The authors tested the impact of various additives on biopolymer degradation.
Read More...A comparison of starches and plasticizers for biopolymer synthesis and degradation
Mitigating microplastic exposure from water consumption in junior high students and teachers
Microplastics (MPs) are inorganic material that have been observed within items destined for human consumption, including water, and may pose a potential health hazard. Here we estimated the average amount of MPs junior high students and teachers consumed from different water sources and determined whether promoting awareness of microplastic (MP) exposure influenced choice of water source and potential MPs consumed.
Read More...Analysis of the catalytic efficiency of spent coffee grounds and titanium dioxide using UV-Vis spectroscopy
This paper looks at using spent coffee grounds as a partial substitute for titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a catalyst for chemical reactions. Using UV-Vis spectrophotometry, they found that adding the coffee grounds to TiO2 in a 3:1 ratio, there is still meaningful catalytic activity. This offers a cheaper solution than just using pure TiO2.
Read More...The effects of container materials on food microwave heat times
The authors analyzed the heat transfer of different containers in the microwave aiming to identify the most optimal material of container to reduce heating time.
Read More...Minimizing distortion with additive manufacturing parts using Machine Learning
This study explores how to predict and minimize distortion in 3D printed parts, particularly when using affordable PLA filament. The researchers developed a model using a gradient boosting regressor trained on 3D printing data, aiming to predict the necessary CAD dimensions to counteract print distortion.
Read More...Effects of polyethylene microplastics on the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana & Phaseolus vulgaris and their soil
In this study, the authors investigate whether microplastics affect terrestrial plant growth and soil quality.
Read More...Improper storage of sunscreen might decrease effectiveness
This study explored sunscreen storage temperature affects the efficacy of sunscreen to block UV light.
Read More...The optical possibilities of gelatin
Here the authors investigated the optical possibilities of gelatin and acrylic in regards to potential implementations at soft contact lenses. They fabricated lenses of different shapes and evaluated the refraction of laser light finding that gelatin needed to be thickened or increased in curvature to account for its lower refractive index compared to plastics, or used in a mixture to strengthen the lens.
Read More...A chemical and overwintering honey bee apiary field study comparing new and expired amitraz miticide
In this study, the authors test the longevity of a anti-mite compound, amitraz, in commercially-sold strips and the age-dependent efficacy of these strips in preventing honey bee colony collapse by ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor.
Read More...Validation of impact-absorbing football helmet facemask for head injury prevention with simulation
Head injuries are common in American football and the facemasks found on football helmets receive a lot of impact during contacts. This study investigates how effective they are at reducing concussion risk.
Read More...