Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Enzyme Inhibition & Release Of Hydrogen Sulfide: A Medicinally Therapeutic Study, Chase Shinabery, Jonah Petri

Liberty University Research Week

Based on information reported in previous studies, the release of a gaseous compound called hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been shown to increase medicinally beneficial effects in patients with glaucoma. These positive effects are expressed as a decreased level of pruritus (itchiness) and pain located in the eyes. Ongoing research strives to maximize these positive effects through the formation of various compounds in the endocannabinoid system that release hydrogen sulfide when applied to patients who have glaucoma. Through the formation of various thioureas and carbamates, researchers at Liberty University have found that trace amounts of hydrogen sulfide are released in biologically …

Reconceptualizing Grief Following The Death Of Abusive Or Toxic Family Members: A Trauma-Informed Theoretical Framework, Janita Daggy, Tammy Griffin, Tiffany Spatz

Liberty University Research Week

Grief following the death of an abusive, neglectful, or chronically toxic family member is often complex and poorly captured by traditional models of bereavement. This theoretical presentation examines grief after the death of a harmful parent, sibling, or other close family member using a trauma-informed, attachment-based, and constructivist framework. While classic grief theories emphasize loss, longing, and reunion, survivors of family abuse may experience relief, emotional numbness, anger, guilt, or identity conflict, responses that frequently fall outside socially sanctioned narratives of grief and may be disenfranchised or invalidated. Drawing on trauma and attachment theory, grief is conceptualized as a meaning-making …

Rapid Challenges In Infectious Disease And Mosquito-Borne Parasite Detection, Carrington Vines

Liberty University Research Week

This project examines the diagnostic challenges facing "frontier" labs in regions like Lynchburg, VA, and rural Alaska. It contrasts the "Old Guard" (manual microscopy) with the "New Guard" (PCR/ELISA), highlighting a performance jump from 70% to 98% sensitivity. However, this precision is met by a "Financial Reality" check: costs spike from $10 to over $150 per test, creating a barrier for low-volume rural clinics. To bridge this gap, the study proposes Vector-Informed Care—using mosquito surveillance as an early warning system to deploy expensive molecular tools efficiently. Grounded in the biblical mandate of the "Watchman" (Ezekiel 33:7), this hybrid strategy ensures …

Stress And Fructose Uptake In Enterocytes, Gretchka Mair, Landri Shope

Liberty University Research Week

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the most prevalent form of diabetes worldwide and represents a growing global health concern. T2DM is characterized by chronic fasting hyperglycemia and is increasingly associated with alterations in the gut microbiome. This study tests the hypothesis that heat stress, a gut dysbiosis-associated stressor, will upregulate the fructose transporter GLUT5 in enterocytes. Increased GLUT5 expression may enhance intestinal fructose uptake, thereby contributing to worsened glycemic control in T2DM. While the mechanism linking inflammation and impaired glucose homeostasis remains elusive, emerging evidence supports strong associations among gut dysbiosis, systemic inflammation, and insulin resistance.

Zonulin And Microbial Dysbiosis’ Role In Celiac Disease Pathogenesis: A Potential Pathway For Prevention, Ella Claire Horne

Liberty University Research Week

Celiac disease is an autoimmune inflammatory condition triggered by an immune-mediated response to dietary gluten. Celiac disease has traditionally been explained by the interaction between genetic susceptibility and gluten exposure. However, this model does not fully explain variability in disease onset. It is important to investigate whether gastrointestinal microbial dysbiosis promoting zonulin-mediated intestinal permeability increases immune activation in genetically predisposed individuals, contributing to celiac disease development. Current literature demonstrates that patients with celiac disease frequently exhibit altered gut microbiota composition leading to gut microbial dysbiosis, with overgrowth of harmful bacteria and decreased beneficial bacteria. This disruption in microbe diversity changes …

Perceived Coaching-Based Leadership As A Predictor Of Employee Communication Quality, Rachel Gaines

