Vertices: Duke's Undergraduate Research Journal最新文献

{"title":"Utilizing Patient Characteristics to Predict the Likelihood of Heart Condition","authors":"Jackson Cathey, Carson Herman, Michelle Tetro, M. Gao","doi":"10.55894/dv1.12","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55894/dv1.12","url":null,"abstract":"As primary care providers deal with a multitude of chronic conditions, cardiovascular disease may often be overlooked. Finding cardiovascular disease early in a patient increases treatment options and reduces the likelihood of further complications. Thus, it is important that providers have tools at their disposal to assess patients’ odds of heart disease, given past medical histories and vital signs in clinic. Utilizing patient data from the Cleveland Heart Clinic, we developed a predictive model for assessing the odds that a patient evaluated in clinic may have an underlying heart condition. We selected each variable based on its relative capacity for prediction of heart condition, then further analyzed the contributes of this feature in the model. The final model includes the sex of the patient, their self-reported experience of exercise-induced angina, and resting ECG results. This model can be used in the clinic to estimate a patient’s odds of heart disease. Unlike current models used in primary care clinics, this model uses fewer variables and specifically assesses the odds of a current condition, as opposed to the future development of cardiovascular disease. Testing directly for heart disease is costly and time-consuming, so it’s useful to build a predictive diagnostic model.","PeriodicalId":299908,"journal":{"name":"Vertices: Duke's Undergraduate Research Journal","volume":"49 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115075063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Masculinity and Novel Male Contraceptives: Does Masculine Norm Conformity Influence Preference?","authors":"Connie Dean","doi":"10.55894/dv1.11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55894/dv1.11","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The impact of masculine norm endorsement on decision making regarding male contraceptive methods is a bounteous, yet unexplored, area of research. Aim: The aim of this paper is to understand how masculinity and attitudes towards sex impact male contraceptive usage and how preference could inform strategies to ultimately improve uptake and usage. Increased contraceptive use could have profound public health and financial impact given the potential to prevent unwanted pregnancies and promote equitable family planning. Method: 103 male participants aged 18+ completed a self-report electronic survey assessing masculine norm endorsement, attitudes towards sexuality and likelihood-of-usage of three novel male contraceptives; namely Nestorone, MENT and RISUG. Masculine norm endorsement was measured using an adapted version of Parent and Moradi’s Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory-46, and the Sexual Opinion Survey was used to assess positive-negative attitudes toward sex. Participants were also asked which of the three contraceptive they would be most likely to use and why Results: The data showed no significant correlation between either masculine norm endorsement or attitudes towards sexuality and likelihood-of-usage for novel male contraceptives. However, the sample did show a hierarchy of preference; Nesterone was the most preferred method, followed by RISUG, and finally the sample indicated a significant aversion to MENT. For each contraceptive, common themes for preference were easily identifiable. Those who preferred Nesterone cited ‘Non-invasiveness’ and ‘Ease of use’ as their reasoning. Those who preferred RISUG indicated the ‘Convenience’ and ‘Longevity’ of the method as the reason for preference. Those who preferred MENT, cited ‘Non-daily use’ and ‘Less invasive [than RISUG]’. Those who preferred MENT seemed to fit a niche between RISUG and Nesterone: while they do not wish to partake in the daily application of Nesterone, they are also opposed to the procedure involved with RISUG. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that the sample showed preference with regards to the novel forms of male contraceptives. The reasons indicated by the sample regarding their preference pointed to specific driving factors, motivated by what the individual values. Namely: ease of use, longevity, and surgical procedure avoidance. Furthermore, this suggests the need for multiple methods of male contraceptives to satisfy a broader range of individuals. Thus, this study yields important data that may help to inform future contraceptive design and research to meet the needs and preferences of young adult males.","PeriodicalId":299908,"journal":{"name":"Vertices: Duke's Undergraduate Research Journal","volume":"5 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134427578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quorum Sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Mechanisms, strategies, and a novel inhibitor","authors":"Aditya Raj, N. Kirienko","doi":"10.55894/dv2.11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55894/dv2.11","url":null,"abstract":"Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic life-threatening bacterial pathogen, uses quorum sensing signals to modulate the expression of virulent genes. These bacteria exhibit high levels of antimicrobial resistance, which reduces the