University at Albany, State University of New York
University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY): Scholars ArchiveNot a member yet
6197 research outputs found
Sort by
Naming And Blaming Automated Decision-Making Systems: Analysis Of Contesting Algorithmic Injustice
Get PDFThis dissertation is centrally concerned with understanding how algorithmic harms evolve into legal claims in the context of automated public benefits determinations. Data collection consists of multiple source of data including semi-structured in-depth interviews, court opinions, expert witness reports, deposition transcripts, and investigative news reports. Analysis was conducted in parallel with data collection through iterative process of open coding.Results indicate that algorithmic errors are not merely technical glitches, they lead to cascading harms. In-depth analysis of algorithmic errors identified in legal cases reveals the type of errors that top-down formal audit mechanisms fail to capture. As statistical tools automated systems operate under the logic of categorization and cannot account for individual circumstances. Data shows that in automated fraud determinations statistical correlation is not equivalent to legal attribution. Additionally, the investigation underscores multiple challenges in identifying algorithmic errors before the onset of litigation. These challenges are a labyrinth of lack of explanation, lack of understanding, and futility of fair hearings as a forum for questioning, each contributing to the formidable task of determining whether automated determination is erroneous and what the error may be. Analysis suggests that claimants past experiences color their responses to algorithmic harms, perceiving automated determination as an anomaly that contradicts their previous experiences. Piercing the opacity of automated determinations and achieving legal recourse hinge on claimants’ persistence in the face of causal ambiguity, and critically contingent upon the availability of due process claims as a key legal opportunity structure. These findings present a significant leap in our understanding of how algorithmic harms evolve into fully-fledged legal disputes, despite the challenges associated with opacity and complexity of automated decision-making
DART-HRMS and chemometric analysis for applications in forensic entomology
Get PDFForensic entomology, the utilization of insects in the course of legal investigations, is a broad field which encompasses three main branches: medico-legal, stored-product, and urban. This body of research focuses on the first two branches. The first branch, medico-legal forensic entomology, generally applies to death investigations. In death investigations it is imperative to establish the time since death (postmortem interval) and cause of death. Both of these queries can be difficult to assess for remains that are in mid- to late- stages of decay. Carrion insects found on and near the body can assist forensic investigators in this task, as there is a well-established correlation between a given stage of decomposition, and the insect species that colonize the remains. Since the timeline associated in the insect progression through various life stages is heavily documented, knowledge of the species of the retrieved entomological evidence can be used to calculate PMI. Further, since the insects which colonize remains commonly do so in order to use the remains as a primary food source, toxicological information obtained from the analysis of the insects can be used to infer information about the bioaccumulation of illicit substances or other toxins which have come from the body. This is known as entomotoxicology. The conventional approaches used in entomotoxicological analysis, which is still a nascent field, rely on painstaking and/or cumbersome, resource-intensive and time-consuming analyses which require lengthy sample preparation steps, leading to an underutilization of entomological evidence in forensic investigations. Direct analysis in real time-high-resolution mass spectrometry (DART-HRMS) can be used to determine metabolome profiles of the insects, and in turn, this information can be processed through multivariate statistical analysis to determine critical information about the insect evidence. Interspecies differences and intraspecies similarities between insect specimen chemical signatures facilitate determination of insect species identity. While this has been previously established for blow flies (Order: Diptera), Chapter 2 of this work endeavored to expand this application to necrophagous beetles (Order: Coleoptera). Furthermore, the consumption of illicit substances by insects can cause changes to their metabolome profiles in comparison to controls, allowing for the screening of entomological evidence to determine if toxicological information can be inferred from insects. In Chapter 3, chemometric analysis of blow flies in various life stages facilitated the differentiation of insects which fed on fentanyl-derivative-laced liver from those which fed on control liver, which did not contain any fentanyl-based compounds.The second branch of forensic entomology (stored-product entomology) refers to the utilization of insect