Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating The Bioactivity Of Novel Β-Diketonate Complexes, Celeste Remolina, Dylan Wolfe

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Ruthenium β-diketonate complexes have emerged as promising chemotherapeutics due to their selective bioactivity against tumors. We assessed the bioactivity of novel synthesized ruthenium β-diketonate complexes on human cancer cells as well as wild-type cells. Using cell growth assays, we screened candidate ruthenium complexes and determined the IC50 value for effective candidates. Here we present a model for ruthenium-mediated growth inhibition

Predicting The Probability Of Having Diabetes Using Machine Learning, Logan C. Stewart

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Each year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) distribute the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) telephone surveys to acquire nationwide data about US residents' health. This survey collects data on hundreds of health-related variables from hundreds of thousands of participants. It is a powerful tool for building health promotion and has even influenced and supported health-related state legislation. This study uses that data to predict an individual's probability of having diabetes based on dietary, demographic, health, and economic factors. Diabetes is a group of diseases that causes the body to use insulin ineffectively, and one in four …

Modeling Social Media Mob Dynamics Using A Hybrid Scvir System With Time-Varying Parameters And Recurrent Neural Networks, Noushin Gauhar

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

In this work, we develop a discrete-time susceptible-counter-infected-vaccinated-recovered (SCIVR) epidemiological framework to model the spread of mob-like information on social media. The model captures the interaction between susceptible neutral attention, infected mob-spreading narratives, counter or corrective discourse, low-visibility (vaccinated) content, and collective disengagement. COVID-19 twitter data were transformed into daily compartmental aggregates using sentiment polarity and retweet-based visibility thresholds, facilitating high-resolution modeling of information diffusion processes. The dataset comprises globally collected tweets between April and June 2021, filtered using keywords including “COVID19”, “coronavirus”, “quarantine”, “socialdistancing”, “staysafe”, “stayhome” and “lockdown”. Qualitative analysis of the SCIVR system includes derivation of the mob-free …

Exploring Attentional Mechanisms Of Speech-Gesture Integration, Lisa Gallo, Elizabeth Wakefield

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Gestures are hand movements that provide information and can clarify ambiguous speech. For example, in the sentence “Sparky is a pet”, the type of pet is unclear; however, if the speaker produces a flapping arm gesture, listeners could infer that Sparky is a bird.

Despite gestures sometimes providing the only information needed to resolve ambiguity in a spoken message, not all individuals integrate gesture into their understanding of speech (e.g., Winter & Duffy, 2020; Demir-Lira et al., 2018). The mechanisms underlying this variability remain unclear.

Here, we investigate one potential mechanism supporting integration: visual attention to gesture. We ask:

1) …

Ceramics From The Central Valley Of Oaxaca?, Brianda Gonzalez

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This is an ongoing project that initially aimed to identify a selection of ceramic sherds from the Father Grollig Legacy Collection. “Legacy collection” refers to the fact that it was not curated according to modern standards, including a lack of proper documentation. With several scholarly sources in the field of archaeology and feedback from other scholars, my goal became to get as close an identification as possible. This research has demonstrated that even with significant time and effort dedicated to a legacy collection, the answers will not always be straightforward.

The Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) On The Development Of Reckless Behavior In Adulthood, Cheyenne Harvey

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Current literature suggests that there is a correlation between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and behaviors in adulthood (e.g., substance use, crime). Research also shows that childhood trauma can lead to increased risk-taking or reckless behavior later in life. A study by Assini-Meytin et al. (2021) found that having a higher number of ACEs is linked to more risky behaviors in adulthood. These risky behaviors are often ways to deal with emotional problems caused by early stress. Anda et al. (2006) points out that these experiences can cause lasting changes in brain development, especially in areas that handle impulse control. The …

Table Of Contents, Georgia State University College Of Law

Georgia State University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Cover Page, Georgia State University College Of Law

Georgia State University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Morphological Identification Of Echinostomas Found Within Dabbler And Diving Ducks, Sammy Schneider, Emma Harms, Miana Risser, Madison Becker

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Most ducks can be separated into two categories, dabblers or divers, depending on their feeding guild. Dabbler ducks are surface feeders and consume vegetation while diver ducks feed below the surface and consume aquatic animals. The Echinostoma species present in ducks may vary depending on their feeding guild. Three species of ducks from various regions of Wisconsin were donated by hunters for examination of endoparasites, particularly those from the genus Echinostoma. The sites of collection included Trempealeau, Marionette, and Onalaska. One species of dabbler duck, Gadwall (Mareca strepera), and two species of diver ducks, Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) and Canvasback …

