Digital Commons Network^™

Novel Fold Of Rotavirus Glycan-Binding Domain Predicted By Alphafold2 And Determined By X-Ray Crystallography, Yi Lasanajak, David F Smith, Sue E Crawford, Mary K Estes, B V Venkataram Prasad

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The VP8* domain of spike protein VP4 in group A and C rotaviruses, which cause epidemic gastroenteritis in children, exhibits a conserved galectin-like fold for recognizing glycans during cell entry. In group B rotavirus, which causes significant diarrheal outbreaks in adults, the VP8* domain (VP8*B) surprisingly lacks sequence similarity with VP8* of group A or group C rotavirus. Here, by using the recently developed AlphaFold2 for ab initio structure prediction and validating the predicted model by determining a 1.3-Å crystal structure, we show that VP8*B exhibits a novel fold distinct from the galectin fold. This fold with a β-sheet clasping …

Intraovarian, Isoform-Specific Transcriptional Roles Of Progesterone Receptor In Ovulation, Matilda Nicholls, Kylie R Dunning, Atsushi Morimoto, John P Lydon, Darryl L Russell, Rebecca L Robker

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Progesterone receptor (PGR) activity is obligatory for mammalian ovulation; however, there is no established direct functional pathway explaining how progesterone receptor completely and specifically regulates oocyte release. This study examined the overarching cell- and isoform-specific effects of the PGR within each cellular compartment of the ovary, using mice null for the PGR (PRKO), as well as isoform-specific null mice. The PGR was expressed in ovarian granulosa and stromal cells and although PRKO ovaries showed no visible histological changes in preovulatory ovarian morphology, follicle rupture did not occur. Reciprocal ovarian transplant experiments established the necessity of ovarian PGR expression for ovulation. …

An Empirical Exploration Of Southeast Asian American Residential Patterns In The San Francisco Bay Area (2000–2019), Minh Q. Nguyen

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

This paper explores three methods of reporting residential patterns: (1) concentration profiles, (2) density maps, and (3) proximity profiles. I analyze U.S. Census data to map and evaluate the residential patterns for Southeast Asian Americans in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. Drawing from the field of urban planning, I report two measures of segregation and concentration (a) dissimilarity indices and (b) spatial proximity indices, and I discuss their limitations. Since mapping and spatial statistics are essential to understanding the histories, development, and advancement of Southeast Asian American communities, it is important to promote their broad usage. …

Power Management And On-Demand Reading In The Poweroff Mode For Ultra-Low-Power Devices, Muhammad Khizer Kaleem, Steve Williams

Defensive Publications Series

A foundation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices is based on low-cost devices having ultra-low power consumption. IoT devices are usually powered by batteries that have power, capacity, and size constraints and, therefore, have limited lifespan. As IoT devices have become ubiquitous in many network environments, supplanting batteries or re-energizing batteries frequently can be expensive or, in some cases, even infeasible. Hence, the longevity of IoT devices is crucial to the long-term adoption of such devices. Presented herein is a novel technique to facilitate power management, data collection, and switching IoT devices on/off using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags in …

Real-Time Feedback To Improve Selfies For Low-Vision Users, N/A

Defensive Publications Series

This publication describes systems and techniques, implemented on computing devices, directed to improving self-portrait (i.e., selfie) images of a user captured on a front-facing camera using real-time feedback. The systems and techniques may track the user’s face and provide haptic, audio, and/or visual feedback to guide the user to position the computing device so that the user becomes positioned in a center of frame of the camera. In an aspect, a user interface may display visual indicators that flash over a viewfinder image of a camera displayed on a computing device display. The visual indicators may increase in brightness near …

Network Monitoring Of Container Clusters In Private, Public, And Hybrid Environments, Shyam Kapadia, Anil Jangam, Deepika Sharma

Defensive Publications Series

Kubernetes (https://kubernetes.io/) has become the de-facto standard orchestrator for deploying modern cloud-native applications that employ micro-services-based architectures in which such micro-services are typically deployed via containers. Kubernetes uses abstractions of pods, namespaces, labels, selectors, specs operators and other various constructs that make it easy for application developers to rapidly deploy their workloads for test, development, and production environments. Such mixed/hybrid cloud environments make it challenging for Information Technology (IT) operators to manage, monitor, and troubleshoot such environments and implement consistent security policies. Accordingly, presented herein is a novel user interface dashboard through which automated network monitoring, troubleshooting, and visibility of …

