Digital Commons Network^™

Facts And Hopes Of Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Redirected Nk T Cells, Ying Wang, Leonid S Metelitsa, Gianpietro Dotti

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered invariant NK T cells (CAR-NKT) are a novel cell platform for cancer immunotherapy. Unlike conventional T cells, NKTs are characterized by innate antitumor properties, minimal alloreactivity, and a unique ability to modulate the tumor microenvironment. This article provides a comprehensive overview of preclinical and early clinical studies evaluating CAR-NKTs in both autologous and allogeneic clinical settings. We discuss the contributions of CAR signaling domains, cytokine coexpression, and other functional measures that correlate with CAR-NKT persistence, function, and metabolic fitness. We also discuss the critical role of immunocompetent animal models in elucidating the interactions of CAR-NKTs with …

Opinions Of The Uk General Public And Stroke Survivors In Using Artificial Intelligence And ‘Opt-Out’ Models Of Consent In Medical Research: A Qualitative Study, William Heseltine-Carp, Mark Thurston, Michael Allen, Daniel Browning, Megan Courtman, Aishwarya Kasabe, Emmanuel Ifeachor, Stephen Mullin

Peninsula Medical School

Background Artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare often requires large, confidential clinical datasets. However, a recent UK government survey revealed that 20–40% of the public remain sceptical of its use in health research due to concerns about data security, patient–practitioner communication and commercialisation of data. A greater understanding of public attitudes is therefore needed, particularly in the context of stroke research.In this article, we describe the patient and public involvement work undertaken for the AI-Based-Stroke-Risk-fActor-Classification-and-Treatment (ABSTRACT) project, which aims to train AI models to predict future stroke risk from the electronic health records of 1 18 736 patients.Aims We aimed to …

Breaking Barriers: Understanding Factors Constraining Women’S Career Choices And Progression In The South African Construction Industry, Abimbola Olukemi Windapo, Olugbenga Timo Oladinrin, João Alencastro, Dineo Mbekwa, Christiana Ekpo, Muhammad Qasim Rana, Amanda Filtane

School of Art, Design and Architecture

Purpose – This paper examines the barriers constraining women's career choices and progression within the South African construction industry. Design/methodology/approach – The study employed a mixed-methods research approach, utilizing a questionnaire survey of construction industry workers listed in the Construction Professions Register, the Builders Collective and the Housing Assembly Organization. It also used interviews to validate the quantitative data. The data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including factor analysis. Findings – The study found that 39 of the 46 barriers identified have normalized values greater than 0.5 and, therefore, are classified as critical. From a ranking perspective, …

Myth In The Poetry Of Hassan Abd Rady, Zahraa Mousa Jabbar Aayed, Iman Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Obaidi

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

This research reviews the topic of (Myth in the Poetry of Hassan Abd Rady), as the myth received the attention of contemporary poets as an important source that enriches their poetic texts and deepens their connotations. The poet Hassan Abd Rady invoked myth in all its forms to enrich his poetic texts because of the suggestive connotations it carries. The research included the following: the introduction and the preface, in which the myth was defined linguistically, terminologically, and its types. The research was divided into the number of myths employed by Abd Radi, including: Greek myth, Babylonian myth, Greek myth, …

Shallow Groundwater Extraction Strategies In The Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, Teryl Stacey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Las Vegas Valley faces severe water scarcity due to Nevada’s limited Colorado River allocation and an arid climate. Population growth and prolonged drought have intensified these constraints, necessitating alternative resource strategies. This project evaluated a strategy to make use of brackish, shallow groundwater (from the top 30 feet below ground surface) located in the central and east-central parts of the valley. Its objective was to extract lower quality shallow groundwater for use as an alternative to fresh water currently being used for some applications that require little to no treatment. Dust suppression is among the most promising of such …

Beyond Additive Risk: Longitudinal Associations Between Discrimination And Positive Affect Development Among Adolescents With Single And Multiple Marginalized Identities, Vanni Jefferson V. Arcaina

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Adolescents with marginalized identities often face chronic exposure to discrimination, a social stressor linked to a range of negative mental health outcomes. While much of the existing literature focuses on internalizing symptoms, fewer studies have explored how discrimination may disrupt the development of positive affect (POA), which is a core dimension of emotional well-being linked to resilience, identity formation, and long-term health. The present study examined how overall, race/ethnicity-based, and sexual minority (SM)-based discrimination affects longitudinal patterns of POA among adolescents with single or multiple marginalized identities. Drawing on four waves of data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, …