Exploring Boolean Dependency Mapping For Rust Crates Aimed At Embedded Systems, Hamilton A. Ferris

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Rust Crates are concise, safe ways to abstract compilation units in the Rust programming language. Each crate can be compiled individually, or some may depend on others (i.e. function `bar` may depend on crate `foo`). However, there is no standard way to compile Rust crates in a `no_std` configuration, which targets the compilation at embedded systems. Existing research into this topic mostly focuses on developer opinion. Sharma et al. (2025) discovered that only 68% of developers thought that Rust crate support was sufficient. In addition, 92% of developers surveyed also used C for embedded systems, and 64% of them claimed …

Reframing Alpha-Gal Syndrome As A One Health Oral Health Risk: A Theoretical Model For Dental Safety And Policy Reform, Oyebolu Aderinola Akinkugbe, Akuchinyere Titus-Okpanachi, Oluwatosin Marylyn Oduneye

Liberty University Research Week

No abstract provided.

Perceived Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, And Barriers Of Jordanian Nursing Faculty To Integrate Genomic Concepts In The Curriculum: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study, Rachel Joseph

Wisdom & Compassion: The LUSON Journal

Background: Rapid advances in genomics knowledge and the expansion of precision medicine have amplified expectations for nurses to integrate genomic concepts into education and clinical practice. Evidence regarding genomic knowledge, attitudes, practices, and barriers among nursing faculty in the Middle East is limited. To equip practicing and emerging nurses, faculty must be equipped. Faculty preparedness is critical to successful curriculum integration and to preparing future nurses for genomic-informed care.

Purpose: This study examined the perceived knowledge, attitudes, practices, and barriers related to integrating genomic concepts in the nursing curriculum among nursing faculty in Jordan.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was …

Volume 3, Issue 2 - Complete Issue

Wisdom & Compassion: The LUSON Journal

No abstract provided.

Tolkien’S Thomist Triad: A High Medieval Response To Contemporary Jus Ad Bellum, Jeffrey S. Dixon

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

This paper reviews the development of the component of just war theory dealing with whether it is just to wage a war in the first place (jus ad bellum) from the early medieval to early modern eras and compares its principles to J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels about Middle-Earth. Tolkien’s views on the concept of jus ad bellum can be dated to a specific point in the medieval era, just before a number of modern, consequentialist criteria were added to Catholic thought on just war. I conclude that Tolkien’s fictional works permit broader justifications for war than do most modern just war …

From Maldon To Mordor: Hobbits And The Lord-Retainer Relationship In The Lord Of The Rings, Samuel A. Masters

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Content warning: this paper discusses suicide and suicidal thoughts.

Tolkien’s interest in Old Germanic heroism had a profound impact upon the hobbits of The Lord of the Rings, and the Christianised form of heroism that they represent. In his essays, ‘Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics (1936) and ‘The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son’ (1953), Tolkien praises the loving, paternalistic relationship between a lord and his retainers in Old English poetry; this aspect of medieval heroism is retained in Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin However, Tolkien also highlights several shortcomings of the Old Germanic ‘Northern Courage’. In …

From Viðkenning To Valarindi: The Enigma Of Goldberry And The River-Woman, Derek Simon

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

THIS IS A TWO-PART ARTICLE. IN ORDER TO READ OR DOWNLOAD THE OTHER PART, FOLLOW THE LINK AT THE END OF THIS ABSTRACT.

Building upon the previous examination of the eddic and skaldic contours of Goldberry’s River kenning names, this reading of Goldberry’s enigma focuses on the mythological referents of her kinship relations and their narrative consistency in the legendarium.  Tending to the intrinsic connection between “[t]he incarnate mind, the tongue, and the tale” (Tolkien, On Fairy Stories, 41), I contend that the poetics of kenning diction sustain if not demand a reading of the River-woman references mythologically through …

The Soldier’S Stigmata, Part Ii: Figura, The Four Senses Of Interpretation, And Other Matters In Lois Mcmaster Bujold’S “The Borders Of Infinity”, Andrew Hallam

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

THIS IS A TWO-PART ARTICLE. IN ORDER TO READ OR DOWNLOAD THE OTHER PART, FOLLOW THE LINK AT THE END OF THIS ABSTRACT.

