Digital Commons Network^™

Diabetic Foot Exam System, Stephanie Trusty

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The diabetic foot exam system aims to perform certain aspects of the dermatological and musculoskeletal assessments that are typical to a 3-minute diabetic foot exam. Utilizing the RaspberryPi computer and camera module, the system seeks to capture a series of images of the patient’s foot. It then evaluates these images for calluses, blisters, and three types of deformities: claw toe deformities, hammertoe deformities, and bunions. This evaluation is performed using a trained TensorFlow image classification model, which categorizes the image as a callus, blister, or deformity. The system was tested using six different images: four callus images, a hammertoe deformity …

Dignity Norfolk: How One Tidewater Group Enabled Gay And Lesbian Catholics To Form Long Lasting Friendships And Chosen Families, Chelsea Lembert

Undergraduate Research Symposium

In the past decade, research has been conducted to look into the history of the Queer Community of the Tidewater Region. Students and community volunteers have conducted interviews and gathered documents connected to the queer community to grow the study and breadth of available information for future researchers. However, more in-depth knowledge of community connections and familial ties within the queer community in the Tidewater Region was needed. Through research into Our Own Newspaper, local historical background information, and in-person interviews, I pieced together first-hand accounts of life through the eyes of a gay man or lesbian woman living in …

Wittgenstein And Hume On Miracles, Samuel Wheeler

Undergraduate Research Symposium

In this paper, I intend to contrast the positions of Ludwig Wittgenstein and David Hume on miracles. While Hume holds that miracles are violations of laws of nature which can never be probable, Wittgenstein would reject this definition. Instead, he takes a broader stance on miracles and holds that many events which are not transgressions of laws of nature can be seen as miraculous. And the point of this is to highlight the vastly different events we call miracles. Contra Hume, Wittgenstein thinks that even some of our greatest certainties can call up in us a sense of absolute wonder …

Caravaggio’S Faith And Good Works: A New Interpretation Of Saint Jerome Writing, And Its Implications About The Artist, Louis Berbert

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Over the past one-hundred years, much effort has been given to the analysis and interpretation of the many paintings produced by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio during his short lifetime. Unfortunately, many of the artist’s works have gone vastly understudied, such as his Saint Jerome Writing, completed in 1606. Several scholars have touched on the painting briefly over the years, such as Howard Hibbard, who suggests in his 1985 monograph, Caravaggio, that the piece touches on the transiency of life, as well as Sybille Ebert- Schifferer, who adds in her 2009 book, Caravaggio: The Artist and His Work, that …

Covid-19 Classroom Occupancy Detection System, Stephanie Trusty

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The classroom occupancy detection system aims to limit the spread of COVID-19 and support mitigation efforts advised by national and international health organizations by enforcing social distancing in classroom environments. Utilizing the RaspberryPi computer and its compatible camera module, the system accomplishes this by capturing an overhead image of a classroom and assessing the image for violations. Here, violations are defined as the presence of adjacent occupied seats. As such, for an acceptable state to be detected, there must be at least one vacant seat between all students seated in the classroom. The system communicates the classroom’s state with two …

A Field Study In An Urban Area: Examining Distracted Pedestrian Unsafe Crossing Behavior, Emma Hood

Undergraduate Research Symposium

A field study examining distracted pedestrian unsafe crossing behavior in an urban area. The study is among the first to contribute knowledge to environmental alterations impact on crossing behavior. Portions of the abstract are a part of a manuscript that will be submitted to Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research for undergraduate students.

Wear & Tear, Wymberley Davis

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Wear & Tear is a documentary poetics project acknowledging and addressing the systematic policing, silencing, violence, and stripping of self-expression that women have suffered at the hands of cultural, societal, religious, and sexist norms. Wear & Tear is a hybrid research project which draws together mass culture archives and uses heterogenous sources like advertisements and juxtapose these with excerpts from sacred texts which seek to proscribe and circumscribe women’s clothing choices. It models itself on archival works such as Theresa Hak Kyung Cha’s Dictee which works with image, language, and voice. My project presents a distinctly material cultural history …

Objective Measure Of Working Memory Capacity Using Eye Movements, James Owens, Gavindya Jayawardena, Yasasi Abeysinghe, Vikas G. Ashok, Sampath Jayarathna

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Human-autonomy teaming (HAT) has become an important area of research due to the autonomous systems being developed for different applications, such as remotely controlled aircraft. Many remotely controlled vehicles will be controlled by automated systems, with a human monitor that may be monitoring multiple vehicles simultaneously. The attention and working memory capacity of operators of remote-controlled vehicles must be maintained at appropriate levels during operation. However, there is currently no direct method of determining working memory capacity, which is important because it is a measure for how memory is being stored for a short term and interacting with long term …

The Relationship Between Rumination Of Covid-19 And Anxiety Levels, Madyson Hernandez, Alicia Kruzelock, Nathan Hager

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an increase in psychological distress among individuals around the world (Saddik et al., 2021) (Ting et al., 2021.) Rumination is a factor in increased distress caused by the pandemic. Rumination about COVID-19 may be related to the contraction and transmission of the virus. Previous literature suggests that rumination about COVID-19 increases anxiety symptoms (Jamieson, D., et al, 2021.) However, it is unknown whether time thinking about COVID-19 impacts this relationship uniquely and directly as well.

