10368 research outputs found
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Chock\u27en the Clog\u27en
No full textOur project is designed around the problem of hoses and wires becoming clogged beneath tires. We have begun to tackle this problem by designing and developing a tire chock, which not only keeps a vehicle stationary but prevents any sort of hose or wire from becoming stuck beneath any tire
Time Management among Student Athletes Practice Time
No full textRecently, there has been a rise of student-athletes competing in high school and club athletics, and struggling to balance all of their daily tasks. This leaves their schoolwork behind as they become centered around performing for their sports team, specifically for this project, soccer. Previous research has addressed sports and time management skills in high schools however no prior research has been conducted that identifies the impacts of different times of practice throughout the day. This begs the research question, “To what extent does a student athlete\u27s club soccer practice time correlate to their time management skills? Throughout this experiment, researchers will go to two differing practice times, starting at 5:45 pm and 7:15 pm, all held at South Carolina United FC complexes, and take note of which teams practice consistently throughout the week at a certain time slot. A survey will be extended to multiple aged teams, all females and at the ECNL or ECRL levels, which will ask more specifically regarding time management skills and how student-athletes themselves feel they manage their workload and how heavy practice time affects it. From there an interview will be conducted among 3-5 randomized players throughout the club. This will all be structured with the intent of identifying which practice time aids athletes in balancing their academics alongside their sporting events
Teaching Approaches and Student Participation
No full textThis research examines differences in teaching approaches throughout a high school in the Midlands of South Carolina and their potential impacts on students’ willingness to participate in class. This research will investigate the two different perspectives in a high school classroom: the teacher and the student. Surveys were distributed to students at a local high school during various classes to ensure broad representation. Then, students and teachers were interviewed concerning their classroom experiences. Students identified the following major themes as leading them to participate less in class when teachers do the following: force unwilling students to participate, have negative body language, and do not understand mistakes. Teachers viewed the following as the most important factors in the classroom: building relationships and emotional safety, growth and learning beyond grades, engagement and fun in the learning process, and empathy and encouraging confidenc
Optimizing Terahertz Laser Systems for Enhanced Airport Security
No full textEnsuring passenger safety through effective airport security screenings is crucial. My research aims to optimize terahertz laser systems to improve the accuracy and efficiency of these screenings. To achieve this, I conducted experiments using cutout notepads to simulate dielectric mirrors and filters, measured with pulse lasers. This setup helped evaluate their capability in detecting different materials. Additionally, I simulated security screenings using mock-ups with metal parts to assess the practical application of these lasers. The findings revealed that while terahertz lasers are promising, their current resolution is inadequate, potentially leading to false alarms. To address this, continuous lasers were used to measure refractive indices, providing essential data for better material differentiation. By optimizing laser filtering with dielectric mirrors and refining continuous laser technology, this research aims to deliver faster, more reliable, and safer security solutions. These improvements can reduce wait times and enhance the overall travel experience for passengers. Furthermore, the advancements in terahertz laser technology have broader implications for security and medical imaging especially in cancer cell detection, contributing to public safety and health
The Effect of Pine Oil as a Substitute for Acetone In Nail Polish Remover
No full textDespite its prevalent usage in the nail industry, acetone, commonly used in nail polish remover, is a chemical that can be damaging to the human nail and surrounding skin. The purpose of this study was to discover a safer alternative to acetone in nail polish remover delivering the same level of efficacy. It was hypothesized that pine oil would function with similar efficacy as acetone in the removal of nail polish due to similar properties, such as volatility, antimicrobial and antifungal properties, and solvent capabilities. To test this hypothesis, pine oil was applied to 30 glass slides (0.5 mL each) containing dried nail polish, and was left to take effect for 4 minutes. Before the application of pine oil, the glass slide with dried nail polish was weighed using an analytical balance scale and subsequent to the experiment, the glass slides were weighed again to determine the mass (g) lost from 0.5 mL of pine oil. After leaving 4 minutes to dry, the glass slide was flipped and pressed down on a paper towel to imitate nail polish being wiped off. Using acetone as the control group, this procedure was repeated. The results of running a statistical z-test at an α=0.05, z(60) = 6.57, p = \u3c0.001, were determined to be statistically significant. Therefore, it was concluded that pine oil is not a viable substitute for acetone in nail polish
A Comparison of Organic Wood Finishes to Synthetic Wood Finishes on the Moisture Resistance of Untreated and Treated Lumber
