Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Opportunities, Challenges, And Conspicuous Absences: An Integrative Review Of The Social Work Literature On Artificial Intelligence, Michael J. Massey, Ian G. Williams, Grace C. Polistina, Eathan A. Breaux

Publications and Research

INTRODUCTION: Social work discourse regarding artificial intelligence (AI) in practice, research, and education has proliferated over the last 5 years, reflecting both excitement over its potential and ambivalence about its ethical challenges. However, the extent to which social work is fully engaging with the structure of AI and its enormous impacts on the environment, labour, and distribution of power remains unclear.

METHODS: An integrative review of social work literature from 2020–2024 was conducted to address two research questions: 1) What is the nature of the social work discourse related to AI? 2) To what extent is the discourse …

Heat And Socioeconomic Deprivation Compound To Drive Coronary Heart Disease In Los Angeles, Shutong Huo, Tessa R. Pulido, Reginald S. Archer, Joshua B. Fisher, Jason A. Douglas

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Background:

Socioeconomic deprivation and environmental heat exposure each increase cardiovascular risk, yet evidence is limited on how these stressors co-occur and jointly shape disease burden within cities. Mapping their overlap can inform equity-oriented planning and needs-based allocation of health and social protection resources.

Methods:

We conducted an ecological geospatial analysis of 2,513 census tracts in Los Angeles County. Adult coronary heart disease (CHD) prevalence was obtained from CDC Population Level Analysis and Community Estimates (2021). Socioeconomic deprivation was measured using the Social Deprivation Index (SDI), and heatwave surface heat hazard was measured using land surface temperature (LST) retrieved from the …

Numerals And Other Means Of Expressing Plurality In Language And Thought: A Developmental Perspective Across Cultures., Giovanni Giuseppe G.G. Nicosia Prof.

Numeracy

Several ancient languages use linguistic structures to differentiate between singular, dual, and plural forms that are used when one, two, or many objects are referenced. (Some languages go further, adding a trial form to differentiate two from three.) In many modern languages, numerals are used to convey precise number. After reviewing a range of ways languages express number (including the interesting case of Pirahã which does not express precise number), the paper concludes with a proposed developmental path for the expression of quantity in languages.

Markets, Agency, And Trust: Ai Agents And The Knowledge Problem, Brennan Mcdavid, Lynne Kiesling, David Chassin

Philosophy Faculty Articles and Research

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming market participation, raising key epistemological questions: Do AI agents enhance or diminish the aggregation of local, private, and tacit knowledge Hayek saw as essential to market processes? How does trust in both markets and AI shape willingness to engage in AI-mediated exchange? This paper examines these issues through market epistemology, agency relationships, and trust epistemology, analyzing how agentic AI reshapes the knowledge problem and principal-agent dynamics. Applying this framework to transactive energy markets, we show that AI shifts decision-making from human cognition to algorithmic processes that require user trust despite epistemic opacity, although it is …

The Need For Developing Psychologically Informed Physical Therapy Education, Dustin Cox

Journal of Applied Disciplines

Chronic pain presents a multifaceted challenge for healthcare providers, often impacting patients' physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. Research indicates that individuals with chronic pain process pain through emotional and reward pathways in the brain, underscoring the need for integrative treatment approaches. Evidence supports the effectiveness of combining psychological interventions with physical rehabilitation to improve outcomes. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a mindfulness-based behavioral therapy, has shown promise in addressing the psychological dimensions of chronic pain. However, physical therapists often lack formal training in ACT. This study protocol was designed to explore effective methods for educating physical therapists in ACT principles …

Diagnostic Trends And Service Enhancements In Deaf Mental Health: A Longitudinal Analysis, Kent Schafer, Steve Hamerdinger, Frank Wu, Rie Sakai Bizmark, Charlene Crump