A sample of 225 undergraduate psychology students completed an online survey in April 2020 evaluating rumination, time spent thinking about …

Access To Nitrogen Heterocycles Via Borrowing Hydrogen Catalysis, Robert P. Reynolds, Kellen P. Mcguire, Conor T. Mccormick, Kyle M. Lambert

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Nitrogen heterocycles are ubiquitous motifs which occur as the core structure of several alkaloid natural products exhibiting inherent biological activity against an array of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and cancer cell lines. These azacycles serve as key synthetic building blocks for medicinal chemists to access more structurally complex and diverse compounds with tunable biological properties. A synthetic approach to these valuable motifs employing intramolecular borrowing hydrogen catalysis has been developed. The utility of the developed chemistry will be applied to synthetic efforts towards the recently isolated Cylicomorphins A-E.

Oxidation Of Thiols To Disulfides Using An Environmentally “Green” Organocatalyst And New Mechanistic Insights, Kosta V. Vlasakakis, Olivia M. White, Robert P. Reynolds, Shayne M. Weierbach, Shannon M. Weaver, Ramsey T. Ritter, Nishi H. Patel, Eric C. Hayes, Sydney Dunmire, Kyle M. Lambert

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The selective oxidation of thiols to disulfides is an area of great importance in the areas of materials and medicinal chemistry research. The production of polymers, rubber, pharmaceuticals, and the folding of proteins in biological systems all rely on the formation of disulfide bonds. Herein, we introduce a stoichiometric and electrocatalytic method for the oxidation of various pharmaceutically and biologically relevant thiols into their respective disulfides in more environmentally benign solvents such as water and alcohol solvents. The scope of the transformation was evaluated and a detailed mechanistic study involving control experiments, experimental kinetic studies, and computational investigations led to …

Two-Stage Transfer Learning For Facial Expression Classification In Children, Gregory Hubbard, Megan Witherow, Khan Iftekharuddin

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Studying facial expressions can provide insight into the development of social skills in children and provide support to individuals with developmental disorders. In afflicted individuals, such as children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), atypical interpretations of facial expressions are well-documented. In computer vision, many popular and state-of-the-art deep learning architectures (VGG16, EfficientNet, ResNet, etc.) are readily available with pre-trained weights for general object recognition. Transfer learning utilizes these pre-trained models to improve generalization on a new task. In this project, transfer learning is implemented to leverage the pretrained model (general object recognition) on facial expression classification. Though this method, the …

An Importance-Performance Analysis Of Local And Destination Visitors To Monocacy National Battlefield, Mckenzie Mosher, Colin Mccormack, Caleb Scruggs, Chris Zajchowski, Jessica Fefer

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The purpose of this study was to understand the evolving visitor experience at Monocacy National Battlefield (MONO) in Fredrick, Maryland and, specifically, the way this National Park Service site serves both its’ destination and local visitors. Using an Importance-Performance Analysis, segmented by visitors’ county of residence, we demonstrate key differences in the visitor experience across visitor type. Following survey design with MONO managers and approval from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, onsite sampling occurred over 21 visitor contact days, stratified by day of the week and time of day, in summer and fall of 2021. 469 visitors were …

The Use Of Social Media For Academic Purposes By Postgraduate Information Studies Students: A Case Of University Of Kwazulu-Natal South Africa, Jacob Oloruntoba Kutu Dr, Febishola Idowu Kutu Mrs

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study investigated the use of social media for academic purposes by postgraduate information studies students on the Pietermaritzburg campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). The study was prompted by the recognition, as reflected in the literature, of problems associated with their use and uncertainty regarding their use in the South African context. The study was underpinned by communication theory. The study also employed a quantitative research design in the form of an online questionnaire using Google Forms. Fifty-five post-graduate students were sampled of which 51 participated, giving a response rate of 93%.