Applying Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (Inaa) To Characterize Trace Elements In Water Samples Around Lake Mead, Danesha Hunter

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States is located on the boarder of Nevada and Arizona. Despite reaching historically low water levels, it continues to supply water and energy to millions of Americans in the southwest. It is well known that the United States suffers from negative implications from nationwide drought. The ongoing megadrought affecting the Colorado River Basin and its tributaries undergoes the urgent need to assess the future water quality of Lake Mead as it continues to shrink. With water levels depleting at an alarming rate, water quality is significantly impacted, indicating that heavy metal accumulation …

Computational Study Of Cavitation In An Inducer Pump, Jaylen Leonard

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Cavitation is ubiquitous in liquid-handling turbomachines. Cavitation bubbles form when the local pressure drops below a fluid’s vapor pressure, and their subsequent collapse causes implosions that generate shockwaves and microjets. These effects lead to fluid instability and structural damage to the blades and casing in turbomachines. This thesis investigates this cavitation phenomenon in turbomachines using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The cavitation model built in ANSYS Fluent® is first validated in a venturi tube model and then applied to an inducer pump. The geometry of the pump is derived from the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Low Pressure Oxidizer Pump (LPOP) …

Geometric And Proximity Based Substrate Targeting By Cullin-Ring Ligases, Jerry Li

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Homeostasis, the process of maintaining stable biochemical and biophysical conditions, is a fundamental facet of cellular viability. Biochemical homeostasis is critical to support the biological functions that sustain living organisms. Protein ubiquitylation is one of the primary cellular pathways that regulate protein homeostasis and turnover. Ubiquitylation is initiated through the conjugation of a small globular protein known as ubiquitin, onto a given substrate. There exists a myriad of cellular fates that ubiquitylated proteins may undergo, but the most widely studied pathway is protein degradation, whereby a ubiquitylated protein substrate is shunted to a large macromolecular protease known as the proteasome, …

Gaming: An Untapped Resource For Women In Computer Science Careers?, Claudia Quynh Luu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research focused on women who identify as gamers (i.e., an individual who regularly plays video games) with the goal of better understanding how being a gamer might help or hinder women’s interest in computer science careers. In particular, I examined the connection between interest in computer science careers, gaming, sexual harassment experiences, coping strategies, and allyship for women in gaming using a mixed-methods approach. The sample (N = 166) included women identifying as previous or current gamers. Participants were recruited from a psychology participant pool and gaming communities on Discord. We conducted a series of analyses to examine whether …

Design And Development Of Biomimetic Hydrogel Interfaces For Enhanced Bioelectrical Signal Acquisition, Daniela Nikoloska

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Every second, human skin processes over one million sensory signals while maintaining properties such as electrical conductivity, mechanical adaptability, and regenerative capability that surpass all synthetic materials. Contemporary bioelectronic devices prove inadequate when contacting skin surfaces due to poor adhesion and electrical contact issues that prevent effective sensing. Despite advancements in wearable and bioelectronic technologies, current devices face major drawbacks when interfacing with human skin, particularly in maintaining firm adhesion, conformability, and low-noise electrical signal acquisition.

This research focuses on the development of a biomimetic hydrogel-based interface for bioelectronic sensing. Specifically, a hybrid hydrogel system composed of polydopamine (PDA)- doped …

Integrating Post-Quantum Cryptography Into A Cdn-Style Pki: Tls And Quic Performance Across Pqc Suites, Katrina Mary Parsom

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) adds larger certificates and extra workload to the Transport Layer Security (TLS) handshake. In order to analyze the effect of that change on content delivery, a controlled testbed with conditions replicating a Content Delivery Network (CDN) is used. The system uses a standard X.509 certificate chain over TLS 1.3. It compares RSA with classical key exchange, RSA with hybrid key encapsulation mechanism (KEM), and Module Lattice-based Digital Signature Algorithm (ML-DSA) with hybrid KEM. The test harness generates and provides certificates and establishes TLS parameters. The test harness also supports mixed web workloads and records key metrics, including …

Deciphering The Crl Code: Novel Mechanisms Of Canonical And Non-Canonical Ubiquitylation, Nicholas Wayne Purser

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Protein degradation is a fundamental process required for maintaining cellular homeostasis in eukaryotic organisms. In humans, distinct cell types exhibit unique proteomic landscapes that are dynamically balanced by the continual synthesis and degradation of proteins. The timely removal of damaged, misfolded, or old proteins is essential to permit new protein synthesis and to ensure proper cellular function.