Liberty University Research Week

Effective workplace communication plays a critical role in employee engagement, collaboration, and overall organizational effectiveness. Leadership behaviors significantly influence communication climates; however, limited research has examined how coaching-based leadership specifically predicts the quality of employee communication. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study is to examine whether perceived coaching-based leadership predicts the quality of employee communication in organizational settings. Coaching-based leadership emphasizes behaviors such as reflective thinking, developmental feedback, and supportive guidance, which may foster communication environments characterized by clarity, openness, and constructive feedback. Data will be collected from approximately 100–150 working adults across sectors, including healthcare, education, and nonprofit …

Reframing Treatment For Binge Eating Disorder: Integrating Physical, Psychological, Behavioral And Spiritual Domains To Improve Treatment Outcomes, Lily Carone

Liberty University Research Week

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is the most prevalent eating disorder and is frequently treated using interventions designed for Bulimia Nervosa (BN and Anorexia Nervosa (AN). In fact, many programs treat clients with BED, BN, and AN in the same milieu with similar interventions. As a result, specific clinical issues are not addressed, so many clients with BED exit treatment prematurely with little to no improvement in symptoms. Traditionally, interventions for BED have been universally prescribed and include food exposure to decrease binges and cognitive behavioral therapy to improve negative self-image without addressing other important aspects of BED such as weight-related …

“Be Early, Be Loud, Wear Red”: An Ethnographic Study Of The Performance Of Liberty University Football Fan Identity And Boundaries, Cathryn Thomas

Liberty University Research Week

Social identity theory explains how college sports fandom can shape both social and personal identities, particularly through the formation of in-groups and out-groups based on identification with a team and opposition to rivals. Sports fans often communicate and behave in ways that signal their membership in the in-group while simultaneously distinguishing or excluding out-group members. This study examines how Liberty University football fans perform these in-group behaviors and how they mark boundaries with out-group members. Through observations made during a Liberty University Homecoming football game, the study deepens understanding of how sports fans construct belonging and unbelonging, and how these …

How Enneagram Types And Communication Styles Influence Political Party Affiliation, Hadley Hunt

Liberty University Research Week

The purpose of this research is to explore how political party affiliation is associated with personality differences, as shown through Enneagram types. This study will use a quantitative survey method. Data will be collected using a survey through Qualtrics. Participants will be asked to disclose their Enneagram type and political party affiliation. This research is needed to better understand how personality traits influence political identity. It is relevant because political conversations are becoming more polarized, and understanding communication differences could potentially reduce misunderstanding and conflict. This research helps communication scholars understand the connection of personality and ideology shape communication styles.

The Fall Of Saigon And Its Legacy In The United States, Logan J. Kemp

The Penguin Review

The topic of South Vietnam has always been one close to home. My mother and grandma were evacuated from Saigon before the country fell to North Vietnam in 1975. They hopped on a US military helicopter, taking multiple stops on ships and islands before eventually landing in Orange County, California. Because of the evacuation, my family members were forced to start a new life; however, it was better than being sent to a re-education camp. My Grandma had done some business with an American, and she could have lost her life if she had been sent to the camps. Tens …

Annual Archaeology Update: The Valley Of Kings, Sophia Shapiro

The Penguin Review

There can be no contest for the Review’s annual archaeological highlight for 2025. Exactly one hundred years after Egyptologists discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun (King Tut) in the Valley of Kings, archaeologists discovered a series of steps buried by rockfall.

The War On War: Desensitization's Effects On Society's Moral Fabric, Chelsea E. Johnson, Andrew J. Cudden

The Penguin Review

In an era of constant connectivity, violence is no longer distant or intermittent. Wars, political repression, mass shootings, and humanitarian crises now unfold in real time, shared instantly through twenty-four-hour news cycles and social media. Never before has global suffering been so visible. Yet this unprecedented access has failed to produce sustained moral urgency or collective responsibility. Instead, violence becomes increasingly utilised as fleeting content–viewed, shared, and then displaced by the next trending event. This paradox raises a pressing ethical question: how can a world more informed of suffering become so morally disengaged from it?

