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The Influence of Body Mass Index on Ready-To-Wear Clothing Preferences of Young African-American Female Consumers
Full text linkAlthough consumers’ body shapes are various, the sizes of bust, waist, and hips of ready-to-wear (RTW) are fairly standardized in the apparel manufactures’ sizing charts, leading to clothing fit issues for many consumers. Body Mass Index (BMI) is an important factor that has an impact on body image perception, but there is little research on the influence of the obesity prevalence on RTW clothing preferences. The purposes of this study are to examine the correlation between African-American women’s obesity prevalence represented by BMI and RTW clothing preferences such as store preference and clothing benefit sought as well as clothing fitting issue. This study finds that bust, waist, and thigh girths of the responders relatively misfit RTW clothing no matter which BMI group they belong to. Most responders reported that hip and abdomen girths are relatively good fit areas. Especially, the obese category (BMI of 30.00 or higher) respondents reported that they felt their clothing tight around most of the body parts, whereas they felt it comfortable or even loose around the waist. The obese respondents look for camouflage benefits from RTW clothing using it as a camouflage tool to hide their body shapes
Multifunctional composite with hybrid carbon fiber and carbonaceous coconut particle reinforcement
Full text linkThe utilization of multifunctional composite materials presents significant advantages in terms of system efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and miniaturization, making them highly valuable for a wide range of industrial applications. One approach to harness the multifunctionality of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) is to integrate it with a secondary material to form a hybrid composite. In our previous research, we explored the use of carbonaceous material derived from coconut shells as a sustainable alternative to inorganic fillers, aiming to enhance the out-of-plane mechanical performance of CFRP. In this study, our focus is to investigate the influence of carbonized coconut shell particles on the non-structural properties of CFRP, specifically electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, thermal stability, and water absorption resistance. The carbonized material was prepared by thermal processing at 400 °C. Varying proportions of carbonized material, ranging from 1% to 5% by weight, were thoroughly mixed with epoxy resin to form the matrix used for impregnating woven carbon fabric with a volume fraction of 29%. Through measurements of scattering parameters, we found that the hybrid composites with particle loadings up to 3% exhibited EMI shielding effectiveness suitable for industrial applications. Also, incorporating low concentrations of carbonized particle to CFRP enhances the thermal stability of hybrid CFRP composites. However, the inclusion of carbonized particle to CFRP has a complex effect on the glass transition temperature. Even so, the hybrid composite with 2% particle loading exhibits the highest glass transition temperature and lowest damping factor among the tested variations. Furthermore, when subjected to a 7-day water immersion test, hybrid composites with 3% or less amount of carbonized particle showed the least water absorption. The favorable outcome can be attributed to good interfacial bonding at the matrix/fiber interface. Conversely, at higher particle concentrations, aggregation of particles and formation of interfacial and internal pores was observed, ultimately resulting in deteriorated measured properties. The improved non-structural functionalities observed in these biocomposites suggest the potential for a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative to their inorganic-based counterparts. This advancement in multifunctional composites could pave the way for enhanced applications of biocomposites in various industries
Using Cyanobacteria and Other Phytoplankton to Assess Trophic Conditions: A qPCR-Based, Multi-Year Study in Twelve Large Rivers across the United States
Full text linkPhytoplankton is the essential primary producer in fresh surface water ecosystems. However, excessive phytoplankton growth due to eutrophication significantly threatens ecologic, economic, and public health. Therefore, phytoplankton identification and quantification are essential to understanding the productivity and health of freshwater ecosystems, as well as the impacts of phytoplankton overgrowth (such as cyanobacterial blooms) on public health. Microscopy is the gold standard for phytoplankton assessment but is time-consuming, has low throughput, and requires rich experience in phytoplankton morphology. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is accurate and straightforward with high throughput. In addition, qPCR does not require expertise in phytoplankton morphology. Therefore, qPCR can be a useful alternative tool for molecular identification and enumeration of phytoplankton. Nonetheless, a comprehensive study is missing which evaluates and compares the feasibility of using qPCR and microscopy to assess phytoplankton in freshwater. This study focused on 1) comparing the performance of qPCR and microscopy in identifying and quantifying phytoplankton and 2) evaluating qPCR as a molecular tool to assess phytoplankton and indicate eutrophication. We assessed phytoplankton using both qPCR and microscopy in twelve large, freshwater rivers across the United States from early summer to late fall in 2017, 2018, and 2019. qPCR- and microscope-based phytoplankton abundance had a significant positive linear correlation (adjusted R 2 = 0.836, p-value \u3c 0.001). Phytoplankton abundance had limited temporal variation within each sampling season and over the three years studied. The sampling sites in the midcontinent rivers had higher phytoplankton abundance than those in the eastern and western rivers. For instance, the concentration (geometric mean) of Bacillariophyta, Cyanobacteria, Chlorophyta, and Dinoflagellates at the sampling sites in the midcontinent rivers was approximately three times that at the sampling sites in the western rivers and approximately 18 times that at the sampling sites in the eastern rivers. Welch’s analysis of variance indicated that phytoplankton abundance at the sampling sites in the midcontinent rivers was significantly higher than that at the sampling sites in the eastern rivers (p-value = 0.013) but was comparable to that at the sampling sites in the western rivers (p-value = 0.095). The higher phytoplankton abundance at the sampling sites in the midcontinent rivers was presumably because these rivers were more eutrophic. Indeed, low phytoplankton abundance occurred in oligotrophic or low trophic sites, whereas more eutrophic sites had greater phytoplankton abundance. This study demonstrated that qPCR-based phytoplankton abundance can be a useful numerical indicator of the trophic conditions and water quality in freshwater rivers
Trees on the bluff
No full textFrom the photograph collection of Christopher Russell.https://digitalcommons.subr.edu/bob_images/1008/thumbnail.jp
Machine Learning for Low Signal-to-Noise Ratio Detection
Full text linkSensor networks collect data that is often contaminated by noise. Therefore, it is often necessary to analyze sensor data to determine if a signal is present. This research project utilizes a machine learning algorithm that is able to detect a signal in the presence of noise. The algorithm incorporates the long short-term memory (LSTM) method to determine the presence or absence of a signal in the midst of white Gaussian noise. This machine learning approach was tested with computer generated data and has an accuracy of at least 98% for signal-to-noise levels greater than -12 dB. Furthermore, this algorithm can detect signals at least 65% accurately for signal-to-noise levels greater than approximately -26 dB. Moreover, the presence of an anomaly in the data doesn’t have a substantial impact on the detection accuracy. As a result, this detection method is very robust and has applications in surveillance and remote sensing
Southern University\u27s library is home to a rare portrait of Frederick Douglass and his daughter
No full textA portrait of Frederick Douglass and his youngest child, Annie, hangs in the John B. Cade Library at Southern University. The library is the only place where this print can be found. Douglass never smiled in his photographs, yet he smiles in this one. Featured Dr. Dawn Kight, Dean of Libraries, Mr. Eddie Hughes, Head of Special Collections, and Ms. Angela Proctor, Head Archivist and Digital Librarian
Beauty on the Bluff: Train
No full textThe Beauty on the Bluff Collection was photographed by Mr. Christopher Russell.https://digitalcommons.subr.edu/bob_images/1011/thumbnail.jp
Beauty on the Bluff: The Mississippi River
No full textPhotographs are from the Christopher Russell Collection.https://digitalcommons.subr.edu/bob_images/1017/thumbnail.jp
Trees on the bluff #2
No full textFrom the Christopher Russell photograph collection.https://digitalcommons.subr.edu/bob_images/1010/thumbnail.jp