effectiveness of current antibiotics, highlighting the need for treatments that do not induce selective pressure. A comprehensive understanding of the factors inhibiting quorum sensing in P. aeruginosa is necessary to design an alternative therapeutic strategy for long-term treatments that do not function by traditional bactericidal or bacteriostatic mechanisms. This manuscript is a literature review highlighting a novel, naturally occurring molecule with a high potential to inhibit quorum sensing and virulence. It covers methods by which the anti- virulent nature of this molecule can be verified and how it can be used as a supplement to traditional antibiotics and as a possible new stand-alone medicine.","PeriodicalId":299908,"journal":{"name":"Vertices: Duke's Undergraduate Research Journal","volume":"106 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130052118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modeling the Northern Great Barrier Reef Population of Green Sea Turtles","authors":"Jackson D. Nowacek","doi":"10.55894/dv2.12","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55894/dv2.12","url":null,"abstract":"Population modeling is an established, effective tool for assessing the effects of environmental conditions on a specific population. The model this paper outlines is based on the Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) population of the Northern Great Barrier Reef. The model shows the effects of variable temperature, light, nutrients, predation, and availability of food (seagrass) on the long-term health of the population. Several tests were run by adjusting variables such as initial seagrass levels, seagrass threshold, mortality rates, nest temperature, light, and nutrients. The model showed biologically and ecologically plausible reactions to each variable change.","PeriodicalId":299908,"journal":{"name":"Vertices: Duke's Undergraduate Research Journal","volume":"77 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115992282","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Birth of a New China: How the U.S. - China Trade War Affected the Economy and Foreign Policies of Vietnam in 2016 – 2020","authors":"Tri Truong, Edmund J. Malesky","doi":"10.55894/dv2.14","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55894/dv2.14","url":null,"abstract":"Following the U.S. – China Trade War, Vietnam has been recognized as one of the biggest economic beneficiaries, showing significant economic increases from 2018 – 2020. However, the empirical causal extent of the Trade War’s impact on Vietnam’s economy has largely been ignored, as well as how Vietnam will craft its foreign policies regarding the U.S. – China conflict. Using the difference-in-difference regression approach, this paper attempts to verify the causal impact of the Trade War on Vietnam, focusing on the Vietnam – U.S. export and the Vietnam – China import datasets. The paper also explores Vietnam’s foreign policy strategy for the Trade War and the U.S. – China conflict by conducting traditional qualitative analysis on six qualitative interviews. This paper confirmed that the Trade War had a positive causal effect on Vietnam’s export to America at the country level and Vietnam’s import from China at the tariff level. However, it could not confirm whether the Trade War had such an effect on Vietnam’s import from China at the country level and Vietnam’s export to America at the tariff level. Along with quotes and anecdotes collected from policy experts, this paper suggested that Hanoi must maintain its political neutrality in international affairs while continuing to capitalize on Vietnam’s economic success and enhance its trade relationship with the U.S. and China.","PeriodicalId":299908,"journal":{"name":"Vertices: Duke's Undergraduate Research Journal","volume":"86 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126139389","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Relations of and between Family Business and Private Enterprise","authors":"Michael Cao","doi":"10.55894/dv2.13","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55894/dv2.13","url":null,"abstract":"In this paper, I draw from economic and organizational sociology to study a psychosocial dimension of modern entrepreneurial dynamics. Namely, I employ a mixed-methods approach to the study of family business members in the U.S and their corresponding economic attitudes about private enterprise as a superlative solution to economic problems. I incorporate quantitative cross tabulation analyses of multivariate relationships derived from data provided by the 2021 General Social Survey (GSS), as well as original qualitative interview data collected from family business members. Based on my findings, I argue role involvement in family business has a significant bearing towards generally positive views of private enterprise ideology. However, the relationship between family business involvement and belief in private enterprise is specified along lines of social class. I further argue how private enterprise belief is differentially associated with the lower and upper class of family business members, an important finding given the systematic impact family businesses can have on the economic fabric of American society.","PeriodicalId":299908,"journal":{"name":"Vertices: Duke's Undergraduate Research Journal","volume":"19 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131396147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}