Digital Commons Network^™

College Athlete Mental Health: Identifying Sources Of Support In Collegiate Athletics, Levone Lee, Lauren Beasley, Kaylee A. Palomino, Patricia M. Kelshaw, Joycelyn Kennedy, Deborah Chanan, Elinah Russell, Tarkington J. Newman

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Despite having access to resources and services, college athletes continue to encounter negative mental health experiences and outcomes. Prior research has begun to identify key sources of social support within collegiate athletics, including teammates and athletic trainers. However, there is limited understanding of with whom college athletes feel most comfortable discussing their mental health. The current study aims to identify preferred sources of social support when athletes wish to discuss their mental health and, in turn, examine differences in preference among unique college athlete populations. In total, 247 college athletes participated in the study, representing eight universities within an NCAA …

The High Hallow: Tolkien’S Liturgical Imagination (2025) By Ben Reinhard., Tom Emanuel

Journal of Tolkien Research

Book review, by Tom Emanuel, of The High Hallow: Tolkien’s Liturgical Imagination (2025) by Ben Reinhard.

Heat Waves And Heart Rates: Exploring The Correlation Between Temperature And Anxiety, Denise Lori Loewinger, Laci Joy Walmer

Student Scholar Symposium

“Will an individual be more prone to anxiety or panic attacks with an increase in body temperature?” Anxiety is defined as a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. Commonly known is the idea that situational factors, such as the death of a family member or financial stress may increase a person’s anxiety levels. Yet, according to research, factors such as physical location or high temperatures may also determine the prominence of anxiety. Using temperature- controlled environments in conjunction with medical instruments, we measured the anxiety levels of participants through …

Integrating Multimodal Analysis For Chemical Detection In Victorian Bookcloth: Correlations, Advantages, And Limitations, Leila Ais, Abigail L. Hoermann, Jafer Aljorani

Student Scholar Symposium

The detection of heavy metals in Victorian textiles presents a set of unique analytical challenges that cannot be addressed through usage of a single modality. Here, we detail a novel multimodal analytical approach that integrates distinct yet complementary instrumentation: inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) offering precise quantitative elemental analysis, portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) enabling rapid, affordable, and non-destructive detection, electron dispersive spectroscopy – scanning electron microscopy (EDS-SEM) mapping elemental distributions and sample topography, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealing crystalline structures. This comparative study highlights the strengths and limitations of each analytical technique, demonstrating how their combined use provides a …

Developing Nlp-Based Open-Source Tools To Improve Medication Order Interpretation In Ehr Systems, Preslie Breton

Student Scholar Symposium

Interpreting free-text medication orders in Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems is challenging due to variability, increasing the risk of errors and non-compliance with Joint Commission (TJC) standards. This research develops Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools to enhance medication order accuracy, particularly for Duplicate PRN orders. Our open-source, vendor-neutral approach ensures broad applicability across healthcare institutions while maintaining data security.

Using Python and the Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK), we implemented a four-phase methodology. First, the NLP framework was developed on Google Colab for collaborative accessibility. Next, models were trained on 10,000 anonymized synthetic free-text medication orders to detect non-compliant entries. Model …

Evaluating The Impact Of Precast Vs. Cast-In-Place Concrete: A Life Cycle Assessment Of A Parking Garage In Nashville, Robert Trey Owen

Student Scholar Symposium

Concrete is one of the most widely used building materials in the construction industry, generating $64 billion in revenue, according to the Concrete Financial Insights Index. Given the material’s extensive use, construction professionals seek ways to optimize construction project budgets and schedules. Precast concrete, which is manufactured offsite and then transported to the project when needed, is a potential solution for these goals. This research aims to quantify the benefits of precast concrete over typical cast-in-place methods using a life cycle analysis for a parking garage structure located in Nashville Tennessee.

The data for the two materials will be compared …

Texas German And Cajun French: Decay, Death, And Preservation, Seth Wright

Student Scholar Symposium

No abstract provided.

Change Over Time, Seth Wright

Student Scholar Symposium

No abstract provided.

