Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Ai And Advocacy: Maximizing Potential, Minimizing Risk, Matthew Salzano, Nicholas Fung, Ada Lin, Sofia Marchetta, Faith Colombo, Kaylah Davis, John Flynn, Carlos Fuentes, Fion Li, Malar Paavi Muthukumaran, Angelica Paramoshin, Chrisanne Pearce, Vianney Ramos, Charles St. Hilaire, Xi Zheng, Wei Zhuang

School of Communication and Journalism Faculty Publications

New Generative AI tools are revolutionizing writing and communication. This report focuses on AI and advocacy, the act of influencing public policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions. This report identifies three major opportunities and accompanying risks, plus one strong recommendation for advocates considering using AI. We argue that AI can be useful for advocates, but they must be careful to center human judgment and avoid risks that could distract from their important work or even contribute to societal harms.

Front Matter, Konstantin Likharev

Essential Graduate Physics

Includes: Copyright and License; Preface; Disclaimer; Versions, Corrections, and Acknowledgments; Solution Request Templates; Notation; General Table of Contents

References, Appendices & All Parts Merged, Konstantin Likharev

Essential Graduate Physics

Includes: Appendix MA: Selected Mathematical Formulas; Appendix UCA: Selected Physical Units and Constants; References; EGP merged file (all parts, appendices, and references)

Part Sm: Statistical Mechanics, Konstantin Likharev

Essential Graduate Physics

Includes: Review of Thermodynamics; Principles of Physical Statistics; Ideal and Not-So-Ideal Gases; Phase Transitions; Fluctuations; Elements of Kinetics

Part Qm: Quantum Mechanics, Konstantin Likharev

Essential Graduate Physics

Includes: Introduction; 1D Wave Mechanics; Higher Dimensionality Effects; Bra-ket Formalism; Some Exactly Solvable Problems; Perturbation Theories; Open Quantum Systems; Multiparticle Systems; Introduction to Relativistic Quantum Mechanics; Making Sense of Quantum Mechanics

Part Em: Classical Electrodynamics, Konstantin Likharev

Essential Graduate Physics

Includes: Electric Charge Interaction; Charges and Conductors; Polarization of Dielectrics; DC Currents; Magnetism; Time-Dependent Electromagnetism; Electromagnetic Wave Propagation; Radiation, Scattering, Interference, and Diffraction; Special Relativity; Radiation by Relativistic Charges

Part Cm: Classical Mechanics, Konstantin Likharev

Essential Graduate Physics

Includes: Review of Fundamentals; Lagrangian Formalism; A Few Simple Problems; Oscillations; From Oscillations to Waves; Rigid Body Motion; Deformations and Elasticity; Fluid Mechanics; Deterministic Chaos; A Bit More of Analytical Mechanics

Reef Benthic Fauna And Sediment Characterization, Robert M. Cerrato, Matthew Sclafani

School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

High-resolution backscatter and bathymetric maps created by multibeam sonar surveys were used to identify different seafloor bottom types within existing, potentially expanded, and newly proposed reef areas in New York waters. Existing sites included Smithtown in Long Island Sound (LIS), and Rockaway, Atlantic Beach, Hempstead, Yellowbar, Kismet, Fire Island, Twelve Mile along the South Shore. Potential expansions are proposed on the South Shore for McAllister, Moriches, and Shinnecock reefs in addition to a new site called Sixteen Fathom. In Long Island Sound, new sites are proposed for Huntington/Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson/Mount Sinai, and Mattituck. Grab samples were collected within these …

Evaluating Performance Of Openmp Tasks In A Seismic Stencil Application, Eric Raut, Jie Meng, Mauricio Araya-Polo, Barbara Chapman

Department of Applied Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Simulations based on stencil computations (widely used in geosciences) have been dominated by the MPI+OpenMP programming model paradigm. Little effort has been devoted to experimenting with task-based parallelism in this context. We address this by introducing OpenMP task parallelism into the kernel of an industrial seismic modeling code, Minimod. We observe that even for these highly regular stencil computations, taskified kernels are competitive with traditional OpenMP-augmented loops, and in some experiments tasks even outperform loop parallelism.

