ABSTRACTS
2019 National McNair Scholars Conference at UCLA
Researcher: Briana Borders
Presentation Title: Personalities within Colors
Research Focus: Colors can contribute to a person’s mood on an everyday basis.
School: Troy University
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
Viewing color physically and digitally depicts the variety of colors living within this world. Mixing colors both physically and digitally has opened my eyes to how wide the variety of colors that live within this world. The impact of color can be depicted through an individual’s reaction. Colors can contribute to a person’s mood on an everyday basis. Colors are like people each person is different both inside and out. Personalities/characteristics are something that each color acquires that can either add or take away. An individual’s feelings towards a color can be due to various experiences. While some colors can be seen, and others cannot. This series of colors with personalities focuses on one of the colors that played a part at the beginning of time and still, a factor in today’s world it is “Key” (black, negro, noir, and du).
Researcher: Rachid Bowles
Presentation Title: Alternating Current Electrospinning of PVA Nanofibers from Aqueous Solutions
Research Focus: Textiles
School: Troy University
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a polymer used in many applications and currently is one of very few synthetic polymers that can be spun from an aqueous precursor solution by using Alternating Current (AC) electrospinning. The goal of this study is to investigate the AC spinnabilty of PVA from its aqueous solutions with different concentrations and additives (e.g., salts). Its spinnability is dependent on three factors – viscosity, surface tension, and electrical conductivity. Several tests are being conducted to understand the effect of those parameters on the spinnablity of PVA. Also, the mechanical properties will be explored as they can be affected by the fiber diameter, morphology, and packing in the fibrous mat. Although the mechanical properties of fibrous PVA mats have been explored using DC electrospinning, which showed that tensile strength was higher when prepared from more concentrated solutions, it is hard to say if similar results are expected for AC spun PVA.
Researcher: Perez Reynolds
Presentation Title: Degenerate Athletes: Early Sports Specialization
Research Focus: Health
School: Troy University
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
Early Sport Specialization is a structured system which involves intensive training throughout eight months of a year for one specific sport with the neglect of other sports. It is a popular phenomenon in the United States that targets adolescent athletes. Furthermore, this subject
is continually receiving attention from both the sport and medical world. The goal is for the athlete to polish their skills to enhance their performance in their field of sports. Along with the benefits, however, there are also high risks that tie along with them. The idea that early sport specialization leads to elite success and performance remains unclear in United States. One of the predicaments to this matter is the high risk for injuries and the failure to prevent
them. In order to better understand injuries in specialized sports, a literature review and informal surveys will give insight into early specialization. The purpose of this study is to explore solutions to monitor the health of the players. In order to create safe and efficient methods to prevent injury and develop a sports system that can be trusted, more research must be conducted.