Digital Commons Network^™

Hazard Vs Risk: Scientific Considerations On The Eu Clp Approach To Mocs And Whole Essential Oil Classification With Tea Tree Essential Oil As An Illustrative Example, Cecile Bascoul, Dakota Carter, Joseph Dawson, Tim Valentiner, Russell J. Osguthorpe

Oxford ICSB

The ongoing revision of the EU Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation represents a critical development for the essential oil industry. A provisional derogation has been introduced for plant-derived, non-chemically modified Multi-Constituent Substances (MOCS), including essential oils, following sustained advocacy efforts. However, the European Commission is required to deliver, by the end of 2029, a scientific report reassessing the validity of this derogation based on scientifically and regulatorily accepted safety evaluation approaches. In the absence of such a derogation, essential oils could be classified solely on the basis of individual constituents exceeding regulatory thresholds, irrespective of the whole oil safety …

Building The Nursing Leadership Pipeline: Outcomes Of A Statewide Emerging Nurse Leader Fellowhip, Kathleen Kinser Dnp, Aprn, Belinda J. Fleming Phd, Christie Manasco Phd, Monaco M. Briggs Edd, Yan Cao Phd, Jennifer Hitt Phd

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Healthcare systems increasingly require skilled nurse leaders to address workforce shortages, quality improvement demands, and complex care environments. However, many nurses transition into leadership roles without formal preparation. In this quality improvement project, nurse scientists Kathleen Kinser DNP; Belinda Fleming, PhD; and Christie Manasco, PhD, from the Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement (TCNA) evaluated outcomes of the Emerging Nurse Leader Fellowship developed to strengthen foundational leadership competencies among novice nurse leaders. Guided by transformational leadership theory, the fellowship was a statewide, cohort-based, instructor-led, asynchronous online program emphasizing practical leadership development and application in clinical settings. Two cohorts participated and completed …

Over The Garden Wall And The Divine Comedy: Mchale's Modern Vision Of Purgatory, Gloria Asper

Liberty University Research Week

This paper discusses how the allusions to The Divine Comedy in Patrick McHale’s mini-series Over the Garden Wall (OTGW) influences one’s interpretation of the series. Building off the work of other OTGW scholars such as Willsey and Camacho & Menchero as well as pop culture commentators such as Trey the Explainer, I highlight parallelisms within OTGW as well as reference comments from the creators in order to demonstrate how theoretical concepts in The Divine Comedy shape the understanding of OTGW. Specifically, one such theoretical concept involves Dante’s philosophical belief that the intellect and the will must work together to create …

An Unfaltering Step To The End: An Analysis Of Virginia Governor James L. Kemper's Veto Of The 1874 Petersburg Charter, Chandler Lilley

Liberty University Research Week

No abstract provided.

The Mythopoeic Translator In Peter Jackson’S The Fellowship Of The Ring, Alyssa Johnson

Liberty University Research Week

Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" films are beloved by Tolkien fans around the world. But do they hold true to Tolkien's original vision for the stories? This presentation aims to discuss the mythopoeic elements in Tolkien's books and the way that the films follow those elements through the only thing that films can have that books cannot: music. Howard Shore's film score for "The Lord of the Rings" carries the movies across the divide created by transferring a story from paper to screen. The score creates a sense of wonder and mythopoeia in the viewers that returns beautifully …

Guppy: From Fleet Boat To Modern Submarine, Nathaniel Estrada

Liberty University Research Week

World War II changed everything when it came to American submarine warfare. Before the war, American naval leaders and planners debated over what the purpose of their submarine fleet should be. The more progressive thinkers claimed the submarine would be in-of-itself a decisive combat asset, while the conservative naval minds saw their “fleet boats” as supplementary to the main battle line. When the war ended, the debate was no longer about what role the submarine would play in the great game on the sea. In the Atlantic, the German U-boat fleet of 1,131 submarines would sink 14,878,463 tons of Allied …

Mycotoxin Trends In Cannabis Flower And Concentrates In The United States, Kyle Boyar, Yasha Kahn, Michael Esposito, Sukhikh Pavel

Oxford ICSB

Mycotoxins are toxic fungal metabolites that may pose potential health risks in cannabis products, yet limited data exists on their prevalence in regulated markets. This study analyzed multi-state compliance testing data for cannabis flower and concentrates across eleven U.S. states to evaluate detection and failure rates for aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2) and ochratoxin A. Ochratoxin A was the most frequently detected mycotoxin in both flower and concentrates; however, detections rarely exceeded regulatory action limits, with overall failure rates remaining low at 0.016% for flower and 0.017% for concentrates. After excluding outlier laboratories with unusually high detection rates, true …