Findings revealed that majority of the …

Supporting Future Mississippi Teachers, Mary Stanton Knight

University of Mississippi News

Baileys create scholarship in Ole Miss School of Education

Serving Students With Disabilities Who Are Culturally And Linguistically Diverse In Rural Communities: Technology Access Is Essential, Benjamin Gallegos, Lisa A. Dieker, Rebecca Smith, Nicole C. Ralston

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

Before the COVID-19 pandemic changed the educational landscape, students with disabilities, especially those who are culturally and linguistically diverse, and their special education teachers who worked and attended schools located in rural communities faced barriers most schools and communities experienced nationwide. As schools shifted to remote virtual learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rural schools were already at a disadvantage with the lack of resources with technology access. The call for addressing shortcomings in the various digital technology supports towards enhancing the teachers’ delivery of content and the students’ academic outcomes has been a continual challenge to address. This paper …

Force Majeure & The Coronavirus Pandemic’S Effect On Contractual Obligations, Mack Miner

SLU Law Journal Online

With the rise of the Covid-19 pandemic, some businesses found themselves unable to perform on their contracts due to Covid-19's unpredictable nature, government orders, and a variety of other factors. Many contracting parties responded to the unpredictability by invoking force majeure to avoid performance. In his article, Mack Miner considers revising force majeure clauses to read less like boilerplate language and include specific pandemic-like events to help to ensure future force majeure issues are successfully invoked.

The Dreams And Consequences Of Literary Geography: Or, Does Literature End At The Interstate?, Anthony Elia

Bridwell Library Research

Looking at the idea of how writers are connected to space, place, and land, especially within the context of cities or states, this essay explores the notion of how boundaries are determined in describing writers and how useful this is.

Dust Storm And Atmosphere Air Pollution In Uzbekistan, Feruza I. Salomova, Nigora O. Ahmadalieva, Khosiyat A. Sadullaeva, Guzal F. Sherkuzieva

Central Asian Journal of Medicine

Aim of the study: a hygienic assessment of the state of atmospheric air according to the Center for Hydrometeorological Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan and hygienic assessment of dust concentrations in the air based on laboratory control. Materials and methods: The Center of the Hydrometeorological Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan monitors air pollution in the cities of the Republic. The monitoring program covers 5 main pollutants: dust (suspended solids), carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide), nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitric oxide. The information obtained from 63 stationary observation posts allows us to judge the average level of air pollution in …

Morphology And Histochemistry Of Acute Fatty Liver Of Pregnancy Dystrophy, Erkin A. Eshbaev, Rajabboy I. Israilov, Xasan Z. Tursunov

Central Asian Journal of Medicine

Morphology and histochemistry of acute fatty liver of pregnancy dystrophy (AFLPD), which is a rare, fatal liver damage, is a completely unexplored disease of etiology and pathogenesis. In this study, liver morphology and histochemistry have been studied in the case of HCV-infected patients in 2001-2020 years. In total, in 7 cases, the diagnosis of this disease is confirmed on the basis of specific clinical and morphological symptoms, some clinical symptoms are based on the results of a morphological examination of the liver.

Clinical And Psychopathological Features Of The Structure Of Affective Disorders In Elderly Patients, Lola Sh. Shadmanova, Zarif Sh. Ashurov, Nargiza F. Yadgarova, Yekaterina M. Lyan

Central Asian Journal of Medicine

Last decades approaches to an assessment of an outcome of depressive distress at persons of serotinal age have undergone essential changes. Along with conservation of traditional methodology in definition of categories of an outcome of depression and their division into the congenial and unfavorable bunches (Jhingan H.P., Sagar R., 2001; Baldwin R.CandGallagley A., 2006), representation about criteria of reference of each concrete variant of an outcome to one of these categories has extended.

New Sights On The Assessment Of Adhesive Disease Severity, Shavkat I. Karimov, Murod Sh. Khakimov, Viktoriya E. Tsay, I.U. Elmurodov

Central Asian Journal of Medicine

The paper describes a new classification of the adhesive process in the abdominal cavity, depending on the severity of the adhesive process and the possibility of influencing them surgically. According to this classification, 5 degrees are distinguished. At grade 1, single viscero-visceral or viscero-parietal planar adhesions were detected, easily dissected in a blunt way. At grade 2 - viscero-visceral and viscero-parietal adhesions, the dissection of which must be performed in an acute way, while the integrity of the intestinal walls is maintained. At grade 3, there were viscero-parietal adhesions, the dissection of which requires excision of the walls of the …

Revisiting The History Of Takayasu Disease: Studies And Surgical Treatment, Shavkat I. Karimov, Akmal A. Irnazarov, Abdurasul A. Yulbarisov, Khojiakbar K. Alidjanov

Central Asian Journal of Medicine

Nonspecific aortoarteritis (Takayasu disease) is a systemic disease belonging to the group of vasculitis, mainly affecting the arteries of the elastic and muscular-elastic types of large and medium caliber with localization of the inflammatory process in the media and adventitia. The article describes the history of the development of ideas about clinical manifestations, morphological changes and the course of the disease from 1761 to the present, the chronology of medical achievements in the study of this disease.