species identity and life stages to determine the cause and length of infestation in post-harvest agricultural products. Many traditional techniques rely on visual inspection of the products, which is a time-consuming and subjective endeavor. However, insects can leave chemical traces of their presence in stored-products which can be revealed through DART-HRMS analysis of the stored-products under investigation. In Chapter 4, DART-HRMS was utilized to screen milled flour for traces of a common pest, Tribolium castaneum, the red flour beetle. Statistical analysis techniques were used to highlight the important m/z values contributing to the differences in flour samples and differentiate infested and un-infested flour. The results of this research have the potential to lead to rapid techniques by which beetle species can be identified, blow flies can be assessed for toxicological information, and flour and other grains can be tested for insect infestation
Advancing Selective-Area Doping And Annealing Strategies For High-Conductivity P-Type (Al)Gan System
Get PDFThe material properties of the (Al)GaN system, including its high breakdown electric field and high electron mobility, make it a powerful candidate for next-generation high-power and high-frequency electronic devices. The success of this technology is dependent on the ability to form selective-area doped (SAD) p-type regions, which ideally may be accomplished by a combination of straightforward, low-cost ion implantation with Mg, the prevailing p-type dopant, and post-implant annealing. Obtaining high-conductivity p-type GaN following Mg-implantation remains a significant challenge and an area of ongoing research interest. Ion implantation induces lattice damage and creates charged point defects, including the donor-like VN, which compensate activated Mg and requires high temperatures (1300–1500 °C) to remove or agglomerate into clusters. However, GaN is unstable at these temperatures under near-atmospheric N2 overpressure, potentially undergoing catastrophic degradation. As a result, specialized annealing techniques that either heat very rapidly or use ultra-high pressure conditions are required to obtain high-conductivity p-type material. We subjected implanted GaN to microwave using a gyrotron source to investigate the process of defect creation and annihilation, and dopant redistribution in response to ultra high-temperature annealing of 1350–1450 °C. The optical signature indicating the presence of large numbers of VN in GaN is the GL2 band observed in photoluminescence, and the presence of an intense GL2 band can suggest that the material under study is highly resistive. The origin of this band after ion implantation and nonequilibrium annealing is shown to originate not from degradation induced by the anneal process, but primarily from the ion implant process. By annealing at high temperature (~1350 °C), the relative intensity of the GL2 is significantly suppressed, and the population of compensating defects reduced sufficiently to obtain p-type GaN. We obtain a further reduction in the concentration of acceptor-compensating VN is found to result from co-implantation N with Mg. N co-implant, when followed by high-temperature annealing, can enhance p-type conductivity by providing an above-stoichiometric source of implant-region N to occupy VN sites during the annealing process. The CN-related YL photoluminescence band is similar in shape to the GL2 and is ubiquitous in GaN grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). While generally observed to be absent in implant-annealed MOCVD GaN, we find that the combination of Mg+N co-implantation and gyrotron microwave annealing suppresses the GL2 to such an extent that the YL becomes visible. This approach to removal of VN accompanies an increase in the free hole concentration by a factor 102 relative to a Mg-only implant. The temperatures required for efficient p-type activation of implanted GaN also promote mobility of the implanted species. These species are made even more mobile by the presence of high point defect concentrations, visible as distortion of the GaN lattice through x-ray diffractometry. In power electronics with carefully designed selective-area doped (SAD) regions, deformation of these regions by implanted dopant out-diffusion during the activation-anneal process can severely impact device performance. While damage is largely removed at 1000 °C, significant Mg diffusion and attainment of p-GaN do not occur at annealing temperatures \u3c1300 °C. We induce suppression of the defect-mediated diffusion pathway by performing a 1000 °C anneal prior to ultra-high-temperature gyrotron microwave annealing is found to suppress Mg diffusion rate by a factor of 10, greatly improving the fidelity of the original implant profile, opening a pathway to well-defined doped regions of high p-type conductivity
Architecting future multi-modal networks coexistence, generalization & testbeds