This promising result sets the stage for more complex computational patterns. Simulations involve more than just the stencil calculation: a collection of kernels is …

Truncations Of W (Infinity) Algebras, Mohammed Akram Fellah

Department of Physics Faculty Publications

We introduce a new class of Vertex Operator Algebras Y+ and their duals, which generalize the standard W-algebras WN of type sl(N). These algebras can be defined in terms of junctions of boundary conditions and interfaces in the GL-twisted N = 4 Super Yang Mills gauge theory.

The aim of these technical calculations is to find the relation of these ortho-symplectic Y-algebras to truncations of even W\infinity.

Evolutionary Origins, Regulation, And Function Of Carotenoid Biosynthesis In The Marine Heterotrophic Eukaryote, Aurantiochytrium Limacinum, Mariana Rius

SoMAS Research Data

Thraustochytrids are abundant and ubiquitous marine protists that are important in global elemental cycling and in supporting oceanic food webs through de novo omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid production. Thraustochytrids are also one of few heterotrophic eukaryotes with the capacity to synthesize carotenoids, a class of antioxidative pigments made up of carotenes (e.g., β-carotene) and xanthophylls (e.g., astaxanthin). Heterotrophic production of carotenoids is typically associated with protection against oxidative stress, yet the eco-physiological role and evolutionary origin of thraustochytrid carotenoid production remain elusive. A. limacinum encodes the first three carotenoid biosynthesis-specific enzymes (phytoene synthase, phytoene desaturase, and lycopene cyclase) in a …

Data For Paper "Microbial Generation Of Elemental Mercury From Dissolved Methylmercury In Seawater", Cheng-Shiuan Lee, Nicholas S. Fisher

SoMAS Research Data

Elemental mercury (Hg⁰) formation from other mercury species in seawater results from photoreduction and microbial activity, leading to possible evasion from seawater to overlying air. Microbial conversion of monomethylmercury (MeHg) to Hg⁰ in seawater remains unquantified. A rapid radioassay method was developed using gamma-emitting ²⁰³Hg as a tracer to evaluate Hg⁰ production from Hg(II) and MeHg in the low pM range. Bacterioplankton assemblages in Atlantic surface seawater and Long Island Sound water were found to rapidly produce Hg0, with production rate constants being directly related to bacterial biomass and independent of dissolved Hg(II) and MeHg …

Fate Of Methoprene In Temperate Salt Marsh Ditches Following Aerial Applications, David J. Tonjes, Anne E. Mcelroy, Robin K. Barnes, Dominick V. Ninivaggi, Walter Dawydiak, Gregory T. Greene, Bruce J. Brownawell

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

Aerial applications of liquid methoprene are used in salt marshes to control mosquitoes by preventing adult emergence. Despite concern about toxicity to non-target organisms, little is known about environmental concentrations after applications, nor methoprene's persistence in salt marsh environments. Aqueous and sediment samples were collected from two marshes receiving weekly applications. Aqueous samples were collected as early as 30 minutes after applications and as long as nine days afterwards; sediment samples were taken within hours of application and as long as 19 days post-application. Use of time-of-flight liquid chromatography – mass spectral analysis allowed for ultra low detection limits (0.5 …

Changes In Mineralogy And Geochemistry Of Quartz And Feldspars In Response To Impact Cratering, Steven Jaret

Geosciences Research Data

Impact cratering is an important geologic process that has affected all objects in the Solar System. The goal of this work is to understand how this process affects the mineralogy and geochemistry of planetary surfaces. Studies of extraterrestrial materials (e.g., laboratory studies of meteorites) and studies of planetary surfaces via orbiter or lander missions encounter impacted and shocked materials. Therefore, knowing how this secondary process of cratering has altered the rocks and minerals is critical to our ability to deconvolve the secondary effects of shock from the original primary geology. Specifically, I seek to understand impact metamorphism in three ways: …