This article will explore the connection between Lois McMaster Bujold’s novella “The Borders of Infinity,” the Aristotelian theory of habitus as developed further in the letters of the Apostle Paul and by the sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, and the four senses of interpretation of scripture first conceived in antiquity and later refined by medieval philosophers. Habitus as a durable disposition, state, or condition (Aristotle) is a structured and structuring social practice or set of social practices (Bourdieu) that …

Everything You Know About The Piano Is Wrong, Khuong Vo

Liberty University Research Week

No abstract provided.

Growing Large Single And Multi-Crystals From Alum Powder, Owen Paulson, Mayra G. Aguilar, Owen T. Maloney, Kole C. Koehler

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Crystal growth science is used to replicate the growth of crystals that form in nature. Channels of hot fluid with concentrations of minerals created the crystals found as gemstones. At low concentrations, no crystal grows. At high concentrations, a multitude of crystals grow. At the ideal concentration, a single, clear crystal grows. Four solution concentrations were used to create seed crystals. Those Alum seed crystals were attached to a string and suspended in various concentrations of Alum solution to find concentrations that create no crystal, a single crystal, and a multi-crystal.

Beyond Caseloads And Calendars: Measuring Staff Satisfaction In Treatment Court, Ariana R. Huntington

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Background and Purpose: Treatment courts are specialized programs designed to divert individuals from incarceration while supporting recovery and rehabilitation. With more than 4,000 treatment courts operating nationwide and serving over 150,000 individuals annually, they represent a critical component of the criminal justice system. Treatment court staff may be particularly vulnerable to stress due to sustained exposure to complex substance use cases and systemic, administrative, and team-related demands. Assessing staff well-being is therefore essential, as it has implications for court effectiveness, workforce stability, and overall system functioning. Despite this importance, limited research has examined the experiences of treatment court professionals. The …

Implementation Of Education Regarding Trafficking Among Healthcare Staff And Community Organizations, Anna M. Peterson, Kate E. Arndorfer

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Background: Over the past two decades, human trafficking has received increasing media attention and public awareness efforts. Despite this, significant gaps remain in the knowledge and preparedness of healthcare professionals, specifically nursing staff, to identify and respond to trafficking victims. Human trafficking includes the exploitation of individuals through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for labor or sexual acts. Survivors often experience acute injuries, chronic illness, psychological trauma, and long-term health complications. Healthcare settings, particularly emergency departments, may be one of the few opportunities for victims to have contact with professionals outside of trafficking situations. However, there is a …

Evaluations Of Forgiveness Motivations Within Familial Relationships: Which Forgiveness Motivations Are Evaluated More Appropriately?, Abigayle Minger, Alexandra Stallard, Alexis Cobo, Juliana Sieber

Liberty University Research Week

Those who have experienced injustice¿possess¿the freedom¿to forgive¿offenders. The focus of this study is¿to investigate¿how¿third parties evaluate¿a¿forgivers’¿choice¿to extend forgiveness and their¿justification for doing so.¿The two primary motivations behind forgiveness in¿previous literature¿are inner peace and¿maintaining¿relationships.¿As a¿replication¿and¿extension to¿Kim et al. (2026)¿study,¿a¿3 X 2 X 2 factorial design¿was¿conducted¿with¿college students in the United States¿(N =¿260)¿by utilizing vignettes in which the following factors were manipulated: type of relationship¿(parent-child,¿sibling, or¿classmate¿relationship),¿motivation¿(inner peace or relationship maintenance),¿and severity¿(less severe and more severe)¿of offense. Previous literature has¿observed¿a significant effect between¿the motivation for forgiveness and third-parties appropriateness rating.¿Surprisingly, the data did not reveal a significant difference in appropriateness based on the forgiveness …

Exploring The Mandelbrot Set In Real Algebras, Shane Weimar

Liberty University Research Week

The Mandelbrot set is a fractal in the complex plane. Its boundary is chaotic, and very difficult to determine completely. In recent years, mathematicians have put considerable effort into understanding the Mandelbrot set, since understanding the Mandelbrot set would give insight into how fractals and chaos work in general. However, very little research has been conducted into the Mandelbrot set in abstract algebras. This research will categorize some of these algebras and compute the Mandelbrot set in them.