Support New Business To Solve Old Problems With Kentucky’S Keystone Waste From Bourbon & Brewing, Samuel C. Kessler

Commonwealth Policy Papers

Provided here is a policy solution from the backside of Kentucky bourbon and brewing to upcycle Kentucky’s “keystone” wastes and grow businesses in the process. Potential effects range from removing the bottleneck on bourbon production and producing GHG-friendly biogas to lowering the price of milk.This full whitepaper brief provides an incentive model for keystone wastes which have a provider and a use. It is equally applicable for policymakers or advocates wishing to place a policy incentive behind waste-to-product upcycling, businesses involved with methane sequestration & renewable biogas energy, and shifting regulatory and penalizing models of pollution into incentive model for …

A Geographically Targeted Approach For A Preceptor Tax Incentive Using Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas (Hpsas), Julia Mattingly, Sarah Belcher, Samuel C. Kessler

Commonwealth Policy Papers

Years before the COVID-19 pandemic brought on a health care shortage in Kentucky, its rural areas were already struggling to obtain and attract primary care medical practitioners. Even though the number of medical school graduates in the U.S. has steadily increased throughout the years, there is a general disinterest in rural or small-town practice, and legislators throughout the country have pondered ways to address this issue plaguing communities. Versions of Preceptor Tax Incentive legislation in Kentucky have been proposed in the General Assembly to address care shortages in the state, however, all have been unsuccessful at truly targeting rural areas …

Evaluating The Effect Of Coated Urea And Urea-Ammonium-Nitrate Solution On Cane Tonnage, Sugar Yield, And Leaf-Soil Nitrogen Content Under Louisiana Sugarcane Production System, Hector J. Mendoza Lagos

LSU Master's Theses

Nitrogen (N) is a crucial nutrient for proper plant growth and development. N deficiency results in poor tillering and thin, short internode stem production for sugarcane production, thus resulting in low cane tonnage. Therefore, proper N fertilizer management is essential for a sustainable sugarcane production system. This research was conducted at the LSU AgCenter Sugar Research Station in St. Gabriel, LA, from 2019 to 2020 at three Sites (Site 1, 2, and 3). The treatments consisted of different N rates (0, 45, 90, and 135 kg N ha^-1) and sources (urea-ammonium-nitrate solution [UAN]-32%, 30-day [Coated Urea 1], 45-day …

Cardiovascular And Range Of Motion Effects After Exercise Training Interventions, Nolynn E. Sutherland

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The effects of stretching and yoga on the cardiovascular and muscular systems are still being discovered and can be assessed non-invasively. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the non-invasive markers of stretching and yoga on the metabolic, cardiovascular, and muscular systems. A series of three studies were conducted to gain insight into how stretching and yoga influence the body and if there are any potential differences between them.

The first study aimed to determine if stretching would influence fiber type and motor unit recruitment. An acute bout of stretch exercise was performed immediately before a biking exercise session …

Symposium: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & The Constitution: American Constitutions And Artificial Insemination Births, Jeffrey A. Parness

ConLawNOW

Childcare parentage issues arising from assisted reproduction births are subject to constitutional guidance, including due process, equal protection, and privacy dictates. Constitutional rights, however, sometimes go unrecognized in assisted reproduction laws, particularly for same sex couples, wed and unwed, as well as for single women. Upon a brief review of contemporary American state assisted reproduction laws, current and future constitutional precedents are explored. This analysis shows that constitutional, as well as public policy, reforms are particularly needed for same-sex female couples and single women employing assisted reproduction as intended parents.

Inclusive Approaches For Measuring Demographics Of Underrepresented Populations In Stem And Biomedical Research Training Programs, Stephanie E. Paris, Teala W. Alvord, Brandy Lentz, Mollie C. Marr, Angie Setthavongsack, Alexis Dinno, Jae Downing, Aaron Raz Link, Dawn M. Richardson, Shanthia N. Espinosa, Phuc T. Nguyen, Lisa K. Marriott