Pathomorphology Of Primary Atelectasis Of Infant Lungs, Rajaboy I. Israilov, Zebo I. Ruzieva, Feruza M. Nuriddinova

Central Asian Journal of Medicine

Primary atelectasis of the lungs “enters the respiratory distress syndrome and occurs in the form of a separate nosological unit. This article examines the specific pathomorphological features of primary pulmonary atelectasis. As material, the lungs of infants who died of atelectasis in the neonatal period were studied microscopically. Microscopic examination revealed that the lung tissue had an underdeveloped appearance at a glance. Alveolar interstitial tissue is composed of dense connective tissue and cell clots, the blood vessels are wide and full, surrounded by a hemorrhagic structure. If primary atelectasis develops 2-3 days before infant death, inflammation of the lung tissue …

Lectins And Their Application In Forensic Medical Practice, Mukharrama A. Khasanova, Nizom J. Ermatov

Central Asian Journal of Medicine

The problem of obtaining economically cheap drugs for determining the group (in liquid form and in traces) is relevant. Diagnostic lectinology in relation to the determination of the blood group of the AB0 system is currently widely used in many countries of the world. The commercial cost of lectins is tens and even hundreds of times lower than the cost of rabbit absorption serum. The study of lectins in the seeds of some plants growing on the territory of Uzbekistan has shown the possibility of using them in the determination of antigens of the AB0 system.

Prevalence Of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Clinical And Laboratory Markers, Abror А. Хamrayev, Dilnavoz X. Yuldasheva

Central Asian Journal of Medicine

Aim of the research. To determine the clinical and laboratory features of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease at the stage of fatty hepatosis and steatohepatitis. Materials and methods. To solve the set tasks, 98 patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were examined, including 67 (68.3%) patients at the stage of hepatic steatosis (HS) and 31 (31.6%) patients with steatohepatitis (SH). Of these, 45 (46%) men and 53 (54%) women aged 20 to 75 years (average age 49.2 ± 4.2). Results. With steatohepatitis, higher ALT and AST values are noted than in patients with hepatic steatosis. The article contains clinical features …

Evaluation Of The Nutritional Status Of Patients With Chronic Liver Diseases And Their Dietary Correction, Sherzod Y. Zokirkhodjaev, Malika K. Pattakhova, Mirilkhom U. Solikhov, Sardor B. Mutalov

Central Asian Journal of Medicine

Improving the organization and increasing the efficiency of clinical nutrition in the complex management of patients with various diseases is one of the most important problems of modern medicine. Chronic hepatitis is one of the most prevalent illness among liver diseases. The social significance of chronic hepatitis is determined by the fact that they can progress to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, which are characterized by a high level of disability and mortality. Very little attention has been paid to factors associated with nutritional status which are abnormal in a significant number of patients with chronic hepatitis. The purpose of …

Role Of Aggressive-Protective Factors In Lesions Of The Gastroduodenal Zone In Adolescents, Nargiza Salimova, Muborak Salaeva, Lola Abduraximova

Central Asian Journal of Medicine

The high frequency of pathology of the digestive system in children, adolescents and adults, the absence of a tendency to decrease it remains one of the urgent problems of internal medicine. The aim of this study was to study the role of aggressive and protective factors in the occurrence of gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer in adolescents. The objective of the study. The study of the peculiarities of the relationship between aggressive and protective factors in the mucous membrane of the gastroduodenal zone with its various lesions in adolescents. Material and methods. Clinical studies were carried out in the City …

International Legal Analysis And Reasons For The Implementation Of Telemedicine In The Healthcare System Of Various Countries, Visolakhon I. Toshmatova, Bobir T. Khalmukhamedov, Nargiza M. Nurillaeva

Central Asian Journal of Medicine

Objective of the study: to study the legal framework and analyze the experience of introducing information and communication technologies by some foreign countries into the field of medicine. Material and methods: analysis and generalization of scientific, methodological and foreign literature, a test questionnaire and analysis of results. The testing was carried out on the basis of the questions of the additional professional training program for doctors in the specialty 31.08.54 “general practice”, 31.08.49 “therapy” on the topic “telemedicine in the work of a primary care physician. The survey involved 32 students of the Faculty of General Medicine in the direction …

Improvement Of Tactics And Diagnostics In Surgical Treatment Echinococcosis Of The Liver With The Introduction Of Our Development, Murod Sh. Khakimov, Sardor K. Khaitbaev, Anvar P. Rakhimov

Central Asian Journal of Medicine

Echinococcosis is a serious medical problem in many countries of the world, where large endemic foci remain and an increase in the number of cases is observed. The disease affects almost all organs and systems of the body. Despite the improvement in the diagnosis of the disease, the frequency of unsatisfactory results of treatment and postoperative complications exceeds 20%, and mortality varies between 1-2%, depending on the nature of the course of the disease. One of the unfavorable moments is the fact that, despite the high antiparasitic efficacy of the agents used for intraoperative treatment of the residual liver cavity …