JADARA

A longitudinal study investigated mental health diagnostic trends and patterns among Deaf and Hearing individuals using a comprehensive dataset from Alabama Department of Mental Health spanning 2004-2024 (Deaf=4,547; Hearing=2,056,188). Chi-square analysis revealed significant proportional differences in diagnoses between the groups. Deaf individuals showed significantly higher proportions of psychotic (12.93% vs. 8.33% Hearing), mood (20.76% vs. 18.84% Hearing), and personality (0.58% vs. 0.43% Hearing) disorders. These findings suggest that increased access to specialized and competent mental health services for individuals who are Deaf, particularly following the increase of staffing patterns for the Office of Deaf Services in 2015,contributed to more accurate …

An Odd Protocol For An Agent-Based Model Of Hepatitis C Virus Transmission With Inter- And Intra-Group Structural And Behavioural Heterogeneous Syringe-Sharing Networks (5), Seun Ale, Que Nguyen Dr., John D. Kelleher Prof., Elizabeth Hunter Dr.

Reports

The model described in this ODD is an agent-based model of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID). The model incorporates structural heterogeneity through a three-group interaction framework and behavioural heterogeneity through group-specific syringe-sharing rates with additional intra-group variability. The syringe-sharing population in the model is divided into core, inner, and outer circle groups representing individuals with high, moderate, and low levels of syringe-sharing interaction intensity, respectively. In addition to differences in the number of daily interaction opportunities across groups, agents in each group are assigned syringe-sharing probabilities that vary at the individual level around their …

Identifying Priorities To Guide Extension Water Quality Programming In Utah, Clare Entwistle, Sarah Erwin, Stephanie Vaughn

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Utah State University Extension water quality faculty conducted a statewide water quality needs assessment to identify priority contaminants and resource gaps. The results found that elevated nutrient levels and sedimentation were the top concerns where additional resources would be beneficial. In addition, insufficient funding for improvements and low public engagement were identified as key challenges in addressing water quality issues. Results revealed current unmet needs with regional variation to inform Extension resource allocation and programming.

College Of Natural Sciences 2025 Year-End Publication, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Page 2 Dean's Message 
Page 3 Department Highlights 
Page 4 One Day for State 
Page 5 Ice cores reveal volcanic eruptions in 13th century 
Page 5 How do our cells interpret stress 
Page 6-7 Faculty Excellence
Page 8 New chemical biology consortium will accelerate cancer research
Page 9 SDSU to combat crop disease, biofilms in new NSF-back project 
Page 9 Science as Art Competition 
Page 10-11 Student Excellence  
Page 12 SDSU researcher developing natural alternative to synthetic dyes
Page 12 Browning Retired
Page 13 Quantum technologies through NSF-backed project
Page 13 NASA Funds CNS Development of Model
Page 14 GGS …

An Odd Protocol For An Agent-Based Model Of Hepatitis C Virus Transmission In A Two-Group Structural Heterogeneous Syringe-Sharing Network (M2), Seun Ale, Que Nguyen Dr., John D. Kelleher Prof., Elizabeth Hunter Dr.

Reports

The model described in this ODD is an agent-based model of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID). The model extended a baseline homogeneous model by incorporating structural heterogeneity via a two-group interaction framework. The syringe-sharing population in the model is divided into inner and outer circle groups representing individuals with differing levels of syringe-sharing interaction intensity. While all agents share the same syringe-sharing probability and epidemiological processes remain identical across agents, the number of daily interaction opportunities differs between the two groups. Interactions in the model are generated dynamically using proximity-based sampling at each timestep …

An Odd Protocol For An Agent-Based Model Of Hepatitis C Virus Transmission In A Three-Group Structural Heterogeneous Syringe-Sharing Network (M3), Seun Ale, Que Nguyen Dr., John D. Kelleher Prof., Elizabeth Hunter Dr.