Student Research Symposium

Federal strategic plans call for increased diversity within the biomedical workforce. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) defined underrepresented populations in biomedical science (NOT-OD-20-031), though operationalization remains a challenge for training programs. Implementing inclusive demographic measures may help to identify key demographic groups facing barriers to participation and retention in STEM programs and the biomedical workforce. Approaches for measuring demographic variables were sourced from scientific literature and research stakeholders. Gender, race/ethnicity, disability, and disadvantaged background were prioritized for comparison given their focus by NIH, with opportunities for stakeholders to identify additional demographic variables important in their work. Gender minorities, sex …

Family On Film Post-World War Ii Japan: Kurosawa And Ozu, Alexander J. Ham-Kucharski

Student Research Symposium

The Post World War II films of Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998) and Yasujiro Ozu (1903-1963) share a traditional trope of what is constituted as family in United States Occupied Japan (1945-1952), and their films transcend their production year to still illustrate a Japan of the 21^st century. By studying what is “family” in Rashomon, The Seven Samurai, Late Spring, and Tokyo Story, we see family is defined not only in a traditional Japanese sense, but also the the audience, film student, and critic can see how Kurosawa and Ozu extended the idea of family into community, politics, military, …

Dual Colonization Of Okinawa: Gendered And Militarized Violence, Katie Y. Hashimoto

Student Research Symposium

Off the southern part of Japan is the small archipelago of Okinawa. Making up only 0.6% of Japan’s total land mass, Okinawa hosts 74% of the nation’s U.S. military bases. Since World War II, the U.S. military has grown a dominating presence on the islands, inevitably influencing the lives of the locals. A portion of Okinawans have since been protesting for the removal/reduction of these bases through what is known as the Anti-Base Movement but have been largely ignored by the governments of Japan and the U.S. At first glance, these protests seem to be centered around environmental issues, land …

Barriers And Supports For Stem Motivation For Pacific Islander High School And Undergraduate Students, Shanthia N. Espinosa, Alma M. O. Trinidad, Lisa K. Marriott

Student Research Symposium

Pacific Islander (PI) students disproportionately come from low socioeconomic backgrounds and are often first-generation college students. PI students have been historically underserved with limited access to educational resources and support. As a result, PI students face low student retention rates and have reported dissatisfaction with higher education student services. There is little research dedicated to understanding the STEM experiences of PI students related to access, success, and motivational resilience in higher education. This study examines barriers and facilitating factors for motivation among PI students using electronic surveys, focus groups, and group discussions. Participants comprise high school and undergraduates residing in …

Film History Digests, Nathan A. Varner

Student Research Symposium

Film History Digests is a web series created by Nathan Varner and chronicled popular culture's smaller and underrepresented parts. This project showcased collaboration, innovation, consistency, and determination for a small team. In return, we uncovered the decades-long mystery, shined a light on mental health, and provided a subtext of non-partisan political discourse all over a year.

Farmworker Voices: Contesting & Renegotiating Essential Status During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jennifer Martinez

Student Research Symposium

This study draws on a subset of thirty individuals that took part in the community-driven Oregon COVID-19 Farmworker Study to analyze how farmworkers interpreted the contradictory label essential worker. Using discourse analysis, this article examines how these peasant workers drew on their embodied experiences working throughout the pandemic to give meaning to their essential designation. The data suggest that farmworkers were tacitly aware of the contradictions between their labeling as indispensable and their disposable treatment on the ground. Farmworkers generally felt unrecognized, underpaid, and felt exposed to COVID-19 infection in addition to everyday workplace hazards. While the essential title was …

Disentangling The Nazis And The Vikings, Arden Goldberg

Student Research Symposium

In the development of nationalism, and specifically white ethnonationalism, the Norse have played an unfortunate role, and one that deserves a closer interrogation. In the larger scheme of white nationalism, those who seek to directly appropriate Norse symbology and a reconstruction of their own ideal of Norse culture are a relative minority, but they remain a minority which taints the study of Norse history. In this talk, I will examine how Norse symbology and identity has come to be appropriated by white nationalists, compare the racist perceptions of the Norse with knowable historical realities, explain the usefulness of Norse symbology …

Concurrent Malignant And Benign Nephrosclerosis In An Elderly Cadaver With Previously Diagnosed Cerebral Atherosclerosis, Destiny Sciuva, Jake Winchester, Emon Alavi, Sritha Moram, Dhruvi Patel, Alexander Cohen, Shiv Dhiman, Savita Arya