Get PDFNext Generation (xG) wireless networks are poised to revolutionize the way people, devices, data and processes sense, communicate, interact, and collectively enable a wide range of emerging applications, ranging from smart cities, connected healthcare, and advanced vehicular communication to extended reality. To facilitate this seamless interoperability, these networks need to evolve to accommodate and integrate multiple modalities in communication/ sensing technologies and spectrum, heterogeneous networks, trends in signal-processing (statistical, AI-driven, and distributed systems), centralized and distributed architectures, and device/ network hardware resources. However, to cater to the high-target metrics and wide-range of applications, these multi-modal networks must efficiently address multi-faceted challenges in coexistence to cope with spectrum scarcity and growing density of wireless entities, adaptability to dynamic and highly-dimensional wireless environments, and security in de-centralized networks. The thesis explore novel techniques, architectures, and validation methodologies to advance the design, implementation, and evaluation of multimodal xG networks, and is structured around three primary research threads: 1) Cross-Layer signal processing for spectrum/ network coexistence, 2) Adaptive signal processing that generalizes to a variety of wireless environments, and 3) Design of pioneering infrastructure and testbeds that enable practical research and validation of multi-modal xG networks
Building and sustaining trust during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons in P-12 educational leadership
Get PDFTrust has been called the “lubricant for social and interpersonal interactions” and “vital for individuals working together to create effective systems.” Organizations were challenged with considering how to adapt and innovate practices during COVID-19 in order to achieve their purpose and mission, continue their effectiveness towards that end, all while being cognizant of the health and safety of their members. Educational institutions were concurrently required to adopt remote instructional practices, adhere to strict safety and health measures, consider the effects of social-emotional health, while encouraging the ongoing learning of students. Courageous building principals and district leaders encouraged new practices, supported pedagogical innovations, and sustained and built systems that have superseded the disruptions of COVID-19.This qualitative multiple case study was designed to review and reflect on the practices of Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grades (P-12) school principals in creating, promoting, and sustaining levels of trust during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research has shown that trust-building and trust-sustaining within an organization hinge on multiple factors. One of the most salient is the leader’s relationship to their subordinates. Literature offers that a principal’s dispositions (i.e., characteristics, values, and beliefs that one holds), as well as the actions a principal takes in creating an “open climate,” building structures of collaboration, and utilizing effective communication channels, will foster relational trust within an educational organization. This study dives into the trust dynamics in six P-12 schools in New York to investigate if leader’s dispositions and actions supported the building and sustaining of trust. Schools were identified as positive outliers in a larger study based on a survey conducted in 2020-21 that indicated relatively more positive workforce responses in terms of stress and job satisfaction during COVID-19. Data was collected utilizing interviews (teachers, building principals, and district leaders and focus groups (teachers) from schools identified as positive outliers through a larger NYKids study. Highlighting literature around trust, leadership, and crisis-response and incorporating theories of performance adaptation, loose-tight leadership, and voice behavior, the goal of this study was to answer the following research questions: 1) How do educational leaders describe their dispositions in supporting relational trust as they led others through the COVID-19 pandemic disruptions in their schools? 2) How do educational leaders describe their actions in supporting relational trust as they led others through the COVID-19 pandemic disruptions in their school? The research in this study resulted in several distinct findings. The first is that trust-building and trust-sustaining dispositions and actions demonstrated by leaders during COVID-19 were present and mirrored those offered in the literature reviewed. The second finding of this study demonstrated that, while all dispositions and actions were apparent, there were noticeable definitional variations and conceptual nuances of such dispositions and actions. Additionally, through the analysis of research and with a lens of various theoretical frameworks, three larger concepts emerged around trust-building and trust-sustaining. These ideas include a culture of shared commitment, collective empathy, and collegial leadership and demonstrate salient organizational characteristics and behaviors in the cases studied. The organizational behaviors (e.g., communication and collaboration) identified in this study highlights key trust-dynamics and offers a framework and considerations for future research and leadership practice