Central to this regulatory network is ubiquitylation, a highly conserved posttranslational modification system that governs protein stability and function across all eukaryotic cells. Through the covalent attachment of ubiquitin molecules to protein substrates, this system modulates a broad range of biological processes, including …

Telling Herstory: The Preparation, Perspectives, And Persistence Of Novice Black Women Principals, Dana Roseman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Being a Black Woman public school principal is an intensified, all-encompassing yet rewarding role, marked by disparities that our white counterparts are not forced to navigate. Inspired by the daily, distressed calls from novice Black Women principals seeking support in their roles and personal experience, this qualitative study employs the Sista Circle Methodology (SCM) to explore their perceptions of principal preparation programs, professional support, and persistence strategies within the first five years of appointment in a large urban school district. Framed by Black Feminist Thought (Collins, 1990), the study examines the social, gender, cultural, and experiential contexts unique to Black …

Quantum Sensing Of Magnetic And Thermal Fields Using Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers On Spoof Surface Plasmon Waveguides, Maxwell Stonham

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in nanodiamonds are solid-state quantum defects capable of detecting magnetic fields and temperature at the nanoscale with high spatial resolution and optical addressability at room temperature. Their spin-dependent fluorescence enables optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR), a technique widely used for quantum sensing. However, enhancing optical readout efficiency remains a critical challenge for scalable integration and various methods can be used to improve this.

This thesis explores a hybrid quantum sensing platform that integrates NV-based sensing with spoof surface plasmon waveguides designed to enhance optical excitation and emission efficiency through localized spoof plasmon modes supported by subwavelength corrugated …

Modeling The Mojave: A Multiphase, Mixed Methods Phenomenological Investigation Of Novice Understanding Of A Complex Ecological System, Nicole Juliana Thomas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research explores early college science majors’ conceptions of the Mojave Desert ecosystem as a complex system. A multi-level, explanatory sequential mixed methods design was employed to study college science majors’ understanding of the Mojave Desert ecosystem to better inform science pedagogy. The first level, the quantitative phase of the study, consisted of developing a mathematical representation of twelve ecosystem variables present within the Mojave Desert. The second level, the qualitative phase of the study, consisted of phenomenological semi-structured interviews with 23 early college science majors. The findings of this research suggest that the Mojave Desert operates as a complex, …

Multicriteria Prioritization Of Geospatial Data Sources Using The Neutrosophic Hierarchical Analytic Process In Spatial Ontologies, Manuel Enrique Puebla Martínez

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

The need for an automatic fusion of heterogeneous, generally untrustworthy geospatial sources into spatial ontologies necessitates prioritization when conflicts arise or lower qualities emerge. Unfortunately, most existing literature does not offer systematic, evaluative, analytical criteria for determining the trustworthiness and polyhedral quality of such sources, which, in turn, causes quality deficiencies in spatial relations of the final product. Here we offer a methodology based on the Neutrosophic Hierarchical Analytic Process to derive the aforementioned prioritization including considerations such as geometric accuracy, existence and accessibility of metadata, frequency of updates, and topological correctness. A calibrated, reliability-testing approach was applied to two …

Urban Shadows In Latin America: Detection Of Crime Hotspots Using Multivariate, Geospatial, And Neutrosophic Analytic Hierarchy Process (Nahp) Analytical Techniques, Johnny Pambabay-Calero, Sergio Bauz-Olvera, Oscar Scott-Macías, Pedro Luzuriaga Cedeño, Purificación Galindo-Villardón

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

In recent years, Guayaquil fell prey to higher levels of organized extortion compared to territorialized criminal organizations over territory, institutional weaknesses, and socio-spatial inequalities. Thus, while extortion emerged as an increasingly specialized crime, there are limited empirical studies to evaluate the crime's spatiotemporal nature or its determinants. Therefore, this study aims to identify and characterize extortion "criminal severity zones" of Guayaquil from 2021-2024, via a novel geostatistical approach, in addition to the Neutrosophic Analytic Hierarchy Process (NAHP). By implementing Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA), Kernel Density Estimation (KDE), dimensionality reduction techniques (PCA, MDS, and t-SNE), hierarchical clustering, and Bayesian hierarchical …

Automated Ai Validation Of Neutrosophic Plithogenic Hypotheses In Multigrade Literacy Improvement, Isaac Roger Martínez, Débora Lucia Ponce Rivera, Maryuri Yvonne Guale Gómez, Rudy Garcia Cobas, Carlos Roberto Humanante Cabrera