No full textThe purpose of this study was to identify how effective natural wood finishes were at controlling moisture content to externally exposed wood compared to a standard epoxy sealer. It was hypothesized that due to the hydrophobic nature of the natural oils, that they would outperform the commonly used epoxy sealer, as this would repel water coming into contact with the wood. Identical pieces of wood were covered with tung oil, linseed oil, epoxy sealer, or no finish at all, and subsequently put halfway into the ground for 28 days after having their initial moisture content measured. After these 28 days had elapsed, they were removed from the ground and subsequently had their moisture content measured again. A two-way ANOVA followed by a post hoc Tukey test was run on the data in IBM SPSS Statistical Analysis, which showed that the tung oil, linseed oil, epoxy sealer, and untreated wood performed the best in descending order. These results were statistically significant as all had a p value \u3c0.02. It was then concluded that tung oil and linseed oil could be viable natural alternatives to epoxy sealers for outdoor construction utilizing wood
Novel Design of a Piezoelectric Energy Harvester Using Raindrop Impact
No full textPiezoelectric energy harvesting is a method of energy generation that has shown some amount of validity in recent years. Due to its versatility in terms of its traits and applications, piezoelectric energy harvesters are very diverse and can provide innovative opportunities to generate energy. One method is through the use of raindrops. It was hypothesized that an energy harvester using raindrops would be valid if it were to generate around 10 mVDC because it would then open up avenues for future research. A piezoelectric energy harvester that uses raindrops to generate power was created and put under simulated rain conditions and had its voltage measured in 5 minute intervals. The device generated this amount of voltage and is a valid proof of concept. Therefore, the creation of novel designs for generating energy from raindrops via a piezoelectric energy harvester may serve as a valid form of energy harvesting and open up possibilities for future research
The Combined Effects of Neem and Eucalyptus Oil on the Growth of Aspergillus niger
No full textAsthma is a chronic condition that affects an individual\u27s airways, leading to inflammation that diminishes oxygen intake. Asthma is a severe issue that fungi can exacerbate. The growth and development of fungi is problematic as it cause asthma due to the dampness in one’s home. Synthetic fungicides are used to combat fungi. However, the side effects produced can harm human health and the environment. Natural fungicides such as essential oils are equally effective or better than synthetic fungicides (Pezantes-Orellana et al. 2024). Studies have also shown that combined essential oils provide increased antifungal potential (Allizond et al., 2023). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the combined antifungal effects of two selected essential oils, neem and eucalyptus oil, on the growth of Aspergillus niger. It was hypothesized that combining neem and eucalyptus oil would have greater antifungal effects on black mold than using each oil separately. The fungi were revived and inoculated on a plate to grow. The spores were placed on a hemocytometer for quantification. The spores were collected and distributed across two well plates along with essential oils. This was repeated on petri dishes containing potato extract dextrose. A one-way ANOVA with a 0.05 alpha value confirmed the results and proved the hypothesis true with a large statistical significance, F(3,116) = 66214.58, p \u3c 0.001. The post-hoc Tukey test concluded that every group had a statistical difference except the combination versus eucalyptus groups, showing that the addition of both types of oils can inhibit fungal growth more
Comparing the Effect of Sugars and Sweeteners on Saccharomyces cerevisiae Growth
No full textYeast, a eukaryotic fungi, is often used in baking and cooking as a food additive. Yeast is primarily used to convert sugar into carbon dioxide and ethanol (alcohol) via fermentation. While the uses and function of yeast have been known for thousands of years, artificial sweeteners were not fully developed until the early 20th century. Artificial sweeteners, work as a sugar substitute for reasons such as lowering calorie count and for people with medical conditions such as diabetes. These substitutes differ significantly from sugars and how they affect yeast’s growth has little research surrounding it. The purpose of this study was to compare the growth of yeast in a maltose medium to the growth of yeast in the presence of artificial sweeteners, erythritol, and sucralose. Additionally, it was hypothesized that maltose would be the best medium for yeast growth. A 0.2 M solution of each medium was made and incubated with yeast for 24 hours, and the concentration of cells was measured using spectrophotometry. The data could not be gathered due to unforeseen circumstances and human error such as the yeast dying. The yeast dying made it impossible to gather specific statistics on the sample. However, based on visual approximation the maltose solution was the most efficient at allowing the yeast to grow
The Combined Effects of Hyaluronic Acid and Retinol on the Formation of Hypertrophic Scar Tissue in Wounds Modeled by Bacillus subtilis
No full textIn the past decade, there has been a high demand for safe, transparent, and ethically sourced ingredients in cosmetic products. However, about 30-40% of these products and their ingredients are not ethically sourced. Hyaluronic acid (HA) has gained attention for its skin benefits, particularly in healing damaged areas. Retinol, despite its long-standing popularity, is known to potentially irritate the skin. This study aimed to investigate how effectively HA inhibits hypertrophic and regular scarring in wounds using a model with B. subtilis. It is hypothesized that the higher the molar concentrations of HA and retinol, the increase in scar tissue growth, modeled by the zone of inhibition (ZOI) formed in the Petri dishes. Three solutions were prepared, including a control group with no chemical combination administered. 30 discs were soaked in each solution and placed in the center of each quadrant of 30 tryptic soy agar plates and incubated for 24 hours, forming zones of inhibition for most of the quadrants in the 30 plates, with the sizes of the zones of inhibition increasing consistently from the one molarity group to the three molarity group. The results indicated that HA and retinol are associated with worsening scarring. The increasing sizes of the ZOI, which showed a lack of bacterial growth, suggest a deficiency in cells needed for wound healing, leading to the conclusion that HA and retinol may hinder the healing process in wounds