Using Technology To Boost Grocery Shopping Skills In Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Angela Richardson, Kim Pierson, Elise Shewmaker

Student Scholar Symposium

Student Scholars Symposium

Developing Nlp-Based Open-Source Tools To Improve Titratable Infusion Order Interpretation In Ehr Systems, Benjamin Brewer, Jay Dorris

Student Scholar Symposium

This study evaluates the feasibility of using natural language processing (NLP) tools to identify errors in titratable infusion orders for Joint Commission readiness. Titratable infusions are adjusted at the bedside by nurses based on predefined parameters, such as monitoring goals, titration rate, conditions for adjustment, and maximum dose. These parameters are often documented as free text within order sets but can be inadvertently removed during the verification process. Some electronic health records (EHRs) may not prominently display this critical information, leading to potential Joint Commission violations. A synthetic dataset was generated using artificial intelligence to simulate one year’s worth of …

The Fast And The Nutritious: Rapid Lc-Ms/Ms Analysis Of Vitamin B Complex Pharmacokinetics, Anna Losher, Abigail Davis, Yusra Ahmed, Sora Ghanem, Laurel Littlefield, Matthew J. Vergne

Student Scholar Symposium

No abstract provided.

The Eastern Frontier: Border Forts Of The Nile Delta And Sinai During The New Kingdom Period In Egypt, Andrew Cahill

Student Scholar Symposium

Throughout history, nations have always sought to secure their borders in order to control the flow of people and commerce so that the interests of that particular state are served. Ancient Egypt was no exception, with a string of border forts established going back at least as far as the 12^th Dynasty. During the New Kingdom Period (Dynasties 18-20), Egypt wielded great political power in the Near East, and there were two primary lines of access into Egypt from that direction. This paper will give an overview of the major issues related to the archaeology of the forts along …

Understanding The Role Of Hd5 In Colonic Epithelial Cell Death, Maryam M. Gerges, Amanda D. Williams

Student Scholar Symposium

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks healthy tissue. IBD can occur in both adults and children, describing Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn’s Colitis (CC). Our lab studies human alpha defensin 5 (HD5), an antimicrobial peptide that normally maintains small intestinal sterility. However, in CC patients, HD5 is overexpressed in the colon. Preliminary data suggests that HD5 increases colonic cell death. This project aims to determine if HD5 induces apoptosis and its mechanisms. To this end, we will test if the suppression of caspase enzymes with a pan-caspase inhibitor reduces cell death triggered by …

Environmental, Social, And Governance (Esg) Teaching Resources For Use In Any Accounting Class, Misty Newby

Student Scholar Symposium

With current and future Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting regulations, industry pressures, and stakeholder expectations, many organizations integrate ESG goals into business strategy. To aid accounting faculty in their goal of preparing students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to create, review, and audit ESG reports, this flexible, three-part ESG teaching module can be used in whole or in part in any accounting course. This teaching resource provides lecture files (Google Slides), lecture notes, and student assignments and can be scaled up or down to fit the lecture needs. Topics covered in the modules include Sustainability, Climate Change, and …

Impact Of Zar1l Expression On Drug Response In Breast Cancer Cells, Maryam M. Gerges, Smita Misra

Student Scholar Symposium

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among females. BC arises from the uncontrolled proliferation of breast epithelial cells. A crucial gene associated with BC is the Breast Cancer Susceptibility Gene 2 (BRCA2), a tumor suppressor that aids in DNA repair. Proper BRCA2 function helps prevent BC. Our lab studied the cell cycle-dependent expression of BRCA2 revealing that its promoter exhibits bi-directional activity. During cell division, forward activity transcribes BRCA2, while in the resting phase, reverse activity transcribes ZAR2 (Zygote Arrest 1 Like). ZAR2, an RNA-binding protein with …

Investigating The Effects Of Albendazole On The Hatch Rate And Motility Of C. Elegans Eggs, Jennifer Domingo Diaz, Emma Duerson

Student Scholar Symposium

Over 1.5 billion individuals a year are infected with soil-transmitted helminths (STH) such as whipworm, hookworm, and Ascaris. These infections have detrimental effects on human growth, nutrition, and cognition leading to a cycle of poverty. Currently, The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes four drugs to treat STH for mass drug administration which consist of two mechanisms of action. These fall into two classes, nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists and benzimidazoles. Albendazole, the drug of choice, is a beta-tubulin inhibitor that induces the immobilization and death of STH (Malik and Dua, 2023). The widespread use of these drugs and the limited mechanism …