Canndor Herbarium: A Comprehensive Herbarium Resource For Cannabis Identity, Diversity, And Botanical Research, Nick Batora, Laura Klein, Kerin Law, Eleanor Kuntz

Oxford ICSB

Decades of cannabis prohibition have created major gaps in our understanding of cannabis biology, especially with regard to the genomic, phenotypic, and germplasm resources that are standard in other agriculturally and medicinally important crops. Herbarium collections, which serve as archival specimens that preserve plant material for long term study, are no exception. Although herbarium specimens are meant to document plant diversity, most collections contain only a narrow sampling of cannabis and do not reflect the extensive variation present in commerce or this species at large. To address this need, the Canndor Herbarium was established in 2016 as the first dedicated …

Disability Studies In Historical Context: The Research Behind The Creative Writing Process, Annabelle Welch

Liberty University Research Week

This study examines the process of  writing a short story “The Shoes,” set in New Orleans during World War II, and creating a main character through the lens of research within the field of disability studies. This research is closely intertwined with my creative process of writing “The Shoes.” The first portion of the poster focuses on the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, during America’s involvement in World War II. My aim is to build a foundational understanding of the microculture in that region, especially as it was shaped and molded by the strong presence of soldiers, the heavy hand …

Comparison Of Hypothalamic And Hippocampal Neurogenesis Across Sexes And Ages Of Mice, Chloe Jensen, Madison Reynolds, Rebecca Kinyon

Liberty University Research Week

Background: The hippocampus is primarily known for its function in learning and memory; thus, it makes sense that this is a well-established highly neurogenic zone. Recent studies have demonstrated that the hypothalamus also has neurogenic properties where there were once believed to be none. Because of these recent findings, our study aims to provide baseline data pertaining to rates of neurogenesis in the hypothalamus in comparison to the hippocampus along with distinguishing differences in these rates between males and females. Methods: Using four mice, three young and one aged female, we cryosectioned the brain to image the hippocampal and hypothalamic …

Allosteric Modulation Of Faah By Tocopherols, Beatrice Pyles

Liberty University Research Week

No abstract provided.

Association Of Self-Efficacy, Preceptor Teaching, And Role Modeling With Practice Preparedness In Student Nurse Practitioners, Quinton Carroll, Pi-Ming Yeh, Jean Croce Hemphill, Melessia Webb, Alex Sargsyan

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Purpose: Final-semester student nurse practitioners (SNPs) often report unpreparedness for practice. Little is known about which preceptor characteristics prepare students for practice. The purpose of this study was to examine whether final-semester SNPs' practice preparedness is associated with their self-efficacy and most significant preceptor’s clinical teaching effectiveness and role modeling.

Aim: To identify which student and preceptor factors are associated with and predict SNP preparedness.

Methods: Cross-sectional correlational study of final-semester SNPs (N = 83). Participants completed the New Nurse Practitioners’ Practice Preparedness Survey, New General Self-Efficacy Scale, Cleveland Clinic Teaching Effectiveness Instrument, and Role Model Apperception Tool. Analysis …

Mechanistic Insights Of Enterolactone Within 3t3-L1 Adipocyte Cells, Merritt Smith

Liberty University Research Week

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States, with approximately 25% of healthcare expenditures directed toward its management and associated metabolic complications. In response to the urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies, recent research has focused on bioactive compounds derived from dietary sources. In light of that, we identified the plant lignan matairesinol (MA) and its gut-derived metabolite, enterolactone (ENL), as agents capable of enhancing glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 differentiated adipocytes. These results suggest that enterolactone may represent a promising dietary supplement for improving glycemic control in patients with …

An Evaluation Of White-Spotted Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium Plagiosum) Development, Madison Ashby, Alexa Ashby, Baylis Huckabay, Cyrus Harris, Emma Bron, Lydia Harris, Maia Dieken, Oliver Thomas, Will Chelberg

Liberty University Research Week

An inhabitant of the north Indo-Pacific Ocean, the whitespotted bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) is a demersal, ambush predator of fish and invertebrates. Despite the known abundance of C. plagiosum, there is limited diagnostic information on their growth beyond embryonic development and hatching. A population of this species under managed care provides a unique opportunity to chart growth from the respective stages of life such as egg hatchling, sub-adult, and adult life stages. Through this research, we set out to chart the growth parameters on three hatchling bamboo sharks from a weekly data collection. These parameters include weight (g), sex, pre-caudal …

Personality Correlations, Blake Stillman

Liberty University Research Week

For this research project, the focus was to conduct a survey of people and ask them what their Enneagram types were, what their Myers-Briggs personalities were, and how they correlated with one another. With that information, we were then going to see what their preferred communication style was and see if there was any kind of pattern, and then apply this to the world of communication to better understand how to communicate with different personalities of people. There have not been any studies done on this specific topic and how it relates to the field of communication. I wanted to …