National Trends And State-Level Correlates Of Medications For Opioid Use Disorder Utilization Among Treatment Admissions In The United States, 2014-2023, Prince Osei Sarpong, Emmanuel Owusu, Manasvi Shiyani, Michael Ago Tetteh, Naa Komley Commey

Liberty University Research Week

Background: Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) reduce overdose risk and improve retention in care, yet implementation at treatment entry remains uneven across the United States. Study objectives and hypotheses: To examine national and state-level patterns in MOUD use at treatment admission from 2014 through 2023 and to identify state-year characteristics associated with higher utilization. We hypothesized that MOUD use would vary substantially across states and would be lower in state years with greater structural disadvantage.

Methods: A repeated cross-sectional ecological study was conducted using the Treatment Episode Data Set-Admissions public use file. The analytic sample included adult admissions from …

Aerodynamic Performance Analysis Of High-Powered Rocket Airbrakes, Simon Babcock, Samuel Worthington, Sophia Batchelor

Liberty University Research Week

This research investigates the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to derive a coefficient-of-drag (Cd) profile for a high-powered rocket with an active airbrake control system to drive precise apogee control and trajectory prediction. High-fidelity CFD simulations are used to produce a reliable drag-coefficient function across relevant Mach numbers with airbrakes retracted and extended into the relative airstream, enabling more accurate trajectory modeling and control strategies for rockets employing aerodynamic drag modulation. This accurate drag characterization is critical as small deviations in the rocket’s Cd can significantly alter the predicted launch behavior and stability during high-powered flight. Prior work in …

Beyond Nonspecific Low Back Pain - Identifying Mild Scoliosis In A Collegiate Diver: A Type 3 Case Study, Zoey Nelson, Ashley Sennett, John Coots

Liberty University Research Week

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Digital Restriction On Psychological And Physiological Well-Being, Rachel Anderson, Andrew Gatto, Caroline Berghuis, Kaden Randlett, Lilianna Franke

Liberty University Research Week

Past research on digital restriction has shown that limiting smartphone usage could have a significant effect on psychological well-being. We also propose that smartphone restriction could have an effect on physiological well-being. To understand these effects, we completed a mixed-methods randomized delayed intervention factorial experiment. Participants were randomly assigned to smartphone restriction immediately (1A) or delayed (1B), or social media restriction immediately (2A) or delayed (2B). During each lab visit (baseline, two weeks, and four weeks), data on perceived well-being and smartphone screentime logs were collected. To assess physiological well-being, heart rate variability (HRV) was collected using Polar-brand H10 chest …

Machine-Learning Based Airbrakes Control For Rocket Apogee Targeting, Sara Schweitzer, Christopher Brown, Daniel Isenhour

Liberty University Research Week

In rocketry, small variations in weather and launch conditions can cause large differences in the highest altitude (“apogee”) a rocket can reach during flight, which makes targeting a precise altitude difficult. Airbrakes—small and deployable surfaces that increase drag—can actively adjust a rocket’s climb to achieve the intended apogee. Our goal is to develop an airbrake deployment approach that can translate to real rocket applications for teams lacking resources such as high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics, wind tunnel testing, or multiple test launches. Therefore, rather than using a control method that continuously adjusts the amount the airbrakes are deployed into the airstream, …

Project Akira: Data Mining And Merging, And Training A Custom-Built Gpt To Produce Therapist-Like, Ethically Coherent Responses, Rocco Moore, Joshua Farara

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Numerous artificial intelligence GPT models are trained on various language dataset types, including ethical and mental health dialogue, to produce ethically coherent responses, and these datasets are opened and merged together via the efficient processes of data mining and data merging. To explore how companies such as OpenAI and Microsoft achieve these goals, we implemented our own custom-built GPT, named AkiraGPT, which has recently and historically had issues generating ethical responses, simulating self awareness, and has sometimes generated incomprehensible, contextually irrelevant responses. In addition to that, AkiraGPT would sometimes have it's responses be "cut off." 

Our goal with our research …

Predicting Diabetes Using Logistic Regression: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of The Pima Indians Diabetes Dataset, Caroline Andrew, Ibrahim Aliu

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Introduction: Globally, Diabetes affects an estimated 589 million adults and caused approximately 3.4 million deaths equivalent to one death every six seconds, with type 2 diabetes accounting for most cases. The Pima Indians of Arizona have one of the highest documented prevalence rates of type 2 diabetes globally, making their population central to diabetes research. Although the Pima Diabetes Dataset has been widely used in predictive and machine-learning studies, few investigations have applied rigorous multivariable epidemiologic methods to quantify the independent contributions of key demographic and metabolic risk factors. This study aimed to characterize diabetes risk factors and quantify independent …