Importance Of Sustainability Within Children’S Hospitals, Ashley Newby

Student Scholar Symposium

Author: Ashley Newby

Presentation Type: Poster

Faculty Mentor: G. Dodd Galbreath

Discipline: Sustainability and Pediatric Nursing

Importance of Sustainability within Children’s Hospitals

Sustainability is an important aspect of every environment that one encounters. For pediatric patients entering a children’s hospital, it is probably not something that is important and at the top of their list when looking for healthcare. However, sustainable children’s hospitals have not only their patients as their first priority, but they also take the earth into account. Some might not realize that they are walking into a sustainable children’s hospital unless someone tells them.

Topics include:

-Look …

Making Robotic Reinforcement Learning More Efficient: Analyzing The Serl Framework, Faris Jugovic, Cleiver Ruiz-Martinez, Ryan Vander Stelt

Student Scholar Symposium

Teaching robots through reinforcement learning (RL) has made great progress, but real-world training is still difficult. Robots need lots of practice to learn, rewards can be hard to define, and resetting the environment after each attempt is often a challenge. The Sample-Efficient Robotic Reinforcement Learning (SERL) framework helps solve these issues by offering a ready-to-use, open-source software package that makes RL more practical for real-world robotics.

This project explores SERL and how it improves robotic RL by making learning faster and more efficient. SERL includes smarter ways to reuse training data, automatic methods for understanding rewards from images, and a …

The Role Of Human Alpha Defensin 5 (Hd5) In Disrupted Wound Healing Processes In Crohn’S Colitis, Jafer Aljorani, Amanda Williams

Student Scholar Symposium

Wound healing is a complex biological process requiring the coordinated function of multiple proteins. In chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly Crohn’s Colitis (CC), this process is dysregulated, leading to delayed tissue repair and increased disease burden. Prior studies indicate that Human Alpha Defensin 5 (HD5) is over-expressed in the colonic epithelium of CC patients, yet its impact on wound healing remains poorly understood. Our laboratory has identified that HD5 may impair wound healing by modulating key structural and regulatory proteins. Preliminary findings suggest that HD5 reduces the expression and function of desmoplakin, a critical desmosomal protein essential for maintaining …

A Design Of Our Own: Legal Ramifications Of Progressing Our Own Replacements One Face At A Time, Katlin Thorpe

Student Scholar Symposium

No abstract provided.

Heavy Metal Thunder: Nashville's Lakes And Streams Bring The Noise, Deron Young, Leila Ais, Leah Jacob, Matthew J. Vergne

Student Scholar Symposium

Surface water bodies, including lakes and rivers, can contain naturally occurring and pollution-derived chemicals and metals that may pose risks to public health. This study aimed to identify and quantify metal concentrations in water samples from the Cumberland River in Nashville and Clarksville, as well as Radnor Lake, to assess potential health risks for water sports participants and those using the water for drinking or agricultural purposes.

Seven water samples were collected and analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES), a highly sensitive technique for detecting trace elements. The samples were prepared by adding nitric acid and analyzed …

Investigation Of Aldehyde Oxidase Inhibition By Clopidogrel And Its Thiol Metabolite, Rachel Crouch, Merna Kamal, Hilina Woldeamanuel

Student Scholar Symposium

Aldehyde oxidase (AO) is an enzyme that metabolizes drugs containing aromatic azaheterocycles. Small thiol-containing molecules have been reported to inactivate AO. Clopidogrel is an antiplatelet agent used to treat cardiovascular diseases. Clopidogrel is a prodrug that is bioactivated in vivo by cytochrome P450 enzymes CYP3A4 and CYP2C19 into a thiol metabolite. Our research aims to explore whether the clopidogrel thiol metabolite can inhibit AO, leading to potential drug-drug interactions when co-administered with other drugs that are metabolized by AO. In order to determine whether the prodrug clopidogrel and/or its thiol metabolite inhibit AO, O6-benzylguanine (AO substrate) was incubated with human …

Challenges And Opportunities In Adult Group Piano Pedagogy, Sarah Faulk

Student Scholar Symposium

Poster presentation describing one teacher's experience and observations of adult group piano teaching. This addresses challenges and making the most out of the opportunities presented.