The Environmental Impacts Of Alternative Food Waste Treatment Technologies In The U.S., Krista L. Thyberg, David J. Tonjes

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted to determine the environmental impacts of several waste treatment scenarios for a suburban New York (U.S.) municipality. The study goal was to determine if separate food waste recovery and management was environmentally sounder than waste-to-energy incineration (the baseline case). Three alternatives, enclosed tunnel composting, enclosed windrow composting, and anaerobic digestion with subsequent enclosed windrow composting of residuals, were examined considering the entire residual waste stream (not just separated food wastes). Impact categories assessed were climate change, environmental eutrophication and acidification, resource depletion, and stratospheric ozone depletion. A normalized, aggregated impact assessment was created …

Multi-Model Validity Assessment Of Groundwater Flow Simulation Models Using Area Metric Approach, Omkar Aphale, David J. Tonjes

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

We demonstrate the application of the Area Metric developed by Ferson et al. (2008) for multi-model validity assessment. The Area Metric quantified the degree of models’ replicative validity: the degree of agreement between the observed data and the corresponding simulated outputs represented as their empirical cumulative distribution functions (ECDFs). This approach was used to rank multiple representations of a case study groundwater flow model of a landfill by their Area Metric scores. A multi-model approach allows for the accounting for uncertainties that may either be epistemic (from lack of knowledge), or aleatory (from variability inherent in the system). The Area …

Ocean Acidification Accelerates The Growth Of Two Bloom-Forming Macroalgae, Craig S. Young, Christopher J. Gobler

School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

While there is growing interest in understanding how marine life will respond to future ocean acidification, many coastal ecosystems currently experience intense acidification in response to upwelling, eutrophication, or riverine discharge. Such acidification can be inhibitory to calcifying animals, but less is known regarding how non-calcifying macroalgae may respond to elevated CO2. Here, we report on experiments performed during summer through fall with North Atlantic populations of Gracilaria and Ulva that were grown in situ within a mesotrophic estuary (Shinnecock Bay, NY, USA) or exposed to normal and elevated, but environmentally realistic, levels of pCO2 and/or nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus). …

Aberrant Dna Methylation: Implications In Racial Health Disparity, Xuefeng Wang, Ping Ji, Yuanhao Zhang, Joseph F. Lacomb, Xinyu Tian, Ellen Li, Jennie L. Williams

Department of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Background Incidence and mortality rates of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) are higher in African Americans (AAs) than in Caucasian Americans (CAs). Deficient micronutrient intake due to dietary restrictions in racial/ethnic populations can alter genetic and molecular profiles leading to dysregulated methylation patterns and the inheritance of somatic to germline mutations. Materials and Methods Total DNA and RNA samples of paired tumor and adjacent normal colon tissues were prepared from AA and CA CRC specimens. Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (RRBS) and RNA sequencing were employed to evaluate total genome methylation of 5’-regulatory regions and dysregulation of gene expression, respectively. Robust analysis was …

Drivers Of Food Wastage And Their Implications For Sustainable Policy Development, Krista L. Thyberg, David J. Tonjes

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

There has been growing interest in establishing food waste prevention and recovery programs throughout the world. The drive to target food waste stems from increasing concerns about resource conservation, food security, food waste’s environmental and economic costs, and a general trend in the waste management industry to transition to more sustainable practices. Here the drivers of residential, institutional, and commercial food waste generation in developed countries, particularly in the U.S., are explored. The impacts of food system modernization on food waste generation are examined, particularly impacts related to food system industrialization, urbanization, globalization, and economic growth. Socio-demographic, cultural, political, and …

Methane Emissions As Energy Reservoir: Context, Scope, Causes And Mitigation Strategies, Xiaoli Chai, David J. Tonjes, Devinder Mahajan