Lead and cadmium exposure alters respiration and shell bioadhesive matrix in a single-chambered, agglutinated foraminiferan protist: implications for marine biomonitoring
Get PDFHeavy metal exposure from anthropogenic pollutants negatively affects many marine organisms, including foraminiferan protists. Foraminifera are often used as bioindicators in benthic environments due to their sensitivity to environmental stress. Primary research has commonly focused on how heavy metals affect foraminiferal assemblages, distribution, ultrastructure, and shell morphology. Multi-chambered calcareous and agglutinated forams are the primary focus of such ecotoxicological studies; however, less is known about how heavy metals affect the physiology and shell microarchitecture of monothalamid agglutinated species. The research reported here represents an interdisciplinary environmental toxicology approach to study the exposure effects of heavy metal toxicants, lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd), on oxygen respiration and shell morphogenesis in Astrammina rara, an agglutinated Antarctic monothalamid foraminifer. A. rara is an ideal model system to study these effects because it (1) is readily collected in Explorers Cove, Antarctica, a major hub of marine research in McMurdo Sound; (2) is comparable to other abundant monothalamid clades inhabiting polar and deep-sea settings; (3) is well-suited for biochemical and morphological studies due to its large size (\u3e1 mm diameter) and ease of isolating protoplasmic and shell matrix fractions; and (4) can reconstruct its shell in vitro using artificial sediment (glass or plastic beads). The goal of this dissertation was to address several knowledge gaps regarding the use of monothalamid foraminifera as bioindicator species, and aimed to (1) determine if exposure to Pb and Cd during shell formation impacted the oxygen respiration rate of A. rara; (2) document and characterize changes in the morphology and composition of the shell after Pb and Cd exposure; and (3) identify putative metal-binding amino acids used to synthesize the agglutinated shell bioadhesive matrix. In this study, individual A. rara were dissected to remove the cell body from its native shell. For the respirometry experiments, isolated cell bodies were placed in sealed respirometry chambers with artificial sediment and normal, Pb- or Cd-spiked artificial seawater. Noninvasive oxygen-sensing optode technology was used to measure oxygen consumption during the first 24–36 h of shell formation. Compared to the baseline respiration rate in control cells, both Pb and Cd significantly suppressed the respiration rate of A. rara in all but the highest level of Pb exposure. The cells used in the shell morphogenesis exposure experiments were similarly prepared. Isolated cell bodies incubated with artificial sediment and control, Pb-, or Cd-spiked artificial seawater constructed new agglutinated shells in four weeks. SEM imaging of reconstructed shells revealed dramatic deformations in the bioadhesive of Pb-exposed shells, and less so in Cd-exposed shells. ICP-MS analysis of the isolated shells showed elevated levels of Pb, but not Cd, in the bioadhesive of treated specimens, indicating that the two metals exert their effects differentially. Finally, the bioadhesive material was collected from in vitro formed shells and hydrolyzed for amino acid analysis using ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). The amino acid profile showed the presence of both sulfur-containing amino acids as well as several post-translationally modified amino acids indicative of metal-binding catechol moieties, which likely play a significant role in shell morphogenesis. Combined, these findings support including certain species of agglutinated monothalamids in marine heavy metal pollution studies, and contributes another avenue to study the global effects of Pb and Cd marine pollution in the benthic environment. Advancing the knowledge of Pb and Cd fate and transport in the marine environment is crucial for developing strategies to mitigate the effects of these global toxicants
Prescription Opioid Misuse Among High School Students In The United States, By Sex And Race/Ethnicity, In 2019 And 2021
Get PDFBackground: Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. have been increasing and are primarily related to opioid use. In 2019, an estimated 7.2% of US high school students reported misusing prescription opioids in the past 30 days. Prescription opioid misuse in adolescents may lead to development of a substance use disorder, overdose, or other serious harms. Some researchers have observed sex and race differences in prescription opioid use. This study aimed to identify patterns of prescription opioid misuse among adolescent subgroups categorized by both sex and race/ethnicity, to provide insight into intervention development and targeting.Methods: We analyzed data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) conducted among high school students in the U.S. in 2019 and 2021. We created a 10-category sex/race variable to capture different combinations of youth sex and race/ethnicity. Our outcome variable was self-reported prescription opioid misuse in the past 30 days. We also considered other important risk