Reports

The model described in this ODD is an agent-based model of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID). The model incorporates structural heterogeneity through a three-group interaction framework. The syringe-sharing population in the model is divided into core, inner, and outer circle groups representing individuals with high, moderate, and low levels of syringe-sharing interaction intensity, respectively. While the syringe-sharing rate and all epidemiological processes remain identical across agents, the number of daily interaction opportunities differs by agent grouping, capturing variation in structural position within the syringe-sharing network. Interactions are generated dynamically using proximity-based sampling at each …

The Illusion Of Causality In Llms: A Developmentally Grounded Analysis Of Semantic Scaffolding And Benchmark–Capability Mismatches, Daisuke Akiba

Publications and Research

Recent benchmarks increasingly report that large language models (LLMs) exhibit human-like causal reasoning abilities, including counterfactual inference and intervention planning. However, many such evaluations rely on domains that are heavily represented in training data and embed strong semantic cues, raising the possibility that apparent causal competence may reflect semantic pattern recombination rather than structure-sensitive causal reasoning. Drawing on human developmental theories of causal induction, this perspective argues that genuine causal understanding requires robustness to novelty and reliance on conditional structure rather than semantic familiarity. To illustrate the testability of this claim, the paper includes a pilot demonstration using synthetic causal …

Improving Public Transport Through Machine Learning Influence Flow Analysis (Mifa): Southern England Bus Case Study, Benjamin Lee, Wolfgang Garn, Masoud Fakhimi, Nick F. Ryman-Tubb

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Public transport (PT) is crucial for enhancing the quality of life and enabling sustainable urban development. As part of the UK Transport Investment Strategy, increasing PT usage is critical to achieving efficient and sustainable mobility. This paper introduces Machine Learning Influence Flow Analysis (MIFA), a novel framework for identifying the key influencers of PT usage. Using survey data from bus passengers in Southern England, we evaluate machine learning models. Subsequently, MIFA uncovers that easy payments, e-ticketing, and mobile applications can substantially improve the PT service. MIFA’s implementation demonstrates that strength and importance lead to specific insights into how service characteristics …

The Modern Sisyphus Blows Leaves: Attitudes And Impacts Regarding Leaf Litter Removal On A Suburban Campus, A. C. Nony, M. R. Mcclung, M. L. Reid

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Leaf litter habitat disruption in suburban spaces stems from the prevalence of “lawn culture,” that is, the accepted societal norm that land immediately surrounding humans or meant for human recreational use should be clean, tidy, controlled, and aesthetically pleasing, above other considerations. When leaf litter on residential and recreational lawns is cleared, it removes vital habitat for organisms of several taxa, especially species that rely on litter as a moisture and temperature-controlled substrate for overwintering. We administered an opinion survey to students, staff, and faculty at Hendrix College, a highly residential and suburban campus in Conway, Arkansas, to assess views …

Using Large Language Models To Analyze Political Texts Through Natural Language Understanding, Kenneth Benoit, Scott De Marchi, Conor Laver, Michael Laver, Jinshuai Ma

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Large language models (LLMs) offer scalable alternatives to human experts when analyzing political texts for meaning, using natural language understanding (NLU). Qualitative NLU methods relying on human experts are severely limited by cost and scalability. Statistical text-as-data methods are scalable but rely on strong and often unrealistic assumptions. We propose a systematic, scalable, and replicable method that can extend existing qualitative and quantitative approaches by using LLMs to interpret texts meaningfully rather than as mere data. Our ensemble means of LLM-generated estimates of party positions on six key issue dimensions correlate highly with equivalent mean ratings by country specialists. When …

An Odd Protocol For An Agent-Based Model Of Hepatitis C Virus Transmission In A Homogeneous Syringe-Sharing Network, Seun Ale, Que Thi Nguyet Nguyen Dr., John D. Kelleher Prof., Elizabeth Hunter Dr.

