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Cv: Deborah Augsburger (Literacy), Deborah Augsburger

Education Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Cv: Jung Kim (Literacy), Jung Kim

Education Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

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 …

Mythcon 54 Announcement - Mythprint 415, Phillip Fitzsimmons

Faculty Articles & Research

Cover Art: Take Me To Your Leader stained glass by Phillip Fitzsimmons, Pattern by Steve Voss GoldFoxArtistry © 2025

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 …

Violence Between Residents In Nursing Homes Is An Enduring Problem. The Agencies, Nursing Homes, And Residents Are Playing Hot Potato With The Responsibility, Cindy Marchionda, Rafael Escalara Montoto

Capstones

Resident-to-resident aggression in nursing homes is a persistent issue, far more common than the general public realizes. While many of these violent situations can be managed, some tragically escalate to fatal outcomes, leaving families mourning the loss of their loved ones at the hands of a facility that was meant to provide safety and care during their final years. Experts agree that this issue is largely driven by chronic understaffing and insufficient training for employees on how to manage patients with dementia and aggression issues.

Turning Language Into Insight: How Ai And Forensic Linguistic Analysis Are Transforming Investigations, Alan Saquella

Publications

Language is the fabric of human thought and communication, subtle, layered, and deeply revealing. When scrutinized, it can offer far more than simple testimony; it can hold the keys to motive, identity, intent, contradiction, and context. Traditionally, law enforcement has focused on fingerprints, DNA, surveillance, and physical evidence to solve crimes. Yet one of the most untapped wells of intelligence lies between the lines of written statements from suspects, witnesses, and victims. Now, with the advent of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and the sophisticated science of forensic linguistics, investigators have powerful new tools to mine language for insights that were …

Patterns Of Llm Weaponization: A Comparative Analysis Of Exploitation Incidents Across Commercial Ai Systems, George Antoniou

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

This comparative study examines patterns of Large Language Model (LLM) weaponization through systematic analysis of four major exploitation incidents spanning 2023-2025. While existing research focuses on isolated incidents or theoretical vulnerabilities, this study provides the first comprehensive comparative framework analyzing exploitation patterns across state-sponsored cyber-espionage (Anthropic Claude incident), academic security research (GPT-4 autonomous privilege escalation), social engineering platforms (SpearBot phishing framework), and underground criminal commoditization (WormGPT/FraudGPT ecosystem). Through comparative analysis across eight dimensions—adversary sophistication, target selection, exploitation techniques, autonomy levels, detection evasion, attribution challenges, defensive gaps, and capability democratization—this research identifies critical cross-case patterns informing defensive prioritization. Findings reveal three …

Roots Of The Human Psyche: The Spiritual Connection Of Nature With The Mind, Dania Hussain Abdulmunem, Nadia Ali Ismael

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

Seamus Justin Heaney (1939-2013) was intensely engaged in nature in a way that differed from the usual concept of nature representing beauty, love, and romance. Heaney's role in portraying nature is unique. Describing nature from a deeper perspective reveals what nature hides in terms of darkness and violence. This image encourages people to contemplate more deeply because beauty may conceal a lot of sadness and grief. The poet intends to reflect on the events of the conflicts in Ireland and around the world through nature. Just as nature conceals darkness, so does the individual conceal the inner meaning of his …

Customs And Traditions In Ibadi Society Through The Book Of Biographies Of Badr Al-Din Al-Shamakhi (D. 928 Ah / 1522 Ad), Zahraa Saeed Fadhil, Ali Atiya Sharqi

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

All societies around the world are characterized by special customs and traditions that vary and differ from one society to another. They are legacies whose origin goes back to the origin of man and the environment in which he lives. It goes back to the religious and geographical diversity of individuals. Customs and traditions differ from one place to another. The importance of customs and traditions is to give society a special character and define its identity. In this research, the most important customs and traditions that were widespread among the Berbers and the Ibadi Arabs were explained. The most …

The Word Give (Razzaq) In The Quranic Context “Linguistic Statistical Study”, Tahani Jubran Al-Wadai

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

This research investigates the word (Razzaq) in the Quranic context from the perspectives of the nominal and verbal derivations, as a linguistic and semantic study, investigating the word usages in the Holy Quran, studying its meaning in the Quranic context, and discussing its syntactic position to know the grammatical rule between the agent and the object. This research aims to extrapolate the word (Razzaq) in the Quranic context as a noun and a verb, study its meanings, and identify the derivation of the word (Razzaq) in the Quranic context, and the forms of its occurrence in it. The research adopted …

Reduplication In English Children’S Songs In Youtube: A Morphological Study, Amal Awda Ghadab

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

The study is qualitative descriptive research of a morphological analysis of reduplication in English children's songs in YouTube. The study identifies what is meant by reduplication phonologically and morphologically. It also shows the types reduplication. The data is selecting (21) English children's songs and analyzing them according to types of reduplication (full and partial reduplication). The conclusions show what types of reduplication are used in English children's songs.

