Digital Commons Network^™

Patient Presentation Affects Medical Student Comfort During Sexual Health Encounters, Harshith Jella, Emily J. Noonan, Laura Weingartner

The Cardinal Edge

BACKGROUND

Previous research has identified some disparities between the care that masculine- and feminine-presenting patients experience with regards to sexual health. These disparities could cause feelings of unease and also difficulty with patient-physician communication. In medical education, standardized patients can help students identify and address implicit biases that could propagate as providers.

METHODS

The study population consisted of second year medical students (n=100) from the University of Louisville who completed sexual history-taking during a standardized patient encounter. Coders evaluated the phrases used, perceived comfort levels, and SP feedback among masculine- and feminine-presenting standardized patients.

RESULTS

While the patient presentation did …

The Impact Of Linguistic Discrimination On The Mental Health Of International College Students: A Systematic Review Protocol Design, Isabella G. Hausladen, Chinarah D. Winston, Maria Kondaurova, Lidiya Grote

The Cardinal Edge

The analysis of education data from the National Foundation for American Policy demonstrates that between 50% and 82% of the full-time graduate students in STEM fields at United States universities are international students who provide a wide range of expertise, knowledge, and skills needed to participate in the STEM workforce (National Foundation for American Policy, 2017). One of the challenges international college students face is self-perceived linguistic discrimination, defined as a person’s individual experience of feeling unfairly treated due to their accent, proficiency, or choice of language. The objective of this study is to develop a protocol for a systematic …

Aristotle And The Proslavery Writings Of The Antebellum South, Ace Farris

The Cardinal Edge

This paper explores how nineteenth-century Southern intellectuals appropriated and adapted Aristotle’s ancient defense of slavery to legitimize racial slavery in the antebellum United States. Although Aristotle’s theory of “natural slavery” emerged from the social and economic conditions of classical Greece, where enslaved people constituted essential components of the household, Southern thinkers tailored his argument to justify the peculiar institution. The paper begins by outlining Aristotle’s defense of slavery in his Politics, which states that some individuals naturally lack the capacity for rational deliberation, thereby benefiting from enslavement. Then, it traces how the American South’s investment in classical education allowed …

Fear And Freedom: California Gay Bars In The 1960s, Bridget L. Kelley

The Cardinal Edge

This article explores the interactions between gay bars, queer people, and police in California in the 1960s. The gay bar served as both a place of community and safety while paradoxically being a site of oppression suffered at the hands of law enforcement. These conflicting experiences made gay bars sites of both fear and freedom. Arrest practices, plain clothes policing, raid practices, and monetary manipulation made the gay bar a space of danger. However, the resistance of queer patrons against police brutality made it a space where one could express their queerness and fight for change.

Making A Victim: The Quest To Define Austria In A Cold War Context, Katherine E. White

The Cardinal Edge

When the Second World War concluded, the Allied Powers were left with the complicated question of how to deal with the territories that they had occupied on their march to Berlin. Of all the territories conquered by Germany under Nazi rule, Austria proved to be one of the most difficult and polarizing to define. It towed the line between victim and accomplice, having endorsed its own annexation to Germany in 1938. For ten years after the war’s end, the Allied Powers occupied Austria, locked in a stalemate over the country’s fate. This paper examines how the various occupying powers, in …

The Kennedy Familys' Influence On The Passage Of The Immigration And Nationality Act Of 1965, Jillian Wallshield

The Cardinal Edge

This paper covers the influence of the Kennedy Family on immigration policy in the United States. United States immigration legislation changed dramatically in the 1960s with the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 (sometimes called the Hart-Cellar Act). This shift was caused primarily by the political work of prominent figures like John F. Kennedy, and, later, Edward Kennedy. Edward Kennedy in particular is examined through his influence on Lyndon B. Johnson, the President under which the Immigration and Nationality Act was passed. This position is supported through the examination of relevant public speeches, private telephone calls, and …

Hallucinogens For Mood And Anxiety Disorders: A Critical Review Of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies, Georgia Chlebek

