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Preserving Your Family Treasures
Get PDFStudents of the Museum Studies class in the Public History program Spring 2023 - Emma Dennis, Chloe Jamora, Isaac Lawson, Natalie Moore, and Makena Munger - researched proper care and preservation for common household materials and family treasures. Their research was presented on April 29th at a workshop they planned in conjunction with Dr. Lisa Speer, the professor of the course. On Scholars day they presented a preview of the workshop. This is that preview
Monitoring the Leaching of Bisphenol-A From Feminine Hygiene Products Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy
Get PDFBisphenol-A (BPA) is a compound commonly used as a stabilizer in plastic products, including food storage containers and thermal paper receipts. Because BPA can bind to and activate estrogen receptors, it is linked to reduced fertility, altered development, and hormone-related cancers. A recent study at NYU Medical School confirmed the presence of BPA in pantyliners, pads, tampons, feminine washes and deodorants. This is concerning due to the high absorption capacity of the vulvar skin.
For the research performed in our lab this summer, the goal was to determine if fluorescence spectrophotometry could be used to determine the presence of BPA in feminine hygiene products by monitoring the release of BPA over time into a solution of 50% methanol/water. Fluorescence is a sensitive, selective and affordable method of analysis, and BPA is a fluorescent compound that absorbs energy at 278 nm and emits at 304 nm. First, a calibration curve was obtained and analytical figures of merit were determined: linear range, limit of detection and limit of quantitation. Due to the complex sample matrix and the small concentrations of BPA in these products, the standard addition method was employed for analysis. Pantyliners, tampons and tampon applicators were tested for the presence of BPA.
The top/outside layer of the feminine hygiene product which comes into direct contact with skin was removed and cut into small pieces. In the case of tampon applicators, the entire applicator was utilized. Samples were then placed into beakers containing 100 mL of 50% methanol/water solution, one per time point to be tested from 0 minutes to 6 hours. At each time point, aliquots of sample solution were removed and transferred to 25-mL volumetric flasks containing various concentrations of BPA stock solution and diluted to 25-mL with 1:1 methanol/water solution. Fluorescence emission intensities at 304 nm were obtained in quadruplicate, and standard addition graphs were utilized to determine the concentration of BPA that had leached from the sample at each time point. Graphs were prepared using these values to produce a visual representation of BPA leaching from the sample over time.
The results showed that both the generic and name-brand pantyliner and tampon samples leached BPA while the luxury brand’s products did not. For both the generic and name-brand samples, the tampon applicator released more BPA into solution over time than the absorbent component. Of the generic brand’s three products, the pantyliners leached the most BPA into solution. For the name-brand’s three products, the tampon applicators leached the most BPA into solution
Ouachita finance students earn national award for management of Ary Student Investment Fund
Get PDFA team of finance students from Ouachita Baptist University placed second at the annual Quinnipiac Global Asset Management Education Forum held March 30-31 in New York City. Ouachita was awarded second place in the undergraduate core portfolio category for 2022 risk-adjusted return on the group’s management of the Ary Student Investment Fund, a $2 million stock portfolio
Blum wins first place in Student Juried Art Show at Ouachita
Get PDFOuachita Baptist University sophomore Tori Blum, a studio art major from McKinney, Texas, earned first place in the university’s 2023 Student Juried Art Show. Winners were announced during a reception held on April 26 in Mabee Fine Arts Center’s Hammons Art Gallery to open the show. Sponsored by the Ouachita Art Club, the exhibit features the work of 15 students – including Blum – and will be on display in Hammons Gallery through Oct. 6. It is free and open to the public.
Blum created a ceramics piece titled “Balance” for her Ceramics I course in Fall 2022 and entered it in the show. Elements such as design and color scheme were incorporated to illustrate the meaning behind “Balance,” which holds personal significance for Blum
Caddo Nation Chemistry: Art, Commerce, Pottery, and Tools
Get PDFThe Caddo Nation grew out of the Mississippian culture, the mound builders found throughout what is now the American Southeast and into the Midwest. By 2000 BC, the Caddo or their progenitors had moved up the Mississippi River tributaries as moisture drew them westward. They stopped short of the Great Plains and remained in forested areas. They were primarily hunter-gatherers until 500 BC when Mesoamerican horticultural practices allowed them to establish permanent villages. They raised corn, beans, squash, pumpkins, watermelons, sunflowers, and tobacco. They gathered nuts, berries, roots, and seeds. They continued to fish and hunt deer, bear buffalo, and small animals. This paper gives an overview of Caddo Nation practices prior to contact with Europeans with an emphasis on chemical technologies