Reports

The model described in this ODD is an agent-based model of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID). The model assumes homogeneous mixing among syringe-sharing agents, without any form of heterogeneity in the agents interactions or syringe-sharing attitude. All syringe-sharing PWID are treated as identical in terms of their interaction frequency and syringe-sharing probability. Interactions are generated dynamically using proximity-based sampling at each timestep (one day), allowing agents to form syringe-sharing interactions based on spatial closeness. The number of daily interaction events is fixed at the population level, and each syringe-sharing agent has the same probability …

An Odd Protocol For An Agent-Based Model Of Hepatitis C Virus Transmission With Inter-Group Structural And Behavioural Heterogeneous Syringe-Sharing Networks (M4), Seun Ale, Que Nguyen Dr., John D. Kelleher Prof., Elizabeth Hunter Dr.

Reports

The model described in this ODD is an agent-based model of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID). The model incorporates structural heterogeneity through a three-group interaction framework and behavioural heterogeneity through group-specific syringe-sharing rates. The syringe-sharing population in the model is divided into core, inner, and outer circle groups representing individuals with high, moderate, and low levels of syringe-sharing interaction intensity, respectively. In addition to differences in the number of daily interaction opportunities across groups, agents in each group are assigned distinct syringe-sharing probabilities, reflecting variation in risk-taking behaviour across structural groups within the syringe-sharing …

Automated Machine Learning For High-Resolution Daily And Hourly Methane Emission Mapping For Rice Paddies Over South Korea: Integrating Modis, Era5-Land, And Soil Data, Jiah Jang, Seung Hee Kim, Menas Kafatos, Jaeil Cho, Gayoung Yoo, Sujong Jeong, Yangwon Lee

Institute for ECHO Articles and Research

Agriculture is a major global source of methane (CH4), and accurate emission estimates are essential for refining national greenhouse gas inventories and supporting climate-resilient policies. This study develops a high-resolution estimation framework for CH4 emissions from Korean rice paddies by integrating multi-source datasets, including Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) vegetation indices, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Reanalysis Version 5 (ERA5)-Land meteorological variables, and Harmonized World Soil Database (HWSD) soil properties. Using CH4 flux observations from four global rice ecosystems (Italy, Japan, South Korea, and USA), we constructed parallel daily and hourly machine learning models using an automated machine …

In What Style Shall I Confront Them? The Role Of Social Relationships In Social Correction Of Misinformation Among The Uk And Arab Social Media Users, Muaadh Noman, Mohamed B. Almourad, Ala Yankouskaya, Firoj Alam, Raian Ali

All Works

This study investigates how social factors influence the likelihood of employing direct or indirect communication styles when correcting misinformation on social media in two different cultural contexts, the United Kingdom (UK) and the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. We conducted an online survey, supported by vignettes, that involved 686 participants, 367 from the UK and 319 from the Arab GCC countries. Participants were presented with a misinformation scenario and asked about their likelihood of using direct or indirect communication styles to correct their acquaintances. The survey captured variations in gender similarity (same vs. different gender), social status (lower vs. …

Comprehensively Evaluating The Perception Systems Of Autonomous Vehicles Against Hazards, Xiaodong Zhang, Jie Bao, Jianlei Chi, Jun Sun, Zijiang Yang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Perception systems are vital for the safety of autonomous driving. In complex autonomous driving scenarios, autonomous vehicles must overcome various natural hazards, such as heavy rain or raindrops on the camera lens. Therefore, it is essential to conduct comprehensive testing of the perception systems in autonomous vehicles against these hazards, as demanded by the regulatory agencies of many countries for human drivers. Since there are many hazard scenarios, each of which has multiple configurable parameters, the challenges are (1) how do we systematically and adequately test an autonomous vehicle against these hazard scenarios, with measurable outcome; and (2) how do …

“It’S A Lot More To It Than Just Research”: Integrating Critical Data Literacy And Reasoning With Data Into A Stem Summer Camp, Marc T. Sager, Saki L. Milton, Candace Walkington

