textBlack youth in the United States are incarcerated at disproportionately high rates due to systemic inequities and biases within the justice system. Research highlights how these disparities lead to harsher outcomes for Black youth compared to their white counterparts, further perpetuated by the school-to-prison pipeline. Addressing this issue requires approaches that are both rehabilitative and culturally relevant. The Justice Center (pseudonym), founded over thirty years ago in New Orleans, was established to mentor at-risk youth and support families. Initially a street-level outreach program, it has evolved into a comprehensive intervention model under the leadership of the founder and his wife, who now serves as CEO. The organization’s curriculum focuses on decision-making skills, emotional resilience, and culturally progressive practices to help youth navigate life’s challenges. This approach has proven effective, with 82 percent of participating youth avoiding further involvement in the justice system. This research aims to identify the most impactful elements of The Justice Center\u27s curriculum and develop a framework for sharing these strategies with other organizations. Using qualitative methods, the study will gather insights to support the broader adoption of successful rehabilitation practices, ultimately contributing to reducing juvenile incarceration rates
Stay with Me! A Qualitative Study on the Retention of Young Adults in a Historically Black Non-Profit Organization
No full textThis dissertation explores the factors influencing the retention of Black women under 40 in a historically Black nonprofit organization. Using a qualitative approach, surveys were conducted with current members to identify the organizational, social, and personal dynamics that contribute to the organization’s continued motivation and engagement. The study examines themes such as inclusion, motivation, engagement, and background within the organization. Findings highlight sisterhood, internal values, dedication and the organization\u27s mission statement, offering insights into how historically Black nonprofits can better support and retain this critical demographic, fostering a more inclusive environment. This research aims to inform retention strategies that address both individual aspirations and organizational needs
Wild Love
No full textWild Love follows the life of world\u27s sexiest billionaire Ford Grant as his world changes overnight when a 12-year-old girl shows up at his door claiming to be his daughter. Ford suddenly has to adjust to being a single parent. His best friend\u27s sister, Rosie Belmont, who has just returned home after ending her relationship, steps in to help and finds that the old tension between her and Ford is still there. However, a love story develops in their small hometown as they reignite a childhood spark. This book is a childhood enemies-to-lovers dynamic with a small-town spicy romance.https://ecommons.udayton.edu/ul_popularromance/1119/thumbnail.jp