Soap Wars: Antimicrobial vs. Regular Soap

Overview

Eighty percent of all infections are transmitted through touch, but we can avoid most of them by simply washing our hands the proper way. Antimicrobial resistance is a widespread issue growing more and more overtime. Many diseases evolve from antibiotic resistance and one common way it can occur is through the process of washing hands. The project will explore if antimicrobial soap is used, the greater the chance of promoting resistant bacteria. Overall, the experiment will dive into the effectiveness of an timicrobial soap on bacteria and how this will be an issue in the long run. The results of the experiment showed very to no little data due to insufficient incubation time (less than the recommended 24 –48 hours), bacterial growth was minimal, leading to inconclusive results. Consequently, the expected zones of inhibition could not be accurately measured. These limitations highlight the importance of proper experimental conditions in evaluating soap efficacy. Although the experiment did not yield definitive results, the study underscores the ongoing concern of antimicrobial resistance and the need for further research to distinguish the long-term impacts of antimicrobial versus regular soap on bacterial populations. The Effect of Red 40 in Our Body by Consumption: A Vicious Cycle for Our Generation Dayra Realzola Harmony Science Academy, El Paso, TX The purpose of this experiment is to analyze whether consuming chips, a popular snack eaten by many daily, can impact blood pressure. This is particularly important because these chips often contain Red 40, a food dye that has been linked to potential health issues. There have been reports of adolescents being hospitalized due to Red 40, which is thought to contribute to problems like high blood pressure and even cancer. The results of the experiment varied among the participants. For four of them, blood pressure actually decreased after consuming the chips. In a few others, there was no change at all. However, one participant experienced an increase in blood pressure after eating the chips. These findings suggest that Red 40, present in these popular snacks, may affect blood pressure differently for each individual. While some participants showed no harmful effects, the increase observed in one case highlights potential risks, especially for teenagers and adolescents. Further research is needed to understand the long-term effects and the specific role Red 40 may play in these outcomes. Preventing Shock Wave Induced Brain Injury Using Materials and Structures Anderson Stoker Albuquerque Institute of Math and Science, Albuquerque, NM This research is focused on determining which of multiple common and accessible shock absorbing materials and structures is the most effective at mitigating the force of a shock wave, materials like Sorbothane, polyurethane, silicone, Neoprene, and Neopren e foam. It was hypothesized that Sorbothane would be the most effective. Two common materials used in current military gear, carbon fiber and steel, were tested along with the shock absorbing materials. The shock wave required for this experiment was generated using a vacuum cannon, which uses vacuum pressure to accelerate lightweight projectiles. This device was able to reach speeds of mach 1.2 consistently. The data was measured using the force detected by the piezo microphone behind the sample material compared to the force detected by the piezo microphone in the open. The results show that steel is the most effective shock mitigating material. Sorbothane is the second most effective material. When taking mass into account, Neoprene foam mitigated the largest amount of a shock wave per gram by a very large amount at blocking 32.1% of the shock wave per gram. Polyurethane was the second most effective material by mass at 4.9% per gram. As a secondary piece of this experiment, several 3D printed polyurethane structures were also tested using the same methods. Of these structures, straight ridges, curved ridges, and fins, the fins were the most effective by mass, blocking 7.7% per gram, being more effective than the solid polyurethane.