Publications

Purpose: This study explores how middle-grade girls from predominantly underrepresented and underserved racially and ethnically minoritized (UUREM) backgrounds developed critical data literacy (CDL) through participation in a week-long residential STEM camp. Given the increasing importance of data science education in a data-driven world, this research examines how informal learning environments can support CDL development among youth from historically marginalized groups.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The study draws on qualitative interview data from eleven participants, and their group-produced artifacts to investigate how the camp experience supported engagement with data and the development of CDL. Interviews explored participants' experiences with data collection, organization, analysis, and …

A Probabilistic Deep Learning Framework For Retrieving Chlorophyll-A From Hyperspectral Imagery: Integrating Channel Attention And Mixture Density Networks, Wenzhao Li, Surendra Maharjan, Rejoice Thomas, Junde Chen, Hesham Morgan, Michael J. Garay, Olga V. Kalashnikova, Shahryar Fazli, Charles Ichoku, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Accurate monitoring of Chlorophyll-a (Chla) is critical for assessing aquatic ecosystem health, yet ecological complexity often leads to ambiguous spectral signatures in satellite data. Traditional deterministic models assume a one-to-one mapping between spectra and pigments, often failing to capture these high-dimensional analytical challenges. In this study, we propose a novel deep learning architecture, the Channel Attention-Mixture Density Network (CA-MDN), to retrieve Chla from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) hyperspectral mission. The CA-MDN integrates an attention mechanism to dynamically select ecologically relevant spectral bands and employs a probabilistic output layer to quantify …

Practices, Experiences, And Insights From Major Developed Economies On Green And Low-Carbon Technology Innovation Policies, Baihe Gu, Hongqian Wang, Yuling Sun, Dan Chen

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The transition toward green and low-carbon development has become a significant global trend for future growth. This study focuses on policy frameworks that support innovation in green and low-carbon technologies. It reviews the practices of major developed economies, such as the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Japan in this field, and synthesizes their experiences across key dimensions such as industrial policy, innovation actors, innovation ecosystems, funding mechanisms, and international cooperation. Drawing on these insights, and taking into account China’s unique advantages and challenges in green and low-carbon technological innovation, the paper offers policy recommendations aimed at …

Promoting Water Security Of South-To-North Water Diversion Project For National Water Network, Quanfa Zhang, Guihua Liu, Chesheng Zhan, Xiaobo Ren

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The South-to-North Water Diversion Project is a crucial infrastructure initiative aiming at optimizing nation-wide distribution of water resources, meanwhile fostering sustainable economic and social development, and ensuring the well-being of the people. The project, with its extensive scope and high technical complexity, particularly in the middle and west routes located in biodiversity hotspots such as the Qinling Mountains and the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, may alter local microclimates, potentially triggering meteorological disasters such as droughts, thunderstorms, and hail, along with secondary hazards. The implementation of the project may also disrupt the local hydrological conditions, disturb the balance of the existing atmospheric-vegetation-soil system, …

Artificial Intelligence-Driven Materials Science: Evolution, Framework, Dilemmas, And Breakthroughs, Yanglili Zhou, Weihua Wang, Ziwei Zhao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Artificial intelligence-driven materials science (AIMS) represents a revolutionary and disruptive paradigm in materials research, promising to fundamentally break through the traditional bottlenecks of research cycles and efficiency. Historically, the evolution of materials science research paradigms from empirical trial and error, theoretical modeling, and computational simulation to the new data-driven stage has been driven by innovations in cognitive tools and methods. Currently, artificial intelligence, as a disruptive cognitive tool, is fundamentally reconstructing the core elements and interaction logic of materials science: the research process achieves intelligent iteration and full-process closed-loop; the capabilities of researchers are reshaped and teams are organized; and …

Study On Strategies And Measures And Insights For Introducing Artificial Intelligence Talents In Japan, Fangxin Hu, Ru Ma, Yujun Su