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

Literacy is acquired in multigrade classrooms in complicated scenarios because of varying literacy competencies and abilities and varied resources and materials. Thus, it's hard to determine if certain teaching interventions work. This is also a growing concern, a timely consideration, because as the institutions try to better the Quality of Education and prevent learning lags for multivariate classrooms are concerned. Yet the literature contains gaps where no direct attempt to stabilize teaching interventions is made despite the findings of many studies generating didactic interventions through the proceedings. Thus, this study fills the gap with an approach based upon hypothesis generation …

Replacement And Reputation, Navin Kartik, Elliot Lipnowski, Harry Pei

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Does electoral replacement ensure that officeholders eventually act in voters’ interests? We study a reputational model of accountability. Voters observe incumbents’ performance and decide whether to replace them. Politicians may be “good” types who always exert effort or opportunists who may shirk. We find that good long-run outcomes are always attainable, though the mechanism and its robustness depend on economic conditions. In environments conducive to incentive provision, some equilibria feature sustained effort, yet others exhibit some long-run shirking. In the complementary case, opportunists are never fully disciplined, but selection dominates: every equilibrium eventually settles on a good politician, yielding permanent …

Applied Research In Field Crop Pathology For Indiana, 2021, Darcy E. P. Telenko, Sujoung Shim

Purdue University Press Books

Applied Research in Field Crop Pathology for Indiana, 2021 serves as a summary of the applied field crop pathology research trials conducted in 2021 under the direction of the Purdue Field Crop Pathology program in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Purdue University. In Indiana, there are more than 57,600 farms, 16,000 crop producers, and 900 certified crop advisers, Extension educators, and crop-protection industry representatives who manage more than 11.4 million crop-production acres with a total value of $6.3 billion annually. There are more than twenty diseases affecting corn, soybeans, and wheat that may decrease crop production and …

Car-T Cell Therapy Milestones In Treating Hematologic Malignancies, Dusit Jit-Ueakul, Piyanuch Kongtim

Asian Medical Journal and Alternative Medicine

Chimeric Antigen Receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has emerged as a revolutionary treatment modality for hematologic malignancies, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). This innovative approach involves the genetic engineering of a patient's own T lymphocytes to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), which enables these cells to specifically recognize and eliminate malignant cells expressing target antigens. Clinical trials have demonstrated remarkable efficacy, with significant rates of complete remission and durable responses observed in patients who have relapsed or are refractory to conventional therapies. As advancements in CAR technology continue, there is potential for …

Elucidating The Role Of Pbaf Chromatin Remodeling Subunit Arid2 In B Cell Development, Rachel Paolini

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

B cells are key components of the adaptive immune system that mediate humoral immunity through the production of antigen-specific antibodies. The generation of functional B cells involves multiple stages of differentiation across distinct anatomical niches, requiring precise regulation of microenvironmental signals and intrinsic transcriptional networks. SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes have emerged as key regulators of B cell lineage commitment by modulating the accessibility of transcriptional programs required for differentiation and maturation. However, the specific roles of individual SWI/SNF subunits and distinct complexes within early B cell differentiation remain poorly understood. In this thesis, I investigated the function of Arid2, an …

The Negotiation Of Identities Through Humorous Discourse In Political Resistance: An Analysis Of Bassem Youssef's 'The B+ Show', Howaida Aref

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the strategic use of humorous discourse in negotiating identities and expressing political resistance during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, focusing on Bassem Youssef's satirical YouTube show, "The B+ Show." Employing a mixed-method approach that combines Grice's maxims of cooperative communication and Fairclough's critical discourse analysis framework, the research investigates how humor functioned as a tool for challenging hegemonic narratives and power dynamics through constructing and deconstructing identities in a volatile sociopolitical context. The analysis reveals that Youssef skillfully exploited various discursive resources, particularly intertextuality and the flouting of conversational maxims, to generate implicatures that effectively debunked negative representations …

Multidimensional Analysis Of Student Loyalty Using The Neutrosophic Biplot Method For Retention Strategies In Higher Education, Claudio Ruff, Marcelo Ruiz, Alexis Matheu, Bastián Gutiérrez, Luis Benites, Gerardo Anabalón

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

Student loyalty in higher education represents a critical challenge for universities, particularly in the context of increasing competition and the need to ensure long-term retention. A key question arises: how can student loyalty be modeled when it is shaped by diverse and subjective perceptions? The relevance of this issue lies in its impact on institutional stability: when students withdraw before completing their programs, universities not only lose projected revenue but also face disruptions that may negatively influence academic rankings. Previous literature has explored drivers of satisfaction and determinants of loyalty; however, little attention has been given to approaches that explicitly …