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

Methane (CH4) is now considered a bridge fuel between present fossil (carbon) economy and desired renewables and this energy molecule is projected to play an important role in the global energy mix well beyond 2035. The atmospheric warming potential of CH4 is 28-36 times, when averaged over a 100-year period, that of carbon dioxide (CO2) and this necessitates a close scrutiny of global CH4 emissions inventory. As the second most abundant greenhouse gas (GHG), the annual global CH4 emissions were 645 million metric tons (MMT), accounting for 14.3% of the global anthropogenic GHG emissions. Of this, five key anthropogenic sources: …

Comparison Of Fecal Microbiota In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders And Neurotypical Siblings In The Simons Simplex Collection, Joshua S. Son, Ling J. Zheng, Leahana M. Rowehl, Ellen Li, Xinyu Tian, Yuanhao Zhang, Wei Zhu, Leighann Litcher-Kelly, Kenneth D. Gadow, Grace Gathungu, Charles E. Robertson, Diana Ir, Daniel N. Frank

Department of Applied Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

In order to assess potential associations between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) phenotype, functional GI disorders and fecal microbiota, we recruited simplex families, which had only a single ASD proband and neurotypical (NT) siblings, through the Simons Simplex Community at the Interactive Autism Network (SSC@IAN). Fecal samples and metadata related to functional GI disorders and diet were collected from ASD probands and NT siblings of ASD probands (age 7–14). Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) were assessed using the parent-completed ROME III questionnaire for pediatric FGIDs, and problem behaviors were assessed using the Child Behavior Check List (CBCL). Targeted quantitative polymerase chain reaction …

Haverstraw Bay Benthic Habitat Characterization, Robert M. Cerrato, Alison M. Flanagan, Roger D. Flood

School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

High-resolution backscatter and bathymetric maps created by multibeam and sidescan sonar surveys were used to identify five different seafloor bottom types within Haverstraw Bay. Grab samples were collected within these areas to characterize sediment properties and macrofauna. Selected sampling locations were revisited and seafloor images were obtained with an HD underwater camera. Multivariate analysis was used to identify the most important factors explaining variations in community structure. Results indicated that categorical variables defining bottom types, grain size, and water depth can explain about 42% of community structure variation. In addition, shell length data collected for Rangia cuneata, an introduced …

A Management Framework For Municipal Solid Waste Systems And Its Application To Food Waste Prevention, Krista L. Thyberg, David J. Tonjes

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

Waste management is a complex task involving numerous waste fractions, a range of technological treatment options, and many outputs that are circulated back to society. A systematic, interdisciplinary systems management framework was developed to facilitate the planning, implementation, and maintenance of sustainable waste systems. It aims not to replace existing decision-making approaches, but rather to enable their integration to allow for inclusion of overall sustainability concerns and address the complexity of solid waste management. The framework defines key considerations for system design, steps for performance monitoring, and approaches for facilitating continual system improvements. It was developed by critically examining the …

Differences In Waste Generation, Waste Composition, And Source Separation Across Three Waste Districts In A New York Suburb, Omkar Aphale, Krista L. Thyberg, David J. Tonjes

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

Six tonnes of discards and recyclables from three waste districts in a New York suburb were sorted in 2012. The districts were chosen because one had a higher recycling percentage, one had median performance, and one was a low performing district. ASTM standards were followed for the waste composition sorting. The results showed, as expected, that the waste district with the highest recycling rate appeared to have the highest separation efficiencies, leading to greater amounts of recyclable materials being source separated. The waste districts also had different overall waste generation, both in terms of the amounts of wastes generated, and …

Quantification Of Food Waste Disposal In The United States: A Meta-Analysis, Krista L. Thyberg, David J. Tonjes, Jessica Gurevitch

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

Food waste has major consequences for social, nutritional, economic, and environmental issues, and yet the amount of food waste disposed in the U.S. has not been accurately quantified. We introduce the transparent and repeatable methods of meta-analysis and systematic reviewing to determine how much food is discarded in the U.S., and to determine if specific factors drive increased disposal. The aggregate proportion of food waste in U.S. municipal solid waste from 1995 to 2013 was found to be 0.147 (95% CI 0.137-0.157) of total waste, which is lower than that estimated by USEPA for the same period (0.176). The proportion …