Deaf Development In The Church: The Importance Of Deaf-Led Ministries, Emma Chupp

Liberty University Research Week

This study examines the lived experiences of Deaf pastors across the United States to identify gaps of resources and technical Deaf ministry training and better understand how dDeaf pastors are being equipped to lead dDeaf churches. For the purposes of this study the capitalization of Deaf refers to culturally deaf individuals and the term dDeaf refers to the entire dDeaf and Hard-of-Hearing community. In the United States and around the globe, it is common for the dDeaf community to be excluded from mainstream Christian churches – not out of intention but cultural differences. Traditional hearing churches are not accessible nor …

Ethical Discernment In Virtual Supervision: Implications For Supervisory Practice, Joshua Freeman

Liberty University Research Week

As counselor supervision increasingly occurs in virtual settings, supervisors must attend not only to ethical standards and professional judgment, but also to how technology reshapes communication, relational dynamics, and ethical interpretation. Virtual environments alter the conditions under which supervisory presence, power, and meaning-making are experienced, introducing new ethical complexities, especially when addressing values, spirituality, and religious worldviews in clinical work. This presentation advances a conceptual framework positioning ethical discernment as a primary mediating process in virtual supervision. Drawing from the Discrimination Model of supervision and professional ethical standards, the framework integrates supervision theory, ethical decision-making, spirituality, and worldview considerations within …

Robust Thermodynamic Analysis Of Flexible Protein-Ligand Binding Using Statistical Mechanics, Mitchell Dulaney

Create@State

Understanding how proteins bind small molecules is essential for accurate computational modeling of biological systems. However, calculating binding free energy (delta G), enthalpy (delta H), and entropy (delta S) becomes unreliable when proteins are flexible, and ligands are between multiple binding positions. This motion causes traditional computational methods to produce inconsistent thermodynamic values.

A computational workflow was implemented that included docking to predict likely binding positions, molecular dynamics simulations to sample how the protein and ligand move over time, and statistical mechanics analysis to calculate thermodynamic quantities. A new theoretical framework was developed and implemented in a custom program to …

Ma(1) Or White Noise?, Orithea Regn, Ferebee Tunno

Create@State

This project provides an over of testing an MA(1) process confidence interval while keeping the margin of error to a minimum, even for small sample sizes.

Pop Art's Influences On 1960s Mod Fashion, Erin Bryan

Create@State

Abstract

I will be exploring how the pop art movement, in particular, influenced the fashion associated with the 1960s Mod style. This style was popular among young people in Britain, as the term “Mod” is short for “Modernist”, and featured bold colors, geometric motifs, sharp lines, as well as slim and simple silhouettes.  I will be creating my own 1960s mini dress, following a vintage pattern from that time, and using fabric that reflects the bright, geometric, and colorful characteristics of pop art, all while documenting my progress. Not only will I be capturing the visual similarities between this art …

Sanitizing Escape Lines: Memory Transmission Among Wwii Airmen, Darrah S. Thompson

Create@State

Through declassified archival documents, family archives, and oral histories of WWII airmen, this poster examines how memory was impacted by wartime and post-war secrecy. Using the American Air Crew of the B-17 Flying Fortress, “Baby Dumpling,” as my case study,  I explore how the containment of sensitive information through intelligence protocols during and after WWII led to different understandings of the same catalyzing experience among the ten man crew. Following their crash—resulting in death, POW capture, or evasion—I trace how Francis B. Cater and Jack R. Zeman shared different accounts of the same event based not only on their experiences, …

Impact Of Cover Crop Species And Planting Date On Earthworm Abundance And Biomass, Sowmya Thadisina, Maheshwari Saddollu

Create@State

Cover crops help to enhance soil structure, increase soil organic matter, and increase soil biological activity in agricultural systems. Earthworms are beneficial bioindicators of soil health as they enhance soil aggregation, aeration, and nutrient cycling. Understanding the influence of cover crop species and planting date helps optimize soil biological activity.