Evaluation Of Cadaver Tissue Antigenicity As A Practical Teaching Tool For Immunohistochemistry, Shanice Rerrie, Jumana Rizk, Levon Shukrian, Maria Mendoza Lopez

Liberty University Research Week

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a core technique in biomedical research and is increasingly important for teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels. However, teaching laboratories typically rely on animal-derived tissues because the access to fresh human specimens is restricted due to ethical concerns. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether cadaveric tissue can retain sufficient antigenicity for immunohistochemical analysis and thereby serve as an effective and ethical teaching resource. Liver lobe and renal cortex samples (approximately 1 cm³) were collected from an 88-year-old female donor. Target proteins were selected for their established roles in vitamin D metabolism and their …

When The Music Stops: How Removing The Musical Scores Changes The Message Of The Film, Natalie Dean, Caroline Breen

Liberty University Research Week

Music has always been an intricate part of film. Films like Jaws, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Avengers are not simply recognized by their logos and characters, but also popular scores and theme songs that are tailored specifically to those films. Character theme songs, opening musical scores and more are used to create a communicative connection between the film and the audience. Previous research has primarily evaluated cognitive data such as attention level, or explored altering the music itself, such as a change in tempo, rhythm, and pitch. This study investigates how a film’s overall messaging to its audience …

Single Step Cyanoacrylate Fumigation With Common Dyes, Abigail Proffitt, Jared Filegar

Liberty University Research Week

Cyanoacrylate fumigation is a widely used fingerprint development method to visualize latent fingerprints left on nonporous surfaces. This methodology relies on heating cyanoacrylate, otherwise known as superglue, to create vapors that polymerize onto fingerprints. These vapors react via biological components such as amino acids and other residues left from finger oils. This technique is very effective; however, once the polymer has completed its reaction the fingerprint is colorless resulting in the need for a secondary staining technique. The additional procedure increases processing time and introduces potentials for smearing or human error. This research aims to investigate a way to consolidate …

A Bloody Window To The Past: Str Analysis Of Dna From A Bloodstained Civil War Surgical Table, Nadia Walter

Liberty University Research Week

This study aimed to generate DNA profiles from the bloody Hillsman House surgical table via STR analysis while also determining the best method of sample collection and analysis from a wooden substrate. During the Battle at Sailor’s Creek in 1865, the historical Hillsman House served as a field hospital where hundreds of Civil War soldiers were treated. In 2016, Jones and McClintock collected and analyzed samples from bloodstains on the floorboards of the house, showing that historical DNA is still viable for profiling. During this process, marks on the floorboard were presumed to be from the surgical table, which was …

Formation Of Rosette-Like Hierarchical Structures On Cylindrical Titanium Surfaces., Cole Urquhart, Ally Doud, Michael Korn, Hector Medina

Liberty University Research Week

The purpose of this experiment was to characterize titanium-based rosettes and other micro-sized crystal formations on multiple different non-planar titanium surfaces. Rosettes are crystal structures in the titanium sulfate family. They are 20-150µm in diameter and vastly increase the surface area of the places where they are grown, which can lead to various possible applications in future research. The titanium type that was being experimented on was titanium gauze (50µm diameter). To grow titanium-based structures, two steps are involved: etching and crystal formation. Firstly, the titanium material was placed in a centrifuge tube filled with 1mL of 18M (96%) conc. …

Regulation Of Glut5 Expression And Fructose Uptake By Heat Stress And Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines In Enterocytes, Landri Shope, Gretchka Mair

Liberty University Research Week

Diabetes is an escalating global health concern, affecting 11.1% of the adult population worldwide, with over 90% of cases classified as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (Facts & Figures., n.d.). 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 …

Various Animal Species Microscopic Hair Analysis, Bryanna Smith

Liberty University Research Week

This research aims to determine whether animal hair characteristics can reliably differentiate various animal species, a study with potential forensic applications. Both human hair and animal hair are comprised of three key components: the cuticle (the outer coating composed of overlapping scales), the cortex (protein-rich structure that surrounds the medulla and contains pigments) and the medulla (the central core, which may be absent). The goal of this research project is to document data collected from microscopic analysis of a variety of non-domesticated animal hair/fur samples, such as bear, skunk, or wolf, to determine detailed similar and different characteristics between them …

Forensic Differentiation Of Canine Hair, Allison Kelley

Liberty University Research Week

The goal of this research is to determine whether the characteristics of dog hair can effectively differentiate between canine breeds, which is important for forensic applications. While there is extensive literature on human hair analysis, there is not much to be found on canine hair, although dogs are present at many crime scenes. This research ultimately aims to gather sufficient data on a wide range of dog breeds to compile a comprehensive database to identify differences in dog hair, contributing to the discipline of trace evidence hair analysis within forensic science. The central hypothesis in this study is that specific …

The 3-D Apparatus Of Local Ticks: A New Insight Into The Mechanism Of Sensing Hosts And Their Storage Of Pathogens, Sara Grant, Tristan Davis, Maggie Milhorne, Zipporah Nedlock, Jonathan Marks, Alan L. Gillen

Liberty University Research Week

No abstract provided.