The Cardinal Edge

In quite a few people worldwide, there are several mental disorders that prevent the brain from operating in the “proper” way, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) being among the most common. Luckily, there are several medications that are produced and used to treat these disorders, but some medications are hard to access, and others simply don’t help the patient. Firstly, these medications take time to study and prove safe for public use, though in some cases time is not readily available. In other cases, these medications are going through shortages and becoming increasingly difficult for patients to access …

Determination Of Trace Amounts Of Pb2+ And Cu2+ Ions In The Ohio River With Anodic Stripping Voltammetry And Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy To Test Water Contamination From Factories., Eliana Purcell

The Cardinal Edge

In this project, water near factories in Rubbertown, Louisville, KY were tested to see if a significant enough amount of waste is deposited in the Ohio River that the concentrations of Pb2+ and Cu2+ exceed the maximum contaminant levels the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have set in place. Waste from industrial factories may contain contaminants that have negative effects on aquatic ecosystems and even human health, so two potentially harmful metal ions were tested. The concentration of Cu2+ in water samples was detected through flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS), and the concentration …

Leaf Droppage Delayed In Sugar Maple Trees On An Urban To Rural Gradient, Isabella S. Bastien, Isabella Bastien

The Cardinal Edge

This study investigates the timing of leaf abscission in Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) trees along an urban-to-rural gradient in Louisville, Kentucky, to determine how proximity to urban environments influences leaf drop. We hypothesized that urban trees would retain their leaves longer than suburban or rural trees due to environmental stressors and tested this using weekly leaf collection and canopy cover measurements from three locations—urban, suburban, and rural. Results showed that urban trees exhibited delayed leaf drop and slower canopy opening compared to suburban and rural trees. These findings suggest that urban stressors significantly alter tree phenology, which may signal underlying …

Disrupted Nuclear Function And Nucleocytoplasmic Transport In Parkinson’S Disease, Ichiro M. Matoba

The Cardinal Edge

No abstract provided.

Asimina Triloba (L.) Dunal: The Complete Story Of America’S Forgotten Fruit, Autumn M. Howard

The Cardinal Edge

Asimina triloba, commonly known as the pawpaw, is a unique and historically significant native fruit tree of the eastern United States. This research paper explores the taxonomy, botanical description, distribution, habitat requirements, ecological interactions, economic importance, and reproductive biology of A. triloba. The species is distinguished by its tropical-flavored fruits, adaptation to temperate climates, and reliance on clonal reproduction and specific insect pollinators. While offering promising opportunities for sustainable agriculture and riparian restoration, A. triloba faces challenges related to limited seed dispersal, susceptibility to certain pests and diseases, and the presence of neurotoxic compounds. Despite its historical importance …

Development And Preliminary Pressure Control Validation Of Woundwatch: Npwt System With Remote Monitoring Capabilities, Swetha Senthil Nathan

The Cardinal Edge

Chronic wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers, pressure sores, and venous leg ulcers, affect over 40 million individuals worldwide and are often complicated by delayed healing due to limited access to continuous monitoring. Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) is an established treatment that promotes wound healing through controlled sub-atmospheric pressure. However, conventional NPWT systems lack real-time physiological feedback and require frequent in-person follow-ups, limiting their effectiveness in remote or low-resource settings. This study presents WoundWatch, a portable, low-cost NPWT device that integrates real-time temperature, humidity, and pressure sensing with wireless data transmission via an IoT platform. The system includes a vacuum …

Lamin A/C And Linc Complex Expression Affects Nuclei's Mechanical Properties And Functions In Osteosarcoma, Shridha Rajeswar

The Cardinal Edge

The nucleus has long been simplified in the field of biology, despite being an important organelle. Until recently, it has been commonly depicted as a simple sphere located at the center of a cell, responsible mainly for regulating protein synthesis. However, current research indicates that the linkers of the nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complexes, the pillars of nuclear architecture, play a critical role in maintaining nuclear integrity and function. These complexes interact with proteins, such as Lamins, that modulate responses to biomechanical stimuli through the regulation of gene expression. As such, when these structures are downregulated, they can contribute to …

The Silent Epidemic: How E-Cigarettes And Policy Gaps Endanger Public Health, Fizzah Syed, Saumya Sikhwal, Priya Viswakumar

The Cardinal Edge

No abstract provided.