Morphological, Structural, And Spectral Characteristics Of Amorphous Iron Sulfates, Elizabeth Sklute, Heidi Jensen, Deanne Rogers, Richard Reeder

Department of Geosciences Faculty Publications

Current or past brine hydrologic activity on Mars may provide suitable conditions for the formation of amorphous ferric sulfates. Once formed, these phases would likely be stable under current Martian conditions, particularly at low- to mid-latitudes. Therefore, we consider amorphous iron sulfates (AIS) as possible components of Martian surface materials. Laboratory AIS were created through multiple synthesis routes and characterized with total X-ray scattering, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, visible/near-infrared (VNIR), thermal infrared (TIR), and Mössbauer techniques. We synthesized amorphous ferric sulfates (Fe(III)2(SO4)3 · ~ 6–8H2O) from sulfate-saturated fluids via vacuum dehydration or exposure to low relative humidity (

Feldspathic Rocks On Mars: Compositional Constraints From Infrared Spectroscopy And Possible Formation Mechanisms, Deanne Rogers, Hanna Nekvasil

Department of Geosciences Faculty Publications

Rare feldspar-dominated surfaces on Mars were previously reported based on near-infrared (NIR) spectral data and were interpreted to consist of anorthosite or felsic rocks. Using thermal infrared (TIR) data over the feldspar detections with the largest areal extent in Nili Patera and Noachis Terra, we rule out felsic interpretations. Basaltic or anorthositic compositions are consistent with TIR measurements, but the geologic contexts for these regions do not support a plutonic origin. Laboratory NIR spectral measurements demonstrate that large plagioclase crystals (>~840 μm) can be detected in mixtures with as much as 50 vol % mafics, which is higher than …

Identification And Quantification Of Diffuse Fresh Submarine Groundwater Discharge Via Airborne Thermal Infrared Remote Sensing, Joseph T. Tamborski, A Deanne Rogers, Henry J. Bokuniewicz, J Kirk Cochran, Caitlin R. Young

Department of Geosciences Faculty Publications

Airborne thermal infrared (TIR) overflights were combined with shoreline radionuclide surveys to investigate submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) along the north shore of Long Island, NY between June 2013 and September 2014. Regression equations developed for three distinct geomorphological environments suggest a positive linear relationship between the rate of diffuse SGD and the spatial extent of the observed coastal TIR anomalies; such a relationship provides quantitative evidence of the ability to use TIR remote sensing as a tool to remotely identify and measure SGD. Landsat TIR scenes were unable to resolve any of the 18 TIR anomalies identified during the various …

A Review Of The Hyporheic Zone, Stream Restoration, And Means To Enhance Denitrification, Leanne Merill, David J. Tonjes

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

The hyporheic zone is the subsurface area below and adjacent to a stream where groundwater mixes with stream water, through vertical, lateral, and longitudinal flows. The hyporheic zone connects the stream to uplands and other terrestrial environments. It is a zone of distinct faunal communities, high biological diversity and ecological complexity, and is the site of chemical processing and transformations of ground- and stream waters. The hyporheic zone is important to the overall ecosystem ecology of the stream, and it can influence stream water chemistry. Flows, reactions, and biota in the hyporheic zone are heterogeneous and patchy, making it difficult …

Quantitative Assessments Of Municipal Waste Management Systems: Using Different Indicators To Compare And Rank Programs In New York State, Krista L. Greene, David J. Tonjes

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

The primary objective of waste management technologies and policies in theUnited Statesis to reduce the harmful environmental impacts of waste, particularly those relating to energy consumption and climate change. Performance indicators are frequently used to evaluate the environmental quality of municipal waste systems, as well as to compare and rank programs relative to each other in terms of environmental performance. However, there currently is no consensus on the best indicator for performing these environmental evaluations. The purpose of this study is to examine the common performance indicators used to assess the environmental benefits of municipal waste systems to determine if …