Research Day

We report histopathological features of concurrent malignant and benign nephrosclerosis in an 83-year-old elderly cadaver. Upon routine dissection in a medical school cadaveric anatomy lab, the abdomen of an 83-year-old female showed contracted and granular bilateral kidneys, with subsequent measurements identifying decreased size. Tissue samples were retrieved from the left anterior descending artery, left ventricle wall, bilateral kidneys and lungs. Histopathology slides were prepared using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stains. The samples were retrieved from a female cadaver in the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Georgia Body Donor Program. Histopathological findings in the kidneys included fibrinoid necrosis of arterioles, diffuse …

Case Report: Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, Aishwarya Reddy, Jeffry Rima, Nick Morey, Jalisa Jones, Connor Lambert, Shiv Dhiman, S Arya

Research Day

Many research studies have demonstrated that age is a primary risk factor for the prevalence of diseases within developed countries, most notably concerning cardiovascular disease, which has been found to be the leading cause of death globally. Among the diseases that fall beneath this umbrella term of cardiovascular disease, aortic aneurysms (AA) and cerebrovascular accident (CVA; i.e. stroke) are two of the more prevalent and well-known diseases that are identified among the elderly population. However, despite the increasing prevalence of both AAs and CVAs within the elderly in tandem with their shared risk factors - hypertension, smoking, hyperlipidemia, etc. - …

Urothelial Carcinoma Arising Within Bladder Diverticulum Secondary To Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Report Of A Cadaveric Case And Review Of Literature, Lan Huynh, Zhi Kuat, Brandon Stevens, Shiv Dhiman, Savita Arya

Research Day

Bladder diverticulum, which can be present in 1% to 10% of the general population, is an outpouching of the bladder urothelium through the muscular bladder wall. The vast majority of bladder diverticula are acquired and occur more commonly in men with neurogenic dysfunction or bladder outlet obstruction. Due to the lack of a muscular layer, bladder diverticulum loses its contractility and ability for effective urine emptying, which increases the risks of chronic inflammation and malignant transformation. Neoplasms arising within diverticula are uncommon, which vary from 0.8% to 13% of vesical diverticulum cases reported and have the potential to invade perivesical …

Racial Discrepancies In Pulse Oximetry Reading And Their Effects On Self-Monitoring Devices Usage And Clinical Decision-Making, Lola Sewo, Anthony Dove, Justice Dove, Dana Marie-Gould, Destandreana Norwood, Laurie'l Latimer, Robert Walker

Research Day

INTRODUCTION: As technology use rises and the use of pulse oximetry data increases, the demand for accurate oxygen saturation (SpO2) readings is paramount to ensure health equity among all populations. Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive tool used to monitor SpO2. Self-monitoring devices, such as SMART devices, allow for portable and cost-effective utilization; therefore, self-monitoring device usage and pulse oximetry data are quickly becoming more available to patients and their providers. Pulse oximetry is a critical component used when evaluating the severity of arterial deoxygenation. Providers often use data from pulse oximetry to determine treatment options. Recent studies have found …

Superficial Ulnar Artery And Its Clinical Significance, Lola Sewo, Maxwell Dacquel, Sumbal Irshad, Vinayak Narayan, Sager Pattani, Shiv Dhiman

Research Day

We present a case with an atypical variation of the ulnar artery discovered while examining a cadaver in our routine Gross Anatomy lab dissection. A superficial ulnar artery was found in a 55-year-old male cadaver originating directly from the brachial artery. This is a rare variation where the route of the ulnar artery runs superficially to the flexor compartment in the forearm. Based on previous cadaver studies, the incidence of such variation in the adult population appears to be approximately 3.75%. Deviations in the ulnar artery can lead to a potential risk of injury to patients during surgery. The superficial …

Colorectal Metastasis Within An Adult Male Cadaver: Case Report And Review Of Literature, Destandreana Norwood, Dana-Marie Gould, Laurie'l Latimer, Georgina Boateng, Brigitte Cochran, Shiv Dhiman, Savita Arya

Research Day

INTRODUCTION:

During a routine lab dissection, lesions were found to be scattered along the mesentery of the colon and small intestines, as well as the abdominal peritoneum. Due to its presentation and histological analysis, a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma was made. Adenocarcinomas are mucus-secreting cells that are found within and near the glands of organ (Nakhaie, Mohsen et al., 2020). One of the most common clinical manifestations of adenocarcinomas is within the colorectal region due to the numerous mucous secreting cells found within these sites. Literature reviews have indicated that different metastasis patterns that can differentiate between adenocarcinomas of various histological …

Gross Anatomy Of Bifid Xiphoid Process, Shahrzad Zamani, Sara Meawad, Tamryn Van Der Horn, Shiv Dhiman

Research Day

Introduction: Xiphoid process is the ossified extension of the lower sternum in the chest midline of human adults. Natural variance in this process results in the less common bifurcated morphology.