Laser Ablation-Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Of Yttrium Plasma, Dawn Gipson

Create@State

Laser ablation is a widely used sampling method for elemental chemical analysis. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and laser ablation inductively-coupled mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) are the two most common implementations. Application of these techniques is found throughout the sciences, including analysis in archaeological settings, geology, and medical analysis of hard tissue such as teeth or bone. Many applications benefit from the microdestructive nature of the technique. However, the relationship between the laser-ablation crater and the analytical signal is poorly understood. Laser ablation-atomic absorption spectroscopy (LA-AAS) is used in our laboratory to determine the mass of material incorporated into the plasmas in …

Future = Ai + Database: Educator’S Perspective On Ai Usage Within K-12 Classrooms, Seung Ho Jeon

Create@State

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in education is generating both opportunities and governance for K-12 systems across the United States. Conducted in collaboration with the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, this study examines educators’ perspectives on AI use in classrooms across multiple Arkansas school districts. The purpose is to inform the development of policy and oversight frameworks at the state and district levels. Educators completed an IRB-approved survey evaluating AI across five domains: instructional and administrative benefits, classroom concerns and potential downsides, trust and ethical considerations, governance and oversight structures, and professional support and training needs. Responses were …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Thiazole Derivatives As Potential Antitumor Agents, Kaylee Leddy

Create@State

Melanoma is the 5th most common cancer in both men and women in the USA. It originates in melanocytes, which make the melanin pigment that gives skin its color. While treatable in early stages, melanoma becomes nearly incurable once metastasized. Thiazole derivatives have been recognized in many pharmaceutical classes including anticancer, antimicrobial, antimalarial, anti-tuberculosis, and diuretics. They have long been researched for their natural pharmacological properties and have shown potential to inhibit melanoma cell growth. In this study, catechol-substituted thiazole derivatives were synthesized using the Hantzsch-Thiazole synthesis. A total of 13 novel compounds were made using 2-chlorodihydroxyacetophenone with various catechol-substituted …

Variation In Infection Prevalence Of Splendidofilaria Pectoralis Across Alaskan Grouse Populations, Anahi Garcia Valdez, Diego Martinez

Create@State

In recent years, rapid climate change has altered species distributions worldwide and influenced parasite transmission dynamics in wildlife systems. Parasite infections play an important role in shaping patterns of disease distribution across species and populations. Understanding variation in infection prevalence across geographic regions and host demographic groups is essential for interpreting these patterns. Splendidofilaria pectoralis is a filarial nematode that infects the connective tissues of grouse (Aves: Tetraonini) in Alaska and has been moving northward as the climate warms. However, relatively little is known about the variation in prevalence of the nematode across geography and demography. This project examines variation …

A Scoping Review: The Relationship Between Mindfulness, Resilience, And Wellness For First Responders With Work Related Trauma, Gary Oliver

Liberty University Research Week

This study reviewed research that explores the relationship between mindfulness, resilience, and wellness for First Responders with work related trauma. Mindfulness has a basis firmly rooted in Buddhist psychology, and shares similar conceptual tenets with Greek philosophy, existentialism, transcendentalism, and humanism which all center around the consciousness of attention and awareness. Resilience has a variety of interpretations within the literature and is understood as a dynamic process accounting for environmental and psychosocial factors that help people survive, grow, and thrive despite adversity. Wellness, though not concretely defined, is similar to overall health which is defined by the World Health Organization …

"Intergenerational Apologetics: A Strategy For Careful Confidence." A Dmin Thesis Project., Tom Farley

Liberty University Research Week

There is a subtle confusion between the objectives of evangelism and apologetics, leaving some senior adult church members unknowingly ill-equipped and intimidated to defend their Christian values. The purpose of this Doctor of Ministry action research was to address that intimidation by training seniors in a dedicated faith-values curriculum to become confident apologetic communicators. The intervention leveraged the process of intergenerational values-sharing while training stakeholders to develop their own faith narratives by seamlessly integrating biblical values with relevant apologetic particulars into personal stories to be shared with their grandchildren. In this environment, participants could develop a personal faith narrative that …