Understanding Urban Homelessness: A Comparative Analysis Of Nyc, La, And Seattle, Mia Gregory

Student Scholar Symposium

Homelessness remains a persistent crisis in America’s largest and most diverse cities, despite differences in housing strategies, policy, and economic conditions. This research examines why major U.S. cities continue to experience high levels of homelessness by analyzing New York City, Los Angeles, and Seattle—three cities that consistently rank among the highest in homeless populations. According to USA Facts (2024), these cities account for roughly 33.5% of the nation’s homeless population, underscoring the urgency of this issue.

This study investigates factors contributing to the differences in homelessness rates among these cities, including housing affordability, policy effectiveness, and social services and resources. …

Pediatric Glioblastoma Molecular Mechanisms, Ariana Trabachino, Joshua Owens

Student Scholar Symposium

Powerpoint presentation

Functionality Of The Ryanodine Receptor Type 1 (Ryr1) In The Development Of Malignant Hyperthermia (Mh), Cesar Medina, Joshua Owens

Student Scholar Symposium

Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) is a rare but potentially lethal pharmacogenetic disorder, affecting roughly 1 in 30,000 children and 1 in 100,000 adults undergoing surgery. MH can be triggered by agents used for general anesthesia. These may include volatile anesthetics such as sevoflurane, isoflurane, desflurane, halothane or depolarizing neuromuscular blockers such as succinylcholine. Upon administration of a trigger, an MH susceptible (MHS) patient can develop a hypermetabolic state during the intraoperative or postoperative periods. If not treated quickly, an MH episode could result in organ dysfunction or death. The primary mechanisms involved in the development of an MH crisis include the …

The Effects Of Added Xanthan Gum On The Acceptability Of Gluten-Free Shortcake, Samuel Garrett, Seth Beach, Maiya Zepeda

Student Scholar Symposium

The Effects of Added Xanthan Gum on the Acceptability of Gluten-Free Shortcake

Introduction: The incidence of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity has increased, driving demand for gluten-free (GF) baked goods. However, replicating the texture and structure provided by gluten remains a challenge. Xanthan gum, a common additive in GF baking, may improve texture and overall product acceptability. This study evaluates whether adding xanthan gum to a homemade GF flour blend improves the quality of GF shortcake.

Methods: A control shortcake made with all-purpose flour was compared to three GF versions: 1) commercial GF flour, 2) homemade GF flour blend (white …

Discussion Of The Collatz Conjecture, Morgan Hayes

Student Scholar Symposium

The Collatz conjecture was introduced in 1937, but, despite the efforts of many mathematicians, it has yet to be proven. It appears to have very little connection to other areas of mathematics, although some aspects of it allude to questions similar to those asked in studies of prime numbers and the Riemann Hypothesis. The nature of the Collatz sequence allows it to be useful in cryptography and semi-random number generation. Some, including Craig Alan Feinstein, believe a formal proof of the conjecture is not possible. Others believe mathematics has not been developed enough to resolve the issue. To enter into …

Antigone In Munich Design/Vision, Sofia Hernandez, Saidee Hannel, Joylin Lescalleet, Emma Stanard, Kayla Beene

Student Scholar Symposium

Antigone in Munich was a fully student-led production. Through this presentation, the designers and director will discuss different tasks involved in the production, how the vision was accomplished, the challenges that were overcome, and what it meant to mount a mainstage production show with all students. The director, lighting designer, set designer, sound designer, and costume designer will discuss what it took to fulfill the vision of this beautiful story.

Antigone In Munich Scene Performance, Sofia Hernandez, Emma Ramsey, Rachel Penner

Student Scholar Symposium

In this presentation, two actors will portray the roles they played in a student production of Antigone in Munich for Lipscomb University Theatre's MainStage productions. The performance, which includes a combination of scenes from the play, will capture for audiences a feel of the show and the production team's vision.