Life Sciences Commons^™

The Transesterification Of Hickory Nuts Into Biodiesel Fuel, Hannah Trauger, Madilynn Dewell, Jahida A. Mendoza

Undergraduate Research Conference

• Biodiesel fuels can be produced from a fat and an alcohol via transesterification

• Hickory nuts have a high fat content (~60 % by weight)

• Can nuts from shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) be used to produce a biodiesel fuel using existing acidcatalyzed transesterification methods?

Longitudinal Study Of Lanana Creek, Bayler Barnes, Jackson T. Ortiz, Trace Washburn

Undergraduate Research Conference

A longitudinal study was done to collect data on the various conditions of LananaCreek in Nacogdoches, Texas over a seven week span from September 14 to November 2, 2018. The part of the creek studies is a 3.5 mile stretch from East Austin Street to Hoya Soccer Complex, mostly located on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University. There were 6 different testing sites selected along this expanse. Collection of samples was performed by the General Chemistry I Honors class as part of the laboratory experience. Once collected, the samples were transported back to the lab for testing. The …

Chemophobia And The Relation To Names, Justin Crow

Undergraduate Research Conference

Chemophobia is a recently identified cultural phenomena where people are afraid of chemicals in their lives, whether "chemicals" are in their food, their medicines, vaccinations, and other products. An increasing amount of people have a concern about the risk associated with chemicals in their everyday life. Chemistry professionals find this a bit strange as Chemistry states that all matter is made up of chemicals. Chemistry has many systems of naming and understanding chemicals which can exclude people from understanding the risk or lack thereof attributed to materials that are common in daily life. This effect could be accentuated by educational …

Impact Of Heart Rate Intensity On Shooting Accuracy During Games In Ncaa Division I Women Basketball Players, James Hutson, Courtney Elliott, Casey Pederson

Undergraduate Research Conference

Shooting accuracy in basketball is key to winning games. While there are various factors as to why a team either makes or misses their shots, the intensity of play is likely a contributing factor. A player who has played the majority of the game would likely have a higher, more intense heart rate (HR). Depending on the athlete, this could impact shooting accuracy. Examining the relationship between HR intensity and shooting accuracy has not been looked at in a real game setting before. Therefore, we set out to determine the impact heart rate intensity has on shooting accuracy in a …

Extraction And Quantification Of Hydrolyzable Tannins In Acorns From Different Species Of Oak Trees (Quercus Spp.), Sarah Browning, Marshall E. Woodruff

Undergraduate Research Conference

Do white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) prefer to eat certain types of acorns based on tannin content?

Hydrolyzable tannins consist of gallate groups connected via ester linkages to a carbohydrate (D-glucose)

The Prussian Blue method was used to determine hydrolyzable tannin content

The Relationship Between Objective And Subjective Markers Of Training Stress In Ncaa Division I Women Basketball Players, Casey Pederson, Courtney Elliott, James Hutson

Undergraduate Research Conference

An athlete’s training stress score (TSS) is an objective marker of overall training volume and can be determined by tracking total time spent at specific heart rate (HR) zones. Additionally, an athlete’s power factor (PF) or explosive strength is an important marker of performance and can be measured objectively with power testing equipment. While these measures of training stress and performance are important, a coach with limited resources may not have access to the equipment or expertise to measure these variables. On a subjective level, perceived recovery status (PRS) prior to practice and the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during …

Food Insecurity Awareness, Acknowledgment, And Actions On A University Campus, Heather Adams

Undergraduate Research Conference

The purpose of this pilot study was to understand student awareness of food insecurities. Subjects for the study were students enrolled in a Foundations in Human Sciences course at a university located in East Texas (n=55). Students were asked to complete an online survey concerning knowledge of food insecurities, impacts of budgeting on food buying, previous personal food insecurity, skipped or had less nutritious meals due to the cost, and the food pantry on campus.

Comparison Of Heart Rate Intensity In Practice, Conditioning, And Games In Ncaa Division I Women Basketball Players, Courtney Elliott, Casey Pederson, James Hutson

Undergraduate Research Conference

Background: An athlete’s heart rate (HR) is an important variable in quantifying the intensity of exercise. Workouts that increase HR are an important stimulus for training adaptations and conditioning. At other times, workouts that do not overly stress the HR may be desired to allow for recovery. The principle of specificity emphasizes that athletes should train specific to the way they will need to perform in competition. Because of this, monitoring HR during training and competition can be a useful tool. While exercise intensity in endurance sports has been previously investigated, less is known regarding the HR response in team …