factors for prescription opioid misuse, including smoking, alcohol use, illicit drug use, physical activity, and history of concussions. We assessed potential effect modification of the association between sex/race and prescription opioid misuse by depression status and alcohol consumption. Results: Overall, 6.53% of the YRBS sample in 2019-2021 reported prescription opioid misuse in the past 30 days. The prevalence was highest among non-Hispanic Black females (10.9%) and Hispanic females (11.2%). The unadjusted odds ratio for prescription opioid misuse among Hispanic/Latino females, is (OR= 2.05, 95% CI=1.45 to 2.90) and for non-Hispanic Black females, the unadjusted odds ratio for prescription opioid misuse (OR= 1.87, 95% CI =1.27 to 2.74) compared to Hispanic/Latino males. This pattern remained similar when adjusting for other risk factors, with significantly higher odds among non-Hispanic Black females (aOR=1.95, 95% CI =1.31 – 2.89) and Hispanic females (aOR= 1.64 95% CI =1.15 – 2.36), compared to Hispanic males. Depression and substance use behaviors were also significantly associated with prescription opioid misuse, with higher odds for students reporting feelings of depression (aOR=2.50, 95% CI =1.96 – 3.19), smoking (aOR=1.89, 95% CI =1.41 – 2.53), alcohol use (aOR=2.04, 95% CI =1.73 – 2.42) and illicit drug use (aOR= 3.45, 95% CI =2.90 – 4.10). Finally, reporting a concussion because of sports or physical activity in the past 12 months was also associated with higher odds of prescription opioid misuse in the past 30 days (aOR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.36 – 2.18). Neither depression (p=0.111) nor alcohol use (p=0.477) modified the relation between sex/race/ethnicity and prescription opioid misuse. Conclusions: More than one in every ten Hispanic females and non-Hispanic Black females who participated in the YRBS in 2019-2021 reported recent prescription opioid misuse. Education and intervention strategies targeted to these specific groups are needed to prevent further harms resulting from prescription opioid misuse. Evaluating other confounders such as socioeconomic status and adverse childhood experiences can potentially further explain association
An Analysis Of The Predictability Of The February 2021 Cold Air Outbreak At S2S Timescales
Get PDFThe February 2021 cold air outbreak (CAO) brought long-lasting, freezing temperatures and extreme winter weather to the United States and Canada. The event resulted in major societal and economic impacts, including millions of power outages, hundreds of fatalities, and approximately $25 billion in losses. This thesis first analyzes the synoptic evolution of this CAO in order to explain how Arctic air arrived and stalled over central North America. Given the synoptic context, the analysis next considers the subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) predictability of this CAO by examining S2S ensemble model predictions from both high-top and low-top models. The S2S predictability analysis is motivated by the idea that processes and variability in the stratosphere, such as sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs) and stratospheric wave reflection events, can play a significant role in the large-scale evolution and development of CAOs. Given the potential influence of the stratosphere, high-top and low-top forecast data are compared to determine if models that better resolve the stratosphere were able to predict the high impact nature of the CAO with longer lead times. The results suggest that the high-top models did better at predicting both the onset date and the duration of the CAO at S2S lead-times (i.e., week 3 and 4) but did not outperform the low-top models at synoptic time scales (i.e., week 2). The results highlight the importance of resolving the stratosphere to best realize the S2S prediction windows-of-opportunity that result from stratospheric variability
Investigating the association between adverse childhood experiences and obesity while considering race, ethnicity, sex, and sexual orientation
Get PDFAbstractObesity is a chronic disease that plagues about 34% of the world population and rising (CDC,2023). Obesity develops over time due to lifestyle factors, biological factors, and the environment. Life course epidemiology approaches understanding the etiology of obesity by pinpointing how particular events in a lifetime can facilitate later life obesity. One emerging important early life factor that may influence adult obesity risk is adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Rates of ACEs are higher in sexual minorities, women, and nonwhite individuals (Hughes et al., 2022). Furthermore, the rate of obesity is higher in women and nonwhite communities (CDC,2023). Knowing this information, this study inquires how the intersectionality between sexual orientation, race, and gender affects the association between ACEs and obesity. This study aims to investigate the association between ACEs and adulthood obesity while looking at the differences between the obesity and ACE association according to race/ethnicity, sex, and sexual orientation. This was done using a cross-sectional wave of data from the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) with