Production, Isolation And Characterization Of Novel Peroxidases From Cucurbita Family, Rahel Mamo

Liberty University Research Week

Peroxidases are found throughout nature and are valuable biocatalysts due to their versatility in catalyzing oxidative reactions using hydrogen peroxide as a co-substrate. The peroxidase from horseradish root is widely used in diagnostics and synthetic applications, however, plant peroxidases from other plant sources remain underexplored. Recently, a peroxidase from the skin of Cucurbita maxima (PKS) was isolated and demonstrated promising biocatalytic properties related to the decomposition of a wide variety of fluorinated aromatic compounds. Purification and characterization of this enzyme revealed a protein sequence that was similar to the well characterized HRP, with some key amino acid substitutions. A second …

Investigating The Natural Communities And Flora Of Candler’S Mountain, Lydia Harris, Cyrus Harris, Tyler Knick

Liberty University Research Week

Candler’s Mountain is home to a variety of natural communities and flora. With more than 1200 vascular plant species documented in Campbell County, the identification and growing historical record of local flora will support short and long-term recognition of the importance of biodiverse natural communities in central Virginia. This project seeks to (1) document flora diversity in this region, (2) further establish an herbarium teaching and research collection of representative species, and (3) advance our understanding of the flora in relation to natural communities. Identified ecological groups and community types are based upon the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation …

Characterizing B1 B-Cells In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Alyssa Canelo, Victoria Pacheco

Liberty University Research Week

This project tests the hypothesis that developing antibodies specific to zebrafish CD5 and IgM will enable the reliable identification and characterization of B1 B-cells in zebrafish. B1 B-cells play a critical role in autoimmunity across species, yet their functions remain poorly characterized in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Zebrafish are widely used as a developmental and immunological model organism due to their genetic similarity to humans as well as their transparent embryos. The lack of species-specific antibodies has hindered the study of B1 B-cells in zebrafish.

This project seeks to develop and validate antibodies against zebrafish CD5 and IgM. This will be …

Kinetic Analysis Of Degradation And Maximum Catalytic Capacity For Plant Peroxidase Enzymes, Hayden Stollings

Liberty University Research Week

In 2006, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began investigation into the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. PFAS, which stand for “per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances,” are a highly stable and toxic compound that were mass produced throughout the 1900’s and was commonly found in common kitchenware, carpets, furniture and even produced in industrial processes.

The function behind PFAS’ stability lies in the abnormally strong Carbon-Fluoride bond, which explains for its initial functionality. Moreso, PFAS can withstand natural degradation in the environment, leading to buildup. Exposure to certain PFAS have been linked to health problems such as increased cholesterol, thyroid issues, reproductive …

Characterizing Novel Peroxidase Activity Through Enzyme Kinetics And Equilibrium Binding, Marika Yelle

Liberty University Research Week

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants, motivating the exploration of peroxidases as potential bioremediation catalysts. This study spectroscopically characterized three peroxidases, with a focus on Pumpkin Skin Peroxidase (PKS). Initial characterization assessed PKS equilibrium binding with various ligands to determine dissociation constants (Kd) for each ligand-enzyme interaction. To characterize PKS catalytic activity, guaiacol oxidation was monitored, with parallel KF trials modelled by Michaelis-Menten kinetics, revealing fluoride-induced increases in Km and Vmax, consistent with an inhibitory effect on substrate binding and catalytic turnover. These findings provide insight into the function of PKS and its potential for environmentally relevant …

Investigating The Role Of The Active-Site Metal In Plant Peroxidase Catalysis, Alexandra Knight

Liberty University Research Week

This study investigates how replacing the native iron heme with manganese or cobalt protoporphyrins affects the enzymatic activity of horseradish (HRP), pumpkin skin (PKS), and butternut squash (BNT) peroxidases. A heme extraction protocol was adapted for generating apoenzymes by removing the native iron heme cofactor, and extraction was confirmed using UV-vis spectroscopy. While initial reconstitution of apo-HRP with manganese protoporphyrin IX appeared to be incomplete based on UV-vis analysis, the results suggested that manganese incorporation modifies the spectroscopic characteristics of the native enzyme. Comparing horseradish, pumpkin skin, and butternut peroxidases will reveal potential differences in metal-dependent activity and stability among …