Lattice Thermal Transport Beyond The Quasiparticle Approximation: Nontrivial Spectral Competition Between Three- And Four-Phonon Interactions, Yi Xia

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The breakdown of the quasiparticle approximation (QPA) for phonons in strongly anharmonic materials necessitates advanced first-principles frameworks for accurate lattice dynamics and thermal transport predictions. We develop a comprehensive beyond-quasiparticle approximation (BQPA) approach incorporating both three- (3ph) and four-phonon (4ph) interactions and apply it to investigate lattice thermal conductivity (κL) in MgO, PbTe, and AgCl – materials that span a broad spectrum of anharmonicity, from weak to severe anharmonic regimes with overdamped phonons. We reveal that while BQPA consistently increases κL relative to QPA due to phonon softening when considering only 3ph interactions, the inclusion of additional 4ph interactions hardens …

Soil Fertility Forecasting With Neutrosophic-Based Uncertainty Management, Franklin Parrales-Bravo, Roberto Tolozano-Benites, Dayron Rumbaut-Rangel

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This study presents a machine learning framework that combines Random Forest classification with neutrosophic logic to predict soil fertility from 16 physicochemical properties. The model achieves robust classification accuracy (95%) while introducing a novel uncertainty quantification mechanism through neutrosophic truth (T ), indeterminacy (I) and falsity (F ) values derived from prediction probabilities, assigning high-confidence (T = 0.9) to probabilities ≥0.9, indeterminacy (I = 0.3) to borderline cases (0.5≤p

Intellectual Capital And Organizational Climate As Predictors Of Scientific Production In A Peruvian University: An Analysis Based On The Neutrosophic 2-Tuple Linguistic Model And Pls-Sem, Vitelio Asencios Tarazona, Jessica Miluska Ríos Salas, Elizabeth Pacheco Davila, Llesica Soria Ramírez, Liliana Huaranga Rivera, Roberth Lozano Tacuri Toribio, Miriam Esther Campos Llana, Giuliana Sherly Cabello Flores

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

Scientific production is a key performance indicator in higher education, which has motivated the search for factors that may influence its development. This study aims to analyze the impact of intellectual capital and organizational climate on scientific production at the National Intercultural University of the Amazon in Peru. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) is used, with a sample consisting of 90 professors. Professors were surveyed using the neutrosophic 2-tuple linguistics model. The neutrosophic 2-tuple linguistic method allows teachers to express their opinions linguistically, which is more appropriate in complex decision-making situations. This method maintains accuracy in aggregations. Furthermore, …

A Neutrosophic Random Forest Approach For Preeclamptic Risk Prediction With Uncertainty Quantification, Franklin Parrales-Bravo, Rosangela Caicedo-Quiroz, Lorenzo Cevallos-Torres, Leonel Vasquez-Cevallos, Dayron Rumbaut-Rangel

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This study presents a novel integration of Random Forest with neutrosophic logic to improve preeclampsia risk prediction while quantifying prediction uncertainty. Using clinical data from 352 patients, the model achieved 72.73% accuracy with high sensitivity (0.898) in identifying control cases, though with lower specificity (0.235) for preeclampsia detection. Key predictors identified were birthweight and hypertension his- tory, aligning with clinical knowledge. The neutrosophic framework successfully categorized predictions into truth (T), indeterminacy (I), and falsity (F) components, revealing that 90% confidence predictions showed T = 0.9 while uncertain cases (0.5 ≤ p < 0.9) demonstrated elevated indeterminacy (I = 0.3). The main contributions include: 1) an interpretable uncertainty quantification method for clinical predictions, 2) validation of key risk factors through feature importance analysis, and 3) a practical framework for identifying cases requiring additional clinical evaluation. This approach demonstrates significant potential for enhancing decision-making in maternal healthcare.

Multivariate Visualization Of The Impact Of Universal Design For Learning On Inclusion And Mathematical Achievement Using The Neutrosophic Biplot Method, Franklin Leónidas Elizondo Avilez, Viviana Josefa Mosquera Yépez, Jimmy Darlin Zambrano Palma, Juana Danesa Mosquera Yépez

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This dissertation answers a problem of practice. What is the effect of Universal Design for Learning on equity and achievement in math for at-risk and special needs upper elementary and secondary students in Ecuador? classrooms are more diverse than ever, with variations in learning styles and the expectation of equity in the classroom. Thus, it's critical to address past and present methods of teaching that promote access and participation. While the implementation of Universal Design for Learning is relatively new to the inclusion game, the studies done thus far fail to incorporate a triangulated design that considers complexity, multivariate factors, …