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

In response to the aging population and the need for innovation in science and technology development, Japan regards AI as a key technology to solve social problems. In addition to accelerating the training of domestic AI talents, Japan is also vigorously introducing overseas AI talents. This study sorts out and analyzes Japan’s long-term, annual, and AI-specific strategic planning for the introduction of AI talents, including Basic Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation, Comprehensive Innovation Strategy, Strategic Plan for Artificial Intelligence Technology, and AI Strategy, and explores Japan’s specific implementation measures such as updating the national residence management system, improving the …

A Decolonial Approach To International Education: Insights From A Cal Poly Global Program In Palermo, Sicily, Elvira Pulitano, Iyad Jamaly

csuglobalaction

This article presents a critical intervention in the current debates about decolonizing international education. It is based on a Global Program in Palermo, Sicily, offered by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in summer 2023. As both program creator/director and student participant in the program, the authors rely on their personal experience and insights along with expertise in coloniality and decolonial theories. The article focuses on a series of pedagogical activities led by a young group of migrants and refugees who, in the city of Palermo, have come together to form two associations designed and structured to offer new contemporary models …

Cerebral Documents And Algorithmic Sensemaking: Searching For Expressions In Human And Artificial Cognitive Collaborations, Rebekah L. Cowell

Proceedings from the Document Academy

Generative Artificial Intelligences (AIs) and current advanced large language models (LLMs) are algorithmically designed to generate text-based conversations as conversational agents (CAs), by replicating human language and conversational communication. Pairing human cognition with generative computationally coded cognition. We have never been here before: cerebral and artificial information collaborations and processing producing expressions that may or may not become visible as second-hand/secondary source documents.

Sensemaking or sense(un)making is a unique autonomous human drive cognitively, our information processing is sensemaking in action and expressions and articulations are evidence of the sensemaking cycle. Documentation [expressed or articulated through various mediums] are a product …

Protecting ‘Punks’: The Shortcomings Of The Prison Rape Elimination Act, Rachel Goldsmith

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Prisoner-on-prisoner sexual abuse is widespread in US male prisons, with inmates “turning each other out” by sexually assaulting each other. While the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) received unanimous support in Congress in 2003, motivated by the Human Rights Watch Report “No Escape: Male Rape in Prisons,” scholars argue that the PREA fails to protect prisoners from prison rape: for example, its standards may be ineffective or criminalize consensual sex between prisoners. This essay will examine the shortcomings of the PREA, drawing on current legal scholarship, and propose solutions to enhance the law's effectiveness in protecting prisoners. The US government …

Satellites, Urban Heat, And Environmental Justice: Community As The Bridge Between Analysis And Action, Joshua B. Fisher, Ambar Rivera, Ava Cison, Ashley Agatep, Kainani Tacazon, Sophia Spiegleman, Alison Mckenery, Rio E. Fisher, Reginald Archer, Jason A. Douglas

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Heat waves are increasing in frequency, intensity, magnitude, and duration, causing a disproportionate impact on marginalized communities exposed to urban heat islands. Newly emerging spaceborne thermal sensing instruments, such as ECOSTRESS and Hydrosat, now have the capabilities to measure urban surface temperatures accurately at the block level (< 100 m) and with enough frequency to capture transient heat waves (daily to subweekly). Such data are critical for monitoring and informing policy and mitigation efforts, such as resurfacing, green space, cooling stations, and medical mobilization. These serve to advance environmental justice and reduce health risks—and deaths—among the most vulnerable: minority, low-income, elderly, those with physical- and mental-health preconditions, unhoused, children, and outdoor workers. While scientists have increasingly used satellite data to quantify urban heat islands and risks to communities, there remains a significant gap in action resulting from such analyses—a figurative and literal “valley of death.” Reviewing over 500 scientific publications, we identify a critical lack of engagement with the communities being analyzed (10.9%; n = 58); yet, community engagement is key to bridging such analysis with subsequent action. Here, we demonstrate how participatory community engagement directly with data and analysis leads to increased policy changes and mitigation efforts. Our framework has immediate implications for how scientists may augment their work and thought processes to achieve …