University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Comparative study of femtosecond laser ablation of glass using ultrathin gold and nickel films as sensitizers

Abstract It is known that an ultrathin Au film can sensitize femtosecond ablation of dielectric substrates by reducing the ablation threshold reduction and enhancing the ablation rate. In this work, we report the first observation that an ultrathin Ni film can also serve as a sen...

The hidden redundancy in psychological trait measures: A general factor of personality (GFP) perspective

In psychology there is a plethora of different measures and constructs. However, the literature also shows that many of these measures overlap and may even sometimes be redundant. Recognizing such overlap in measures is essential for consolidation and for moving the field forward...

Entertainment marketing: trends and future research

The 21st-century entertainment landscape has undergone a radical transformation driven by the internet, smartphones and the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI). As entertainment becomes deeply integrated into everyday life, marketing has evolved from a supporting function t...

Effects of declarative language and an indirect reward system on participation in adult-selected activities in an autistic child with features of pathological demand avoidance

Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is a behavioral profile that is often associated with autism spectrum disorder and has received increased attention in the field of child psychiatry, child neurology, and pediatrics. Despite its prevalence, autistic children with a PDA profile...

‘No estamos solos’ : empowering and supporting Latino immigrants to manage chronic disease through a culturally relevant nutrition and physical activity intervention

BACKGROUND: NC Latino immigrants experience health disparities, contributing to higher rates of chronic disease. A community health clinic partnered with a university to develop a low-cost, physical activity and nutrition intervention for Latino immigrants managing chronic diseas...

From Community Values to AI Design Constraints: A Mixed-Methods Study of a Proposed AI-Driven Wildfire Risk Assessment Tool in Los Angeles County

AI-driven hazard tools are increasingly being proposed for resident-facing risk communication. However, residents are often asked for feedback only after decisions about data use, privacy, and explanation have already been made. This study takes an earlier approach by examining r...

From Explainability to Actionability: a Tiered Adaptable Multi-Agent Framework with Agent Reasoning Tools for Collaborative Failure Recovery

Abstract Effective human-AI collaboration, especially in failure scenarios, requires systems that function as active partners rather than static tools. This research addresses this requirement by introducing a tiered multi-agent architecture grounded in Human-Centered eXplainable...

Persistent Local Laplacian Prediction of Protein–Ligand Binding Affinities

Abstract Accurate prediction of protein–ligand binding affinity remains a central challenge in structure-based drug discovery. The effectiveness of machine learning models critically depends on the quality of molecular representations, for which advanced mathematical frameworks p...

Hydrothermal Modification of Porous Silica Microbands Improves Single-Cell Assays of the Ether-Lipid Metabolism

Abstract The ability to separate and detect lipid metabolites in single cells has been achieved using a miniaturized thin-layer chromatography (TLC) platform termed picoTLC (pTLC). However, continued innovations in the matrix fabrication, lipid reporter development, and single-ce...

Development of FamTAM Intervention for Speech and Language Pathologists and Family Members

Children with complex communication needs, including approximately one-third of children with autism, use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to meet their daily communication needs. AAC includes gestures, sign language, picture symbols, and computerized systems to a...

Ultrasonographic and Thermographic Evaluation in Brachycephalic Dogs Before and After Physical Exercise in the Brazilian Northeast Semi-Arid Region

Brachycephalic dogs are predisposed to respiratory and thermoregulatory impairment, which may become evident during physical exertion. This study evaluated thermal and pulmonary ultrasonographic responses to standardized submaximal treadmill exercise in 41 clinically healthy brac...

Analyzing high school students’ critical ethical decision-making in data science

Abstract As society increasingly relies on Big Data Analytics, there is an urgent need for critical ethical decision-makers who can navigate the risks of data-driven harm. At present, educators lack analytic tools to understand how students make these complex ethical choices. Thi...

PROBE: Benchmarking code generation in large language models

Abstract Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly being used in everyday software engineering tasks, particularly in automated code generation. Despite their widespread adoption, these models remain far from perfect, making systematic and fair evaluation essential to underst...

Enrolling middle school staff in the CSTOP Now! cRCT to prevent child sex trafficking: preliminary effectiveness of recruitment strategies

Child sex trafficking (CST) has significant, long-term health consequences for children and their families. Given higher risk of CST for middle school-aged children, the significant time spent by students in schools under staff supervision, and the opportunity to provide CST prev...

Material Characterization of Lignin‐Filled Polypropylene Composites

ABSTRACT Lignin, an environmentally friendly byproduct from pulping and biorefinery processes, was incorporated into polypropylene (PP) as ground and spray‐dried powders. The effects of lignin morphology, particle size, and loading on the mechanical, rheological, viscoelastic, an...

Examining teachers’ enactments of a cognitively-demanding mathematics task in fourth grade classrooms

Scholars studying mathematics teaching and learning agree that students need to be effective at solving problems, yet there is a lack of consensus about how to best prepare students to be successful. This exploratory study examined how three different fourth grade teachers’ enact...

Machine learning in laser powder bed fusion: a data-centric review of structural prediction and process optimization

Abstract Significant advances have been made in the field of Additive Manufacturing (AM) across various manufacturing processes. Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) is one of the most widely adopted metal AM processes in the industry, which employs energy sources such as lasers to mel...