Risky Decision Making Among Adolescents, Ziad Ahmed Hussein, Ashraf Muwafaq Flaiyah

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

Risk decision-making refers to choices made under uncertain circumstances where the potential negative consequences are high. Adolescents are often at a crossroads during this stage, where the rush towards reward and external influences, such as peer pressure and environmental pressures, can greatly influence their decisions. The current research aims to: • Identify risky decision-making among adolescents. For this purpose, the researchers built a tool to measure risky decision-making among adolescents based on Albert Bandura›s observational learning theory (Bandura, 1976). The scale consisted of (30) items that were applied to the research sample of (400) male and female students from secondary …

Verbs With Augmented Antonyms In The Lisan Al-Arab Dictionary, Mahmoud Alwan Mahmoud, Ali Heloo Hawas

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

It is human nature to question the underlying causes of any phenomenon, regardless of its type, and to seek to interpret it through judgments deemed logical by the researcher. Reasoning is a fundamental pillar of research methodology. Several phenomena have emerged in the Arabic language that one group of scholars considers a linguistic feature, while another views as a linguistic weakness. Among these phenomena is the concept of "contradictory verbal participles," traditionally referred to as "antonyms" (al-ʾaḍdād). These are words that convey two opposite meanings, such as "black and white" or "menstruation." Scholars have debated the existence of this phenomenon …

Symbolism In Andalusian Poetry, Duaa Mutasher Raheem, M.D.Rafid Jihad Abdullah

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

Andalusian poetry was distinguished by its unique position, because it formed an important part of the Andalusian Arabic Islamic culture, and was the tool that the poets depicted the Andalusian reality and the historical events that Andalusian society went through. The Andalusian poet was interested in symbolism, so he used symbols in many of his poems, and his interest in symbolism was like his interest in the beauty of the poetic image, because the symbol was linked in one way or another to the emotional experience that the poet suffers, which gives the poems a special meaning. The symbol in …

Suicidal Intentions Among Divorced Women In Wasit Province, Khitam Abbas Fadhel, Hassan Aii Ai-Sayed

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

The current research aims to: Identifying Suicidal Intentions Among Divorced Women Marriage is viewed as a social institution that includes a set of norms regulating the relationship between spouses. The strength of this structure relies on solid foundations such as proper selection and compatibility in social aspects. Marriage imposes on spouses a set of mutual obligations and rights ensuring the continuity of marital life and enabling the family to fulfill its basic functions Despite the psychological, health and social significance marriage, offers to individuals and society, the phenomenon of divorce has been increasingly prevalent in recent times across various communities …

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, …

Self-Reference Effect On Memory In Early Childhood, Haneen Ali Jalab, Intisar Hashim Mahdi

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

The current research aims to identify: 1. The effect of self-referencing on memory among children in early childhood according to the variables of: a. Age (3, 4, 5, 6 years). b. Gender (male–female). 2. The significance of statistical differences in the effect of self-referencing in early childhood concerning: a. Age (3, 4, 5, 6 years). b. Gender (male–female). The research sample consisted of 200 children (100 boys and 100 girls) selected from nurseries, kindergartens, and primary schools in Baghdad, with 50 children for each age group. The researcher adopted the tool developed by Cunningham et al. (2014) to measure the …

The Development Of Children's Understanding Of Merit In The Fair Allocation Of Resources, Zahraa Sami Abboud, Ghada Ali Hadi

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

The current research aims to identify: 1- Children’s understanding of merit in the fair allocation of resources according to the variables: A- Age (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) years. B - Gender (males - females). 2- There are statistically significant differences in children’s understanding of merit in the fair allocation of resources according to the two variables: A - Age (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) years. B - Gender (males - females). The current research sample includes (280) boys and girls of Baghdad Governorate- its two sides (Karkh and Rusafa), for ages (4, 5, 6, 7, …