The Developing Role Of Ai In Modern Engineering Research, Rianna Pais

The Cardinal Edge

No abstract provided.

Targeting Glioblastoma: Mechanistic And Clinical Perspectives From Uofl Research, Swetha Senthil Nathan

The Cardinal Edge

Glioblastoma (GBM) remains one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant brain tumors, with median survival lingering at 12–15 months despite surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. This article explores cutting-edge research and clinical efforts at the University of Louisville aimed at improving GBM treatment outcomes. Dr. Joseph Chen investigates the tumor microenvironment, revealing how physical properties such as stiffness and porosity drive GBM cell proliferation, migration, and resistance to apoptosis. His lab’s findings suggest that porosity, rather than stiffness alone, may be a more accurate predictor of tumor invasion and progression-free survival. Additionally, his research highlights the role of hyaluronic acid and …

Sound, Speech, And Synapses: Rebuilding The Brain Through Neuroplasticity, Sireen Khader

The Cardinal Edge

No abstract provided.

El Arte En El Siglo Xxi: ¿La Poesía Es Un Arte Perdido?, Paloma Villarreal, The Rattler

The Rattler

Vol. 114, Iss. 2

Friends Of Sound Record Store's New Location And Old History, Paloma Villarreal, The Rattler

The Rattler

Vol. 114, Iss. 2

Gustavo Cerati: Un Legado Eterno En La Música, Paloma Villarreal, The Rattler

The Rattler

Vol. 114, Iss. 2

Ecoroof Runoff Mitigation Comparison By Photosynthetic Pathway In Three Species Of Interest, Harper Thomson, Samantha Hartzell

Urban Ecosystem Research Consortium of Portland/Vancouver

Stormwater management is critical as urban areas expand and impervious surfaces cover more area. Ecoroofs are increasingly deployed to attenuate roof runoff (mean reduction 33–42% in Portland studies) and peak flows (up to 88% in Portland studies). However, few studies have compared plant functional types, or more specifically photosynthetic pathways in ecoroof hydrologic performance, especially as it relates to seasonal rainfall variability. While sedum (a Crassulacean Acid Metabolism or CAM species) is popular for its drought resilience, its nocturnal stomatal opening behavior may limit evapotranspiration driven water loss compared to C3 or C4 photosynthetic species. In this study, nine modular …

We Need To Talk About Scooters At St. Mary's University, Malcolm Summers, The Rattler

The Rattler

Vol. 114, Iss. 2

Talk, Talk, Talk: Is There Such Thing As Too Many Podcasts?, Malcolm Summers, The Rattler

The Rattler

Vol. 114, Iss. 2

Ai In Education: Education's Worst Or Best Case Scenario?, Malcolm Summers, The Rattler

The Rattler

Vol. 114, Iss. 2

Recycling Starts With You: Sustainability On Campus, Mary-Esther Leblanc, The Rattler

The Rattler

Vol. 114, Iss. 2

"It's Who We Are": Putting Students First In The Face Of Defunding Hsis, Mary-Esther Leblanc, The Rattler

The Rattler

Vol. 114, Iss. 2

From "Come Talk", The Rattler

The Rattler

Vol. 114, Iss. 2

Friends Of Sound Records: New Store Location And Old History, Isabella Pizzoferrato, The Rattler

The Rattler

Vol. 114, Iss. 2

Generation Z'S Rising Interest In "Grandma" Hobbies, Isabella Pizzoferrato, The Rattler

The Rattler

Vol. 114, Iss. 2

Social Media Influencers Turned Reality Television Stars?, Isabella Pizzoferrato, The Rattler

The Rattler

Vol. 114, Iss. 2