Ai-Augmented Music And Emotion Processing: Exploring Whole-Brain Integration In Counseling Sessions, Janita Daggy, Patricia Mcglothlin

Liberty University Research Week

This study explores how AI-adaptive music applications might support emotional awareness and self-regulation when used during counseling sessions. While creative arts interventions have long been recognized for engaging emotion-related brain processes, and AI technologies show promise in providing adaptive, real-time feedback, little research has examined how these approaches work together in actual counseling practice. The study introduces the Neuro–AI–Creative Integration Framework (NACIF) to guide this exploration. Thirty participants will attend five counseling sessions that incorporate AI music applications responsive to their emotional and physiological states, along with therapist-facilitated reflection on their emotional and bodily experiences. The study will measure changes …

Inc3vits Model: A Hybrid Architecture To Accelerate And Reduce Complexity For The Deepvariant Model For Variant Calling, Mustafa Al-Saffar, Sura Z. Al Rashid

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Deep learning has revolutionized genomic variant calling, yet the computational cost of current systems continues to limit scalability. We present a controlled efficiency study of DeepVariant-style pileup architectures under identical training and inference conditions, comparing architectural downsizing with a hybrid CNN–local attention design. Inc3ViTs pairs a streamlined InceptionV3 stem with a lightweight local attention head based on patch tokenization and windowed self-attention, enabling a direct comparison with a CNN-only reduced Inception baseline. Across whole-genome and whole-exome short-read datasets, Inc3ViTs reduces training time by ~40–50% and reduces inference runtime relative to the original DeepVariant. The CNN-only baseline indicates that most speedups …

Simulating Passenger Movement In Aircraft Cabins Using Cellular Automata Models, Kevin Quigley, Samantha Mauk

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Efficient boarding and deboarding are critical to reducing aircraft turnaround time and improving airport operations. This ongoing study uses a cellular automata (CA) framework to model passenger movement dynamics under different strategies and aircraft configurations. Each passenger is represented as an autonomous agent occupying discrete cells and following simple local rules that collectively give rise to emergent flow patterns. We present our initial implementation of this CA-based model and discuss its potential to systematically explore key parameters such as seat assignment strategies (e.g., back-to-front, outside-in, random), aisle width, luggage storage delays, and passenger cooperation levels in future work.

Turning Martian Regolith Into Soil: Testing Organic Waste For Sustainable Plant Growth, Ryan F. Rednick, Stefani Capasso Villanueva

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Martian regolith lacks the organic matter and microbial activity required to sustain plant growth, presenting a major challenge for bioregenerative agriculture in space. This study examined how organic waste amendments influenced the nutrient availability and microbial ecology of Martian regolith simulant (MGS-1). The researchers hypothesized that the addition of manure would enhance the simulant’s fertility and microbial diversity, improving its ability to support plant growth. Mizuna mustard (Brassica rapa var. japonica) was cultivated in unamended MGS-1, in mixtures of MGS-1 and manure at 90:10, 80:20, and 70:30 (v/v), and in potting soil as a positive control. A negative control using …

Bounded Transient Time Leader Emissions Tracking & Strike Prediction (Bottle), Skylar Wardlaw, Ainsley Helgerson, Maria Kaminska, Jackson Stewart, Logan Velvet, Aaron Jung, Georgii Dubrov, Amelia Koth

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

The goal of project BoTTLE is to propose a new methodology to predict lightning strike locations by combining atmospheric particle(muon) detection, initiating mathematical simulations, and low-altitude tropospheric observations. This project builds on the cascading theory of galactic cosmic rays, where muons are produced; consequently, this approach explores how such particles provide the final ionization necessary to initiate lightning discharges. The team is currently assembling a muon detector at the Space and Atmospheric Instrumentation Lab. The detector will sense a muon by a scintillator, which is a material that produces light when exposed to radiation rays. The photoelectric signal observed will …