The Jurisprudential Opinions Of Al-Sabzwari In His Book Muhadhdhab Al-Ahkam The Issue Of Resting In Prayer As An Example (A Comparative Study) Research Extracted From A Doctoral Thesis, Narges Mahdi Saghir Mohsen, Aqeel Razzaq Noaman

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

Sayyed Abd al-A’la al-Sabuzari is considered one of the leading contemporary Imami jurists, and his book Muhadhdhab al-Ahkam is one of the most prominent books of contemporary Imami jurisprudence. In these research papers, we have intended to study the issue of resting in prayer according to Sayyid al-Sabzwari as a comparative study, and the most prominent results that this study has yielded are that scholars They differed on this issue into four opinions, and it has been proven that the most correct opinion is what was preferred by Mr. Al-Sabzwari, which is the opinion of those who hold the first …

Problems Of Cartographic Representation: An Applied Study On Models Of Maps From Postgraduate Theses And Dissertations In Human Geography At The University Of Baghdad, Aya Walhan Zamil Katea, Ziena Jameel Yousif

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

The map is considered an essential tool for displaying and analyzing geographical information, as it helps convey complex data visually. However, the process of map preparation faces challenges, such as accurately defining elements and choosing suitable representation methods for human phenomena. This research aims to diagnose issues in maps of human geography phenomena, which sometimes suffer from errors in element placement or data representation, affecting spatial distribution and relationship accuracy. Geographic Information Systems (ArcGIS) software was utilized to improve map design. The study selected samples from theses and dissertations by graduate students in the human geography department at various University …

Low-Dimensional Signatures Of Neuronal Activity Associated With Long-Term Operant Conditioning In Aplysia, Sara Vanaki, Nicholas O Gonzalez, Curtis L Neveu, Yuto Momohara, Behnaam Aazhang, John H Byrne

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Operant conditioning is a form of learning in which a behavior is reinforced by reward. Operant conditioning has multiple temporal domains, ranging from short-term, lasting a few minutes, to long-term, persisting for at least 24 h. The extent to which short- and long-term operant conditioning memories rely on shared or separate neural mechanisms is poorly understood. Voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) imaging has been used previously to record the activity of a large number of neurons simultaneously in the buccal ganglion to measure changes in neuronal activity during short-term operant conditioning. We examined neuronal activity using VSD 24 h after operant conditioning …

Working Paper No. 104, An Gorta Mór: The ‘Great Hunger’ And Irish Immigrant Labor In 19th Century America, Amanda Bergeson

Working Papers in Economics

This inquiry seeks to establish that portions of the population of Ireland -- responding to what has been referred to in their Celtic language as An Gorta Mór, or in the English language as the ‘Great Hunger -- took to emigrating en masse and therewith contributed bigly to the expansion of America’s labor supply. Bolsterd by Irish immigrants, this expanding mid-nineteenth century labor force provided for an abundance of workers needed for a broadly based industrialization, that would also lead to large-scale urbanization as well as a host of changes in this nation’s social fabric. Of note is that …

Working Paper No. 105, John Locke And The American Experiment, Riley Sharps

Working Papers in Economics

This inquiry seeks to establish that ideas advanced by the Englishman John Locke, regarding private property, natural rights, as well as a social contract for relations between authorities and governed, influenced the American experiment at its founding. Locke’s novel understanding regarding private property greatly influenced leaders railing against British dominance. His ideas were picked up by founding figures such as John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, as well as James Madison, and Thomas Paine. Through their leadership, in particular, Locke’s ideas were carried forward and served as the inspiration behind key concepts appearing in this new nation’s founding documents. First appearing in …

Working Paper No. 106, The Rise And Fall Of Whaling In Early America, Miranda Rehaume

Working Papers in Economics

This inquiry seeks to establish that whaling activities -- and later a whaling industry -- would play important roles in the economic development of the colonies that would, with time, form into the United States of America. Drawing from historical accounts, this inquiry explores how whaling emerged as a cornerstone of the colonial, New England economy as well as the early American transatlantic trade. It shall be argued that the industry’s prosperity was driven by capital investments that included the development of specialized ships and equipment, driven by the colonists’ determination to make the whaling industry prosper. However, repeated disruptions …