a study population of 24,632 participants. We use logistic regression to understand (1) the association between ACEs and obesity, and (2) whether that association was modified by race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and intersectionality via stratified models. It was hypothesized that those who are nonwhite, female, and a sexual minority will have a higher rate of ACEs leading to an increased risk of obesity. Consistent with previous literature we found a significant dose-response association between adverse childhood experiences and adulthood obesity when adjusted for covariates. In the final model adjusted for covariates, the odds of obesity were 1.419 (95%CI1.313, 1.533) times higher in respondents who had 4 or more ACEs compared to those who had no ACEs; the odds of obesity were 1.161 (95% CI 1.094, 1.232) for those who had 1-3 ACEs compared to those who had no ACEs. While considering the unique view of intersectionality, we found that the odds of obesity of those who were not in any of the marginalized groups with 4 or more ACEs was 1.283 (95% CI 1.116, 1.475) times higher compared to participants with no ACEs, and the odds of obesity of those who are in one or more of the marginalized groups with 4 or more ACEs is 1.517 (95% CI 1.382, 1.665) times higher compared to participants with no ACEs. This pattern of results was similar when considering the parts of the intersectionality index (sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation). This study helps to expand public health knowledge on how childhood adversity can lead to obesity later in life, and how that association is experienced by different social minorities
Examining the association between childhood adversity and later life cardiometabolic diseases
Get PDFACEs stands for Adverse Childhood Experiences, which are traumatic or stressful events that occur in childhood before the age of 18 (Wisner, 2022). These experiences can include physical, emotional, or sexual abuse; neglect; household dysfunction, such as parental separation, domestic violence, substance abuse, or incarceration; or exposure to community violence, racism, or discrimination. Research has shown that individuals who experience ACEs are at a higher risk for developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and mental health disorders later in life (Felitti, 2002). This is because ACEs can cause toxic stress, which is chronic activation of the stress response system in the absence of protective buffering from supportive relationships (Shonkoff et al. 2012). This can lead to changes in brain development, immune function, and hormonal systems, which in turn can increase the risk of chronic diseases. Several studies have demonstrated that ACEs are associated with cardiometabolic outcomes in adulthood (Danese & Tan, 2020). However, the potential moderating role of co-morbid conditions in the association between ACEs and cardiometabolic outcomes have not yet been considered. The present study hypothesized that childhood adversity would be associated with an increased risk of cardiometabolic outcomes, and that association would be stronger among those with other health prevalent conditions, including asthma, hepatitis C, infection, and depression. The hypotheses were tested using a subset of the data 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) (n=5846), which was collected over telephone surveys from adults in the United States aged 18 and above. Multivariate logistic regression results showed that childhood adversity was significantly associated with cardiometabolic outcomes controlled for gender, age, race and education. In particular having 1-3 ACEs compared to no events increases the odds of cardiometabolic diseases by 1.05(95 % CI 0.916,1.205). Also, we see that presence of 4 or more ACEs compared to no events increases the odds of CVD by 1.597(95 %CI 1.317,1.937) times. Stratified logistic models also showed increased odds of having cardiometabolic disease according to ACEs among those with asthma, hepatitis C or multiple morbidity compared to those with no such diseases. The odds ratio for the 4 or more ACE category is 1.378 (95% CI = 0.936 to 2.028) in the depression group, while it is only 1.196 (95% CI = 0.933 to 1.532) in the no depression group. Similarly, the odds ratio for the 4 or more ACE category is 2.626 (95% CI = 1.631 to 4.226) in the asthma group, while it is only 1.292 (95% CI = 1.036 to 1.610) in the no asthma group. Also, the odds ratio for the 4 or more ACE category is 5.407 (95% CI = 1.044 to 28.004) in the hepatitis C group, while it is only 1.512 (95% CI = 1.243 to 1.841) in the no hepatitis C group. The multiple morbidity group showed no significant association between the two groups. Overall, the findings of this study provide further evidence for the long-term impact of childhood adversity on cardiometabolic outcomes in adulthood and suggest that individuals with co-morbid health conditions may be particularly vulnerable to these effects. These results underscore the importance of early identification and intervention to address the negative health consequences of ACEs and highlight the need for integrated care approaches that address both physical and mental health needs