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to explore the distribution of the bifid variant. As a secondary objective, we aimed to compare bifurcated Xiphoid processes to other possible variations.

Methods: A case study was designed to explore the distribution of bifid variants in a sample of cadavers (n=30) at a large medical education institution. The dependent variable was binarized (bifid or normal) and univariate analyses were performed based …

Refractory Herpes Virus Pseudotumor In An Immunocompromised Patient, Pavan Patel, Smera Saikumar, David York

Research Day

Background: HSV infections can characteristically present as pseudotumor in patients with uncontrolled HIV infection. Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection rates range from 60% to 90% in individuals who are co-infected with HIV.

Case Presentation: A 48-year-old patient who presented with large fungating mass near her right inferior vulva with hardness and induration. The mass was 4 cm x 3 cm in size and was excised in the operating room. The pathology was negative for malignancy, however, it showed lymphoplasmacytic proliferation with immunostaining positive for HSV virus.

Conclusion: Any patient that presents with a tumor-like mass in their perineum …

A Paraurethral Aggressive (Deep) Angiomyxoma, Smera Saikumar, Pavan Patel, Christian Edwards, Geosette Garcia, Daniel York, Hyder Naqvi

Research Day

Background: Aggressive angiomyxomas (AAs) are rare mesenchymal tumors that are histologically composed of myxoid stroma and vasculature. AAs are typically located in the pelvis and perineum and occur more frequently in females of reproductive age. Although a complete resection of the AA is the definitive cure, it is often difficult to achieve due to a lack of capsule in the tumor.

Case Presentation: In this report, we outline a patient who had a paraurethral tumor for eight months before symptoms were observed. The mass measured 3.55 cm x 2.0 cm x 1.5 cm and was excised in the operating room …

Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis: A Clinical Case With Rapid Resolution On Imaging, Jordan Erdfrocht, Max Kabolowsky, Lyndsey Nguyen, Alyson Meyer, Christine Sykalo

Research Day

Introduction

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is a rare interstitial disorder characterized by an immune reaction of the lung parenchyma, usually to a sensitized allergen. Pneumonitis is a common cause of respiratory decline among those with comorbid conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure. The use of corticosteroids in patients with pneumonitis is well documented, but their role in the treatment is not clearly understood.

Case Presentation

Patient is a 58-year-old female with past medical history of polymyalgia rheumatica, osteoporosis, and current smoker who presented with a three day history of progressive shortness of breath, dyspnea on exertion, orthopnea, …

Covid-19 In Children: A Pediatric Case Of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome And Shock, Max Kabolowsky, Lyndsey Nguyen, Jen Petar, Ravi Raman

Research Day

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a severe hyperinflammatory condition characterized by fever, systemic inflammation, and multiorgan dysfunction that manifests late in the course of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). MIS-C generally occurs 2 to 6 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection. The incidence of MIS-C is unknown, although it appears to occur in less than 1 percent of children with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. MIS-C has overlapping clinical features of toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki disease, although the pathogenesis is unclear. Epidemiologists, researchers, and clinicians are struggling to describe and characterize the disease phenomenon while treating patients at the …

Benign Cyst In The Popliteal Fossa: A Cadaveric Case Study, Rachel Sackett, Morgan Ivey, Terrance Orange, Randall Sheffield, Nabeel Siddiqi, Shiv Dhiman, Savita Arya

Research Day

During routine dissection of 10 cadavers that originated from the Body Donor Program at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine South Georgia, an 82-year-old female with a Baker's cyst anomaly located medially in the right popliteal fossa was encountered. The Baker's cyst contained synovial fluid in a thick bursal covering. This finding is suggestive of pathology in the knee joint, such as arthritis or a tear in cartilage or ligaments. This case study analyzes the Baker's cyst found during dissection and its clinical significance.