Examining Religiosity, Suicidality, And Internalized Homonegativity Among Ethnoracially Diverse Sexual Minority Students, Danica Christy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sexual minority (SM) individuals are at an elevated risk for suicidality, particularly those who hold multiple marginalized identities, including religious and racial minority statuses. While religiosity is generally protective against psychological distress and suicide for heterosexual individuals, its impact on SM individuals is more complex. It may function as both a risk and a protective factor. The current mixed methods study explored the relationships between religiosity, internalized homonegativity (IH), and suicidality among an ethno-racially diverse sample of college students (n = 246). Quantitative analyses revealed that SM participants (n = 123) reported significantly higher rates of suicidality than their heterosexual …

Enviromental Dna (Edna) Tools For Invasive Mosquitofish (Gambusia Affinis) Surveillance At The Shoshone Pupfish (Cyprinidon Nevadensis Shoshone) Refugium, Yusuf Olamilekan Umar

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Spring-fed aquatic ecosystems of the North American Southwest and U.S. Great Basin hosts a plethora of endemic fish species due to the effects of hydrologic fragmentation that resulted from Pleistocene aridification. Threats to endemic fishes worldwide include human intentional or unintentional release of exotic species into their habitats. Early detection of invasive species, while corrective actions are still possible, is critical for management, yet traditional survey methods are often disruptive to sensitive ecosystems, costly, and limited in sensitivity. The recent development of environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches offers powerful alternatives for invasive species monitoring in aquatic systems. In this study, a …

Targeting Kinesin Family Member 20a Sensitizes Stem-Like Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells To Standard Chemotherapy, Yayoi Adachi, Weilong Chen, Cheng Zhang, Tao Wang, Nina Gildor, Rachel Shi, Haoyong Fu, Masashi Takeda, Qian Liang, Fangzhou Zhao, Hongyi Liu, Jun Fang, Jin Zhou, Hongwei Yao, Lianxin Hu, Shina Li, Lei Guo, Lin Xu, Ling Xie, Xian Chen, Chengheng Liao, Qing Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), being both aggressive and highly lethal, poses a major clinical challenge in terms of treatment. Its heterogeneity and lack of hormone receptors or HER2 expression further restrict the availability of targeted therapy. Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), known to fuel TNBC malignancy, are now being exploited as a vulnerability for TNBC treatment. Here, we dissected the transcriptome of BCSCs and identified kinesin family member 20A (KIF20A) as a key regulator of BCSC survival and TNBC tumorigenesis. Genetic depletion or pharmacological inhibition of KIF20A impairs BCSC viability and tumor initiation and development in vitro and in vivo. …

Itpr1 Autoantibody-Associated Autoimmunity As A Cause Of Newly Emerging Cognitive Decline Mimicking Alzheimer's Disease: Case Report And Brief Review Of The Literature, Nicolas Kunath, Hermod Arne Bollandsås Ramfjord, Elisabeth Volden Kvisvik, Marton Konyves-Kolonics, Gøril Rolfseng Grøntvedt, Irina I Serysheva, Lars Komorowski, Brigitte Wildemann, Sven Jarius

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Since its first description in 2014, anti-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor type 1 (ITPR1, also termed IP3R1) autoimmunity has been recognized as causing a clinically heterogeneous spectrum of symptoms. While first described in patients with autoimmune cerebellar ataxia, this facultative paraneoplastic disease has been associated also with peripheral neuropathy, dysautonomia, sleep disorders, neuropsychiatric/psychotic symptoms, and cognitive decline.

Methods: Retrospective case study.

Results: We report the case of a 58-year-old patient who was admitted with acute confusion, rapidly progressive cognitive decline, and hallucinations. A history of mild cognitive impairment over several years and low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amyloid beta-42 and elevated CSF …

Protocol For Isolation Of Lipid Droplets And Mitochondria From Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells For Lipidomic Analysis, Ran Zhao, Liang Zhang, Shuxin Dong, Kazuharu Kamachi, Saurabh Kumar Gupta, Hiroki Akiyama, Jalen Nguyen, G Lavender Hackman, Michael Andreeff, Alessia Lodi, Jo Ishizawa

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Lipid droplets (LDs) are dynamic organelles critical for lipid and energy homeostasis. LD dysregulation is implicated in various diseases, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which exhibits aberrant lipid metabolism and chemoresistance. Here, we describe an effective protocol for the co-isolation of LDs and mitochondria from lipid-deficient cell types, e.g., AML cells. We detail procedures for the isolation, quality verification, and results from mass spectrometry-based lipidomic analysis. This protocol enables the functional study of organellar lipidomic regulation in AML.