10368 research outputs found
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50 Years of Gratitude
No full textFurman\u27s Purple & White Golf League turns 50 with members who include presidents, football coaches and anyone willing to play twice a week
First Furman, Then Fame
No full textSinger-songwriter Jesse Rice \u2701 launched his award-winning career with the help of Furman\u27s vast alumni base
Slavery as the Ultimate Hell: Jesmyn Ward\u27s Incorporation of Dante\u27s Inferno in Let Us Descend
No full textAutonomous and Adjustable Variable Descent Parachute System for Competition Rockets
No full textIn rocketry competitions like the American Rocketry Challenge (ARC), unpredictable parachute descents due to environmental factors often affect performance. No team has achieved a perfect score in ARC\u27s duration challenge, mainly because of inconsistent parachute behavior. This project introduces an autonomous parachute system that adjusts descent rates by changing parachute size based on real-time data like wind and air pressure. The system uses a movable reefing ring, chosen for its simplicity and reliability over more complex solutions. Through testing and expert feedback, the design was refined to ensure optimal performance. By automatically adjusting to environmental conditions, this system provides a lightweight and cost-effective solution, helping teams achieve more consistent and controlled descents, ultimately improving their chances of success in competitions
Nutraceuticals: Honesty is the Best Pill-acy
No full textThis study aimed to determine if the iron content stated on a Nature’s Made 65mg Iron Supplement label was misleading, as hypothesized. Five precipitate tests on five individual pills were performed to ascertain this information. The resulting precipitate confirmed the presence of iron in the supplement. After the presence of iron was confirmed, dimensional analysis was utilized to determine the exact amount of iron, in milligrams, each pill contained. Results indicate that the actual iron values in the supplement pills are higher than what the label claims. This confirms that the label of the Nature’s Made 65mg Iron Supplement is misleading to consumers. To ensure result accuracy, additional trials will be run on the supplement. Moving forward, further studies will be conducted on other iron supplements such as Spring Valley and Equate
On Reducing Stress in Classrooms: Peripheral Vision Blocking Glasses
No full textLevels of anxiety and other conditions that lead to negative sensory processing disorders are on the rise in high school and college age teeangers. This study will focus on creating peripheral vision blocking glasses that are socially acceptable in appearance and block enough vision to eliminate peripheral distractions. To make the glasses appear more inconspicuous, glass tinting and thicker plastic will be used on regular blue light blocking glasses. To aid in a classroom setting only the peripheral vision will be blocked, allowing for a full range of central vision. These glasses will then be tested on students in a classroom environment with peripheral distractors in place and a heart rate and respiratory monitor to estimate stress levels. Prototypes will be analyzed based on what fraction of peripheral vision blocked is most effective in reducing stress. It is hypothesized that there will be a certain acceptability of peripheral vision blocked, meaning that glasses that block out much but not all of the peripheral vision will be most effective in reducing stress. Blocking peripheral vision in a classroom setting, particularly for students with negative sensory processing disorders, could help reduce stress. Glasses that block vision could decrease anxiety in high school and college age adolescents, possibly increasing test scores
Using bioinformatics to probe gut microbial taxonomic data.
No full textThis research project investigates a subset (n = 17) of publicly available human gut microbiota metagenomes from the American Gut Project to explore the prevalence of gut bacterial taxa associated with neurological dysfunction. Specifically, the sample metadata category of body mass index (BMI) is examined to determine if gut microbiota associated with neurological dysfunction exhibit differentially partitioned abundance patterns among BMI categories. A bioinformatic pipeline was used to analyze the metagenomic sequence data and to generate comprehensive taxonomic profiles examining both within-sample alpha diversity and between-sample beta diversity. This pipeline begins with data filtering using DADA2 for Illumina amplicon detection and correlation, then analyzing sample composition through PERMANOVA in relation to categorical metadata, and ultimately assessing beta diversity to determine statistical separation between gut microbiota communities of high versus normal BMI individuals. Although a statistical difference was not found between samples of normal and high BMI individuals, but certain bacterial taxa are found in greater abundance within the different BMI categories, meriting further study
Unveiling Chlorophyll Dynamics: Comparing Swiss Chard Grown Hydroponically Under Different Photoperiods
No full textThis is a study on chlorophyll content variation in Swiss chard, Beta vulgaris L. var. cicla, grown hydroponically, as affected by different light exposure. Hydroponics, growing plants in a nutrient-rich solution rather than soil, is one form of CEA that allows for careful tuning of factors like light. Our research focused on three different photoperiods-10, 14, and 18 hours per day-to determine their effects on chlorophyll production and overall plant health. Chlorophyll content, which indicates photosynthetic efficiency and plant health, was measured using an Apogee MC-100 Chlorophyll Meter. Preliminary results showed that, in general, increased light exposure increases chlorophyll levels, thus increasing plant vitality and possibly nutritional value. Very long exposure, however, such as 18 hours, showed diminished returns with some evidence of plant stress. This emphasizes the need for balance in optimizing photoperiods in hydroponic systems. Color variations were also observed in the chard, which is related to light intensity and pigment production, offering further insights into plant physiology under controlled conditions. These findings have implications for sustainable agriculture, especially in urban or resource-limited settings. By optimizing light conditions, this research contributes to the broader goal of improving food security with reduced environmental impact. Future work will explore additional factors, such as nutrient concentration and pH levels, to further refine growth conditions for yield and quality maximization in hydroponic systems
The effect of macadamia nut oil on the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
No full textThe growing interest in natural, bio-based materials has led to the exploration of their potential in various applications, including microbial growth promotion. This study investigates the effects of macadamia nut oil, with its fatty acids and antioxidant properties, on the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model organism for gut health. The hypothesis was that macadamia nut oil would enhance yeast growth due to its beneficial components. To test this, solutions of macadamia nut oil were prepared by diluting the oil in a 10% ethanol solution, and yeast growth was measured using a spectrophotometer after 24 hours. The results indicated that yeast growth was significantly increased with the addition of 50 mL and 100 mL concentrations of macadamia nut oil, though the growth was inconsistent across trials, especially with the higher concentration. The results suggest that macadamia nut oil may support yeast growth, since with more macadamia nut oil added to the solution, the more absorbance occurred meaning that the yeast grew. The control group had the lowest mean absorbance (0.2292). Group 1 had the largest mean absorbance (1.0239) and Group 2 had a lower mean absorbance than Group 1 (0.6711). Statistical analysis confirmed that there were significant differences between each group (p \u3c 0.001). This research could contribute to the development of macadamia nut oil-based treatments for gut health, particularly in promoting beneficial microbiota growth